Horse Camp and No Further

We set out Saturday to tackle Mt Rose on the north shore of Lake Cushman. In your best shape and in the best conditions Mt Rose will kick your ass. From the car to the summit is just over 3 miles and has 3500 feet of elevation gain. She is one relentless trail!

Gary, Pam, Athena and I hit the trail at about 9 AM and started up. I forgot to mention that this is a truly pretty area. Most of the Olympics are like this, but there are great trees and foliage. Saturday the water was running fast in the creeks. It is quiet there, too. Since it is 15 miles off of HWY 101 the sounds you hear are natural ones.

We arrived at Horse Camp which is only 1.1 miles to the summit and found that there were tons of downed branches as well as snow and we were unable to find the trail to continue to the summit. There were no boot paths to follow and we haven't done the trail enough times to go from memory. We elected to head back down and settle for just under 5 miles.

The tree fall at Horse Camp.

Another shot of the Tree fall at Horse Camp.

 

Sunday Pam and I got in some cycling on the Orting Trail. We estimate that we got in 25 miles on a beautiful day. Mt Rainier escorts you along on a day like today so it's hard to notice you are even exercising.

Be very well and more soon....

Parts Is Parts

I know you've heard it and maybe you've said it. "Kids can eat anything." or "As long as you work out you can eat anything you want." If there is any research anywhere that shows that children are immune from the effects of eating non-nutritional "foods" then I am unable to find it - ANYWHERE.

As far as the argument that you can eat what you want if you exercise, if you like making your system spending most of it's time fighting off toxins instead of using the nutrition you feed it to maintain and heal itself then you are right. In the back of your mind you know the reality.

Some people actually face and embrace that reality and others won't. Since over 70% of people are visual I thought a visual aid might help so here goes.

Wendy Thomas as the ad men want us to think you will look if you eat their food.

 

 

Wendy Thomas in reality.

 

 

 

It' sort of like "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs."

 

Your health and sense of well being are in your hands. You choose where to go, what to buy and what to put in your mouth. You even choose how to get where you go. Just make the right choices.

 

In the Northwest we are going to be treated to a great weekend. Get out and use it up. Do some walking or hiking or biking or gardening or paint your house. Just enjoy it.

 

Be very well and more soon....



Gobble-De_Glycemic Blah!

I have had many people warn me about the glycemic index of foods I regularly eat. I have been chastised for bananas, apples and other fruits. So, what is the glycemic index and should we be worried about it?

The glycemic index is a measure of carbohydrates effects on blood sugar after they are eaten. It is a scale from 1 - 100. So, it tells you if you eat this it affects your blood sugar like this. Why is this important information? In most cases it isn't important at all. Honestly, unless you are a diabetic the glycemic index is at best too much information and at worst harmful nonsense.

Why do we keep hearing about it then, Mr. Smarty Pants? There are people who love their numbers and create "diet" programs around them. The Zone diet was all the rage and used it.  It sounds like some great official stuff, doesn't it? The problem is most of us will get no benefit from spending the time sorting our food by this scale and may actually opt for a less healthy food because of it's lower glycemic index number.

Skipping that apple because of this means you also skip the fiber and a bunch of other stuff that is great for you. What we need to avoid is processed foods and products made form them like fast food. If it didn't exist 50 years ago don't eat it.

If you have diabetes don't skip your fresh fruit - skip the mac and cheese. There have been great results for both type 1 and type 2 diabetics that go on a raw food diet and many who link the family history of diabetes to a family history of diet and exercise as the real cause of the link.

All this being said man cannot live on fruit alone. When they say you need so many servings of fruit and vegetables they should say vegetables and fruits. If you eat more whole foods and get regular exercise you do not need to even remember there ever was a glycemic index.

Eat whole foods and exercise shouldn't surprise anyone. Apples and bananas aren't going to hurt you.

Be very well and more soon...

The Pack Forest - You Can't Name Every Trail The Wildlife Trail

We drive by the Pack Forest twice when we head towards Mt Rainier - once on the way out and once on the way back. We usually say "We have to check that place out sometime when we don't have a bunch of time or snow conditions - avalanche conditions - are dicey.

We had both reasons Saturday so we checked it out. There are a bunch of trails there that it could take a very long time to explore. They have a bad habit of naming any trail where you might see wildlife as the Wildlife Trail. We learned that the hard way with a loop that was unintended.

When we arrived and parked we saw The Hugo Peak trail and anything with a Peak in the name generally wins for us. We were joined by Phyllis, Sue, and for the first time this season Chris, Harry and Tami. Off we went up the Hugo Peak trail and were quickly at the Hugo Peak destination since it was a whopping 2.5 miles there.

After a snack we decided to try the Reservoir Trail for the way down. They call the area the Pack Experimental Forest and they have signage for showing different areas and what they have done. It would be cool for a school group with an intrepid teacher. We cruised along and came to where the reservoir was and headed down towards the trailhead.

Along the way there was a fork where we could head a little out of the way so we decided to add a little mileage. Along that route there was a small turnout for the Wildlife Trail so we decided to take that as well. Somehow or another we missed a right turn - it must have been overgrown - and ended up back on the Reservoir Trail again.

Another pass by the reservoir in question and we were again headed back to the trailhead - this time with a better sense of what not to do. The rest of the hike was uneventful and we were back at the car uninjured and with a little over 7 miles behind us. It was widely reported that a good time was had by all.

Be very well and more soon....

Superfood

Through this journey from a sedentary bad eater to a clean eating guy who likes to exercise I have only found one food that gives an immediate healthy feeling the minute you eat it and that is kale.

I was like everyone else before who would have never invested any time into including kale in my diet, but since I began eating cleaner the evidence always suggested that kale was the number one food to have in your clean diet.

For us, kale was an easy transition in juices as we started with spinach. The tougher part was to find other uses as well. Since I am also avoiding as much fried food as possible a well the kale chips and other "chip" type dishes didn't interest me. I was looking for ways that would preserve as many of the micro-nutrients as possible.

I have switched to using kale as the greens for my salads. I realize that not everyone is ready to go there so I have some other uses that you should like that are easy as well, but first the reasons why.

Health Benefits of Kale

Kale is a very versatile and nutritious green leafy vegetable. It is a widely popular vegetable since ancient Greek and Roman times for its low fat, no cholesterol but health benefiting anti-oxidant properties.

Kale, like other members of the Brassica family, contains health-promoting phytochemicals, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinolthat appear to protect against prostate and colon cancers.

Di-indolyl-methane(DIM), a metabolite of indole-3-carbinolis an effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent through its action of potentiating "Interferon-Gamma" receptors.

Borecole is very rich source of ß-carotene,luteinand zea-xanthin. These flavonoids have strong anti-oxidant and anti-cancer activities. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body.

Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. Thus, it helps prevent retinal detachment and offer protection against "age-related macular degeneration related macular degeneration disease" (ARMD) in the elderly.

It is very rich in vitamin A, 100 g leaves provide 512% of RDA. Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. Foods rich in this vitamin are known to offer protection against lung and oral cavity cancers.

It is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; 100 g provides about 700% of recommended intake. Vitamin K has potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet help limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

100 g of fresh leaves contain 120 mg or 200% of daily-recommended levels of vitamin C. Scottish curly leaf variety yet has more of this vitamin, 130 mg/100g. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.

This leafy vegetable is notably good in many B-complex groups of vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B-6(pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc., that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body.

It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme,superoxide dismutase.Ironis required for cellular oxidation and red blood cell formation.

 

Kale provides rich nutrition ingredients that offer protection from vitamin A deficiency, osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers.

So here are some easy ways to include it in your diet.

1. As salad greens.
2. Wilted in olive oil and a little water or water and vinegar mix. Ready to eat in 10 minutes.
3. Steamed - depending on the kale you use 5-10 minutes and the kale is tender and easy to eat.
4. In a smoothie.
5. In a juice.
6. In a stir fry
7. In a soup
8. Kale chips

I like the steamed kale with fried rice or a stir fry on top. The wilted kale is perfect as a side to a Southern meal like Red Beans and Rice or Jambalaya. Green smoothies are all the rage these days. I have seen some great sounding recipes for smoothies with pineapple and kale. We use kale in a juice that we  have in the afternoon that has green apple, pear, fennel, lemon, cucumber and ginger. It is an instant jolt of energy that lasts all afternoon.

3 ounces of kale has 35 calories and provides 2 grams each of fiber and protein. It also is 110% of your daily vitamin C, 20% of vitamin A, 15% of calcium, 6% of iron, 11% of your potassium and tons of micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals.

Did I mention this stuff grows year round in the Northwest? Otherwise, they have Organic Baby Kales at Costco.

Get some more kale in your life. Be very well and more soon....

Fake 'Em Out "Meatballs"

I have been spending entirely too much time looking for meatless recipes for traditional meat items. I am still perfecting my no bean veggie burgers, but I hit a home run with my meatless "meatballs" the other day.

I know there are those who think faux meat is a dumb idea. They'd tell you to pick a side and get over it, but there is a place for this stuff.  You want a burger sometimes whether you want to eat meat or not and don't get me started on meatballs with a nice marinara sauce.

If you go out and try to find organic veggie "meatballs" you will find some funny sounding ingredients that I find a little scary. That is what began the experiment. The results are a product with great color that has simple  - easy to source- ingredients. They stand up to being reheated in sauce and taste like a proper Italian meatball and have great meatball texture.

Paully's Meatless Meatballs

4 cups sliced Crimini mushrooms
2 cups steamed short grain brown rice
4-6 cloves garlic
1/4 Cup Ready to Eat Sundried Tomatoes - NOT IN OIL
1/2 medium red onion
3/4 cup Thick rolled oats (Bob's Red Mill has a gluten free one if that is an issue for you)
1/2 cup ground flax seed
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp Fennel Seeds - I like mine pan toasted
Fresh Basil - 8-12 large leaves
Thyme - 2-3 sprigs
Oregano - 2 tbsp fresh or 1 tbsp dry
Olive oil

Saute mushrooms until softened - 4-6 minutes on high - they squeak when they are done. Add Balsamic vinegar and allow to reduce until very little liquid remains. Add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, oats and flax seed to the food processor and run until combined well. Add herbs, mushrooms and rice and process until mixture comes together.

This will make 12 - 2" balls. I like to roll them and then lightly roll them in Brown rice flour.

Saute balls in a hot pan with olive oil until browned and then finish in oven at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes. For the prettiest result sauce the balls prior to serving.

Since you did all that work don't save time by saucing them with bad sauce from the store. If you must use pre-made, use one without any corn syrup or heavy amount of sodium. There are some decent organic sauces, but a couple of cans of crushed organic tomatoes some onion and garlic along with some basil salt and pepper and you have some marinara of your own.

Be very well and more soon....

What If They Were Crack Addicts?

If your friends is an IV heroin users or a crackhead you are obligated to intervene. You are a bad friend otherwise. If your friend is a drunk you are likewise obligated to intervene. If they have an eating disorder you should intervene as well, right?

When your friends quit smoking or face their addiction you applaud their success. You are supposed to help them and applaud them when they find their way out.

Just don't take their bacon away!

That's right. The one thing you aren't supposed to do is take their bacon away or suggest it is unhealthy for them. Never inform them of the links to virtually every chronic disease including a very strong link to Alzheimer's disease. That would be mean and unnecessary.

The facts are certain that cured meats have been shown to contribute to cancer, COPD, asthma, heart disease, diabetes Alzheimer's and other dementia disorders, but informing your bacon loving friends about it is grounds for expulsion from your circle of friends. None of the cool kids would do such a thing!

Just because it causes a condition that they now refer to as diabetes for the brain doesn't give you the right to intervene. Just leave them alone! A little Baconator now and then won't hurt right? Everything in moderation, right?

I'd rather lose a friend for trying than lose a bunch of them being quiet when I know I should speak up, especially when I know that it's just like quitting smoking - in 2 weeks you won't even miss it.

There is no room in a balanced diet for stuff with NO upside and all downside. So there I went and crossed the bacon line and even took your salami and pepperoni with it. Just say no to stuff that will certainly mean you will take another prescription in your last 5-10 years of life.

Be very well and more soon..... 

The Other Side Of The Mountain

Saturday we opted for lower and longer to do out best to avoid funky snow conditions. With the weather dumping rain and snow and the snow level dropping quickly you get some varied snow conditions that range from crispy to thick and wet. We opted to head to the Carbon River side of Mt Rainier National Park which you get to through Wilkeson.

 

We were joined by Phyllis, Rhonda, Gay and Lance. The six of us headed out with a plan to head to Ranger Falls and maybe Green Lake if the snow was OK. There isn't much elevation change on what used to be the Carbon River road before it washed out years ago so the pace was good. When we arrived at the trailhead for Ranger Falls we decided to head further up the road to another falls trail.

We went as far up the other trail as we could before a bridge out caused us to turn back. We then decided to head towards Ipsut Falls camp ground instead.

 

We arrived at the campground in perfect time for second breakfast and we were considering heading out to the swinging bridge which gives you a look at the Carbon Glacier. The extra 3.5 miles each way made that a little too much to take on in iffy snow so we opted instead for the short add on of Ipsut Falls.

After the falls we headed back to the cars and off for beer and pizza after getting 12 miles in. It was widely reported that a good time was had by all.

Be very well and more soon....

They're Baaaack!

The Doggess Athena and I are celebrating and recovering from our first 20 mile walking week in a long time. Our 1:28 time today for 6.7 miles is slow for us, but it does get us back to the making better choices side of the ledger and off of the making excuses side.

I forgot to include in yesterday's post that another great tip for being more alkali is to drink more water. Since PH is a measure of hydrogen and hydrogen is mainly water it makes sense.

Saturday we are off to the Carbonado side of Mt Rainier National Park for an easier hike, but one with really great photo ops so hopefully I will have some good pics to share.

Just a short "tada" post today.

Be very well and more soon...

Why For I Wanna Be Alkili?

If you are trying to be healthier you have probably heard you need to be more alkali and less acid, but what does that mean?

The PH balance is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration which ranges from 0 - 14 with 7 being the neutral point so if you are below 7 you are acidic and if you are over you are alkali. The optimal PH balance is 7.4 which gives your metabolism the perfect balance.

Being too alkali is almost impossible through natural means. There are some alkalizing supplements and waters that could do the trick, but you are bombarded with environmental acidity to the point that being too alkali is very rare.

Being too acidic is all too normal. The causes of acidity are the same culprits I write about all the time. They include the following:

Fast foods, meats, processed grains, some fruits (such as ripe bananas and plums), refined salt, sugar, condiments (pickles, ketchup, etc.), soda pop, and almost all refined, processed foods, etc.

The problems you encounter if you are too acidic are as follows:

 

• Weakening of the skin, hair, nails, teeth, bones
• Deterioration of the digestive tract, leaky gut syndrome
• Candida
• Allergies
• Excitability of the nervous system, sciatica
• Tendency to depressive illness, anxiety, panic disorders
• Muscular spasms and cramps
• Enhances susceptibility to infections (bacterial, viral, etc.)
• Chronic fatigue
• Blockage of certain minerals which become unavailable
• Increased risk of cancerous cells proliferating

The cancer cell issue is scary.  Everyone with cancer has an acidic PH. Not most of them - ALL of them.

 

To balance your PH you need to eat more alkali foods and less acidic foods and also release stress as stress creates an acidic environment.

 

The food list as as follows from Alkali to acidic:

 

Ranked Foods: Alkaline to Acidic

Extremely Alkaline Lemons, watermelon.

Alkaline Forming Cantaloupe, cayenne, celery, dates, figs, kelp, limes, mango, melons, papaya, parsley, seaweeds, seedless grapes (sweet), watercress. Asparagus, fruit juices, grapes (sweet), kiwifruit, passionfruit, pears (sweet), pineapple, raisins, umeboshi plums, and vegetable juices.

Moderately Alkaline Apples (sweet), alfalfa sprouts, apricots, avocados, bananas (ripe), currants, dates, figs (fresh), garlic, grapefruit, grapes (less sweet), guavas, herbs (leafy green), lettuce (leafy green), nectarine, peaches (sweet), pears (less sweet), peas (fresh, sweet), pumpkin (sweet), sea salt. Apples (sour), beans (fresh, green), beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carob, cauliflower, ginger (fresh), grapes (sour), lettuce (pale green), oranges, peaches (less sweet), peas (less sweet), potatoes (with skin), pumpkin (less sweet), raspberries, strawberries, squash, sweet Corn (fresh), turnip, vinegar (apple cider).

Slightly Alkaline Almonds, artichokes (Jerusalem), Brussels sprouts, cherries, coconut (fresh), cucumbers, eggplant, honey (raw), leeks, mushrooms, okra, olives (ripe), onions, pickles (homemade), radishes, sea salt, spices, tomatoes (sweet), vinegar (sweet brown rice). Chestnuts (dry, roasted), egg yolks (soft cooked), essence bread, goat's milk and whey (raw), mayonnaise (homemade), olive oil, sesame seeds (whole), soy beans (dry), soy cheese, soy milk, sprouted grains, tofu, tomatoes (less sweet), and yeast (nutritional flakes).

Neutral Butter (fresh, unsalted), cream (fresh, raw), cow's milk and whey (raw), oils (except olive), and yogurt (plain).

Moderately Acidic Bananas (green), barley (rye), blueberries, bran, cereals (unrefined), cheeses, crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), cranberries, dried beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), dry coconut, egg whites, eggs whole (cooked hard), fructose, goat's milk (homogenized), honey (pasteurized), ketchup, maple syrup (unprocessed), milk (homogenized). Molasses (unsulferd and organic), most nuts, mustard, oats (rye, organic), olives (pickled), pasta (whole grain), pastry (whole grain and honey), plums, popcorn (with salt and/or butter), potatoes, prunes, rice (basmati and brown), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), soy sauce, and wheat bread (sprouted organic).

Extremely Acidic Artificial sweeteners, beef, beer, breads, brown sugar, carbonated soft drinks, cereals (refined), chocolate, cigarettes and tobacco, coffee, cream of wheat (unrefined), custard (with white sugar), deer, drugs, fish, flour (white, wheat), fruit juices with sugar, jams, jellies, lamb. Liquor, maple syrup (processed), molasses (sulphured), pasta (white), pastries and cakes from white flour, pickles (commercial), pork, poultry, seafood, sugar (white), table salt (refined and iodized), tea (black), white bread, white vinegar (processed), whole wheat foods, wine, and yogurt (sweetened).

More Ranked Foods: Alkaline to Acidic

Highly Alkaline Forming Foods Baking soda, sea salt, mineral water, pumpkin seed, lentils, seaweed, onion, taro root, sea vegetables, lotus root, sweet potato, lime, lemons, nectarine, persimmon, raspberry, watermelon, tangerine, and pineapple.

Moderately Alkaline Forming Foods Apricots, spices, kambucha, unsulfured molasses, soy sauce, cashews, chestnuts, pepper, kohlrabi, parsnip, garlic, asparagus, kale, parsley, endive, arugula, mustard green, ginger root, broccoli, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew, citrus, olive, dewberry, carrots, loganberry, and mango.

Low Alkaline Forming Foods Most herbs, green tea, mu tea, rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, sake, quail eggs, primrose oil, sesame seed, cod liver oil, almonds, sprouts, potato, bell pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage, rutabaga, ginseng, eggplant, pumpkin, collard green, pear, avocado, apples (sour), blackberry, cherry, peach, and papaya.

Very Low Alkaline Forming Foods Ginger tea, umeboshi vinegar, ghee, duck eggs, oats, grain coffee, quinoa, japonica rice, wild rice, avocado oil, most seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil, Brussels sprout, beet, chive, cilantro, celery, okra, cucumber, turnip greens, squashes, lettuces, orange, banana, blueberry, raisin, currant, grape, and strawberry.

Very Low Acid Forming Foods Curry, koma coffee, honey, maple syrup, vinegar, cream, butter, goat/sheep cheese, chicken, gelatin, organs, venison, fish, wild duck, triticale, millet, kasha, amaranth, brown rice, pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil, pine nuts, canola oil, spinach, fava beans, black-eyed peas, string beans, wax beans, zucchini, chutney, rhubarb, coconut, guava, dry fruit, figs, and dates.

Low Acid Forming Foods Vanilla, alcohol, black tea, balsamic vinegar, cow milk, aged cheese, soy cheese, goat milk, game meat, lamb, mutton, boar, elk, shell fish, mollusks, goose, turkey, buckwheat, wheat, spelt, teff, kamut, farina, semolina, white rice, almond oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, tapioca, seitan, tofu, pinto beans, white beans, navy beans, red beans, aduki beans, lima beans, chard, plum, prune and tomatoes.

Moderately Acid Forming Foods Nutmeg, coffee, casein, milk protein, cottage cheese, soy milk, pork, veal, bear, mussels, squid, chicken, maize, barley groats, corn, rye, oat bran, pistachio seeds, chestnut oil, lard, pecans, palm kernel oil, green peas, peanuts, snow peas, other legumes, garbanzo beans, cranberry, and pomegranate.

Highly Acid Forming Foods Tabletop sweeteners like (NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low, Equal or Aspartame), pudding, jam, jelly, table salt (NaCl), beer, yeast, hops, malt, sugar, cocoa, white (acetic acid) vinegar, processed cheese, ice cream, beef, lobster, pheasant, barley, cottonseed oil, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, fried foods, soybean, and soft drinks, especially the cola type. To neutralize a glass of cola with a pH of 2.5, it would take 32 glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10.

Alkaline Forming Foods VEGETABLES Garlic Asparagus Fermented Veggies Watercress Beets Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chard Chlorella Collard Greens Cucumber Eggplant Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce Mushrooms Mustard Greens Dulce Dandelions Edible Flowers Onions Parsnips (high glycemic) Peas Peppers Pumpkin Rutabaga Sea Veggies Spirulina Sprouts Squashes Alfalfa Barley Grass Wheat Grass Wild Greens Nightshade Veggies FRUITS Apple Apricot Avocado Banana (high glycemic) Cantaloupe Cherries Currants Dates/Figs Grapes Grapefruit Lime Honeydew Melon Nectarine Orange Lemon Peach Pear Pineapple All Berries Tangerine Tomato Tropical Fruits Watermelon PROTEIN Eggs (poached) Whey Protein Powder Cottage Cheese Chicken Breast Yogurt Almonds Chestnuts Tofu (fermented) Flax Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Tempeh (fermented) Squash Seeds Sunflower Seeds Millet Sprouted Seeds Nuts OTHER Apple Cider Vinegar Bee Pollen Lecithin Granules Probiotic Cultures Green Juices Veggies Juices Fresh Fruit Juice Organic Milk (unpasteurized) Mineral Water Alkaline Antioxidant Water Green Tea Herbal Tea Dandelion Tea Ginseng Tea Banchi Tea Kombucha SWEETENERS Stevia Ki Sweet SPICES/SEASONINGS Cinnamon Curry Ginger Mustard Chili Pepper Sea Salt Miso Tamari All Herbs ORIENTAL VEGETABLES Maitake Daikon Dandelion Root Shitake Kombu Reishi Nori Umeboshi Wakame Sea Veggies

Acid Forming Foods FATS & OILS Avocado Oil Canola Oil Corn Oil Hemp Seed Oil Flax Oil Lard Olive Oil Safflower Oil Sesame Oil Sunflower Oil FRUITS Cranberries GRAINS Rice Cakes Wheat Cakes Amaranth Barley Buckwheat Corn Oats (rolled) Quinoi Rice (all) Rye Spelt Kamut Wheat Hemp Seed Flour DAIRY Cheese, Cow Cheese, Goat Cheese, Processed Cheese, Sheep Milk Butter NUTS & BUTTERS Cashews Brazil Nuts Peanuts Peanut Butter Pecans Tahini Walnuts ANIMAL PROTEIN Beef Carp Clams Fish Lamb Lobster Mussels Oyster Pork Rabbit Salmon Shrimp Scallops Tuna Turkey Venison PASTA (WHITE) Noodles Macaroni Spaghetti OTHER Distilled Vinegar Wheat Germ Potatoes DRUGS & CHEMICALS Aspartame Chemicals Drugs, Medicinal Drugs, Psychedelic Pesticides Herbicides ALCOHOL Beer Spirits Hard Liquor Wine BEANS & LEGUMES Black Beans Chick Peas Green Peas Kidney Beans Lentils Lima Beans Pinto Beans Red Beans Soy Beans Soy Milk White Beans Rice Milk Almond Milk

As far as the peace of mind aspect goes, the best way to feel better emotionally is to exercise, find time to meditate or pray if that is your preference and limit your exposure to toxic situations and people who "blow your bliss." Anyone who makes you feel worse more often than they make you feel better should be avoided as much as possible.

 

I found my meditation with a pack on my back enjoying the peace and beauty of nature. Yours may be in the community of a church congregation or in solitary meditation. It is imperative that you find that "you time" and use it. It can literally save your life.

 

Any drug store has PH test kits. They are cheap.

 

Be very well and more soon....

 

70 Steps Forward - 20 Steps Back

That's the current situation. Starting 3 years ago I lost 70 lbs and now have put 20 back on. My low was at the end of our Peru and Ecuador trip in October 2010 when I weighed in at 200 lbs.

We got home and my right foot needed time to rest to heal according to the doc so I rested it up to 218 lbs. Since then I have been waging a yo-yo battle over the ground between 210 and 220. Why? I haven't been consistent with exercise.

My diet has improved - gotten cleaner - with more good stuff and less bad like dairy, but my walks with Athena have gotten spotty at best. We went for our normal 6.7 mile route Saturday and I am still feeling it.

When this began I was more committed to getting to the end and continually increased the exercise as necessary to keep the weight heading down, but since our return from South America I have struggled to stay focused.

So I need to stop lamenting the past and remember that it is easier to KEEP going than it is to GET going and build on my Saturday walk with more of the same. I know my 4 legged workout partner will agree that is the best way to go.

Wish me good walks.

Be very well and more - hopefully exercise filled posts - soon....

But I Want A Sammy Paully!

As you know by now I get my inspiration from what they advertise on TV and radio. Lately, I have been catching Subway, Quizno's and Jimmy John's ads so I decided to check their nutrition charts.

I was prepared to see a lot of sodium because that is how sandwich companies deliver "flavor" and because bread is usually fairly high in sodium anyway. I figured that would be the biggest issue, but I was wrong.

The standard combinations of fat, sugar and salt are present like any burger joint. Jerrod wouldn't have lost any weight eating most of what is on the menu today. Here are some examples of the best and worst from each.

Subway has a 6" Veggie Delight that has only 230 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, .5 grams saturated fat, 310 mgs of sodium and 5 grams of sugar. All in all not bad, but 310 mgs of sodium is more than a veggie sandwich should have. Their bad end is their 6" Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt which takes the calories to 570 with 28 grams of fat of which 10 are saturated fat, a whole days' worth of sodium at 1070 mg and 8 grams of sugar. These are the 6" numbers folks, not the 12" sandwiches that are on all the commercials.

Quizno's has a Veggie Guacamole sandwich that sounds OK until you look closely. The small is 440 calories with 25 grams of fat of which 7 is saturated, 800 mgs of sodium and 5 grams of sugar. If you go to the regular size it goes 760 calories, 43 grams of fat - 12 saturated, 1380 mgs of sodium and 9 grams of sugar. Their bad end is a chicken sandwich - the Chicken Carbonara. A regular is 960 calories, 49 grams of fat with 20 grams saturated fat, 2170 - 2 DAYS WORTH - of sodium and 9 grams of sugar.

Then comes Jimmy John's. Their delivery is fast per the commercial and so is their delivery of bad stuff. Their base size is  8". They have a Vegetarian that has 674 calories, 38 grams of fat with 12 grams of saturated fat and 1072 mgs of sodium. I'm not sure how you even get that much crap in a veggie sandwich! Their best bet is actually a Slim Turkey at 401 calories, but it packs 1075 mgs of sodium. Beware their Slim Tuna at a whopping 765 calories and 1631 mgs of sodium. The Must Miss sandwich on their menu is the Gargantuan which packs 988 calories 54 grams of fat with 13  grams of saturated fat and 2893 mgs of sodium or nearly 3 days worth. Wow!

Like I said Jerrod from the Subway commercial isn't going to lose a bunch of weight with these as his main diet. I have an idea. Make a sandwich at home from fresh, local, organic ingredients instead. You can't go wrong there.

Be very well and more soon....

Rattlesnake Lake Trail- The Wrath Of Athena

Saturday, Lisa, Pam and I were lucky enough to be graced by her Doggess Athena for a fast hike on the Rattlesnake Lake trail just off of I-90. We managed about 8 1/2 miles in a very short time with Athena setting the pace for us.

 

 

 

 

 

The first 3 miles were dry and then the snow on the trail became the norm. It was great walking snow so we kept pressing on to the overlook. We had a snack and took a picture and continued down.

There were no dogs to deal with on the way up, but there were plenty to avoid on the way down. Athena still has no ability to be around other dogs. It makes us wonder what her life was like before she hit the dog lottery and ended up adopting us. It had to be pretty bad since even a high 5 makes her come to someones defense.

Anyway, a great bit of exercise and a nice piece of exercise means that a good time was had by all.

Be very well and more soon....