Day 17: Out Of Sight
UNITED STATES—Let’s go to something very simple and helpful to hang onto: the non-negotiable concept of out of sight. If there are foods for which we have no preference in the 30 pounds in 30 days plan, better off to keep then out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind. And this diet is a diet for both...
Know How To Procure Firewood
UNITED STATES—Fireplaces and wood stoves simply are not as common as they were only a few decades ago. Because of modern building codes, most that get damaged by earthquakes get removed or replaced by pellet stoves. The orchards that once provided so much inexpensive firewood while they were being cleared for urban development are now gone. The wood yards...
Zucchini, Much More Than Just Squash
UNITED STATES—The zucchini is a vegetable that is apart of the squash family. It’s tubular, long-shaped and green. Like so many other veggies, the zucchini is actually a fruit, but is utilized in most cuisine as a savory addition. The funny thing about zucchini is that it can come in a variety of sizes from small, to large. This...
Day 16: Be Surprised
UNITED STATES—A great way to maximize happiness and roll with the nutritional punches is to cultivate meeting unexpected treats with delight. The ancients had the carpe diem outlook; mine is ‘be surprised.’ Through selective short-term deprivation and adherence to daily habits like morning stretches we can increase the chances that what the day may offer us will be better...
Prune Fruit Trees While Dormant
After centuries of breeding for abundant production of unnaturally large fruit, deciduous fruit trees have become dependent on specialized pruning while they are dormant through winter. Without pruning, most eventually become overgrown and overwhelmed by their own fruit. The weight of excessive fruit disfigures and breaks limbs. Pathogens proliferate within distressed foliage, crowded fruit and surplus fruit that falls...
Day 15: Say No To Bread And Milk
UNITED STATES—The impetuous gauntlet of the holidays, with its myriad temptations, makes folks vulnerable to conventional deprivation diets. It’s not even New Years, and people are already breaking this morning’s resolution at this afternoon’s office party. Your goal is simple, your stated aim to attain the body you desire, lose the counterproductive discomfort with yourself, and to feel phenomenally...
Introducing A Unique Fruit, The Persimmon
UNITED STATES—I’ve always been a connoisseur of trying new foods, especially fruits that I have never had. This weekend was an interesting time for me at the supermarket. While in the produce section I stumbled upon a fruit that caught my eye right away. It was a dark orange, shaped like a peach and had a leafy top similar...
Winter Is For Getting Bare
Even before the last of the Christmas trees vacate nurseries, bare root nursery stock begins to move in, and will be available through winter. As the name implies, 'bare root' stock has bare roots, without media ('potting soil') or cans (pots) to contain the roots. Many are temporarily heeled into damp sand from which they get dug and wrapped...
The Radish, Another Root Veggie!
UNITED STATES—The are many veggies that we eat, that Americans know so little about, heck we sometimes forget the veggie is even in the dish that we’re consuming. Any thoughts on what vegetable I’m referring to? Let me give you a hint, it’s a root vegetable. It’s the radish! Some may be surprised to discover that it doesn’t take...
The Grape, A Lunchtime Favorite
UNITED STATES—If you look into the fridge of most American homes you’ll likely find the following fruits, apples, oranges, bananas and yep, you guessed it grapes. But what is it about the grape that makes it such a popular treat? We are all aware that grapes come in clusters and are typically grown on vines. This fruit typically comes...