A year In the Life

OK, Now here is the deal. I am going to be 50 years old on my next birthday, a significant milestone some would say. I don't really care how old I am, I care about how healthy I can grow each coming year. I have chosen to experiment on myself this year; to eat as cleanly as possible, take a year off consuming alcohol, and train myself in a manner that is usually reserved for elite class athletes.

WTF? Why am I doing this? I have been in really good shape at certain points of my life, and it felt really wonderful. I miss that feeling, and want to try and achieve that again. I have also returned to the rugby world after a very long time. I am training to become an IRB referee, and must be in top shape to keep up with the collage age players I am to work with. I also have young kids that I want to stay healthy with, and live to see them have kids, and grow old. That will take some doing, but I am up to the task indeed.

So what does my life look like? When I said I wanted to be in the best shape of my life, it was more than skin deep. I want to have the best "stats." I have every had, including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, heart rate, stress testing capability, and percentage of body fat (I am shooting for less than 10%). I also want to be at a high level of fitness in order to PLAY rugby once again, "let's keep that a secret from Kate"! So the question that comes to one's mind is, "Narcissistic or smart"? Hell, both in my mind, why not look really healthy at 50?

My diet and the absence of alcohol are the most striking differences in my daily regime. I have cut out all the "Whites", sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, etc. I have tried to eliminate all the high glycemic foods that one finds in daily fare. I am Replacing sugar with nothing, one or two small squares of 90% cacao dark chocolate with my tea at night is it. I am replacing white flour with sprouted, and whole grain flours in very limited amounts, I am pretty much done with bread for now. Starch filled vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, etc. are out. I replace them with "all the other vegetables". Fruit is all good except for bananas. Proteins and dairy are fine, but restricted to lean meats, and nonfat, or low-fat dairy options. For all intent and purpose, I am eating like a type 2 diabetic should eat, while not being diabetic.

The first goal for the meal plan is to stabilize, and de-tox for a month or two, and then start making the diet a little broader in options in certain moderation. The second goal is to make really amazing food that adheres to the actual diet, and provide recipes and photographs on this site of the year long journey (and longer) in re-creating an eating lifestyle.

I cook for a living, and am known for rich, high end cuisine that is usually loaded with fat. There is a time and place for that for me in the future, but a place where reason and intelligence rule the decision process, and not the common gluttony I have relied upon for all of my adult life. I am excited to learn personal limits in regards to consuming rich food and alcohol as to enhance life, but not harm ones self. Tricky posture to hold, but I can do it!

So, the two images in the post are symbolic of my new reality. The de-tox period menu of simple steamed organic brown rice, kale with lemon juice, and herring filets for protein is what I am eating right now, and the tractor tire gets flipped end over end up and down the property, and beat on 100 times on each side with the sledge hammer. Welcome to the machine!