Twenty-Four Hours without Meat

Twenty-four Hours without Meat

Dinner last night was delicious.  Honest.  I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to suffer through food that didn’t taste good.  (I liked it so much I brought leftovers to work for lunch today.)  I had a Boca veggie-burger topped with vegetarian American cheese, lettuce, & a tomato slice.  For sides I had tater tots (baked) and green, seedless grapes.  When I got done, I was actually full, and I didn’t get hungry again before bed.  And I made it through my first day without meat without a single craving. Not bad for an amateur who’s fumbling her way through this life change, huh?

This morning I opened an account with http://www.livestrong.com/ so that I can track my food consumption, monitor my protein intake, and keep myself in check calorie-wise, since the goal of this is to be healthier.  As I entered everything and looked at the nutritional breakdown of my foods, I noticed two things. 

First, even though I felt like I’d snacked and ate all day long, I only consumed about 1840 calories.  (Considering the frequency with which I was shoveling food down my throat, I was anticipating about 3,000, so this was good, even if it was more than my goal of 1400.)  By substituting the regular beef patty, bacon, and cheddar cheese I normally would have had for the veggie version meant I cut out 275 calories, 25.5g of fat, and 97mg of cholesterol (That’s 1/3 of my suggested daily intake of fat and cholesterol!).  

The second thing I noticed is that I didn’t get quite enough protein.  For my age, weight, height, current level of exercise, etc, etc., I should be consuming about 70g of protein a day. Yesterday I topped out at 47g. I missed the mark by almost a third, and protein is too important to my overall health to sacrifice like that. But, how do I get those grams of protein without way over-doing it on the calorie intake?  I have a plan.

It’s simple really.  Looking at yesterday’s food, the items with the highest caloric intake (based on the amount I ate) were the pita chips and the tater tots. If I ditch the tater tots and have a sweet potato (4.21g of protein per 255g serving), I can cash in on the same amount of protein for half the calories. Cut the portion of pita chips in half, add in a snack of broccoli and cauliflower (3g of protein per 100g serving, each), and I’m still losing calories and gaining protein.  Toss in a serving of beans – any kind, since they range from 14-29g of protein/serving – and I’m good to go. 

I’ve also made a discovery. I figured out what kind of vegetarian plan on being! I’m what they call a “lacto-vegetarian”.  This means that my diet will exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are still allowed in my lacto-vegetarian diet.  When I can, I plan to replace dairy with alternatives (eg. soy and/or almond milk, yogurt, and butter, and vegetarian cheese), but I’m not going to kill myself inspecting labels searching for a speck of dairy.  Not yet anyway. Maybe someday.

I have to admit, I’m content doing this whole trial and error thing until I get this down to a science – or at the very least, a comfortable routine.

Going Vegetarian

This is the year I stop thinking about all the things I want to do with my life.  This is the year I start doing them. 

Step One: Become a Vegetarian.

Why on earth would I want to do that? Well, because I’ve spent half my life wanting to.  Better late than never, right? There’s no time like the present. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?

The point is, I’m sick of floating through life. And to prove to myself how truly sick of it I am, I’m forcing myself out of my comfort zones.  One of those comfort zones is food.  A connoisseur of convenience, I’ve let the lack of variety and options at supermarkets dictate to me what I should put in my body. But I’m taking responsibility for those decisions now. I’m taking control.  And I’m going to be a vegetarian.

I think everyone who becomes a vegetarian has to do it for their own reasons.

For me, it boils down to two very simple things:

1.      My health.

2.      My earth.

I’ll expound.

I’ve realized that it’s about darn time I start paying attention to what I’m putting into my body.  I just turned 30, and I’m in all right shape,  But ten years from now, or twenty, if I keep eating the way I do, I know I won’t be able to claim that I’m still a healthy person.  Because I won’t be a healthy person.  I’ll be fat.  Maybe even obese.  Better to quit while I’m ahead.

Having done a little research, I’ve discovered a few things.  The health benefits of cutting out meat far outweigh the health benefits of continuing to eat it. Heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, do I really want to spend the rest of my life pumping my body full of things that increase my risk for all of these?  Especially when the alternative is to nearly eliminate the possibility of getting food poisoning while getting the nutrition my body needs, cutting out harmful fats, and heck, maybe even losing some weight.

Then there’s my earth.  See, I’m a treehugger.  Maybe not as extreme as some.  I reuse and recycle everything that I can.  I buy things packaged in recycled materials when they're available.  I do a bunch of little things that are supposed to help. Replaced all my light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs.  My heater is set on a low temperature, air conditioner set on a high one, clothes washed in cold water, chargers unplugged when not in use, no lights on in rooms no one’s in, canvas shopping bags in use.  Lots of little things that add up, you know?  Now I can add not perpetuating the harmful effects livestock have on the earth and the people who live on it to my little list. 

Seeing as this is something where facts, not opinion matter, I offer you these:

A report from Cornell on how many humans could be fed with the amount of grain livestock consumes: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Aug97/livestock.hrs.html

World Rainforest Movement’s report on the underlying causes of deforestation: http://www.wrm.org.uy/deforestation/indirect.html

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s report on methane sources and emissions:

http://www.epa.gov/methane/sources.html

My plan of action:

I’m going semi-cold-turkey (pun intended).  I still have a few servings of chicken and fish in my freezer and refrigerator.  I’ll use them for one meal every other day until they’re gone.  When it comes to specific ingredients, I’m going easy on myself in the beginning.  Once I get the basics down, I’ll go a little more in depth – dissecting the ingredients in the not-obviously-vegan things I think I should be able to eat.  I’m not completely ditching dairy products, as I think I might go into shock from all that change. But, I am replacing it when and where I can (especially the cheese, because let’s face it, cheese might be super yummy, but it’s SO not good for you).

I’ve stocked up on beans, hummus, veggies, fruits, soy yogurt, veggie cheese, veggie burgers, veggie “chicken nuggets”, pita chips, organic granola bars, almonds, meatless meatballs, and I’m sure there’s something I’ve left out.

Today is day one. I've had a granola bar, almonds, humus, pita chips, carrots, an apple, and water. Veggie burgers and fries are on the menu for dinner. 

So far, so good. 

What’s in the bag…..

* * Disclaimer: I’m a copycat.  Milo Ventimiglia, Russ Cundiff, and Dino DeMillo did this a few years ago on their production company’s - DiVide Social Club & Divide Pictures - blog, and I am a nerd and found it fascinating. So, naturally, I'm stealing their idea.

Just in case I have even one fan on the planet who reads this blog....

In Serenity's bag...

1) Two mechanical pencils

2) One large pink eraser

3) Five cough drops

4) Two Tylenol Sinus pills (Thank you, Mr. Flu for hitting right before Christmas and keeping me down so long I’ve yet to remove the residual meds.)

5) My laptop

6) Two of my very own unfinished novels each on their own CD

7) A notebook with notes, plot lines, character worksheets, sketches, and research on all things pertaining to one of the stories on one of those discs 

8) The 100 Monkeys Live and Kickin’ Part Too DVD

9) My iPod

10) A DVD crammed with stock photography and some of my own 11) A printout of a Periodic Table of Super Hero Traits

12) Four unused Hallmark Christmas cards

13) A smaller notebook with ideas for another possible story that I’m not letting myself start on until I have finished one or the other of the two aforementioned ones

See, wasn't that fun?

For more information on Divide Social Club, check out these links:
http://www.dividesocialclub.com/about.html
http://myspace.com/miloventimiglia
http://twitter.com/miloventimiglia

Oh no!! No, no, no. Not me.

As a rule, I dream big. I always have. Scattered thoughts blossom into full-bodied ideas, plans, schemes, just begging to be put into action. And I start to do just that. To follow. Somehow, I always let something stop me. It’s a decision I make. Conscious or not, it is my responsibility and mine alone to see my dreams come to fruition. No one else can make this happen for me. I will have to stand up for what I want. And I’ll have to fight for it. And it’s not going to be pretty. And that is okay.


No more will I be the girl who never fights for her dreams. Chase them until it gets too hard. Or it hurts to much to not see the envisioned success become reality.

In the past, when the tough got going, I never got tough. I quit. So, because I’ve done this all my life, does that mean that I AM a quitter?

What a terribly, awfully, horriblly, wretched thought.


I’m not a quitter am I?

Oh no!!  No, no, no.  Not me.


I always thought of myself as a fighter. All this time. I thought I fought for what I believed in. For what I wanted. Maybe I never have before.


Maybe this time will be different.


It feels different. It feels like something is actually happening. Like that precipice I’ve been dodging for years is suddenly - SMACK - right in front of me! Screaming at me. Ordering me to jump. Now!

Behind me, blocking my retreat, my hope and my faith stand hand in hand, winking at each other, and cheering me on.



Maybe this time will be different.


I can do this.




It’s time.

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America, Where Is Your Honor?

It saddens me that something like this video ever even had to be created.

I live in a country defined by it's freedoms, yet I find myself surrounded by people who take those freedoms for granted. People who ridicule and castigate our defenders. People who forget about the wars that got us here. People who look the other way, and ignore the countless lives sacrificed in the name of freedom.

Frankly, it disgusts me. This is not the country our forefathers set out to create. A country full of lies and scandals. Deceit. And disrespect. Where a story about a philandering golfer gets more news coverage than the story of a soldier returning home from war. And tales of the latest celebrity's jaunt in rehab are more popular than the stories of a Marines time in battle.

What is wrong with us, America?  Have you no honor?  Have you no decency?  Have real people's lives come to mean so little to you? 

I don't care if you think the War on Terrorism is dumb.  I don't care if you hate it.  And I certainly do not care what you think of our former President (don't get me started on the current one!).  What I do care about are the men and women who fight to the death to keep our country free from tyranny. 

I care about the hundreds of  lives affected every time a single service member is lost.  I care about the humans.  The individuals.  The people who left every comfort behind for you.  They left their friends, their moms and sisters, brothers and wives, babies, fathers, their beds, hell, even their toilets.  They chose to defend something they believe in. 


What do you believe in, America?


Because if you don't believe in the people who protect your rights, you believe in nothing. 

When you disrespect the members of our military, you disrespect this country.  And if you disrespect this country, I believe you should forfeit your right to live here.  Fortunately for you, those people you're insulting, are defending that very right.  And because they have honor, they'll continue to do that despite your contempt for them.

How hypocritical can you get, that you would criticize and ostracize the very people who make it possible for you to speak your mind.

They didnt' choose to fight in this war.  They chose to protect this country.

When have you ever been so brave?



* stepping off soap box *


When you see a service member, be they 18, 95, or any age in between, respect them.  Respect what they represent.  Respect that without their courage, your country would not be what it is today.  And remember that they gave so much, while you give so little. 

They deserve your admiration and adoration, but if you cannot manage that, at least give them your gratitude.


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100 Monkeys Improv - Come Get Leid at My Table.MOV

The only video I had the foresight to attempt to record the night of the 100 Monkeys show. The quality isn't great, but I had my arms up in the air for almost six straight minutes and my hands were nearly numb from the lack of bloodflow by the end of it, so I had do share it with someone.

Enjoy!

100 Monkeys "Come Get Leid at my Table" recorded live at the House of Blues in San Diego, California on July 23rd, 2010.



Serenityi
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Why I Love Those 100 Monkeys

Remember all those times you heard a song for the first time and it became lodged in your head all day?  Did you ever find that you liked it so much that you sought out the makers of the song, only to discover that every song they'd created was as extraordinary as the first one you heard?


That's how it happened for me.

Back in May of 2009, a friend played me Drunken Waltz off of the 100 Monkeys debut album, Monster de Lux. The music started and I couldn't help but tap my toes to the plunking of the piano.  Then the vocals started, and I was immediately immobilized because they are nothing short of hypnotic. The lyrics were intriguing and familiar, because I'd been there. You have, too.  Even if you've never thought to put your feelings into words, something inside you will recognize the lyrics as thoughts of your own. Thoughts that have crossed your very own mind at least once in your life.


That was all it took.  One song.  Hook, line and sinker.  I was sold.  The more I learn about this band, the more I find that I am helpless (and happily so!) to resist their charms.


The most impressive discovery to date was learning how the Monster de Lux album was created.  Each song was recorded only one time.  Once.  No second chances.  No do-overs.  They had one shot at recording their songs, and they nailed it every single time.  Yes, a couple of them sound like a bunch of guys tinkering with instruments in their garage after polishing off a six-pack each, but even the ones that sound like that are remarkable.  Because in them, you'll hear originality, innovation, and enthusiasm.  It's funky, it's fresh, and it's a relief from the sugar-coated pop that bloats the airways.  These monkeys are pioneers in a jaded industry, and therein lies the beauty of their music.


When Grape, their first studio album, was released at the end of November 2009, I actually found myself dumbstruck.  Less than a year had elapsed since Monster de Lux had come into being, and somehow, 100 Monkeys now sounded like a band that had been playing together for more than a decade. 


The music on Grape is polished.  The lyrics and both witty and heartbreaking.  The very first time you listen to the album, the vocals latch onto your soul and take up permanent residence inside you.  The songs vary so much in approach from one to another that even the monkeys cannot classify themselves into a musical genre.  And kudos to them for being able to have such a vast collection of musical stylings.  It not only allows them to appeal to a broader audience, but it shows their versatility while demonstrating the amalgamation of thoughts and creativity between the members of the band.

When the opportunity arose late last month for me to see 100 Monkeys perform live, I knew it was imperative that I be a member of their audience.


It was the least disappointing night of my life.


Seeing 100 Monkeys live is an experience that cannot be adequately described with mere words, though, as you'll see, I'll try to do just that. 


These men are bursting with life - dancing around, joking, crooning, laughing, and genuinely enjoying their lives.  They rearrange themselves on stage numerous times throughout each show, replacing one another on nearly every instrument.  That flexibility alone is enough to warrant praise.  Add into the equation that they opt to allow the audience to suggest a song title, and then they proceed to create an impromptu song with never-before-thought-of lyrics that often consist of record-worthy ingenuity.  It's indescribably exhilarating to watch.


Their concerts are intimate encounters, not ostentatious productions.  There is no extravagant lighting or pyrotechnics.  No maniacal costumes or flamboyant backup dancers.  It's just five guys, in their own clothes, who arrive in an assortment of unremarkable vehicles (sorry Cobra!), playing their own cherished, seasoned equipment.  There is no security detail.  No thronging, screaming fans with Beatle-mania-like reactions. (OK, so there is the occasional Beatlemania-life reaction from fans, but that's not the monkey's fault, so does it really require mentioning?) The combination of all that guileless sincerity is simply breathtaking.


They choose venues that allow them to be close to their fans, to interact with them. There is no pedestal on which they expect to be put on or perform from. They hold themselves in no higher regard than every other soul around them.  There is no trace of pretentiousness, no hint of obligation.  These are men who love what they do.  They appear to be fueled by passion and sustained by the love of their fans.  You can see in their faces the humility they feel down to the very marrow of their bones - that, or they're the best actors of our generation.


In short, I love this band because they are real. They're accessible.  They're a plethora of adjectives I'll no longer bore you with.


If you take one thing with you after reading this, please let it be this simple sentiment: I love 100 Monkeys because they make extraordinary music. Music that calms, that entertains, that soothes, that invigorates, and most importantly, music that makes me smile.


Don't believe me? Go listen for yourself: 100MonkeysMusic.com 


To see pictures from my 100 Monkeys concert at the House of Blues in San Diego, California on July 23, 2010, go HERE.


Serenityi




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