Dan on April 28th, 2006
Finally a new update! Last week I was sick with a head cold for a few days. It was the first time I’ve been sick in 2 or so years. I was really only down for one night so I guess I can live with that. It just so happens that allergy season started at exactly the same time. Out with the cold and in with a runny nose.
I decided to pick up some allergy medication in the hopes that I could eliminate the need to blow my nose once every 10 minutes. When I went to purchase generic Claritin-D (Loratadine and pseudoephedrine sulfate) I found that I had to take a notice to the cashier. I assumed it was to prevent theft. When I got to the register I found out that not only does a new law require me to produce ID but they record all of the information, including name, address, DOB, and ID number. The law is aimed at reducing production of methamphetamines (meth). Apparently Loratadine is used in the production of this illegal drug. Someone who has never known a meth head or the underground decided that passing such a law would help curb this problem. They obviously have no idea how ease it is to make a fake ID. Not including print time I could crank out a sheet of 8 IDs in less than an hour. It would be very easy for me to make a sheet of IDs with various names, addresses, and ID numbers and then use them at various stores to purchase Loratadine based medication.
This law does almost nothing to prevent the production of meth. It mearly allows the government to track allergy medication usage, something the government has no business doing. I’ve decided that I will no longer use Loratadine based medication. Instead I’ll use alternatives that are not tracked. I urge you to do the same.
I’ve done a brief search for information reguarding this new law but can’t seem to find anything. When I get a chance I plan on digging deeper and possibly writing a letter to representatives in the hopes of opening their eyes to the ridiculousness of the law.
Dan on April 19th, 2006
Here’s an update on how my workout routine is going. I started working out on Feb 13, 2006. Now, two months later, here are my results thus far. I’ve gained over an inch around my chest, over 1/4 inch around my arms, and my weight is up to 150 lbs from 139 lbs. I also have gains elsewhere, but those are the most pronounced.
Some of that weight is from fat. I have a weakness for jelly beans and consumed many bags this Easter season. Now that Easter is over and the jelly bean supply has dried up I’ve decided to begin cutting. I want to drop about 5lbs of fat and get below 10% body fat. To do this I’ve reduced my diet from 2300 calories to 2000 calories and have begun a much more intense cardio program. I was working out 3 days a week. Now I’ve added an additional 3 days of cardio, and extended my warmup run to a 15 minute minimum (except on leg workout day). Instead of trying to build muscle I’m now trying to preserve it while reducing fat. My workout routine will consist of more reps now (7-9 instead of 4-6) in a shorter period of time. This keeps my heart rate elevated and increases the calories burned.
I hope to be below 10% body fat by the end of May. Then I will begin bulking again, but this time watching my diet more closely to reduce fat gains.
Dan on April 7th, 2006
Believe it or not, this is a recipe for healthy pizza. It tastes great and still has tons of cheese on it. Unlike most reduced fat cheese, the one I selected for this recipe actually has a lot of flavor. This pizza is made in the traditional margherita style, with tomatos slices, basel, and cheese. I recommend using dried seasonings to help absorb some of the liquid created from the tomatos and ricotta cheese.
For those who are inexperienced at stretching pizza dough this one might be a little tricky. Using a rolling pin to form pizza is NOT how you do it. I include basic instructions below but it does take some practice to get it right.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup Sargento Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Italian (shredded)
1/4 cup Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
2-3 medium tomatos, sliced
4 oz chicken breast, 1″ slices
1 pinch (~1/4 tsp) of active dry yeast
1 pinch (~1/2 tsp) of salt
1 drop (~1/2 tsp) of honey (optional)
1 tablespoon of dried basel
3/4 tablespoon garlic powder (optional)
1 tablespoon of dried oregano (optional)
1. Combine yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of warm water. Stir until both are disolved. Wait 10 minutes for the yeast to activate. The honey lets the dough rise much faster. It can be made without the honey if you plan on using the dough the next day. Just put it in the fridge overnight.
2. While the yeast is activating combine the salt and flour in a mixer. If you don’t have a mixer use a bowl.
3. If you haven’t already sliced the tomatos or measured out the cheese, now is a good time to do it.
4. Once yeast is active pour it into the mixing bowl along with the remaining 3/4 cup of water. Set mixer to 2 (low setting) and allow it to mix and then kneed for 5 minutes. The ingredients may not combine well with the kneeding hook. You may need to stop the mixer and help them.
5. Form dough into a ball and place in a sealed container OR cover with a damp cloth. If you’re using the dough the same day place it in a warm room or in sunlight and allow to rise for 10-30 minutes. Dough can be refridgerated instead if it will be used on a later day.
6. Place pizza stone in oven and heat it to 450 degrees. If you don’t have a pizza stone you can stretch a few layers of foil over the shelf. This will work but not nearly as well as a stone.
7. Once dough has risen you need to form the pizza shell. This can be tricky to do without holes, especially with wheat dough. DO NOT USE A ROLLING PIN, THAT IS NOT HOW YOU FORM A PIZZA! I will do my best to explain how you form a pizza, but some of it may be a little vague. Your best bet may be to go to your local pizza place and watch someone make a pizza.
First, cover your counter with wheat flour. Coat the dough in flour to keep it from sticking. If you let it rise for too long you may need to reform it into a ball and squeeze out some of the air.
Now, pick up the dough with both hands and hold it in the air so that the top is now facing you. Using your thumbs to support it, slowly rotate the dough around forming an indented ring about 1″ in from the outside edge. The dough should be almost hanging from your thumbs as you do this.
Put the dough back down on the table. At this point you should have a ~1″ ring of dough around the outside that is a bit thicker then the rest, followed by a ring that is thinner than the rest. The middle should be like a mound that sticks up in the middle. You now need to stretch this out on the table. This is when holes are created. Most holes can be fixed, but if they get too bad you can reform the dough into a ball and start over. This will probably only work once before you need to let it continue rising. Taking the heel of one of your hands, slowly push down on the center lump while rotating your wrist. This should rotate the dough and flatten the middle of the pizza a bit.
Once you have flattend the middle out a bit you can start stretching it. To do this place both of your hands loosely on the inside of the crust ring. Your pinkies should be touching the dough and your thumbs should be in the air. Without using too much pressure hold your left hand against the dough while moving your right outwards. This motion should both stretch and rotate the dough. If you stretch it too far you will rip it so start slowly and get an understanding of what you can and can’t do. If you do rip a hole in it try stretching the thick part back over it and sticking it to the other side. This can be hard to do with wheat dough as it doesn’t have as much gluten as all purpose flour. The dough isn’t as stretchy.
At this point you’ve probably ripped the thing to shreds, gotten flour all over yourself and your kitchen, and sworn up a storm. It’s ok, it takes practice. If you really mess it up and you can’t reform the dough ball throw it away and start over. Resist the temptation to use a rolling pin because that’s just wrong. Your crust will be flat and it will be oddly shaped.
8. Now that you have your dough formed it’s time for toppings. Place slices of tomato edge to edge.
9. Sprinkle on the bazel, garlic powder, and oregano.
10. Distribute the chicken over the pizza evenly.
11. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Using a spoon place small chunks of ricotta cheese around the pizza.
12. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has begun to brown and the crust is crunchy. Serves 2 (don’t eat the whole thing)
Nutrition Information (per serving)
Servings: 2
Calories: 365.5
Protein: 33 g (36%)
Carbohydrates: 48 g (52%)
Fat: 6.7 g (16%)
Percentages are based on calories. They don’t add up to 100% due to rounding.
Dan on April 4th, 2006
I apologize for the lack of updates. Between school, projects, and extra sleep I haven’t had much free time. I’ve changed me sleep pattern yet again. I found that the pattern I was on (2 1.5h core naps, 3 20 min naps) just wasn’t cutting it. I was frequently oversleeping and was tired during the day. I slept monophasicly this past weekend and found something interesting. I woke up after 6 hours and had trouble falling back asleep. So maybe 6 hours is what my body wants. To test this I’m trying two 3 hour sleep periods, one 11:30PM to 2:30PM and one 3:30PM to 6:30PM. This allows me to maintain my eating schedule and have some extra time at night to shop, prep food, or do whatever. Last night was my first trial. I ended up adding an extra 20 min nap in there. Today I was wide awake all day. I had no trouble paying attention during class. I found it much easier to focus on the subjects. This may be the best solution for me. We’ll see how it goes.
My new car (92 Talon, as mentioned in the previous post here) is a lot of fun. I visited my parents this weekend. The 5.5 hour, 400 mile drive was quite enjoyable, especially the twisty roads on the way back. If you live close to the western part of MA try driving Rt 2 between North Adams, MA and Troy, NY. It is probably the most fun drive in the area, assuming you don’t get stuck behind slow drivers. Even then there are a lot of passing zones. I managed to make it though most of the twisty sections without interference from other drivers. The combination of coil overs and sticky tires make the car handle very well. I can’t wait to start the autox season!
