Is It In You?

Today is our last day in Miami. We've been here for two weeks and I'm definitely ready to move on. Nashville is next and I'm excited to go and check it out since I've heard really good things about it. It's unfortunate we are only there for three performance days so I won't have a lot of free time, so I guess I'll just have to go back sometime. So this kind of diet "cleanse" that I'm on is actually working out really well. Basically I don't eat meat, dairy (except some plain non-fat greek yogurt in the morning), and eat only whole grains, and only on occasion. My diet consists mainly of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and fish. I feel healthier, I don't overeat, I haven't gotten any heartburn, and I've trimmed down and started putting off that winter weight I gained. The main goal is to re-train my palate and refresh my diet so I'm not used to eating all the bad-for-me stuff from break. Does this make me vegetarian? No, I don't think so. I'm not opposed to eating meat, in fact, I really like meat, but I'm just being more conscientious about my food choices and what I'm choosing to put into my body. Meat every once in a while is fine, especially if I'm at a good restaurant or it's organic meat. I am trying to put only good food in my body. There is so much crap out there in the world that it's hard not to, but if I know I'm making an effort, then I can feel good about myself. Last night we went out to Denny's after the last show, and I felt inclined to go because it was the sub trombone player's last night so I wanted to be social. I ordered one of their light meals which was egg whites with sauteed vegetables and new potatoes, and felt pretty gross afterwards. It's just made with so much oil and stuff that my body isn't used to, and made me regret eating there. It's hard on the road to try and eat healthy, but if my friend Kate can be vegan on the road, then I can be more picky in what I eat as well. I definitely miss pasta and baked goods, but mostly just pasta and baked goods I make myself. I don't feel as bad eating that kind of stuff when I make it because I know exactly what's going into it. I guess what this "cleanse" is teaching me is that I can choose not to put preservatives and other crap into my body. There are things I can buy and eat that are healthy and natural, and if I make it myself I know that it is better for me than if I buy it. I guess the point of this post is that I've been inspired by my friend Kate to choose to eat well and healthy and fill my body with good food all the time. And really, what's better than good food? On the menu this week: Mushroom and lentil stew, tilapia coconut curry, baked cinnamon donuts and mexican hot chocolate (my splurge item), and a vegan chocolate coconut cake for Kate and DJ's birthday. Happy birthday to my favorite vegan!

Should Old Acquaintance...

Happy New Year! Well we made it to 2013. Sorry about it Mayans :p Also sorry that I TOTALLY dropped the ball on this blog. I think that happened for two reasons: 1. I got fed up of putting pictures up here since you can only post five at a time, and with limited wifi data on the train I could only post pictures when I was using free wifi somewhere, which wasn't all the time. 2. I became totally uninspired with what I was writing I initially started this blog to keep my thoughts and write what inspired me in order to help me be a better person. So I'm going to return to that mentality this year with the blog...I just happen to be in the circus as I do so haha. Today we opened in Miami, first stop on the 2013 year of Dragons. The show went pretty smooth, and the band rocked, to be quite frank. It's amazing how it just comes right back to you, like riding a bike. Muscle memory is a crazy thing haha, but afte the break the show feels fresh so that's a good sign. Hopefully it won't get too boring for a while. It's weird being back. So many people have left and we are getting in so many new people, and a lot of the people who left were my really good friends here out on the road. So I'm feeling a little bit lost at the moment. It's almost like starting over, but not really since obviously I know a lot more people. It's just a different feel, a different dynamic. At least I got my goals to look forward to. I've started running again and I'd like to run another 5K. I also have to lose some of this holiday weight I put on haha, got 10lbs to lose. Look out 2013 here I come!