Anya: Dear self, please just sleep. I know you are trying to prove to me that you have control, but you don't. Mind and Body must make peace and sleep. It has been over a week, and you ruined my holiday all last week with no sleep. Don't you think that's enough? I put good food in you, I read good books to you. Don't you see I love you?
Self: So naive, Anya. So hopeful and naive.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A soup entry with racoon stripes
Life has been insane lately. Reading week went by as quickly as a breath, but I am very proud to have eaten healthily most of the week, with minimal meat and maximum rationing of food. I have a recipe to share with you because of my latest dietary observations. I have been eating mostly home-made, from-scratch food for the past two months, which has actually caused me to fall out of favour with the food I used to love - like Wolfgang Puck’s Tomato and Basil soup, which I used to love so much I asked for a case of it for my birthday.
However, when I had it at work last week, I found it overwhelmingly salty. Same as I found Tim Horton’s Chili two months ago…which made me realize that my minimal intake of sodium has affected my tolerance for salt! Processed meats, canned food, even some frozen meals taste absolutely disgusting. As such, this week I made a vegan chickpea chowder - a classic, simple recipe all vegetarians would be familiar with. Minus the abundance of rosemary, it was successful, so I will provide the recipe and the pictures here.
Chickpea Chowder
1 can stewed chopped tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, 2/3 of the can pureed with 2 tbs vegetable oil
1 can tomato sauce or 1 cup V8/tomato juice
1 package frozen spinach
1 white chopped onion, sautéed with 1 garlic clove
1 cube vegetable stock
2 tbs black pepper
1 tbs salt (the salt in the canned ingredients will do the rest)
Optional - 2 tablespoons hot Tabasco sauce
1. Add stock cube to a soup pot, add 3 cups water, bring to a boil.
2. Puree 2/3 of the chickpeas in a food processor (or just mash them up)
3. Sautee onion and garlic with 1 tbs vegetable oil (or just throw in soup and boil 5 mins)
4. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, chickpeas (all) pepper, salt and optional Tabasco sauce
5. Roughly chop the package of spinach into cubes and add to soup, boil for 5 mins.
6. Scoop and Enjoy!
Also, as a side note, I put racoon tails in my hair! And I don’t care what anyone says, but I am assured they represent me perfectly:
However, when I had it at work last week, I found it overwhelmingly salty. Same as I found Tim Horton’s Chili two months ago…which made me realize that my minimal intake of sodium has affected my tolerance for salt! Processed meats, canned food, even some frozen meals taste absolutely disgusting. As such, this week I made a vegan chickpea chowder - a classic, simple recipe all vegetarians would be familiar with. Minus the abundance of rosemary, it was successful, so I will provide the recipe and the pictures here.
Chickpea Chowder
1 can stewed chopped tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, 2/3 of the can pureed with 2 tbs vegetable oil
1 can tomato sauce or 1 cup V8/tomato juice
1 package frozen spinach
1 white chopped onion, sautéed with 1 garlic clove
1 cube vegetable stock
2 tbs black pepper
1 tbs salt (the salt in the canned ingredients will do the rest)
Optional - 2 tablespoons hot Tabasco sauce
1. Add stock cube to a soup pot, add 3 cups water, bring to a boil.
2. Puree 2/3 of the chickpeas in a food processor (or just mash them up)
3. Sautee onion and garlic with 1 tbs vegetable oil (or just throw in soup and boil 5 mins)
4. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, chickpeas (all) pepper, salt and optional Tabasco sauce
5. Roughly chop the package of spinach into cubes and add to soup, boil for 5 mins.
6. Scoop and Enjoy!
Also, as a side note, I put racoon tails in my hair! And I don’t care what anyone says, but I am assured they represent me perfectly:
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A little bit about playing house, a little bit about art
I had hummus on toast for breakfast, a cup of V8 for lunch, a low-fat strawberry smoothie and for dinner...plus, I had about give 'guacamole on toast's, from the recipe I bragged about in the previous post. I washed that down with tea, diet chocolate cookies, more tea, chips, and...uuuugh. I don't feel so gooood. It's all because I'm stress-eating again! I checked out a summer sublet today that was perfect and perfectly cheap, but I would be living with FIVE GIRLS and the sixth one would be me...and Christopher.
So I'm nervsous about what rhetoric to use to convince the girl to let him move in with me. So far, my plan is, I will tell her I'll have 2/4 months' rent paid off in the next month and that I need an answer fast because 'another place closer to university will take us too'. Also, I want Eulipo (see below) to come with, so I have to figure that out, too...I'm not sure how comfortable people are with a rat in the cage in the kitchen.
By the way, MY BOYFRIEND WANTS TO MOVE IN WITH ME! Weee we are going to bake so much weekend bread and so many midnight cookies! If we somehow manage to convince the girl..but she seems in a rush to rid of the room and is disconnected from her other 5 roomates (they didn't even know she left town for reading week today), so I may be in luck! *LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIGHTBULB MOMENT* I am going to make her my famous lemon tart and bring it to her! Boo-yah! (unfortunately, the recipe is strictly secret, - I am convinced this tart will save me in case of a kidnapping)
Anyway, this is long overdue:
When I was in Montreal, my best friend and I slipped in to the "M" museum during the McMun conference - I have forgotten how inspirational art can be toward body image. I absolutely adore the way individuals in portraits always look like they respect every part of their body. I am yet to see 15th century art of a woman who is unsure of hey beauty - even the virgins look sure.
Personally, I am convinced that living is a kind of art form in itself, and this is why I love going to museums - they shake me out of the hustle and bustle of daily life. You think to yourself, the author spent days perfecting a canvas that is nothing, it is dead. To start treating my body with as much care and respect as the writer did the canvas would be a beautiful change of lifestyle.
So I'm nervsous about what rhetoric to use to convince the girl to let him move in with me. So far, my plan is, I will tell her I'll have 2/4 months' rent paid off in the next month and that I need an answer fast because 'another place closer to university will take us too'. Also, I want Eulipo (see below) to come with, so I have to figure that out, too...I'm not sure how comfortable people are with a rat in the cage in the kitchen.
By the way, MY BOYFRIEND WANTS TO MOVE IN WITH ME! Weee we are going to bake so much weekend bread and so many midnight cookies! If we somehow manage to convince the girl..but she seems in a rush to rid of the room and is disconnected from her other 5 roomates (they didn't even know she left town for reading week today), so I may be in luck! *LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIGHTBULB MOMENT* I am going to make her my famous lemon tart and bring it to her! Boo-yah! (unfortunately, the recipe is strictly secret, - I am convinced this tart will save me in case of a kidnapping)
Anyway, this is long overdue:
When I was in Montreal, my best friend and I slipped in to the "M" museum during the McMun conference - I have forgotten how inspirational art can be toward body image. I absolutely adore the way individuals in portraits always look like they respect every part of their body. I am yet to see 15th century art of a woman who is unsure of hey beauty - even the virgins look sure.
Personally, I am convinced that living is a kind of art form in itself, and this is why I love going to museums - they shake me out of the hustle and bustle of daily life. You think to yourself, the author spent days perfecting a canvas that is nothing, it is dead. To start treating my body with as much care and respect as the writer did the canvas would be a beautiful change of lifestyle.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Don't shoot, I have recipes!
Please don’t shoot me. I really do have valid reasons for dropping off the face of the earth – my health has been acting up and my sleep mechanism has been absent, so I have spent the last two weeks in a state of complete zombification. On the bright side, I have plenty to show and tell, - I’m going cookbook-style this week.
First, I need to reflect on my experience at McMun in Montreal. It was amazingly uneducational fun – our model United Nations nuked Egypt on day three when the goal was to keep peace. It was incredibly refreshing for me to see people who strive in insane multitasking, like me – Venezuela, France and Harvard representatives were there. I would do it all over again…and I plan on it, next year.
In terms of food, Cora’s saved the day as it was conveniently located in our hotel lobby. I obstained from meat while we were in Montreal (I am not counting the burger I had on our WAY to Quebec, haha). My meat abstinence has made me realize I am irrevocably in love with falafels (fried chickpea patties), so I bought at mix and will let you know how it goes. My last breakfast at Cora’s – wholewheat crepes with granola, banana, honey and plain yogurt were probably my favorite eats outside of that.
Anyway, to recipes – my friend Rob Blom left for Mexico this week, and his student house (called the Veghouse – only vegans and vegetarians allowed) hosted a going-away party to which I brought delicious vegan red quinoa phyllo bundles. The entire thing, cooking included, takes about 1hour and 15 mins. Quinoa is amazing for having high protein, high iron, high fiber and low fat amounts. Here is a picture and recipe:
1 cup red or white quinoa, cooked (boil for 15 mins with a tablespoon of salt)
- Bulk Barn sells it, as do most grocery health food sections, its pricy but goes a looong way
1 cooked red potato, peeled and cut into squares, cooking like quinoa)
1/2 can black beans
1 pkg phyllo pastry ($2.99 in the freezer section of the grocer)
1 small jar roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons cooking oil, preferably olive oil
¼ cup of Vegan butter or Margarine, melted in microwave
3 tablespoons hot sauce, any kind
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice concentrate or juice of ½ lemon
optional – add 2 tablespoons of dried or fresh herb like oregano
optional – add ¼ cup of roasted cashews for a yummy crunch
1. Cook sweet potato in 2L salted water (1 tbsp salt) for 15 mins
2. Remove potato, put aside – cook quinoa in sweet potato water for 15 mins, drain water out
3. In a large bowl, mash red potato with cooked quinoa. Add the rest of ingredients and Mix.
4. Place ¾ cup of mixture in the middle of phyllo sheet, wrap and bake for 25 mins at 350 degrees.
- see the wrapping technique here, it’s easy – you just need to layer three phyllo sheets on top of one another, brushing butter slightly on each sheet, place the quinoa mixture in the middle, and bundle up the dough – takes about 30 seconds, seriously).
The beauty of this recipe is that it serves as a main course (protein component) for five people – you end up with five large-sized bundles that can be frozen, and conveniently baked in the over for 30 mins at 350 degrees when you don’t have time to cook (use within a month).
Also, here is my HOW HEALTH NUTS GO CRAZY wrap. It’s a delicious snack, even my mum says so and she’s a big fan of meat. The wrap is a Black Bean Mexican Wrap. It takes about 8 mins to make.
Ingredients:
1 tortilla wrap, any kind
3 tablespoons of canned black beans, mashed with teaspoon of olive oil or blended in processor
2 tablespoon Philidelphia cheese or Mozzarella cheese if you want the wrap warmed up
3 tablespoons salsa
hot peppers or hot sauce
Optional – shaved broccoli stems
1. If using Philadelphia cheese, spread it on half one side of the tortilla – stay away about an inch from the sides of the pita, and spread the salsa on half the other side. If not, spread salsa on the whole one side of the tortilla, put the cheese on top.
2. Arrange the mashed black beans, hot sauce, hot peppers and optional shaved broccoli stems on the pita, and roll it up.
3. Warm it up in the microwave, toast it in the oven or just eat it!
Finally, the Jiffy Guacamole – takes about 5 mins to make, awesome thing to have on toast in the morning. Avocados are full of fats that are good for you – something that is essential for health brain function! They are full of protein, too.
½ ripe avocado – scoop it out and mash it up!
½ chopped fresh tomato
3 tbsp of lemon juice concentrate or juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp salt
1. Peel half the avocado with a knife, cut the green part off the seed (will be a huge one in the middle), mash it up in a small bowl.
2. Add chopped tomato, lemon juice, pepper and salt.
3. Spread on toasted bread – best on foccacia bread, and enjoy!
I have a confession to make. Other than casual stretching at work, my physical activity levels have been accounting to zero, and I don’t even have an excuse! Most deep insight will arrive with the next post…I already know what it will be but I don’t want to spoil you with a looooooooooong post. Hopefully the recipes will drive you to forgive me for my absence >.<
P.S. Does anyone have any ideas for a memorable layout that would be wider than this?
First, I need to reflect on my experience at McMun in Montreal. It was amazingly uneducational fun – our model United Nations nuked Egypt on day three when the goal was to keep peace. It was incredibly refreshing for me to see people who strive in insane multitasking, like me – Venezuela, France and Harvard representatives were there. I would do it all over again…and I plan on it, next year.
In terms of food, Cora’s saved the day as it was conveniently located in our hotel lobby. I obstained from meat while we were in Montreal (I am not counting the burger I had on our WAY to Quebec, haha). My meat abstinence has made me realize I am irrevocably in love with falafels (fried chickpea patties), so I bought at mix and will let you know how it goes. My last breakfast at Cora’s – wholewheat crepes with granola, banana, honey and plain yogurt were probably my favorite eats outside of that.
Anyway, to recipes – my friend Rob Blom left for Mexico this week, and his student house (called the Veghouse – only vegans and vegetarians allowed) hosted a going-away party to which I brought delicious vegan red quinoa phyllo bundles. The entire thing, cooking included, takes about 1hour and 15 mins. Quinoa is amazing for having high protein, high iron, high fiber and low fat amounts. Here is a picture and recipe:
1 cup red or white quinoa, cooked (boil for 15 mins with a tablespoon of salt)
- Bulk Barn sells it, as do most grocery health food sections, its pricy but goes a looong way
1 cooked red potato, peeled and cut into squares, cooking like quinoa)
1/2 can black beans
1 pkg phyllo pastry ($2.99 in the freezer section of the grocer)
1 small jar roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons cooking oil, preferably olive oil
¼ cup of Vegan butter or Margarine, melted in microwave
3 tablespoons hot sauce, any kind
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice concentrate or juice of ½ lemon
optional – add 2 tablespoons of dried or fresh herb like oregano
optional – add ¼ cup of roasted cashews for a yummy crunch
1. Cook sweet potato in 2L salted water (1 tbsp salt) for 15 mins
2. Remove potato, put aside – cook quinoa in sweet potato water for 15 mins, drain water out
3. In a large bowl, mash red potato with cooked quinoa. Add the rest of ingredients and Mix.
4. Place ¾ cup of mixture in the middle of phyllo sheet, wrap and bake for 25 mins at 350 degrees.
- see the wrapping technique here, it’s easy – you just need to layer three phyllo sheets on top of one another, brushing butter slightly on each sheet, place the quinoa mixture in the middle, and bundle up the dough – takes about 30 seconds, seriously).
The beauty of this recipe is that it serves as a main course (protein component) for five people – you end up with five large-sized bundles that can be frozen, and conveniently baked in the over for 30 mins at 350 degrees when you don’t have time to cook (use within a month).
Also, here is my HOW HEALTH NUTS GO CRAZY wrap. It’s a delicious snack, even my mum says so and she’s a big fan of meat. The wrap is a Black Bean Mexican Wrap. It takes about 8 mins to make.
Ingredients:
1 tortilla wrap, any kind
3 tablespoons of canned black beans, mashed with teaspoon of olive oil or blended in processor
2 tablespoon Philidelphia cheese or Mozzarella cheese if you want the wrap warmed up
3 tablespoons salsa
hot peppers or hot sauce
Optional – shaved broccoli stems
1. If using Philadelphia cheese, spread it on half one side of the tortilla – stay away about an inch from the sides of the pita, and spread the salsa on half the other side. If not, spread salsa on the whole one side of the tortilla, put the cheese on top.
2. Arrange the mashed black beans, hot sauce, hot peppers and optional shaved broccoli stems on the pita, and roll it up.
3. Warm it up in the microwave, toast it in the oven or just eat it!
Finally, the Jiffy Guacamole – takes about 5 mins to make, awesome thing to have on toast in the morning. Avocados are full of fats that are good for you – something that is essential for health brain function! They are full of protein, too.
½ ripe avocado – scoop it out and mash it up!
½ chopped fresh tomato
3 tbsp of lemon juice concentrate or juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp salt
1. Peel half the avocado with a knife, cut the green part off the seed (will be a huge one in the middle), mash it up in a small bowl.
2. Add chopped tomato, lemon juice, pepper and salt.
3. Spread on toasted bread – best on foccacia bread, and enjoy!
I have a confession to make. Other than casual stretching at work, my physical activity levels have been accounting to zero, and I don’t even have an excuse! Most deep insight will arrive with the next post…I already know what it will be but I don’t want to spoil you with a looooooooooong post. Hopefully the recipes will drive you to forgive me for my absence >.<
P.S. Does anyone have any ideas for a memorable layout that would be wider than this?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Roger, rrroger
Stop EVERYTHING. I have just discovered that I can fit three tangerines into my mouth while successfully singing Miley Cyrus' "Start all over." I think I felt guilty after eating a bunch of deliciously sodium-smothered Cheerios Snack Mix.
....McMUN bus comes for us in 2 hours 15 minutes! Agh, so many articles to read.
....McMUN bus comes for us in 2 hours 15 minutes! Agh, so many articles to read.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Zen Gardens is closing...
I made my mom go with me to Zen Gardens, a vegan/raw restaurant that is closing on King Street January 31...I've only been there one other time, and I ran into a Geography teacher with his wife and a three-year-old girl with firey orange hair...they asked me to babysit because she clung to me the entire night and she is usually a very passive and unattached toddler...sigh. I couldn't take the job because of school, and I was very mad. I should have forsaked one class and taken it.
...anyway. Zen gardens food is crap, it's no wonder they're closing! The food was so bland...there was something slimy in my soup, there was a black fiber in mom's eggplant and everything lacked spices alltogether. Places like that make me want to drop out of school and do my own version of Ramsay's Kitchen.
Which reminds me, I have pumpkin pie in the fridge. Can you say YUM?
P.S. Butt muscles still hewt.
...anyway. Zen gardens food is crap, it's no wonder they're closing! The food was so bland...there was something slimy in my soup, there was a black fiber in mom's eggplant and everything lacked spices alltogether. Places like that make me want to drop out of school and do my own version of Ramsay's Kitchen.
Which reminds me, I have pumpkin pie in the fridge. Can you say YUM?
P.S. Butt muscles still hewt.
Monday, January 26, 2009
P.P.S.
Oh yeah, - and I tried to work out despite my sickness through improv-Pilates and about 20 reps of squats, and now by butt hurts and walking down the stairs my thigh muscles feel as pronounced as a Grey's Anatomy illustration. Being sick, I kept thinking to myself, "You should be ashamed, Anya! What if you're on campus and a hyena chases you? How will you escape?!"
...so I think it's safe to say it's time for Anya to take a Benylin day.
...so I think it's safe to say it's time for Anya to take a Benylin day.
To cake or not to cake
I spent the last two days being nauseous and dizzy and out of whack - which led to the ingestion of a honey-peanut butter sammich (aka 700 calorie snack...but I still wish someone called me Peanut) pudding and handfuls of Blue Cheese Buffalo Wing Chips, my carbodydrate sin of choice. What's worse, Thursday through Sunday I will be in Montreal at McMun - a mock United Nations conference, living as a humanitarian by day and a student-pub-nightcrawler by night...which means grease, grease and more grease in my diet.
The question is...do I take a diet vacation and pig out, or do I contort to eating healthy while traveling? "Let them eat cake," said Marie-Antoinnette. Since I will bust my bum at McMun, will you guys let me eat cake?
P.S. I have been thinking it all evening...although my self-imagine has improved, I would still much rather be skinny than be full. And that in itself sets off alarm clocks. I must learn to respect myself, and though this blog, I hope I will.
The question is...do I take a diet vacation and pig out, or do I contort to eating healthy while traveling? "Let them eat cake," said Marie-Antoinnette. Since I will bust my bum at McMun, will you guys let me eat cake?
P.S. I have been thinking it all evening...although my self-imagine has improved, I would still much rather be skinny than be full. And that in itself sets off alarm clocks. I must learn to respect myself, and though this blog, I hope I will.
Friday, January 23, 2009
I want susi on top of a burger scattered with popcorn and cheeeeeese
I've finally admitted to myself that the mantra I think I live by, "FOOD IS FUEL," is irrelevant to my current patterns of food consumption. If my mantra was realistic it would say,"CHOLESTEROL IS MY EMOTIONAL TRANQUILIZER." It's true, - I eat unhealthiest when I'm overwhelmed by strong emotions, like missing the b.f. or family theatrics. I know this isn't a novel concept, but food induging is a bit like AA - the first step is admitting you have an issue.
I arrived about my conclusion about my food consumption having a direct link with emotion when, over the past week, I felt so ravaged by the events of my life I purposely shut off my two biggest emotional weights - compassion and objective thinking - on order to shut off feeling completely and just get through the week. The result? I wasn't hungry, and lost two pounds. Now that I'm admitting this to myself as I'm typing the sentence, my kitchen timer (which is in the shape of a sushi) is making me drool uncontrollably. Here is an example of the unhealthy 'fasting' I've been doing for the past week, demonstrated by today's menu:
Breakfast:
1 Banana - 120 cal
Lunch
Chicken BBQ pizza slice - 500 cals
Coffee w cream, brown sugar - 120 cals
Dinner
1/2 a compost muffin - 250 cals
1 strawberry-apple smoothie - 300 cals
1 coffee black - 2 cals
--------------------------------------
1292 CALORIES
= lacking nutrients for brain and organ function
= lacking energy for information absorbition
= lacking patience for proper human communication
Lastly, more and more I have been thinking - why is it I eat a little bit for breakfast, aim for a light lunch, then a snack, and a big dinner with the family? That is certainly not the optimal way for energy utilization. I'm going to try re-organizing it so that it's a smallish breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner and lots of fruits inbetween as snacks.
My new self-improvement rule: snacking is unlimited in quantity, but is limited to fruit and veggie-based foods, fresh only (caesar salad included).
Sorry this is so text-heavy this time around; to make things better, a good note to end things on, and a summary of how I feel about now:
I arrived about my conclusion about my food consumption having a direct link with emotion when, over the past week, I felt so ravaged by the events of my life I purposely shut off my two biggest emotional weights - compassion and objective thinking - on order to shut off feeling completely and just get through the week. The result? I wasn't hungry, and lost two pounds. Now that I'm admitting this to myself as I'm typing the sentence, my kitchen timer (which is in the shape of a sushi) is making me drool uncontrollably. Here is an example of the unhealthy 'fasting' I've been doing for the past week, demonstrated by today's menu:
Breakfast:
1 Banana - 120 cal
Lunch
Chicken BBQ pizza slice - 500 cals
Coffee w cream, brown sugar - 120 cals
Dinner
1/2 a compost muffin - 250 cals
1 strawberry-apple smoothie - 300 cals
1 coffee black - 2 cals
--------------------------------------
1292 CALORIES
= lacking nutrients for brain and organ function
= lacking energy for information absorbition
= lacking patience for proper human communication
Lastly, more and more I have been thinking - why is it I eat a little bit for breakfast, aim for a light lunch, then a snack, and a big dinner with the family? That is certainly not the optimal way for energy utilization. I'm going to try re-organizing it so that it's a smallish breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner and lots of fruits inbetween as snacks.
My new self-improvement rule: snacking is unlimited in quantity, but is limited to fruit and veggie-based foods, fresh only (caesar salad included).
Sorry this is so text-heavy this time around; to make things better, a good note to end things on, and a summary of how I feel about now:
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Let's get aquainted. Anya, internets. Internets, Anya.
Let’s get this straight: I’m not a fat person. This is not a blog about numbers, pounds, or calorie counts. Not to say that I don’t think I have a weight issue, but simply because I think the above method of weightloss is inhumane and unsustainable. Personally, I am prone to carbohydrate binges, cravings and baking marathons, - which, in combination with the sporadic schedule of a working university student leaves little time for meal planning. This also means I’m on a budget and am under slept most of the time. (Is this beginning to sound familiar?)
After saying this I have the urge to cringe. Yes, it’s true my insane schedule doesn’t leave time to cook meals ahead of time, to plan regular workouts into my workweek, and leaves me exhausted by the time the weekend comes around (and it’s time to put in 16 paying work hours). But why have I put myself into this situation in the first place? At which point did I decide to compromise my health? Taking on a full university course load, 16 work hours a week, 10 volunteer hours a week, a fish, a rat and a cat – why do I give all those things priority, but not my own health? Is the reason somehow linked to my dislike of my physical appearance? I certainly think it is. Little by little, I’m beginning to realize that the reason I’m out of shape, run down, depressed and tired is my external environment’s fault just as much as it is my lack of commitment to my own health.
And this, my dears, is what the blog is about.
I will brutally analyze myself in terms of my eating, sleeping and exercise habits in order to produce a happy, healthy person as the end result. My methods will exclude anything I do not have before starting this blog – like herbal supplements, elaborate gym equipment or a trainer. I’m going to find out why I (and the nation), are overweight and unhappy. I will read books, watch movies and embarrass myself and my non-existent audience by talking about uncomfortable subjects along the way, because…because this blog isn’t about making things look effortless. It’s about honesty, and approaching fitness, happiness and food from a realistic perspective.
Why now? Because after two decades of living, I realized that if I plan on spending the rest of my life understanding worldwide corruption and the patterns of human behavior, I must stand strong on my own two feet and first understand myself. Also, because I wish my mother did this before having me, so she would have more self-confidence, self-discipline and self-love to raise me with. As such, I feel this blog is valuable on an endless number of levels – to mums, teenagers, parents, brothers, babysitters. It’s valuable to everyone who serves as a role model at one point in their life, because through this blog I hope to discover ways of personal empowerment that the government can’t tax and skinny Vogue models can’t shatter.
Friends, foes and acquaintances, I invite you along for the journey of one person’s reconstruction from the base up. A lot of muck, frustration and hopefully inspiration are to follow. Whether your interest lies in beating me down with criticism or holding me up with the crutches of encouragement, I welcome you all.
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