When the Elephant Parade Passes By...

Elephant Parade London 2010 in support of Elephant Family, which serves to protect endangered elephants and their natural habitat.

"I now walk into the wild"

If you noticed recent Twitter updates, you read my mention of the life of Chris McCandless. When you immerse yourself into his story, you are compelled to take the journey with him and to ask the same questions of yourself. It is, I believe, a journey worth taking. I encourage you to visit him yourself. Let it sit with you for a while before making some final decision. Your reaction, truthfully, is not as important as what it helps you to see of yourself. Going through the ordeal with Chris will benefit you by revealing a part of yourself to you and helping you to understand how you view the world.

Here are some primary sources for reading Chris's story: The book Into The Wild by John Krakauer, the movie Into The Wild directed by Sean Penn, the music Into The Wild soundtrack by Eddie Vedder. You can also read the original article from Outside Magazine, Death of an Innocent written by John Krakauer.

From a Twitter reply, I learned of a new book coming out co-produced by Heather Horton. She is working on the book with Chris's parents along with other artists and friends. I refer you to her blog entry about her own journey to Bus 142. At the end is an update on the book and its progress. I have asked Heather to keep us updated on the book's developments, and she has kindly promised to do so. Now, I turn it over to you.

Grace and Peace on your journey!

Namaste

OH MY GOD

Oh My God by Peter Rodger

Give A Man A Fish

If you decide to become a vegetarian, I implore you to include fish in your diet or, at least, dairy and eggs. Should these exceptions prove unacceptable to you, then please learn all you can about protein—alternate sources, that is. Protein deficiency can cause severe health problems, and many people tend to transform themselves too quickly thinking only of the health benefits. Someone I care about did this exact thing, and she ended up putting her health at risk.

Ideally before any major dietary change, you should consult a nutritionist or a healthy practitioner as well as doing your own research. When my parents discovered they both had cancer, I became more concerned with nutrition. I have begun my own campaign to learn about what we eat and how that effects us. Personally, I prefer to be a pescetarian (pesco-vegetarian). A pescetarian's diet includes fish, mollusks, and crustaceans in addition to fruits, vegetables, plants, legumes, nuts, and grains. It may or may not include eggs and dairy. To be clear, I am advocating neither for  nor against vegetarianism. My main focus is the importance of protein. It helps us grow, heal and monitor our blood sugar.

One of my favorite examples of vegetarianism is the story of Bill Pearl. He is a legendary bodybuilder, who for twenty years had the "perfect" physique. During his fifty year career, he morphed from a meat eater to a lacto-ovo vegetarian. At seventy-nine, Bill Pearl is still teaching people about health and nutrition. He maintains a 30-40-30 diet (30% protein-40%carbs-30%fat). Percentages are part of his teachings. It says that out of 100% of your diet devote a third of it to protein.

In the future, for your own health, I ask that you think before you eat. Whether you are a vegan, a vegetarian or a carnivore, I hope you will watch your percentages. And, finally, strive not for the "perfect" body, but for "perfect" health.

Happy Earth Day!