Get Out and PLay

Posted by Rich Sab on May 28, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Tagged: . Leave a Comment

A few posts back I mentioned the mom taxi; this is part of the reason why kids are so lazy today. Yes some things are different today alright, when I was young we actually played; outside; together, not virtually online. When me and my friends wanted to play cops and robbers we would grab our toy guns, pick teams, jump on our bikes and the game was under way. Today when kids want to play cops and robbers they put in the latest $50 version of Grand Theft Auto that their parents bought them, log on and play by sitting down and pushing buttons, in separate houses. Another change is when we played way back when, most kids wanted to be the cops, now they log on and score points by killing cops, pimping hoes, and steeling everything in sight. Yeah; things have changed alright.

I can remember days playing baseball in the Roosevelt School playground where we had 9 on 9 games with subs. I drive around now and all the playgrounds are empty. We had full court basketball games, and full out 11 on 11 football games. There were times when there would be multiple bounce stickball games in the playground and 5 on 5 wiffleball games on the front lawn. It was a rare occasion to drive by Roosevelt (or any other playground in Lodi) and see it empty.

As for me, on the rare occasions when no one was out and I called my friends and they couldn’t come out; it never stopped me. I had a bicycle and that’s all I needed to have fun (even if I was alone). I have to say I had a pretty good imagination and some of the best bike races I ever had I was alone. I know it sounds crazy but it was an awesome time. I played football, basketball and baseball alone quite often when I was a kid. You’re probably wondering how you can play football alone; a good imagination that’s how, hell I even tackled myself (I guess this explains a lot).

Here’s an idea, instead of complaining that your kids spend too much time on the computer or play station; take the computer away, disconnect the play station and drag them outside. Show your kids how you used to play when you were a kid. Go for a bike ride or a hike, play tag, or just go for a walk; but do something. It’s not the kids of today who are at fault for their sedentary lifestyles; it’s ours, their parents-we allow and enable it.

Let’s reverse this.

PS – For my vegan readers. I got a sample of The Vegg and I will be trying a few recipes and writing a review within the next week or so…

 

Peace

Parents

Posted by Rich Sab on May 4, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Tagged: , . 1 comment

Both of my parents have passed on, my father died in a motorcycle accident when I was 5 years old and my mom died a few years ago due to heart and lung issues. Although we truly only have one set of parents, on rare occasions people come into our lives and fill holes. I have been fortunate enough to have had this happen to me not just once, but 2 times.

The first time was a couple years after my dad died. My mom did an awesome job of raising me and my sister, but it wasn’t easy. She had to work, and work a lot. At the time my best friend was William Vignola (I consider him a brother, not just a friend) and our moms were very close friends as well. Well Del and Mike (William’s mom and dad) stepped in and helped my mom quite a bit. I can still vividly remember the family vacations that I went on with them as a kid. And I’ll never forget how Del taught me how to drive, that was one of the best summers of my life.

Well about 15 or so years ago Mike passed away, and that was the second time I lost a father. Losing a parent sucks, most people experience this twice, once for mom and once for dad; I know Mike wasn’t my actual father but he treated me like a son for a long time.

In 1988 I had the good fortune for my third set of parents, Jim and Linda Rainey. I joined a band and Kenny Rainey was the drummer, and we practiced (practically lived) in his parents basement. Kenny and I quickly became very close friends and it didn’t take long for Jim and Linda to start treating me like I was their own son. They had a summer home in Long Island and we spent most weekends out there fishing, camping, and just having good times and making memories. I think I ate dinner at there house at least 5 times a week for years.

About 5 years ago Jim died of cancer; this for me was the third time losing a father and the most devastating. Words alone cannot express my love of this man, and the gratitude I felt for all he did for me. I still get emotional when I think back and talk about some of the times I spent with the family.

Although over the past 20 years I haven’t seen Del as much as I would have liked to, I still love her as if she was my own mom. Last night William called to let me know Del is down to her last couple of days. She has decided it’s her time and has pretty much stopped eating and she is ready to go join Mike. I write this with tears in my eyes, regret for not going to see her and spend time with her a little more often, and for losing a mom for the second time. I have so many things running through my head when I think back, but if I started to write them all, my computer would run out of memory. Aside from teaching me how to drive and the family vacations, one of my best memories of Del would be eating lunch at the house on Home Place. I can’t explain why, but I think of that often.

That leaves Linda Rainey, the last mom I have left. I haven’t seen Linda in a while caused she moved to south Jersey after Jim died so she could be closer to her sister, Aunt Marlene (who I also consider family). Looks like a trip down the parkway is in the near future…

Peace……..

Its Almost Here

Posted by Rich Sab on May 2, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Leave a Comment

As most of you now know I took a full time job. Now I have to be honest; I don’t like it. That being said, I won’t like anything not related to fitness, nutrition, martial arts, music, or writing and this job does not fall into any of these categories. It’s not the worst job in the world, it’s just that I have no interest in the field of machining. I look at this job as a temporary vehicle to pay my bills and get me closer to the dream of opening my own fitness center. This being said there is one downside, this job takes up way to much of my time. One more thing, does anyone have a copy of Rosetta Stone Italian I can borrow. Okay enough bitching, time to get to it.

Here is the question; with summer right around the corner, why are my bootcamp classes smaller? One of the answers I get is little league baseball season has started and getting the kids to practice and games is taking up a lot of time. Well let me tell you something, when I was a kid, if I wanted to play baseball, or football, or anything for that matter, I had to get there on my own. Sometimes I rode my bicycle, sometimes I walked, but I always made sure I got to practice and to all my games. The Mom Taxi didn’t exist back then. Not only sports, I also walked to school and back home after school, that’s just the way it was.

Now I know a lot of people like to say things were different when we were kids, but that’s not the way I see it. The difference in my opinion,  there is way more media now and everything hits the news and internet. When we were kids there were local channels only, so if it didn’t happen in our own back yards we didn’t know it happened. But once again I’m veering off the path.

Okay, now to my point; it’s crunch time people, Memorial Day is 4 weeks away and that means summer is just about here. Now is not the time to be missing workouts or cheating on your diet. This is the time were you need to turn it up a notch or two, add an additional workout per week and get super strict with your eating. Remember you’ll be wearing less and showing more.

Now get back to bootcamp…

See you on the mat…

Peace…

My Vegan Journey 5/Guerilla Cooking 3

Posted by Rich Sab on April 28, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

Since becoming vegan I’ve learned quite a few things, things you’d never think to be. For instance; BacOs bacon bits are vegan, so are Oreo cookies, but non-dairy creamer has dairy in it; go figure. Here’s a good one; fish bladders are used in the process of making some beers and wines, FISH BLADDERS. You think that’s pretty gross, well they also use edible gelatins made from bones and animal albumin (blood proteins) egg albumin and dried blood powder, yummy.

I find it funny how non-vegans will tell me how disgusting tofu and some of the other meat substitute products we vegans eat are, yet most people have no idea what’s in their food. Did you know that there are anchovies in Worcestershire sauce? I don’t know many people who like anchovies, but I know a lot of people who use Worcestershire sauce. How about Ritz original crackers, you know the ones that taste buttery, well they happen to be vegan, as are a few flavors of Jell-O instant pudding.

I bet not many people would walk into a deli and order a blood and tongue sandwich (well except for some old school Italians I know), but if you hide it in their food it’s all good.

Pink slime has been a hot topic lately, shit; if you think that’s the worst thing going on with your food you better start doing some research. By looking at the conditions and practice at factory farms I’m shocked food borne illness and death for that matter aren’t much higher. Less than 1% of cattle slaughtered by the meat industry are tested for mad cow disease. The FDA says that’s enough because they ban the use of brain and spinal material that spread the disease to humans, so if the slaughter houses follow the rules in place all is safe. Watch a video from inside a slaughter house and tell me what rules are being followed. I’ve seen cleaner gas station bathrooms, it’s sickening.

Here is one for all my friends who eat kosher. There are a lot of rules in place for kosher food, especially when it comes to the slaughter of animals. Well……ahhh, nevermind……….

Now on to Guerilla Cooking 3

Ok this is my Vegan Chicken Salad

1 package of seitan

About a half cup of frozen corn

1 stalk of celery (chopped)

1 jalapeno pepper (chopped)

About a half onion (chopped)

Course sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Veganaise

Roasted red pepper (chopped)

About a half cup of frozen peas

Mix it all together and enjoy

*as always measurements are rough estimates and I don’t know cooking terms so by chopped I mean cut into small squares…

Here is a video from Mercy For Animals..

Peace……….

Meaningess Rant

Posted by Rich Sab on April 22, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Leave a Comment

So I was reading a local entertainment magazine earlier today and I came across an article by one of the regular writers that kind of aggravated me a bit. In the article the writer went on and on ripping Facebook, and Twitter, and the people who use them. Now I wasn’t all that surprised that he wrote this based on some of his past writings but it finally pissed me off a bit. Who is he to say that these web sites are making people dumber and that people who choose to use them are less intelligent then people who choose not to. If he has strong feelings against social media sites and chooses not to use them, well that’s his choice, and if I choose to use them, well that’s my choice. So how is it hurting him or his wife (who is also of superior smarts then the rest of us) if everyone else around them chooses to partake in the social media craze? Simple answer; it’s not, he’s just a pompous ass. Keep in mind this is the same writer who once wrote that anyone who chooses to have children is stupid. It’s good that he knows what everyone in the world should be doing. Oh yeah and before I move on; if you ever talk to this guy don’t ask him how his weekend was, he doesn’t have time for meaningless chatter.

I’m sorry for wasting your time with this meaningless rant, but I had to let it out. Okay I’m going to get back on track and start my next post now. It will be another installment of My Vegan Journey combined with Guerilla Cooking. That will be posted tomorrow night.

 

Peace………………..

Guerrilla Cooking 2

Posted by Rich Sab on April 16, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Tagged: , , , . 1 comment

Got this recipe Tara…..

1 package of extra firm tofu
3 table spoons vegan butter
3 table spoons of Tamari soy sauce
Enough nutritional yeast to sprinkle on both sides of tofu

Use a paper towel to get the excess moisture off the tofu and cut into squares about 2″x2″.
Melt the butter and add the tamari sauce.
Cover the tofu squares with the butter tamari sauce, sprinkle with nutritional yeast, turn over and repeat.
Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes.
Serve with Brown rice and vegetable of your choice.
I usually serve this with sautéed Kale an or sautéed asparagus…
Enjoy…

I Don’t Have Time to Eat Healthy

Posted by Rich Sab on April 15, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Leave a Comment

In addition to the fact that people will say that do not have the time to exercise, it seems they do not have the time to eat right either. I hear this often; I want to eat better but, I work long hours, or I have to travel for work and it’s hard to find healthy food. Well there is a simple solution to this problem that most people seem to have. You may have noticed I said most, because you see not all of us experience this problem. The simple solution? Prepare your food the night before work and bring it with you, or on Sunday prepare your food for the week and put it in containers in the refrigerator and grab it on the way out in the morning.

Not only will this ensure you eat healthy, it will also save you a lot of money that would be wasted on ordering food every day. It’s funny how often I hear “it’s expensive to eat healthy” yet the same people who make this statement have no issues with spending 10 dollars at a deli for a sandwich filled with fat and ungodly amounts of sodium and a can of sugar, ummm I mean soda. So that’s $50 a week and that’s just lunch, I spend less than that every week to cover my breakfast and lunch plus 2 in between meals as well.

If you travel it’s obvious that you can’t pack you meals and bring them with you so in this case your may be forced to eat out (may be). If you are staying in a hotel you can try to get a room with a refrigerator. If this is possible then you can go to a market and buy some good food options and you’ll be able to make sure you stay on track. If this is not an option and you’re forced to eat out you can still eat a healthy diet, the key to this is to ask questions and order off the menu. Just because a restaurant gives you a menu doesn’t mean they won’t “special” order food.

Simple ways to eat better in restaurants include; ask for grilled or steamed vegetables, if you order a salad, instead of getting dressing ask for a lemon and olive oil, squeeze the lemon over the salad and drizzle a little olive oil over the top than some fresh black pepper to top it off. If you eat meat order it grilled or baked.

The bottom line is this; there is always time to eat healthy, and there is always a way to eat healthy (even in a restaurant). A little bit of planning ahead and asking questions (while dining out) will allow you to follow a healthy diet regardless of how busy you may be or how much you travel.

Well I have to go and start my food for the week. Crispy baked tofu for lunch tomorrow, yummy I can’t wait.

Peace…………………………………………..

Where Do I Fit In

Posted by Rich Sab on April 8, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. Leave a Comment

Due to a very busy schedule as of late and a knee injury my training has turned to shit. The good news in this is that my knee is getting time to heal, and I’m making a bit more money than I have in a while. The bad news is that my fitness level is in a downward spiral and my body fat is rising; well maybe I can get a part time job at Christmas playing Santa, (no stuffing required). Actually it’s not that bad (yet), but I feel like it is.

So as I sit here on Easter morning writing this, my main goal for the day is to figure out how to fit ME into my schedule. The number one excuse people use for not exercising is “I don’t have the time”. Well anyone who has ever said this to me knows my response to that statement. Bravo Sierra. (Bull Shit) Everyone has the time to do what’s best for their own physical and mental health.

Wake up an hour earlier in the morning, use half of your lunch break, or watch a little less TV, there is always time. Break it up 15 minutes in the morning, 15 during your lunch break or at night.

My plan is to wake up at 5:30 and hit the gym before work, and also 15 minutes of rope skipping during my lunch break every day. I will also squeeze cardio training in at night between teaching and private sessions. Will it be easy? No, but it will be well worth the positive reward I will receive as a result. I will also be adding Yoga every Sunday alternating between Jivamukti and Shiva Shanti.

My schedule has gone crazy but it’s all positive. In this time of insanity I’m excited for all the good that is heading my way.

Positive mind will yield positive results. I’ll see you on the top…

Peace

 

Sorry for the lack of Updates

Posted by Rich Sab on April 7, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, vegetarian. Leave a Comment

Well as you can tell I haven’t been posting daily like I normally do. The reason for this is work. Although health and fitness is my passion, lately I have not been making enough to cover my financial obligations therefore when a job was offered to me last week, I had no choice but accept.

The position was in an industry I left 15 years ago so I have background and experience, just no desire to be in it. The job pays well and it’s not all that difficult, it’s just not my thing. My official title is Field Engineer. Oh yeah and they’re giving me a new laptop and company cell phone. The biggest down side in my eyes is that I will have to do some traveling. I know most people love that but its work, not pleasure so it’s not the same.

So the way I’m looking at this opportunity is that it’s a means to an end. I’m still teaching all my martial arts classes and boot camps, and I’m still training all my private clients, but from 8 to 5 I’m,,,,, well, I’m a field engineer; let’s leave it at that…

Bigger things are on the horizon and this new job will help me get there, in time. That I can guarantee.

So, as for the blog; I will update at least 1 time per week. Every Sunday night I will put up a new entry. When I can, I’ll add more but for now at least 1 every Sunday night..

By the way I started the book and so far so good.

So please check back often and share the blog with your friends and help me build this (so I don’t have to keep the day job long). :-)

Peace

 

Write a Book

Posted by Rich Sab on March 29, 2012
Posted in: Diet, Exercise, Fitness, life style, Martial arts, self improvement, Uncategorized, Vegan, vegetarian, yoga. 3 comments

I’ve been getting a lot of very positive feedback on my blog over the past month or so. This surprises me because I never really thought I was very good at getting what’s in my head onto paper. Sure I have been writing songs for over 30 years, but that’s different. Please don’t ask me how it’s different, it just is. The other reason it surprises me is I never thought the chaos that lives in my head would be interesting to anyone other than me, oh and maybe the few people who reside on the same wave length as I do.

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to write a book. On several occasions I even started writing, however every time I go back and read what I wrote, it ends up crumbled up in the waste basket. Since I’ve been blogging a number of people have approached me and said I should write a book. Based on this feedback I decided to start once again, problem is, as you can tell by reading my blogs, I’m all over the place; I need to find a direction and stick with it.

What’s the plural of moose? Ahhhh never mind. So I know which direction I should go in for the book project but just like my blogs I know I will stray from my main subject. I really can’t help it, it’s just the way my mind works. My only hope is that I can keep the reader’s attention for 300 pages; it’s much easier to do for 300 words. My guess is the book will turn out to be similar to the blog, kind of like a diary or a journal.

Any input on this subject will be appreciated and considered. So let the new journey begin, writing starts now.

Peace…….