'Cause Kids Don't Matter

This article regarding the USDA and their frighteningly low nonexistent standards for school lunches is a must-read.

Partners in 'slime':
Feds keep buying ammonia-treated ground beef for school lunches

Yes, Jamie Oliver tackled this issue on Food Revolution, but ... you know ... he's British.

Oh, and before you do dive into the article, here is the M-W definition of ammonia. Just as a reminder.

ammonia - a pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH₃ that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure

We're Swimming In It

Ok, ok, no more talk about diets and fitness and Paula Deen. Let's enjoy the day and go swimming.

here!

or here!

Oh. Wait. Whoops. These aren't swimming pools; they're cesspools. Wrong pools. My bad.

(For those of you who are stumbling upon this article pre- or mid-breakfast, you may want to finish those sausage links before you read on.)

I first learned about waste lagoons in Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals. In the kindest and most innocent terms, the NRCS describes the lagoons as "waste treatment impoundment[s] made by constructing an embankment and/or excavating a pit or dugout" ... used to "biologically treat waste, such as manure and wastewater."

But Foer vividly describes these shit and sludge pools that have made and continue to make a significant contribution to nitrogen pollution and groundwater contamination. Have you ever driven down a rural highway (perhaps in North Carolina, my wife's home state), windows down, and smelled something unthinkably foul? You mind conjures up "manure," but there's nothing for miles ... only these large warehouse-type buildings in the distance, far off the highway. That putrid odor is open air waste lagoons -- and the harmful effects of the U.S. factory farming industry and its brilliant solution to hog waste treatment.

Yes, the pigs and other animals that we farm for consumption excrete waste just like we do. In fact, "hogs produce three times more excrement than human beings do. The 500,000 pigs at a single Smithfield subsidiary in Utah generate more fecal matter each year than the 1.5 million inhabitants of Manhattan. The best estimates put Smithfield's total waste discharge at 26 million tons a year. That would fill four Yankee Stadiums." (via GlobalResearch.ca) 

And all that shit has to go somewhere.

"The liquid waste contains nitrogen, salts, bacteria, viruses, pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other potential contaminants. Thus, under certain conditions, seepage losses from the sides and bottoms of earthen lagoons could potentially pollute soils and groundwater near AFOs (Animal Feeding Operations)."

"A wide range of alternatives to the lagoon and sprayfield system currently exist, which illustrates that it is not the lack of other options that is driving factory farms to rely almost exclusively on the lagoon and sprayfield system. Instead, factory farms continue to use this polluting system because they have been allowed to use farmland, rural waterways, and air as disposal sites for untreated wastes."

Veganism is a cause, not some fad diet. And it's not about any one person, or arrogance, or whatever preconceived notions people have about it. It's about a global initiative. It's about lakes of excrement, some measuring 120,000 square feet (that's 2 football fields), doing serious harm to our world and its inhabitants. And this cause needs our attention because (a) you wouldn't tolerate this if it was in your backyard, and (b) at present, this is entirely legal.

---

Further Reading:

• Jonathan Safran Foer's acclaimed (and highly recommended) Eating Animals, available on Amazon.com for as low as $5.23
• "Pork's Dirty Secret: The nation's top hog producer is also one of America's worst polluters" from the Centre for Research on Globalization
• "Cesspools of Shame: How Factory Farm Lagoons and Sprayfields Threaten Environmental and Public Health" from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Clean Water Network

Healthy Alternative to Your Calorie-Heavy Quesadilla

OK. So I waited a week. No responses. So let's just stick to some recipes. I always wanted a virtual vegan recipe book anyway.

This little lunch favorite of ours takes about 10 minutes including prep and pressing.

EASY VEGAN QUESADILLA

Ingredients

1 wrap (I use Trader Joe's olive oil whole wheat wraps)

1 pearl tomato, thinly sliced

1/4 or 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced

2 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 large basil leaves

3/4 cup daiya vegan mozzarella cheese (yup, it melts like dairy cheese)

Preparation

• Spread the daiya out on one half of the wrap, then layer ingredients over the cheese one at a time. Feel free to get creative with ingredients (I've made some killer squash and avocado quesadillas), but be careful not to make it too thick or it won't press well.
• Fold and press -- ideally with sandwich press, or you can heat a skillet on the stove and press by hand with a spatula. Press until daiya begins to sizzle.
• Serve with salsa and fresh lime.

For more information on daiya (pronounced DAY-uh) and their products, check out their website.

Standing on the Scale: a Recap and a Request

I'm gonna say something, and I want you to think of the first word or phrase that comes to mind.

Are you ready?

standing on the scale

So what came to mind? Ugh. Terrifying. Evil. No. No way. No thank you. Not unless I have to.

Or maybe the doctor's office came to mind. Aside from entering the army and entering prison (and other rare circumstances), it's the one place where standing on the scale is a requirement. Hell, I know someone who avoided going to the doctor's for years so he wouldn't have to see the numbers on that scale. Because if you don't see them -- then they don't exist ... right?

Wrong.

But standing on the scale doesn't have to have a negative connotation. My sister stood on the scale this morning, a month after deciding to take a long look at her diet (particularly her dairy consumption), and saw a number that she was PLEASED with. She saw a change she was PLEASED with. For her, this morning (just one month after making a simple, reasonable, feasible change ... after doing a little research and reading some labels and honoring her body's needs), standing on the scale was a positive experience.

And now I need to hear from you. I need to hear about your positive experiences and your negative experiences and your mixed emotions.

If you've been reading, I need to know what new recipes you've been playing with lately (I made vegan cheese for the first time last week -- what about you?). Which of the at-home exercises have you been doing, and which have you been struggling with? What spin class are you taking? (Charlize Theron walked into the class after mine this morning. She wasn't born with that body.)

How long can you plank without dropping? And what song are you using to get you there? I'm using CeeLo's F*** You followed by Incubus' Adolescents. 

Stand on the scale tomorrow morning and own that number, realizing that it can change and that (more importantly) it doesn't define you. What number would you like to see? What positive experience are you looking to achieve? Last year, all I wanted to do was be able to take my shirt off at the beach and not feel completely awful about myself. And through a vegan diet and a strenuous exercise program, I accomplished that and more. And then I found a new goal, new direction. 

What is your goal? And know that, if you don't have one, then you really can't move forward.

I need to hear from you. You can post a comment here on the blog, or you can send me an email if you prefer not to share with the world wide web. Just tell me what progress you're making, how you're changing, what you're learning, what you're still having trouble with, what food you just can't seem to give up. Send me photos of new healthy homemade dishes you've made. Anything. Just don't read this post and say tomorrow. Worry about tomorrow tomorrow. Do this now. So that, a month from now, you can look back and say you're glad you did something.

I'll be waiting.

Weekend Challenge

It's sad that even a health-conscious restaurant chain like Subway offers drink sizes comparable to a 7-Eleven Big Gulp. Their X-Large drink contains 40 oz. That's big enough to hold up to 620 calories and up to 160 grams of sugar.

Many people give up soda and find that that change alone leads to weight loss and smaller waists. But if weight loss isn't enough to get you motivated, how about this study on the numerous negative effects of soda, particularly for women:

JUST SAY NO TO SODA

(Yup, there's that Type 2 Diabetes again.)

So your weekend challenge ... (pretty obvious at this point, no?) ... NO SODA! This isn't a "see if you can do it" kind of challenge, because there isn't a single person on this planet who couldn't abstain from soda for 48 hours. Rather, it's a "see if you feel a difference" challenge. Notice the minor changes, and imagine what changes you might see if that weekend became a week, and if that week became a month, and so on.

As usual, I'd love to hear your reactions and discoveries. Email me @ theveganmale@gmail.com.

Excuses: I Can't/I Could Never Do That

Man oh man, how we rely on this old favorite to get us out of anything remotely challenging. And this one really bothers the shit out of me -- because what we're essentially doing is limiting ourselves. We're putting ourselves in a box, setting "comfortable" boundaries and (therefore) making ourselves weaker.

How sad is that?

Give up cheese? I could never do that.

Work out at 7AM?! Good for you, but I couldn't do it. 

HA, 100 push-ups? I could never do that. 

Cook EVERY night? Sorry, I just couldn't do that. 

Give up red meat? No way. I couldn't. 

Put a man on the moon? We could never do that. 

At the beginning of the year, Joanna and I purchased a pair of HydraCoach water bottles that calculate how many ounces you drink per day with the aid of a special mechanism in the straw. We used an online calculator to determine how much water each of us are supposed to drink each day.

Surprisingly, the most common reaction to the bottle is not oh, how cool or wow, you're like a super nerd, aren't you? but rather:

100 ounces a day? Oh, I couldn't do that!

Oh really? Have I been endowed with a special water digestion system? Are my kidneys freakishly large and sponge-like? Thank god I have these two massive camel humps on my back, designed for this specific purpose. You're right -- you can't do it. Only I can do it. 

Give me a break. And that goes for anything you "can't do" or "could never do." Last year I could hold a solid plank with good form for about a minute consistently. These days, I can do four minutes. Do you think four minutes seemed EASY or even WITHIN REACH a year ago? Of course not. But it also didn't seem IMPOSSIBLE.

Oh you're vegan? You gave up steak? Gosh, I could never do that.

Right. Thankfully I had my taste buds surgically removed and took a semester in "Vegetables" at Yale. Guess that's why I can do it.

potential (n.) : 

1. something that can develop or become actual

2. the work required to move a unit positive charge from a reference point (as at infinity) to a point in question

The first of the two definitions above is inspiring (something that can become actual), but the second is more realistic. The work required to make a change. Work. Friction. Struggle. Conflict. Discomfort. Words synonymous with social and political movements, movements like civil rights and women's suffrage.  Did those changes come about because they were meant to ... or because some willful, determined (but not superhuman) individuals caused a stir, created a conflict and endured discomfort?

Perhaps, in your mind, you aren't meant to be healthy. Healthy people are meant to be healthy ... right? They have special powers, special abilities. People like that are born thin, enjoy eating salad, have higher metabolisms, have more free time, etc. "I could never do what they do."

Well I know a few people who would be happy to step up and call you out on your bullshit ... like runners and bikers who have participated in marathons and long-distance rides with artificial limbs. Like Damian Lopez Alfonso, the Cuban competitive biker who has no forearms. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to tell you a thing or two about thinking you "can't." 

I have a challenge for you ... you 3 or 4 loyal readers out there. It's called the POP MUSIC PLANK challenge. It's specifically designed for you.

1. Choose a song that really gets you moving, one that you love to sing along to in the car or dance to at the club. 

2. If you don't know how to do a plank, watch a video on YouTube to make sure you're doing it properly. I haven't seen this one, but I'm sure it's fine. (If not, there are a hundred others.)

3. Get into a plank position and ask your friend/partner/husband/wife/roommate to press PLAY when you begin. Hold the plank as long as you can -- yes, THROUGH THE DISCOMFORT .

4. Ask your friend/partner/etc. to record the time that you "drop," i.e. "00:35 seconds into the song."

5. REPEAT this exercise every single day for a month (at least). Why every single day? Because that's when you'll see the most change. Watch as that time increases day by day. If your starting time is 0:08 seconds, that's perfectly fine. Within a month or a few month's time, you'll be planking through a minute of the song. Within a year's time, you may need to find a longer song. :)

ENJOY - and please send me your results.

---

On a personal note, I want to congratulate my sis on huge changes and an even greater accomplishment. By giving up dairy (after learning about its negative effects), she's lost 10 pounds in 3-4 weeks. She's dropped dress/pant sizes, and, more importantly, she feels amazing. I couldn't be happier for her. 

The Truth About Diabetes

Rapper "Fat Joe" was on the radio this morning, discussing diabetes and how he was able to rid himself of the disease with his newfound healthy lifestyle. Apparently "Fat Joe" is now "Less Fat Joe."

Diabetes is a common discussion thread on The Biggest Loser: Dr. Huizenga will walk into his exam room, approach his patients (the BL contestants) and give them the bad news. They may not realize it, but they now have one more hurdle to overcome: Type 2 diabetes. Likewise, you've probably heard the term on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (a FANTASTIC show that exposes our country's criminally unhealthy school lunch practices); Jamie often encounters teenagers who are diabetic because (a) they don't get enough exercise, (b) they eat unhealthily at home and (c) they eat unhealthily at school, where the meager amount of tomato sauce on a frozen slice of pizza counts as a vegetable.

In most of these cases, the children are following in the footsteps of their parents, who are also diabetic.

Most recently, you've heard the word diabetes in the blogosphere, in the weeks before and the days after Paula Deen revealed to Al Roker that she has Type 2 diabetes. If this (sponsored) televised reveal didn't infuriate you, it should have. Deen was diagnosed three years ago and chose to keep that information private while continuing to promote her fatty, greasy, unhealthy recipes ... the same recipes that are very likely causing obesity and Type 2 diabetes in those Americans who subscribe to her "Southern" cooking.

Deen's "Krispy Kreme Bacon Burger," a.k.a. the direct path to diabetes.

But before we go any further, let's figure out what diabetes is:

• The two major types of diabetes (excluding Gestational Diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy) are Type 1 and Type 2. 
• "Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection—the immune system—turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to live. ... Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States. It develops most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age."
• "The most common form of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have Type 2. This form of diabetes is most often associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and certain ethnicities. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. ... The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. Their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms may include fatigue, frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow healing of wounds or sores. Some people have no symptoms."

And that's the scariest part of it all -- "some people have no symptoms" -- which is why it is IMPERATIVE that, if you are overweight (not obese -- overweight) that you see a doctor immediately and get tested for diabetes. "The fasting blood glucose test is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes in children and non-pregnant adults. The test is most reliable when done in the morning."

This is not one of those things you want to wait on until next month ... or until you "lose a few more pounds." This is nothing something you should be scared or embarrassed about. Like any routine testing, you need to be aware of what's going on with your body beneath the surface. And if you have even the slightest suspicion that you could be diabetic, you should make that phone call right now. Here's why:

• "Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In 2006, it was the seventh leading cause of death. However, diabetes is likely to be under-reported as the underlying cause of death on death certificates."
• "Diabetes is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body." 
• "[Diabetes] often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Uncontrolled diabetes can complicate pregnancy, and birth defects are more common in babies born to women with diabetes."
• "In 2007, diabetes cost the United States $174 billion. Indirect costs, including disability payments, time lost from work, and reduced productivity, totaled $58 billion. Direct medical costs for diabetes care, including hospitalizations, medical care, and treatment supplies, totaled $116 billion."

Put it this way -- what is scarier to you: (1) seeing a doctor, getting a diagnosis and learning to treat it, or (2) deciding that you'd rather not know, go blind, lose a kidney, lose a leg and die at an early age?

No, this information is not kind or sugarcoated -- but neither is this disease. We're way past being nice about this stuff. It's time to do something about it.

The good news is that early-stage Type 2 diabetes is potentially reversible, and Type 2 can be managed with a proper diet, exercise and medication. 

- - -

(Source: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Excuses: I Don't Have Time

Recognize this one?

I've been tutoring elementary and middle schoolers for over three years here in Los Angeles. "I don't have time" is an excuse I don't hear in my sessions. These kids, for the most part, know how to prioritize. They get home and begin their homework, read their textbooks, make progress on their long-term projects. They know they can't put television and video games before their schoolwork. They have it down to a science.

And don't assume that they've got it easy because they've got parents looking out for them, cooking them dinner while they work and read and study. These kids have it tougher than any of us. Aside from a full day at school, they've got 2-3 hours of homework, more standardized testing than ever, and a half-dozen extracurricular activities to boost their private school, high school and college resumes. They literally don't have time for "I don't have time."

The trouble is, adults don't get a recess or a gym class. It's our obligation to cook right, eat right and get our 30 minutes (at least) of daily exercise.

I can't cook dinner at night because I don't have time. I have too much other stuff going on. Assuming watching The Bachelor is not the "other stuff" you've got going on, how about enlisting your family to assist with the cooking? It's never to soon to get kids to help out in the kitchen. Or ... take some time over the weekend to cook some larger dishes that can be consumed throughout the week.

I can't get to the gym because I need to be at work early and I'm too tired when I get home. If waking up earlier isn't an option for you (we work out at 7am on weekdays so we can still begin the day at an early hour and get to work on-time), how about exercising at home? You don't need any special equipment or training. All you really need is a 4' x 4' space and a little creativity.

Burpees: my favorite body weight exercise

Check out these exercises: lunges (forward and reverse); burpees (above); prisoner squats; sit-ups; push-ups; mountain climbers; and planks. Have a stable table or bench? How about step-ups or dips? How about incline and decline push-ups? Have you thought about going for a jog in the morning? Basically, if you don't have time to go to the gym in the morning -- don't go. But don't use that as an excuse.

There is nothing wrong with body weight exercises. Feel free to add weights as you become comfortable with the exercises. As long as you're working at a pace that gets you sweating and your heart pumping, you'll know you're getting a good workout. Making this a routine is not easy, but it is within your control.

SOME ADDITIONAL LINKS

No Excuses - Lose Fat Without the Gym (via LVPF.net)

The 20-Minute Hotel Room Workout (via NerdFitness)

Look, time is more precious than anything these days -- and that includes your time on this earth. MAKE TIME for exercise.

Excuses: I Can't Cook

In honor of this season's Biggest Loser (tag line: "No Excuses"), I've decided to tackle and debunk some of my favorites.

Excuses don't just get us out of exercise on a rainy Saturday morning; more importantly, excuses hinder us from achieving and compromise our goals. Excuses make us weak. You can't stop excuses, but you can stop heeding and giving in to them.

One excuse I often hear is I don't know how to cook. Don't know how to cook what, exactly? Vegetables? Soup? Rice? Pasta? By owning up to this "deficiency," you're essentially limiting yourself to restaurants, take-out and microwave meals. In other words, you're eating expensive, fatty meals on a daily basis, meals that aren't necessarily healthy (did you know a loaded Chipotle burrito has over 1200 calories?). Better yet, you don't know what's in restaurant food, so you can't take responsibility for what is going into your body. It's a vicious cycle--vicious because you come to depend on it.

Look, I didn't go to culinary school. I didn't train with Jean Georges in New York. I wouldn't call myself a chef, or even a cook for that matter. But I proud to say that I know how to cook. In the kitchen, I am independent. And most of what I know I taught myself through trial and error. I made a Thanksgiving dinner for myself and a few friends my freshman year of college; the turkey was undercooked, the mashed potatoes runny, and the rest practically inedible.

Nine years later, I cook nearly every night. I've got several go-to recipes that I can make on the spot, and more importantly, I'm more willing than ever to try out new dishes from the various vegan cookbooks that we've collected and been gifted in the past year. To demonstrate, my wife and I have made the first of a series of videos, proving once and for all how easy and affordable it is to cook at home and make delicious meals.

[recipe from Julie Hasson's "Vegan Diner" cookbook]

This week, pick out a recipe -- something healthy, something simple or complicated, whatever you're up for -- make a list, go to the grocery store, and handpick your ingredients. Then spend some time in the kitchen, either listening to some music or talking with your loved ones, and make some food.

And should this wonderful self-made, home-cooked food taste like utter garbage, don't take that as a sign of defeat. Instead, take notes. Check the recipe. See what went wrong. Do-over.

Brian's Blue Chocolate Morning Pumpkin Pancakes

If you happen to make anything you'd like to share, please send it to me at theveganmale@gmail.com [don't forget to include a picture and a name for your dish!].

Spinning Into Control

Just last week, Joanna and I slipped into our brand new spin shoes (mine a Christmas gift from my father-in-law - thanks Reid!). New spin shoes (which lock in to the bike - as opposed to having to strap yourself into a permanent pedal) means a firm commitment to the class that we've been attending now for still under a year.

Please understand - similar to veganism, this is something that I resisted for a LONG time, though I had no explanation as to why. "I don't like gym classes" was the best pathetic excuse I could come up with. I was nervous as hell as I stepped into my first class, and no, I couldn't keep up. I knew, day one, that this would be something I would truly have to work at.

These days we sit in the front row in class, we go three times a week, and I miss it like hell when we're not there. It's a part of our routine and our custom-designed plan for a healthy lifestyle.

 my white Scattante's above, Jo's black Shimano's below

According to Livestrong.com, spin class (depending on the resistance level you choose and how much work you put in) can benefit "your heart and lungs ... as well as your gluteus maximus, hamstrings and quadriceps." For me, it's an amazing core workout. You're working your abdominals throughout the entire 45-minute ride.

So if you're looking to change up your workout (yes, variety in your workout(s) is KEY to producing change) or wanting to transform your body (and it has certainly done that for both of us), call your local gyms and ask if they offer spin classes. Or search "spin classes" on Yelp.com. Just don't let those pathetic excuses get in the way.

Rabbit Vegan Brownie Food

The following recipe is for anyone out there who might think of vegan food (i.e. food without animal products) as "rabbit food." This is a tribute to anyone who's ever asked me, "So what do you eat, then?"

Take this from a guy who just polished off a pint of So Delicious Coconut Milk German Chocolate ice cream: this ain't no rabbit food.

RABBIT VEGAN BROWNIE FOOD

(full recipe found in Julie Hasson's "Vegan Diner" cookbook)

Wait, these brownies don't have eggs, milk chocolate and a stick of butter??

No. Aside from the usuals (flour, sugar baking powder, cornstach, canola oil, vanilla & almond extract), the recipe calls for cocoa powder, ground coffee (I used pumpkin spice-flavored coffee), almond milk, soy yogurt and semisweet (milk-free) chocolate chips. And they're the richest brownies I've ever had.

For more recipes like these, check out Julie Hasson's Vegan Diner, a vegan tribute to the best of American diner classics.