Pandemic America – Daily Bread

When COVID hit the US in 2020, it changed virtually everything.

For me, a major upheaval happened in diet. From eating multiple small meals a day every few hours, I consolidated. I indulge now in one meal a day.

This is intermittent fasting. In this kind of fasting, a person doesn’t consume calories for at least 16 hours a day (not a huge ask for a typical 3-meal-a-day person who isn’t gorging to the point of bedtime). A faster breaks for about 8 hours in the day, but I?

I fast for closer to 20-22 hours, possibly with a serving-sized pad of grass-fed cow butter at 18-20 hours to fight off any hunger. (This sounds akin to the Bulletproof Diet, though I don’t adhere to its principles per say.) Every waking hour is filled with liters of water and cups of herbal tea to fill in the gaps 😉

Not only do I fast for most of the day, I also have moved over to vegetarian fare (butter the exception). After reading Sapiens and other sources of ethical review, I gave up eggs in 2020, closing the last door of flesh-like animal products. On rare occasion a cheese might be had or there is meat product made available by happenstance, but I view these encounters as inevitable and a fine way to gauge how my body reacts to meat anymore!

OK. Fasting, hydration, and vegetarianism. Add in intense resistance and cardio exercise at least 3-to-4 times a week, and I’m =fit=. If this was a more questionable blog, I’d put up pictures 😁 (You might find @JimmyChattin on Instagram and Twitter.)

Strength ✔ Endurance ✔ Speed ✔ Range-of-motion ✔ Physique ✔

I like to think I’m making up for not competing, a common occurrence pre-pandemic 🏃‍♂️

But what did I do differently?

The Noms

Each bullet below is what I’d have at every meal. /Slashes/ indicate I would choose between these foods or sometimes add them together (you know, to live dangerously).

• • ~1 Peeled Organic Carrot (cut into 2-3 inch sticks, 9 sticks)
  • 9-10 Tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter (~160 grams; Crazy Richard’s only-peanuts brand)
  • 1 Pickle
  • 4 Heaping Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
  • 8-12 Ounces Cooked Spinach / Broccoli / Cauliflower, or 1/3-1/2 Red or Green Cabbage Head
  • 2 Cups Cooked Quinoa / ~6 Cups Air-popped Popcorn
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (just pour it on)
  • 1/4-1/2 Cup Walnuts / Almonds
  • 14 Grams 100% Cacao Baking Chocolate Square
  • Spices (cinnamon, peppers, ginger, parsley, hot sauces, etc.)

If I need a snack, I go to my favorites:

• • Kerrigold Grass-fed Cow Butter
  • 6-12 Ounces Cooked Cauliflower w/ 3-4 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, 2 Heaping Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast, various spices
  • 2 Tablespoons Baking Chocolate in Boiling Water w/ 1 Squirt MCT Oil, spices
  • 1 Pure Protein Bar

I sometimes add garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds, someone else’s leftovers, or vices like a handful of peanut butter pretzel nuggets (❤) or Takis (❤❤❤❤).

The Work

Workout, that is.

Really comes down to runs (cardio) and resistance (muscle).

For runs, I used to do longer distances, regularly 13-20 miles. I’ve calmed down since, going for 3-5 miles because it’s so quick. Every-other weekend hikes, dancing, and jump-ropes make up the variety any workout ought to have.

Resistance has had the most evolution since COVID arrived. I used to be all about the plates and free-weights. Now, I’m real big on pushups, pullups, and resistance bands. The bands especially are ~quality~, where I’m even now wearing one around my neck for easy exercise whenever, wherever. (Need to look at getting more / stronger bands at this point – broke my 40#er so only 110#-ish is attainable 😦 )

Extra Help

It takes a village, right? My village includes food, physical excellence, and other necessities.

My supplements include a whole-food multivitamin, B, C, and D vitamin boosters, zinc, and a collagen complex (no kidding, go add collagen to your supplement lineup). There are other bits here and there, but at this point I’m only using up my bulk orders 🤷‍♂️

Of course, there’s sleep. Blue-light filters, dim light, chilling out, and a regular hygiene routine help settle me down. I read by phone (I know, bad) until I’m really ready, slipping on an eye mask and under a single sheet cover to stay cool. Legs raised, I snooze … IDK. Have to fix my Fitbit Bluetooth connection 😅 Wake with the sunrise despite the mask and earplugs, I sit to write or go for a run!

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This is my life, and life is Good.

What are you up to? Seeing my setup, what might need to be tried or improved upon? Looking for advice. Hit me up! Take care and stay safe in the meanwhile – cheers.