Worth Consuming

Welcome to the first ever weekly round up on all things thought-provoking, awe-inspiring, or delicous I came across the past week.

Why Thursdays?

These will be coming your way every Thursday. It’s the best day - a day after Hump Day, there’s enough of the week behind you with just enough anticipation for the weekend. I love having something to look forward to. I hope these tidbits make Thursdays a little more special for you in the same way.

If you’ve got thoughts or anything to share related to these, please reply. I’d love to keep the thread going…

An ongoing theme & mood…

It seems all my friends and colleagues in various stages of life find themselves newly categorized as “stressed depressed lemon zest.” Stressed and depressed, yes. Not so much zest.

So, naturally I’ve been pondering…

Anecdotally it seems, we’re all that top graph. Encouraged to hustle, grind, and output away, a vast majority of us Stressed Depressed Lemon Zests are standing on the precipice of the Burnout Zone. Life on the edge is hard to manage - school, family, finances, relationships are all taking their toll. But work in particular is a the main culprit.So, how do we get to the bottom graph, where the cliffs are more like tiers and grades of the hike of life? Is there a sustainable way to adult in this modern world?

While there may be a variety of root causes that get most of us here, a significant portion roots from our notion of work. Like work work. The thing that pays the bills, supports a household, provides some semblance of health care coverage, tax shelter for retirement, and hopefully some means to pursue our dreams(?). Unless you’re a trust fund kid or sold your start up for a healthy seven figure sum. If you are either one of those, you can skip this section entirely.

For those of us left still reading, I offer the above stat (sourced via Twitter). It’s not to show off the economic impact for companies and national GDPs, but instead to just focus on that number. That’s an insane value of our time, energy, and sanity lost to all of us as human beings in the name of work. 

Which is why I - firmly in the Stressed Depressed Lemon Zest camp - have been really exploring rest. I kinda remember it. But to be honest, I’m better at scrolling Instagram than truly “resting.” Whatever that is. And so it begins: A journey to reconnect with and actually incorporate rest so that I’ve got more Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezey in life. More to come.

Food find of the week…

When it comes to food, I am a texture junky. I need at least 2-3 textures in a bite or a snack in order to find it satsifactory. Crunchy & crispy rank really high on required textures and while I love tortilla chips, my stomach can’t handle too much of this good thing.

Luckily, I’ve been enjoying another good thing that’s easier on my GI system and also crazy tasty: Papadams (or papads). Parituclarly these from a local-to-me vendor Roti (vegan Pakistani food producer). Papadams are flatbreads made with legume flour that are deep- or air-fried into crunchy goodness.

I pop one or two uncooked flatbreads (a lot of folks would say they look like tortillas) into the microwave - yes, microwave - for about 1 minute and they come out in a puffed and ruffled glory that’s best with anything creamy, smooth, spicy, rich, sweet, or tangy. As a snack, it’s pretty stunnig with some yogurt as a dip and one of Roti’s chutneys.

Email subscription I’m (surprisingly) pumped about…

The Pump Daily by Arnold Schwarzenegger. As much as I’m a fan of his movie career and his antigonism of a certain former President, I didn’t expect to enjoy the action-hero/ex-California Governor as much as I do.

It’s certainly fitness-centric, but incredibly personal and approachable to all levels of enthusiasts or wannabe enthusiasts.

What I appreciate most is the lack of dogma in the content around diet, exercise, and generally around being a thoughful human being. Very much like the man himself. Plus, I’ve gotta give credit to him and the team for even shouting out my beloved cheese and associating it with good health:

Use the link above to sign up for yourself for some positivity in your inbox.

Chocolate I’m loving…

Qantu Bagua 70% has a really appealing caramel finish. But it’s the preceding flavors that really makes me say “wow.” This Montreal-based chocolate maker has become one of my favorites, further proving what my Eurocentric food snob friends don’t want to admit: North American producers kick ass at chocolate making. 

Qantu’s whole range is stunning. And this bar is a great balance of acidity and fruitiness made a lot more interesting with white floral flavors. If I could bottle this flavor into a fragrance I would spray it all over my house. What makes it so magical? Like with all bars, it’s a blend of the raw materials - in this case, unique beans from Peruvian Amazonian basin - and maker skill.

For anyone who doesn’t have a craft chocolate source locally, definitely order from my favorite purveyors Caputo’s Market here.

What I’m reading…

Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World

One of my favorite non-fiction books in the last five years. For those of us with non-linear and unconventional professional backgrounds this book sheds light on why we aren’t so out of place in a highly specialized economy.

Epstein’s work goes beyond “work value” and focuses on how embracing experimentation and experience creates well-rounded and deep thinking humans who are just as adapted to thrive.

Good for individuals feeling lost and parents wondering how to support their kids’ journeys. Kindle versions and audiobook versions also available.

If any of this resonated with you, feel free to continue the convo and share this with your circles.