a medical librarian's adventures in evidence-based living
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More than two out of three U.S. adults are overweight or obese--almost 70%
During the past 30 years, adult obesity rates have doubled
Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children ages 2 to 19 has more than tripled, rising to nearly 17%.
What's the definition of overweight? A BMI of 25.0-29.9 (Do the math. Click here to calculate yours)
What's the definition of obesity? A BMI of 30.0-39.9 Over 40.0+ is extremely obese.
What's the definition of a healthy weight? A BMI of 18.5-24.9
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The Lab Rat & I watched Parts 1 & 2 of the HBO documentary "The Weight of the Nation" on Monday & Tuesday nights. We were literally glued to our seats--but, better we should have been standing, or walking in place to burn calories! We can't wait to view Parts 3 & 4 later this weekend.
You won't want to miss this must-see eye-opening documentary. It's television at its best.
Let's hope it will be the tipping point that changes the way we look at the foods we eat--and the importance of exercise. Otherwise, we're digging our graves--physically & economically--as a nation. The price of obesity is more than any person or country can afford!
If You Don't See the Video on Your Screen, Click Here
Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation: released May 8, 2012 by the Institute of Medicine. (read the report here)
Two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese. Left unchecked, obesity’s effects on health, health care costs, and our productivity as a nation could become catastrophic.
The staggering human toll of obesity-related chronic disease and disability, and an annual cost of $190.2 billion for treating obesity-related illness, underscore the urgent need to strengthen prevention efforts in the United States. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation asked the Institiute of Medicine to identify catalysts that could speed progress in obesity prevention.
The Institute of Medicine evaluated prior obesity prevention strategies and identified recommendations to meet the following goals and accelerate progress
Integrate physical activity every day in every way
Market what matters for a healthy life
Make healthy foods and beverages available everywhere
Activate employers and health care professionals
Strengthen schools as the heart of health
On their own, accomplishing any one of these might help speed up progress in preventing obesity, but together, their effects will be reinforced, amplified, and maximized.
CNN's Ali Velshi: Can you really cure heart disease with food?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta:The answer is yes! We found living proof of this.
Sharon Kintz is the woman we profiled. A 66 year old woman--had a heart attack--she needed to have heart surgery & she said, "No!"
She's adopted a plant-based diet. She's very strict about it. She's been doing it for over a year & it's quite remarkable. Not only in how much she hasn't had any symptoms of heart disease, but in terms of her energy levels.
She could barely walk before all of this & literally now--a year later--on a plant-based diet, she's able to jump rope & has high energy levels.
CNN's Ali Velshi:OK, so the plant-based diet is good for your heart, but can you really get enough protein on this diet?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: The answer is yes! The protein argument is a fallacy.
It's simply not true that you can't get enough protein on a plant-based diet. If you do even a little research you find out that broccoli has more protein per gram than most meat. Spinach has the same amount. And of course there's tofu.
People who do this diet feel good & have a lot more energy.
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Even though I watched the entire CNN "Last Heart Attack" special on Sunday--this promo really "Takes the Kale"for bringing home Dr. Sanjay Gupta's main point: Heart disease--the No. 1 killer in the U.S. is a food-borne illness. It need never exist. Food can cure it--and make you heart-attack proof!
Please take the four minutes to watch this promo--yes, even if you watched the special! I promise you--it's worth it.
Gupta comes clean with exactly what he learned after a year's worth of research on heart disease. Talking to the experts. Talking with patients. Studying the research. And Gupta's not just a TV doc--he's a practicing neurosurgeon at Emory University in Atlanta who graduated from the University of Michigan--undergrad & med school.
If you missed my post that summarized the special--& included the entire video, click here for "Dr. Sanjay Gupta's "The Last Heart Attack" Finally Airs on CNN - Looks Like Diet & Non-Invasive Diagnostic Testing Win Over Bypasses & Stents - The Cliff Notes, the Collected Transcripts, & the Entire Documentary"
And if you missed "The Last Heart Attack" you can catch it again on Saturday, September 3 at 8:00 PM EST--or watch it now, without the commercials--right here!
Can Food Cure Heart Disease?
If you don't see this video on your screen, click here to go directly to it.
If you don't see the 2nd video on your screen, click here to go right to it.
Eating Your Way to Health--What About Protein on a Plant-Based Diet?
So, What About Those Energy Levels? And What Exactly Do You Eat on This Diet?
Yesterday, I was up at 6:00 am--and I ended up working much later than I expected. Like over 11 hours. Got home about 9:15 pm--and my day included about 2 1/2 hours of moving heavy medical journals from one floor to the next--on & off shelves & pushing a heavy journal-laden trolley between floors.
Good thing I had packed my "lunch box" with breakfast, lunch, & snacks. It easily got me through the day--until I could finally get home & eat dinner--at 9:30 pm.
Here's what got me through the day.
Check back for the Taco Salad, the No-Fat Creamy Chipotle Dressing, & the Chickpea & Spinach Burger recipes tomorrow--no time to post it right now--I'm off to exercise, and then I'm working late, again, tonight!
Tip: Word has it that "Forks Over Knives" is now streaming on Netflix. If you haven't seen it--it's a not-to-be missed documentary. Read more about it here & here.
Readers Keep Asking for Updated Photos of Me & My Husband - This Week's 2 Hour Bike Ride on the Tow Path
Half of all heart attacks come with no warning at all, making diet changes & diagnostic tests all the more important
Last night Dr. Sanjay Gupta told us, "I'm on a mission to never have a heart attack."
He has a strong family history of heart disease and like most of us, he wants to avoid medications, stents, and bypasses. None of these are without risk.
For over a year Gupta's been investigating "how to prevent a heart attack," speaking with the top cardiologists--as well as patients who have taken different approaches to treating their heart disease--from bypasses to stents to making radical dietary changes.
Gupta's documentary, "The Last Heart Attack", aired last night, and frankly, its tenor and its key points took me by surprise. It wasn't about cutting-edge drugs or snazzy procedures. It was all about utilizing the newer more accurate non-invasive diagnostic tools--and making a radical change to a plant-based diet.
Dr. Arthur Agatston with his not-often-used non-invasive diagnostic tests, and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. with his plant-based diet--were far and away the stars of the show.
Gupta tells us at the start, "I'm going to tell you about things your doctor won't."
"And the truth is, it doesn't involve spending any more money, investing in any more research or creating any more tests. Rather, it will take a strict implementation of what we already know about diet and nutrition.
It will also take brave champions to navigate through confusing counsel, special interests and shoddy science," says Gupta.
"Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. tells Gupta, 'Sanjay, we want to make you heart attack proof.'
Pretty audacious, I thought, but I couldn’t help but be engaged by this Cleveland Clinic surgeon, who was now devoting his life to preventing the diseases he made a living treating.
'We are never going to end the epidemic of heart disease with stents, bypasses and medications,' he told me.
That was music to my ears, because I didn’t want any of those things. Of course, it would involve essentially eliminating meat, dairy, eggs and oil – even olive oil.
'Nothing with a mother, and nothing with a face,' the good doctor added.
Virtually eliminating heart disease – it can be done, and truth is, we have known for a very long time how to do it.
People have said to me as I was preparing this documentary – 'Sanjay, you are advocating a radical change to the way we eat.'
Perhaps, but if you really think about it, the way we eat now is in fact more radical. And when we look back on this time, a couple of hundred years from now, I guarantee you that our diet of today will be considered one of the most radical in history.
If we collectively ever want to get to the point where we have “The Last Heart Attack,” a good start would be to stop ignoring what we already know to be true."
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I thought Dr. Sanjay Gupta's show would never air.
First it was pre-empted by Libya. Then by Hurricane Irene.
But, last night, Sunday August 28th at 9:00 pm I finally got a chance to see Gupta's long-awaited documentary, "The Last Heart Attack".
I settled into my favorite chair--with notebook in hand to take notes--I figured that many of you would have missed its last minute airing--and I was happy to fill you in on some of the key points.
But, when I checked my email early this morning, bingo--we were all in luck. CNN has finally posted the full video on line.
If you missed the special, it will re-air on Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 7p and 10p Central.
If you do not see the video on this page, click here to go directly to the CNN Link.
The Last Heart Attack
The Transcripts & Extras from Dr. Sanjay Gupta's "Last Heart Attack" - All on One Page
Bill Clinton's Story. From Couch Potato & Junk Food Aficionado to Plant-Based Booster
In spite of having the best health care from the country's top physicians, Clinton still ended up with quadruple bypasses, two stents, & medication. And even Clinton knew he was heading into trouble if he didn't do something serious about changing his diet.
Clinton had the trifecta of heart disease risk: he had a family history of heart disease, he was overweight & out-of-shape, and he was eating all the wrong foods.
When Clinton's stents failed in February of 2010, his doctor said, "This isn't a result of diet or exercise--it's a mechanical failure of stents." But statins, stents, & the Mediterranean Diet aren't always enough to stop heart disease. And moderation & pharmaceuticals aren't enough to stop the onslaught of atherosclerosis.
Last year Clinton decided to hit the books & read what the medical literature had to say about preventing and reversing heart disease through diet. He discovered that there is only one way to do this--a strict plant-based diet loaded with green leafy vegetables, and without meat, chicken, fish, dairy, or added oils. The two physicians who pioneered this type of treatment are Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. and Dr. Dean Ornish. With nothing to lose, Clinton decided to conduct his own personal clinical trial.
For over a year he's been eating 100% plant-based, if you don't count the one single bite of turkey he ate at Thanksgiving. No dairy, no meat, no fish, and almost no oil.
First of all, Clinton unabashedly says, "I like the stuff I eat. And if anything, I'm getting stricter about my diet as time goes on." He's lost 27 pounds, all his blood tests are good, he has more energy, needs less sleep, and feels great. He's almost down to his lowest weight since high school--185 pounds.
The Three Tests That Can Predict a Heart Attack
Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who created the best-selling South Beach Diet, recommends three relatively new tests if you want to get a far more accurate picture of your heart attack risk than you can get from cholesterol numbers.
Coronary calcium scan. This looks at plaque in the arteries leading to the heart and can provide a good indicator of one's risk of a heart attack over the next 4-5 years. This is a better indicator than you'll get from the Framingham Risk Score--and Agatston believes it should be done routinely at age 50--and earlier for people with a family history of heart disease. Full disclosure, though--Agatston invented the coronary calcium scan--but makes no money on it.
Ultrasound of the carotid artery. This looks at plaque in the main blood vessel leading to the brain. Plaque in the carotid artery is a sign of increased risk for a heart attack & a stroke.
An NMR lipid particle test (The NMR-LipoProfile) This is a $65 test that looks at the size of one's LDL--the bad cholesterol. Patients with a lot of small-particle LDL are more likely to build up plaque in their arteries. The larger, light & fluffy LDL particles are less likely to enter into the blood vessel walls & cause damage. It's not just about the LDL level--it's about the size of the particles.
The Heart Attack Proof Diet
Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. has been teaching patients to prevent & reverse heart disease through a plant-based no-oil diet since 1985.
According to Esselstyn, heart disease is a food-borne illness, and one's risk of having a heart attack is not sealed in stone by one's family history or genetics. If you change what you eat--and you can make yourself heart-attack proof. Click here to learn more.
Esselstyn looked at the diets of indigenous people around the world. In the communities where no heart disease existed, it turned out that the people were eating a mostly plant-based low-fat diet: The Papua New Guinea highlanders, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, and some rural Chinese.
What do you eat on this diet?
Vegetables-lots of green leafy ones to restore & heal the endothelial lining of your blood vessels. Kale, Swiss Chard, Cilantro, Collards, Bok Choy, Parsley, Spinach, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower
Whole fruit
Whole grains
Beans/Legumes; "light" tofu--cautious use of low-fat soy meat substitutes. Many are highly processed, high-fat junk food.
Gupta followed up with his own research, checking the medical literature for sound studies on the use of plant-based diets to prevent & reverse heart disease. He was impressed with Dr. Esselstyn's research at the Cleveland Clinic.
5 years later no patients who followed the diet had another cardiovascular event
Three-quarters of Esselstyn's patients saw their blockages reduced.
There are detractors: Dr. Allan Schwartz, the New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Columbia cardiologist who put in Bill Clinton's stents in February 2010 says the idea that diet can prevent or reverse heart disease is an overstatment.
Dr. Erin Michos, a cardiologist at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins University, says diet can reverse heart disease, but some people just aren't willing to make the necessary changes.
Gupta points out that Dr. Esselstyn's diet prescription runs counter to the powerful lobbies of the meat, dairy, & egg industries--not to mention our fast-food culture. Could that be another reason that it hasn't gone mainstream?
Most doctors & their families eat meat themselves, making them less likely to offer a plant-based diet as a prescription to prevent heart disease.
Two Patients Who Chose Diet Over Surgery to Prevent Another Heart Attack
The 41 year-old Male
He didn't smoke, was in good shape, and ate well. His was a case of bad genes.
At age 31 he already had eight stents placed in his arteries. At age 41 he had four more.
Clearly, stents weren't working for him. He decided to contact Dr. Esselstyn after learning about his successes last September through Wolf Blitzer's CNN interview.
No surprise that his doctors thought Esselstyn's diet was too extreme. "Unnecessary," they told him. But after having multiple stents he was losing confidence in their advice.
Sharon Kintz--The 66-year old woman who had a heart attack, but decided to treat it with diet--not surgery.
Video: Woman Trades Heart Surgery for a New Diet
If you do not see the video, click here to go directly to it.
Sharon Kintz' story:
She's a 66 year old private investigator, who said, "NO" to open-heart surgery after experiencing a heart attack a year ago. Brave woman.
Her symptoms before the heart attack? Only fatigue & a pain in her jaw. All fairly typical for women.
According Dr. Esselstyn, there's no down-side to Kintz' diet approach. Once you start eating this way you will not have a heart attack. Kintz continues to be seen by her cardiologist, as well as receiving dietary guidance from Dr. Esselstyn. Her cardiologist is impressed with the results.
Kintz is a true believer in the diet approach & she's got plenty of company with some high-power business moguls like: Steve Wynn, Mort Zuckerman, Russell Simmons, Bill Ford, Biz Stone, and Whole Foods' John Mackey.
She also has the "how to eat plant-based no-oil" thing down pat when she's on the road, or traveling.
Tom Bare--The Science Teacher Who Opted for the Bypass--Not Interested in Making Diet Changes
Then there's Tom Bare. He's 54 years old high school science teacher, with none of the usual heart disease risk factors.
He was thin.
Ate what he thought was a healthy diet--oatmeal for breakfast, fruit, chicken or Mexican food for dinner
He was on a statin--& his total cholesterol had gone from 300, down to 125.
Exercised now & then
He took care of himself & his body
He didn't smoke
He wasn't diabetic
He did have a strong family history of heart disease
Bare did have one big risk factor hanging over his head. He had a coronary calcium score that continued to increase. Four years ago it was 111. Anything over 100 means an elevated risk. This year he had another scan--and this time it had gone up to 243!
One day this year, while out for a jog he experienced the classic chest pain, pain down his left arm, & shortness of breath.
His risk was all about coronary plaque--atherosclerosis--that narrowed all the major blood vessels of his heart.
Bare ended up with quadruple bypass. But that wasn't the end of his problems.
He had a slow painful recovery. Eight days after surgery he was heading for a life-threatening complication.
Seventeen days after surgery he had no idea how uncomfortable he would be.
Three weeks after surgery he was finally able to take his first walk outside--and that's when he started to experience chest pain & shortness of breath.
As it turned out--all his bypasses failed and he needed to have them all redone. His doctors had never seen anything like this before.
12% of bypasses experience serious complications
1 in 300 need a 2nd operation in 3 years
1 in 20 end up needing follow-up stents.
Bare was told that he'd feel like a million dollars. He doesn't.
He is now back to teaching part-time--until he regains his strength--and he's hoping that bypass surgery has given him a new lease on life. He's looking forward to being able to travel in the future.
"I'm told that I'm good for another 40 years or so, and I'm hoping that's the case, but with my history, I'm going to have to watch it."
Even so, he says he has no plans to give up the food he loves!
Author Dan Buettner has scoured the Earth — not for the fabled Fountain of Youth — but for the key to a happy old age. He spent five years visiting areas of the world where people tend to live longer, healthier lives, areas he calls "Blue Zones."
Buettner says he has identified four things people can do that can potentially increase life expectancy:
Create an environment that encourages physical activity
Set up your kitchen in such a way that you're not overeating
Cultivate a sense of purpose
Surround yourself with the right people.
"These are long-term fixes that have been shown over and over to add not only more years of life, but better years of life."
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It's the start of the New Year.
It's the start of a new decade.
It's the day I turn sixty.
Look, I'm not a big-birthday-celebration-kind-of-person. They come and go and I don't even think about the years. But turning 60 is different. It's the last quarter of life, with no guarantees on what that quarter is going to look like.
Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising. Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30.
That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything. He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life. He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.
My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant. One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.
With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, and painful spinal fractures. Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties.
And unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. "[M]ost elderly Americans – more than two-thirds of current 65-year-olds, according to a detailed 2005 projection by a team of health policy analysts — at some point will need assistance to cope with daily living, either paid help or unpaid, at home or in a facility."
So, sixty seems kind of scary to me.
Which is exactly why I'm ready for a more "Conscious Aging" plan. We already have all the evidence we need to stay healthy. It's not about adding more years to our lives. It's all about adding more life to our years!
Just a sampling of the evidence.
The 52 country INTERHEART study was very clear. There are 9 easy-to-modify risk factors that are associated with 90% of heart disease. This was a huge study--30,000 people from every inhabited country--and the results were the same for all races, all sexes, all countries. All 9 of these risk factors are within our control--and would eliminate 90% of heart disease, regardless of one's genetics. 1. Keep lipids (cholesterol & triglycerides) down; 2. Stop smoking; 3. Prevent or control hypertension; 4. Prevent or control diabetes; 5. Reduce belly fat; 6. Find ways to control psychological and social stressors; 7. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption; 8. Moderate alcohol consumption is protective; 9. Get regular physical exercise Lancet 364:937-952, Sept. 11, 2004.
The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. "The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease...[F]or every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4%." Harvard School of Public Health
The China Study. This is Dr. T. Colin Campbell's mammoth 2006 study on the effects of a plant-based diet on health--citing over 750 studies. The conclusion: People who ate the most-animal-based foods got the most chronic disease. People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. According to Campbell, "Good nutrition supported by exercise, clean water, and sunshine is greater than the sum of its parts. It's a biological symphony. My introduction to Dr. T. Colin Campbell
The Longevity Personality. From the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, April 2009 comes this conclusion: Those who live the longest are more outgoing, more active, more easy-going, more empathetic, and more agreeable than those who live a normal life span. The Blue Zones calls it, "likeability".
Here's My Strategy for Staying Out-of-Trouble After Sixty
Some of these are long-time habits, and they're easy for me to follow. Some of these I don't do as regularly as I should. Some of these are new goals. But this much I do know: If I don't have a plan, if I don't do these consciously, and if I don't carve out time to make them happen--they won't.
1. Stick with 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The Green Smoothies make it easy. I get 6 servings in a 27 ounce Klean Kanteen that I divide over breakfast and an afternoon snack. I calculated the nutritional info on my daily 27 ounce serving that includes, 2 1/2 cups kale, 8 mini-carrots, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 1/2 kiwi, and 3/4 cup frozen black raspberries. Check out the nutrient content for 27 ounces:
Nutrition Facts
The Healthy Librarian's Green Smoothie-kale,blackberries,carrots,orange,kiwi,pom juice,apple
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories
342
Total Fat
2.2g
Saturated Fat
0.2g
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
0mg
Sodium
140mg
Carbohydrate
82.1g
Dietary Fiber
13.8g
Sugars
49.1g
Protein
8.9g
Vitamin A 729%
Vitamin C 485%
Calcium 35%
Iron 28%
Then throw in some veggie-based soup, a salad, a veggie-based dinner entree, some fruit for dessert, and I'm good to go.
This eating plan is the same as the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)--guaranteed to stop hypertension. The Cache County (Utah) Study on Memory shows it also prevents cognitive decline. Dr. Amy Lanou and Michael Castleman, authors of Building Bone Vitality claim it will build and strengthen bones--because the 17 nutrients necessary to build strong bones are all found in a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
2. A balanced exercise plan. It's not just about cardio--there are 4 areas that need attention: Cardio (spinning-my fave), Weight-training, Flexibility & Balance (yoga-my fave), and Core Strength. No, you can't just walk and think you're in good shape. I'm super regular with my cardio, and not as regular with the weight training and yoga. Click here to see what my workout looks like. As for core strength--that's pretty much non-existent. And when it comes to weight-training, according to Randy Raugh, the Canyon Ranch physical therapist, and author of the excellent Prime for Life--Functional Fitness for Ageless Living--to get the maximum benefits you need to do it for 3 non-consecutive days a week--2 at the minimum. Unfortunately, I often weight train only 1 day a week. If you want to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, and maintain your muscle strength as you age--weight-bearing exercise for the lower body, and weight-training for the upper body is a must-do! Yoga, helps with balance, preventing future falls, and building strength. As for core strength, I'm upping my game with Dr. Stuart McGill's routine, and my birthday-present to myself is the physical therapist-designed Pelvicore exercise ball.
3. A plant-based diet with minimal added fat. I'm nearing the 2 year mark on eating plant-based, so this is the easy part. I've got this down pat. I still use a little olive oil for cooking and in salads, and very occasionally eat some seafood or dairy when eating with friends. I'm convinced. If you want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease & stroke, and reduce your belly fat--this is the way to go. Dr. David J. Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto is one of the pre-eminent researchers on the benefits of a plant-based, low-glycemic diet (like beans, nuts, oats,& quinoa) for improving diabetes control, lowering cholesterol, and preventing cardiovascular disease. Click here for Jenkins research. And that's not all--keeping your blood sugar stable with low glycemic plant-based foods and exercise will preserve your brain. Click here. And as for too much fat--not only is it bad for your belly--it's bad for your brain--so just ditch itClick here.
4. No time urgency. This is what keeps the Okinawans calm, relaxed, and living longer. I'm really working on this one--which goes hand-in-hand with flexibility. Things don't always go as planned--you either go-with-the-flow or get stressed and anxious. My favorite 2 words, "Oh well." Life goes better when you stay in the moment, chill, and don't worry about getting there fast. When our Christmas Day trip to New York City was aborted because of an ice storm, we checked into a hotel at noon, and enjoyed a dinner of cranberry nut mix, Larabars, Cliff Bars, and clementines. All the restaurants were closed in this Pennsylvanian town. Oh well. We had a good time, and made it to New York safe and sound the next day.
5. More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing. What's the point of staying healthy without having fun? That's the reason we work at staying healthy. Cool fact: There's a little organ deep in the ear, called the sacculus--and it gives us a great sense of pleasure and well-being when it's stimulated. But, it can only be stimulated through singing! So, bring on the Singstar Karaoke! Click here.
6. The Supplements. I'm really bad at regularly taking supplements. I'm good at counting them out, taking them to work, and bringing them back home with me. Truth is, there are some supplements worth taking because there's no easy way to get enough of them through diet alone. Here are my favorites: Omega-3s (I use Omega-Brite), DHA, (an omega-3 for brain health), Magnesium, Citracal, Vitamin D (I'm up to 3000 IUs), Curcumin (also known as turmeric, the yellow color in curry), and Juvenon (the combo of acetyl l-carnitine & alpha lipoic acid) developed by Dr. Bruce Ames. Click here to read more about what I take, and what some prominent physicians take.
7. Eliminate the time-wasters from my day. Except for watching "The Middle" or "Glee", TV watching always leaves me bored and unsatisfied. So, why bother wasting the precious time? The same goes for my mindless internet cruising, checking in more than necessary with email, the NYT, and other favorite sites. Enough already!
8. Maximize my peak energy times of the day. Over a year ago I blogged about getting in sync with our natural energy ebb and flow throughout the day. It works--and I intend to start planning my day around them, when possible. For instance, 9-11 is the peak time for brain work-creativity-and analytical work. On days when I don't work I would usually use this time for exercise & errands. Poor use of brain time. Better to exercise between 3-6. To read more, click here: Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks to Your daily Energy Levels.
9. Give a gift a day for 29 days a month. When 36 year old Cami Walker of LA learned she had multiple sclerosis, her spirits flagged. She was tired, in pain, and had the prospect of a debilitating disease ahead of her. When a holistic health educator gave her the prescription of giving 29 gifts a day for a month she thought it sounded it crazy. Nothing big (and that's the point)--something like making a supportive phone call or saving a piece of yummy cake for her husband. Of course the prescription didn't cure her, but it had a startling effect of helping her cope with her illness and gave her a more positive outlook on life. I love this idea. It's a planned regular way to just think about kindness. No big acts, just something little-done everyday. To read more, click here.
10. Cultivate my garden of friends and family. Regular phone calls, visits, dinners, outings, and celebrations. At 60 there's no time to delay any of these. It's the glue that keeps us together and makes life worth living.
11. Once You're Through Learning--You're Through. This is the philosophy of John Wooden, the 97-year-old retired UCLA basketball coach. No doubt about it, learning and sharing what I learn is my purpose in life. I'm lucky to have a job that gives me access to learning about health and medicine, and a hobby that gives me a chance to share what I learn.
12. Start Eating Less. OK, I'm ready to shed a few pounds, and I know from past experience that writing down exactly what I eat, and how much I've exercised, really works. I use something called MyFoodDiary.com and it's set up with all my favorite recipes. Unfortunately, I haven't used it in quite some time. The new year is a great time to start! To read more about this tool, click here.
Time to end this list. I've already maximized my 9-11 brain time and written this post. It's now time to make my smoothie, do some core exercises, take those supplements, answer birthday phone calls, enjoy a birthday lunch, followed by an evening out with friends who all share the same wedding anniversary--if we can just make it through our foot of snow!
I'd love to hear from anyone who is 60 or over with advice, tips, and wisdom about maximizing life in the sixties, seventies, and more.
On September 24th, 53 year old Rocco Wachman of Scottsdale, Arizona was overweight, diabetic, with the heart of an 85 year old. On his meat-heavy diet he was eating the equivalent of 2 1/2 pounds of saturated fat a week! If he kept up this lifestyle, he was headed for serious trouble.
Dr. Oz came to the rescue--challenging him to take on a 28 day vegan diet that cut out meat, dairy, and eggs. He was coached and monitored by Dr. Oz's sidekick, Dr. Michael Roizen--known as the "Enforcer" for his caring, consistent, "positive pushiness". To read "Dr. Oz's 28-Day Vegan Challenge for Cowboy Rocco - Heart Disease Reversal Through a Plant-Based Diet Goes Mainstream - Sort Of"click here.
Dr. Oz's 4 week plan for Rocco
Rocco
is going to be followed by a cardiologist--thank goodness--and the plan
is to totally reboot his taste buds. No meat, no dairy, no eggs. The
emphasis is more on ditching the animal protein--not so much on the
importance of adding in high nutrient vegetables, like greens, eating
high fiber low-glycemic grains, or eliminating added fats.
Rocco
is concerned about how this diet will affect his sugar. Apparently he
has type-2 diabetes and is on medication. Dr. Oz says, "Not to worry.
I bet when you get rid of your belly, your blood sugar will come down,
and you'll probably be able to get off your medications."
Week 1
Detox
week. No meat. No dairy. No eggs. Break fundamental habits. Replace
meat protein with nuts, beans, and seeds. Take a B12 or multivitamin.
Rocco loves the taste of Oz's bean chili.
Week 2
Go
forward. Find alternatives to meat. Emphasis is substituting meat for
"fake meat" alternatives, like seitan, fake soy burgers, faux
barbecued ribs, or faux hot dogs. Lots of soy protein here.
Week 3
Learn
to avoid the junk food. Be cautious. Just because it's not meat, dairy
or eggs doesn't mean it's good for you. Eating French fries &
potato chips is not what the diet is about. Oz encourages Rocco to
find healthy snacks--fruit, vegetables, whole-grain or soy chips. A
little chocolate is OK as long as it has a 75% cacao content.
Week 4
"Vegan
meets reality" Dr. Oz says it's now time to add back a tiny bit of
meat--but just as an "accoutrement". In my opinion, this could be the
downfall of this LITE version of a "heart-disease-reversal-diet".
28 Days Later--How Did Rocco Do?
On November 6, Rocco returned to Dr. Oz's show to see how well the diet had worked!
It worked--check out Rocco's numbers:
Rocco's A1C Test--a measure of how one's body is managing glucose. Diabetics need to keep their A1C below 7%. A non-diabetic will have a level between 4-6%:
Before: 9 (diabetic) After: 7.7 (not perfect, but a lot better)
What's New With Rocco?
"Everything feels different, as if a huge weight has been lifted off of me." -- "If I can do it, anyone can." -- "You've literally kick-started my life, and I have the opportunity of a lifetime!"
He now walks 12,000 steps a day--keeping track with a pedometer. He quit using his ATV and truck to get around his ranch. To get in his 12,000 "steps" he now gets out of the house at 5:30 am, instead of the usual 9:00 am.
Before the diet he was on 3 different medications--but he after only 28 days he was able to come off of 2 of these, one for cholesterol, and one for his diabetes.
His blood sugar is now in the normal range--99--down from 172.
His acid-reflux is gone!
Although he was supposed to re-introduce meat in week 4, after eating some meatloaf, he didn't find it as satisfying. "I figure I will stay way from anything with a face or legs for a few more weeks at least." Roizen recommends doing it slowly, only 2-3 ounces twice a week.
Rocco's Biggest Surprise with the Vegan Diet
"Old Rocco" used to eat meat at every meal. The "New Rocco" now eats 5-7 times a day
choosing from nuts, seeds, soy protein, vegetables and fruit.
He's never hungry! He learned that when he eats the amount of food the size of his palm--he isn't hungry any more--and that he just eats again 2 to 3 hours later.
He now eats more times a day than he did as a meat-eater, but at the end of the day he's consumed less calories, and can lose weight.
The first 7 days were the hardest. "I had to retrain myself to wait for my stomach to tell my brain I was hungry. Previously, I let my brain tell my stomach when to eat."
He plans ahead. There's no meat or junk food in Rocco's house. He keeps a stash of healthy foods on hand when traveling so he isn't tempted by fast foods restaurants. I did spot what looked like a gallon on milk in his fridge.
Favorite vegan meal: A soy burger, pan-fried, served with green onions and garlic, spread with hummus, and layered between two pieces of tomato.
Rocco says that changing his diet isn't anything that he couldn't have done by himself, but the fact that he had the "hands on" support and prodding from Dr. Roizen upped his odds. Besides, he had the pressure of millions of viewers counting on him, wanting to be inspired by his win!
Rocco Says His Former Meat-Eating/Junk Food Diet Was An Eating Disorder
"I have an eating disorder & no one is out there to save fat guys." Thank goodness for Drs. Roizen & Oz.
"It's a problem. I have to stay away from the things that created it--no different from drinking alcohol. No different than if I was addicted to drugs, or some other behavior."
I'm really excited for Rocco. He looks fabulous, and all his blood work, and body measurements have shown that diet & exercise can really improve one's health--and it can be done without drugs.
If he continues on the straight and narrow he's going to be an inspiration to many.
But I still think he's playing with fire if he goes back to eating meat. It's pretty easy to fall back into bad habits & bring back the food cravings that got him into trouble in the first place. He said it himself: "I have to stay away from the things that created it (his health problem)--no different from drinking alcohol."
The advice that I gave Rocco when he started his challenge still stands:
My advice to Rocco:
Read Dr. Calwell Esselstyn's book now that you've completed your 28-day challenge.
Stick to real whole foods and don't rely on faux soy foods. Learn to
cook. Load up on healthy greens. Get a VitaMix and start making Green Smoothies (low on fruit). You really can change your taste buds! Get inspired by the experience of Michael F., who lost loads of weight, changed his taste buds, and best of all--got healthy!
Poultry farmer Lee Richardson, cleaning up after a flock was sold. (Baltimore Sun photo by Doug Kapustin / May 29, 2008)
Frontline's Poisoned Waters
Here is the one advantage to having the cheapest version of cable TV--the one
that ONLY includes the free network stations.
The selections are so
bad, that you actually opt to watch PBS--which is how I
got to see Pulitzer-Prize winning Hedrick Smith's investigative
examination of the waters of the Chesapeake Bay & the Puget Sound.
Frontline: Poisoned Waters aired on Tuesday night April 21, 2009.
Here's my testimonial:
normally, my husband would be sacked out by 9:30 pm on a Tuesday night,
but this program kept him up until 11:00 pm. Check it out online at
the Poisoned Waters website.
I Thought We Cleaned Up Our Waterways Years Ago
So, what has happened since the 1970's when the public demanded action to clean up our waterways? Nixon's EPA sued big polluters, tackled auto emissions, and DDT.
What's changed since then? Our waterways were supposed to be fishable & swimmable by 1983 and 25 years past that deadline we aren't even remotely close to success.
Hedrick Smith spent 18 months looking into our crown jewel waterways, the Chesapeake Bay & the Puget Sound and in the end he was shocked at what he discovered. As he says, "The worst pollution is invisible. The water looks OK, but it's not." And Smith is plenty worried for his grandchildren.
Fresh clean water is a resource we can't live without and after watching Frontline, it's clear that no one with clout is minding the store.
And this problem isn't going away anytime soon. Here's just a sample of what I learned about our nation's water supply:
1.The Chesapeake Bay & Puget Sound are just the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to our nation's water supply.
2. Agriculture is the biggest threat to our clean water--the animal waste & chemical runoff. Who would have guessed?
3.Dead zones
now occupy 40 percent of the Chesapeake Bay in the summer--vast areas
where not a single crab or fish or blade of precious bottom grass can
live because there's no oxygen to sustain life. These dead zones are rapidly growing
and not just in the Chesapeake.
4. The reason: The tremendous amount of chicken manure runoff. There isover 1.5 billion pounds of it a year that makes its way into the Bay. It's the main source of the excess nitrogen & phosphorus that just sucks the
oxygen right out the water--creating these Dead Zones. And Perdue chickens have something to do with it. That's more manure than the human waste of New York City, Washington, DC, San Francisco & Atlanta put together. But human waste gets treated--animal waste doesn't. And the same problem exists from the hog, cattle & poultry farms all over the country.
5.For a graphic that illustrates the size of the animal industry, courtesy of NYT's Mark Bittman, click here--and notice the number of chickens we're consuming!
6. Our drinking water
is a toxic soup filled with drugs & chemicals that our out-of-date water
treatment plants were never designed to filter out.
Consider this: The U.S.
Geological Survey has been testing rivers and drinking water all over the
country. Tests of the water before it enters the Washington D.C.
aqueduct have found 85 worrisome chemical compounds--that's before the water was treated.
The tests of the water after it was filtered
still contained two-thirds
of these chemicals. And this water is going straight into the homes & businesses of over a million
people in the D.C. area. When one of the scientists working with the USGS was asked if she drinks the D.C. water, she answered, "No, I woudn't drink that water."
7. Researchers with the National Institute for Environmental Health Studies & Johns Hopkins University's School of Public Health
know that many of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors that kill
fish, cause mutations in frogs, lower human sperm count, threaten human
health, increase the risk of breast cancer, and are responsible for
male genital anomalies in infants. And this isn't limited to the Chesapeake Bay area. The USGS study has found the same contamination in tests all across the country.
8. The Pristine Pugent Sound?
Not exactly. Most experts in the environmental community think the Puget Sound is in
terrible shape and that we have less than a generation to clean it up.
The Orca whales are already seriously threatened by the contamination.
There's the oil and gas run off from highways and based on actual
sampling in the Puget Sound basin, it's
estimated that the volume of oil that is carried into the Puget Sound by
stormwater runoff is equal to the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound.
And the Puget Sound is a hot spot for PCBs from left-over asphalt and industrial sites
and the Boeing Shipyard contaminants....and the list goes on and on. Want to know more?
The Endocrine Disruptors. Evidence accumulates that manmade chemicals, known as endocrine
disruptors, are causing abnormal mutations in marine creatures. Does
that mean they're having an impact on human health? Read what the experts have to say.
"You might expect a few middle-aged women to respond with tears, but scores of men told me they cried too, and they echoed the hearts' universal desire: I wish I had that courage."
She's a 47 year-old unemployed awkward frumpy lady from a tiny town in Scotland. Never been married. Never been kissed. Used to always being dismissed by others. Lives alone with her cats. As a child she was bullied for how she looks. But she has wanted to be a singer since she was 12.
She got her chance to sing her heart out this week on Simon Cowell's Britain's Got Talent television show--think American Idol. Millions have already seen her YouTUBE video. A friend forwarded it to me on Monday night with the subject line: This is Stunning!
I wasn't going to post it because it's everywhere--that is until I read Connie Schultz' column, "When a Person Dares to Dream". Connie is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and this column is another one her many KEEPERS! Read the whole column. Here's a sampling:
"Cowell rolled his eyes. Another judge, Piers Morgan, winced. The TV camera zoomed in on scornful faces in the audience."
"Then Boyle raised the microphone and started to sing."
"Instantly, and I mean from the moment she hit the first note, everything -- and everybody -- changed."
"What I missed was how many people would see themselves in Susan Boyle. "
"So many expressed, in various ways, their fear that others would never
know, or care to discover, the real person lurking behind the
caricature they present to the world. Many also were ashamed by their
initial disregard for Susan Boyle."
"Even the most brazen among us are full of self-doubt. Some just
hide it better than others. In uncertain times like these, doubt often
morphs into flagellation. A lot of second-guessing begins with "could
have," segues to "should have"and ends with "loser."
"Maybe that's why so many relished Boyle's conquest. There she was,
shedding a sidelined life and claiming center stage, then forcing every
naysayer to see why."
I’ve learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences.
-Gretchen Rubin, author & blogger-
Look, I know this is not the time to advocate spending money--but then again--a lot of businesses will be helped greatly if we can loosen up our purse strings a little.
I don't spend money easily. I don't like excess. And I don't like to shop--except for food & books. My parents were young adults during the Great Depression, so their lessons of thrift definitely have rubbed off on me.
But...this year I've purchased a few things that I would describe as MONEY WELL SPENT!
I use them almost everyday, & they've brought me and my husband:
Good health with little effort
A quiet home where it's easy to read & think
A warm cozy bed even with our thermostat set to 58 degrees
Excellent dental care with germ-free toothbrushes
In Pursuit of Health - The Vita-Mix 5200
Yes, I know you are all ready to shoot me if I say one more thing about my Vita-Mix & green smoothies--but believe me, I too, was once a skeptic! And I don't part with money easily.
We use this blender everyday, and at a hefty $450 I figure that at $1/day for a year & 3 months it's worth it.
There is no way is the world that I could eat 5 cups of kale, spinach, Swiss chard or spinach; an orange; a kiwi; mixed berries; 5 carrots; an apple; some pomegranate juice & 2 TBS. of ground flax seed in one day. But I can put it all into this incredible blender, add some water or ice & VOILA--I have a delicious drinkable, portable breakfast & mid-day snack. You cannot believe the power of this contraption.
I use it to make salad dressings, to instantly puree vegetable soups, make my own tahini, hummous, all-fruit sorbets, and more.
It cleans in seconds & there are no annoying parts to take apart like in a food processor.
To read more of my annoying green smoothie discoveries, click here and here
In Pursuit of Quiet - The Acoustic Research 900 MHz Wireless Stereo Headphones with autotuning - Model AW772
My husband loves his TV time--especially loud WWII videos, like The Band of Brothers--Seinfeld reruns & anything on SPIKE. I like to sit in our cozy Library/Den with him, but honestly, the noise is so annoying!
My sister clued me in to the idea of wireless headphones that allow one to watch TV or listen to music--have the volume as high one likes--and not disturb anyone else. She bought a pair of these for my brother-in-law #1 for Father's Day. He said it was a gift for her, not for him--but Oh Well--that's my sis!
Back in September I wrote about My husband's promise: He's buying wireless headphones to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa. Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless headphones for your TV? Viva the silence!
He bought them--he loves them--and so do I! I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to not have a loud TV in the background when I want to read, write or think. In fact, I can cook in the kitchen while listening to the radio (NPR of course), while hubby is less than 5 feet away in our den watching Seinfeld. It's AMAZING!
Another plus--since they are wireless, he can walk into his office, go get a snack, wash some dishes & keep listening to whatever he wants to listen to.
Only downside: When he has his headphones on he can't hear me (I guess that's an upside for him) unless I get right next to him & tap him on the shoulder.
He picked the Acoustic Research brand by going to our small town's electronics store so he could support the local economy & get some expert advice on a reliable model. Expect to pay between $65-$120 for a good pair--I think.
I think wireless stereo headphones would also be the perfect solution for anyone who has to share a tiny 1 bedroom or studio apartment with a roommate.
In Pursuit of Warmth - The Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad with dual controls
We set our thermostat to go down to 58 degrees when we go to sleep. Natural gas prices are sky high. Even with a sheet, a quilt & a down comforter, last winter I had to resort to crawling into a down sleeping bag to get warm enough. Needless to say, my husband wasn't too happy with this.
This Fall, I spotted a queen-sized Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad at Costco for about $75 & thought I'd give it a try. After all, Costco will gladly accept returns if you are dissatisfied with a product.
We both LOVE this mattress pad--which I know sounds slightly looney. It's got a nifty Preheat setting that we set fifteen minutes before crawling into bed, & each of us has preset our preferred temperatures--I'm comfortable with Low, and hubby who doesn't wear PJs likes #3.
Now we only need a light-weight quilt to stay warm through the night. No need for the down comforter. And the house is a cool 58 degrees. We could probably even go lower!
There's even an automatic shut-off that turns the pad off, should you forget, after (I think) 10 hours. And of course it has multiple adjustable temperature settings for both sides.
Save Energy & Save Money. Calculating with March 2008 Energy Information Administration forecasting---if you can lower your thermostat 8 degrees, 24 hours a day, 25 weeks a year, you save up to $131 a year. That's a pretty good dollar return for a $75 investment, not to mention a cozy warm bed!
In Pursuit of Excellent Dental Health - Phillips Sonicare Flexcare 2 Handle Toothbrush All-in-one Sanitizing Charging and Storing Unit
Full disclosure here. My husband is a dentist and we've used the original Sonicare model for years.
This new Flexcare model came out about 6 months ago--and there's no comparison to the older model.
The pluses: There is a timed Maxcare mode that keeps that toothbrush oscillating in your mouth for a full 3 minutes. The average person brushes for less than a minute with an old-fashioned toothbrush. If you want a quick brush between meals--there's a 1 minute Go-Care setting.
Ultra-violet light sanitizer is included & it kills up to 99% of E. Coli & streptococcus Mutans, not to mention assorted cold viruses. Since we all keep our toothbrushes in the bathroom & flush the toilet with the seat up--I think you get the picture. The sanitizer is a closed-door unit keeping your toothbrush away from any nasties.
If you travel, the set includes a portable travel charger--a nice convenience.
My last dental check-up was absolutely the best I have ever had. My dentist could not believe it. It was as pretty close to perfect as you can get. He would not conclude that it's the Flexcare--but I've done nothing else differently. Again Full Disclosure: I floss my teeth daily. I apparently hold my toothbrush at the correct angle (a must do!) & I Only Brush My Teeth Once a Day in the Morning. I say it's the Sonicare Flexcare that is giving me excellent dental health.
This unit is not inexpensive. I saw it online at Costco for $160.00. But with new research coming out weekly about the connection between good dental health, inflammation & heart health--I think it's a small price to pay. It's all about prevention in my book!
I never felt so glad to be home. After 40 days of summer schlepping from St. Louis to St. Lucie to Syosset and more, my 40 days of wandering have finally come to an end. I'm ecstatic!
When I added it all up, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we were out-of-town for nine weekends, and a total of 40 Days! No wonder I was so cranky, whiny and out-of-sorts.
Even when I was home, everything was a little off-kilter. Our empty nest was suddenly refilled when Son #2 came home for a 2 month visit before starting grad school; my mother-in-law discovered she had ovarian cancer; I was always behind at work with all my unplanned "wanderings", coupled with an already super-short-staffing-situation; and "mitten-drinnen" (the Yiddish word for "in the middle-of-everything") we moved everything out of our bedroom & office to refinish the floors: --bed-dresser-chest-nightstands-books-bookshelves-clothes-pictures-chairs-couch-papers-computer-printers-- EVERYTHING!
For 3 weeks we slept on the porch while the floors dried, the stinky polyurethane smell dissipated, and until we finally had time to "move all the stuff back-in" the bedroom & office. It was my husband's dream-come-true. Camping-out at home! You could see the stars and the moon. Hear the crickets and the birds. And who knew that bees start buzzing a 5:00 in the morning? That was a little unsettling.
It was like living out of suitcase and we weren't even on vacation. I couldn't find a thing with all my possessions crammed into a spare bedroom and the dining room. Hey, we even had out-of-town visitors, but when they saw the accomodations they didn't linger too long.
So What Did I Learn While I Was Wandering Around for 40 Days? Turns out you often don't know what practices are really working until you're forced to give them up.
1.) Regular sweat-producing exercise & weight training matter. I tried to fit in exercise while I was away, but often there just wasn't time and in Port St. Lucie, Tropical Storm Fay flooded us out. Exercise not only burns calories, it keeps me happy. Since I use a heart rate monitor I can easily compare the calorie burn for the hour walk that I take on vacation to the calories burned during my usual hour spinning class. No comparison! With my exercise routine disrupted and reduced over the summer I started to gain weight I haven't seen in 24 years; I could even see my muscles start to disappear; and all of a sudden I had an unwelcome visitor called "midriff bulge". Not to mention a new edgy crankiness was invading my usual good mood.
2.) Adding fun into each day is a must. I had a chance to hear a rerun of an interview with Dr. Stuart Brown, a physician and researcher, who is the founder of the National Institute for Play. Adults need to play as much as children do. Without it, we risk becoming depressed, rigid, unable to problem-solve, unsympathetic to others and humorless. Speaking for himself, Dr. Brown says:
"I give myself over at least three or four hours a day to what, for an old guy, is spontaneous free play. It could be reading or what I would call as extremely low-quality rogue tennis, hiking, playing with grandchildren. But, you know, if a day goes by and I haven't, at this age, had some sense of timelessness and freedom and purposelessness, I'll probably be kind of ratty by supper-time."
This summer left little time for goofing off and having "purposeless fun", the kind that recharges my batteries. Now I know how critical play is for my spirit and I'm going to make sure it gets on my "To Do List".
For me, play is: dancing, singing (even though I have a terrible voice), hiking, reading for fun, playing Maj with my gal pals, trying new recipes, and laughing til it hurts. My husband and I had so much fun dancing at last weekend's wedding that we promised ourselves to sign up for lessons this Fall.
And in our younger days we spent hours singing with the help of songbooks and an inexpensive guitar. When I read Megan McCafferty's story in the September 2008 issue of Health, "Love (and Karaoke) Will Keep Us Together", I was intrigued. Who gets to sing anymore? Megan's brother-in-law bought her & her husband a karaoke video game a few months ago, just for "the fun of it", and she says
"Karaoke has inspired my husband and me to beunself-conscious dorks together, in a way we hadn't been in years!"
They've got their own American Idol thing going, with Elvis, Christina Aguilera, and Pat Benetar songs. When I mentioned this to my husband, (who wouldn't do Karaoke in public in a million years) he was game. Yeah, he's a secret singer, too. I can't wait to find this video game. Anyone know what it's called?
3.) Yes, the food diary really works.My very first blog post back in January 2008 was about how well keeping a food diary works. Problem is, when something is working for me, I often think I no longer need it. I've started back to tracking my daily food intake with my favorite: MYFOODDIARY.com and there's no doubt that it works. As my weight started to drift upward this summer, I realized I needed to see what I was eating. As my exercising dipped downward, my eating stayed the same. It was clear to me that I needed to exercise to the tune of 400 calories a session, 5 times a week to not gain weight. Or, the less appealing option of just eating less!
MYFOODDIARY.com, works wells for me, even though there is a monthly fee, because I can enter all my favorite recipes into their database and create my own "Fridge" of my personal "everyday foods". It takes all the guess work out of it, and even calculates fat, fiber, carbs, protein, sodium, vitamins & nutrients. This summer, the scientific proof of the value of using a food diary was published in the August 2008 issue of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, in a study that suggests that keeping a food diary doubles one's weight loss.
4.) I need quiet-alone-time. When you vacation, when you visit relatives and friends, when you have house guests, or your grown kids pay an extended visit, quiet-time disappears. Someone (& I am guilty, too) is always talking, or the television is always on. OK, it's fun. It's enriching. But after awhile, one's inner calm needs a battery recharge. When I read Katy Butler's piece, "How to Access Your Inner Calm" in the September 2008 issue of More, she reminded me of how much I was missing meditation, and how much noise assaults our peace and sensibilities.
"The loudest sound my great-grandparents heard on an average day was the ringing of their village church bell. Nobody interrupted their dinners with beeps; news arrived by letter or, less often, with a knock at the front door. They lived in the vast South African desert, and the background was silence.
Contrast that with ordinary life in 21st century America, where the background is a hum of machine noise so constant that it goes unremarked: subways, freeways, leaf blowers, air conditioners, Jet Skis, television. Technology penetrates traditional boundaries of solitude and sanctuary; cell phones ring during funerals; helicopters buzz the Grand Canyon; bosses e-mail the house on Sunday morning. And then there are the 16,000 odd words, on average that we each speak every day, and the thousands more we hear."
My resolution: Insure some quiet-time, some alone-time, or some meditation time every day.
My husband's promise: He's buying a wireless head set to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa. Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless earphones for your TV? Viva the silence!
5.) The Valerian/Hops combination works! Before I took off on my latest travels I decided to give the Valerian/Hops combo a try to insure a restful sleep before starting out on my journeys. Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, the herbal expert from the University of Arizona gives a big thumbs up to this herbal sleep remedy.
I had a hard time finding a product that contained just those 2 herbs. I finally settled on Nature's Ways "Silent Night" formula, which is a proprietary blend of Valerian, Hops, and Scullcap. I took the advised dosage of 4 tablets, 1 hour before sleep. I briefly woke up a couple times during the night, which is typical for me, but I didn't get panicky about not falling back to sleep. I felt sleepy, mellow & fell right back to sleep. I woke up well rested without any grogginess whatsoever. I've never taken any sleep medication, so I have nothing to compare this to, but I would definitely use it again.
