After 62 days I completed my goal of walking 241 miles. Thanks to my wife, Hope, who has been supportive throughout the journey.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Reaching Dandi
After 62 days I completed my goal of walking 241 miles. Thanks to my wife, Hope, who has been supportive throughout the journey.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Low Budget Living: 3 Meals 3 Dollars
The morning after my shopping trip my breakfast consisted of oats and raisins. I found that half a cup of oats was more than enough for me; in fact, I split this bowl with Hope. A very satisfying breakfast.
One of the things that cooking your own food entails is a time commitment. Hope and I don't own a microwave, so at our house you can't just "zap" food into readiness. On top of how long something takes to cook, you also need to factor in preparation time. For instance, brown rice takes about 35 minutes from start to finish. In contrast, prepping the zucchini, which consisted of a quick wash and then slicing it into bite size rounds took less than 5 minutes.
Meal #3: Split Pea & Lentil Soup
My dinner was the most time consuming. It required me to actually plan. Not one of my strengths, at least in the food department. Initially, I thought I would just have to add the mix to water and boil. Wrong. Instead, the directions had me soak the split peas and lentils for over an hour. Luckily, I wasn't hungry when I started making dinner; otherwise, it would have been tough having to wait. I also used my leftover rice from lunch to thicken up my soup. Yum.
In the end I found that you can eat healthy on a limited budget, but it's not easy. This week, Hope and I are committed to spending only $35 on our groceries for the week (Monday thru Sunday). We won't be purchasing any packaged or prepared foods, and whenever possible we will be buying organic. We decided to make a menu to help us shop smart.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Part of the Solution
"Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute!"
Litter. It's one of the things that I've been noticing on my daily walks. It makes me sad, and I can't understand how people can just throw their garbage on the ground. In fact, the other day I watched as a young boy who was eating an ice cream bar just tossed his wrapper and walked away. I really wanted to say something, but I didn't. When did this kind of behavior become OK?
Eldridge Cleaver once said, "You're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem." Of course, Cleaver wasn't referring to pollution, his statement was directed toward the problem of racial inequality. However, I think the idea can be applied to this situation as well.
I want to be part of the solution. Now, while I haven't been littering I'm still part of the problem. After all, up until now, all I've been doing is complaining about the problem. In order to be part of the solution, I need to take action. During my walks I will now be carrying a trash bag so that I can start to make a difference. This will be my small part in being the change.
Litter. It's one of the things that I've been noticing on my daily walks. It makes me sad, and I can't understand how people can just throw their garbage on the ground. In fact, the other day I watched as a young boy who was eating an ice cream bar just tossed his wrapper and walked away. I really wanted to say something, but I didn't. When did this kind of behavior become OK?
Eldridge Cleaver once said, "You're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem." Of course, Cleaver wasn't referring to pollution, his statement was directed toward the problem of racial inequality. However, I think the idea can be applied to this situation as well.
I want to be part of the solution. Now, while I haven't been littering I'm still part of the problem. After all, up until now, all I've been doing is complaining about the problem. In order to be part of the solution, I need to take action. During my walks I will now be carrying a trash bag so that I can start to make a difference. This will be my small part in being the change.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Low Budget Living: Food Shopping
"Low Budget" by The Kinks
Before shopping I spent some time at the USDA's website: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/. The new MyPlate graphic showed me that for a well-balanced meal I needed to have the following: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Time for a little food math. Consider the following equation: If you take five food groups and you multiply them by three well-balanced meals, and then divide the product by three dollars, what does it equal? Answer: Impossible. Even with a calculator I couldn't stretch my three dollars to cover everything the USDA recommended. Since dairy is expensive, and I don't drink milk, I decided to forgo dairy products.
The fact that I wanted to buy organic definitely limited my buying power, and except for my veggie soup mix, my lone source of protein, I did stay organic.
One of the things I noticed during my shopping experience was how much I couldn't afford. Initially, I planned on buying an apple and having apple slices with my meals, but Granny Smiths (my favorite) were $1.99 a pound. This would have busted my budget, so instead, I bought two bananas, which were only 78 cents a pound.
My first thought around protein called for a trip to the deli to buy a couple of slices of cheese, but when I got there, and saw the price of cheese, I knew I needed a new plan. Hope suggested sunflower seeds, but the bulk container was empty. My dietician then suggested that I consider split peas or lentils. While I debated between the two, Hope pointed out a veggie soup mix containing both; I measured out a half cup and bagged it.
Overall, I enjoyed the challenge of finding an assortment of grains (brown rice, oatmeal), fruits (raisins, bananas), vegetables (zucchini squash), and protein (vegetable soup mix). However, I did feel some angst about whether I was staying within my budget. I poured back some of the oats I had back into their bin, afraid that I had more than I needed and could afford. I really thought about all three hundred of my pennies. Organic vegetables were expensive, and that really limited my choices. The zucchini squash was $2.49 a pound. The first zucchini I picked weighed almost a half pound. I couldn't spend almost half of my budget on a single squash, so I put it back and searched for a smaller one that would fit my budget.
When I reached the checkout I found myself really concerned that I had gone over my budget. I felt anxious at the idea that I would have to tell the cashier that I couldn't pay for my groceries. This was something I hadn't thought about, the stigma of poverty. How it brings with it the constant worry of making ends meet, and of being ashamed because of how much money you don't have.
Before shopping I spent some time at the USDA's website: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/. The new MyPlate graphic showed me that for a well-balanced meal I needed to have the following: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Time for a little food math. Consider the following equation: If you take five food groups and you multiply them by three well-balanced meals, and then divide the product by three dollars, what does it equal? Answer: Impossible. Even with a calculator I couldn't stretch my three dollars to cover everything the USDA recommended. Since dairy is expensive, and I don't drink milk, I decided to forgo dairy products.
 |
| Shopping the bulk bins at Fred Meyer |
The fact that I wanted to buy organic definitely limited my buying power, and except for my veggie soup mix, my lone source of protein, I did stay organic.
One of the things I noticed during my shopping experience was how much I couldn't afford. Initially, I planned on buying an apple and having apple slices with my meals, but Granny Smiths (my favorite) were $1.99 a pound. This would have busted my budget, so instead, I bought two bananas, which were only 78 cents a pound.
My first thought around protein called for a trip to the deli to buy a couple of slices of cheese, but when I got there, and saw the price of cheese, I knew I needed a new plan. Hope suggested sunflower seeds, but the bulk container was empty. My dietician then suggested that I consider split peas or lentils. While I debated between the two, Hope pointed out a veggie soup mix containing both; I measured out a half cup and bagged it.
 |
| 3 meals in a basket |
Overall, I enjoyed the challenge of finding an assortment of grains (brown rice, oatmeal), fruits (raisins, bananas), vegetables (zucchini squash), and protein (vegetable soup mix). However, I did feel some angst about whether I was staying within my budget. I poured back some of the oats I had back into their bin, afraid that I had more than I needed and could afford. I really thought about all three hundred of my pennies. Organic vegetables were expensive, and that really limited my choices. The zucchini squash was $2.49 a pound. The first zucchini I picked weighed almost a half pound. I couldn't spend almost half of my budget on a single squash, so I put it back and searched for a smaller one that would fit my budget.
 |
| 9 cents to spare |
When I reached the checkout I found myself really concerned that I had gone over my budget. I felt anxious at the idea that I would have to tell the cashier that I couldn't pay for my groceries. This was something I hadn't thought about, the stigma of poverty. How it brings with it the constant worry of making ends meet, and of being ashamed because of how much money you don't have.
Low Budget Living
The Unites States of America is one of the wealthiest nations in the word, yet according to www.breadfortheworld.org, 13% of Americans live in poverty, and 16.7 million children live in households that struggle to put food on the table. In the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty; however, his noble intentions quickly got sidetracked by another war in southeast Asia. Since that time, our country has waged more than our fair share of wars, but the war against poverty remains unfought.
LBJ 1964 "War on Poverty" Ad
Last night, Hope and I watched the documentary film "Nero's Guests." The film focuses on poverty in modern India, and specifically its effects on India's farmers. We learned that 836 million Indians live on less than fifty cents a day. I can't even imagine that level of poverty, and it makes me a little ashamed to think of all the times I've stared into a full refrigerator complaining that we don't have anything to eat.
"Nero's Guests" Official Trailer
I have to be honest; I have never experienced poverty. Growing up, I never had to worry about not having something to eat. I lived in the delusion that everyone had equal access to food. It's what I saw, and nobody told me anything different. But today, my eyes are wide open to the problem.
In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 46.2 million people living in poverty. This number is staggering, and I struggle to fathom how any affluent nation can continue to ignore the obvious inequities that exist.
So, in an effort gain a better understanding of what it means to be poor, I'm going food shopping. Now, as Hamlet would say, "Here's the rub": I decided to only budget myself $3, and that needs to purchase enough food for all my meals tomorrow. Additionally, I'm not going to buy any packaged foods, and I want my purchases to be organic. Finally, I'm going to try and create my meals around the USDA's new MyPlate graphic and their daily recommendations.
Last night, Hope and I watched the documentary film "Nero's Guests." The film focuses on poverty in modern India, and specifically its effects on India's farmers. We learned that 836 million Indians live on less than fifty cents a day. I can't even imagine that level of poverty, and it makes me a little ashamed to think of all the times I've stared into a full refrigerator complaining that we don't have anything to eat.
I have to be honest; I have never experienced poverty. Growing up, I never had to worry about not having something to eat. I lived in the delusion that everyone had equal access to food. It's what I saw, and nobody told me anything different. But today, my eyes are wide open to the problem.
In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 46.2 million people living in poverty. This number is staggering, and I struggle to fathom how any affluent nation can continue to ignore the obvious inequities that exist.
So, in an effort gain a better understanding of what it means to be poor, I'm going food shopping. Now, as Hamlet would say, "Here's the rub": I decided to only budget myself $3, and that needs to purchase enough food for all my meals tomorrow. Additionally, I'm not going to buy any packaged foods, and I want my purchases to be organic. Finally, I'm going to try and create my meals around the USDA's new MyPlate graphic and their daily recommendations.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
On the Road to Dandi: An Update
The Grateful Dead - "Walkin' Blues"
After walking 10 miles today, I have reached 185 miles. This leaves me 56 miles shy of walking the 241 miles representing Gandhi's march to the sea. My legs continue to feel strong, and I have been blessed with, for the most part, good weather. If my projections hold true, I should finish my quest during the first weekend of November. I plan to end this experience by walking my final miles so that I end up at the coast. I will then gather sea water and attempt to make my own salt.
Gathering Salt from the Arabian Sea
Unplugging the Television: Update
This week, I went the entire week watching only a single hour of television each night. The only caveat was Saturday night, when I watched "Rio" (96 min.) with my grandson. Now, after last week's miserable showing, I was really glad that I tried again. I found that it helped to clearly announce my intention to watch only a single program. It sounds crazy, but by saying it out loud I made it more real, at least for myself. I found that mid-week was the hardest time for me. I was tired, and I had a lot of work I wanted to avoid. My strategy of not being able to watch television until I had completed some school work really helped with this.
Overall, while I'm glad that I was able to limit my viewing to a little over 7 hours, I still think that's too much. This week, I'm going to continue unplugging myself from the television and try to limit my television viewing to only 4 hours. Since, for me, television viewing is about escape, I want to escape into a novel that I've started, and have been struggling to finish.
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