Calm and Stillness

I see my youngest daughter and how she deals with stress, and I admire her.  She's amazing, as energetic and funny as you could ask for, as beautiful a human being as I've ever seen, yet as simple and elegant a mind as one could hope and strive for.  Ask her a tough or stressful question, and she'll laugh about it, and say the silliest but most truthful things.  And I sit there, laughing myself, admiring the simplicity and truth of her response.

There's a calm about my youngest daughter that I love.  When she sleeps, she's as calm and as peaceful as the most enlightened person on earth.  And when she plays, she's as carefree and joyous and happy as anyone could imagine.  I love her very much, and I admire her.

For some reason, I'm not so blessed.  Calm and stillness, for me, just like diet and exercise, is a big struggle.  And I'm sure it's the same for many of you.  I know what you're thinking, we have so much more responsibility, so much more to worry about, we don't have time, you can't compare us to a kid ... blah, blah, blah, and whatever other excuse that you or I could throw in there.  Isn't it just that?  Isn't it just a big excuse for us to constantly fall back into stress?  Heck, for me, as a Vegan, and as someone who exercises regularly, who takes great care of himself, it takes so much to even lose 1 lb. of weight.  It's a lifelong struggle.  And in a few moments of weakness, throw those 10 lbs. back on there as fast as you could down a large cheese pizza.  :)  Same thing for calm and stillness.  I strive for this, my daughter's peace, but it's so tough to handle sometimes.

So, what I do?  How do I find it?  Well, I write for one thing.  It's a great release to put down what you're thinking on paper (or computer).  I meditate and pray.  I ask for help, even for just a moment of calm and stillness, to try to connect with God again, and to reassure myself that it will be okay.  I talk, I let out my feelings and emotions to my closest guarded and trusted family and friends.  They are so kind and gentle with me, yet stern in their advice, and I trust and listen to them with great intent.  I seek.  I try to find answers or at least observations, to try find some commonality with others, and what they're going through.  Humans tend to feel better if their stress is shared, and see how others gracefully handle it.  I smile, or at least try to.  Sometimes it's a fake smile, but if I laugh knowing that I'm even trying to fake a smile, the end result is good.  Stay positive in the wake of all of the chaos, don't stand in the way of healing yourself.  And finally, I try to take it easy on myself.  The thoughts, the pain, the anxiety that is internalized is so harmful.  I wouldn't harm an insect, I sidestep snails as I walk because I have so much respect for their life, but sometimes I beat myself up over and over again for essentially nothing.  I have to remember that those actions are essentially like stepping on a bug or snail with malice, and it's simply not helpful.  Be kind to yourself first, this is the start of a path to calm and stillness.

I hope that you find some peace and solace in hearing about my struggles with stress.  If you're in a tough situation, I pray for you with an open heart.  Try to find some time in the day to look in the mirror and smile about what you see.  Do something nice for yourself today, even if it's as simple as taking a walk outside, looking up to the sky, and appreciating the day and the breath of air you deeply inhale and exhale.  And most of all, remember the simplicity and truth of my youngest daugther's disposition, and recall that you were too once a child, with that very same carefree and stress-less mentality.

Ten Living Principles

My yoga teacher, out of her kindness and generosity, shared the first and second 'limbs' of Yoga Teaching with me.  Similar to the Virtues I noted before, these give a more introspective view on life and living.  I hope it gives you the sense of peace and meaning it has given me, if my time of need.

Thank you so much, my yoga teacher, for the gift of this wisdom.

http://www.healthy.net/scr/Article.aspx?Id=2410

Breakfast

Weren't you told when you were young that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?  I think we were bombarded with that message growing up, and depending on how busy your life is, you've either adopted this message wholeheartedly or gone completely the other way, because you "don't have time".  I hear you, both ways.

Life is incredibly hectic in the morning for me, with three daughters all in school, all in need of my attention.  Typically they grab whatever they can in the 5 minutes they have and that's what they call breakfast.  Instant oatmeal, frozen waffles, pop tarts, toaster pastries, glass of OJ or milk, cereal, toast, maybe an apple or banana if I'm lucky.  That was my breakfast for the longest time, until I made my dietary and lifestyle changes.  My kids, unfortunately, still eat that way, it's something I need to help them gently with.

But what about most of America?  I was in Las Vegas this past week, and observed again.  Okay, so it's not fair that I'm sitting at a buffet with massive amounts of whatever you want, but I observed closely what people ate.  At the bacon station, there were stacks and stacks of bacon, and people were grabbing them by the 5's or even 10's.  Biscuits and gravy, french toast, pancakes, waffles, with lots of whipped cream and syrup.  Mounds of omelets with sausages, some cooked veggies, etc.  I looked at the people ordering and consuming all of this food, and man, it was just awful.  So many people, so overweight, eating so much.

For some people, breakfast is a cup of coffee, or nothing at all.  Work's so important, I have a meeting to go to, I need to prepare for this or that, I have no time.  And I honestly can't tell you which is worse, eating like you're at a buffet or drinking one cup of coffee and calling that breakfast.

In the morning, your body is just getting started.  Think of going for a run.  You want to warm up slowly, stretch out, start out very slowly, then pick it up as you warm up.  Same goes for your body in the morning.  Start slowly, something very easy to digest.  Like a piece of fresh fruit, an apple, banana, etc.  I do a green smoothie every morning (fruit juice, dark leafy greens, fresh and frozen fruit, ice).  It's a low calorie, high nutrient, easy to digest way to start my morning.  I have energy, nutrients, all unprocessed and done in literally 5 minutes.  Instead of a bowl of oatmeal or toast or something harder to digest and process, I choose something easy to digest, full of nutrients.  Sure, a few hours later, I'll have some oatmeal, some toast, half a bagel, a piece of fruit, or something like that when my body's more ready to deal with it.

For me, breakfast is extremely important.  Try to get something in that is easy on your body, full of nutrients, low in calories, quick to make, and most importantly, makes you feel great.

For my 'Nutty Green Smoothie Recipe" go here:

http://tonydjr.blogspot.com/2010/01/nutty-green-smoothie.html

Lost

Life has it's ups and downs, doesn't it?  Sometimes, it feels like you can't get any lower, and bam, it gets worse.  When it rains, it pours.  And hey, the weather here in Northern California has been pouring lately, although we are getting a glimpse of the beautiful sunshine we're so used to.

We all experience the highs and lows of life, and I guess each of us deals with them in our own way, whatever works best for us.  The highs are easy, I suppose.  You don't even realize you're at a 'high,' you just hope and pray that it'll continue, peacefully and happily.  And when those 'lows' hit, you wonder what in the world happened?  All of a sudden, you're lost, where you were once found.  And your peaceful, happy world is no more.

For me, I don't take 'lows' very well.  I wish I could do better, like most people.  And I don't know why.  I guess I'm complicated, or immature, or just plain dumb.  But, I pray for grace under pressure, for strength during the tough times, and for compassion and understanding, where this is little to share.  Someday when I grow up, I'll be able to handle these times well, and tell my children how I did it.  But for now, it's all a work in progress.

I know that lots of you out there have your 'lows,' and have your routine or support system to help you get through it.  Lots of people cover it up, keep it quiet, and figure it out on their own.  And I commend those people for that.  And yet, lots of other people get caught up in their mind's stories, their restlessness, say stupid things, do stupid things.  And man, I can relate to those people as well.

What's really important is that the 'stresses' of these 'downs' don't effect the pillars of your health, as surely they will try.  Remember: Stress, Diet, and Exercise.  Don't let the stress kill the other two, and spiral you downward.  Rather, use the other two to build yourself back up, to help deal with that stress, and put yourself back together.

My prayers go to you, if you're in a time of need.  I pray for you, that you may find peace and happiness, through your tough time.  I pray for you, that you may find compassion and forgiveness for those who have done you wrong.  I pray for you, that you may stay healthy, stay active, and enable those pillars to build you up, and eventually build the 'calm and quiet' that will eventually conquer your stress, and the 'downs' in life.

Likewise, pray for me, that I find myself again.

Run SFM

Just signed up for the 2010 San Francisco Marathon.  This will be the last full marathon I will run, the third I've ever run.  Training begins in late March, with a rampup starting a few weeks back.  I'll be detailing my training, etc. on the blog, and doing it all pretty much on a Vegan diet.

Pray for me, wish me luck, and if you're thinking about setting a goal, running a race, or simply going for a walk, I wish you the very best as well.

Niman Ranch and Eating Animals

I'm reading "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer.  This is not for the faint of heart, and I'm still trying to understand the greyness of the book.  I really appreciate his time and effort, research, and conversations with so many involved with raising animals.  Like Jonathan, I too have kids, and am quite concerned about their health, wellness, and diet also.  So, I understand his motivation for his search for truth and information.

There was a long section on the Niman Ranch cooperative.  Living in Northern California, we've seen their products in several fine restaurants and high end boutique grocery stores.  I didn't know much about them, until now, because of the book.  Let's just say I'm contemplating my Vegan stance a little bit.  Not much, but just a little bit.  When you think about the effort it takes to raise farm animals the 'right way,' the way nature intended, in a responsible, sustainable, and honorable manner, it's gives me pause to rethink my position.  I said a few entries ago that if I visited Brazil or France, where animals are raised the 'right way,' I would definitely sample.  I guess if the same type of product is available here, I'd be inclined to consider the same.

Now, let's not get carried away here, we're talking about the 10-90 rule that Dr. Joel Fuhrman recommends.  And for me, it would be more like 2-98.  But, hey, at the very least, it's a consideration.  Before doing so, I'm going to visit a family farm affiliated with Niman Ranch and talk to the farmers there, like Jonathan did, and see for myself.

On the other hand, the book did justify my reasons for becoming Vegan in the first place.  Animals, workers, the environment, and eventually consumers ... with the factory farms so prevalent today, are my reasons.  And I definitely can't support something that causes so much harm.

Give the book a read, if you have a strong heart, and an open mind.  I think you'll find it an interesting read.

Coffee

How ironic is it that I write this post while using the WiFi at a local Starbucks? I must admit, I think the smell of coffee is pretty cool, something very earthy and musty. I could do without it, but once in a while it's an interesting smell. I've never really liked or needed coffee, but I'm strange like that, I know. I hear all of the crazy orders as I'm typing this, "Grande, nonfat, vanilla ... latte". Geez, whatever.

Coffee's not really good for you, in mass quantity. A cup a day is fine, no problem. There's some great antioxidants in coffee. But some people can't live without liters of the stuff. That leads to serious addiction, digestive issues, dehydration, sleep issues, etc. Not to mention that coffee is freaking expensive and fattening, with all of the coffee-based sugar drinks they offer now. Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But, you know what I mean.

So, I'm getting ready for a meeting at work, when I take a look at Facebook (ugh!) and see a post written by a friend of mine.

[Friend's Name] ... begins today the daunting task of NO COFFEE for 4-months!

And guess happens?

Reply after reply of what? are you crazy? why? you're nuts! good luck!

Man, imagine if I said something as audacious as, "I'm not gonna do dairy for 3 months!" People would think I'm off my rocker.

The truth is that the vast, vast majority of people have ingrained unconscious habits and see absolutely no reason to question or change them. I get that. But, at the same time, those who even try to be a little different, to try something that, dare I say, may be good for them, are vilified and outcast. Oh well, I knew it was an uphill battle, and maybe this makes me feel a little better that an old friend is at least dabbling with the idea of being conscious about what he drinks. Good for him, I say. He's a healthy guy, runs marathons and does triathlons and can probably eat and drink whatever he likes and still be extremely healthy. But, he chose to try something different, and I commend him for that.