How To Live A Long Life And Be Healthy

blueencounters2_zpsmc3yuppp

How To Live A Long Life And Be Healthy

As I have previously mentioned, one of my writing projects is a book titled, “Retirement Solutions for Smart People.  5 Easy to Enjoy Your Golden Age.”  One of the subjects that I write about in this book is about our body as a vehicle to carry us through the years into retirement. I gathered a lot of information and read other books on the subject.  And as it often happens, the necessary information just appeared in front of my nose. This time, my daughter Alona invited me to a cooking demonstration, using pots and pans from the company Saladmaster, that was taught by Isis Melinda Israel, a chef and nutrition instructor, who also runs a cooking school.

Since my wife Elfa is very good, among other things, at food preparation, what is left to me is to eat and to clean the kitchen.  However, during the demonstration Alona exclaimed, “With this equipment even Dad can prepare food.”  I agree and I am intending to attend one or a few more cooking classes. Since I do not eat meat, this type of cooking fits my stomach perfectly.

Turns out that in addition to what goes into our mouths is very important, so is the equipment used to prepare it.  Saladmaster cookware is made from Titanium, which does not rust or oxidize.  I happen to have titanium in one replaced hip. And in our busy world — time is money. The five-meal course, including a delicious chocolate-based dessert was prepared in about 35 minutes.  In spite of my wife’s initial skepticism, she decided to gradually get rid of her old pots and pans, including an electric teapot, and invested in replacing them with the best cooking tools money can buy.

But of course ingredients play a huge role in our well-being as well.  It was in 1826 that French physician and father of the Paleo and low-carb movement, Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, ”Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are”.

I also found an article online written by Cynthia Sees:

“The phrase ”You are what you eat” is literally true. Nutrients from foods you eat provide the foundation of the structure, function and integrity of every little cell in your body, from your skin and hair to your muscles, bones, digestive and immune systems.  You may not feel it, but you’re constantly repairing, healing and rebuilding your body”.

There are many books written by well-known doctors, such as Dr. Oz, Dr. Deepak Chopra and many others who promote a fruit and vegetable based diet.  One of them, Dr. Neal Bernard, who wrote about how to reverse diabetes, also stated, “A plant based diet is key to cancer prevention and survival”. My wife Elfa and I have been pescetarians for the past thirty-five years (i.e. we maintain a lacto-vegetarian diet, and also eat fish).  And since I am planning to be around for at least another fifty years, it is up to you to stick around (and to enjoy) my “42 Encounters” books.

P.S. These four images were taken during the food demonstration.  The chocolate cake, which had carrot and zucchini in it, was so delicious that I took two extra servings.

Enjoy and Share.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile and Please Share It
With a Friend!

Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature

History Does Not Repeat Itself

blueencounters2_zpsmc3yuppp

History Does Not Repeat Itself

Supposedly it was Mark Twain, who said, “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.”  I thought about this phrase while reading an article in The Wall Street Journal titled, Russias Turn To Its Asian Past”, written by Yaroslav Trofimov, about the current geopolitical situation in Russia.  The summit between President Donald Trump with President Vladimir Putin took place on July 16thin Helsinki, the capital of Finland. There was a time when Finland was part of the Russian Empire. Its’ loss occurred nearly overnight in December 1991, which Mr. Putin described as the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20thcentury.  Historically in the last 200 years, Russia followed Western-centric approval, however after Mr. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the Western economic sanctions pushed Russia into a recession and financial crisis. This led to the conclusion of some Russian politicians that an attempt to become part of the West will not lead to desired results.  As a result, some Russian nationalists looked into the past, which is connected to the Mongol-Turkic state governed by the descendants of Genghis Khan’s oldest son, as the foundation of Russia’s own eternal empire.  This process is rewriting history since Russia’s official historians and the Orthodox Church long viewed the Mongolian Golden Horde’s rule over Moscow in the 15thcentury as a barbarian “yoke”.  This is the basis and the justification of Russia developing relationships with China, Iran and Turkey.  Russian historian Alexey Malashenko pointed out that “In Russia rewriting the past to suit present ideological needs is time-honored tradition.  Everything is opportunistic.  When I was a student, there was a Tatar-Mongol yoke, then it became a Mongol yoke, then it became just a Golden Horde yoke, and now it turns out there was no yoke at all, and it all was just an interaction between the East and Russia.” However there is also a connection between Mongolia and the United States.  About 14,000 Mongolians live in our country with about 5,000 people of Mongolian descent who currently reside in the state of California.  As many as 3,000 Mongolian immigrants are estimated to live in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Every year, they get together to celebrate at the Mongolian Heritage Festival called Naadam. The origin of the festival dates back to the great Genghis Khan’s period in the 13thcentury.  Naadam means “Festival of Feast of Sports”.  It consists of three sports: horse race, wrestling and archery.

This year was the 18thNaadam, in which many Mongolian families and their friends gathered at the Alameda Point Multi-Purpose Field, to celebrate the event, to eat, to drink and just to have a good time.

P.S. I was invited to the event by one of our new employees, Sunny, who is from Mongolia.  You can see her in the national blue dress.  The other three images show how the past connects with the present, at least once a year, just by dressing up in the national costumes.

P.P.S. It is almost here.  I am talking about “42 Encounters with Dog Lovers.”  If you pre-order at encounterspublishing.com, you could have your own copy in two weeks.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile and Please Share It
With a Friend!

Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature

Magritte Connects Art with Technology

blueencounters2_zpsmc3yuppp

Magritte Connects Art with Technology

After we attended an exhibit at the SF MOMA of Belgian Surrealist artist René Magritte, I wanted to write a story about this remarkable artist, but there were other more pressing stories to share with you.  Nevertheless, on Wednesday, July 4th, 2018, there was an article in the SF Chronicle, in the Datebook section titled, “Virtual surreality”, written by Sophie Haigney, which I considered as a sign.  Then I noticed another article, at the top of my pile of articles that I keep for future writing titled, “Getting surreal”, written by Charles Desmarais, which appeared in the SF Chronicle on May 19th, 2018. You can read both articles, however a better idea is to see the “Rene Magritte: The Fifth Season” exhibit, which is going to be at the SF MOMA until October 28, 2018.

I was familiar with Magritte’s work, especially the images of the man with black hat, but I was curious to learn about the meaning of surrealism.  According to dictionary.com, “it is a movement in art and literature that flourished in the early twentieth century.  Surrealism is aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from rational control.  Salvador Dali was an influential surrealist painter; Jean Cocteau was a master of surreal film”.  You probably are familiar with Dali’s bended clocks, but have you seen Jean Cocteau’s movies?  I had not. Nevertheless, seeing Magritte’s work inspired me.  When I googled “surrealism photography”, the list of the top surrealist photographers like Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, André Breton and others popped-up. They are all some of my favorite master photographers.  They created their work long before technology like Photoshop was even dreamed about.

What is remarkable about Magritte’s exhibit (besides the works of a true master) is the Interpretive Gallery, which lets visitors play with the artist’s work.  It has “six augmented reality interactions”, created with cutting-edge technology.  It includes 130-feet of fiber-optic cable, four windows, six Samsung screens, six stereo cameras and more.  It seems that the technology of the twenty-first century has augmented our perception of how to define art.  Perhaps it attracts a younger generation to come to the museums, and to see other art forms.  When I will return to the museum to experience the Magritte show again, I will skip the technology show.

P.S. One day after I will master Photoshop, I will create my own surreal images. Until then, please enjoy these photos of art lovers, who came to see the Magritte exhibit.

My not surreal book, “42 Encounters with Dog Lovers” is going to be available at the end of July. Please pre-order at encounterspublishing.com.

Enjoy and Share.

 

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile and Please Share It
With a Friend!

Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature

What Did London Breed Do After The Election?

blueencounters2_zpsmc3yuppp

What Did London Breed
Do After The Election?

The answer to this question came from the article, “The mayor-elect pauses to reflect”, which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, June 17th, 2018. During the interview she was asked:

Q. “Right after election day, you were out of pocket for a few days: Where did you go and what did you do?
A. Oh, my God, I don’t want everyone to know that.
Q. Our readers want to know.
A. I did go to Cabo, and I didn’t do anything, I went to take a vacation where I didn’t do anything. I tried not to think about 4 o’clock, the (daily) vote count. (Laughs) You know, relaxing is hard work… I didn’t take my phone with me. If I had, it would not have been a real vacation.”

When this interview was published I was reading a book, “Rest” written by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. The book starts with a quote from another book titled, “Gospel of Relaxation” written by William James. In the book “He argued that Americans had become accustomed to overwork, to living with an “inner panting and expectancy” and bringing “breathlessness and tension” to work. Americans wore stress and overwork like fancy jewelry, they internalized bad habits caught from the social atmosphere, kept by tradition, and idealized by many as the admirable way of life”. He also pointed out that overwork is counterproductive. If “living excitedly and hurriedly would only enable us to do more”, he said, then there “would be some compensation, some excuse for going on so. But the exact reverse is the case.”

Can you relate to this description of the Americans lifestyle? Well, this book was written in 1899. No, there is no typo. And you thought that things have changed in the last 118 years? In two parts “Rest” covers subjects like Four Hours, Morning Routine, Walk, Nap, Shop, Sleep, Recovery, Exercise, Deep Play, and Sabbaticals.

I was surprised to find out that many very accomplished people like Charles Dickens and Ingmar Bergman “spent a few hours a day doing what we would recognize as their important work. The rest of time, they were hiking mountains, taking naps, going on walks with friends, or just sitting and thinking.” Their creativity and productivity, in other words, were not the result of endless hours of toil. Their towering creative achievements resulted from modest “working hours”.
How many hours do you work and rest?

P.S.

I have a confession to make. I do work long hours. Usually my day starts at about 6am. My work in the office ends after 6pm. Then after having dinner, I usually write until 10pm. Having a puppy brought some change in our lives. I walk with Max three times a day and then we play, after which he rests, as all dogs do. Here are four images of resting dogs that I have photographed in different parts of the world. My book “42 Encounters with Dog lovers” finally went in to print. I will let you know next week when you can have it. Meanwhile, please pre-order at www.encounterspublishing.com.

Enjoy and Share.

 

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile and Please Share It
With a Friend!

Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Signature