Whole30: Intro

So I’m going to be doing the Whole30 program for the next 30 days, April 1-30. Whole30 is a rather severe version of the Paleo diet, in which one is limited to eating meat, fish, eggs, lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, and healthy fats. You know, food. No added sugar, no processed crap, no unpronounceable additives, no Frankenfoods. Also, no grains, legumes, dairy or dairy products, or alcohol, all of which studies have shown may be irritant or even toxic to some people’s systems.

The idea is to clean out one’s body of guck, at least for a month, and re-set to a baseline – and then slowly reintroduce the forbidden food items and gauge one’s reaction to them. This way, you learn what foods really are healthy and nourishing for your unique and singular self.

More than that, I don’t really want to explain. Click the link above, Google it if you want to know more. The small point I want to make in this post is that I’ll be blogging the next month to chronicle my Whole30 experience. But I won’t be writing much, because what I mostly want to do is just post pics of my meals. Like this…

…and this… 

…and this.

(I’ve already switched partway to Paleo; I often make dishes – like the ones above – that are Whole30 approved.)

I figure if I’m going to all the trouble and effort of preparing virtually all my meals for the next 30 days (eating out is problematic, since it can be difficult to find food that’s compliant with the program), I might as well take photos of them. If I do my job right, my dishes will be delicious and healthy. But if I put in a some extra effort, maybe they’ll also be pretty. And if I really do it well, they’ll be porn.

Food porn, that is.

At least that’s what I’ll be aspiring to. You’ll know it when you see it.

Notes on the Previous Five Stories

Well, better late than never. I just felt I should close the loop and finally post these long-shelved notes on my most recent stories (most recent as in, from a year ago).

All but one of these stories came from story prompts from the now defunct (alas) Flash Fiction Friday.

“The Spell of Opening” came from the cue: “Write a story where a door figures prominently in the plot. Word limit: 1,000 words.” Thought I’d try my hand at a wizardly tale.

“Blasé” arose from the cue: “Write a story in which your protagonist encounters some sort of double or doppelganger. Word limit: 1,200 words.” I like turnabout reveals.

“Fever” was the product of the cue: “Write a springtime story about love using these words: kiss, breeze, kite, skunk, and mud. Word Limit: 1,300.” So, ummm, yeah. I made a foray into animal erotica. What can I say?

“Mirror, Mirror” came from a desire to write another science fiction story – and conjure up a tall, breathtaking blonde. What can I say? I have a thing for tall women.

“The Palanquin Ride” was my response to the cue: “Put your story in motion, tell it from the vantage point of the journey, not the destination. Word Limit: 1,500.” I love this story. It was a nice capstone to this recent period of creative writing which, alas, seems to have run its course. For the time being, anyway.