Coffee

On my latest quest to change my way of eating and drinking, I have been avoiding the coffee issue. I like coffee, especially a good latte. The thoughts of not enjoying a cup , well , I just don't want to deal with it.

There has been countless studies and research on caffeine and its effects. You could probably come up with enough backing either way to support drinking coffee or to quit drinking coffee. All reports and studies, however, do conclude that caffeine is a drug that effects the nervous system but for the good or for the bad?

Coffee, or caffeine, to be more accurate is known to increase anxiety, stress, food cravings, sleep disorders,stomach problems, etc.

On the other hand, some latest studies boast the health benefits, such as ,preventing cancers, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease etc.

I believe a person needs to listen to their own bodies. In moderation seems like a good rule here. I have managed to decrease my intake to one cup in the morning and I don't seem to be having trouble with that amount, although I admit when a frothy Latte is offered up in the afternoon, I don't turn it down!

So good or bad, I can't seem to make up my mind. I keep myself in tuned to my physical and mental reaction to ensure my intake of caffeine is under control. Maybe going a week without might help me decide.

Its funny, I was reading Sifu Shipaleskys blog thinking how easy it would be to go without tea but coffee, ... for three months, I think Sifu is going to shame me into trying!

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Healthy Food Headache

I have read enough books over the years concerning food, nutrition, diets that I think I have come full circle. There were fads on cabbage diets, grapefruit diets, carb loading, protein only, low cal, no fat and even diets based on your personality/body type classification. Definitely a multi-billion dollar industry. After all said and done we are still a society that lacks nutrious sources of food and have become overweight.

I've come to the conclusion as many of us have, that its not a secret diet we seek but a lifestyle of eating properly.

I have noticed a few published books and programs have an underlining common theme for maintaining a nutritious balance of food.

1.) approx. 6 small meals a day

2.) 2-3 liters of water a day

3.) combine a complex carb with a lean protein and a healthy fat at each meal

4.) keep your food as local and as whole(natural) as possible to ensure its nutritional value is optimum. (research the products origin).

Pretty simple rules to live with it would seem.

My problem is all in the planning.

Here it is Tuesday and I am out of boiled eggs, tuna, fruit and cut up veggies!

The real trick to this magical lifestyle change is all in the planning and preparing...rats!

My intentions last weekend included grocery shopping and preparing easy healthy snacks to pack for the week. Did not happen, again.

Another common philosophy is how much impact our food has on our overall health.

80% in fact.

Apparently a finely tuned body (athlete or novice) can attribute 10% of their results to genetics another 10% to their training and a whopping 80% to the food and drink they ingest on a regular basis.

I guess its worth the extra work and preparation, not to mention the long term health benefits.

So back to the drawing board or should I say the kitchen.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta Canada

Questions

Kids have a funny way of making you do a double take. My boy is at the age now where he has 1001 questions. He was asking about our "soldiers" on the other side of the world.

We try and explain why they are over there and why some of them have died. One question leads to another and you begin to question your own answers.

Finally he pipes up and asks if there are any bad guys here that hide bombs..I said "no" and it was left at that.

Then I sit and think about the world I am growing old in and the world he is going to grow up in.

I am writing this only days after an attempted terrorist attack on an American airliner. There is no denying our western world has changed. Thankfully the attempt was unsuccessful but the repercussions have effected everyone of us, even if you don't travel. The fact that we do live in a world where random attack is real and the "enemy" is not visually apparent anymore leaves us with the risk of falling into a realm of fear and paranoia.

The question is, are we at peace or are we at war. Has the definition of war changed so drastically that the real weapon is taking away the peace within ourselves.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Santas Anonymous

My boy is the only grandson and an only child. It is inevitable that he gets more than his fair share of stuff for birthdays and Christmas. I try to slow the waves of gifts that come his way but it seems hopeless.
This year I thought it would be good for him to help my husband and I deliver toys for Santas Anonymous.
The last place we dropped off was a 5 story building. No couches in the foyer just a brick wall. No elevator just concrete stairs. No carpets, just cold dirty hallways. These were the things my son noticed. It was a brief drop off, the mother answered the door as her little ones came rushing behind. A baby boy and a toddler. The toddler looked like she was about 3 and delighted by the action. We wished them a Merry Christmas and we were on our way.
Raymond asked me if she was happy because now she would have toys for Christmas.
He might not get the big picture yet, but I hope it helps.
What broke my heart as we came to the bottom of the stairs were the rows of strollers parked at the bottom.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta Canada

Shaazam!

I like this time of year even though it can be hectic. Its the end of the year but 2 weeks left before the new one starts. I get excited about planning for the new year. Setting new goals. The new year hasn't started yet so technically I am not behind in anything! I am geared up, pumped up and ready to go..Shaazam! Open the gate....

Of course, knowing myself, by March things start to fall into a rut. Not so motivated, not so excited.

I am always battling the monotony that can come with trying to accomplish or achieve something. If its worth going for, it usually means there is some hard work involved over a long period of time.

Every 3 months I make a point of reflecting on where I am and remind myself of what I am trying to do. Sometimes a shake up is needed physically so I change what I am doing in my training routine. Guaranteed I will need a shake up mentally, that takes a bit more creativity. I find mental motivation can truly be a challenge. If I give myself some time to reflect on a regular basis I can remind myself to prioritize when life becomes too busy.

But for now, I am going to enjoy and embrace the season, use the slow time between Christmas and New Years to reflect and prepare.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta Canada

Cogitate (koj-i-tat')

To Cogitate: to think deeply or intently, to ponder about.


Some people are born smart, but how about smart thinkers?


Turns out smart thinking or "cogitating" is a practiced skill. Much like practicing a sport, painting or your martial arts. You get better by simply doing. If we keep the mind active like we keep our bodies active we stay sharper longer but we need to work on the method of how we think.


You've heard the phrase "think outside the box". What does that really mean?


You may have even heard the analogy " the brain is like a grassy field".


We make a path in the field, the more frequently it is travelled, the path begins to get deeper and a rut starts to form. The brain will develop these same ruts (frequently travelled paths) if we allow it to. It becomes difficult to view the world from a different perspective.


Another common term is "negative self talk". This again, over years, can be the rut our brain synapses fall into. It becomes the path of least resistance and our knee jerk reaction to a situation can be the same time and time again. Worst case scenario, falling into a regular state of depression. The mind cannot help but travel down this path, it is too deeply ingrained.


However, I digress, we can keep our minds challenged. We can control the way we respond to situations in a positive way or a subjective way. We can make critical and pressured decisions by using all the tools available to us.


To be capable of cogitation we must allow ourselves the time to do so. Time gives us the ability to look at all the factors that can influence our decision and our actions. Sometimes we make the mistake of answering or acting too quickly because our Egos drive us to do so.


Another important tool is Listening.
Seems silly, we all listen, every day, don't we?


Actually, no.

Too often we perceive we are listening to a conversation while in actual fact we are formulating our thoughts as the person is speaking to us. We run the risk of missing their point of view and fully empathizing with their thoughts.
As a matter of fact, I can count 3 times yesterday when I should have listened more intently. Once with my son, later that day to a coworker about a project and then during class with Sifu Brinker. All 3 were victim to my preformulated points I felt compelled to express above all other comments! Sometimes we come away from a conversation and realize we forgot to listen because we were too concerned about what we wanted to say. (I 'll apologize to you Sifu, the others don't read the blogs, actually one doesn't read at all!)


Now I am no great cogitator...heck I only learnt the word two weeks ago on a course I was on.(I think I just like to say the word cogitate) but in all seriousness I do believe it is important to take the time to listen, look at the larger scope of our dilemas and problems and afford ourselves the time and opportunity to make the best decisions, choices and actions for ourselves and those that we will touch and affect with those decisions.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Food Octane

I have been living in a hotel long enough now. Last week I was sick for 4 days. I was able to make it to class but other than that I felt like all I could do was sleep and eat soup.

Its actually been a blessing in disguise. I have had my head in the sand about a particular issue for too long now. When you are sick you have lots of time to think and I have been thinking about my health and how really fragile a persons health is.

I have forgotten the fundamentals. We are all biological machines. The difference between chugging along and humming along comes down to the basics. Rest, Fuel and Oxygen.We need a premium fuel to perform at our best. Pretty simple and I have always taken pride in the fact that I shop for healthy foods and try to cook healthy meals.

Eating out and shopping from one small grocery store for the past three weeks has been a wake up call for me.

There is a buzz about the latest documentary "Food Inc." , It was playing on the airplane and I have read an article in the Time magazine about the "Agricultural Industry" and surfed the Internet regarding the nutrition quality of food. I have had a gut feeling about the lack of nutrition in our raw foods for a while but I have chosen to ignore the issue. Why? Simply because it means more work on my part.

For years I have gone grocery shopping, sticking to the outside aisles where all the raw or fresh food is kept. I refrain from purchasing processed or canned food. I read the labels, where is the food imported from, where did the oranges come from, where did the bread get baked, etc,etc.

Due diligence right. Healthy shopper, right?

I have been duped, like so many trying to make the right choices, Corporate greed takes over and the food in your basket is just a empty image of what it used to be.

I know the effort to shop more diligently is worth the end result. Ultimately it is the consumers dollar that will make the change that is needed.

So, I need to take the time and research the food I purchase, look more closely at the sources and the processes.

On a more interesting note, I was watching the news last week and they were doing a feature on urban gardening and how its starting to spread rapidly. Its not just a hobby. There are areas in inner city districts deemed as "drought zones" meaning you have to travel outside an excessive radius within the city to find a retail outlet that supplies raw foods. The fast food is highly accessible unlike the grocery stores. The people are making a stand and taking control of their neighborhoods with the "garden projects" and making sure to involve the youth in the initiative.

The Food issues need to change. Once again the consumer is manipulated. This time ignorance is not bliss. Education and a demand for change is in order. It starts right now for me.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada