Metabolical

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I checked this book out of the library and stopped reading it.

The premise is scientifically sound. The reason I didn’t read it is because the M.D. author wrote: “Shop the perimeter of the supermarket.”

In my view no one should be going in person to a market to shop for food unless they’re NOT buying processed food and not buying food with chemicals listed as natural flavor in the ingredients.

I didn’t like that the author conceded that it’s okay to shop in the perimeter. Not everything sold in the end aisles is healthful. That’s obvious in the Stop-n-Shop I’ve gone to.

In Metabolical the author talks about those of us who are TOFI: Thin Outside Fat Inside.

You want to be healthy: Lay off the Starbucks drinks and diet and regular colas and resist taking up smoking.

It’s as simple as that. I found a recipe for chocolate pudding that I’ll post here. As store-bought instant pudding has food coloring and other not-good ingredients.

We should each of us enjoy life and Eat to Live. There’s no shame in wanting to be happy and healthy.

There’s no shame in having an illness either. A person might not be in remission (the medical state of having no symptoms). Yet they can recover in terms of having a life they love.

Illness makes it harder to live your life. My sincere hope is this blog can be a ray of light in readers’ lives.

I would say 90 percent of what happens we can’t control in our life. In my view the things that are under our control should be taken advantage of.

Tofu Pudding

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This dessert is cool and sweet on a hot summer evening. I found the recipe in Bon Appetit magazine.

I buy the Nasoya organic silken tofu. The recipe calls for a 16 oz. package of silken tofu.

Bring one 1/2 inch piece scrubbed ginger thinly sliced 1 cup packed dark brown sugar and 2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved.

Strain the ginger syrup into a small jar or airtight container. Discard ginger.

Chill until cold at least 30 minutes. Pour over tofu to taste.

Ginger syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

White Bean Tuna and Roasted Pepper Salad

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Serves 4

1 15-oz can of cannellini beans rinsed

1/4 small red onion finely chopped

6 Tbsp classic vinaigrette below

3 hearts of romaine torn into pieces 12 oz about 6 cups

2 jarred roasted red peppers drained and cut into pieces

1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts drained and quartered

1/2 cup pitted mixed olives

1 5 oz can tuna packed in olive oil drained and flaked

First the vinaigrette:

1 cup

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 shallot finely chopped

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.

To a jar add vinegar, shallot, Dijon, salt, and pepper.

Cover and shake to combine. Add oil. Cover and shake until emulsified.

Dressing will keep in refrigerator up to 5 days.

  1. In a large bowl toss beans and onion with vinaigrette then add romaine and toss to coat.
  2. Fold in peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, and tuna.

How I created this recipe:

Marinated artichoke hearts are soaked in UN-healthy fat in the form of sunflower oil. So I used a can of Cento quartered artichoke hearts instead.

I didn’t buy the red onion and shallot. I used Cento food products and kalamata olives.

Since I’m only one person not serving 4 people I estimated the measurements for the vinaigrette and the salad ingredients.

The amount of vinaigrette and food in salad was fine the way I measured everything.

Mediterranean Diet

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Step away from the Starbuck’s.

It’s a myth that “calories in versus calories out” or burning off more calories than you consume is the best way to eat or lose weight. It’s the type of food that counts.

Today I’ve been figuring out how to “cook” up my dinners when I have no energy to cook and desire to clean a dish and saucepan after.

The magazine above which I found in Walgreen’s has easy healthful recipes that I’m going to make this summer. In the next blog entry I’ll share one for tuna salad.

My approach is that I want to eat 90 percent of my food coming from God’s green earth or the bright blue sea.

I have a big chocolate chip cookie or whoopee pie here and there. However I try to watch what I eat and drink consistently.

The Mediterranean Diet is touted as the healthiest diet. Really it’s not a restrictive “diet” it’s a lifestyle.

This summer I’ll make one of the recipes that calls for using a Dutch oven.

Coming up the tuna salad recipe.

Like Italians say:

Mangia bene – vivere bene.

Eat well to live well.

Sustain-Ability

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The photo above is of a “continental breakfast”-style dinner.

I’ve taken to making this meal when I have no energy or desire to cook and then clean dishes pots and pans.

Food items:

Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free crackers.

Black seedless grapes.

Driscoll’s organic blackberries.

Cento olives in the yellow can.

Grillies halloumi cheese.

Have no idea if this is a healthful dinner.

What I’ve come to realize is that sustainable habits like a weekly routine should sustain our ability to thrive as human beings living in a society where the scarcity mentality is alive and well.

We shouldn’t view things in terms of competing with each other to get what we need to survive.

To sustain our ability to live life whole and well I think adapting and being flexible is paramount.

So take having that weekly routine:

In some weeks we’ll be cooking our dinners 4 or 5 times a week. In other weeks we’ll need to find quick-and-easy meals to prepare because our energy is shot or we don’t have the time to cook and clean.

Before we can save the planet we need each of us to attend to our own health and well being.

That’s because we might live on God’s newly green earth down the road. Yet if we don’t have the health to enjoy our time here it’s likely going to be harder to feel good about ourselves.

I eat well to feel well.

With the summer heat coming on I’m all for making dinners that don’t require using the hot oven. A way to save on your gas or electric bill too.

Seeing the Eclipse

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I viewed the solar eclipse today through the free eclipse glasses that the New York City public libraries gave out to customers.

The photo above is how the eclipse appeared through the glasses. A moment of transcendent awe that turned an ordinary Monday afternoon into a Wow!

Another solar eclipse will come around in 21 years. I’ll be 79 then.

What takes my breath away is seeing nature in all its glory like when I viewed the eclipse.

The weather will be getting warmer so the days of talking long walks in a park or on the city streets is coming soon.

I imagine that even a person in a wheelchair can find a stretch of road in a park to fly by wheeling through nature..

What joy is to be had living in tune with the natural world.

I hope you enjoy seeing this photo if you weren’t able to view the eclipse on your own.

2024 Early Spring Lower Body Routine

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1.DB squat: hold DB at chest with both hands and squat 15 pounds 3×12 reps.

2.KB swing: hold 10 pound DB in each hand and swing 10 pounds x 2 3×12 reps.

3.Hip bridge from floor: lying on floor with feet flat and DB resting on hips press hips up to ceiling 15 pounds 3×12 reps.

4.Single leg Romanian deadlift: right hand on wall DB in left hand lift right leg and reach toward toes on left side going for stretch in hamstring then switch sides 8-10 pounds 3×12 reps.

5.Wall sit: as long as possible. (sitting against wall with back against wall.)

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Medicine ball slams side to side (16 times) Lift ball high up then slam on floor.

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Alternating leg raises.

Fast-paced step-ups (1 riser on platform) 25 seconds.

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Crunches on floor: lie flat and pull both arms and legs together to crunch in the middle.

2024 Early Spring Upper Body Routine

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1.DB row: hold DB in both hands bend forward with arms to side and pull both arms back together 10 pounds 3×12 reps.

2.Chest fly: lying on floor hold DBs above chest bring arms out to the side to stretch chest then press up 5 pounds 3×12 reps.

3.Should raise: hold DBs in front and DBs facing forward lift DBs out to side and up to shoulders 5 pounds 3×12 reps.

4.DB Hammer curls: one curl at a time palm facing in 5-8 pounds 3×12 reps.

5.Tricep extension: holding DBs by shoulders elbows up extend arm one at a time toward ceiling 5 pounds 3×12 reps.

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Mountain climber (20 seconds)

right into

Plank on hands (as long as possible)

Jumping Jacks (25)

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Russian Twists with 8 pound DB

Thoughts on Living a Full and Robust Life

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I have an interest in how individuals with disabilities and in fact everyone who has a challenge can create a full and robust life for ourselves.

“Full and robust” is in the eye of the person who wants to better themselves. We should not compare ourselves to other people. The grass isn’t greener over there.

We do best watering and tending to the “flowers” in our own garden. It’s likely the others fronting a green front lawn when you walk inside their house it’s a hot mess where you can’t see it.

For once in my life I could not abide reading chirpy positivity like that on the hellonutritarian website. It appeared daunting that you must follow a strict meal-prepping diet every week without fail.

My contention is that anyone can have a full and robust life of their own design. This is predicated rightly so on not comparing our worth to what other people can have and do.

There are as may possibilities for what a full and robust life can be as there are people. Living a full and robust life can be as simple as enjoying going to Starbucks for a caramel macchiato and reading a magazine while you’re there.

You don’t have to do or be or have what other people do or be or have. This is the beauty of defining a full and robust life on your own terms of what constitutes this kind of life for yourself.

You shouldn’t think that because you have limits or challenges this infers your life cannot be full and robust. It’s OK that you and I might not be world travelers jet-setting to exotic locales. It’s fine that you and I might not achieve the kind of success billionaires or others find in life.

I’m an ordinary person who has always seen possibility where others only see pain. So maybe I can give my followers joy and hope too. I believe that harboring envy of others and wallowing in self-pity is not the way to live our lives. Regret serves to keep us from having the full and robust life that IS possible if we stop dwelling on what we can’t have.

I recommend buying and reading the book Lightly by Francine Jay. In it she writes what I’ll end here with:

“The goal is not to get more done but to have less to do. Fewer distractions and more focus lead to freer, more fulfilling days.”

So in the end you could say a full and robust life is one where we have the freedom to do the things that make us happiest. Resisting falling into “grind culture” habits can free our time to do what we love. Passport and megabucks optional.

The Real Convenience Store

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I wanted to talk about workarounds that can make life easier.

In my view ordering groceries and household items online is the real convenience store.

I went in person to a supermarket to buy one item that took 5 minutes to find.

Waiting on the “Express” Lane took over 10 minutes!

Since that store delivers I will likely order the item online when it’s running low.

One other thing that’s a case study in convenience might not seem easier. I call this “just in time” shopping. To wit: walking to the local food market to buy groceries when you need them.

Like going to the deli counter to buy salmon filets and a crab cake for three nights of dinner. This is what I’ve been doing.

As I doubt spending an hour shopping in person will spark joy.

In New York City you can shop online using PeaPod (Stop-n-Shop) and Fresh Direct. Local supermarkets also often have online ordering as I’ve discovered.

At the height of COVID it was hard to order groceries online. Now that it’s easy to do this I say make reserving a weekly timeslot a habit.

Though if you’re like a person who told me he enjoys in person shopping this might rock you to wheel a cart around the aisles.

Right when I was waiting over 10 minutes on the Express Lane I remembered why I prefer shopping online : )