I like to cook on the stove, so we never got around to replacing it.” I thought long and hard about the reasons why we don’t have a microwave, and I realize that it’s not part of how we live our life. The Bushido Way for us is returning to nature and living life in a more natural way. Processed foods and microwave cooking are unhealthy and are not in harmony with living in the moment.

I like things simple. Meaning, I don’t have the newest appliances and only dishes and cookware that I need for preparing frequent meals. I do have a food processor but I use it all the time and it helps me to prepare healthy meals. A microwave is just another unnecessary appliance to me and takes up space in my kitchen.

The taste of food from a microwave oven is flat and the texture rubbery, and the food rarely has a consistency in its texture. Even a baked potato tastes different to me when cooked in a microwave. In nature everything has a balance and our foods provide us with the necessary vitamins and nutrients we need without being altered by man. Cooking in a microwave has been shown to decrease the nutrients in foods, and could be altering the natural energy that we gain from our food.

As Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell point out in “The Hidden Hazards Of Microwave Cooking”,       

“Russian researchers also found decreased nutritional value – or significant dimming of their “vital energy field” – in up to 90% in all microwaved foods. In addition, the B complex, C and E vitamins linked with stress-reduction and the prevention of cancer and heart disease – as well as the essential trace minerals needed for optimum brain and body functioning – were rendered useless by microwaves, even at short cooking durations”. 

The speed of life has left us all compromising our health with foods that accommodate our limited time for planning and preparation, but unfortunately much of this food is loaded with chemicals, additives, and decreased levels of nutrients after “speed” cooking.

Not to mention the plastic containers deemed unhealthy because of leaching chemicals as well as the increase in packaging that adds to the waste that needs to be dealt with by town waste management programs. Food packaging accounts for almost two-thirds of total packaging waste by volume, and food packaging is approximately 50 percent (by weight) of total packaging sales.  

There have even been several recent articles about bottled water and how there are concerns about the levels of chemicals in the water we drink. Turns out, when certain plastics are heated at a high temperature, chemicals from the plastics may leach into container’s contents. So there’s been a flurry of speculation recently as to whether the amounts of these chemicals are actually harmful, and whether this is even a concern when it comes to water bottles—which aren’t likely to be placed in boiling water or even a microwave.  

Many people buy and cook frozen, pre-prepared foods and use a microwave to cook these meals because the process saves us time. After-all isn’t this message one that advertisers promote to us busy professionals and working parents.          

Mmmmm appetizing isn’t it! And what about the big bold statement about the “no artificial colors or artificial flavors.” That’s certain to hook us busy “moms!” I strongly encourage you to look at the fine print on the nutritional label that’s listed on the back of the package.

Negative Effects of Eating Processed Foods

Certainly as a working parent, I’m always looking for ways to save time in preparing meals; however, not at the expense of my families health. Frozen and processed foods can still be cooked by using a traditional oven, but I still stay away from these foods because they are not natural and are not in harmony with the way of the warrior.

My family has a busy schedule. My husband and I both work full-time jobs, write blogs, exercise and we are involved in our son’s school and extra curricular activities; however, we still take time to shop for and prepare healthy more natural food. I agree that processed and frozen foods help save time in cooking and preparation, but cooking can also be a form of relaxation.

Zen: The Art of Modern Eastern Cooking by Deng Ming- Dao is one of my favorite cook books. Not to mention, traditional stove-top and conventional oven cooking allows the preparer time to do other chores like emptying the dish-washer and setting the table while the food bakes.

I like natural foods and can’t deal with additives and excessive salt in my diet. In fact, I notice when I do eat these packaged, pre-prepared foods that my feet swell and I fell sluggish due to the increase in salt and other preservatives. Much of the food manufactured for microwave cooking and quick meals is frozen, processed and high in sodium. People who are sodium sensitive retain sodium more easily, leading to excess fluid retention and increased blood pressure.

At one time, salting was one of the only ways to preserve food. Although that’s not the case today, salt remains a common ingredient in many processed foods.

It’s easy to determine how much sodium is in the foods you’re eating. The nutritional label on the back of packaged food is required to list the sodium and other necessary nutrients. I was shopping in my local Trader Joe’s market and chose the Low Sodium Organic Butternut Squash Soup (90mg per serving) over the regular Organic Butternut Squash Soup listed with 500mg of sodium per serving.

Cooking a healthy meal requires a bit more effort, but you’ll find that planning more simple meals and preparing ahead of time helps to speed up the process during the week when schedules are busy. Though my husband Marcus and I have greatly decreased our meat intake, we do cook meat and more often for our active son.

One of our more simple meals is a few chicken breasts (frozen or refrigerated) cooked in a conventional oven, a couple of baked potatoes baked at the same time, and fresh spinach, carrots or broccoli steamed by stovetop or raw. This meal will take longer to cook and prepare than if a microwave were used, or even if you cooked a packaged frozen meal by conventional oven, but is healthier for you and the family.

We often use low-sodium natural spices, natural herbs, or even some pesto that I prepared over the weekend to doctor-up a plain chicken breast, fish or shrimp. My pesto recipe takes about 15 minutes to make and can be stored in the refrigerator all week. It’s great on toasted bread, with low-sodium corn chips or as a spread on fresh cut green, red or yellow peppers.

 Exercise:

1. Take some time to think about the quality of food you’re eating. Make a few small changes to help improve your diet each week by eliminating processed foods. Buy a water filter, reheat your left-over’s in the oven while you’re setting the dinner table, make a salad rather than buying a frozen meal for lunch. This may take some additional planning and time, but can be fun too. It’s worth the inconvenience to feel better about yourself and what you’re putting into your body. It’s all about planning!
2. Make a few simple changes to your grocery list this week and purchase a few natural products like nuts, dried fruit, carrot sticks and celery. Check the nutritional labels on the food you buy for a long list of unrecognizable words that you can’t pronounce and STAY AWAY from these products! A good tip is to shop on the outside isles at your grocery store. This is usually where you’ll find the fresh food. The middle isles are where all the processed junk is stocked.
3. Check the sodium content and make sure the foods you buy don’t contain hydrogenated oils and Trans Fats—these are horrible fats that should not be included in your diet!

Ingredients: 

1-2 containers silken tofu

Organic vegetable broth (2 cups per bowl of soup served)

Other Optional Ingredients (Flavor to Taste!):

Many of these ingredients can be found in a local Asian market, which should be listed in a local directory. If you don’t have one near you, check out the international section of a large grocery store.

Soy sauce

Bok choi

Carrots (shredded)

Onions

Shredded cabbage

Sea weed (cut small)

Chili paste

Bamboo shoots

Sesame oil

Hot soy bean paste

Mustard greens

The sky’s the limit for different ways to flavor this soup. Experiment and have fun. If you discover an interesting and tasty new creation, please share them with us!

Heat the tofu in a covered double boiler until it is warm throughout. Make sure not to stir or move the tofu so that it retains its shape.

In a separate saucepan, heat the vegetable broth until hot (do not boil!)

Using a large serving spoon, place the tofu into a bowl and add the broth until it’s covered. The amount of tofu you add to your soup is entirely up to you. Add your choice of optional ingredients to create your own individual soy pudding soup.

That’s all there is to it! I told you it was easy.

As I had mentioned, this soup is very nutritious. It is high in protein, low in fat, and depending on the optional ingredients can also be low in sodium and no cholesterol.

Eveyone Pays the Toll on The Road of Life

Life is a toll road and everyone pays the toll in one way or another.  What this means is, in life, everything you do has its price.  Every action or choice you make throughout your existence has consequences or results that have a direct impact on who you are and the outcome of your life. The choices you make determine how you pay the toll on the road of life.

 Let me give you a few examples.

 Two Types of Lifestyle Choices and How Each Pays the Toll

 The “Couch Potato”

 Take the stereotypical “couch potato.” This person has a sedentary job, comes home with fast food, and watches the television until it’s time to go to bed. They’re overweight, get no exercise and they have no motivation, drive or ambition.

 This type of person pays their toll in several ways:

1. They squander their time. The time we’re allotted to spend on this earth is finite. We cannot buy, barter or steal any more time. Once it is used, we can’t get it back. The best we can do is to make the most of every moment. The couch potato wastes all of their time, never realizing its true value.
2. In addition, the person that lives this type of lifestyle pays the toll through poor heath. As I mentioned in my previous post, The Warrior’s Way of Life, one in three Americans are obese. Another study by the National Institute of Health shows that 65% of adults in this country are obese. The list of associated health risks with obesity is long and many of them are life threatening. According to the CDC, an estimated 300,000 premature deaths a year can be attributed to obesity. Some of the risks of obesity are listed below. Click on this link to Anne Collins’ website for more details on these health risks:
   •     Heart Disease
   •     Stroke
   •     Type 2 Diabetes
   •     Cancer
   •     Fatty Liver Disease
   •     Chronic Venous Insufficiency
   •     Deep Vein Thrombosis
   •     Arthritis
   •     Increased Health Risks for Expectant Mother and Baby
   •     Gallbladder Diseas
   •     Premature Death
3. Low self esteem and depression are another way that this type of person can pay the toll. American society places a high emphasis on physical appearance. Many obese people feel isolated and have a more difficult time advancing in their careers. Scientists have also found that excessive weight causes a chemical and hormonal imbalance that can lead to depression.

 The “Go-Getter”

 Now let’s look at the individual at the other end of the spectrum. The Stereotypical “go-getter”. This person typically is physically fit, has a high paying job or owns a successful business, drives a nice car and owns a big house. Most people believe that this type of person is “living the life” and typically has everything handed to them on a silver platter. They don’t believe that this person has ever paid a toll in their life.

 Let me show you how they do:

1. Just like the couch potato, the go-getter also pays the toll with their time. However, they use their time very differently than the couch potato. The go-getter invests their time into education and personal development. This person is generally the “A” student in school, they went to an Ivy League or tier one college, and continue to read, improve and educate themselves after college. Many work 12-15 hours per day! They are usually out of bed by 5:00 a.m. to workout because it’s the only time that fits their busy schedule.
2. Another way the go-getter pays the toll is through hard work and self discipline. They are continually setting goals and taking action to achieve them. They generally have the endurance to persevere where most would give up and quit. As their name suggests, the go-getter realizes that success is never given away, it is earned. Instead of waiting for good things in life to come to them, they go out and get them.

 You Can Choose How to Pay the Toll

 Both of the individuals in these examples have paid the toll in very different ways. The couch potato may have benefited from relaxation early on but was forced to pay the toll after with the price of poor health, low self esteem and an uneventful life. The second paid the toll up front through hard work and discipline and enjoyed success, health and prosperity later. Nevertheless, both paid the toll.

 “Life is a toll road and everyone pays the toll. However, you can choose how to you would like to pay!”

 Personal Action Exercises

• Take a look everyday at the choices you make in life. Decide if this is how you want to pays your toll. If it isn’t, resolve to make the necessary changes to pay the toll on your terms.
• From this day forward, decide exactly what it is you want from your life. Write down your goals and dreams and then decide how much they’re worth to you to achieve them. Then decide how you’ll pay the toll to get them.

If you liked this blog post, please leave a comment. Thank you.

…That is the way of the warrior. That is Bushido.”

-Katsumodo

From The Last Samurai

What Does it Mean to Be a Warrior?

Bushido

To be a warrior- broadly defined is someone engaged in struggle or conflict or someone seen as a champion.  In this time in our society, many people are experiencing some sort of difficulty or conflict. When Donald Trump can’t get a loan from a bank, times are tough all around! Unemployment increased significantly in 2009, we heard about the suffering housing market including information like  1 in 4 homes face foreclosure. Depending on who did the polling, 50 to 80% of Americans feel that they have an unhealthy level of stress. Let’s face it, in today’s society many of us are warriors in a survival mode and we need to become the champions of our own lives. We need to support one another through tough times and take action toward a better future.

Not only is life tough for many economically and financially, but as a nation we are unhealthier than we’ve been in decades. A University of Michigan study found that only three percent of Americans maintain a healthy lifestyle. The federal government has released a study saying 34% of Americans are obese. Not just overweight, but obese! That translates to more that one in three people. Other countries face similar problems but there are many cultures that promote healthier lifestyles and have a much lower rate of obesity and health conditions.  They must be doing something right!

Japan is on the list of one of the world’s healthiest countries.  Diets rich in fish, rice, and seaweed have long kept heart disease and cancer in Japan in check. Various fitness crazes and government-sponsored pre-work workouts have helped generations of Japanese maintain trim physiques, and today’s tech junkies have a little help of their own: Japan’s largest mobile telephone carrier just unveiled a “Fitness Phone” that measures daily activity.

Today’s society has become dependent on technology including spending hours passively watching the television or playing video games. Many children spend an unhealthy amount of time mesmerized by these forms of technology, because parents are too busy working long hours to make ends meet while trying to keep-up with household demands. We are a population of consumers, controlled by large corporations and made to feel that the only way we can find satisfaction in our lives is by spending our hard earned money buying more things. We have allowed our economy to become so unbalanced that we have to bail out “Too Big to Fail” corporations that have built empires on a house of cards. We’ve witnessed these companies paying out huge bonuses with no accountability.

What is happening to our integrity, honor and our honesty? What happened to the time when people stood up for values with valor and courage? When the right thing was to take responsibility for our actions.

-This brings me to why we have decided to write about this topic-

What is a “The Warrior’s Way of Life”?

The Warrior’s Way of Life is based on the Japanese code of conduct known as Bushido, which translated means, “Way of the Warrior”. It is the set of principles, practices, and values of the Samurai of feudal Japan.

Seven key virtues outlined the Bushido Code:

1. 1. “Gi” -Integrity
   2. “Yu” -Valor and Courage
   3. “Jin” -Compassion
   4. “Rei” -Respect
   5. “Makoto” -Honesty and Sincerity
   6. “Meiyo” -Honor
   7. “Chungi” -Duty and Loyalty

These virtues guided the warriors through all aspects of their lives. The Samurai believed that living the Bushido was the highest form of existence– path to living properly.

By applying this code to our daily lives, Jillian and I have found clarity of purpose, a newfound love for life, peace of mind, reduced stress and the inner strength to face and overcome many of the challenges that are a natural part of life.

Topics Covered in this Blog

• The Bushido Code
• Zen and Meditation
• Universal Energy
• Health, Weight, Diet and Fitness
• The Martial Arts
• Yoga
• Reiki

Jillian and I would like to welcome you to The Warrior’s Way of Life blog. We would greatly appreciate your opinion and feedback and welcome guest authors, poets or bloggers that feel strongly about contributing to this site, including book recommendations and or healthy recipes to share. A monthly newsletter will be distributed to subscribers, and we look forward to your participation. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask questions.

Thank you–Marcus