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New Year’s Resolutions: So many, so little time.
I began resolutionizing back in October of 2011. Probably near my birthday. Unlike prior year plans, this year the resolution list is short, easy to remember and can be summed up in a single phrase. I firmly believe it applies to events past, present and future. Certainly future events (define events as you wish).
Good luck to all those who resolve to do more, do less, workout more, eat less, cook better, relax more often, spend time with family, spend time alone, drink more Sailor Jerry, drink more water, take all vacation days, read more books, be grateful for all blessings, turn the other cheek, save more, spend more on others, take a new route to work, cut out the clutter, adopt a foodism lifestyle, grow sprouts, break some bad, free up some mental space, enjoy summer every day, celebrate random birthdays just for fun, visit the drive-in, save for her car, upgrade the sink, the counter and the floor, get rid of excess cars, travel more, boat earlier and longer, eat raw foods, learn a new Poke recipe, become a CPA, hold hands, give away unused clothes, compliment others, avoid assumptions, forgive and learn, and just be.
Closing out the year. On January 3rd!
The New Year has begun and I’m already behind! We got side tracked working on our tans – and making a bunch of fruity drinks. Ha. The Holidays were very relaxing and full of family time – and just plain ‘ol time to chill. In the New Year – may your dreams be big and your reality even bigger. Aloha.
Top 10 Reasons to Add Tea to Your 2012 Diet.
The news is full of ‘news’ about green tea. The best reason to add it – it’s good for you. But add your greens (we’ve added spirulina) and a mix of fruits as well. For everyone looking to improve their diet program in the New Year – good luck!
Top 10 Reasons to Balance Acidic and Alkaline Foods
There a number of reasons that we must learn to balance acidic and alkaline foods. The more acidic our diet, the more likely we are to traumatize our digestive system. The concept is simple: more alkaline than acidic. Eat oneth.
Top 10 Reasons for Year-round Vegetable Selection.
Actually there are more than 10 reasons for year-round vegetable rotation in your diet. Here is a guide that gives more background information for selecting appropriate veggies each month of the New Year.
2011 Christmas Holiday Photo Recap
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10 Fat Reasons to Avoid the Holiday Overload.
Ten of these are reason enough to avoid them. Eat sensibly over the Holidays.
Kim Jung il posts record visits from his grave.
Some time ago I blasted the evil doer, Kim Jung il, for all of his wrong doings – including the massacre of millions of people in his country. Not to mention the antics associated with nuclear missiles aimed at Hawai’i. (In that instance, the US promptly test fired a little warning shot out into the Pacific to ‘clear the air’ so to speak.) Kim’s ills chilled for a brief bit.
My posts encouraged a deeper dive into the mess behind North Korea’s shanonsense (pronounced: sha-non-sense). As the world turns, Kim dies. Thankfully. My posts, however, are still alive.
Yesterday, my site was visited by a record number of unique visitors – 5,659 to be exact. Crazy I say, just crazy. When you view the stat bar, it tracks along with a steady but basically flat line of visitors … and then we have a spike upward and then back downward. It looks like a bird being flicked from Kim Jung-dead at my posts! HA! Whatever. I’m glad the dude is dead and Kim Jung young-un is now in command. He’ll either turn dema-commie or be killed himself. The fun begins again. Word up.
New Years Resolutions: Ten things to consider.
1. Get Started: Create a calendar and commit to what you can do.
2. Think Positive: The glass can be half-empty or half-full. Either way you’re right. Focus on growth and the process of filling the glass.
3. Take Action: Small steps are better than NO steps. Simply, take action.
4. Be Focused: The world keeps turning, there will be distractions. Stay focused on your plan.
5. Be Determined: See the vision and the goal and stay on your path. If you get side tracked, come back to your path.
6. Attract It: Thoughts of success help attract what you need. What we think we become.
7. Track It: When positive gains are made, make note of it. It’s easier to be thankful for positive gains when you can literally see them on paper.
8. Make it Happen: Where there is a will there is a way and you’ve got to want to bring about change – partly by possessing an attitude that you can make it happen.
9. Share It: When you speak about it with others you affirm what you are creating, attracting and bringing into reality. It encourages the universe to cooperate.
10. Believe: The best advice is this — You gotta’ believe to receive. Believe that it’s a reality and it is a reality.
Why I ride: 4.5 hours and 72 winter-miles later a fellow rider asked me, “when do you work?”
Life can include a lot of things — IF you keep the routine simple. And IF you stick to the routine. Otherwise, you throw the whole plan out of kilter. Here it is: Wake up, drink water and workout, eat breakfast, work for 10 hours with a working lunch; workout again, then eat dinner and sleep for 8 hours. Repeat daily except for Friday when there is no after work workout. Saturday and Sunday include longer rides and more food (yeah).
Weekends are different – especially in the winter. Winter training is slower – or at least it is in Base Period I. We start early (8AM no matter what the temp) and usually ride at a ‘winter pace’ or basically what we call LSD. LSD, long steady distance, marks the onset of training for the coming year. The philosophy of going slower to get faster (later) is difficult for most people to understand – and even more difficult to “do.” The philosophy of training every day is difficult for most people to understand. But that’s not the point of this post. The point of this post – and hopefully inspiration for a few of thousands of people who read this blog every week – that’s it really about finding time to do the work.
I’m all about finding the time – or more accurately stated – I’m all about making the time.
Inevitably, the race season starts. Funny thing, you cannot get ready for a racing season in six weeks. It takes 20 weeks. T W E N T Y W E E K S. Either you’re up for it or you’re not. You can ride fewer months and fewer miles … and get by. You can procrastinate or avoid harsh weather days, and enjoy a mediocre year … treating races as faster training rides.
You can leverage exceptional talent or physical ability – if you have it – and be competitive with less training. For me, I have to rely on a structured program to succeed. I possess average talent, and while I’m very fit, I do not possess exceptional VO2 capacity (it’s 62) nor a high max heart rate (it’s 182). My strengths – I’m blessed with being naturally skinny, and tons of determination and self-discipline.
To answer the question, I work at it every day. Every single day.
The Whole Foods Shift – Four Weeks Later.
If you asked me what ‘whole foods’ meant – roughly five weeks ago – I would have said, “a supermarket with some nifty prepared foods that cost more but are real tasty.” Today, I have an entirely different definition. Radically different. We’ve watched: Food Matters (2x), The Beautiful Truth (2x), Food, Inc, Forks over Knives (3x), and read a BUNCH of articles online – along with 12 or so books (cookbooks, etc.).
To save some time, here is my CliffsNotes version of what I learned: Everything we eat has an effect on our health. Our food determines the quality of our blood, which affects our cells, tissues, organs, and even our minds. When we eat healthy foods, we strengthen our bodies. When we eat foods without nutritional value, we weaken our bodies. Choosing foods that supply us with adequate vitamins and minerals is essential to our well-being. Whole foods are foods in their most complete state; they are unrefined and do not contain harmful chemicals and additives which damage our bodies. Incorporating whole foods into our daily diets enables our bodies to become strong and healthy. Once we are physically healthier, we can begin to live a more vibrant, full life.
Eating whole foods is challenging. I don’t mean in the physical eating sense, I mean in the gathering, preparing sense. Earth Fare, our current local version of Whole Foods, Inc., serves us well. It accelerated the process of finding organics and packaged products with fewer than five ingredients.
The other piece to the challenge … getting rid of the crap hiding in the pantry! You’ll find a photo below where some food items are spread out over a small table. Those items represented roughly 60% of what was in our pantry. Many of the items in the photo might seem healthy – but the labels tells a different story. If you laugh you’ve probably got the same issue in your pantry – or worse – you’ve talked yourself into believing your eating habits are nutritional.
I interact with more than 100 people per week and only one or two of them eat whole foods. I’ve not taken a poll, but I believe we’re probably the only ones eating a whole foods diet three meals per day. Every day.
The mental highway we’ve traveled over the past five week landed us in a good space. Again, it’s not vegan, vegetarian, Gerson, or raw foodism. It’s a blend that works for us. Dairy is now limited to organic cheese. Milk was replaced with almond milk. Beef with ahi. Chicken is organic – so is the turkey. Vegetables abound and are organic. Processed foods are avoided. Cereals are organically sprouted and oatmeal is steel cut. Sweeteners are now honey or nothing. It’s a change – for sure. Food tastes different – and the texture is different. Much like anything in life, the first encounters may not be 100% what you’d expect – but knowing it’s good for you enlivens the flavor and the experience.
I’m really proud of my wife. She’s gone the extra mile to learn and to help both of us adapt to this major life change. She’s also the chef who configures new dishes in hopes they “stick.” HA! Make no mistake, it’s a significant life change – and it will require attention, care and feeding (no pun intended). You could liken it to a relationship. Thankfully I’m sharing the journey with my sweetie — a whole foods chick. Bak-bak.
Portion control and food control – if you only knew what’s going on behind the scenes.
Food, Inc. is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Kenner.The film examines corporate farming in the United States, concluding that agribusiness produces food that is unhealthy, in a way that is environmentally harmful and abusive of both animals and employees. The film is narrated by Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser.
This film caused me to re-think most every meal I consumed from 1980 to present. Beef and poultry as we know it (today) are NOT healthy. Period. Food, Inc. tells the true story behind poultry and beef production. Chickens raised in a grow-out houses (injected with ?, and fed questionable grain) are not a healthy food choice. Beef production is horrifically bad and processed beef scares me. Shock and awe worked. Food, Inc. arrested our attention and we heard the message. Yes, we heard the message, and we decided to take action.
Twenty minutes ago my wife cleared the pantry of processed foods, and cleared out almost half of what was stored in the refrigerator. The remaining items contain 5 ingredients or less.
Ok then. We’re not vegan but we’re eating vegan dishes. We’re not vegetarians but we’re eating vegetarian dishes. We’re not whole food Nazis either but we’re eating whole foods as if we live on a farm (from the early 1900′s before chemical companies took over the food industry). We switched to organic poultry, seiten, and ahi (wild caught), and organic turkey breast.
In summary, sourcing truly healthy foods is challenging. This type of transformation means we are reading labels, and taking time to research questionable ingredients. It also means we’ll review scientific data behind food claims, all of which are interesting. We believe we’re on a better path forward. Let’s hope so. More so than ever, we believe you are what you eat.
Selection of images from FullAccess, New Jersey
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Peace comes in waves. Just make sure to look forward, not behind you.
The phrase, “don’t look back” gives the brain a tangled command — a command the brain ignores. The brain hears “look back” because the word “don’t” is an unclear directive. The brain hears, “look back” in an effort to gain clarity. When waves roll, a forward-facing view generates an opportunity for much better outcomes. The simple truth of being positive, even in moments of stress or confusion, helps create a brighter lens. Even when you’re held under water for a two wave set, give your mind the freedom it needs to bring about a favorable outcome. Relax. It does a body good.
October 5 marked the loss of two great people. Steve Jobs and my great aunt, Lucy Talley Dupwe.
When I look around my home, it’s filled with lots of photos of my family. If the house is on fire, this photo is coming with me. Of all the images I possess, this one photo is very important.
The folks in this photo showed me love, affection, and kindness as youngster. Some of the very best memories of my childhood are connected with them. The three women from left to right – Granny, Momma Sue and Aunt Lucy were so loving and gracious. God bless them all.
Far left – I believe that was Uncle Dee. I didn’t know him. The man to his right is my great grandfather – or Little Daddy, and the lady next to him is Laura Talley (his wife) or Granny. When I think of the house behind them – on Homewood Road in Memphis – well, that was THE place for my summers.
Granny was super laid back. I would sit in her lap for hours – listening to her read the Bible. The fact is, she read the Bible cover to cover at least three times. Need I say more? Next to Granny are two of her children, Sue Avery, or Momma Sue, and Lucy Dupwe, or Aunt Lucy.
Momma Sue was the bomb. She drove a Chevy, had a garden, flew balsa gilders with my sister and me … usually late into the evening during summer. Momma Sue taught me how to fish and gave me the nudge to be creative. I miss her.
Next to her is Aunt Lucy. She was equally as fun. Look at that smile. What do you see? I see a woman who knew how to live. Look at those glasses! I spent a lot of summers at Aunt Lucy and Uncle Floyd’s house. Jonesboro was far away but there was a milk shake stop along the road that had peppermint shakes. What ever happened to that place?
Gosh those are fond memories. Aunt Lucy was like a grandmother to me. I know a lot of people will miss her. Thankfully I am a better person in life because of her love and kindness. I’m one of those people who will miss her.
What else can I say? They all look happy except for Uncle Dee (the man on the far left). He seems to be saying, “take the damn photo and let’s go!”
Peace be with you Aunt Lucy.
Once and a while, a gallery tells the story better than a single image.
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I hated Paris until today.
A little movie played aloud while I slept. Or, I should say – as I attempted to sleep. The ambient noise drowned by the occasional baby crying in the background had me twisting endlessly in my seat. Some thousand miles back, my wife was sitting at the airport. Waiting. Meanwhile, I was afloat along the airwaves bound for our ‘third’ home.
Confusing, I agree. You see, we stepped into the same time machine but the ticket wasn’t punched correctly and she side stepped onto another platform. I realized something important today – this is the very last time I’ll leave my wife behind. Notice I avoided the word never. The last time I used the never word (and I used it emphatically), I moved to Akron, Ohio. In the winter. A prison term or boarding school would have been better options.
Back in the cabin, the movie, “Midnight in Paris” played on. At first I resisted. It felt like a girl movie (a date movie) and I’ve not witnessed a girl movie – well – since last week when MG was at the house and the two girls in my life brought me along for the ride. The movie – oh – the movie. It’s the first movie that Woody Allen has EVER directed that I would watch again. Better yet, add to my personal list of movies that will be offered up in my dead-guy-sale sometime later this century.
The interesting element in the movie revolves around the concept that we’re never satisfied with what we have, the life we lead, the cards we’re dealt, etc. The grass seemingly smells fresher and is a brighter shade in another yard, another era or even another country. Yes, the grass is greener in Hawai’i – trust me – I know.
Willingly I gathered my last bit of forced eye closure and engaged the concept offered by the movie. I found myself cast inside its mix of characters – most of whom are now famous due to literary works, artistic endeavors or philosophical contexts. I continued thinking of my wife – not yet on her plane – not with me. I flogged myself for going – without her.
Watching the movie, I thought about my wife concurrently with what I was seeing and hearing on screen (actually it was a TV). When things were going wrong for the main character, I felt even better about my marriage. Because it’s wonderful. When the fiance was acting up, I thought about how my wife doesn’t do drama. Ever. When the finance was talking about “cheap,” I thought about how my wife doesn’t care what something costs – she cares about what it means.
She appreciates simple.
She loves fun.
Heck, she is fun.
Her charm is only outmatched by her brains and lovely eyes. Yes, I’m waxing some mush, but you see – this movie proved to me something I already know. I found the right person! I caught the right taxi at the right moment – the very taxi that the universe served up. Laugh. Yes, I did too. Cry. Yes, I did too. Without my wife, I’d be a different person and certainly a person who isn’t nearly as happy, sane nor complete.
I affirmed something important today, I don’t hate Paris anymore. It doesn’t mean I’ll visit any time soon. But it did echo what my heart’s been saying for a long while - I love my wife.
Snapshots that Cook missed.
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How to make a raft from bamboo.
Find some bamboo. Cut the bamboo. Knot the pieces together. Done.
Go there in the mind. Go there in the body.
Someone asked me this week, “when are you moving to Hawai’i.” My response, “I moved there two years ago.” The quizzical look in response made me laugh with happiness.
Long before you do something, like moving, you go there in the mind. Go there in the mind, you go there in the body. Factually stated, if you can live the experience before you actualize it, then the richness of the experience is heightened. This might sound like a heady day trip, but it is in fact a truthful reality for those that understand the power of visualization. Visualization is about experiencing in the mind the experience.
Last week after stepping out of the shower, I looked around the bathroom with a different lens. The lens was reflecting back what I was thinking, “when did I move to Hawai’i?” I noticed the photos on the wall from various islands, a framed painting of “old” Hawai’i, the watercolor images by the bathtub and the music — all of which were distinctly Hawaiian. My laughter was loud enough that I expected my wife to come in and ask me about it. She obviously didn’t hear me, and that’s ok, I just know that for the remainder of the day I thought about where I live. And it ain’t in Maryville, Tennessee.
Getting there is easy: I listen for the ocean, for doves, and of the sound of the Acaia trees rubbing against one another as the wind moves their branches near the shoreline. I can hear my wife laugh as the bak-bak walk by. I smell the plumeria, the spray from the Pacific, and ahi tuna after it’s been grilled. The texture of green sand is soft and coarse against my feet, and the lava rock sharp and hot against my hands. The colors are vibrant – from the red dirt that coats the Jeep to the redness of the hibiscus. All of this is powerful. All of the imagery, sounds, smells, texture – evoke a sense of being in the space.
Go there in the mind. You go there in the body.
