Microadventures, Protein Requirements and Yoga Offerings
Jul 01, 2025 06:00AM ● By Paul Chen
One of my fave places for a microadventure, Dillsboro Inn, 50 miles west of Asheville.
LOL! I’m rarely “normal” in this space—providing a quick overview of the month’s features—but this is one of those times when inspiration for writing about anything else escapes me. Maybe the lazy dayz of summer have arrived early to my doorstep.
Our lead feature is on micro-adventures, “brief and inexpensive outdoor jaunt(s) close to home.” Writer Carrie Jackson interviews Alastair Humphreys, a British adventurer and author who spent a year discovering adventures within a five-mile radius of his home. Sounds like a daunting proposition to me, but I’m sure there’s much more out there than I’m aware of. I invite readers to share secret Atlanta gems that most of us probably don’t know about!
Our Conscious Eating article is about protein-forward breakfasts, and given the reality of my age, sarcopenia—muscle loss that occurs with age—getting enough protein has become a recent concern of mine. I don’t think I’ve ever come close to the recommended amount of daily protein intake, and that situation has not been helped by trying to eat less meat. Now, it’s further aggravated by the fact that seniors’ need for protein increases due to sarcopenia.
My difficulty with protein consumption is magnified considerably when I try to accommodate my pitta-kapha constitution. An Ayurvedic practitioner has already raised a warning flag around dairy for me; Greek yogurt is seen as particularly bad from an Ayurvedic perspective. And ChatGPT tells me that eggs in the summer can increase internal heat, which is not a good thing for pitta types.
I’m sharing this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, assuming it has been correct—which is not a particularly good assumption—ChatGPT can be quite helpful in identifying the best dietary alternatives if you’d like to dive deeper into what works best for your body. I’ve had several deep-dive conversations with the AI in this regard. Second, one can certainly be vegetarian or vegan and still adhere to Ayurvedic principles. However, I’m okay with cutting corners while minimizing physical impact as opposed to trying to eliminate all “not recommended” foods and ingredients. All in all, it is better to be informed than not. For example, ChatGPT tells me that cottage cheese is considerably better for me as a dairy product than Greek yogurt. That will make a difference in what I eat.
Finally, this month, our Yoga Department offers a double barrel of delight! Yoga editor Patty Schmidt looks at yoga in America over the last 50 years through the lens of Yoga Journal, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Given my advanced age, it is still a wonder to observe the changes we’ve experienced over the course of decades and to be starkly reminded of one of Buddhism’s first lessons: impermanence. In a recent lunch with our first yoga editor, Graham Fowler, founder of Peachtree Yoga Center, we talked about his early days and the years he spent looking up to such early greats as Rodney Yee. Now, decades later, he says the young people he trains haven’t a clue as to who Yee or his contemporaries are; they might as well have been explorers in Africa, for all the young ones know. No crime here at all—just a reflection on how life and all its aspects are fleetingly impermanent.
Our lead feature is on micro-adventures, “brief and inexpensive outdoor jaunt(s) close to home.” Writer Carrie Jackson interviews Alastair Humphreys, a British adventurer and author who spent a year discovering adventures within a five-mile radius of his home. Sounds like a daunting proposition to me, but I’m sure there’s much more out there than I’m aware of. I invite readers to share secret Atlanta gems that most of us probably don’t know about!
Our Conscious Eating article is about protein-forward breakfasts, and given the reality of my age, sarcopenia—muscle loss that occurs with age—getting enough protein has become a recent concern of mine. I don’t think I’ve ever come close to the recommended amount of daily protein intake, and that situation has not been helped by trying to eat less meat. Now, it’s further aggravated by the fact that seniors’ need for protein increases due to sarcopenia.
My difficulty with protein consumption is magnified considerably when I try to accommodate my pitta-kapha constitution. An Ayurvedic practitioner has already raised a warning flag around dairy for me; Greek yogurt is seen as particularly bad from an Ayurvedic perspective. And ChatGPT tells me that eggs in the summer can increase internal heat, which is not a good thing for pitta types.
I’m sharing this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, assuming it has been correct—which is not a particularly good assumption—ChatGPT can be quite helpful in identifying the best dietary alternatives if you’d like to dive deeper into what works best for your body. I’ve had several deep-dive conversations with the AI in this regard. Second, one can certainly be vegetarian or vegan and still adhere to Ayurvedic principles. However, I’m okay with cutting corners while minimizing physical impact as opposed to trying to eliminate all “not recommended” foods and ingredients. All in all, it is better to be informed than not. For example, ChatGPT tells me that cottage cheese is considerably better for me as a dairy product than Greek yogurt. That will make a difference in what I eat.
Finally, this month, our Yoga Department offers a double barrel of delight! Yoga editor Patty Schmidt looks at yoga in America over the last 50 years through the lens of Yoga Journal, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Given my advanced age, it is still a wonder to observe the changes we’ve experienced over the course of decades and to be starkly reminded of one of Buddhism’s first lessons: impermanence. In a recent lunch with our first yoga editor, Graham Fowler, founder of Peachtree Yoga Center, we talked about his early days and the years he spent looking up to such early greats as Rodney Yee. Now, decades later, he says the young people he trains haven’t a clue as to who Yee or his contemporaries are; they might as well have been explorers in Africa, for all the young ones know. No crime here at all—just a reflection on how life and all its aspects are fleetingly impermanent.
Our second yoga story is from Graham himself! Ever the teacher of yoga beyond the mat, he writes about the “yoga of daily life.” As readers of this magazine know, yoga isn’t just asanas; it’s a complete spiritual path. Nevertheless, even those just practicing asanas will realize before too long that lessons on the mat somehow extend beyond it. In his first contribution to us since his editorship, Graham explicitly conveys how to make the benefits of yoga training resonate in all other aspects of life. Truly, yoga is life. ❧
Publisher of Natural Awakenings Atlanta since 2017, Paul Chen’s professional background includes strategic planning, marketing management and qualitative research. He practices Mahayana Buddhism and kriya yoga. Contact him at [email protected].
