1. Focusing on a healthy lifestyle eliminates the need for conventional diets and exercise.
2. Eliminating red meat, poultry, most seafood, cow’s milk, cow’s cheese, most dairy products, and watching my egg consumption does not over work my digestive system. Animal products take a long time to break down and digest, and they make your liver and colon work hard, way harder than necessary. Meat alternatives are readily available in the form of tofu, beans, tempeh, seitan, nut-based products, and eggs (unless you are vegan). No one needsdairy. No one! Yes, we need our mother’s milk in the early stages of life. However, we don’t need the milk of another animal at any point in our lives unless our mother’s cannot provide milk. In my opinion, Almond Breeze wins for best non-dairy/milk-like drink. It mixes well in coffee and tastes great with cereal. You can bake with it and drink it plain or with fruit and PB in a smoothie. If you want something richer, try soy milk (though adding a lot of processed soy to your diet is not very healthy), something sweeter, try rice milk. There is also hemp and coconut milk. Note: look for unsweetened varieties of all of these dairy substitutes so you don’t add a ton of sugar to your diet.
3. I have a pretty simple rule, processed food is consumed outside of the house unless there is a very special occasion.
4. Vegan eating is easy when you incorporate yummy and rich foods: avocado, almonds, walnuts, tofu, peanut butter, almond butter, agave nectar, oats, earth balance, green machine, bananas, dried fruit, sweet potatoes, yams, polenta, etc.
5. Staying away from foods high in sodium and sugar helps reduce cravings for these same foods! Seriously. Adding cinnamon to your diet helps too.
6. Being hungry sucks and can make you tired and grumpy. I associate the word diet with restriction and hungry. I am always scared of being hungry (and terrified of being thirsty.)
7. Martial arts combine intense physical activity with extreme fun.
8. Seeing your dogs happy as they run in the park or on the beach is an added perk to an hour walk.
9. Doing a lot of ab work makes it easier to take punches to the stomach (it also means your abs are pretty flat, i.e., kill two fake birds with one stone).
10. Dead-lifting 54 lbs of stubborn bulldog feels way heavier than bench pressing the same amount!
11. Making a pact to never buy new clothes if the current ones feel tight will help motivate you to workout or watch the food consumption for a while.
12. Water is a miracle fluid! It helps with hydration, flushing of toxins, and muscle recovery. It’s good for you and free of calories! Note: do not drink your water out of plastic bottles or you risk ingesting chemicals from the plastic and you hurt the earth.
13. Boxing and ballet are very similar. I love to box and I LOVE to dance. Incorporating them both into a cardio workout with a kickass soundtrack makes me happy (and burns calories.) Note: not advised for boxers who lack ballet training.
14. Hitting the heavy bag releases excess energy, stress, and anger. It also works your biceps, triceps, delts, abs, and pretty much all upper body muscles if you work in a variety of punches. It also burns calories, is super fun, and goes well with all kinds of upbeat, high-energy, and hip-hip music.
15. You will never know a place unless you walk. Walking often allows me to really get to know every street and neighborhood in San Francisco and keeps me in good shape on my off day(s).
16. Food that is remade into “diet” food is bad for you. Take a look at your average (non-vegan) weight loss meal and note the high sodium content and other additives that make up for fat, sugar, and taste.
17. No human or animal should suffer to satisfy our sense of taste. Yet, because our sense of taste is demanding and can gain control of both our brains and body, we should help it out by giving it flavorful, healthy food!
,
1. Focusing on a healthy lifestyle eliminates the need for conventional diets and exercise.
2. Eliminating red meat, poultry, most seafood, cow’s milk, cow’s cheese, most dairy products, and watching my egg consumption does not over work my digestive system. Animal products take a long time to break down and digest, and they make your liver and colon work hard, way harder than necessary. Meat alternatives are readily available in the form of tofu, beans, tempeh, seitan, nut-based products, and eggs (unless you are vegan). No one needsdairy. No one! Yes, we need our mother’s milk in the early stages of life. However, we don’t need the milk of another animal at any point in our lives unless our mother’s cannot provide milk. In my opinion, Almond Breeze wins for best non-dairy/milk-like drink. It mixes well in coffee and tastes great with cereal. You can bake with it and drink it plain or with fruit and PB in a smoothie. If you want something richer, try soy milk (though adding a lot of processed soy to your diet is not very healthy), something sweeter, try rice milk. There is also hemp and coconut milk. Note: look for unsweetened varieties of all of these dairy substitutes so you don’t add a ton of sugar to your diet.
3. I have a pretty simple rule, processed food is consumed outside of the house unless there is a very special occasion.
4. Vegan eating is easy when you incorporate yummy and rich foods: avocado, almonds, walnuts, tofu, peanut butter, almond butter, agave nectar, oats, earth balance, green machine, bananas, dried fruit, sweet potatoes, yams, polenta, etc.
5. Staying away from foods high in sodium and sugar helps reduce cravings for these same foods! Seriously. Adding cinnamon to your diet helps too.
6. Being hungry sucks and can make you tired and grumpy. I associate the word diet with restriction and hungry. I am always scared of being hungry (and terrified of being thirsty.)
7. Martial arts combine intense physical activity with extreme fun.
8. Seeing your dogs happy as they run in the park or on the beach is an added perk to an hour walk.
9. Doing a lot of ab work makes it easier to take punches to the stomach (it also means your abs are pretty flat, i.e., kill two fake birds with one stone).
10. Dead-lifting 54 lbs of stubborn bulldog feels way heavier than bench pressing the same amount!
11. Making a pact to never buy new clothes if the current ones feel tight will help motivate you to workout or watch the food consumption for a while.
12. Water is a miracle fluid! It helps with hydration, flushing of toxins, and muscle recovery. It’s good for you and free of calories! Note: do not drink your water out of plastic bottles or you risk ingesting chemicals from the plastic and you hurt the earth.
13. Boxing and ballet are very similar. I love to box and I LOVE to dance. Incorporating them both into a cardio workout with a kickass soundtrack makes me happy (and burns calories.) Note: not advised for boxers who lack ballet training.
14. Hitting the heavy bag releases excess energy, stress, and anger. It also works your biceps, triceps, delts, abs, and pretty much all upper body muscles if you work in a variety of punches. It also burns calories, is super fun, and goes well with all kinds of upbeat, high-energy, and hip-hip music.
15. You will never know a place unless you walk. Walking often allows me to really get to know every street and neighborhood in San Francisco and keeps me in good shape on my off day(s).
16. Food that is remade into “diet” food is bad for you. Take a look at your average (non-vegan) weight loss meal and note the high sodium content and other additives that make up for fat, sugar, and taste.
17. No human or animal should suffer to satisfy our sense of taste. Yet, because our sense of taste is demanding and can gain control of both our brains and body, we should help it out by giving it flavorful, healthy food!
,