Breakfast
Overnight oatmeal aka Muesli. (put together the night before and requires no cooking)
Heaping 1/2 cup of oats
1 cup soy milk
Berries
Dried Cranberries
Sliced Raw Almonds
1 glop of fat free Greek Yogurt.
1 glass of OJ (calcium and vitamin d fortified)
Multivitamin (mostly for B12)
Black Coffee (this was very hard to switch to!)
Lunch
Home Made veggie Chili with Spaghetti and raw vegetable salad.
Chili
Canned Tomatoes
Canned Beans (Red Kidney)
Carrots
Onions
Garlic
Green Pepper
Thai Chilies.
Olive Oil
Spices(Cumin, Chili Powder, Black Pepper, Coriander)
Salad
Cukes
Tomatoes
Peppers
Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Spices
Dinner
Stir Fry with Salad
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Broccoli
Tofu
Basmati Rice
Thai Chilies (see a pattern here)
Soy Sauce or Black Bean sauce
Olive Oil
Salad
Spinach
Cukes
Tomatoes
Peppers
Balsamic Vinegar
Snacks (sometimes)
Raw Almonds
Raw Pistachios
Dried Apricots
1 or 2 cups of green tea
Kashi Nut Bar
Small piece of dark chocolate
8 to 10 cups of water or plain seltzer..
Minimal Fat.. Almost Vegan.. Very flavorful.. Lots or protein, high in vitamin C, Good amount of carbohydrates.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Hard Decision... Yoga Instructor Training.
I am by nature a procrastinator. I guess it has to do with laziness, being involved with things etc.. When I am home and I think about practicing, I generally put it off for a while instead of diving right in..
One thing I am struggling with is the decision as to whether to take yoga instructor training. This would be the 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training that is offered at a number of places where I live.
I would take training for a few reasons. The first one is that it would help me deepen my practice and make me more aware of the physical side of yoga as well as teaching me the relationship between poses and muscles. I could also one up some of my instructors on the Sanskrit names of each Asana. The second would be to perhaps teach older (50+) students some day. I sometimes look at yoga as a youth teaching age. A lot of the teachers that I have met are very young (less than 30) and many of the classes taught by them (and the very fit 50+ teachers). As we age, Yoga must change and I think that teaching to those who will never do a head stand but who would still benefit from yoga would be a good thing.
Now, I am no where near a yogi. I have a very tight lower back, aches and pains after a few days in a row of practicing and I will never be where many younger (and some older) students are in my classes in terms of flexibility. This is one of the reasons that I would say, do not do this. But then I think that many people are overweight and out of shape. Does that mean that they don’t enjoy the great benefits that yoga can bring? I would argue that it means they deserve it even more. . Who better to teach older people yoga than a guy who struggles every day to touch the ground? Such a person would not be intimidating , but can still lead a flow and can show how to do poses in a way that is geared toward their age group. I can also show that even over 50, a person can be thin and healthy. And perhaps, I can even convert one or two to the evils of vegetarianism.
The biggest reason that I struggle with this decision is that I am unsure that I can dedicate a goodly percent of my life to the practice. I guess by writing this blog, you can say, but you already are. But after 2+ years, I still prefer some days to take my dog for long 4 mile plus walks instead of doing a Ashtanga flow. I still procrastinate to practice (but once I do I am happy to have started). But the biggest reason is that with job, travel, life, kids etc, it will be a big step.
Yoga has made me more flexible, stronger, more muscular and more relaxed. Sharing that with others would be a great thing. I am just still not sure if I should take that next step.
What I have decided to do is to research the programs around me to see what they offer. Timing is an issue as I cannot take time off from work and thus I am limited to weekends. I would prefer 1 weekend a month for 6 to 12 months. There is one class starting in a few weeks that is 1x a month (all day Saturday and Sunday) for 5 months. That with teaching and home study would make up the 200 hours. It would be a good fit (time wise) but I have done nothing to even approach the class or the studio (back to my being a procrastinator)...
More on this at another time.
Namaste.
One thing I am struggling with is the decision as to whether to take yoga instructor training. This would be the 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training that is offered at a number of places where I live.
I would take training for a few reasons. The first one is that it would help me deepen my practice and make me more aware of the physical side of yoga as well as teaching me the relationship between poses and muscles. I could also one up some of my instructors on the Sanskrit names of each Asana. The second would be to perhaps teach older (50+) students some day. I sometimes look at yoga as a youth teaching age. A lot of the teachers that I have met are very young (less than 30) and many of the classes taught by them (and the very fit 50+ teachers). As we age, Yoga must change and I think that teaching to those who will never do a head stand but who would still benefit from yoga would be a good thing.
Now, I am no where near a yogi. I have a very tight lower back, aches and pains after a few days in a row of practicing and I will never be where many younger (and some older) students are in my classes in terms of flexibility. This is one of the reasons that I would say, do not do this. But then I think that many people are overweight and out of shape. Does that mean that they don’t enjoy the great benefits that yoga can bring? I would argue that it means they deserve it even more. . Who better to teach older people yoga than a guy who struggles every day to touch the ground? Such a person would not be intimidating , but can still lead a flow and can show how to do poses in a way that is geared toward their age group. I can also show that even over 50, a person can be thin and healthy. And perhaps, I can even convert one or two to the evils of vegetarianism.
The biggest reason that I struggle with this decision is that I am unsure that I can dedicate a goodly percent of my life to the practice. I guess by writing this blog, you can say, but you already are. But after 2+ years, I still prefer some days to take my dog for long 4 mile plus walks instead of doing a Ashtanga flow. I still procrastinate to practice (but once I do I am happy to have started). But the biggest reason is that with job, travel, life, kids etc, it will be a big step.
Yoga has made me more flexible, stronger, more muscular and more relaxed. Sharing that with others would be a great thing. I am just still not sure if I should take that next step.
What I have decided to do is to research the programs around me to see what they offer. Timing is an issue as I cannot take time off from work and thus I am limited to weekends. I would prefer 1 weekend a month for 6 to 12 months. There is one class starting in a few weeks that is 1x a month (all day Saturday and Sunday) for 5 months. That with teaching and home study would make up the 200 hours. It would be a good fit (time wise) but I have done nothing to even approach the class or the studio (back to my being a procrastinator)...
More on this at another time.
Namaste.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Quick Diet Gimmic Shakes.
I have an work acquaintance that send me an evite (how she got my personal email is something that I need to find out) to a "Body by V*" party. I did a quick look at Body by V*and basically it looks like a low calorie, high protein shake that is designed to replace a meal.
Here is the nutrition information and ingredients. If you can pronounce half the ingredients, then you are a better person than I. Also notice that there are only 90 calories and it is very low in carbohydrates.
I think that this seems to be designed for overweight people who do not have eating discipline and need to use a quick fix by reducing their calorie intake. I would think that this would mean a lack of energy needed for physical activities. I also think that once you stop drinking these things, people just go back to the way things were instead of making a real change in their diets and will just put back on the weight (if they lost any at all). Finally, the real reason for this shake is to make money for the vendor.
What kills me is that this is what American diets have become. Quick fixes and short cuts that do not get to the root of the problem of unhealthy eating. Instead of drinking this shake, why not eat some fruit (like bananas and strawberries) high protein cereal or oatmeal and soy milk or make a smoothie with soy, bananas, flax seeds and maybe some peanut butter. True you get more calories, but the protein level is higher and the carbohydrates will provide you with energy for both exercise and for living.
If you need these shakes, then you are desperate. If you are desperate, then eating healthier is a much better alternative.. All these shakes are is overpriced soy milk. They are not good for you in the long term. Throw out your chips, you donuts and your cakes in the cabinet. Buy fruits and fresh vegetables and make most of your diet mass these types of foods. It will be better for you in the long term.
Here is the nutrition information and ingredients. If you can pronounce half the ingredients, then you are a better person than I. Also notice that there are only 90 calories and it is very low in carbohydrates.
I think that this seems to be designed for overweight people who do not have eating discipline and need to use a quick fix by reducing their calorie intake. I would think that this would mean a lack of energy needed for physical activities. I also think that once you stop drinking these things, people just go back to the way things were instead of making a real change in their diets and will just put back on the weight (if they lost any at all). Finally, the real reason for this shake is to make money for the vendor.
What kills me is that this is what American diets have become. Quick fixes and short cuts that do not get to the root of the problem of unhealthy eating. Instead of drinking this shake, why not eat some fruit (like bananas and strawberries) high protein cereal or oatmeal and soy milk or make a smoothie with soy, bananas, flax seeds and maybe some peanut butter. True you get more calories, but the protein level is higher and the carbohydrates will provide you with energy for both exercise and for living.
If you need these shakes, then you are desperate. If you are desperate, then eating healthier is a much better alternative.. All these shakes are is overpriced soy milk. They are not good for you in the long term. Throw out your chips, you donuts and your cakes in the cabinet. Buy fruits and fresh vegetables and make most of your diet mass these types of foods. It will be better for you in the long term.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)