2018 Down the Hatch

Well that was a pretty tasty year. This year my food cost was $5,709.75. This amount of money brought 1,136,585 calories home for meals. 93,412 calories has been untouched but will be consumed next year if not slightly earlier. Sixty six percent of the food I brought home was organic which was a bit of an increase from last year's sixty percent. Organic wise I focused on organic dairy, carbs, oils, coffee, chocolate, and bananas. At first glance it appeared as though sweeteners and sweets had formed the base of my food pyramid but there was an error in calculating the calories in 8 L of maple syrup. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. My food pyramid is actually the same as last year. On the bottom the carbs take up the most space. Second on the pyramid is dairy, third on the pyramid is sweeteners and the only real difference is this year meat overtook the category of nuts and dried fruit. Meat had more of a presence by about ten percent. There were some fruits and vegetables interspersed in the meals somewhere. There were not very many of them but they were there. As far as produce went I depended pretty heavily on bananas and potatoes for potassium and avocadoes were always welcome. I also really enjoyed the occasional squash, cauliflower, and who could live without apples and oranges.

I would have to say I met most of my food goals that I set out in January of 2018. I ate the organic food I planned on eating, supported fair trade coffee growers, and I made granola, cookies, pudding, and soups. My cat kept his promise to eat organic cat food and his coat continues to show a very high gloss as he finishes a year of eating Gather. He has developed a pretty bad habit of begging for human food. He has discovered that he can turn his entire head into an orbiting satellite that can pick up the impressions of human food experiences. He rotates his satellite head left and right showing that he is very pleased with the impressions that he is receiving on his satellite dish but he'd be much happier if you went and put it in a real dish for him. He is now begging worse than any dog I ever had and is getting a taste of many different kinds of meat and dairy products. His begging seemed to coincide with the installation of his cat door back in August which makes me wonder how many friends he made since he started going outside. He is a very nice cat to have around and I wouldn't be surprised if people encourage him to stick around using food to attract him.

I got a chance to plant some seeds in a garden this year so with the help of my nice neighbor I planted some carrots, parsley, arugula, and sweet peas. The parsley started its journey being a plant but it still seems caught in the dwarf stage. One pea plant survived, but the arugula definitely grew the most. I was still putting arugula in my soup last month and even some carrots made a nice snack one day.

I planned to feel well every day and for the most part I would say I stayed well. I set myself to some pretty big tasks and although it seemed at first it was only wearing me down, eventually my endurance took over. My physical fitness started at work on the night shift going up and down the step ladder to keep the shelves organized. Other nights of the week required frequent squatting and lifting. Aside from work I sent myself up some more mountains where I realized it really helped to take the Vega Accelerator to speed up my recovery after I went and wore myself out for nine hours at a time. Also up in the mountains I improvised an easier way to keep my hands up higher using rope tied off the handle of my back pack. That resulted in better stability of my upper body which eventually made it a little more relaxing to go from walking to jogging. The taiji form I was learning also encouraged a lot of flexibility in the hip area and potentially a stronger upper body. Those two things also made jogging a lot easier. This whole year I might have jogged for four hours but that's four hours I wouldn't have been able to pull off last year. I find it really satisfying to be able to move as if I was born to run. It's definitely notable that I have been able to go running right after a neck adjustment. Earlier in the year my neck would be so sensitive after a chiro adjustment that I would just find a spot to lay down and try not to move for hours afterwards.

If I were to grade myself financially this year I would give myself pretty high marks for effort. I tried hard to stay on budget but it's pretty tough to be on budget after a burn out. I also moved to a new building and had to pay rent in two places. The vehicle I purchased needed work and as a result of all these things I ended up two thousand dollars deeper in debt and five thousand dollars short on assets. Ending up more in debt is not exactly something I would plan on. It's something I spent every effort to avoid but people can't work when they are burned out without paying a much higher cost.

The existence of processed marijuana seems to add continuous difficulty to my life. People can smoke it all they want as long as it's not within twenty feet of me but people don't care if I feel a huge amount of discomfort in my body as a result of breathing in THC. There are very few strains I can handle in my immediate breathing air. I can always dream of a world where people really enjoy the way they feel without having to change themselves with drugs. I can always imagine a place where people like having their brain in their own head and don't see a reason to make their brain fly away out of the atmosphere. Maybe if I just keep myself healthy people will be reminded it's possible to be alive and enjoy it without adding psychoactive ingredients to their chemistry.

Next year I could plan better by not planning to live anywhere. Alternatively I could plan to live in a total dump and pay $200 a month because chances are the owner of the dump would smoke marijuana and I'd have to leave most of the day anyway. As long as my cat has a safe place to live that's one of the most important things to me. It's going to take a while to find this detached trailer so until then I will make the best of things.

Coming soon to this blog. Her Geekness will unveil the identity of the food stuffs eaten this year and announce if a million calories was reached. For now here is a short glimpse of the food categories.

Rice, pasta, crackers, oats 25.6 % of total consumption (256,730 calories $543.21)
Dairy and eggs 23.9 % of total consumption (239,766 calories $1,369.55)
Sweets and sweet stuff: 21.6 % of total consumption (216,469 calories $1,195)
Meat and fish 12.3 % of total consumption (123,429 calories $583)
Nuts and dried fruit 10.9 % of total consumption (109,515 calories $253.68)
Fruits and vegetables 5.2 % of total consumption (52, 257 calories $356)
Condiments and oils 4.6% of total consumption (46,077 calories $291)
Beverages 2 % of total consumption (20,944 calories $821)

Total cost of groceries listed: $5412.44
Discrepancy of $297.31 explained by eating out.

Flour, Rice, Pasta, Oats and Carbs

19 kg Organic flour ( 55,328 calories costing $161.50)
13 kg organic oats ( 50,570 calories costing $65)
3.6 kg organic pasta (13,236 calories costing $16)
69 packages Annie's Mac n Cheese (45,540 calories costing $170.43)
6 packages other Mac n Cheese (3,960 calories costing  $15)
16 kg rice (57,376 calories costing $19 however there is still 8 kg left)
4 package rice cakes (1,600 calories costing $10)
9 loaves Dave's bread (18,720 calories costing $45)
7.5 kg organic crackers (3,780 calories costing $19)
500 g puffed rice ( 2,010 calories costing $5)
500 g rice chips (920 calories costing $5)
300 g prepared pasta salad (850 calories costing $3.40)
2 packages Udon noodles (560 calories costing $3.40)
5 packages Mr. Noodle (1,900 calories costing $2.50)
1 package Ichiban (380 calories costing $1.38)

Total Calories: 256,730
Total Cost: $543.21

Dairy

53 L organic milk (27,560 calories costing $123.56)
3.5 L cream (1,000 calories costing $21.70)
2 L whipping cream (1,666 calories costing $12.80)
2 L organic whipping cream (1110 calories costing $25.60)
12.47 kg organic butter (93,006 calories costing $267.87)
22.55 kg organic yogurt (24,200 calories costing $150.14)
420 individual organic eggs (31,080 calories costing $256.76)
8.4 kg organic cheese (33,600 calories costing $336.42)
2.75 kg cream cheese (8,800 calories costing $49.50)
500 g sour cream ( 908 calories costing $7)
500 g ricotta cheese (832 calories costing $7.20)
4.25 L organic ice cream (6,480 calories costing $51)
10 L organic kefir (6,000 calories costing $47)
400 g parmesan (1,600 calories :))
12 duck eggs (1560 calories costing $8.50)
100 g goat cheese (364 calories costing $4.50)

Total calories: 239,766
Total cost: $1,369.55



Sweeteners and Sweet Stuff

15.25 kg honey (46,360 calories costing $89)
8 L maple syrup (27,694 calories costing $124.40)
6.8 kg organic sugar (26,316 calories costing $40)
956 ml agave syrup (4,480 calories costing $20)
1.13 kg organic cacao nibs (5,243 calories costing $57.50)
448 g camino cocoa powder (1,792 calories costing $14.50)
7.4 kg organic chocolate (38,265 calories costing $282.43)
97 sports bars (Cliff, Vega) (26,390 calories costing $205.60)
2.1 kg gummy bears (7,020 calories costing $74.25)
1 kg panda licorice (3,090 calories costing $23.50)
3.9 kg Cliff Shot Bloks (8,800 calories costing $118.80)
1.25 kg potato chips (7,000 calories costing $14)
1.7 kg store bought cakes (5,600 calories costing $22)
6.2 kg Truffle Pigs (3,360 calories costing $50.40)
756 g Newman's cookies (2,600 calories costing $9)
340 g organic cookies (1,700 calories costing $6)
5.5 kg Stingers chews (1,772 calories costing $27.50)
1kg lychee pudding (540 calories costing $6)
2 pckg Ricola (547 calories costing $5)

Total calories: 216,469
Total cost: $1,194.88

Meat

96 individual burgers (31,680 calories costing $150)
2 cans salmon (540 calories costing $5.76)
2 cans sardines (300 calories costing $4)
9.37 kg bacon (35,925 calories costing $196.25)
4 packages sausages (4,000 calories costing $24)
1 beef pie (2,000 calories costing $10)
1.5 kg Greenfield ham (5,748 calories costing $36)
8.2 kg Australian lamb (21,853 calories costing $121.64)
400 g prosciutto (785 calories :))
2 ducks (2,832 calories costing $36)
9.4 kg turkey (17,766 calories costing :))

Total calories: 123,429
Total cost: $583.65
12 % of calories consumed

Dried Fruits and Nuts

1 kg dates (2,820 calories costing $5)
500 g dried mango (1818 calories costing $10.50)
500 g dried coconut (2125 calories costing $10)
907 g tahini (5,397 calories costing $7)
5.2 kg peanuts (29,484 calories costing $31.20)
1.45 kg sunflower seeds (8,488 calories costing $9.50)
1135 g hemp hearts (6,431 calories costing $38)
2.3 kg organic chia seeds ( 11,253 calories costing $46)
3 kg almonds (17,280 calories costing $40.68)
4.25 kg raisins (12,707 calories costing $27.60)
1.9 kg cranberries ( 5,852 calories costing $18.80)
1 kg organic peanut butter (5,880 calories costing $9.40)

Total calories: 109,515
Total Cost: $253.68

Condiments and Oils

3 dressing (5,797 calories costing $19.50)
3.7 L Bragg seasoning (0 calories costing $48)
140 g organic pepper (0 calories costing $6.90)
69 g cinnamon (173 calories costing $7.50)
700 g chili paste (437 calories costing $2.88)
2.2 L sriracha (2,250 calories costing $9)
2 L banana peppers (268 costing $4.70)
1 L olives (1,333 calories costing $16.20)
138 ml pure vanilla (336 calories costing $25.80)
1 L pickles (68 calories costing $3)
1 L organic mayo ( 4,486 calories costing $16)
250 ml jalopeno peppers (70 calories costing $3.60)
900 ml organic beef broth (267 calories costing $2)
1.8 L organic chicken broth (534 calories costing $4)
3.8 L organic pasta sauce (1,314 calories costing $30)
1 L balsamic vinegar (180 calories costing $13)
1.5 L canned pineapple (840 calories costing $11.22)
2 L grape leaves (110 calories costing $6)
2.3 L sauerkraut (283 calories costing $13.50)
900 ml organic coconut oil (7,148 calories costing :))
2.5 L organic olive oil (20,183 calories costing $48.50)

Total calories: 46,077
Total cost: $291.30

Beverages

Martinelli's (180 calories costing $7)
1 beer (180 calories costing $3)
5.2 L kombucha (545 calories costing $36.04)
8.45 kg organic coffee (0 calories costing $247.50)
2.8 L cherry juice (1,892 calories costing $21)
900 ml pineapple juice (540 calories costing $5)
4.5 L Perrier water (0 calories costing $30)
10.5L Whistler water (0 calories costing $14)
750 ml mineral water (0 calories costing $2.30)
5.6 L organic soy milk ( 3,072 calories costing $15)
34.5 L coconut juice (6,555 calories costing $198.40)
Mr Brown coffee (80 calories costing $1)
3 Vega hydration ( 0 calories costing $105)
3 Vega accelerator ( 5,400 calories costing $120)
1 Vega energizer (1,800 calories costing $50)
2 elderberry juice (620 calories costing $16)
2 Green tea (80 calories costing $14)

Total calories: 20,944
Total cost $821.74

Fruits and Vegetables

24 bunch organic bananas (25,200 calories costing $38.40)
6 pounds organic apples (1,415 calories costing $14)
3 pounds organic oranges (640 calories costing $7)
1 kg frozen blueberries (615 calories costing $7.50)
3.6 kg strawberries (1,118 calories costing $12)
13.7 pounds organic potatoes (4,785 calories costing $13.93)
3.5 kg sweet potatoes (3010 calories costing $9.64)
9 onions (396 calories costing $6.50)
6 squashes (960 calories costing $24)
4 cabbages (1,000 costing $12)
8 bunch tomatoes (880 calories costing $32)
3 bunch carrots (738 calories costing $7.50)
9 heads lettuce (972 calories costing $18)
2 kale (600 calories costing $3)
10 cucumbers (450 calories costing $10)
5 lemons (85 calories costing $4)
8 cauliflower ( 1,168 calories costing $32)
7 bunch celery (448 calories costing $14)
broccoli ( 102 calories costing $3)
24 organic avocado (5,568 calories costing $36)
5 zucchini (100 calories costing $5)
mushrooms (10 calories costing $1.30)
cilantro (50 calories costing $6)
egg plant (136 calories costing $.90)
green onions (144 calories costing $3)
4 pieces ginger root (640 calories costing $8.80)
6 cloves garlic (888 calories costing $4.20)
2 parsley ( 50 calories costing $2)
2 hot pepper (25 calories costing $1.10)

Total calories: 52,257
Total cost: $356.77

Top Ten Calorie Sources

1) 12.47 kg organic butter totaling 93,006 calories
2) 19 kg organic white flour totaling 55,328 calories
3) 13 kg organic oats totaling 50,570 calories
4) 69 packages Annie's Mac n Cheese totaling 45,540 calories
5) 7.4 kg organic chocolate totaling 38,265 calories
6) 9.3 kg Greenfield bacon totaling 35,925 calories
7) 8.4 kg organic cheese totaling 33,600 calories
8) 96 Angus burgers totaling 31,680 calories
9) 420 organic eggs totaling 31,080 calories
10) 8 kg Thai rice totaling 28,640 calories

These top ten calorie sources add up to 443,634 calories. If I threw in the peanuts, peanut butter and the lamb that would total half of the year's calories costing $2,058.40. By far the biggest expense is added when beverages get added to the menu. Despite the fact that I have a water filter at home and I bring water with me everywhere I still end up paying for that extra blast of electrolytes especially in the summer.