James Alvarez James Alvarez

Wild Salmon and Purple Sweet Potato

Wild sockeye salmon with purple sweet potato and mushrooms

Wild Sockeye Salmon with purple sweet potato, mushrooms and sliced avocado

Salmon. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat a 4 oz salmon filet (you can cook more than on at a time if you want) with olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Place the salmon face down, skin up (make sure to salt the skin) on a cooking sheet. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon and how well you like it cooked.

Purple Sweet Potato. Place a purple sweet potato in a microwaveable dish. Cover it in a wet paper towel. Add a 1/2 inch of water to the dish. Microwave for 8 minutes (or until done). Peel the potato and cut it up into small pieces. Mix in a bowl with two pinches of salt and a tbsp of ghee. 

Mushrooms. Organic baby bellas are good. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, and add them to the preheated pan. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another five. 

Assemble. Add the salmon to a bowl. Drizzle red wine vinegar on it and add a 1/2 a handful of chopped onions. Add a pinch of salt. Put your sweet potato, mushrooms and 1/8 of a sliced avocado in the dish and enjoy.  

Buon appetito! 

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Delicious Veggie Soup

Easy to prepare vegetable soup that’s high in nutrients and fiber

Vegetable soup, courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill

  • Bring a pot to med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Chop 2 carrots, 1/2 a cup of celery, a handful of chopped onion and 2 gloves of garlic. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic to the pot. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. 

  • Add 2 cups water, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes (6-8 oz), two handfuls of Bobs Red Mill Soup Mix, a few pinches of salt, ground pepper, a sprinkle of dried parsley, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. 

  • Chop up a 1/2 a zucchini. Add it to the pot and let cook for another 25 minutes. 

  • Serve with a piece of buttered sourdough toast (I used ghee).

    Buon appetito!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Declining Life Expectancy, Community and Collusion

Click here: OneSource Health, December 3, 2023

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin

A Good Book: Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, by Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger eloquently and decisively makes the point that the “riches” of modern civilization have led to a loss of community, purpose and increased feelings of isolation. As he puts it, “modern society seems to emphasize extrinsic values over intrinsic ones, and as a result, mental health issues refuse to decline with growing wealth.”

Increased rates of suicide, depression, PTSD and severe mood disorders abound with no signs of slowing down. Throughout the book he draws from studies, interviews and text to make the case that what we need is a renewed send of purpose and community.

Something Short To Read: New CDC life expectancy data shows painfully slow rebound from covid 

Life expectancy decreased 2.4 years during COVID, and has only rebounded 1.1 years since. Why? The continued prevalence of chronic illnesses (like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke), as well as increased rates of suicide, overdoses, and alcohol use. Combined they are responsible for 60 percent of all U.S. deaths (nearly 2 million Americans).

A 2012 study from The Journal of Affective Disorders concluded: “The economic and marketing forces of modern society have engineered an environment… that maximize[s] consumption at the long-term cost of well-being.”

Despite the years of mounding evidence, the Agriculture and Health and Human Services department only announced last month their intent to investigate for the first time the link between chronic disease and ultra processed foods. Their findings will influence The National School Lunch Program, who’s menu currently includes Dominos pizza and Lunchables.

Something Short To Read: Rebel With A Cause

A good article in Time about the founder of Uniqlo, Tadashi Yanai, and his message to his home country of Japan. I loved this quote about how to handle failed business ventures: “…the underlying philosophy is to fail rather than fade.” The quote is reminiscent of one we used at work, “fail fast.”

Something To Listen To:

Busting Real Estate Collusion and Price Fixing with Attorney Mike Ketchmark

Mike Ketchmark is the Missouri lawyer who won a class action lawsuit against three of the largest real estate firms in the country, awarding $1.8 billion in damages to half a million home sellers. In this episode Sam Dogen (the Financial Samurai) and Mike Ketchmark discuss details of the case, how the collusion worked and how real estate in the future might be impacted by the ruling. This is an easy listen.

Workout this Week: One Minute Plank Complex

This is a fun and quick core complex that can be a superset (described below), added to a workout, or broken into individual movements. Wake up with it, use it on your lunch break or after a long day.

Superset: Perform each exercise back to back without stopping. After completing all 6 exercises either repeat it or take a break and do it again.

  1. Straight arm plank hold - 10 seconds

  2. Three point foot elevated plank hold - 5 seconds per leg

  3. Three point arm elevated plank hold - 5 second per arm

  4. Alternating elevated opposite arm and leg - 2 per side

  5. Three point plank opposite toe touch - 3 per side

  6. Two point plank hold - 5 seconds per side

Enjoy!

Cook this Week:

BirchermĂĽsli bowl (with blueberries, raspberries, sliced apple, walnuts, cocoa nibs, chia seeds and honey)

Start with the muesli (needs to be prepared overnight). This modified recipe is actually from the hotel we stayed at this past fall in Meiringen, Switzerland. The muesli at breakfast was so good we asked for the recipe.

2 cups rolled oat (we used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats),

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts (we hand chopped them)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups soy milk

1 cup coconut vanilla yogurt

1 cup orange juice

Mix everything and leave it overnight.

Assemble your bowl: Add the muesli (enough to cover the bottom of the bowl). Add a handful of blueberries, a handful of raspberries. Add half a sliced apple. Add a thumbs length worth of walnuts, a pinch of chia seeds, a pinch of cocoa nibs, and drizzle with honey.

Buon Appetito!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Baked Chicken Thighs and 3 Bs

Baked Chicken thighs and three of my favorite B vegetables (beets, broccoli and brussels)!

Baked chicken thighs and veggies

Baked Chicken thighs and three of my favorite B vegetables (beets, broccoli and brussels)!

Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), and some black pepper. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes. 

Broccoli. Chop one broccoli crown into bite size pieces. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and let cook for 3 - 5 minutes (taste test before removing from water). Once strained, add the broccoli back to the pan, add two pinches of salt and a tbsp of grass-fed butter, and mix.

Brussels, cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Dice half a poblano chile. Chop one slice of onion. Chop two gloves of garlic. Add onion, garlic and chile to a pan with olive oil, set to medium heat. Once the onions, garlic and poblano start letting off an aroma, add the Brussels. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5. 

Beets. Remove the skin with a peeler or a knife (be careful). Cut medium size beets into quarters, larger beets in eighths. Put them in a small pot with enough water to cover the beets by an inch. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 45 - 60 minutes (depending on preference). Try to pierce them with a fork. Remove them from water but keep the water you boiled them in. This water now contains all the nutrients that escaped the beets during the process. Put it in a jar in the fridge and enjoy it as a slightly sweet cold drink later in the day. 

In a bowl add a handful of the broccoli, a handful of brussels, and a handful of beets. Cut up a palm size piece of chicken and add it. Chop a few walnuts, add them. Throw on a few raisins for sweetness. Cover the dish with a few pinches of salt, ume plum vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Buon Appetito!!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Salmon Sweet Potato Mash

Sweet potato mash with salmon, mushrooms and brussel sprouts

Sweet potato mash with salmon (mushrooms and brussel sprouts)

Place a sweet potato in a microwaveable dish. Cover it in a wet paper towel. Add a 1/2 inch of water to the dish. Microwave for 4-6 minutes per side (depending on size of potato).

Mushrooms. We like organic baby bellas. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, add them to the preheated pan and mix with olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and toss all together. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another three to five.  

Salmon. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat both sides of the filet with olive oil. Place the filet skin up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add a pinch of salt (or two), black pepper and rosemary. Cook for 8-10 minutes (depending on preference). 

Brussels, cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Dice half a poblano chile. Chop one slice of onion. Chop two gloves of garlic. Add onion, garlic and chile to a pan with olive oil, set to medium heat. Once the onions, garlic and poblano start letting off an aroma, add the Brussels. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5. 

Carve out the inside of the sweet potato into a bowl. Add a tbsp of ghee, chopped yellow onion, a few chopped walnuts, 1/2 a handful of raisins, and salt. Mash and mix to your desired consistency.

Add the mushrooms. Add the brussels. Add the salmon. Add a few pinches of salt and ume vinegar and enjoy. 

Buon Appetito!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Finding The Positive

Finding the positive in every situation

I jacked up my back today at the gym. I felt it when I was doing bent over reverse flyes (a nice exercise). All of a sudden my back got real tight, like it was right about to spasm and I froze. For anyone that’s ever thrown their back out knows there is nothing scarier than that moment. 

All day since, I’ve been worried about my back, weighting for it to go. 

That’s the bad side. 

The positive side is that it made me realize that I have not thought about my back pain in months. Something that used to consume my mind day and night. I injured myself running, never rehabbed the injury, and ended up with 3 years of miserable back and hip pain. By the end, it had basically taken over my life, and it’s only recently begun to subside. 

That’s the good side. It’s been months since I remember being worried about my back, and that’s progress.

So what actually happened to my back? Very rarely does one just wake up and throw their back out. Usually it’s the result of a handful of small errors that lead to it.

I’ve been working out hard everyday (with few exceptions) over the last month. Yesterday I spent too much time on the stair climber at too high of a speed. And today I worked out 4 hours earlier than I usually do. Those three things, coupled with some tough inch worm sets, I believe is what almost put me over the edge today.

My next rest day isn’t until Sunday, so the next few days need to be light.

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Just Go

Showing up is priority number one, two, three

We have this preconceived notion that every time we step into the gym we need to be making progress. That can be increasing the weight. Increasing the reps. Decreasing the rest interval. We also have this idea that we need to kill ourselves to get a good workout (think about the trend of fitness studios like Orange Theory, Barry’s, F45). But it’s just not true.. 

Today for me was a good example. 

My girlfriend and I are taking an early field trip to a donkey sanctuary she’s been following for years. We’re going on a 1 hour tour starting at 10 am. The ranch is 1 hour away. So to be there on time we needed to leave by 845 am. 

Recently I’ve been going to the gym at 10 - 11 am or later. Today I needed to be in the gym by 7 if I wanted to get a workout in. The idea of going that early sucked. My morning routine had become routine and I really didn’t want to disturb it. 

I also knew my body wasn’t going to be ready and primed that early to get going. A 4 hour difference in training schedule is huge. I thought about just not going. The idea of pushing myself that early was not sitting well. So I compromised with myself. I went, but backed off the effort.

Today was a day about preservation not progression. 

Instead of increasing my weight, I decreased them by 10%. I took my full rest interval. And I didn’t do any extra reps, or any longer pauses at the top of a movement. I did just what I thought was enough to get the workout in and stay consistent. 

Sometimes that’s what it takes. Showing up ready for a slow, easy day even when it’s programmed to be the opposite. It’s ok because it’s still one more day of engraining the habit. Don’t be afraid to back it off to show up. 

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Swiss Style BirchermĂĽsli Bowl!

BirchermĂĽsli bowl (with blueberries, raspberries, sliced apple, walnuts, cocoa nibs, chia seeds and honey)

BirchermĂĽsli bowl (with blueberries, raspberries, sliced apple, walnuts, cocoa nibs, chia seeds and honey)

BirchermĂĽsli bowl (with blueberries, raspberries, sliced apple, walnuts, cocoa nibs, chia seeds and honey)

Start with the muesli. We got this recipe from our hotel in Meiringen, Switzerland where we stayed for one night this past fall on a through hike. The muesli at breakfast was so good we asked for the recipe. Here it is, modified to fit our dietary wants.

2 cups rolled oats (we used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats),

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups soy milk

1 cup coconut vanilla yogurt

1 cup orange juice

Mix everything and leave it overnight.

Assemble your bowl. Add the muesli (enough to cover the bottom of the bowl). Add a handful of blueberries, a handful of raspberries. Add half a sliced apple. Add a few chopped walnuts, a pinch of chia seeds, a pinch of cocoa nibs, and a drizzle with honey.

Buon Appetito!!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Salmon, rice, broccoli oh my!

Easy and delicious salmon bowl

Salmon, rice, broccoli mushroom bowl

Salmon, rice, broccoli mushroom bowl

Salmon. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat both sides of the filet (4 oz) with olive oil. Place the filet skin up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add a pinch of salt (or two), black pepper and rosemary. Cook for 8-10 minutes (depending on preference). 

Rice. 2 cups water to 1 cup rice (whatever rice you like, I used brown rice). Bring water to a boil then add rice, reduce to simmer and cover. Allow to cook for the cook time on your package (cook time differs for each type). 

Broccoli. Chop one broccoli crown into bite size pieces. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and let cook for 3 - 5 minutes (taste test before removing from water). Once strained, add the broccoli back to the pan, add two pinches of salt and a tbsp of grass-fed butter, and mix.

Mushrooms. We like organic baby bellas. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, and add them to the preheated pan. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another five. 

Assemble your bowl: Add enough rice to cover the bottom of the bowl. Add a handful of chopped yellow onion, a 1/4 of an avocado (sliced), and a tbsp of ghee. Mix so the ghee melts. Drizzle on some soy sauce. 

Add broccoli and mushrooms, drizzle with white wine vinegar. Add salmon filet and a pinch (or two) of salt to the whole dish. 

Buon Appetito!!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Treadmill Free Flow

Treadmill free flow workout for fun

Dedicate 45 minutes (30 if it’s all you have) to the treadmill. Get on with a minimum 3 percent incline and 2 mph speed (I like 5 percent and 2.5 mph)

Start walking. Keep walking until you feel like you need more. Increase the incline. Maybe increase the speed. Maybe now you’re at 5 percent and 3 mph. Wait a few minutes, until you’re ready to do more.

Start doing some easy speed intervals keeping the incline unchanged. Double your walking speed for 30 - 60 seconds at a time. Come back to a walk for a few minutes. Repeat as many times as you do or don’t want to in the 45 minutes.

The point is to challenge yourself while having fun. Go off of feeling instead of programming.

Cheers. Enjoy!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Sardine Salad (yum!)

With arugula, onion, tomato, blueberries and avocado

Sardine Salad

This one is sure to not get a lot of love but it’s super nutritious and super easy to make.

Assemble your salad: add a handful of organic baby arugula (or greens of your choice), one can of skinless boneless sardines (make sure it says this on the package, I like Wild Planet or Safe Catch), a handful of blueberries, one slice of chopped yellow onion, sliced tomato, and an 1/8 of an avocado into a bowl.

Dress with extra virgin olive oil, white wine (or red wine) vinegar, and a few finches of sea salt to taste.

Buon Appetito!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Tofu Arugula Rice Bowl

With brussel sprouts, arugula and sliced apple)

Tofu Rice bowl (with brussel sprouts, arugula and sliced apple)

Buy organic extra firm tofu. Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice into 8 or so cubes.

Rice, 2 cups water to 1 cup rice (whatever rice you like, I used white rice). Bring water to a boil then add rice, reduce to simmer and cover. Allow to cook for the cook time on your package (cook time differs for each type).

Brussels, cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Dice half a poblano chile. Toss altogether in a bowl with olive oil and salt. Chop two gloves of garlic. Chop one slice of onion. Add onion and garlic to a pan with olive oil, set to medium heat. Once the onions and garlic start sizzling, add the brussels and poblano. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5.

Assemble your bowl. Add rice (enough to cover the bottom of the bowl) and 1/2 tbsp of ghee (mix together to melt the ghee). Add brussel sprouts and cubed tofu. Drizzle soy sauce on the tofu, white wine vinegar on the brussels, pinch of salt. Add arugula and sliced apple. Top with olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt to taste.

Buon Appetito!!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Chicken Thigh Salad

Arugula, sliced apple, chopped almonds, walnuts, and raisins

Chicken thigh salad (with arugula, sliced apple, chopped almonds and walnuts, raisins, tomato and chopped yellow onion). 

Chicken thigh salad (with arugula, sliced apple, chopped almonds and walnuts, raisins, tomato and chopped yellow onion)

Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), and some black pepper. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes. 

Assemble your salad (you can do this while the chicken is cooking to save time): start with a handful of organic baby arugula. Slice up 1/2 an apple, add it. Chop up a few almonds, a few walnuts, add them. Add a handful of raisins. Add a few slices of tomato and chopped onion (a handfuls worth). 

Cut the chicken into equal pieces. Add it to the salad. Drizzle mustard over the chicken, olive oil and white wine vinegar over the whole bowl making sure to go around the rim. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper. 

Buon Appetitio!

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Back to Work?

Why I can’t go back…

Back to Work

It feels like every time I start to seriously consider finding a full time job, like the one I had, the universe reminds me why that’s a bad idea. Today the universe was two women complaining about their jobs in the sauna. 

Special ops. Approval. No accountability. The list of complaints goes on and on and it just makes me realize how stupid the corporate culture is, the reason I left, and the reason I hope to never return. 

There’s a saying. If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together. I think there’s a third missing component. If you don’t want to go at all, go corporate. 

Corporate is what kills anything that is good. Altruism. Momentum. Accountability. Everything goes down the drain when a company starts to get big. People everywhere making little progress, calling it work. 

It’s a shame. 

Since moving to Colorado a few weeks ago and thinking about what the next chapter of my career will be, I’ve been seriously contemplating corporate work. But after five years out I fear I wouldn’t make it. 

After you’ve been out for too long you become unemployable. Both by the employer and for yourself. I want a job where I can get the maximum amount of productivity out of the minimal amount of work. But I don’t think it exists. 

I’ve submitted my resume over 40 times in the last few years and have received a no thanks no reply email in return to every single one. 

Well I don’t want to work for you anyway. We both know I’m not a good fit. 

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Super Market Layouts

Why aren’t super markets configured to showcase the right foods?

Super markets could do good by changing their layout. A space where produce, meat, nuts and other whole foods are showcased over processed foods that come in bags, boxes and plastic, could help influence the food choices people make. It’s something I realized the last time I stepped into our local Sprouts.

We have a Whole Foods directly across the street from us (and I have Prime which entitles us to some discounts). A couple of blocks further is Sprouts. But despite its proximity, my familiarity with the brand, and my Prime membership, I kept finding myself drawn to Sprouts for my grocery shopping. It felt better, but I wasn’t sure why.

The last time we walked into Sprouts I understood why. 80 percent of their store is devoted to showcasing fruit, vegetables, bulk nuts and dried fruit, meat and fish, all in an open and inviting layout. The remaining 20 percent is shelves filled with the typical (healthy versions) of packaged foods.

By contrast, the produce, fruit, meat and fish section in Whole Foods feels claustrophobic. It feels like you’re not meant to spend much time there. Like it’s just a funnel to get you into the aisles where processed food abounds. It feels like an afterthought instead of the main attraction. But it made me think.

What influence could the layout of a grocery store have on the habits of individuals? Whole Foods still far exceeds most grocers in the country, and to be sure is a privilege. But if every store looked like Sprouts, and lured you in with the right foods, what impact would it have?

I know personally, it gets me excited about the food I’m going to eat, and I’m sure it would do that for millions of other people as well.

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Carbohydrates

Transition from simple carbohydrates slowly and correctly

The thing that people mess about carbs is that it’s not about eliminating them, it’s about transitioning to better carbs. If you’re eating a lot of ultra processed foods, simple carbohydrates, or consuming drinks that are high in sugar, then you need to start replacing each one of those with something better. Rolled oats are better than cereal. A piece of fruit is better than a soda. Locally sourced bread is better than store bought bread. The elimination of carbs is not important, consuming quality, complex carbs is.

If you eliminate carbs all together, then you’re going to create an immediate deficit in your diet, creating an unsustainable situation. Your body, which is used to running on carbohydrates for energy, is now left without an energy source. Diets such as keto work by transitioning your body to run off of fat (both stored and consumed). But getting into a state of ketosis is extremely difficult, and just as hard to stay in it. So you end up unhappy, and not feeling good because you’re running on empty.

Make note of all the different carbs you eat, and then come up with a healthier alternative. At least once a day choose the healthier option, until you’re able to replace two, then three, then all meals and drinks. It’s going to take time, but that’s what progress needs, and that is what will make the transition sustainable.

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

It’s All Energy

It’s hard to ignore.

The last time I stepped into an office was October 2018. The last time I responded to a work email was January 2019. Since then, I’ve had no formal job, and therefore no reason to worry about whether or not it was working hours. If it was a weekday or weekend. Whether or not business was closed do to a holiday. And despite not having to worry about it, I still feel it’s energy.

The weekends are still calmer. Relief sets in when 5 oclock hits. And long holiday weekends still feel like long holiday weekends.

But they shouldn’t right? Shouldn’t all hours, days and weeks essentially feel the same when there is no pressure of work, having to show up, having to perform?

Well they don’t. Weekdays still feel like workdays. And work hours (9 - 5) still carry the most tension in the day. It’s an interesting phenonmen that I think gives credence to the idea that everything is energy.

Monday - Friday, 9 - 5 it’s the energy of the working people around me that I feel. The energy of people commuting to and from work. And on holidays, weeknights and weekends, it’s their collective release of the work week and embrace of time off that I feel.

I thought after a while that feeling of being tied to societal energy would wane. But it hasn’t. In some ways its as strong as ever.

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Leave Your Old Self Behind

Advice to my new self.

Sometimes the hardest part about stepping into your new self, is leaving your old self behind. Your old self is what has got you this far. It’s what’s made you successful. It’s the person people know. It’s the person relationships are based off of. It’s the person you’re comfortable being. But on your way to your new self, your old self just holds you back.

You have to be confident to leave your old self behind.

Doing anything as your new self is going to feel uncomfortable. You’re going to feel unsure. The tried and true ways your used to, are now obsolete. You’re learning your new ways. Learning takes time. Learning is uncomfortable. But it always leads to something greater.

If you want to become the person you’ve always been dreaming of, you need to kiss goodbye to your old habits, old reactions and old insecurities, and embrace everything that is new and feels good.

It can be hard to say goodbye, but that old self no longer serves you. You’re after the new you. The real you. And there’s no time to second guess it. Out with the old. In with the new.

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

GLP-1 In The News… Again.

Diverse reading on the pros and cons of these new drugs.

Each week more stories are published about the new weight loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound and others (GLP1 receptor agonists). The momentum to prescribe these drugs is continuing to grow. These four articles give varying perspectives on the impacts of these drugs.

Sharon Osbourne on her Experience using Ozempic

The message here is important. Her experience of becoming addicted to losing weight, highlights what can never be tested in a clinical trial. These drugs work by suppressing appetite and slowing digestion. The mental toll that takes has not been discussed until now.

Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy Slashes Risk of Death in Some People with Heart Disease and Wegovy's heart benefits due to more than weight loss, Novo says

Both of these articles highlight the recent findings that these drugs have health benefits outside of weight loss, specifically related to heart disease.

Do GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Improve Cardiovascular Health Independently of Weight Loss?

While this article from Dr. Peter Attia throws doubt on their claims by asking the question whether the cardiac benefits were because of or separate from the weight loss experienced. As he explains, the research thus far does not indicate that the drug (GLP-1) alone, absent excessive weight loss, has any positive effects on cardiovascular health.

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James Alvarez James Alvarez

Meal Prep

A different perspective

Meal prep isn’t about getting everything cooked at once. Meal prep is making the best use of your time in the kitchen. If you’re going to be near the stove, you might as well make the most of it by utilizing all the different modalities it has to offer.

Bake chicken breast in the oven.

Boil broccolli.

Saute brussel sprouts.

Cooking in three different ways (boiling, baking, sautéing) also make it easier to compartmentalize what you’re doing, so you don’t forget to give anything attention.

The chicken in the oven is on a 25 - 30 minute timer.

The broccolli, once the water is boiling, only needs 3 - 5 minutes.

The brussel sprouts require the most attention, tossing them every few minutes for 10 - 12 minutes.

Fry up some brussels. Boil some broccoli. Bake some chicken. Make some extra and you’ve got lunch or dinner (breakfast?) for a few days.

Cheers.

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