There was a study that everyone is talking about that concluded that if people who are Type II Diabetics get bariatric surgery that they can cure their diabetes. I am sure that is true and I know that there are situations where the very obese can get great benefit from this kind of surgery.
Where I disagree with this approach is when they start moving the bar down to people who are still capable of getting up and getting some exercise and who are capable of feeding themselves.
You can reverse - cure - Type II Diabetes with diet and exercise. In fact, in many studies people with diabetes and high blood pressure were able to get off of medication in 4 weeks by going to a raw diet for 28 days. 95% of the participants who stuck to the program succeeded - 95%!
It won't cost you any more money than it does now to eat raw for a month - in fact you will save money not eating meat. You will have to give up alcohol for the month, but if that is a problem you might need some advice I'm not qualified to give.
It will cost you or your insurance company between $18,000 and $35,000 if there are no complications for bariatric surgery according to http://www.yourbariatricsurgeryguide.com/cost/ . At the end of the day you will still have to alter your diet and adopt a more active lifestyle with either approach.
Remember too that you can regain all the weight after bariatric surgery. Carney Wilson is an example of that. She is now going in for the second time for this kind of surgery. I have little doubt that she will gain the weight again although I hope she doesn't.
So, everyday you get a little more activity than you had the day before and everyday you make another better food choice and you become the control of your own fate and health. It just seems to me to be a more elegant way to go.
More soon....
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Breaking Tail Breaking Trail
Pam, Lisa, Phyllis, Athena and I set out for another snowshoe near Crystal Mountain Saturday. When we hit the area where we park It was clear that we would be breaking the trail for a while.
This picture was taken after the adventure, but you can see how much snow we were looking at. We ended up breaking trail for the better part of 2 miles before we came across a snowmobile track to follow for a little more than a mile.
Since the shallowest snow required us to plow about 6 inches and the deep stuff was 18 plus inches worth in places Athena was happy to hang back and follow the trail we were making for her.
The Trailhead for Norse Peak trail was hard to recognize with all of the snow.
This picture was taken after the adventure, but you can see how much snow we were looking at. We ended up breaking trail for the better part of 2 miles before we came across a snowmobile track to follow for a little more than a mile.
Since the shallowest snow required us to plow about 6 inches and the deep stuff was 18 plus inches worth in places Athena was happy to hang back and follow the trail we were making for her.
The Trailhead for Norse Peak trail was hard to recognize with all of the snow.
You can sort of see where the trail goes I guess. There were a couple of areas with evidence of snow sliding - I guess they technically call that an avalanche. There were spontaneously created snow wheels along the way. We took the Elmer Fudd approach and were "Vewy Vewy Quiet" so as not to talk any more snow into moving as we passed those areas.
Athena was sporting her new snow shoes which stayed on great, but we need to work on a pre wrap around her dew claws as the attachment is right where the dew claws are. She wore them all the way up and we removed them for the way down. She left it all on the trail and was wrecked when we got home. Poor Kid! She just has the one gear and it is full blast.
Here are some more pictures from the trip. Enjoy!
More soon....
Friday, March 23, 2012
Fowl and Offensive
I haven't beat up on my fast food buddies in a while so here we go.
At McDonalds they have more than Mc Nuggets in the chicken arena now. They have the McBites which weigh in at 310 calories with 19 grams of fat and 490 mgs of sodium. It's quite a trick to get half of the fat in a dish from fat, but they made it. You can also go for the Chicken Selects Breast Strips and get 380 calories with 23 grams of fat and a whopping 750 mgs of sodium. That is chicken you should be chicken to eat if you know what I mean.
So what are their competitors up to? At Wendy's you can get the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap - that sounds healthy huh? It is only 260 calories with 10 grams of fat, but it packs 730 mgs of sodium. I'm still chicken.
At Burger King they have the 4 Piece Chicken Tenders whish are just 280 calories, but have 17 grams of fat and 490 mgs of sodium. I'm chicken of that too.
Lets go to the chicken source - KFC. Finally, a grilled chicken breast is just 220 calories with just 7 grams of fat - whew! Ooops, it also has 730 mgs of sodium. Dang! We were almost eating for a second. Still chicken.
At Popeyes they have a Naked Chicken Wrap. It is just 200 calories with 6 grams of fat, but it also has 580 mgs of sodium. So far better than the others, but I'm still chicken. Oh and their Chicken Po' Boy has 660 calories with 34 grams of fat and 2120 mgs of sodium! That is NOT nourishment - it IS punishment. Just because of that we can't go there.
I say lets skip all this chicken stuff and get some of those Doritos Locos tacos from Taco Bell. They are just 200 calories, but half of the calories come from the 11 grams of fat and each one has 370 mgs of sodium. You know you have to eat 2 anyway and then the soda and some Mexi Fries and -BOOM- there goes your next 2 days worth of fat and sodium and all of today's calories anyway.
Maybe we should eat in after all.
More soon.....
At McDonalds they have more than Mc Nuggets in the chicken arena now. They have the McBites which weigh in at 310 calories with 19 grams of fat and 490 mgs of sodium. It's quite a trick to get half of the fat in a dish from fat, but they made it. You can also go for the Chicken Selects Breast Strips and get 380 calories with 23 grams of fat and a whopping 750 mgs of sodium. That is chicken you should be chicken to eat if you know what I mean.
So what are their competitors up to? At Wendy's you can get the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap - that sounds healthy huh? It is only 260 calories with 10 grams of fat, but it packs 730 mgs of sodium. I'm still chicken.
At Burger King they have the 4 Piece Chicken Tenders whish are just 280 calories, but have 17 grams of fat and 490 mgs of sodium. I'm chicken of that too.
Lets go to the chicken source - KFC. Finally, a grilled chicken breast is just 220 calories with just 7 grams of fat - whew! Ooops, it also has 730 mgs of sodium. Dang! We were almost eating for a second. Still chicken.
At Popeyes they have a Naked Chicken Wrap. It is just 200 calories with 6 grams of fat, but it also has 580 mgs of sodium. So far better than the others, but I'm still chicken. Oh and their Chicken Po' Boy has 660 calories with 34 grams of fat and 2120 mgs of sodium! That is NOT nourishment - it IS punishment. Just because of that we can't go there.
I say lets skip all this chicken stuff and get some of those Doritos Locos tacos from Taco Bell. They are just 200 calories, but half of the calories come from the 11 grams of fat and each one has 370 mgs of sodium. You know you have to eat 2 anyway and then the soda and some Mexi Fries and -BOOM- there goes your next 2 days worth of fat and sodium and all of today's calories anyway.
Maybe we should eat in after all.
More soon.....
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Oooh That's Spicy
There is more to spicing food than salt and pepper. Black pepper has great health benefits but salt needs to be kept to a minimum to get and stay healthy. The rash of cooking shows in the last 10 years or so has led to the average home chef adding much more salt than they should to their dishes.
In a restaurant you usually have no time to get the food out so salt is used to pop up the flavors. In your kitchen you have other choices and generally more time. Not only do spices help cut the sodium down but they also have some great health benefits.
Chilis and peppers have capsaicin which eliminates gas from the stomach and intestines, soothes sore throat, cold and flu symptoms and increases metabolism for weight control. It is easy to add to many foods - even hot chocolate. 1/2 tsp in your cocoa will make yours more like the original drink from Mexico. Paprika also has these same qualities.
Cinnamon tames nausea and stomach ulcers; functions as a mild anti-inflammatory; increases insulin sensitivity to help focus fat burn. What you wouldn't add chili powders to you can add cinnamon to. Your morning coffee or cereal are great places for some cinnamon.
Turmeric reduces inflammation (joints, airways) and detoxifies the liver. It is one of the ingredients in most curry powders so go crazy with your Thai and Indian food and curry up your stir fry. This will keep you from adding a ton of soy sauce and the sodium that goes with it. I like a tablespoon in a pot of vegetable soup as well.
Fennel seed calms bowel distress, supports milk production in nursing mothers and combats water retention. You can add fennel to soups or make some chicken meatballs - recipe in this post.
Celery seed flushes the liver of toxins, lowers blood pressure and combats water retention. You can add some celery seed into dressings or sprinkled on some toast that's "buttered" with coconut oil.
Nutmeg improves digestion, eases the symptoms of menstruation and induces calm and sleep. You can grate it into your morning cereal or onto yogurt, etc.
Clove soothes digestive tract muscles and is a potent antihistamine. You can sneak some into your mustard or add some on some frozen yogurt.
Cardamom eases belching, flatulence and indigestion, treats respiratory conditions like coughing, asthma and loss of voice and aids in the elimination of toxins through your skin. You can add some to brown rice before boiling - just a few pinches.
Coriander which is the seed from the cilantro plant acts as a diuretic and eases seasonal allergies. It can easily be added to rice or quinoa while cooking.
All of the herbs listed in the last post aid digestion and protect the body from cancers by reducing inflammation.
Garlic destroys cancer cells and may disrupt the metabolism of tumor cells. It is hard to use too much garlic. You probably shouldn't add it to your kid's cereal, but almost everything else is fine.
Chicken Meatballs.
1 lb of Organic Ground Chicken
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
pinch of salt
1 tsp Dried basil
1/2 tsp Dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
Use your hands and mix all of the ingredients together. Make into 1 -1 1/2 in balls and cook at 350 for 20-25 minutes until just cooked through. Add to some Marinara sauce and serve over the pasta of your choice.
Have fun playing with your food.
More soon....
In a restaurant you usually have no time to get the food out so salt is used to pop up the flavors. In your kitchen you have other choices and generally more time. Not only do spices help cut the sodium down but they also have some great health benefits.
Chilis and peppers have capsaicin which eliminates gas from the stomach and intestines, soothes sore throat, cold and flu symptoms and increases metabolism for weight control. It is easy to add to many foods - even hot chocolate. 1/2 tsp in your cocoa will make yours more like the original drink from Mexico. Paprika also has these same qualities.
Cinnamon tames nausea and stomach ulcers; functions as a mild anti-inflammatory; increases insulin sensitivity to help focus fat burn. What you wouldn't add chili powders to you can add cinnamon to. Your morning coffee or cereal are great places for some cinnamon.
Turmeric reduces inflammation (joints, airways) and detoxifies the liver. It is one of the ingredients in most curry powders so go crazy with your Thai and Indian food and curry up your stir fry. This will keep you from adding a ton of soy sauce and the sodium that goes with it. I like a tablespoon in a pot of vegetable soup as well.
Fennel seed calms bowel distress, supports milk production in nursing mothers and combats water retention. You can add fennel to soups or make some chicken meatballs - recipe in this post.
Celery seed flushes the liver of toxins, lowers blood pressure and combats water retention. You can add some celery seed into dressings or sprinkled on some toast that's "buttered" with coconut oil.
Nutmeg improves digestion, eases the symptoms of menstruation and induces calm and sleep. You can grate it into your morning cereal or onto yogurt, etc.
Clove soothes digestive tract muscles and is a potent antihistamine. You can sneak some into your mustard or add some on some frozen yogurt.
Cardamom eases belching, flatulence and indigestion, treats respiratory conditions like coughing, asthma and loss of voice and aids in the elimination of toxins through your skin. You can add some to brown rice before boiling - just a few pinches.
Coriander which is the seed from the cilantro plant acts as a diuretic and eases seasonal allergies. It can easily be added to rice or quinoa while cooking.
All of the herbs listed in the last post aid digestion and protect the body from cancers by reducing inflammation.
Garlic destroys cancer cells and may disrupt the metabolism of tumor cells. It is hard to use too much garlic. You probably shouldn't add it to your kid's cereal, but almost everything else is fine.
Chicken Meatballs.
1 lb of Organic Ground Chicken
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
pinch of salt
1 tsp Dried basil
1/2 tsp Dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
Use your hands and mix all of the ingredients together. Make into 1 -1 1/2 in balls and cook at 350 for 20-25 minutes until just cooked through. Add to some Marinara sauce and serve over the pasta of your choice.
Have fun playing with your food.
More soon....
Monday, March 19, 2012
Ooh! That's Tastes Good!
It isn't possible to make something that isn't nutritious more nutritious so the only option is to make something nutritious delicious. I don't really think it is hard. The same rules apply as would apply to a low sodium diet - you have to get to know some herbs and spices.
Let's do herb today and spices in the next post. The basics are always available at nearly all supermarkets. Basil, oregano and thyme are the standard 3 ingredients in most red sauces in Italy. Basil gives you that nice sweet flavor while oregano has a nice bright spiciness and thyme has a nice earthy taste. The fourth one found everywhere is rosemary. Rosemary is very woodsy in flavor and a big bang for the buck herb - meaning a little goes a long way.
I have thyme growing in a planter that is maybe 5 years old. The stuff grows through the winter and everything. Rosemary is also very hearty in the Northwest. Bay leaves are also in most Italian soups and sauces that cook all day. Here are some herb tips.
Add fresh herbs as close to the end of the cooking process as you can. The fresh flavors work better that way. If you want to have a cooked all day tomato sauce that is deep in herbs use some dried herbs early and fresh herbs later. Always remove the bay leaves prior to serving.
When you use dried herbs pour them into your palm first and "grind" them with your thumb before adding them to your dish. That releases the flavors better.
A very simple pasta sauce recipe is to get your water boiling. while it comes to a boil thinly slice 3-4 cloves of garlic and saute them in olive oil for about 1 minute. Add 1 large can of good tomatoes and let it cook on medium for as long as it takes for your pasta to be cooked to al dente. While it cooks roll up about 15-20 basil leaves and cut them to confetti. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce with the basil and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Serve with some fresh grated Parmegianno or Romano cheese if you wish.
A great thing to have around is some Olive oil infused with rosemary. You find a container for the oil and fill it with oil then pour it into a pan and heat it up for a minute. Add a sprig of rosemary and turn the heat off. Let it sit and infuse for 10-20 minutes and then cool and add back to the container. This stuff is good for brushing on some great wheat bread and making a grilled cheese with provolone or havarti or really sharp cheddar.
For Chinese, Thai and Indian foods Thai Basil is king. The flavor is much spicier than sewwt or Genovese basil. You can use a ton of it along with curry to really jack up the flavor of your stir fry.
In french cooking they add marjoram and tarragon as well. Tarragon is the herb in Hollandaise sauce, but I don't recommend hollandaise anymore since it is too fatty to be food.
There is not right or wrong way to add herbs to dishes. Experimentation is a good thing. I don't care what Mom and Dad said IT IS GOOD TO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD. Have fun in the kitchen. You burn some calories cooking, protect the integrity of your food and have a product to be proud of as well.
More soon.....
PS I just hit the spell checker and I had no mistakes! That never happens!
Let's do herb today and spices in the next post. The basics are always available at nearly all supermarkets. Basil, oregano and thyme are the standard 3 ingredients in most red sauces in Italy. Basil gives you that nice sweet flavor while oregano has a nice bright spiciness and thyme has a nice earthy taste. The fourth one found everywhere is rosemary. Rosemary is very woodsy in flavor and a big bang for the buck herb - meaning a little goes a long way.
I have thyme growing in a planter that is maybe 5 years old. The stuff grows through the winter and everything. Rosemary is also very hearty in the Northwest. Bay leaves are also in most Italian soups and sauces that cook all day. Here are some herb tips.
Add fresh herbs as close to the end of the cooking process as you can. The fresh flavors work better that way. If you want to have a cooked all day tomato sauce that is deep in herbs use some dried herbs early and fresh herbs later. Always remove the bay leaves prior to serving.
When you use dried herbs pour them into your palm first and "grind" them with your thumb before adding them to your dish. That releases the flavors better.
A very simple pasta sauce recipe is to get your water boiling. while it comes to a boil thinly slice 3-4 cloves of garlic and saute them in olive oil for about 1 minute. Add 1 large can of good tomatoes and let it cook on medium for as long as it takes for your pasta to be cooked to al dente. While it cooks roll up about 15-20 basil leaves and cut them to confetti. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce with the basil and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Serve with some fresh grated Parmegianno or Romano cheese if you wish.
A great thing to have around is some Olive oil infused with rosemary. You find a container for the oil and fill it with oil then pour it into a pan and heat it up for a minute. Add a sprig of rosemary and turn the heat off. Let it sit and infuse for 10-20 minutes and then cool and add back to the container. This stuff is good for brushing on some great wheat bread and making a grilled cheese with provolone or havarti or really sharp cheddar.
For Chinese, Thai and Indian foods Thai Basil is king. The flavor is much spicier than sewwt or Genovese basil. You can use a ton of it along with curry to really jack up the flavor of your stir fry.
In french cooking they add marjoram and tarragon as well. Tarragon is the herb in Hollandaise sauce, but I don't recommend hollandaise anymore since it is too fatty to be food.
There is not right or wrong way to add herbs to dishes. Experimentation is a good thing. I don't care what Mom and Dad said IT IS GOOD TO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD. Have fun in the kitchen. You burn some calories cooking, protect the integrity of your food and have a product to be proud of as well.
More soon.....
PS I just hit the spell checker and I had no mistakes! That never happens!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
It's Always Good To Go To The Trailhead
Again we were very surprised and happy to see sun and clear skies when we got near our trailhead for today's snowshoe. The rule for bad weather hike/snowshoe days is that you at least go to the trailhead before giving up.
Today our snowshoe was to begin about 7 miles up Forest Service Road 7174 between Greenwater and Crystal Mountain. We were able to drive up 1 mile before the road was closed so we parked and traded in a fairly flat snowshoe for the day after St. Patrick's Day for a steady uphill on the forest service road.
Athena was able to join us since it was just Lisa, Pam and I. She and we had a blast and got in about 6 miles round trip. Here are some pictures of the trip.
Today our snowshoe was to begin about 7 miles up Forest Service Road 7174 between Greenwater and Crystal Mountain. We were able to drive up 1 mile before the road was closed so we parked and traded in a fairly flat snowshoe for the day after St. Patrick's Day for a steady uphill on the forest service road.
Athena was able to join us since it was just Lisa, Pam and I. She and we had a blast and got in about 6 miles round trip. Here are some pictures of the trip.
Sherrie will be happy to hear that Athena knocked Lisa down once by stepping on the back of her snowshoes. Now she's not the only one. Athena doesn't look much like a trail dog and even less like a snow dog, but she likes it out there - the deeper the better.
As we drove back towards home we were treated to first snow and then steady rain the rest of the way. That's why you always go to the trailhead!
More soon....
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Big Old Fat Blog Post
Low fat doesn't mean anything in terms of getting or staying healthier. Humans need fats to live. There is a lot of information out there and advertising campaigns that would lead you to believe that if you cut all fats you are better off, but that is not true.
You should get between 20 and 35% of your calories from fat to be healthy. Obviously, if you are trying to lose fat you want that number on the 20% side. The trick is to get the most beneficial fats you can and avoid the bad ones.
The easiest way to avoid bad fats is to avoid fried foods and processed foods. Anything made from an animal product will have saturated fats that are best to avoid or limit severely. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil.
Good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated ones and they promote good health. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.
Make sure your olive oil is Extra Virgin First Cold Press oil. Past the first press chemical processes are necessary to extract the oil. Also look for either olives from Italy, Spain or Turkey and ONE SOURCE ONLY. If the olives are from multiple places the odds are that the oil isn't first cold press. If you buy oil from California make sure it is USDA Organic. In Europe they don't allow the bad farming practices we use in the US.
Make sure your canola, soy or corn oil is organic. If not it IS GMO meaning it has a built in pesticide and has been sprayed heavily with Roundup while growing.
One saturated fat you want to ADD to your diet is coconut oil. It is a medium thread saturated fat which has some great health benefits. The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc. Try it on your air popped popcorn or on toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
There is much talk about fish oil these days, and I admit we take a fish oil supplement daily. There is increasing evidence, however, that the need for extra Omega 3 fatty acids isn't as important as the balance of Omega 3's v Omega 6's. Since Omega 6's mostly come from processed foods and bad fats it is easy to balance the Omega 3's by not eating processed foods. When our current supply of fish oil is gone we will discontinue using them. There is a sustainability issue with both fish oil and krill oil and the way they are harvested. Evidence shows that it hurts the fish populations.
Did you know that the omega-3 fatty acids in seeds such as whole grains may be even more important in maintaining your health than the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish? Omega-3 fatty acids are the least stable fats in our diet. Whole grains contain lots of vitamin E to keep the omega-3s fresh and prevent them from turning rancid, but omega-3 fatty acids in fish are not protected by vitamin E and therefore turn rancid much more quickly than the omega-3 fatty acids in whole grains.
That's what I have for you on fats. Remember that for most of us trying to reduce our weight the mark is 20% of calories. Also remember that it's as much about what you don't eat as what you do that will decide your success level.
More soon....
You should get between 20 and 35% of your calories from fat to be healthy. Obviously, if you are trying to lose fat you want that number on the 20% side. The trick is to get the most beneficial fats you can and avoid the bad ones.
The easiest way to avoid bad fats is to avoid fried foods and processed foods. Anything made from an animal product will have saturated fats that are best to avoid or limit severely. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil.
Good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated ones and they promote good health. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.
Make sure your olive oil is Extra Virgin First Cold Press oil. Past the first press chemical processes are necessary to extract the oil. Also look for either olives from Italy, Spain or Turkey and ONE SOURCE ONLY. If the olives are from multiple places the odds are that the oil isn't first cold press. If you buy oil from California make sure it is USDA Organic. In Europe they don't allow the bad farming practices we use in the US.
Make sure your canola, soy or corn oil is organic. If not it IS GMO meaning it has a built in pesticide and has been sprayed heavily with Roundup while growing.
One saturated fat you want to ADD to your diet is coconut oil. It is a medium thread saturated fat which has some great health benefits. The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc. Try it on your air popped popcorn or on toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
There is much talk about fish oil these days, and I admit we take a fish oil supplement daily. There is increasing evidence, however, that the need for extra Omega 3 fatty acids isn't as important as the balance of Omega 3's v Omega 6's. Since Omega 6's mostly come from processed foods and bad fats it is easy to balance the Omega 3's by not eating processed foods. When our current supply of fish oil is gone we will discontinue using them. There is a sustainability issue with both fish oil and krill oil and the way they are harvested. Evidence shows that it hurts the fish populations.
Did you know that the omega-3 fatty acids in seeds such as whole grains may be even more important in maintaining your health than the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish? Omega-3 fatty acids are the least stable fats in our diet. Whole grains contain lots of vitamin E to keep the omega-3s fresh and prevent them from turning rancid, but omega-3 fatty acids in fish are not protected by vitamin E and therefore turn rancid much more quickly than the omega-3 fatty acids in whole grains.
That's what I have for you on fats. Remember that for most of us trying to reduce our weight the mark is 20% of calories. Also remember that it's as much about what you don't eat as what you do that will decide your success level.
More soon....
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