Currently, I am in Angers. A nice little town in the North-West corner of France. Stuck between Nantes and Le Mans. I’m sure you have heard of those two places. Its level with Paris but best for about 2 hours on a train. Failing that description, just Google it.
I have been here for the last month. The temptation of Macaroons and Eclairs are on every street. If that isn’t enough, you can get a macaroon scented candle, and soap. Although that it hard, being a weekday vegetarian is easier. I don’t like the milk here, so i am now becoming a weekday Vegan. The only reason I say I am a ‘weekday’ is because I eat animal protein on the weekends. I love the cheese here so its is like a treat for me. In the past, I tend to do things at 500 miles an hour and give it either 100% or 0%. I can’t do things at 50%. So weekday vegan/vegetarian is something that has been challenging in terms of not going out and changing my whole wardrobe to 100% Fair-trade Cotton and Vegan footwear. I haven’t started petitions or went on animal cruelty marches outside government buildings. I don’t push it on anyone else as well. It was my choice to do this. Both for a health and environmental reason.
Health reasons being that we do not need to eat animal protein. Eggs, fish, chicken, meat, game. I believe that it is fair healthier to eat everything from a plant basis.
Environmental reasons being that if we eat more meat, then more animals have to be raised which causes more methane (a biproduct of animals farts and burps). This gas causes more of a problem to global warming then cars do. If everyone decided to choose to cut down on animal protein, it would have a greater result then if everyone started driving hybrid cars. Furthermore, the cattle then have to be fed. More cattle = more food. Food that could be used for humans. The transportation costs of both feed, then the animal to the slaughterhouse, and then to the shops is astronomical. Animals that aren’t organic, are pumped with anti biotic, which results in humans becoming more resistant to antibiotics, which leads to the creation of super bugs. Its all a vicious cycle.
I think i just went 100% there. Anyway, you get the gist. Do I feel better for being on this diet? Yes. I don’t feel like I’m bloated or slumpy (i just made that word up). I feel more regular. I can make better decisions, rather then just throwing everything into my mouth and not caring what or where it came from.
Another big addition that I have started was meditation. I do it everyday, and for a minimum of 20mins. Usually, if I only do 20mins, then I will do another 20 later on in the day. I just finished meditating for 40mins there. My longest was 90mins. It felt really good. Yes, at the start of meditating, i could only last 3 minutes, and even that was a push. But its like exercise. The more you do it, the easier it gets. My sleep patterns are more regular, I am not as angry as I was, I am more sympathetic to myself, and to others. I realise when enough is enough. I even have more energy throughout the day. Whats not to like about the benefits. There are so many things on youtube and the internet on how to begin meditating. If i was to explain to someone how to do it, it would be like this.
- Go to a quiet room, and turn off all the lights and electricity that you have on in that room. Phones, laptops, tablets. TVs.
- Look somewhere between your nose and the ground. That space in between. If you can’t, then just close your eyes, but remember to relax the muscles around your eyes.
- Count on every out breath until you get to 16. Repeat 3 times. This should take around 3 minutes. For me, it takes 3 minutes to do 16 breaths. But at the start it was 16 breaths to 1 minute.
- Breath from your stomach, not from your chest.
- Focus on relaxing every muscle in your body. Scan through each body part. You’ll be amazed at how much tension you are holding.
So enough about that. I am going to go on a run now, and then start massaging.
Do your best.
Adios
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