BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 03:53 PM

We all lie to ourselves about weight. Gnu is a notorious prevaricator.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Monique
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 03:38 PM

Well, maybe you must just imagine it's some medicine!

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 03:30 PM

"not more than two 12.5cl (half cup) glasses per day!" I prefer to have not a drop. Beer (wel... Bud) takes the weight off me.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Monique
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 03:11 PM

Maybe avocados and red wine -not more than two 12.5cl (half cup) glasses per day! And of course olive oil and veggies.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 12:48 PM

I had a slice (or two) of a "Harvest Cake" yesterday. Spicy cake with a thick white frosting. And that was "deeeeelicious."


(Will have to discipline my Windows 7. It underscores gnu-words in red.)

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jun 13 - 11:25 PM

Ron... chew a few. You'll figure it out.

Tis a wee past midnight and I think I can actally make ot to bed without crawling. What a SCOFF! I am sure I gained at least a pound. I ended up cooking the blade roast in the oven AND an outside round pot roast with spuds, carrots and turnips in the slow cooker and boiling some of the veggies on the stove with green beans. Urp... gnightgnu...

Oh... yeah... the two slices of cracked wheat toast with a huge bowl of Chapman's butterscotch ripple ice cream was an insult but s deeeelicious one. I shall have a food hangover tomorrow and longer.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Jun 13 - 03:57 PM

Nuts like cashews may have omegas, gammas and deltas, but 1/4 cup of mixed nuts (40% cashews) provides 45% of daily fat (and 29% of saturates). Cashews are higher in fat that the other nuts in the mixture.

Some recent research is throwing cold water on the omega idea.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Ron Davies
Date: 08 Jun 13 - 12:32 PM

Point of information:    which nuts are hard and which are soft?

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jun 13 - 06:40 AM

Hard nuts are hard on the guts. Soft nuts are good for you unless you are on a diet. I simply do not eat them when I am on a diet as I have the same weakness as Q. Having said that, I lose weight "better" when I include two slices of cracked wheat toast with peanut butter at 10PM. Breakfast was delicious; 3 tbsps of Activa strawberry yoghurt at 7AM. I am gonna pig out at 9AM with a whole hard boiled Omega 3 egg (chicken egg, large) and a cup of tea with skim milk.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 13 - 01:29 AM

Q, it should be mixed nuts to get the range of benefits. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 07 Jun 13 - 11:12 AM

" "Light" beer, we presume. " I would rather be fat than sober. Thursday, 7AM (two weeks)... 7.5 pounds. Tomorrow's forecast is 10C, heavy rain with WIND so it's the perfect day for my treat. TOO much boneless blade roast beef and a LOT of veggies but no spuds for me.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 07 Jun 13 - 09:29 AM

Q, nuts like cashews are high in omega-3 oils -- the REALLY good kind. So many benefits...so don't give up your cashews, walnuts, almonds, etc.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jun 13 - 02:48 PM

"Light beer" is as pointless a product as "lowfat sour cream." If you're not going to have the real thing, don't torture yourself with the diluted substitute.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Jun 13 - 01:13 PM

"Light" beer, we presume.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Jun 13 - 09:14 AM

Joe,
You said this is a treat...you don't eat it all in one sitting, do you? With a beer with each bowl?
heh heh

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 06 Jun 13 - 04:11 AM

The alarm clock, however, rang Monday. I've been kinda numb on the left side of my body all week, with occasional slurred speech and a numb circle around my mouth that feels like I just got out of the dentist's chair. And I went to the doctor today (Thursday), and he says I should have been there Monday.
Leaflets in every UK pharmacy tell you to call an ambulance at once if that happens.

If I was religious I would thang God for Nye Bevan every day since my bypass.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 03:03 PM

Fruit and fresh vegetables for lunch, with a glass of 2% or pure juice, helps me. Then, like Rob Naylor, I can eat a "decent" meal in the evening.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 07:25 AM

Bev and Jerry: This is a totally different number. Typically, a package of ground meat labeled 5% fat on the front has 30% or more of its calories from fat. That's why we were careful to say, " ...it should have less than 10% of the calories from fat."

We have similar labelling in the UK, and I understand the difference between fat by weight and percentage of calories from fat. Sorry if I misread your original post.

I can understand reducing fat content to a reasonable value, where possible, but to me, unless someone *really* has a medical problem with fat intake, lowering fat content to a point where food is tasteless is unnecessary. For turkey (or any meat)to give less than 10% of its calories from fat it would need to have a fat content by weight of under 1g per 100g of meat which IMO is too low to have any flavour at all. It's worth noting that broccoli (calabrese) has 30% of its calories (as opposed to weight) from fat. Would anyone describe broccoli as an "unhealthy" food?

Moderation again! I meet many people trying to lose weight by eating tasteless food or nasty gloop or tiny quantities such that they can take very little pleasure in eating ...they obsess about fat or carbs or both to a level that's pretty pointless. I managed to lose my 45 lb in 6 months without giving up butter, beer, cakes or chocolate. I'm losing again now, but last night I had a lamb (fairly fatty meat) curry for my main meal, and a beer with it. OK, I'm having a light soup and fruit for lunch and will have grilled fish and veg tonight, but I'll have another beer at the pub after dinner (just one), as it's Open Mic night tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 03:50 AM

JOE!?!?!?!

Basically what Sinsull said but without the expletives. I don't know you well enough to swear at you.

Please be more sensible in future and get yourself medical attention immediately.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 05:05 PM

"here in the UK we can get very low fat "minced beef" ("ground beef" to you I guess). Under 5% fat is common."

In the US nearly everything you can buy in a grocery store (except fresh fruit and vegetables) is required to have a nutritional label on it. So, ground meat of any kind usually has a big label on it indicating the fat content by percent like "20% fat" or even "5% fat". This is the fat content by weight. On the back of the package, in a smaller font, the nutritional facts are given including the number of calories per serving (together with the definition of a serving) and the number of calories per serving from fat. This is a totally different number. Typically, a package of ground meat labeled 5% fat on the front has 30% or more of its calories from fat. That's why we were careful to say, " ...it should have less than 10% of the calories from fat."

Also, last year we were in Israel and there there is no ground meat in the grocery store or in any of the open air markets. Shoppers select the meat they want and the butcher then grinds it up in front of them. That way they know exactly what they are getting.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 04:44 PM

This chili is so good my meat eating partner did not believe it had no meat in it. Easy too. Although I usually cook the beans from dry. One could also use fresh tomatoes and corn.


Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
                1 tablespoon vegetable oil
                3 cloves garlic, minced
                1 cup chopped onion
                1 cup chopped carrots
                1 cup chopped green bell pepper
                1 cup chopped red bell pepper
                2 tablespoons chili powder
                1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
                1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped
                1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
                1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
                1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
                1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
                1 tablespoon cumin
                1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
                1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
. 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions
. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the garlic, onion, and carrots in the pot until tender. Mix in the green bell pepper and red bell pepper. Season with chili powder. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
. Mix the mushrooms into the pot. Stir in the tomatoes with liquid, black beans with liquid, kidney beans with liquid, pinto beans with liquid, and corn. Season with cumin, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 04:21 PM

My main stumbling block is nuts- especially those little sickles of fat, cashews.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 09:29 PM

I might be repeating myself but what KT said brought it back... set yourself a weight loss goal and say, "When I get to XXX#, I am gonna eat as much coconut cream pie from Nana's Bakery as I want for one day." That's what I did over two years ago.. four times and never had any of her pie. Ya just feel too good ta be arsed with it. I know that sounds strange but it's true.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: KT
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 08:59 PM

The link to "Forks Over Knives" is no longer operating - taken down for copyright issues, but the film can be seen
here.   I agree with kat - this is well worth the watch!

Also, Forks Over Knives has its own website here. Lots of good info there, including some great healthy recipes. Have a look, Joe. Just jump in and tell yourself you're only going to cook really healthy food from now on. For every unhealthy recipe we really enjoy, there are lots of other really healthy recipes that we can enjoy just as well! It's just a matter of discovering them. Before long, it'll be those that you're craving!

Glad to know it wasn't a stroke, Joe, but do take good care. We want you around here for a long time!
KT

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 08:15 PM

That article I linked to makes the point that if your meat isn't ground locally, it might be a bad idea. I got tired to trying to find someone from the meat department in my grocery store to answer the question about the meat pedigree, so I took over meat grinding myself. Gnu, we used to have a hand grinder when I was a kid. Ran lots of kinds of food through it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 07:53 PM

The "chili" we make is based on the bean (pinto or tepary) with addition of onion, pure New Mexico chili powder, oregano, cumin and spices and usually cured ham. The meat is secondary; SRS' suggestion of venison sausage sounds good.

For stews, we buy roasts and cut them into small pieces; we prefer that to ground meat.

For burgers, we get lean ground that is ground fresh in the market where we shop for meats. We don't trust packaged stuff either. Low fat content means we have to add chopped onion to the patty; we also add *Hys Seasoning and oregano, white pepper.
*Local? Mix your own with pure chili powder, a little salt and spices to your taste.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 07:13 PM

Thanks, Q. I am gonna try that one.

SRS... I am gonna think about that... sounds like a heck of a good idea ta me. And, I recently ahhh, well, hmmm... releived me mum of her hand cranked ginder.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 05:16 PM

I forgot to mention that I use venison sausage to season my chili when I make it. Nothing wrong with beef - like someone pointed out - you're not eating the whole batch in one sitting. This is one of the better ways to eat meat - as a small part to impart flavor, versus eating the whole steak or the large grilled hamburger patty, etc.

And that said, I'll point out that if you buy meat that someone else ground, whether it is beef or turkey or anything else - there is a greater possibility of getting bacteria mixed into it. After I read this article I stopped buying any ground meat and I only grind meat myself. I buy roasts on sale, cut them into 1-pound pieces and freeze them. When I need ground beef I let it thaw to the point where the knife goes through it easily and I run it through the grinder attachment on my Kitchenaid stand mixer. The one exception is the venison mentioned above, that my next door neighbor gets from her son - he hunts and has the meat processed and the butcher makes his sausage.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 01:07 PM

Hey, gnu, for your cabbage day, try this:

CABBAGE AND RICE

One mid-size cabbage
One onion, pref. red
Four cloves of garlic (or 2 tsp. the stuff in a jar)
Five tablespoons brown rice
One tablespoon chili sauce (tomato paste for wimps)
One green chili pepper (take out seeds)
Salt, pepper, teaspoon of thyme
Olive oil
Two quarts of water

Chop cabbage, discard outer leaves.
Saute onion, chili pepper and garlic in a large saucepan with a little olive oil.
Add cabbage and sauté for 5 minutes more
Add chili sauce, thyme, brown rice, salt, pepper and mix
Add water
Boil, then cover and simmer until rice is done (about ten minutes)

A nice tasty cabbage in a good soup!




My version 7 underlined sauté in red (it appeared without accent) and the second time printed it with the accent. No consistency!

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 09:42 AM

I echo the other, Dorothy!

BTW, 340g of hot dogs = approx. 270g of weight gain but it was fun and I'll easily shed that today. All these healthy choices seem just fine but I'll stick to cereal, ice cream and haddock today.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 09:22 AM

Dorothy Parshall: The purpose of this message...Is to introduce you to a great role model.

Nice! He reminds me a bit of my friend Graham, who climbed the Matterhorn, unguided and via one of the "technical" routes, when he was 74. He gave up running ultra-marathons at about 77 years old and still runs 4-5 marathons a year at 81, plus at least a dozen half marathons. He did the Camino de Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage last year...a 500 mile walk solo and carrying his own kit, which he completed in 21 days.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 09:11 AM

Dorothy, incredible video! Definitely inspirational.

You can start small, but START. Keep moving -- otherwise you seize up.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Charmion
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 08:39 AM

Websites where you log and track your food intake and exercise output are immensely helpful, not only for weight loss (how much you eat) but also for mindfulness about what you eat. I use one called MyNetDiary that tracks more than a dozen different nutrients as well as fibre content and calories, and nags me constantly about the sodium level in my diet -- something I never thought about before.

Oh, and I have taken off 25 pounds since New Year's Day.

ch

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 02:15 AM

I'm assuming that you don't eat all the chilli you've made in one sitting! :-)

Otherwise, yes, it's quite healthy, if you don't use much fat to cook off the onions. Not sure about substituting ground turkey though....here in the UK we can get very low fat "minced beef" ("ground beef" to you I guess). Under 5% fat is common. You pay a bit more for it but to my mind it would be vastly superior to turkey meat, which I find bland and tasteless.

One of my own recipes for chilli (I have 3, the other 2 use more fresh ingredients, this is my "quick and dirty" one where I need to minimise the prep time) has a higher proportion of meat to beans than yours does (see below). The quantity I show below contains 1140 calories in total and gives me two large bowls, or 570 calories per serving. The calories come from 45% protein, 35% fat and 20% carbs with around 8g fibre and 3.9 "portions" (UK definition) of fruit and veg per serving.

Adding a single beer to that will take the calories per serving to around 720! :-)


Beans, Pinto, in Water, No Added Sugar Or Salt, Drained,-1 Can/235.6g

Beef, Mince, Steak, Extra Lean,-500g

Onion, large,-1

Tomatoes, Chopped, in Tomato Juice-240g

Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate,-1 Tbsp/15g

Tomato Paste, Sun Dried, Average-1 Heaped Tsp/10g

Oil, Vegetable, Pure,-1 Tbsp/15ml

Sweetcorn, in Water, Naturally Sweet, No Added Sugar Or Salt, Drained,-½ Std Can/136g

Chillies, fresh, home grown, 4-6 depending on size


The calorie and nutrition calculations were all generated automatically from the weight loss web site I mentioned in my previous post....I just had to enter the ingredients (including brands where applicable) and quantities and the vast database on the site worked it all out for me.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 01:32 AM

Oh, yeah. The beer is about 150 calories per can. This won't kill you but you do need to limit the number you consume.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 01:30 AM

Joe:

Next time you make that chili, try skipping the hamburger and substituting the really lean ground turkey. Read the label on the package and it should have less than 10% of the calories from fat. Not all stores carry it and it's a little pricey but well worth it. This stuff is very dry and does not make very good burgers but it works very well in chili. You may want to add a little olive oil as well.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 12:34 AM

Have some rice with it to get a complex carbohydrate and you're set. Sounds good to me. Except you should use some real peppers (poblano or hatch chiles are good). Cauterize any disease in your body that way.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 12:30 AM

OK. I guess I have to ask permission for this: about once a month, I make myself a pot of chili, and I like to believe it's really healthy. I use five cans of beans (5 different kinds, for color), 3 cans of diced tomatoes, two medium onions, a pound of hamburger, and chili powder and dried chili peppers.
Of course, I have to have a bottle of beer with every bowl.

So, is that healthy?

-Joe, feeling really good tonight, and glad to be alive-

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 09:39 PM

My cardiac arrest, when I dropped down dead and missed Christmas 2010, probably saved my life, because when I was well enough they gave me an angiogram, found I'd got furred up cardiac ateries and gave me a quadruple heart bypass. (Thank God and Nye Bevan for a socialist NHS)

Subsequent life changes, drink more liquid (with a reasonable proportion being beer), cut down on Spinach and Strawberries, a bit more exercise.

Look after yourself Joe. Be moderate in taking well intended advice on the Mudcat...

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 09:00 PM

Great video, Dorothy! Thanks for posting that!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 08:43 PM

The purpose of this message

Is to introduce you to a great role model.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 08:42 PM

June 7? 7? grrrrrrrr.... 2! June 2!

Maybe I need some real food?

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 08:39 PM

"When you get clear of your medical problems you might consider a kayak as a fun way to keep fit, Joe."

Is it legal to be buried in one in CA? Might save ya some coin, Joe.

June 7, 7AM... 6#. Ate 8 hot dogs (one large kaiser bun too) today but I did it right as I balanced it with toasted oats and youghurt. I expect no change in weight by morn.

Yeah... 8 dogs. 340g. There's a reason.

I am regnuing.

RESURGO BABY!

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 09:32 AM

When you get clear of your medical problems you might consider a kayak as a fun way to keep fit, Joe. It will definitely help with the upper body and core aspects of physical conditioning and your hiking should cover the lower body and both are great for cardio fitness. If you're there in the Sierras you must have some beautiful rivers and lakes nearby.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 09:30 AM

"I've been kinda numb on the left side of my body all week, with occasional slurred speech and a numb circle around my mouth that feels like I just got out of the dentist's chair."

I think you should see a neurologist, Joe. That sounds like something wrong in the brain, spine or other nerves.

Such things happen to me because I'm a former migraine sufferer. (They are called "migraine equivalents.") A neurologist told me that they happen because some part of the brain is not getting enough oxygen. I don't worry about it, because my symptoms are gone in ten minutes. Yours lasted longer and sound more serious.

Funny neurological symptoms can also happen because the carotid or subcarotid arteries, which are important to the brain, are not doing their job. Perhaps you should get them checked out to be sure they are not blocked.

A few years ago I took a trip to Ireland and decided not to drink coffee, so as to cut down on the restroom stops. I started to get odd visual symptoms on that trip, i.e., little dancing lights in 'the corner of my eye.' Later, I asked my eye doctor about it.

His eyes twinkled, and he asked, "Did you cut back on coffee?" He explained that suddenly cutting my caffeine caused those arteries to flop lazily, and the nervous-system symptoms were the result.
=========
Over the course of my life I have learned that if I have a serious health problem, I get better care from a specialist than a GP.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 09:07 AM

A predictably amusing thread. You know what you need to do. It just is not always easy to do it. You are a highly intelligent person. We sometimes forget, or are not accustomed, to listen to our bodies. There is a lot of good advice in this thread, some of which can work for you. It is up to you to listen to your body and figure out together what you can/are willing to do for your life.

A study done by Harvard in the 60's confirmed that life style and attitude were more important than what you eat. Being "laid back" is a boon; Are you?

It would appear that you have received a warning. But - for heaven's sake don't let "them" put you on meds that need more meds to offset the effects of the first meds, etc.

If this were my situation, ---I am older than you so I have to think back to how I would have felt 10 years ago --- I went on a diet that even my health consultant thought too difficult. But I lost the 30 extra in about 4-5 months and discovered that any deviation from the diet added weight. So 9 years later, I'm trying again to lose that 30. It is easier to stick to a diet if you live alone - or have the total support of partner. I'll bet you do.

Exercise is only useful if you enjoy it. If you do not, it seems to have negative effects on attitude. Attitude affects health. The same is probably true of dieting. Unless you feel good about what you are doing/eating it could also be counter-productive. Attitude again. Only you, in cooperation with your body, can determine what is right for you. You know that!

I want to LIVE until I die. Therefore, I try to do what is necessary to keep my body happy. I am finding this increasingly difficult with an aging body (76 now). I am on no meds but have used, for over 40 years, supplements (not a lot!) to deal with everything from a sore throat to aching joints. And a little apple cider vinegar in water that helps keep the arteries open for business.

I am sure we would all like to have you around for a bunch more years, even if you did not get to be pope!

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 02 Jun 13 - 02:50 AM

Joe,

Sorry to hear about this, and hope it ends up not being anything serious.

Regarding living healthily:

The posters urging "moderation" are, to my mind, the ones to listen to. Those posting specific "solutions" that rely on avoiding things completely, or prescribed eating patters, are IMO edging towards "faddism".

The 5/7 approach, where you eat what you like for 5 days and fast for 2, works like any other method of calorie restriction....the science behind Mosely's claims is very weak and independent tests have shown that weight-loss on this regime is pretty much due to calorie restriction when taken on a weekly basis. If it works as an alternative for some people, fine, but there have been some indications that it can be bad for you long term.

Same with advice to minimise salt intake, egg eating etc: yes, if you're eating 3 fried eggs a day, or slathering everything with salt, you should look at moderating intake, but the latest evidence is that regular egg eating has no effect on cholesterol levels and that salt intake has been over-stated as a cause of problems. Personally, if I don't get enough salt, I cramp up badly after or during exercise.

MODERATION is the key...there's no need to cut anything out completely: eat meat if you like it, but not a 12 ounce steak every day! Up the veg intake, yes, and try to cook things using less fat, but there's no need to get evangelical about it (eg I still use nice-tasting butter rather than revolting low-fat vegetable spreads....just less of it. And I won't touch low-fat cheese as it's uniformly vile. I just eat less of the good stuff than I did).

Losing weight is basically just a question of eating a little less and moving more. There are some other "fine tunings", sure, but that's the basic solution. A few years ago I lost 3 stone (42 lb) in 6 months using that approach and never felt as if I was "dieting" at all. Initially I used a weightloss site to log the calories I was eating and the exercise I was doing but after a while became good at estimating each day whether I was in calorie deficit or not without having to log it all. I put 14lb of it back when I was laid up recently for several months due to an operation on my foot, and unable to exercise properly for several more months after the plaster came off, but I've now got a grip again and cut down on the "comfort eating" of crap that had crept in to alleviate my misery at being unable to exercise, so expect that to be gone again in another 8 weeks or so.

On the exercise front, walking is great, yes, but I think it's also a good idea to get the heart rate elevated above what normal walking achieves. Power walking up hills would be good, or running if possible. I can't stand gyms, but I do a form of circuit training outdoors (all weathers) in a group, which helps with motivation when it's raining or snowing!

Losing a couple of pounds a week, max, is a healthy rate of loss...."crash" diets that promise huge losses mainly show early results due to water loss, and can be quite unhealthy long term, as well as leading to "yo-yo" weight gain/loss when the diet "ends" and you go back to eating the same old stuff. Eating just a bit more carefully, with everything in moderation, is a re-education of the palate and the body and doesn't ever "end" in that you adopt a whole new eating pattern, which balances out as you lose weight (ie your base level calorie expenditure will drop as your weight drops and at some point you'll reach a maintenance weight where the calories from your re-educated palate's intake are balanced by the output).

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: gnu
Date: 01 Jun 13 - 01:58 PM

Good idea, SINS.

I gained 16 pounds betwteen July 4 and 7AM, May 23. As of 7AM today, I have lost 5 pounds on the gnu diet. Of course, such weight loss rate is NOT healthy but usually happens when I start the gnu diet anew. I expect that by day 21 the rate will level out to 1 to 3 pounds per week depending on me arthritis. An average of 1.5# per week is perfect for me.

BTW, the Bud, Butterscotch Ripple ice cream, brown sugar Mini-Wheats, Honey Nut Cheerios, peanut butter on whole wheat toast, green tomatoe chow, pickles, etc, are deeeelicious. The almost WHOLE can of Hereford brand corned beef last evening was a definite mistake but sometimes gnu is a bad boy. I'll have to make up for that with ice cream and cereal for supper... heavy on the bran.

I still haven't gone to the drastic part of the gnu diet which includes meatless veggie stir fries and soups with LOADS of green beans and cabbage but it will come in week three. Cabbage will shed pounds... and friends. Not that you just carelessly and rudely fart whenever you want. This diet can simply result in having no say in the matter so ya gotta go inta yer Spaw mode an say to the person in fronna ya at the grocery store checkout, loudly, "I'll bet yer glad yer in FRONNA me eh!" an then look apologetically at the people behind ya an shrug yer shoulders and say, "I am in a rush an apparently so was me guts. Udderwise, I woulda got outta line. I hope there are no serious casualties back there." As I am Mr. Polite, at this point, I pay cash rather than insert my card upside down an screw it up, then punch in my PIN wrong an screw it up, then...

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jun 13 - 01:17 PM

Joe, take a look at the Mayo Clinic write-ups on "artery deposits."
Lots of advice, including that "aspirin-a-day" to thin blood is not safe for everyone.
Also positive recommendation on diet in their pages. A useful supplement to your doctor's recommendations.

The NIH site is also worth a look.

Subject: RE: BS: Living Healthy Without Killing Myself
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jun 13 - 12:46 PM

"So, what can I do to lose weight and lose the gunk in my veins, that's practical and reasonable and not overly obsessive-compulsive?"

Cut out much of the starches and fats you eat. That will cut weight. Give yourself some goals that are realistic--ie., I'll lose three pounds this week, etc. Keep in mind that useless calories--chocolate, candy, etc., are just that: useless.

Have your eyes checked. Has nothing to do specifically with your vision, but some TIAs are triggered by retinal stuff. An ophthamologist should be able to tell if you've had an event. If you can't see one of them, see whatever eye doctor you can.

Use olive oil. If you get the extra-extra-virgin stuff it at least lessens that blah taste when you fry foods. Get rid of as much animal fat as you can. Cut the fat off all meats and fowl.

Starches means breads, pastas, potatoes, etc. Wheat flour is fattening. Forget all that nonsense about starches converting to sugars, etc. Yeah, starches do, but don't eat them in the first place and it won't be a problem. There are other flours available that are equally good and much less fattening.

Someone will be along to inform you that fried foods are not good for you. They're right: eating two pounds of French fries isn't, neither for the fat nor the starch. But a few ain't gonna kill you. Same goes for beer. But remember that one beer equals two slices of bread. Ya gotta choice.

Hold your wine consumption to less than a half gallon a day otherwise you won't be able to read these suggestions.

You will now have three things left you can eat: mint sprigs, lettuce leaves and bugs. Bon appetit.