Being A Vegan Athlete

Where Have I Been For 9 Years??

2021-08-01T19:31:00.003-04:00

Wow.

Again. Wow.

Nine years have passed by since I last updated this website. I may have stopped writing posts here but I didn't stop being a vegan and I didn't stop being an athlete.

Sure, there were troubled times. I became a fat vegan, topping out at times near 220 lbs. From time to time, I let cheese into my diet, technically dropping me out of vegan status. I full on stopped running. I was unable to play hockey for the better part of a season due to a pretty severe ankle/foot injury.

But, in October, 2020, the next revolution began. Just after my 52nd birthday, I realized that there was something more. Sure, I was active and I felt I had a pretty robust immune system. Still, I was overweight. I had FLS syndrome (feel like shit). Anything close to a brisk walk seemed to bring on some sort of pulled muscle or tendon in my lower legs. I was seeing signs of rapid aging.

Things had to change and they had to change fast.

So, I went full vegan, without exception. I eliminated the white devils (sugar, grains, potatoes). I ate just twice per day, at around 10am and 3pm. I made sure I was getting exercise DAILY. I continued with cold showering. I began Wim Hof style breathwork.

It worked. And, it worked fast. By the end of 2020, I had lost almost 40 lbs. By mid-March, I was down to my current and optimal weight of 155 lbs., a drop of around 65 lbs from my 2020 max weight.

But wait, that's not all! I was running again. I started in January and by May was putting in well over 100km in monthly running miles. The best part, I have remained injury free throughout the process.

I have started posting to a new website, Optimum Health. Optimum Travel. This site is about my journey to superhuman health and fitness. However, it is not focused on a vegan lifestyle. I'm not promising anything but I do have a strong desire to resurrect this site to discuss all that surrounds being a vegan and being an athlete.

After all, we are going through some interesting times in the world at the moment. Yet, world leaders and world governments seem to be avoiding the obvious - that to fight an enemy to our health and well-being, we need to be in the most optimum physical (and mental) shape possible. In fact, I believe that these world leaders don't want us in optimum physical health. There is simply no money in it and it would collapse the economy if we were all in optimum physical health.

I hope to see you soon. For now, stay healthy friends!

Cooking Tofu the Right Way

2013-10-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

In less than one month, it will be five years since I quit eating meat. For a while, I slipped into a too often habit of cheating on veganism with diary product - specifically cheese. I have paid the toll and learned the lesson and have once again gone cold turkey on that.

One thing I really did not get into until recently was tofu. When I first went veg, I didn't want to be pegged as a 'hippie granola lover'. I wanted to do it all by simple eating fruits and vegetables. Tofu was something stuffy, boring poop analyzing nerds took a liking to. Not me.

Sure, it was a great part of so many Thai and Vietnamese meals that I had. Those folks from the Far East sure can make Tofu taste and look like just about anything. But, I did not dare cook the stuff at home.

Then, my personal economic meltdown arose and suddenly, the benefits of Tofu started to shine through. I started by adding it to slow cooked curried pasta dishes. Yet, even with all the ingredients like curry powder, garlic, coconut, tomato - a bitter taste would be prevalent.

I was doing it all wrong!

Tofu, when packaged in those nice one pound cubes, is packaged in a watery brine. It seems the Tofu soaks this stuff up and you have to remove it before eating the stuff can be enjoyable. Tofu cannot soak up and take on the flavours you're cooking with if it's already saturated with 'enbalming fluid'.

It turns out, the process of draining the brine is quite simple. It can take a little bit of time but nothing too serious. Here's how it goes (Don't worry, there's a video below):

Unleash the tofu from its plastic prison (the packaging). It's best to use firm tofu.
Drain as much of the fluid into the sink before pulling the tofu out of the packaging.
Grab two plates and some paper towel. Oh, and a heavy item - I use one of my wife's nursing text books.
Place one plate flat. Take about three feet (3 sheets) of paper towel, fold it and place it on the plate. You need to be careful during this process to tuck in any paper towel that might hang over the plate. Why? As the paper towel soaks up the fluid, if it is hanging over the edge of the plate, a drip will begin and a puddle will form...
Place the tofu in the centre of the paper towel on the plate.
Take another two or so sheets of paper towel and, placing on top of the tofu chunk, tuck around the sides and underneath. It does not matter if all the tofu is covered. You're really just trying to cover the top.
Place the second plate upside down on top of the tofu.
Put your heavy weight (text book) on top of the plate.

This process is dubbed a 'Tofu Press' and should be sustained for at least thirty minutes. When you pull off the weight and top plate, your paper towel should be soaked - more so, depending on the brand. I find the stuff out of Quebec that we buy at Costco is really well vacuum sealed and doesn't contain much brine.

At this point, it is time for your creative juices to emerge. You need to carve the tofu up into the pieces you want to eventually cook with. Many make triangles because they claim they are easier to work with. I have done triangles, big cubes, tiny cubes, thin slices, big slabs - it doesn't matter.

Once your tofu is carved up, the next step may begin. This is called the 'Dry Fry'. Place a non-stick pan on the stovetop at medium heat. It is important that it is a non-stick pan because you cannot use oil or margarine at this stage.

Place your pieces onto the pan. What your goal is essentially at this stage is to eliminate the rest of the fluid. You want a dried up, wrinkly piece of tofu, in the end, that is ready to soak up all that you have to offer during the final cooking stage.

What is really helpful in this process is a solid and stiff spatula. You want to press down on the tofu pieces fairly hard while they're cooking to force out the liquid so it will burn and evaporate. You also want to keep flipping the pieces fairly often so they don't burn. Your goal is tofu pieces, golden brown on all sides. You want to press down with your spatula hard enough to hear sizzling (when the tufu whistles, you're really doing it right) but not so hard to split or break up the pieces.

And, you're done. You've got golden brown. You hear no more, or very little, sizzling when you press on your pieces. Now, remove from stove and let cool. This is where your own personal creativity needs to flourish. What I often do is put the pieces in a sealable container with some sort of marinating concoction (don't ask - it changes every time), seal it up, shake it like crazy (tofu won't bruise) and let sit for a few hours or even overnight. When ready, you can re-fry these babies back up and do with them as you please.

The following video shows the press and dry fry process is fairly comprehensive detail.

Beans: They Really are the Magical Fruit

2013-03-07T08:10:00.001-05:00

Beans, beans, the musical fruit

The more you eat, the more you toot

The more you toot, the better you feel

So let's eat beans with every meal!

Beans are meat for the vegan or vegetarian. Now, with Tim Ferriss coming on the scene with his 4 Hour Body and 4 Hour Chef books, beans are becoming a much more important part of a lot of meat eater’s diet, as well. The big attraction is the amount of protein you can get from these legumes. However, beans are packed with many essential nutrients.

(note: the below links to Amazon are affiliate links. By clicking on those links, I stand to profit - thanks in advance if you do! I have all of Tim's books and they simply provide an awesome new look on life in the 21st century.)

The most economic and health conscious way to consume beans is by buying dried beans in bulk and going through the lengthy preparation process. In the real world, canned beans are available on the shelves of every grocery store. The only downfall to this is the amount of sodium that comes along with the preservation process.

All numbers used in this article are provided by Unico, a food packaging company based in the Greater Toronto Area. I have no affiliation with the company. Unico simply is one of the most popular and readily available brands of canned beans in Canada and their website provides a wealth of information. All serving sizes are 125 grams. A typically can of beans is 540 grams. Therefore, there are close to 4.5 servings in a can.

The beans we looked at were Black, Broad, Garbonzo (Chick Peas), Faba, Lentils, Lima, Lupini, Red Kidney, Romano and White Kidney. Lupini, or Yellow Lupin, is not that readily available and is in world of its own. Anyone with food allergy issues may want to avoid Lupini all together.

The great thing is that none of these beans contain and cholesterol. With the exception of Lupini, which contains 6g of fat per serving, all had no more than 2g of fat per serving. Broad beans contained no fat while Lentils and Lima beans contained just 0.5 grams per serving. All are also very low in sugar. However, Garbonzo beans are high in carbohydrates at 29g per serving, compared to Lima beans at the low end of the scale at just 13g.

With Tim Ferriss and vegans worldwide, the big number is the grams of protein. Lupini contains a staggering 22g of protein per serving. The next highest is Faba beans at 11g and the lowest is Lima beans at just 3g per serving. All others range from 7 to 10g. This is significant in maintaining a healthy body.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is stated at 56 grams for the average male adult and 46 grams for the average female adult. The ‘average’ is 154 lbs. for a male and 110 lbs. for a female. It is suggested by some that these numbers are way low and reflect a sedentary lifestyle. For active adults, the number might need to be almost doubled.

As you can see, eating just one can of beans can nearly meet the RDA for protein. As a vegan, I often suffered from headaches. Since moving to a bean based diet in December of 2012, the headaches have all but disappeared. Also, I simply feel better and have more energy late into the day.

Of course, the other question that is asked of all that don’t consume meat or dairy: “How do you possibly get enough calcium?” We all know that calcium shows its face in some amount in nearly all vegetables. However, beans are an especially great source. If you can stomach Lupini, you’ll get 15% of your RDA in just one serving. All other beans mentioned here will provide 2-6% of your RDA per serving.

Besides the major benefits, all the beans are high in fibre and low in sugar. All are a great source of iron. Lima beans are the only ones with a significant amount of Vitamin C at 6% of the RDA per serving. Garbonzos are the only ones that will provide Vitamin A at 2% of the RDA.

How do you down 1-2 cans of beans per day?! Surprisingly, after several months, I’m still good with a can of beans (drained and rinsed) cooked in a pot along with a can of diced tomatoes, a bit of EVO, some oregano, paprika and cayenne. Sometimes, I’ll split into two meals. Sometimes, it goes down in one shot. I mix the type of beans up but prefer Romano or Kidney (white or red, doesn't matter).

Just a quick summary of the benefits I’ve found:

· Headaches gone

· Weight stabalized

· Injury free – the muscles seem to better take abuse (something very handy when playing hockey and snowshoeing in the wilderness)

Videos from Florida and the Ruby Princess

2013-02-17T14:55:00.001-05:00

Our first vacation outside the country with Edward is in the books. We spent nearly two weeks mixed between South Florida and an Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the Ruby Princess. Edward spent nearly half of his eighth month outside of Canada.

On the vegan end of things, it went pretty smooth. One night on the cruise ship, I actually had a personally prepared meal by the chef at the Crown Grill restaurant. Normally, the Crown Grill is a restaurant not included in the meal plan and requires an additional $25 a head. However, as part of a wedding party, our dinner for one night was at this fine restaurant.

My only issue came before the cruise at a Taco Bell near our hotel in Hollywood, Florida. The Comfort Inn had enough issues which will be discussed at a later date. The Taco Bell next door had the issue of a counter person unfamiliar with the product he was selling. I wouldn't normally eat at Taco Bell anyway, but when travelling in a group... Anyhow, it turns out the potato burrito that I ate in fact contained ground beef. I have the comfort in knowing that there probably was minimal actual meat included in the burrito.

Anyhow - this article wasn't meant to be a bitch session about Taco Bell and the Comfort Inn. I just wanted to share the videos that I've edited and posted to YouTube so far.

The title is a bit dramatic on this one. True, the alligator did seemingly cross a decent sized pond in the Florida Everglades just to maybe find a meal in Edward. In the background, you can hear Eddie babbling. There are many other people along the boardwalk but this gator came right to where Eddie was sitting in the stroller. Of course, the gator wouldn't be able to get at Eddie as the boardwalk was raised above the water. However, it was pretty spooky.

And - if it was Yahoo, the headline would read something like 'Hungry Gator Hunts Down Defenseless Child'.

Princess Cays was our first stop on the cruise, after leaving Port Everglades, Florida. Contrary to what Princess Cruise Lines says, this is not a private island. Princess Cays is a private beach owned by Princess Cruise Lines located at the southern tip of Eleuthera Island. Eleuthera is part of the Bahamas and is a long (180km) and thin (2-4km) island with very few permanent inhabitants.

Somewhere out in the Atlantic Ocean, I took this video from the back end of the Ruby Princess. It's just a short video showing the sides of the ship and the back end. The video is taken from the Star Deck (Deck 19). This floor of the boat is little more than a running track, basketball court and mini-putt. The wind, as it was on this day, can be quite hurricane-like from this position.

The first 'real' port of call was Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. This quick video is from the Sun Deck aboard the Ruby Princess with views of the other docked cruise ships and the beach across Great Bay.

Toronto Ontario Downtown

2012-11-19T20:44:00.001-05:00

2012 Metro Photo Challenge

2012-11-04T19:26:00.002-05:00

I have four entries in the Metro Photo Challenge - a freebie photo contest run by the producers of the Metro newspapers.

I'd would be incredibly appreciative if you would stop by my profile on their site and maybe even give me a vote or a share.

To vote, click on one of the links in this article to be taken to the Metro Photo Challenge site and to my profile. Click on one, or all, of the four photos and then click on the green button that says ‘Vote for this photo’.

Go to my Profile

Your support is greatly appreciated! I believe the contest ends sometime around November 11, 2012 so please vote and vote often! Please feel free to download and use any of these photos, or any other images through ‘It’s About Travelling’. To get the full size image, simply click on the photos.

2012 New Brunswick Videos

2012-10-17T12:37:00.003-04:00

This should be the finale on our 2012 trip to New Brunswick, Canada! Follow the link at the bottom of the post to view all our HD Videos in one location.

Post excerpt:

For the first time ever, we maxed out the memory card on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 waterproof camera that we use for most of our HD video while travelling. On the last night of our 2012 New Brunswick trip, I was attempting to film the sunset over Nictau Lake at Mount Carleton Provincial Park when the memory ran out. Since, we’ve brought on board two additional cards to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

New Brunswick 2012 HD Videos (click this!)

Dickson Brook Trail at Fundy National Park

2012-09-18T10:47:00.001-04:00

Another video from last week's trip to New Brunswick. This is HD footage taken along the short Dickson Brook Trail at Fundy National Park. A great portion of the trail is on boardwalk with a fair number of stairs.

Interestingly, just below the main set of waterfalls, looks to be an equally dramatic cataract. However, the brook forms a canyon and coupled with the green moss, it proved too difficult to discover on this trip. Of course, I could have walked through the water instead of trying to climb around...

Fundy National Park is known for its dramatic ocean tides. However, it's the interior portion of the park that is truly amazing. Their are numerous rugged trails that take the hiker past several water features and provide opportunity to swim at the base of a few cool waterfalls.

Forty-Five River Waterfall at Fundy National Park

2012-09-16T20:26:00.001-04:00

This is a recent video I took of the waterfall beneath the Forty-five Road covered bridge at Fundy National Park in New Brunswick, Canada.

Halfway Log Dump at Bruce Peninsula National Park

2012-08-31T13:36:00.001-04:00

This is a video I took this past Wednesday (August 29, 2012). The video shows several areas at the Halfway Log Dump area of the Bruce Peninsula National Park.

Located between Tobermory and Lion's Head (just south of Cyprus Lake Campground), Halfway Log Dump has minimal facilities but provides great outdoor activities along the shores of Georgian Bay.

A word of warning: The parking lot is located ten kilometres off Highway 6, down a washboard gravel road. The charge for parking is $11.70 per vehicle. The payments are self-serve, meaning you put your cash in an envelope and stick it in a slot. The closest ATM is in Tobermory and there's no one there to make change! Take the right amount of money with you - the National Park service checks the box often!

Devil's Hole Rapids on the Niagara River

2012-08-01T10:14:00.001-04:00

This is some video I shot at Devil's Hole Rapids. The location is downstream from Niagara Falls on the Niagara River. It's shot from the Canadian side, looking across at New York State in the U.S.A.

Why is this place awesome? The massive class V and VI rapids are an amazing sight to behold. Scrambling along the boulders at the edge of the Niagara River is a blast - and a great workout. The hiking between the river and the edge of the gorge is fantastic.

How to get here? Take the Niagara Parkway north, away from the Falls. Pass the Whirlpool Rapids and Great Wolf Lodge. On the right side of the road, there will be a sign for Niagara Glen. Park there. Parking is free! A rarity for the N. F. area. Walk through the park until you find a steel staircase leading down the edge of the escarpment. Follow the trails until you reach water.

At the top of the stairs, there is a list of rule a kilometre long (this is the nanny state of Canada, afterall...). I believe one mentions bouldering. Ignore at your own risk.

Erin, Ontario Drive-Thru

2012-07-17T11:00:00.001-04:00

Beware the Hockey Rink Boards

2012-06-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

A little personal update...

Still Vegan but the Athlete part has been strongly tested over the past few months. In early February, I was playing defense in a pickup hockey game. I was bursting parallel to the blue line to chase a loose puck when my skate caught an edge. I was just a few feet from the boards by this time and ended up slamming head first.

Well, it wasn't quite head on but more on my left shoulder and head, buckling my head awkwardly under. The bizarre thing was the explosion in my left elbow. I was sure that my arm was broken.

I got into a sitting position but that's as far as I got on my own accord. My left hand was numb, my lower neck made an awful snap every time I tried to turn my head and my elbow was screaming.

In the days of safety and liability, the arena staff wouldn't let me up until an ambulance arrived. This took about 10 minutes, which is a long time for an imagination to work its magic. When they did arrive, my departure was delayed because a kid in the adjacent rink had knocked his head off a goal post - hockey is awesome!

At the hospital, I was able to get out of my sweaty, stinky equipment before being strapped into a neck brace. Since it was close to midnight, and they don't do cat scans during off hours unless it is deemed a dire emergency, I was stuck in the neck brace until around nine in the A.M.

Everything came back cool (or so they thought) so I was released at around 11, with the doctor telling me I'd be playing hockey by the weekend (this was now Thursday morning). The pain was immense. I was pretty much useless. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't lift anything, I couldn't put my own socks on.

I decided to keep clear of the ice rink for a few weeks. I still wasn't near 100% after the two weeks off but informed my Friday guys I'd be returning to play some hockey. On the night before, I received a call from the Emergency Room doctor from her home at around 8pm. She felt she needed to get a hold of me in fear that I would try and play hockey again.

It turns out, after reviewing the x-rays and scans, I had a fraction in my spine, about three notches down - the hunchback spot. I was done for at least six weeks.

I'm good now but didn't return to the ice this year. I will be back playing in September, though. I still have numbness and tingling in my left index finger from the last knuckle to the tip. Also, a bit in my left thumb. Since, I'm left handed, this can be a bit of a pain in the ass.

The pain in my elbow has gone away - not broken but an effect of the nerve damage. Every once in a while, I get ghost pains in my shoulder and elbow, just enough to remind me of the pain I went through for over a month.

Also, I seem to have lost a lot of strength in my upper body - I guess that's to be expected.

The moral of the story? Isn't one, really. I was wearing all the right protective equipment. The arena staff and medical people all did what they were supposed to. Chalk it up as "Shit Happens".

Eat Meat & Die - A Cool Infrographic

2012-04-21T09:39:00.002-04:00

This was forwarded to me by a gentleman named Peter Kim. There is a ton of info in this infographic. I know that anyone who is vegan/vegetarian already knows most of this stuff. This should be posted in every school cafeteria on the continent.

Created by: OnlineAssociatesDegree.com

Stop the Mega Quarry!

2011-08-23T15:40:00.000-04:00

This is passed on from NDACT. A mega-quarry is threatening the water table for all of Southern Ontario...

Dear friends,

An American hedge fund is about to break ground on a massive mining project that could poison a million people's drinking water and the headwaters for five major rivers, would create an open pit deeper than Niagara Falls and decimate thousands of acres of lush farmland -- and we have 4 days to stop them.

For years, Highland Companies deceived residents, posing as a potato farming company and quietly buying up thousands of acres of land from local farmers. Then, it was suddenly revealed that the massive plot of farmland would be converted into a limestone quarry -- a 2300 acre pit so deep it would seriously interfere with the ground water system in the region. But, in order to start digging, Highland must win approval from Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jeffrey.

Jeffrey is taking 4 more days to consider public opinion on this quarry before making her decision. We can deliver an overwhelming wave of opposition to Highland's destructive plan. Sign the petition, forward it to everyone and it will be submitted to Jeffrey before the consultation period ends.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_quarry/97.php?cl_tta_sign=71611d6512fca5acf5868ea12fdc2241

Highland's mega-quarry is smack dab in the middle of farmland the whole country depends on for food production. If built, it could poison clean ground water that feeds the lakes and rivers many Canadians use for drinking water. The quarry would require over seven thousand trucks to transport limestone each and every day, upping carbon emissions and requiring new roads to handle the exploding traffic -- further destroying the natural habitat of hundreds of species of animals. The city-sized pit would scar the land long after the mining was finished.

But, residents and environmental activists are working hard to oppose the quarry's license -- even the Environment Minister has called for further assessments. Ontario's Liberal government faces a tough re-election fight in October and Liberal Minister Linda Jeffrey is concerned about public opinion in these key months before votes are cast. A national call will put pressure on Jeffrey and her party to stand up for Canada's environment, its farmers and the fresh water many Canadians depend on for survival.

Let's bring the voice of all Canadians to Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources and force her to kill Highland's plan for environmental destruction. Sign the petition and then forward widely.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_quarry/97.php?cl_tta_sign=71611d6512fca5acf5868ea12fdc2241

Ontario's government should not be allowed to destroy the rivers, forests and farm land we all depend on for survival. For too long, provincial governments have kept key environmental decisions out of the national conversation -- we have a chance to change that. As one country, with a commitment to the environment and the health and safety of all Canadians, we can speak up.

With hope,

Emma, Ricken, Iain, Pascal and the rest of the Avaaz team.

MORE INFORMATION

Council of Canadians report on the mega-quarry

http://www.canadians.org/index2.html

Limestone quarry threatens prime farm land (Toronto Star)

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/734969--limestone-quarry-threatens-prime-farm-land

Environment ministry blasts mega-quarry proposal (Toronto Star)

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1017849--environment-ministry-blasts-mega-quarry-proposal

The call for open submissions to the Ministry of Natural Resources

http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTEyNTY2&statusId=MTY4ODI5&language=en

Chong calls for federal review of quarry proposal (Guelph Mercury)

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/549053--chong-calls-for-federal-review-of-quarry-proposal

Why?

2011-07-04T02:32:00.001-04:00

Why...

... do we continue to buy water in plastic disposable bottles?

... is marijuana illegal when alcohol and tobacco are legal?

... do 'environmentally friendly' hybrid vehicles come with optional leather interiors?

... is there not warning labels on the packaging of any fast food burger?

... is there not a 'sin-tax' on fast food, soft drinks and candy?

... at a zoo where the diversity of life is celebrated, do they serve the murdered flesh of animals in the restaurants and snack bars?

... do we address the symptom and not the cause?

... do we not allocate more funding to mass-transit infrastructure?

Just wondering...

So... Why Are Vegans So Disturbing To 'Regular Folk'?

2011-05-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

"Why make a tofu chicken if you are a vegetarian? You have made the choice either live with it or love eating meat."

This was a status update of a family member recently (Not quite original - I corrected the grammar...). Why does not eating meat make so many people angry?

Some Observations About a Hypocritical Society

2011-05-11T08:14:00.000-04:00

I drive a car. I've been through the drive-thru at Tim Horton's (Dunkin' Donuts if you're American) on several occasions. I pay for the plastic bags at the grocery store despite owning several reusable shopping bags. I don't smoke pot but do drink alcohol and can't understand why one is socially acceptable and the other is not. I think wind turbines are cool.

The following are just some observations on our world that are often spinning around in my little brain. They are somewhat specific to Canada but I'm sure they're fairly universal. It's not that I've lost faith in the human race, I just think we're doomed*!

A government that fights the use of alcohol and tobacco by taxing the hell out of those products and reaping amazing revenue.

A society that says that drinking alcohol is not only acceptable, it is expected yet smoking the dried leaves of a naturally grown plant is a heinous crime.

The vehicle with the bumper sticker that says “Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign” parked in front of Wal-Mart.

An overwhelming portion of the population is concerned about the rainforest. McDonalds and other fast food restaurants continue to be cash cows.

We want to cut out ‘drive-thrus’ yet the guy sitting in his car, polluting the air and getting fat has priority over the walk-in customer.

A hybrid Escalade is still a gas-guzzler.

Your reusable shopping bags are cool. Why did you drive your car two blocks to get to the grocery store?

You charge me $.05 for my plastic shopping bag in the name of being environmentally friendly, yet you stuff my mailbox with a small tree’s worth of paper advertising.

Wind turbines look ugly, make noise and cause imaginary illnesses. Can we drop a coal power plant in your neighbourhood instead?

Remember - you have freedom of speech and rights as a human - as long as you say and do what they tell you! Have a nice day!

* I don't really think we're doomed.

Results Of My 10 Day Raw Vegan Experiment

2011-04-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

A 10 day raw vegan diet - my longest ever. Between Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 7:00am and Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 7:00am, I ate nothing but raw fruit and vegetables. I've done this before but never for this 10-day length of time.

First off, I have to say that people that can adhere to this diet at all times must live an energetic and healthy life! So - why would I stop? Good question. That's one I'm still looking for the answer to.

My goals at the start of the 10 day experiment were pretty simple:

Increase my energy level.
Lose 10 lbs. fast.
Kickstart the running season now that hockey was coming to an end for the year.

I met all these goals. Sort of...

My energy level was increased to an unbelievable level. My night time sleep hours did not diminish like some say will happen. This is because I simply love to sleep! The sleep I got was good quality and I didn't feel the need to fall asleep on the couch after work each day.

I exceeded the weight loss goal by two pounds. This might seem dangerous to lose weight that fast but gone was the bloated feeling at the top of my stomach that sometimes made it difficult to bend over and tie my skates.

I did kickstart the running season. I felt like I was running on air the first few runs of the season. However, I played in one final hockey tournament three days after the raw vegan diet ended and was the victim of an extremely dirty move. I was cross-checked from behind across my lower back and I am still certain that I have a cracked rib (my loathing of doctor's offices has prevented me from finding out just what is wrong back there).

Therefore - my running has come to a complete halt because of the pain in by lower back.

With this 10 day raw vegan experiment, I cut out coffee and green tea as well. This resulted in some pretty serious headaches for the first few days. Headaches are also a symptom of simply going raw. I would suggest killing the caffeine first then killing the cooked food.

Is this a great weight-loss technique? Yes and no. It's a great diet to go on if you have a follow-up plan if and when you return to cooked food. Using it as a kickstart to a fitness plan is great - you lose the weight quick then keep it off, and gradually lose more, with the fitness plan.

What did I eat?

I was heavy on avacados, mushrooms and bananas. These were the 'thickest' items I could find to satisfy my appetite. However I also ate:

pineapple
cauliflower
carrots
clementines
apples
dragon fruit
cucumbers
grapes
onions
radishes
sweet peppers of all different colours
tomatoes
lemon

About halfway, I discovered that covering everything in the juice of fresh lemon acted as a seasoning to make the raw veggies a little more appetizing.

I stumbled across an interesting quirk of nature. If you soak radish chunks in fresh squeezed lemon juice for a few hours, the strong tastes of each counteract each other and changes both to a mild sweet flavour.

I also noticed that I could smell everyone around me! I assumed that if I could smell them then I must, in turn, have a unique odor. Not so. EVERYONE had garlic breath! I didn't eat any raw garlic throughout the 10 days and my diet usually consists of traces of garlic in pretty much everything I eat. Apparently, most restaurant food and processed food also contains garlic...

The Aftermath

It's been two weeks. I've gained back about five pounds which I mostly attribute to my in-activity. I will be able to start running again in the next few days. I will be trying a modified diet where I eat totally raw Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and see where it takes me.

Hockley Valley Provincial Park

2011-04-21T12:40:00.000-04:00

If you live in the west end of the Greater Toronto Area and you're looking for a new set of trails to train on, Hockley Valley Provincial Park is your spot.

This day-use Provincial Park that is classified by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources as a Nature Reserve, has no facilities (ie. washrooms, running water, roads...) and only has one main parking lot. However, the trails within the park are exceptional for the trail runner.

The famous Bruce Trail runs through the park and there are several side trails looping off it. With a little familiarity of the trails, it is easy to spend a good 3-4 hours roaming the park without doing much backtracking.

Hockley Valley Provincial Park is located on Hockley Road, ten minutes northeast of the town of Orangeville. The main parking lot is basically directly across from the Hockley Valley Ski Resort on Hockley Road. There is a back entrance with a small parking lot off of third line.

What the trail system provides for the trail runner (or hiker) is some steep hills along the niagara escarpment, so nice flat stretches through shaded hardwood forest and, for the most part, smooth and soft trails.

I'm Back!

2011-04-14T21:40:00.001-04:00

I'm back! - the war cry of the blogger who lost interest for a few months (or more) but claims to have renewed interest but will most likely disappear again after a couple of lame posts...

Well - that could very well be true. However, it seems that someone out there is reading the backposts on this site on a daily basis, so maybe people really do want to read about the vegan world.

So, what's been going on? Well, I just finished up a 10-day Raw Vegan challenge and it was a grand success. It's nearing the end of the hockey season and the start of the trail running season. During the winter, I really fell into a rut with processed vegan food (no-meat hot italian sausages are my weakness. smothered in hummus, fried onions and mushrooms, mustard and salsa!). I was constantly bloated and was getting to the point where it hurt to bend over and tie my skates.

The ten days of raw veggies along with no tea or coffee was just what I needed. I lost 12 pounds and began running again like I'd never stopped. I've moved back to cooked food - but NOT processed. I'm also back on my recently rejuvenated coffee addiction.

I had been off coffee for years but in February while on a vacation in Cayo Largo, Cuba, I started having a cup at breakfast and found I really liked it.

Anywho - I will be documenting the challenge and posting it at either Factoidz, Infobarrel or Hubpages with an excerpt and link here.

btw - if you're interested in earning a little cash and you like to write, Factoidz does work. It's free to sign up and it will never cost you a dime to write there. They scrutinize your first 10 articles after you sign up then if you meet their approval you become a staff writer and your stuff is published immediately. You then get an upfront bonus for each article you publish as well as the regular dinero you get for page views. They pay without hassle and without a minimum payout at the start of every month. You may not get rich quick but you will get paid.

If you're interested, go through this link to check it out and sign up. Yes, if you go through that link, I may get paid for the referral - I appreciate it - thank you!

On a closing note - my man Georges Laraque, the former vegan NHL hockey player who last played for the Montreal Canadiens, is playing a prominant role with the Green Party in the upcoming election in Canada. Way to go Georges and good luck Green!

I may be back!

Shame In Hindsight

2010-12-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

Just as explained in the movie 'The Cove', I was deceived by their smiling faces.

Two weeks ago, near Guardalavaca, Cuba, I swam with the Dolphins. I'm leary of animals in captivity. But... I was dooped by the story that the Dolphins were all rescued from injuries, were treated great and were very happy.

Dolphins always look like they're smiling, even when they're depressed or in pain. Dolphins are meant to travel 40 miles per day (60 km). Their sonar is ultra sensative. Living their entire lives in an enclosed area denies them the freedom of travel. Living their entire lives in an enclosed area causes their sonar to bounce uncontrollably against the barriers and cause pain and confusion.

Unfortunately, a friend didn't give me a copy of 'The Cove' until after we returned. I feel ashamed for contributing to the exploitation of these beautiful beings and certainly will never do it again.

'Swimming with the Dolphins' has become all the rage at a number of Caribbean resort areas. Chances are, these Dolphins came from Taiji, Japan and were the only survivors of what is a regular slaughter. If you're reading this blog, you are passionate about the lives of all beings on this Earth. Please don't make the same mistake I did.

Interestingly enough, one of the slogans written on the wall of the 'Dolphinarium' in Cuba was 'Treat all animals as you would yourself'. Obviously, that was ignored when lunch was thrown alive into a boiling pot of water, screaming and turning a bright colour of red. Of course, I'm speaking of the Lobster lunch that everyone in our group, except for the vegan freak (me), ate before swimming with the prisoners.

Check out the movie's official website at this link. This is not an affiliate link.

Zoo's - People Playing God

2010-09-11T16:35:00.000-04:00

I went to the Metro Toronto Zoo last weekend. I can already hear the gasps and hissing... I know that zoos are nothing but dungeons for animals - kind of a freak show, if you will. But... in their hearts they are doing what they think is right in trying to preserve species that the rest of the world is trying real hard to wipe off the face of the earth.

What I saw during my six hour walk around the zoo was one huge contradiction. While watching the 'talk with the zoo keeper' at the gorilla exhibit, I was struck by the horrified reaction of a gentleman near me when we were all told that underpaid and undernourished mining workers (slaves) in Africa will kill the mighty gorilla and (Oh My God!) eat the meat to stay alive.

When I mentioned (loud enough for a few people around me to hear) that that man eats, three or more times per day, the flesh of other animals that are just as innocent are killed in cold blood, I got a hard nudge in the gut and was told to shut up (by my spouse).

Upon leaving and saying outside the exhibit that I was utterly confused about what animals it was okay to kill and what animals it was not, I was nudged again. What really confuses me is the thought that in a few weeks fat Americans (and Canadians) will jump in their nine-mile-per-gallon Cadillac Escalades and drive out into the Canadian wilderness and murder innocent deer and moose. Yes, I know they and their families must eat to survive in this cruel world... Yet, we're attacking the poor African slave who somehow cannot support his family on pennies per day.

Although everyone there loved the cute animals and everyone was a friend of nature, they had no problem packing into each and every restaurant at the zoo and chomping down on dead cow and chicken. I'd imagine if they were serving up kangaroo burgers, there'd be a line-up. Of all the items on the menu at these fine, animal-loving restaurants, there was just one 'garden burger' for us weirdos. They did not even post that the meat was locally farmed. If you don't post it then one has to wonder if it came from the very same farms in Brazil that McDonalds gets their beef from. You know - the grade z beef that comes from cows grazing where rainforest once stood?

The Canadian exhibit was kind of a farse, at best. The African, Asian and South American animals have large and luxurious homes with enough information on the signs attached to these homes to fill a book. The native Canadian animals had tiny cages with nothing but a simple label saying what they were.

And really... does the zoo need to have a raccoon exhibit when the animal can be found every 20 feet in urban and rural areas in this country? They're nocturnal anyway! You don't get to see them!

Why do humans still insist that they can play god and determine who lives and who dies? "If we didn't hunt the deer they would overpopulate". So fucking what! Mother nature will deal with that problem in her own way. It really is none of our business.

That reminds me of the Canada Goose problem in Toronto that seems to be an on-going battle. People feed food to the geese which is unnatural to their diet. The geese get fat, don't leave and do nothing but breed in their spare time. The geese overpopulate and shit all over Toronto's beautiful parks and beaches. The people who go to these parks to feed the geese demand the city do something about the overpopulation and the layer of goose shit that covers everything. Some suggest killing off the geese to please the people that are causing the overpopulation in the first place.

That's my rant. It went all over the place and may not have made any sense, but... that's my rant.

Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair

2010-09-02T18:43:00.000-04:00

For anyone in the Toronto area, the 26th annual Vegetarian Food Fair is taking place September 10-12 at the Harbourfront. Admission is free - food is not!

Here's what they have to say about the event:

Regarded as the largest event of its kind in North America, the Annual Vegetarian Food Fair gives you an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy a diverse cross-section of vegetarian cuisine. Discover new products and ideas from more than 100 exhibitors and enjoy a wide variety of presentations and cooking demos.

Not a vegetarian? Whether you're looking for new ideas to add colour and variety to your meals or you're a "seasoned" vegetarian interested in expanding your knowledge of nutritious and ethical foods, this is the place for you.

For more information, visit the website.

Bottled Water - Good or Bad?

2010-08-23T16:24:00.000-04:00

Bottled Water Battle

This is an interesting article on the bottled water industry. Apparently, in California, there are water restrictions on everyone but the bottled water companies. These companies are not accountable to report the amount of water they take from the ground.

I truly believe that the whole industry is a scam and should be banned or, at least regulated. They're selling nothing but snake oil. For the most part, you're getting tap water for $1.50 a bottle and each bottle you buy is as contribution to a growing pollution and garbage problem.

Not to mention, the bottle you're drinking out of may or may not cause cancer, depending on who you believe.

Anyway - Check it out.

Bottled Water Battle