In light of my new (attempted) eating habits, I thought this was a really great DailyOm:

Know Your Food
Eating Close To The Earth
The food we eat is a multidimensional aspect of our lives. Food provides us with the energy that enables us to grow and prosper. Yet it can be, and frequently is, much, much more. Our food can be an experience in and of itself if we allow it to be. The dishes we remember from childhood offer unmatched comfort. The act of preparing meals can be an art form of the highest caliber. And the nourishment we derive from this fare promotes wellness within us. But many of us, distracted by daily affairs, forget that the profound pleasures of eating go beyond simple sustenance. We eat foods that are convenient or we eat unconsciously, snacking on whatever happens to be on hand. To understand the true value of food and the impact it can have on our lives, we should acknowledge and honor it by eating close to the earth.If you have ever shelled and eaten garden-grown peas or bitten into a sun-warmed apple freshly plucked from its tree, you likely understand that there is a marked difference between these foods and those that are processed and stacked on supermarket shelves. Food recently picked contains more of its original life force and thus has a greater store of energy and nutrients. You can ensure you are eating close to the earth-and enjoying the many benefits of doing so-by shopping at a local farmers market and getting to know the individuals who grow your food. If you make the experience of shopping in this way enjoyable, you will be more apt to reject more convenient canned, packaged, and frozen foods in favor of the real delight you feel while browsing stalls of fresh foods nourished by the same soil you can find in your own backyard. You will soon learn what foods are in season in your area and how to prepare them.

As you savor the vivid flavors of juicy ripe fruits and the hearty crunch of unprocessed vegetables, you can also take pleasure in the fact that, by eating close to the earth, you are supporting farmers in your region, connecting with your local ecosystem, discouraging those who would waste precious fossil fuels by carting produce cross-country, and helping to preserve healthy culinary traditions that have existed for centuries.

I’m undergoing some personal changes these days. A lot of it was inspired by Mariel Hemingway’s book (see post below). I’m just slowing down, eating healthier, being more introspective, exercising, and overall cultivating greater happiness and joy in my day-to-day life. One side effect of these changes is a greater urge to nest. Toward the end of last year, we stopped working on our house–no more home improvement projects, no new furniture, no new art…we just wanted to take a break. But a new year has dawned (along with a new, happier me) and I’m feeling the urge to start decorating again. Here are some of the things I want, mostly from West Elm and Gaiam:

Until I read this, I didn’t know much about Mariel Hemingway, other than she’s Ernest’s granddaughter.  But she’s also a self-proclaimed health nut, and in this book she describes her methods. Divided into four quadrants, Food, Exercise, Silence, and Home, the book details how she maintains her health and sanity by integrating those four components into a unified whole. She explains that the body naturally wants simple, healthy food, and that by listening to the body and avoiding "noisy" foods, you can greatly increase your health. I like the idea, but her diet seems very restrictive (no bread, no sugar, no alcohol, no processed foods) and she eats a lot of pureed vegetables. Fortunately, she offers tips on how everyone can modify the diet to suit their own needs, which is helpful. She also explains that it isn’t necessary to exercise to extremes in order to be fit. She stays in shape by walking and doing yoga, and the trick is to really be present and pay attention to the breath. She touts the benefits of silence and meditation, as well as having a soothing home environment in which to do it. Hemingway offers this all in a convenient four week package: try her methods for one month and see how you feel. If you don’t like it, no harm no foul, but if you do, it could certainly change your life.

All of this has a potentially very high "woo woo" factor; it could easily come across as new age or granola. But Hemingway keeps it real, and for me, the book is inspiring and powerful. I’m definitely going to integrate some of her practices into my daily life. In fact, I’m already changing.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for ways to find calm and balance in their lives, or who might be searching for healing practices beyond conventional medicine. For more info, click here.

I’m not much for praying, but the Prayer of St. Francis really speaks to me. I find it so beautiful and moving, and I love this version of it.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Holly Black has a new book, Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale, due out on May 8. Keep an eye out for it!