Dinner Reflections July 9-10
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Monday, July 11, 2016
Friday, July 8, 2016
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
You are what you eat!
To stay healthy and be happy we need to eat right. The old saying "You are what you eat" is really true. Therefore you need to eat smart to give yourself and your loved ones a better chance of having you around as a happy and healthy member of the family and not as a handicap. We cannot control many things in our lives, but we can try to eat well as much as possible.
People sometimes ask me if I believe in medicine. My answer is short and simple. I believe in preventative medicine. That means I believe in eating healthy, as much as possible, exercising regularly,as much as possible, and maintaining a happy relationship with those with whom I live and work, as much as possible. I say "as much as possible" because I do not believe in being overly religious about these personal habits. Do what you can, and then God will do what you can't.
Here's are two short video on today's lunch which was based around a healthy fresh salad.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Does Chicken Soup Help a Cold?
Michele Debczak, Mental Floss, Jan. 29, 2016 --
There may be no cure for the common cold, but if our parents taught us anything, it’s that a steaming bowl of chicken soup is the next best thing–and there’s science to back that up: Studies have shown that chicken soup does indeed hold some medicinal properties.
One paper published by the medical journal Chest in 1978 suggests that the healing powers of chicken soup can partly be attributed to thermodynamics. When Mount Sinai Medical Center researchers in Miami Beach fed chicken soup to 15 healthy participants, the hot broth was shown to be successful in loosening mucus and clearing nasal passageways. The heat coming off the soup may seem like a simple explanation for the phenomenon, but the rest of the study paints a more complicated picture. When pitted against plain hot water, chicken soup was proven to be the better decongestant. A 1998 report published in Coping With Allergies and Asthma would later say that chicken soup also improves the performance of cilia, the tiny, hairlike structures that prevent contagions from infiltrating our bodies.
In addition to directly treating our respiratory systems, there’s data that shows chicken soup has an impact on our white blood cells as well. For his 2000 study (also published in Chest), Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha conducted laboratory tests using his wife’s homemade soup, a recipe that had been passed down by her Lithuanian grandmother. When he studied blood samples from volunteers, Rennard found that the presence of chicken soup slowed the movement of neutrophils, a common white blood cell that fights against infection. Cold symptoms are caused by our immune system’s reaction to viral infections in the upper respiratory tract. The white blood cells that flood the area can often do little to kill the virus, and we’re left to cope with the consequences of their efforts: an overproduction of mucus. By inhibiting these cells, chicken soup actually helps ease our symptoms.
Rennard’s grandmother-in-law’s recipe contained chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery, parsley, salt, and pepper–but exactly which of these ingredients contributed to the results remains a mystery. According to Rennard, it’s likely a combination of the vegetables and chicken in the soup rather than a singular ingredient that’s responsible for its soothing properties. Organosulfide, a chemical that’s found in onions, consumed along with Vitamin D has been shown to stimulate the production of the immune cell macrophage, while Vitamin A and carotenoids found in carrots boost antibody production. A study published in the American Journal of Therapeutics in 2012 suggests that carnosine, a chemical compound found in the soup, could help combat the early stages of the flu. And while you can get these nutrients from sources other than chicken soup, they’re easier for your body to absorb in liquid form.
If you’re feeling a bit under the weather, Rennard’s scientifically backed chicken soup recipe is available to view online. But don’t sweat it if you don’t have the energy to whip up a home cooked meal–his study showed that canned stuff like Campbell’s, Lipton, and Progresso is just as effective.
Friday, December 5, 2014
This Is What Happens When You Drink 10 Cans Of Soda Per Day for One Month
Laura Kenney, Yahoo Health, December 1, 2014
It’s not news that soda is bad for us. But it is jarring to witness the physical effects drinking too much of it has on our waistlines.
George Prior, 50, has guinea-pigged his body to do just that.
Following in the body-hacking footsteps of Morgan Spurlock—the “Super Size Me” filmmaker who in 2004 ate three McDonald’s meals for 30 days straight—Prior began guzzling down ten 12-ounce cans of Coca Cola daily for one month to see how the whopping dose of added sugar would affect his healthy physique. He documented it all on his website, 10 Cokes A Day.
“I got the idea because I read that Jude Law drank 10 Cokes a day to gain weight for his Dom Hemingway role, and I was joking with one of my brothers that that was probably a diet for some people,” Prior tells Yahoo Health. “But then we realized that amount of sugar isn’t that far from the norm for many Americans, so then I got really curious what would happen to me if I really drank ten Cokes, and it sounded like a fun experiment.”
On day one, Prior reported in the video, “I’ve just gotten back from the doctor where I’ve had a complete physical. I’m 50 years old and in good health.”
The Los Angeleno then began consuming 10 cans of Coke per day. That’s an additional 1,400 calories and 390 grams of sugar per day.
On day nine, Prior woke up weighing 176 pounds, eight pounds heavier than when he started. “I’ve gained 2 pounds since yesterday,” Prior reported. “I don’t feel good.”
By day 15, Prior’s body fat had jumped from 8 to 14 percent.
And after the full 30 days, he had gained 23 pounds. “I feel heavier, I can’t wear my long pants to work anymore,” said Prior in the video. “My clothes all fit tightly and I can’t bend over easily.”
Ten cans of soda seems excessive, but Prior was consuming just twice the amount of added sugar that the average American eats daily. According to the USDA, Americans eat 156 pounds of added sugar every year, which breaks down to 194 grams per day. During his challenge, Prior drank 390 grams of added sugar daily.
The Recommended Daily Allowance of sugar for men is 36 grams, and 24 grams for women.
“Most people know that soda is not good for them, but for some reason, they think the risk of excess sugar consumption is less than that of having too much saturated and trans fat, sodium or calories,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D, wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic. “Perhaps it’s sugar’s lack of sodium or fat that make it the ‘lesser of several evils,’ or perhaps people are simply of the mind frame that what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
Sugar not only makes us pack on pounds, but it also can damage your heart, is linked to cancer, is as toxic to your liver as too much alcohol and can even make your brain age quicker and accelerate memory loss.
What did Prior do on Day 31, when the challenge ended? He threw away his unused cans of Coke. “If I have to drink another Coke in 1,000 years it would be one Coke too soon,” he said in the video.
While the “feeling of constant fullness and the basic inconvenience” of drinking all that soda were not enjoyable, Prior tells Yahoo Health “the worst actual physical discomfort was in the two days after I stopped drinking the Cokes,” which is when he “felt nauseated and tired and without appetite.”
But Kirkpatrick cautions that while many of us strive to avoid the “normal” sugary culprits—soda joins a long list with candy, cookies, cake, etc.—we are often duped by secret sugar-packed foods. “Examples include tomato sauce, fat-free dressing, tonic water, marinades, crackers and even bread,” she says.
It’s not news that soda is bad for us. But it is jarring to witness the physical effects drinking too much of it has on our waistlines.
George Prior, 50, has guinea-pigged his body to do just that.
Following in the body-hacking footsteps of Morgan Spurlock—the “Super Size Me” filmmaker who in 2004 ate three McDonald’s meals for 30 days straight—Prior began guzzling down ten 12-ounce cans of Coca Cola daily for one month to see how the whopping dose of added sugar would affect his healthy physique. He documented it all on his website, 10 Cokes A Day.
“I got the idea because I read that Jude Law drank 10 Cokes a day to gain weight for his Dom Hemingway role, and I was joking with one of my brothers that that was probably a diet for some people,” Prior tells Yahoo Health. “But then we realized that amount of sugar isn’t that far from the norm for many Americans, so then I got really curious what would happen to me if I really drank ten Cokes, and it sounded like a fun experiment.”
On day one, Prior reported in the video, “I’ve just gotten back from the doctor where I’ve had a complete physical. I’m 50 years old and in good health.”
The Los Angeleno then began consuming 10 cans of Coke per day. That’s an additional 1,400 calories and 390 grams of sugar per day.
On day nine, Prior woke up weighing 176 pounds, eight pounds heavier than when he started. “I’ve gained 2 pounds since yesterday,” Prior reported. “I don’t feel good.”
By day 15, Prior’s body fat had jumped from 8 to 14 percent.
And after the full 30 days, he had gained 23 pounds. “I feel heavier, I can’t wear my long pants to work anymore,” said Prior in the video. “My clothes all fit tightly and I can’t bend over easily.”
Ten cans of soda seems excessive, but Prior was consuming just twice the amount of added sugar that the average American eats daily. According to the USDA, Americans eat 156 pounds of added sugar every year, which breaks down to 194 grams per day. During his challenge, Prior drank 390 grams of added sugar daily.
The Recommended Daily Allowance of sugar for men is 36 grams, and 24 grams for women.
“Most people know that soda is not good for them, but for some reason, they think the risk of excess sugar consumption is less than that of having too much saturated and trans fat, sodium or calories,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D, wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic. “Perhaps it’s sugar’s lack of sodium or fat that make it the ‘lesser of several evils,’ or perhaps people are simply of the mind frame that what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
Sugar not only makes us pack on pounds, but it also can damage your heart, is linked to cancer, is as toxic to your liver as too much alcohol and can even make your brain age quicker and accelerate memory loss.
What did Prior do on Day 31, when the challenge ended? He threw away his unused cans of Coke. “If I have to drink another Coke in 1,000 years it would be one Coke too soon,” he said in the video.
While the “feeling of constant fullness and the basic inconvenience” of drinking all that soda were not enjoyable, Prior tells Yahoo Health “the worst actual physical discomfort was in the two days after I stopped drinking the Cokes,” which is when he “felt nauseated and tired and without appetite.”
But Kirkpatrick cautions that while many of us strive to avoid the “normal” sugary culprits—soda joins a long list with candy, cookies, cake, etc.—we are often duped by secret sugar-packed foods. “Examples include tomato sauce, fat-free dressing, tonic water, marinades, crackers and even bread,” she says.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Eating more of these 5 foods can help improve your eye health
Julie Wilson, Natural News, August 22, 2014
Vision is one of mankind’s most valued senses. Unfortunately, for many it’s susceptible to extremely degenerative conditions. In the United States alone, nearly $7 billion is spent to treat cataracts, affecting about 22 million Americans over the age of 40.
About a third of the population suffers from near-sightedness, while about 60 percent are far-sighted, struggling to see up close.
It’s safe to say this country has a vision problem, and other than consuming a healthy diet, no preventive methods have been developed. We live during an age of heart transplants, yet there’s no technology that preserves one of our most important traits, eyesight.
Fortunately, a healthy diet is pretty powerful. Consuming certain foods has proven to directly impact vision and overall eye health. Below are five top foods for tackling degenerative vision.
1. Egg Yolks. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for people over 65 years old; however, eating egg yolks can help slow this process. For various reasons, a degenerative process can affect the macula, a tiny area in the back of the eye, subsequently damaging your vision.
Egg yolks contain lutein, a yellow-pigmented antioxidant belonging to a class of compounds called carotenoids. Lutein and a similar compound called zeaxanthin selectively accumulate in the macula of the retina, scavenging free radicals and acting as a blue-light filter.
While other foods contribute to eye health, egg yolks were found to help the most
2. Spinach. This delicious, green leafy vegetable contains lots of lutein, therefore working miracles on the eyes. Consuming it raw is the best method, as heating spinach is known to damage some of its antioxidants.
In the macula, lutein and zeaxanthin are considered macular pigments. Macular pigments have been shown to decrease the risk of AMD, and might also play a role in age-related cataracts, according to the Egg Nutrition Center. Among carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin are the only ones to be found in the eye’s lens.
Kale, broccoli, romaine lettuce, peas, Brussels sprouts, zucchini and other collard greens also contain high amounts of lutein.
3. Blueberries. Blueberries, also referred to as “brainberries,” are considered by some to be the healthiest food on the planet. Their bright blue casings contain anthocyanins, a group of powerful antioxidants that aid the body with multiple protections.
Eating blueberries helps protect the retina from unwanted sunlight and oxygen damage.
4. Carrots. While consuming carrots won’t necessarily reverse bad eyesight, they can help improve overall eye health. Carrots contain lutein and beta-carotene, a substance converted to vitamin A by the body, a beneficial nutrient for eye health. Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient; in fact, a lack of it is the leading cause of blindness in the developing world, according to HowStuffWorks.com.
Orange-colored foods like mango, pumpkin, apricots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe also contain beta-carotene.
5. Almonds. This vitamin E-rich nut has also been proven to slow macular degeneration, and just one handful a day provides you about half of your daily dose, according to Health.com. Almonds contain the anti-cancer nutrient amygdalin, also known as laetrile or vitamin B17.
Almonds promote overall well-being. They contribute to weight loss, help lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and improve your complexion, among many other benefits.
Vision is one of mankind’s most valued senses. Unfortunately, for many it’s susceptible to extremely degenerative conditions. In the United States alone, nearly $7 billion is spent to treat cataracts, affecting about 22 million Americans over the age of 40.
About a third of the population suffers from near-sightedness, while about 60 percent are far-sighted, struggling to see up close.
It’s safe to say this country has a vision problem, and other than consuming a healthy diet, no preventive methods have been developed. We live during an age of heart transplants, yet there’s no technology that preserves one of our most important traits, eyesight.
Fortunately, a healthy diet is pretty powerful. Consuming certain foods has proven to directly impact vision and overall eye health. Below are five top foods for tackling degenerative vision.
1. Egg Yolks. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for people over 65 years old; however, eating egg yolks can help slow this process. For various reasons, a degenerative process can affect the macula, a tiny area in the back of the eye, subsequently damaging your vision.
Egg yolks contain lutein, a yellow-pigmented antioxidant belonging to a class of compounds called carotenoids. Lutein and a similar compound called zeaxanthin selectively accumulate in the macula of the retina, scavenging free radicals and acting as a blue-light filter.
While other foods contribute to eye health, egg yolks were found to help the most
2. Spinach. This delicious, green leafy vegetable contains lots of lutein, therefore working miracles on the eyes. Consuming it raw is the best method, as heating spinach is known to damage some of its antioxidants.
In the macula, lutein and zeaxanthin are considered macular pigments. Macular pigments have been shown to decrease the risk of AMD, and might also play a role in age-related cataracts, according to the Egg Nutrition Center. Among carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin are the only ones to be found in the eye’s lens.
Kale, broccoli, romaine lettuce, peas, Brussels sprouts, zucchini and other collard greens also contain high amounts of lutein.
3. Blueberries. Blueberries, also referred to as “brainberries,” are considered by some to be the healthiest food on the planet. Their bright blue casings contain anthocyanins, a group of powerful antioxidants that aid the body with multiple protections.
Eating blueberries helps protect the retina from unwanted sunlight and oxygen damage.
4. Carrots. While consuming carrots won’t necessarily reverse bad eyesight, they can help improve overall eye health. Carrots contain lutein and beta-carotene, a substance converted to vitamin A by the body, a beneficial nutrient for eye health. Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient; in fact, a lack of it is the leading cause of blindness in the developing world, according to HowStuffWorks.com.
Orange-colored foods like mango, pumpkin, apricots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe also contain beta-carotene.
5. Almonds. This vitamin E-rich nut has also been proven to slow macular degeneration, and just one handful a day provides you about half of your daily dose, according to Health.com. Almonds contain the anti-cancer nutrient amygdalin, also known as laetrile or vitamin B17.
Almonds promote overall well-being. They contribute to weight loss, help lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and improve your complexion, among many other benefits.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
How to Keep Your Muscles Strong as You Age
By Laura Landro, WSJ, June 22, 2014
Muscle strength is one of the keys to healthy aging, yet after we achieve peak mass in our early 40s, it’s pretty much downhill from there. Most people begin to lose modest amounts of muscle at that point and experience progressive deterioration as the years go by, especially if they are sedentary.
Now, with a growing population of aging baby boomers, experts are turning their attention to interventions to help stem the loss of muscle mass, quality and strength, known as sarcopenia. It is caused by a number of complex factors that are not entirely understood, including decreasing amounts of testosterone in men. Muscle decline often goes hand in hand with frailty, a decline of physical function that leads to falls, hospitalization and the need for nursing-home care.
Researchers are looking at promising treatments including inhibiting a naturally occurring protein called myostatin that curbs muscle growth. Pharmaceutical companies already have drugs in the pipeline that act by blocking myostatin or blocking the sites where it is detected in the body, potentially rebuilding muscle.
For now, however, the best medicine available to maintain muscle mass and strength is less complicated and costly—namely, exercise and a healthy diet. Yet about 60% of people over 65 are insufficiently active or overtly inactive, and many have poor nutrition, says Nathan LeBrasseur, a researcher who directs the Muscle Performance and Physical Function Laboratory and the Healthy Aging and Independent Living Initiative at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. LeBrasseur estimates that most people will lose approximately 30% of muscle mass over their lifetime, and as much as 50% by the time they reach their 80s or 90s.
Keep Your Motor Running. Muscle is also central to metabolism, or the rate at which fat and calories are burned, and can help improve resiliency to the stressors of aging, Dr. LeBrasseur says. By simply stepping up activity like walking, gardening and household tasks, “we can slow the loss and prevent crossing that critical threshold that leads to functional limitations and metabolic issues.”
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, which inhibits the metabolism of nutrients in the body, are believed to contribute to age-related muscle loss, and older obese individuals with decreased muscle mass or strength are at special risk for adverse outcomes, according to research funded by the National institute on Aging. Related conditions include cachexia, a state of general physical decline and malnutrition associated with chronic disease and cancer, and wasting disorders that can be associated with nerve disease or injury.
More Protein. In addition to the mounting evidence of the benefits of physical activity in stemming decline, Dr. Walston says there is an emerging body of research that suggests older people should eat more protein, with a focus on leaner sources.
According to guidelines published in 2010 by the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders, a nonprofit group, as many as 41% of women and 35% of men age 50-plus ingest less than the recommended daily allowance of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.36 grams per pound). The group recommends that total protein should be higher in that age range, or 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram per day (0.45 to 0.68 grams per pound), spread equally through three meals.
The group also says low vitamin D levels are associated with low muscle strength, and supplementing it in those cases has been shown to increase strength and function and reduce falls. But it’s best to talk to a physician before starting any supplements such as protein or vitamin D.
As for exercise, the group notes that resistance exercises can improve strength, while aerobic exercise can improve overall health and quality of life. The group recommends a combination of the two for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week.
Building Up Reserves. Evidence continues to show the benefits of exercise at any age. Last month, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that an exercise program reduced the onset of major disability for at-risk older adults by 18% over about 2½ years.
Roger Fielding, a co-author of the study and director of the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia Laboratory at Tufts University, says the study shows that “even as we advance into very old age, physical activity can help preserve independence.”
Muscle strength is one of the keys to healthy aging, yet after we achieve peak mass in our early 40s, it’s pretty much downhill from there. Most people begin to lose modest amounts of muscle at that point and experience progressive deterioration as the years go by, especially if they are sedentary.
Now, with a growing population of aging baby boomers, experts are turning their attention to interventions to help stem the loss of muscle mass, quality and strength, known as sarcopenia. It is caused by a number of complex factors that are not entirely understood, including decreasing amounts of testosterone in men. Muscle decline often goes hand in hand with frailty, a decline of physical function that leads to falls, hospitalization and the need for nursing-home care.
Researchers are looking at promising treatments including inhibiting a naturally occurring protein called myostatin that curbs muscle growth. Pharmaceutical companies already have drugs in the pipeline that act by blocking myostatin or blocking the sites where it is detected in the body, potentially rebuilding muscle.
For now, however, the best medicine available to maintain muscle mass and strength is less complicated and costly—namely, exercise and a healthy diet. Yet about 60% of people over 65 are insufficiently active or overtly inactive, and many have poor nutrition, says Nathan LeBrasseur, a researcher who directs the Muscle Performance and Physical Function Laboratory and the Healthy Aging and Independent Living Initiative at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. LeBrasseur estimates that most people will lose approximately 30% of muscle mass over their lifetime, and as much as 50% by the time they reach their 80s or 90s.
Keep Your Motor Running. Muscle is also central to metabolism, or the rate at which fat and calories are burned, and can help improve resiliency to the stressors of aging, Dr. LeBrasseur says. By simply stepping up activity like walking, gardening and household tasks, “we can slow the loss and prevent crossing that critical threshold that leads to functional limitations and metabolic issues.”
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, which inhibits the metabolism of nutrients in the body, are believed to contribute to age-related muscle loss, and older obese individuals with decreased muscle mass or strength are at special risk for adverse outcomes, according to research funded by the National institute on Aging. Related conditions include cachexia, a state of general physical decline and malnutrition associated with chronic disease and cancer, and wasting disorders that can be associated with nerve disease or injury.
More Protein. In addition to the mounting evidence of the benefits of physical activity in stemming decline, Dr. Walston says there is an emerging body of research that suggests older people should eat more protein, with a focus on leaner sources.
According to guidelines published in 2010 by the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders, a nonprofit group, as many as 41% of women and 35% of men age 50-plus ingest less than the recommended daily allowance of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.36 grams per pound). The group recommends that total protein should be higher in that age range, or 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram per day (0.45 to 0.68 grams per pound), spread equally through three meals.
The group also says low vitamin D levels are associated with low muscle strength, and supplementing it in those cases has been shown to increase strength and function and reduce falls. But it’s best to talk to a physician before starting any supplements such as protein or vitamin D.
As for exercise, the group notes that resistance exercises can improve strength, while aerobic exercise can improve overall health and quality of life. The group recommends a combination of the two for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week.
Building Up Reserves. Evidence continues to show the benefits of exercise at any age. Last month, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that an exercise program reduced the onset of major disability for at-risk older adults by 18% over about 2½ years.
Roger Fielding, a co-author of the study and director of the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia Laboratory at Tufts University, says the study shows that “even as we advance into very old age, physical activity can help preserve independence.”
Monday, April 21, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Pastor Rick Warren: Fighting Obesity with Faith
By Alexandra Wolfe, WSJ, Jan. 17, 2014
‘If you’re not following me on Twitter, you’re going to hell,” says megachurch pastor Rick Warren, before cracking up. Mr. Warren—or Pastor Rick, as his teeming staff calls him—is leaning back in a red leather chair with his sneaker-clad feet up on the coffee table in one of his many offices on the 120-acre Saddleback Church campus in Lake Forest, Calif. He’s only joking. He has plenty of followers already: Almost 1.3 million keep up with him on Twitter, and around 30,000 attend his sermons.
Mr. Warren’s popularity soared after the release of his 2002 best seller, “The Purpose Driven Life,” a self-help book about discovering and exploring a relationship with God that has sold about 40 million copies. “All of a sudden, people are calling me, well-known people are calling me, and I’m saying, ‘Why are you calling me? I’m just a pastor,’ “ he recalls. Now he has come out with “The Daniel Plan,” a diet book—though he says it is more than just a diet book—written with two doctors. It’s already a best seller, and Mr. Warren, 59, plans to turn it into as much of a brand as “The Purpose Driven Life,” which thousands of churches, corporations and even sports teams adopted as a 40-day plan.
Mr. Warren came up with the idea for “The Daniel Plan” a few years ago while doing baptisms “the old-fashioned way”—by physically raising and lowering people into the water. That day he baptized 850 people. “That’s about 150,000 pounds, which is why I’m so buff,” he says with a chuckle. “But as I’m lowering people, I literally felt the weight of America’s obesity problem,” he adds. “I thought, good night, we’re all fat!” Then he says he realized, “Good night, I’m fat!”
He didn’t think he could ask his congregation to get healthy without doing so himself. The following weekend, he declared he would set out to lose 90 pounds (at 6-foot-3, he weighed nearly 300 pounds) and asked if anyone wanted to join him. Mr. Warren says that he thought he might get 200 people, but by the end of the week, 15,000 people had signed up on Saddleback’s website.
Next he recruited three friends in the medical field, including Mehmet Oz, the surgeon and television show host, to come up with a system for how they would do it. Along with fitness and nutrition, Mr. Warren says he added the “special sauce” of “focus, friends and faith”—in other words, help from a higher power and from friends and community.
Named for the Biblical prophet Daniel, who challenged himself to eat only vegetables and water, Mr. Warren’s Daniel Plan instructs people to rely on “God power” rather than just willpower to eat healthily. His theory is that guilt only motivates people to follow diets in the short term, but “grace” lasts longer.
The book, released in December, provides a meal plan that includes lean protein, fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and it encourages regular exercise. The day after a two-hour rally to kick off the plan at Saddleback, he says local grocery stores were out of vegetables. “That’s the power of a congregation,” he says. “When an elephant is walking, it shakes the ground, and that’s a congregation—it shakes the ground.”
His book follows upon a rough period for Mr. Warren. He says, “2013 was the worst year of my life.” In January, he had severe back problems that put him in the hospital for weeks, and in April, his 27-year-old son committed suicide. “That was the worst day of my life, of course,” he says.
He could not sleep for the next six months. “You know what happens when you don’t sleep?” he asks. “Your cravings go crazy, you don’t exercise, and on top of that, I had a church family that loved me bringing me casseroles.” After losing 65 pounds in his first year and a half on the Daniel Plan, he gained 35 pounds back. In October, he went back on the diet and lost 35 pounds before the book’s release in December. He still has 25 pounds to go. “I’m the first guy who lost weight on the Daniel Plan twice,” he says. “I tell that story because I want my failings to encourage people.”
With his new book, Mr. Warren aims to make health a form of worship. “The Bible says…God made your body, Jesus died for your body, and He expects you to take care of your body,” the pastor says. “We are repositioning health as a spiritual stewardship.”
He thinks our culture sees the body in one of two extreme ways. “We either idolize the body, and there are people who do that and it’s all about how you look, or we go to the other extreme and we say, ‘We don’t care about that,’ “ he says. It’s health’s higher purpose that Mr. Warren says distinguishes his plan from other diet books. “It’s not so much what you eat; it’s what eats you,” he says. “It’s the stresses, the unreached goals, the broken heart and the grief.”
Mr. Warren thinks he knows more about these psychological concerns—and about health care—than any government or counseling system. “The church has been in the health-care business 2,000 years longer than the government, so the audacity of the government trying to tell the church what they should do with health care is—are you kidding me?” he exclaims.
Mr. Warren gives the church credit for inventing the hospital and says that one of Jesus’ three key tenets was “healing.” “One-third of his ministry was health care,” he says. “We believe the Daniel Plan is really taking the church back to what it has done for 2,000 years, because only in the last 75 years have we abdicated education and health care to the government.”
He feels the same way about poverty and unemployment: “Churches know more about poverty than any government will ever know, because we’re dealing with the poor every day.”
Mr. Warren aims to continue to expand Saddleback beyond the U.S. He and members of his congregation have traveled to every country around the world as part of his nonprofit P.E.A.C.E. Plan, an initiative to “assist the poor and care for the sick.” With branches already built in Berlin, Buenos Aires and Hong Kong and plans to create over a dozen other locations in strategic “hub” cities from Tokyo to Mexico City, his hopes for Saddleback are increasingly global.
And what’s his personal purpose? “My ultimate goal…is for you to live the life you’re intended to live,” he says. “You drift through life and let things happen to you, or go by design and say, ‘This is what I’m intended to do.’ The Bible is very clear that God has a purpose. But even if I know that purpose, I can’t fulfill it if I’m out of shape.”
‘If you’re not following me on Twitter, you’re going to hell,” says megachurch pastor Rick Warren, before cracking up. Mr. Warren—or Pastor Rick, as his teeming staff calls him—is leaning back in a red leather chair with his sneaker-clad feet up on the coffee table in one of his many offices on the 120-acre Saddleback Church campus in Lake Forest, Calif. He’s only joking. He has plenty of followers already: Almost 1.3 million keep up with him on Twitter, and around 30,000 attend his sermons.
Mr. Warren’s popularity soared after the release of his 2002 best seller, “The Purpose Driven Life,” a self-help book about discovering and exploring a relationship with God that has sold about 40 million copies. “All of a sudden, people are calling me, well-known people are calling me, and I’m saying, ‘Why are you calling me? I’m just a pastor,’ “ he recalls. Now he has come out with “The Daniel Plan,” a diet book—though he says it is more than just a diet book—written with two doctors. It’s already a best seller, and Mr. Warren, 59, plans to turn it into as much of a brand as “The Purpose Driven Life,” which thousands of churches, corporations and even sports teams adopted as a 40-day plan.
Mr. Warren came up with the idea for “The Daniel Plan” a few years ago while doing baptisms “the old-fashioned way”—by physically raising and lowering people into the water. That day he baptized 850 people. “That’s about 150,000 pounds, which is why I’m so buff,” he says with a chuckle. “But as I’m lowering people, I literally felt the weight of America’s obesity problem,” he adds. “I thought, good night, we’re all fat!” Then he says he realized, “Good night, I’m fat!”
He didn’t think he could ask his congregation to get healthy without doing so himself. The following weekend, he declared he would set out to lose 90 pounds (at 6-foot-3, he weighed nearly 300 pounds) and asked if anyone wanted to join him. Mr. Warren says that he thought he might get 200 people, but by the end of the week, 15,000 people had signed up on Saddleback’s website.
Next he recruited three friends in the medical field, including Mehmet Oz, the surgeon and television show host, to come up with a system for how they would do it. Along with fitness and nutrition, Mr. Warren says he added the “special sauce” of “focus, friends and faith”—in other words, help from a higher power and from friends and community.
Named for the Biblical prophet Daniel, who challenged himself to eat only vegetables and water, Mr. Warren’s Daniel Plan instructs people to rely on “God power” rather than just willpower to eat healthily. His theory is that guilt only motivates people to follow diets in the short term, but “grace” lasts longer.
The book, released in December, provides a meal plan that includes lean protein, fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and it encourages regular exercise. The day after a two-hour rally to kick off the plan at Saddleback, he says local grocery stores were out of vegetables. “That’s the power of a congregation,” he says. “When an elephant is walking, it shakes the ground, and that’s a congregation—it shakes the ground.”
His book follows upon a rough period for Mr. Warren. He says, “2013 was the worst year of my life.” In January, he had severe back problems that put him in the hospital for weeks, and in April, his 27-year-old son committed suicide. “That was the worst day of my life, of course,” he says.
He could not sleep for the next six months. “You know what happens when you don’t sleep?” he asks. “Your cravings go crazy, you don’t exercise, and on top of that, I had a church family that loved me bringing me casseroles.” After losing 65 pounds in his first year and a half on the Daniel Plan, he gained 35 pounds back. In October, he went back on the diet and lost 35 pounds before the book’s release in December. He still has 25 pounds to go. “I’m the first guy who lost weight on the Daniel Plan twice,” he says. “I tell that story because I want my failings to encourage people.”
With his new book, Mr. Warren aims to make health a form of worship. “The Bible says…God made your body, Jesus died for your body, and He expects you to take care of your body,” the pastor says. “We are repositioning health as a spiritual stewardship.”
He thinks our culture sees the body in one of two extreme ways. “We either idolize the body, and there are people who do that and it’s all about how you look, or we go to the other extreme and we say, ‘We don’t care about that,’ “ he says. It’s health’s higher purpose that Mr. Warren says distinguishes his plan from other diet books. “It’s not so much what you eat; it’s what eats you,” he says. “It’s the stresses, the unreached goals, the broken heart and the grief.”
Mr. Warren thinks he knows more about these psychological concerns—and about health care—than any government or counseling system. “The church has been in the health-care business 2,000 years longer than the government, so the audacity of the government trying to tell the church what they should do with health care is—are you kidding me?” he exclaims.
Mr. Warren gives the church credit for inventing the hospital and says that one of Jesus’ three key tenets was “healing.” “One-third of his ministry was health care,” he says. “We believe the Daniel Plan is really taking the church back to what it has done for 2,000 years, because only in the last 75 years have we abdicated education and health care to the government.”
He feels the same way about poverty and unemployment: “Churches know more about poverty than any government will ever know, because we’re dealing with the poor every day.”
Mr. Warren aims to continue to expand Saddleback beyond the U.S. He and members of his congregation have traveled to every country around the world as part of his nonprofit P.E.A.C.E. Plan, an initiative to “assist the poor and care for the sick.” With branches already built in Berlin, Buenos Aires and Hong Kong and plans to create over a dozen other locations in strategic “hub” cities from Tokyo to Mexico City, his hopes for Saddleback are increasingly global.
And what’s his personal purpose? “My ultimate goal…is for you to live the life you’re intended to live,” he says. “You drift through life and let things happen to you, or go by design and say, ‘This is what I’m intended to do.’ The Bible is very clear that God has a purpose. But even if I know that purpose, I can’t fulfill it if I’m out of shape.”
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Sugar Is Now The Number One Enemy In The Western Diet
Aseem Malhotra, The Guardian, Jan. 11, 2014
In 2012, the United Nations World Health Assembly advocated a significant new health goal: to reduce avoidable deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and respiratory disease kill 35 million per year. The UN has identified tobacco, alcohol and poor diet as central risk factors. The first two have been regulated by governments in order to protect public health, but poor diet is actually responsible for more disease than smoking, alcohol and physical inactivity combined.
But what component of the western diet should be targeted? The evidence suggesting that added sugar should be the target is now overwhelming. Unlike fat and protein, refined sugars offer no nutritional value and, contrary to what the food industry want you to believe, the body does not require any carbohydrate from added sugar for energy. Thus it is a source of completely unnecessary calories.
Sugars are added to the majority of processed foods in the UK. Yet disturbingly, many consumers are unaware of its presence in such large quantities. In the UK and Europe guideline daily amounts for sugar have not been updated since 2003. These obsolete guidelines still suggest one can consume a staggering 22 teaspoons of sugar daily.
The World Health Organisation has recently been advised by scientific experts that added sugar or, more specifically, non-milk extrinsic sugar should constitute no more than 5% of energy. That would give a limit to the average man of a maximum of eight teaspoons a day and the average woman to six tea spoons a day. And that would include sugars from fruit juice and honey.
The misleading labelling and health claims on “low fat” foods that actually have shocking levels of sugar added is a scandal. Worse still, it has created the perfect storm for public health. Therefore, last Thursday, a group of UK and international experts, including myself, launched Action On Sugar. The main aim is to pressure the food industry to reduce added sugar in foods by 40% over four years. That would mean 100 fewer calories per person, which according to the UK Department of Health would reverse the obesity epidemic.
However, the industry remains in denial. Barbara Gallani, director of regulation at the Food and Drink Federation, made a statement of immediate resistance, denying sugar’s role in obesity and failing to acknowledge the multitude of scientific studies to the contrary. We mustn’t forget that it took 50 years from when the first scientific studies between smoking and lung cancer were made before any effective legislation was introduced through regulation. Why? Because Big Tobacco very successfully adopted a corporate strategy of denial. By planting doubt, confusing the public, bribing political allies and even buying the loyalty of rogue scientists.
We are all vulnerable, because you don’t have to be overweight to be affected by diet-related disease. Of all the chronic diseases, type 2 diabetes, which is entirely preventable, is perhaps the most damaging. Diabetes increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, eye disease and leg amputations. Up to half of all diabetic patients go on to suffer acute or chronic pain, and two-thirds will ultimately develop dementia. The direct and indirect costs to the UK of diabetes is over £24bn and projected to approach £40bn by 2030.
How does sugar compare to tobacco? A teaspoon of sugar or one cigarette will not harm you. But over time, the habit can be fatal. Unlike Big Tobacco, Big Sugar deliberately targets children. And added sugar has become so pervasive within the food environment that we can’t avoid it even if we wanted to. It is thus not simply a matter of personal choice. But perhaps most disturbing of all the similarities is the financial and political muscle that both industries have exerted to try and protect their profits, at the expense of our health. It’s time to wind back the harms of too much sugar, reverse the “diabesity” epidemic and the unspeakable suffering it causes.
In 2012, the United Nations World Health Assembly advocated a significant new health goal: to reduce avoidable deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and respiratory disease kill 35 million per year. The UN has identified tobacco, alcohol and poor diet as central risk factors. The first two have been regulated by governments in order to protect public health, but poor diet is actually responsible for more disease than smoking, alcohol and physical inactivity combined.
But what component of the western diet should be targeted? The evidence suggesting that added sugar should be the target is now overwhelming. Unlike fat and protein, refined sugars offer no nutritional value and, contrary to what the food industry want you to believe, the body does not require any carbohydrate from added sugar for energy. Thus it is a source of completely unnecessary calories.
Sugars are added to the majority of processed foods in the UK. Yet disturbingly, many consumers are unaware of its presence in such large quantities. In the UK and Europe guideline daily amounts for sugar have not been updated since 2003. These obsolete guidelines still suggest one can consume a staggering 22 teaspoons of sugar daily.
The World Health Organisation has recently been advised by scientific experts that added sugar or, more specifically, non-milk extrinsic sugar should constitute no more than 5% of energy. That would give a limit to the average man of a maximum of eight teaspoons a day and the average woman to six tea spoons a day. And that would include sugars from fruit juice and honey.
The misleading labelling and health claims on “low fat” foods that actually have shocking levels of sugar added is a scandal. Worse still, it has created the perfect storm for public health. Therefore, last Thursday, a group of UK and international experts, including myself, launched Action On Sugar. The main aim is to pressure the food industry to reduce added sugar in foods by 40% over four years. That would mean 100 fewer calories per person, which according to the UK Department of Health would reverse the obesity epidemic.
However, the industry remains in denial. Barbara Gallani, director of regulation at the Food and Drink Federation, made a statement of immediate resistance, denying sugar’s role in obesity and failing to acknowledge the multitude of scientific studies to the contrary. We mustn’t forget that it took 50 years from when the first scientific studies between smoking and lung cancer were made before any effective legislation was introduced through regulation. Why? Because Big Tobacco very successfully adopted a corporate strategy of denial. By planting doubt, confusing the public, bribing political allies and even buying the loyalty of rogue scientists.
We are all vulnerable, because you don’t have to be overweight to be affected by diet-related disease. Of all the chronic diseases, type 2 diabetes, which is entirely preventable, is perhaps the most damaging. Diabetes increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, eye disease and leg amputations. Up to half of all diabetic patients go on to suffer acute or chronic pain, and two-thirds will ultimately develop dementia. The direct and indirect costs to the UK of diabetes is over £24bn and projected to approach £40bn by 2030.
How does sugar compare to tobacco? A teaspoon of sugar or one cigarette will not harm you. But over time, the habit can be fatal. Unlike Big Tobacco, Big Sugar deliberately targets children. And added sugar has become so pervasive within the food environment that we can’t avoid it even if we wanted to. It is thus not simply a matter of personal choice. But perhaps most disturbing of all the similarities is the financial and political muscle that both industries have exerted to try and protect their profits, at the expense of our health. It’s time to wind back the harms of too much sugar, reverse the “diabesity” epidemic and the unspeakable suffering it causes.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Health and Diet
by Peter Amsterdam
I had a complete physical at the beginning of last year, which I remarked on in the “Personal Reflections” article. It had been a few years since I’d had one and the doctor had cautioned me that, being older, it was better to have them yearly. A week after all the poking and prodding, the taking of blood, and all that getting a physical entails, I went back for the results. The doctor, a very nice woman who Maria and I are getting to know better, went over all the test results with me. I was so relieved when she told me I was doing very well. The only thing that needed adjustment was the ratio between my good and bad cholesterol. She said that she would prescribe some medication for it.
While I’m willing to take medication when it’s really necessary, I preferred not to take the medication she was suggesting. So I asked if I could change my cholesterol numbers in some other way. She said I could, if I took action regarding what I was eating. She didn’t express much hope, however, as I’m sure many patients over the years have asked her the same question, but didn’t have the discipline to keep up with the changes, and in the end needed to take the meds. She suggested I come back in three months to see if there was any change, and if not, then I’d need to take the medication. I agreed.
The doctor emphasized that I not only needed to cut back on the food that produced negative results, but also to focus on eating foods that help create positive results. I made some changes in my diet according to her suggestions, even though it meant cutting out some of my favorite foods (like cheese, butter, and sour cream) and eating others that weren’t part of my diet before (such as changing my breakfast to granola with a few nuts and rice milk). At the three-month mark, after another blood test, I went to the doctor to hear the verdict. She studied the test results and then looked at me with some amazement and said, “Congratulations! You did it!” My two cholesterol levels had changed places, with the good now having the higher place and the bad the lower. She complimented me over and over, explaining that hardly any of her patients have been able to avoid the medication. While a simple change of diet may not work for everyone, it did for me. I was really happy about the results, and I made a commitment to keep up my newly acquired eating habits.
To improve my cholesterol count, I needed to not only avoid what was negative but also advance in embracing the positive. I gave some thought to how this was an interesting parallel to what we all know is true for maintaining a healthy relationship with the Lord. To keep that relationship strong requires a certain amount of avoidance of negative things, and equally calls for a focus on positive actions such as prayer, praise, and regularly reading God’s Word.
I had a complete physical at the beginning of last year, which I remarked on in the “Personal Reflections” article. It had been a few years since I’d had one and the doctor had cautioned me that, being older, it was better to have them yearly. A week after all the poking and prodding, the taking of blood, and all that getting a physical entails, I went back for the results. The doctor, a very nice woman who Maria and I are getting to know better, went over all the test results with me. I was so relieved when she told me I was doing very well. The only thing that needed adjustment was the ratio between my good and bad cholesterol. She said that she would prescribe some medication for it.
While I’m willing to take medication when it’s really necessary, I preferred not to take the medication she was suggesting. So I asked if I could change my cholesterol numbers in some other way. She said I could, if I took action regarding what I was eating. She didn’t express much hope, however, as I’m sure many patients over the years have asked her the same question, but didn’t have the discipline to keep up with the changes, and in the end needed to take the meds. She suggested I come back in three months to see if there was any change, and if not, then I’d need to take the medication. I agreed.
The doctor emphasized that I not only needed to cut back on the food that produced negative results, but also to focus on eating foods that help create positive results. I made some changes in my diet according to her suggestions, even though it meant cutting out some of my favorite foods (like cheese, butter, and sour cream) and eating others that weren’t part of my diet before (such as changing my breakfast to granola with a few nuts and rice milk). At the three-month mark, after another blood test, I went to the doctor to hear the verdict. She studied the test results and then looked at me with some amazement and said, “Congratulations! You did it!” My two cholesterol levels had changed places, with the good now having the higher place and the bad the lower. She complimented me over and over, explaining that hardly any of her patients have been able to avoid the medication. While a simple change of diet may not work for everyone, it did for me. I was really happy about the results, and I made a commitment to keep up my newly acquired eating habits.
To improve my cholesterol count, I needed to not only avoid what was negative but also advance in embracing the positive. I gave some thought to how this was an interesting parallel to what we all know is true for maintaining a healthy relationship with the Lord. To keep that relationship strong requires a certain amount of avoidance of negative things, and equally calls for a focus on positive actions such as prayer, praise, and regularly reading God’s Word.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
It's True: You Are What You Eat BY ADAM BLUESTEIN
http://www.inc.com/magazine/201307/adam-bluestein/the-best-foods-for-leaders-to-eathtml.html
A healthy diet is an important part of being a good leader. Just how important, you might be surprised.
For entrepreneurs, eating isn't just about satisfying hunger. So say the growing ranks of nutrition experts who specialize in fine-tuning the metabolic performance of business leaders. "You're like an athlete in the workplace," says Richard Chaifetz, CEO of ComPsych, a Chicago-based provider of corporate wellness and employee-assistance programs. "So you should eat like an athlete."
At the very least, that means lots of lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and complex carbohydrates; no processed foods; and minimal white flour and sugar. But when you spend all day confronting challenging mental tasks, the brain's nutritional demands are greater.
For example, have you ever worked so hard that it felt as though your brain were on fire? It sort of was, says Patti Milligan, director of nutrition at Tignum, a consultancy that helps businesses boost employee performance through holistic wellness programs. "You produce lots of oxidants in the brain when you're working," she says. "Foods that are high in antioxidants--berries, beans, apples, tea--act like flame retardants."
And don't forget water. "The brain is 70 to 80 percent water," Milligan says. "When it's metabolically active 10 to 12 hours a day, removing metabolic waste from the brain requires optimal hydration." She suggests "super-hydrating" with two cups at the beginning of the day and avoiding "dehydrators," like processed sugary foods, high doses of caffeine, and soda. And watch out for "brain fog," which can be evidence that you need to hydrate.
Speaking of caffeine, "coffee depletes serotonin, which contributes to a sense of well-being," says Barbara Mendez, a New York City nutrition consultant who works with many business clients. "If you have it on an empty stomach, that quick delivery to the bloodstream leads to more anxiety and stress." So save the coffee for midafternoon, when your hormonal and neural connections often need the boost.
If you do just one thing, cut out fatty foods. Andrew DiMichele, chief technical officer of Omada Health, an online diabetes-prevention program, gave up fries and chips at lunch and found an almost immediate boost in productivity. "A couple of weeks ago, I let this slide, and it was a stark reminder," DiMichele says. "Not only was I sleepy and un-attentive all afternoon, but I was in a miserable mood."
Science bears this out. According to a Cambridge University study, after five days on a high-fat diet, the treadmill performance of lab rats declined by half. Moreover, the rats eating fatty chow began to falter on a maze test they had been trained on--finding only five treats before making a mistake. The healthier rats were able to find six or more treats. And as any entrepreneur knows, it's all about finding the treats.
Brain Food:
Drink Water
A 2011 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that even mild dehydration in men reduced vigilance and memory and increased tension, anxiety, and fatigue.
Put Down The French Fry
A 2009 Cambridge University study found that high-fat diets made laboratory rats not just slower but dumber.
Sugar = Bad
A recent UCLA study found that a diet high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning. Omega-3 fatty acids--found in salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed--can counteract the disruption.
A healthy diet is an important part of being a good leader. Just how important, you might be surprised.
For entrepreneurs, eating isn't just about satisfying hunger. So say the growing ranks of nutrition experts who specialize in fine-tuning the metabolic performance of business leaders. "You're like an athlete in the workplace," says Richard Chaifetz, CEO of ComPsych, a Chicago-based provider of corporate wellness and employee-assistance programs. "So you should eat like an athlete."
At the very least, that means lots of lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and complex carbohydrates; no processed foods; and minimal white flour and sugar. But when you spend all day confronting challenging mental tasks, the brain's nutritional demands are greater.
For example, have you ever worked so hard that it felt as though your brain were on fire? It sort of was, says Patti Milligan, director of nutrition at Tignum, a consultancy that helps businesses boost employee performance through holistic wellness programs. "You produce lots of oxidants in the brain when you're working," she says. "Foods that are high in antioxidants--berries, beans, apples, tea--act like flame retardants."
And don't forget water. "The brain is 70 to 80 percent water," Milligan says. "When it's metabolically active 10 to 12 hours a day, removing metabolic waste from the brain requires optimal hydration." She suggests "super-hydrating" with two cups at the beginning of the day and avoiding "dehydrators," like processed sugary foods, high doses of caffeine, and soda. And watch out for "brain fog," which can be evidence that you need to hydrate.
Speaking of caffeine, "coffee depletes serotonin, which contributes to a sense of well-being," says Barbara Mendez, a New York City nutrition consultant who works with many business clients. "If you have it on an empty stomach, that quick delivery to the bloodstream leads to more anxiety and stress." So save the coffee for midafternoon, when your hormonal and neural connections often need the boost.
If you do just one thing, cut out fatty foods. Andrew DiMichele, chief technical officer of Omada Health, an online diabetes-prevention program, gave up fries and chips at lunch and found an almost immediate boost in productivity. "A couple of weeks ago, I let this slide, and it was a stark reminder," DiMichele says. "Not only was I sleepy and un-attentive all afternoon, but I was in a miserable mood."
Science bears this out. According to a Cambridge University study, after five days on a high-fat diet, the treadmill performance of lab rats declined by half. Moreover, the rats eating fatty chow began to falter on a maze test they had been trained on--finding only five treats before making a mistake. The healthier rats were able to find six or more treats. And as any entrepreneur knows, it's all about finding the treats.
Brain Food:
Drink Water
A 2011 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that even mild dehydration in men reduced vigilance and memory and increased tension, anxiety, and fatigue.
Put Down The French Fry
A 2009 Cambridge University study found that high-fat diets made laboratory rats not just slower but dumber.
Sugar = Bad
A recent UCLA study found that a diet high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning. Omega-3 fatty acids--found in salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed--can counteract the disruption.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
How to Multiply your Physical Output!
You can increase
your physical output by following these simple steps.
Did you know how
much your spiritual or psychological attitude affects your physical output? Of
course, we all know that to be true. But a few days ago, I was reminded of this
reality. As you may know, I like to keep myself in shape physically &
sometimes post my 5-km times on my Facebook page. I do it mainly to encourage
some of you who may need to be doing more exercise. “If Dennis can do that, maybe I should give it a try.”
Most of my life
I have been quite active physically, having been involved in teaching young
teens. I was usually pulled into playing soccer, if only as a goalie or
defensive player, neither of which I did very well. At the same time, I also have fought low
self-esteem, insecurity & discouragement, which has translated into a
deeper relationship with the Lord for the needed strength & inspiration in
daily living. Like Paul said, “For I
know in me (that is in my flesh) dwells no good thing.”[1] And James
advises, “Draw nigh to God, & He
will draw nigh to you.”[2]
Over the last 3
or 4 years, I started a running project as I saw I was putting on weight around
mid-drift bulge! I have always liked to eat, as I come from a family of big-eaters.
At my father’s death, he weighed in around 300 pounds. I am a little under 200
right now, & my 2 brothers are quite a bit over that!
I never had any
problem with weight, & could usually eat all I wanted with little or no
consequence. I have usually kept a
healthy diet & stayed away from pork products, white sugar, white flour
& white rice most of my life & very
little alcohol. But a few years ago, I noticed a tire starting to develop
around the waistline. So I decide a running
project was in order. On the beach that summer, I started running for
between 10-15 minutes. That’s all I could do. I soon built up to 20 minutes &,
over time, 25-30 minutes.
Now, I run my 5
km in usually under 35 minutes. My fastest time has been just around 30 minutes
flat. But I generally do around 33 minutes. It’s a slow pace, but it gets my
heart pumping & lungs expulsing & inhaling deeply. I feel really good
afterwards. I feel physically refreshed &
psychologically renewed. My mind seems sharper & I am less stressed.
Last Tuesday,
however, I was quite discouraged. I had had an argument with my wife over
something I cannot even remember at the moment. Book distribution has been way
down, which means financing is low. Financial
problems normally affect other aspects of our lives, & the problems
become exaggerated in our minds, especially if we are looking down at the
waves, like Peter did.
I sure you remember
the story from the Bible. Jesus had just miraculously fed a huge amount of
people, about 5,000 men, besides the woman & children. He then constrained
the disciples to get away by boat, while He Himself sent the multitude away.
What a humble leader concerned about His flock. He then went into a mountain to
pray until evening.
Meanwhile, the
disciples were having trouble getting to the other side of the lake as the wind
was against them. At about the fourth watch of the night, or about 3 a.m.,
Jesus goes unto them walking on the water. By this time, the disciples are
exhausted & probably discouraged, worried or fearful even though they are
men of the sea. The Bible says, that when they saw Jesus walking, they cried
out in fear that it was a ghost!
Finally, Jesus
calls out to them to not be afraid, that it is He. Peter then answers, “Lord, if it is you, bid me to come out on the
waters with you.” And the Lord says, “Come.”
Peter then starts his famous walk upon the waters. He seems to do quite well
until he is reminded about how strong the winds are & how high the waves
are. He starts to sink, & cries out, “Lord,
save me.” Jesus immediately puts forth His hand & catches Peter &
says unto him, “O you of little faith,
why did you doubt?”[3]
When they get
into the ship, the wind stops, & the disciples worship Jesus saying, “Of a truth You are the Son of God.”[4]
Well, I got my
eyes off the Lord & on my problems & so, I began to sink. Nevertheless,
that day even though I did not feel like running, I compelled myself to. It
took all my effort to not stop in the middle of the 5-km distance & just
walk. When I finally finished the 5 km, my time was 38 minutes & 39 seconds. At least I had run the whole distance.
But it was a very slow time, in fact, the slowest time all year. The discouragement I was feeling had resulted in a low physical performance.
It reminds me of
the true story of an Olympic athlete who was expected to win his competition.
However, the same morning of his final race, he was informed of his mother’s
death. He ended up falling during the race & finished poorly. His
psychological attitude had defeated him & he had lost the race even before
it began.
Back to my
story: The day after my poor time was a national holiday in Portugal. A
couple who has been going through a very serious financial situation, where
their business closed & they lost all their savings & property to the
banks, came by for their bi-monthly visit. It is during this time that they
pick up needed staples & we are able to share God’s Word with them,
counsel, pray & fellowship together.
That day, we
started with a Bible class on discouragement, as our friend has had suicidal
tendencies. After class, we then snacked & sang some Christian songs
together & praised God for our blessings. We ended up reading from the
Bible together, before finishing with a good strong heartfelt prayer for the
next 2 weeks until they come again.
What happened
the next day surprised me. After running my 5 km, I looked at my watch & my
time was 5 minutes 20 seconds faster
than my time 2 days before. I realized how my
spiritual state had affected my physical performance. Also, the day of rest & relaxation &
prayer & praise & reading & sharing God’s Word had made a
difference & had affected me positively.
In conclusion, take that day off that you need & don’t push yourself so hard day after
day. Even God rested on the seventh day & commanded us to follow His
example. That is where we get the 7-day week. Try to maintain your spiritual
life. Get together with like-minded people to share your faith & encourage
each other. Like it says in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.”[5]
Yesterday, I
spent the day working on my present
passion: stories with meaning for children. I finished up the first 3 books
I had been working on for quite some time, but never seemed to have the time to
finish. Instead of going out fundraising & distributing books, I wrote &
edited & formatted & finished 3 books. At 7 o’clock, when I went
running, my time was one minute faster than the day before, or 6 minutes & 20 seconds faster than
the day of my discouragement. Doing my
passion & trusting God for tomorrow increased my physical performance.
So there are a
few tips for you. Trust God. Take a
break. Pray. Do your passion. They’re all good for you! Get the inspiration
you need. But don’t forget to get back to work. Do what you can do & trust
God for the rest! He loves you & wants you to trust in Him. Just pick up a
dollar bill or coin & read, “In God
we trust!” Won’t you?
Footnotes:
[1] Rom.7:18
[2] Jam.4:8
[3] Matthew 14:31
[4] Matthew 14:33
[5] Heb.10:25
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Anti-Aging Secret? It's in Your Diet
By Lylah M. Alphonse, Yahoo! Shine, April 17, 2013
A new study shows that sticking to a “Western-style” diet high in fat, carbs, and sugar may make it more difficult to grow old gracefully and stay in good health.
“The impact of diet on specific age-related diseases has been studied extensively, but few investigations have adopted a more holistic approach to determine the association of diet with overall health at older ages,” the study’s lead investigator, Tasnime Akbaraly, a researcher at France’s national department of health (INSERM), said in a statement. “The ‘Western-type’ diet identified in our cohort is very close to the original ‘Western’ pattern defined in the American population, which has been shown to be associated with higher risk of [musculoskeletal] inflammation.”
The study, which will be published in the May issue of The American Journal of Medicine, examined data from 3,775 men and 1,575 women in the United Kingdom (mean age: 51) gathered between 1985 and 2009 as part of the British Whitehall II cohort study. The researchers were trying to figure out the impact that diet quality and eating habits had in mid-life, hoping to find out which dietary factors would prevent premature death and also promote aging healthily.
They discovered that participants who stuck with the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) were more likely to live longer, healthier lives. The AHEI was originally created to provide guidelines intended to combat major chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, and those who adhered to those guidelines—eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish—had fewer incidents of cardiovascular problems and better physical and mental function by the time they reached middle age.
Participants who consistently chose to eat a “Western-type diet” with lots of fried foods, sugary desserts and sodas, processed foods, red meat, refined grains, condiments, and high-fat dairy products lowered their chances for aging well and being healthy later in life. They were more likely to have cardiovascular and joint problems and a lower chance for “ideal aging,” which the researchers defined as “free of chronic conditions and high performance in physical, mental, and cognitive functioning tests.”
“We showed that following specific dietary recommendations such as the one provided by the AHEI may be useful in reducing the risk of unhealthy aging, while avoidance of the ‘Western-type foods’ might actually improve the possibility of achieving older ages free of chronic diseases and remaining highly functional,” Akbaraly said.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
The Cuban diet: eat less, exercise more--and preventable deaths are halved
Jeremy Laurance, The Independent, 10 April 2013
A country whose citizens collectively succeeded in losing weight and increasing their level of physical activity saw their health improve and death rates plunge.
In a unique natural experiment, researchers have observed how a nation that lost an average of 5kg per head over five years contributed to a halving of the death rate from diabetes and a one third reduction in deaths from heart disease.
The natural experiment occurred in Cuba which was plunged into crisis in the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Its experience demonstrates what could be achieved elsewhere if the same changes could be brought about, without an economic crisis.
Food and fuel were in short supply in Cuba from 1990 resulting in millions going hungry and having to abandon their vehicles and walk.
Cars and buses virtually disappeared from the roads as fuel supplies dried up, and farmers had to abandon motorised machines and work the fields manually. The Government issued one million bicycles to keep the population on the move.
Between 1990 and 1995, the average Cuban consumed fewer calories than they expended each day, leading to an average weight loss of 5kg.
Deaths from diabetes began to fall in 1996, five years after the start of the weight loss period, and remained low for six years. Deaths from heart disease and stroke which had been declining slowly since 1980 suddenly went into free fall from 1996.
By the late 1990s, however, Cuba was beginning to recover and as the economy grew so did waistlines. Levels of physical activity fell.
The consequences were seen in a surging prevalence of diabetes and rising rates of heart disease and stroke which, by the mid-2000s were back to their pre-crisis levels.
The international team of researchers from Spain, the US and Cuba, say that the “Cuban experience” from 1980 to 2010 demonstrates that within a relatively short period, modest weight loss in the whole population can have a profound effect.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, they say that although their findings are an extrapolation from one country’s experience, they nonetheless provide “a notable illustration of the potential health benefits of reversing the global obesity epidemic.”
The Cuban crisis was unusual in that it did not occur suddenly, as in a time of war, but developed slowly over a number of years, and was not accompanied by social breakdown. People continued to go to work and school and the Government maintained its strong tradition of public health and continued surveillance of medical trends.
In an accompanying editorial, Walter Willett, professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, says it is well known that changes in the food supply, such as the spread of fast food outlets, combined with reductions in physical activity, such as increased car use, leads to weight gain and the growth in diabetes and heart disease. But it is rare to see a reversal of the process.
Professor Willetts writes: “The current findings add powerful evidence that a reduction in overweight and obesity would have major population-wide benefits.”
A country whose citizens collectively succeeded in losing weight and increasing their level of physical activity saw their health improve and death rates plunge.
In a unique natural experiment, researchers have observed how a nation that lost an average of 5kg per head over five years contributed to a halving of the death rate from diabetes and a one third reduction in deaths from heart disease.
The natural experiment occurred in Cuba which was plunged into crisis in the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Its experience demonstrates what could be achieved elsewhere if the same changes could be brought about, without an economic crisis.
Food and fuel were in short supply in Cuba from 1990 resulting in millions going hungry and having to abandon their vehicles and walk.
Cars and buses virtually disappeared from the roads as fuel supplies dried up, and farmers had to abandon motorised machines and work the fields manually. The Government issued one million bicycles to keep the population on the move.
Between 1990 and 1995, the average Cuban consumed fewer calories than they expended each day, leading to an average weight loss of 5kg.
Deaths from diabetes began to fall in 1996, five years after the start of the weight loss period, and remained low for six years. Deaths from heart disease and stroke which had been declining slowly since 1980 suddenly went into free fall from 1996.
By the late 1990s, however, Cuba was beginning to recover and as the economy grew so did waistlines. Levels of physical activity fell.
The consequences were seen in a surging prevalence of diabetes and rising rates of heart disease and stroke which, by the mid-2000s were back to their pre-crisis levels.
The international team of researchers from Spain, the US and Cuba, say that the “Cuban experience” from 1980 to 2010 demonstrates that within a relatively short period, modest weight loss in the whole population can have a profound effect.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, they say that although their findings are an extrapolation from one country’s experience, they nonetheless provide “a notable illustration of the potential health benefits of reversing the global obesity epidemic.”
The Cuban crisis was unusual in that it did not occur suddenly, as in a time of war, but developed slowly over a number of years, and was not accompanied by social breakdown. People continued to go to work and school and the Government maintained its strong tradition of public health and continued surveillance of medical trends.
In an accompanying editorial, Walter Willett, professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, says it is well known that changes in the food supply, such as the spread of fast food outlets, combined with reductions in physical activity, such as increased car use, leads to weight gain and the growth in diabetes and heart disease. But it is rare to see a reversal of the process.
Professor Willetts writes: “The current findings add powerful evidence that a reduction in overweight and obesity would have major population-wide benefits.”
