The Influencers

I just have to put it out there that last week after writing what seemed like a novel, I was on track for that particular entry to have one of the biggest "views" ever - then Blogger crapped out and deleted my Ironman recap!  Thankfully, I saved a copy and was able to repost...but I'm irritated that I don't truly know how many of you out there were interested in the harrowing tale...but thanks for reading, and thanks for the great feedback!

Anyway, as I don't have any big events to report on this week (except for the down-to-the-wire Base Camp building finishing touches - won't go there just yet), I got to thinking about what it is that makes me who I am or want to do the things I do...Then it hit me...."I'm surrounded by a bunch of overachievers".

Plain and simple.

Annoying?  Sometimes.  Inconvenient?  Yep.  Frustrating?  Oh, definitely yes.

But it's also inspiring, uplifting, and rewarding too.  I guess the latter is so good, the former is something I just have to deal with some of the time.

There's a lot of research out there that shows it's who you hang out with that most influences your life...sounds pretty straight forward, right?  Sure, we all tend to gravitate toward people who share our interests or some common ground, but once you really get to know someone, you might find you may influence each other in either a positive or negative way.  One example that comes to mind is when you're with a friend or group of friends (particularly those ubiquitous "class parties" at school where the parent volunteers hang around to make sure the kids behave) - there's plenty of food around, but if one person isn't willing to step up and start indulging, you all might hang back for fear of looking like the little piggy of the group...at least I've seen this when it comes to the ladies....not sure if the men are ever timid when it comes to indulging...

Another is how active you choose to be - have a like-minded friend?  Much easier to stay on the ball and get out there to exercise together.  You make plans to meet, you hold each other accountable...much harder to back out and be lazy when someone's counting on you.

What about how you choose to eat?  Do your friends/family eat out most days?  Does it seem your own family tries to sabotage your diet (and I mean what you eat, not that you are dieting), or are they just as into/supportive of how you want to eat?  Do your friends or family make fun of you or shun what you typically "bring to the table"?   Not so easy to try new, healthier things when you feel like no one will go along with you.

I consider myself very lucky that my immediate family and extended family all seem to share the same interests in most aspects of how we live our lives...If I chose to be vegan (for example), I'm pretty sure they wouldn't even bat an eye, and vegan dishes would even be considered in the latest holiday get-together "menu". No one thinks anyone else is too crazy when ideas are thrown around for the next "event" - except maybe Mike's Ironman...(we still think he's a little nuts) but I digress....

What I'm saying is, while it's nearly impossible to change anyone outright, we all can subtly influence each other just by being our own good example...The more we want to be or do something, the easier it is when we have the support of like-minded individuals.

Recommended read:  "The Blue Zones:  Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest" by Dan Buettner

Ok, so it wasn't just an example...my family and I went vegan for a while before kid #3 was born...there are quite a few recipes out there that can completely satisfy the craving you're in the mood for.  The following recipe is one I haven't tried (yet), but it looks too good not to post:

Fresh Mango Cobbler - Vegan

CRUST
3 cups pecans, dry
1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 Tablespoon alcohol-free extract
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup pitted dates

SYRUP
¾ cup pitted dates
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
½ vanilla bean, or ½ Tablespoon alcohol-free extract
⅔ cup filtered water, as needed

FILLING
3 to 4 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, sliced, about 6 cups

To make crust, process pecans, vanilla bean, and salt into powder in your food processor. Add ¾ cup pitted dates and process until mixed well. Sprinkle half of the crust onto bottom of pie dish, and set aside. Don’t bother rinsing out your food processor after making the crust; the leftover crumbs will add in with the syrup ingredients.

To make syrup, process ¾ cup dates, oil, vanilla bean, and water as needed to make a thick syrup. Set aside.

To make filling, place sliced mango into a large mixing bowl. Toss with the syrup. Spoon onto cobbler crust. To serve, top with remaining half of the crust. Will keep for two days in the fridge.

Yield: One cobbler.

From Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, by Ani Phyo