Day 57

Another from Eric Hutchinson

Back to Where I Was

BREAKFAST

Had a nice big bowl of Oatmeal with banana and raisins, and a cup of freshly ground coffee. Excellent!

LUNCH

Had leftover veggie spaghetti for lunch, apple for dessert

DINNER

Katie made a chinese style stir fry, pad thai, mushroom fried rice, and spring rolls. IT WAS AWESOME!

Snowing here again today...just when the last snow was starting to melt....It looks like Christmas, there is a white cover on everything! Bah Humbug!!!!

more later....

Day 56

Here is another from Joss Stone showcasing her awesome talent!

I Had A Dream

BREAKFAST

Had a nice bowl of oatmeal with banana and blueberries. Usual great cup of freshly ground coffee.

Had to go to the periodontist early this morning to check on the skin graft I had done 6 weeks ago. All is well.

I will try and go for a walk today, although my left knee has been giving me problems all weekend. Feels like a tweaked meniscus to me. I have had this previously...once when I was playing racquetball. When you move just a touch the wrong way, an extremely sharp pain ensues and I feel like the knee is going to give out. So.....we'll see...I would rather be able to go for the walk.

More info about Red Meat surfaces......

Sorry cows, a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology links higher risk of age-related macular degeneration, i.e. blindness, with heavy consumption of red meat. Australian researchers recruited 6,734 people, ages 58 to 69, living in Melbourne, surveying them about how much meat they ate, and then taking macular photographs of their retinas to evaluate eye health. Findings revealed participants eating red meat 10 times a week were 47% more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration than those eating less red meat; Medical News Today reports.
Red meat is vile. In November a report found harmful bacteria, called Subtilase cytotoxin gravitates to red meat and dairy products. Then just last week, consuming large amounts of red and processed meat was associated with higher risk of cancer and cardiovascular mortality and beyond that, eating red meat has been linked to metabolic syndrome, a known predictor of heart disease.
In related news, previous research shows antioxidants from foods, such as spinach, kale and collard greens promote eye health and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

LUNCH

Had a veggie sub for lunch....VG

DINNER

Katie made whole wheat spagetti with veggie hamburger by Yves, various kinds of peppers, mushrooms etc. It was great!

more later....

Day 55

BREAKFAST

Great cup of freshly ground coffee and whole wheat pancakes with blueberries and banana....ummmm good!

Misc thoughts.....

Katie is down 15 pounds....I am just maintaining at about 10....but previously our attempts to lose weight were always concentrated on how much, and how fast. Now, that all seems unimportant somehow, as the focus has switched to healthy eating, period! Whatever happens after that...happens. I know one thing though, if I continue eating like this....there won't be a situation where I will gain any significant amount of weight loss back...as has been the case in the past when you finish a "diet".

The river is still frozen over here...should start breaking up soon...Fargo got some good news in that the crest of the river was less than anticipated. As long as their dikes hold, they should be ok.

I posted a video yesterday that my son Jeff directed and produced...on his utube page he has lots of videos from interviews he did with various bands on his show. I came across a performer named Lisa Hannigan who is subscribed to his video page. She has her own videos as a performer and I was particularly impressed with this one. Hope you enjoy it!



Found this neat video for Vegan Turkey Loaf


Vegan Turkey Loaf from Everyday Dish TV on Vimeo.

more later....

Day 54

A cut from a cd of another one of my favorite artists...Joss Stone...my youngest son told me about her and I'm glad he did....was watching American Idol the other night...and there she was doing a duet with the great Smokey Robinson....awesome

Joss Stone...Less is More

Speaking of my young son...well not quite so young anymore...he is a very talented videographer, on air personality, as well as a film editor. He works for Shaw Cable here in Winnipeg and has his own show called "Signal to Noise on their local channel" He edits and does camera work for a lot of their productions. He has done four music videos which have all appeared on Much Music, all of which he did with zero budget and had to beg and borrow equipment and locations. Here is a sample, and he edited it so that it looks like it was taken off a satellite pirate station...in reality it was made right here in Winnipeg with a local Indie Group called ABO. He did all the filming, directing, and editing to produce the final result. Very proud of him!!! He is a great guy!




An interesting article about drinking your tea too hot....

IS there anything left in life that isn't linked to cancer?

Not hot tea apparently. A group of scientists has connected it with esophageal cancer. The problem doesn't appear to be the tea itself, but the temperature at which it is consumed, their study found.

Residents of Golestan province in Iran have one of the highest rates of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the world. They don't drink alcohol or smoke but they do consume tea. Lots of it. Nearly 1.2 litres per day, on average.

Researchers recruited 300 esophageal cancer patients in Golestan and matched them up with 571 healthy controls who shared their age, gender and place of residence. "Impatient tea drinkers who waited less than two minutes were 5.4 times as likely to be diagnosed with esophageal cancer, the study found.

-- Los Angeles Times

BREAKFAST

Usual great cup of freshly ground coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal with bananas

LUNCH

This is what we had for lunch

Nice big salad

DINNER

Katie made home made french onion soup from scratch...It was great! Then we had a baked potato with salsa and another salad.

 

more later....

Day 53

Another cut from Eric Hutchinson's cd

Outside Villanova

BREAKFAST

Good cup of freshly ground coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal with banana and raisins

The snow has finally stopped...supposed to be nicer temperature wise starting on the weekend

HEALTH NEWS

This was sent to me by a friend of mine, has a lot to do with diet and other tips...for those with or those who just want to live a healthier lifestyle.

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3 When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction..

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful.. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

1. No plastic containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter ReedArmy Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Cast le Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

More reasons why Katie and I feel good about what we're doing

LUNCH

Tomato sandwich was the lunch of choice, with a few nuts and an apple

Back to my 40 minute walk, weather much nicer...not what you could calm warm by any means...hard slugging as the city has not yet plowed the sidewalks.

DINNER

Veggie pizza was great! Some peanuts in the shell as we were watching one of our favorite tv shows "Damages" The acting by Glen Close and the others is really good and the plot has lots of twists and turns.

more later....

Day 52

Another cut from Eric Hutchinson's cd

All Used Up

BREAKFAST

Nice cup of fresh ground coffee and bowl of cereal with shredded wheat and cheerios mixed. No banana...too green at the moment. Cereal of course has brown rice milk over it.

Still snowing here today...supposed to stop at around noon. Just when things were melting and you could actually see some grass, everything is a whiteout now. This is not good for our neighbors to the south....Fargo ND is now predicting flood levels above 40 feet which is terrible and close to setting an all time record. We wish them luck with their dike and sand bagging efforts.

Plan on going to the Y today...too nasty for an ordinary walk.

LUNCH

Had left over chinese veggie stir fry....ummmm good....apple with peanut butter later on

DINNER

Bean burrito....made with red and green pepper...onion...black beans...tomatoes....celery....veggie ground round....chili powder...whole wheat tortilla......very good!

for dessert we had homemade banana walnut ice cream....scrumptious!!!!!!!!
made with frozen bananas, chopped walnuts, whole grain rice milk, pure maple syrup

was that ever good and easy to make

more later....

Day 51

Another cut from our favorite cd by Eric Hutchinson

You Don't Have To Believe Me

BREAKFAST

Big bowl of Oatmeal with Banana and Blueberries, along with a great cup of freshly ground coffee

Winter storm here today....doesn't help the flood forecasts for the midwest....nasty outside!

LUNCH

Had the rest of the left over pasta with a small whole wheat roll...really good....

DINNER

Had a veggie burger and oven fries...again....really good

Katie made some Pumpkin walnut cookies....Excellent!



Still snowing...it was a very nasty day here today

more later....

Day 50

Another interesting article

It’s drummed into our heads. Salt bad, salt bad, salt bad. But why! A new study in the Journal of Nutrition claims salt decreases levels of an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase (NOS). NOS signals nearby muscles to relax, which improves blood flow and reduces high blood pressure. First, using bovine cells, scientists observed a decrease in NOS activity with an increase in salt concentration and similar results were observed using Chinese hamster ovary cells; Food Navigator reports.

A previous study showed obese people following a low-salt diet for two weeks had improved flow-mediated dilation, i.e. blood vessels ability to relax, and in the United States, cutting salt by just 1 gram could lower the number of new heart disease cases by 250,000.

BREAKFAST

Usual great cup of coffee and a bowl of shreddies with banana

Another interesting article in today's Free Press

CHICAGO - The largest study of its kind finds that older Americans who eat large amounts of red meat and processed meats face a greater risk of death from heart disease and cancer.

The federal study of more than half a million men and women bolsters prior evidence of the health risks of diets laden with red meat like hamburger and processed meats like hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts.

Calling the increased risk modest, lead author Rashmi Sinha of the National Cancer Institute said the findings support the advice of several health groups to limit red and processed meat intake to decrease cancer risk.

The findings appear in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

Over 10 years, eating the equivalent of a 125-gram (quarter-pound) hamburger daily gave men in the study a 22 per cent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 27 per cent higher risk of dying of heart disease. That's compared to those who ate the least red meat, just 140 grams per week.

Women who ate large amounts of red meat had a 20 per cent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 50 per cent higher risk of dying of heart disease than women who ate less.

For processed meats, the increased risks for large quantities were slightly lower overall than for red meat. The researchers compared deaths in the people with the highest intakes to deaths in people with the lowest to calculate the increased risk.

People whose diets contained more white meat like chicken and fish had lower risks of death.

The researchers surveyed more than 545,000 people, ages 50 to 71 years old, on their eating habits, then followed them for 10 years. There were more than 70,000 deaths during that time.

Study subjects were recruited from AARP members, a group that's healthier than other similarly aged Americans. That means the findings may not apply to all groups, Sinha said. The study relied on people's memory of what they ate, which can be faulty.

In the analysis, the researchers took into account other risk factors such as smoking, family history of cancer and high body mass index.

In an accompanying editorial, Barry Popkin, director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, wrote that reducing meat intake would have benefits beyond improved health.

Livestock increase greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming, he wrote, and nations should re-evaluate farm subsidies that distort prices and encourage meat-based diets.

"We've promoted a diet that has added excessively to global warming," Popkin said in an interview.

Successfully shifting away from red meat can be as easy as increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet, said Elisabetta Politi of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C.

"I'm not saying everybody should turn into vegetarians," Politi said. "Meat should be a supporting actor on the plate, not the main character."

The National Pork Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association questioned the findings.

Dietitian Ceci Snyder said in a statement for the pork board that the study "attempts to indict all red meat consumption by looking at extremes in meat consumption, as opposed to what most Americans eat."

Lean meat as part of a balanced diet can prevent chronic disease, along with exercise and avoiding smoking, said Shalene McNeill, dietitian for the beef group.

***********************************************************************************

Katie and I are satisfied with our decision to try vegan and so far all is good. The experts keep telling all of us different things and it is frustrating, but we think we can't really go wrong by eating lots of veggies and fruit and staying away from meats, dairy, and processed foods.

LUNCH

Had left over veggie pasta with small whole wheat bun and glass of water

Went for my usual 40 minute walk....had to be careful....slippery here today...freezing rain and snow

DINNER

Katie made a great stir fry for dinner. Thoroughly enjoyed it

more later....

Day 49

BREAKFAST

Regular great cup of coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal with banana

Came across this the other day, totally agree with the concept!

Every positive action you take sends ripples out into the world. Those ripples, those little things, done consistently, transform the world. Every time you take care of yourself you make the world a better place. By taking taking care of yourself you set in motion the Cascade of Positive Actions.

The Cascade of Positive Actions is the phenomenon whereby one of your positive actions causes a cascade of further positive actions. Example: You start to exercise on a regular basis, as a result you start eating more healthy food and making better food choices, you work on stress-management, and it goes on and on.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” M. Gandhi

Not only does the Cascade of Positive Actions you set in motion effect your life, it effects the lives of all the people in your life. You make your life better, it makes their lives better, that makes other peoples lives better, which in turn make even more people's lives better... That little positive ripple you created turns into a giant wave of positive action, making the world wonderful!

LUNCH

Had leftover pasta and a piece of whole wheat bread for luch

DINNER

We had veggie pizza for supper....always good!

more later....

Day 48

BREAKFAST

Had our usual great cup of coffee this morning, and had whole wheat pancakes with blueberries.

Here is an interesting article about MSG send by one of our friends

MSG (a slow poison)

The food additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate) is a slow poison. MSG hides

behind 25 or more names, such as Natural Flavoring." MSG is even in your

favorite coffee from Tim Horton's and Starbucks coffee shops!

I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive

obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a research

assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and spent

years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while

going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The Slow

Poisoning of America .

In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating

obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. No strain of

rat or mice is naturally obese, so scientists have to create them. They

make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are

first born.

The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing

rats(and perhaps humans) to become obese. They even have a name for the

fat rodents they create: "MSG-Treated Rats."

When I heard this, I was shocked. I went into my kitchen and checked

the cupboards and the refrigerator. MSG was in everything -- the Campbell's

soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ramen,

Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen

prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressings, especially the "healthy low-fat"

ones.

The items that didn't have MSG marked on the product label had

something called "Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein," which is just another name

for Monosodium Glutamate.

It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children

everyday are filled with this stuff. MSG is hidden under many different

names in order to fool those who read the ingredient list, so that they

don't catch on. (Other names for MSG are "Accent, "Aginomoto," "Natural

Meat Tenderizer," etc.)

But it didn't stop there.

When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants

what menu items contained MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swore

they didn't use MSG. But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they

grudgingly provided, sure enough, MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were

everywhere.

Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant -- even

the sit-down eateries like TGIF, Chili's, Applebee's, and Denny's -- use MSG

in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG

was in every chicken dish, salad dressing. and gravy. No wonder I loved to

eat that coating on the skin -- their secret spice was MSG!

So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat?

Is it a preservative, or a vitamin?

Not according to my friend John Erb. In his book The Slow Poisoning

of America , he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it

has on the human body.

Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby

group supporting MSG explains that the reason they add it to food is to make

people eat more.

A study of the elderly showed that older people eat more of the foods

that it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobbying group says eating

more is a benefit to the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us?

"Betcha can't eat [just] one," takes on a whole new meaning where MSG

is concerned! And we wonder why the nation is overweight!

MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their

products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes

people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added.

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an

addictive substance. Since its introduction into the American food supply

fifty years ago,MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the

pre-packaged meals,soups, snacks, and fast foods we are tempted to eat

everyday.

The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They

claim it's safe to eat in any amount. But how can they claim it's safe when

there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these:

"The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of

exercise in obesity." Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT , Ribeiro IA. Res

Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002.

"Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin

release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats." Guimaraes RB,

Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro. Brain Res Bull. 2002

Aug.

'Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously

hypertensive rats: An animal model of multiple risk factors."

Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima.

Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar.

"Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in

suckling period and subsequent development of obesity." Tanaka K, Shimada

M, Nakao K Kusunoki. Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct.

No, the date of that last study was not a typo; it was published in 1978.

Both the "medical research community" and "food manufacturers" have

known about the side effects of MSG for decades.

Many more of the studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to

diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer's.

So what can we do to stop the food manufactures from dumping this

fattening and addictive MSG into our food supply and causing the obesity

epidemic we now see?

Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of

the highest government health officials in Canada . While he was sitting in

the government office, the official told him, "Sure, I know how bad MSG is.

I wouldn't touch the stuff." But this top-level government official refuses

to tell the public what he knows.

The big media doesn't want to tell the public either, fearing issues

with their advertisers. It seems that the fallout on the fast food industry

may hurt their profit margin. The food producers and restaurants have been

addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price

for it. Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive

food additive.

LUNCH

We had left over chow mein from "Delicious" Restaurant...excellent!

more later...

Day 47

Another cut from Eric Hutchinson's cd

Back to Where I Was

BREAKFAST

Nice fresh ground cup of Sumatra dark roast coffee from Bulk Barn. Then a big bowl of Oatmeal and Banana.

LUNCH

Katie made a nice variety plate for lunch. Carrots, Humus (which I have never had before but discovered I really like. You just dip the carrot in it. Cucumber slices, whole wheat crackers, a piece of whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter, and tomato wedges.



Really hit the spot!!!

DINNER

Went and did some shopping this afternoon, so we decided to have something easy and quick for dinner. Had Veggie Burger and oven fries. Very good!


more later.....

Day 46

Another selection from Eric Hutchinson's cd

Oh!

An interesting article about taking some supplements

Most people think vitamins are healthy. No questions asked. Not always the case. According to new research in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute daily folic acid supplementation may increase men’s risk of prostate cancer. The study showed men taking 1 mg of folic acid everyday had more than twice the risk of developing prostate cancer than participants taking a placebo. Experts examined data on 643 men, with an average age of 57.4. After ten years the cancer risk among supplement-takers was 9.7%, but only 3.3% for men taking the placebo; Med News Today reports.

Isolated beta-carotene isn’t the only thing that can increase men’s risk of prostate cancer. Eating too much meat messes with a hormones resulting in more prostate cancer, while foods like broccoli provide protect against prostate cancer. And in the past, a study of 300,000 men revealed men taking more than seven vitamins a week had double the risk of getting fatal prostate cancer, compared to men who never took pills.

Makes one think.....if you can get virtually all the vitamins and minerals you need by eating high nutrient foods then there is no need for the majority of supplements. Typical American diet doesn't do that.

BREAKFAST

Had a good cup of "Sumatra" Dark Roast from Bulk Barn and a big bowl of oatmeal with banana.

LUNCH

Made myself a bean burrito from the leftovers from the other night

DINNER

Katie had to get her hair done today, so she brought home supper from "Delicious" restaurant.

We had Delicious Fried Rice, Vegetable Mushi, Sweet and Sour Gluten Balls, and vegetable 8 treasure which had peanuts, corn, tofu, water chestnuts, hot and sweet sauce, green peppers, and eggplant.....as usual it was "Delicious"

more later.....

Day 45

Another cut from Eric Hutchinson's cd

All Over Now

BREAKFAST

Usual great cup of fresh ground Espresso Coffee and Shredded wheat cereal with banana.

Went to the Y and had a good workout

LUNCH

Had some left over brown rice and veggies, also a tomato sandwich on whole wheat bun.

DINNER

Katie made peanut noodle soup....contains yams, carrots, onions, vegetable broth, pepper, peanut butter, hot sauce, and brown rice noodles.

It was excellent!



for dessert we had fruit cocktail...mango, apple, banana, and pinapple

oh....and kudos to Katie...she is down 13 pounds

more later....

Day 44

Another selection from Eric Hutchinson's cd

It hasn't been long enough

BREAKFAST

Regular good cup of freshly ground Espresso coffee, with a big bowl of oatmeal and fruit.

Went for my usual walk this morning....considerably colder than yesterday.

LUNCH

Haven't decided yet, but will either have left over soup that Katie made the other day, or a veggie sub, or left over bean burrito. Lots of choices.

more later....

Day 43

Another selection from Eric Hutchinson's cd

Eric Hutchinson with "Alright With Me"

BREAKFAST

Had a bowl of cereal, mixed Kashi Heart Smart and shredded wheat with Ryza Rice milk over top and banana.

Plan on going to the Y today

LUNCH

Had left over veggie pasta with whole wheat bun.

DINNER

Started off with a salad with tomato vinagarette dressing. then we had bean burrito, and inside the burrito, was black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, onion, mushrooms, green pepper, red pepper, chili powder, brown rice, salsa, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla shell.

I have never been a fan of beans, as I am not crazy about the texture. But guess who ate two?

Here is the inside contents before the wrapping ocurred


Now all wrapped up......


It was very good!

more later....

While you are reading the blog...thought you might enjoy another selection from our favorite cd.....

Eric Hutchinson with "Food Chain"

BREAKFAST

Pretty well the usual....Fresh ground Espresso Coffee...Big bowl of oatmeal with fruit...great way to start the day and not usually hungry at all until lunch time.

LUNCH

I had two small pieces of left over veggie pizza, then some left over veggie pasta, a small whole wheat bun and some fresh strawberries.

DINNER

Ok....this is going too far! When I was a kid I virtually wouldn't eat any vegetables whatsoever. As I grew a little older it was nothing but coleslaw. Then when I got older it was the odd vegetable that tasted ok to me, but not very many that's for sure.

So what did I have for dinner?

A Katie concoction.....potato and kale soup with roasted vegetables(carrots, onions, asperagus, and yams, and a whole wheat roll. I still don't like asperagus that much, but guess who ate the whole thing?

more later....

Day 41

BREAKFAST

Nice cup of freshly ground espresso coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal with banana, apple, and blueberries with Ryza whole grain brown rice milk on top.

Nice day again today....did a lot of melting yesterday....off for my 40 minute walk...for those of you wondering why 40 minutes....I was down a crescent which is very pretty and it takes that long to do the whole thing.

Some cleaning today.....

LUNCH

We had half a homemade veggie sub each and a piece of Katie's veggie chocolate cake....great lunch

DINNER

We're having homemade veggie pizza. Looking forward to that

more later.....

Day 40

Ok....we made it through Friday the 13th whew! Hope you like the new layout!

Katie went to a really neat bistro for lunch with a co-worker yesterday...it is in the back of a small independent bookstore which has been in existance since 1999. The bookstore is called "Aqua" and it is located at 274 Garry Street in Winnipeg. The bistro is called "EAT!"

On the menu they have different colored dots to indicate whether the dish is vegan, or vegetarian, or gluten free.

Katie had this....and said it was soooooo......gooooood!

Grilled Vegetables with Sundried Tomatoes and Chickpea Fritters $8 (the yellow dot indicates vegan)

Katie said there was more on the plate and she was full.

pretty good looking menu at

http://www.eatbistro.ca/menu_eat_up.php

I'd like to try them all!!!

Some of you may be wondering about this whole, vegan, and vegetarian thing.

Here is a a bit of an explanation

A vegetarian is someone living on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with or without the use of dairy products and eggs.

A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or slaughter by-products.

Types of Vegetarian

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Eats both dairy products and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet.

Lacto-vegetarian. Eats dairy products but not eggs.

Vegan. Does not eat dairy products, eggs, or any other animal product.

Stumbling Blocks

Many foods contain ingredients derived from the slaughter of animals. Gelatine is made from animal ligaments, tendons, bones etc which have been boiled in water. It is often found in confectionery, low fat spreads and desserts, and other dairy products. The term animal fat refers to carcass fat and may be present in a wide range of foods, including biscuits, cakes, and margarines. Suet and lard are types of animal fats. Certain food additives (E numbers) may be derived from animal sources.

Cheese is often made with rennet extracted from the stomach lining of slaughtered calves. Vegetarian cheese is made with rennet from a microbial source.

The Vegetarian Society has an information sheet listing ingredients which may be unsuitable for vegetarians.

Many vegetarians that eat eggs will eat only free-range eggs. This is due to moral objections to the battery farming of hens. The Vegetarian Society only endorses products containing eggs if the eggs are certified as free-range

Katie and I are presently eating vegan style, and actually a bit more than that as we are trying to stay away from Tofu and Soy products as much as possible. We just haven't decided on whether those products are good for you, or have too many negatives.

We are not trying to be strict at all, we're just doing what we think is good at the time. As I have said before, there are plenty of "eliteis" on many of the message boards who look down their noses at those who don't follow a strict routine, or who don't label themselves properly, or don't get passionate about animal treatment. I don't care about their so called labels...we only care about what we're doing, and letting anyone who happens to be interested, have some insight on what we're doing and why.

What are we? We're just ordinary people trying to do the right thing. I am convinced we're healthier now than we were 40 days ago

BREAKFAST

Had usual great cup of coffee, wholewheat pancakes with pure maple syrup and fruit on top. Oh so good!

thought I would share one of Katie and my favorite music artist and his hit song, along with Darryl Hall and John Oates and their band, and before they sing they are talking a bit about food... then they're practicing to get things straight, then perform the song. I found out about Eric and his music when I heard this song at the end of a movie. When we drove to Texas this year we played the cd over many times.

LUNCH

We had a homemade veggie sub and a banana

DINNER

Had leftovers from Delicious Restaurant last night...Katie mixed them all together and added onion, green pepper, mushrooms, sesame seeds, carrots, peas, corn, and green beans....It was sooooo.....goooood again. Also had a couple of spring rolls.


more later.....

Day 39

YIKES! Friday the 13th....

BREAKFAST

Had fresh ground coffee beans, free trade, Espresso Beans. Very good and less expensive than Kicking Horse Free Trade Espresso.

Bowl of oatmeal with fruit

Went for my usual 40 minute walk today...wind still a bit chilly from the south, but temperature up quite a bit, so it was not bad at all.

Weight today 232.2 ..... good ......still going in the right direction. Haven't seen numbers this low for quite a few years. It's been painless as well, and both Katie and I don't feel we're on a diet. We just feel like we're eating differently....haven't really experienced that before, on other diets...always felt like you couldn't have this or couldn't have that, or only in a certain amount. In this case we're CHOOSING to do what we're doing, and we're not worried about amounts and so on, because it's dense nutritious food we're eating.

LUNCH

Katie made a lot of the veggie pasta last night so that we would have leftovers...makes it a lot easier for her that way. I had some for lunch with a small whole wheat roll...no butter....and it was great and all I needed. Glass of water also. I'm drinking far more water now than I ever did before, and Katie and I have not had a diet drink for the whole 39 days....we don't even miss them.

DINNER

Katie surprised me by bringing home takeout from "Delicious" Ummmm....can hardly wait......

Sweet and Sour Gluten balls, Delicious Fried Rice, Deluxe noodles, vegetable mooshi, and spring rolls. As usual it was absolutely "Delicious"

more later...

Day 38

BREAKFAST

Must be boring for you but not for me breakfast that is...the usual....three guesses....the first two don't count.

87% of you would like me to continue the blog on a daily basis. At this time I am prepared to do that, but can't guarantee how long that will be. What I don't want to do is put the same thing all the time, and it's been feeling like that the last couple of days.

One of the reasons is that I have been busy trying to get the details sorted out on the mobile home. Forms have to be filled out, and there are documents that have to go back and forth between the owner in Wisconsin and myself.

At the same time I have been fighting with Windows XP and Vista, trying to get one to see the other in a network configuration. I used to have it like that, but they are both so fussy that one thing is not right and it's totally frustrating trying to figure out what that is. Oh well, I'll keep at it until it's solved.

LUNCH

Made myself a veggie sub...tomato, green and red pepper, lettuce, mustard. Good!

Didn't go for a walk today or to the Y....plenty cold outside with a bad wind chill...same as yesterday.

DINNER

Katie made a veggie pasta for dinner....I really like it!

Whole wheat rotini pasta, zuchini, onions, mushrooms, green pepper, red pepper, tomatoes, garlic, basil, Italian spice and tomato sauce

Then for dessert Katie made vegan gingerbread cookies.....Awesome!

Molasses, Rice milk, whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and cane sugar.

more later.....

Day 37

BREAKFAST

Usual cup of tasty coffee, a bowl of oatmeal...no banana...the ones at the store are still very green and need to ripen a bit...so threw in some frozen fruit and raisins....ummm....good.

LUNCH

Did a kind of strange veggie sub....tomatoes, lettuce, left over veggie stir fry heated a bit mustard and whole wheat bun. It was really good!

DINNER

hawaian fried brown rice, pineapple, carrots, mushrooms, onion, corn, green beans, and tamari sauce.

Left over mushroom chow mein stirfry, part of which was on my sub for lunch.

Very good dinner.

more later.....

Day 36

BREAKFAST

Usual cup of coffee along with a bowl of oatmeal with banana.

Lots of running around today to do with the purchase of the mobile home.

LUNCH

Had left over whole wheat veggie spaghetti along with a small whole wheat bun
and a pear for dessert

DINNER

We had a delicious veggie burger and yam fries....sounds decedent but not really...nice not to have the old guilt feeling by stuffing yourself with food that is just not good for you.

Strawberries and veggie chocolate cake for dessert....Wow....was that good!

more later......

Day 35

BREAKFAST

Had a nice bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, apple, cinnamon, and Ryza dark grain milk on the top, along with the regular really good cup of freshly ground coffee.

Went for my usual walk this morning, not that cold, but the wind was cold.

LUNCH

I had the one piece of left over veggie pizza, a whole wheat bun with tomato slices, no butter
no mayonnaise, just some pepper. It was very good. Had a nice juicy pear for dessert. Great lunch!

For those of you that were following my Texas Holiday Blog this year, and are here as well... Katie and I were having difficulties knowing where we were going to be next January, for holidays.

We can only go for a month, while almost everyone who rents out wants renters for three months. That makes it very hit and miss to get something. We really like the park we were in last year, made some friends, and we would be content if we could be there again next year.

So.......our friends in the park....thank you Bob and Judy.....found us just the right thing.

and.....we are now the proud owners of a 16 X 44 mini mobile home which is only 7 years old and is in great shape. We actually bought it sight unseen, with the great assistance of Bob and Judy who told us we better jump on it....so we did.

lots of details to work out now, as the owner is in Wisconsin and we are here, and paperwork has to be done and submitted down there. Going to try and make the whole transaction work long distance.

DINNER

Katie and I had a nice salad with Italian very low calorie dressing and the leftovers of the veggie pasta that Katie made yesterday. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

more later....

Day 34

BREAKFAST

Usual good cup of coffee and bowl of oatmeal with banana, blueberries, apple, cinnamon, and flax seed. Very good and very filling

Katie is down another 1 1/2 pounds...I was sort of up and down last week...up a lb or lb and a half and down the same or so. This morning I was 233.6 so not much loss but still going in the right direction.

LUNCH AND DINNER

Katie and I had some running around to do yesterday, and we went to the Y and had a very good workout. We decided by the time we got home, that we would just combine lunch and dinner and have it early.

We had a nice big salad with some store bought Italian dressing which is low in calories and devoid of most bad additives.

Then we had Katie home made whole wheat pasta, which we have had before and is very tasty. Katie spiced it up a bit more than usual as she almost always makes her recipes by feel, and it was M...A...R.....V....E....L....O.....U.....S !


more later....

Day 33

BREAKFAST

We had our usual cup of freshly ground coffee, and banana pancakes with raspberry puree and a bit of pure maple syrup. Great!


Interesting articles and videos about Type II diabetes spiralling out of control in the UK, India, and other places.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7907166.stm

Went for my usual walk...a little chilly but not too bad

LUNCH

Had a bowl of butternut squash soup for lunch...Katie added tumeric, whole wheat pasta shells, corn, chives, chili sauce, and pepper. Very good!

Off to do some grocery shopping this afternoon...we will not be cruising the meat section!

DINNER

Katie and I had veggie pizza for dinner.....why?.....because we really like it

Lose an hour tonight.....that's not good!

more later....

Day 32

For the person who voted for daily with added content, perhaps if you
don't mind you could leave a comment as to what added content you
would like to see. Thanks

BREAKFAST

Had a bowl of shredded wheat with banana and the usual cup of freshly ground coffee.

Went for my usual walk, and today wore the studded footware you can add to
your shoes, that my son bought me for xmas. Obviously I should have been wearing
them before as I fell twice already. Well they were excellent, didn't even come close
to feeling like I was going to hit a patch of ice and fall.

LUNCH

Had a couple of pieces of leftover veggie pizza that Katie made last night. Really good!
Had an apple with natural peanut butter on the slices...also very good.

DINNER

We had a very good veggie stir fry and for dessert we had a lemon cake with raspberry puree....um...um....good



more later....

Day 31

If you look to your right, you will see that I have added a poll....please give me your views.

It is difficult to design questions for a poll that covers all eventualities, so if you want to express your views in addition to taking the poll, please do so with a comment. We appreciate any and all feedback.

BREAKFAST

Freshly ground sumatra coffee from bulk barn and a big bowl of oatmeal with banana.

Went for my usual walk yesterday, but at the start didn't see some glare ice and down I went. This is the second time in about two weeks, as we are having melting and freezing temperatures. Luckily no harm done.

I am reading a book entitled "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman M.D. Only on chapter 3, but very interesting, right in line with what we are doing...one difference I can see already is that it looks like we are not eating enough big salads. We'll see.

I'm really not into commercials...it's about information and doing our own research....I want to reiterate, this whole adventure is not about only losing weight, though we both need that....it is about eating in a more healthy way than we have been doing...eating the typical North American Diet. We are on a search for the best thing for us, and after 30 days of eating Vegan, are convinced, that this way of eating, or some version of it, is far better than what we were doing.

LUNCH

I had a big salad with home made vinaigrette dressing, I heated up Katie's vegetable salad in the microwave and put it on top of the salad....my concoction was great! I enjoyed it.



Went for my usual walk today, congratulations are in order...I did not take a tumble.

more later....

Day 30

Unbelievable!!!!!

30 days already......It has gone sooooooo.....quickly!

Now what? We decided to do this when we were still on our January holiday in Texas, and still eating the typical North American diet.

Why did we decide to try this for 30 days or more? I put the reason and the goal in my introduction 30 days ago

"Both of us can stand to lose quite a few pounds and eat in a more healthy manner. We have tried many diets in the past with only limited success. My dad died of a heart attack when he was 54, although my mom lived to 100...so what does that mean? Katie's family has a history of Cancer."

"Our goal is to get thinner, reduce the important readings the Doctor takes for the annual medical, and in general just be more fit and healthy."

If that is what we are trying to achieve and the reasons are obviously important, would it make any sense to turn back now? The only reason I can see to want to turn back, is that this lifestyle change is far too difficult. Guess what? It's not. I don't miss any kind meat one single bit, I don't miss cheese or eggs or milk, I don't miss cookies, ice cream, potato chips or any of the other junk food I used to eat. Katie feels exactly the same way.

How are we doing? Well excellent really! I can still workout without extra protein. I don't feel bloated a good percentage of the time. My sugar levels are good, and with more weight loss and eating in this healthy manner....I hope to get off my blood pressure pills on my next trip to the Doctor.

Both Katie and I have lost 8 pounds in a month, that's a healthy two pounds a week, and that is without even trying. If I watched the calories closer, I could lose even more, but no need, this is just not painful.

Katie has struggled with constipation most of her life, and it seemed to run in her family. Not any more...this lifestyle suits her perfectly.

Neither one of us wants this to be super strict, like some Vegans are....on some of the message boards. Some of them are "Vegan snobs" who look down their nose at vegetarians or meat eaters, and preach the gospel about animal cruelty. No need for that...you do what you do...and I'll do what I do. The blog was about me keeping a record of our adventure, and sharing it with friends and those interested.

As a side effect, if it was educational...so much the better. If it inspires someone to eat in a more healthy manner for their own sake...so much the better! If it helps someone lose weight, or get off some pills...What a bonus!!

Soon, I will post a poll to see if their is any point in me continuing to write about this continuing adventure...but for now....THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!

Here are a couple of videos that are applicable to what we're doing....Hope you enjoy!



and on the really serious side.....



more later.....

Day 29

BREAKFAST

Big bowl of oatmeal with banana and Ryza whole grain brown rice milk. A good start to the day.

Supposed to be warmer here today...good when March comes in like a lamb and not a lion.

More work today on Winxp...along with a trip to the Y and perhaps I will get estimates on getting my gray locks cut......just kidding...I always go to the same place.

LUNCH

Katie had to go to a meeting that was close to home, so...while I was at the Y having a good workout, she dropped off a 6 inch Subway veggie sub in the fridge. I was able to have that after the gym and going to get my golden locks cut. Very thoughtful!

DINNER

We had a veggie burger, and Yam fries



and we had a great dessert. Katie made a chocolate cake, out of whole wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, raw cane sugar, and water....she took some frozen berries, thawed them, mashed them, put them through a sieve, then poured the juice on the cake. It was MARVELOUS!

It was so good, it could be served in any restaurant, never mind a vegetarian restaurant.

more later....