'Keeps You Sane but Drives you Crazy"

Music and great relationships have two things in common, 'They keep you sane but drive you CRAZY !'
I heard the phrase from Mickey 'the Geek', a cool, tatted, music dude working at The Tiny Lounge on Lincoln Ave in Chi-town.  Right away I thought it was a super parallel to what we choose to eat. We love the steaks, chops, burgers, pizza, pastas from the SAD (Standard American Diet) but they cause a lot of challenges on your body.  I love my early am coffee ritual:  filtered water, grind beans, sustainable filter, brew, aroma and enjoy in multiples, but it cramps muscles, makes me gritter, and raises my heart rate.

Recently after being away from the game for over 20 years I went back to try on golf, hitting 30 minutes of range balls each day, cross training with an early run, and later with a swim and steam.  EOW....Exit 5 lbs.  Of course it might have been 6 or 7 lbs had I not had the habit still of hydr0lizing with gemstone flavors at places like THE TINY LOUNGE.  But one step at a time. 

Today's dish is a fantastic Hot n' Sour Soup fashion after thinking about how great I feel cooking and eating things that are not part of the SAD and leave me with fantastic energy.  This luscious blend of veggies with shittake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots and green onion get simmered with a half spoon of chili garlic paste.  Cover withchicken or veggie stock and in almost when done drop in a protein, in this case tofu, with a half a cup or so of fresh shredded cabbage stirred in at the end for nutritional density.  OMG!  No steak ever did if for me like this!  Hot in a sense of as spicy mild as you want, and sour in the addition of apple cider vinegar to finish.  A full bowlful later I was after more and more and more. I feel light, nourished and refreshed,  ready to take on the driving range and a lot more lap time in the pool.  Step by Step I am on to my new Cell Cuisine tm and a lot more years of healthful, fun livin ! .  The Vegetable Alchemist.