noCheezecake

journey to an active and healthy lifestyle

Just started taking B-12 for Energy and Mental Health

I noticed energy depletion and brain fogginess as the day progressed the past few months. The only remedy was a Guru energy drink (which tastes great and keeps me going for a few more hours), but with all the bad publicity and known side effects of energy drinks, I started to look elsewhere for a better source.

As a vegetarian, who doesn't eat much egg at all or consume alot of dairy (unless it's on a pizza), iron and b vitamins tend to be lacking, but just a bit more so than somebody who does eat meat (even meat eaters do not seem to intake enough iron or b vitamins themselves). I knew this, but didn't think it meant for much. But as I started researching more, I discovered the symptoms I had were aligned with Vitamin B deficiency (B-12 to be more precise).

Spirulina is not an efficient source of B-12

I was taking spirulina, and had known it had enough B-12 for a daily dose, but the research came to the conclusion that the B-12 is an analogue form in the human body and does pretty much nothing. Several sources confirm this (#1, #2, #3)

Methylcobalamin vs Cyanocobalamin

I started looking for supplements with active sources of B-12 and found that Cyanocobalamin is the most common source, but that's because it's not a natural source (a synthetic vitamin) produced in the lab. The body is able to convert that to Methylcobalamin which is better for your body to utilize, but there are formula's out there that use Methylocobalamin instead (although just a bit more expensive), so it's less work on your system to convert to a more suitable source. (#4)

I found one in liquid form that I'm now trying. There are other types such as tablets and capsules, but in liquid form I'm able to work my way up to a fair dosage, rather than get smacked in the face with a full 500 or 1000mcg dose, which seems to be too much right from the start. It's only been a few days, so as far as how well it works, I can't really explain as to its effects just yet.

I don't promote or advertise, so I'm leaving out who or where I got it from, but if you're curious, just leave me a message and I'll get back to you about it.

 

Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pizza at the Cheesecake Factory == Yum!

This pizza is an awesome Vegetarian option at the Cheesecake Factory....not so much on the Vegan front. I think salads are a Vegan's best bet here, or there's also the Thai Lettuce Wraps, as recommended by our waiter last night (just replace the chicken with some vegetable; olives or mushrooms are usually a good choice).

I replaced the Eggplant and Artichokes with Shitake Mushrooms for this pizza.

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via graduatemeghann.wordpress.com

(I'll make sure to take a pic of it next time.)

Got a Bike finally!

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via specialized.com (Specialized 2010 Crosstrail Comp)

I'm a little late on mentioning that I bought a bike recently. Some people know, and I've ridden a few times now.

To explain what kind of bike I got, most people by looking at it would guess it's a mountain bike, but it's not. What I've purchased is a sort of hybrid type bike. It has a large radius for tires, so riding on the roads makes it handle alot better, but the shocks, wheel base and tread make grip and maneuver on a trail or mountain so much easier. I guess you can say it's the best of both worlds.

I've been looking for a bike for about 4 or 5 months, swaying back and forth on whether to go road, mountain, or just get a fixie/single-speed for commuting. I wasn't happy with limiting myself, so this seemed like the best bet. The features on the bike make it a bit pricey (fork locks, disc brakes, components), so I'm not sure I would recommend anybody else buy it right off the bat.

I think I enjoy it a whole lot more than running. Why is that? Well, what I figured out is that I'm treading through a trail or road a whole lot faster, so waiting for that landmark seems so much closer. It's hard to put into terms, but an hour just never seems like enough, where on a run, I can't WAIT for the hour to just be over.

 

I'm going Vegan

Vegan-drama

Yes, I'm going Vegan. Well, at least I'm going to strongly attempt it. As much as I have loved meat in the past, my stomach turns as I think of eating a Filet or some BBQ chicken. The taste in my mind is just a reminder of how I feel every time after I eat a piece of meat. Satisfied, yes, but really I feel more....slow, tired, and too full.

I've been reading articles, and watching a lot of videos online about the health benefits of going Vegetarian. I have a couple friends here that are Vegetarians, so I know it is possible to live ok in a meat-fast-food-filled world and be ok. Neither of them have talked me or strongly encouraged me into being a Vegetarian, it's just something my body has felt I'd be more capable of living a healthy life with.

I began to dig deeper into health and making sure I live a healthy lifestyle, which I've failed at doing a number of times. The occasional trip to Houston or California...probably the worst of it was when I was stuck in Philadelphia for over a month. It was very hard for me to get back on track if my trip was too long. The 4 days during the trip all of a sudden turned into 10 days because I just wasn't in the mood to watch what I ate or go workout.

Some may argue, that's self discipline that I should worry about, not so much the eating lifestyle (I don't do diets) that I've come to do. Let me engage further for you.

Metabolic Typing
I've never officially completed a Metabolic Typing Test, but from what I've read, based on my genealogy and how I feel, concludes that I feel much much better eating more Seafood, Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains. This was hard for me to cope with as I was not ready to drop beef and chicken. I attempted this late last year over a period of 3 months, and although I was getting closer and closer to the results I was looking for in the Appearance sense, I was beginning to feel weak and couldn't even perform fully during a workout: tiring out too soon during a cardio workout, not being able to increase my weights week by week because it seemed the weights were getting heavier (even though they were the same weight!). I began to understand that my body was now attacking my muscles and resorting to them for sustaining energy, rather than going for the fat in the love handles I had desperately been trying to get rid of.

By the end of this run, my girlfriend had moved to town, and she loves to cook. And her cooking is not just really good, but AWESOME....I've gone for 2nds and 3rds on several occasions. Not to mention the eating out, and the holidays coming up. There was a lot of meat around. My workout regimen stayed pretty much the same, but now there was meat in the mix, and I began to gain weight....but I was definitely feeling ALOT stronger.

But then I began to feel sluggish again, and my workouts soon became less and less frequent. My weight started to pack on and I was feeling like I was at square one again.

I started off again trying to go strictly Organic and Free Range. That didn't help because my craving for food was so great. So recently I went back to being a Pescatarian, but as I read more and more about the condition of fish, and how you don't know where you're really getting your fish from....especially at a restaurant, I began to reconsider eating seafood at all. I LOVE SUSHI, but I believe its possible to part from it....well, at least I hope so =)

Why Vegan then? Why not just Vegetarian?
Eggs are not my friend. I've never been able to feel comfortable after eating eggs. I've tried and tried, and every time it ends up with me having to go the restroom at least two or three times a day. I just don't think my body is capable of digesting eggs properly. So I don't think I'll miss eggs very much.

I have a low tolerance for dairy. Any milk you buy at the store gives my stomach a horrible turn (and I can remember this as far as when I was 8 years old), until I found organic milk. On two separate occasions though, I'd picked up my usual organic milk, and both times they came in very foul smelling, and the last time it felt like there were chunks floating at the top of the carton. That turned me away very quickly to the brand, and I wasn't confident in any other, so cow milk was out of the question. I'd considered goats milk, but that just seemed like a stretch for me. 

Ice cream's worse, I usually have to goto the restroom at some point afterwards, and it was never comfortable. Gelato's much much worse...after a few licks, I have to go immediately.

Cheese tastes awesome. I loved it on a hamburger (but that's gone now) and more so on a Pizza. I love, love, looove pizza! Pizza and sushi will be by far the two hardest things to let go for me. But then I think of all the times Pizza has given me stomach problems, or uncomfortableness afterwards. It's always good going in, but never very good going......well, you know where this ones going.

What else could I mention? Butter...fattening. Cream cheese...yuck. I've pretty much gotten to the point where if I don't eat an animal....why would I even want to eat anything that comes out of an animal? Yes, it tastes good...I can't argue with that, but I think I'm more now on a mission to give myself a healthier life, and eating meat, dairy or eggs in this day and age is detrimental to my health (I'm only speaking about myself, not anyone else).

What about protein? You can't live without meat!
The body is a very very smart thing. When the body lacks the protein it needs, it finds it wherever possible, that's why it attacked my muscles the last time. If you introduce a heaping amount of vegetables, beans, and the sort that has protein (maybe a decent amount, maybe a small amount), the body will hold on to the protein within those foods as long as it can. I was worried about this same case for the longest time, looking skinny maybe even sickly, but I've found several vegan athletes (car lewis became a vegan in his prime) and even trainers and body builders.

You're no longer a normal person. I don't think I can invite you out or eat with you because you're different now
Well, I hope that's not the case with any of my friends or family. All I can ask is that you help support me on my journey. I may fail, I may continue to live this way...who knows. It will be tough, so the support will definitely help. 

If you've known me long enough, you know that during the months of Ramadan when I couldn't eat during the day, you would find me hanging out with friends during lunch or even playing a game of basketball. Temptation is probably the least of my worries. I would still love to hang out during lunch or come to a gathering, even if I can't eat the food.

How can I keep up with your progress (or failure)?
I've set up a twitter account and a separate blog for my progression (hopefully not failure =P). I've thought about maybe making a Youtube channel, but I don't know if I'm comfortable in front of a camera. We'll see though.

Any tips or suggestions, please leave a comment, I'd greatly appreciate it =)