I'm Home and Island Food

We rolled into town at around 2 this morning, which was fine for me, but boyfriend had to be up at 5:45 for work and his cousin had to catch the greyhound back to San Francisco at 6:45. It was a really, really long drive and we were all feeling the post-island blues.

I woke up around 9:30 and you can guess the first thing I did.

I ran only two times my entire trip (complete with lots of hills), so this run felt extra-super good. Then I picked up some weights, which I hadn't done in almost 2 weeks.

I am feeling so good on my runner's high, but definitely going to be hitting the hay early tonight. I can feel the 2am bedtime.

I don't write about food much on here because it's kind of a touchy subject. I have mentioned that I have gone through an eating disorder and still, 4 years later, i have to work on it every day. I am much better at seeing food as fuel instead of as the enemy, but before I left I could feel myself slipping back into my old ways. I was going back to old food rules and was restricting certain foods, telling myself I just didn't want them. The island revived me.

I am all about eating natural, clean foods. The more local, the better. Since this island has no grocery stores, most people grow their own food. It's as local as it can get! Every night we had salad straight from the garden.

I helped clean and prepare fish and crab straight from the sea.

I even helped pick vegetables for our dinner.

Food tastes so much better when you help prepare it and when you know exactly were it's coming from. One morning, boyfriend's sister made us omelettes with eggs from her chickens, vegetables from her garden, and cheese she made from raw cow's milk she gets at the farm down the road.

On the island, food wasn't scary. It was fueling my body for all of the activities that we participated in each day. Food was something we celebrated life over.

Most of my fruit came from the island as well. One day, we picked 10 pounds of blackberries which were made into cobbler, jam, and eaten just as they were in yogurt (also freshly made on the island).

The last day was spent picking 15 pounds of blueberries.

I probably ate 15 pounds while picking them as well. This trip renewed my spirit for food and cooking and buying locally. I've never felt healthier than I did in those twelve days. It's easy to compare what you're eating to what others are eating these days thanks to Instagram and Facebook, but that didn't happen on the island, and I am trying hard to not let it happen now.

I am already missing the fresh food! But Farmer's Market is on Saturday and you can bet I will be there.

Do you try to eat as locally as possible?

How have you been????