Health for life

Today, our Ask the Internet question is inspired by sheer astonishment.

Q: Yesterday on Twitter, Mark Bittman linked to an article about, “a novel tobacco product that some critics say too closely resembles Tic Tac breath mints,” made (natch) by Camel. He was justifiably concerned they would addict children.

Tweeter retroklahoma then discovered that CANDY CIGARETTES ARE STILL AROUND. Which … what? How? In America? IN 2010?!?! Ack.

So, I was wondering: what food’s very existence shocks you the most? Why? Is it too old-fashioned? Is it obviously bad for everyone who would consume it? Is it inexplicable using the rules of physics and/or nature?

A: Yeah. Candy cigarettes. Can you believe it? Even in the 80s, we knew that was some damaging badness. Is there a food product that elicits the same reaction from you? The comment section is open, folks.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

It was a little over three years ago when I first heard of the concept of the Paleo Diet. I was introduced to it through a podcast on Underground Wellness interviewing Mark Sisson, the author of the Primal Blueprint. I had never thought about diet in the way that Mark did, and I was immediately fascinated by his approach. You mean we were healthier before we adopted agriculture? And we didnt eat grains, legumes, and dairy?? Interesting. I had just finished reading Gary Taubes "Good Calories, Bad Calories", so the low-carb approach was firmly in my radar. Things seemed like they were beginning to come together.

In the next few months, I would dive head first into this Paleo/Primal diet concept... I found Robb Wolfs podcast, I read Dr. Cordains original Paleo Diet book, I discovered several paleo-related blogs... I began to immerse myself in the paleo world. I even wrote a research paper for a class I was taking in Italy in my study abroad experience, called "The Health Benefits of Eating a Paleolithic Diet". No question, I became a paleo machine. I even started this here blog soon after; it all began as a place where I could express my contrarian opinions thoughtfully and back it up with scientific research. I felt like I needed to prove I was right, because everyone in my world thought I was wrong. (I never took on the "paleo" name though... its as if I knew my position might change some day)

It was around this time when I went full paleo... I made a conscious effort to avoid grains, legumes, and to some extent dairy for nearly two years. With promises of "perfect health"... some sort of vast utopia, free of ill health and disease, including even the pesky day-to-day maladies like seasonal allergies and headaches... I set out to feed my body only the foods that we had "evolved" to thrive on. I shunned anything else; no rice, no beans, no oatmeal, no bread, no soybean oil, not too much fruit, limited starch and carbs, no pasteurized dairy. I avoided gluten like the plague, because obviously, its downright evil. I even went through a phase where I thought nightshades might be killing me.

Every day I would go to school and sit in my conventional nutrition classes thinking... "Man, I just dont understand how these professors could dedicate their lives to teaching and researching nutrition and still have their facts so wrong!" As if I, at 25 years old, knew far better than someone whos been at this for twice as long. I couldnt wrap my head around it. How could they not see it... carbs and grains are killing us! Ugh.

The truth is, when you stop and think about how people eat around the world today, none of this paleo stuff makes a whole lot of sense. If gluten were really as bad as the paleo folks say it is, how would we have cultures like the Italians and the French who eat it on a daily basis and experience far greater health than we do in America? If legumes are indeed the scourge of the diet world, then how on earth are all of these Latin American countries not extinct? How do they stay so thin? If carbs really make us fat, then how is it possible that nearly every human being on this earth eats a high carb diet, yet most maintain a healthy body weight?

But perhaps most importantly of all... how can most of the world go on eating what they like, without a shred of doubt and guilt, and without knowing anything about nutrition, yet maintain a thin, healthy body?

These are all questions I have struggled to rationalize through the paleo lens.

Smile. You can eat neolithic foods and not die.

And then I would think about my own experience. For the first 24 years of my life, I ate a high-carbohydrate, gluten-full, typical American diet. Did I experience digestive distress? Rarely, if ever. Did I have chronic mental fog? Nope. Did my athletic performance suffer? Not at all. Did I struggle with my weight? Not once. Did I have trouble sleeping at night? Definitely never.

What did I expect to happen when going paleo? I dont quite know. But whatever it was, it didnt happen. Ive never needed to lose any weight. Maybe I expected to feel better, and to think more clearly, and to sleep better, and to feel happier. These are all things that are supposed to happen. I was told, "You dont even know what its like to have so much energy and feel so great all the time! Your mind cant comprehend it... youre just so used to feeling tired that it feels normal!" Really? I cant believe I ever fell for that. This may be true for someone a little older and a little more metabolically broken, but it wasnt true for me.

I already felt great. I was already thinking clearly. I had already been sleeping eight hours a night. I was perfectly healthy. I felt no different before or after. In fact, I feel even better now because I have a healthy relationship with food. I love food. I dont fear anything.

It was scary the first time I let myself have a slice of pizza at a family party. The first few times, I was convinced I was making myself sick, having imaginary "reactions" to gluten. It wasnt until I let my mind get out of the way that I realized... eating pizza at a party with people I love is a good thing. No, pizza isnt the most nourishing food, but thats not the point. The point is that it tastes good, and that it brings friends and family together. I dont stress anymore over eating a bite of cake, or enjoying a slice of my grandmothers delicious apple pie. Life is too short not to enjoy all that it has to offer.

Paleo is a great place to start. I still believe that the cornerstone of any healthy diet should be fruits, vegetables, and animal foods. Perhaps paleo would be best as a short-term, temporary diet to kickstart a lifestyle change. But in the long-term for most of us, we have nothing to gain by eliminating entire food groups, especially if weve been eating them for most of our lives with no ill effects. Most people will be perfectly healthy including rice and beans in their diet... and the same can be said for oatmeal, corn, potatoes, cheese, yogurt, and even bread. These foods taste good. And lets not forget about the indirect health benefits of eating food you like! Never forget what your personal experience has taught you, and trust yourself first. No one knows whats best for you like you do.

Are there people who really would benefit from eliminating grains, legumes, and dairy long-term? Probably. But these people are few and far between.


Anyone who tells you paleo is the only way is either A) straight up lying to you, or B) completely ignorant. The nutrition/health world is much more expansive than what can be encapsulated into one catch-all phrase. As a dietitian, the principles of the paleo diet function best as a tool in my tool box. Nothing more, nothing less.

Plus, now I can eat fried butter balls at the fair :)

Yesterday, HOTUS and I hosted (HOTUSted?) our first official family holiday, if you don’t count that one time everyone came over and sang karaoke for Arbor Day. We were celebrating Easter, as well as the debut of our wedding dishes ™, a monumental event in any aspiring adult’s life. My sister and her lovely man friend brought us roses, which were promptly made into a cat appetizer (catpetizer?).

Alas, we were also commemorating the loss of our Old Lady Cart (2007-2011), a beloved and highly useful member of the family. If you’ve ever been to New York, you’ve seen an old lady cart, probably pushed around by a baby boy. (Just kidding.) The four-wheeled device is kind of like a shopping cart, but smaller, more colorful, and incredibly prone to catching a wheel on sidewalk cracks, which then causes it to pitch forward, which then causes you to fall into it (shins first), which then leaves you with a bruise that lasts longer than the Roosevelt presidency. (Franklin Delano, not Theodore No Middle Name).

Our particular Old Lady Cart bit the dust on Saturday, the victim of overloading after a trip to CostCo. What began as, “I’m just getting a hunk of brie for my parents,” turned into, “Why WOULDN’T we want 90 ounces of Palmolive?” The right front wheel snapped 60 blocks north of my apartment, in the rain, after a nasty bump. It wasn’t pretty. And neither was I, at the end of the journey. Badness.

(Also, if the nice man who helped me lug the disabled cart up three flights of subway stairs happens to read this blog – thank you. And I’m sorry I almost dropped it all those times.)

Anyway, back to Easter. We feasted on many delectable hors d’oeuvres, drank much Gruner Veltliner, and dug into a homemade pie from my Ma and Pa, the finest purveyors of homemade pie in three states (Alaska, South Carolina, and Wyoming). But the centerpiece was Dave Lieberman’s Braised Hoisin Beer Short Ribs with Creamy Mashed Yukons and Sesame Snow Peas. It’s neither cheap nor healthy, but sweet Bea Arthur, was it ever good.

Well, I take some of that back. That last part – the Sesame Snow Peas – fall quite nicely into the parameters of this here blog. Due to a mix-up at the grocery story (meaning: I got mixed up), we used snap peas instead of snow peas. No big whoop. Thing still came out dang fine. Crisp, tender, and just the right counter for extra-heavy potatoes and beef.

If you should make it yourself, feel free to reduce the oil, possibly by quite a lot. We used a nonstick skillet, and didn’t need anywhere near the prescribed amount (3 tablespoons). I think about half would do it.

And that’s it. Hope y’all had a happy (also hoppy) Easter, and that your old lady carts live forever. *sniffle*

~~~

If this looks quite tasty, you will most definitely enjoy:

• Broccoli Almond Stir Fry
• Sautéed Shrimp and Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
• Vegetable Lo Mein

~~~

Sesame Snap Peas
Serves 6
From Dave Lieberman.


1 lb. snap peas, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted if perred

In a large skillet, heat oils over medium-high heat. Add peas and sauté about 2 or 3 minutes, until they are bright green. Remove to a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
99 calories, 7.7 g fat, 2 g fiber, 2.2 g protein, $0.46

NOTE: Honestly, you could probably cut the oil in half and still have a really nice dish here. Give it a shot.

Calculations
1 lb. snap peas, washed and thoroughly dried: 191 calories, 0.9 g fat, 11.8 g fiber, 12.7 g protein, $1.99
2 tablespoons vegetable oil: 265 calories, 30 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.18
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.40
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted if perred: 17 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.17
TOTALS: 592 calories, 45.9 g fat, 12.2 g fiber, 13.2 g protein, $2.74
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 99 calories, 7.7 g fat, 2 g fiber, 2.2 g protein, $0.46

Sweet readers! I ain’t got no recipe for you today, and I apologize. I’ve barely had time to go to the bathroom since arriving home, so cooking has been moved to the backburner. (Not literally speaking, because that would imply that I’ve cooked something. You see, here at CHG we try to use “literally” correctly, or we risk being severely pummeled by our mother.)
Anyway, our Italian honeymoon! It was great. Lots of art. And traffic circles. And domes. Boy, do they like domes over there.

The food, of course, was out of this world. Between myself and That Guy That I Married, we scarfed a silo’s worth of pasta, along with every known salami, prosciutto, capicola, and sopressata on the planet. This is to say nothing of the wine, which was plentiful and universally excellent.

Also? We ate horse. More on that in a minute.

First, a few observations, should you embark on your own journey:

1) Meats (cured and cooked), cheeses, pastas, wines, fruits, veggies, desserts, pastries, and sauces are absolutely, completely everything they’re cracked up to be. I gained almost six pounds, 90% of it in Pasta Carbonara.

2) These are three of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure of shoving down my gaping maw:

Rigatoni Carbonara at Dino & Tonys in Rome

Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu in Montepulciano

Macaroni, Marscapone Cheese, and Some Kind of Mystery Meat at Al Duomo in Verona

3) At home, we eat 90% vegetarian. Abroad we ate: octopus, boar, horse, donkey, chicken, pork, beef, sardines, anchovies, swordfish, rabbit, shrimp, and all kinds of fish. Regarding the horse and donkey, they’re both traditional meats of the Veneto region. (No, really.) We were a little hesitant at first, but figured it had already been cooked, so what the heck? With apologies to Secretariat, the results were surprisingly delicious.

4) Italian breakfasts are five-minute affairs consisting of espresso, some kind of sweet bread (meaning “chocolate croissant,” not “turkey pancreas”), and the worst fruit juice you’ve ever had in your life. I don’t understand how the same country that created Valpolicella wine could not master a halfway decent OJ. Get on it, Berlusconi!

5) Lunches are 30-to-60-minute affairs consisting of a sandwich, pizza, or some combination of meat, cheese, and bread. Not a bad way to live.

6) Dinners are two-hour affairs consisting of several courses: antipasti (usually cured meat and cheese), primi (some kind of amazing pasta), secondi (some kind of amazing meat), verdure (side veggies), dolci (dessert), and espresso and/or an aperitif to top it all off. At home, we’re pretty good at taking our time during meals. Even so, it took a few days to get used to the long, leisurely Italian suppers.

7) Speaking of those aperitifs, meals are generally ended by one of two beverages: limoncello (pictured) or grappa. We did not partake of the former, but did attempt the latter, which contained enough pure alcohol to strip a car.

8) More on the alcohol: While Italians offer a plethora of excellent regional wines, ordering a beer means you’re getting Peroni, or the occasional Moretti. While both are pretty good, we were craving good ol’ stouts and hefeweizens by Week 3. (In related news, we should be punched.)

9) This is Florence’s Central Market, a.k.a. Kris’ Personal EuroDisney. Picture this stall, multiply it by 100, and fill each with a different kind of food – cheese, tripe, fruit, vegetables, spices, chickens, rabbits, pig skulls, etc. I would have happily stayed there instead of our B&B, even though the owners offered free Nutella.

What heaven looks like in my head

10) Did you know walnuts are found in the middle of squishy tree fruits? Me neither! We discovered this when we locked ourselves out of our mountaintop B&B for 8-1/2 hours and were forced to forage for dinner.

11) During those same 8-1/2 hours, this magnificent chicken took a very real liking to me.

Mah Italian boyfriend

12) His girlfriends retaliated by pecking at our rental car.

Not pictured: a Mercedes Benz with hen dents

13) Italians do not use ice in their drinks. Ever. Hmph.

14) The greatest French fries/roasted potatoes in the world are located at a family-run Osteria in a miniscule town called Villa D’Aiano. It takes about 40 hours to reach, and no one speaks much English, but they must make their tubers with magic and unicorns. It’s the only way to explain them.

15) It is not a myth: Italian people are very fashionable, super tan, and extremely hot. Seriously, it’s like a whole country filled with Monica Belluccis. I have no idea how they are able to shove themselves into Armani pants when so much fresh pasta is available.

That’s all I can think of right now. Expect to see a few Italy-inspired recipes in the coming weeks, though. I promise, if I can find that Marscapone and Macaroni dish, it’ll go up a.s.a.p.

In the meantime, thanks for tolerating this, sweet readers! And if you have any memories of wonderful vacation food, please add ‘em in the comment section. It’s good to be back!

Taking pills is an easy way to improve a medical condition, or in the case of vitamins and supplements, to assure good health. That is, as long as you take them.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) cites a study that found hospitalization rates were higher for patients who missed taking only 20% of their oral diabetes medications.

If you take prescription drugs regularly, or youve started a vitamin routine that has you taking various pills over the course of the day, its helpful to portion those pills ahead of time and keep them with you.

You can buy an inexpensive pillbox with compartments for times of the day or days of the week. There are more sophisticated ones that include a digital clock and alarm, or a small water supply. Or you can load up any small plastic bag or container and keep it in your pocket or purse when you leave home.

Setting daily doses aside is also a good way to confirm that you took your meds. If you find yourself asking, "Did I take my pills this morning?", just check your pillbox.

________
For the ADAs pill-skipping article:
Skipping Pills May Put You in the Hospital

One of lifes many reminders that  I am not alone, with diabetes.

"Who are you?," I asked, as strange and odd faces peered over me, picked me up and placed me on a stretcher. "What am I doing here?"

No one answered.

The world felt really odd, and weird. My head, compressed and pained, while my vision was at odds with my mind... as if I had put on a pair of someones prescription glasses many times more powerful than my own vision, and making everything in sight oddly concave.

"She keeps saying that!" said the voice of a red headed woman with too much eye make up, in an exasperated tone, and incredulous that I could not remember who any of them were. Funny, I thought Id only asked once. The attention was unnerving, and frightening... and their annoyance was oddly embarrassing. I really wanted to get out of there, and go home... If only I could of remembered where home was.

On October 26th, 2007, I had a massive seizure at my desk, at work... Or so they tell me. I cant remember when it started, or what provoked it... I cant remember much of anything about it, or that day, for that matter.

All I can remember is laying in a hospital bed, in a medical gown and no underwear, under the gaze of my former Human Resource Manager, and trying hard not to look like a woman whos not wearing a bra. He was a brutish man, with a hot temper, and little human resource education. Its the way of the world in some of these up and coming companies. You get to be buddy-buddy with the head honchos, join the good ol boys club, and then it doesnt matter if you have any qualifications for a job. His way of qualifications was a 6 month stint as temporary HR manager back in 1984. (Yes, you can laugh out loud.)

... And so it was that a company who sold out to a much bigger company, coincided with a production foreman (wise in the ways of verbally intimidating employees) being made into an HR Manager (a position which requires extreme diplomacy), and me... developing extremely debilitating, and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, with no one knowing what it was, at the time.

It was a perfect storm, really.

They needed to cut down on employees... and I got sick. I was a good target. We all knew they were going to cut SOMEONE. They kept having all those behind closed doors meetings. And no one knew what I had at the time, so I got to be made to look like a mediocre employee who just wanted to play hooky and not show up to work. A great way to cut staff (and I made quite a bit of money, in my position, so it was quite the savings for them, I am sure). They had already tried to intimidate me... by demoting me, claiming I was unorganized, and had made many mistakes. (It didnt matter that, when I asked, they had absolutely no examples to provide to back up their assertions, other than my illness related absences, which had been closely monitored by my doctor... nor that a few months earlier, they had given me perfect praise... nor that my previous review had been above excellent.) They wanted to break ME as a person, and get me to quit. They wanted to treat ME as worthlessly as another unskilled production employee.

So, I had a seizure. It was on a Friday, and I spent a really ill weekend at the hospital. Went home on a Sunday, with a very chewed up tongue, migraines and dizziness issues... And when the HR Manager demanded I be at work on Monday -- but couldnt do so, for obvious reasons -- he fired me. The company NEVER contested my claims for unemployment insurance; they never even showed up for the hearing.

I cant tell you... HOW MUCH I have blamed myself over the years. How much I have felt like a worthless person who just couldnt keep running as hard as she could, who couldnt just grin, and bear it. Still, to this day, I sometimes have many nightmares... sometimes reoccurring dreams where someone calls me, forgives me, and just gives me back my job. I loved my job. I loved making a difference. I loved making people smile with my organizational skills, and my programming skills, and my language interpreting skills. I loved interviewing new hires, and giving new employee orientations, and speaking to big audiences... I loved educating, and writing, and speaking, and everything I did. I had been promoted to a better position within 4 months of hire, and given hefty salary raises for my skills. I had dreams of further certifications, promotions, and continuous education degrees. I LOVED MY JOB. I loved my life. 

For many years I felt like I lost my soul on that day. I lost my soul, and I let myself go. I let myself go, and felt like I died. Long, lost, and forgotten... someone who forever had ruined her life. I felt great shame, and hurt. Great anger.

Diabetes came into my life with a BIG bang, and like a tsunami... washed up many parts of my life with it. Great post traumatic stress took over, and made me shy away from new jobs, job situations, and new friendships. Finding a job, a permanent one, and keeping it... for the last 5 years has been HARD. I wanted to cry and wallow in self pity.

Diabetes is HARD. And its often embarrassing. And people JUDGE you. They do. People DONT understand. People think their lives are textbook examples for how other peoples lives need to be. They judge you, and they often try to bring you down.

But you get up. You get up, and pick up the pieces of you... as many times as you need to... and you keep going.

I now work minimum wage. I dont do anything near as glamorous as I once did. I have two jobs. I work unloading trucks, and at a fast food place. I dont even have a car. I walk long and far... just to make minimum wage. But I am... OKAY. Im OKAY, and I am even happy, sometimes. Heck, Id say most of the time.

My bosses dont really get diabetes... but they LISTEN,  and they try to understand, and try to help me be safe at work, and make concessions. My coworkers LISTEN, and they care... My bosses let me be ME, with diabetes. They let me be ME, in spite of diabetes. Sharing with coworkers the other day, and even opening up about my traumatic past, really made realize... that its OKAY. That I can move on. THAT I AM SAFE.

Sometimes, some of those people I used to work with at the Human Resource job, show up for lunch at the fast food place. They seem to look down upon me with a certain pity in their eyes, or with embarrassment that I am doing a fast food job, and I just smile kindly back to them. I smile because Im happy, and they dont understand my journey... and I hope they NEVER have to.

I smile... because though I loved, and miss my job... happiness and freedom are not found in jobs, nor what people think of us. They are found in those 5 year detours in the desert... when all you have is YOURSELF.

(... And, ironically, the original founder and owner of the company passed away, not long ago, of type 2 diabetes complications. I may have lost my job, money, insurance, etc... but I guess at least I still have my life... and boy am I LIVING it.) 

In his PDF book, "Eat Stop Eat" Brad Pilon makes the following statement:

"While you may find this guideline overly simplistic at first, the truth is there is NO normal or perfect way to eat for weight loss. This is the great fallacy behind most diet books. The fact is, and always will be, it is calorie restriction that causes weight loss."

I am amazed that this statement is so amazing to me. I hope you are getting the double whammy that is in that statement. It does not say you have to count calories, he says you have to restrict them... in other words: eat less. I know. I know. Whats so unusual about that? Everybody knows that! If you want to lose weight you have to eat less. Point made. Point taken. Lose the food, lose the weight.

I have spent so much time trying to figure out what to eat to lose weight that this simple truth somehow whizzed right over my head. Brads statement brought it down in front of my eyes. I dont like to think of myself as "simple minded" but, darn, maybe I am. I worked hard to find a style of eating that would help me lose weight and what I really needed was a style of not eating. Oh my.

The "double" part is that eating "low carb" or "low fat" or "high protein" is not the point. The point is less food. What my mother used to say. All this time, Ive been avoiding it, but it turns out she was right. It is the one thing that works. Just eat smaller portions. It is not even important how much smaller, just smaller than what youve been eating. You dont need "guidelines" from someone else. Just make your portions smaller than what you usually eat. Start where you are and trim a little off the contents of the plate. Drink plenty of water, too.

Surprise. You dont need to fill up all the spaces in your stomach. Once it becomes a habit, it will not seem unusual or strange to you.

I think the thing I feared was not having food to eat. Or eating less. Or being deprived. Somehow. I know... I feared "hunger." Is that possible? Yes, I think it is. I feared being hungry. I dont know why... and Im not even interested in finding out why. Im just glad that Ive already discovered that "hunger" is nothing to fear!! That is the major lesson I learned from fasting. It is not the overpowering, all consuming, scary thing that I seemed to think it was. Hunger. Wow.  Starvation? Yes, that should be feared and worked against. But, simple ordinary every day hunger? What is there to fear in that. It is almost silly. Funny.

I worked so hard to avoid the fact of simply eating less that I went round in circles over and over again. I did not think I could control the quantity of food that I eat in a session, so avoided attempting something at which I believed I would fail. I believed I could not simply eat smaller portions and be satisfied. I was used to dealing with the eating machine which is the antithesis of portion control. The eating machine is portion out of control.

But Ive been fasting for 24 hour periods for a while now so I know I can do it and love it. Not that every time I try it, it is successful. Just today I was going to do a spur of the moment fast, but I petered out later and ate. But ESE is flexible and I know I can do it tomorrow and if I prepare for it, I will do it.

Fasting has shown me there is a different way to approach food and eating. You do know those are two different things. Food. And eating. Food is simply a substance. Eating is an act that is performed. If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less.



The other day I had gotten out one of my mothers old dessert dishes (picture above). I dont remember what for. But as I walked across the floor I stopped and looked at the size of this tiny dish that had the name "dessert dish." It fit in the palm of my hand. I thought about the gargantuan bowls of ice cream I used to eat when I was a kid. I remember my Dad teasing that I would "make a good step mother" because I served everyone large portions. They never used them. And here in my hand was this tiny little cut glass dessert dish. If every dessert I had would fit in that small dish, I would probably be thin.

It is almost as if the size of the bowl creates the size of the person.

I was recently watching episodes of the BBC program call "Supersize vs. Super Skinny" where one humongous person and one tiny person swapped meals for a certain amount of time in what they call their feeding clinic. They have to sit across the table from one another, after preparing a meal from a day in their own food diary, and then when they sit down to eat, they trade meals. The big person eats the small persons meal and the small person eats the big persons meal for a few days in a row. 

They are both flabbergasted at what the other one eats and they have conversations about this experiment as they do it. Often the big person quickly eats the little persons meal and then sits and watches the tiny person struggle to eat their gigantic portions of food which they almost never finish. Each one feels responsible for the other ones discomfort. When they see how the other person has to struggle to do what they do on a regular basis, they begin to realize what they have been doing to themselves. The big person realizes just how unrealistically large their portions are. The thin person realizes that the tiny meals they eat are not enough for an adult to live on.

The supersize person gets a trip to America that the skinny person does not get. They go to visit a person who can be as much as a couple hundred pounds larger than they are for the purpose of seeing, for themselves, what the effects of continuing to pack on the pounds does to a human body. The people they visit often have many ailments and they often are not doing anything to curb their appetites and lose weight, although not all of them are like that. They suffer from immobility, pain, seeping legs, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and all kinds of weight related problems. They often need help, just to go to the bathroom. This is the "wake up" call for the English participant. They get to be up close and personal with what it really means to continue doing what they are doing. It works. They get it.
 
From having watched many episodes this feeding clinic exercise seems to help the overly slim or super skinny person get in touch with their hunger, which for whatever reason, got turned off sometime in the past. When they return to the show about 8 weeks later they look more normal sized and not so skinny, even though they worked hard, ate lots, and put on about 3 pounds they look like theyve put on 15 or 20. The fat person also looks different. They often lose quite a bit of weight and feel very good about themselves and they look good too.  But... a year later the formerly super skinny person now looks like a normal human being, the fat person looks like a smaller fat person. Sometimes the "one year later" show has three of the participants back and very often it is two of the ormed super skinnies, and one of the somewhat smaller fat people. Makes me wonder if the fatties got lost somewhere, or put their weight back on again, so they are not on the show. They never say anything like that. You just never see them again.

All of these prove that we have perceptions about food and eating that show up as body size. Sometimes they are easy to change and sometimes they are not. I find that the twice weekly fasting has taught me some things about me that I did not know before. For one thing, I can now skip a meal and not have a cow. In fact, it really is rather simple and very easy to skip a meal, or two, or three in a row, and not die. It does not make me sick. I dont get light headed. I dont feel faint. I dont get tired. In fact, just the opposite happens. I feel lighter on my feet, awake and alert and, dare I say it: happy. I still know where my next meal is coming from. Im not starving. I dont go into starvation mode and my metabolism is not harmed in any way. Studies on fasting prove this is true. (You can read about it in ESE.)

You wont go into starvation mode until about 72 hours of not eating. The body also knows how to maintain your metabolism. If it is not getting food to run on, it uses the storage of fat. A fat belly really is like a pantry for the body to feed itself, but if you keep eating continually, it never gets the opportunity to use up the one year supply of food on your back. This makes it very hard to lose weight and very easy to pack on more pounds. It is not the style of eating that needs to be changed. It is the style of not eating!!

Short, 24-hour fasts for one, two, or even three days in a week gives your body the chance to go into fat burning mode. In between you can eat what you normally eat but in a responsible manner. Brad suggests that you eat more fruit and vegetables, which will replace a lot of processed foods. If you are conscious enough to be eating more fruit and veggies you probably are already not eating as much sugar and starchy foods. Brad says that the key to making this work for you is "self control." You cannot eat like a sumo wrestler and expect to look like a super model. On the days you eat, eat sensibly. Eat enough. And then move on.

So the new thing for me in this is the dessert dish. Now I know what size a dessert should be for a normal sized human being. With the combination of 24 hour fasts, and in between, sensible eating, I should be able to speed up the weight loss thingy. 

Wonder what people will think when I bring my dessert dish with me as a reminder for myself that I can have dessert as long as it fits in my dessert dish? I picture holding it up and saying (more to myself than to anyone else), "As long as it fits in here, I can eat it. If it does not fit in here, then I dont eat it."

I guess Ill find out.

Be back soon,

Marcia



 

You guys! I wrote a book! And it’s out today!

Do-it-Yourself Therapy: Head Games for a Rainy Day is a light-hearted activity book that will delight your friends and conquer your enemies. But don’t take it from me. Take it from Random House’s/Potter Style’s official product description:

More affordable than your analyst, and more fun than webMD, this novelty book full of games, home remedies, and therapeutic activities for the obsessive, depressive, and passive-aggressive will help you diagnose your neurosis! You’ll go crazy for tools like punch-out Rorschach Ink-Blot-from-Hell diagnostic cards, fill-in-the-blank therapy sessions with your personalized paper-doll analyst, bathroom vanity disguise kit featuring cover-up labels for your prescription meds, and the insanely accurate Neurosis Bingo (if you experience five symptoms listed on the board in one day, BINGO!, your disorder is revealed). Do-It-Yourself Therapy also offers curative activities like the “Can You Find the Happy Pills?” hidden picture game, an obsessive-compulsive to-do list, and Sorry-I’m-So-Crazy postcards to punch out and send to friends when your behavior has crossed the line.

Available through mah Amazon store (lower left-hand side of this web page), brick-and-mortar bookstores, and neat places everywhere. Thank you!

Last night there was a vegetarian quorum in my living room: two lacto/ovo vegetarians, one vegan, and one omnivore (who had once been a vegetarian). We voted a moratorium on the question, “So, will you ever eat meat again?”

BA mentioned she was coming up on her 17-year vegan anniversary and that people still asked her that question. We all nodded in sympathy. “They may as well ask if I’d ever eat wood.”

Well, according to the trend piece Flesh Mob in the New York Press, it’s not such a crazy question. Apparently, the bacon craze and conscious carnivorism has vegetarians abandoning their previously held convictions and signing up for butchering classes and joining CSAs for the grass-fed beef—really getting back to the land.

“People were encouraged to avoid meat with scary PETA videos and horror stories about factory farming, but these days, newly carnivorous New Yorkers are able to cushion their consciousnesses with locally grown, free range and all-around-happy meat.”

I found the claim that vegetarians are lining up to become butchers quite disingenuous. Whatever their reasons for becoming vegetarian, none of my current veg-head friends would dream of consuming meat just because it’s de rigueur.

Most former veggies I know, including BH of our living room quorum, made the switch after some soul searching and for myriad reasons, including access and convenience, love (of another human)—and nearly all of them eat meat sparingly.

Plus, I thought people were catching onto the idea that a little meat goes a long way. What happened to being a flexitarian to improve one’s health, bank balance, and environment?

A 2009 Vegetarian Resource Group Poll put the nation’s vegetarian numbers at about 3%, up from 2% in 2006. Even my sister, whose husband hunts and fishes, and a pair of dear friends and avowed omnis are giving part-time vegetarianism a try.

Food is deeply personal, and increasingly, has become moral and political. I am not questioning people’s decision to eat what they choose and live as they believe is right. (I have lots of omni friends!) My beef (har) is with the framing of the story: that vegetarianism is a “phase” we’ll all get over when we grow up—an get a good whiff of frying bacon.

Maybe wood pulp and poly-cotton will be the next big thing. BA and I are on board, since they’re vegan.

Readers, what about you? Are you vegetarian, vegan, part-time vegetarian, or conscious carnivore? Would anything make you change your diet? How do you balance your ethics with your grocery bill? Is food a moral issue in your household? Let ‘er rip in the comments.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr member FantasyFan.)

~~~
If you like this piece, you might also dig:

• Dont Fear the Bean Curd
• Film Fest 09: Three Essential Documentaries About Food
• A Confession and A Prayer to Remain Tailless

If youre a regular reader of this blog, you may know that I love to talk about cholesterol.  You know about my many blog posts on the falsity of the lipid hypothesis, the idea that high cholesterol causes heart disease.  Its been by far the most covered topic on my blog (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).  Its always been a major topic of interest to me, because I feel so strongly that people are being misled when it comes to cholesterol.  Its my view that high cholesterol (recognized by most doctors as higher than 200 mg/dl) is completely overrated as a risk factor for heart disease, and that cholesterol-lowering drugs are unnecessary/useless/potentially harmful for 95% of the population.  Everyone is always so damn worried about their cholesterol, and they dont need to be.  So Im "that guy".  Im the guy who scoffs at doctors when they prescribe statin drugs for women with cholesterol levels of 210.  Im the guy who shakes his head when an otherwise healthy person returns from the doctors office upset about having high cholesterol.  And Im DEFINITELY the guy who laughs when you start eating egg white omelets every morning to fix it.  Thats just hilarious in so many ways.
Second test
My diet had not changed that significantly from the first to the second test, in which my total and LDL dropped dramatically.  I began to increase my carb intake a little, and I cut back on the conventional fatty meat for sure.  I ate more full-fat dairy and eggs, as well as some rice and potatoes.  The macronutrient ratios likely didnt differ much from that of the first test:  55% fat, 25% protein, 20% carbs.

Third test
I would say my diet has changed more from the second to the third test than from the first to the second.  I now eat significantly more gluten-free grains like rice and corn, as well as potatoes.  I still eat around 4 eggs each day and drink whole milk regularly.  But of course, meat, vegetables, and fruits are still a major part of my diet.  Oh, and grass-fed butter.  What would I ever do without you.  I would estimate my diet at about 40% fat, 25% protein, 35% carbs. 

A dear friend, only 85 years old, healthy and physically and mentally active (golf, tennis, bridge) has developed serious signs of mental decline. This has alarmed me sufficiently to review what recent research says about this:

Regular Physical Activity Reduces Risk of Dementia in Older People

In a new study published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, older, non-disabled people who regularly engaged in physical activity reduced their risk of vascular-related dementia by 40 percent and cognitive impairment of any etiology by 60 percent.

The protective effect of regular physical activity remained regardless of age, education, changes in the brains white matter and even previous history of stroke or diabetes, researchers said.

The findings are based on a prospective multinational European study that included yearly comprehensive cognitive assessments for three years. The results are part of increasing evidence that regular physical activity promotes brain health, researchers said.

"We strongly suggest physical activity of moderate intensity at least 30 minutes three times a week to prevent cognitive impairment," said Ana Verdelho, M.D., lead author of the study and a neuroscience researcher at the University of Lisbon, Santa Maria Hospital in Portugal. "This is particularly important for people with vascular risk factors such as hypertension, stroke or diabetes."

The analysis included 639 people in their 60s and 70s; 55 percent were women and almost 64 percent said they were active at least 30 minutes a day three times a week. The activity included gym classes, walking and biking.

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise for optimal health.

Researchers performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests at the beginning and end of the study to gauge white matter changes in the brain, an indicator of possible cognitive decline.

"Damage of the cerebral white matter is implicated in cognitive problems including depression, walking difficulties and urinary complaints," Verdelho said. "White matter changes are very common in older people and mainly associated with vascular risk factors like hypertension and stroke."

Throughout the study, researchers asked participants in phone interviews and clinical visits about depression, quality of life and performing everyday activities.

At the end of the follow-up, 90 patients had dementia, including 54 with vascular dementia in which impaired blood flow to the brain causes cognitive decline, and 34 patients met criteria for Alzheimers disease. Another 147 patients developed cognitive impairment, but not dementia.

Aspirin may slow the decline in mental capacity among elderly patients


A daily dose of acetylsalicylic acid equivalent to a fourth of an aspirin may slow the decline in intellectual capacity among elderly individuals with high cardiovascular risk. This is shown in a study by Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, over a five year period studied how intellectual capacity changes among 681 elderly women (70 to 92 years) with heightened risk of suffering from a heart attack, vascular spasm or stroke.

Of the 681 women, 129 received a low daily dose of acetylsalicylic acid, equivalent to a fourth of an aspirin, to prevent heart disease. The Gothenburg study shows that acetylsalicylic acid also slowed decline in brain capacity among the elderly women.

In the study, published in British Medical Journal Open, the women underwent various tests to measure their physical health and intellectual capacity, such as language and memory tests.

"At the end of the five year examination period mental capacity had declined among all the women and the portion that suffered from dementia was equally large in the entire group. However, the decline in brain capacity was significantly less and occurred at a slower pace among the women who received acetylsalicylic acid," says Silke Kern, researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy.

Vitamin C and beta-carotene might protect against dementia

Cocoa may enhance brain function

Eating cocoa flavanols daily may improve mild cognitive impairment, according to new research in the American Heart Associations journal Hypertension.

Each year, more than six percent of people aged 70 years or older develop mild cognitive impairment, a condition involving memory loss that can progress to dementia and Alzheimers disease.

Flavanols can be found in tea, grapes, red wine, apples and cocoa products and have been associated with a decreased risk of dementia. They may act on the brain structure and function directly by protecting neurons from injury, improving metabolism and their interaction with the molecular structure responsible for memory researchers said. Indirectly, flavanols may help by improving brain blood flow.

Researchers found

: • Scores significantly improved in the ability to relate visual stimuli to motor responses, working memory, task-switching and verbal memory for those drinking the high and intermediate flavanol drinks.
• Participants drinking daily higher levels of flavanol drinks had significantly higher overall cognitive scores than those participants drinking lower-levels.


High blood caffeine levels linked to avoidance of Alzheimers disease

Those cups of coffee that you drink every day to keep alert appear to have an extra perk – especially if youre an older adult. A recent study monitoring the memory and thinking processes of people older than 65 found that all those with higher blood caffeine levels avoided the onset of Alzheimers disease in the two-to-four years of study follow-up. Moreover, coffee appeared to be the major or only source of caffeine for these individuals.

Researchers from the University of South Florida (www.usf.edu) and the University of Miami (www.miami.edu)say the case control study provides the first direct evidence that caffeine/coffee intake is associated with a reduced risk of dementia or delayed onset. Their findings will appear in the online version of an article to be published June 5 in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, published by IOS Press (http://health.usf.edu/nocms/publicaffairs/now/pdfs/JAD111781.pdf). The collaborative study involved 124 people, ages 65 to 88, in Tampa and Miami.

"These intriguing results suggest that older adults with mild memory impairment who drink moderate levels of coffee -- about 3 cups a day -- will not convert to Alzheimers disease -- or at least will experience a substantial delay before converting to Alzheimers," said study lead author Dr. Chuanhai Cao, a neuroscientist at the USF College of Pharmacy (http://health.usf.edu/nocms/pharmacy/) and the USF Health Byrd Alzheimers Institute (http://health.usf.edu/nocms/byrd/). "The results from this study, along with our earlier studies in Alzheimers mice, are very consistent in indicating that moderate daily caffeine/coffee intake throughout adulthood should appreciably protect against Alzheimers disease later in life."

The study shows this protection probably occurs even in older people with early signs of the disease, called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. Patients with MCI already experience some short-term memory loss and initial Alzheimers pathology in their brains. Each year, about 15 percent of MCI patients progress to full-blown Alzheimers disease. The researchers focused on study participants with MCI, because many were destined to develop Alzheimers within a few years.

Blood caffeine levels at the studys onset were substantially lower (51 percent less) in participants diagnosed with MCI who progressed to dementia during the two-to-four year follow-up than in those whose mild cognitive impairment remained stable over the same period.

No one with MCI who later developed Alzheimers had initial blood caffeine levels above a critical level of 1200 ng/ml – equivalent to drinking several cups of coffee a few hours before the blood sample was drawn. In contrast, many with stable MCI had blood caffeine levels higher than this critical level.

"We found that 100 percent of the MCI patients with plasma caffeine levels above the critical level experienced no conversion to Alzheimers disease during the two-to-four year follow-up period," said study co-author Dr. Gary Arendash.

The researchers believe higher blood caffeine levels indicate habitually higher caffeine intake, most probably through coffee. Caffeinated coffee appeared to be the main, if not exclusive, source of caffeine in the memory-protected MCI patients, because they had the same profile of blood immune markers as Alzheimers mice given caffeinated coffee. Alzheimers mice given caffeine alone or decaffeinated coffee had a very different immune marker profile.

Since 2006, USFs Dr. Cao and Dr. Arendash have published several studies investigating the effects of caffeine/coffee administered to Alzheimers mice. Most recently, they reported that caffeine interacts with a yet unidentified component of coffee to boost blood levels of a critical growth factor that seems to fight off the Alzheimers disease process.

"We are not saying that moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from Alzheimers disease," Dr. Cao cautioned. "However, we firmly believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimers or delay its onset."

Alzheimers pathology is a process in which plaques and tangles accumulate in the brain, killing nerve cells, destroying neural connections, and ultimately leading to progressive and irreversible memory loss. Since the neurodegenerative disease starts one or two decades before cognitive decline becomes apparent, the study authors point out, any intervention to cut the risk of Alzheimers should ideally begin that far in advance of symptoms.

"Moderate daily consumption of caffeinated coffee appears to be the best dietary option for long-term protection against Alzheimers memory loss," Dr. Arendash said. "Coffee is inexpensive, readily available, easily gets into the brain, and has few side-effects for most of us. Moreover, our studies show that caffeine and coffee appear to directly attack the Alzheimers disease process."

In addition to Alzheimers disease, moderate caffeine/coffee intake appears to reduce the risk of several other diseases of aging, including Parkinsons disease, stroke, Type II diabetes, and breast cancer. However, supporting studies for these benefits have all been observational (uncontrolled), and controlled clinical trials are needed to definitively demonstrate therapeutic value.

A study tracking the health and coffee consumption of more than 400,000 older adults for 13 years, and published earlier this year in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that coffee drinkers reduced their risk of dying from heart disease, lung disease, pneumonia, stroke, diabetes, infections, and even injuries and accidents.

With new Alzheimers diagnostic guidelines encompassing the full continuum of the disease, approximately 10 million Americans now fall within one of three developmental stages of Alzheimers disease -- Alzheimers disease brain pathology only, MCI, or diagnosed Alzheimers disease. That number is expected to climb even higher as the baby-boomer generation continues to enter older age, unless an effective and proven preventive measure is identified.

"If we could conduct a large cohort study to look into the mechanisms of how and why coffee and caffeine can delay or prevent Alzheimers disease, it might result in billions of dollars in savings each year in addition to improved quality of life," Dr. Cao said.

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, in comparison with abstinence, was associated with approximately 35-45% lower risk of cognitive decline or dementia


Alzheimers disease (AD) and other types of dementia are most common in the very elderly, and are associated with huge health costs. With a rapidly ageing population throughout the world, factors that affect the risk of cognitive decline and dementia are of great importance. A review paper by Kim JW et al published in Psychiatry Investig 2012;9:8-16 on the association between alcohol consumption and cognition in the elderly provides an excellent summary of the potential ways in which alcohol may affect cognitive function and the risk of dementia, both adversely and favourably as alcohol may have both a neuro toxic and neuro protective effect, depending on the dose and drinking pattern. Longitudinal and brain imaging studies in the elderly show that excessive alcohol consumption may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia, but regular low to moderate alcohol intake may protect against cognitive decline and dementia and provide cardiovascular benefits.

Studies published from 1971 to 2011 related to alcohol and cognition in the elderly were reviewed using a PubMed search. At present, there are no proven agents to prevent cognitive decline or dementia, although a number of prospective epidemiologic studies have shown a lower risk of such conditions among light to moderate drinkers in comparison with non-drinkers. Other studies have found that beneficial effects are seen only among certain sub-groups of subjects. A recent meta-analysis by Peters et al of subjects over the age of 65 in longitudinal studies concluded that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, in comparison with abstinence, was associated with approximately 35-45% lower risk of cognitive decline or dementia.

This paper provides a summary of what is known about the mechanisms by which alcohol consumption, especially heavy drinking, can be neurotoxic, and how light-to-moderate drinking may help protect against cognitive decline and dementia. The authors state that their intent is to determine if there is an "optimal pattern of drinking" that may protect the elderly against such conditions.

At present, the mechanisms by which the moderate intake of wine and other alcoholic beverages reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases are much better defined than they are for cognition. Forum members agree with the authors that further research is needed to evaluate a potential role that alcohol may play in reducing the risk of dementia.

Forum members also agree that, at present, the specific mechanisms of such putative protection are not well defined, and it would be premature to recommend light-to-moderate drinking for reducing the risk of dementia. On the other hand, current biomedical data supports the concept that regular, moderate intake of ethanol is not simply less dangerous for cognitive function, but is positively protective. This is the same conclusion reached by epidemiologic studies."



With fat: Whats good or bad for the heart, may be the same for the brain


It has been known for years that eating too many foods containing "bad" fats, such as saturated fats or trans fats, isnt healthy for your heart. However, according to new research from Brigham and Womens Hospital (BWH), one "bad" fat—saturated fat—was found to be associated with worse overall cognitive function and memory in women over time. By contrast, a "good" fat—mono-unsaturated fat was associated with better overall cognitive function and memory.

This study is published online by Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, on May 18, 2012.

The research team analyzed data from the Womens Health Study—originally a cohort of nearly 40,000 women, 45 years and older. The researchers focused on data from a subset of 6,000 women, all over the age of 65. The women participated in three cognitive function tests, which were spaced out every two years for an average testing span of four years. These women filled out very detailed food frequency surveys at the start of the Womens Health Study, prior to the cognitive testing.

"When looking at changes in cognitive function, what we found is that the total amount of fat intake did not really matter, but the type of fat did," explained Olivia Okereke, MD, MS, BWH Department of Psychiatry.

Women who consumed the highest amounts of saturated fat, which can come from animal fats such as red meat and butter, compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts, had worse overall cognition and memory over the four years of testing. Women who ate the most of the monounsaturated fats, which can be found in olive oil, had better patterns of cognitive scores over time.

"Our findings have significant public health implications," said Okereke. "Substituting in the good fat in place of the bad fat is a fairly simple dietary modification that could help prevent decline in memory."

Okereke notes that strategies to prevent cognitive decline in older people are particularly important. Even subtle declines in cognitive functioning can lead to higher risk of developing more serious problems, like dementia and Alzheimer disease.

Eating Fish, Chicken, Nuts May Lower Risk of Alzheimers Disease


A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimers disease and memory problems.

Resistance-training, can alter the trajectory of cognitive decline


Cognitive decline is a pressing global health care issue. Worldwide, one case of dementia is detected every seven seconds. Mild cognitive impairment is a well recognized risk factor for dementia, and represents a critical window of opportunity for intervening and altering the trajectory of cognitive decline in seniors.

A new study by researchers at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia shows that implementing a seniors exercise program, specifically one using resistance-training, can alter the trajectory of decline. Perhaps most importantly, the program improved the executive cognitive process of selective attention and conflict resolution as well as associative memory, which are robust predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

The research led by Teresa Liu-Ambrose, principal investigator with the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility and the Brain Research Centre at VCH and UBC, and co-investigators from the Department of Psychology and Division of Geriatric Medicine at UBC, and Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, was published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Over the course of six months, the study team followed 86 senior women with probable mild cognitive impairment. The randomized controlled trial is the first to compare the efficacy of both resistance and aerobic training to improve executive cognitive functions - such as attention, memory, problem solving and decision making - necessary for independent living. The trial also assessed the effect of both types of exercise on associative memory performance and corresponding functional brain plasticity.

Both types of exercise were performed twice weekly for six months. Participants were measured with a series of cognitive tests and brain plasticity was assessed using functional MRI. The results showed resistance-training significantly improved executive cognitive functions, associative memory performance, and functional brain plasticity. In contrast to previous studies in healthy older adults, aerobic training did not demonstrate any significant effect for cognitive and brain plasticity.

"There is much debate as to whether cognitive function can be improved once there is noticeable impairment," says Liu-Ambrose, "What our results show is that resistance training can indeed improve both your cognitive performance and your brain function. What is key is that it will improve two processes that are highly sensitive to the effects of aging and neurodegeneration: executive function and associative memory -- often impaired in early stages of Alzheimers disease."

This work builds on the same researcher teams Brain Power Study, published in the January 2010 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and July 2011 issue of Neurobiology of Aging, which demonstrated that 12 months of once-weekly or twice-weekly progressive strength training improved executive cognitive function and functional brain plasticity in healthy women aged 65- to 75- years- old and provided lasting benefits.

Coinciding with the study, the team has developed and launched an informative YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG6sJm2d4oc of the resistance training exercises used in the study.

"Exercise is attractive as an prevention strategy for dementia as it is universally accessible and cost-effective," says Liu-Ambrose, who is who is also an assistant professor, in the Department of Physical Therapy at UBC and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and CIHR New Investigator scholar. "By developing this YouTube video we can help translate our findings directly to the senior population and fitness instructors who are working with them."

I am old and learning a lot of things now that would have been nice to have known, before, but Im glad they are happening at all!! LOL

There is nothing wrong with being beautiful, unless it is the only pair of glasses you use to see yourself or others. If your self worth is based on your degree of beauty, or lack of it, dont look now, but you are missing the boat. Degrees are comparisons. One is more, the other is less. You are always going to be more beautiful than some, and less beautiful, than others. So what? This narrow and distorted focus is not what life is about.

There have been times when I felt beautiful, and times when I was convinced that I was absolutely unattractive, for this, or that, reason -- one of them being "fat." Cultural beauty is based on swim suit models, magazines, fashion, and makeup. Advertising. Someone elses manufactured opinion, used to get you to feel an emotion that results in their selling you a product. Flimsy, but extremely effective manipulation based on both "envy" and "belief."

"Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is to the bone."

So why am I thinking about this? A friend shared a blog post about a young mother who wants to set a good example for her little daughters so she has started saying, "Im beautiful" in front of them in the hopes that they will say the same things about themselves. She does not believe what she is saying inside herself, but is grabbing at this straw in hopes that she can help her daughters to not go through what she went through.

She believes she is modeling the appropriate thing to them and is to be commended because she really wants to be a good Mom to her girls. I hope this works for her and her girls. I have a feeling it may backfire, though, because she is not telling them the truth about how she feels about herself. There was a clue in her writing that her little girls recognized her out-of-character behavior and falsehood. So rather than learning to say, "Im beautiful", they are learning that "making stuff up" is appropriate behavior.

Children often see some things more clearly than adults think they do. They reacted by looking at her strangely... and that was the clue that something went through their heads. They had a thought or made a decision about what they saw in their mother. I remember doing the same thing when I was very very young.

I can only speak from my own experience of having the view of myself that I was ugly, having often been told so by my older brothers -- and others. I believed them. Believing them means that I took their words about me and internalized them as if they were the truth. They became my own words about me. Their, "Yourre so ugly..." statements got transformed into very painful "Im so ugly...." statements inside myself. Im not blaming them. I truly believe that if they had really known how that affected me, they would not have done it. But children, and adults, can sometimes be very cruel. Those feelings still creep up from time to time, but, Im no longer concerned about them, because I have learned something better. I have learned the truth.

When I look at young women, young mothers, and see that they are entangled in a negative self image and worried that they might pass that on to their daughters, I want to reach out and say, "Dont do that," as if I could stop their worrying, somehow, and also help them and their little girls.

Heres an idea that I think might work better and I noticed it in the movie called "The Help": "You is kind, you is smart, you is important" -- and the little girl repeated back, "You is kind, you is smart, you is important."

I loved it because I had had something similar taught to me, only, much later in life, by God, who said to me, "You are loved, and you are worthwhile."  I repeated the words back in personal form, "I am loved, and I am worthwhile" and my life changed.

We cannot make up a self image. We already have one. We also dont know who we are - until - we know who God is, and I very firmly believe that. Once I began to understand who God is, I began to have a more accurate understanding of who of I am. He changes me. We also cannot make up a self image for someone else, but we can certainly begin planting good things in the soil -- theirs and ours.

Even now, there is a man at church, who will sometimes shake my hand and say to me, "Youre a blessing" -- and guess what? For a while, I feel like a blessing!! For a moment, I am a blessing. We are all like that. We women seem to unconsciously think about ourselves, the way that others speak to us, about us. That is also why emotional abuse is so effective. If we listen to repeated positive, or negative, statements about us, we begin to believe there must be some truth in them whether there really is or not. So we need to be sure we are getting and believing accurate information about us and giving the same to our girls. And who better to get accurate information about us, than from God, our Creator? The God who knows us better than we do ourselves, and loves us, anyway.

That may be why there is so much relationship teaching in the church that "Women need love," and "Men need respect."   Actually we all need both of these things, but a woman can go a long time on the knowledge that someone loves her. If I know that God loves me.... I dont actually crave to have someone else say that to me. I like it and enjoy it, but dont need it. I have Gods love and that is enough -- that is my self image: I am loved. The more I know God, the more I know myself. Dont get me wrong, I often forget and have to be reminded -- but that is the human condition. We are forgetful and need to be reminded. So, I remind myself as often as I realize I need it.

But, for this young mother to simply and suddenly start staying out loud, "Im beautiful," when she does not really believe it is true, will ring false inside herself, and also inside her children. If that young mother began to know, understand, and accept Gods love for her, her own self image would truly begin to change. Then she would no longer have to worry that she is passing on something bad to her daughters. Then, if she felt the need to say, "I am beautiful," because God loves her, which makes her beautiful, her words would ring true inside herself, and her children. I doubt she would need to say that, though, because the words, "I am loved" said inside herself, are so much more powerful -- because they are the truth.

I suggest that she needs to start planting the seeds of Gods love in her girls. I think she should be saying things like, "Jesus loves you, and you are beautiful, and intelligent," to her daughters at the appropriate times. (Not as a sort of mindless "mantra" but when the situation calls for it.) She should be saying, "You are loved, and you are worthwhile" to her girls when they need encouragement. I saw the young author say things about her daughters in her post that she needs to be telling them out loud.

If she models sincere honesty and kindness to them, and teaches them what God is like, they will admire her and want to copy her. If she tells them that they are beautiful and responsible, they will believe her and say they are beautiful and responsible to themselves. The best window of time for this is when they are very young -- but it will work at any age, really. If done when young, they wont have to grow through so much pain. They will have other pains, but not that one, which can be so debilitating.

Help them to be strong in Christ. Tell them, "Jesus loves you." Tell them, "I love you." Tell them "You are loved" and they will know they are beautiful, just as they are -- to the bone. Being beautiful means being loved by God. Nothing can replace that particular glow!!

Jesus loves you.
You are loved.
You are worthwhile.
You are beautiful and responsible.
You are kind.
You are smart.
You are important.
You are a good girl (or boy.)
You are a blessing!!

Praise the Lord!! God is good! God is holy! God is love! God is infinite!

If you really want to begin to know God better, ask Him to show you what you need to know about Him. He knows what you need and will show you.

For those who need some intellectual type spiritual inspiration I also recommend studying Volumes one and two of A.W. Tozers books: "The Attributes of God." You can find both of these titles at Amazon.com, and other places where Christian literature is sold.

Be back soon,

Marcia


Here is the blog post, in case you would like to read it for yourself, http://offbeatfamilies.com/2012/11/telling-daughters-im-beautiful