Living Large

Imagine for a minute that you're a king, what would you eat for breakfast?

Some people think that breakfast is not as important as the other meals in the day. In fact, some people skip breakfast and some combine their breakfast with lunch, thus, the term "brunch".

For some of you who don't know breakfast, breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. Breakfast is meant to break your 8-12 hour fast, depending on what time before you go to bed do you stop eating. During your resting hours you deprive yourself of food because you're not using much energy compared to when you are up and about. Besides, you can't eat and sleep at the same time, unless you are a sleepwalker who manage your way to the fridge even while you're in deep slumber.

There are people who are on a diet, who think that by skipping breakfast they are able to increase their chance of losing weight. It's the notion that less meal intake equals less calorie intake too. And this is absolutely wrong. In fact people who are on a diet should start up the day with a full breakfast--a breakfast that is fit for a king. Why? Loading yourself up early in the day curbs your craving for food later on the day. It also helps pump-prime your metabolism early in the day, which is ideal if you want to lose weight. Chances are no matter how big your breakfast is, you'll burn it up as you go through your day.

If you eat breakfast, the next question will be, are you eating a healthy breakfast?

Eggs, butter, pancakes, sausages, cereal, muffins, bread, milk, juice, coffee--these are the popular choice for a typical breakfast. If you eat these, are you eating right?

I don't know with you really but I have a different flavor for breakfast. You see I like variety. I want a bit of everything. It is more filling and enjoyable when you eat something that is not boring.

My typical breakfast would be eggs, some bread(multi-grain), sausages, fruits, cheese, hot chocolate, oj, H2O. Sometimes when I'm really in a hurry, I'd eat fiber-loaded cereal with a banana. And at some other time, don't be shocked to see me munching on some dried fish or sardines and rice for breakfast. I'm a Filipino, remember?

Anyway, my point is eat, and enjoy what you are eating. But keep it healthy. Remember, it is always good to enrich your diet with fiber and antioxidants.

I'm even keeping it a habit to supplement myself with fiber that comes in capsule form. This helps sweep off the gunk inside my gut from eating meat, fat and processed foods.

Lately, I've gotten into the fruits and cheese breakfast. Couple it with a cup of cafe mocha decaf and voila, I'm living large. I first got my eye on it at Starbucks. What comes in it? Two kinds of cheeses--brie(my favorite) and sharp cheddar, some fruits--strawberry, a slice of apple, grapes and lastly, a few slices of raisin bread. Wow, the thought of it is already mouth-watering. All these, you can easily grab at $5.55. Too much? Well, fix your own. I did the same. I found some nice pecan raisin bread, got some fruits and cheese, and now my mornings are never boring with my kingly breakfast.

It doesn't take much to eat a healthy diet. Remember, you are what you eat. If you eat too much junk, your body will eventually show signs of premature degradation, thus, you are speeding up your aging clock.

Slow down, smell the coffee, enjoy a healthy breakfast. It's your passport to a more enriching lifestyle.

I tell you, you don't have to be rich to live large. You just have to enjoy the little things in life that matters, and one of them is a healthy breakfast fit for a king.

Remembering Special People

I used to work with a guy, well, not really. He was a bit on the feminine side. He was actually my mentor when I was in college, then surprisingly when I started my job we ended up as colleagues.

Anyway, he was not the nicest of people. He was actually nasty, typical of his gender preference. It's almost as if gay guys are given that privilege to talk nasty to other people. Of course it is well-tolerated in the country where I come from. People think that they're entitled to it because they're different.

I used to hear other people criticize him for being tactless, brutally honest and just plain a**hole sometimes. But that was the way he was, even when I used to attend his Spanish class. He always had his way of awakening your fighting spirit, if you have one.

Anyway, I do remember him because he used to look at me, teased me and pretended to chase me, while I also pretended to run away. He used to say, "I'm gonna eat you" then he would put his fist close to his mouth as if he was about to take a bite on an apple. In a way, he was fond of me for some reason.

But what is clearly etched in my memory, is not how he used to play around me but how he was witty and funny at the same time. He always had the extra pizazz to spice up a boring day. He would come to work neat and fashionable and as soon as you threw compliments his way for the way he looked, his usual reply was, "I thought you never notice" and then he'd give you that raised eyebrow and that look that clearly said, "after all, you're not dumb as you look". That almost always awakens the villain in me, and I would always give back a look that depicted, "you're not as smart as I look, damn it!" with both hands on my hips. And with the exchanged glances we managed to smile with sarcasm at each other. Of course, we loved each other and we only did it for fun.

At some other times, he would be so blunt and almost egotistical after he would openly declare, "Only for those who can afford!" when we gave him a compliment on his nice shoes, nice pen, nice shirt, nice tie. Sometimes he would even finish it off by saying his favorite "I thought you never notice" line. It always drew laughter among us.

Brutal as he was, many people still loved him because he was such a generous guy. He never failed to share his food or gifts to us. He was even willing to pay for food for a village of hungry people like us, every time we strum on his kindness.

He was really fun, except for the few times when he got so explosive, and that happened when something was not done right in his department.

I remember him sharing to us his spiritual side, telling us how he never failed to utter his night time prayers, no matter how tired or drunk he was.

Above all, I remember him for his talent. He has a knack for Broadway shows. In fact he recreates the Broadway hits like Miss Saigon or Les Miserables for students to experience and to be exposed to, to develop their performing arts skills. He can dance really well. He can also project like a pro. He was really exemplary in his art and his creative skills. I'd liken him to Christopher Walken, who's also a Broadway talent, with the he way he walks, talks and stands tall.

He was also a very well-versed speech and communications instructor. I was a fan of him. He was highly intellectual. He was on top of his game. To this day, I'm still a fan of him.

I haven't seen or heard from him since 1998, but I still remember him so fondly especially when I catch myself borrowing his lines and his phrases while I try to look funny and intelligent at the same time.

Intelligent and funny people are diamonds in the rough. They don't come by that often. Supply is dangerously low.

I'm glad that I knew him. If I could put together my own memory wall, he definitely would occupy the center spot on that wall.