Day 87

Another song from Playing for Change....."War no More"



BREAKFAST

Mixed bowl of whole wheat cheerios and shredded wheat with hot cup of freshly ground kicking horse coffee.

LUNCH

Had left over veggie spaghetti for lunch

Interesting health news.....

Presented at the 2009 American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Conference, experts claim switching to a low sodium diet is the most important lifestyle change people with heart problems can make, but many people ignore their doctor’s recommendation. Scientists surveyed 116 heart patients on what they ate for three days, finding 70% of sodium intake comes from processed foods such as deli meats and fast food; HealthDay News reports.

Boxed breakfast cereals are another high-salt culprit, especially kids’ cereals. Salt is bad news for your heart. Sodium decreases levels of a helpful enzyme that helps blood vessels relax and lowers blood pressure. And consuming a lot of salt worsens metabolic syndrome, which is a known precursor to cardiovascular disease.

As for meat, a recent study revealed men eating too much red or processed meat had a 27% higher risk of dying from heart disease and women had a 50% greater risk.

DINNER

Katie is at her Systems Analyst course tonight so I am going to have a veggie burger.

more later.....

Day 86

Another song from Playing For Change: Peace Through Music series



BREAKFAST

The usual big bowl of oatmeal with banana and hot cup of kicking horse freshly ground coffee....ummmmm

Oink-oink, the swine flu is here! So far the virus has killed 149 people in Mexico and has spread to the U.S., Canada and Europe. Many fear this could mark the start of a pandemic. Swine flu is a variant of the human form of influenza and current seasonal flu vaccines do not protect against it. Swine flu, technically called H1N1, spreads very quickly and drug makers may not be able to develop a vaccine quick enough; Reuters reports.

And last year, the CDC claimed some strains of flu are actually becoming resistant to the drug Tamiflu. Luckily, like avian flu, protecting yourself against pig flu is easy. Practice good hygiene, wash your hands and eat plenty of nutritious foods like green vegetables and fruit, which bolster your immune system

LUNCH

Went out for lunch with my brother...drove around a bit trying to think of somewhere to go where I might have a choice. Ended up at a greek restaurant and I had a veggie sub. It was really good.

DINNER

Katie and I had veggie spaghetti....again very good

more later.....

Day 85

I received this from a friend who knew I would like it....

From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E. King classic by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it traveled the globe.

Amazing!



BREAKFAST

The usual big bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and banana, and hot cup of freshly ground coffee.

DINNER

Had a friend over for dinner....we all enjoyed veggie pizzas by Katie and enjoyable conversation.

more later...

Day 84

Another fine performance from Norah Jones



BREAKFAST

Nice bowl of oatmeal with raisans and banana and a hot cup of freshly roasted java.

another interesting article about barbecuing meat

The Charred Remains

Charred meat, which occurs during grilling and barbecuing, contains several known cancer-causing chemicals, including heterocyclic amines.

Kristin Anderson of the University of Minnesota, led a study that started with 62,000 healthy people and documented what they ate.

"We found that those who preferred very well-done steak were almost 60 percent more likely to get pancreatic cancer as those who ate steak less well-done or did not eat steak," Anderson said.

"Those with the highest intake of very well-done meat had a 70 percent higher risk for pancreatic cancer over those with the lowest consumption." 

LUNCH

I had a tomato sandwich with a banana for dessert

more later....

Day 83

BREAKFAST

Had a big bowl of oatmeal with raisans banana and blueberries...and a hot cup of freshly ground coffee.

An interesting article about blueberries

Onto a better food, presented at this year’s Experimental Biology Conference, blueberries were found to help combat abdominal fat. In the study, rats eating a lot of blueberries lost belly fat. Excess abdominal fat has been closely associated to heart disease and diabetes. The rats also experienced lower cholesterol and better glucose control, even if their diet wasn’t heart-healthy.

I watched a couple of tv episodes of "You are what you eat". This female doctor takes people who are very and/or morbidly obese and puts them on a new eating regime for 2 months. Basically all the things she tells them to eat are the same as what we are doing with the exception of them being able to have fish. Katie and I are basically staying away from fish as well, due to the fact that a lot of it contains mercury and a heck of a lot of it is imported from China.

This is an article that goes all the way back to 2007.....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/05/AR2007070502240.html

but we also watched a documentary on CBC a while back, which showed that much of the fish in packages that is stamped "Product of Canada" with the red maple leaf...is actually from China, and only packaged here. They went to the Captain Highliner plant on the east coast of Canada and found out they have no fishing boats going out, they only package fish that comes in tankers. So you decide!

back to the tv show....the difference in these folks in two months is pretty amazing....so it just goes to reinforce that so much of our overall health today is based on what we put in our mouths.

LUNCH

Katie made her version of French Onion Soup for Lunch....mushrooms, onions, brown rice, basil, cilantro, vegetable broth, pepper, topped with homemade whole wheat garlic croutons....WOW! was it ever tasty!!!

DINNER

We had sloppy joe's veggie ground round and yam fries. VG!

more later....

Day 82

Not often one gets a look at a singer songwriter behind the scenes...thought this was interesting...Martin Sexton again....



BREAKFAST

Big bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and banana. Great cup of freshly ground coffee.

LUNCH

Nice big bowl of salad

DINNER

My older brother and his wife came over.....Katie made regular pizza with cheese and meat for them and veggie pizza for us. They said they would have been satisfied with the veggie pizza which they had a piece of an enjoyed. Couple of glasses of wine and it was a very pleasant evening.

more later....

Day 81

Another of my favorite artists....awesome voice and entertainer...Martin Sexton



BREAKFAST

Big bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and banana. Nice hot cup of freshly roasted coffee.

An article about grilling meat....

Bad news for that greasy steak! Discussed at the 2009 Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, individuals who regularly eat burned or barbecued red meat may have a 60% higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Charred meat contains cancer-causers like heterocyclic amines. For the study, researchers closely monitored the diet of 62,000 healthy people. Over nine years 208 participants were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The participants eating foods like hamburgers were far more likely to develop cancer. And very well-done meat came with a 70% higher cancer risk; Reuters reports.

Barbecued meat is a nightmare. Last year, a study showed diets loaded with red meat increase risk of colon cancer. Grilled chicken is no better. In January, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine warned against grilled chicken, due to PhIP, another known carcinogen. And fake charring food is horrible too. Smoke flavorings are now being linked with liver and kidney problems.

But some folks don’t take a hint. The ballpark for the Gateway Grizzlies, a minor league baseball team in Illinois, sells a grilled burger topped with bacon and cheese served in a glazed doughnut....ouch!!!!!

LUNCH

Made myself a veggie wrap...pretty darn good!

SUPPER

Had burritos made with veggie ground round, onions, red pepper, green pepper, black beans, and taco spices. Absolutely delicious!

more later....

Day 80

Another cut from Norah Jones



BREAKFAST

Had bowl of mixed cereal whole grain cheerios and shredded wheat along with a fresh ground cup of Java

more health information

New findings in the journal Diabetes Care suggest men with type-2 diabetes who stay fit and active have less chance of dying. The study involved 1,703 African American men and 1,445 Caucasian men with type-2 diabetes. Over a 7-year period, death rate for African Americans in the low-fit group was 46% percent, moderate-fit group 27% and 15% for the high-fit group. Numbers for Caucasians were 37%, 19% and 9% respectively, leading researchers to stress the importance of cardiovascular fitness for diabetics; via Reuters.
Really, no one should get diabetes from diet. Eating a nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables slashes the risk of type-2 diabetes, but exercise is still great, especially for men. Last month, a report highlighted the importance of impact training, like running, for men to build stronger bones.

We all know exercise helps prevent type-2 diabetes. Good thing, because a recent study showed obesity, heart disease and diabetes all increase risk of dementia.

LUNCH

Had a nice big salad

DINNER

Veggie burger with a small amount of left over mashed potato with salsa

more later....

Day 79

Another performance from Keb Mo.....



BREAKFAST

Nice big bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and banana. Great cup of freshly ground coffee.

Going on a mini golf trip with some friends today. Will be back later on Sunday. A little concerned about maintaining this eating style. The golf package includes all meals. Hope there are lots of choices or at least the ability to do some substitutions. I'll do what I can...that's for sure.

I may or may not be able to update the blog from there. I don't think internet access is available in the accomodations that 4 of us guys are sharing. I think wifi may be available in the lobby...hope so....if so and the connection is good enough, then I will try and make updates in between 36 holes of golf per day.

Here is an article that again shows how hard it is for all of us to make well informed decisions about health. There is so much conflicting information, and in many cases we just have no idea what we are getting due to lack of regulation and enforcement.

A new report by ConsumerLab.com discovered many multivitamins either contain significantly more or less of an ingredient than they claim and some are even contaminated with lead. Scientists tested several products, including three for children, and found many exceeded tolerable limits of certain vitamins, such as vitamin A, folic acid, niacin and zinc, which can cause health risks like liver damage and bone-weakening. And a vitamin water examined had 15 times the amount folic acid stated; Reuters reports.

Our society loves magic pills and we forget foods like fruits and veggies are loaded with healthful nutrients. For example, broccoli is packed with vitamin K, which fights prostate cancer. Eating seeds and nuts helps prevent type-2 diabetes. And greens like Bok Choy contain compounds that neutralize harmful free radicals and protect against cancer.

In related news, a recent study showed high-dose beta-carotene may raise lung cancer risk

Leaving around noon today and looking at a six hour drive....so this is the last entry today...and perhaps until Monday....we'll see.

Well that was fast! Golf trip is off...low temperatures, rain, and winds in the forecast for Fri, Sat, Sun. so we are looking at going during the week next week if the weather looks more promising.

LUNCH

For lunch I had a salad, and a tomato sandwich.

I went for my usual walk

DINNER

Katie and I had corn on the cob and mushroom fried veggie rice. Ummm good!

more later....

Day 78

Another of my favorite artists Keb Mo



BREAKFAST

Nice big bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and banana, cup of freshly ground coffee

Another interesting article

New findings in the European Heart Journal reveal older men who were big in their 20s are more likely to suffer from atrial fibrillation, i.e. abnormal heart rhythm. The study, started in 1970, involved more than 7,000 men, ages 45 to 55, and asked participants to state their weight at 20 years old. Results showed atrial fibrillation increases linearly with body size and weight gain, and the larger men were in their 20s the more weight they gained throughout life. Researchers claim abnormal heart rhythm among men 60 to 70 years old will become more common as our overweight population ages;

More reason to be slim, at all ages, especially since a recent showed men with fat guts have lamer sex lives. Not something any guy wants to hear! Now, not only will veggies keep you fit and trim, but vegetable-based diets naturally prevent cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer, both very manly issues.

In related news, previous research suggests type-2 diabetics with irregular heart beat have 77% higher risk of heart attack or stroke and 68% increased risk of heart failure.

LUNCH

Had left over veggie pasta and a small whole wheat bun

DINNER

Katie and I had veggie pizza. We tried no meat pepperoni on the pizza, but it got too crispy, so we will likely not use it again.

more later....