Time Flies When...

OK, I am aware of the irony. I am writing a post entitled "Time Flies When..." on the first day after we set the clocks ahead one hour (well, at least in most of America) thanks to daylight savings time. However, as it has been several months since I last updated this blog (7 months to the day) the concept of time flying just seems to be a fitting title. (Song: "Time" - Pink Floyd)

As of the last post, I was producing two internet radio shows. Well, due to several factors, I am no longer.

As well, I was working as an intern for one of Hartford's radio stations, The Rock 106.9 WCCC. Well, I am still with WCCC, but in a different capacity. I am now officially employed! I am only part time (about 10-15 hours per week), but part of my duties include being the board operator on Friday mornings from 6-10 am during the 'Imus in the Morning' show. I have to coordinate the satellite feed with the local commercial spots as well as read the news, weather, and traffic on WCCC's AM station, WCCC AM 1290 Beethoven Radio.

Also in the last post, I mentioned that we were in pre-production of ConnecTV, the first television show produced entirely by graduates of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. We now have four shows completed and airing on a regular basis over several cable access outlets across Connecticut. The show can also be seen on the internet at our Vimeo channel.

Time definitely flies...

Today, I renewed my commitment to The Maker's Diet. While I have been mostly following the guidelines of the diet, I haven't always been terribly strict. Well, I went back to phase one. I was really happy with the results of my first attempt to follow the Maker's Diet and I am hoping to to further improve  my health by returning to the basics.

My day started with a push ups workout. I have been following the program detailed on hundredpushups.com for the last couple of weeks. I have been pretty happy with the results so far.
I followed the workout with my daily dose of VIDACELL. This would be the only food that, while truly natural, might not truly qualify for the Maker's Diet guidelines. The benefits far outweigh what might be consequences for breaking the 'rules.'
Breakfast consisted of a 3 egg omelet made with free range eggs, raw cheese, and organic salsa. I also supplemented with Vitamin D.
After suitable time for digestion, I used a free pass to go to the YMCA and get another workout. This time, I spent 35 minutes on the elliptical machine. According to the calorie counter, I burned almost 400 calories. I also spent some time doing some resistance exercise - mostly to complement the push ups, I concentrated on back exercises.
Upon returning home, my wife and daughters were just leaving for a walk in the amazing weather, so I put the leash on Ginger and joined them!
The rest of my daily food consumption consisted of plain yogurt and a homemade lentil soup with lots of veggies.

A-Z Challenge - 'Y'

Yogurt is my topic for today - the second to last post in April's A-Z challenge. Yogurt plays a slightly smaller role in my journey to wellness now than it did even a couple of months ago only because it has taken a back seat to my homemade kefir (check out my post - Wouldn't It Be Nice - for the start of my kefir adventures). Like kefir, yogurt is a cultured milk product and is beneficial for digestion.

Early on my journey to wellness I attempted making yogurt at home with varying degrees of success. Yogurt doesn't take a lot of effort but it does take patience and warmth - and a little yogurt to get the process started. The only available heat source I have that suited my needs - well, the yogurt's needs - is my Crock-Pot. Sometimes it got too warm in the Crock-Pot for the culture and the yogurt didn't always come out right. At $7.50 per gallon of raw milk, I didn't really relish the potential of having a failed batch as a result of too much heat. As a result, I gave up on making my own yogurt until such time as I could acquire a yogurt maker designed for the purpose. They don't cost much, but kitchen space is a premium so I have held off on getting a new gadget. Making kefir is so much easier and requires no heat above room temperature, so that is now my primary source of probiotics.
The best commercial yogurt that I could find is from Stonyfield Farm though Deerfield Farm - the source of my raw milk - also makes yogurt regularly. When I get yogurt, it is from one of these two sources. In both cases though, the milk is pasteurized prior to being cultured.

Egg fast redux

Today began a second cycle of my egg fast.  One beneficial aspect of this plan is the fact that it is a plan.  I really like the fact that I know exactly what I will be eating while I am following the program and that all of the food I am eating is on the recommended list for The Maker's Diet.  I am hoping that the ease of following this plan will help me to develop the habit of planning meals ahead of time - at least, more than a day or so in advance.

I started the day with daily serving of VIDACELL.  For breakfast, I ate two cage free eggs scrambled and seasoned with a little sea salt and black pepper along with 1 slice of Ezekiel 4:9 bread and a glass of water.  For supplements I took one capsule of Primal Defense Ultra prior to taking my VIDACELL and one capsule of Omega-Zyme Ultra with breakfast.

Following breakfast, I started in on a new book, The Shack by Wm. Paul Young.  I purchased the book the other day in anticipation of finishing The Gathering Storm.  I read about four chapters prior to dozing off.  While dozing off while reading could be taken as a not-so-good review of the book, this is not the case.  I like the book so far.  I just tend to doze off a lot.

Upon waking from my nap, I decided to get in some exercise using my Wii Fit Plus.  I posted about 1 hour and 15 minutes of activity.  This is getting easier and easier for me to handle.  Not too many months ago, I would have been struggling to make it even 30 minutes.  After my exercise, I decided to do the Wii Fit Plus body test.  The test consists of being weighed while being monitored for balance and posture.  The systems senses whether you lean to the left or right or are well balanced.  It also tracks how much you move - little shifts in your position - while being weighed.  After that, you are presented with your BMI (body mass index) and your weight along with your center of gravity.  You are then able to choose whether to continue with the test or not.  Continuing will present you with two random tests designed to measure different aspects ranging from balance to memory.  Upon completion of these two test you will be presented with your Wii Fit Age - the better that your score on the tests combined with other factors will dictate what you Wii Fit Age is.
I don't put a lot of stock in the Wii Fit Age as I have gotten results as low as 24 and as high as 52.  Today, my Wii Fit Age came in at 36.
With today's weigh in, I have lost 33 pounds since January 1st and 10 pounds towards my Pound for Pound Challenge pledge (I made the 50 pound pledge on February 1st).  While I am not really focusing on my weight loss, this is at least one quantifiable measurement and the fact is that I really do need to lose some weight.

Lunchtime followed the exercise and consisted of an omelet (two cage fee eggs, onions, one slice of Swiss cheese) and an apple.  Again, one capsule of Primal Defense Ultra prior to lunch and one capsule of Omega-Zyme Ultra with lunch.

For dinner, I had a yogurt smoothie.  I used about 8 oz. of my homemade yogurt, 1/2 cup of frozen organic raspberries, 1 Tbsp. raw honey, 1 Tbsp. flax seeds, 6 oz. of raw whole milk, and 2 oz. of whey (from my cheese making).