Guest Post: Seven Fundamental Principals for a Minimally Successful Global Economy

Posted on May 7, 2013

Below is an article that was published in the Asean Times in Bangkok that takes a look at how we can have a minimally successful global economy–and why our current global economy is such a failure on both economic and moral terms. It was written by Arnold McMahon, a professor of Philosophy from Los Angeles City College. Arnold was born and raised in England, but come to the United States to study. After dabbling in numerous subject areas, he decided to study philosophy and has taught the subject in several colleges and Universities in California. Arnold contacted me last week after coming across this blog. He expressed how happy he was to see someone else who considered poverty the most pressing moral issue in our world today, and shared this article that he had written with me. I felt that what he had to say was both interesting and important. And while some of his views and suggestions may seem extreme, he makes compelling points. I hope you enjoy what he has written. It certainly makes for good discussion! Thank you, Arnold, for reading my little blog and for sharing your work with us.

SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES FOR A MINIMALLY SUCCESSFUL GLOBAL ECONOMY

By: ARNOLD A. McMAHON

The readers of AseanAffairs are familiar with the five articles by an Anonymous American. They graphically detail some of the major problems with the United States. And much more could be added – the slaughter of Native Americans, the enslavement of Africans, the aggressive use of military power to take land from Mexico, the secret campaign of the CIA to murder leaders of other countries—just to name a few.

But the human task cannot stop at chronicling the evils and mistakes that a country commits. The human task requires us to ask what causes a country to do such things. Is there a solution? What mistakes must all countries avoid in order to have a human and peaceful world?

Such a task is immense. Some may think it is impossible. Whether it is possible or not, we can only find out if we try. Not to try, guarantees failure. To try, leaves open the door to success – in whole or in part.

In this paper, I ask what constitutes the fundamental principles for a successful global economy – or at least a minimally successful global economy. As many wars – if not all – are caused by competition between economies, such a discussion could be a fruitful beginning. For other issues, my book, The Most Important Crisis Facing the 21st Century, addresses some of those.

Discussion of the fundamental principles for a minimally successful global economy is notable by its glaring absence. Economists and others spend almost their entire time talking about such important matters as monetary and fiscal policy but never address the following even more important fundamental issues.

1. What would constitute a minimally successful global economy?
2. Do we currently have a minimally successful global economy?
3. What are the necessary and essential principles to be followed in order to have a minimally successful global economy?

I recognize that it is one thing to talk about principles and another to implement them in practice. But unless we have a road map of where we want to go in the world, our journey will never be completed.

1. What would constitute a minimally successful global economy?

Does this mean everybody having an IPhone 5? To the child who is about to die in five seconds from malnutrition – and a child does die from malnutrition every five seconds – the answer is clear.

A minimally successful global economy is when every man, woman and child has adequate food, housing, clothing, education and health care. What “adequate” means may not always be easy to define. But we know what it is not. It does not mean “extreme poverty” or “poverty.”

2. Do we currently have a minimally successful global economy?

The short, simple, sad and tragic answer is no.

Approximately one billion people live in “extreme poverty”. When they wake up in the morning, they literally do not know where their food is going to come from that day. To put it in an American perspective, the World Bank in 2005 defined extreme poverty as living in the U.S. on $1.25 a day. You can buy a burger at McDonald’s for 99 cents (no drink included). With tax at 8 cents, that leaves you 18 cents to pay for your other food, housing, clothing, education and health care that day.

As stated above, a child dies every five seconds from malnutrition and starvation, and the diseases caused by these conditions. When a child is brought to a clinic in, for example, sub-Saharan Africa, the medical personnel measure the child’s upper arm. If it is less than 11 cm, the chances are overwhelming that the child will die.

In addition, at least another two billion people live on less than $2 a day. But the horror does not end there. Among vast swaths of humanity, the current unsuccessful global economy leaves people with serious deficiencies in food, housing, clothing, education and health care. This results in such things as stunted growth – both physical and intellectual – shortened life expectancy, greater susceptibility to disease, exploitation, greater chance of being victims of crime, low self esteem and much, much more.

The figures are overwhelming. On a global scale, 0.5 percent of the world’s population controls over 35 percent of the world’s wealth. Two percent of the world’s population owns 50 percent of the world’s wealth. (The Haves and The Have-Nots, p. 118, Branko Milanovic) And, the top 10 percent of income recipients receive 56 percent of the world’s income, while the poorest 10 percent receive a mere 0.7 percent of global income. The former have 80 times more income than the latter. (Milanovic p.152) To put this in perspective, it would take the poor two hundred years to make what the rich make in a year.

The richest 1percent in the world number about 60 million, 29 million of these are Americans, 4 million Germans, 3 million each of British, French and Italian, 2 million Canadians, Koreans, Japanese and Brazilians, 1 million Swiss, Spaniards, Australian, Dutch, Taiwanese, Chileans and Singaporeans. There are no statistically significant numbers from Africa, China, India or East Europe. (Milanovic p. 169).

In Niger and Mali, 9-out-of-10 people live on less than $2 per day. This has to cover food, clothing and shelter. There is nothing for medical care and education. In the dark alleys that lie behind the glitz of Hong Kong, tens of thousands live in “cage homes” or “coffin homes”, which average about 15 square feet in size. Meanwhile, high end properties go for $10,550 per square foot.

In the U.S., 1 percent of the population owns approximately 50 percent of the wealth. Their fellow Americans have to share the remaining half. But the figures are even more disturbing regarding the super-rich – those who make at least $2 million a year. Though they comprise only 0.1 percent of the population, they control 10 percent of the economy and their wealth is increasing dramatically. The 400 richest people in the U.S. own about one-eighth of its wealth. Despite all this, 90 percent of the $1.3 trillion in Bush’s 2001 income tax cuts went to the top 5 percent of the country.

Why this disparity? Jacob Hacker, a Yale political science professor, believes it is because this group pressured Congress to deregulate the financial services industry, allowing it to engage in extreme risk-taking and bigger profits. In effect, as three Citigroup analysts wrote in 2005, a plutocracy – an economy controlled by the rich – emerged. Despite the recession and despite being significantly responsible for causing that recession, the big guns on Wall Street took home more than ever in 2010. In 1988, the average income of a taxpayer was $33,400 according to the IRS. Twenty years later in 2008, the average income fell to $33,000 (adjusted for inflation), and the price of everything has risen (because of inflation). The income of the richest Americans increased 33 percent during the same period. In 2006, Merrill Lynch paid $500 million in bonuses to just 100 employees.

Even though the economic picture in the U.S. is dire, much of the rest of the world would be only too glad to have it. On a global basis, the U.S. owns about 25 percent of the world’s wealth – $50 trillion of an estimated $200 trillion. Yet it has only about 4.5 percent of the world population. Of the 1,000 people on planet earth who own more than $5 billion, 3-out-of-4 lives in the U.S. It is estimated that if everybody lived on the same standard of living as Americans, it would require nine planet earths to accommodate that!

World Bank economist Branko Milanovic in his book, The Haves and the Have-Nots, states that approximately half of the richest 1 percent in the world – about 29 million people – live in the U.S. These numbers could be replicated endlessly.

Leaving aside any considerations of morality, is this a desirable situation? Clearly it isn’t. As the capitalistic economic engine relies on growth, growth is ultimately stymied by the fact that the 3 billion plus who live on less than $2 a day cannot purchase a T.V., a toaster, or any similar product. When one tosses morality into the equation, the conclusion is a no-brainer. Any economic system that is based on greed is both practically and ethically wrong.

Ethically, all human beings are entitled to an equal share of the planet’s resources. No God or law granted a lion’s share to the few. Everybody is entitled as a matter of right to that amount of the resources of the planet sufficient for proper food, housing, clothing, education and health care. Currently, that is clearly not the case on planet earth. Every day, for instance, children die of malnutrition – their distended bellies a grotesque sign not of too much food, but of too little and of too poor a quality.

Greed also pits one human against another. Inevitably, this creates strife, conflict and war. We are all in one lifeboat together. We must all work together. One person cannot throw another overboard in order to secure a better position for him or herself. Everybody has a right to be in that boat. The ultimate, inevitable consequence of adopting a policy of every person for himself is that the boat will capsize and all will drown. The very existence of enough nuclear weapons to destroy planet earth 100 times over is a grim reminder that this possibility is no more than 20 minutes away – the time for one nuclear missile to reach an adversary’s homeland.

The fact is that we are meant to work together, not fight against each other. Competition that is fueled by greed is short-sighted and ultimately destructive. Yes, it might make a better widget here and a better gadget there in the short run, but ultimately, the only true benefit is when the insights and ingenuities of all are able to be contributed to the human endeavor. How many inventions, how many cures, how many great pieces of music or art, are forever lost because those people were not allowed to contribute to the system because of its inequalities? At the end of the day, greed makes us poorer, not richer.

3. What are the necessary and essential principles to be followed in order to have a minimally successful global economy?

In simple terms, an economy deals with the transformation of raw materials into objects to serve human purposes.

First, those objects must first provide for adequate food, housing, clothing, education and health care for all people irrespective of income. Anything above these basics is classified as a luxury. As long as some people do not have basics, nobody should have luxuries.

The latter part of this principle will send shivers down some spines. Yet, hard as it may be to stomach this, that has to be the unflinching ethical conclusion. If we were starving, what would we think of those who used their money to buy, for example, a Ferrari, instead of using that money to prevent us from starving?

Second, this transformation of the raw materials of the planet into usable items for humanity must not destroy the very planet from which they come. The current use of fossil fuels that is producing global warming is but one example.

Obviously, it makes no sense to destroy the planet which enables us to survive. Exactly what standard of living the planet is able to support is not an easy answer. For example, if solar power can be harnessed to meet our energy needs, then that changes a calculation based on our current reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels.

Can our planet provide adequate food, housing, clothing, education and health care for all people at this time? While no such assessment has been made for all five items, experts claim that there is sufficient food on the planet to feed everybody adequately. Gandhi said that nature will provide for our needs, but not our greeds.

Third, all according to their ability should contribute to providing these basics.

For those who quiver at the thought of some super-welfare state where billions sit around waiting for handouts, this principle clearly requires that all who are able to contribute, should work to provide adequate food, housing, clothing, education and health care for all. Clearly, some may be able to make only a small contribution, some none at all. Nevertheless, they are entitled to adequate food, housing, clothing, education and health care.

Is it possible to get all who are able to contribute, to do their fair share? Or are some irredeemably lazy? Or are some that way because they have been put in such depressing situations, that they give up?

We may never know the answer to this question, but it is instructive to look at, for example, Native Hawaiian society, where there was no welfare department, and where everybody who could, was required to pitch in. It is very rare to find a lazy, young baby. I suspect that when people are faced with the prospect of getting adequate food, housing, clothing, education and health care, they will be buoyed by that hope and pitch in happily and willingly. Most people, when they believe that they will get a fair shake, rise to the occasion and do their part – and more.

Fourth, there should be equal pay for equal work globally. Article 23 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.” Someone who makes a pair of shoes in Jakarta, should be paid the same as someone in Los Angeles who does the same job. This principle alone will eliminate the constant churning that capitalism engages in. Capitalism is constantly seeking areas of low cost labor. For example, some companies are already moving out of China to other countries because the labor is cheaper in the latter. In the last few years, about 1,000 shoe manufacturers have moved out of China to Vietnam because the wages are lower there.

Many Americans who hear this principle for the first time may well flinch. Does this mean that their standard of living will go down?

The answer is that it is going down already and the current system guarantees that it will go down, not just further, but to rock bottom. The question is how far will it fall? This principle of equal pay for equal work ensures that it will fall no further than the standard of everybody else. Without this principle, it would fall even lower.

When implemented, there will be no more third world countries. Without it, the U.S. will become a third world country. No more SUVs, wide-screen T.Vs, iPhones, iPods, and whatever other iThings are out there. (It is not uninteresting that Apple has an “I” in front of so many of its products. It emphasizes the focus on the individual.)

As most wars are about economics, the elimination of the global disparity in wages will diminish radically, if not totally, the existence of that scourge of humanity, war. The trillions spent on armaments can be spent on things that improve the living condition of human beings.

The current rise of China has led to the U.S. stationing 2,500 marines in Darwin, Northern Australia, as well as the positioning of an aircraft carrier group in that area. In a recent policy announcement, the Obama administration has stated that it will now focus more on the Pacific than the Atlantic. China sees that as a threat.

Global equality in wages will mean that jobs are no longer outsourced, that Americans and others will not be resentful that their jobs are being taken by Chinese workers. In the U.S., the Border Patrol can be eliminated – or at least drastically reduced – because nobody will be crossing the border to seek higher wages in the U.S.

Industry should be happy also. Instead of a market of about 1 billion for its widgets and gadgets, it will now have a market of 7 billion. Of course, how this will be reconciled with Principle # 2 above is a situation we will have to address. Can everybody have their own car? If everybody can travel by air, what will this do to the atmosphere? This may be ameliorated by the airlines moving to the use of biofuels.

At the end of the day, it seems to be simple commonsense that there be global wage equality. There is no ethical or logical reason to have it otherwise. How we get there, of course, is another matter. But where there is a will, there is a way. Once again, when human beings believe they are getting a fair shake, they are happier, and happy people do not engage in wars of conquest.

Fifth, there should be an approximately equal level of wealth for all. Inequalities breed animosities and resentment. U.S. basketball star, Kobe Bryant, made more than $216,000 a game in 2006. It takes the average U.S. grade school teacher approximately 4 years to earn what Kobe Bryant earns in one night, and who serves the more important function in a society? His current income this year is about $34.5 million.

What should be the maximum income for anybody in a given year? While not an easy problem, economists can work this out on the basis of principles of equity and fairness.

Would such a cap diminish creativity and hard work? Initially maybe there would be in some. But when people see that everybody has a decent standard of living and that people are leading happier and more contented lives, that should be reward enough. The so-called Dark Ages labeled greed as one of the 7 deadly sins. In our “enlightened” era, luminaries such as Alan Greenspan baptized it and called it good.

Greed is not good. It diminishes the human spirit. How can one be happy when one knows that a child dies every five seconds from malnutrition? If the so-called Dark Ages realized this, how dark will future generations call our age when they learn that we glorified greed?

Sixth, the individual creativity and enterprise of all should be promoted consistent with the requirements of a just society. No one group, government or private, has or should have a monopoly on creativity and enterprise.

In a successful global economy, initiative and creativity are welcomed with open arms. With 7 billion people, the world stands a better chance of getting more innovative inventions, more breakthroughs in medicine, more beautiful poems, novels, paintings, music, movies, etc. No group, government or corporation, should limit the potential that is in each individual. To do so, is to impoverish us all. Maybe somebody in the Sahel in Africa has the ability to cure cancer or compose a great symphony or exhilarate us with his or her jokes. Every person who dies without being able to give full expression to their uniqueness and insights is a great loss to all of us.

Seventh, competition should be encouraged, but can never undermine cooperation. Competition that is not intended to humiliate another or serve the ends of selfishness can help to stretch our latent abilities and contribute to the richness of humanity. When Usain Bolt breaks the world record in the 100 meters, that lifts us all up, and if it inspires somebody else to do even better, then we are all winners. So often in the last few hundred years, competition has been used for selfish ends. Selfishness does not make for a happier world. We only have to look at Hitler for that.

As the world becomes increasingly complex in science, technology and medicine, no one person can hope to master the incredible amount of knowledge that these fields generate. We all need to cooperate. The truly great mind is also a humble mind, because it realizes how much we do not know. If knowledge is a ratio between what we know and what we do not know, then we know less today than 100 years ago, because we now know how much more we do not know.

These principles are a starting point. As we proceed along the road, further insights may be needed. But if we do not start, the road will still lie before us. In the United Nations and other forums, we need to begin to implement these principles with all due speed.

People are dying unnecessarily because we have a global economy that does not run on these principles. Nobody needs to die needlessly. As a down-payment on our commitment to a more just and human world, we can stop NOW the deaths of all those children who currently are dying of starvation. We currently have the resources and logistical capability to prevent this. Our humanity is deeply flawed if we do not do everything in our power to prevent those deaths NOW – not in some distant, abstract future. It may not be our finest hour to save those children – as that is what we are supposed to do – but at least we have begun to rehabilitate our humanity.

So, let us just do it – together.

Posted in Climate Change, Economy, Education, Healthcare, Human Rights, Inequality, National Debt, Nuclear Proliferation, Poverty, War | Comments Off

Happy Belated Earth Day

Posted on April 23, 2013

I wanted to post something yesterday when it was actually Earth Day but I was very busy and didn’t have the time. But I believe this is an important day and I wanted to take the time to talk about it. If you regularly read this blog then you know that one of my biggest concerns is climate change. This is quite possibly the biggest threat to our planet, and thus, our species. But honestly, since man is largely responsible for climate change, we are actually the biggest threat to our planet (and ourselves). The way I see it, our planet has stage 4 cancer. It is critically ill, and unless we start immediate and aggressive treatment, it is unlikely to survive. This cancer is called Homo Sapien. How do we treat the Homo Sapien cancer? Essentially, we need to attack the denial. It is absurd to me, that there are still people who refuse to believe that climate change is real, and that it is almost entirely man-made. But these people do exist, and they are infecting our host (i.e. our planet) with their stubborn denial. But we also need to attack the complacency. These are the people (cancer cells) that acknowledge that climate change is real, but they don’t feel motivated to do anything about it either because they don’t think it is as serious as others suggest, or because they think that it is a lost cause. The Homo Sapien cancer is metastasizing, so it is imperative that we act aggressively to stop it now.

But lets suspend reality for a second and pretend that climate change isn’t real. Even absent climate change, our planet is still very, very unhealthy because we simply don’t take care of it. We blatantly pollute it (which aids climate change), we throw our trash all over it, we destroy habitats with reckless abandon, and we have driven several species to extinction or to the brink of extinction. Think about it: if our planet were an actual house, what would it look like? Would it be neat and orderly on the inside–no dirt or dust or mess anywhere, with clean air and clean water, and every room perfectly in order and furnished? Or would the house be a mess? Would it stink? Would the furniture be old, dirty and unkempt, and even missing from some of the rooms? Would the floors be vacuumed and the carpet clean? Would you be able to drink the water and breath in clean air? Honestly, I’m thinking this house would look more along the lines of the latter. Yes, there may be a room or two that is clean and neat, but for the most part, I don’t think I would want to live in this house. Would you?

We are so incredibly disrespectful to our planet that it is downright sickening. We really don’t deserve it. Regardless of whether climate change exists (which it does), we are still destroying our planet with pollution, neglect and abuse. When you add climate change to the mix, it appears as if we just don’t give a rats ass about our planet. That’s like saying you don’t give a rats ass about your mother. There is a reason why we call our planet mother earth, because it gave us life. We are connected to it just like we are connected to the cosmos at large. Every atom in our bodies was once forged in the fiery core of a star. The iron in our blood, the calcium in our bones came from the stars. And when these stars died in a violent supernova, their dust and gas exploded out into the universe. This created the conditions for new stars to be born, and solar systems to form around them. This how our sun was created, and the eight planets that orbit our sun. Earth, fortunately had just the right conditions to harbor life, and over the last 4.5 billion years, life has advanced to this point. Earth gave us life, and thus is our mother. Is this how our mother should be treated–abused, neglected, unappreciated and disrespected? Is this how you treat your mother?

I fear what the future will be for my children and grandchildren if we don’t start taking better care of our planet. I want them to live in a sustainable world, but if things continue as they are, that isn’t likely to be the case. As the Native American proverb goes, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Think about it, wouldn’t you be pissed if someone borrowed something from you and returned it in really shitty condition–like they basically destroyed it before you even had the chance to enjoy it? I know I would.

Earth is our one and only home. It is time we treat it with the love, care and respect that it deserves. Otherwise, we will be evicted with nowhere else to go.

Posted in Climate Change | Comments Off

Boston Marathon Bombings: A Reflection

Posted on April 17, 2013

What happened in Boston a couple of days ago is sickening. When tragedy like this occurs, our immediate response is to question humanity. We wonder how anyone could do something like this. What drives them to want to terrorize and harm others? It is difficult to comprehend how there can be such malice in the world. It seems so…unnatural. And there is a good reason why it seems so unnatural–because it is.

From what I have seen and read so far, many people have recognized that this tragedy actually exposed the true nature of humanity: goodness, compassion, selflessness, bravery, resilience and generosity. I am an eternal optimist, and whenever tragedy strikes the first thing I notice is how we all come together to help those in need. I don’t focus on the evilness of the act, instead I am always so impressed with how the rest of us respond to it–especially on a global scale. After 9/11, all over the world people stood together in solidarity. Even Yasser Arafat (the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization at the time) donated his blood to 9/11 victims. And after the Newtown shootings, people from Seattle to Shanghai sent money and toys to the families and children affected by that senseless act of violence. And even when disasters are caused not by human nature but by mother nature–Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami of 2004, the Haiti earthquake, the Japanese Tsunami and Superstorm Sandy–again, people from all corners of the world donate money, food, clothing, supplies, blood, a room in their homes, and anything else that might help those in need. It is so heartwarming to see how much people will do to help complete strangers in need–even if they live half a world away. And of course, the true heroes are the first responders–the policemen, emergency medical personel, firemen, and volunteers–who race toward the victims in the first moments after tragedy strikes. Without blinking an eye they put themselves directly in harms way in order to save and aid as many people as they can. That level of selflessness and bravery is truly remarkable. You see, humanity isn’t so bad after all.

Now, I want note that it is somewhat disturbing that it takes such horrible events for us to set our differences aside and help one another. On your average day, we struggle (sometimes greatly) to do this–and that is quite sad. We allow things like religion and politics, ethnicity and race, sexual orientation and gender, to keep us from living in peace and harmony. But if we could just reflect on why we can disregard all of that in times of crisis and tragedy, then maybe we finally could live in peace. What is it about tragedy that lets us ignore the stupid little things that normally keep us at odds with one another? Because I’m sure that after these bombings, there were people of all different backgrounds, religious beliefs, ages, races, and political affiliations helping one another. Yesterday, none of that stuff mattered. Why? Is it because when it comes down to it, we realize that we are not all that different? Because we realize that we are all simply human beings, and we have a duty and a responsibility to help one another whenever necessary? When tragedy strikes, our automatic response is to help however and whoever we can. And we will go to great lengths to do so. When we are helping victims of tragedy, we don’t care who those people voted for in the last election, or how they feel about gun control, or who they share their bed with, or what God they pray to (if any at all), or what country they are from, or what bathroom they need to use. None of that silly stuff matters. If only we could realize that that silly stuff should never matter.

Yesterday, in one instant we saw humanity at its worst. But what followed was humanity at its best. I’m not a religious person. As an agnostic, I simply don’t know if there is a God (or Gods), and honestly I don’t need to. I believe in the goodness of humanity. I have always chosen to believe that our species is far more good than it is bad. It is this belief that makes me hopeful for our future. Many people say that God was in Boston on Monday. And I’m sure many have prayed for the victims and their loved ones. And they have prayed for peace and tolerance. If this gives you comfort, to believe in a higher power and to pray to that higher power, then do it. Do whatever helps you cope. But I choose to put my faith in humanity. I know humanity is real, and I know that it is inherently good. There are so many different religious beliefs in the world that is impossible to know for sure who is right and who is wrong, or if anyone is right. Maybe all of us have got it wrong. And maybe if we all stopped looking to something that we don’t really know exists for answers as to why such tragic and senseless things happen, and instead took a good, long look at the nature of our species, then we would actually get some answers. Again, I’m not denying that there is a God, because I simply don’t know. But what I do know is that a God wasn’t responsible for what happened yesterday–not the bombings and not the response to them. That was all humanity–at its worst and at its best.

Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt had some comforting words that were reposted several times on social networking sites and various blogs. If you haven’t read it, go here and read it–it is short but effective and to the point. Probably the truest thing he said was, “We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive a long time ago.” He’s absolutely right. Humanity is not inherently evil. Very, very few people are that malicious, and while these few people can terrorize us with one senseless and cowardly act, one thing they can’t do is change the fact that the vast majority of us are the opposite of them. The evil of humanity may rear its ugly head from time to time, but the goodness of humanity will always be there to knock it back down. Good will always conquer evil, and in Boston two days ago, we were reminded of that once again.

Boston, you are a great city full of great people. We are all with you as you try to pick up the pieces. And please know that whoever did this failed in their attempt to weaken us–what they actually did was make us stronger.

Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments Off

The Pay Gap in 2013

Posted on April 11, 2013

One would think that by now women would get paid the same amount as men for doing the same job and when they have the same level of education. I mean, it’s 2013 for crying out loud! But it remains a sad truth that there is still a substantial pay gap between men and women. In fact, this pay gap costs a woman–and her family–a whopping $431,360 over her entire working life. That’s a lot of money. If women made as much as men did, not only would they as individuals have more income, but more importantly their families would have more income. With a higher income, those families would have a better quality of life and would be able to spend more money, which in turn would help our economy.

April 9th was Equal Pay Day, and the time has come to make equal pay a reality. Not only is it the right thing to do, it will also benefit all of society. I sincerely cannot think of one practical, logical reason why women shouldn’t get paid the same as men for doing the same job. Can you?

Here is an infographic courtesy of The Center for American Progress that highlights how the pay gap negatively effects women and their families.

Source

Posted in Inequality | Comments Off

A History of Gun Laws

Posted on March 25, 2013

Infographic courtesy of Campus Progress.com

Posted in Current Events | Comments Off

A Health and Fitness Post Part II

Posted on March 21, 2013

As promised, I am writing another health and fitness post. If you didn’t read the last one, in it I talked about my past struggles with eating healthy and losing weight. It’s certainly not required reading for this post, but it might be something you can relate to, or it might even inspire you in some way. It is just a few posts down so check it out if you want.

In this post, I will talk about what I have learned about fitness and nutrition, both from what I’ve read and from what I’ve experienced. Now, before I continue, I want to make it very clear that I am not a doctor, a nutritionist, a certified trainer or anything else that makes me an expert in the areas of fitness and nutrition. But I do consider myself pretty knowledgeable, and I would like to share what I have learned with those willing to listen. So here we go:

(1) We’re not all created equal. And I don’t mean that in a democratic sense (because if you have been reading my blog you know that I absolutely do believe that we are all created equal in a democratic sense), what I mean is that everyone has different genetics and metabolic rates, and our age, gender, height and weight all affect how we lose weight and what works and what doesn’t. One of my biggest pet peeves are those fitness articles/posts that have headlines like: “Get a Supermodel’s Figure in only 5 Minutes a Day!” Um yeah, ok. This is like saying we all have an equal shot at marrying Jake Gyllenhaal. This is total wishful thinking and articles like this just set people up for major, major disappointment. First of all, most people (and by that I mean about 98 percent of people) are not blessed with the genetics of a supermodel. If we were then there wouldn’t supermodels because most of us would look that way! Second of all–and this is what really fires me up–no one, and I mean NO ONE, can workout for only five minutes a day and expect to have a killer body. Trust me, it takes a lot more time and a lot more effort than that to get into tip-top shape. I work out for at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week and have been consistently for over two months now, and I’m just starting to get into good shape. But I still have some room for improvement. I know I haven’t hit my plateau yet, despite the difficult workouts I have been doing and the fact that I can fit into my size 2 jeans again (just for the record, I don’t want to lose anymore weight; I want to gain muscle, which will likely make me gain weight because muscle weighs more than fat). So don’t think that a special diet that worked wonders for your sister-in-law’s work colleague is going to do the same for you. It might, but it might not. And don’t think that if you do the same workouts as Heidi Klum, then you will get her body. Nope, probably not gonna happen.

Everyone has a different genetic make-up and metabolism. And as I said, your gender, age, height and weight all play a large factor in how you lose weight and in what will work for you. Some people have a naturally high metabolism, and thus they burn calories at a higher rate than those with slower metabolism. Also, your metabolism slows as you age so the younger you are, the higher your metabolism is likely to be, which is why age is a factor. And the more you weigh the faster you will lose weight (but as you lose weight, the rate at which the you shed pounds will naturally slow). Plus, men naturally burn more calories than women. This is because they typically weigh more than women do and have more muscle mass (the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn–I will get into this later). So recognize that while there are many good weight loss tips out there, they won’t work for everyone equally. So if you and your best friend start the same diet and exercise routine at the same time, and she loses weight quicker than you do, don’t get discouraged. You may need to make adjustments to make it better fit your needs, or you may just have to be more patient. I know it’s unfair but that is what nature gave you and you just have to deal with it as best you can. And if you come across an article that states something that seems to good to be true regarding nutrition and fitness (i.e. eating a certain food will help you drop 30 pounds in 2 months, or using these 4 simple moves will get you to lose 10 pounds in 10 days), it is too good to be true. Don’t fall for this trickery, you’re smarter than that.

(2) Consult a doctor. Before you make any changes to your diet or start a new exercise program/routine, you should see your doctor first. The reason–and I know from experience–is that if you try to do it on your own, you will probably do it in an unhealthy manner. Most people who aren’t doctors, nutritionists or fitness trainers don’t understand how the body works. Our bodies are complicated machines. The biology, chemistry and physics involved is hard to understand–but doctors do understand this stuff. They went through eight years of schooling in order to understand it all. Your doctor will be able to help you develop a healthy, safe fitness and nutrition program that fits your specific needs. Again, not everyone is created equal, so your doctor can figure out what will work best for you. It is also a good idea to consult a nutritionist and a trainer. Doctors probably can’t tell you absolutely everything, and they certainly can’t be there with you in the gym, or take the time to show you how to cook healthy, nutritious meals. So having a good team around you to not only make sure you are doing this the healthy way, but also to support you is never a bad idea.

Now I will admit, I have never consulted a doctor. Even this time around, I changed my diet and started exercising without seeing a doctor first. I know, how dare I not practice what I preach, but first of all, I don’t have health insurance right now so I don’t have a doctor to consult. And second of all, I have learned my lesson the hard way. I’m being healthy about my diet and my exercise routine (at least as far as I can tell) and I won’t repeat the mistakes I made before. But still, as soon as I get health insurance (which should be May 1), then I will see a doctor asap. I know it is important and it is a priority, trust me.

Bottom line: You will have more success if you and your doctor set realistic goals for how you can live a healthier lifestyle. If you just try to figure it out on your own, you are much more likely to fail. So take it from someone who has failed before, GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR FIRST!

(3) Educate yourself. Read as much as you can about health and fitness. Now, be careful, because a lot of times what you read is deceiving (like the above examples). But the point is to make yourself aware of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There are numerous reputable books, magazines, websites and blogs on nutrition and fitness. Use these resources to your advantage. I have learned so much about fitness and nutrition from constantly reading about it, and it has helped me to make healthy choices in my diet and exercise routine. For example, I now know that if I want to lose weight, then the more I exercise, the more I need to eat. It seems contradictory because losing weight is about burning calories. But your body won’t be able to function at a high level if you don’t eat enough before a workout, thus you aren’t burning as many calories during your workout. Plus, the more you get out of your workout, the more muscle you will gain. Muscle uses more energy than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn–even when you are resting. However, if you don’t eat enough before a workout and therefore have less energy to put into your workout, your muscles aren’t going to get as strong (and you could actually lose muscle mass). Also, while muscle weighs more than fat, it takes up less room than fat. So ideally, you want to lose fat but gain muscle. Your weight might not change a lot (and it may even go up a little because you’ve gained muscle), but you clothes will certainly fit a lot better. So you see, not eating enough will actually slow your weight loss–and it isn’t healthy. Of course, eating too much will slow it too, so it is about finding the right balance (another reason why consulting a doctor, nutritionist and/or trainer is helpful).

Being aware of how to make healthy choices in your diet and fitness regimen is key to being successful in losing weight and living healthier. Of course you should always consult a doctor first, but learning as much on your own can only help you to live a healthier lifestyle.

(4) Listen to your body. This is very important. When you first start working out, you are going to struggle. This is normal, but it also is the most important time for you to pay attention to what your body is telling you. The first time you do a workout is actually easier than the next few times. Anyone who has done a difficult workout will attest to this. The reason is because after the first workout, your muscles are tired and are having a tougher time getting through the movements. If you feel you are straining too much (and you will know it when it happens), stop the movement and take a break. Try to start back up again, but if the pain continues, stop the workout entirely. You may need to take a day or two off to give your muscles time to recover properly. But the more you do the workout, the stronger your muscles are going to get. Having some pain is a good thing. But too much of it is a clue that you need to slow down or stop for a day or two.

You know that burning feeling you get when you work your muscles intensely, say when you do a lot of lunges and your thighs start to burn? That is lactic acid building up in your muscles. What happens is when you train, your body gathers energy from several different sources of fuel. When oxygen is present, the energy comes from stored glycogen and blood sugar. But if you train hard enough, your oxygen level drops, causing your muscle cells and red blood cells to start breaking down carbohydrates for energy. The result is the presence of lactic acid and a burning sensation in the muscle. The stiffness and soreness you feel a couple of days later is caused by the damage done to the muscle during the workout. Essentially, as you workout, you are breaking down your muscle fibers. Over the next few days your body begins to rebuild those muscle fibers (causing the stiffness and soreness), and replaces the old ones with new, stronger and leaner muscle fibers. This is what gives you stronger muscles and more muscle definition. (Source)

So you do want to “feel the burn” as they say. But if you are feeling too much pain, or are so sore and stiff that it hurts to walk, you need to give your muscles a day or two to recover. Don’t push yourself beyond your limit. You risk injury and that will delay you in getting back into shape and losing any unwanted pounds. Also, if you are struggling to get through a routine workout (meaning you’ve done this workout many times and usually have no problem with it), that is probably a sign that you need to eat more. If you have mastered a workout, but barely have enough energy to get through it, your body is calorie deficient.

Overall, some burning is good, but if it is downright painful (particularly if it feels like a muscle strain or pull, or if you feel light-headed and/or nauseous), stop what you are doing. You may need to see a doctor or sports trainer before you continue. Always pay attention to what your body is telling you, and trust me, it will scream at you if need be. Don’t ignore it.

(5) Diets suck. They oftentimes are unhealthy, they usually don’t work (or they only work for a short time), and they are no fun. Saying you are going on a diet is basically saying “I might lose some weight for a few months, but then I’ll gain it all back in half the time it took me to lose it.” Instead of going on a diet, you should change your diet. But again, before you do anything, consult your doctor! Or at the very least, talk to a nutritionist (ideally you should do both).

What you want to focus on is eating less high-calorie, low-nutrition food, and eating more low-calorie, high-nutrition food. You can still eat whatever you want, just not whenever you want to it eat. In the first health and fitness post I talked about how I now have an 80/20 diet. That means that 80 percent of the time I eat healthy, and the other 20 percent of the time I eat whatever I want. And if I have a bad day where I consume a lot of unhealthy foods (and drinks), I make sure that for the new 3-4 days I eat only healthy food. Yes, sometimes it is tough. But in order to curb my cravings for unhealthy foods, I remind myself that my overall diet effects my overall health. And when I think about how some foods and drinks are just empty calories (meaning they have no nutritional value, and are likely a detriment to my health), it makes it easier to resist. I can do this because I truly do care about my health. If I didn’t, I would just eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

Most diet plans aren’t healthy because they require that you cut something essential out of your diet, like carbohydrates or fat. The reason low-carb diets usually work is because carbohydrates are one of our body’s first sources of energy. Once we run out of carbs our body goes to our fat storage for energy, which thus causes us to lose fat. So if you don’t eat a lot of carbs, your body will have to revert to fat more often. But carbs are an essential part of our diet. In fact, 40 percent of what we eat every day should be carbohydrates. You want to eat good, complex carbohydrates like those found in whole grain and brown rice, and avoid simple carbohydrates found in white bread and white rice, and in sweets. Complex carbs take a lot longer to break down, which causes your body to use more energy in order to break them down. They are also filled with protein, vitamins, and minerals, plus lots of fiber. Fiber helps keep you feeling fuller, longer, which in turn helps curb cravings. Complex carbs also don’t cause your blood sugar to spike the way simple carbohydrates do. Low fat diets aren’t healthy either. Fat is essential to our health. It helps our brains function better and it is a good source of energy. But just as with carbs, you want to eat the right kinds of fats. Avoid fats found in fried foods and sweets, and instead opt for the fats found in certain oils (like extra virgin olive oil) and those found in nuts, fish, legumes and avocados. As long as you are eating the right carbohydrates and the right kinds of fats, your diet is healthy and you will lose weight.

Lastly, diets are simply not fun. You can’t eat this and you can’t eat that. It’s hard to stick to such restrictions, which is probably the number one reason why diets fail almost all of the time. There are very few people (and I mean like maybe 5 percent) who can stick to a strict diet. Most of us, however, don’t have the self-discipline. And that is ok. You aren’t a bad person because you sometimes eat pizza or sweets, or because you occasionally have a 2am Taco Bell run after a night of drinking. Pretty much everyone has those moments. So don’t try to do something (i.e. go on a diet) when you know you will fail. Like I said, change the focus of your diet to be more healthy, but also allow yourself to eat not-so-healthy from time to time. It’s gonna happen, so embrace it. Even plan for it if you can. Like if you know you are going to a graduation party or a wedding and will be eating and drinking a lot, plan on eating healthy the few days before and few days after. That way you can enjoy yourself instead of feeling guilty about how bad your diet has been.

The best diet is a balanced one where you eat a healthy amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat (40 percent, 30 percent, 30 percent is the recommended daily amount of each, respectively). Make sure you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein. If you do this, you should have a healthy, balanced diet, and your body and mind will thank you for it.

(6) You are what you eat. If you eat lots of junk food, fried food and sweets loaded with sugar, then you probably aren’t in very good shape or in very good health. You likely lack energy and motivation, become irritable easily, and probably even have trouble sleeping. Yes, believe it or not, your diet does affect all of these things. I know because I’ve noticed how much better I feel now that I am eating healthier. I have more energy and motivation, my mood has improved, and I am sleeping better. I’m just happier and more content. Of course, this is partly because along with eating healthy, I have been exercising regularly (and remember, exercise releases endorphins that boost your mood–even as much as Zoloft according to some studies), but my diet probably has more to do with this than the exercise. Funny thing is, most people don’t realize how bad their diet is. I used to be one of those people. I really thought that I ate healthy most of the time, but once I evaluated my eating habits, I saw that my diet was nowhere near as healthy as I thought it was.

A good exercise to do for evaluating your eating habits is to write down everything you eat for three days straight. And try to approximate how much of everything eat. A good way to do that is to just check out the serving size from the nutrition label and guess how many servings you had (whether it be 3 servings or half a serving). Write down how many calories, fat grams, saturated fat grams, and grams of carbohydrates, fiber, sugar and sodium there is in everything you eat (remember, if you had 3 servings of something, you need to triple all of these numbers; and if you had only a half of a serving, cut the numbers in half). Also, write down when you eat–times of day and/or meals. It seems like a chore but it will really help you see how healthy or unhealthy your diet is. When you really see what you put in your body every day, it can be eye-opening. In fact, while you are doing this you will probably be tempted to alter what you eat (because you will see how poor your diet can be at times), but I encourage you not to until after the three days. If you are really ambitious, try doing this for a week. Most of us don’t eat the same everyday so doing it over a longer period can give you a better idea of your eating habits.

Once you have a picture of what your diet looks like, you can better see the areas that need improvement. For example, maybe you need to eat more fiber (and apparently like 90 percent of Americans do need more fiber in their diet). Or maybe you need to cut down on foods with saturated fat, or you need to eat foods with less sodium. Maybe for the entire 3 days you only had one serving of vegetables. Maybe you never eat breakfast (not a good thing) but always have a late-night snack (also not a good thing–usually). Doing this will really help you to make better decisions about what you eat and, possibly even more important, when you eat. For example, I’m someone who becomes hypoglycemic easily (meaning my blood sugar drops to low levels, causing me to become extremely irritable, develop headaches, feel light-headed and I’ve even passed out a few times from it). So it is important for me to eat every 2-3 hours to maintain my blood-glucose level. I usually eat anywhere between 5-7 times a day. I always have snacks in my purse (usually in the form of fiber/granola bars or a piece of fruit, like an apple or a pear) so that way I can make sure I eat every couple of hours. And while I noted a few sentences back that having a late-night snack is usually bad for you, it really depends on what it is and what you’ve eaten that day. If you didn’t eat a lot that day and need the calories, your body will use them. Just make sure it is something healthy like a small bowl of healthy cereal or an orange. Don’t eat stuff like leftover pizza or a piece of cheesecake. I have an orange just about every night about an hour before I go to bed to help maintain my blood-glucose level. So snacks at night aren’t always bad–if you need the calories and if they are healthy calories then they can be beneficial.

So if you eat healthy, you will feel healthy. If you eat unhealthy, you will feel unhealthy. It’s simple and logical. Don’t believe me, try it out for yourself. You might be thinking, “But Lauren, I don’t feel like I lack energy or motivation, I don’t usually get moody and I sleep pretty well–I even take naps!” Ok, I thought the same thing, until I changed my diet. And guess what, I was wrong. (Note: Taking naps isn’t always a good thing. You should get enough sleep at night so that you don’t need a nap during the day.) Trust me, you will feel much better if you start eating healthier. You’ll especially notice it when you occasionally eat unhealthy stuff. Last week I had a couple of pieces of pizza, and while I enjoyed it tremendously as I was eating it, afterwards I didn’t feel so great. My body wasn’t used to it, and it told me so. So if you want to feel healthy and look healthy, then eat healthy.

Overall, the best approach to losing weight and living healthy is by exercising regularly and eating a healthy, balanced diet. There are no short-cuts, gimmicks or magic tricks. Eat healthy and exercise, that is the key. I hope you find this information helpful. Like I said in the first health and fitness post, I will try to write one of these blog posts at least once a month. Good luck on your journey to live healthier, and remember, the journey never stops. This is a life-long commitment, but one well worth making.

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Humans Have Figured Out How to Control the Global Thermostat

Posted on March 19, 2013

And that isn’t a good thing. According to a new study that looks at the past 11,000 years of climate temperatures, the planet experienced a dramatic temperature spike over the last century. Research released last week in the journal Science used fossils of tiny marine organisms to reconstruct global temperatures back to the end of the last ice age. It shows how the globe for several thousands of years was cooling until an unprecedented reversal in the 20th century. According to scientists, this is just more evidence that modern-day global warming isn’t natural. Instead, it is the result of rising carbon dioxide emissions that have rapidly grown since the Industrial Revolution began roughly 250 years ago.

The decade of 1900 to 1910 was one of the coolest in the past 11,300 years — cooler than 95 percent of the other years, the marine fossil data suggest. Yet 100 years later, the decade of 2000 to 2010 was one of the warmest, said study lead author Shaun Marcott of Oregon State University. Global thermometer records only go back to 1880, and those show the last decade was the hottest for this more recent time period.

One of the study’s authors, Shaun Marcott, explained that even during the ice age, global temperatures never changed this rapidly. Marcott used fossils from all over the world, which allowed him to present the longest continuous record of Earth’s average temperature. One of his co-authors last year used the same method to look even farther back, filling in the crucial post-ice age time during early human civilization.

Apparently, based on the downward trend of global temperatures over the last 6,000 years, it is believed that our planet was headed toward another ice age, or a little ice age, from about 1550-1850. Or it was continuing to cool naturally until greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels changed everything.

The reason the globe warmed after the ice age and then started cooling about 6,000 years ago has to do with the tilt of the Earth and its distance from the sun, said Marcott and Severinghaus. Distance and angle in the summer matter because of heat absorption and reflection and ground cover.

“We have, through human emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, indefinitely delayed the onset of the next ice age and are now heading into an unknown future where humans control the thermostat of the planet,” said Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, responding in an email.

Ok, so now we have even more evidence of man-made global warming. I wonder, how much evidence will it take for everyone to believe it? What is keeping all the deniers from facing the facts? Sometimes I do think that maybe I am wrong–maybe it isn’t as bad as it seems. And then another study comes out with even more rock-solid evidence to suggest that I am right. From what I gather, our planet is in serious jeopardy and my generation has to make combating climate change a huge priority. Again, it is our children’s and grandchildren’s future that we are really putting in danger if we don’t. As the Native American proverb goes, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

Source

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Support for Marriage Equality Hits Record High

Posted on March 19, 2013

Just one week before the Supreme Court rules on Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a new ABC/Washington Post poll found that a whopping 58 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, while only 36 percent were opposed. This is a 45 point shift from 2004. Not surprisingly, Millennials (the under 30 crowd in the polling) were the most supportive at 81 percent. Actually, I think this is probably the highest level of support for same-sex marriage I have ever seen among Millennials. Also, people of color were more supportive of same-sex marriage than white people (61 to 57 percent, respectively).

This is excellent news, and as I said in a previous post, I doubt the Supreme Court will rule against strong public opinion. Even the justices who may have a personal objection to homosexuality and same-sex marriage will probably balk at ruling against what a strong majority of the public thinks. I predict a 5-4 split in favor of repealing DOMA and Prop 8. Times have changed, and our nation has to change accordingly. Bottom line: If our nation is to continue preaching equality, then we have to start practicing what we preach.

Source

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A Health and Fitness Post Part I

Posted on March 15, 2013

So I don’t normally post things on health and fitness. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I ever have. But these are very important topics, especially since obesity (and childhood obesity in particular) is such a huge problem in our country–no pun intended. So I’ve decided that I should probably take the time to write about it, and in doing so share with you my recent quest to live a healthier life. Part I of this overall post will focus on my struggles to get fit and eat healthy. Hopefully you will find some inspiration in my story. So here you go…

Just before I turned 30 at the end of last year, I was out shopping for something to wear to my birthday party. As I stood in the dressing room mirror, I looked at my body and I hated it (something I know many women can relate to). But I wasn’t bothered so much by the fact that I had “let myself go” a little, it was more about what it represented–that I wasn’t living a healthy life. My weight gain was a side effect of lack of exercise and eating habits that could definitely be healthier. Now, I wasn’t terribly out of shape–I’m 5’6” and at that time I probably weighed about 140 pounds, which is actually a normal, healthy weight for my height. I also ate healthier than a lot of people I know, but for me, the reflection in the mirror was hard to see. I wasn’t used to it, and it spurred me to want to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. I was entering my second third of life, and I wanted to enjoy these upcoming years–good health is the best way to make that possible.

I grew up playing sports–in recreation as a youngster, and then in high school I played field hockey and lacrosse (I played midfield in both so I ran a lot). I was always a good athlete and I had a fit, athletic build. But after high school, I didn’t exercise on a regular basis. I maintained my weight pretty much up until around 21st birthday (no surprise there), and then I began a 9-year period of weight fluctuations. There were a few times when I got back into shape and had lost 15-20 pounds, but I wasn’t healthy about it. I would only eat about 800-1000 calories a day, and I would exercise like a maniac. I never wanted to admit it, but I was borderline anorexic. I could only maintain this lifestyle for a few months, and then I would gradually stop exercising and binge eat until I had gained all the weight back in a matter of weeks.

The last time I did this was 3 years ago. My weight dropped to under 115 pounds and I could easily fit into a size 0. Yes, a size zero. I even stopped menstruating because my body fat was too low (sorry to get graphic but I feel like this detail is necessary in order to show how unhealthy my weight was). Probably as a result of my extreme dieting and exercising, I soon contracted a terrible cold that developed into a nasty case of bronchitis. From beginning to end, I was sick for about 5 weeks. At one point, I had completely lost my voice from excessive coughing (I also bruised a rib from coughing so hard), and I would wake up every 45 minutes choking on mucus. I awoke every morning with a fever and body aches but still went to work every day, coughing nonstop and unable to talk (unbelievably my supervisor never told me to go home). I was absolutely miserable. One day while at work, I got up from my desk and walked a few blocks down to a CVS Pharmacy that thankfully had a Minute Clinic, I got two prescriptions (one for a strong antibiotic and one to help with my cough), and a note from the nurse practitioner saying I couldn’t work the rest of the week. After this, I finally started getting better.

While I wasn’t exercising during my illness (I was way too sick to do so) and I also wasn’t really dieting, I can’t help but think that had I been healthier about how I went about losing weight and getting back into shape, this probably wouldn’t have happened. And of course, after I started feeling better, I stopped exercising completely and I stopped dieting as well. I was already getting out of shape because I hadn’t exercised in over a month, and my diet was pretty much back to eating whatever I wanted, whether I was hungry or not and whether it was healthy or not. So I lost all motivation to get back into shape. Even so, I didn’t gain back a lot of weight. That year (it was 2010), I decided to not drink any alcohol for the entire year. I succeed and I was very proud of myself, and it was certainly a healthy thing to do. I didn’t really start drinking a whole lot again until a few months into 2011, and that is when I gained an additional 15 pounds.

I may have been at my absolute heaviest just before my birthday last year, which is why it was so hard for me to see my reflection in the mirror that day at the department store. But again, when I realized why I had gained weight–little to no exercise and a diet that wasn’t the healthiest–I knew that I had to make changes not so I would look good, but so I would feel good. Now, I will admit that in my quest to drop 10-12 pounds before my birthday party, I went on an extreme diet. I only had two weeks to do this, so I only ate 600-800 calories per day, and I was exercising for a half-hour every day. This wasn’t healthy, but it worked–and I only did it for two weeks. I didn’t think it would hurt me to do it for only two weeks. However, once again, I got sick. I got the flu two days after my birthday (my birthday is December 1st), and I must not have recovered fully because a week after I started feeling better, I got the flu again. And for the cherry on top, two days after Christmas, I got the stomach flu. Essentially, my immune system took the entire month of December off–probably because my extreme dieting caused it to take this unwanted vacation.

It was the beginning of January of this year when I said, “Ok, I’m going to do this the healthy way this time.” I gave myself about two weeks to recover from the stomach flu (thankfully I was only sick for a couple of days), and then I began exercising six days a week (giving myself one day of rest) and eating a healthy diet. I focused on changing my diet from high-calorie, low-nutrient foods to low-calorie, high-nutrient foods. I would eat around 1200 calories per day and would still allow myself occasions where I wouldn’t be as strict. Some call it a cheat day(s), I just looked at it as living normally. It is really hard to always eat healthy, and it isn’t fun. Who wants to eat only healthy food all the time? That isn’t enjoyable, and for most of us, it isn’t realistic. And having this mindset helped me stick to a healthy diet. I didn’t feel guilty when I ate bad or went out with friends and had a little too much to drink. I knew it was ok to do so, but it also meant that, for the next few days at least, I would have to eat healthy. Basically, I became an 80/20 eater. That means that 80 percent of the time I eat healthy, and 20 percent of the time I eat whatever I want. I also tried to listen to my body. If I’m not hungry, I don’t eat (something I didn’t always do before). And if I am craving something really bad, I will eat it. But I will try to eat the healthiest version of it. Take chocolate for example (because who doesn’t crave chocolate?). Dark chocolate actually has some benefits to it. It is loaded with antioxidants that gobble up free radicals–destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments. So when I want chocolate, I eat a couple of small squares of dark chocolate (at least 60 percent cacao). Milk chocolate and white chocolate have no such benefits. Lucky for me, dark chocolate is by far my favorite.

The other area I had to work on was how much and how often I exercised. Getting back into shape isn’t an easy thing to do. I didn’t want to push myself too hard and cause injury or become discouraged, so I told myself to be patient. I repeated this several times a week–just be patient, you will get there. I started out exercising six days a week for a half-hour each time. I have a home work-out program (Slim in Six by Beachbody) that has three phases to it–a beginner phase (approx. 25 min), an intermediate phase (approx. 50 min) and an advanced phase (approx. 60 min). It also came with a bonus workout that is about 27 minutes long. And I got a work-out program for the XBOX Kinect for Christmas that has six, 25 minutes workouts on it. When I started exercising again in January, I was rotating the 25-30 minute workouts until I built my strength up to doing phase two of the Slim in Six program. After about two weeks of that I started phase three. But having done this workout program before, I knew how hard phase three is, so I would only do the first half (more cardio focused) one day and the second half (more strength training focused) the next day, and continued rotating like that for about two weeks. Eventually I built my strength up to where I could do the full hour workout without stopping. I have been doing it now for two weeks (as well as rotating in some of the shorter workouts), and I have started exercising twice on the weekends (a half-hour in the morning and an hour in the evening). I’m actually getting to the point where I will need more challenging workouts soon. Even phase three of Slim in Six is becoming easy for me.

As soon as the weather improves, I am going to start running 3-4 days a week, with a goal of running at least the half-marathon at the Baltimore Running Festival in October. I may even strive for the full marathon, but I’m not going to push myself. I did go out for a run last Sunday because the weather was absolutely perfect for it, and I was amazed at how easy it was for me to run five miles. I haven’t been running since last October, and I did five miles with no problem! I could have run even longer but I didn’t feel like it. I had worked out for 25 minutes in the morning that day and had worked out twice the day before, so I figured I had done enough. The next day, my body was a little sore so I only did a half-hour workout.

My goal now is to start working out twice a day, 3-4 times a week. Of course, this means I will have to start eating more, which I already have started to do. The more active I am, obviously the more calories I have to consume. But I actually enjoy working out now. I have sooooo much more energy. I’m also sleeping better and my mood has also improved. Not that I was a raging bitch before or anything, it’s just that I’m happier and more content. Exercise releases endorphins–brain chemicals that help improve your mood while also blocking pain signals–and research has shown that people who exercise regularly are happier and have less stress–I can attest to this. And of course, my body looks better. I was shopping the other day and went into the dressing room to try on a bathing suit. Guess what? When I looked in the mirror, I actually smiled. I was happy with my body. It looks fit and toned and I can’t wait until the summer to go to the beach.

I’ve now lost about 17 pounds since that fateful day last November. Even better, if I had done this the unhealthy way as I did before, it would have been an even bigger weight loss. Why is that better you ask? Because I’m losing fat but gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. So even though I can fit into some of my “skinny” clothes again, I weigh more than I did before because I have more muscle mass. This is what I wanted and this means I am doing it in a healthy way. I might still lose a few of pounds yet but I don’t want to go any lower than that. Right now, my body mass index (BMI–a measure of body fat based on a height to weight ratio) is about 20 percent. Below 18.5 percent is considered underweight. So I can’t go much lower–I could lose maybe another 7-8 pounds before I would be underweight. Honestly, if I don’t lose any more weight, I’m fine with that. Since January, I haven’t really been concerned about my weight. I knew that if I ate healthy and exercised regularly then I would lose weight. My goal has been to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. And I have succeed…so far.

So, as you can see, I have finally lost weight and got into shape in a healthy way. It hasn’t been easy, but the pay off is knowing that I have made positive changes to my health and my overall well-being. And unlike before, that is my goal–to make positive changes to my health and overall well-being. Before my goal was just to lose weight any which way I could. I didn’t care how I did it, as long as it worked. And in the end, it didn’t work. It was unhealthy and I gained the weight back just as quickly as I lost it. Now, I truly feel like I will be able to maintain these lifestyle changes, because my goal is to live a long, healthy life–not just look good in a bathing suit. I want to enjoy the years I have ahead. I still have yet to settle down and start a family, and there are many things that I want to do in the coming decades. The healthier I am, the better quality of life I will have.

In my quest to be healthier, I’ve been reading a lot about fitness and nutrition, and in the next post I will tell you what I have learned from what I’ve read and what I’ve experienced. I hope you found my story interesting and maybe even a little inspiring. I enjoyed writing this. It was somewhat therapeutic and I think I may start doing a monthly fitness and nutrition post or two. Before I sign off, I have a challenge for you: for one week, eat only healthy foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables, lean protein, legumes, nuts and whole grains) and exercise at least four days of that week for at least 30 minutes. I guarantee you you will feel better. And then hopefully you will want to continue to live that way.

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Wealth Inequality in America

Posted on March 6, 2013

The video below is about the astounding level of wealth inequality in this country. It is almost too much to wrap your brain around. Some of the stats in this video literally (and yes, I mean literally, as in I did exactly as I’m saying I did) made my jaw drop. For instance, did you know that that the top 1 percent of Americans hold 40 percent of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom 80 percent only holds 7 percent of the nation’s wealth? And in 1976 the richest 1 percent took home 9 percent of the national income, while today they take home 24 percent–almost triple what they did 37 years ago. Moreover, the top 1 percent own half of the country’s stocks, bonds and mutual funds, while the bottom 50 percent owns just 0.5 (one-half) of one percent. This means that the bottom 50 percent isn’t investing, because they can’t. They simply don’t have the money to invest. And finally–and this is the stat that made my jaw drop–the average worker would have to work a full month to earn what the average CEO makes in just one hour! CEO’s make 380 times more per year than the average worker. And as the video points out, while running a company is hard work, does anyone really believe that CEO’s work 380 times harder than the average American worker? No, they don’t. In fact, I would bet in many cases they don’t work as hard. I used to work in marine finance, and I can tell you what many rich CEOs do with their money–buy boats and sail around the Caribbean for 3 months out of the year. Must be nice!

This is why I claim this to be a top issue that our generation must tackle (check out the issues section of this blog). A society with income inequality like this isn’t healthy–far from it. Essentially, we live in a plutocracy (defined by Dictionary.com as: 1. the rule or control of society by the wealthy; 2. a state or government characterized by the rule of the wealthy; 3. a class that exercises power by virtue of its wealth). Our country needs a strong, healthy middle class in order to survive. And as the video shows, our middle class is struggling almost as much as the poor. In fact, the only percentage of Americans who are doing really, really well is the top 1 percent. Even the top 2-3 percent don’t compare to what the 1 percent has. If you watch the video (and you should), you’ll see how the wealth of the top 1 percent is so far off the chart that they had to stack their money to the side of the chart.

Like the video says, we don’t need socialism–that won’t solve our problem and instead would likely cause a very different but equally as negative a problem for us. But to ignore the astronomical amount of income inequality our nation has is irresponsible at best. We can do better than this, and if we care about the future of our country, we should try our best to do better.

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