coconut water.

* hi. i was skeptical about the whole coconut water thing. it tastes pretty bad, so i figured there must be something other than rihanna’s endorsement that’s making people pay stupid prices for the stuff. each brand has different nutritional info too and seemingly taste different, which is also odd. you would think coconut water would be somewhat consistent from coconut to coconut. some brands add sugar. some brands include the pulp. i wanted to get to the bottom of this. first (and most gross) is that coconut water, not to be confused with the oily and opaque milk, is the liquid endosperm inside of young coconuts before they undergo internal processes that result in the development of an older hairy-looking coconut’s white, fleshy inside. coconut endosperm. yum.

i wondered why it was marketed a sports/workout recovery drink and why people like rihanna, madonna, and alex rodriguez wanted to be affiliated with the number 1 brand in sales in america, vita coco. why did coca cola snap up the number 2 brand, zico, after pepsi bought the number 3 brand, o.n.e.? probably because this segment is roughly doubling its revenue each year since 2005. the is coconut water really that great? actually, yes – it’s pretty cool stuff. i mean, after you get over the price, the taste, and the whole sperm thing.

coconut water is high in micronutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, gibberellic acids, and cytokinins and can help prevent heart attack, high blood pressure, certain cancers, ageing, stroke, certain neural diseases, and dehydration. how, you may ask?

micronutrients (nutrients needed in small quantities) such as inorganic ions and vitamins in coconut water play a vital role in aiding the human body antioxidant system. detox to “retox”.

cytokinins found in coconut water support cell division and promote rapid cellular growth, proven to slow down the ageing processes and prolonged the lifespan of fruitflies. they also suppress skin cancer-causing agents – you can find skin care products with the same stuff developed to treat sun-damaged skin. gibberellic acids also prevent the formation of tumours. certain cytokinins inhibit platelet aggregation in human platelets, preventing blood clots. others prevent the formation of agents that play a causal role in the development and progress of alzheimer’s disease. basically, some cytokinins battle substances that block neural transmissions in the brain.

inorganic ions are required for normal cellular function, and are critical for enzyme activation, bone formation, hemoglobin function, gene expression, and the metabolism of amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates. coconut water contains a variety of these and can replenish the electrolytes of the human body excreted through sweat, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. it’s more hydrating than water. true.

vitamins, which are essential for, well, normal functioning, are also found in coconut water. greater consumption of vitamins is associated with the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, lungs, stomach, and colon. coconut water contains vitamins b1, b2, b3, b5, b6, b7, b9 and vitamin c. ladies, high levels of vitamin b6 and folate may reduce the risk for breast cancer.

huh.

click here to read the in-depth article from which i pulled the information above.

k *

snack wraps, smoothies, and everything in between.

* hi. i’ve missed you, blog. i’ve been a horrible blogger and haven’t written anything in ages. blogging 101 tip: blog often. me: fail. oh well. here i am.

has anyone else noticed the war going on? snack wraps, wrap snackers, breakfast sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, iced coffee, oatmeal, lattes, and now smoothies. a battle is raging for our meal-eating, snacking, and coffee-drinking occasions. who would’ve thought 5 years ago that you could grab hot oatmeal at the drive through window at your local mcdonald’s? and tim horton’s? and starbucks. yup, the big guys want you for breakfast, lunch, snack time, dinner time, after dinner time – pretty much any time.

remember when tim horton’s sold coffee, donuts, and tim bits? that’s it. remember when the only place you could get an egg that was the same shape as the english muffin it came inside was mcdonald’s? remember when the only place you could get a whipped mocha caramel something-or-other was starbucks? it’s a foggy memory, but i remember.

anyway, not saying this expansion of menu offerings is a bad thing. i have to admit that i enjoy easily finding an establishment that sells iced coffee on a hot day with little effort. obviously, like other consumers, i have preferences. someone who hearts starbucks coffee will likely pay the premium price for their breakfast sandwich as well. others may like tim horton’s over mcdonald’s but get swayed by the $1 drinks all summer. so what else differentiates all of these similar menu items besides branding, taste, and price? well, what about nutritional info? i was curious. who wins “best for you”? or rather, “least bad for you”? the info below is from each company’s corporate website.

wraps

tim horton’s *based on the 123g bbq chicken wrap snacker

calories: 190

fat: 4.5g

sodium: 630mg

sugar: 4g

protein: 12g

mcdonald’s *based on the 110g grilled chicken snack wrap

calories: 230

fat: 12g

sodium: 490mg

sugar: 2g

protein: 16g

starbucks *based on 173g chicken santa fe panini 

calories: 400

fat: 11g

sodium: 950mg

sugar: 2g

protein: 26g

verdict? starbucks is the most food (gram weight) so the most calories, but the best serving of protein. mcdonald’s is the clear loser, being the least amount of food for the most amount of fat. the best choice looks like tim horton’s with the least fat and calories, but a lot of salt.

breakfast sandwich

tim horton’s *based on 151g english muffin with hickory smoked ham and cheese 

calories: 300

fat: 11g

sodium: 940mg

sugar: 2g

protein: 18g

mcdonald’s *based on 134g egg mcmuffin (with ham and cheese)

calories: 290

fat: 12g

sodium: 760mg

sugar: 2g

protein: 16g

starbucks *based on 133g ham & cheddar artisan breakfast sandwich

calories: 350

fat: 16g

sodium: 790

sugar: 0g

protein: 20g

verdict? tim horton’s offers the most food for the least of the evils with the exception of salt. mcdonald’s is last place again. starbucks is heavy on the calories and fat again but has more protein and less sodium than tim horton’s.

oatmeal

tim horton’s *based on 327g small mixed berry

calories: 210

fat: 2.5g

sodium: 220mg

sugar: 14g

protein: 6g

mcdonald’s *based on 225g fruit and maple

calories: 230

fat: 2.5

sodium: 90mg

sugar: 19g

protein: 5g

starbucks *based on 38g with dried fruit topping

calories: 240

fat: 2.5g

sodium: 115g

sugar: 20g

protein: 5

verdict? um, starbucks lost this round by a bunch… of oats, that is. for way less food, the calories and fat are on par with tim horton’s and mcdonald’s. tim horton’s wins again with the exception of sodium, again.

smoothies

tim horton’s *based on 14oz (medium) mixed berry fruit smoothie with yogurt

calories: 220

fat: 1.5g

sodium: 55g

sugar: 46g

protein: 3g

mcdonald’s *based on 16.9oz (medium) blueberry pomegranate smoothie with yogurt

calories: 300

fat: 1g

sodium: 45mg

sugar: 61g

protein: 3g

starbucks *based on 16oz strawberry smoothie

calories: 300

fat: 2g

sodium: 130mg

sugar: 41

protein: 16g

verdict? all of these fruity refreshments are high in sugar. starbucks’ smoothie packs extras like whey and fibre powder to deliver some extra nutritional benefits with the least amount of sugar but the most amount of sodium. tim horton’s beats mcdonald’s on sugar, but tim horton’s loses again on salt. tim horton’s wins least calories, but their mediums are 2oz less than mcdonald’s and starbucks.

from this assessment, i conclude that if you’re looking for the most food/protein and don’t count calories, spend the extra cash and go to starbucks. if you care about your budget and not your health or waistline, your best bet is to go hit up mcdonald’s. if you’re both budget and health conscious, tim horton’s is the winner, but if you’re watching your blood pressure, you may want look into what items are surprisingly high in sodium.

did any of this surprise anyone or make them think twice about their choices? comments always welcome.

k *

yoga’s pros, cons, and sweat.

* hi. i started doing hot yoga again. for those of you who haven’t tried it, you’re probably wondering, “why would you subject yourself to contorting your body into weird positions in a hot room full of sweaty people breathing and namaste-ing?” good question. the first time i attended a hot yoga class, one of my university roommates and i showed up with all the gear - mat, towel, lululemon paraphernalia, and water. 15 minutes in, i thought i was going to die. i had never sweat so much in my entire life. as i lay in shavasana when the 75 minute class was finally over, i vowed to never enter another hot yoga room again. obviously, i reneged.

after the class, i felt amazing. a feeling no other bootcamp, kickboxing, or muscle conditioning class had delivered. kind of like i had sweat out all of the crap in my body and a certain homeostasis had returned that i didn’t know had left. i suffer through hot yoga to get that feeling; the smelly guy next mat over, the overachieving girl who must be double-jointed because bending that way isn’t normal, and annoying yoga instructors.

my last yoga instructor opened class by saying there are 2 schools of thought in north america regarding yoga. 1) it’s a spiritual and philosophical way of life to prepare one’s mind and body for death and 2) it’s a form of exercise that works wonders for flexibility and toning. he proudly (and quite pompously, i must say) stated, “i am in the first camp.” odd, because teaching in a hot yoga studio in an urban centre is about as far from spiritual as it gets. people are paying like 20 dollars a class and dropping hundreds of dollars at lululemon to make their ass look good for bikini season, not ready their body and mind for death. no one cares how good your ass looks when you’re dead.

anyway, if that guy considers himself a serious yogi, i wondered what actual people who practice actual yoga think of us north american sweat junkies. they probably think we’re idiots. they’re in their normal clothes sitting cross-legged on a grassy hillside somewhere. for free. and as a way of life. not for an hour every week.

which is why there is a serious problem with people doing yoga and getting injured. my chiropractor tells me she sees it all the time. hips messed up, spines and necks awry, but people won’t stop doing yoga. to be clear, i do not go to my chiropractor due to injuries from yoga, but her stories made me rethink what i do in class. i’m the most inflexible girl that i know of. i still look like it’s my first class every time. i used to be embarrassed that i didn’t look like a member of the cast of cirque du soleil. i used to try and push my body, even when it felt uncomfortable and really, really hurt. i don’t do that anymore.

for those of you who do yoga or are considering taking it up as a form of exercise (if you want spiritual, i say go to india), check out this article from the new york times, how yoga can wreck your body. and for those of you who haven’t seen it, check out lululemon’s shit yogis say video, basically pointing out that we are, in fact, a bunch of idiots.

namaste.

k *

#firstworldgirlproblems.

* hi. i don’t usually blog about fashion and i don’t usually rant, but i’m going to do both, so apologies in advance to the boys for the girl-specific post and to everyone for the rant, but i’m hoping some girls out there can relate. i went into victoria’s secret today with a clear purpose: i need a nude strapless bra. vs seemed like the best choice since i had to throw out my la senza nude strapless after the plastic stuff that was supposed to help keep it up left marks on my skin that looked like scars and took a good 2 weeks to go away. so weird. anyway, after getting derailed by the swimwear, i found the nude strapless bras. there were a few different variations; super padded, very padded, and un-padded. i went for the un-padded, since strapless and padding… well, it just looks odd on me. think madonna cones.

everybody's a c with a lil' padding.

i found (what i thought) was my size in the un-padded offering, of which there was only one variety. i went to the fitting room and and to my dismay, there we spaces in places there shouldn’t have been and if i so much as exhaled too much the thing would have fallen off. i pressed the button by the door for assistance. the friendly girl knocked and came in, “hmm,” she said, “have you been fitted recently?” fitted? i’d never been fitted. i went to the bay with my mom when i was 13 and i’d stuck with that size ever since. she pulled out her measuring tape and assessed the situation. “you’re definitely wearing a band size and cup size too big.” damn. she went to go seek out my size and returned with a slew of other strapless bras. “oh,” i said, “i actually was looking specifically for nude. and un-padded.”

“yeah, we actually don’t carry your  that one in your size, but i brought these which should fit you better.” she handed the pile to me.

“um, thanks, but they all have padding and they’re not nude. i can come back when the one i tried on is in stock with my size.” i shrugged.

“hmm,we don’t actually make your size un-padded. in any bra.” my lack of response prompted her to add, “because girls who are smaller usually want padding.”

really, victoria’s secret? really? is there such a lack of demand that you don’t even manufacture anything un-padded under a 34 band or b cup? i can buy lime green, lacy, sparkly, demi-cup, gel, or micro-suede, but i can’t buy un-padded? is it so unacceptable to just look your size? are we that insecure? well i don’t want padding in my nude strapless bra. i just want something there so i don’t have to go bra-less under a white strapless dress or halter onesie. i don’t want to appear 2 sizes bigger alllllll the time. there’s a time and place to play boobs-magee. and there must be other girls out there my size who want the option of un-padded bras. especially in a strapless bra where there aren’t any straps to pull and push stuff and you just end up with madonna-esque protrusions.

i know there are issues that deserve attention far more than this bra dilemma, but with spring upon us i’m eager to wear things that require this staple garment. the hunt continues.

k *

caffeine: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

* hi. most of us have a love affair with caffeine. it’s the coffee that makes us wake up and smell it. it’s the soda (or pop, since i’m canadian) with your burger and fries. it’s the energy drink (s?) that enables partying until it’s light outside. that’s the good. but this post closes in on the bad and the ugly. more specifically, the fat. does caffeine make you fat? short answer – no. but indirectly, yes. for a number of reasons.

in my post blood types and chicken avoidance, i said i would update on how eating/drinking for an a blood type was going. i’m still convinced i’m a type a. as recommended, i’ve cut back on alcohol, but since i like to party and my friends do too, it’s difficult and unrealistic for me to cut it out completely. i’ve decreased sugar intake, but since my current client manufactures sweet treats, it’s also difficult and unrealistic for me to completely ex-nay.

i have, however, completely stopped drinking my daily large tea with 2 milks and 2 sweeteners with an occasional grande skinny vanilla latte in addition. this not only cut out artificial sweeteners (a very happy bonus), but also 95% of my caffeine intake. i’ll still drink energy drinks on a party night – i won’t lie. but for the past 2 weeks, i’ve been drinking camomile tea, which is herbal and caffeine-free. i noticed that i felt better and slept better, which prompted me to look into caffeine’s affects on humans.

there are 2 main reasons caffeine indirectly makes us fat:

1) your mocha whip grande latte whatever has about a bagillion calories. not because of the caffeine. not because of the coffee or tea. but all the sugary fatty additions that compose your beverage. as does the gallon of carbonated syrup enjoyed with that burger and fries. so make it a diet, right? nope. artificial sweeteners make us fat too and cause cancer, but that’s another post.

2) consuming 100 mg of caffeine can increase your metabolism by around 5%, or the equivalent of burning 75 to 110 calories a day, so many diets incorporate it. the good: it makes you feel more awake and alert and has diuretic properties, meaning it helps temporarily get rid of excess water. but bodybuilders and athletes that need to keep their body fat percentage down know better, because caffeine increases cortisol.

too much cortisol makes us fat. and if i really am an a blood type, i have a tendency to be stressed and have too much of it floating around already. cortisol is a steroid hormone and when elevated for a prolonged period of time, the following happens:

a) promotes appetite, contributing to overeating

b) encourages muscle breakdown, reducing our fat-burning muscle mass

c) makes our bodies prefer to store central and visceral fat, meaning the fat around our mid-section (think spare tire, muffin top, love handles, etc.)

that’s the ugly. so how can we end this abusive relationship with our frenemy, caffeine? there is hope.

1) try cutting back – if you usually order a large/vendi, try a medium/grande for a week. the next week, try small/tall. if you’re like me and enjoy a massive mug, than try an herbal caffeine-free drink. i realized that most days, i’m not craving the caffeine, but rather the hot drink. try to replace pop with water or carbonated water, because whether sweetened artificially or with sugar, there’s nothing good about it.

2) increase your intake of vitamin c - it stabilizes cortisol production. fruits, veggies, and supplements are good ways to get enough. although the adult recommended daily intake is 60 mg, some studies show we may need up to 1000 mg.

3) don’t over-train. this may seem counter-intuitive, but excessive cardiovascular exercise or weight training can actually increase cortisol levels so high that lean muscle mass is lost and fat is deposited.

are there any readers out there that don’t do caffeine? i’d love to hear your thoughts.

k *

how to stop and smell roses.

* hi. how do people stop and smell roses? i mean, i’ve tried to, but it’s not enjoyable. keeping my mind in the moment without analyzing the past or thinking about the next moment or future moments is really difficult. and the fact that it’s so difficult is frustrating. i feel like this inability to stop and smell roses is contributing to my overall stress level. my stress level (if you haven’t guessed) is high.

how come some people can free their mind from what’s next or what has happened and some people, like me, find it so hard? it’s like life’s a race and i’m trying to sprint to my death. morbid, right? but exactly how i feel when there are roses to be smelled but my brain is nagging about what’s next, “you have to do laundry. you should go for a run. you’re thirsty. you need to pee…” etc.

the people who know how to stop best are buddhists. they recognize life is all about suffering so the best way out (of the race to get reincarnated as something better or worse depending on how you’ve lived your life a.k.a. karma) is to completely check out of it. live as a monk. meditate and practice yoga during time not spent sleeping or eating donated food. buddha knew how to smell roses.

so, i’m not going to become a monk. i think i would be really ugly bald, not that i would care if i was actually a monk. but i feel that if i keep on this trajectory of anxiety about nextness or pastness i’ll never enjoy the rightnowness. and that would be a shame. maybe it’s just the way i’m thinking about it. maybe it’s not about stopping. apparently this concept makes me uneasy. i feel like a stalled car at a green light with people honking behind me. maybe it’s about letting the happy parts of the race be as happy and long as possible. maybe there’s comfort knowing suffering is just a part of life and once we accept that suffering will come back to us, time spent not suffering is ok.

k *

 

the lost generation and peter pan.

millenials. generation y. echo boomers. peter pan generation. many terms have been coined to define those currently ages 18 to 29 who don’t live in china. the rapid rate of change in china since 1970 has caused generations to be classed by decade. anyway, i wasn’t born in china, so my peers and i fall into this peter pan generation, or whatever you want to call it. the rapid and pervasive rise of communication technologies happened in our lifespan, making us easy early adopters and shaping the way in which we function in all aspects of society.  our parents were the baby boomers, and i’d like to take this opportunity to apologize on behalf of millenials everywhere to our parent generation. right now. i’m apologizing. in general. let me explain.

we’re the most educated generation. 40% of us are enrolled in post-secondary education. 50% of those currently in school would like to earn a graduate or professional degree afterward.

we’re the least married. 1 in 5 of us are, which is half, yes half, the rate of our parents’ generation at our same age. of interest (and perhaps correlated), we are also the least religious generation, with 25% of us being without organized faith of some kind.

we entered the job market during the recession. 37% of us don’t have a job. and the job market is in decline 0.9% between 2006 and 2010.

inflation. from 1915 until 2010, the average inflation rate in canada was 3.26%. ya, that doesn’t mean anything to me either. to put things into perspective, a $100.00 basket of consumer purchases in 1915 would now cost almost $2,000.00. in 1950, a new home cost $8,450.00, a new car cost $1,510.00, a loaf of bread was 12 cents, and an average annual salary was $3,210.00. today, 60% of millenials say they don’t make enough money.

so, whether us unmarried, godless, highly-educated kids still live at home or have moved out, 36% still rely on financial support from our families. blah.

i’m a university graduate and working full-time. i do not live at home and pay rent in an urban centre. i – here it goes – rely on financial support from my family. and it’s frustrating. we are a generation of man-babies. of peter pans and lost boys who can’t grow up. ugh. statistics aside, there are a batch of twenty-somethings that have never existed before. a group caught in between independence and dependence. forget teen angst. what about the ten years after? for those living at home, money is saved, but parents are caught supporting another adult. and surely rooming with the ‘rents puts a bit of a damper on the social life. for those who have moved out, rent is expensive. it’s impossible to save when rent eats up half of your paycheck. and for those of us still in school, well, school’s expensive too. and our parents, unlike any parents had to before them, are footing the bill to varying extents.

it’s a bit of an identity crisis. on one hand, there are adult responsibilities millenials face daily. like, we’re supposed to be grown-ups. there is no such place as neverland, right? on the other hand, my bank account still looks like a student’s and i’m unmarried, so no dual-income action happening. not to mention the godlessness. gah.

this vid expresses the feelings of polarity well – click here to watch.

k *

blood types and chicken avoidance.

* hi. as part of my fresh start to 2012, i’m going to get back into health and wellness and more holistically than ever before. that’s the plan, anyway. i’ve always had the exercising part covered. i like it. i’m far too restless if i don’t regularly. it’s the diet part that’s difficult for me. my stomach and i aren’t friends – it’s perpetually angry and as a result, i’m consistently miserable. this has led to very interesting eating patterns. and exceptionally boring meal choices unless, of course, i’m prepared to pay dearly. that’s why it’s quite frustrating when people try to give me eating tips. “just eat chicken and broccoli,” they say, “and eggs for breakfast. and a bunch of nuts as a snack.” amazing. if i want to be curled up in a ball under my desk for the day, i’ll do just that.

the idea of eating for your blood type isn’t new but i never bothered trying it because i don’t know my blood type. i called the family doctor i’ve had since birth but she didn’t know it either. odd, i know, but apparently you have to specifically test for it. and i hate needles. in the interest of trying something new sans getting blood taken, i thought that maybe i could work backwards. perhaps i could identify the blood type that sounded most like what i already knew my body, with my stomach as the queen bee, hated.

i think i’m a. pretty sure, actually. and i’m going to follow the advice and see what happens – i’ll let you know how it goes. if you’re like me and don’t know your blood type, check out the descriptions below and see if you can figure it out. oh, and please note i’m not qualified or intending to give medical or diet advice, so do so at your own risk!

type o – the oldest blood type. you’re a predator. you like meat and meat likes you. because your stomach has so much acid to digest all the meat you’ve been hunting, you’re more susceptible to stomach ulcers. you’re also more likely to produce insufficient amounts of iodine, which regulates the thyroid. if your thyroid isn’t working properly, side effects include weight gain, fluid retention and fatigue. the “fight or flight” response is extreme for you. when stressed, you release adrenaline that can cause bouts of excessive anger, temper tantrums, hyperactivity. stress can manifest itself in behaviours like gambling, sensation seeking, risk taking, substance abuse and impulsivity.

how can you help your self-destructive self?

eat – lean, organic meats, vegetables, and fruits.

avoid – wheat, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol.

do – brisk regular exercise that taxes the cardiovascular and muscular skeletal system.

type a – emerged due to a dwindling supply of game to eat and forced the cultivation of grains, livestock, and stable communities, resulting in humans being able to fully utilize nutrients from carbohydrate sources. you’re (or should be starting to be now) a vegetarian. you have low levels of intestinal alkaline phosphatase that makes it difficult to digest and metabolize animal protein and fat. you have high levels of intestinal disaccharide digestive enzyme levels that make the digestion of carbohydrates more efficient. you have a very sensitive immune system and naturally high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can cause disrupted sleep patterns, daytime brain fog, increased blood viscosity (ew), and promotes muscle loss and fat gain.

how can you help your stressed-out self?

eat – grains and vegetables in as natural a state as possible and eat smaller meals at regular intervals.

avoid – meat, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, cured meat, and strong smells or perfumes.

do – yoga, meditation, tai chi, weight lifting, and aerobic activities, but do not over-train as this will actually raise cortisol levels.

type b – emerged due to severe change in climate as humans moved from hot, humid areas to cold ones. you have genetic potential for great malleability and the ability to thrive in changeable conditions. although you’re generally physically fit and mentally balanced, you produce higher than normal cortisol levels when stressed. despite this, you recover from stress quickly. certain foods affect the efficiency of your metabolic process, resulting in fatigue, fluid retention, and hypoglycemia, which is a severe drop in blood sugar after eating a meal. oh, and avoid chicken. yup. chicken contains a lectin (sugar-binding protein), which attacks your bloodstream and can lead to strokes and immune disorders. so the next time some muscle-bound guy tells you to eat a bunch of chicken breasts, tell him you’re type b.

how can you help your chicken-avoiding self?

eat – goat, lamb, mutton, rabbit, venison, green vegetables, eggs, and low fat dairy.

avoid – chicken, corn, wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts and sesame seeds.

do – activities that are not too aerobically intense, have an element of mental challenge, and involve other people, such as tennis, martial arts, cycling, hiking and golf.

type ab – the newest blood type. and rare – it’s found in less than 5% of the world’s population. it emerged due to the mixing and mingling of type a’s and b’s. although you can eat meat, you have low levels of stomach acid so the meat you eat tends to get stored as fat. you should steer clear of chicken too. inhibited insulin production results in hypoglycemia, a lowering of blood sugar after meals and leads to less efficient metabolism of foods. under stress, you produce adrenaline and have intense emotions, but you’re able to recover from stress quickly. exercise is critical to maintain both your physical and mental balance.

how can you help your mixed-up self?

eat – tofu, seafood, dairy and green vegetables.

avoid – chicken, corn, wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts, cured meat, sesame seeds, and eating starches and proteins in the same meal.

do – a combination of both calming activities and more intense physical exercise like running, biking, yoga, and tai chi.

anyone out there that already eats for their blood type? did it work for you or not? i’d love to know.

k *

the stuff, the you, and new year’s resolutions.

* hi. it’s new year’s eve and as i was prioritizing my resolutions (yes, plural) and my game plan to actually achieve them, i stopped being so hard on myself for a minute and thought about how nice it has been to have had some time off over the holidays. sleeping in, drinking tea in my underwear, seeing friends and family with whom i don’t get to spend as much time as i would like – it’s been lovely. we all feel pressure and responsibility that sometimes presses in and weighs down on us in ways we aren’t even aware. maybe it’s work, or school, or relationships. sometimes we have to feel relief before we realize how things in life are affecting us.

i evaluated from what i felt relief. what trees had been distracting me from seeing the forest? maybe it’s not that things or people cause us stress, but how we let them affect us. maybe i needed a healthy dose of the big picture.

when a person leaves their role in a company, he or she leaves a void. depending on how much the others in the company were dependant on he or she, the void could be small or gapingly large. perhaps he or she is integral to the balance of personalities. perhaps known as more than a co-worker – even a friend. but eventually the void seals up like a wound. some wounds are bad, like gashes that need stitches or broken bones that need a cast. some wounds are just scrapes and bruises that barely need a band-aid. regardless, the company heals. it may take new form, but the show goes on. stuff gets done.

my point, i suppose, is there’s you and then there’s the stuff. the work. grades. other people. life goes on no matter how bumped and bruised you allow yourself to get in the process. there will always be stuff. there won’t always be you. it’s best to try and keep you and the stuff separate. internalizing all the stuff will only cause detriment to, well, all the you.

so, the resolution on the top of my list is to separate myself from the stuff so i can have the drinking tea in my underwear feeling all the time, no matter the circumstance. how, you may ask, do i plan to achieve this?

i will tell myself the following:

1)   “we’re not saving babies.” i wonder what people who save babies tell themselves.

2)   “how do you eat an elephant? one bite at a time.” my dad told me that. it’s a goodie.

3)   “you are replaceable.” we like to think otherwise, but this is true in all scenarios. some may find it depressing. i find it oddly comforting.

4)   “be like duck.” let everything roll like water over greasy feathers.

and if all else fails…

k *

serendipity.

* hi. ‘tis the season for holiday movie marathons and i caught one of my favourites, serendipity last night on tv. actually, it’s up there with one of my favourite movies of all time. starring kate beckinsale and john cusack, the storyline is based on fate - that some people are just destined to be together. it made me think about my previous post about karma and determinism and how fate and destiny both contradict and align with these beliefs. maybe it’s just the time of year or the fact that i just watched serendipity but perhaps the logical philosophers and hopeless romantics believe the same thing. maybe, just maybe, they’ve noticed the same pattern but evaluated, defined, and qualified it differently.

let’s begin by defining serendipity. to stay consistent with its implication in the movie, serendipity is a happy accident or pleasant surprise. an accident is an event or circumstance that occurs without intention. staying true to a (loose) form of determinism, the “accidental” event or occurrence was always going to happen due to the events and circumstances preceding it, but the human being caught up in it was caught by surprise and didn’t foresee it. so, serendipity is really an event or circumstance (or a series of such happenings as in the movie) that is positive for the person or people involved. i like that word.

fate and destiny mean the same thing for the most part; the former can imply an ending caused by death and the latter doesn’t necessarily. both mean a resulting state or circumstance that is predetermined but the events leading up to this unavoidable event are not. so, no matter what you do, you’re going to end up at your fate or destiny. kind of like humans have free will and the power to make choices and take different paths through life, but they all have established and certain endings at which they will all end up.

just my opinion, but if we all have predetermined destinies, it would make sense that we would arrive at and fulfill them if our paths were also predetermined – paths made of linear and intertwined chains of events and circumstances resulting from the happenings that came before. anyway, both schools of thought lead to a predetermined result. and since a person can be destined for many things throughout his or her life, it would make sense that there are things that have to happen to fulfill a true destiny. whether or not you believe it was free will or determinism that got you to a resulting circumstance, stuff happened that impacted a future outcome.

next, let’s define coincidence. the meaning of the word as it relates to the movie and certainly most of our lives is that a coincidence is just a form of synchronicity: the experience of events which are causally unrelated, and yet their occurring together carries meaning. like that time you missed the train but in doing so, bumped into an old friend you with whom you never would have connected with otherwise. think about it. how many times has something like this happened to you? how did it impact your future?

i guess i like serendipity because despite the lead characters’ best efforts to find each other, they kept failing until the right events happen. both characters realize the partner they’re currently with isn’t who they really want to be with and end it before they finally find each other, which only happens because of actions and reactions prior. cheesy, i know, but a good analogy.

maybe if we were all a bit more observant and watched for the signs, we would notice the pattern too. doing this wouldn’t impact our path or destiny (unless, of course, it was meant to), but it would certainly make life a bit more interesting.

i’d love your thoughts, as always.

k *