Category General
I Am Not A Cat Person
I find it very interesting how people choose to be polarized when it comes to dogs and cats, suggesting that it is not possible to like both mammal species. Though I have cats as pets and have spent my entire adult life being owned by cats, this by no means establishes an exclusive love for cats and dislike for dogs. In fact, I adore dogs, especially the larger breeds, and truly wish my lifestyle could accommodate the needs of large dog breeds. When I visit friends who have large dogs, I become envious and find it incredibly difficult to leave them. I love the unabashed loyalty that dogs deliver to humans, and I appreciate all the characteristics of the canine species which have earned them the nickname “a man’s best friend”.
Why don’t I have dogs? Again, I love large dog breeds and simply do not have the space to accommodate a large dog. I do not have time to walk a dog daily either. Though I enjoy the company of smaller dog breeds, the idea of a small dog breed as a pet does not resonate with me at all. I have cats because they do not require daily walks or regular baths (though I do bathe my cats every other month). I also have chosen two Burmese cats as part of my three cat brood because they are so doglike. Burmese cats are lap cats, very intelligent, active, affectionate, and will follow me from room to room. As a matter of fact, they enjoy being with any of the humans in the house. My Burmese cats will approach strangers and make instant friends with them. One of them plays fetch regularly, initiating play by bringing toys to my feet and dropping them, then looking up at me expectantly, just like a dog would. Check out this video of Kazu playing fetch:
My rescue is a different story, as she is skittish, very “catlike”, and spends most of her time hiding in my bedroom. She is very choosy about the people she warms up to and is the type of cat who perpetuates the stereotype that cats keep to themselves. She is my quiet, shy, moody child and I accept her completely as part of the family.
Just because I have a household with cats and no dogs does not mean that I am a “cat person”. What it comes down to is that I love animals, period.
Blue Man Group Honors The Booty!
I finally had an opportunity to see the Blue Man Group recently, and enjoyed the show immensely. Not only was the music awesome, the visual effects were very cool and the performers were hilarious. They perform a song in which they encourage the audience to shake their rear ends, building the beat with lyrics that expand on all the euphemistic terms which exist for that part of the body. I had no idea there were so many clever terms in existence!
Whether you are familiar with the song which the Blue Man Group performs or not, you should get a kick out of the following terms which are in the song lyrics.
I hope you enjoy this list as much as I did…
hind-quarters
backside
bottom
buttocks
Your rump
posterior
heiny
keister
tush
buns
bum cakes
junk-in-the-trunk
badonk-a-donk
squash tart
fanny
double-slug
wiggle bags
mud flaps
rump rockets
flesh pot
second face
bounce house
The jiggle twins
Jar Jar Binks
bubble pop
medicine ball
sonic boom
freckle-muffin
turkey stuffin’
smiley bulldog
caboose
rump-hump
jump-pump
moneymaker
sit-biscuit
mumbler
chocolate cluster
rock tumbler
fun-cooker
subwoofer
horn section
Frodo
John Madden
launch pad
Moscow
The Outback
rotunda
The closer
The crock pot
jumbo-tron
airbags
happy walrus with no tusks
two boneless friends
George Foreman grill
dinner with André
The place where all burritos go
Minneapolis and St. Paul
giant fluffy bears
Ollie vs. Frasier
Elvis Aaron Presley
buttercup
monster truck
life’s work
waffle iron
skin smurf
wiggle cloud
air balloons
“But I Can’t Cook!”
Nutritional consultations are always interesting for me because I find out how truly weird some people’s eating habits are. Busy work and life schedules are often to blame for poor eating habits, but when I hear patients say that they are completely devoid of any cooking skills, I begin to wonder if they were ever encouraged to learn how to cook. I truly believe that every adult should have basic cooking skills. It is not that difficult to cook eggs in a skillet, throw meat on a broiler, cook oatmeal or bake a potato. It’s not as if any of those items require advanced culinary skills in order to make them tasty!
You should be able to cook different types of meat without much effort. Other than meat (and this includes red meat, poultry and fish), you can simply purchase frozen or fresh vegetables and eat them with minimal prep beforehand. Get a cookie sheet and some nonstick cooking spray. Take chicken breasts, pre-formed turkey or beef patties, or fish fillets and place them on the sprayed cookie sheet. With poultry and beef, you can broil these meats for about eight minutes, then flip over, broiling for another eight to ten minutes. If the chisken breasts are very thick, slice them lengthwise so that they cook more quickly and more evenly. Make sure the centers of the chicken breasts are cooked through and not pink. With fish, you are better off baking them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for six to eight minutes, flipping over, then baking for another six to eight minutes. If you are feeling adventurous, you can add some light salt-free seasoning or salt and pepper.
It really isn’t that difficult to cook, so why not try cooking up some lean protein this week?
West Coast All The Way
The older I get, the more I realize that I am very set in my native Californian roots. Perhaps it is because I have been spoiled with a lifetime of glorious weather, or perhaps it is due more to the cadence of the West Coast lifestyle, but I am a West Coast girl through and through. You can go on and on about how wonderful it is on the East Coast, or how diverse Texas (or fill in the blank with your state) is, but you you could never convince me to relocate from the left coast. California is incredibly diverse, so if I was inclined to travel to the snow or see another part of the state, I could easily jump in my car and take a road trip. However, I LOVE Southern California’s mild weather and am resistant to leaving it. I know that quite a few of you are convinced that harsh seasonal weather is preferable to a potential 80 degree Fahrenheit Christmas, but I will take the latter any day!
While those of you in colder climates may enjoy the hush of falling snow while you gather around the Christmas tree, I prefer looking out the window to see sunshine. The idea of bundling up heavily just to step outside seems utterly ludicrous to me. Now, before you start assuming that Los Angeles doesn’t get cold, I will tell you it can drop to the mid-20’s F at night where I live. Weather patterns can get pretty random over here, with high temps one week in the 80’s and the next in the 60’s. When the mercury drops below 40 degrees here, I find it extremely difficult to motivate myself to step outside unless absolutely necessary. I fully admit to being a cold weather wimp and cannot be convinced that there is any benefit to battling snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures. Sorry, but I am staying put in SoCal!
New Ab Video Series On RxGirl – Exercise #7: V-Ups
I Sleep Like A Rock
I feel sorry for everyone who suffers from insomnia and can only imagine how exhausting it must be to have the desire to sleep with a body that won’t allow slumber to occur. Though I have had a few very brief bouts of insomnia in my life, I have always slept VERY deeply from the time I was an infant. My mother found it humorous that I could sleep through alarms and small earthquakes without a single response. This actually was problematic for me in my teens and early adulthood because it always required a gargantuan effort on my part to try to wake up at a decent hour.
Even now, after suffering from several days of sleep deprivation, my body completely rebels and insists on a full eight hours of sleep, pinning my eyelids together and making it impossible for me to progress from a state of slumber to a wakeful state until the full eight hour rest stretch is completed. I can hear insomniacs around the globe groaning as they read this blogpost, but this is honestly a problem! I can also drink a large mug of caffeinated coffee right before going to bed and sleep like a baby. Believe me when I say I wish I could bottle this up for insomniacs because I would be filthy rich by now!
Building Muscle The Vegan Way
By no means am I vegan or even vegetarian, but I appreciate the fact that many individuals have specific reasons for avoiding meat. Protein is an essential nutrient, but it is especially important for people looking to build muscle. Daily protein intake for the average individual should be around 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, but I recommend a MUCH higher intake for weightlifters. For example, though I am 119 pounds, I currently consume 150 grams of protein per day, spread out among 6 meals. But if I were vegan, I would consume 8 meals per day instead of 6. This is due to the fact that it can be extremely challenging to consume sufficient amounts of protein, resulting in more frequent meals and a greater variety of protein sources. Another challenge which vegans face is the fact that nuts and seeds have a high caloric density and are packed with fat, so their consumption must be monitored.
Below is a list of the best vegan protein sources.
Tofu
Tempeh
Lentils
Soybeans
Pinto, kidney, or black beans
Garbanzo beans
Quinoa
Almonds
Cashews
Walnuts
Peanuts
Sesame seeds
Avocado
Broccoli
Spinach
Kale
Sweet potatoes
Veggie burger
Veggie sausage
Soy Protein
Christmas As A Grownup Sucks
I will freely admit that I adopt a bit of a Grinch attitude during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean I am unpleasant to others. It simply means that I no longer look forward to putting up a tree and stockings, mostly because my mother is never there to enjoy it (she has limited mobility and cannot walk up all the stairs where I live), and also because my rascally cats would readily destroy a decorated tree in no time flat. I have even balked at the idea of putting lights up on the patio, because our electrical outlet is so temperamental that we would only be able to enjoy a few minutes of light before the circuit would shut it all down.
While I enjoy giving gifts, I cannot stand the whole ordeal of shopping and also have the worst time trying to figure out what everyone wants. What I look forward to during the holidays is seeing my friends, having them come over to eat and share in some good laughs. I get so much enjoyment out of feeding my friends, but I have yet to determine how this quirk developed. Perhaps it has something to do with my love of food, or my desire to nurture. I only hope my friends enjoy the experience as much as I do.
It’s not like I sit around and grumble, but I swear that my rescue kitty Shima could be Max while I could observe all the holiday activities with a touch of disdain. Though I appreciate the climactic scene in “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” in which the Grinch’s heart grew, I am not too keen on signing up for cardiac enlargement!
Probably the most significant element which makes Christmas special for me is having a significant other to share it with. The last time I was truly able to share the holiday with someone was eight years ago, so it has been a LONG time since I experienced such a thing. Even in my last relationship we spent Christmas apart because he went back home to be with his family every year. A new definition of Christmas will remain in place until someone comes along to truly share the holiday with me.
SOCIAL MEDIA: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD?
Original post can be found at: http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-business-fitness-modeling-and-showbiz/9773-social-media-a-double-edged-sword.html
If you are serious about competing and want to build a career in the fitness industry then you have probably been exploring the various social media platforms and trying to build your name and brand. Of course, you want to push for the most followers you can get, as well as build a fan base which boosts your credibility in the eyes of supplement companies. As your numbers grow, your name will become more well-known and you can claim – without bluffing – that you have inspired thousands of people.
However, with more followers come more problems, most commonly the jerks and the haters. I heard an interesting comment from one of my friends today, which was: “The more successful you are, the more haters you have.” I have to admit that whenever I have to deal with a hater, I am rattled by such energy and will never understand how people can go out of their way to spread negativity. I guess you can’t please everyone, and of course there are going to be those who are jealous of your physique and your success. This is when the blocking feature on numerous social platforms can and should be employed. Don’t bother trying to appease such spiritual leeches. They are not worth the trouble.
Some fans and followers (thank goodness, it is the exception and not the rule) develop a distorted perspective in which they believe that they are connected or bonded to the fitness personalities they are interested in. This quickly turns into an obsession, with the fan holding onto a sense of entitlement which can be dangerous. If such a fan feels disregarded, a cascade of psychotic behavior can ensue.
Another dangerous and disturbing situation found in social media circles is the impostor syndrome. There are individuals out there who may claim to be you, and will use your likeness, your name and your titles to build fake profiles. I am sure you have worked your ass off to get to where you are now, so it is time to do due diligence and make sure that no one is taking your good name and wearing it. The small bit of flattery which may be at play is completely eclipsed by the creepiness and the invasion of pretending to be someone else.
Thankfully, the vast majority of people are level-headed and rational. However, as your numbers grow, you must be aware of the issues which may arise and take measures to protect your name and reputation in the industry.
