Black Lives Matter

I wrote this post on my personal Facebook page after feeling overwhelmed, yet again, from the discussions and readings pertaining to the paper I am writing for one of my grad classes. The purpose of my paper is to answer this question - Why Do Black Lives Matter? And let me just say, this class and this research- some days it cripples me. This is a tough topic, fueled by a difficult situation and terrible occurrences that have been happening in our own backyard over the past few years. But this starts way before the Black Lives Matter movement began. This goes much further back into our nation's history. For this class we started with the 1860's with the book "12 Years a Slave" then we moved on to "Slavery by Another Name" and then "The New Jim Crow". I have been researching newspaper articles and peer reviewed journals about the movement and associated issues since the Trayvon Martin case and archival sources covering the Civil Rights Movement forward. I have been eyeball deep in tragedy and injustice. It's overwhelming, especially for someone like me re: highly sensitive.

Last night, after another tough class, I was filled with thoughts and anger and despair from some of the discussions we had in class. From those feelings came this post and I just wanted to share it all with you. Because this topic is so important to me. I think it should be important to us all. We are one race, the human race and we need to start living our lives where our actions are reflective of that.

I am not editing anything I wrote...just leaving it as is, typos and all.

"I apologize in advance for the length of this post but I have alot on my mind. As you have probably seen me mention I am currently researching the Black Lives Matter movement for one of my grad classes. It has been eye-opening to say the least. One of the points that has been discussed in class is that there are people that feel that the BLM movement diminishes the value of other lives. No,from how I see it it is not the Black Lives Matter More movement, it is the Black Lives Matter, too movement. But still, there are people (and maybe rightfully so) that will say what about military lives? what about transgender lives? don't they matter? They do! Because ALL LIVES MATTER. One movement does not lessen the value or importance of another. They can all matter simultaneously and harmoniously if we allow them to. It's not a battle...it is about raising awareness. 

Here is what I think. I think this world is a pretty crappy place sometimes. There is alot of bad. Rape, domestic violence, terrorism, sex trafficing, murder (MURDER!), there is crime and injustice and bigotry and hate and all sorts of terrible shit everywhere throughout the world. And if you think about it too much for too long you may want to curl into a ball and hide from it all. I don't know the answer as to how we teach others to value human life, I don't. I don't know how we change all of this but I think it starts with this- TOLERANCE. 

We are all different, each and every one of us. Not just our skin color or sexual preference, it is in every tiny thing that makes us who we are. And just because I am different than you that does not necessarily make me worse or better as a person. It just makes me me and you you. and we are not the same EXCEPT for the fact that we are both human beings and our bodies and mind function the same way. BUT even though we are different you can still like me as a person, you and I could even be friends. We can learn from one another and have a healthy relationship that adds value to each other's lives. No, I am not saying that you need to like or love every person on the planet. There are people that maybe we just are too different to relate to, maybe there is too much conflict or confusion and turmoil. But that doesn't mean we have to hate them for that. Why not just be tolerant and accepting of differences and move on. Worry about yourself. Your family. The things that are important to you. That has to be the starting point to change. Tolerance, acceptance, respect, peace. 

I have friends that are conservative and liberal, catholic and jewish, gay and straight, rich and poor, white, black and purple. Do I agree with everything they believe? Probably not. Do I still love and respect them? Of course. But I need to offer that same to all mankind to the best of my abilities. It is my duty. If I want to see a change then I have to live a life filled with actions that reflect it. I have to be a vehicle of change. And you do too. We need to be better. We need to stop this unnecessary violence and hate. People need to just stop killing each other. People need to just stop hating. It is heart breaking. 

So today and every day I vow to try and be more tolerant, more accepting, more loving. I need to be...or else what is the point? 

I also shared a link to a story about India Clarke, a 25 year old transgender woman that was found beaten to death on Tuesday. Here is the link. 

Chime in, I would love to hear from you about these topics. How can we facilitate change? 

Love and hugs,
Dacia
xoxoxox

Food is My Favorite "F" Word

Part two of the Eat. Move, Love series is about getting educated about food without falling for the hype.

As you know, I am a vegan.

People ask me if I chose to be a vegan in order to lose weight. The answer to that- yes and no. I decided to follow a plant based diet after months of food journaling (all while I was losing weight ‘normally’, mind you) showed me that this would be a good switch for my body. I thought it would probably be a temporary thing…more like an experiment. But I listened to my body, found what worked for me, and haven’t looked back.

But just because I opt to follow a plant based diet doesn’t automatically mean I am healthy. I could live off of pancakes and French fries and still be eating a plant-based diet but I would be far from healthy. Vegan doesn’t necessarily equate to healthy. Although it can.

Really, any diet can be healthy. I am not saying how I eat is the way to go.

On the contrary, as much as I love being a vegan and have learned so much since I made the change, rarely will I force my opinion onto others. At least not unless I am asked first.

You see I think there are many ways to eat that support healthy living. My way (when I follow a whole foods, plant-based diet- not an all cupcake all the time diet) is just one of them. What works best for you, your physical and mental wellbeing, well that is for you to determine.

But if you want my advice I would say start big. Pick a few broad food rules that you can live by and start from there. Make it easy on yourself to form healthy and sustainable habits. Don’t deprive yourself. Your body needs food to live. And even more so, good food to thrive.

So maybe start there…

Eat real food. You can’t go wrong with this one. Try to incorporate more whole foods and pair back the processed stuff. Eat some fruit, some veggies, some nuts and seeds. Eat things that give your body the micro (vitamins, minerals, amino acids) and macro nutrients (fat, protein, carbs – yes you need all three) it needs to survive.  

There are so many food fads and trends out there (some would even categorize veganism as one) and I feel that some days it’s all a bit much. But what are these fads doing for your body? Can you sustain that lifestyle? Would you even want to?

I am not saying that all food trends are bad and that you should stay away from them. What I would like to say is this- do some research, talk to a doctor or, even better, an RD or a nutritionist, see what information you can find about food and determine what your body needs. If you choose to cut out certain micros or macros what will your body be missing out on? Will you need to take supplements? Etc….

I am so lucky that this rarely happens to me but the big question most vegans are posed with is ‘where do you get your protein?’ or the usually overly critical statement of ‘you aren’t eating enough protein’. Don’t worry- I am good on protein intake. I’ve got that covered. BUT here is something my nutritionist taught me about a few years ago. I needed to watch my fat intake. Not because it was too high but because it was too low. It is easy for someone following a whole foods plant-based diet to not get enough fat – there is not much, if any, fat in plants. But my body needs fat in order to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K. A low fat intake could lead to vitamin deficiency. These vitamins help to regulate blood pressure, heart rate and the nervous system as well as a whole bunch of vital bodily functions. So, lesson learned. I needed to eat more fats!

And that really is the point of all this. Don’t take anything at face value. Do some research. Educate yourself. Find what works best for your body but also be ok with tweaking and changing as needed. I eat more avocado now. Flax seeds (and oil) and nuts are my friends. I track my macros because I want to make sure the diet I am choosing for my body is giving it what it needs. Am I perfect about this? No. Am I aware and educated about this? I certainly try to be.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxox

Super Quick Post

I would love to stay and chat but life right now....well, let's just say I am operating on very limited free time.

This week...

Is the last week for one of my grad classes and I have a paper and project due Sunday. STRESS!

AND I am going out of town Friday so it needs to be finished by Thursday. More STRESS! (Always, even when I know it will get finished in time and it won't be that bad- the days leading up to the end of a course are always stressful to me)

Crazy cold front moving in and it will be in the low teens (possibly lower) with the windchill in the mornings...might not seem too terribly bad for most but we were enjoying our 70 degree temps this weekend, I can't handle 12 degrees. All running this week will be done indoors- BOOOOOOOO!

Half marathon training, as always it seems. No complaints though. Next one is less than 2 weeks away. I have been supplementing my training with some Les Mills Combat (love it!) and have even taken a few Barre classes this past month.

Gordie is doing awesome. We actually ran into the owner of Gordie's two sisters Friday night while we were out at the brewery (aren't dog friendly places the best?) and we have a plans for future play dates/doggy family reunion.

He's getting so big! Not even 6 months yet! 

Wedding planning has slowed significantly...we have so much already taken care of we are kind of on a break until it comes time to order the invitations in April. Yay us! Go team La-Root!

Getting ready to build my third garden some time in early March. We dumped our first batch of compost from our yard into garden one, which is currently empty (all foods have been harvested and enjoyed), in preparations for planting. We have some big plans this spring for the yard and the gardens. I cannot wait to share them all with you!

Last week I got some really shitty news that broke my heart. One day I may share here but for now lets just say I am devastated, sad, angry and racked with guilt. It's been a really rough week.

BUT- as much as this past week wore me down and left me with not a single tear left to cry I am so thankful for the people in my life that were there to help pick me back up and take my mind off of the bad, even if it was just temporary. Thank you all for your love and support!

Enjoying some of the Mardi Gras festivities...

Love and hugs,
Dacia
xoxoxox

Plans and Lists and Lists and Plans

Under normal circumstances I would say that consider myself a planner. I like routine (with a dash of spontaneity) and I like having control of my life where I can – diet, exercise, sleep, etc. I wasn't always this way but it is the person I have become and it is the lifestyle that works best for me.

Now that I have thrown wedding planning into the mix of my normal busy but planned out life things have gotten exponentially crazier with the planning and the lists. It’s a good thing (great thing actually) but I also know I am walking a fine line between being in control of my life and my life controlling me.

I have many google sheets and docs set up in my wedding folder. I have budgets and timelines and to-do lists. I have address files and guest list tallies. Every detail regarding our wedding exists somewhere in this folder and, I think, it’s a good thing. Trust me when I say, I am not trying to overdo or over-plan the details of the wedding. That is not my goal AT ALL. BUT I am trying to make sure our guests have food to eat and some beer to drink and someone to take our pictures. Our end goal is to have a beautiful wedding ceremony followed by an amazing reception/party that is fun and comfortable and represents Erick and I as a couple. And as easy and carefree as I want the party to feel I still need to make sure most everything is planned out in advance in order to do so. It’s a tricky situation.

I am very happy to report that we have crossed off every big item (venues, caterers, music, etc) off of our list and now all that remains are the details…which I am totally not going to lose sleep over. The big decisions are behind us and now we can just relax (relax-ish) and let everything else fall into place.

That being said….I still have a lot of plans and planning left to get me to October 17. One of the things the website ‘The Knot’ (this is what I used to build my timeline from) said to do is to create a fitness and beauty plan. Well, anyone that knows me knows that a beauty plan isn't really my thing but I do plan on making sure I moisturize every day and where sunblock all the time- two things I already do pretty much every day.

The fitness plan, however, was right up my alley. Especially knowing that originally I was thinking of training to run a full marathon in January 2016 and then realizing there is no way I wanted to be running that much (mileage/time) during my wedding and honeymoon time. So I did want to create a new fitness plan that would help keep me working towards different fitness goals throughout the year but that was also realistic to my schedule. It was kind of strange planning out for a whole year but I think it will be good. And of course, I will tweak/change/adapt however I need to help keep me sane J This is what I came up with….

• January through April- half marathon training (I have two more coming up- 3/1 and 4/12) with spinning, DVDs (loving Les Mills Combat) and Zumba for cross training
• April-May- Ragnar training. Similar to above but the focus will be on running on tired legs. Like running at night and then again the following morning to help simulate the conditions of a relay race.
• May-July- PiYo (my goal is to complete the entire program) with cycling as cross training
• August-October- half marathon training and back to my twice/weekly sessions with my personal trainer
• October/post wedding I am planning to run two half marathons; Pensacola (November) and Louisiana (January 2016). Both I ran this year and I really want to run both again. 

So that’s the plan. Running, running, running, with cross training thrown in, PiYo and then more running.

I have also set some ‘rules’ to follow throughout the year:

• Limit processed food intake
• Limit beer to one (max two) days a week
• Limit eating out to 2-3 times a week
• Track daily
• 30 minutes of activity daily- walking counts!
• Don’t stress about the wedding!

That’s my plan. I am going to try to stick to it best I can but I understand how tricky it is planning out this far in advance. Things change. I’ll change. Who knows what lies ahead of me but as long as I keep moving forward I will be one happy bride J

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

Engagement/Family Photos

In 2014 I Said Yes

Today I read this post by my friend Samantha over at Samantha Cycles. Thanks for the title and inspiration, Samantha.

I couldn't agree more with this idea because I absolutely feel that 2014 was the year I said yes. To everything.

Last year was my rebuilding year. It was the year I set out to find myself. I wanted to do more and see more and live life for myself. I wanted to move forward and start anew. And I did so by saying yes.

In 2014, I said yes to…

Two birthday celebration weekends and heading somewhere new (Nashville)

Trips to NOLA just because

A girls weekend away in Houston with my bestie (we said yes to a second order of the world’s most amazing brussels sprout dish which we ate for breakfast the next morning)

Phillies spring training and Tampa Bay hockey

Concerts…just the most amazing concerts. The Mowgli’s (in Jax), Arcade Fire (in Atlanta), Weezer (TB) Austin City Limits (duh!) and the Black Keys (in Ft Lauderdale)

Hugging all the baby goats…and sheep…and alpaca

Planting a garden….and then planting another

Painting and pottery and pizza

Anaheim- reconnecting with old friends and new

Philadelphia- sharing my home and favorite place with the person I love most

Fitbloggin’….again. So much love, not enough words. So much happiness and #yessssssssss in Savannah

Baseball games and the Blue Angels

Manatees…all the HUGE MANATEES

Standing on the outfield at Trop Field

Beach days and bicycles

Road trips and airplane rides

Seattle and sail boats

Far too many selfies

Two Ferris Wheels

Bubble baths and back porch swings

Amazing co-workers (who are truly the most amazing friends) and a new job

Being in a magazine article and reading my story in a book

The Empire State Building and Armenia food with friends

Puppy snuggles

Running (and walking) all the miles

Early morning wake up times, super early bedtimes, and crazy ‘runners habits’

Half marathons and weight lifting

Another year of grad school (all A’s!)

Ft Pickens and girl talk

Dinner dates and binge watching Orange is the New Black

And more craft beers and breweries than I ever thought possible….

Every holiday, every celebration, and every moment in between I tried to say yes

To live my life in the moment. To live my life how I always wanted it to be.

I spent the year alone and together. With friends. With family. With E.

I spent the year learning new things, trying to be a better friend, and hoping I was becoming a better human being.

I spent 2014 saying yes to so many wonderful adventures and I have been able to spend my time with so many wonderful people. I am eternally grateful for the amazingness that was 2014.

And so it was no surprise that I started 2015 out with another big YES…when Erick asked me to marry him. Of course there wasn't a moment of hesitation. I just blurted out YES! I mean seriously, how could I not?

So it looks like 2015 might be another year of YES for me J

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxo

Happy Thirty-Seven!!!

Today is my thirty-seventh birthday! Huzzah!

I went back to look and see if I wrote a birthday post lastyear which in fact I did. I guess I was really excited about my birthday last year. Not to say that I am not super freaking excited about my birthday this year, because I am. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to do a whole ‘another year older’ type post.

So instead I will give you a quick synopsis of what’s been going on lately.

I have had a chest cold for a week now. Doc says it is what it is and I just need to let it run its course. Yay! :/ I am pretty sure all of Pensacola has been sick at least once over the past month or so. Me, this is my third bout. Yuck!

I have a 5K and a half marathon next week. I am not going to PR either which I am ok with. I haven’t ran consistently for about 3 weeks. I have been nursing a nagging issue in my leg then getting sick….it’s just been a lot lately. But I know I can go out there and run/walk that half so that is what I will do. And it will be awesome! There will be lots of pictures and maybe even race updates during. You never know. I picked this race because I wanted to scout out the course for a possible full marathon next year. It’s supposed to be one of the best small races. This year, however, I am racing the Déjà vu Half+5K which is a 5K Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. Erick and Gordie are coming along to cheer me on. I am really freaking excited! Baton Rouge here we come!

This week has been a bit surreal with all the magazine stuff going on. And I am ready to just go back to life as usual. Thankfully, so is everyone else in the world. My fifteen minutes are officially over. LOL!

Today I woke up with Gordie only to find decorations and balloons and presents all laid out for me. It was a great birthday surprise. Then I went to work and was greeted by more surprises there which just made my heart melt. I am so thankful for all of my friends and family that took the time today to send me birthday love. It was amazing to receive so many messages today.  I am not, however, thankful that my father posted a naked baby picture on my Facebook wall. That’s just a bit much. Ain’t nobody got time for that. LOL!

Yay presents! 

They have LED lights inside so they glow in the dark. How cool???

 I have the best friends...

Peonies are my FAVORITE! Love these so much! 

E has a whole birthday weekend planned out in which I don’t really know much about the specifics. I just know it starts with dinner and an overnight bag. And we’ll go from there. I know that no matter where we go or what we do it will be awesome. I am very lucky to have such a sweet and thoughtful guy in my life. I will definitely be raising a glass in his honor tonight!

Anywho, that’s about it. I am officially 37. I am 100% ok with that (not like I have a choice, right?). And in just a bit my birthday celebration weekend will begin. So for now, I bid you adieu.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxo

Best of 2014: Part Two

Here is the second half of my year in pictures. Again, it was so hard just picking some of my favorites to go in. It was a truly great year! 

And I am so excited to see what 2015 has in store :) 

Happy, happy 2015!

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox