Hi, I am Lee, Vegan Dad, Wellness Chef, Runner and Lover of Nature. Mindfully existing and sharing perspective on the topics of
health, food,compassion,community, and more.
Sharing time with family and friends, the only way we can.
Let’s see…we had some habanero and ginger grilled tempeh and pineapple, some roasted purple cauliflower with mesquite flavor, some sautéed zucchini, black and red kidney beans, Sazon flavored rice, peppers and onions fajita style, guacamole…and of course Pacifico, Modelo, and margaritas.
It was fun…not quite like a physical party, but the setup and cleanup are a lot easier.
The pandemic, all this isolation, everything closed, future plans unsure, it feels like time is standing still, but it’s not: lives, loves, everything is changing…a palpable anxiety overtaking the planet
It just feels like we have more time to contemplate what’s going on in the world and our own lives. Not always a bad thing, but sometimes the truth hurts. However, it is what you need to find your true self. As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” While it did not end well for him, it’s good to look inside and do your best to be true to who you are. Keep working until one day you can find that peace.
It all feels very real. Reach out, help out, check in, be there.
Wow — it’s so important to know what brings you peace, knowledge of yourself, of something so simple yet so integral to feeling at one with the world.
To me it’s just being in the woods, beside a running stream that culminates at a cascading waterfall…the sounds, the spray, the birds, music to my soul.
My plan was to drive today…and get away from people! I work in a grocery store, surrounded by people all day at varying intensities of anxiety. Nature just plugs into my psyche, gives me energy, happiness, and faith. The world seems to be falling apart in front of our eyes but the beauty, sounds, smells of the natural world that have been here for thousands of years and still retain their allure give me hope.
Today, that’s all I need. Tomorrow we do what we can to keep it this way.
An object in motion stays in motion, an object at rest stays at rest. We have all heard that, it’s Sir Isaac Newton’s first law. It’s true about a lot of things I have come to think about in the context of my training for this (Los Angeles) Marathon.
The race is in the early spring, which means living here in New England I have to train in the winter, getting up early in the cold, dark mornings. Often I don’t want to get out of bed and do it. However, I have found that when I commit myself to do it, I get up, I get out there, I start moving…and it starts to feel good. It does not take long, boom, I’m into it, my mind is there, my body is there, I’m into the groove. The inertia of my actions take over and keep me going. My mind initially focused on just getting out the door, not anything about the elements, or the distance, or the time. Just get out there and start.
And when I am done, it’s “Wow, I can’t believe I just did that.” I try to take the time to thank myself–I did it! You really need to have gratitude for yourself. We all beat ourselves up over things we do or don’t do, so make sure to catch yourself doing something good.
I started thinking how this whole concept of body in motion stays in motion can affect other parts of our lives. When there is something I want to do in my life, or in my work, but it is too much, I can’t do it…if I could just get started…
Beginning is the hardest part…if you can start then the momentum of what you’re doing takes over to help you get done whatever you have to get done. It starts to feel better: you just had to breathe and jump in. You innately know how to take care of the rest.
No matter what you want to do, whether it’s lose weight, start exercising, start saving money, learn pottery, go to yoga, anything…put your energy into that initial step and let that great feeling of starting and doing what YOU want to do keep you moving toward your dreams.
It makes me think of another concept related to facing problems and overcoming obstacles that are so big, we just can’t fathom being able to overcome them. You put up your hands–I give up!
Just remember the old adage–and this is kind of funny coming from Vegan Dad–“How do you eat an elephant? (I’m certainly not condoning eating elephants, but “how do you eat a tree” does not sound the same). The answer is that you eat an elephant one bite at a time. You don’t have to tackle everything at once, just get started! Finish a piece and move on to the next one.
Those two things I believe are key to getting you and me motivated and going to where we want to be. Get in motion, get it started, one step at time. Give it a shot, you have nothing to lose. That’s what I’m doing!
Still Vegan…still a Dad… Doing my best to live every day… Living my changes and changing my life. Going backwards in time, on March 8, 2020 in Los Angeles, I will be running my tenth marathon, 33 years after my First One (the 1987 Los Angeles Marathon) and 10 years after my last (the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.).
Number 10…my first as a Vegan though! I feel pretty good. I’m raising money to combat Pancreatic Cancer — you can read more about the cause (and make a donation!) here. Follow me on my journey, through the cold and snow of a New England winter, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
You can visit my personal fundraising page here, which is where the letter below is from. If you have the means, I encourage you to donate! Any amount helps fund the search for a cure for this disease.
On March 8, 2020, I will be running in the Los Angeles Marathon as a part of the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Research’s Training Team. I have chosen this race, this place, and this cause for some pretty compelling reasons. I ran my first Marathon in Los Angeles in 1987, 33 years ago. This is the place where I discovered and developed my lifelong love of running.
I have also chosen this cause to honor Stanley “Stash” Hirschman, the late father of my sweetheart Jodi. I never had the good fortune to meet him, but because the way he is so fondly remembered, I feel like I know him.
He was by all accounts bigger than life…a man who lived his life with zest, passion, and love. Stash was stricken too young by this deadly disease, and I am glad I can do my part to help find a cure.
The statistics are grim, but with your help we have a chance to improve them. Pancreatic cancer is the #3 cancer killer in the United States among both men and women. The average life expectancy after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is just 3-6 months.
I will do my part and run the 26.2 miles….I am asking you to please be generous and donate to this worthy cause and help to defeat this extremely lethal disease.
Southern BBQ Vegan Heading South today…Time Away with Jodi and her daughters Daria and Hayley and my daughter Jessica…the rest of of my kids had other plans. Memphis and Nashville, then on to Asheville. A vegan in the land of BBQ should be fun. Looking forward to Music, Mountains, Food, Distilleries, Elvis and whatever comes our way! Should be interesting Plant-Based eating Below the Mason Dixon Line.
Happy Fathers Day out there to all the Dads .Vegan or not..
As important a job there is to help make the world a better place
One son or daughter at a time.
I think of my Dad often…A wise, talented, hardworking man as there ever has been.
He baked for a generation … Taught me so much….thru his actions more than words. A good lesson for all of us. One I try to carry on and you should too..
Sometimes we just get caught up in our daily lives, spending so much time thinking about everyone else while neglecting the person and body that matters most—you.
If you are not healthy, doing what makes you feel good and right, you can’t take care of the ones you love. They learn from your actions about how to take care of themselves.
When I graduated from college, I left home to drive across country and eventually ended up living in Hermosa Beach, California. It was so nice there, right on the Pacific Ocean, and so conducive to fitness, exercise, running. I ran my first few marathons in Los Angeles and was pretty much as healthy as I ever was (my diet is better now though!).
I got a job as a baker and eventually managing restaurants (my 23 year old brain thought, “I would like to work where I can eat for free and meet women…”). Eventually I met Allison (now my ex), and we got married and decided to move back to Massachusetts, to Springfield, to raise a family, and I was going to join my brothers in the family bakery and deli business.
I remember thinking, I want to keep fit, I can do it…well ten years, four kids, two businesses later, I was 50 lbs heavier, not eating healthy, not exercising, not feeling too good about myself. That California guy was buried, hidden behind my new double chin.
I was almost 44 years old and I was truly as unhealthy as I had ever been. Finally this thought came into my head: When I have my first heart attack, then I will finally start to exercise. Whoa! What The F…Did I actually just think that! This is crazy…
I started to really watch what I ate, especially cutting out sugar (this was way before my vegan days). I started walking, then walking/running/walking again, until I could just run without stopping. I lost the weight, felt great, and ran the 2006 Boston Marathon ten months later.
I found myself again, and that guy, the one who lives, breaths, and eats as healthy as he can is who I am still today. The thought of starting and living a life with an emphasis on health can be daunting. When you don’t feel physically good, the challenge of changing seems insurmountable. But if I can do it, so can you! Just do your best, set your goal, and work at it one day at a time. Most importantly if you have a setback, no worries, just start again. One of the beautiful things about life is that we can start over every day, every moment is an opportunity to be your best self!
How Did I Do It?
I guess I was motivated first to not die! Then I researched some ways I could get healthier.
Jeff Galloway’s Book on Running was and is a great resource. He is a former Olympian and a great advocate of the run/walk/run method (http://www.jeffgalloway.com/). I have included the 10 steps to start running at the bottom of this post.
Just be careful and if you feel pain, do not push it (I have learned that lesson).
Start slow. Walk, make it a habit…truthfully just keep movin’. Think of your motivation and always keep it close to your heart. Mine, I want to be hiking up mountains or maybe hills with my grandkids (I don’t have any yet!).
Eating healthy takes discipline, preparedness, research, and once again a desire to feel better. If you can plan out your meals, have good food available at home, bring your lunch to work, drink lots of water, and eat, you don’t have to starve yourself.
Food is fuel to keep you going. Another web site/app that helped me a lot was My Fitness Pal (https://www.myfitnesspal.com/). It helps you keep track of what you eat, as well as fills you in on the calories and nutrients.
You have made a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. Just do your best! The fact that your are trying is enough. Do not be discouraged—just keep working at it one walk, one run, one meal at a time. If you need advice or some encouragement, give me a shout.
Running has always been there for me..So good for the mind, body, and soul.
It’s funny how you can feel one way before a run, but feel so much better when you’re done. All of your problems are the same…just YOU and your attitude have changed.
Went to a really great Farmers Market in Irvington, New York (http://irvmkt.org/), a small town outside of the city on the banks of the Hudson River. A beautiful day it was, with several tents filled with Farmers, Bakers, Coffee Roasters, Specialty Food Creators, live music and more. So important to Buy Local, Better for you, your health, and your community.
I stopped to talk to Rashaun from Dan Madura Farms. He was knowledgeable, nice, and full of enthusiasm about his wares.
It is his father’s farm and he sold me some fresh shallots, oyster mushrooms, and beets with the greens.
One of my favorite things to do in the whole world is to cook, especially for people I love. It truly relaxes me, and sparks a creativity in me that just flows naturally. Admittedly I am not good at keeping track of what I am doing but I am working on it. Usually I’m in a rush putting together large, fast, healthy meals for my kids…but today was a nice relaxing Sunday at Jodi’s house. I made us roasted beets, sautéed beet greens, shallots, and oyster mushrooms. Paired them with some pan roasted quinoa and marinated grilled tempeh. Healthy, Vegan, and Delicious.
I do intend to put up recipes for all of the food…just not ready yet. I will and you will be the first to know!
It was pretty exciting to put it all together, and Jodi and I worked a long time on the pictures…..(baby boomers that we are).
We did get to eat it though…finally! She loved it…An empty plate tells the story
Isn’t it amazing how the universe can give us these momentary feelings of
The Vegan Dad MOVEment 