food watch: does pepsi own your organic…?

March 9, 2008 at 10:07 pm | Posted in environment, food watch | 3 Comments

after nite*vision’s guest post, “cows dropping like flies” (2 posts below), i had to return the favor. check out does pepsi own your organic… and find out how the big food corporation have been sneaking into the “organic” game.

football vegan

March 7, 2008 at 4:58 pm | Posted in (multi)sports, nutrition, Vegan, Vegan Athletes | 10 Comments

“it’s the catch 22…am i going to be unhealthy and play football? or healthy and get out of the league?”

in a january wsj article, reed albergotti posed the following trick question, “…could an all-star national football league player…live on a vegan diet and still excel in one of the most punishing jobs in sports?” its a trick question because the article cites quotes from the living answer, who also happens to be the highest paid tight-end in the game right now.  kansas city chief’s tony gonzalez went vegan in last year’s preseason and broke 2 all-time nfl records: most touchdowns and career receptions (previously held by shannon sharpe). carl lewis made a similar achievement, winning 4 olympic gold medals after becoming vegan.  tony gonzalez, a 247-lbs former cheeseburger lover, was apprehensive at first thinking he would ‘look like a fool if [it] doesn’t work out’. but after teaming up with “jon hinds, vegan and former l.a. clippers strength coach”, gonzalez was well on his way to sacking the haters, knocking out all bums.

teammates nicknamed him china study and razzed mr. gonzalez if he missed a block. after a preseason practice, he accompanied mr. hinds to learn a skill he believed as important as blocking techniques: how to shop for groceries. mr. hinds showed him ‘nutritious fish oils and how to pick out breads dense with whole grains, nuts and seeds…mr. gonzalezs learned how to make the fruit and vegetables shakes… he stocked his pantry with tubs of soy protein powder and boxes of organic oatmeal; soy milk and brazilian acai juice crwoded the fridge. his favorite dessert became banana bread topped with soy whipped cream…

considered a suspicious “convert” even by his wife because of his addiction to cheeseburgers, gonzalez was inspired after meeting a vegan gentleman who put him on to the china study.  but it wasn’t until gonzalez got sick with bell’s palsy that he actually read the book and decided to use vegan mathematics. his decision was a critical and record breaking one. if a vegan diet is good enough for an nfl cat…hmmm. for the full wall street journal article “247 lbs vegan” click here.

food watch: dropping like cows

March 2, 2008 at 3:39 pm | Posted in food watch, guest post, why vegan? | 4 Comments

we got baby, baby, baby spare ribs/roast beef/hot links/and more to give/cube steak/hot dogs/ribs tips, ooh/pork chops/turkey wings/and, chicken wings, too –moo & oink theme song, 1982

if you grew up on the south side of chicago, there was absolutely now way you didn’t know the lyrics to moo & oink’s viral classic jingle. when you see the commercial (below), you’ll know why the song would have the most vegan of us rapping along and breaking it down about all kinds of animal meat and waving for catfish.

if the past 12 months hasn’t seen the largest year in beef recalls in history, we should all be worried about just what the hell has been on Continue Reading food watch: dropping like cows…

battling obesity one city corner at a time

March 1, 2008 at 12:02 am | Posted in guest post, Health & Healing, nutrition | 2 Comments

the ny city council has heard and answered our cry for more fresh fruits and vegetables where we live! want to know their answer? wait for it…

wait for it…

fruit carts on our corners!

new york city will issue 1,000 new permits for mobile fruit and vegetable stands in its latest drive against obesity and unhealthiness among its residents.

there’s still no word on whether or not this is in conjunction with a broader plan with things like limiting the number of fast death food restaurants that can occupy a single block or more green spaces for outdoor activity where we live (see how i was nice enough not to even bring up the availability of organic and/or local produce!) Continue Reading battling obesity one city corner at a time…

get your weight up, batman!

February 20, 2008 at 3:47 am | Posted in Black Athletes, Black Folks, Health & Healing, Hip-Hop | 8 Comments
Tags: , ,

g.i.a.n.t. thinking is healthy thinking and healthy thinking is balanced thinking, so how you thinking. where’s your knowledge and where’s your wisdom… bartendaz mantra

ok, so the bar has officially been raised–pun intended. the bartendaz go hard on the workouts, seriously. when they are not in the park doing calisthenic “gymnasty” gymnastics, they’re visiting public schools near you. in addition to inspiring a folks to get off the couch and empowering youth through the joys of physical fitness, they are also committed to building community and are in the process of starting a new york charter school. well, april 1st brings in a new multi-sport season, which leaves a little over a month to get it in. lastly, i once saw a clip of a fitness beast on video entitled “if batman were real he’d train like this“ which for the most part is quite impressive for strength, overall body mechanics and control; but, i think wolverine would do it like this: Continue Reading get your weight up, batman!…

it’s…

January 8, 2008 at 2:49 pm | Posted in Health & Healing | Leave a comment

…been a long time i shouldn’t have left…time’s up sorry i kept you. –i know you got soul eric b. & rakim

it’s been a minute. i’ve survived my first bike crash (still healing), official full rookie year (stay tuned for results), new vegan grubbings (kwanzaa’s kitchen table was quite tasty), new year’s costume dance-off (was raj from what’s happenin’, not what’s happening now), got deeper into the herbs… you’ve been with me through all of that but i’m back! even i promise to post more frequently and i have a few goodies i’m working on like: food of the month, restaurant reviews, more pictures, more diapsoric travels, race & training updates, monthly health goals to name a few. special shout outs and big ups are due to the following:

  • faithful subscribers of the blog
  • those who just stop by to check me out every once in a while
  • those who lave comments
  • those who stay on me,“you haven’t posted anything in 3 months, what’s good?”
  • my mom’s for leaving really personal comments (sometimes too personal)
  • soulful vegans out there
  • the omniverous folks actively seeking to improve their health
  • even those who got here by mistake
  • of course wordpress…
  • and even the spammers (well maybe not)

because of you this blog reach 5,000 hits in less than a year. now i know that some blogs get more than that but this was just a little side-side-hobby-almost-turned-addiction hobby. i’ve e-met some cool folks in the blogosphere. stay tuned and hold me accountable to my 2008 goals (soon come). oh yeah, i promise to do something abt the categories for my posts. got some house cleaning to do…who let all of these spammers in?

go brooklyn!

October 18, 2007 at 2:33 pm | Posted in Vegan | 1 Comment

 yes yes, y’all…healthy heartbeats…plump tomatoes and carrot sticks y’all.  brooklyn goes veg, the “borough-wide initiative”, brings you the 1st annual vegetarian restaurant week. as these kinds of regional multi-restaurant initiatives go, all participating enterprises are commissioned to bring their “a+ game”.  so my omnivore friends feel at ease and take a chance…not everything with tofu tastes the same…be prepared to taste a “soy chicken sandwich” that tastes better than any deli sub or lunch break panini.  click on the picture for details and try something new.

tapping the ‘third root’: mexico’s african history

August 17, 2007 at 1:14 pm | Posted in african diaspora, Black Folks, Vegan | 11 Comments

the highlight of my all too short trip to acapulco began to take shape in a conversation with a waitress. of course i was attracted to acapulco’s weather, bountiful (and peculiar) flora and of course! i had to see and swim with a few sea turtles. but my first initiative to connect with people and learn/share culture. this trip was no different especially since this mexico trip was a stop in the african diaspora. “es ustedes antropologicos?”, the waitress asks as i finished my tofu taco from 100% natural. with such a beautiful smile draping off of high cheek bones…and a honey brown complexion i couldn’t help but think of my grandmother – a harlemite raised by her bahamian father during the late 30’s…could there be a connection? it appears that mi abuelita’s twin sis was curious as to why nite*vision and i were so interested in “black” mexican history, particularly since we did not “look” the part of academicians. it so happened that favy was born in “la chica costa” region of mexico and strongly identifies as afromestiza and was very proud to speak about the various sades of brown in her family and other cultural aesthetics – just as every afromestiza was when we spoke to them. both, mine and favy ‘s, inquiries (researcher and my grandma) were explored by the “african by legacy, mexican by birth” installation at the caribbean cultural center and later by the mexican fine arts musuem in chicago (one of the largest mexican diasporic centers outside of cali). the untold history of yanga, vera cruz and the overlooked descendants of african and indigenous warriors in Continue Reading tapping the ‘third root’: mexico’s african history…

underground railroad bike route

May 10, 2007 at 5:31 pm | Posted in Black Folks, Cycling, environment, Health & Healing | 3 Comments

“throughout history, black people have used bicycles as a mode of transportation. today we must promote physical activity within the cultural context of african american history, including the struggle to freedom from slavery. the underground railroad bicycle route demonstrates how to use cultural tailoring designed to get people moving.” dr. stephen b. thomas, cmh director and professor of community health & social justice at the univ. of pittsburgh graduate school of public health.

once a clandestine path travelled under the cloak of nightfall and whose details were ingeniously encoded in song, can now be physically (re)traced and (re)appreciated in the context of fitness, historical reflection, and courage. the underground railroad bicycle route is a 2,058 mile historic trail stretching from mobile bay on the gulf of mexico to the great lakes in ontario with the mission to “promote lifelong health…to people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.” this landmark mapping project began over 3 years ago as a joint venture between the adventure cycling association and the university of pittsburg’s center for minority health of pennsylvania.

because of the trail’s length and plethera of historic sites (ft erie’s bertie hall, st. catherine’s museum), cyclists can choose short segments or tackle the entire trail. on april 14, the adventure cycling association sponsored 18 cyclists on a 50 mi a day, 48-day road trip ending in buffalo. but its not too late to be apart of this historic event. The final leg, a 7-day ride open to 80 riders, will start on july 30th and end on aug 3rd connecting buffalo to owen sound. the closing of this inaguaral 2100 mile trip will coincide with owen sound’s 145th emancipation festival. owen sound’s particular significance is that of a emotional site of relief and freedom, as for many passengers who journeyed the “rail” to escape america’s peculiar institution.

“the challenge to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities requires implementation of interventions that are scientifically sound and culturally appropriate,” dr. thomas

the owen sound site also is the gateway to north america’s rich african-canadian heritage – a “living” story spliced from the classroom and many discourses on the african diaspora. for more african canadian resources check out these site: historic black canadians,afrotoronto,book references,afua cooper,and a fellow wordpress blogger with interesting sources. Continue Reading underground railroad bike route…

mlk’s dynamic legacy & veganism

January 15, 2007 at 6:26 pm | Posted in Black Folks, martin luther king jr., Vegan | 5 Comments

reflecting on the life and legacy of mlk has left me to consider how deep do my beliefs (in anything) run. often referred to as a civil rights activist, the rev. dr. martin luther king, jr. was clearly more. a son, a father, husband, warrior…the list is endless. but what has struck me recently with chords of curiosity and introspection is one of the ways in which his family has chosen to carry on his work and message: the embrace of the vegan diet as a natural progression of peace and “non-violence”. both dr. mlk’s recently passed freedom fighter wife, coretta scott king and their sons, dexter and martin luther king iii, embraced the vegan diet. in an interview, dexter king stated:

“veganism has given me a higher level of awareness and spirituality, primary because the energy associated with eating has shifted to other areas…if you’re violent to yourself by putting [harmful] things into your body that violate its spirit, it will be difficult not to perpetuate that [violence] onto someone else.” click here for the rest.

my own path to the vegan diet was reached through a health conscious compass, but i can fully appreciate the meaning behind animals rights and how it can inform a decision to refrain from eating so called “meat”. the line of thinking that led martin luther king, jr.’s family to a vegan diet is commendable in my opinion – growing within and advancing the legacy by through fresh perspectives and self-analysis. in honor of king’s legacy, i can and will do more to grow and deepen empowering beliefs through staying open to new & diverse ideas, action, critical thought and self reflection. for more info on the life of the life-activist mlk check out the king center for social change‘s site. here is another site inspired by martin luther king’s message: vegan outreach

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