Matt Ruscigno's session at Vida Vegan Con

I was thrilled to be able to attend my second Vida Vegan Con,  one of the best planned conferences I have ever been to and one filled with vegan bloggers from all over the world. This was the third (and the final) Vida Vegan Con and was held in Austin, Texas.

I will undoubtedly write more about Vida Vegan Con and wanted to start with one of the sessions I attended. Matt Ruscigno has a Master's in Public Health and is a Registered Dietitian. He is a rock star in my book. We need to know how to get and stay healthy while loving veganism, and people like Matt make that possible.

His session was about looking at the science of being vegan. It was fascinating and I could have listened for hours. I took notes, and would like to share a few nuggets of wisdom that I learned. What I am sharing here is what I got out of his talk. I want to make that clear as just because this is what I got from the talk doesn't mean I got it right!

Matt let us know that there is very little research that compares vegan and omnivore athletes. I have learned while trying to get healthier that research in vegan nutrition is key.

One of the several things he mentioned that really struck me, and mentioned a couple of times, is the phrase "what we do most often matters most". Love this. For me it means it I eat healthy most of the time, forages into vegan junk food and desserts aren't that bad. Yes, at times my life has been the opposite when eating healthy was not common! I have thought about this a lot and really want to focus on doing more around fitness and nutrition so that when I decide not to work out or decide to grab two cartons of ice cream, it's not such a bad thing.

Remember that I am not a dietitian. I do try to pay attention to what people like Matt have to say.

Matt also talked about that there is no one right way to discuss nutrition and science. That sure was  a relief!

He also mentioned that adding one food to your diet is not going to drastically change your health. I sure needed to hear that. What I am trying to do is to make eating lots of fruits and vegetables part of my norm.

One of the most important things he said was to not exaggerate in regards to veganism and nutrition. Be realistic and be careful with using nutrition as the gateway to veganism.

What Matt gets when at the market?  Leafy greens. Whole grains. Berries. Red cabbage. Quinoa. Lentils. Kale.

Check out more about Matt here.

The darkness subsides

I have many times told a story about when I was in the Navy. I spent many hours on ships standing on an outside part looking out to the vast ocean. I remember looking at the beauty and feeling peaceful.

Then I would start to think. And within several minutes my peace had been turned upside down. By me.

These days I tell another story, which has a lot to do with that. The story is that I can be doing awesome, feeling really good, loving life. Then let me sit and start thinking and boy does that change.

I am amazed sometimes at how quickly I can get absorbed by darkness. Sometimes it takes me by surprise. Most times the reality of my life is that all is really well. I actually have to think of negative things or think of fears or mistakes or people I am having issues with to feel in that dark place.

I know what to do and what not to do to stay out of the darkness.

Tell my husband. Call a friend. Pray and/or meditate. Stop my mental masturbation. Help someone. Get out of myself. Write a gratitude list.

And sometimes I just allow myself to be in that dark place. I try to be the most positive person I can. I try to let go, to live and let live, and to love. Doing this 100% of the time is just not possible for me.

The days of shaming myself for getting into a dark place are over. I actually honor the darkness, or I guess a better way to say what I am feeling about that is to say that I acknowledge it but do not live in it. Like a heard in a meeting once "yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I don't have to set up camp there"!

For me the darkness does indeed subside. My dark moments are much less than they were growing up and into my twenties. My family and inner circle have a lot to do with that. Being loved and being able to love certainly helps.

I wanted to share this blog post because I know others get into darkness at times. Social media is filled with happy people. People who are always fine. I wanted to remind folks that even though life is really awesome, sometimes the darkness comes.

And it's OK.

Thanks for reading.

What's in our fridge!

One of the many things I love about this blog is that every week I get to meet people who have decided to go vegan. It's wonderful being in touch with them and being able to support them and be a resource for them.

One of things that I have realized that seems to be common with people going vegan is that they are not used to buying a lot of vegetables. When I tell them what we typically buy they tend to be a little surprised.

So I decided to write this post and let you know what we typically have in our fridge. You will notice some items that tend to be considered healthy. I definitely do not consider myself an expert in nutrition but I do have links to nutrition experts on the main page.

Here we go:

Rice milk
Orange juice
Dates
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Kale
Swiss Chard
Spinach
Pears
Apples
Red peppers
Celery
Blackberries
Blueberries
Tofurky slices
Daiya shredded cheese
Vtopian cheese
Some vegan empanadas from Maria Empanada
Earth balance spread and sticks
Tofu
Treeline cheese
Tortillas
Veganaise
Braggs

We also have a lot of the compliments, too many to list.

I hope this is helpful to those of you who are new to being vegan, or even those who are looking for new food ideas. We really try to eat more fruits and veggies and less processed foods. We don't always succeed, but I definitely think we are on the right track.

Thanks for reading!

#Veganuary

Have you heard of this?

Awesome idea. The gist of it is to ask people who are not vegan to try going vegan for the month of January. It is sponsored by a who's who of animal rights and vegan groups. This post is going live on the 3rd so if this is the first you've heard of it and you want to try it's not too late.

As I write many times, I became vegan for the animals. I wanted to do as least harm as possible. This was almost 19 years ago. During that time I have learned that my veganism supports the environment and also makes me a physically healthier person (as long as I exercise and eat the right foods!).

Want to know more? Here is the official Veganuary website: http://www.veganuary.com/

This site has a TON of information. Even if you are already vegan I suggest taking a look. Also, you can spread the word to your non-vegan friends.

Veganism rocks. And personally, being vegan is the perfect fit for me and really anyone who cares about animals, the environment or their health.

Welcome to Veganuary!

Thanks for reading!

Coming out: I am vegan

I know, you're not surprised. After all, it's in the title of my blog.

I have been vegan for 18 years and am still surprised by the reaction I get. Most notably, that people have to make a point to tell me how delicious their non-vegan meal is, how much they love meat or how they could never go vegan.

Before I proceed, please remember that I believe that everyone is on their own path. I always try to be there to support folks wanting to become vegan or even give it a try, but I am not standing in judgement to anyone who is not vegan.

I didn't become vegan because I didn't like animal meat or dairy cheese or dairy milk. I didn't become vegan to lose weight or try to be healthier.

I became vegan because I want to do the least harm possible while on this earth and did not want any living being to suffer to become my meal. Since then, I have stayed vegan because I decided that I do not have the right to take the life of another living being, whether I actually kill the animal or pay someone else to do so. I have also been able to enjoy the health benefits, of which there are many, of being vegan.

It's definitely a path for me. I learn new things about veganism, animal rights, animal welfare, health, nutrition and fitness practically every day. I pay more attention to what I eat. My body tells me when I am not eating enough of something or too much of something else.

My struggle is always with sugar. Since coming back from vacation a couple of weeks ago I decided (again) to cut sugar as much as possible. I've only had two desserts since and hope to keep limiting my sugar.

I love so many vegetables that I had never really tried before becoming vegan: kale, Swiss chard, dates, collard greens and well over a dozen types of peppers. My food intake is more diverse than any animal meat eater I know.

It is certainly not difficult to be vegan. One makes a decision that they do not want to be part of the inevitable torture, cruelty and fear that animals go through to become food and the culinary adventure begins.

I have some links on the main page of our blog site that can be helpful to folks new to veganism. Nutrition and fitness are very important in my vegan life.

Thanks for reading.

My second half marathon

This past May I ran my second half marathon. As I did last year, I ran to fundraise for the organization I work for which serves youth experiencing homelessness.

For those new to this blog, I have not been running for long. I began last March (of 2013) when I decided to try the half marathon portion of a local race in Denver, The Colfax Marathon. For me it was all about fundraising, a way to support a cause I believe in so strongly (young people living on the streets).

This year my training was a little different. Winter seemed to go on and on here in Colorado, and although I am good running in cool temperatures I don't like running in freezing temperatures. So my training was affected, or some might say I chose to train less.

I finally got some good runs in, paid attention to some vegan athletes I follow through social media, and started to build my confidence for the upcoming half marathon.

Since last year when I began running, I sure have begun to enjoy it. At first it was a task, a tough one at that. Now I feel in my comfort zone when running, a chance to think or not think, to just be and breathe. It's a pretty good feeling. I also feel, no matter the distance of a run, that I am doing something good for myself, my physical being as well as my mental being.

May 18th came quickly this year and before I knew it I was at the starting line. A cool morning, and I was super excited. A co-worker of mine ran with me, and that made a huge difference.

The 13.1 mile route is rather flat. All the better for me. By the fourth mile I felt rather good. As I pass each mile I do a check of how I am feeling: breathing, good; feet, good; legs, good. Up until mile 9 or so. By then the sun was in full force, I had to go to the bathroom really bad, and I felt that my whole body was giving up.

At the mile 10 station there was no line at the port-a-potties so I could finally go. I covered myself with water and drank water and Gatorade. I felt refreshed. After a good start from that station I felt better, back to being energized and excited.

At mile 12 some Colorado firefighters from the annual calendar were in the middle of the street shirtless and giving hi-fives, that was nice!

After 2 hours and 41 minutes I crossed the finish line. My goal, a goal I had though of at the race last year, was 2:30. Yet I beat my 2:55 time from last year.

And I had a blast. Not just with the race itself but with everything I did before the race to train.

It is quite a shock to me that at 48 I love running.

If you are interested in running, a great website and a great support system I have found is here: VegRunChat . I've met many wonderful people here and gotten some great inspiration.

If you are interested in just getting more active, perhaps doing something other than running or in addition to running, No Meat Athlete is a great resource. Of course both of these sites honor my plant-based life, and if you are not veg or vegan I think you could still get a lot out of them.

Thanks for reading!

"No homo"

I had to take many deep breathes before the anger in me subsided enough to write a post about "no homo", a phrase I became aware of yesterday while checking out photo comments of a vegan athlete on Instagram.

For background here, I follow several athletes on Instagram. Many times I "like" their photos as they inspire me. On Instagram I'm TheGayVegans so it is obvious that a gay guy is "liking" their photo. 

A friend of this person was giving him a compliment about his body and preceded his compliment with "no homo". I didn't know what that meant so asked. Another person answered me telling me it's a way for a guy to give another guy a compliment while making sure the guy knows he isn't being hit on.

Seriously. This really happens. In fact it is common.

The person whose photo I had been looking at also answered my question, saying that his friend was a lifelong friend and meant nothing homophobic about the phrase and in fact was a big supporter of equality.

The guy who answered me first responded to my response in which I said this was offensive, telling me that on some body building sites they even use a term "phaggot" and that "no homo" is common not only in the workout communities but also in many rap songs.

I was honestly blown away.

I thought about asking more questions, like if you and your friend have been friends for years why can't you compliment each other without the concern (as it seems it is indeed a concern) that either of you is gay? Or so what if one of you is gay? Or, what do homos say if they want to compliment you? Or, what do you say to a woman who you are complimenting but not hitting on?

Holy cow what the heck is wrong here?

The guy who wrote "no homo" on his friends comment area told me that in no way did he mean to offend me and he apologized. I believe him. 

I believe that the guys I am writing about do not hate gay men. I take them on their word that they support equality. So what gives? Why do people like that feel like it is completely appropriate to use a phrase like "no homo".

One explanation made to me by the guy whose photo I was looking at was that yes, sometimes politically incorrect language is used.

Politically incorrect?

How about outright offensive. In so many ways.

I am asking you as our readers to spread this story around. I am asking you to stand with us and spread the word that "no homo" is unacceptable.

An 18-year vegan

At 47, it's difficult to believe that it's been 18 years since that amazing day when I was 29 and decided to no longer participate in all of the cruelty that was happening in order for me to eat meat. I became a vegan.

I have never really looked backed.

No, it hasn't been difficult.

Difficult is being tortured, living in fear, being constantly abused and beaten and then eventually slaughtered just so someone can eat.

In the last 18 years veganism hasn't changed at all. It still is the simple notion that I can be healthy and live an amazing life without having to consume meat or animal by-products. If you are just learning about veganism, it means no meat and also no dairy, eggs, honey, etc. For me it also means that I do not wear animals, products like leather or even silk.

It is super easy.

My annual physical with my doc has  become a testament to what veganism, and paying attention to putting good things into my body, means to my health. Uber-low bad cholesterol. Great numbers when looking at protein, B12 and other things that tend to be a concern for people who are not vegan. My doc even tells me now that there is a huge difference between blood tests of someone who eats meat and someone who doesn't. As in those who do not eat meat get better results.

Kale? Yep. I love it. I also love dates, blueberries, Swiss chard, collard greens and dark cherries.

Miss cheese? No way. To me dairy cheese means cruelty. It means veal calves and inhumane actions that I just can't support.

Last year I did my first half-marathon. I'm not saying that if I ate meat I couldn't do it, I'm simply saying that as a 47 year old vegan I did it.

Vegan athletes are everywhere. The strongest dude in the world is vegan.

And so are elephants. Yep. And rhinos.

Thinking about veganism? Go for it. There are a ton of helpful links right here on our blog page to help you out. And we would help you too.

Thanks for reading!

VeganMofo Day 30!: My body is a temple.

This is Day 30 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts, and this post is about my body and how I treat it. It is also my final Vegan Mofo post as this is the last day of September! Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

Before I begin, I'd like to celebrate the fact that I wrote 24 posts during Vegan Mofo. They ask that you write at least twenty to participate. I didn't officially sign up as I wasn't sure if I could do twenty. I am so excited to have been a part of Vegan Mofo!

I think about food a lot more than I did when I started writing for Vegan Mofo. Not being a food blogger, my thoughts are usually around activism, changing the world, working towards equality and being a voice for the voiceless.

I can't do any of that if I'm not healthy. Being vegan is not enough. As I often say, Pepsi and potato chips are vegan.

My body is indeed a temple and I have to treat it as such. I love sweets but I can't survive on them. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is so important.  Every day. And so is drinking water. A lot of it. Veggies I love and try to eat as much as possible are kale, spinach, Swiss chard and broccoli. Blueberries and mangoes are my favorite fruits, and they are part of me being healthy. Less sugar, definitely.

I don't drink, smoke or do drugs. I do drink coffee. A lot of it. I can drink less.

Paying attention to the food I eat and what that food does to my body is key.

For me, exercise is also a huge part of taking care of myself and being good to my temple. I trained for and completed a half-marathon back in may and I try to work out at least twice a week. My new goal is to work at being in the gym at least four times a week, even if it's just a half hour.

My mental health comes into this too. Going to meetings, spending time with my husband and friends, walks with dogs and working on this blog all help with that.

Thank you for supporting me through Vegan Mofo. I hope my food posts were helpful and that you had had as much fun reading my posts as I did writing them!

And thanks for reading!

Dan
vegandude@msn.com

VeganMofo Day 22: Vegan nutrition experts

This is Day 22 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts, and this post is an introduction to vegan health and nutrition blogs. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

My number one go-to resource for vegan nutrition is Jack Norris' blog, Jack Norris RD: http://jacknorrisrd.com/ I have loved this blog for a while now, and also love his book "Vegan for Life" that he co-wrote with the woman whose blog is next in this list. One of the many things that I like about Jack is that he sticks to facts and sticks to proven studies. There is no bs and no vegan feel-good crap. His blog is an incredible resource for me as a vegan who wants to be as healthy as possible, and I trust it implicitly.

The Vegan RD is Ginny Messina: http://www.theveganrd.com/ I met Ginny at Vida Vegan Con this past May and also attended her session about vegan nutrition. I was blown away as I sat there and learned about studies and her twenty plus years in nutrition. She co-wrote "Vegan for Life"  with Jack Norris and I trust everything that I read on her blog. Like Jack, Ginny looks at studies and evidence and isn't into fluff.

By the way, I also think that every vegan and anyone who wants to be healthier own a copy of "Vegan for Life".

Meet Matt Frazier, the No Meat Athlete: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/ Matt is another go to guy for me, especially as I trained for a half marathon and as I overall try to get healthier. His site has all sorts of information about fitness, nutrition and even has recipes. If you are considering running a marathon or a half marathon, check out his road maps for these two runs. Very helpful.

I became vegan because I didn't want anything to do with cruelty to animals and wanted to do the least harm possible while on this earth. As approach I 50, it is really important to me to be as healthy as I can, and the three websites above are a big help with that. I hope they are beneficial to you on your journey.

Thanks for reading!
vegandude@msn.com

VeganMofo Day 10: Eat your veggies!

 
Eat your veggies! is my post for Day 10 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

NOTE: I realize that a post titled "Eat your veggies!" won't get a lot of reads. I still wanted to write it.

I remember those frozen packages of peas and carrots growing up. We had them a lot. And frozen corn. There were years that we had a garden and I remember being excited about my mom serving veggies from the garden.

I don't think I was one of those kids who didn't like his veggies. As much as I love sweets, I love veggies even more these days.

Mike has this incredible garden in our back yard. This year he is growing kale, Swiss chard, butternut squash, potatoes, cheery tomatoes, zucchini and squash. I love all of them.

Kale, who have thought?! I love kale. I have written about it several times. Whether in a smoothie or as a side dish sauteed with garlic, I could eat kale every day. Same with peas, Swiss Chard, spinach and, wow, this could be a long list.

Then there are those veggies that I am just learning about, like the purple bell peppers below. Yes. Purple.

I had never seen purple bell peppers before. I have this same experience at new farmer's markets, especially when Mike and I travel. Being vegan means we will never, ever be bored with food. There are just too many options.

I digress. So eating my veggies is not just something I do because I like them. It's so important, as a vegan, to make sure my body gets everything I need. Nutritionists say anywhere from four to eight servings a day. That may not seem easy but it is.

And adding veggies to any meal, or using them as the main dish, is awesome! Every vegan cookbook has a dozen recipes for dishes like this, and each of them bring a variety of flavors, textures and colors to your plate.

So go for it. And if there is a veggie that you just love, more than any other veggie, let me know!

Thank you for reading!

Back to the gym

Mike and I ran our first half marathon back on May 19th. I have run a couple of times since, no long distances just enough to get my heart rate up and get a good sweat.

I haven't worked out in the gym in a long time. Life gets busy. Work gets crazy. I'd rather come home after a long day and just relax, maybe watch a couple episodes of a past season of Dexter.

I don't get any healthier or any more fit if I don't exercise. At 47, I'm not really interested in the perfect body. Don't get me wrong, I want to look good, I just don't want to be in the gym every day for a couple of hours. A good physical week for me is three times in the gym for an hour or so.

The biggest reason I like working out is because of health. I feel better and I know that I am investing in my lifelong health savings account. Being vegan is a huge start. Not smoking and not drinking certainly helps. Continuous exercise is what wraps it all up and gives me a better chance of being as healthy as I can be.

Yesterday I went back to my gym after being absent for a  few weeks. The excuses mount: terrible allergy season that has not only affected my sinuses but also my lungs and breathing capacity; twisted my foot a week ago and it is still a little painful; and I'd much rather take a nap or lay on the couch and work on my blog.

I am SO glad I didn't. What an amazing workout! I felt awesome! Strong and ready to rock it. I am so glad I went and am ready to get back to a regular schedule.

I have gotten a lot better with what I eat and having a regular workout schedule is going to be a great addition to that.

It is all a process. My veganism only takes me so far. I realize when I am in a solid pattern of working out that I feel better physically and my body is only going to thank me in the future.

Off to drink my kale - spinach - blueberry - protein smoothie! Thanks for reading!

Bacterial meningitis killing gay men

I just read a story about a gay man in West Hollywood, CA who contracted meningitis and is now brain dead. He was fine one day, then became ill, hospitalized and now will most likely die.

I have read similar stories about gay men in New York City, as recent as last week. After looking up some information, seven gay men have died of meningitis since 2010. There are 13 reported cases of meningitis just this year in New York City. There seems to be an out break right now.

There is a vaccine.

"Although the vaccine can help prevent the disease, it is not used to treat it. Even if diagnosed early and treated with antibiotics, the disease can still sometimes cause permanent brain damage, hearing loss, kidney failure or even death." From an article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

I am not a doctor. And I am just learning. But I feel I need to do my part as a gay blogger to get this word out.

If you are sexually active and not in a monogamous relationship, please read more about this and consider getting the vaccine.  The vaccine is 80-90% effective and in most cases one dose works. Those with HIV and some others may need two doses, over a period of a couple of months.

From what I have read, this can be spread through sex or even kissing.

In New York City, the city's health officials recently put out a warning. They have urged men who "regularly have intimate contact with other men" to get vaccinated for meningitis. 

This brings back memories of the 1980's to me. The difference is that for the cases reported, the cause of death is known. And most importantly, there is a vaccine.

This may just be a small outbreak. The fact that deaths have now occurred in areas with big gay male populations may or may not end up being very relevant. Yet, I just had to write about this.

Again, no medical background. All I have presented here came from reading articles online for the past hour or so. We must get the word out.

Please spread the word.

Thank you for reading!

Friends? Re-evaluating relationships.

WARNING: After editing this and re-reading it several times, I have realized that this can feel like a pretty heavy post. After all, it's about relationships!

Mike and I were at church today and the sermon hit me really well, in a good way.

For a while I have been thinking about friendship, and what that means, as opposed to say, an acquaintance.

Back in January when I was laid off I got a nice dose of reality around who my true friends were. Not that true friends who didn't reach out to say they could help didn't exist. I know people are busy and a friend losing a job may not be a time when you want to reach out. The amazing thing, and something I will be forever grateful for, is that so many of my friends did reach out, did check in, did ask if they could help in any way.

All of the love and support I received simply blew me away.

And then there are those friends I am connected with on Facebook. Recently I have seen a couple of them at different events and they couldn't even swing by to say hi. Have you read those posts on Facebook or Twitter that talk about not investing in relationships that you put a lot into but the other person doesn't? I forget the exact saying, but do you get the idea.

That pegs me directly.

I do get that a friend on Facebook may or may not be an actual "friend". I am trying to go in that direction though, where all of my Facebook friends are actual friends. 

Putting more into a relationship than the other person does gets old. I'm 47, have done that most of my life, and as healthy people say, "that doesn't serve me well anymore".

Where am I going with this? Friendship is a two way street. If both parties (and I include myself in this) don't want to give to the relationship, then perhaps the friendship is not that important to both people. Which is not a bad thing. If the relationship is important, well then maybe it's time to reach out for coffee, dinner, a hike.

I just realized that a friend of mine might be reading this and thinking that they need to reach out. Please don't, unless you were going to connect anyway. This is not about any one person, it's about me feeling like I give a lot to something/someone that isn't interested in giving back, or in giving at all.

My friends and family have been uber supportive these past few months. The reality is that true friends and good family always are supportive and loving. They may not call all the time and you may not see them often, but they are there. And when you need them the most, you know it.

There are some people in my life who are important to me who may not know it. I need to change that. There are others who for some reason or another are just not close anymore. That's cool, as long as I haven't done anything to hurt them or to piss them off.

Whew! What a post. Thank you so much for reading. Can you relate to any of this? I would LOVE your feedback, at least so that I know I'm not totally crazy!

What is sexy? Body image in our gay, vegan world.

It was the summer of 1995. I was single and living in Norfolk, VA. My summer tan was rocking and I was looking good. I was headed to Richmond for the weekend with a friend, and had to find something sexy to wear to the club. I am laughing hard while writing this as what I bought is something I would never wear now. I went with a pair of overalls but not your ordinary farmer guy overalls. These were overalls that were shorts, not long pants. Oh yeah, I was not messing around.

Off to Richmond we went. My outfit rocked. I felt sexy. So sexy that I didn't wear a tshirt underneath.

So sexy.

It wasn't always that way.

I was 29 when I first wore a tank top in public. Just before that was the first time I would go shirtless at a beach. I would take my shirt off to swim, but if I wasn't swimming, I had the shirt on.

I was skinny. In the Navy guys would call me the Ethiopian poster child. When I got sober I weighed all of 138 pounds and was the same height I am today at 197 pounds (6'3"). Body shame was ingrained in every ounce of my being.

Little by little the my body shame went away. Once in a while it returns, but for just brief moments. The funny thing about that is one day I can feel good about my body and the very next day I can feel some type of negativity about my body. Of course overnight my body had not changed! I realized long ago that the way I feel about my body is probably the way I feel about myself as a person. If I can learn to love myself then I could probably become comfortable with my body.

These days I am very comfortable with my body. In the summer time I rarely wear a shirt, and I love driving home from work in summer afternoons shirtless and listening to dance music. I work out, swim and play racquetball but I do all of those things to be healthy, not so my body might look perfect to others.

I find sexiness in compassion. I find it in kindness. I can see a guy being loving to his girlfriend and find sexiness in that. It isn't always about the looks. Don't get me wrong, I think Adam Levine is very sexy, as well as a handful of other guys I have posted on Pinterest. You will notice that many of these guys are doing incredible things in this world, a big part of what makes them sexy.

I wanted to write this blog post to let those who struggle with body image know that I can totally relate, and that the person they are is much more important than the body they inhabit.

Thank you for reading.

I love Racquetball!

 Many years ago I used to play racquetball at the YMCA where I was a member back in Norfolk, VA. I loved the game. It was tough.

When I moved to Colorado 14 years ago I stopped playing. That was until a couple of months ago when a good friend of mine who also goes to my gym (the Wheat Ridge Rec Center) say yes to an invite to play. We have been playing every week since.

We typically can get three games in during our one hour court reserve time. This past Saturday he beat in me in all three games. The week before it was me beating him in all three games.

I love racquetball! It is a lot of fun and each time I place I feel like I get an intense workout. I can pretty much feel every part of my body because of all of the stretching I do during a game. I wouldn't say I'm a good player yet, but I sure do have a blast.

In other blog posts I have written about eating healthy, going to the gym and even about the time I tried a personal trainer. I as approach 47 years of age I am paying more and more attention to my health. Simply being vegan is not enough for me. The exercise part is crucial. That's where racquetball comes in.

Racquetball is part of my overall health plan, and it's a blast. At least for me. I wanted to share about my love for racquetball for two reasons:

I know many folks who try their best to eat well, as I do, and don't like to exercise. I wanted to offer a way to exercise that could be a lot of fun. And believe me, you will get your heart rate up!

The second reason is because (and remember that I am not a doctor or nutritionist or anything close to that) I think that eating well combined with exercising a few times of week is the best for me. I feel better not only physically but mentally. I have a great time with a good friend. And I am sure that it is good for my heart and other parts of my body.

Want to play with more than one person? No problem. You can play with two, three or four people!

So check it out! Not every gym has a racquetball court but it shouldn't be too time consuming to find one. Most gyms have a racquet and balls that you can borrow. Eye protection would be good too!

Let me know what you think if you try it!

Thanks for reading!

Health care in the news

I am sure some of our readers are not political geeks like I am. I am also sure that the recent news of President Obama's health care law being deemed constitutional by the US Supreme Court might have some of you smiling or frowning.

The right wingers are having fun saying anything negative they can about this plan. Mitt Romney promises a full repeal if he is elected. This has become the most fun animal-free circus I have ever seen. And it's a huge bummer.

Mike and I have both always had health care. We are both in a position now where our employers pay 100% of our health care, and dental. We are totally fortunate, and grateful. I do not know what it is like to not have health care.

Not everyone has what we have. I don't know the number, but I am sure I can say that millions of US citizens do not have health care.

I applaud anyone who tries to fix a problem. I know President Obama had personal experiences around health care, that his mom was uninsured.

I do not know enough about the current health care plan just deemed constitutional but am stoked that people tried to fix a system that is definitely broken. I have read about many people who will be helped, some already have. I have read many good things about this plan. I have also read about the cost as well as fears that small businesses have in being required to offer health care.

Meanwhile, those who already have never liked President Obama have more ammunition and with their millions of dollars there is no doubt in my mind that we will be hearing and seeing their venom all over the place.

And hopefully a child will not lack for insurance because she had pre-existing conditions. And hopefully a recently graduated college student trying so hard to find a job can relax a bit knowing they will be covered by their parent's health insurance for a little longer. And so on.

I looked around for info on what the health care reform law looks like and this was one of the best sites I could find: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_reform_in_the_United_States

As this debate around health care continues, I hope that cool heads prevail and serious problems can be tackled. Demonizing each other will get us nowhere.

Thanks for reading!

Getting fit at 45

Having been vegan for over a decade and not being a smoker or a drinker, many times I live in a fantasy world and think that I am a very healthy, athletically fit, person.

I can go to my gym and lift a lot of weight, hop on the bike for miles and miles, and feel that all is good.

Then I got a trainer.

Reality check. You mean that once you have lifted a set you don’t go talk with someone for 15 minutes, get a drink, talk some more, walk once around the track, and then consider another set? The further reality is that gym time, like most of my life, is social time.

One hour. Non-stop. Many different excercises, including several that I would NEVER consider doing on my own.

Balance? What is balance? Balance is when you keep one foot on the ground, lift the other, and at the same time lift a weight above your head. All while not falling down.

All along I thought balance was making sure I didn’t work too much and spent enough time with Mike and the furries.

I decided to get a trainer when I realized that many times during my workouts I could only go so far, and, especially with cardio, I would get winded quickly.

I had NO idea how difficult working with a trainer and learning about exercises that will not only make me look a little healthier but actually make awesome change in my body would be. I read on Facebook all the time about friends and family doing marathons, triathalons, 10K’s, etc. No thank you, I’m healthy and really don’t want to break a sweat.

And the truth is I don’t want to run a marathon. Yet I do want to be able to run a mile or two without having to have my doctor on call.

My veganism only goes so far. And although this will be an entirely different post, even though I am vegan doesn’t mean I eat healthy! OUCH! Another difficult realization.

I don’t think you need to get a trainer to become more healthy. It was a great choice for me as I have never been trained in working out and I have learned so much. And I have only had three sessions so far.

Where is that Mighty-O doughnut?