Monthly Archives: December 2011

Rosey’s Veggie Powered Voyage to Health & Fitness

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English: Par cooked brown rice.

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While I was tweeting my  barefoot Bay Area adventures, I discovered Rosey Eutsler. As I read her tweets, I became more and more interested in her story. At the time of this interview (12/26/2011), she has lost the 6.9 spare tires (138 lbs.). She didn’t do it by eating gimmicky caramel candy bars, she didn’t do it by fasting 3 or 4 days a week, she didn’t even do it by watching Richard Simmons videos.

She did it by changing her lifestyle, by discovering that some foods nourish while others damage. Anyone can follow her journey by visiting her Blog, Rosey’s  Getting Fit. Enjoy my interview with this inspiring, happily married mother of two.

I read on your blog that you like Nichoals Cage. So, I have to ask, what is your favorite Nicholas Cage movie?
Con-air would have to be my favorite. I love all his movies but that is definitely my favorite.

Con-Air was a great flick. Face-Off was another Nick Cage movie I liked. It’s all about changing identity. Speaking of complete about-faces, what lead to your lifestyle change?
I got all the way up to 399lbs and started to have a ton of health issues that were making me feel like I was dieing. I tried all kinds of Standard American Diets and would lose weight and regain it over again getting sicker all the time.

What kind of health issues plagued you?

  • Irritability, Moodiness
  • Joint pain, Muscle cramps, Tingling and numbing in the legs, feet, arms and hands.
  • Weight Loss & Gain
  • Digestive Disorders
  • General weakness and fatigue
  • Hair Loss
  • I had a rash all over my body, Blisters in mouth, and Brittle nails
  • I bruised easily
  • I had Severe Insomnia–no more than 2 to 4 hours sleep.
  • Asthma, and other respiratory problems
  • I suffered from Ear infections, Allergies
  • There was severe swelling of my hands, legs and feet.
  • Heart arrhythmia, High Blood Pressure
  • Calicium deposits just under skin, age spots
  • Fatty tumor in my back
  • Curled toes
  • Arthritis in hip, knees and shoulder
  • Sharp pains in heels of feet after long walks
  • Panic attacks
  • and Migraines [to name a few.]

Wow! You must have been miserable. Before you realized that you had to live healthy to be healthy, did you try any of the weird fad diets, such as grapefruit only, or any of the wacky weight-loss concoctions on the market?
Let’s see I tried a few weird diets. The grapefruit one I did not try though. I tried fasting 3 to 4 days of the week. I tried diet Ayds which was like a little caramel candy that was suppose to make you not hungry. Slimfast: Gained weight instead of losing. Atkin’s: I lost weight but I got so sick I ended up in the hospital and doctors told me to quit that diet. When I did I gained back all the weight plus more.

I also tried Richard Simmon’s diet and exercises. I still love his videos. But didn’t keep weight off with his diet either. Weight Watchers: Didn’t lose hardly anything on it and put it right back on.

All of the fad diets made me feel sick and didn’t keep the weight off because they were diets not lifestyle changes to me.

My new lifestyle is making me feel so much better that it is here to stay.

I read on your blog that you eat vegan. How did you discover vegan eating?
Very first time was through a friend giving me

Dr. McDougall’s book. “The Mcdougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss“.

That is the Program I have been following… But I’ve learned a lot from others…like Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Colin T. Campbell, Chef AJ and the Dietician…

Do you have any favorite dishes?
Favorite dishes almost anything that has brown rice in it.

I love to have brown rice in my frig. pre-cooked at all times.

That way, there is always something quick and easy to fix. A lot of times I take the brown rice, steamed greens and frozen veggies. Throw them in the microwave add salsa and seasonings when done. You can spice it up just by adding different seasonings.

Since you’ve been eating vegan and learning about healthy eating, what benefits have you enjoyed?

Since I went vegan and Barefoot/Minimalist, I’ve been enjoying not only feeling 100% healthier from head to toe but also losing the weight easily: 399lbs to 261lbs at moment.

I still got a ways to go. But I know I’m going to make it. [And nearly all of the problems I mentioned earlier have either improved or gone away and I'm loving it.]


How has your relationship to food and eating changed
My relationship is so much better.

Food used to control me and make me really sick.

I am feeling healthier and fitter as a vegan.

Earlier, you said you went barefoot/minimalist. What part has bare-footing or minimalist living had in your change?
I’ve noticed that since I’ve went bare-footing and minimalist that my whole body is loving me. Not near as much pain as I was having before I started doing so. Amazing how going back to natural helps the whole being not just the feet.

Do you listen to music or audio when you run?
I use my ipod when I’m running but only put it in one ear. I’m using couch to 5K podcast to get myself running. I also like to listen to running and walking podcasts when I’m walking. I don’t really listen to music when doing so because I have found that seems to make me not pay as much attention to my posture and I end up with blisters and hurting again.

What would you say to someone who struggles with his or her weight?
I’d tell them to give the McDougall program a try for a month and go for walks and build up to other exercises. Never give up you can do it!!!

 

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5 or Six Ways to Beat the Blues

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Sadness

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The Winter doldrums can try to dim the brightest hearts. But Winter doesn’t have to be a somber time of sadness.

Here are five or six things I do when I’m feeling a little down. Of course, I do them without shoes on. So, the first step to feeling good is to take off your shoes! It’s the only way to feel the world.

  1. I Gobble Grateful-Fruits:
    I force myself to think of good things in my life–those are the grateful fruits. Sometimes, I think about this blog. Lately, I’ve been getting more visitors and more visitors. Knowing that other people value my thoughts, dumb jokes, and rants makes me smile. Other times, I think about how wonderful it is be healthy enough to run and hike barefoot in the Northwest.
    I hunt for anything in my life that I can be grateful for. When I do this, my mind automatically focuses on other things that make me feel good. It takes a little effort, but it works. And it sets my thoughts on the path to happiness.
  2. Project my Personal Powerhouse
    Over the years, I’ve realized that some people are miserable. For whatever reason, they have chosen dark over light. Unfortunately, when chronically miserable people enter a room, all the plants and my heart seems to wither. It can be draining to be around such people. Whenever possible, I remove myself from their presence, but if that is not feasible, I simply don’t take anything they say to heart. They are miserable. They want everyone else to be miserable. I don’t partake in misery. I hate feeling miserable.
    In general, I make it habit not to take ANYTHING personally. I fob off criticism onto bad behaviors. Behaviors change. Yes, some of my behaviors suck, but I AM MORE THAN MY BEHAVIORS. Whenever someone says, “You always….” or “You are….” I ignore what follows. They are simply describing my bad behaviors. Sometimes, the person is right about the negative behavior, but I don’t bind my identity to it. True, I can be mean, cruel, and even a little evil at times, but I’m NOT and will never be a MEAN,CRUEL, or EVIL PERSON. Those behaviors aren’t my true nature. So, I NEVER attribute negative comments or behaviors to my nature. I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made and absolutely perfect in my own way.
  3. Overpowering Optimism
    This one takes practice and effort, but it’s worth it. Basically, I eliminate negative pervasive explanations. Negatively pervasive explanations steal my power. As soon I start attributing behaviors to deep personal flaws, I lose all control. It becomes an excuse to stagnate. For example, if I miss a deadline, I don’t beat myself up about it. I admit my shortcoming, but focus on all of the other times when I did make the deadline. I also focus on the end result, the client wants quality work; so, rather put inferior work on time, I had to delay to put out something worthwhile. Don’t get me wrong, missed deadlines are NOT something I’m proud of, but I don’t allow them to chip away at my self-esteem. I don’t let flukes or even patterns of behavior for that matter parade as my chemical make-up. When I’m the world’s most optimistic person, I put a positive spin on EVERYTHING; then, it becomes impossible to frown.
  4. Shower & Shave
    This is very important, I used to neglect my personal appearance when I was depressed; now, it’s the first I tend to when I’m feeling down. There’s something invigorating about taking the time to look good. The cleansing ritual also serves as a distraction, it’s difficult to think negative thoughts when you’re proactively making yourself look better.
  5. Positive Pictures
    This is another one that takes effort, but it works. I visualize myself smiling and happy. I also force a smile–sometimes its painful, but it gets easier the longer it’s there. I also see myself on the beach or surrounded by wealth and beauty. If I’m really feeling down, I’ll go ahead and Google images for “wealth” “happiness” “joy”, etc. I also make sure that  I have the “strict” image search filter on; otherwise, I usually end up viewing porn. OK, that last two words of the previous is Secret Number Six ;)
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3 Insanely Annoying Christmas Songs

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  1. Christmas Shoes. All this song needs is some Maple leaves because it has plenty of sap. Imagine Tiny Tim, minus crutches, buying his sick, bedridden Momma shoes she’ll never wear. In his Impoverished Consumer Whore Brain, Jesus wants his followers to come into the Kingdom wearing Stilettos. What a FAIL, Christ was a bare-footer. I don’t think he’d kick sick parents to curb for arriving at His door without footwear. That said, this song still makes my mamma cry, which strangely makes me want to buy her fancy shoes–even though the thought repels. What can I say, I’m Not Perfect and I love my mommy.
  2. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. Gayle Peevy, even her name is annoying. Mrs. Peevy took upon herself the mantle of ruining all holiday cheer with her shrill voice and sassy songs. Her music stabs its way through your ears into your spinal chord where it completely terrorizes your nervous system while it attempts to scramble your auditory cortex causing seizures and other mental disorders.  Luckily, her music killed off most of the DJs who played it. So, it’s relatively obscure.
  3. Grandma Got Run Over by Reindeer. Another song with an ill woman–what’s up with sickness and Christmas? Well this ill Granny is also drunk and she gets her skull cracked by an Elf molesting Santa, leaving Grandpa free to be a booze it up as a wild hillbilly in peace. How Nice. I can’t believe they play this song on radio. It makes me want to take a shower.
Well, enough my holiday Grinchery.
Happy Holidays. May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease. Blessings.
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Barefoot at the Airport

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English: Concourse D at Portland International...

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Whilst traveling to California, I had the divine pleasure of making my way through the ever so tender and caring arms of airport security. At PDX, the line was 45 minutes long and the security guard in charge of the thing wore a wrinkled uniform that forced his ample belly to pop over his belt. Also, the man needed a proper shave for he had missed some stubble below his chin. And his left shoe was untied. But the worst thing about this guy was his directions, he said, “There’s a shorter line this way” then he motioned toward the left of the packed line I was in. I and some other people in my line headed in the direction he pointed. It lead to a “Do not enter, Restricted area.” When I cut back in line, the guard tried to get me to move to the end.
I said, “You told us the line was shorter there, but that’s a restricted area.”
He stammered, “Oh, I uh, meant the line over there,” then he pointed in the opposite direction.
He said, “Sorry, but you have to go the end of the line, sir.”
I freaking hate it when people apologize for giving me orders, polishing with sir! It makes me want kick ‘em in the teeth. I looked at the people who let me cut back in line and said, “Do you mind my staying here? Security gave me bad directions and my plane leaves in 15 minutes.” They said they didn’t mind. So I turned from the guard and staid put, luckily the slovenly guard didn’t push the issue. He went on trying to control the line.

At the security check point, like the rest of the flock, I was forced to remove my shoes. That happily freed my  feet. I don’t wear shoes much and when I do, never

The sunset silhouettes a FedEx plane and the B...

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with socks. My bare feet, of course, brought some glares. The expression on persnickety elderly woman’s face made me want to laugh; it looked as if someone had dripped warm maple syrup down her spine. I shot her a winning smile and wink. I was surprised when she returned the smile. I decided to leave my shoes off for a while. I love my black converse, but they still give me blisters. It felt good to be barefoot in PDX. Walking without shoes makes the world feel bigger, plus it’s easier to soak up the energy of a place and PDX has a funky energy. A few minutes later, I spotted security headed my way. I promptly sat my ass down and put my shoes  back on.

At SJ airport, I wasn’t the only person with bare-feet. The guy in front of me didn’t wear socks either. Of course, at SJ, I had endure a full body scan. During the scan I remembered that I had forgotten to remove a packet of eye drops in my LEFT pocket. “OH, Sh%#!”, I thought with my hands behind my head–firing squad style–while the scanner whirred me from head to toes. Sure enough after the scan, a guard approached, “Sir, follow me. Do you have anything in your RIGHT pocket?”
I said, “Not that I know of.” He padded my right pocket. Nothing. He looked to person manning the body scanner and said, “He’s clean.”
“Have a nice flight, sir.”
When I was well out of view, I reached into my LEFT pocket and administered my eye drop. They were there the whole time.

What do I think airports can do to improve travel? Let’s see. I think they’ve got humiliating innocent men, women, and children at security check-points down; they could, however, probably hire security guards that know how to shave themselves and give proper directions, and it wouldn’t hurt of the person running the body scanner knew his left from right.

Fly safe, fly bare.

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The Incident at the Golden Gate Bridge

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The death of light, the conquest of the icy mountain air, and the merciless reign of languor turned me into a raging psychopath. A healthy dose of California was just what I needed to clarify my brain.

While in the Golden State, I  tweeted my shoeless adventures in real time, but since I don’t have anywhere near as many followers on Twitter as I do visitors for this Website, I thought I’d explore the incident that occurred during my barefoot stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge.

I got the idea to walk the world famous suspension bridge from my dad. He twisted his knee lifting a ladder.

Barefoot View of the Golden gate Bridge Heading Toward SF

He’s not supposed to be climbing ladders to fix second story windows; he’s almost 80. But my dad is almost as stubborn as I am. When I told him I was going to San Francisco, he told me that walking across the Golden Gate Bridge was on his bucket list. I thought to myself, “That’s a damn good idea”.

So the next day, I headed out to the City by the Bay. When I got to the Bridge,  clouds fell from the sky, covering the place with a saline haze. But I knew they were no match for California sun. After finding a secret parking spot, I walked past the construction crews with my trusty black converse (excellent minimalist shoes–no heel or arch support). Why with shoes? There was a cop nearby; I didn’t want to get hassled.

At the entrance, I got a few stares as I stuffed my black converse into my backpack. But no one said a thing. Some people didn’t even notice. The pathway was smooth and surprisingly warm. A few carts blasted past me in the bike line honking their horns.

Pedestrain man wearing suit, shoes, and hat with little girl with hair in a bun

Golden Gate Bridge Foot Traffic Pedestrian Sign

The pedstrian signs painted on the bridge were a hoot. They have a have man wearing a suit and hat with a little girl whose hair is in a bun.

 

The manic energy of the place flooded my spirit. I skipped the first few steps onto the bridge. The fog was still thick. I couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead of me. Traffic blasted near the rail. The close range of the automotive missiles unsettled me. My fate, it seemed, belonged to complete strangers. I favored the ocean side of the bridge–the side that forces person to look down.

When I arrived at the center, thrill of panic fired through me. It was the sensation one gets when automatic writing. There’s a loss of control as something other than yourself moves your body. I gave into the trance state.

Near the spot I where I climbed the rail

Barefoot on the Golden Gate Bridge

I felt myself climb the tiny rail facing the ocean. My eyes gazed downward. No one tried to stop me. There are signs posted everywhere that the bridge is under surveillance, but no secret bridge police appeared and not a single passerby said a thing. An Asian couple stopped, but they just gawked at me. I just stood there on the rail as every jumper has done.  I stared at the vicious ocean below. An unforgiving floating shard of glass, the jagged crests sharp, the boulders of water packed solid.  It would have been so easy to lean forward just a touch more to drop into the ferocious sea. But as I stood there barefoot in the middle of the Golden Gate perched on the steel beast, a burst of joy overcame me and I laughed loud and hysterically. Effortlessly, I leaned backward and floated down to the side with the white silhouette of the hatted man wearing a suit and holding the hand of the little girl with her hair in a bun. My feet landed softy on the pavement. I walked the rest of the way smiling as the sun evaporated the fog.

Golden Gate from the Presido

Golden Gate Bridge

 

“My arms are flung across the deep,
Into the clouds my towers soar,
And where the waters never sleep,
I guard the California shore. ”

–Joseph P. Strauss, Chief Engineer, Golden Gate Bridge

 

 

Some Interesting facts about the Golden Gate:

  • Eleven men died building the bridge.
  • The bridge was conceived by a poet.
  • The Golden Gate is NOT Golden or Red; it’s orange vermilion aka “International Orange.” Here’s the recipe: PMS code is 173; the CMYK colors are: C (Cyan): 0%, M (Magenta): 69%, Y (Yellow): 100%, K (Black): 6%.
  • The Golden Gate is 1.7 miles long.
  • The Bridge is constantly being painted. In fact, they’re hiring painters.

 

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Is Heifer a Munificent Gift of Charity or a Stingy Lump of Coal?

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Heifer International

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My friend’s father-in-law hands out sugarless chewing gum and mint dental floss for Halloween. He’s not even a dentist. He never calls my friend for the holidays. When my buddy finally breaks down and calls him, he always gives my friend an world-class guilt trip, “I thought you were in the hospital or lost your voice or something; haven’t heard from you in such a long time…”

 

Alton Brown

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I know my friend’s father-in-law isn’t a perfect Scrooge. He is, after all, a cyclist and shod runner. In fact, he competes in the senior Olympics.  The man is well organized has a nice house and, for the most part, treats everyone with his own homemade brand of kindness. He means well. I don’t think he’s cruel; I don’t think he even means to irritate my friend, but he’s a touch more egotistical than myself, which is quite a feat.

A few years ago, my friend’s father-in-law must have heard Alton Brown‘s hypnotic voice praising the virtues of gifting goats for X-mas.  Whatever it was, it kick-started a series of Heifer International Cards that seemed to devolve from actual gifts to what I believe are slack counterfeits. If they are real, they may as well be fakes because a third grader could produce higher caliber work with a box crayons and a roll of toilet paper.  Last year my friend’s mother-in-law sent my friend a soggy copy-bond piece of paper with cloudy spots of color parading as a Heifer X-mas Card. “A Fifty Dollar Gift to Heifer International was Gift on you Behalf.” Yes, “was Gift on you behalf.” All those goats, chickens, and pigs must have chewed off the some of the keys.

English: Goatling sucks mother's udder Русский...

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I think supporting disaster relief and zero grazing charity is great. God knows there is plenty of wealth for everyone. But Heifer Cards are worse than a lump of coal and a form of reverse Scroogery. Why? First, the person who buys the card is actually doing the giving, not the person who receives the card. So it totally steals your healthy karmic thunder. Second, once Heifer International gets your address from the giver, the unending tide of requests for gifts begins. And Heifer is worse at guilt trips than my friend’s father-in-law because they include visuals, charts, and play the tax card. Last, if you really think about it, the gift says, “Hey, I love you, but some poor farmer in Africa who is outta goats is more important to me right now than you are; so, he’s getting your money this year–Merry Christmas.”

Yes, I sound like a terrible person. Maybe I am a terrible person, but I don’t give meaningless gifts that make the other person feel like a total douche. This year, the card asks, “Can One Animal Change the World?” Yes! It can change “Merry X-Mas” into “Baaah baaah baaah Humbug!”

Happy Freaking Holidays.

(Speaking of Goats, here’s a weird barefoot fairy tale about a magic goat.)

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Covert Hippie Praises Sandals

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Hirschvogel Sandals

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If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that Mr. Valen Longfeather is making some major life changes. But, at heart, I’m still a fun loving hippie. In my latest YouTube Video, I kick, yet again, the horse of barefoot shoes–you see I still mix metaphors. You may wonder if I kick the horse with a straight bare foot or with a fancy sandal wearing foot or  with some other stylish minimalist shoe wearing foot. The truth is that sometimes I kick it straight bare other times I kick it wearing classy sandals.

You are probably thinking that I am ramblings; you are probably right. Just watch the video. It is slightly more focused. It will take more than short hair, organization, goals, and better hygiene to tame this wild beast.

Thanks for watching, thanks for reading. May you be healthy, may you be happy, may you live with ease.

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