Aristolife: Building up the Strength to just...JUMP

"I hope that my achievements in life shall be these--that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've been." -C. Hoppe

People that know me well know that I am very averse to any sort of risk. Everything must be well thought, planned, deliberate, and backed up by a contingency plan. In fact, I have come to understand that much of my life, achievements, and drive come from a profound sense of fear. It is my fear of death that drives me to in someone beat death and live a healthy lifestyle. This fear is the culmination of my emotions felt from losing both my grandfathers to heart disease and cancer respectively. So in every way, my decision to live my life is out of fear of facing a similar end. Likewise, my fear of being swallowed up by this world and it's injustice and corruption lead me to excel in academics and to eventually pursue law school. In obtaining a certified knowledge of the law, in some way I feel that I cannot be taken advantage of in the same way the law and justice can unfairly victimize unknowing American citizens. And lastly my fear of heartbreak and disappointment has impeded me from developing close friendships and personal relationships. I can talk and socialize with many people, and some may describe me as gregarious, but I do enjoy quiet time where I can gather my thoughts and well, think. Think and worry endlessly about all the possible things that may be out of my control and then construct or devise a plan under which I can obtain control.

As I have gotten older and realized these personal truths, I have slowly begun to break down the barriers and be open more to taking risks. It's not like I am going to go wild, but I am having to become more comfortable with "not knowing" or not being able to control every outcome. Presently, as it relates to the photo above, my life is being taken on a different route than what I had tried to create. I have tried to avoid a direct career in politics, yet it is in this field that I am most passionate. I was going to just transition from law school into a job that was convenient (and a great opportunity) that was not related to politics. These couple of opportunities I had lined up were sidelined after the deep recession. And by a turn of events, I find myself on the edge of fate, about to take a great leap of faith, hoping to land on to destiny. It is a scary thing, but I feel it is time I start to cultivate a little more faith. So here I go...

Aristolife: W New Orleans

If you are ever in New Orleans, you should visit the W Hotel in New Orleans located on Poydras. The W is a high end chain of hotels located in select cities around the country and world. The rates are ridiculously expensive, but you don't have to stay there to enjoy some of the great restaurants and nightlife offered inside the hotel. As soon as you walk in, it is as if you have stepped out of New Orleans and into Manhattan, NYC.

This the lounge area within the hotel. There is a small bar and computers located in this area where guests and patrons may mix and mingle. This is also where "Whiskey Blue" is located (pictured above). Whiskey Blue is the chain's bar and it features, sofas and other seating areas, a great bar, and live (or DJ) music. On your next trip down to the Big Easy, you should save a night for the grown and sexy. It is a great alternative to Bourbon Street.

Another view of the lounge area in front of the Whiskey Blue within the W New Orleans.

AristoLife: My Nutrition Guides

A lot of people always ask me about my diet and the foods that I eat. I have done plenty of diets and what always tell people is nothing will work that you cannot keep up for your lifetime. Fitness is a lifestyle change that calls for improving the quality of your physical, mental, and spiritual health. What I have done is taken the information that's out there (what we are all told from young age about the food pyramid) and adapted to my life. Not everyone likes spinach, for example, but you can find an alternative that is delicious to you. Anyway, Men's Health's "Abs Diet" is the template I have used for a while now. The magazine always has a recipe each month made from several of the foods recommended in the Abs Diet. The letters that make up A-B-S D-I-E-T P-O-W-E-R represent a particular food group that plays a vital role in promoting good health and fitness (link to the site is http://www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/power12.html):

Almonds and other Nuts
(Eat them with their nutrient-rich skins intact.)
Superpowers :: Building muscle, fighting food cravings
Secret weapons :: Protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, folate (in peanuts), fiber, magnesium, phosphorus
Fight against :: Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure
Sidekicks :: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, avocados
Impostors :: Salted or smoked nuts. High sodium spikes blood pressure.

Beans and other Legumes
(including soybeans, chickpeas, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans)
Superpowers :: Building muscle, helping burn fat, regulating digestion
Secret weapons :: Fiber, protein, iron, folateFight against :: Obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure
Sidekicks :: Lentils, peas, bean dips, hummus, edamame
Impostors :: Refried beans, which are high in saturated fats; baked beans, which are high in sugar

Spinach and other Green Vegetables
Superpowers :: Neutralizing free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process)
Secret weapons :: Vitamins including A, C, and K; folate; beta-carotene; minerals including calcium and magnesium; fiber
Fight against :: Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis
Sidekicks :: Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts; green, yellow, red, and orange vegetables such as asparagus, peppers, and yellow beans
Impostors :: None, as long as you don't fry them or smother them in fatty cheese sauces

Dairy Products
(fat-free or low-lat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese)
Superpowers :: Building strong bones, firing up weight loss
Secret weapons :: Calcium, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium
Fight against :: Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer
Sidekicks :: None
Impostors :: Whole milk, frozen yogurt

Instant Oatmeal
(unsweetened, unflavored)
Superpowers :: Boosting energy and sex drive, reducing cholesterol, maintaining blood-sugar levels
Secret weapons :: Complex carbohydrates and fiber
Fights against :: Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity
Sidekicks :: High-fiber cereals like All-Bran and Fiber One
Impostors :: Cereals with added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup

Eggs
Superpowers :: Building muscle, burning fat
Secret weapons :: Protein, vitamins A and B12
Fight against :: Obesity
Sidekicks :: Egg Beaters
Impostors :: None

Turkey and Other Lean Meats
(lean steak, chicken, fish)
Superpowers :: Building muscle, improving the immune system
Secret weapons :: Protein, iron, zinc, creatine (beef), omega-3 fatty acids (fish), vitamins B6 (chicken and fish) and B12, phosphorus, potassium
Fight against :: Obesity, mood disorders, memory loss, heart disease
Sidekicks :: Shellfish, Canadian bacon, omega-3-rich flaxseed
Impostors :: Sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak (T-bone & rib eye)

Peanut Butter
(all-natural, sugar-free)
Superpowers :: Boosting testosterone, building muscle, burning fat
Secret weapons :: Protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, niacin, magnesium
Fights against :: Obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease
Sidekicks :: Cashew and almond butters
Impostors :: Mass-produced sugary and trans fatty peanut butters

Olive Oil
Superpowers :: Lowering cholesterol, boosting the immune system
Secret weapons :: Monounsaturated fat, vitamin E
Fights against :: Obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure
Sidekicks :: Canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil
Impostors :: Other vegetable and hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fatty acids, margarine

Whole Grain Breads and Cereals
Superpower :: Preventing your body from storing fat
Secret weapons :: Fiber, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, vitamin E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc
Fight against :: Obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease
Sidekicks :: Brown rice, whole-wheat pretzels, whole-wheat pastas
Impostors :: Processed bakery products like white bread, bagels, and doughnuts; breads labeled wheat instead of whole wheat

Extra Protein Whey Powder
Superpowers :: Building muscle, burning fat
Secret weapons :: Protein, cysteine, glutathione
Fights against :: Obesity
Sidekick :: Ricotta cheese
Impostor :: Soy protein

Rasberries and other Berries
Superpowers :: Protecting your heart; enhancing eyesight; improving memory; preventing cravings
Secret weapons :: Antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, tannins (cranberries)
Fight against :: Heart disease, cancer, obesity
Sidekicks :: Most other fruits, especially apples and grapefruit
Impostors :: Sugary jellies

The above is a great template and guide for helping you decide which foods to purchase from the grocery store. The Best Life Diet (no direct affiliation with the Abs Diet) was written by Bob Greene. Bob Greene is Oprah Winfrey's trainer, and he has written a book that helps you actually shop for food. Once you know the "power foods" it is hard to glean through the grocery store and pick the right things. Bob Greene's "Best Life" label is on the foods he has approved to be within the constraints of the diet. He also discusses some of the chemical preservatives to avoid like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, flours, an abundance of sugar and so on. More info can be found at www.thebestlife.com.

I have used both The Abs Diet and The Best Life books as guides. They are not diets and I don't read the books anymore as I have incorporated healthy foods into my daily eating habits. It is about finding something that suits your lifestyle and that you will be able to maintain for the duration of your lifetime.

Aristocratic Living: The Best Bedroom

It is due in large part to the home I grew up in that I love earth tones. Natural colors and different shades of brown make me think of my childhood and really give me a feeling that I am "at home." The above modern designs both use earth tones very effectively to create a simple design scheme. Platform beds are a modern alternative to the more traditional beds. They come in all sorts of designs and price ranges, and they are actually pretty comfortable if you don't ming being a little closer to the floor. The above designs have tiled floors, so they have used rugs to create breaks in the monochromatic scheme of the floor. With this type of tiling, textured rugs go great to create a little visual interests to a somewhat minimalist design. And for practical purposes of providing warmth so you don't have to walk on a cold floor in the morning. This is definately aristocratic living.

Now, there are little things that we all can do to make our own temporary living seem more like home. As college students (be it undergrad or grad) we tend to rent alot, and thus do not put time into our living space because it is all temporary and it doesn't matter. That may be true for a while, but with the increase intensity of studies, I have found it essential to have a calming place to return to. When I had a lot of roomates, I really didn't care as long as things were just clean. Now that I live alone, I like to come home to something that feels a bit more "like home." One summer, when I was bored, I took some blank canvases (purchased from Wal-Mart), painted them different colors, and positioned them on my wall in the above pattern. I used natural colors, as that reflects my upbringing and placed them in the pattern that looked the best. In my room, I just use the above to cover up the bear walls (which would otherwise make me think of a hospital), but you can also do similar things to create a headboard for your bed too. Your current place may be temporary, but that doesn't mean you can't make it a temporary sanctuary suited to your own personal taste.

AristoLife: Indoor Cycling

I have been teaching an indoor cycling class at the university's Turner Center for a couple of years now. I personally never thought that I would ever instruct a high intensity cardio workout. As someone who was a little heavier growing up, I could never run long distances at all. I lifted weights but I never added sufficient cardio training to the routine. In reality, true fitness incorporates strength training, flexibility training, and cardiovascular training into every workout. So, while I was in Mexico, I really started to do a lot of cardio. I had already began started taking cycling classes before I left, and so I kept that up in Mexico. However, on top of the weight training and cylcing, I had to walk everywhere I went in Mexico. I walked and walked. In addition to the walking, I ate healthier. The authentic Mexican diet is very rich and can be very natural as they often times cook everything from scratch (at least my house mother did) and there is not a lot of processed chemicals. At any rate, I leaned out a lot and have kept up my workouts ever since. I generally believe that a healthy and fit body is prepared to face the world. Regardless of what your career path may be, you cannot do your job justice if you are not "taking care of home." And home begins with you, and it begins with a decision to take control of your personal health and your quality of life. It is to hold yourself accountable and to formulate a plan to help modify your diet and exercise activity (or lack thereof) so that you can live your best life.

Aristocrats lead an Aristolife...

Aristocratic Living: Van Buren Village

Van Buren Village

Oxford, MS

Who would of thought this small country town would begin to sprout elegant residential living. Van Buren Village is just one of several new upscale condos in Oxford. These are just one of many reasons why Oxford is becoming an increasingly popular place to retire.

Waltz on the Square: Oxford, MS

Waltz on the Square

Oxford, MS

Great food in a nice upscale environment. It is a great alternative to the bars or fast food.

Aristocratic Health: Snack on This -- True North

True North is a new brand of snacks. They are really great snacks to keep to snack on throughout the day or to have in the kitchen. I prefer the Almond clusters, as almonds are one of the best nuts you can eat (they are great for your health, research it online).

If you want a good substitute to greasy chips, salty cashews, or chocolate bars, these are the snacks you should get. True Aristocrats live well, and that includes a healthy diet.