Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

For the weekend of Sept. 17th through the 20th, the Fairfield Half Marathon that I participated in last year will go virtual, due to the virus. I plan to participate, most likely on Sept. 18 or 19.

I have been running a lot these past few months. I’ve been doing a lot of speed running on the treadmill, getting to 4 miles in a half an hour for the first time last month. I have also been doing some incline work on the treadmill as I don’t do so well on hills. I think I’m in great shape for the run.

It’s hard to eat potatoes and GBOMBS foods (greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds) and not lose weight. I basically avoided foods like nut butters and avocados for the month of June. It was a good learning experience and I do like to challenge myself. However, I did miss my breakfast of oatmeal and especially the almond butter.

The weight I lost was due to keeping my same level of activity and not increasing my calories. I am happy to be back at my normal routine. I’m still highly active but I do require a lot of calories. That’s why I love bing plant based. I can eat a lot, asI always had a big appetite, and not have to worry about gaining weight.

I didn’t do the typical potato challenge, spearheaded by my friend Andrew “Spud Fit” Taylor. I did a modified version that also included all the GBOMBS foods (greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds) from Dr. Fuhrman’s list. The reason is because I have eaten Dr. Fuhrman’s suggested foods since 2012, and I couldn’t imagine going a month without them. Plus, I know Fuhrman’s plan will keep me in optimal health.

So why did I bother with the potato challenge? Well, one reason is the diet always intrigued me. People have the incorrect idea that potatoes should be avoided because of their carbohydrate content. I think the challenge proves otherwise. I also did the challenge because I wanted to explore other kinds of potatoes. I always liked them so why not explore what other options are out there? It would also allow simplicity. This way, I don’t have to think about what foods I’µ going to eat. I just know it will be either a potato or one of the GBOMBS foods.

Today, as I was running around the neighborhood, someone said that they admire my determination to keep exercising. Although, I have not kept the same pace than I did when I went to the gym, I have been active. I guess it's noticeably so as I don't see many others getting out and running or even walking. Yes, social distancing is important, and it's easy to practice when outside. Remember, you need to get adequate vitamin D to maintain health. Aside from supplementation the best way to get vitamin D is by getting some sunshine.

I have not been weighing myself as I don't own a scale. The only place I weigh myself is at the gym. As you know, the gyms are closed, so I have no idea what my actual weight is. But I know my weight has not changed. How? Well, one way to judge is by the way my clothes fit. Everything is fitting exactly like it did before the pandemic started. Another way I know it's the same: my diet is the same as a few months ago.

I started my plant based journey for health reasons. Of course, since then, I became vegan too, as my compassion for animals and concern for the environment grew. But today, I had my yearly physical and had a reminder about why I am plant based... a clean bill of health.

I never liked going to the doctors. I had such phobias when I was a kid, and it was part of the reason why I avoided going as an adult. It wasn't until 2012 when I had my first physical that I really started getting over my anxiety (although, admittedly, it's still there!). When I found out I was pre-hypertensive and that my cholesterol was elevated, it was a huge wakeup call.