Have you ever found yourself sizing up another person's grocery selection at the grocery store?
Sure you have. We stand in line like cattle on a farm, waiting our turn
at the end of the stall to have our purchases processed. While there, we
have little to do but stand and look around, and occasionally flick our
hair (those that have flickable hair, or any hair at all for that
matter). We gaze around at the lights and sights. Sometimes we graze,
sorting through the subliminally-planted, spontaneous purchase type
foods marketed by deliberately and maliciously placing last in the store
that come in the form of high calorie snack foods that taste fantastic.
And we size up other people and their purchases.
Hypothetical
scenario. A cart loaded up with vegetables, fruits, and other
non-processed items, primarily organic or otherwise "natural". What's
the first thing we think of when we see that?
My money is on one word: "healthnut"
That, or "whackjob".
Normal people don't eat only fruits and vegetables. After all, how can they live if they don't get their protein? How do they expect to maintain muscle mass and over all health if they aren't eating protein? How "abnormal" of them to abstain from eating animal proteins and packaged, processed foods!
That gut check is still present weeks after my dietary switch to a plant-based lifestyle commenced. Why do I know this? Two words: "Raw Lasagna".
The
Italian food lover in me reeled with disgust, appalled at the food travesty. Until recently,
I'd never even heard of such a culinary fiasco! How on earth could one
say that this was "lasagna"? The audacity! Absurd! How abnormal!
Everyone knows that real lasagna
is pound-upon-pound of meat and dairy layered over white-flour noodles!
I am sure that's been exactly how it's made, as handed-down generation
after generation from the very first, and surely thoroughly-cooked,
lasagna in ancient Italy or where ever the first lasagna dates back to.
In
fact, it most certainly needs to come in a glass or tinfoil pan, and be
cooked on high heat in the oven until the cheese bubbles and the top
noodles become almost crispy from over-baking. That's what a normal
lasagna is.
Hotdogs and hamburgers, the good old
American food, are the same thing. Treated fairly, the animal meat and
by-products that are ground up, formed into patties or tubes and
char-grilled for all to enjoy were never meant to be fashioned out of
brown rice, soy or mushroom blends! Preposterous! They're meant to have
mooed, (or perhaps, as more recent news shows, at least even whinnied) at some point. Everyone knows that! My Uncle Rick knew that!
Uncle
Rick was a die-hard red meat lover who proved to me that Man can live
on a diet of red meat, no veggies and be cool. He drove a Corvette. He
always had the latest electronic gadgets. He gave all of his nieces and
nephews the best Christmas gifts, treated us all equally; he was the
epitome of the cool uncle. The 70's bachelor living his life in the fast
lane and without a care in the world.
Ironically, I
related to Rick. I felt very akin to him, with similar personality
characteristics as well as physical traits. I envied his record collection, his cars, his toys. I also related to his struggles. Whenever I started to
exercise, I would think of the story he told me about the first time he
took up running.
Rick had bought himself all the gear,
as usual. He had the expensive matching two piece Adidas jogging suit.
He had brand new white runners. I think he even got a fancy water
bottle before water bottles were even a mainstream accessory. He was so cool he set trends.
He went out for a morning jog, made it a record
breaking number of kilometers away and but then realized there was no way
to make it home alive. He was so beaten, exhausted and sore he called my
grandmother for a ride home.
Rick is the reason I prefer the treadmill.
I
remember asking Rick one time why he didn't eat vegetables. He said he
didn't like them, they made him sick to his stomach. Instead, he ate one
of two things:
A) Two burgers, made of ground beef and
hand-pressed into patties, grilled on a gas barbeque, or broiled in the
oven, then served up on two fresh-from-the-bakery white flour kaiser
buns.
or
B) Sirloin steak,
grilled medium well and served with two indulgent slices of fresh, white
bread slathered in butter or sweet dinner rolls dressed the same.
Either
meal was accompanied with a Morton salt shaker and usually ended with
brownies, cake or another sweet desert. Whichever Rick had for lunch was
alternated for dinner. Every single day.
There was no variance. There was no interruption or hiatus. I
don't think I ever saw Rick even eat a piece of fruit or so much as a
vegetable by way of pizza. He simply didn't eat anything else. He was
just that cool, like James Dean and his cigarette.
Rick was overweight, diabetic and unhealthy. But man, he was cool.
Much like James Dean, he also died way before his time should have run out, passing away from heart failure in his 50's. No surprise. Yet, we mourned him.
"How could such a sweet young man pass away so young?", the old aunties would weep.
Yet, it should have been no surprise to any of us. In fact, one could argue we were all guilty of murder, or at least manslaughter, for knowingly allowing a man to inflict hazardous damage upon his own health to his detriment. After all, everyone knows you need to get a well balanced meal. If Rick had been been a coke-head, alcoholic or even anorexic, there most certainly would have been an intervention. So why wasn't there?
Because it's normal, right? Mainstream media features men huddled around barbeques, gripping beers and telling war stories, anticipating the luxury of cooked flesh that was about to be served. How many of those commercials feature a man taking a big bite of a brown-rice-and-mushroom vegetarian burger?
Veggie burgers don't sell out stadiums at half-time for the Superbowl. They're for weird people. They're abnormal.
The question is, according to who?
As I journey into the land of Healthy Living, I find myself asking that question alot, and yet it seems to become more and more apparent to me that it's a matter of who you ask. Naturally, big businesses want you to buy more. Hence, they make everything look better, and shiny and new and exciting. Marketing 101. I find myself trusting the opinions of raw food, whole food and vegan diet experts that seem to become more and more frequently featured in the documentaries I find on food.
According to most of them, and by "them" I mean the experts on Food Matters, Hungry for Change, Fat Sick & Nearly Dead, Vegucated, Fresh, Farmageddon, Food Inc, it simply isn't healthy to ingest the majority of the packaged, processed foods that are put on shelves and heavily marketed to us.
But the biggest proof, for me, has been my own body.
Six full weeks into non-dairy, non-animal food consumption, with roughly 60% raw, and 40% cooked, I feel incredible. Everything I was led to believe about switching to organic, wholesome foods has come true. Now, I certainly don't have superpowers. I'm not getting younger. I don't look like The Rock, yet, but I'm healthy(ier).
My body chemistry has changed. I can tell a difference in my own sweat and, subsequently, body odour, at the end of the day or post-workout. I don't have near the stink that I would have had prior when I was consuming meat and dairy. There is definitely a difference in me post-vegan.
My skin is different. Fewer pimples, not nearly the oily sensation around my nose, chin and forehead that I noticed before, and acne that I had on my upper arms my entire life is clearing up.
I have more energy. Less lethargic, and less prone to desiring sleep, and I'm functioning on less and less coffee than ever before in my adult life.
I feel sharper. I don't feel as groggy, and don't have that haze or fog I need to lift or clear each morning. I don't need my afternoon jolt of coffee or sugar to get around the 3PM wall, and my mental state feels more alert.
My breathing has changed. I am no longer perpetually stuffed up. I don't have to clear my throat. I don't have inexplicable phlegm, no post nasal drip, zero mucus-y feeling in my ears, throat or sinuses. I feel like when I take a deep breath, I can feel the air in every pocket of my lungs. There is no fight to get oxygenated.
I recover faster. Previously, the days following a workout were intense. Muscles ached. That's how I knew I'd worked out hard. I'm now pushing my body farther than I've ever expected I could. And the next day, I'm back in the gym, with minimal familiar pain.
According to mainstream media, all of the above are abnormal symptoms and to feel normal, I could have headed to a drugstore and found something to take care of it.
According to the experts on aforementioned documentaries, I just need to eat responsibly and healthy.
So who is right? Who is telling the truth? The truth lies in reality.
The reality is, now I know what it is to feel healthy; I feel normal. For the first time in my life, I feel as if I am a well-oiled machine and in tip top shape right off the factory line. Agreeably, I certainly have a long way to go. I'm know I've not actually plateaued yet, but that is the best part. To think that in just six weeks I have achieved more in healing and self-preservation through simply changing my food sources than years of medication and off-the-shelf-over-the-counter prescriptions could ever, or have ever, done. Simply by eating right; by eating abnormally. According to the commercials they blast us with it's not normal to desire kale, but I do. It's not normal to want salad for dinner or vegetables for a snack or prunes and dates instead of candy bars. But I do.
I wish I could have helped my Uncle Rick embrace abnormal eating. I wish I could have helped him feel as normal as the mainstream diet he was led to believe should have made him feel. His chest pain leading up to his final hospital visit wasn't normal.
What is normal is to feel alive. To feel as healthy as nature intended. And if eating right, and honoring my own health by staying away from heavily marketed, tasty-but-deadly normal foods is the only way for me to stay this way, then I'm ok with it. I'll stick to being abnormally normal.
Abnormally yours,
FatGuy
Showing posts with label General Topic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Topic. Show all posts
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
Instant Persona Non Gratification
With exception to a few "slender" years, I've been fat my whole life.
Big boned. Thick. Of good stock. Whatever you want to call it, I've been built for power, not speed. I'm the stereotypical endomorphic body type, right out of the text books.
And I was a lazy kid.
Don't get me wrong, I worked hard; I just did not enjoy health and fitness. I was deterred at a young age. Sometime around puberty, when growth spurts were taking off, I developed serious leg cramping and knee aches. They were diagnosed as Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, or as I put it, "a perfectly great excuse to get out of those lousy windsprints" that everyone hated in gym class.
The problem was simple: I was empowered as a child to make my own decision between potentially damaging joint pain and the pain one experiences when challenging their body to push and exceed current limits. When I faced the discomfort of exercise, I pulled out the doctor's note excuse.
"Teacher, I have to stop - my knees hurt."
That sounds wrong for so many reasons. And it was.
If only I could go back in time and slap that child and make him run. It would have done him some good. In reality, not running caused far more damage long term than any short term knee pain would have been.
As such, youth is wasted on the young. Then again, not too much has changed in some ways. For example, the number one personality flaw I've had my entire life is my need for instant gratification. If there was not an immediate benefit, I grew frustrated. I was the child who expected that after thirty minutes of piano practice I should be able to play Mozart's K545 Sonata in C major, completely. Without mistake.
The same went for the guitar. And then golfing. And darts. And basically anything I've ever done from swimming to weight lifting to tennis to cooking. If I couldn't do it well, I gave up. Without mastering the basic, fundamental techniques. Sadly, that personality flaw... that very huge personality flaw... has never subsided. Imagine my shock when I learned that people study the same skills for years, such as a sushi chef who will dedicate years of apprenticeship just to perfect rice! Inconthievable!
I remember playing outside with my childhood friend, Andre. Andre was the stereotypical athletic kid. He had the pennants hanging in his room for a team in every league of every sport. He could play just about any sport we tried. He always seemed to be full of energy. He never just sat and watched TV. Never ran out of breath or broke a sweat. Come to think of it, I don't think he even had sweat glands. Naturally, when he wanted to go throw a football around in the park, that usually meant I ended up huffing, puffing and drenched in sweat, suffering like a rainbow trout in a dry creek bed. He didn't even breathe. Come to think of it, I think he was an android.
Andre broached the subject one day. We were having a lovely time playing "50 yard Olympic Runner", a game I most certainly enjoyed because I hadn't suffered enough yet in Life by that point. After losing the dashing race to the demon spawn that he was for the 279th time, or so it felt, the suspected offspring of Satan suddenly blurts out, "You don't run properly. You have a short step and you don't swing your arms enough."
Five years later, a similar situation occurred during high school basket ball practice. I was the token fat-guy benchwarmer who never scored a goal, never saved the day, and never impressed the cheerleaders. In fact I think the night I quit suddenly during practice, no one even cared or noticed. I wasn't any good at it, so I didn't want to do it anymore.
I have become tempered somewhat by age, maturity and experience, with experience meaning enough accumulative failures add up to outweigh the instinct to give up and finally wanting to accomplish something. I look back and realize that taking on new tasks and doing something new, uncomfortable or even painful is simply a decision. I just have to want it bad enough. Suddenly, 25 or so years later after suffering alongside Andre the Robot, I can run.
Nothing has changed. It's still hard. But I haven't give up. I've pursued results and I haven't given up, because I am no longer that person who needs to see instant results every day; that person is persona non grata (Latin). No longer welcome in my life. I don't need to run a marathon on my first day.
Tonight, I completed my 2nd day of Week 5 of the couch-to-5k program #5k101app by @toddlange. I was drenched, huffing and puffing. It hurt to practice my new skills but, practice is teaching me how to orchestrate my own Sonata, in whatever Key I choose to be in. I'm not concert-level yet, but I will be.
The best part about completing Week Five Day Two was proving to myself that Week Five Day One wasn't a fluke. Not to be cliche, but if I can do it, anyone can. Even if you have bad knees.
Carpe diem,
Fat Guy
Big boned. Thick. Of good stock. Whatever you want to call it, I've been built for power, not speed. I'm the stereotypical endomorphic body type, right out of the text books.
And I was a lazy kid.
Don't get me wrong, I worked hard; I just did not enjoy health and fitness. I was deterred at a young age. Sometime around puberty, when growth spurts were taking off, I developed serious leg cramping and knee aches. They were diagnosed as Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, or as I put it, "a perfectly great excuse to get out of those lousy windsprints" that everyone hated in gym class.
The problem was simple: I was empowered as a child to make my own decision between potentially damaging joint pain and the pain one experiences when challenging their body to push and exceed current limits. When I faced the discomfort of exercise, I pulled out the doctor's note excuse.
"Teacher, I have to stop - my knees hurt."
That sounds wrong for so many reasons. And it was.
If only I could go back in time and slap that child and make him run. It would have done him some good. In reality, not running caused far more damage long term than any short term knee pain would have been.
As such, youth is wasted on the young. Then again, not too much has changed in some ways. For example, the number one personality flaw I've had my entire life is my need for instant gratification. If there was not an immediate benefit, I grew frustrated. I was the child who expected that after thirty minutes of piano practice I should be able to play Mozart's K545 Sonata in C major, completely. Without mistake.
The same went for the guitar. And then golfing. And darts. And basically anything I've ever done from swimming to weight lifting to tennis to cooking. If I couldn't do it well, I gave up. Without mastering the basic, fundamental techniques. Sadly, that personality flaw... that very huge personality flaw... has never subsided. Imagine my shock when I learned that people study the same skills for years, such as a sushi chef who will dedicate years of apprenticeship just to perfect rice! Inconthievable!
I remember playing outside with my childhood friend, Andre. Andre was the stereotypical athletic kid. He had the pennants hanging in his room for a team in every league of every sport. He could play just about any sport we tried. He always seemed to be full of energy. He never just sat and watched TV. Never ran out of breath or broke a sweat. Come to think of it, I don't think he even had sweat glands. Naturally, when he wanted to go throw a football around in the park, that usually meant I ended up huffing, puffing and drenched in sweat, suffering like a rainbow trout in a dry creek bed. He didn't even breathe. Come to think of it, I think he was an android.
Andre broached the subject one day. We were having a lovely time playing "50 yard Olympic Runner", a game I most certainly enjoyed because I hadn't suffered enough yet in Life by that point. After losing the dashing race to the demon spawn that he was for the 279th time, or so it felt, the suspected offspring of Satan suddenly blurts out, "You don't run properly. You have a short step and you don't swing your arms enough."
Five years later, a similar situation occurred during high school basket ball practice. I was the token fat-guy benchwarmer who never scored a goal, never saved the day, and never impressed the cheerleaders. In fact I think the night I quit suddenly during practice, no one even cared or noticed. I wasn't any good at it, so I didn't want to do it anymore.
I have become tempered somewhat by age, maturity and experience, with experience meaning enough accumulative failures add up to outweigh the instinct to give up and finally wanting to accomplish something. I look back and realize that taking on new tasks and doing something new, uncomfortable or even painful is simply a decision. I just have to want it bad enough. Suddenly, 25 or so years later after suffering alongside Andre the Robot, I can run.
Nothing has changed. It's still hard. But I haven't give up. I've pursued results and I haven't given up, because I am no longer that person who needs to see instant results every day; that person is persona non grata (Latin). No longer welcome in my life. I don't need to run a marathon on my first day.
Tonight, I completed my 2nd day of Week 5 of the couch-to-5k program #5k101app by @toddlange. I was drenched, huffing and puffing. It hurt to practice my new skills but, practice is teaching me how to orchestrate my own Sonata, in whatever Key I choose to be in. I'm not concert-level yet, but I will be.
The best part about completing Week Five Day Two was proving to myself that Week Five Day One wasn't a fluke. Not to be cliche, but if I can do it, anyone can. Even if you have bad knees.
Carpe diem,
Fat Guy
Friday, January 11, 2013
Waste Not, Want Not (Part II)
I think I can say with absolute accuracy that at no point in the history of mankind has anyone ever exited our plane of existence, to the cadence of every other person sighing in relief and uttering,"Thank goodness... He overstayed his welcome on this planet."
That has never happened, and likely never will. Every single being on this planet is loved, cherished, liked, needed or otherwise celebrated on this ball of dirt, in life and in death by at least someone, albeit even by a stranger or lunatic fan. Posthumous recognition counts too.
Life is simply too short.
Less than two calendar weeks have passed since my decision to switch from a typical mainstream diet to that of a health conscious, couscous having, tofu frying, bean-eating, animal-loving vegetable serial killer. The more time that goes on, the more I adjust, and learn, and struggle, and achieve. I had no idea how deep and far this life change would run though. My biggest regret is simply not embracing this sooner and yes, I definitely will spread the word and share the joy that I have as a result of "Thriving".... Compliments of Mr. +Brendan Brazier's development team.
Which brings me to my latest thought of "waste".... Don't waste your life.
All too often we let ourselves off the hook. "I'll get to it this weekend."
"I'll call them next week."
"We'll be sure to see each other next time I visit."
"Maybe we can go see your family next Christmas instead of mine."
And next thing you know it, your life is half - or completely over - and you realize how little of it you actually lived.
The last twenty years has been a blur of sodium-laden, preservative-enhanced, drive-through windows product and frozen foods, with less than a handful of which were remarkable. I can almost count on just one hand how many meals I truly, truly enjoyed and savored and relished. I mean, I often tried something and remarked how great the flavor was or how much I enjoyed it, but I'm referring to those blow-your-socks-off-tell-all-your-friends-this-will-be-my-Last-Supper-if-I-end-up-on-Death-Row kind of meal.
The last twenty years has been a smoke-and-mirrors show of health and happiness as well. I can't remember ever being able to jog a kilometer in my life without suffering cardiac arrest. I don't remember ever truly feeling "athletic". I never embraced the potential my body frame had for football, bodybuilding or battle ram type work.
Fortunately, I'm invincible, immortal and ready to rock the rest of my life. Starting now.
Eternally yours,
FG
That has never happened, and likely never will. Every single being on this planet is loved, cherished, liked, needed or otherwise celebrated on this ball of dirt, in life and in death by at least someone, albeit even by a stranger or lunatic fan. Posthumous recognition counts too.
Life is simply too short.
Less than two calendar weeks have passed since my decision to switch from a typical mainstream diet to that of a health conscious, couscous having, tofu frying, bean-eating, animal-loving vegetable serial killer. The more time that goes on, the more I adjust, and learn, and struggle, and achieve. I had no idea how deep and far this life change would run though. My biggest regret is simply not embracing this sooner and yes, I definitely will spread the word and share the joy that I have as a result of "Thriving".... Compliments of Mr. +Brendan Brazier's development team.
Which brings me to my latest thought of "waste".... Don't waste your life.
All too often we let ourselves off the hook. "I'll get to it this weekend."
"I'll call them next week."
"We'll be sure to see each other next time I visit."
"Maybe we can go see your family next Christmas instead of mine."
And next thing you know it, your life is half - or completely over - and you realize how little of it you actually lived.
The last twenty years has been a blur of sodium-laden, preservative-enhanced, drive-through windows product and frozen foods, with less than a handful of which were remarkable. I can almost count on just one hand how many meals I truly, truly enjoyed and savored and relished. I mean, I often tried something and remarked how great the flavor was or how much I enjoyed it, but I'm referring to those blow-your-socks-off-tell-all-your-friends-this-will-be-my-Last-Supper-if-I-end-up-on-Death-Row kind of meal.
The last twenty years has been a smoke-and-mirrors show of health and happiness as well. I can't remember ever being able to jog a kilometer in my life without suffering cardiac arrest. I don't remember ever truly feeling "athletic". I never embraced the potential my body frame had for football, bodybuilding or battle ram type work.
Fortunately, I'm invincible, immortal and ready to rock the rest of my life. Starting now.
Eternally yours,
FG
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Waste Not, Want Not (Part I)
If I could go back in time and stop myself from purchasing all of the foods that went to waste in my cupboards and fridge over the years, I'm certain I'd have enough money to pay cash for a car. A new car. With ease.
The reality is I've bought stuff I shouldn't. Stuff that went to waste. All for the sake of me not using the products or produce up in time.Ironically, most of that stuff was prepared, ready-made, highly processed crap that was engineered with a long shelf-life while making life easier and meal assembly simpler. The irony is that my choice to eat healthier has left me having to spend countless hours researching and preparing my new meals, and yet I waste very little now as a result.
Sometimes I don't have what I need. For example, Vegandad's Blog has a number of excellent recipes, but almost all require stuff that either I don't have ready or I don't have. Take the sausage recipe for instance; I had neither the right beans nor the gluten flour, so I made arrangements to leave work in a timely fashion and stop at a bulk food store and health food store on the way home.
The plaza I needed to visit is within a stone's throw of several well-known burger joints, a pizzeria and a national coffee chain. Every single one of those brightly lit, highly appealing mainstream fast food service centres was competing for my attention. Now, in a past life, there would have been no competition between the fast food and the health food store; the pizza joint would have won out. Why? Because it's easier to grab a large tray of pizza and wings through a call-ahead take out order, have it plated and on the table within 35 minutes of leaving work and be done within the first hour I get home. Easy peasy, no cleanup and if I got a veggie Pizza, it was healthy, right?
Wrong. But how was I supposed to know? I was still plugged into The Matrix. Processed food was acceptable. In fact, it's even healthier! Just look at the Mold Zapper. It now keeps bread fresh for two months without refridgeration. How great is that! Totally healthier than home made bread! The ads said so!
And therein, on that street of brightly lit neon signs beckoning me into a lactose intolerance hell of double patty with four-kinds of cheese unhappiness was my epiphany: My life was made more complicated and expensive by my attempt to be more time efficient by eating processed foods, the very foods designed to be easier and less expensive.
Back to present tense, here I am tonight with two bowls of beans soaking in water overnight so they are softened up tomorrow to make a meatless dish. Additionally, I have a fridge stocked with homemade almond milk, veggies cut up for my lunch tomorrow, a sack of sweet potatoes under the counter waiting to be turned into a soup and plans for a weekend veggie lasagna on the back of my mind. And it's only Wednesday.Why? Because in going vegan, there isn't a place to just stop on the way home that offers fresh, not-processed foods of a healthy nature. To be healthy I need to be proactive. To be financially efficient and smart, I need to be proactive. To be vegan, or at least vegetarian as I have become, I need to be proactive.
By being proactive about meals, and giving up convenient fast foods, I am efficient while saving money. And I haven't done without a single day since my transition started.
FG
The reality is I've bought stuff I shouldn't. Stuff that went to waste. All for the sake of me not using the products or produce up in time.Ironically, most of that stuff was prepared, ready-made, highly processed crap that was engineered with a long shelf-life while making life easier and meal assembly simpler. The irony is that my choice to eat healthier has left me having to spend countless hours researching and preparing my new meals, and yet I waste very little now as a result.
Sometimes I don't have what I need. For example, Vegandad's Blog has a number of excellent recipes, but almost all require stuff that either I don't have ready or I don't have. Take the sausage recipe for instance; I had neither the right beans nor the gluten flour, so I made arrangements to leave work in a timely fashion and stop at a bulk food store and health food store on the way home.
The plaza I needed to visit is within a stone's throw of several well-known burger joints, a pizzeria and a national coffee chain. Every single one of those brightly lit, highly appealing mainstream fast food service centres was competing for my attention. Now, in a past life, there would have been no competition between the fast food and the health food store; the pizza joint would have won out. Why? Because it's easier to grab a large tray of pizza and wings through a call-ahead take out order, have it plated and on the table within 35 minutes of leaving work and be done within the first hour I get home. Easy peasy, no cleanup and if I got a veggie Pizza, it was healthy, right?
Wrong. But how was I supposed to know? I was still plugged into The Matrix. Processed food was acceptable. In fact, it's even healthier! Just look at the Mold Zapper. It now keeps bread fresh for two months without refridgeration. How great is that! Totally healthier than home made bread! The ads said so!
And therein, on that street of brightly lit neon signs beckoning me into a lactose intolerance hell of double patty with four-kinds of cheese unhappiness was my epiphany: My life was made more complicated and expensive by my attempt to be more time efficient by eating processed foods, the very foods designed to be easier and less expensive.
Back to present tense, here I am tonight with two bowls of beans soaking in water overnight so they are softened up tomorrow to make a meatless dish. Additionally, I have a fridge stocked with homemade almond milk, veggies cut up for my lunch tomorrow, a sack of sweet potatoes under the counter waiting to be turned into a soup and plans for a weekend veggie lasagna on the back of my mind. And it's only Wednesday.Why? Because in going vegan, there isn't a place to just stop on the way home that offers fresh, not-processed foods of a healthy nature. To be healthy I need to be proactive. To be financially efficient and smart, I need to be proactive. To be vegan, or at least vegetarian as I have become, I need to be proactive.
By being proactive about meals, and giving up convenient fast foods, I am efficient while saving money. And I haven't done without a single day since my transition started.
FG
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Fat Guy's Analogy of the Day
My "Why Should I Go Vegan" analogy of the day for January 3, 2013:
Think of the World like a plot of land on which you want to build your house. It's only so big. Maximum dimensions. Only so much that you can do with that land. Only so much Life that static amount of land will support.
Plan, design, build, decorate, furnish and move into a ridiculously oversized house on that land. Use up every square foot you can. Pave whatever greenspace you can. Knock down any trees. Invite as many people as you can over. Acquire a lot of pets.Stack those pets on top of each other so you can keep as many as possible.
Oh, and by the way.... for that enormous house... heat/cool it, leave the lights on, spend all your money maintaining it, spend all of your resources keeping it up, but only use part of the house to live in.
How long before you think your plot of land is going to be the last place on earth you or anyone else want's to be?
That's what we're doing to our planet.
Food for thought... Or is that, Thought for Food.
FatGuy
Think of the World like a plot of land on which you want to build your house. It's only so big. Maximum dimensions. Only so much that you can do with that land. Only so much Life that static amount of land will support.
Plan, design, build, decorate, furnish and move into a ridiculously oversized house on that land. Use up every square foot you can. Pave whatever greenspace you can. Knock down any trees. Invite as many people as you can over. Acquire a lot of pets.Stack those pets on top of each other so you can keep as many as possible.
Oh, and by the way.... for that enormous house... heat/cool it, leave the lights on, spend all your money maintaining it, spend all of your resources keeping it up, but only use part of the house to live in.
How long before you think your plot of land is going to be the last place on earth you or anyone else want's to be?
That's what we're doing to our planet.
Food for thought... Or is that, Thought for Food.
FatGuy
Got Change, Mister?
When Episodes I, II and III hit theaters, I watched the movie in the
company of the largest size popcorn and soda the theater sold. Just as I had with dozens, if not hundreds, of movies before that.
When The Lord of the Rings trilogy hit the big screen I did the same thing.
It goes back to my family motto, a genetically encoded belief system that states,"If 'Some' is GOOD then 'more' is BETTER and 'Lots' is freakin' *GREAT*!"
After all, there are logical reasons to getting the largest size snack combo:
Dollar value/Return on Investment
More kernels and fluid ounces per penny than the small or mid sizes.
Don't Skip A Beat
No need to leave halfway through the show for a refill , the gallon of fluid is enough to keep hydrated for 90-120 running minutes (or more in the case of LOTR)
Manliness
Real men don't drink out of dainty little cups. Keg size for masculinity!
To me, at that point in my life, the idea of getting the "regular" size WAS getting the largest. That was my regular serving and to think of anything less was ridiculous... sheer insanity! The concept of small-sizing went against everything that was bred into me.
Or was it.
Jack LaLanne once said (and I paraphrase),"If its man-made, don't eat it."
Then, he made a juicer.
And it was a good juicer. So good in fact that I bought one and I love it. Had anyone suggested to me years ago that I would one day enjoy the benefits of tossing an apple, carrots, celery, a beet and some cucumber all down a little shaft of a whirlymatic buzzing machine on my counter, nevermind actually look forward to it, I'd have had you committed to the same magical resort where the "small size" soda drinkers stay and frolic all day in tight white long-sleeve jackets.
So far, as I delve into the world of Veganism, I am greeted with that same feeling of shock and panic that came over me when I considered never ever drinking soda or smoking a cigarette again. The idea of that change was a concept as obscure and intangible as quantum physics. Could I really give up foods that I've loved for decades?
"It's change for the better!" I tell myself.
Why better? For a lot of reasons. Most of which are as intangible to the same people who can't comprehend quarks, nevermind actually describe Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox in layman's terms.The reality is this:
- we were never designed to each processed foods.
- the world's natural resources (water, minerals, land) are being exploited trying to feed the planet's human
population and yet most of the food goes to waste while at least 1 billion people starve every day.
- the means by which most processed foods are cultivated, from start to finish, either directly or indirectly is unhealthy and affects us in ways we don't even realize until its too late, or are too stubborn to acknowledge.
- the "rules" were developed by our basic biological functions. But we ignore them in lieu of "recommendations" made up by a bunch of rich folks who have vested interests in us buying their products. Ergo, the Milk Man is never going to tell you milk is bad for you, hence, "It does a body good!" (What they fail to mention is "the body" is the governing body of rich capitalists who gain financially from cows being so over-milked and over-treated that they are physically ill and should not be milked, thus more medications and treatments are used to over compensate for the abuse of the animal's genetic system, hence more garbage being added to the milk, which you later put in a nice clean glass to serve your kids. Yum!)
My struggle is not so much of an ethical or moral dilemma; just because its cute and fuzzy doesn't mean it wouldn't taste great. For that reason, one of my biggest hurdles to face is rationalizing giving up protein sources that come from free-range, naturally-raised sources and even those with zero human intervention, such as Newfoundland Moose (which, I gotta tell you is hands down one of the best reasons to remain a carnivore!). But, rest assured, the personal dilemma to give up red meat that's shrink wrapped, hormone-laden and potentially bacteria-filled that was produced on a farm owned by some rich beef tycoon...well..... that's an easy decision.
If mass-produced farm animals are the only source of food left on Planet Carl, then "No thanks...."
I'd rather eat Schrödinger's cat.
Sin-cerely,
FatGuy
When The Lord of the Rings trilogy hit the big screen I did the same thing.
It goes back to my family motto, a genetically encoded belief system that states,"If 'Some' is GOOD then 'more' is BETTER and 'Lots' is freakin' *GREAT*!"
After all, there are logical reasons to getting the largest size snack combo:
Dollar value/Return on Investment
More kernels and fluid ounces per penny than the small or mid sizes.
Don't Skip A Beat
No need to leave halfway through the show for a refill , the gallon of fluid is enough to keep hydrated for 90-120 running minutes (or more in the case of LOTR)
Manliness
Real men don't drink out of dainty little cups. Keg size for masculinity!
To me, at that point in my life, the idea of getting the "regular" size WAS getting the largest. That was my regular serving and to think of anything less was ridiculous... sheer insanity! The concept of small-sizing went against everything that was bred into me.
Or was it.
Jack LaLanne once said (and I paraphrase),"If its man-made, don't eat it."
Then, he made a juicer.
And it was a good juicer. So good in fact that I bought one and I love it. Had anyone suggested to me years ago that I would one day enjoy the benefits of tossing an apple, carrots, celery, a beet and some cucumber all down a little shaft of a whirlymatic buzzing machine on my counter, nevermind actually look forward to it, I'd have had you committed to the same magical resort where the "small size" soda drinkers stay and frolic all day in tight white long-sleeve jackets.
So far, as I delve into the world of Veganism, I am greeted with that same feeling of shock and panic that came over me when I considered never ever drinking soda or smoking a cigarette again. The idea of that change was a concept as obscure and intangible as quantum physics. Could I really give up foods that I've loved for decades?
"It's change for the better!" I tell myself.
Why better? For a lot of reasons. Most of which are as intangible to the same people who can't comprehend quarks, nevermind actually describe Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox in layman's terms.The reality is this:
- we were never designed to each processed foods.
- the world's natural resources (water, minerals, land) are being exploited trying to feed the planet's human
population and yet most of the food goes to waste while at least 1 billion people starve every day.
- the means by which most processed foods are cultivated, from start to finish, either directly or indirectly is unhealthy and affects us in ways we don't even realize until its too late, or are too stubborn to acknowledge.
- the "rules" were developed by our basic biological functions. But we ignore them in lieu of "recommendations" made up by a bunch of rich folks who have vested interests in us buying their products. Ergo, the Milk Man is never going to tell you milk is bad for you, hence, "It does a body good!" (What they fail to mention is "the body" is the governing body of rich capitalists who gain financially from cows being so over-milked and over-treated that they are physically ill and should not be milked, thus more medications and treatments are used to over compensate for the abuse of the animal's genetic system, hence more garbage being added to the milk, which you later put in a nice clean glass to serve your kids. Yum!)
My struggle is not so much of an ethical or moral dilemma; just because its cute and fuzzy doesn't mean it wouldn't taste great. For that reason, one of my biggest hurdles to face is rationalizing giving up protein sources that come from free-range, naturally-raised sources and even those with zero human intervention, such as Newfoundland Moose (which, I gotta tell you is hands down one of the best reasons to remain a carnivore!). But, rest assured, the personal dilemma to give up red meat that's shrink wrapped, hormone-laden and potentially bacteria-filled that was produced on a farm owned by some rich beef tycoon...well..... that's an easy decision.
If mass-produced farm animals are the only source of food left on Planet Carl, then "No thanks...."
I'd rather eat Schrödinger's cat.
Sin-cerely,
FatGuy
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Making a list, checking it twice...a minute.. daily
I recall (and not so fondly) the days of researching papers for class. Those days were spent in a large room. A very large room. A very large room full of books. Most of those books were not what you needed at that moment in time. In fact, after you had acquired the skills to open a mini-file-cabinet full of recipe cards (if you're under 25 you probably have no idea where this is going) and then itemizing a row, shelf and other coordinates, and then finding your way to those coordinates, you would find the book you needed was taken out already. It was probably not returned. Years ago. Because the library [lahy-brer-ee, from Old French librairie, from Medieval Latin librāris, n use of Latin librārius relating to books, from liber book] was the only local, easy access source of knowledge for inexperienced little minds.
There was no such thing as smart-phones with wikipedia. Those were called Encyclopedias and they required hours of perusing, again, if they were there.
So the joy of taking on something new in modern times is the ease of acquiring information. For example, take veganism - a much and oft misunderstood practice (or lack thereof), that is actually easily interpreted with three easy steps:
1. Log in to Twitter, search "Vegan" and Follow every single person in the search result. Or try to. It's time consuming to click Follow. Imagine how many calories you can burn doing this! CARDIO!
2. Peruse your list of tweets. UnFollow inappropriate or useless twits... er twitterers. Favorite the tweets that you like. Retweet the ones you reeeeeaaaally like.
3. Bookmark any interesting websites or otherwise info you come up with for later or revisitation.
As easy as One, Two, Twee! (Yeah, I know.)
If you're unsure where to start, Follow me on Twitter at @fatguygoesvegan and I'll set your course!
FatGuy
There was no such thing as smart-phones with wikipedia. Those were called Encyclopedias and they required hours of perusing, again, if they were there.
So the joy of taking on something new in modern times is the ease of acquiring information. For example, take veganism - a much and oft misunderstood practice (or lack thereof), that is actually easily interpreted with three easy steps:
1. Log in to Twitter, search "Vegan" and Follow every single person in the search result. Or try to. It's time consuming to click Follow. Imagine how many calories you can burn doing this! CARDIO!
2. Peruse your list of tweets. UnFollow inappropriate or useless twits... er twitterers. Favorite the tweets that you like. Retweet the ones you reeeeeaaaally like.
3. Bookmark any interesting websites or otherwise info you come up with for later or revisitation.
As easy as One, Two, Twee! (Yeah, I know.)
If you're unsure where to start, Follow me on Twitter at @fatguygoesvegan and I'll set your course!
FatGuy
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Where Was I
So, here I am. Mid-thirties, overweight, out of shape, suffering from gout, a reformed smoker (most of the time), occasional drinker, working way too many hours and spending far too little thinking about what's in the fridge beyond "I'm Hungry" and having far too many Take Out menu's committed to memory.
I've had my bursts of energy to attend the gym. I've tried almost every diet. I've sucked in my gut and reassured myself I'm just "big boned". I've eliminated soda from my diet, stopped eating as much as I did in past (cut calories, gave up most sweets)... So what could be wrong that I just can't lose weight?
Well, simply put the problem WAS the solutions. Diet soda is the devil. There is no such thing as "Fat Free" written on a label for a food that is actually good for you. White sugar is in almost everything.
So, how does one get healthy when everything is bad about almost everything out there? How on earth does the Average Joe break the cycle when you don't know any better? Well, just as with quitting smoking, there was The Choice. I just decided to quit. Quit the bad foods, and the bad habits and i CHOSE to do better.
Easier said than done though.
You won't truly make that Choice until you truly believe a healthier lifestyle is needed. You make that decision through educating yourself and understanding what your options are. Every person is different, as is their set of habits and lifestyle (which is another reason diets fail). So to make the start, simply research....
I recommend you start with a few documentaries. Those are:
Vegucated
Food Inc
Hungry for Change
TED Talks: Chew On This
Watch one or more of those and tell me if your opinion about "typical" grocery store food doesn't change. Then let's talk.
I've had my bursts of energy to attend the gym. I've tried almost every diet. I've sucked in my gut and reassured myself I'm just "big boned". I've eliminated soda from my diet, stopped eating as much as I did in past (cut calories, gave up most sweets)... So what could be wrong that I just can't lose weight?
Well, simply put the problem WAS the solutions. Diet soda is the devil. There is no such thing as "Fat Free" written on a label for a food that is actually good for you. White sugar is in almost everything.
So, how does one get healthy when everything is bad about almost everything out there? How on earth does the Average Joe break the cycle when you don't know any better? Well, just as with quitting smoking, there was The Choice. I just decided to quit. Quit the bad foods, and the bad habits and i CHOSE to do better.
Easier said than done though.
You won't truly make that Choice until you truly believe a healthier lifestyle is needed. You make that decision through educating yourself and understanding what your options are. Every person is different, as is their set of habits and lifestyle (which is another reason diets fail). So to make the start, simply research....
I recommend you start with a few documentaries. Those are:
Vegucated
Food Inc
Hungry for Change
TED Talks: Chew On This
Watch one or more of those and tell me if your opinion about "typical" grocery store food doesn't change. Then let's talk.
The Beginning
I'm not quite sure where, or when exactly, it all began. This story of my evolution from mindless eater to health fanatic could have simply begun a few weeks ago when I watched a documentary or three on where our food truly originates (More on those documentaries later) and how it's produced.
Perhaps the beginning was earlier than that when I realized my blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat percentage were sky rocketing and I needed an overhaul.
And perhaps I was truly born, like all other humans, with a predisposed taste for good food, and my behaviour was adapted to the culinary catastrophes I was conditioned to. In truth, one of my earliest memories about food was steak. Good, high quality and expensive cuts of beef hand were chosen by the local butcher for my grandmother, a valued customer, whose extensive experience in selecting prime beef for her doctor husband and live-at-home son riveled even the most detailed and prestigious cattle judge. Red meat has been a staple of my family's homes in past, with Prime standing rib roasts being typical Sunday fare. Yet, I can remember early on the taste of beef being accompanied with salad dressing, and specifically Creamy Cucumber, to bribe my taste buds into passing each bite along the stomach, almost as a culinary bribe.
Years later, I still found the same reluctance to a cut of steak unless it was heavy burdened by a thick sauce, seasoning or accompaniment that masked the texture and flavor. A heavy blanket of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes always went a long ways.
Which brings me back to the present: The beginning of the end of meat consumption. It took very little reading and documentary viewing to understanding the less than desirable source of our commercially produced sausage, steaks and ground meats.
Further to the farming standards and practices, there was the environmental implications of the production of mass quantities of beef. However, the point is not the outcome, but rather the catalyst: What caused me to want to get away from it all?
Ultimately, the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back took place in early December of this year when, after watching two specific documentaries, I had a sudden epiphany as if I had been walking around in the dark my entire life and suddenly the lights were turned on. I had been asleep at the wheel my entire adult life; stuck in a rut of high calorie meals eaten out of convenience, with poor dietary habits, lousy meal preparation skills and simply a complete disregard for my own personal health.
I would never, ever put low quality fuel, laden with impurities, into the gas tank of my expensive vehicle and yet here I was with the most important machine of my life (literally) and I wasn't paying attention at all to the junk going in, the warning lights going off, and what was coming out.
Just as the Book Of Genesis says, God said, "Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
On Planet Carl, light had been created, and the light separated from the darkness. The trick is to stay lit up.
Perhaps the beginning was earlier than that when I realized my blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat percentage were sky rocketing and I needed an overhaul.
And perhaps I was truly born, like all other humans, with a predisposed taste for good food, and my behaviour was adapted to the culinary catastrophes I was conditioned to. In truth, one of my earliest memories about food was steak. Good, high quality and expensive cuts of beef hand were chosen by the local butcher for my grandmother, a valued customer, whose extensive experience in selecting prime beef for her doctor husband and live-at-home son riveled even the most detailed and prestigious cattle judge. Red meat has been a staple of my family's homes in past, with Prime standing rib roasts being typical Sunday fare. Yet, I can remember early on the taste of beef being accompanied with salad dressing, and specifically Creamy Cucumber, to bribe my taste buds into passing each bite along the stomach, almost as a culinary bribe.
Years later, I still found the same reluctance to a cut of steak unless it was heavy burdened by a thick sauce, seasoning or accompaniment that masked the texture and flavor. A heavy blanket of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes always went a long ways.
Which brings me back to the present: The beginning of the end of meat consumption. It took very little reading and documentary viewing to understanding the less than desirable source of our commercially produced sausage, steaks and ground meats.
Further to the farming standards and practices, there was the environmental implications of the production of mass quantities of beef. However, the point is not the outcome, but rather the catalyst: What caused me to want to get away from it all?
Ultimately, the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back took place in early December of this year when, after watching two specific documentaries, I had a sudden epiphany as if I had been walking around in the dark my entire life and suddenly the lights were turned on. I had been asleep at the wheel my entire adult life; stuck in a rut of high calorie meals eaten out of convenience, with poor dietary habits, lousy meal preparation skills and simply a complete disregard for my own personal health.
I would never, ever put low quality fuel, laden with impurities, into the gas tank of my expensive vehicle and yet here I was with the most important machine of my life (literally) and I wasn't paying attention at all to the junk going in, the warning lights going off, and what was coming out.
Just as the Book Of Genesis says, God said, "Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
On Planet Carl, light had been created, and the light separated from the darkness. The trick is to stay lit up.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Welcome
Welcome to my Blog.
It's a new Blog. But certainly not a new idea. The transition to "sensible eating" is a concept that has been around for decades, if not centuries or millenia. I am certain there has *always* been someone sitting around a campfire somewhere at some point in time saying,"You know, Ralph, I think I should get away from eating X and start trying to incorporate more Y into my diet!".
Whether fast food was invented yet or not, I am certain there has always been a healthier lifestyle to abide by. Why? Because humans are lazy. So much so that the average human now purchases most of their meals in a "ready" state, electing to now simplify their meals; for example almost all vegetables consumed are in either cans, bags or frozen that are so processed they don't even need to be washed, chopped, peeled or in some cases, even cooked! Just microwaved! In just minutes you can have a full meal complete with oven roast, mashed potatoes and a green vegetable without running water or even dirtying a knife! How lazy is that! That's just a tad less exertion than driving to the restaurant to get Take-Out!
We are lazy to a fault. Even for the good of our own evolution. Progress depends on invention which results in less effort.. Take for example, the wheel. It was certainly not the smartest man who invented it - he was the laziest. He (or she) determined the fastest, easiest way to get more done with less effort. Cause meet effect.
As such, agro-business has boomed. Feed more humans for less money causing greater investment returns, or highest, thicker, healthier profit margins. How ironic.
Great! So I've identified the Matrix to which I've been plugged in. I've taken the red pill and followed "Morpheus" (or should I say "More for Less"?) down the rabbit path and here I am lost like Alice in Wonderland wondering which way to go, or whether to indulge in the tasty cake with the tempting "Eat Me" labelled upon it.
Thus, my blog was born. This is a journal of my adventures as I travel into the land of Knowledge and fruitful living, for both my own records but also to serve as breadcrumbs (ancient whole grain or at least whole wheat kinds) for those who should possibly follow.
This is not a documented success story intended to boast of my progress, to categorically assign me into a healthy measure-me-by-numbers where I brag of my gains (where appropriate) or celebrate my losses accordingly. Instead, let me be a liaison, or translator or guinea pig for those who follow; a helpful, informative guide like the blind leading the blind into a wonderful world of new and exciting foods (or lack of) as I enter the realm of the Healthy Eater.
So where to start? In the organic section of the grocery store? Appliance store to get the latest health gadget? The vitamin section of Walmart? Or the gardening section of any Lowes, Home Depot or Rona?
I can tell you already that the health food stores have been overwhelming, the reading list of "You better do this, and not that" has been extensive, and the advice plentiful. In fact, it's almost been easier just to hit a drive-thru, get a McMeal and chalk healthiness up to the group of proverbial bliss that I just read about in fiction novels. Or perhaps, it's just a matter of taking the red pill and choosing to Live.
Here's hoping!
FatGuy
It's a new Blog. But certainly not a new idea. The transition to "sensible eating" is a concept that has been around for decades, if not centuries or millenia. I am certain there has *always* been someone sitting around a campfire somewhere at some point in time saying,"You know, Ralph, I think I should get away from eating X and start trying to incorporate more Y into my diet!".
Whether fast food was invented yet or not, I am certain there has always been a healthier lifestyle to abide by. Why? Because humans are lazy. So much so that the average human now purchases most of their meals in a "ready" state, electing to now simplify their meals; for example almost all vegetables consumed are in either cans, bags or frozen that are so processed they don't even need to be washed, chopped, peeled or in some cases, even cooked! Just microwaved! In just minutes you can have a full meal complete with oven roast, mashed potatoes and a green vegetable without running water or even dirtying a knife! How lazy is that! That's just a tad less exertion than driving to the restaurant to get Take-Out!
We are lazy to a fault. Even for the good of our own evolution. Progress depends on invention which results in less effort.. Take for example, the wheel. It was certainly not the smartest man who invented it - he was the laziest. He (or she) determined the fastest, easiest way to get more done with less effort. Cause meet effect.
As such, agro-business has boomed. Feed more humans for less money causing greater investment returns, or highest, thicker, healthier profit margins. How ironic.
Great! So I've identified the Matrix to which I've been plugged in. I've taken the red pill and followed "Morpheus" (or should I say "More for Less"?) down the rabbit path and here I am lost like Alice in Wonderland wondering which way to go, or whether to indulge in the tasty cake with the tempting "Eat Me" labelled upon it.
Thus, my blog was born. This is a journal of my adventures as I travel into the land of Knowledge and fruitful living, for both my own records but also to serve as breadcrumbs (ancient whole grain or at least whole wheat kinds) for those who should possibly follow.
This is not a documented success story intended to boast of my progress, to categorically assign me into a healthy measure-me-by-numbers where I brag of my gains (where appropriate) or celebrate my losses accordingly. Instead, let me be a liaison, or translator or guinea pig for those who follow; a helpful, informative guide like the blind leading the blind into a wonderful world of new and exciting foods (or lack of) as I enter the realm of the Healthy Eater.
So where to start? In the organic section of the grocery store? Appliance store to get the latest health gadget? The vitamin section of Walmart? Or the gardening section of any Lowes, Home Depot or Rona?
I can tell you already that the health food stores have been overwhelming, the reading list of "You better do this, and not that" has been extensive, and the advice plentiful. In fact, it's almost been easier just to hit a drive-thru, get a McMeal and chalk healthiness up to the group of proverbial bliss that I just read about in fiction novels. Or perhaps, it's just a matter of taking the red pill and choosing to Live.
Here's hoping!
FatGuy
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