The Power of Two or Three…

Hey all -

Just wanted to share a quick observation about the whole meditation thing for those who are just getting into it…

Yes, I know that many teachers/methods suggest that you start with 20 to 30 minutes. And yes, this is a good amount of time to “step into the zone” so that you can see quantifiable results.  However, from my view, most folks are not going to be anywhere near ready for this amount of time out of the gate.  Our brains – especially in these modern, high-tech times of multitasking, sensory overload and scattered attention spans – are simply not conditioned to have any luck with shutting things down for 20 minutes.

Think of it like jogging.   If you want to run a marathon, but have either never jogged before or are returning after a long layoff, you have to start slow.  In fact, you might even start off by taking a series of brisk walks for 10 or 15 minutes, just to let the body acclimate.  From there, you might integrate little bits of jogging into your walks as you extend things to 20 to 25 minutes.  The idea is, you keep adding a little bit more each session, as you gradually condition the body to run longer distances over time.

Same with meditation… which is why I would rather see someone get two or three minutes of focused meditation at a shot, then to force yourself through 20 minutes of distraction and daydreaming.  True, there’s not much benefit to these ultra short sessions, but it’s all about the bigger picture.  You are conditioning your brain to focus on nothing (or a key word or phrase, depending on the style of meditation that you prefer) for a short period of time.  Then, just as with jogging, you are gradually increasing the time you spend meditating, until you can hit that 20- or even 30-minute mark with a reasonable amount of consistency with your focus.

The other cool thing about this approach, is that everyone has a few minutes.  Sometimes, we will postpone grabbing that 20 or 30 until we run out of day, thinking that we just don’t have time.  But if it’s just two or three solid minutes, no problem (although, let me assure you, even a few minutes of really “stepping into it” is not easy!).

A quick suggestion: If you’re looking to try this, set aside a good five minutes, then spend the first two or three decompressing… breathing slow, deep and steady, and allowing all thoughts and concerns of the day to gradually leave your consciousness.  Then – once you’re feeling more relaxed, you can  step into the silence and try to get two or three focused minutes of medi time.  Do this for days or weeks, as you wish, then gradually go to either more of these shorter sessions per day or, better yet, longer sessions, increasing them by one or two minutes at a time.  This is a practice that will benefit you for a lifetime.

All for this moment,

BR

The Cleanse

Hey everybody –

So sorry for the inconsistencies in posting lately.  Been buried in a final edit of my latest book with my editor this week.  Editing is probably my least favorite part of the writing process but, at the same time, it’s always nice to watch a manuscript tighten up into its final form.  And the material is really holding up for me.  Can’t wait for you guys to see this thing (A Season in the Warrior Utopia) when we’re done.  It’s definitely one of my favorite projects, ever… if not my very favorite.

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Okay, on to the subject at hand.  I get a number of questions about dietary cleansing, which loosely refers to any of a number of different food and/or supplement-based regimens, designed to help remove toxins from the body.  They can last anywhere from one day, on up to several weeks or more, and they truly run the gamut in scope and strictness.  Here are a few broad strokes:

In some cases, a cleanse can refer to a “fast,” which is where you either forego food altogether (and just drink water), or you do a juice fast, or a fruit fast, where you would only consume juice or fruit, respectively.  Of course, there are a million different variations of fasting, and you have to be very careful about how you enter into a fast and, equally important, how you break one.

Additionally, there are a number of supplements, elixirs and natural remedies out there, designed to aid the body in ridding itself of toxins as you modify your diet for a cleanse.  Some approaches focus on general detoxifying like various herbal blends, wheatgrass juice, or The Master Cleanse, which involves using a basic concoction of lemon juice, cayenne pepper and pure maple syrup in purified water, x-number of times per day.  Others focus more on the colon, either with high-fiber, roto-rooter kind of supps designed to scour your plumbing, or, yes, even different kinds of enemas.  So again – there’s a full gamut, indeed!

Obviously, I’m reluctant to advise any set type of cleanse or fast for everyone, because each individual’s personal health and overall physical condition will factor into what’s best.  That said, I do have a pretty universal system that will work for most anyone, because it enables you to easily adjust or adapt the regimen, as needed.  Perhaps I’ll post that here soon, if anyone’s interested in scoping it out.

BUT – here’s the bigger picture point I really wanted to make about this whole thing.  Your body has an impressive, built-in intelligence about it.  It is capable (in almost every instance) of healing itself… of cleaning house on stored toxins.  And what I’ve found is this; it doesn’t really need a whole lot of outside help from you to do it.  It just needs for you to stop ingesting toxic things! And therein lies the secret for why so many different cleanses actually work.  Now, sure, some of these remedies can certainly hasten the process.  But I’m telling you, the number one element to a successful cleanse is all that you are NOT putting into your body, as opposed to the fact that you may be ingesting the latest, greatest, magical, mystical herbal supplement.

I figured this out early on.  When I first went veggie, I cut out all flesh foods, all caffeine, and all refined sugar and flour.  Holy shit!  (Quite literally, to be honest.)  I fell into a serious few days of detoxing where I almost felt like I had the flu.  I even remember doing a recording session around this time where I literally had to lie down on the floor between takes.  I had no energy and felt horrible.  But it only lasted for a few days, and I emerged from this short phase almost like a new person.  I had freakish new levels of energy and suddenly started waking up about two hours earlier then usual.  Why?  1) Because my body had rid itself of many stored toxins, and;  2) Because it didn’t have as much work to do while I was asleep, so my nightly “rejuvenation” time didn’t take as long.

And, of course, I’ve seen similar things happen with many others who I have advised or coached through this process.  Seldom have I ever had to bring in anything too radical (in terms of magical elixirs).  Of course, a lot of the high-fiber, super nutrient-dense foods that I recommend (like spirulina, leafy greens, berries, beans and various other multicolored fruits and veggies) might hit someone’s body like a “magical elixir” if they’ve been eating a relatively shitty diet.  But again, it’s typically more about what you STOP doing to yourself that is most helpful to your body’s cleansing efforts.

Final Thought

While a serious modification of your present eating regimen can go a long way in creating a cleansing environment, these more “radical” cleanses and fasts do have some profound mental/spiritual benefits… which is why so many spiritual and religious traditions promote the idea.  As just one example, as you seriously restrict or even forego food for said period of time, you become liberated from it, in a way.  You can more easily transcend any attachments or addictions that you may have with food, and this is perhaps the strongest argument for considering a cleanse.

So… yeah.  I’ll try to grab that section from “The Grail” that deals with this particular system of cleansing.  Stay tuned…

BR

The Top Seven Places to Buy Your Food and Supplements

One of the main questions that always comes up with regard to a healthy eating regimen is, “Where in the hell do I find this stuff?”   Believe me, it’s really not so hard these days.

Back in the early 90’s, it was a different story.  Weeks after I decided to go veggie, I found myself on a tour bus for the better part of a year, cruising all over the country.  That was a bitch, not only because I was still learning what to eat, but also because the national landscape for healthy/vegetarian food was way less consumer friendly than it is these days.  In fact, you can find most everything you need, even in those smaller “B” and “C” markets.

So – not including restaurants or backyard gardens – here are my suggestions for your top seven places to buy your food and supplements. (This is mainly for North America, but many ideas will apply internationally):

1. The health food store: This would include places like Whole Foods Market or any of the hundreds of other full-on health food stores out there. Many of these places have organic produce, prepared-daily snacks and meals, an array of frozen foods and tons of other items in their isles and bulk bins, much of which is not available in your typical grocery store.  In general, this will represent your highest level of quality and biggest selection.

2. The vitamin/supplement shop: Not to be confused with the full-range health food store (as described above), these places specialize almost exclusively in vitamins and other supplements like protein powders, canned diet shakes, various energy drinks and every other kind of over-priced, slickly-packaged fat-burning and muscle-building product du jour.  Is there anything of value in these places?  No doubt.  But stick with the Rock-Solid recommendations and don’t be allured by the hype.

3. The grocery store: Virtually any large, commercial grocery store out there will have a number of Rock-Solid approved items in stock.  They might either be limited to a special “health food” isle and/or scattered throughout the store in the respective areas; soy milk in the dairy section, healthy cereal in the regular cereal section, veggie burgers in the TV dinner section, etc.  And, of course, you will always be able to find a full range of the basics: fresh and frozen fruit and veggies, canned beans, various nuts and seeds, and some good bread if you’re really lucky.

4. The specialty market: Trader Joe’s is a good example of this specialty, hybrid kind of store that is somewhere between a grocery store and a health food market.  They tend to feature a wide variety of delicious ethnic foods and ingredients, some of their own private label products and, in general, higher quality food than your typical grocery store.

5. The local farmer’s market: This is usually the best place to find the freshest fruit and veggies because they’re locally grown and usually organic.  And, as a bonus, the prices can be very reasonable.

6. The local ethnic grocery market: Many cities will have privately owned markets that cater to the local ethnic population (Hispanic, Middle Eastern, etc.)  Almost across the board, these places are a gold mine for produce that is often a fraction of the price of what you’ll find at the local grocery store.  So even if you’re on a “broke-ass musician” budget, there is no reason to avoid produce!

7. The Internet: For key supplements and non-perishable food items, the Internet presents a lot of fantastic options.  There are now a host of web sites that specialize in a wide variety of vegan products, any of which can be conveniently shipped to your doorstep.  Here are a couple suggestions in tracking things down:

A) For tough-to-find items, veganessentials.com (my favorite) is one of many sites that has an excellent selection.  Google away for more options.

B) Believe it or not, if you have a particular supplement in mind, try doing a general product search on amazon.com.  They often have the best prices around.  Plus, they sometimes have reasonable quantity offers where you can get free shipping if you buy x-amount of a certain product.

All for now, kids.

BR

The Truth About Soy

It would be hard to think of a more controversial subject in the vegan/veggie world than this whole business of eating soy-based products.  I heard rumblings about both the supposed good and the supposed evil of soy, early on.  So when I started doing serious research for my book all those years ago, I actually went into the discovery process pretty open-minded.  Sure, there were certain soy foods that I enjoyed, but hey, if soy was as fucked up as so many claimed it was, I had no problem letting it go.  My goal was all about finding the absolute healthiest – and most ethically and environmentally conscious – way to eat, and I was always sure I could achieve this without soy, if necessary.

As I began to peruse the mountain of data, sure enough, both sides were speaking loud and clear.  So the only reliable way I knew of to discern what was what, was to do the “research behind the research” of all the various claims I was conjuring up.

Unfortunately, I’ve come to find out that this process of discernment is the exception, and not the rule…particularly where soy is concerned.  I’ve seen so many otherwise intelligent experts quote from studies that I know for a fact are blatantly flawed, further perpetuating these falsehoods in the form of soundbites fed to a Google-hungry public.  Then these folks go around propagating whatever they happen to read on “search results” page one, without questioning who’s saying it, why they’re saying it, how the supposed study was conducted, who it was conducted on (human or animal), etc.  Next thing you know, “soy causes thyroid problems” becomes a national mantra in certain circles, and it was all built upon the weak-ass foundation of some ridiculous study that was done on mice.  Insanity.

The Quick Nutshell

So… after many years of research, observation, personal experiences, and plenty of spirited debate, I present to you an excerpt from my book that I feel encapsulates the whole soy story, once and for all.  Contrary to what you might be thinking, however, I am not a blind proponent of soy products (as many of this blog’s regulars already know).  In many cases, these are highly processed foods that are not in the best interest of your health in the high volume that many veggies or vegans tend to consume them.

At the same time, I have found very little merit in most of the anti-soy hoopla you hear about out there.  So, depending on a number of factors (like your total daily caloric intake, total bodyweight, amount of physical exercise you do each day, and so forth), I don’t see any harm in enjoying a little soy each day – so long as you don’t go crazy with the total servings, and so long as you always shoot for the organic varieties.  That said, read on to find out…

The Absolute, Bottom Line, Last Word Truth About Soy

Perhaps the single most common legume-based item in the vegetarian/vegan world is soy, which loosely refers to both the traditional Asian forms and the dozens of protein-rich meat and dairy substitutes that have become increasingly prevalent in the mainstream market through the years. Besides the various kinds of tofu, tempeh, and tamari, there are soy-based substitutes for virtually any kind of animal product you can think of, from soy chicken, ribs and bologna to soy milk, cheese and ice cream. The taste, texture and overall experience of these foods is, for the most part, uncanny…especially if you’ve made a full transition away from animal products. For this reason, soy products are often viewed as a godsend to many followers of a plant-based diet. After all, with products like these, it hardly feels like you’re sacrificing anything at all with your veggie regimen.

The good news in all of this is obvious: the transition to the plant-based diet is made infinitely easier because folks can basically substitute the meat and dairy products they’ve been used to eating with various soy “imposter” versions and barely taste the difference. This is why so many companies have joined the soy bandwagon and tapped into an ever-expanding new market of folks who do want to eat healthier, but, of course, do not want to alter their eating habits very much. To this end, soy has its place.

The bad news, however, is this: in the consumer’s zeal to replace all of their favorite animal products with soy substitutes over multiple servings per day, they neglect to realize that they are taking in large quantities of highly processed foods that are typically riddled with sodium and often loaded with fat. (And believe me, with the sheer number of easy-to-prepare or ready-to-eat soy products out there, this is easy to do.) Are they still better off doing this than eating animal products? Sure. But eating high quantities of soy products has its pitfalls, even though many of the anti-soy claims out there are either highly exaggerated or completely without merit altogether. And if it’s a non-organic soy product, then the downside of mega-soy overdosing is exacerbated.

Cause for concern? Read on…

Soyanoia: Putting Soy Paranoia in Perspective

Let’s once-and-for-all address a few of the more pervasive concerns, myths and blatant untruths about soy, based on some of the latest “research.” First of all, much of this anti-soy research is referring to animal-based studies, which are notoriously inaccurate and unreliable in their relevance to humans. One well-known study in particular was done with rats (who, like all animals, have a completely different physiology than us humans), where they were fed an insanely high amount of soy to produce the “negative” results. It is literally one of the only such published studies out there, yet many folks refer to the results of it like they were extracted straight from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Meanwhile, Asians have been eating soy for years and outliving us “fat and happy” Americans by a decade or two without any overt testosterone, estrogen or thyroid issues.

Personally speaking, I find it so ironic that most anti-soy zealots base their entire stance on these ridiculous studies done on animals. Meanwhile, we have an epidemic of heart disease, cancer and a ton of other maladies in our world that are directly and unequivocally attributable to animal product consumption, based on human evidence.  (It’s no surprise that most of these supposed “experts” who are the loudest anti-soy proponents will turn around and recommend a battery of animal products for your good health. C’mon, people!)

So let’s address a few of these issues. But first, let’s make a fundamental distinction. The old standbys like tofu, miso, tempeh, and tamari have a rich history as a healthy part of the classic plant-based diet as exhibited by many of the world’s healthiest cultures. For example, these kinds of soy products comprise over 10% of the Okinawan’s diet, and these folks remain among the most long-lived on the planet. Considerably more under the microscope, however, have been the multitude of soy-based animal product substitutes like soy milk, soy burgers, soy cheese, etc., and this is largely where the controversy has been directed. So let’s look at a few of the most popular anti-soy contentions and get to the real bottom line here.

(Click the link below for the rest of the excerpt, where I address many common soy claims concerning protein and mineral absorption, cancer, thyroid function, and male testosterone levels.)

http://www.rocksolidfitness.net/thesoystory.html

BR

Stepping Into the Sacred Space

Happy New Year, everyone.

As we kick into a brand new decade, I just wanted to talk briefly about a practice that we would all do well to engage as consistently as possible in the new year.  And that’s this idea of spending some time each day in the “sacred space.”

The Sacred Space (as I have grown to call it) is your personal escape hatch from the rest of the world… and from the distractions and concerns of your everyday life.  Preferably, it would be a special space that you have at home, or in your art, writing or practice studio, or out in the garage, workshop or craft room, or potentially even in your bedroom or living room.  The idea, however, is that the space can be all your own – at least for the duration of your Sacred Space time – and that you will be free from interruptions of any kind.  And yes, you will want to step into the Space alone.

Next to the privacy issue, the second most important aspect of this space is the vibe.  Whether this Space is always set up like this – or if you have to “convert” the space for this use – figure out what simple elements will make the space most comfortable and relaxing to you.  Candles?  Incense?  Special lighting?  Some kind of stereo so you can play a few tunes?  Objects of beauty or sentiment?  Books?  You should have any of these things you like, plus a cozy place to sit down and relax.  (Be careful about lying down, though; you don’t want to fall asleep during “Sacred Time.”)  And absolutely no TV, cell phones or Internet allowed.

Otherwise, the whole idea is to just be.  That’s it.  Hang out.  Breathe.  Listen to some music, read a little, or just daydream.  But mainly, be there, in the moment.  And always, without fail, have pen and paper handy to jot down anything compelling that may come to mind.  Because while you’re entering this space without any agenda beyond simply being, you’ll want to be able to capture any flashes of inspiration that might bubble up to the surface of your consciousness.

Scope this brief clip from the late, great author/genius Joseph Campbell.  This is from his The Power of Myth series.  (Campbell was also the one who coined the phrase, “Follow Your Bliss.”  Love this guy…)

The point is this: we manage to fill up the majority of our waking moments engaged in either some kind of “doing” activity, or some state of distraction (usually technology-based, like cell phone, texting, Internet, TV, radio, etc. ).  We leave very little room to connect with our intuitive nature or creative self.  Hell, it’s a miracle there’s any room left for ANY kind of inspired thought to get through the clutter.  So basically, as you quietly enter the Sacred Space, you are giving yourself the gift of true decompression and proactively creating an atmosphere of pure “allowance.”  And if you allow yourself to engage in this for any number of days in a row, I guarantee you will begin to experience some quantifiable results, be it increased creativity, a greater sense of centeredness and wellbeing, or even a nice reduction of stress.

Remember, though, that this is a practice… something you have to engage consistently, like working out, eating healthy or meditating.  So start with a mere 10 or 15 minutes every day or two if that’s all you can manage, but work up to 30, 45 or even 60 minutes as you can.  This is the real deal, believe me.

BR

“How Do You Vegans Justify Killing Plants When They’re Living Things, Too?”

As I’ve always stated around here, I’m up for spirited debate, and I don’t mind anyone challenging my life philosophies.  This is how we all continue to evolve.  Occasionally, however, these “challenges” can get pretty ridiculous… almost as if the “challenger” is grasping for ANY kind of clever, unassailable theory that will somehow render an entire way of living as invalid.

In the world of Witty But Asinine Retorts to Veganism, there are a few that, unfortunately, will not go away.  Heading this list would have to be the truly pathetic, “But Hitler was a vegetarian, so what does that say about your movement?” (By the way, Hitler was a far fucking cry from being veggie, as his diet included steady rations of Bavarian sausage, liver dumplings, ham, and squab.  The vegetarian myth was just another calculated part of his manufactured public image as a “revolutionary ascetic.”)

A close second would probably be the the good ol’ plants-are-living-things-too retort, which usually unfolds something like this: “You talk about having a diet and lifestyle where you avoid killing any living thing.  But what about plants?  Plants are living things and you kill them.”

I hadn’t actually heard this one in a while… until its bell was sounded in a New York Times article from last week entitled, “Sorry, Vegans: Brussels Sprouts Like to Live, Too.”  Predictably, the author seemed to be making a case about the futility of being vegan, since we were doomed to eat plants, and plants want to live as much as any animal does.  In other words, if we’re all destined to be murderers anyway, what difference does it make who or what we’re murdering, be it plant or animal?

Of course, in the article’s first paragraph, the author also admits to her own ethical quandaries and resultant dietary inconsistencies (omitting pork and “mammalian” meat, but not birds, fish or dairy).  Whatever.  I only bring up this point because these kind of lame-ass arguments are usually presented as much for the benefit of the questioner (in rationalizing their choices), as they are for those being asked the question.

Are Plants Living Things?

Okay, to be fair, let me draw a line in the sand on the subject.  I think the concept of plants as living things is legitimate and fascinating.  Yes, of course they’re living things.  In fact, from the perspective of quantum physics, there is nothing in our three-dimensional world of matter that is not “living” on some level, including water, stones and computer screens.  Everything is energy, as they say, vibrating at various rates of speed.  And for those growing, expanding, self-propagating things – like fruit, veggies, algae and bacteria – there are varying degrees of intelligence involved so they may live, develop and evolve within their respective environs.  Having built-in defense mechanisms to this end is obviously part of Mother Nature’s master plan.

This makes sense for all of us because, remember, if it weren’t for all of these plants and trees swapping out carbon dioxide for oxygen, humans and animals wouldn’t even be around.  So, yes, Brussels sprouts and all other forms of veggies, fruits, grains and various plant-life are designed to thrive and survive… apparently for both their benefit and ours. (Also, is it any coincidence that the same antioxidants in plant-foods that help them survive in the wild, are also of immeasurable benefit to our survival when we ingest them?)

However, it’s quite a leap to automatically surmise that a plant’s survival mechanism is parallel to that of an animal’s.  This is why you will often hear the word “sentient” used to describe the kind of living beings who we vegans wish to safeguard with our food, clothing and lifestyle choices.  Simply put, a sentient being – like a chicken, cow or cockroach – is one whose cognitive faculties are such that they can clearly feel pain, discern survival conditions, have specific preferences, express some degree of emotion, etc.  For these reasons, sentient beings operate from a more evolved level of consciousness than plant life.  And, to me, the ultimate built-in criteria to define this really starts with that all-important question:

Do Plants Feel Pain?

The answer is no, and I’ll give you three good reasons why they do not:

• Scientifically speaking, a plant-based food is not a sentient being, does not have an innate, emotional inclination to avoid bodily harm or death (in the same way that animals do), does not have a nervous system, and, therefore, is not even designed to process the sensation of pain.

• Philosophically speaking, it’s safe to say that Mother Nature, in her infinite wisdom, would never bestow upon a living creature the capacity to feel pain without also giving him or her the ability to engage in a fight or flight response to the imminent threat or actual experience of pain.

• Practically speaking, I’ve yet to see any irate celery stalks or bell peppers jump up from the cutting board and run out of my kitchen lately.  Such is clearly not the case with the 50-plus billion farm animals around the world who meet their fate in the slaughterhouse every year.

So, please… to all intelligent folks out there wishing to challenge the merits of veganism, let’s at least put this one to rest, shall we?

My Job

I understand that veganism often appears to be the ultimate “inconvenient truth” to those considering its comparatively rigid parameters.  And I understand that it’s human nature to find that loophole – that flawed piece of an otherwise logical puzzle – that enables us to dismiss the whole of something as quackery, so we can throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.  I get that.  So my job, in part, is to illuminate the flaws in some of these whacked-out perceptions so that people can make more informed decisions.  What someone chooses to do from there is, as usual, their choice.

Finally…

Now, after all of this plants-are-living-things stuff, if you’re still on a mission to save as many plants as possible from the ravages of the dinner table and feel that eating dead animals is somehow serving that end, remember: we are currently feeding about 80-plus% of many of the crops we grow in the world to farm animals.  So by eating animal products, you are actually causing the “death” of even more plants (to say nothing of animals), since we feed a disproportionate amount of plant foods to animals, relative to what they yield to humans in the form of food.

The irony here is that, by trying to use this killing plants argument as a case against veganism, it’s actually making more of a case for it.

Just a little more food for thought…

BR

Holiday Well-Wishes!

Hey all -

Just wanted to wish everyone a relaxing and joyous holiday season.  Hope it’s a great one…

In the last week or so, I’ve spent a few days in Dallas with good friends, and now I’m at my sister’s in St. Louis, hangin’ with the family.  And yes, it has been a “White Christmas” around here, as the snow started falling this morning…

This is why I live in LA!

Also, I wanted to thank all of my regular readers for your continued participation and support here at the blog.  I do this for you, and I look forward to a lot of cool entries and enlightening exchanges in 2010.

Peace,

BR

Supercharging the Creative Process with Visions and Digits

We’ve been talking a bit about the power of whole-brain thinking these past few weeks, and how it’s the combination of the structured left-side of the brain, with the artistic right-side, that enables you to reach your greatest heights, creatively.  Of course, there are many different elements potentially involved with each side (and for a quick reminder, you can check out the original entry here).  However, for a quick jump-start into the whole-brain experience, there is one fundamental element for each side of the brain that will really get things moving in that hemisphere if you’re stuck, or if you’re just looking to jack up your overall mo-jo.  Here they are:

Digits; For the Left

Most of us think about the expansive, free-flowing right-brain when we think of a highly productive, creative output.  This part of the mind is steeped in the inspired, intuitive aspect of the process, and it’s generally the aspect of the brain we most associate with our creativity.  And yet, even when the right-brain is fully intact and productive, we can still hit a wall and either not feel especially inspired with a project, or not be able to finish one.  When this happens, there’s one left-brain trick we can do to get us back into our whole-brain; add digits (numbers) to the process.

Example: if you’re working on a book or screenplay, create a deadline for when it has to be finished; challenge yourself with a certain daily quota of words or pages to complete each day; agree to working on the project for x-number of hours per day and record your progress with a stopwatch; solidify the structure of the piece by deciding on number of chapters, page count, or any other “numerical” element of the work.

All of these ideas involve some kind of numbers, and this will automatically provide additional structure to the process and create some forward motion, guaranteed.  In fact, anytime I’ve made my most serious strides with practicing drums – or actually finished a manuscript of some sort – it was because there were some real numbers attached to the process.

Visions; For the Right

On the other side of the fence, there could be times when our work ethic is high and we’re on a diligent, regimented schedule of engaging our respective creative activity.  And yet, maybe we’re not inspired, so we’re not doing our best work.  In these cases – since our left-brain is working well – it’s time to get back in touch with some inspiring visuals surrounding the process.  To use our original example of a book, you might visualize what it might look like in its finished form (including size, cover and interior layout); how it will feel in your hands upon completion; what it will be like to promote the work publicly though any of a number of different mediums; how people might (favorably) react and personally benefit from the book, etc.  All of these things involve the creative, visual, right-side of the brain…the heart of your inspiration, which is where most creative things emanate to begin with.

So…add digits, and/or create a few visuals, and watch your projects expand, progress and get finished!

BR

The Art of Conscious Eating

Hey Everyone -

Since we’ve been back on the food/nutrition thing here lately, thought you guys might dig on this A Season in the Warrior Utopia excerpt about conscious eating.  I’ll post the main part of the entry here, but please click the link at the bottom to read the whole thing if you have time.  (It’s not too long.) It details some interesting “behind-the-scenes” info on how the world’s most advanced culture eats. (It also describes The Green Room, one of the most ridiculous restaurants ever!)

Excerpt from; A Season in the Warrior Utopia by Bobby Rock

The Green Room and the Art of Conscious Eating

Day 32 – 12:03 AM (The Drexel)

(Entry Excerpt)

The Art of Conscious Eating

Another big part of the Zentaurian eating experience is the level of consciousness that goes into every bite.  This is one area where I think I’ve done pretty well, even though some of my friends like to fuck with me for eating so slowly.  But here, everyone eats as slowly as I do.  And as I see it, there seem to be three unspoken thought processes behind eating consciously:

• The practice of awareness and gratitude:  This is about eating with the awareness that there are many people around the globe who will not get enough – if anything at all – to eat today, and the gratitude in realizing that so many things had to happen for the food before you to wind up on your plate.  The seeds planted, the crops harvested, the manual labor, the transportation, the preparation, the distribution, etc.  And even if you just walked out in your backyard and picked an apple from the tree, there is true wonderment in the processes that Mother Nature has invoked to manifest that apple.  Every bite of food around here seems to be eaten with the knowledge of these things.
• The cultivation of peace and harmony through food choices:  This is about understanding the karmic ripples behind the specifics of where your food came from, and how your food choices are perpetuating the very energies behind its manifestation.  This is why animal products do not exist here.  Because behind every piece of flesh, serving of eggs, or glass of milk, there is at least some degree of exploitation, subjugation, or suffering involved for an animal.  And in most cases, there is actually an obscene amount of violence, ill-regard for life, and disrespect for our precious and limited earthly resources in these choices. Conversely, when we eat low on the food chain, we are making a quantifiable contribution to a more evolved and peaceful world.
• The mindfulness of eating:  The slow and thorough chewing of your food is, in and of itself, a practice of mindfulness.  It’s about really savoring and enjoying every bite, paying attention to the textures and flavors.  Shoveling your food down your throat is analogous to the five-minute sexual encounter.  Do we really want it to be over so soon?   Why not prolong the experience?  Also, there is a practical reason why you want to eat mindfully:  to really extract all the nutrients from your food, the cell walls of the plant cells have to be broken down, and this is done through chewing thoroughly.

The net result of engaging this level of conscious eating is that you tend to not turn your meals into a gluttonous feeding frenzy of mindless consumption.  And when you enjoy meals with others who are aligned with the highest ideals of conscious eating, you are cultivating a powerful environment of peace and awareness… a tangible, micro energy field that contributes to the ever-expanding macro.  I have felt this a number of times back home at gatherings where everyone was eating vegan.  Here in Zentauria, I feel it every day.

© 2009 Bobby Rock

Go here to read the whole entry: http://www.bobbyrock.com/day32

BR

Exploring Your Cooking Options

In response to our last entry, many have asked what’s the best way to cook, particularly where vegetables are concerned.  In this entry, I’ll give you two ways to go, and two ways not to go.

Quick, Cheap and Easy

If you’re looking for a quick, cheap and easy way to cook your veggies – available to almost anyone with a stove or hot-plate – steaming is a way to go.  You can actually buy a steamer (as an appliance), or you can place a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and lightly steam your veggies that way.  I haven’t used this approach in years, and there are several elements to this process that will compromise some of the nutritional value of your veggies.  But, when compared to boiling, sautéing or, especially, nuking them in the micro, steaming is probably your best option in the realm of conventional choices.

What About the Microwave?

I would definitely not microwave veggies.  Here’s my rule of thumb on that: if you’re wanting to eat something mainly for the macronutrients (protein, carbs or healthy fats) like a veggie burger or similar soy product, then use the micro if you must.  However, if you’re wanting to eat something mainly for the micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, etc.), do not use the microwave.  I’ve seen some scary studies where so much of the nutritional firepower of these foods is destroyed this way.  Actually, the microwave scares me in general, so I wouldn’t recommend that anyone go out of their way to use it for anything.  But if you must, some of the frozen “vegan meat” products are acceptable to nuke.

The Ultimate

As for a more “unconventional” approach, the absolute ultimate way that I’ve found to cook anything – veggies and greens included – is with cookware by a company called Saladmaster.   It’s a low-heat, waterless/oil-less method using cookware that’s made from surgical stainless steel.  [I believe their latest version involves titanium.]  The advantages are numerous:  This low-heat, waterless approach retains the maximum amount of nutrients; the no-oil factor gets rid of all unhealthy forms of fat; and the surgical stainless steel ensures that your cooking is 100% non-toxic, because none of the metals are leached into the food.  Unfortunately, I know of no other type of cookware where this is the case.  Steel, glass, aluminum, iron…some amount of all of these materials are leached into the food when you cook with them, microscopic as it may be.  How damaging this can be to your health in the long-run is hard to quantify.  But let’s just say that I would prefer to cut down on the amount of heavy metals in my veggies, especially since I know I’ll be getting some in my food when I dine out!  And Teflon?  Throw that shit out – now!  It’s the fucking worst.

The other thing I notice about the Saladmaster approach is that the veggies retain both their vibrant color and full size (no shrinkage), and everything tastes notably better than standard ways of cooking.  I’m sure it has something to so with the fact that they’re not boiling in water or enduring the extreme temperatures associated with conventional cooking.  In fact, as I mentioned in the last entry, I usually don’t even use any seasoning, just so I can taste the true flavor of the vegetables.

The Bad News

And now for the bad news.  First, Saladmaster cookware is, in my opinion, obscenely expensive.  Yes, it’s indestructible, comes with a lifetime guarantee, prepares your food in the healthiest way, and supposedly cuts down on your grocery bill (because without the shrinkage factor and loss of nutrients, you’re actually getting more of the food into your system, which means more bang for your buck at the market).  And hey, maybe that titanium/surgical stainless steel stuff really is super-costly to produce.  But as a bona fide bachelor motherfucker who basically only cooks for one, the pricing still strikes me as offensive.  (For example – and don’t quote me on this because it’s been years since I bought my pieces – I believe one modest pot could list for around $300 if you buy it individually, and a full, extensive set of this stuff could go for $3000 and up!)

Secondly, it’s not available at retail, which means you have to find an independent dealer in your area and go through all of that direct marketing protocol, instead of just entering your digits into some website and ordering what you want.  [Wow…what an attitude I have, huh?  Actually, I don't honestly know what’s involved with the direct-from-dealer approach these days…] Obviously, I am not a dealer, nor do I have any financial ties to this company, nor would I even know where to tell you to go to buy it.  (Google it in your area, maybe?)  And yet – this Saladmaster shit is unbelievable, and I wouldn’t use anything else.

The “Bachelor” Set

For the record, I personally do fine with four pieces: a smaller sauce pan (which fits a bag of veggies perfectly), a covered skillet (which holds two bags of veggies or one large serving of greens) and a mid-sized pot that I use for rice and pasta.  Honorable mention goes to my fourth piece, which is the Saladmaster Machine for regular salads.  This thing is out of control!  You put on these different cones for different styles of cuts, and you can slice and chop together the most incredible salads in minutes.  Plus, I’m sure you can prep a number of your cooked veggies using this unit, as well.  I just never bother.

The Saladmaster Machine: For when you’re serious about your salads!

So, to review our two-yes and two-no agenda here:

• Yes – it’s acceptable to steam the veggies.
• Yes – to cooking anything with Saladmaster cookware.
• No to microwaving veggies.
• Fuck no to using Teflon for cooking veggies or anything else.

That’s the quick overview, friends.

BR