Category Archives: Lifestyle

The Bone Broth Fast

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A number of online personalities have been doing a fast based on bone broth. Typically three days of no food other than water (sometimes with electrolytes) and bone broth. The idea is to give your body a reset and to feel better.

I decided I was going to do this as a way to give my body a reset, retrain my mind that it is ok to be hungry, and a little bit to reduce bloat. I was not doing this to induce autophagy, as that would require a longer strictly water fast. I’m also not ruling out that type of fast out in the future. My longest previous fast was roughly two weeks of having a glass or two of chocolate milk a day when I was in the hospital for chemo and stem cell. I couldn’t stomach anything else; and hunger went away within a few days.

I had my last solid meal this passed Thursday around 6:30 pm, and finish my last bourbon later that evening. Friday morning I got started.

Here were my provisions:
Fire & Kettle Bone Broth (Chicken & Beef)
Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte (Blue Rasberry – a favorite flavor of DQ Mr. Misty of mine growing up)

Other consumables included morning coffee with half & half, multivitamin, turmeric, elderberry, and apple cider vinegar gummies (daily supplements)

My daily routine:
Friday – 1 cup of morning coffee, 4 cups of bone broth (2 of beef, 2 of chicken – roughly 6 to 8 ounces each) throughout the day as I felt hungry – nothing after dinner time, 2 (16 ounces) of electrolyte water – 1 in the afternoon, and 1 in the evening, and various filtered water throughout the day

Saturday – 2 cups of morning coffee, 2 cups of bone broth (1 of beef 1 of chicken – roughly 6 to 8 ounces each), beef at lunch & chicken at dinner, 1 (16 ounces) of electrolyte water in the afternoon, and various filtered water throughout the day

Sunday – 2 cups of morning coffee, 1 cup of chicken bone broth (roughly 6 to 8 ounces each), 1 (16 ounces) of electrolyte water in the afternoon, and various filtered water throughout the day

I only did light cardio such as walking because any resistance training really fucks with my hunger. It makes it so much worse.

The Outcome:
My fast was roughly 84 hours.

Hunger started in everyday around lunch. Broth did very little to stop the hunger pangs. That’s where I had to say to myself, no, you’re not eating. A few days isn’t that long, but from lunch to bedtime I was in a varying state of hunger. This confirmed to me that I should really skip any breakfast in the morning, since I’m not really eating due to hunger. I’m thinking some kind of intermittent fast schedule.

I didn’t have a solid stool from Friday evening on, with mostly the production of neon yellow/green to brown liquid. Gross, I know, but I’m being honest about my experience. I expected this due to my liver numbers being on the high end of normal and the occasional pain from the gallbladder region. Also, I was drinking a blue electrolyte mixture. It got worse (or more voluminous) as the weekend went along including Monday morning before I cooked breakfast. Thank god I installed a bidet type toilet seat.

I noticed as the weekend went along I got colder in my environment. I am naturally warm to hot all the time (fan on in my office and blower on in the car), but it was 71 in my house Sunday night, and I had to put on a hoodie. That’s very unusual for me. System/metabolism definitely altered, perhaps slowed down?

About the bloat, Sunday evening I was able to take my class ring off. This was the first time in a couple of years. The last time I attempted a few months ago I failed, but not without taking a few layers of skin in the attempt that did scab over. I consider this a win! I want to get to the point where it easily spins again, so I can take it off when playing golf – my rings really fuck with my grip. Also, I plan on playing more golf next year.

I didn’t measure weight or take any other measurements. It was not about that… yet.

The Reward:
Monday morning I got up and made Sarah and I breakfast. I LOVE BREAKFAST FOOD! Eggs mixed with Pancetta and smothered with cheese, bacon, sausage, strawberry greek yogurt, and ripe grapes. See below.

I went to town a little having roughly 3 eggs, 3 sausages, 5-6 pieces of bacon, a full serving of yogurt, and about 10 grapes. Here is the bizarre part. I was not having hunger pangs before, nor did I feel full after all that. My stomach had apparently not shrunk at all. It would take almost a couple hours until the full feeling kicked in – causing me to skip lunch.

I paid attention to several online personalities who said this was a great experience, and they feel great. Honestly, my win was removing that ring. I did not wake up Monday feeling like a million bucks, so don’t necessarily believe that hype. I felt fine. I felt less bloated. I was proud that I did it. I am more confident I can control my hunger again.

I hope this provides some of you with useful information

A Change in Lifestyle

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This past year my wife and I purchased a home in a private lake community far removed from any metropolis area – about 45 minutes or so out of Indianapolis. We had considered this for a few years, but when you know, you know, so we did it.

One of the things that has always bothered me is how little I can provide for us and in tandem how far I’ve always been removed from nature. When it comes to providing, I don’t mean earn a paycheck. We both work and are blessed with careers we both enjoy. What I mean is I have never really grown anything. I’ve never provided a meal that was entirely of my own volition. That eats at me for some reason.

Combine that with the allure and convenience of the city was degrading more and more into the feeling of being in a concrete jungle. Even living in the suburbs, more and more pavement, strip malls, and brick and mortar stores appearing taking the place of vacant green fields, and I just needed a change. There were some concerns that my wife would not like it out here, but it turns out she loves the peacefulness of a little bit of isolation as much as I do. That worked out.

As far as lifestyle change, I want to learn to fish. I want to garden. I definitely see buying a boat this year. It might just be a starter fishing boat, but it will be enough to take at least a friend or two out on who can help teach me to fish. I mean, anyone can throw a line, hook, and bobber off a dock, and I did some of that as a kid. I want more than that. I want to be able to actually catch enough to fill a cooler, learn to clean them, and eat them. Did you know you can smoke bluegill? And they actually are good? I sure as shit didn’t. But I’m going to learn to when I catch my own. Walleye, crappies, bluegill… some will be fried, smoked, pan seared, etc. This is what I’m talking about. I want to learn to do all that, and I will.

As for the garden, yes I would like us to grow our own fresh vegetables; and, I can see my wife enjoying getting into that. Now for the stereotypical and lame part of this, like a lot of dudes, I want to grow peppers and make my own hot sauce. I am kind of a hot sauce fanatic, so I might as well try my hand in it.

My property limits me in what we can do. We can’t have livestock nor can we have chickens for fresh eggs, but we have access to fresh fish and enough property to have a decent garden; and that was our goal.

Overall, and this is based just on pure opinion, I just think it is a little bit healthier if you can provide for yourself. If we’re doing that a couple meals a week I think that’s probably a good thing.

As for nature, We’ve already set up a basic feeding/watering station for the deer out back, and a game cam I intermittingly put out there to capture them eating. They get fresh carrots and greens (lettuce and brussel sprouts) on the reg too. If you knew Pat, my grandmother whom raised me, you knew she had the biggest heart for stray animals. Some of that was passed down to me. These are my strays. We love seeing them, and I have no problem buying them feed – particularly during these winter months. Also, the wife purchased from a local self-published photographer a picture book of a lot of the wild animals and birds that are around the lake. It’s fun to see a new bird, and be able to identify it. And I loved seeing an eagle in my tree my first month out here. In the spring, several bird feeders will be in place. If you didn’t know, I happen to be a bird lover, so that’s another benefit of moving out here.

Some of this might sound mid-life crisis-ish or maybe even douchey(sp?). I don’t know. But I can tell you this. I am so much happier than I was a year ago. I’m more settled, more at peace, and I finally feel home. I look forward to these challenges, and I love talking about it with family and friends. In my estimation, that outweighs any judgement or strange looks I might get from someone that just doesn’t get it.

For What It’s Worth…

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I’m back. I’ve wanted to relaunch this blog and online radio channel for a while, and while the radio station has been up for almost two years, I haven’t had time to do anything else. It’s been since maybe 2006 since I last had this blog/station?

It was suggested I restart it by a friend who used to enjoy it. I got started close to a couple of years ago, but first, there was the fighting cancer thing (Multiple Myeloma). Then there was the recovery and return to work thing (not a lot of energy left during those times). Then there was the buy a house, pack, and move thing. Then there was the addition being built thing. Now there is the final unpack and set up everything, and the get rid of stuff phase, or the get rid of shit thing. In short, I’ve been and will continue to be busy.

All of that being said, I made a determination that my life is generally just going to be busy, so I might as well make time for the things I find important. And at this point in my life, a lifestyle change and my hobbies are important. This blog will serve to document that lifestyle change and those hobbies.

What to expect in format. Perhaps not the best grammar, occasionally obscene language, regular typos, below average to mediocre photos when I document something, and a basic blog format. I’m really at the age where substance matters over style, so I don’t care much to proofread, filter my photos or use a camera better than what my phone offers, and/or relearn everything I’ve forgotten about web design. Also, there will never be homemade reels or tiktoks. I’ll give you text and photos. Maybe the occasional youtube link if I’m discussing music. That’s enough. I know it’s a dated format, but I have to believe some of us still like to read and interpret things.

What to expect in content. My lifestyle change to living on a lake as well as trying to be healthier. Music, both working on and playing (electronic drums), and my radio station (songs I love or my playlist) as well as my regular online radio show returning. Food. I fucking love food. Bourbon, other booze, and my journey to becoming a dude who knows how to mix a drink. Maybe other miscellaneous topics such as movies, pop culture revisited, etc. Each of these topics will be thoroughly discussed for expected content in a subsequent detailed post.

Also, expect regular updates – perhaps daily. Anyone who knows me knows that when I do something I tend to go all in – some might say obsessed. And I can always talk – some might say too much. Either way, I hope you enjoy it, and if not, comments are shut off, so not like I’ll hear about it. More to follow…