Sunday, December 23, 2007

Dallas

Dallas is flat. I grew up in the shadow of mountains and when I moved away I didn't realize how much I missed them until I went "home". I have since gotten more used to less mountains and I am still living among rolling hills, but I do still notice the flat and Dallas is flat. There is also something wrong with warm temperatures and Christmas lights - but I notice that other places too.

The Garden Inn that I stayed in had a fridge and microwave (and a good breakfast) so I ate in my room watching basketball most evenings and I visited two Whole Foods this trip. There was a time I was keeping track of all the Whole Foods I visited with a small attempt to visit them all. Then the company began growing so fast and buying so many other small companies there was no way I could keep up. I do still try to get new ones when I can. The Richardson one is small and I think I had been there many years ago on another trip. The Preston Rd one that I went to is much larger and seems new (maybe relocated from across the street). It has a candy shop. Not just a large collection of candies or chocolates but a setup to make candies -including Christmas chocolates of trains and snowmen, and other items.

I also spent two hours browsing around Fry's one evening.

-SML

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The search for real food

A traveling trainer spends many nights in hotels, eating alone, and waiting in airports. Returning to the same cities has advantages. I know the way from the hotel to work. I learn what restaurants to revisit or to avoid. I have an idea how long it takes to get back to the airport at the end of a class. New cities provide the excitement - and chore - of figuring out where to go and what to eat.

Add to that an extra complication - food allergies. Now it gets really fun. In my case it is more intolerance than allergy since I haven't ended up in the emergency room or anything yet. Other family members have it worse than I do and over time I have learned how much better I can feel and how much more energy I have if I avoid certain foods. It would be easier if it was just "no peanuts" or even "no wheat" but in my case it is more about additives and preservatives. No artificial colors or flavors. No post harvest sprays which translates to not eating most conventional veggies and especially salads. No sulfites and nitrites which means no bear, no wine, no wine vinegar, and not many sandwich meats.

Thank goodness for Whole Foods Market and a lot of small locally owned farms and shops!
Organic salad bars. Free range chickens. Naturally flavored cheese puffs. Even Organic frozen dinners for the microwave in the hotel.

What I really want is to find more restaurants with a good selection of organic items. So I can go out to eat more. And as much as I like the Whole Foods Markets and their prepared foods and hot bar and salad bar options, it does get old after a while. So I am also always looking for other local shops as an alternative.

-SML