January 7, 2104 (A Day in the Life of Gary S. Smolker): A $71.13 Bowl of Corn Chowder Soup and A Coffee Mocha at LYFE Kitchen in Culver City, Vegan Versions of Oysters Rockefeller, Paella, etc.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

I am in Los Angeles, California.

It is 4:10 a.m., PST.

I was in a meeting most of the day yesterday (January 7, 2014).

Besides being in meetings, I spent my time “running” from “here to there.”

Believe it or not, at one of my meetings I was talking to a friend about why he should create (design) a [NEW] “healthy food preparation survival merit badge” and write a healthy nutritious food survival merit badge manual and program for the Boy Scouts, and talk the Boy Scouts into adopting such a program, promote a similar program for FEMA, and manufacture and distribute relatively “long” shelf-life healthy nutritious survival food, and on and on and on.

At one time, years ago, this friend was involved in and spear headed “recruiting” efforts for Sambos, when Sambos was opening two new Sambos Restaurants a week and managed and organized and coordinated a similar recruiting/hiring effort for Sizzlers when Sizzlers was in its growth spurt.

Our meeting was held at the LYFE Kitchen in Culver City — which is a fabulous operation.

While waiting for my friend to arrive I bought a snack [a bowl of corn chowder (delicious) and a coffee mocha].

My bill was $71.13 (before tip).

Why was my bill $71.13 you ask?

Answer:

While waiting in line, I couldn’t resist buying Tal Ronnen’s “the conscious cook” – delicious MEATLESS recipes that will CHANGE the WAY you EAT – and Art Smith’s “HEALTHY COMFORT” – How America’s Favorite Celebrity Chef Got it Together, Lost Weight and Reclaimed His Health.

Tal is the kind of guy who, if he finds a spider in his house, will gently pick up the spider, bring it outside and set it free.

Tal, from time to time, wears a T-Shirt which boldly proclaims “WORLD PEACE BEGINS IN THE KITCHEN.”

Tal is the owner-chef of a restaurant (CROSSROADS) on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, which my sister Toby [who is a “A” list “liver” who has been everywhere ‘nice’] highly recommends.

While in my car, on my way, to LYFE Kitchen in Culver City, I called a friend to find out if he was still alive.  My friend told me I wouldn’t believe the “cluster fuck” he found himself in.

He told me he was ‘stuck’ at LAX, his flight to Cabo San Lucas had already taken off without him or his “family.”

They didn’t board the flight because when they got to the airport they discovered that their 15 year old girl had forgotten to take her Passport and she would not be allowed into Mexico without a passport.

During my phone call with my friend, a fight was in progress between he and his wife about whether the three of them (grown up man, grown up woman and 15 year old girl) should go to Hawaii instead of driving back home since their flight to Cabo San Lucas had already left without them.

My 3:00 p.m. appointment got cancelled because a Beijing based client of the person I was meeting unexpectedly flew in from Beijing and demanded that an emergency meeting take place.

So instead of meeting that friend at “Crossroads” at 3:00 p.m. I drove to the Topanga Shopping Mall in Woodland Hills, CA. to get holes punched in 10 of my belts that were then (yesterday) too big.

I could no longer wear those belts because I had purchased and worn those belts when I had about a 40 inch waist.

Due to changes in diet and lifestyle since September, 2012, my waist is now (at the beginning of 2014) 34 inches.

I am very interested in the relationship between food, diet, exercise, life style and health and longevity.

I know that the human body depends upon cellular renewal to survive.

Yesterday morning I read that cells in the heart and cells in the brain replace themselves, as follows.

• At age 25 one percent of heart muscles replace themselves.
• At age 75 less than half a percent of heart muscle cells that die are replaced by new heart muscle cells.
• The gene that turns on cell growth (new cell generation) is activated by physical activity, caloric restriction, ketogenic diet, and the addition of certain nutrients such as curcumin, and the omega 3 fat DHA.
• Aerobic exercise turns on genes linked to longevity.
• The more you move the fitter you become.

I believe people should take care of themselves by eating healthy nutritious food and have an emergency supply of healthy nutritious food.

I believe people should take care of their own health by learning about epigenetic factors, how to turn on the genes that prolong life and how to turn off the genes that shorten life.

According to a book I am reading, right now, our day to day activities have a profound effect on the activity of our genes.  We can change the expression of more than 70% of the genes that have a direct bearing on our health and longevity.

Scramble scramble scramble:

I’m torn between going to my office today to “work” or staying home and writing an article on preventing heart attacks, preventing diabetes, preventing memory loss, preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive problems, and how to preserve and increase mental acuity by eating the right foods and keeping active.

It’s now 5:00 a.m. and I’m hungry.

Gary

Copyright (c) 2014 by Gary S. Smolker