Spine

I can't resist a cat thread! Nice kitties, everyone. Allow me to share a few shots of my dear departed Rio, whom I had to put down a few months ago. He was born in Vermont, spent most of his life with my mom in Colorado, and came to live with me in Oregon a few years ago. He was 18 years old. Best cat ever. http://www.masaladose.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/rio111606.jpg http://www.masaladose.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/rioondesk3.jpg http://www.masaladose.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/riotub.jpg http://www.masaladose.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/riosleeping.jpg

It's great that you're aware of stresses on your mind and body. People ignore those things at their own peril. I also have trouble sleeping sometimes. But I found a good tip in The Thrive Diet that I've been using the last few nights, to good effect. It's pretty simple: spend the last half hour or so before bed in dim light or darkness, to give the brain time to start producing melatonin. Do some deep breathing, listen to calming music, just chill. I find it's a lot easier to sleep after that than when I go right from the computer to bed.

That's a lot of delicious smoothie action! What was the occasion?

Damn, look at those traps! Nice work, Tuc.

Hey, just wanted to touch base and say I look forward to seeing everyone in Portland. I'll be in Vermont for my high school reunion while you all are living it up in the cabins.

Oh, man. Don't read YouTube comments. They'll take away whatever faith in humanity you have left!

How many people who see this video will think it's unedited? I think the answer is probably "way too many." I don't think the video is particularly funny. Obama is black. We get it.

I like mixing Ezekiel cereal with rolled oats and raisins, topped with soymilk. That's good breakfast food. I haven't tried their bread, but fortunately I don't need to because Dave's Killer Bread is made right here in Portland, and I buy it fresh every week!

Looks to me like this canvass has already seen some paint!

I actually have no idea how I discovered this site. I think it was just one of those happy Internet accidents around the time I went vegan last year. It's had a profound effect on my life, though--I never would have started lifting with a training mentality if I hadn't found this site. Everyone has been really helpful, and Troy especially has been a source of great information and inspiration. I don't have a lot of time to sift through all the information that's out there, and Troy's photos and clearly written posts guided me in the right direction. Now I'm on the gemma and I'm throwing spinach and Ezekiel 4:9 into my smoothies. Thanks, man.

I stumbled upon some instruction videos on YouTube from Vic Costa, who goes by "vicsnatural": http://youtube.com/user/vicsnatural I found this guy's videos very helpful. He's articulate and obsessed with correct form. And he's got a great physique.

This is definitely the prevailing attitude. People cling to their belief in the magical health properties of meat instead of just using their own eyes to see who's healthy and who isn't. I work with a guy who's quite curious about my diet. He doesn't eat well, but he enjoys asking me what I eat, how I get my protein (of course), etc. The other day he said something that pleasantly surprised me: "Well, you're obviously doing something right." That's the kind of statement that suggests an openness to new ideas, a willingness to see what's in front of you. The next step, of course, is to have that eureka moment where you realize: "I could do that, too."

Great information in Dr. Greger's video...but I'm not sure I could make it through a whole hour of his rather, um, distinctive speaking style.

I was wondering the same thing with respect to progress photos. It would be fun to take the pics while pumped, but I don't know if that would create an accurate impression of the progress I'm making. What do you all think? Cold or pumped for progress pics?

Toned and curvy--that's a pretty rockin' combination.

Thanks Tuc! Now if I could only be as articulate in Finnish as you are in English...

Holy crap. This guy has probably dropped dead since writing his "article."

Did anyone else have the misfortune of coming across a CNN.com article about the supposed benefits of drinking milk? If not, here's a taste of what you missed: On my blog, I did my best to counter the misinformation in the article.

The methane comes from the animals themselves, but livestock production is also an oil-intensive activity, with tremendous amounts of energy going into transportation of feed and meat, as well as production of fertilizer. Also, huge amounts of CO2 are released when they clear-cut Amazonian rainforests to grow soybeans to feed the farmed animals. It's so f'ed up.

Nice! I love American Apparel T-shirts.

Here's my contribution. Making progress, slowly but surely... I actually haven't seen much gain in my biceps lately and have been wanting to focus on that. But I do see some development in my shoulders and triceps. http://www.masaladose.com/wp-content/files/Bicep_Apr1408.jpg

Sorry about the bug. Feel better soon.

Thanks, Phillipe. The last thing I would do is insult my gay friends. Next time, I just need to make sure I've got the story right before I click "submit"...

Sorry if I offended anyone--especially Phillipe. Maybe it's an example of the limitations of communication on the Internet, but Phillipe's comment about not wanting attention from men sure did sound homophobic to me. That's what I was responding to. Apparently I was missing some context, as I don't know Phillipe's history. My bad, and my apologies if I was off base. My intentions were good.

With all due respect, Phillipe, I've seen the photo of you dancing at a rave, and I think big muscles are the least of your worries. But really, this worry of yours was silly and unfair no matter how you looked at it.