Zen, Poke Bowls and the Logistics of Health

Photo by Linda Nguyen of girleatsworld.curious-notions.net

How are zen, poke bowls and logistics related?

Ever notice that you find what you look for?

There’s two reasons for that: Science and the Unknown.

Like how I capitalized Unknown to make it seem super important? When I say unknown I’m referencing what some call God, Allah, Buddha, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Universe, Britney Spears or simply the Higher Power. NutritionSheila.com is a safe place free of judgement and open to all who seek health, so I went with the Unknown to encompasses all the aforementioned names.
Scientifically speaking you find what you seek because your neurons are all geared up for it. Like when you are hankering to buy a new car and everywhere you turn there’s some jerk driving your brand new red Prius with witty personalized plates. Just as an example of course.

When it comes to the Unknown reasoning, let’s go with quoting Persian poet Rumi and side stepping any potential emotional triggers. M’kay?
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Rumi is often quoted as saying, “What you seek is seeking you.” I dig this and for many years went around living by the quote. Turns out, it’s a mistranslation. Thank the Unknown for cousins. My cousin across the ocean blue in all his infinite Persian wisdom told me that the actual translation is, “You are what you seek.” Small variation, but this brings the woo-woo back to science.

If you’re seeking to be healthy, you’ll find:

• Great, positive, health-focused websites like NutritionSheila.com
• Time in your schedule to workout
• Great sales on yoga pants
• The benefit of taking the stairs versus the elevator
• A newfound fear of sitting for longer than 15 minutes
• Healthy swaps that make your life better
• Opportunities and resources to become healthy

If you’re not seeking to be healthy, you’ll find:

• The nearest drive through donut shop
• People to enable your behavior
• Every possible fad diet scam

Rumi Meets Logistics

I am forever looking for healthy options in my area, not only to enjoy for myself, but share with others. That’s because our health comes down to the logistics of our lives.

Whatever your health status is, it’s largely due to the logistics of your life. Taking a moment to assess that and start making small changes can have huge, if not completely life-altering effects on your life.

For example, when you look at your drive time to and from work, is there anything that you can do to improve it? Before you getting into a swear-spree about the pure hell that is your commute, step back and really think about it.

Is it possible to adjust your work schedule to go in an hour earlier or later to circumvent the most congested traffic? Is there a gym, yoga-studio or quiet café near your work that you could go to an hour before work starts, dodge being stuck in traffic and instead workout, practice yoga or read a self-improvement book?

And remember all those books you’ve been wanting to read and how study after study after study proves that the more you read the more money you make and better the quality of your life? Yeah. You could totally listen to those while you drive.

I live in Durham, North Carolina, which is part of an area known as the Triangle. Many spend 1 to 2 hours a day commuting to and from work. Our traffic problems are real y’all.

Using the average drive time and most common length of an audio book, a person could listen to 36 books a year on the way to and from work. The positive improvements in mental health, income and quality of life that could come with that are endless. Oh hey, here’s the 2018 Wellness Reading List to get you started. :)

See how opportunities to live a happy, healthy, well-nourished life start popping up if you look for them? And this is why I constantly look for healthy options in my area. You tend to find exactly what you are looking for.

Photo by Linda Nguyen of girleatsworld.curious-notions.net

Local Health Find – ZenFish Poké Bar

​Recently I stumbled across an incredible gem here in Durham, ZenFish Poké Bar located at 810 9th street and it lit up every health loving neuron in my brain.  

ZenFish serves up poké bowls, which are akin to the Buddha bowl version of sushi. These bowls are a Hawaiian staple that have moved inland in a big way. BTW it’s pronounce POH-kay, like if your friend was helping you on an online classic English literature test.

You: Who was that one dude that wrote the story about the heart beating in the floor?
Your Awesome Friend: Poe!
You: K!

ZenFish poké bowls are brimming with fresh, local produce – seriously local, like some farms are literally located just down the street. Owner Janet Lee mentioned one of her favorite farms she gets her ingredients from is another local gem Funny Girl Farm, which is a short 7.8 miles away from the restaurant.

You can get an entire day’s worth of fruits and vegetables in own poke bowl! If you’re into fish, you’re in luck. ZenFish features fish caught right off the coast of North Carolina. Ingredients that are locally sourced are few and far between and always to make the dish the best it can be.

The Secret Sauce

You’ll also get something that’s not on the menu, but rather all over the walls and infused into the business plan itself – gratitude, compassion, love and happiness. Janet is a Duke graduate that once-upon-a-time was working her way up the corporate ladder in a high-paced, high-stressed job the promise of ever bigger paychecks that would seemingly make working yourself into the ground worth it.

​She quickly burnt out and had a divine reality check – A.K.A. the health scare we Americans (author included) seem to need before we realize that quality of life is far more important than the status quo.

As Janet put it, “I did corporate for many years. I realized that wasn’t my passion. It was actually with yoga. I was feeling stressed a lot and not myself at work. My yoga teacher told me, along the lines of “Do what you love. This is your body. Take care of it. You only have one life.” That night, I put in my 30 day notice.
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“That’s why my goals are grateful, kindness, compassion, courageous, all the words that really spoke to me over yoga. I wanted to create a place where I could incorporate Durham and incorporate my love for local farming and health. I want to showcase the story behind the farmers here.”

Janet has always loved, loved, loved food. She paired that with her personal mission to live a simple, happy life to create ZenFish. The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in is a chalk wall with the word gratitude painted on it and chalk for you to write out something you’re grateful for.

Take one look at the menu and you’ll see Janet’s heart beaming through. Under signature bowls you’ll see the Grateful Bowl, Kindness Bowl, Courageous Bowl and Compassion Bowl. I love all the names, but being the vegetarian that I am I skip right now down to the Veggie Bowl and dig in.

Think that Janet couldn’t be any kinder? Think there is no way that the joint could get healthier for your body and soul? Guess again.

Cold and flu season hit Durham hard this year with crazed fluctuations in temps adding gasoline to the fire. Janet got into the kitchen and then onto Instagram offering up immunity shots of fresh squeezed tangelos, turmeric, ginger and local honey. The turmeric came from Funny Girl Farm.

If you live in the Durham area, ZenFish is an absolute MUST. Stop by and enjoy the wide variety on the menu and practice some gratitude while you’re there. More over take a minute to see how this health gem can fit into your life as part of reworking the logistics of your life for your health, happiness and wellbeing.

Could you get a poke bowl to go for lunch tomorrow at work? They’re open until 9:00pm, so could swap out your Wednesday wine with your crew for this healthy alternative once or twice a month? Is it walking distance from your office serving as a perfect excuse to stop working through your lunch?

For those who don’t live or work in Durham, first and foremost sorry. I kid. I love my city, but I realize that people live other places too. Do a search to see if there is a poke restaurant in your area. You can also try making poke bowls at home. Ogle some of Janet’s food porn on her ZenFish Instagram account for inspiration and see what local produce options you have available to make your own at home. And no matter where you live, take a moment each day to practice gratitude.
I’m grateful to live only a mile away from the treasure that is ZenFish.

Actionable Takeaways

• Start looking for healthy options.
• Practice gratitude.
• Use Google to search for 4 to 5 healthy restaurants near your home and work.
• Think of 5 unhealthy behaviors you’d like to change and what you could swap each one out for.
• Pick one and start making that swap.
• Look at your schedule. What could you change that would improve your health?
• Look up local farms, farmers markets and CSAs in your area. Try one out.
• If you’re in the Durham area, try out ZenFish Poké Bowls.

Follow along Local Logistics series to learn how you can find positive, healthy and delicious options right were you live and work. Click HERE to get the next feature delivered to you inbox.​

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