Health and Fitness, February 2013

[Harmony]

I believe the friendship cake recipe is in one of Jan Karon's book (one of her smaller Christmas books). I hope I have that right. Maybe it was in the book by Joan Medlicott, the Covington series... but I really think it was Jan Karon. I had copied it somewhere.......

Nope, it was in a small book called Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton and it was a very nice book I read about a small town in NC church ladies group making a cookbook...and I'd copied it but no longer have. At one point I lost my reading journal and I was heartbroken and I recreated it as best I could. I'll bet it was in there.. I always meant to try it.

OK sorry to go down a rabbit trail with this. Back to your chatter about health..

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Back on the treadmill. It is hard. I only missed two days of workout, though but I'm still weak, haven't eaten a full day of meals yet. On the other hand, I wanted on to the treadmill this morning so took it as a sign that I should get on.

Weight may be down a pound, but that's all. To be honest, I didn't expect much. Even when I did the colon cleanout for my colonoscopy, I recall I lost under 5 lbs and this time it wasn't a full cleanout, I seemed to have it better than OKay did.

My Lenten covenant is three-fold. 1) no candy or baked sweets (dark chocolate is not candy!). 2) I have a 12 hour video of theologians that I will watch over the 40 days. 3) I will catch up on devotions. I'm only 16 days behind, so this is an easy goal.

I'll continue to limit gluten in my diet (i.e. breads since cakes are out with the Lenten covenant.) I'm not cutting those out entirely, but did notice that the toast I had when recovering actually set me back and in the past week each time I had gluten heavy foods, I felt my digestive system was sluggish. There's a link there and it is worth exploring it for a few more weeks.

When I get downstairs this morning, I'll put the candy (just some cinnamon hearts, a few cherry candies and a few jelly beans) away in the basement, completely out of sight.

[Harriet]

Here's hoping ya'll get over these bugs and feel your best soon.

Dr. Robert Lustig was on CBS morning show this morning, a friend tells me. One of his points was to defend Mayor Bloomberg and the NY decision to forbid sales of large sodas. Has anyone seen or read about his new book, Fat Chance?

I'm extremely impressed with Dr. Sears' books. In the first place he certainly writes well. The science seems to be there. I'm thinking I may have mentally "given credit" to some other folks over the years for ideas he first published. Interesting to read for the first time such a good explanation of the "why" of needing fish oil. Yes. Harmony, the description you gave does sound like the earlier book I have, which is Enter the Zone. As I understand it, his first book was almost a decade earlier, and might have had similar concepts. I'm reading these 2 back and forth, comparing, because I"m interested in which of these ideas are new and which I just haven't heard.

Have ya'll read that Ash ton Kutch er says he had a pancreatic medical scare from eating like Steve Jobs used to, in order to play Jobs in the new movie. Jobs was a vegetarian for a lot of his life, ate mostly fruit for some of it, and Kutch er was eating almost all fruit. Others say that in the days before Kutch er was taken to the hospital for pain, with pancreatic enzyme numbers out of whack, he had famously been partying often and didn't change drinking habits. So since fruit alone doesn't cause pain for most people, they say alcohol while eating lightly was more likely the culprit.

In tugging my vegetable and fruit servings upward, I've allowed myself a Wendy's apple-chicken half-salad twice in the last several days. I had stopped those in the past because they do have 10 grams of sugars (sigh) and over 600 grams of sodium. Still, they equal a serving of vegetables and one of fruit - very filling. And the chicken satisfies the protein. My own toss salads are better for me, though, when I have the ingredients and am at home. My favorite is a modified 7-layer and another good one is avocado added with a sprinkle of cheddar.

[Lynlee]

Salicylates can cause pain and other problems Harriet. They are additive in effect, and it is said everyone has a tolerance limit somewhere - be it more or less. or none for some. There are only a few fruit without any salicylates at all.
http://fedup.com.au/
Scroll to the bottom to see a list of problems food sensitivity can cause.
http://fedup.com.au/information/informa ... pping-list
http://fedup.com.au/information/shoppin ... it-and-veg - this list shows other foods that one can do as a "balancing act" with if people can get away with some. (like me) How much is chosen from the limited things is a key.
As said previously - everyone has a saturation point somewhere after which they will get symptoms.

Also please note - it says pears have no salicylates - which is true if they are peeled only.

[Nancy]

Made it to my 100 mi. on the ex. bike for the week early! Yea!

[OKay]

I'm returning to my weight loss efforts.

Yesterday I finally felt wonderful with full energy. We have several friends who have confirmed through test they have norovirus. One of my friend told me yesterday that her doc said the body doesn't build up immunity to it so she could get it again! Arrgghhh! Stomping my foot in protest! After going through all that, I still didn't get immunity? I do not want this yucky virus again!

[Nancy]

Down #4 lbs. from my last physical, Doc. said thyroid was spot on, I showed him my hair how it's improved; my cholesterol was down and good news on the liver, kidney & white blood counts all in the normal range. BP was low [it always is.] A1C needs work it was up 8.8.

Reading the Enter The Zone book sure am learning a lot. I will need some help working out the lean bmi #. The recipes look tasty. No carb or nutritional info. on the meals how ever =( sigh but I know carb info. now so should not be a prob.

[Harriet]

Oh cool, Nancy, then we're reading the same book at the same time. COOL. I'm starting to think I mis-read when I thought I read there was a book before this one called simply "The Zone". Now I'm finding other sources say, no, the two are one and the same and this IS the first book, published in 1995.

I haven't even looked at book recipes yet, but before going to the library found this online recipe group. From what my doctor said, I think this is the one his wife refers to often. Also, the CrossFit people have compiled photographs of meal plates and even inside of a refrigerator for CrossFit folks doing the Zone. The photographs seem to go from small-size person to large-size person. Evidently CrossFit fitness recommends The Zone diet.

BIG HIGH FIVE

(jumping)

5
.....for your good doctor-visit.

OKay, I think it's that there are so many noroviruses that you can still get the others. But I could be wrong. It might be like strep in that way, picking it up later - not sure. Glad you are better.

Lynlee, right, everyone is different, for sure.

[Lynlee]

The Crossfit instructor I know promotes Paelo Diet - did I spell that right?
No grains , sugar from what I recall. I think there are more no's than that. Though he busts out from time to time. I think because he has nothing with carbs....

[OKay]

Yesterday was a disaster diet wise.
** Munchy salty sweet food laid out on the table in my class. It kept calling my name. One of my classmates gave me chocolates for V day treat.
** The lunch I packed for myself was uneatable (last minute classroom changes meant no microwave available)
** The lunch i bought for myself was second rate and barely eatable.
** LO brought home a valentine box filled with sweets and treats. Reminds me of the abundance of candy given at halloween.
** The person serving at the birthday party insisted that I needed to have pizza and cake in my hands.
** Going out to eat on Valentine Day is NOT A GOOD plan. The lines were 3x longer than normal and by the time we ate it was 2 hours later than our normal meal time. I was starved and over ate.

Picking myself up and dusting the failures of yesterday off.

Today is a new day!
Beginning again.