Care to Support Me?

I am so excited to tell you about my new running event! As some of you know I've been in a hiatus of my running phase after my last half marathon back in August 2010.

I decided to kick myself back up and do another race, Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon on October 30, 2011. This time for a wonderful cause that I really believe in and am truly passionate to support.

I am participating in the inaugural season of Team ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and honored to be raising the awareness and the much needed funding to support the ASPCA's programs. Also it is perfectly in line with my new vegan life and as an animal lover! October 30 is my brother's birthday too. So this event is super meaningful to me.

So I wish you will join me in supporting the ASPCA with your generous donation and cheers. I don't mean generous just in dollars but your heart too. It doesn't have to be much as long as it comes from your heart caring for animals. Don't worry, I'll do the running of 13.1 miles for you. Isn't that a good deal?

I thank you in advance. Your donation will help the ASPCA continue to provide local and national leadership in three key areas: caring for pets and pet parents, providing positive outcomes for at-risk animals and serving victims of animal cruelty. The ASPCA is very important to me and I appreciate your help as we fight to end animal cruelty, homelessness and neglect.

Go to: http://www.teamaspca.org/participant/silvia to see my progress and to make your donation.

Send me good thoughts! Thanks!

Vegan Update #1

I'm having a hard time giving this entry a title... I don't really want to use the word "vegan" because I really don't want to label myself being this or that. It's a lifestyle that I'm committed to. So anyway, until I come up with a better title, I'll go with this.

So how's my new lifestyle going since my New Year's Resolution? I'd say it hasn't been perfectly adhered to but pretty close. It has not been easy but not that difficult either. I am so fortunate to be living in this area that has abundant vegan choices, restaurants or grocery stores. Thanks to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Henry's, Sprouts, and Asian markets. I am used to reading nutrition labels and ingredient lists but I'm being even more diligent about it now.

Also blessed to have grown up with Korean food. Korean food is extremely easy to make it vegan. My mom taught me how to make a wonderful vegetable stock with kelp, onions, carrots, and daikon radish. Just boil them together and voila, you get this amazingly flavorful broth. You can make all sorts of soup with it. Miso soup and seaweed soup are my favorite. There are so many dishes you can "veganize" that are delicious without meat.

*Miso Soup*

*Homemade Jap-Chae (mixed glass noodles)"

When I told one of my friends about my lifestyle change she suggested a book called "The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone and I immediately checked it out of the library. Read it cover to cover. Loved it. I even went to her book signing event a while ago. It was my first book signing event and I was especially happy that it's a book of a topic that is so meaningful to me. If you get a chance check it out! You don't have to be vegan or have desire to be vegan to read this book.


*Me and Alicia Silverstone*

My honey has been very supportive too. He's got me so many books and cook books on vegan. I tried some of the recipes and they've been great!


*Udon Soup Noodle with Kabocha Squash & Tofu (one of my favorite!)"


*The Best Pancake Ever!"



*Desserts too!

You may question me..."so you haven't had ANY meat/animal product since?" and my answer is "yes I have." I have not craved meat or other animal products but I did consumer some animal products. Mostly unintentionally and some intentionally like. I try not to get disappointed with myself because I hate not keeping a promise with myself. But life goes on, right?

I truly have been enjoying my new path and happy with my choice. I've become much more mindful and conscious of what I feed myself. I know it could be annoying to some people around me but it's ultimately about keeping a commitment to myself. And I truly thank those around me who've been so supportive and respecting my choice.

I'll keep you posted! And if you want any of the recipes, let me know! :)

2011 New Year Resolution?!?

I hope that everyone’s new year is going well so far. I have not been posting for a while…I still need to post about our trip to Washington and Oregon, I know. But before I do that, I wanted to share my new year’s resolution.

I don’t usually have any official new year’s resolution...maybe just in my head—like eat more healthy, exercise more, drink more water, etc.—the usual things. Follow through is not nearly perfect either but I try. This year, however, is different. I have a solid new year’s resolution and I am committed. First, I had a wonderful and peaceful start of the year by going to the 10-day Vipassana meditation course. As my second course, I deepened my understanding and attempted to refine the technique. This time was also special and dear to my heart because MH and I attended together. We finished the course by greeting the new year on January 2. So my first commitment is to meditate daily. So far not too bad. It is definitely not an easy thing to sit for one hour each morning and evening. I will try my best though. If you are interested in learning about Vipassana, visit http://www.dhamma.org/.

Additional to daily meditation, I’ve decided to cut out alcohol and follow vegetarian diet (as much as possible). I know I know…for those of you who know me, I love Korean BBQ, sushi, steak and wine. It’s a pretty tough decision but I think it’s a good commitment in order to be more effective in my meditation along with other good reasons. I’ve always enjoyed vegetarian meals and I’ve been more or less cutting down on my meat intake so it has not been a shock to my system.

To be more educated vegetarian, I started to do some information seeking on the internet. One of the first things I stumbled upon is PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website. As you can imagine there were lots of information here encouraging people to be vegetarian and vegan. I watched a video on their online Vegetarian Starter Kit that affirmed me to be vegetarian as opposed to “I’ll be vegetarian as much as possible”. I wouldn’t say that I was naïve in believing that food animals were treated ethically but the visuals made an irreversible impact on me. I’ve always been an animal lover and I cannot tolerate animal cruelty. I refuse to be part of the problem, problem not only of animal cruelty but of environmental issues as well. I know I cannot save the world but I want to do the right thing, at least the right thing in my own way. If you love animals like me and care about their livelihood and well-being please check this out. Make sure you watch the video of the animals.

http://features.peta.org/VegetarianStarterKit/

By all means, I am not an activist and I don't intend to preach, and I realize that this will not impact everyone the same way it did for me. However, I do hope that people would be more conscientious about their food—where they come from, how they were treated before ended up on your plate, how all these impact the world you and your loved ones live in—and have respect for animals and be grateful that these animals sacrificed to feed people; and maybe, just maybe consider becoming vegetarian or vegan.

You may be wondering why I’m writing about this instead of just “doing it”… I want to not only share my thoughts with you but I want to pledge my commitment by being open and hope that it will motivate me even more to stick with it! So ya'll don't try to sway me, hahaha. Yes it’s a hefty goal but I hope you are happy and supportive of my commitment.

I wish you happiness and peace in 2011!