Health

Leave a comment Posted on Health, Spirituality, Storytelling, Uncategorized

8 Benefits of Not Drinking Alcohol After a Year of Being a Sober Curious Teetotaler

 

Today makes exactly one year of me not drinking any alcohol. To be clear, my decision on January 14th, 2024 had nothing to do with me abusing alcohol or being addicted to it.

If it’s possible to naturally be the opposite of an alcoholic, I was surely it. I could never bring myself to the point of drinking so much alcohol that it would lead to me having a hangover.

Not even realizing it was a trend, I just happened to join the “Sober Curious” movement a year ago. So now I want to look back and assess what benefits I have personally discovered by making this change in my life.

I am consuming less empty calories. There’s no way around it- even the lowest calorie alcohol options are going to be close to 100 calories, assuming I only had one.

I can spend that money on other things. Just like with “spending” calories on alcohol, it’s interesting how much money I am not spending, over the course of a month, as I simply am now longer participating.

I am always the designated driver. For me, it’s one less thing to worry about; knowing that I am always “above the law” in a sense.

I am now feel more in control of any situation. Instead of letting my guard down, my guard is up; but in a proactive and healthy way.

I have evolved into a more masculine version of myself. The absence of any alcohol in my system means that any sense of bravery, ambition, and motivation is all my own. Instead of handing over control, I am taking control.

I no longer have anxiety. I now understand that each time I consumed alcohol, it actually took my body weeks to compensate and correct my hormone levels; including testosterone.

I feel happier now. My feeling of wellbeing is never attached to an upcoming event in which I can finally chill out, based on consuming alcohol. Instead, I simply feel good most of the time anyway.

I like myself better. As petty as it may sound, there is a sense of pride I have now in knowing that even though it’s the social norm to drink alcohol, I am an even more likeable person by not drinking any.

Now that I have easily survived on no alcohol for the past year, will I decide to go back to it? I think the best way to answer this question is to stay open-minded to the idea. I don’t want to paint myself in a corner by saying I will never drink alcohol again.

However, it is difficult for me to logically go back to alcohol again after I know firsthand my life is better without it, as opposed to with it.

And when given the choice between making a decision between logic and emotion, I have this habit of choosing logic.

Can you relate?

Leave a comment Posted on food reviews, Health, marriage, Storytelling, Uncategorized, vegan

Is Downtown Golden, Colorado Vegan-Friendly? Easy for a Plant-Based Diet? Yes.

Yes. You can easily survive on a vegan diet in Golden, Colorado. I experienced this myself last week when my wife and I mapped out our own “plant-based” tour of Golden.

I have to say, though- it didn’t take much effort. We learned that most restaurants in Golden have at least a couple vegan menu items, or they will find a way to modify an menu item to accommodate.

Somewhat curious on several menus was the presence of the jackfruit sandwich, as seen above. By default, it was my favorite- and my go-to menu item whenever I got the chance.

Specifically, I had it on two different occasions at Buffalo Rose, which would easily become our favorite restaurant.

And while I normally don’t indulge in dessert, I was so glad I made the exception for their coconut flan; see below.

My wife was crazy about their “cauliflower buffalo wings”:

As well as their hummus plate:

If you’re in the mood for Thai food (which I always am, after spending two summers there in college), then you will surely enjoy Thai Gold Restaurant.

And you will definitely want to check out Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery, which contains several different “street style” restaurants featured inside the building.

I personally recommend Kona Bowls Superfood, as seen at far bottom.

For breakfast each morning, we enjoyed trying out each of the local coffee shops.

In other words, we did intermittent fasting in the mornings, as we would have some coffee and then immediately going on a 2 hour hike until it was time for lunch.

So we only ate two meals a day: lunch and dinner. Our breakfast was coffee, plenty of water, and the hike.

It goes hand-in-hand that with Golden being surrounded by so many state parks and hiking trails, Golden would naturally draw in people who would demographically also happen to appreciate a plant-based diet. If that’s you, then make your way over to Golden!

Leave a comment Posted on Health, reviews, Uncategorized

The 2.2 Liter Water Bottle I Work Out With to Ensure I Drink a Gallon of Water Everyday

This week, I found the water bottle I was looking for, to use not only during my weight lifting work outs each morning, but also for the rest of the day, as my goal is to drink a minimum of one whole gallon of water.

I keep seeing this random, no name water bottle featured all over Amazon when I was looking for one to order. I figured for half the price of the more rugged-looking ones I actually wanted, I would be willing to pay the $15 bucks to settle for a product that would still serve the same purpose.

Fortunately, it turns out that I have been able to been this 2.2 liter water bottle to use at the gym, and at home, I am can confirm I am very pleased with the results.

(I fill this bottle up twice and drink the whole thing in a day, and it’s a little over one gallon.)

Feel free to watch the video review I made, above.

If you decide you would like to buy the same water bottle as me, just click this link so you can buy it for the best price on Amazon like I did.

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, Health, Uncategorized

Review of Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein Powder and 90 Degree By Reflex Athletic Fit Gym Shorts with Zippered Pockets

I decided this year to commit the rest of my life to being one of those guys who goes to the gym 6 days a week. I just turned 39, and it has become very obvious that healthy eating isn’t enough to prevent my destiny of having a dad bod.

This is me just starting my weight training journey. But if I figured it would be relevant and hopefully helpful to others if I share what I am learning along the way.

I understand that by gaining muscle mass, I will also be able to burn more fat as my metabolism has to work harder to maintain regulating more muscle.

Therefore, the post work out recovery shake I have been using for months now is Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein. It has 60 grams of protein and only 15 grams of carbs.

To find the best deal on Amazon, click this link.

Also, check out my video below, which shows what all I mix in with my smoothie each morning after my work out:

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I am also experimenting with tart cherry juice as a recovery supplement too. Here’s a link to Amazon for that as well.

One more thing I want to share is how much I love my new work out shorts. They are 90 Degree by Reflex athletic fit gym shorts with drawstring and zippered pockets for men.

Here is the link to buy them on Amazon.

And I also did a video review on them as well:

I look forward to reviewing more work out products in the near future, as I work my way further away from having a dad bod.

Leave a comment Posted on Health, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Bald, Bearded, and Brave: Using the Remington Shortcut Pro for a Zero Guard Buzz Cut from a Full Head of Hair

I have this ritual: Every year and a half, I shave my head with the Remington Shortcut Pro. I keep it that way for a couple of months, then I grow my hair back out. I have been routinely doing this since I was 21 years old.

Typically the response I get from people who have never seen me without hair is this: “Whoa! What did you do to your hair?… Actually, though… You can pull it off. It looks good on you.”

However, I know the secret:

The moment you shave off all your hair is the moment you have what it takes; that’s the moment you can pull it off.

It’s less how about a man looks with his hair shaved off and more about the idea it conveys:

“I am a man who is brave enough to base my identity completely apart from my hair.”

In other words, it’s announcing to the world that my hair is not part of my confidence. I say it’s silly and juvenile for a man to base any of his confidence in his hair, knowing that most men experience male pattern baldness at some point in their life.

And then once you had a beard to the equation, it sends that much more of a subliminal message of confidence out to the masses.

A man who rocks the bald head and the full beard is the man who broadcasts his masculinity.

As Mario Joyner pointed out in a recent episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the beard is the one last thing that men still exclusively have.

There has never been a better time for men to shave off all their hair and grow their beards.

It takes a confident man, even a brave man, to shave off his hair.

So if you’re considering making that leap of masculinity, I highly recommend the Remington Shortcut Pro, as demonstrating in the video at the top of this article.

You can also check out the product on Amazon with this link: Remington Shortcut Pro

Lastly, I invite you to check out my YouTube channel, which is ultimately a celebration of the masculine identity and mindset.