“I bake a chocolate cake from scratch every week.”
Victoria Osteen
As you may have noticed, my blog posts usually begin with a quote. As this post is kind of about cake, I thought I’d do a quick web search for “cake quotes” and let me tell you this is far more disappointing than it should be. I was perusing http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/cake-quotes/ for something witty and inspiring to open this piece with, but all the quotes were horrendously depressing, mundane or simply lifted from a cookbook with no spiritual merit whatsoever. One of the most puzzling goes like this:
Literature is a cake with many toys baked inside and even if you find them all, if you don’t enjoy the path that leads you to them, it will be a hollow accomplishment.
Cam’ron
I don’t know who or what Cam’ron is but let me tell you, Cam, you’ve mixed your metaphors beyond relief. Firstly, if your cake has toys baked into it, chances are it’s not a cake. Second, in what way is literature like a cake? What even is literature? ALL literature? Is literature meant to be an accomplishment?? Explain! And thirdly, there is no path in a cake, nor is there a path to a cake, and there’s also not a path to literature, so in short, I’m far more confused now than I was before, and I’m just picturing a giant spongey mass with plastic toy shovels sticking out of it and a big sign pointing out that you’ve arrived at your destination. And in the midst of all that, the cake might actually be hollow?! Sorry, I don’t buy it.
So, when I came across Victoria Osteen’s simple saying (above) I decided to choose that to set the tone for my post (even though it’s not personally true for me; I can’t remember the last time I baked a chocolate cake but it definitely wasn’t this week).
In fact, the simplicity and questionable truth value of this statement is actually quite appropriate, given that I have been doing some reflecting on my wellbeing and considering the effect of cake on my energy levels. What I mean is, over the last few weeks I have felt incredibly tired, like no amount of sleep will be enough. This is probably impacted by a few things, including a prolonged interruption to my routine since I have been studying in Denmark, and the fact that with my birthday last week came an increased intake of sugar and alcohol and a decreased amount of sleep. Add to that the deadlines I have suddenly accrued since several academic ventures have proved successful, along with the sadness that my trip will be coming to end in a month.
As such, I have been critically reflecting on what might be better or worse for me – what might help or hinder my energy levels – including my diet. Should I be avoiding things like cake, and other highly processed or refined sugars? Perhaps. Another part of me relishes the hit: the joy of anticipating and rewarding myself with a treat, the satisfying sensation of the flavour and texture, the moment of appreciation that can be shared with others or enjoyed alone. This hedonistic part of me can’t imagine a life without these small treats, but the pragmatic side of me believes it’s hardly a sacrifice to avoid things that lead to discomfort and ill-health.
As I’m not really able to isolate the cause of my chronic exhaustion (Too much sleep? Not enough sleep? Too much food? Not enough food?? Thinking too much? About the wrong things? Undisciplined? Overdisciplined? I’m tired already…) I have decided to try and be moderate, generally healthful, and conscious of patterns that might lead to further problems. But when a colleague bakes a table full of cakes and then invites me over, can I really say “no thanks, I might feel, erm, worse than I, er, already do…”? Surely some home-baked cakes made fresh and enjoyed in the garden with some dappled sunlight cannot be that bad…
I read a rather useful quote somewhere (definitely not on wiseoldsayings.com) that posited that hyper-vigilance (when it’s not strictly medically required) in regards to one’s diet can be more damaging than helpful. That is, the constant scrutiny and concern over whether something is appropriate to eat can cause stress that might not otherwise be present. Of course, my general approach is to have an informed knowledge of how the food I usually eat is produced, where it has come from, and what nutrients it can offer. A conscious approach to eating is something I absolutely advocate, but the fact is, I mostly know what is in cake, so feeling guilty about eating it is only exacerbating the conflict…
I guess what I really want is to have my cake and eat it too… but then what is the point of having cake if you don’t eat it, right??
The Chaos Children 