Football practice used to get done at about 6pm and my teammates and I would make a hasty exit from the stadium locker room toward the “Grub Pub”. By the time we were debriefed by our coaches or punished by them in the form of running stadium stairs, there were few dining options left for athletes such as ourselves on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University.I can recall the chatter in line about the afternoon/evening of goal line and Oklahoma hitting drills. As I watched others walk by with beef taco salads, curly fries and chicken wings, I pondered the order I was about to charge to my pre-paid meal plan (which, by the way, always seemed to run out on me by the end of the semester). It was not unusual for me to eat twenty deep fried chicken wings, a burger and perhaps some french fries topped off with a large chocolate chip cookie and washed down with a extra large soda. Of course this was quite natural as my body craved any sort of fuel after a pretty grueling work out. However, on May 14, 2000 I declared myself free from college life and retired from any physical exertion, particularly if it had to do with running, a weight room or an organized sport.

How quickly would I regret that decision? Well I can recall the day quite clearly. I was sitting in my slice of corporate uniformity when out of nowhere I paused to observe the once muscular temple that had been transformed into 232 lbs of inactive and useless former athlete. Sticking with the pledge I made on graduation day to stay out of the gym (I felt that 2hrs a day plus an additional 45minutes of conditioning was enough for a lifetime), I opted to humble myself by trying the then trendy Atkins Diet.

The Atkins Diet attempts to put the body in a state of ketosis so that it burns fat. The trick is to switch normal metabolism by drastically reducing your daily carb intake for the first two weeks. After about 2 months of consuming 20grams or less of carbs per day, I lost a total of 30lbs. One year later I gained it all back and then some when I weighed 242 lbs. I was scratching my head trying to figure out how to kick start myself and maintain my sanity. Not only had my body fat increased, I was also seeing my doctor more frequently with complaints of stomach/intestinal discomfort. With no solution offered, my doctor diagnosed my increased acid reflux, stomach pains and frequent bloating as “irritable bowel syndrome”. I was relegated to prevacid and over the counter Zantac to help remedy my issues.

Then on one long and tiresome night, I payed the price for eating undercooked pork. Two weeks later I endured the same all-night “welcome back” party (after eating sausage pizza) as I hovered over the porcelain throne gasping for air. After speaking with a friend who was then in medical school, I learned that I was lucky to not have become more severely ill. It was precisely at this moment that I decided to cut pork out of my diet cold turkey (no pun intended, although you have to admit it is pretty funny. Turkey bacon and ham became a staple over the next month). I decided that anything that could make me feel that sick did not need to be ingested.

It was also around this time that I started to evaluate what it was that I was actually putting into my body. I recognized that there were certain pieces of the Atkins Diet that worked really well form me and did not require several pills and 12 ounces of ginger ale after a meal. I started to become curious about finding the right foods for my body. I quickly learned that there were certain carbohydrates that worked better in my body than others. These “simple carbs” included vegetables, natural sweeteners and grains. After coming to the conclusion that I needed a drastic overhaul of my dietary habits I began to be the weird guy with the special needs at meal time.

I tolerated the inconveniences of not being able to eat all of the things I previously enjoyed but this was to be only a prelude to what I would become. Without medical doctors to guide me or ask the most relevant question of what do you eat that could be causing you these problems?, I decided to continue to educate myself. The first book I read about an alternative lifestyle was titled Fit For Life. It was this book that taught me about proper food combining and man’s natural way of fueling the body. It was the analogy of the baby and the apple that had the greatest traction with me. Author Harvey Diamond painted the scenario of a child laying in its playpen. If the mother was to place both an apple and a rabbit in the pen, the child would more than likely play with the rabbit and eat the apple. The point was simply that man has created a new way of eating that the human body has miraculously adapted to. This does not mean however, that it is the best option.

That book was followed by several others which included Fast Food Nation and Never Be Sick Again. The new found perspectives combined with my own experiences led me down a path which helped me abandoned soft drinks, meats, fried food and other artificial foods almost completely. To this day I still flirt with cheese and fish on occasion but I would now consider myself as close to a Vegetarian as possible. But for whatever reason I am having difficulty taking that final step. I am a confident yet proud individual and I know all too well the reaction self-proclaimed vegetarians get when they mention their dietary preference. Believe me, I am not the person to really care what others think, however, it is too cumbersome for me at this moment to raise the flag of surrender. I say this jokingly but I think I like to feel I reserve the right to eat meat and animal products even if I do believe it is not in my best interest.Recently, I stumbled upon the definition for someone in my situation and it is called Pescotarianism. For you Latin students, pesco mean fish and the term itself relates to those who maintain a diet of only vegetables and fish. While I am happy with my tofu and soy milk, I realize that this is a lifestyle unfamiliar and in fact bizarre for most. However, I have learned a great deal about my body and what we all understand to be cravings. These urges for chocolate and fatty foods can be controlled by newer healthier habits such as my attempt to replace frequent desires by eating shelled peanuts instead.

Positive habits after all are unnatural tendencies that need to be ingrained through repetition while keeping in mind the consequences. Brushing ones teeth is completely unnatural but if you desire structurally sound and healthy teeth, you will do it everyday. Eating natural whole foods is also unnatural in today’s society but for me, I prefer this alternative when I think about the disease potential and harmful nature of my past meal time routines. I recognize that some may view my words as a ’slam’ on their way of life…quite the contrary! These are simply reflective observations made about my personal situation and I would not dare preach to others about how they should eat. However, I feel it is important that I share how I have changed drastically from the college kid in the “Grub Pub”.

Just don’t call me a Vegetarian!

Retired Miami Heat guard and former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway is well known for a killer crossover he called the “UTEP two step”. Until recently Hardaway had been representing the NBA on a number of different public engagements and waiting with hands clasps hoping that he would gain admittance to the mecca that is the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Those hopes quickly went down in flames in roughly one minute and twenty seconds. In reaction to John Amaechi’s book Man In The Middle, Hardaway proclaimed that he “hate[s] gay people”. As a former NBA journeyman, John Amaechi is the first NBA player to come “out of the closet” as a gay man. He joins the ranks of a handful of other former professional athletes but the first to represent the “big four sport” of basketball (joining outspoken gays from the NFL, NHL and MLB. Former tennis star Martina Navratilova is also a well known pioneer in this category).

Hardaway’s reactions were broadcasted live on a radio show hosted by The Miami Herald’s Dan LeBatard, who sensing that he may have been reacting without prudence asked cautiously, “what you’re saying Timmy is flatly homophobic right”? The former Miami Heat star agreed and continued on the rant you can see in the following clip:

Dan LeBatard has since commented that the reaction he has gotten to the interview with Hardaway has been “split”. It seems as though there are many defending Hardaway’s right to free speech and those defending the freedom of sexual choice for John Amaechi. Now, you don’t tune into this blog for a re-cap of played out sports news I suspect. So here is my take on the hateful remarks spewed from the former NBA All-Star’s mouth:

Regardless of the backpedaling he has done since his infamous radio interview, Hardaway reacted with a venomous attack that seemed irrefutably genuine. As an African-American no less, Hardaway should know better than to allow a ‘H’ and an ‘A” to be consecutively formed on his tongue in public, let alone be followed by a ‘T’ and an ‘E’. In my book Timmy shouldn’t be allowed to say words like HAS, HAPPY or even HAT. In fact, he should forever refer to Halloween as ‘Pumpkin Day’.

I think his remarks were flat out ignorant, distasteful and un-Christ like for someone who has since leaned on and asked for “God’s help” in his apology. Tolerance for many seems like a buzzword but for me it appeals to the basic ‘golden rule’ of mankind. John Amaechi played with a professionalism no different than what was exhibited by Tim Hardaway in his career. His sexual preference was never an issue for his teammates when he was an active player and now his book has outed a deeply routed issue among professional athletes.

While I don’t agree with Hardaway, I do believe that he is not the only one to feel the way he does. This understanding puts a spotlight on the culture and general tolerance (or lack there of) of a pro-athlete. If corporate America had to face the realities and sensitivities of a rapidly changing work force, so too should the “big four” of professional sports. These millionaires should not be exempt from treating others as they would treat themselves. Therefore they should not be exempt from new league policies which cater to protecting players by creating a safe and open environment.

The commissioners of these respective leagues should take this as a call to action and begin to implement measures that foster the development of their athletes. These men have helped to perpetuate a culture dominated by fear and selfishness and should now feel an obligation to enforce change. There is no place in this country for the sort of hatred exhibited in the response to Amaechi’s announcement and frankly I think that Hardaway has sullied, rather than enhanced is reputation. If he was on the bubble as far as entry into the Hall of Fame, I think it has now busted.

NBA players like LeBron James have spoken about trust and until now have not been forced to deal with such a sensitive issue. The reality is that there are probably active NBA players that are homosexual. The sad part is that they more than likely continue to feel unsafe about speaking up. I sincerely hope that this will be a call to arms and an opportunity for professional athletes to support their peers regardless of their sexual orientation. While I don’t agree with those that cast the struggles of gays in the same light as African-Americans in this country, I do agree that there are similarities. With a league dominated by African-Americans I would have expected more tolerance and public defense of basic human rights!