What do you like to eat?

I have tried to teach Ellie to like fruits and vegetables while not having to eat junk food galore. I am not sure if I have succeeded or if she just likes them because she does. She loves just about all fruits and veggies including steamed broccoli (and she loves saying broccoli), tomatoes, carrots, peaches, kiwi, and cherries. Although she doesn't like zucchini or mushrooms.

One thing that is "a-licious" is homemade salsa. After watching this, Ellie now gets her own special bowls.

Exercising

With the weather turning nice out here and with Ellie and I both wanting to be out of the house more, I have started walking.  On warmer days, we head out and walk around one of Denver's many wonderful parks with paths for walking, biking, jogging, etc. You name it. I love having all the paths. Ellie sits in the stroller and "woof-woofs" at all the dogs we pass, which is a surprisingly large amount. After we come home and I do some yoga that I record off the Discovery Fit and Health channel.

I have learned that if you are trying to exercise with a small child at home, do it while they are sleeping or otherwise incapacitated like sitting in the high chair eating.  Ellie crawls underneath me while doing downward dog, climbs on my back folded in child's pose, sits on my legs while performing cat rolling, and sits on my face during the relaxation portion. Once or twice she has stood next to me and tried to mimic what I was doing. It is quite hilarious but very hard to complete the yoga sequence.

So far we have been quite diligent for the 2 1/2 weeks we have been working at this. On days that are a little too cold, I just try to do 2 bouts of yoga. Hopefully we can keep this up and add to it so I don't feel old once we manage to do physically active activities.

One day I might look at changing my diet so it is slightly healthier but right now I'm not too worried as I am pretty sure I eat more fruits and vegetables than most non-vegan/vegetarian Americans. I don't think my diet is too bad but I know it could use some tweaking.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger

Jake and I watched this documentary last night and I found it very informative but somewhat disturbing. This documentary was released in 2008 and is about a young man's quest to found out the truth about steroid use and America's obsession with becoming bigger, faster, and stronger. I would recommend watching this if you use or know someone who uses steroids or if you are simply interested in exercise and nutrition.

I wasn't too stunned with the information about steroid use at all. The most unsettling things really didn't deal with steroids that much. Back when the big baseball steroid problem broke out and Congress became involved with banning the use of steroids. This movie states that Congress spent more time talking and debating steroid use in baseball than they had spent talking about health care, the Iraq war, and a few other hot topic items. SERIOUSLY!!! Not to mention all the experts that came into Congress stated there were no studies that showed effects of steroid use and suggested that steroids should NOT be banned. Congress IGNORED the experts and banned them anyway. The guys narrating speculates that it had something to do with the fact that it was during President Bush's administration and that he was the owner of the Texas Rangers at the time that Jose Canseco played (who admitted to using steroids and testified he believed that everyone associated with Ranger management including the owner had at least some idea of the steroid use).

I have my own opinions about steroid use, but it bothers me that Congress ignored experts and signed laws.

Another part that bothered me deals with Orrin Hatch and Utah.  Once upon a time, supplements were regulated by the FDA, just as all other drugs and food products. Meaning testing for the safety of the products, regulating who can make them and how they are made, as well as dictating what the labels should say. Supplements are no longer regulated or tested by the FDA before they are sold.  Actually, supplements are only taken off the shelves if the FDA can prove they are harmful.  According to this show, Utah is the nations largest supplier of nutritional supplements and it was Orrin Hatch who lead the campaign to the deregulation of supplements. So now anyone can make a supplement and list the ingredients as "proprietary blend" and sell them.

I don't mean this as a crusade against Orrin Hatch or anything of the sort. I did study exercise and sport science with a number of nutrition classes and some of this information bothered me.

One point they did make in the movie is why are steroid, specially anabolic steroids or performance enhancing drugs, so bad in sports when doctors prescribe speed-like drugs for kids in school so they can study longer and harder and Air Force pilots are required to carry "Go" pills with them. These drugs are also "performance enhancers."

It was just a lot to think about and just another reason why I don't normally watch documentaries, or the news for that matter.