Monday, September 25, 2006

Tomato Oatmeal?! Yep - It's Good.

My oatmeal of the week this week will sound foreign to most people. It contains sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and Italian herbs. I'll admit that the tomato idea is not my own but I expanded on it and created a delectable dining experience. It's a very interesting diversion from the standard sweet oatmeal. I'll be the first to admit that I don't take my oatmeal terribly sweet anyway - no sweeteners are necessary except the sugar in the raisins or fruit. But savory oatmeal is really quite tasty and I can heartily recommend it.

The Healthy Lifestyle Expo on Saturday was pretty interesting. My only complaint is that it was really kind of a "preaching-to-the-choir" type of event. Most in attendance were vegan or vegetarian and already know about the health benefits of eating in such a manner. I would have liked a bit more practical info such as recipe ideas, tips to keep your raspberries from molding, and the like. That said, the speakers were very informative about specific health benefits and the radical changes in health that can come about from switching lifestyles. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, and a myriad of other "normal" aging diseases can be completely avoided by simply eating properly. The reduced impact of a vegan diet upon the environment was also presented.

I don't think that I'll ever go completely vegan. I do believe animals are here for us to eat. However, the planet has the capacity to host lots more plants than animals; furthermore, plants are self-sustaining and produce oxygen rather than consume it. I will be conscious about buying organic, free-range livestock products and doing so seldomly.

Weightlifting continues to go well. I am increasing in weight on the bench next time after only three workouts and I think that curls will come soon. I haven't weighed in lately so I'm not sure if I've gained any weight.

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