Holidaze…

Yay.  It’s Thursday.  I love Thursdays.  I guess I love most days, each for what they mean in my life.  Monday is the day that all new things await us.  For me, Tuesday is a great work day and it’s Biggest Loser Day–need I say more?  Wednesday’s,  are hump day, and for me end the busy half of my week, today is always an easy day for me–this week, it is a day off and we all know I LOVE VEGAN FEAST THURSDAY.   Everyone loves Friday–Saturday and Sunday.  So, all and all, it’s easy to see I love life and it’s journey.  Also love that YOU are part of my journey.

Well, this morning the news reports that 29 million pounds of antibiotics were consumed by the animals raised in the United States just this past year alone.  Reread that line.  This information is according to the first ever Food and Drug Administration accounting of antibiotic use in livestock.  Not only do the drugs promote faster growth but they also prevent disease from spreading among flocks of poultry and herds of livestock living in often unsanitary conditions.  There are a couple of obvious problems with this.  For one,  this actually contributes to animals being raised in those unhealthy conditions which are often cruel and abusive.  Secondly, this creates a problem for the animals and the humans who consume them, in terms of the drugs becoming less effective when they are actually need to fight infection.  The American Medical Association called the antibiotic resistance “a major public health problem” and has called on the Obama administration to address this.  For the sake of all of us on the planet, I do hope it gets addressed.  Something the article doesn’t mention is how these drugs may be effecting the development of children, both physically and mentally.  In my heart, I believe it is doing both and very negatively at that.   If you were looking for another reason to lean int0 plant-based foods, this is a good one!

With a day off from work, I might also take a day off from the kitchen.  Craving Falafel Bistro (truth be known, I crave it on a daily basis) no one locally makes soup like them!  Derek loves sushi, so that would work, too.  I make an allowance for the fish oil used in the stock of the miso soup (some restaurants do not use the fish oil, so ask!) and can have either a vegetable stir-fry, veggie sushi, or noodles.  My choice is usually made based on how many calories I can afford that day.  A signature house salad with ginger dressing and some saki makes this a great meal out, too.  What I am finding (and I know you are, too) is that if you just ASK you can get just about any dish tweaked to meet your dietary needs.  When looking for vegan items, ask if the restaurant has a vegan menu.  You will be surprised that many do.

My schedule will be patchy over the next couple of weeks so I will keep you posted on daily schedules.  Remember that Tamarac Fitness Center will be canceling all classes between the 22nd of December and the 2nd of January.  For my classes, that means I WILL be there this Saturday, Monday morning and Tuesday night for both classes.  I will be back on Monday morning, the 3rd.   At Bally, I will be there for both my classes this coming Monday and Rose will be there for my 2 Wednesday classes.  I expect to be there for all 4 classes the week between Christmas and New Years.

Thanks again for the words, love and thoughtful and generous gifts.  I must admit to indulging in some of the cocoa dusted truffles I received, despite the fact they  list milk in the ingredients.  I HAD to try them.  They were especially sweet coming from a student I thought I might never see again after not seeing him for several years, following  a serious health crisis he endured.  I love the meditation book that I got from Iris, yesterday (beautiful!!!) Iris, YOU are a beautiful soul inside and out.  You are an inspiration to me.  Thanks to Elaine for the stationary and to all of you for the gift cards and cash!  As for my morning students in Tamarac, you have been spoiling me for almost 3 decades already and you are my family as much as my students.  Thanks for the gift but more importantly for your dedication to your health and exercise!  You have modeled such wonderful behavior to me, some of you who I know since I was a very young adult!  You were seniors then and I swear you are younger now!  Please know that at the end of the year I will be contributing some of my cash gifts to help those in need of food or shelter. It’s a great opportunity for me to pay it forward.  Thanks, again.

Have a great vegan feast Thurday.  Be mindful to what goes on your fork…speaking of…I discovered a new brand of food called Field Roast at Whole Foods last night.  Though I haven’t tried any of their products, I am sure I will be soon!  They were in the refrigerator section (where they have the already prepared foods) and I saw a roast similar to a Tofurky, but looked much better.  Maybe it was already cooked?!?!  I did not have my glasses.  They also had some great looking (but fattening) chipotle sausages and sliced deli “meat.”  I will let you know what I think as I try them.  They look like this: