To the Ignorant Girls At the Gym

While meat is indeed a large staple of the North American diet, it does not have more nutrition than vegetables. The fabric of meat (muscle of a dead animal) is made up of protein, collagen, and fat. While each of these hold a place on the list of necessary nutrients for the human body, meat is not the only source for them nor is it the best source. Protein can be found in numerous vegetables along with the famous group called legumes (AKA beans). Using legumes as a main source of protein does not only give you less fats, it gives you the healthier fats, fiber, and other nutrients like magnesium and potassium.
Making the personal decision to stop eating meat does not mean that you will get less nutrients; if anything it means you will be inviting more nutrients into your body. The choice to eat or not to eat meat is both a cultural and a personal decision-- don't make statements about nutritional content unless you are actually educated in food. You can eat meat if you choose but don't go slamming on vegans. Some of the strongest men in the world are vegan. Vegan-ism can actually boost muscle strength because the fats from the meats are not lingering in your muscles; instead, you are creating more room for muscle (thus you can look smaller and actually be stronger).
Also, vegan-ism can be even more of an exciting diet* (please recall my personal definition of the word 'diet') than that of a carnivores. In North America the standard meal is 40% meat/protein 40% starch 20% vegetable.

Cracker Barrel's Meatloaf

For a vegan a meal can consist of all three of these (protein, starch, vegetable) throughout the dish. Kitchari has basmanti rice (which is indeed a grain but contains many nutrients), mung beans (protein, vegetable, fiber), assorted fresh vegetables, and many spices that have endless health benefits.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/05/my-favorite-kitchari-recipe/

So, to the girls that I encountered at the gym earlier today, get educated on what you put into your body. While you might get a big hunk of protein from that steak, you are also getting a lot of 'bad' fats. (I put bad in quotes because all fats are necessary but everything has an ideal quantity and eating a lot of meat goes beyond the healthy amount). Next time, actually look into the nutritional content of food before slamming down a diet different from your own. Eating meat is fine but it is not the only way to get necessary nutrients.


*diet: a personal practice of eating;
         a day-to-day routine of eating that goes beyond the definition granted by fads.

Ground Control to Miss Catherine

This song has been stuck in my head for a day or so, so I want to make everyone else listen to it. If you haven't seen Walter Mitty, I highly suggest you see it. Both times Alex and I have seen it, we immediately wanted to watch it again.
I realized when Rinpoche woke me up this morning that I didn't write my blog post for yesterday. It was a fairly eventful day. Alex and I reflected on our failure with the Race to Abs and decided we needed a more potent dose of motivation and decided on cosplay. We've been talking for quite a while about dressing up and going to a convention but we didn't, until yesterday, make an absolute decision. So since it will be our first time we decided to go with something more simple but will still make it a necessity to fit and tighten things up. We decided on Red Lantern, or at least Alex has. I'm not sure who I'll be from the Red Lantern series-- we'll probably just both do generic lantern. Alex didn't think I could present a rage face for Red Lantern fan pictures but I think I proved him wrong for a moment (until I started laughing from making the rage face). A little blood at the edges of my mouth should give me the boost I need to pose well.
Today we're going to go thrift shopping and visit Joanne's to check out fabric and look at sewing machines.

Other than cosplay plans, yesterday I worked on the pokemon game board. Alex's side is almost done and I'm excited to share it with everyone once I'm done. I can't tell you how many times I erased and restarted the pokemon I'm using to hold place of the prize cards.

I'll let you know how today goes later. Have a good one.
Namaste.

He Said "Lost My Girlfriend In IKEA"

No, I didn't really get lost in IKEA. I totally could have though. All those simply beautiful furniture pieces and kitchens just waiting to be built? Yes please.
Today Alex and I took our second trip to IKEA and of course found numerous things we love and hope to someday go back for and use in our future home. We were looking because today we also filled out applications to move into a new apartment in September. The new one will be far bigger (two floors) and we will be rooming with Aaron. I admit I will miss walking around in my undies but this will be good. The bigger space will allow Penny more room to roam and Rinpoche more places to hide and leap out to attack! I am a little nervous because this will be the largest place I've lived in outside of my parents' place. There will be more surfaces to clean, and more space to work with. Space is good but it also means new and more furniture (thus the trip to IKEA).
After IKEA Alex and I took Penny to the park. We weren't there that long but she ran around after other dogs pretty much the whole time. A pooped Penny is a happy Penny.

Wake Me Up So We Can Dream

After constantly dosing off on the car ride to bring Kaitlin home, I crashed very hard when I got home. Thinking about last night, my mind wanders to sleep overs in the past. It's been years since I've slept over someone else's house (other than Alex's but we all know that's an entirely different situation). Now that I'm 22 it's odd to think that it may not even be an option again until Alex and I have our own house. I've had roommates and will continue to have roommates, that's for sure but sleepovers... ah, the magic of having your best friend over, watching movies, painting nails, eating popcorn and a ton of Snickers minis. During such situations as these it's perfectly acceptable to pass out (as long as it's after midnight). But when there is no where for your guest to sleep, you gotta stay up and make sure they get home okay-- with which I am entirely okay with. It's just frustrating to be falling asleep on your best friend when you're trying to spend time with them. I try so hard to stay up and attentive but I'm worried I miss something. I know if it's important I'll be told again when I'm more lucid, or if it's really important that I'll be shaken awake.
It'd really be nice to have another sleepover but it's not that same when your other half is present. You're supposed to be able to swoon and complain about your other half, then miss them and give them lots of love when you see them again once the sleepover is, well, over. Like I said, it'll probably be when I have my own place or when I'm visiting a friend out of town.

I am not without some kind of sleepover though. There are nights with Alex in our apartment when they feel very much like sleepovers-- much more intimate but still with the attributes that make a sleepover what it is. Some nights we will watch shows, eat cookies, giggle with and tickle each other. Some nights we will stay up until 2 AM just talking and snuggling or playing cards. I sounds really cheesy but Alex isn't just my life partner, he's my best friend (which is an attribute of life partner but for the sake of cheesiness just roll with it). I never thought I'd end up so lucky as to have both love and friendship in one. He's not one of the girls but he's certainly the companion on need to keep me on my toes, my head on straight, and my heart full.

Forever A Part of Her

Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it.
Others say fate is woven together like a cloth .

It's tough not being with my mom for Mother's Day. I sent her a gift, called her twice, wished her a beautiful happy day-- it doesn't seem like it's enough. And it may never be enough to thank her for being such a loving mother. We don't always see eye to eye but it's ridiculous to expect someone to be exactly like their parent. Parents always want better for their children anyway-- they certainly don't expect their kids to be just like them.
I did get a little giggle this morning at work because one of my coworkers asked what my fur babies got me. I told him poop and slobber (not far off from human babies lol). Work was really slow though. I ended up napping on some bags of soil (surprisingly comfortable). When I got home Alex and I went for another bike ride-- 10 miles this time! Then we had an awesome spaghetti dinner with roasted green beans and mushrooms. Other than all that today was a basic Sunday. Wish I could have taken my mommy out for dinner or something but I'll get to see her soon. My brother is getting married next month after all.

Monsanto Ramble-Tamble, A Bee Just Died

What's really sad is... I'm not even sure where to start. When I read this article earlier today I felt the fury I generally feel towards the results of greed. I'm still not sure how to express such frustration and every time i learn more I feel more trapped by this country. Yes we have the right to freedom of speech but what does it matter when our words do so little for our planet? What does it all matter when we can't even buy produce without worrying about the effects of the pesticides? Oh wait, that's right: to the U.S. food is now grown but PRODUCED. Food isn't something the Earth provides-- it's something we make ourselves, something that is created and assembled at a factory. For so many Americans, this is the cold truth. So many people don't even know that there is other produce out there that Walmart doesn't sell. Most people would be shocked or grossed out to learn that there is such a thing as a purple carrot. This is a naturally occurring plant of nature. Nature. The Earth. From the ground. A ground without overuse. A ground without pesticides and dead bees. I digress. This purple carrot is perfectly good to eat and has more nutrients than the standard 'orange' carrot.
I'm given all this freedom in America, like the freedom to write this post, but why is it such a damn challenge to give the people real food without concern for their health in the long run? Why is it so damn difficult to allow farmers to be competitive and use their own seeds? Why is it fucking allowed to spray plants meant for consumption with toxins that kill bees? Why is there such a high demand for beautiful green lawns and not enough desire for raised beds that could yield enough food to feed a family for dinner? Greed. God damned greed and pompousness.
I think this one is pretty close to how I'm feeling:

On a different note, but still on the ridiculousness of industry importance over the health of the entire planet (ALL animals included), I also know that charging fees to those who get all the energy they need for solar panels is fucking ridiculous. I also know that saying that someone has to be connected to the grid for electricity even though they won't be using it is ridiculous. This country isn't about the American Dream-- not the one we grow up believing in. This country is about supporting BUSINESS and COMPANIES. $$$$. 

But there are good people here. There are good people here in the United States trying to live a healthy, happy life while preserving precious resources and the Earth herself. I know that we are all busy scrambling and trying to be involved in the life that our society says we need to lead. I know that the last thing you think you should be concerned about is what apples you're picking up at the grocery store. The sad truth is that we do need to research before we buy. We do need to learn how to self-sustain. When everything goes to hell, by golly we need to know how to grow food.

I'm done with that shpeal. I do apologize for two in one day. Other than getting fire-y on the ridiculousness of monsanto and what the U.S. will allow, my day was pretty good. We had good sales at the store.
When I got home Alex and I took Penny for a walk then encountered another couple with a dog. They actually had their dog roaming free in a field so we let Penny of the lease and she had a ball (though the other dog was timid). I wish our walk was longer, especially since I just finished eating cookies that are going to go straight to my pooch and thighs. We had a good dinner though: curry spiced cauliflower and various veggies with spicy baked tilapia. Lately I've really been realizing my lack of activity and the difference between me now and me in undergrad. I used to walk so much more, not to mention go to the gym four times a week.
It's going to happen again. It has to because I can't allow myself to let my body go. I can't gain any more fat. I need to be healthy and respect my body-- not throw garbage into it.

Here's to an interesting rest of the weekend.

Water Slides and Turbulence

So I didn't realize I missed yesterday's post until I woke up this morning and saw Kaitlin's new post. I remember I wanted to touch upon an article on the acclaimed "controversial" shark killings. There's nothing controversial-- it's aweful. While I understand the concern for human life I feel people could more easily avoid sharks than they could a car accident: simply don't go in the ocean. If shark attacks were really all that bad, people should have limited access to beaches instead of murdering sharks that may have never hurt nor would have ever hurt a person. The article made it clear: people believe humans are the only ones that matter. That's why the planet is going to poop, we don't care about the environment until it directly affects us.

I'm done with my shpeal for now. 

Yesterday was a nice day. It was busy for a bit and work then got slow so I caught up on some of my reading: news and elephant journal articles. Then when I got home Alex and I went for a nice seven mile ride. When we were done my legs had no idea what they should do lol. It was beautiful outside and the route we took allowed us to chat and be a cute couple on bicycles. Afterwards we had leftovers and then we went to super target to get a few things (yay we might have fish for dinner-- I've had a huge caring for fish lately). After that I recall being pretty tired and I passed out before Alex even came to bed.

My dreams last night were about taking a plane to London, me not liking being on the plane, and then waking up in a luxurious hotel with this awesome water slide. I recall thinking how I left my yoga mat and wondered if room service would bring me one. Then I really woke up and realized I had to go to work again today. 

Hope everyone has a lovely Saturday. Enjoy your freedom if you don't have to work. 

Namaste.