The Pop Up

There was a vegan popup today at the Goodman Community Center in Madison WI. We attended. We ate vegan food there and also bought some vegan stuff to take home. Overall, a fun time.

We discovered a vegan pizza place there that is from Chicago and will ship frozen deep dish vegan pizzas anywhere in the USA. They are not cheap though.

The End.

Ways That You Can Change the World

The past few days have pointed out that most of us common people in the United States are pretty powerless to do anything to change or improve our so-called "representative government" to make progressive, positive change in the world (outside of elections). But don't let that deter you from doing things at a local level that can have a significant positive impact on the world, without any need for a governmental middleman. In fact, in spite of Congressional gridlock in the US, it's now easier than ever to make a difference at the individual level. The US government has proven itself unreliable to undertake even modestly progressive ideas, compared with the rest of the world, which may be why the rest of the world is rapidly moving forward in the 21st century. So, f*ck 'em.

That being said, one of the most impactful and wide-ranging positive things you can do is going vegan. Here's why: www.eatthis.com/reasons-go-vegan.

In summary, following a vegan diet is good for you, good for the animals, and good for the Earth. You don't have to go vegan if you don't want to. But just know that if you don't, you are kind of slowing down progressive, positive change for the rest of us.

Have a great day!

A Fortnight of Fitness: Day 6

Fantastic day! It was a holiday and, notwithstanding crap weather, my wife and I had a fun time. We slept in. We made breakfast smoothies using a new Nutribullet blender that Deborah had ordered online. I also had my usual oatmeal porridge. In the early afternoon, we paid a visit to my buddy Stefan's house to visit with him and his charming one year old toddler, Teddy, before running a few errands and then going to the gym. We worked out on the exercise floor for about 45 minutes (stationary bike for me, as usual) and then swam for 15 minutes or so in their 25 meter lap pool. We went out for dinner at the Great Dane, seeking plant-based whole foods, per the guidelines of our current two week fitness challenge. It is one of the few restaurants in Madison WI that has mostly vegan options (we can't even do eggs or cheese on this challenge). There may have been a light amount of butter on some bread that accompanied one of the dishes, but otherwise I think we stayed within dietary specifications. Pretty wiped from our gym workout, we returned home after dinner to relax for the evening.

I weighed in at 217 pounds this morning, up a pound from yesterday (Day 5), which surprised me a bit, because I exercised and stayed well within dietary guidelines. My blood pressure was 125/80 when I measured it before bedtime. I attribute the slight elevation to being aggravated about having to clean up some poop that my dog Foster decided to deposit in the house, after also accidentally stepping in it and tracking around the house. Grrr.

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A Fortnight of Fitness: Day 5

My weight was 216 pounds this morning, Day 5 of the fortnight long fitness challenge I am doing with my wife - to follow a plant-based, whole food diet for two weeks. This weight measurement was unchanged from Day 4 of the challenge. However, this is actually a good thing, because I had expected it to go up as a consequence of a greater than usual calorie intake on Day 4. You see, this is my officially recognized birthday weekend, and although we stuck to the dietary protocol, I indulged in a significant number of blue corn chips (whole grain blue corn, salt, and safflower oil) and deluxe mixed nuts (roasted and salted) on Day 4. That said, we also went to the gym, where I burned at least 600 calories on the exercise bike. But enough about Day 4...this is my Day 5 summary.

After the weigh in, I made a breakfast of oatmeal with half a banana, about 20 grapes, and some unsweetened almond milk (my usual breakfast on this challenge). We went to the gym about noon, where I burned around 600 calories on the bike. For lunch, I ate leftovers - vegan chili and some pinto beans with brown rice. I spent most of the afternoon rehearsing songs for my band GUPPY EFFECT's performance at Funk's Pub later in the evening. Before heading to the show, I ate a baked potato that Deborah had made, seasoned only with a bit of salt. At the pub, the smells of restaurant food made me hungry, but I did not succumb. We drank water and that's all. However, when we got home, I sauteed some vegetables (3/4 of a potato, a medium sized zucchini, half an onion, and some celery) in olive oil with some herbs and spices.

My blood pressure was 110/67 before bedtime, reclining. Nice.