What happens when being a vegetarian isn’t enough? When there are so many people out there who are also vegetarian, it doesn’t make you feel special enough, so you need to take it one step further.
But what happens when being a vegan isn’t enough? When there are so many people out there who are also vegan, it doesn’t make you feel special enough, so you need to take it one step further.
But what happens when being a raw food vegan isn’t enough? When there are so many people out there who are also raw food vegan, it doesn’t make you feel special enough, so you need to take it one step further.
At this point, you find yourself rummaging through a dumpster to find your daily meals.
Maybe it’s time to reconsider the idea that your diet is supposed to make you feel unique, special or superior. When they said that you are what you eat, I don’t think they meant that as a judgment of your personality, just as a guideline for food choices.
Using your diet as a statement of your political beliefs is just as disordered eating as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating. If you need to feel good about yourself, your diet isn’t going to make you feel any better than earning a lot of money, wearing the coolest clothes or exercising a lot. There is ALWAYS someone out there doing more than you and you cannot outdo the crazy people of this world.
If you feel some sort of superiority from your diet of choice, it’s time to re-evaluate your emotions and find a way to aid your self esteem that doesn’t involve being better than other people.
Otherwise, you’ll find yourself eating out of a dumpster.
This hilarious commercial is from the movie The Invention of Lying. What if Coca-Cola couldn’t lie in their commercials. I suspect they would sound a lot like this:
The announcer says:
Hi, I’m Bob. I’m the spokesperson for the Coca-Cola company. I’m here today to ask you to continue buying Coke. I’m sure you’ve been drinking it for years and if you still enjoy it, then I’d like to remind you to buy it again sometime soon.
Basically, it’s just brown sugar water. We haven’t changed the ingredients lately, so there’s nothing new I can tell you about that. Uh, changed the can around a little bit, though. You can see that the colors are different there and we’ve added a polar bear so the kids’ll like us.
Coke’s very high in sugar and like any high calorie soda, it can lead to obesity in children and adults who don’t sustain a very healthy diet. And that’s it, it’s Coke. It’s very famous, everyone knows it. I’m Bob, I work for Coke and I’m asking you to not stop buying Coke.
If any soda was forced to advertise at this level of honesty, I don’t think anyone would drink it.
This postcard from PostSecret gave me a new motivation to get fit and thin.
It reads:
I often wonder if I’ve ever been caught in an obesity news segment.
The thought of seeing myself on the news as an example of the obesity epidemic made my stomach turn. I know they have the right to film people in public and show them on television as long as they don’t show their faces, but it just seems cruel and wrong to me.
It’s just one of the those reasons for me to get my butt on the treadmill every day. If eating healthy and exercising every day is what I have to do to keep myself from that embarrassment, then I’m ready and willing to do it.
PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.
Last November, we took a trip to Houston to see the NASA control center. They sold these bracelets there.
I bought myself one because I had just heard the story about Apollo 13 again.
After four days of nail-biting tension, the Apollo 13 command module Odyssey splashed down into the Pacific Ocean. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert had safely returned to Earth despite an explosion that took out much of their service module during their aborted trip to the Moon.
And although he never actually said the words back then, it was the Kranz character in the Ron Howard movie “Apollo 13,” who said aloud what everyone at NASA believed during those tough days in 1970: “Failure is not an option.”
Every time my workout gets a little hard or I’m tempted to eat when I don’t really feel hungry, I look at this bracelet. Failure is NOT an option. Keep on running. Walk away from that dessert. Get enough sleep and drink another glass of water.
I am so impressed by this video of an Olympic skier’s fall save.
If you are thinking of skipping a workout or eating more than your program has allowed, remember this skier. Instead of falling, do your best to stay on track, even if that means waggling your arms and riding down the hill on one ski for an incredibly long time. Do everything you can to stay upright.
And if you do fall, get up immediately, brush yourself off and start trekking down the hill again.
Here is a teenager, Taylor LeBaron, who took that idea to new levels. Like any game, he identified his enemies, his allies and his points system. He calls his caloric intake his “money” and he pointed out who his true enemies are: Inactivity, food choices, large portions, liquid calories, and stress.
For the next few weeks every Monday, I’ll share a playlist of songs that I have in my Workout Playlist on my iPhone. I’ll include clips to listen to, where you can buy them and why I have them in my list. Just so you know, I do get a portion of the sales of these songs from Amazon, so if you buy them, you’re helping me out.
Shake It by Metro Station: I got this song for free from iTunes. I know the verses have nothing to do with working out, but the chorus sings, “Sha-sha-sha-sha-shake it!” over and over! How could that song NOT be on my workout playlist?!
Hard Currency by Information Society: A couple of years ago, the New York Times had an article about how being overweight can cost you not only in insurance premiums and medical bills, but in lower wages: Extra Weight, Higher Costs – New York Times. For my BMI at the time, it estimated that I would save five thousand dollars a year if I just got to my goal weight. That’s why this song is on my workout playlist, to remind me that I will be $5000 richer when I get to my goal.
Your Body Is A Temple by Argonaut: This song was one of Mike’s and it came up on a shuffle play once. I immediately added it to my workout playlist. With a preacher yelling, “And the bible says that your body is the temple!” it was a shoe-in!
Skinny Jeans by SkinnySongs: This week’s song from the Skinny Songs album is about getting back to a thin weight. It doesn’t really talk to me because I’ve never been at goal in my adult life. I like the song, though!
Walk Away by Kelly Clarkson: This song is on the list because it has the phrase “Walk Away” in it. It’s a high energy song that gets me moving and I like to walk at 4.0 mph while hearing her telling me to keep walking.
Work 01 by Front 242: This song is mostly an instrumental song. Long before The Matrix made music like this popular, Front 242 was making me run. You’ll have to ignore the “another mutilated body” voice overs and just concentrate on the “Is this the kind of work you’d like to do” voiceovers instead.
Don’t Give Up by Chicane: All a good workout song needs is a fast beat and one good lyric. This song has “Don’t Give Up” and a beat that will get your feet moving!
A Little Less Conversation by Elvis vs JXL: I absolutely love this song. With lyrics like, “A little less conversation. A little more action,” it reminds me that I can’t just talk about exercising. I need to DO it!
Running by No Doubt: This is a great cool down song, but I also like listening to it when I’m running. The chorus says, “Running, running, as fast as I can. Do you think we’ll make it? We’re running, keep holding my hand, so we don’t get separated.”
Listen to the clips for these songs. If you find just one song this week that motivates you to exercise, then buy it and make it your powersong when you’re working out this week. I bet you’ll find that you’re more willing to get your butt to the gym and your workouts are easier.
I don’t know if you remember Michael Verdi, but he is one of my video blogging friends from way back. In April of 2006, he decided to run again and did a little video after his first run. A run around the block set off a fit of coughing and he had forgotten how hard it was. You can see that video after his first run here:
Well, it’s almost four years later and he is now training for a triathlon. You can really tell the difference in his health just by looking at the shape of his face. He has toned up and slimmed down and now he’s willing to take it to the next level.
You can help Michael Verdi by donating to his run for the Team in Training here:
I sent him twenty five bucks just because he’s such a great example of how regular exercise really changes our bodies for the better. Good luck, Michael! We’re cheering for you from afar!
Kevin Rose interviewed Dr. Weil the other day and asked him a bunch of questions regarding health issues for computer geeks.
Geek Question: How bad is soda?
Dr. Weil: I don’t think there is anything wrong with carbonation, but the problem with most sodas is that they are high is sugar. The vast consumption of sugary drinks is one of the main things that’s driving the obesity epidemic in young people in this country. I like sparkling water with a little fruit juice in it.
High fructose corn syrup is bad and a marker of low quality foods, but whether a soft drink is sweetened with HFCS or “real sugar” is not a big difference nutritionally.
Geek Question: What about energy drinks?
Dr. Weil: You want to read labels. They throw everything but the kitchen sink in and there’s no real reason behind the ingredients. Be careful about sugar content. There may be many different caffeine sources in something. The price might not be justified with what’s in it. Plus, there are many tried and true energy drinks like coffee and tea.
Geek Question: What do you recommend to pull an all-nighter?
Dr. Weil: Coffee is great for that, but if you use it regularly, it’s not going to have much effect. There are forms of tea that are quite powerful. Matcha, a powdered green tea, was developed in Japan to keep Zen Monks awake.
There are other natural stimulants like bitter orange, which is an ingredient in some of these energy drinks. That has replaced ephedra in a lot of the things out there.
Geek Question: A lot of people are saying that dairy is bad for you. Is that true?
Dr. Weil: I think that’s an over-simplification. I think cow’s milk and all of its derivatives is a problem for a lot of people. Butter fat is not great for our hearts and arteries. The sugar in cow’s milk, lactose, is indigestible for a lot of people. But the big problem is the protein in cow’s milk, casein, has a particular ability to irritate the immune system and be associated with allergy.
The antibiotics that the cows are treated with is a whole other issue. One aspect that I never hear discussed is that in North America, we have cows lactating or pregnant almost all of the time. Because of that there is a high level of sex hormones in the milk and those hormones are cancer promoting. These are natural hormones that are the consequences of keeping cows lactating, but they can cause breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.
Geek Question: What about soy milk?
Dr. Weil: In Japan, where soy milk is consumed regularly, there is generally better health, better longevity and much lower rates of hormonally driven cancers. I think it’s very beneficial to consume whole soy foods moderately and regularly. That’s WHOLE soy foods (edamame, soy nuts, soy milk, tofu, tempeh), not fake food made with soy isolate, soy supplements, or soy isoflavones. We have no information on the safety of these products.
Geek Question: What vitamins should we be taking?
Dr. Weil: I think the quality of vitamins matters, but the quality doesn’t necessarily correlate with the price. I don’t think vitamins are substitutes for the foods that contain them, because at best they are partial representations of what nature provides. They are useful for insurance against gaps in the diet.
Geek Question: What vitamin D? A lot of geeks don’t get a lot of sunshine.
Dr. Weil: This is standard. Vitamin D deficiency is the rule in this country. Dermatologists have made everyone so paranoid about the sun that they use sunscreen, which blocks vitamin D. It’s worth getting your levels checked, but I recommend that everybody take 2000 i.u. of vitamin D a day. Take it with your largest meal, because it needs fat to be absorbed. The BEST way to get it from sun exposure.
Geek Question: What about Omega-3 oils?
Dr. Weil: This is the greatest deficiency in our nation. I recommend you take 2-3 grams of fish oil every day. Omega-3 rich fish to eat: sardines and sock-eye salmon. Krill is a good idea, but I’m concerned about sustainability. Chia and flax seed are good for your diet, but they aren’t substitutes for the nutrients you get from fish. Plant derived omega-3’s are a different molecule that the body needs to convert to what it needs and that conversion is not very efficient.
Geek Question: What about cell phone radiation?
Dr. Weil: That’s a very controversial issue. The bottom line is that you should err on the side of caution. I try to personally limit cell phone use. Distancing yourself from the source of the radiation is useful.
Geek Question: What about eye problems from looking at the computer screen every day?
Dr. Weil: That is a real issue. I guess the best advice is to get into the habit of looking at something distance once every two minutes. Protect your eyes from UV radiation when you’re out in the sun. Take the right doses of antioxidant vitamins.
Geek Question: What about pomegranate juice?
Dr. Weil: We should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables. The practical advice is that you want to eat across the color spectrum (every color of fruit and vegetable that you can). I don’t think you need to spend outrageous amounts of money on exotic super fruits. There are plenty of things on hand to eat that are much cheaper and more available. You don’t need these exotic things in your diet and we have plenty of home grown things that are great.
Geek Question: What is it about chocolate that has such addictive properties to it and is that really good for me?
Dr. Weil: Chocolate has a stimulant drug in it called theobromine. It also has a high fat content. It also has a chemical in it called phenethylamine that some people think is associated with elevated mood and a sense of emotional well-being.
Geek Question: What about the Atkin’s Diet?
Dr. Weil: I think the better incarnation of that is probably South Beach Diet. For men, particularly, it’s a relatively easy way of dropping weight. I recommend the anti-inflammatory diet. Try to avoid products made with flour and sugar.
Geek Question: You were against trans-fats and now they are labeled on packaging. Is there anything else that you’d like to get awareness about?
Dr. Weil: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is an indicator of low quality food. Avoid the food if there are too many ingredients on the label or ingredients that you don’t recognize.
Geek Question: At what point should you seek medical advice for depression? Are there supplements for it?
Dr. Weil: You should see a doctor about severe depression when it is interfering with daily living: can’t work, can’t get out of bed, disordered eating. Most cases of mild to moderate depression can be managed with regular aerobic exercise, getting adequate exposure to bright light, getting good sleep, moderate intake of caffeine and alcohol and supplements (vitamin D, fish oil, Sam-e, and St. John’s Wort).
Geek Question: What about exercise?
Dr. Weil: I think it’s important to get some sort of exercise every day. For people dealing with depression, I’d say a minimum of thirty minutes of some kind of vigorous aerobic activity at least five or six days of the week.
Geek Question: Are juice cleanses good for us?
Dr. Weil: The best way to detox a body is to stop putting toxic things in. The body has marvelous ways of clearing things up like urination, sweating, breathing and elimination. Drink more water, use a sauna and exercise to increase sweating and make sure you go to the restroom regularly. I tend to rely on those much more natural methods of detoxification. I don’t think you have to invest in these fancy detox kits and products that are sold in health food stores.
Geek Question: You’re a big drinker of tea. What do you recommend?
Dr. Weil: I personally like good quality green tea, oolong tea, occasionally Darjeeling tea, and pu-erh tea. Most of the medical research has been done on green tea. Go to a tea shop and Asian grocery stores to get good tea.
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What happens when being a vegetarian isn’t enough? When there are so many people out there who are also vegetarian, it doesn’t make you feel special enough, so you need to take it one step further. 
You become a freegan.
