I'm in an Audioslave mood and just felt like quoting one of their songs.
"I am not your blowing wind, I am the lightning."
-Audioslave (I Am The Highway)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Acai Berry Craze
I'm writing this article along with a few other health related ones. I'm going to be talking about Acai berry juices and the new craze surrounding them. First off I'm not saying they do or don't work, I will just never see myself shelling out that kind of money on something I can make at home for much cheaper.
I've found a much more effective version of the Acai juices to be a simple blend of fruits we have easy access to. Buy some unprocessed bitter cherries and cranberries. Remove the pits and stems from the cherries. Leaving the skins on blend the cherries and cranberries in a mixer until they are a nice juicy consistency (you may want to add some water). If this drink is too bitter for your liking feel free to spice it up with some sweeter fruits like grapes or apples.
This is a wonderfully tasty and healthy drink. Replaces those sugary drinks with water or this cranberry / cherry juice and your body will thank you.
I've found a much more effective version of the Acai juices to be a simple blend of fruits we have easy access to. Buy some unprocessed bitter cherries and cranberries. Remove the pits and stems from the cherries. Leaving the skins on blend the cherries and cranberries in a mixer until they are a nice juicy consistency (you may want to add some water). If this drink is too bitter for your liking feel free to spice it up with some sweeter fruits like grapes or apples.
This is a wonderfully tasty and healthy drink. Replaces those sugary drinks with water or this cranberry / cherry juice and your body will thank you.
The Fitness World Taking Gone Down A Bad Road
Every day when we browse the web we come across those dreaded ads. They tell us that they have a miracle secret to lose weight, build muscle, and become full of energy. Many people excitedly click on that link in hopes that they can get that helping hand to gain control of their weight. What comes next is not so shocking anymore, we see a bunch of great testimonials, some catchy hooks, and then we're slammed with a "for only $59.99 we'll let you in on our secret."
I am a strong believer in helping out others who need it. When someone is struggling with a weight issue I'm not going to tell them, "hey I have an answer for you, if you give me $60.00." (Note I'm not talking about personal trainers or those who put in a lot of time to help others lose weight, for money. I'm talking about those who say they have harnessed a secret formula and under the anonymity of the internet charge you money for something severely lacking.)
I'll leave a few tips here:
1. First off it sounds like a no-brainer, but cut out that fast food. Actually cut out as much eating out as possible. Cut out as much artificial sugars as possible as well, they can easily be replaced by some great tasting all natural fruits. Eat home made meals whenever you can.
2. This next one I cannot stress enough, STOP DRINKING POP! Pop and other sugary carbonated beverages are flat out awful for you. Try replacing pop with natural juices, water, or green tea.
3. Meditate. Feeling stressed? Stress is a huge problem in many of our lives. Reduce stress as much and as often as you can. Meditating is just on of many great ways to do that.
4. Eating right. I already mentioned cutting out fast food, now you need to learn what to replace it with. Do not starve yourself, it will drop your metabolic rate. Most of what you eat should be fruits, vegetables, and lentils (beans). You will also need your grains, but aim for whole grains they are substantially better for you than plain white bread. Protein is something your body needs. Eat lean meats (try to only eat one main course meat in a day), eggs and peanut butter are other great sources of protein.
5. Rearrange your diet. Your breakfast should be a mid-sized meal, your lunch should be the largest meal of your day, and your dinner should be your smallest. this is due to the fact that you are most active during the day, not the night. Also remember to have in-between meal snacks, but make sure they are healthy. Try low fat yogurts, almonds, or as always fruits and vegetable.
6. Exercise. I hate to break it to you but you will need to exercise. Try to find a friend or group of friends and get involved in a weekly sport. Also give skipping and swimming a shot, both are excellent ways to burn off those extra pounds.
7. Be optimistic. Don't get down on yourself and don't let others drag you down, you can achieve whatever your weight loss goals are with some time and patience.
Take Care,
Shane
I am a strong believer in helping out others who need it. When someone is struggling with a weight issue I'm not going to tell them, "hey I have an answer for you, if you give me $60.00." (Note I'm not talking about personal trainers or those who put in a lot of time to help others lose weight, for money. I'm talking about those who say they have harnessed a secret formula and under the anonymity of the internet charge you money for something severely lacking.)
I'll leave a few tips here:
1. First off it sounds like a no-brainer, but cut out that fast food. Actually cut out as much eating out as possible. Cut out as much artificial sugars as possible as well, they can easily be replaced by some great tasting all natural fruits. Eat home made meals whenever you can.
2. This next one I cannot stress enough, STOP DRINKING POP! Pop and other sugary carbonated beverages are flat out awful for you. Try replacing pop with natural juices, water, or green tea.
3. Meditate. Feeling stressed? Stress is a huge problem in many of our lives. Reduce stress as much and as often as you can. Meditating is just on of many great ways to do that.
4. Eating right. I already mentioned cutting out fast food, now you need to learn what to replace it with. Do not starve yourself, it will drop your metabolic rate. Most of what you eat should be fruits, vegetables, and lentils (beans). You will also need your grains, but aim for whole grains they are substantially better for you than plain white bread. Protein is something your body needs. Eat lean meats (try to only eat one main course meat in a day), eggs and peanut butter are other great sources of protein.
5. Rearrange your diet. Your breakfast should be a mid-sized meal, your lunch should be the largest meal of your day, and your dinner should be your smallest. this is due to the fact that you are most active during the day, not the night. Also remember to have in-between meal snacks, but make sure they are healthy. Try low fat yogurts, almonds, or as always fruits and vegetable.
6. Exercise. I hate to break it to you but you will need to exercise. Try to find a friend or group of friends and get involved in a weekly sport. Also give skipping and swimming a shot, both are excellent ways to burn off those extra pounds.
7. Be optimistic. Don't get down on yourself and don't let others drag you down, you can achieve whatever your weight loss goals are with some time and patience.
Take Care,
Shane
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Healthy, Tasty Breakfast
Hey, thought I would write about a delicious breakfast that is also good for you. I have been working at eating healthy for the past few years and have come across a number of great foods that accommodate that. I will be posting recipes and mini tutorials on how to make some of these dishes.
First off I'd like to start out with a breakfast. It's kind of a Mexican style open faced omelet. This dish was an idea given to me by my friend Coop, with a few mild variations.
Things you will need for this meal are:
Eggs: 2 to 3
Milk: Less than a 1/4 cup
Beans: 1 to 2 cups, canned beans will suffice
Salsa: Really the amount is up to you, I use about 1/2 of a cup
Salt: Just a pinch
Pepper: Just a pinch
Optionally
Cheese: Grated to sprinkle over top of the finished product
Tortilla: Grilled and used as the base, if you want the dish to be a bit crunchy.
First off you will want to drain and rinse the beans if they already have a sauce on them. Once that is done you can start to fry them in a pan. While the beans are frying you can scramble the eggs in a bowl and add in the milk (just enough to lighten them a little). While mixing in the milk you can add the salt and pepper to the eggs. Once the beans are done frying put them on a plate and place them in the oven or microwave (since they are insulated and will keep them warm).
Now you can start cooking the eggs, remember to cook eggs on a medium-low temperature. It as also best if you have a lid for you pan that you can cover them with. Once the eggs are almost cooked (they should look like a nice round egg tortilla) you can mix the salsa in with the beans. Mix in more or less depending on how spicy you feel like making the dish. Place your cooked eggs on a plate and cover it with the beans and salsa mixture.
Optionally you can sprinkle some grated cheese on top for some extra flavour. If you want that crunchy tortilla base before you fry the beans take a tortilla shell and crisp it up in a frying pan. Then continue with the rest of the recipe, just layering the egg patty on top of the tortilla.
This is a very filling meal that tastes great and is also quite healthy. I'll be adding more meal ideas over time, so check back for those. Also if you're interested I have an article on some basic ideas to help stay in shape here.
Take care,
Shane
First off I'd like to start out with a breakfast. It's kind of a Mexican style open faced omelet. This dish was an idea given to me by my friend Coop, with a few mild variations.
Things you will need for this meal are:
Eggs: 2 to 3
Milk: Less than a 1/4 cup
Beans: 1 to 2 cups, canned beans will suffice
Salsa: Really the amount is up to you, I use about 1/2 of a cup
Salt: Just a pinch
Pepper: Just a pinch
Optionally
Cheese: Grated to sprinkle over top of the finished product
Tortilla: Grilled and used as the base, if you want the dish to be a bit crunchy.
First off you will want to drain and rinse the beans if they already have a sauce on them. Once that is done you can start to fry them in a pan. While the beans are frying you can scramble the eggs in a bowl and add in the milk (just enough to lighten them a little). While mixing in the milk you can add the salt and pepper to the eggs. Once the beans are done frying put them on a plate and place them in the oven or microwave (since they are insulated and will keep them warm).
Now you can start cooking the eggs, remember to cook eggs on a medium-low temperature. It as also best if you have a lid for you pan that you can cover them with. Once the eggs are almost cooked (they should look like a nice round egg tortilla) you can mix the salsa in with the beans. Mix in more or less depending on how spicy you feel like making the dish. Place your cooked eggs on a plate and cover it with the beans and salsa mixture.
Optionally you can sprinkle some grated cheese on top for some extra flavour. If you want that crunchy tortilla base before you fry the beans take a tortilla shell and crisp it up in a frying pan. Then continue with the rest of the recipe, just layering the egg patty on top of the tortilla.
This is a very filling meal that tastes great and is also quite healthy. I'll be adding more meal ideas over time, so check back for those. Also if you're interested I have an article on some basic ideas to help stay in shape here.
Take care,
Shane
Motorcyle Insurance
Here's a topic that has driven me crazy for several years. My whole life I've loved motorcycles, so when I turned 17 I decided it was time to buy one. I wasn't looking to go racing or showing off, I just wanted a cruiser to go for relaxing, fun, laid back rides on. I bought that first bike, a 2000 Yamaha Vstar (650 classic) and was more excited than I had ever been. I wrote my M1 license and started paying my ridiculously high insurance premiums.
It wasn't very easy finding a company that would even insure someone my age, but I finally found some luck with Kingsway on the stipulation I completed the motorcycle safety course. I understood that my insurance would be high when I was first starting out but sure wasn't expecting that over $2500 a year for the bare essentials. I was kind of shocked at the price to insure a vehicle that would only be on the road for 6-8 months out of the year (curse you Ontario winters).
I clenched my teeth and paid the money, hoping that the price would drop with more riding experience. During my time at the motorcycle training course I talked with all kinds of people. One that sticks out clearly was a guy in about his 40's with less riding experience than I had. Simply because of his age he was paying more than $1000 less than I was on a much larger and expensive bike.
I figured after a few years of riding my insurance would drop right? Well here I am 4 years later still not getting much of a break. Trying to find a company that is willing to insure a young guy on a bike is like trying to get it to rain bubblegum. I have never been in an accident on the bike or in my car, never gotten any tickets, and have never had any claims with an insurance company. Even the cost for car insurance is crazy for someone my age. It's nice because it's kind of like big companies are saying "let's see you kids try to afford over priced universities or colleges now."
All in all, whatever you are insuring, if you live in Ontario it's going to cost you a lot. For some reason once you cross that Manitoba boarder insurance suddenly becomes much easier to handle. I'm writing this not only out of my own frustration about huge insurance prices, but maybe if enough pressure is put on the Ontario government (and it will take a lot of pressure) we can adopt an insurance policy more like Alberta's.
Anyway I'm done ranting about this, for now. As always take care.
Shane
It wasn't very easy finding a company that would even insure someone my age, but I finally found some luck with Kingsway on the stipulation I completed the motorcycle safety course. I understood that my insurance would be high when I was first starting out but sure wasn't expecting that over $2500 a year for the bare essentials. I was kind of shocked at the price to insure a vehicle that would only be on the road for 6-8 months out of the year (curse you Ontario winters).
I clenched my teeth and paid the money, hoping that the price would drop with more riding experience. During my time at the motorcycle training course I talked with all kinds of people. One that sticks out clearly was a guy in about his 40's with less riding experience than I had. Simply because of his age he was paying more than $1000 less than I was on a much larger and expensive bike.
I figured after a few years of riding my insurance would drop right? Well here I am 4 years later still not getting much of a break. Trying to find a company that is willing to insure a young guy on a bike is like trying to get it to rain bubblegum. I have never been in an accident on the bike or in my car, never gotten any tickets, and have never had any claims with an insurance company. Even the cost for car insurance is crazy for someone my age. It's nice because it's kind of like big companies are saying "let's see you kids try to afford over priced universities or colleges now."
All in all, whatever you are insuring, if you live in Ontario it's going to cost you a lot. For some reason once you cross that Manitoba boarder insurance suddenly becomes much easier to handle. I'm writing this not only out of my own frustration about huge insurance prices, but maybe if enough pressure is put on the Ontario government (and it will take a lot of pressure) we can adopt an insurance policy more like Alberta's.
Anyway I'm done ranting about this, for now. As always take care.
Shane
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Audition Went Well
Hey, I just got home from auditioning for a feature length film. The director and assistant producer were handling casting. They were both really cool guys. The audition went really well, lots of joking around in between readings. Had lots of fun and should hear back from them by next Friday.
Was Nirvana Really the Best Grunge Band?
I know that I'll probably upset a few people with this one, but I have to put out there that one thing that drives me crazy is the reaction Nirvana gets from people. I do like Nirvana, but it pains me every time I hear that they were the greatest Grunge band. Honestly as a whole the band was lacking compared to some of it's counterparts.
Take Soundgarden for example (my personal choice as #1 grunge band), Chris Cornell's vocal ability blew Cobain away. Soundgarden as a whole had an edge musically over Nirvana. Another prime example is Alice in Chains. The combination of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell again surpassed everything Nirvana had to offer.
I realize that Nirvana had some great tunes, but it seems that all the added hype they get is ill warranted when compared to other bands of the same time.
I need to keep this short, I'm about to head out for an audition (which I will write about later), but keep in mind musical taste above all else. If you truly prefer the way Nirvana sounds then more power to you, but don't be one of those people who just blatantly accepts them as the best.
Take Care,
Shane
Take Soundgarden for example (my personal choice as #1 grunge band), Chris Cornell's vocal ability blew Cobain away. Soundgarden as a whole had an edge musically over Nirvana. Another prime example is Alice in Chains. The combination of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell again surpassed everything Nirvana had to offer.
I realize that Nirvana had some great tunes, but it seems that all the added hype they get is ill warranted when compared to other bands of the same time.
I need to keep this short, I'm about to head out for an audition (which I will write about later), but keep in mind musical taste above all else. If you truly prefer the way Nirvana sounds then more power to you, but don't be one of those people who just blatantly accepts them as the best.
Take Care,
Shane
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