Where to start

This weekend I took a trip down to Washington D.C. to attend a Socialism Conference hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. (www.pslweb.org) It was an amazing event where speakers spoke on tons of different issues from the anti-war movement to the movement against racism, sexism and anti-LGBT bigotry. One of the most important moments for me is when one of the speakers Brian Becker, spoke on the people's movement in Egypt that brought about the end of the Mubarak's regime. He described the power of the the masses in Egypt who empowered themselves, became fearless in the face of all the oppression the government presented and won!

On the way back from D.C. my friends and I stopped over in Baltimore, M.D., passing through some of the most underdeveloped neighborhoods in america. It wasn't anything too shocking for me, myself coming from a very poor working class background, many of my family members and friends have fallen into the cracks of these oppressive conditions. But going through West Baltimore, seeing abandoned house after house, roads that haven't even been paved with cement, closed down factories and lack of facilities, heroin addicts looking for the next fix and children roaming the streets with nothing to do. It reminded me of all the work that needs to be done, all the change that needs to be done, all the organizing we need to develop within our communities. Not relying on empty promises from politicians who don't represent the interest of our people. But rather building that strength from within the community, using the example of the Egyptian people as role models in how we can really build a movement for change.

And then I thought about the health crisis in these neighborhoods and where would we even start in trying to highlight the issues, because there are so many, it seems like such a daunting task. I think of the organization i work with, Revolutionary Fitness and if the donation-based Fitness classes we host in New York City, would work in such a downtrodden community. I'm sure it would but its also a reminder of why providing these services is so important, but in the end only an organization working towards change on a structural level within these communities will bring about the societies our people desire. Thus why even though the work I do in Revolutionary Fitness and all the great work done by community based organizations all across the country is amazing, I encourage everyone to look into a national political party, namely the Party for Socialism and Liberation. An organization that can unite all this great work we are doing and construct mass movements that can bring about that people's movement we saw recently in Egypt.

Yeah I eat leaves and stuff

People are always surprised when I let them know that I follow a plant-based diet. Many are even concerned and on the rare occasion some are offended. There is so much false information out there about protein and where it derives from. Folk's initial reaction is that I must have a hard time finding energy and the magical question "But where do you get your protein from" always comes up.

Many people are receptive to my answers to these questions and see some validity in my practice because of the high level of activity I maintain as an athlete. But most choose not to embrace the idea that its possible to be strong and productive in our society without some meat consumption at some level.

I've been following such a dietary practice for nearly 13 years now and I'm only 28, so most of my life really. So I definitely am understanding to people's misconceptions about the proper foods for the human body to consume and then when those even do want to practice better habits, this government and the interest it represents, place so many obstacles in one's way. 

One book that was a great revelation for me and I would suggest to anyone who is looking for hard nose scientific rationale for plant-based nutrition and the hurdles the United States government places in front of us, is The China Study

Read it, study it and pass it on to a friend. And starting today even it just means adding something as simple as a piece of fruit a day to your diet, strive to treat your body better and life will become a lot more enjoyable. :-)

Working on your Pullups?

How many pullups can you do? I've always considered the pullup to be one of the most important test of upper body strength and one of the greatest workouts period. And the best thing about it, you can do them anywhere! So I'm setting a challenge for myself and for all of you guys who want to get in on it. Starting this week I will do 5 sets of 5 pullups, everyday, only 60 seconds rest between each set. Then next week I will do 6 sets of 5, the week after 7 sets of 5, and so on until I reach 10 sets. Once at ten sets I am going to construct a new challenge to my pullup game...stay tuned for my progress.