Health

Overall - can you beat it? I mean - when you have it and it's good?
Everyone who knows me knows that I strive to be as healthy as possible and that I enjoy it. I work out in a structured class 2x/week, do Pilates 1x/week - am vegetarian and nearly always vegan (striving to reach that 100% vegan goal - learning a little more as I go...), walk or ride my bike or hit the gym on my days off from my classes. I feel inherently abnormal when I don't get in some sort of exercise and I have always been like this.

I am obsessed with 'The Biggest Loser' - really! I never miss an episode...and for those of you who know me - t.v. is really not high on my list of things to do/care about (I'm mostly against t.v., video games, computer games etc. I firmly believe it rots the brain). But I can't get enough of this program!

I am perplexed by the state people allow themselves to get to and live in. My mother is morbidly obese - she may very well be the reason that I (and my sisters) refuse to allow weight to hamper our lives. She's tired: all the time, has bad knees, back pain - and for the life of me - I cannot figure out why she's not yet diabetic (thank god she's not, right?). She's also a nurse: go figure.

There are SO many overweight, obese and morbidly obese people in this country it is simply mind-numbing. Frustrating, disgusting, scary, sad really. I am especially worried about the amount of these people being children. There are many stats that indicate a lot of parents today will outlive their children - and it's the parents' faults! C'mon people - wake up! The incidence of obese people having obese children vs. healthy people have obese children is like 80% higher (and you know it's the same with pets, right? fat pet-owners, fat pets).

This: http://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/ website is one of the most offensive, idiotic, backwards sites/organizations that I have ever known the existance of! It's the "National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance" - not kidding! Holy crap. If you read some of this site - you'll freak out (if you're normal - sorry!) - I mean - Oh My God!

Should we have fat acceptance or something like: the "Coliation to Advance Health and Wellness"? C'mon.

I am also really concerned with the large amounts of self-esteem young (especially girls) people and teenagers have when they're overweight. Now - don't freak out - everyone deserves to have positive self-esteem but - it's got to be for the right reasons, shining through in the right areas and it must be balanced.

I see so many heavy girls wearing clothers their counterparts (with bodies to fit the attire) wear because they too want to look cute, hot - whatever. Well - those clothes shouldn't be made for them - and often it appears they're not. These girls are popping out all over the place - and it's not that they're breasts are growing fast - it's that their thieghs and buts and guts are busting out and it's terrible. Big girls should feel good about themselves for being: smart, funny, kind, compassionate but should NOT carry that over into wearing clothes they really shouldn't. I see people laughing, pointing at these girls - I know I look at them crooked too...and that will ultimately end up in bad feelings - and frankly they should kind of feel bad - or at least feel like it can be better and they should be striving for that.

I know there's an impossible balance - too thin (stick-skinny little hollywood girls) - too heavy and well: healthy.

It should be everyone's mission in life to get and be healthy and to take their health and help empower others to get healthy.

This epidemic is going to slaughter this country within the next couple of decades (really - I've done the research in school - I have a bachelor's in science: health sciences): financially and otherwise - let's minimize the slaughter (c'mon - I'm against it on all levels!).

Off the Cuff

Movies
I love 'em! Really

Clockwork Orange
Clost Land
The Wall
Fargo
Juno
a few others I can't remember right now...
add to it a movie I just watched tonight:
Snow Angels

Good flick.

I truly appreciate anything that makes you think "outside the box"...

Desiderata

Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind youto what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Why and Why Not?

Why do people continue to eat meat: considering the devastating effects this has on the human body, the horrid effects (lives of torture and deaths often worse) on animals and the astonishingly horrific effects on the environment - why eat meat? It's clear and very proven the human body does not need any form of meat to survive (hello? I'm living proof!).

Why doesn't everyone recycle? C'mon folks - this is one of the easiest steps to take in being slightly responsible toward the environment! You're bagging and boxing garbage to take to the curb anyway - why not recycle? I know I'm a freak about recycling: I recycle for my 14 unit apt bldg, take all boxes, cardboards and recyclables from my sister that her city doesn't take, recycle at my office and another company on my floor often leaves their boxes, bubble wrap, peanuts etc. for me to recycle. So what?! I do it big time - why can't eveyone just do it for their own houses?

Why not eat organic? Considering it's been scientifically proven eating organic yields a softer effect on the environment and produces more healthful food - why doesn't everyone eat organic as much as possible? Sure - it can be more expensive but if you round out your diet (i.e. lose the meat) and fill it with more beneficial products/recipes etc. - you'll end up spending less! That and: HELLO??!! pesticides kill! You can't wash them all away - they're IN the foods you eat - not just on them!

Why do people continue to eat crap food? Lean Cusine, Campbell's, Burger King, Ragu, McDonald's, Heinz, Wendy's, Kraft - and on and on and on: all crap food! I will never understand how people continue to eat foods with colorings, preservatives, artificial flavorings and things they can't pronounce more or less identify. It's not hard people! Read labels (and don't be fooled by main-stream companies going organic. A lot of these companies are on the bandwagon to lower organic standards and are just in it for the buck - they're not dedicated to you or the environment...)!

Why doesn't everyone vote? Especially women? Ever hear of the Suffragettes? This didn't happen too long ago! We're obligated to be involved - to vote! I mean - come on! Most of us don't enlist, wrangle our way out of jury duty etc. - why not vote? Politics isn't the most exciting thing to happen nowadays but it is VITAL people know and appreciate what is (and potentially will be) going on. This is your life too! To all those who think one vote doesn't count: ask Al Gore!

OK - that's my mini rant for right now.
Trust me - there will be more later!

Cooking Tofu

For those who have asked:

Drain tofu;
take cube out of package - wrap in papertowels (plain white - no prints!)
place on cutting board or cookie sheet
place cutting board or cookie sheet on top of cube as well
add weight to top - canned goods do well
cube should bulge but not be breaking (about 4 normal sized cans will do)
leave like this for about 20 minutes (papertowels should be soaking wet when you take this all apart)

Slice tofu
place cube on its' side
slice into 4 evenly thin squares (hint: use a non-serrated knife)
Cut into 32 pieces (if you start on a diaganol this is easy; diaganol once and again then split 'em [you'll have little pie shaped pieces])

Bake tofu
at 400 for 45min to 1 hour
watch it!
at about 35-40 minutes test it - if it still gives; you're good
excellant a little crispy too! like tofu chips!

Marinate tofu
with whatever you like

I have no specific measurements but i've done (and love)

bar-b-que sauce
mrs braggs (or soy/tamari sauce)
red wine vinegar
agave nectar (i used medium)
hot sauce
**use you own favorite brands/flavors***
added sauteed onions and garlic

OR

white wine vinegar
agave nectar (i used light in this one)
mrs braggs (or again: soy/tamari sauce)
lemon juice
garlic (this time minced from a jar)
hot sauce

**(marinate for 20 minutes or two hours)

delicious!

Quote on Laziness...

"Laziness grows on people; it begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains.
The more one has to do the more he is able to accomplish."

Thomas Buxton
1786-1845
Social Activist

Optimal?

Seriously...can we ever get an optimal candidate for President?
I am so sick and tired of picking between the 'lesser of two evils'.
I mean...c'mon already...

Maybe we should extinguish all the political parties, have PTA moms take over (in large part) - duke out differences with other nations by pitting their toughest against our own (and sparing all the innocents), get rid of Medicare and Medicaid and create a universal healthcare plan (which isn't mind-numbing to comprehend) and penalize politicians for flapping their gums about promises, reliefs and re-gaining the American dream.

I'd also make the politicans parties responsible for picking up all the signs they stick up everywhere... I mean - isn't it the very least they can do?