GM Salmon

Its been so long since I've blogged. I think it's been about a year and a half since my last entry! Well, a lot has happened since then. For starters, I had another baby boy! Now I'm a mother of three.

Though I'm much busier now juggling three children, you would think that little time would be left for much else. The truth is, its more important now than ever before to learn more about food safety and food policies in this country. After all, I have a growing family I need to take care of and I worry about what food will be like in the years to come.

Last week I read an article in the WSJ that both shocked and outraged me! It was about genetically modified salmon and how it's currently in the process of getting approved by the FDA! Currently there are three GM crops on the market; corn, soybeans and sugar beets. GM Salmon, if approved, would be the first genetically modified ANIMAL to appear in our grocery stores -and what's worse - it wouldn't even be labeled. This is a VERY big decision for the FDA. It will set a precedent for future GM animals. Here's the link to the article from last week's WSJ:

Gene Altered Fish Closer to Approval - WSJ

Here's another good link too. It's a kickass letter to the FDA written by a like-minded individual:

An Open Letter to the FDA

Please spread the word! We can't let this take place if we care about the future of our foods and our children. If you're on Facebook please Like This.

So the search for the truth continues. Stay tuned...

Competing in a Figure Competition - Again?

For some reason I am afraid to even put that down as my title for fear of jinxing it. :P Obviously I am unsure whether or not I should compete in a figure competition again. I'll admit it - it's all FEAR based. I should know that I am a lot stronger than that. I have proven myself before. So what if I am not in contest shape - I'm getting so much stronger now and can lift more than I ever have before.

But do I really want to go through it all again? The post-competition stuff really took its toll on me and it was probably one of the hardest times of my life. Harder than childbirth, more difficult than dealing with death (gee that sounds a little dramatic, I know). But the mental and physical changes that take place during it all are so grueling that I don't know if I want to put myself through it all again. And what's worse is that very few people can relate to what you are going through. At least with childbirth so many people experience it.

Back in September I kind of decided that I wasn't going to compete again because I wanted to be "normal" again, but I tried to be "normal" again for a little while; eating whatever I wanted and drinking if I wanted while still weight training/exercising, but I quickly learned that it just wasn't possible to do that. Let's just say that it affected me in every way shape and form - mentally, hormonally, physically. I was more tired, my skin wasn't the same, I was starting to feel depressed, the list goes on. All because I changed my diet!

So I relearned something that I have always known deep down but did not want to believe - that you have to have the right balance between diet and exercise to lead a healthy lifestyle and to stay in the game - that is figure competing. Not to mention if you want to have the energy to train right. So what if I can't have my cake and eat it too. I know that my body and my mind are happiest when I eat clean, abstain from drinking and stick to my training/workout regimen.

To compete or not to compete? That is still the question.

Post-Competition Bloat

Okay so I am definitely NOT posting pics right now because I have a serious case of post-contest bloat! You know, I read about it and for some reason I didn't think I would fall victim to it, but lo and behold - I have. Five pounds have quickly attached themselves to my gut just ten short days after my first figure competition.

It appears that this whole experience is a constant learning process and what I have learned is that I NEED a goal/plan/event to keep me on track. So should I sign up for another show? That I am not sure about. But I must admit there is a show in 8 weeks that I'm considering doing. I will keep everyone posted on that. I am not sure I want to put my family through the ringer again. Those couple of weeks leading up to the competition I was a total B!T$H!!!

So in the meantime I will try and stay on track and figure out a new short-term goal. Perhaps I will focus more on the modeling now. And speaking of which, check out my latest pics from a fashion show I was in last weekend! It was called "Skin 08" and it was an event to help support the Karmanos Cancer Institute. It was totally fabulous!

http://www.detroitfashionpages.com/been_shot/been_shot-629.asp

My First Figure Competition! MORE PICS!