The Starch Solution by John A. McDougall MD

Let me start by saying long time no see. It's been a while and I mainly came back to the site as I saw through my email that people were still reading KOTA and adding me on Bloggers. The new year is upon us and many people have weight goals, including myself. I see this as an opportunity to help you achieve the desires of your heart. You want to lose weight, right? If not weight, you want to get healthier, right? This book is truly the solution as the book title suggests. No more do you have to have anti-social behavior or feel inferior due to feeling inadequate because of your size. This can be changed for the better and more than likely, most of my post will be in regards to changing yourself for the better. Better can be subjective but with health, obesity is objectively unhealthy. The time for change is now.

There is a lot of misinformation out there in regards to health. So much so that people actually drink diet soda and think thats a means to lose weight. You see, the focus of a diet is weightloss but what it disregards is health. People speak of losing weight is as simple as following the laws of thermodynamics but a calorie is a calorie is quite false. Certain calories are stored easily as fat for example. As the Starch Solution says, "The fat you eat is the fat you wear." If your main focus is to lose weight to look good, how good will you look when you appear sickly due to, for example, ketosis (aka starvation diet)? Having bags under your eyes and no glow about you, how could you possibly think that weightloss through methods that dont keep health in mind benefit you?

You see, the answer is a plant-based diet. More so, a starch-based diet with the addition of fruits and vegetables. Starches ranging from potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinioa, and oatmeal. Your focus is to be on the fresh produce section of the market. Whole foods, not processed food. Natural God-given food for your body. You want to thrive, not dive, into a deep abis of dispair having to count every calorie and stress over what you are eating. The Starch Solution is the solution, you no longer have to count calories! What a blessing! It reminds me of Jesus in the Bible calling all those that are heavy hearted and burdened due to the Law. No longer due you have to be legalistic in how you approach food, but you can be free! You can eat all you want, to satisfaction.

For you people out there that eat a lot, or are bulk eaters, this diet will really make you happy. You see, as we were speaking of calories, the plant-based foods are low in the calories range compared to that of animal based foods (such as dairy, meat, eggs, etc). Meaning, you have to eat more to get the same amount of calories. You're getting quite a bit of volume. Eat to your hearts content and still lose weight. Sounds too good to be true? No, get out of that mentality. Things can be exceptionally good and so much so that you should be cheerful.

 You may be thinking, "Oh, this is a vegan diet." You may hold veganism in a negative light, as it seems many don't like preachy vegans or that is just has a negative connotation to it. That's fine thats why there are plenty of definitions to choose from. Plant-based, starch based, or for the men out there, plant-strong. Yes, plant-strong, be heavy on the plant-based foods and enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables. So many recipes and if you dont want to get complicated, you can also be simple with your meal plan as well.

Some of you may have some questions, if you do, just ask down below. I could have written about FAQ in regards to this diet but those questions will be probably be asked down below to which I will reply. Such as, "Where do you get your protein?", or "Where do you get your calcium?" These can be answered as such, you get them from plant-based foods, such as leafy greens and beans. (amino acids) For calcium, there the myth that milk builds strong bones. Calcium is actually found in the soil and cow's get their calcium through the same way humans do. The plants they eat (or grass for the cows). Skip the cow and go straight to the source, the plant.

Here is the official site of the book's author and where, basically, all the information you need to follow this way of eating can be found. For free: www.drmcdougall.com

Here is a guideline for what you would be eating and other beneficial information regarding the diet
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/pdf/pdfmc050100nl.pdf

PS: Notice I worded it as 'way of eating' rather than diet, because you get "on" a diet and if you can go on you can go "off." Way of eating is all about a diet and lifestyle change, not just something do hop on and off, although you are free to do so. It will work, just do it. Do a 30 Day Challenge of eating this way and see the remarkable benefits you get out of it. All your numbers in regards to blood work will improve, youll lose weight effortlessly and you will feel great being full of energy.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Hey again bloggers! So, this will be my official first post of a book I have read in the library. Oh what a library it is, whether duanting to think I have already found the time to read all that information or that i have yet to apply it. Well, the book has many interesting points of view, and some I agree with and others I do not. Things from love to how we see the world. His point is that we not only look at the world but look at the lense at which we see the world. Obviously not our eye, but our mind. He calls them paradigms. How one person can view the same thing another is viewing and yet come to two different conclusions. Can both be right,wrong, or maybe one right and the other wrong? It would all depend upon their paradigms. There are many factors to a persons paradigm, whether it be environment,financial situation, or their upbringing. Hey! For the part about financial situation, it had me thinking "pair of dimes" for paradigms. lol And yes poverty or prosperity would affect a persons view on things. Especially money. Anyways, let me cut to the chase.

Stephen R. Covey said in his book that he agrees with the saying "love is a verb." And it had me thinking, is love really a verb? And gentlemen, please DO Be gentlemen and not relate that love to the OTHER love making. :P Now, love, how does one define it? Many people define it. In the bible God says that he is love, others say that love is hurt, and yet others say love is joyous. But love, a verb? One can come to the conclusion that the person who said this was saying that love is an action and yet I disagree. Love, the ever so sweet glaring into anothers eyes, the smile, the tear of joy falling downs ones cheek to the chin, seems more rather a feeling. And the action part of it, love not being a verb, would be expressing that love. You see, one can also consider a person saying "She loves him." You from that alone can say, "See it is a verb" or you can SHOVe it!. *Laughs* No, I am only kidding. But it some senses love IS a verb but is also a feelings. And that feeling needs to be expressed. And that expression is love. Let me make it more clear by connecting it with the idea of faith.

Faith, coming from many religions, is one way to view love. i will use the Bible as my reference. Somewhere in the bible(cant you tell, I havent picked one up in awhile? lol) it says that "Faith is dead without works" and in the same way is love. Someone could believe they are full of belief, and faith, but how can one truly be full of both and yet not act upon them? For them to be used, to be harnessed, to be given to the world, it has to be acted upon. Someone could say they believe that working out every day is good for you because Doctor Oz said so. See they have faith in Docotor Oz and beleive that he wouldnt lie to them. Now if they dont work out, it doent matter what they believe or whom or what they have faith in. if they arent going to the gym every day, it isnt helping them or anyone around them. And with love, it i the same. You can have love for someone or have faith in someone, but if you dont extend that faith in them, that trust, how will you truly be able to say you have faith in them? And with love, if you truly love someone, if it isnt expressed then what good does love do? For you, or for them? Love is like faith and both need to be expressed, and in doing so, will only strengthen your belief, in your relationships, in God, or in whatever or whomever you love. So do me a favor, love and love some more. But over all, express that love day in and day out.

And so this reader turned page after page and found a topic. It has now been expressed.

A Man, a library, and his thoughts.

WELCOME!
This is about a man, a young adult, who has decided to take on the challenge of reading a book a day and writing about it. But these arent just random books. these are the books of a collection his father has, and still is adding to. Thousands of books, millions of pages, what will he write about? Its just the the simple tingle on his forearms or the little twinkle in his eye that a topic ignites his passion to express himself. Whether it be to phathom an authors view upon a subject or just the mere audacity to make a claim injustified. Maybe it is just to share within himself things others may want to know or even to inspire. whatever it is, the topic that is, let it be heard.

That is what this blog is all about.