Category Archives: The Recognized Body

Ways for artists to nurture their primary instrument – the body (and mind).

I’m Not Disciplined. Or am I?

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As I write this, I am between my fifth and sixth day of doing the Master Cleanse. For those

Ingredients for the Master Cleanse

unfamiliar, it is a fasting ritual that cleans the colon and other major organs over the course of several days. Each morning begins with a saltwater flush (good times!) and every evening ends with a cup of herbal laxative tea. Nothing – absolutely nothing – is eaten the entire time. A homemade organic lemonade with maple syrup and cayenne pepper gives the body all the nutrients it needs. Sound crazy?

Call me crazy. I don’t write this to demonstrate how “disciplined” I am, nor to convince anybody to follow suit. I’m simply using this as an example of how others may see discipline. Throughout my life, friends have commented on how disciplined I am, but I’ve seen myself as quite the opposite. Until I discovered what discipline really means.
The root of the word is disciple. And what is a disciple? Someone who simply follows what he loves. Well now, that makes sense! Every “admirable” act of discipline I’ve ever executed – riding my bike over 500 miles in the AidsRide2, sticking with acting for over 30 years, doing the Master Cleanse – has always been about following what I love. Well, maybe the Master Cleanse in and of itself isn’t what I love (can I have some papas y cerveza, please?), but rather it is a means to what I love. I love renewing my digestive system, feeling energetic, light, and sharp. I love the vision of myself never having to be on medication. As author Michael Neill, puts it “Discipline is remembering what you want”.

 

And that’s it. What is it that you want? Really, really want?
Remember it, and discipline becomes a labor of love.

Eating with the Seasons

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Frankly, I get a little shaken up when I see gutted pumpkins on people’s doorsteps. It seems we only use squash as a decorative medium or as part of a toddler’s playground called a pumpkin patch. Do we ever teach our children to eat it? Only in America do we have the audacity to use good, edible food for decoration. OK, I’m stepping off my soapbox.

Zucchini. Not as festive as the pumpkin, and often overlooked. It seems the only thing we do with it is mix it in with sugar and flour and make zucchini bread. As if we needed another empty carb during the holidays? So I decided to experiment and use it. Guess what? Zucchini is easy! Here’s what I did:

DAY 1: Zucchini and Tofu Tacos                DAY 2: Zucchini Omelette

ZucchiniTacos

TIP: Always add colorful foods to your dish!

ZucchiniOmelette

TIP: Always add “live” foods to your plate (i.e., zucchini & grapefruit).

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 3: Zucchini Breakfast Burritos

ZucchiniBrkfstBurrios

TIP: Eat with the seasons, i.e. add apples as a side dish!

DAY 4: Zucchini Butter with Sweet Potato!

ZucchiniButter

TIP: Use coconut oil instead of olive oil when cooking.

ZucchiniSweetPotato

TIP: Good carbs have fiber. Bad carbs have nothing.

 

 

 

 

I hope this post was inspiring. Shoot me back some healthy recipes of your own!