Pressure & Pulse Proof

• Three moths ago, three months into my total immersion in plant based eating, my blood pressure was 141/91, with a pulse of 107.  We're talking about borderline hypertension here.
• Three months later . . . yesterday . . . six months into my vegan diet, my blood pressure was 116/78 with a pulse of 72.

 Do we need any more proof here? 

*****

How's this for a midnight snack?  Two slices of One Degree Lentil Bread toasted with hummus, baby kale, tempe, and Sabra salsa

By the way . . . Sabra is making salsa now out of real stuff and is oh so good

Guess What Day It Was (5/28)

My AMPPW (morning post pee weight) was 128.8.  And I've totally begun PMSing.

Here's a list of what I've eaten the past few days:

Saturday, May 24	•16oz, H2O •Baked in Brooklyn Pita Chips & hummus •Smoothie: coconut juice, spinach, pineapple, strawberries, current powder blend>> •V2 •Engine 2 Ancient Grains>, tempeh, tater tots, tahini •Mixed nuts •A whole damn bag of kettle corn •Garden of Eatin’ Multi Grain chips & (you guessed it) hummus •H2O=80oz	>Engine 2 Ancient Grains = http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/engine-2-grain-medleys-ancient-grains-blend >>Current powder blend = Vega One, organic acai powder, hemp V2 – My vitamins, currently Mega Food Women’s One Daily and New Chapter Bone Strength TRAIN=4 miles
Sunday, May 25	•16oz, H2O • Garden of Eatin’ Multi Grain chips & hummus •8oz of coconut juice with chia seeds & Green Superfood Lemon Lime Energy>> •Baked spinach, tempeh & tofu noodles> •Small bag granola •So Delicious cookie dough “ice cream>>> •H2O=80oz	>Tofu noodles = http://www.house-foods.com/tofu_shirataki/ >>Green Superfood = http://amazinggrass.com/category/16/Green-SuperFood.html >>>So Delicious =  http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com TRAIN=4 miles
Monday, May 26	•14oz, H2O • (3) OD toast w/hummus> •Smoothie: coconut juice, baby kale, banana, blueberries, turmeric, current powder blend, wheat germ •Nature’s Bakery Fig Bar>> •Salad wrap from Organic Avenue •Runa, Hibiscus-berry guayusa>>> •Mom’s Munchies, Krunch Bar< •Another Fig Bar •Mixed Nuts & pretzels •So Delicious cookie dough “ice cream •(2) OD toast w/hummus (approx. 4am) •H20=56oz	> OD = One Degree = http://www.onedegreeorganics.com >>http://naturesbakery.com >>> http://runa.org < http://www.momsorganicmunchies.com TRAIN=4 miles
Tuesday, May 27	•14oz, H2O •(2) OD toast w/hummus •Smoothie: coconut juice, baby kale, banana, blueberries, turmeric, current powder blend, wheat germ •Mixed Nuts & pretzels •Small plate from UTJB: (all vgn) mac & cheese, shrimp, collard greens, green beans, mashed potatoes, egg plant, meat balls; 1 steak patty; 1 chicken patty<< •14 oz Heart of Tea, Natural black> H2O=90oz	TRAIN=4 miles <<The Uptown Juice Bar is now Uptown Veg & Juice Bar.  But I will forever know them as UTJB: http://www.uptownvegjuicebar.com >Heart of Tea = http://heartoftea.com

Self Reminder

• This image is a re-post from several months ago.  It serves as a reminder unto myself.

• Well apparently spending a few days power walking to the beat of high tempo music truly enhances my stage craft.  Who knew?

Work Obstacles

• I had a bit of a rough time out there today.  There's something monumentally huge going on at work, something which directly affects me, and I thought about it the entire time I trained today.  It was emotionally draining.  My left nostril hurt the entire time, and I even felt crappy during my 3/4 mile cool down walk.  I had this strange headache just above my bridge.  I felt better once I walked into the supermarket.  It could have been the air conditioning, the blueberries and bananas which were going into my basket, or the fact that Tribe hummus was on sale.  I'm not really sure.
• I did a Google image search on "work obstacles" and here are a few which caught my eye:

If only this was truly an option.

• I know I have mentioned them before, but I have to say it again.  My friends at One Degree make THE BEST bread.  I have their sprouted lentil loaf in my apartment right now.  Chowing with Tribe's Everything hummus is beyond comprehension, and so damn good.

http://www.onedegreeorganics.com

Ice Cream

Absolute Heaven

http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com

• Wow.  I have discovered that you can create your own work-out CDs and playlists at Power Music's web site.  You can break down their selections into beats per minute, and they have all sorts of music.

http://www.powermusic.com

Music Be the Food

• Somehow, I managed to have the weekend of, BOTH Saturday and Sunday.  The Cleansing Ritual has recommenced.  Having been in rehearsal all week, with script revisions needing to be made every day, and working lots at job A, I have lost some footing here.  But the beautiful thing is, I started writing a story about the cleansing of my apartment.  And of course, the more I clean, the more I get to write.  It's an excellent treat for me.
• Dude.  I've got athletes foot, between the vegan piggy and the little guy who cried.  According to Dr. Web, MD it's called a toe web infection.  Ugh.  It's not the first time.
• When I'm home, I drink water continually.  My favorite vessel has become a glass bottle that I purchased containing Whole Foods Vegan Caesar Dressing.  Just a moment ago, I read the dressing ingredients and I thought, did I really put this into my body?  I'm not even sure what magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are.

Non-GMO Silken Soy Sauce (Filtered Water, Whole Soybeans, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride), Filtered Water, White Wine Vinegar, Dried Yeast, Non-GMO Corn Starch, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Crushed Garlic (Garlic, Citric Acid), Dijon Mustard (Water, Mustard Seed, Vinegar, Salt, Citric Acid), Hot Sauce (Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Vinegar, Water, Salt, Garlic), Xanthan Gum, White Pepper. *GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE, LOW SODIUM *CONTAINS: SOY.

• I downloaded Power Music's Xtreme Cardio Mix 12 today.  I wanted to see what it would be like to commit myself to walking to the beat of the music the entire time, especially when the BPMs get progressively faster.  It was a lot of fun.  My only issue is that the album was one song shy of my four mile completion.  So when you look at my Nike+ graph, my speed just suddenly plummets at the end.  It's fine though.  I'm just going to create a new play list and put extra tunes at the beginning and end.  The Cardio Mix is continuous.  You can not separate the tracks.
• By the way, I realize that I may have mentioned this before, but on my Cool Down play list is Aam Zameen's Common Ground.  I have no idea who she is nor what she is singing, but the music is fantastic.  Come to think of it . . . I don't have any idea what my bat mitzvah haftorah means, but it still motivates and empowers me.  It has even been the catalyst in getting several writing projects started.

http://www.workoutmusic.com/xtreme-cardio-mix-vol-12.html
But make sure you download from iTunes

http://www.kiranmusic.com/music-2/aam-zameen-common-ground

And this can be found
on my Cool Down play list:

You were in my dream

You had on a white shoes

You came to a crossroads

I was on a mountain

The sun was going down

Walking backwards

As your feet are getting stuck

Walking backwards into the future

--Matisyahu
"Breathe Easy"
Spark Seeker

Nourishment

• I put on my running shoes today for the first time since Monday.  I feel like I haven't seen a really good friend in a long time.
• I just spent three days in rehearsal on a writing project.  My kitchen was not prepared for this period of grab and go.  So I had to rely on the East Village to provide my vegan nourishment.  Here are some links to a few of my highlights:

http://www.organicavenue.com


Atlas Cafe, http://www.atlascafenyc.com/_/Home.html

Maoz, http://www.maozusa.com

Been There, LOVE It

Check this article I found today at Active.com about the "runners high."  It explains a lot.

https://plus.google.com/100215458396312190930/posts/X3i78Pf3eHo

Would You Rather . . .

Would you rather . . .

(A) get your vitamin B12 vegan, but made by a synthetic process

(B) or naturally, but from an animal source?

Report back to me.

Courage From Above

• Here's something interesting, I power walk faster than I run.  It's all good, makes no difference to me.  I'm just out there to be fit and bad ass.  
• There is something I tend to do out there.  It's half way between a power walk and a run.  It's sort of a moving forward dance.  I don't even realize that I'm doing it.  That's when I get really into my tunes.  I absolutely love it.  And it seems to be a real crowd pleaser.  I get a lot of cheers and happy faces.  Sometimes people laugh.  It's all good, makes no difference to me.  I'm just out there to be fit and bad ass.  

Yea.  That's right.  I said it.  I mean the shirt said it.  I just cut and pasted.

===============================================

This was the only hat to have survived a massive apartment fire, which was set by my suicidal roommate three years ago.  It was given to me at job A, as a closing night present by one of the most amazing actors I have ever had the pleasure of sharing a work space with.

Before

Weeks after

In the show, she played a mother, who lost there children to a war.  It was on this very war that she earned a living.

When I told mu Run or Dye teammate that I was going to wear this hat during our race.  She was shocked.  Knowing that it would possibly get destroyed, certainly never look the same way again, knowing who gave it to me, she asked me if I really wanted to wear it.

I didn't even have to think about it.  First of all, if the actor knew I was wearing it during a 5K while having dye thrown at me, she would have laughed her ass off first and then joined our team.

I also believe that this hat survived such a dark and smoke eaten period of my life for a reason.  Don't ask me what that reason is.  I'm not sure.

My people cover their heads, especially when in prayer, to acknowledge that there is something above greater than all of us, greater than all of this.  It was a no brainer to do this fun run with courage above me.

For those of you who know, check the parking lot letter above my teammate's head.  This picture could have been taken anywhere at the Met Life Stadium.  I'm just saying.

Tuning Out and In

• Ever since I returned my cable hardware to Time Warner and quit television, there have been no "To Do" lists here . . . just a whole lot of doing.
• My Nike+ is strongly suggesting that it's time for a new pair of running shoes.  Even though I just got them in March, I've put over 50 miles on them.  I wonder if they know of an athletic apparel company that could suggest where I might find a new pair.  Hmmmm.  Although I'm fairly certain I'm going with New Balance next.

Karen,

Thank you for contacting New Balance!

New Balance is proud to be the only major company making athletic footwear in the USA. Our commitment to domestic manufacturing allows New Balance to employ 1,300 skilled American workers at our five facilities in Maine and Massachusetts.

• I turned in my fastest single kilometer while training today.  Whoop whoop.  It's kind of a really nice kick ass thing.  But of course, I observed a ship coming in with at least 20 containers on it.  Why MF, I ask you why?  They're filled with crap.  I just know it.  And the ship just came walking across the waters that got so angry that they tried to eat Brooklyn, twice, in two years.
• JL, thank you for being such a faithful follower.  I truly hope that nursing school is embracing, encouraging, passing on and celebrating your plant based diet.  The bullet points are for you.

Endomondo Update

Karen was out walking. She tracked 5.73 mi in 2h:27m:36s.

Like · Comment · Yesterday at 17:24 ·  

Karen  was out doing weight training for 1h:00m:00s.

 Danced to Zumba music with weights on my hands and ankles.

Like · Comment · Friday at 15:50 ·  

Karen  was out walking for 4m:43s.

 Warm up.

Like · Comment · Friday at 11:32 ·  

Karen  was out walking. She tracked 2.90 mi in 45m:09s.

 Power walked.

Like · Comment · Friday at 11:27 ·  

Karen was out walking for 8m:32s.

 Cool down.

· Friday at 10:41 ·  

Karen  was out walking. She tracked 0.84 mi in 16m:54s.

 · May 14 at 11:57 ·  

Karen  was out walking. She tracked 2.36 mi in 34m:04s.

 Power walking. Dyker Golf Course.

· May 14 at 11:41 ·  

Karen  was out walking. She tracked 0.81 mi in 15m:06s.

 Walking. Warm up

 · May 14 at 11:06 ·  

Karen was out walking. She tracked 1.07 mi in 19m:28s.

 Cool down. Walked.

 · May 11 at 13:27 ·  

Karen  was out walking. She tracked 3.10 mi in 45m:18s.

 Power walked. Ft. Hamilton HS track.

 · May 11 at 13:07 ·  

Karen  was out walking. She tracked 0.89 mi in 15m:33s.

 Walking. Warm up.

 · May 11 at 12:21 ·