Day 8 - Resurrecting an Oldie but Goodie

I was trying to think of what to write about today, and I came across a posting by Heather who writes "The Waiting is the Hardest Part."  She participated in "Resurrection Blogfest III" yesterday where her fellow bloggers brought back a post from the last year.  I thought I would borrow her idea and repost one of my favorite posts from the last year.  Seriously, I tell patients this on a daily, so I am resharing this blast from the past... well, from 2/10/14 anyway....

A Healthier Lifestyle: Just My Opinion

 As an Emergency Medicine physician, patients frequently ask me what to eat when I am in the process of giving them instructions for discharge.  Especially when I tell them to "lose weight, " stop smoking," and get maintenance check ups from their primary care provider.  It's funny how often it seems I am the first person to address their health and eating habits.  

They are surprised when I tell them to stop smoking because it cuts oxygen supply to their blood vessels by about 50% every time they light up.   They seem sincerely amazed that I recommend exercising in a pool when they tell me that because of their chronic back/knee/hip pain they can't follow the simple walking plan I lay out for them. (And, it is very simple:  15 minutes three times a week, then increase to 30 after several weeks, then add a hill, then try to go farther faster, then the possibilities are endless.)   As for seeing their primary MD;  well, isn't it easier just to come into the ED when I need something?  I'll save my answer as fodder for another post.

But, let's get on to  the, ahem, meat of this.  To eat right you just need to follow three simple rules:  nothing in a bag, nothing in a box, nothing in a can.

Nothing in a bag:

Bags include fast food, snack foods, any prepackaged food.   Top Ramen anyone?  This goes to the ideals also set out in Michael Pollan's "Food Rules:  An Eater's Manual."  You should only eat things you can pronounce.  Lower ingredients = healthier eating with a goal of 1 for everything.  The more the food is in its natural state the better.  I follow a mostly raw food diet and have never felt healthier and with more energy.  On one of my allowed "cheat days"  I was craving McDonald's french fries.  I honestly tasted every molecule of rancid oil along with several flavors I couldn't quite identify.  After about 2 or 3 fries, I threw the rest of the pack away and went to the grocery store for some kale and jicama to make into an awesome salad later that night for dinner.

Nothing in a box:

Again, think prefab foods.  Now, I know it's so much easier to get a Lean Cuisine and throw it into the microwave than to take 20 or 30 minutes to prepare something healthier (one of my mixed salads can take almost an hour to prepare.)  Not to mention, I had to run to grocery store about 2 - 3 times a week, because when you eat healthier, you need to maintain a large stash of fresh ingredients rather than a collection of boxes in the freezer.  Also, boxes generally mean breakfast cereals.   Even Special K cereal contains rice, whole grain wheat, sugar, almonds, wheat bran, then "2%  or less" of other ingredients including maltodextrin and BHT "for freshness."  I don't know about you, but I've never seen a maltodextrin tree, and what is BHT? 

On the other hand, meusli contains a mix of rolled oats (uncooked), wheat, rye, triticale, barley, and usually nuts like almonds, sunflower seeds and walnuts.  Some include some fruit like dates or raisins to add a little touch of sweetness.  Add some coconut or rice milk and have a healthier, low glycemic index breakfast.  I usually cut up a banana for added fiber and potassium.

Nothing in a can:

Before you start jumping all over me about things like tomato paste or canned vegetables, this is a place to read the label and remember my argument about the fresher the better.  How much healthier for you are green beans that come off the plant and to your grocer's display than a can of green beans that is packaged in some kind of liquid, usually with some kind of salt preservative;  that have lost their crispness, broken down their fiber, and taste like the can?  And, at the risk of sounding too "green," think about trash and recycling.  Fresh vegetables come in their own packaging.

Cans also include sodas.  Other than tasting good, sodas have no nutritional value.  And, you have to think about the sugars, phosphates and caffeine that they contain.  Caffeine is a diuretic (it makes you pee more.)  As it is, most people don't drink the recommended gallon of water a day they should be drinking.  (Eight glasses of water = 8 x 8 oz = 64oz = 1 gallon or four 16 oz bottles.)  Add a diuretic and now you're at a water deficit.  Your body needs water to perform many vital functions especially digestion.  And, we're seeing changes in patient profiles because of it.  Whereas diverticulitis used to be a disease of the elderly, I'm now seeing diverticulitis in 30 year olds.  The disease comes from not having a high fiber diet and increased pressure on the colon to expel the digested food stuffs.  Lots of water helps.  And exercise... just saying.

So, there you have it.  I can usually give this talk to my patients in about 5 minutes, answer all their questions and send them off to, hopefully, lead healthier, happier, and more flavor-filled lives.  Yes, I know it costs more.  Yes, I know it takes longer to do.  But then, isn't anything that's worthwhile worth doing right?

**I have no financial ties to any of the companies I've mentioned.  One of the best books I read on the raw food movement is "Raw Food/Real World" by Kenny and Melngailis

#1639 - On Lent

For Catholics, and a lot of other Christians, this is the time of year known as Lent.  It's a period of prayer and reflection in the 40 days prior to Easter.  Traditionally, you fast and don't eat meat on Fridays (hence all the fish frys and McDonald's specials on Filet-o-fish), and you also give up something as well.  Something you really like... Like chocolate... or red velvet cupcakes.  

Several years back, I also started doing something which was considered a "hardship."  Like being nice to that co-worker that really grates you.  Or saying a Rosary every day.  I had read somewhere that doing things like that was more of a sacrifice than simply giving up your favorite food or even Facebook like some of my friends do. (Although for me, Facebook would be a huge sacrifice.  How can you not log on for forty days!)  Regardless,  you do it in the spirit of Lent, and you come out a better person on the other end.  Purified of mind and body and spirit on Easter Sunday.  Not to mention, after 40 days that co-worker might not seem so bad.

My mother and I give up meat for the entire 40 days of Lent (except for Sundays which are "free days" or so I was always told).  I've written before about doing PETA's "Pledge to be Veg" and also about my raw food diet, so for 40 days it's not much of a stretch to not have meat.  What I find funny is so many people ask how I can do it.  Don't I miss it?  What do you eat?  And, it's simple...

Instead of this:

I have this:

And instead of this:

I have this:

And, I replace this:

With these:

Forty days is nothing.

Like I've said in the past, I could be totally vegetarian,

but I keep coming back to ribeyes... yum!

2013 A to Z Challenge Post:

L is for Lazy

#1789 - On Calories

I've always had a love/hate relationship with my body.

Although it's always been a mostly

"if you loved me, you'd love all of me"

kind of attitude.

Then earlier this year my husband and I went to a conference

in Yosemite and I faced this trail...

After huffing and puffing uphill for 45 minutes

and thinking that my heart was going to explode

even after multiple stops to rest

I knew I had to make a drastic change.

So I bought a FitBit.

We'll talk about that on another day...

can you guess which one...?

Regardless, along with counting steps

one of the features is a calorie counter.

I didn't think much of it initially as I cut down

on my eating and measured my daily steps.

With no success.  WTH?!?

So I started playing around with the calorie counter

and kept track of every meal.

And what I realized is that my calorie intake count

went way beyond my burned calories.

Upon further investigation, I found out

this little watchband can set a daily calorie goal

based on how fast I want to lose X amount of weight.

I didn't go uber restricted, nor the way easy, 

I chose moderately difficult

with a goal to lose the weight by November.

So it set these goals.  A 750 calorie deficit.

Woah!

Day one: I did a bit of juice fast just to try things out

Day 6: Came out just about even

Day 12: Ok, seriously, the pizza spoke to me; come on,

man can't live on kale alone

Day 17: Wait, what? If I exercise I get to eat more..!

And here's where it matters most...

In case you're confused, I do my weight in kilograms;

it's doesn't sound so bad when I do it that way

(divide pounds by 2.2)

and, all I care about is the downward slope...

What will you do today....?

I have my game plan set....

**based on age, weight, height and sex your

basal metabolic rate is set and you can 

add activities like driving, or shopping

or yardwork throughout the day

Need a kickstart?  Read my recent post

on eating right...

2013 A to Z Challenge Post:

C is for Cats

A Healthier Lifestyle: Just My Opinion

 As an Emergency Medicine physician, patients frequently ask me what to eat when I am in the process of giving them instructions for discharge.  Especially when I tell them to "lose weight, " stop smoking," and get maintenance check ups from their primary care provider.  It's funny how often it seems I am the first person to address their health and eating habits.  

They are surprised when I tell them to stop smoking because it cuts oxygen supply to their blood vessels by about 50% every time they light up.   They seem sincerely amazed that I recommend exercising in a pool when they tell me that because of their chronic back/knee/hip pain they can't follow the simple walking plan I lay out for them. (And, it is very simple:  15 minutes three times a week, then increase to 30 after several weeks, then add a hill, then try to go farther faster, then the possibilities are endless.)   As for seeing their primary MD;  well, isn't it easier just to come into the ED when I need something?  I'll save my answer as fodder for another post.

But, let's get on to  the, ahem, meat of this.  To eat right you just need to follow three simple rules:  nothing in a bag, nothing in a box, nothing in a can.

Nothing in a bag:

Bags include fast food, snack foods, any prepackaged food.   Top Ramen anyone?  This goes to the ideals also set out in Michael Pollan's "Food Rules:  An Eater's Manual."  You should only eat things you can pronounce.  Lower ingredients = healthier eating with a goal of 1 for everything.  The more the food is in its natural state the better.  I follow a mostly raw food diet and have never felt healthier and with more energy.  On one of my allowed "cheat days"  I was craving McDonald's french fries.  I honestly tasted every molecule of rancid oil along with several flavors I couldn't quite identify.  After about 2 or 3 fries, I threw the rest of the pack away and went to the grocery store for some kale and jicama to make into an awesome salad later that night for dinner.

Nothing in a box:

Again, think prefab foods.  Now, I know it's so much easier to get a Lean Cuisine and throw it into the microwave than to take 20 or 30 minutes to prepare something healthier (one of my mixed salads can take almost an hour to prepare.)  Not to mention, I had to run to grocery store about 2 - 3 times a week, because when you eat healthier, you need to maintain a large stash of fresh ingredients rather than a collection of boxes in the freezer.  Also, boxes generally mean breakfast cereals.   Even Special K cereal contains rice, whole grain wheat, sugar, almonds, wheat bran, then "2%  or less" of other ingredients including maltodextrin and BHT "for freshness."  I don't know about you, but I've never seen a maltodextrin tree, and what is BHT? 

On the other hand, meusli contains a mix of rolled oats (uncooked), wheat, rye, triticale, barley, and usually nuts like almonds, sunflower seeds and walnuts.  Some include some fruit like dates or raisins to add a little touch of sweetness.  Add some coconut or rice milk and have a healthier, low glycemic index breakfast.  I usually cut up a banana for added fiber and potassium.

Nothing in a can:

Before you start jumping all over me about things like tomato paste or canned vegetables, this is a place to read the label and remember my argument about the fresher the better.  How much healthier for you are green beans that come off the plant and to your grocer's display than a can of green beans that is packaged in some kind of liquid, usually with some kind of salt preservative;  that have lost their crispness, broken down their fiber, and taste like the can?  And, at the risk of sounding too "green," think about trash and recycling.  Fresh vegetables come in their own packaging.

Cans also include sodas.  Other than tasting good, sodas have no nutritional value.  And, you have to think about the sugars, phosphates and caffeine that they contain.  Caffeine is a diuretic (it makes you pee more.)  As it is, most people don't drink the recommended gallon of water a day they should be drinking.  (Eight glasses of water = 8 x 8 oz = 64oz = 1 gallon or four 16 oz bottles.)  Add a diuretic and now you're at a water deficit.  Your body needs water to perform many vital functions especially digestion.  And, we're seeing changes in patient profiles because of it.  Whereas diverticulitis used to be a disease of the elderly, I'm now seeing diverticulitis in 30 year olds.  The disease comes from not having a high fiber diet and increased pressure on the colon to expel the digested food stuffs.  Lots of water helps.  And exercise... just saying.

So, there you have it.  I can usually give this talk to my patients in about 5 minutes, answer all their questions and send them off to, hopefully, lead healthier, happier, and more flavor-filled lives.  Yes, I know it costs more.  Yes, I know it takes longer to do.  But then, isn't anything that's worthwhile worth doing right?

**I have no financial ties to any of the companies I've mentioned.  One of the best books I read on the raw food movement is "Raw Food/Real World" by Kenny and Melngailis

One Month Down...

How are your New Year's resolutions coming along?

We recently traveled up to Yosemite for a conference,

and while I was there I made several life decisions for myself.

One was to get into better shape...

which I discovered I was sorely lacking after 

trying to make this hike while in Yosemite.

While I did get to see some beautiful vistas,

I know I could have had a much better experience if

I lost some of the extra weight I put on this year

and really got into a better exercise plan.

Then, while sitting and catching my breath

while taking in the amazing scenery, I realized I really

missed writing poetry and doing more creative work

in photography and painting.

I did start going to some art classes put on by a

local artist, and have been having fun paining again.

So one of my other goals is to get my "craft room" finished

and set up, so I can get back to this relaxing part of my life...

Not bad for a first time... n'est pas?

Well, it's a start anyway....

Cheers to following that unknown trail

and seeing what the rest of the year will bring...!

Hopefully, next time without all the

huffing and puffing...

Fruits and Veggies

Week two of the regimen continues... I feel a little like Sofie looks...
Although, I have to admit that I did better today. I was able to actually jog for a bit, and I didn't feel like I was having a coronary going up the hill. Afterward I was so motivated by the endorphins, or crazy from the lack of blood supply to my brain, that we went for a Costco run and bought a lot of fruits and veggies... Hoping to keep the energy, and enthusiasm, up for the next week...!

#520 - Y is for Yes, I Can...!

I hate having my photo taken... I don't find myself to be at all photogenic.  I think that's one of the reasons I liked photography so much.  It gave me an excuse to always be behind the camera rather than in front of it.

Our vacation in the Caribbean forced me to be in front of the camera a little more than I would like to be as my husband kept insisting that there needed to be more pictures of me and of us during this wonderous trip.  Coming home and looking through all of them, I realized that I NEVER want to look like this again.

So, today I took the first step in changing my future.  My friend and I hired a personal trainer, and we had our first session today.  I'm not saying it's going to be easy.  I'm not saying I'm going to come out looking like her (skinny wench that she is already, my friend, not the trainer.)  But, I am saying I'm making a public commitment to get improve myself physically.  So that the next time I'm forced in front of a camera I won't look like a potato stuffed unsuccessfully into a spandex suit...

And, my goal is a pair of jeans from college... Levi 501s, stone-washed, button fly... you know the ones... date night with the black boots and white t-shirt... oh yeah...!

How Does Your Garden Grow...?

I've been posting a lot about death recently, so let's try to focus on life...

We've had our home about a year now.  I think I've mentioned before that the prior owners didn't do a whole lot of upkeep.  Here's the main "valley view" area on the side of the house when we first looked at the property...

Once I actually bought the property, I hired someone to start cutting through the mess before we took possession of the house.  See the before and after?  Amazing what one man and a weed whacker can do...

Then hubby got the tractor and the clearing really started.  Wow... opened that space right up..!

Just a few trees left around...

Then even those trees were gone...

Then around May I got my first batch of seedlings started...

And even planted in some box containers on the deck...

Hubby got out the tractor and the disc harrier and started churning up some level land...

Time for fencing against goats, deer, etc...

Seedlings started coming up...

And now look at those lovely rows of corn, turnips, pumpkins, sunflowers.  There's chard and mustard greens.  Even snow peas at the ends of the rows.  My cucumbers and carrots are not doing so well, but they're hanging in there.  It's also amazing how fast the weeds come up..!  It was nothing but dirt when we planted the rows... where did they all come from..?

My little boxes are producing enough lettuce that I haven't had to buy any all summer...

And I get some radishes and small carrots from the other box...

Salad, anyone...?

I can't wait as the season continues and it starts to turn into fall... those pumpkins should be just about ready for Halloween...!

A Month of Stories

I am on vacation.  And, what usually happens when I go on vacation is that I have time to think... Not that I am not thinking all the time when I am at work, but I mean really think... about important things... like, gee, if I finally got around to writing and selling that novel I wouldn't have to work.  Then I could just write, and write, and write.  And, collect animals... but more on that later.

Anyway, we're staying at the very nice, vegetarian and dog-friendly Stanford Inn in Mendocino.  Combine the natural beauty of the area and the grounds, and you have more than enough inspiration to want a life of sitting in front of your keyboard inventing other worlds for all to explore.  Not to mention I wouldn't have to deal with dental pain drug seekers.  Seriously, fix your teeth already and stop smoking.

So, I'm hanging around the lobby area looking at all the goodies they have on display, and I find this neat little box.  It's called "The Writer's Toolbox."  Basically, it's a jumpstart for creative thinking.  It gives you several different ways to get those brain story juices flowing.

Ok, so now I have the tools - brain and box, and I plan to write a story or poem a day for the next month to get my right brain functioning again.  Starting tomorrow.  Cause, seriously, sitting around writing scripts for poison oak dermatitis and bronchitis Z-packs is starting to take it's toll... again, stop smoking...!

Fuel the Machine

While I have been known to indulge in the occasional bacon-blue cheeseburger from time to time, for the most part I have been following a mostly raw diet.  When I get a chance to cook at home, I use natural ingredients and shy away from processed foods.  So when I consult my overweight patients about healthy eating, I know what it takes to do it.

My philosophy from my days training in cardiac surgery is "Nothing in a bag, nothing in a box, nothing in a can."  Nothing in a bag means fast food.  I know you can get a full meal from Micky D's for about $5, and the same meal would cost you more to buy and take more time to make, but the health benefits should take precidence.  Nothing in a box means TV dinners and pre-processed "add water and heat" type foods.  They have little nutritional value and are usually salt or sugar loaded as preservatives.  Nothing in a can means sodas and canned foods.  Sodas, again, have no nutritional value, and have high concentrations of sugar and salt.  Remember the 50 pound two year old I talked about in a prior post...?  Canned foods also have high sugar and or salt contents to help with preservation.

So when Mrs. POTUS talks about programs to limit what you can and can't buy at school or limiting personal freedoms under the guise of "if you can't take care of yourself, let the government take care of you," let me let you reflect on the EBT buyer who had a grocery cart loaded with Top Ramen, packaged juice boxes and sodas.  I maybe saw one object of nutritional value - a gallon of milk - which most likely was to be poured over the box of sugar bombs also sitting in her cart.  Maybe that school diet will be the healthiest thing those children eat all day.

If you need any further proof of going raw or going natural, watch this video...

Random Thoughts #1 of 2011

I've been very lax about writing recently. Funny thing is, I keep thinking of all these great blog postings, then I get distracted, then I get busy, and I never write them down. So I thought I would take a moment to write about a few things that have popped into my brain over the last week or so... caution, this may go long.

I love to travel, and I love taking photographs.  One of my colleagues asked what I liked to take pictures of, and I said, "Everything!"  My mom got used to pulling over to the side of the road frequently during road trips so that I could take a picture of something I saw that looked interesting.  My husband is slowly learning the same thing... My photographic life has been just that more interesting with the advent of camera phones.  I carry my phone everywhere, so instantly I can point and shoot.  In fact, my entire cross-country trip was shot with my iPhone... yeah....

We started eating "raw" again this year.  After finding that I gained a bunch of weight back following finishing residency and getting settled in a new place, it was time.  Time to get back that energy I had before.  Time to start fighting against the aging tide.  Time to get back into my old clothes.  And, time to truly test my self-discipline.  While not 100% raw, what can you say about the healthiness of self-made veggie patties, in a lettuce wrap with pinto bean chips?  My DH said, "Yum!"

I work in the emergency department.  While in residency, I worked in a trauma center which I sometimes referred to as the "drama" center since I enjoyed the back story of patients to the actual medicine.  I find that while I am not seeing the amount of trauma that I trained under, the drama certainly hasn't diminished in the least.

A few nights ago I found myself counseling a just-20-something patient who is pregnant and living with her almost-30 year old "baby daddy" in his parents' home.  The "he should understand what I'm going through because he's already got two other kids from when he was married," comment started a tightness in my shoulders that lasted throughout the entire 20 minute conversation.  I let her talk despite having several more patients to see because, literally, she has no one else.  She was a foster kid who was finally placed in a home at age 11.  She left this home in another state due to frictions between her and her foster parents.  I didn't ask how she ended up pregnant and alone several hundred miles away, but here she is, and I am sure it will not be the last time I see her in the E.D. during her pregnancy.

Did you know there's actually a "Squirrel Appreciation Day?"  I celebrated it this year by taking a nap since I am on the night shift over the weekend.  Had I known earlier, I might have done something a little more festive around my blog.... 

As, you can see... I am the tail-end of my blogpost..... Until next time!