Reflections...

Super Bowl Sunday 2018

james

We’d been talking about it for weeks. Although none of us were Eagles or Patriots fans, like most Americans, it was all about the buildup. It was extremely rare that we watched a game during the regular NFL season. At most, we’d watch the last hour of NFL RedZone so the kids could see every touchdown of the day, in the order they happened, during the final wrap-up. Then, like clockwork, as the playoffs began winding down, everyone became football fans again and you could feel the excitement in the air.

The buildup to Super Bowl LII was no different. We watched two or three games during the playoffs and about halfway through January, started discussing plans for Super Bowl Sunday. Well, that was easy, we’d eat, eat, and eat some more. Hell, we’d eat before, during, and after the game. Everyone pitched ideas for what they’d like to have that day and the Super Bowl LII menu began to emerge. Suggestions included wings, calamari, ribs, nachos, chili, bread, veggies, dips, desserts, and wine. It all sounded good. No one really cared that we were considering such an absurd quantity of food for one, single day. It was the freakin’ Super Bowl, one of the only days we could get away with pretty much anything dietary, and by god we were going to eat!

My normal Sunday-cheat-day, ran and hid under the couch. I had warned everyone, I wasn’t planning to eat anything all morning. In actuality, I had a protein shake after my workout so I didn’t have much of an appetite when we arrived around 4:30. However, within 30 minutes, the Super Bowl bingeing had begun. We ended up having a turkey (for sandwiches – its leftovers are literally in our oven at this very moment in turkey pot pie form), a rack of ribs, calamari, two types of wings, brussel sprouts, tiramisu cake, chocolate cake, chocolate candy, Twizzlers in several flavors, coffee, and wine. A few items were overlooked simply because there was so much food on the table. Three days later, we were remembering things like the gouda cheese and the melon that were forgotten in the refrigerator. I’ve recovered for the most part but have noticed I’ve been craving non-vegan foods a bit more over the past few days. Clearly my body’s still trying to figure out what the hell invaded it last Sunday.

As for the Super Bowl itself, well, the kids were both on the Patriots bandwagon as we left the house. This came as no surprise since everything we’d heard over the past month was Tom Brady this and Tom Brady that. As a Raiders fan, I wasn’t really rooting for one team over the other. Like a lot of people, I wanted the Eagles to win because I was bored with the Patriots habit of winning Super Bowls. However, if forced to bet on the game, I would have put my money on the Patriots. Funny how that works.

What I really wanted, more than anything else, was for it to be an exciting game. It certainly had the makings for it. Between the Patriots powerhouse duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and the relatively unknown Eagles quarterback-coach pair of Nick Foles and Doug Pederson, there was potential for a thrilling game. The fact that Nick Foles was the backup quarterback, who had only played a handful of games at the end of the season, added an additional element of unpredictability. About halfway through the first half, nearly everyone had jumped on the underdog’s bandwagon. They started to realize that not only were the Eagles controlling the game, they had a real shot at beating the Patriots. Needless to say, the game didn’t disappoint and kept us on the edge or our seats until the final whistle. It was surreal watching the Eagles make history by winning their first Super Bowl. Not only that, they did it by beating the seemingly unbeatable New England Patriots. That’s what I call a thrilling Super Bowl.

I’d been texting a friend of mine who also happened to be an Eagles fan throughout the game. He was nervous. Hell, I was nervous for him. After the game, I congratulated him. I was happy for him and other Eagles fans who, through thick and thin, had remained hardcore Eagles fans. For the first time, they don’t have to wonder if they’ll ever see the Eagles win a Super Bowl. Now, they can start wondering when they’ll win another one.

James

James's Kitchen

From Meat Eater to Vegan

james

My decision to go vegan happened suddenly and without any prior consideration, thoughts, or plans to do so. The evening of November 28, 2017, I was scrolling through Netflix looking for something new and interesting to watch. Bored and tired of watching the same stuff we usually watched, I came across the documentary What The Health. I had never heard of it and had no idea what it was about. Instead of critiquing, discussing the details of the documentary, or providing a review, I’ll simply say the film piqued my curiosity enough that I decided to start a vegan diet the very next day.

I’ve never been keen on the idea of dieting and typically favor more of an “everything in moderation” approach. As someone who is 6’2” tall and who has consistently weighed over 250 pounds (as high as 306 at one point) for the past 25 years, I understand what it’s like to struggle with diet and weight. The older I get the more I find myself thinking about the potential for, and the increased likelihood of, negative health effects of carrying so much weight into the later years of my life. This, combined with the fact that I’ve been taking medication for acid reflux for nearly ten years now, has made me consider different approaches for the way I treat my body.

It’s funny how differently we think the older we get. When I was young I threw all caution to the wind and frankly, felt invincible. I ate, drank, and pretty much did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, with little thought to how it might effect my well-being. Now that I’m 46, that’s no longer the case. I try to watch what I eat and drink and generally speaking, how my body feels and responds to different types of stimuli whether it be food, drink, sleep, the environment, workouts (or lack thereof), stress, medication, etc. I’ve also become much more aware of any aches, pains, or changes my body might experience from one day to the next. This is definitely different from the person I was in my 20s and early 30s.

I honestly feel like I know how to eat healthy, lose weight, and keep it off. I’ve actually done it before on a couple of occasions. Twice in the past ten years, I got my weight down to 251 pounds (losing over 40 pounds) and kept it there for a short while. Both times, I did it through exercise, a “healthy” diet, and by adhering to the principle of “everything in moderation”. It felt good knowing I could really do it and that I could repeat it if needed. The idea that I needed to do it again is very frustrating because I know I should have worked harder at maintaining my lower weight instead of allowing myself to gain it all back again.

My motivation for switching to a vegan diet two months ago was not weight loss (at least not primarily). It was mostly to see how it would make me feel and what effects it might have on me. My rationale was, Hell, I’ve never tried it before so what do I have to lose? Besides, after watching the documentary What The Health and hearing about all of the health benefits it could have and in such a short time (as little as two weeks for some people), I felt like I had to at least try it.

After the initial shock and disappointment of realizing how many items we had in the refrigerator that I could no longer eat, I decided to fully embrace the switch to vegan and make the most of it. I threw out anything I knew would have only been consumed by me and for the first couple of days did what I could to create meals from items already in the house considered vegan. It was a rough start but I made it work. After a couple of days, I made my first vegan grocery shopping trip to Wegmans. Even though I had a grocery list, I found myself wandering around Wegmans out of curiosity to see what vegan options were available. To my delight, there were a lot more options than I imagined. After getting everything on my list (and many more), I left with a grocery bill well-north of $200.

My first few meals were basic and mostly cereal with almond or soy milk, rice, beans, salad, fruit, vegetables, and some sort of spread on bread. They were much different than what I was used to eating. I found myself craving cheese, eggs, milk, and meat for the first few days. I started buying vegan sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and tofu to replace my cravings for meat. I also found several replacement options for yogurt, milk, and cheese. I began researching nutrients I might no longer be getting because of the switch to a vegan diet. The little amount of research I did made me aware of things like how to get enough potassium and how to get vitamin B into my diet. I’ve also started to get more creative with my meals. I make stir fry about twice a month with tofu and it’s absolutely delicious. Typically, I alway try to have the following items on hand or readily available: tofu, rice, beans, oats (for overnight oats), avocados, blueberries, bananas, whole grain breads and tortillas, vegan sausages and burgers, vegan yogurt, almond and cashew milk, coffee, nutritional yeast flakes, salsa, hot sauce, adobo seasoning, ingredients for salads, nuts, dried apricots, peanut butter, and a variety of jams, preserves, and spreads.

Aside from my new diet, I make a trip to the Vitamin Shoppe about once every two months to stock up on a few supplements and pea protein. Yes, pea protein. I used to use whey proteins but after the transition to vegan I switched to using pea protein. The supplements I use on a daily basis are a once daily men’s multivitamin, omega 3 fish oil, alpha-lipoic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin, ginkgo biloba, and ubiquinol CoQ-10. For the first time in years, I feel like my diet, combined with these supplements, is actually making me feel better and much healthier.

Other changes I’ve noticed are more regular and easier bowel movements (the first week feels similar to a cleanse), more consistent energy levels, a return to having vivid dreams every night (after having very few dreams over the past several years), no more feeling bloated, too full, and uncomfortable after meals, a feeling of enhanced strength during workouts and throughout the day in general, less soreness after workouts, and an improved sense of well-being in general knowing that I’m now providing my body the nutrients it needs to fully maximize my potential.

Several people have asked me if I’ve noticed a difference since going vegan. My answer is always, “Oh my gosh yes, but it’s hard to explain.” Of course, they always want to know what that means. It means I feel light instead of heavy, energetic instead of sluggish, and healthy and like someone has taken a brush and started cleaning out all the crap I’ve accumulated in my body throughout my life. My clothes are starting to fit better, I feel stronger, younger, and overall healthier. I feel cleaner on the inside (try explaining that to someone). I now look forward to sleeping at night and specifically the recent return to lucid dreaming. I’m always amazed when I wake up and can remember my dreams now. I seriously can’t remember the last time I dreamed as an adult before going vegan. I love knowing I can eat as much as I want now without feeling that heavy and lethargic feeling I used to experience regularly after meals laden with animal products. It’s been quite a remarkable experience really.

I allowed myself to splurge the week between Christmas and New Years and quickly realized how terrible I felt after eating animal products for such an extended period of time. As soon as I returned to my vegan diet, I once again felt a noticeable return of all the positive feelings I experienced the first time I started the diet. It was as if I was once again proving to myself that the vegan diet actually does work for me and that I really could feel and experience the difference. Since then, I have allowed myself to cheat from time to time but only for one or two meals a week. Typically, my splurge meal is Sunday evening dinner at my in-laws. My father-in-law loves to cook nearly as much as I do and he never disappoints as he always has a large chunk of animal flesh of some sort prepared either on the grill or in a roasting pan.

After two months of eating mostly vegan and feeling the way I do now, I’m certain I will continue eating vegan (at least 95%) for the rest of my life while at the same time allowing myself to splurge from time to time. While it may not be considered truly vegan by some, I’ve finally found a diet that actually works for me and makes me feel the way I’ve always imagined a healthy diet should.

Who knew a boring night in November could turn into a potentially, life-changing experience? So… thanks Netflix and the documentary What The Health for sparking just enough curiosity in me.

James

Reflections...

My return to a rural, and predominantly white, American town.

james

My transition from a Prince Georges County, Maryland resident to an Ocean County, New Jersey resident has been both an interesting and a learning experience. Now that I’ve lived in New Jersey for several months, I feel like I’m finally beginning to settle in to my new life here. The return to a small, rural town, has, in this case, also been a return to white America, and has unexpectedly brought with it a renewed awareness and a humbling appreciation for the cultural differences that still exist in many areas of our country today.

Prior to moving to New Jersey, I lived in Maryland for 22 years where I had become accustomed to living in an area where the majority of residents were not white and represented nearly every ethnicity and nationality. I spent all 22 of those years living between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. where most of my neighbors, acquaintances, and coworkers were minorities. While living in the cultural melting pot of the Baltimore / D.C. area for the past two decades enhanced my understanding of diversity, it’s become evident that it also suppressed my awareness of what day-to-day life is like in predominantly white areas. I grew up in a small, rural, and predominantly white area of Kentucky, so life in white America isn’t foreign to me. That is also what makes this renewed awareness all the more surprising; I know first-hand what it’s like to live in a predominantly white, American town.

When I first moved to New Jersey, it felt awkward every time I found myself actually noticing minorities in this new, yet old and familiar, monochromatic America. I noticed things like the one, black player on a basketball team, the all-white participants in most events and activities, the unfamiliar local jargon, the different types of restaurants and establishments, and the relative absence of diversity in general, compared to what I was used to. Although I had no reason to feel that way, it initially made me uncomfortable and felt similar to guilt. How could I have forgotten what it was like to live in white America? It was as if my brain was telling me, “Ah ha, you do remember things are different here.”

I consciously think about race and diversity more now. I haven’t lived here very long but I’m sure there’s much more to be learned from this experience and as I mentioned before, my move from the ethnically diverse Prince Georges County, Maryland to Ocean County, New Jersey, has undoubtedly provided me with a renewed awareness and appreciation for America’s cultural diversity and for that I’m grateful.

For more information, see: Race & Ethnicity in: Prince Georges County, Maryland and Ocean County, New Jersey.

James

Today's Two Cents

Today’s Two Cents

james

Following yesterday’s inauguration of Phil Murphy as the 56th Governor of New Jersey, I’ve experienced an unexpected sense of relief. Since it just happened yesterday, I haven’t had time to think about why this might be. I expect the relief I’m experiencing has to do with the fact that Chris Christie is no longer my governor and that Governor Murphy seems like someone who thinks before he speaks or acts and who brings a much broader, world-perspective to the Governor’s office given his former role as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany.

I’m cautiously hopeful that Governor Murphy will prove to be a Governor genuinely intent upon improving the lives of all New Jersey residents. He certainly made a good impression yesterday when his first official action as Governor was to sign an executive order to support equal pay for women. With any luck, this will become New Jersey law in the near future.

Now that New Jersey has a new governor, I’m hopeful it will usher in a new era filled with possibilities and positive anticipation of a bright and colorful future. I’m also hopeful that other individuals in leadership roles like Governor Murphy will dedicate themselves to refocusing efforts towards fostering a more positive outlook for the future instead of continuing down the all-to-familiar path of partisan politics.

James

Monthly "Mise En Place"

Monthly “Mise En Place” – January 2018

james

“Mise en place” is a French culinary phrase meaning “everything in its place” and one I became very familiar with during culinary school. For me, it stood for proper planning and preparation and basically having my shit together for whatever was on the menu for the day. Not only did it mean having my ingredients prepped, it also meant having my station, my knives, and the required tools and utensils at the ready. More importantly, it meant having a strategy to successfully execute the entire menu from appetizer to dessert. Anyone who has spent time working in a restaurant kitchen knows no amount of planning and preparation can prepare you for every eventuality to come throughout the course of a service. It doesn’t matter how organized you are or how well thought-out your plan may be, there will inevitably be hiccups.

As 2018 kicks off, I find myself contemplating the year ahead and the goals I want to accomplish and what it might take to accomplish them. Whether it’s completing (or starting) another writing project, focusing on my health and fitness, losing weight, improving my diet, having a successful year in business, or becoming a better partner and father-figure, without some idea of what my goals for the year are, it would be pointless to try and accomplish them. In effect, I must prepare my “mis en place”.

A notorious list-maker, as indicated by the current list on my desk with 11 items on it and only two crossed out, I’ve found lists to be an effective way of helping me stay focused on the things I feel are important enough to keep on my radar. Generally speaking, the items on my list are not in any priority order. I will cross some out within hours of writing them down and others may stay on the list for weeks. Recurring items will find themselves on my list over and over and over again. I’ve also found it helpful to remain flexible and avoid getting frustrated if I have to keep pushing the more-interesting items further down the list due to other priorities. I find comfort in knowing that as long as I’m patient and stick to my plan, I will eventually cross out all of the items on my list. This also means I will either accomplish my goals or make some progress on my way to accomplishing them in the future.

As I return to the next item on my list, I’d like to wish you and yours a Happy New Year and all the luck with your own “mise en place” on the way to successfully accomplishing any 2018 goals you may have!

James