Every now and then we just have to depart from our main subject of eminent domain and land use, to comment on some timely topic of broader interest. So here goes.
Old timers may remember that way back when hippies gathered at Woodstock, feeding them eventually got to be a problem — things got pretty grim on the gastronomic front, with the National Guard having to bring in food. But that was then — this is now.
Today’s New York Times brings the upbeat dispatch that the radical class warriors who are “occupying Wall Street” in New York are eating right well, and gaining weight. Jeff Gordinier, Want to Get Fat on Wall Street? Try Protesting, N.Y. Times, October 12, 2011, at p. D1. One of the “occupiers” is quoted by the Times, “I’ve been here for 12 days, and I’ve put on 5 pounds.” Way to go, man. If you’re gonna wage war, you may as well do it on a full stomach, just as Napoleon prescribed. And none of those military rations for these warriors. No, sir! The goodies have come from pizza joints and delis like manna from heaven. To say nothing of bags of fresh cookies delivered for dessert. One of the Wall Street class warriors is quoted as saying “We don’t know where it comes from. It just appears, and we eat it.” Voila! Free lunch.
The local restaurateurs who receive these food orders and deliver them, aver that they have been getting orders from Germany, France, England, Italy and Greece . . .” A veritable Marshall Plan in reverse, as it were.
But who is the champion when it comes to providing the free lunch? California, of course. A local pizza shop owner says that he has been getting orders from all over, but numero uno is — who else? — California. Quoth the pizza man, “The phones don’t stop ringing. People from California order the most at one time. Someone from the West Coast had called in the biggest delivery: he wanted 50 pizzas dispatched to the park.” So do we Californians know how to live, or what? After all, our state motto is Bring me men to match my mountains. We are however, also a state who knows how fitness works, we have outdoor gyms, beach bodies and sports such as beginner tennis lessons available for anyone and everyone to get fit. What’s a few slices of pizza between friends eh?
Ultimately there is no denying that we could all be doing more to live healthier lifestyles. I will be honest with you, keeping fit is not always easy. We all live such busy lives nowadays that finding the time to exercise can be a real struggle. However, it is important to remember that there are so many amazing ways to get your heart rate up and your blood pumping that there really are no excuses. For example, recently I have been really enjoying my yoga classes. Yoga helps to build strength, awareness, and harmony in both the mind and body and therefore it is perfect for busy people like me.
In case you were not already aware, there are more than 100 different types, or schools, of yoga. Most sessions typically include breathing exercises, meditation, and assuming postures that stretch and flex various muscle groups. Plus, the health benefits of yoga are wonderful. There is even research to suggest that the relaxation techniques incorporated in yoga can lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
One of my best friends is a newly qualified yoga teacher so I attend her classes once or twice a week. She has actually inspired me to think about becoming a yoga teacher. Moreover, my friend always tells me that if you want to do any yoga teacher training austin is the place to go. Ultimately, I suppose what I am trying to say is that if we do not take action to change our lifestyles, the obesity epidemic in this country will only get worse.
How do you keep fit? And what do you think about the current trend of unhealthy food on Wall Street? Get in touch and let me know.