Vegan Style

Let me start by saying this: I don't do the New Years Resolution. Never have. Still don't. Never will.

However, today is New Years Day 2011 and today marks Day 1 in what will become a month long crusade. Today is Day 1 where for the month of January I will no longer live to eat. For the month of January I am going to Eat to Live - Vegan Style.

Go ahead and mock it. Go ahead and disagree with the theory and the plan. That's fine. Heck, I'm still unsure of how much of going vegan I agree with. Though I am fairly certain I'm in the vegan corner. I do know this - my wife has dabbled on and off for the past couple years with going Vegetarian and Vegan and it's intriguing.

I'm not joining Peta. I'm not going to start throwing paint on fur coats. None of that. This not a "moral" decision. This is based simply on health. A health experiment if you will. I've been thinking a lot about how food is the fuel to your body. It sounds cliche and corny because it is. Alas, that does not mean it's not true. I think it gets overlooked and I'm going to take it seriously.

I'm currently relatively healthy. I'm considered "skinny" for my height and build by my doctors and I am in the mid-range regarding Body Fat. My cholesterol is average...although that is because I'm on cholesterol medicine due to hereditary concerns. I work out regularly - sometimes. Wait, what? That's like saying, "60% of the time it works every time...!" Anyway you get the drift. This is an experiment and I'm diving in for no other reason other than health, curiosity and the challenge.

My body is my Atheistic Temple as they say.

Those who disagree with the "lifestyle" of the Veg' will argue that you will miss the lean meats and the proteins. They'll throw stats and numbers at you. They'll throw a quart of milk your way and say you need the calcium. That's all well and good but I can throw stats right back if I so chose to get defensive!

I'm a firm believer that dairy is unhealthy. Don't tell that to the mozzarella I eat on a regular basis though. We'll keep that between us. Thanks. I've seen and read enough evidence that convinces me so. Don't go veg' but take dairy out've your diet and see how much weight you lose and how great you feel. (then go back on it and see how it messes up your stomach. that's not a coincidence) The calcium the USDA claims you need and supposedly can only get from milk can be had from a dozen other forms of non-dairy and non-processed foods.

That was a tangent and unplanned at this juncture. Sorry. Next time I'll use the "Tangent Alert" to warn you.

Starting today I will spend the month of January as a Vegan. I will also combine the healthy eating with a healthy dose of morning workouts. I will chart my progress several times throughout the month via this blog so you can see how I'm sufferi...I mean, progressing.

Come February 1 I may and probably will dine at Forte and enjoy the #1 ranked Chicken Parm around...or maybe not. If nothing else it will be a healthy and challenging experiment for the month. One in which had I not had the opportunity to write about I would probably fail to the temptations of mozzarella.

Is it really difficult to be disciplined for 1 lousy month - 4 lousy weeks? Ok fine, don't answer that.

I'm sure I'll have many an "observation" along the way since my opinions can not be reined in like my diet.

Happy New Year

(Authors Note: This post was meant to go up on New Years Day. However, due to alcohol consumption and lack of sleep the night before the plan of action and thus the post got pushed back a day. Who says you can't start your pseudo-resolutions a day late anyway?)

Anxiety Central - Part 4

Fellow readers please enjoy the following Guest Blog and Anxiety Central contribution courtesy of Boonton, NJ’s very own "Beens"

Part 4 – Do I Purchase a Smartphone Anxiety (DPSA)

In reading your “Anxiety Central” blogs (well written, as usual), I reflected on myself and my own thoughts over the past several months. However, unlike your “Anxiety Central” blogs, the anxiety I experienced was more of a one time thing…hopefully!

This particular anxiety stemmed from being faced with a difficult decision.

Do I purchase the “Smartphone”?

The fact that everyone has been talking “Smartphone” this and “Smartphone” that…I never paid too much attention. My take on the whole thing was - I never had it, don’t know what it’s about, don’t know what I’m missing and personally, don’t care to indulge…. until one day I was at the mall.

A horrible storm had rolled through, knocking out the power in the entire area. Being I had just gotten there (literally, I went into 1 store & was NOT ready to throw in the towel because of a stupid lightning storm and some hail), I was determined to bare it to the end and wait for the town to restore the power. As I sat there, I observed all of the other people who were sitting around, waiting, and in the same boat as me…. Like me, they were wondering if the power was going to go back on, and if so, when?

I quickly found that it was much easier for these people to divert their attention from these thoughts, by doing “stuff” on their phones. What were they doing on there, I wondered? Were they just texting (as I only had the capability of doing)? Were they playing a game? If so, what game was it? (The games on my Blackberry Pearl were very limited). Were they surfing the net?

I found myself starting to get bored….and jealous.

I called my friend Beth and texted her with updates of my shopping nightmare. Could this be what everyone else was dong as well? The ability to entertain myself, as all of these other people apparently were doing with ease, was dwindling. I decided to strike up a conversation with a girl who worked at Tahari, who informed me that rain storms routinely knock out the power. Long story short the mall was closed soon after and I headed home. Defeated.

My day of defeat was the first day that changed my view of the “Smartphone.”

My view is that by purchasing a Smartphone, I would be diving into a world of technology that:

1) I’m not even sure I need – Here’s why…

I can’t bring my phone into work. I get out of my car at 8:15am (leaving my phone in the car) and don’t see my phone again until 4. Truthfully, I don’t miss it (I feel it’s important to highlight that I do not have internet access at work). I’m sure everyone has my work # if they need to contact me. Once I get into my car, I’ll take a look to see if anyone tried to contact me and if need be, return the call or text (yes, hands-free). Once home, I have my wonderful laptop. My phone usually gets thrown on my bed and is only looked at if it beeps or rings.

Do I need to have 16 MB of RAM or GB (or whatever the hell the lingo is) – as long as I can still call and text, I’m sure I’ll be good without it, right? Why do I need to have the movie Avatar on my phone? Ok, so what, it has an 8 megapixel camera…my Casio camera has 10 megapixel. What do I need a Smartphone for?

2) I’m not even sure I want – Here’s why…

Do I want the ability to look at my emails at any time? Negative. Do I really want to get notifications when someone posts something on my Facebook wall? No thanks. Do I want to “link” all of my Facebook contacts into my personal contact list? Um, no. Do I want a satellite on Planet Google to always know where I am? 1-word: Creepy. Do I need to worry about losing/breaking my cell phone, which now has become my IPod, my calendar & my computer? 2-words: Panic Attack.

All of this equals ANXIETY!!

Personally I enjoy coming home from work, pouring a glass of wine, & checking my emails, browsing Facebook status updates & whatever else I may do on my laptop.

Am I old for thinking this way? Don’t answer that…

I got a Smartphone.

I share this with you to say this – it’s crazy seeing how fast technology is advancing. I never really felt old until the day I bought this phone and this overwhelming feeling hit me…I caught up with technology….but what do I do now?

I’m realizing that we are truly in an age of convenience. Did I need to tack on an extra $30 per month on my cell phone bill to have all the amenities that a Smartphone offers? Not at all, but let me tell you, it sure is damn convenient.

Although my anxiety is lessening as my knowledge of this device is improving, the overall anxiety I have about where our society is heading in this age of convenience and technology will forever boggle my mind….

…and forever cause me ANXIETY!

Day 25 + 4 - The Photo Blog

The past 25 + days of this blog have come and gone. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed with myself for sticking with the daily routine of blogging.

I’d first like to thank the Home Depot parking lot in Rahway for affording me and my laptop a place to write. I’d also like to thank my guest bloggers who once again provided their own personal “observations” in exponentially better written prose.

(not even sure that made sense)

Day 25’s blog will be a simple and non-controversial photo recap of the month. If you’re lucky you’ll catch your very own Christmas Card. You’ll see some photos from the well-known Christmas Tree day of cutting where we tied ourselves out’ve the car. And you’ll see some other random shots from the Holidays. Without further adieu I present you…

The Photo Blog

Remember how I said purchasing Stocking Stuffers was stressful? Well this is an example of how my wife tries to make it easier on me…

The fun filled ay of Christmas Tree cutting complete with getting in and out of your car Dukes of Hazard style…

Some noteworthy Christmas Cards. If you’re not represented I apologize. These stood out and I couldn’t exactly put 40 cards on the blog…

The Beckers – Did they follow the unwritten rules of the card? No. But they’re family and they made the card an ornament so that gets big props. Well done.

The Fiores – Again, unwritten rules? Negative. Alas, very creative card so it gets mention. Well done. Now if I only I could meet these kids before high school graduation.

]

The Hopkins – Excellent. Followed the rules. Had the obligatory child photo but also included the family shot. Well done.

The Ghetians – What else is new. The sun rises in the East. The southerners eat fried food. The Ghetian’s have an incredibly creative Christmas Card.

The Mercurios – Ok fine so they didn’t follow the rules but how do you deny Vito with antlers?

One thing is always mandatory on Christmas morning – Mimosas. And now a second thing – Monkey Bread. Delicious. The wife is becoming quite the baker.

A photo blog is not complete without some basic Christmas decoration photos.

The Greco Family tree

The Greco Family tree topper. Who said you can’t use a wedding cake topper in place of a star?

The obligatory mistletoe. Whenever I hang this I always have to make mention of how growing up at my friends house his mom would always trick me into walking underneath their mistletoe and give me a kiss and I would get so embarrassed. Embarrassing then – heartfelt now.

There’s nothing to “Laugh” about on the holidays. Gag me.

27” of snow and a broken shovel 15 minutes in. Fantastic. Thanks to Neighbor Bob and one of his shovels I survived the blizzard. No, not Bob from Cleveland.

This is a book I had wanted and received. It’s also a foreshadow of a future Book Review blog. Here’s a teaser on what the book is about….

“…thirty-six years, one hundred sixty-eight days, fourteen hours, and twenty three seconds from now, on June 15, 2010 at 3:44 p.m. EST a comet that has broken away from the Kuiper Belt near Neptune will impact the Earth with the explosive energy of 283,824,000 Hiroshima bombs….we have no idea if you will live long enough to witness the phenomenon…neither you nor anything else on the planet will be {alive} afterward…

All of which raises the question – your task, burden, privilege, call it what you like – a question which men and women, great and not-so, of every color, creed, and sexual persuasion have asked since they first had the language to do so and probably before:

Does Anything I Do Matter?“

As told to the main character immediately upon birth by a voice that will follow him throughout his life. 2 words – Thought Provoking.

Everything Matters, By Ron Currie, Jr.
Viking, Penguin Group, Inc.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THANKS FOR ENJOYING

THE 25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

BlogThis!

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)