Losing Weight after 45 is a Bitch

Firing Up That Brown Fat--Girls' Ski Weekend

2012-01-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

Apropos of my last post, my girlfriend and I ditched the husbands and went skiing this weekend with the kids.   Being that we're both skiers, and women, talk often veered in the direction of how many calories we were burning skiing all day.

Now, my girlfriend claimed she read somewhere that you burn 400 calories an hour skiing whether you were actually skiing, on the lift line, or sitting on the lift.   Since we normally ski at least 4 hours a day, that would mean 1,600 calories burned every time I bought a lift ticket.

I found that a bit odd, because since I routinely ski multiple days, it should mean that I would lose a little weight every time I ski, which doesn't really happen.

Adding fuel to the fire is the new studies, which I commented on in my last post, showing that cold helps to activate brown fat which increases calorie burn.

Now, I love to ski, and think that it helps me to maintain my weight.

Hey I don't know how many calories I'm really burning when I hit the slopes, but whatever it is it's got to be better than sitting in the lodge or sitting at my desk all day.

Hell, walking around and hauling equipment in ski boots has got to earn me some additional calorie burn--shouldn't it?

Turn Down That Thermostat

2012-01-26T10:25:00.001-05:00

I guess there is one advantage to living in a drafty old New England farm-house, turns out I could be burning more fat.

I've written before about how I think air conditioning makes you fat, but it was interesting to read how allowing ourselves to get cold also triggers additional fat loss (but only if you don't eat more).

This got me thinking about our modern standards of room temperature control. I have never understood why the same people who run their air conditioning so high in the summer that you have to wear a sweater indoors, then run their heat so high in the Winter that you sweat if you wear a sweater.

I also don't understand people who essentially shut their houses off to the fresh air twelve months a year.

Besides the damage that this does to the environment, it also doesn't really seem to be good for us weight-wise.   Yeah, we're cooler in the summer, but maybe it's good to get good and hot every now and then and get a good sweat going on.

Same thing in Winter. It's nice to be warm, but going outside and getting good and cold may help us to burn off a little extra fat.

It may be that exposing ourselves to temperature extremes revs our metabolisms in ways we don't fully understand yet, and when we shield ourselves from ever being too hot or too cold, we somehow interfere with how nature intended our bodies to operate.

So, lower that thermostat in the Winter, and jack it up a bit in the Summer.   Better yet, turn off both your heating and cooling more often and just open the windows.    You'll get some fresh air, and do the environment good.

OH!! My Aching Shoulder

2012-01-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

I haven't written about my shoulder issues in a while. I guess cancer sort of got in the way of my worrying about that constant throbbing pain in my left shoulder.

It's been very frustrating for me because the pain has caused me to really put the breaks on my yoga practice. I'm at the point now where I can't put ANY pressure on my shoulder at all.

That means no inversions, no down-ward dogs, no chattarungas.   The pain has gotten so bad, that I can't even bind anymore.

And, besides my yoga practice, it hurts just to put on a coat or open a car door.

Well, with the cancer treatments behind me, I decided that enough is enough, and I headed back to my orthopaedist today. I haven't seen him since late August.

We discussed the MRI I had last July, and he felt my only option was surgery.   It turns out that my shoulder construction is such that at this point if I do nothing, the pain will only get worse and worse, and it could lead to tears and further damage.

So, I have to go in for yet more surgery.   This time they have to shave down bone in my shoulder to make more space.

It's a one day surgery and I'll be home the same day. I won't be able to drive for 4 days, but should be fully healed within 4 to 6 months.

That means I might be able to start doing downward dogs again!!!!   I'll, of course, have to take it slowly, but at this point doing nothing only increases the pain further.

Today Was Not the Day

2012-01-24T13:18:00.000-05:00

Today was the day I got the call. The call I've been dreading for several years now.

My sister called and told me that my 84 year old father was in the emergency room.

The minute she told me my heart stopped.

Luckily, all seems fine.   Dad slipped on the ice when taking the trash out to the curb this morning and hit his head pretty hard.   My Mom only saw him getting up, and didn't know if he blacked out, but insisted on calling the doctor (he claimed he was fine), who told her to get him immediately to the emergency room.

At his age, everything can be serious, and once at the hospital, my parents were told how blood clots can form following head trauma on a man my father's age, and they are now running tests.

When you have a parent in their 80's you take everything seriously.

My father is rather unusual. Despite being in his 80's, overweight and never exercising in his life, he's in perfect health.   He has no cardiac issues, no problems with high cholesterol, and is on no pills.   The last time he was hospitalized was over 20 years ago, and when I was a child, I only ever saw him stay home from work once because he didn't feel well.

Even now in his 80's, he goes into work six days a week (he owns his own business), and works seven days a week from the day after Thanksgiving until after Christmas.

But when you have a Dad in his 80's, even if they've been in perfect health, you still see the changes as they age. My Dad is old, and old means that the chance of getting the call increases.

Thank god today was not the day, but it makes me appreciate my Dad all the more.

Hope for the Future in a Bankruptcy

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mark Bittman seems to have quite a bit of nostalgia for Twinkies, whose parent company in now in bankruptcy. Here's what he has to say:

While Twinkies themselves may not degrade much over time, their cultural weight certainly has. They’re no longer a lunchbox staple or an American icon, and as of last week (as Mark writes here) the Hostess company (maker of Twinkies) has filed for bankruptcy protection yet again.

But, while Bittman have feelings of nostalgia, I have a different take on the Twinkie bankruptcy.
I see hope. I think it's fantastic that Twinkies, are no longer a lunch-box staple.

That's not to say that kids' lunchboxes are now a haven of healthy, non-processed foods.

But maybe its a good thing that Moms and Dads no longer see Twinkies as acceptable food to pack in their kids lunchboxes.   When parents now buy junk food for their kids' lunchboxes, they now like it wrapped up in the marketing hype that it is healthy, even if in reality it isn't.

Twinkies, on the other hand are blatantly unhealthy, with no hype that in any way claims that they are anything but a sugar-filled, nutritionally devoid snack.   I don't recall a package of Twinkies ever claiming that they were made with "whole grains" or "natural sugars."

Is a cereal bar made with "whole grains" really all that much better than a Twinkie??? I doubt it, but marketers have done a really good job at convincing parents that they are a better nutritional choice.

So, parents are at least aware that they should be feeding their kids better, even if they ultimately fail because they succumb to marketing.

I guess you can call it a step in the right direction.

Never Mind the F#!king Kids-It's My Husband who's the Biggest Food Pain in the Ass

2012-01-20T12:37:00.000-05:00

In accord with my New Year's resolution to eat "cleaner" I've been making quite a few vegan meals in the last few weeks.

One of my vegan "go to meals" is to use up left-over brown Chinese Food rice by sauteing it with veggies, olives, lentils, beans, mushrooms, etc.

There's never an exact recipe. I'm a big believer in just heading to the store, seeing what's on special, and winging it from there.

Now, usually my husband eats these "mock risottos" without complaint.

But yesterday was different.   The local market had these beautiful green peppers on sale, and I thought I'd try something new by making the same sauteed rice dish I always do, but then adding the second step of stuffing the peppers, and baking them.

They came out delicious.   The only problem was that my husband refused to eat them.

Why?   Because, he told me, he hated stuffed peppers!!

I pointed out that he had routinely ate the pepper stuffing, that the stuffing contained all kinds of things he loved, like mushrooms, tomatoes and olives (and I should note that he'll eat sausage and peppers with no complaints!!), and the only thing that was different was that it happened to be stuffed in a pepper.

He then said, that was the problem, that once the stuffing went into the pepper, he wouldn't eat it.

OK, so he likes peppers (and often asks for dishes with peppers in them), he liked the stuffing, but, once the stuffing went into the pepper who wouldn't eat it.

I have to ask, does that make sense to you?

I can see this kind of behavior coming from a kid, but from a 52 year old man????

I swear to god, husbands are worse than kids.

New Years' Resolutions Check In

2012-01-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

I have to say that, thus far, my New Years' Resolutions are going smashingly.

I have really gotten my eating back on track. I'm eating much "cleaner" been going days vegan, and avoiding sugar. My "raw percentage" (that is the overall amount of raw fruits and veggies I eat in a week), could be better, but it always tends to be off this time of year.

When it's -11 degrees outside, you just need hot food inside you.

My sitting meditation is coming along as well. I'm sitting more frequently and practicing breathing and clearing my head. I can still only sit for 5 to 10 minutes, but I'm hoping that as I do it more, I'll be able to sit longer.

There's Dioxins in that there Food

2012-01-18T16:20:00.000-05:00

A really interesting post from Marion Nestle on a new report from the EPA on Dioxins in our food.

As you can expect, the news is not good, and big food is trying to suppress it.

Eating high levels of meat, fish and dairy can lead to high exposures to dioxins, which is just not news that the people making billions off of feeding us what amounts to poison want us to hear.

Essentially, dioxins enter the food chain through the industrial process. They accumulate in fatty tissues, and increase the risk of cancer in humans.

The best way to avoid Dioxins? Eat less meat, fish and dairy.

Definitely not what the food industry wants us to hear.

I Told You So

2012-01-17T16:43:00.000-05:00

Paula Deen finally owns up to the fact that she has diabetes. What do you expect when you sandwich a hamburger, cheese and fried egg between two Krispy Kreme donuts?

I too, find it rather galling, that Deen only seems to be admitting her diabetes because she's scored a gig with a drug company.

We're Eating Less Meat

2012-01-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

Overall as a nation that is.   Mark Bittman writes about it on his blog.   Can you believe that we've actually reduced meat consumption by 12% over the last five years?   That's pretty significant if you ask me.

What's interesting, is that the apparent reason for the reduced consumption is that we, the consumers, are choosing to eat less.    It's not that we've become a nation of mad, animal-compassionate vegetarians and vegans, it's that more of us are choosing to be flexitarians, i.e, significantly cutting down on how much meat we consume without actually becoming vegetarians.

I'm in that Flexitarian catagory.   I went "mostly vegan" when I was initially trying to lose my middle-aged spread and haven't looked back.   Energy wise, and weight wise it's done wonders for me.

Soda Tax: What Can a Penny Do?

2012-01-11T06:58:00.000-05:00

Save a hell of a lot of lives over ten years. It would also lead to quite a drop in heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

And, in case you need further reinforcement as to why drinking soda is a bad idea, take a gander at this:

If you can't read this poster clearly, you can check out the full size version here.

New Year's Resolutions--Clearing the Kitchen

2012-01-10T14:43:00.000-05:00

Well, one of my New Year's resolutions was to get back on the "clean eating" bandwagon. Now that I've gotten all my cancer treatments behind me, it's time to shape up again, and get the body cleared out.

Of course, clearing out the body is hard to do when your kitchen is still stocked with holiday baked goods, breads, cheeses etc.

So, in the last two weeks as these items have disappeared, they're not being replaced.

Instead, I'm only buying plant-based foods, and whole grains.

I've also been working towards moving back to my usual "mostly vegan" diet regime.    I'm not someone who does "cold turkey."   If I try, I relapse.   The better approach for me is the gradual withdrawal.

Today is almost a totally vegan day.   I started the day with 2 bananas and almond butter, and how a baked sweet potato and a salad for lunch.    Dinner for tonight are peppers stuffed with lentils, tomatoes and brown rice.   It would be a totally vegan day, but I snatched a piece of Christmas Stollen as I was slicing off a bit for my husband this morning (the Stollen was home-made by moi, so I know it's loaded with eggs and butter.)   The Stollen is, Thank the Lord, the last of the holiday baked goods in the house, so after that we're "clean."

Tomorrow, I'll aim for totally vegan again, and maybe in the next week or two I'll do a vegan week.

So I Guess We Should Just Sit On Our Asses All Day?

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Every so often I read an article which really, really pisses me off.   This time it's in the New York Times, a rag I usually admire.

According to this piece of drivel no one should ever practice yoga because, OH MY GOD, you might get hurt.

Say what???? Dear New York Times, can you please tell me what physical activities exist in which the potential for never getting injured exist????? I mean, I've managed to injure myself just walking.

Of course we could all just sit on our sofas all day stuffing our faces, but then we run the risk of all sorts of OTHER health problems.

What really got me about this badly researched piece was the inaccuracies.   Beryl Bender Birch is the yogi with the double hip replacements.   She needed them because of a genetic predisposition, not yoga.    I have another friend who has also had double hip replacements, and she has never practiced yoga with any regularity.

Yes, I have seen plenty of people injure themselves in yoga because their egos got in the way, but I've seen plenty of people injure themselves running, playing basketball, soccer, tennis, etc.    I've seen people hurt their ankles in Zumba, and others break legs skiing (I broke my nose).

If you engage in any physical activity with any regularity chances are, you'll manage to injure yourself some way, some how.   And, there are those who take it a bit too far as the gentlemen above does.

Hell, I had a friend's brother injure himself because he was playing the cello six hours a day preparing for a competition.   Does that mean that no one should ever play cello?

Yes, you can injure yourself practicing yoga, running, walking, skiing and even playing cello, but that does not mean you should never engage in these activities?

Why Cheese Is Addictive

2012-01-06T07:41:00.000-05:00

I knew there was a reason for my cheese obsession.    I'm still paying the price for my annual holiday "cheese-a-thon" in the form of excess pounds, bloating and gas.

But, I can't help myself once I get started.   You put that cheese plate in front of my and as long as it's good cheese, I'm going in.

Yes, yes.  I know that as the video says I should just swear off cheese forever and go to a completely plant based diet, but I'm just not that "religious."

But the new year has started, and my resolution is to get "clean" again, so it's time to go cold turkey (which I have been since Jan. 1), and just give up the cheese and dairy again for the good of my digestion and my waist-line.

Vegan Body Builders

2012-01-05T08:32:00.000-05:00

I'm going to file this New York Times piece under the catagory of myth busters. Namely, that to be lean and mean, you have to eat meat.

Seven Things I learned from Having Breast Cancer

2012-01-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

1. You get so used to going topless, that any reticence you may have about having strange men (and women) look at and touch your naked breasts completely dissipates.
2. That burn I had back in 1984 from sunbathing topless in Nice was a piece of cake.
3. Due to breast tenderness, you become a pro at dodging full-on huggers, i.e., you become a master of the one-sided hug.
4. There is a non-surgical method to getting your breasts back to where they were in your 20's, but unless you have cancer on both sides, only one boob gets "lifted."
5. Despite ban on alcohol and lessening of appetite, if you go through radiation during the Holiday season, you still manage to put on weight.
6. Having breast cancer is like being pregnant in that it seems to give medical people free rein to touch you without asking first if it's OK.
7. At least once a week, from diagnosis until the end of treatment, at some point you will have to bare your breasts to some medical person who will stare at them and say "Nice, nice, you are . . . a) healing well, or b) tolerating treatment well."

Post Cancer New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-03T13:16:00.001-05:00

Well, it's New Year's Resolution time again, and for the last week I've been thinking about what I should resolve to do in the New Year.

I always view my New Year's resolutions as optimistic goals.    I don't beat myself up if I don't meet them 100%, but if I can at least get to 40 or 50% compliance I think I've accomplished something.

I also think it's important to set realistic goals with nothing being too over-reaching.   I don't know about you, but I do better with smaller, more attainable goals then wide, over-reaching ones.    I'm more inclined to meet a series of small goals, then one large one. Meeting a goal is reinforcement for me to set a new higher goal, so after I lose, say 5 pounds, I just set another goal to lose 5 pounds. If I just initially set a goal to lose 10 pounds, I'd likely get frustrated before I reached that goal, and just drop it.

Adding to the resolution mix this year is that I just completed my cancer treatments. I still have to start taking my Tamoxifen and stay on it for 5 years, but as far as the surgery, radiation, etc., that's all behind me now.

Now, as you can imagine, I sort of fell off the clean eating bandwagon in the last few months.   With all the stress, fatigue, etc., I found comfort in food.

Now, even off the bandwagon, my eating was still probably better than most.   I still never ate a bag of Cheetos or a sleeve or Oreos, but I did somewhat overindulge in my "comforts" of cheese, good bread and sugar.

Have I ever wrote about how much I love cheese?    J'adore le fromage.   Pretty much any cheese (other than American), is alright by me and I can eat it pretty much anyway you want to serve it to me.

The only thing is that in recent years I've come to realize that cheese doesn't love me the way I love cheese.   I just can't seem to digest it that well anymore (I get excessive gas), and I've discovered it also leads to excess mucus production giving me a permanent post-nasal drip.

Cheese also tends to cause weight gain, so for the last few years I've reserved my cheese eating to small amounts on special occasions.

But, in my Cancer phase, I just didn't care about gas, post-nasal drip and weight gain. I wanted cheese and I ate cheese, along with lots of bread.

I also love bread, the good bakery kind with a hearty crust (I love a good chew). Since I've limited my consumption of refined carbs in the last few years, however, I just haven't eaten much bread.   That also went out the window. I wasn't eating Wonder Bread, but I still was indulging way more in refined carbs then I should.

Lastly, as I've posted before, I've been on a bit of a sugar binge for at least two months now.    I was good in not indulging in any type of overly-processed snacks, but anytime there was any kind of home-made cookie, cake, pie, brownie, crumble, candy, etc. I ate it, and generally ate a lot of it.

So here we are at the beginning of another new year, and it's time to make resolutions.

So here they are:

In the coming year, I resolve to get back on the clean-eating bandwagon. I will once again reduce the amounts of dairy, sugar and carbs in my diet, and eat more plant-based foods.

I also resolve to do sitting meditation at least once a week.

Wish me luck.

Vacation/Cancer Update Post

2011-12-29T15:15:00.000-05:00

If you've been wondering where I've been, I'm on vacation.   It's my annual It's Christmas week and the kids have a week off from school and I don't know what the hell else to do so we're skiing trip.

My last radiation treatment was December 23.   Since then I first got caught up in the whole Christmas Eve/Day whirlwind, then we left for New Hampshire on December 26.

I have to say, it was the perfect way to end it.    After my last radiation treatment, I didn't have a moment to think about what I'd just been through because of the whole holiday thing, and now I'm away from my normal routine. If I was at home, there would be constant reminders.

Even better at getting my mind off what I just went through, this year I started to volunteer in the adaptive skiing program we participate in for my son.    Thus far I've worked with two students and it's been a wonderful experience.

Less than one week out from my last treatment I'm already feeling less burned, and much of the fatigue has dissipated as well.

Even better, my psyche is on the mend as well.

Unfortunately, there isn't much snow up here in New Hampshire.   While we've been able to go alpine skiing, Nordic is not possible.

Bad Eating

2011-12-22T12:26:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that although I try to be fastidious in my eating year-round, I always manage to slip up during the holidays. I love sweets, including cookies, cakes, candy and chocolates, and although I only eat the "good" stuff (nothing too artificial), if I let myself, I can really go overboard. The holidays is when I'm inundated with sweets, and most of it is the really, really, yummy, home-made variety.

How can you not indulge when confronted with entire plateful of home-made cookies?

Now, in previous years, I've been able to hold myself in check.    I was able to indulge, but limit the indulging.

This year, I have seen myself go overboard one too many times.    At my annual cookie exchange, one of my girlfriends made those peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's kiss on top.     I ate almost everyone I brought home, and would have finished them if my daughter didn't come home and scarf down the remaining ones.    The rest of the cookies where safely bagged into little cellophane bags for gift giving because I could move on to another cookie to indulge in.

Then, my sister-in-law sent an entire 4 POUND TIN of David's Cookies to us as a gift.    After overindulging in chocolate chip, peanut butter chip and white chocolate macademia chip cookies, I sent the entire tin of cookies into work with my husband to get it out of the house.

And, I can't seem to stop myself.   I'm on the tail end of my radiation treatments for breast cancer (only 2 treatments left), and I'm guessing that the additional stress of cancer has weakened my normal resolve.

Worse, I've been indulging in dairy more than I should.

Now, anyone who has been reading my blog for a while probably knows that I had to swear off dairy when I realized it didn't really agree with me.   On the advise of a naturapath, I went cold-turkey off dairy a few years ago to see if it would clear up a chronic post-nasal drip I had.

Well, going off dairy not only cleared up my sinus problems (my allergies actually improved as well), but I also noticed that my constant chronic flatulence cleared up as well.   I come from an extremely gassy family, and just thought it was something I had to deal with.

But, after a few weeks of indulging in dairy, my chronic post-nasal drip is back and let's just say you'd want to think twice before hanging out in a sealed room with me.

I know I have to get back to my usual strict food regime, but right now I just don't have the will-power to do it.   It's Winter, there's hardly any day-light, it's the holidays, and I'm being treated for cancer.

I guess that's what New Year's resolutions are for.

To Vegan or Not to Vegan, that is the Question

2011-12-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

Today at lunch, the topic of becoming vegan/vegetarian came up again.

I was out with a group of gal friends and we all have teen-agers, and one of the hot trends coursing through this demographic is veganism and vegetarianism.

Now, on the surface this sounds good because pretty much all the literature points to a mostly plant-based diet as healthy.   But, you can be a vegan and eat a completely junk diet, and that seems to be what these kids are doing.

They're vegetarians, but they're not actually eating vegetables.  Instead, they're subsisting on carbs, and a lot of junk carbs at that.   One friend detailed how her "vegetarian" daughter was eating microwave Mac N Cheese five nights a week for dinner.

We also had a good laugh over another friend's son who has never ate a salad in his life but now eats several "vegan" candy bars a day.

Now my teen-age soon is autistic, and there's no way he's going to ever be a vegetarian.    Let's just say that I doubt he understands where that hamburger comes from, much less make an ethical decision about whether to eat it or not.

I myself have had the "should I be vegan/vegetarian" conversation with myself numerous times.   I eat mostly vegan/vegetarian because I believe that eating too much meat, dairy etc. is bad for one's health in the long run.

But, I've never been able to persuade myself to make that full-blown leap in veganism or vegetarianism for several reasons:

1.   I actually enjoy, meat, fish and dairy, and while I want to limit my intake, don't really want to completely restrict myself.

2. I have zero empathy for animals.   I don't care that one died to be on my plate, and I have no problem with people hunting them. In fact, if someone showed up on my doorstep and offered to shoot the deer that are eating my garden, I'd kiss them.

3. I don't want to be a food pain in the ass (or FPIA as I call them). I don't want anyone to feel they have to cook special or do anything special for me. If I go to some one's home and they serve pork, I smile and eat (but usually not a lot just enough to keep the hostess off my back.)

4. I'm not sure where to draw the line without being a hypocrite. I.e., if I'm supposedly so ethical then, does that mean I can't wear leather shoes?   What about Jello? Can I eat Jello?   How about fur?   I really can't stand that fake stuff, which is bad for the environment in any event.

To say I won't eat animals for ethical reasons, seems to lead to the idea that I must then avoid ALL products that are animal based-not just those consumed.

And, why should animals prevail over what's best for the environment?    Artificial man-made materials are often more environmentally damaging than animal-based products.

After pondering this on, and on, and on, I usually just decide to keep eating an omnivore diet so that I don't have to think about these things.

Stand and Wrap

2011-12-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

Tis' the season to wrap, and wrap and wrap.

Wrapping gifts (and creating gifts), takes up a major portion of my time every December.

I used to sit while doing it.    I'd set up a wrapping station on the coffee table in my family room, turn on the TV, and sit on the sofa and wrap (and can easily watch a whole movie wrapping).

This year I changed things up a bit.   In response to all the news reports this year as to how sitting is so bad for you, I resolved to wrap all my presents standing.

It was fairly easy to do. I moved the wrapping station to my kitchen island, which, luckily, also has a TV.   Every time I found some time to wrap, I'd find a good Christmas movie and wrap away.

Since it usually takes me anywhere between 3-4 hours to wrap all my presents, that's time that I did not spend sitting.

Next step, finding a spot where I can stand and type.

What's the Single Best thing You can Do for Your Health?

2011-12-19T07:02:00.000-05:00

Watch and Learn.

Cancer Update

2011-12-16T16:34:00.000-05:00

The good news is that I only have five more radiation treatments left, and by this time a week from now, I'll be all done with that phase of my treatment for breast cancer.

The bad news is that I have what amounts to a REALLY bad sunburn on my one boob, and a completely mismatched looking set of breasts.

The mismatched boobs reinforces my desire to remain with my husband. There's absolutely no way I ever want to get naked for the first time with anyone again.

At least my husband saw me in my glory days before the butt and boobs drooped. Now I'd have to explain the reasons for the multitude of scars I've acquired through the years including the huge smiling C-section souvenir and the big gash under my arm where the lymph nodes were removed.

It's a good thing that I actually like the guy.

OK, You have No Excuses

2011-12-14T07:37:00.000-05:00

Stairs will get you there faster than an elevator. Here's the deal:

If you think you don't have time to take the stairs, you may be out of an excuse, according to a study published Monday.

Researchers at one Canadian hospital found that when they had doctors take the stairs instead of the elevator, it saved each an average of 15 minutes out of the workday.

The stairs were more efficient, it seemed, since there was no wait-time for a lift, according to findings reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

In general, experts recommend that people find ways to add "incidental" exercise to their daily lives. That includes small steps like parking farther away from your destination and bypassing the elevator in favor of the stairs.

But many people habitually head straight for the elevator, noted Dr. Thomas Wilson, the senior researcher on the new study. And the assumption that it saves time may be one reason.

Sound Walking

2011-12-13T16:49:00.000-05:00

I'm very fortunate in that I live just a few miles from Long Island Sound.

With the daily radiation, I've gotten into the habit of taking walks along the Sound prior to going in for my daily dose. Whenever the weather is nice, I'm out there walking, alone or with friends.

It's a great way to clear my head and calm myself. Westport has an amazing beach area called Compo Beach. I usually park my car there and walk along the sound, turning in one spot to climb a steep hill where I get to enjoy a beautiful vista, then I head back down the hill, and walk back to my car.

I'm a lucky girl.

You have a Yoga Body

2011-12-12T16:48:00.000-05:00

In the last 2 months or so, I've had several people tell me that I have a "yoga body."

Now, I practice yoga asanas at last 3 times a week, often more, so I am always grateful that my hard work has been paying off physically.

Before and during my treatment for cancer, yoga classes were offered to me by my doctors (and their staff) as a way to "cope" with my illness.     When I informed them that I already had an established practice, many of them said "I can tell, you have a yoga body."

But beyond the physical benefits, my practice has helped me cope.   I made keeping my yoga regime intact during this ordeal a priority, and, on the days I am not doing asana, I "practice" my sitting meditation, so technically, I am now practicing yoga everyday.

Even on the days immediately after my surgery, I was back at my Shala, practicing asana.   It may not have been the full physical practice I regularly do, but just moving and breathing made me feel better.

My practice helped me to heal.

And for that, I'm grateful.

Bear Mode is Back

2011-12-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again.   The sun comes up later in the morning, goes down earlier in the evening, and all I want to do is sleep.

This happens to me every year.   Despite every effort I make to get to bed earlier, when it's time to get out of bed in the morning, I just don't want to move.

If I didn't have work to do, kids to get to school and a house to run I think I would just stay in bed until sometime after the sun came up.   At that point, I'd roll over and read a book for a couple of hours, then take a nap, then read a little more, and then just go to bed for the night.

I don't think I'd even need to eat.   All I want to do is stay in bed, under the covers and let the day slide by.

Wouldn't it be nice?

We Need This

2011-12-08T11:11:00.000-05:00

A new organization dedicated to food and environmental reporting.

Let's face it, food, health and environmental issues are seriously under-reported in our current system of "news reporting."

I mean, do you ever watch those "morning news" shows on the major networks?   Between celebrity gossip, advice on what to wear to office parties, and arranging weddings on-air, the closest thing you get to actual news reporting is when they briefly mention that a bunch of Republican talking heads debated in Iowa the previous night (but don't bother with you with informing you with what they actually said.)

And, cable news is no better.   They'll tell you about the debate, and even show you video clips of what the debaters said before the commentators launch into their own tirades about it all means, and why candidate X is never going to win the nomination (and let's not forget Fox News extrapolating on endlessly as to why the Muppets are communists!!)

(I swear to god, you have to be seriously brain dead to take Fox News seriously.   What got me about this rant, was not just that they did it, but every time you thought the rant was finally ending, they brought out another "commentator.")

When you do get any food or health news in the "news" it's usually just some cursory report about some new study saying that peas are good for you (without bothering to tell you that the funding for the report came from the National Pea Producers' Association.).

So when I read about a start up which is going to do good-old-fashioned investigating reporting I immediately "liked" it on Facebook.

Here's what they say their mission will be:

“Over the past four decades, coverage of food and agriculture has waned in the mainstream press at the same time as the impact of a more industrialized food system on public health has become increasingly severe,” said Ruth Reichl, editorial board member of the Food & Environment Reporting Network, Editorial Advisor to Gilt Taste, Editor-at-Large at Random House, and former Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet magazine. “Without detailed investigations into food and agriculture, our understanding of humanity’s impacts on the environment is incomplete and related policy changes ineffective.”

I can't wait to see future reports.

Ten Cereals to Avoid Feeding Your Kids

2011-12-07T16:02:00.000-05:00

HuffPo has a list of the 10 Sugariest Cereals. Not surprisingly, it includes standards such as Captain Crunch, Apple Jacks and Fruit Loops.

The Efficiencies/Inefficiencies of Locavorism

2011-12-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

I've been a devotee of local farms and farmer's markets since before they even had a word for it.   Being a locavore may be all the rage now, but I was doing when people would think you were crazy for just not heading into the Stop & Shop to get all your food in one place.

Well, two bloggers are now debating the efficiencies/inefficiencies of being a locavore.

Both make two points.

But, I've bought local primarily for three reasons.

First, I like to keep my area pretty rural.

I grew up in an area of Jersey which was, at the time, rural. Now there isn't a real farm anywhere within 50 miles.

Why?   The farmers couldn't make any money and sold out their land to become shopping malls, housing developments and condos.

As I told my friends years ago, if you like seeing that farm everyday as your driving around, then you sure as hell better stop there at least once a week and actually buy something from that farmer.

The other reason, I like to meet the people who actually grow my food and find out how they grow it. Something can have the word "organic" or "natural" slapped on it, and it can be pretty much meaningless.

Meet the farmer, however, and he'll tell you exactly what he sprays on those vegetables, or what the chickens that laid those eggs cost.

Third, it's cheaper to eat organic and natural if you buy directly from the farmer.   Once you introduce that middle man, you're paying $5 for a dozen free-range, organic eggs.   Buy from the farmer and the price drops to $4.

Yoga Glow

2011-12-05T16:40:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I was fortunate to spend most of my time in a yoga workshop with teacher-extraordinaire, Beryl Bender Birch.   That's a picture of Beryl up top on the left, with my regular yoga teacher Val on the right.

How do you like their shirts?   It says "Celebrate Impermanence" and I bought one for myself.

The workshop was an early Christmas present to myself. I thought with the whole cancer-thang going on it would be therapeutic to spend three days immersed in yoga.

And, it was.

I'm still on a bit of a yoga high right now, and hope I don't come down for at least another day or two.

Well, at Least One Boob is Looking Good

2011-12-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

After today I am officially half-way through my radiation treatments.

Hooray!!!!!

My radiologist recommended 32 treatments, and after today I have 16 treatments under my belt.

My last scheduled treatment is December 23.

Now, when prior to starting treatment, I was told that radiation gives the treated breast a bit of a "lift."

Half-way through I have to say that my one breast is looking very perky. It hasn't been this high since I was in my 20s.

So, here's what I got going on right now. I have one breast that is about a full cup size smaller than the other and considerably "higher" than the other.

Plus, the radiated breast has quite a tan right now.

It's quite the picture, I have one larger, droopy, white breast, and another tanned, smaller, perky breast.

But you know what my husband says when I show him my breasts?

"Uh, I don't see anything different."

And, he really doesn't see any different.

Book Review--Anti Cancer A New Way of Life

2011-11-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but when I announced to friends and family that I had cancer, I got bombarded with books.

Many of these gifts dealt with how to cope with cancer once you had it.

Other books, however, focused on how to NOT get cancer.

Well, since I was already diagnosed with cancer, I would say that the horse had already left the barn, so it was a bit late for that.

But, a gift is a gift, and I've been dutifully reading through all the material given to me, and I thought that maybe I should start reviewing some of it.

One of the books I found most interesting is Anti Cancer A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD

Bottom line, a French doctor living in the US finds out in his early 30's that he has brain cancer.    He survives, relapses and survives again (although he finally died last July).   Along the way he does quite a bit of research about what causes cancer, and what to do to prevent it.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber incorporates much of his own story into the book, and I have to say that it has a tendency to ramble all over the place (what ever happened to good editors?).

But the research and findings he discusses is fascinating.     He discusses the statistical rise in certain forms of cancer (including breast) and shows how it is linked to the chemicals and pesticides in our food chain.

He also then proposes a diet to help our immune systems fight cancer.

As usual, the diet advice was pretty disappointing for me since I pretty much already eat that way.    I hardly eat any meat, and I tend to stick with organic produce, meat and products as well as whole-grains.

According to his theory I really shouldn't have gotten cancer to begin with, and now that I've had it, what am I supposed to do?

Overall, I say Anti-Cancer is a worthwhile read.   Just for the research alone.

That Ain't Honey, Honey

2011-11-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

Do you believe that most of the honey sold in US grocery stores isn't actually honey???

This is news to me. Even more sickening, much the the so-called "honey" being sold is from China and India and contains unsafe chemicals and drugs.   A lot of this pseudo-honey sold in the US is actually banned from sale in Europe as unsafe.

It's just another example of the emasculation of the FDA in recent years.

Now, I have to admit that this doesn't affect me all that much.   I'm not really a big fan of honey, and prefer Maple Syrup as my natural sweetener.

Plus, when I do use honey it's usually something I bought at the Farmer's Market from a local bee-keeper, and as the article indicated, that means I'm pretty safe.

My New Work-Out Routine

2011-11-28T08:07:00.000-05:00

Treadmill Dancing.

If you're having trouble viewing this, catch it on YouTube.

Mental Health Break

2011-11-22T06:37:00.000-05:00

Really?

Home-made Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year, and I'm proud to say that nothing is being made out of a can, box or bag.

That's not unusual for my family.   We've always pretty much done the from scratch Thanksgiving feast.   Chalk one up for the Italian Heritage.

It's not that I'm laboring in the kitchen from 4 am to get the meal done.   My family has pretty much always done Thanksgiving Pot-luck style. Everyone brings something.   One sister is bringing both the apple and pumpkin pies, another a vegetable dish and sweet potatoes (no marshmallows please), and my Mom is bringing the antipasto platter and mashed potatoes (with olive oil and garlic in them of course).

Plus, I've been schooled in do it ahead since I was a kid.   Two weekends ago, I made the turkey stock and gravy base which have been sitting in the freezer since then.   The cranberry sauce was made over the weekend, and is hanging out in the downstairs fridge along with a pate I made as an appetizer, and I cut up two loaves of sourdough bread to make croutons for the stuffing.   I even set the table for the big day.

Tomorrow I'll pick up my fresh turkey and put it in a brining solution.

On Wednesday, I'll make the stuffing base, and peel, cut and chop a melange of root vegetables for roasted root vegetables with ginger and maple syrup.   I'll even begin roasting the root vegetables, to get a head start.

Wednesday afternoon I'll get the turkey ready to pop in the oven first thing Thursday morning. I'll take the turkey out of the brining solution, pat dry, and stuff the cavity with shallots, apples, celery and sage.   Then I'll truss the bird, sprinkle salt and pepper on the outside, place in it's roasting pan, cover and set back in the fridge overnight.

On Thursday morning, my 22 pound bird will be put in the oven first thing.   I'll then finish up making the stuffing (we cook it outside the bird), gravy and roasted veggies and dinner will be served.

Bruce Bradley's blog is fast becoming one of my favorites, so I love his newest post detailing just how bad processed "Thanksgiving Food" is.   It's worth a read.

The Vegetarian Option

2011-11-18T07:38:00.000-05:00

Last night my husband and I were invited to a fund-raising dinner at the Pierre Hotel in NYC.

Now, I'm not really one for going to fancy fund-raisers, but since the benefit was to raise money for a Breast cancer cause, I thought, given that I have breast cancer, it was time to pull my Armani sheath out the closet, slip my feet into my Jimmy Choos and head off into the big city.

I've always found fund-raising dinners problematic when you're trying to lose and/or maintain weight,

They may be asking you to bid a minimum of $2,000 on a dinner for 4 at Raos, but the food they put in front of you is usually questionable.    Last night dinner started with a generously-sized salad (good), but the main course was some questionable-looking red meat, coated in a god-knows-whats-in-it sauce.

Looking at what was being served, I politely asked if it was possible to get a vegetarian option.

The good news was that a vegetarian option was available.   The mystery meat was swept away, and in its place was delivered a neat little pastry-package filled with quiona and mixed vegetables.   I tasted the pastry, but left most behind, focusing on eating the quiona/veggie mixture and the side of green-beans wrapped into a little bundle with a leek.

My initial worry with "going vegetarian" was that I might get something smothered in cheese---making it almost as bad as the meat.    But, as I was tasting the meal, cheese and even butter, seemed to be absent.

The rise of the vegans???? Maybe the vegetarian option also served as the vegan option?

If so, in the future, I'll be more than happy to leave the rubber chicken dinners behind me, an go vegetarian at future fund-raisers.

What I Made For Dinner Last Night

2011-11-17T08:29:00.000-05:00

I haven't done one of these "What I Made for Dinner Last Night" postings in a while, but I thought it would be a good idea to show that I can still find time to make dinner most nights even though I am in radiation every day.

The radiation now takes an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes out of my busy day.   The actual radiation treatment isn't that long--on 10-15 minutes, but getting to the hospital and back every day is time consuming.

To make up for the lost time, I've been doing a lot of "double cooking" and cooking on the weekends.    When I "double cook" I make enough food for 2 meals and freeze the remainder, and when I cook on the weekends, I just prepare food in advance and either refrigerate or freeze.

For example, last week I made a big pot of minestrone and froze half for a later meal.    Two weekends ago I made two pans of my mushroom/spinach lasagna (I'll write out the recipe one day), and froze both.

Even with that advance planning, I still need to whip up some quick dinners during the week.   If I have a chance to get to the grocery store, grilling fresh salmon is quick and easy, and a crowd pleaser with my family.   I can either make a salad or steam some green beans or broccoli to go along side it, and top with one of my home-made vinaigrette's.

Last night, however, I went back to an old family, quick and easy favorite. My grandmother made this dish quite often, and I always liked it because you cook the cauliflower and pasta together in the same pot which saves clean up time.    The whole dish takes less than half and hour to make from start to finish, and you can substitute broccoli if you don't care for cauliflower.   It's also great because all the ingredients are easy to keep for at least a couple of weeks, so you don't have to run out last minute to shop.

Here's the recipe.

1 head of cauliflower cut into 1 inch pieces
1 12 oz box of whole grain pasta
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion peeled and chopped
1 2 oz. can of anchovies, drained and rinsed.
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add cauliflower and pasta. Stir and cook until pasta is al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat and add the chopped onions.   Cook until they begin to turn translucent and then add anchovies. Stir until anchovies break apart (about 3 minutes).   Add 1 cup of the pasta/cauliflower cooking water and let the liquid reduce by half (2-3 minutes).

Drain pasta and cauliflower and add to the pan with the onion/anchovy mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste and parsley if using.

First Ketchup, Now Pizza

2011-11-16T07:26:00.000-05:00

Congressional Republicans are pushing a proposal to make pizza a vegetable in school lunches. I kid you not.

On Monday, Republican-controlled House of Representatives introduced a spending bill — a measure far more significant than their initial whining and foot-stomping — that would obviate a proposal made earlier this year by the Agriculture Department to limit the amount of potatoes and sodium, as well as increase the number of whole grains, served in school cafeterias. Unsurprisingly, changes to the Agriculture's proposal had been requested by frozen pizza companies and the salt and potato industries, which worry that, deprived of essential french fry nutrients, American children will begin to absorb too much water and explode like Senator Kelly from the first X-Men movie. Some conservative congressional members have also expressed concerns that the government shouldn't be telling children what to eat, especially if they're eating frozen pizza and French fries, and so have crafted a bill that, according to CBS, would "prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and...provide greater flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of meals." The bill includes language qualifying that the gross tomato paste used in school pizzas be considered a vegetable; once classified as a vegetable, the paste would count towards fulfilling the vegetable portion of nutritional guidelines.

Overly burdensome regulations? It's amazing how regulations suddenly become "burdensome" every time some big business conglomerate wants to make more money by harming the American public.

If pizza could be counted as a vegetable the problem is that the regulations aren't burdensome enough. It's time to get money out of politics for our children's sakes.

The Battle for Breakfast?

2011-11-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

Think that Tony the Tiger is just a harmless breakfast icon? Think again.

Despite what big food tries to convince you, here's the reality:

Defenders of kid marketing claim animated characters are simple, harmless fun. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. These characters are not some random creation. Rather, they are a well-calculated assault on children. For any given character, millions of dollars has been spent on the following:
Researching the psyche of kids at each stage of childhood development
Learning effective emotional triggers to create kid engagement, trust and purchase interest
Understanding story frameworks to make sure they are interesting to kids
Testing and re-testing advertising concepts and final commercials to ensure they will drive increased consumption among kids
With the help of advertising agencies, research firms, and brand character specialists like Character LLC, Big Food companies launch advertising smart bombs, disguised as fun-loving characters, straight at kids.

It is truly amazing that when you do a side by side comparison of Frosted Flakes to an ice cream sandwich, you'd actually be better off giving your kids an ice-cream sandwich for breakfast.

And, as the blogger notes, the size of the Frosted Flakes portion is vastly undersized, so you're feeding your kid even more calories, sodium and fat.

As the author points out, Kellogg's spends nearly $20 million annually marketing just Frosted Flakes. Tony the Tiger represents big money, and it's not money spent in your kids' best interest.

The author says it well, "Kid's Marketing . . . It's Just Not a Fair Fight."

Well Duh!!!

2011-11-14T17:25:00.000-05:00

Eating a McDonald's McRibs sandwich isn't all that good for your health. I kind of already gathered that eating processed pressed meat shaped into rib form probably wasn't a good idea.

However, I didn't realize that if I did venture to eat one, I'd essentially be eating the same ingredients that are in my yoga mat. To wit:

These components are in small enough quantities to be innocuous. But it's still a little disconcerting to know that, for example, azodicarbonamide, a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes, is found in the McRib bun. The compound is banned in Europe and Australia as a food additive. (England's Health and Safety Executive classified it as a "respiratory sensitizer" that potentially contributes to asthma through occupational exposure.) The U.S. limits azodicarbonamide to 45 parts per million in commercial flour products, based on analysis of lab testing.

Blech!!!

Confessions of a Former Big Food Executive

2011-11-10T16:25:00.000-05:00

A good read. Most telling:

I think one of the main ways the processed food industry is trying to grow and defend their business is by funding self-serving research. The goal of these studies isn't to uncover "the truth" or to improve public health. Instead, the research is carefully constructed to create sound bites and statistics to help market their products or combat potential regulation. This is one of the primary ways we end up with conflicting studies that confuse consumers on what they should eat or drink.

Is this purposeful misdirection? Intent is always tough to prove, especially if you don't have firsthand knowledge. Research tends to be the work of a select few within processed food companies, and I was never part of one of those groups. That said, if you dig into these studies and their methodology, you can usually find the telltale signs of how they have "stacked the deck" in their favor.

Radiation Dos and Don'ts

2011-11-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my first radiation treatment.   I have to go in everyday, five days a week, for 32 treatments.

It was pretty uneventful yesterday, aside from the fact that I woke up with a fairly nasty cold, and could not breath through my nose for most of the day.

On my way out, the technician handed me a list of "do's and don'ts" which I thought I'd share with you, along with my thoughts on each one.

1. Do not expose the treated breast to sunlight.   I'm a 50 year old woman, living in Connecticut, and it's NOVEMBER, what the hell makes you think I'll be sunbathing topless?

2. Wear Cotton only bras with no underwires. Well I guess my husband won't be getting any sexy lingerie strip-teases for a while.

3. Do not shave treated armpit.   If I'm not shaving one, then what's the point of shaving the other?

4.   Apply pure cornstarch to treated breast prior to treatment. Just what I want to do everyday, rub gravy thickener into my boobie.

5. Do not use any cream, lotion, cosmetics or deodorant on the treated breast.   Do women actually use cosmetics on their breasts?   Am I missing out on something here?

6. Do not apply heat or cold to treated breast. Again, am I missing something here?   Do women typically go around with heating pads and cold packs on their boobs?

7. Do not scratch or rub skin on treated breast. Well, that wouldn't be very attractive now would it? Why don't you just tell me not to rub my crotch while you're at it?

Radiation Starts Today

2011-11-09T06:45:00.002-05:00

Everyday. Five Days a week, through Christmas.

The Kids are Not All Right

2011-11-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

They don't understand what it takes to lose weight.

What I found most distressing was that obese teen-agers turn to smoking as a weight loss aide. The second most distressing thing is that they don't understand that they can't have their sugary sodas and lose weight too. It's sad to think that young men and women may be turned off to exercise, thinking it does nothing for them, because they don't understand that they have to both cut calories and exercise.

The most effective way to cut calories, of course, is to cut out those sugary drinks.

It all comes down to education. Our young people are woefully under-educated in what it takes to maintain a healthy weight. They simply do not understand that if they spend three hours a day sitting playing video games and drinking sugary drinks, they are going to be obese.

Mental Health Break

2011-11-07T14:58:00.003-05:00

Because we all need a good laugh now and again:

If you're having problems viewing this Daily Show Clip, check it out here.

Getting Back to Tai Chi

2011-11-04T16:51:00.000-04:00

Last night I made it back to Tai Chi for the first time since the Great Northeastern Halloween Snow Black-out.   It felt so great to just breath.

Our power finally came back on Wednesday night after going out Saturday afternoon.

Needless to say, not having power for five days majorly disrupted my normal work-out and eating regime.

It was kind of like being on a vacation without the actual fun of being on vacation.

Did I mention that our town canceled school for THE ENTIRE WEEK???   So I've had a bored ten year old to contend with and a 16 year old autistic young man bouncing off the walls because his normal routine was disrupted.

Then, there was the whole cancer thing.   I was dragging the kids, or trying to schedule sitters, so that I could make the rounds with my surgeon, oncologist and radiologist.

The shala were I normally practice was closed because there was no power, and I couldn't practice in my normal home yoga space because there was over a foot of water in it.

Plus, after three days of living in a cold, dark house were we couldn't flush the toilets, we finally abandoned ship and went to live with my girl-friend.

Now, with the kids out of school it was impossible for me to walk outside. I also couldn't utilize my treadmill because there was no power.   Taking the kids anywhere to hike on Sunday and Monday was out of the question because there was snow on the ground.

With both my yoga shala and martial arts dojo closed due to lack of power, my usual exercise schedule was completely trashed.

I did manage to take a few walks with my girl-friend once I moved in with her and the snow melted, but she doesn't walk as far as I normally do.   I also took the kids for a couple of walks in a park near her house as well.

So last night after getting back in my house, being able to go to the dojo and practice Tai Chi felt so-o-o-o good.   I've been able to get back on the treadmill, take the kids for a hike and this morning I dragged the kids to the shala to wait while I practiced yoga.

What can I say about what I've been eating?   Well, with no power it was hard to cook.   I have a gas cook-top--THANK THE LORD--but for the most part we took the kids out to eat to get out of the cold, dark house (and use the toilets).   I only ordered salads and grilled fish, but it was still probably a higher caloric load than I usually eat.

Did I mention the water in my basement?   It came in handy to flush the toilets. Every day, several times a day, I'd don my rubber Hunter boots and walk down the stairs to the basement, fill the buckets with water, and go up to the bathrooms on the first and second level. I'd fill the tanks with the water from the buckets and flush.

We live in an early 19th New England Farmhouse. The plaque on the house says it was built in 1825.   Whenever we lose power all I can think is that while I'm inconvenienced for a few hours, this was how people lived full time.

Well folks, I have to say. After having two extended power outages in the last 3 months, and living without electricity, heat and even running water, I know that I am SO-O-O-O happy to be living in the 21st century and not the 19th.

Now if I can only keep the power on.

Exercise DOES Help with Weight Loss

2011-11-03T06:26:00.000-04:00

I have to admit that I was highly skeptical when a bunch of studies were touted a few months ago concluding that exercise does not help with weight loss. It just seemed to run counter to everything I've ever seen with my own weight loss efforts and those of friends and family.

Well, it turns out I had good cause to be skeptical. A new batch of studies indicates that weight loss DOES help.

About those Pink Ribbons

2011-11-02T15:45:00.000-04:00

Turns out that those pink ribbons plastered all over everything last month may have been a bit hypocritical. Here's the deal:

Avon and Estee Lauder make various products containing PEG compounds and other chemicals that undergo a nasty chemical process called “ethoxylation,” which uses ethylene oxide (a known breast carcinogen) during processing and often leaves products contaminated with 1,4 dioxane (a carcinogen and serious groundwater contaminant).

All three companies make products containing parabens and other chemicals that act like estrogen in the body, which is problematic because higher estrogen exposures are associated with higher breast cancer risk. A recent study found that methylparaben can interfere with the effectiveness of tamoxifin, a drug used to treat breast cancer.Revlon, Avon and Estee Lauder owe it to us to do better. As leaders in the pink-ribbon parade, they have a responsibility to stop buying carcinogens from the chemical companies, and they have the opportunity to be real champions for women’s health by using their leverage with the chemical companies to demand safer, non-toxic alternatives.

Instead, we get cute pink-ribbon products with an undisclosed portion of proceeds going to breast cancer research, almost none of which is focused on environmental causes of the disease such as cancer-causing chemicals and pollution. They want us to “hope for the cure” rather than having a serious discussion about how to prevent breast cancer – because prevention requires changing the status quo.

No Power, No Water, No Heat and No Internet

2011-11-01T11:34:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that due to the freak Eastern October Snowstorm I haven't had power, Internet etc since Saturday. We haven't gotten any estimates yet as to when we may see our power restored, so until then, I'm not sure what my ability to blog will be.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-28T17:27:00.000-04:00

Brutally honest cereal boxes courtesy of artist Ron English. My favorite is Sugar Frosted Fat.

The Battle Within

2011-10-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

The battle to lose weight isn't easy, but the battle to keep that lost weight off is the bigger battle. A new study out of Australian shows how our bodies kick in hormones to make us feel hungrier after we shed weight.

Here's what it says:

In a small study published in the Oct. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Australian scientists found that after overweight and obese patients followed a low-calorie diet for 10 weeks, their appetite and hunger hormone levels changed. While some hormone levels increased and others went down compared to before they dieted, nearly all of the changes favored the body's efforts to regain the lost weight.

The scientists used blood tests to measure levels of nine different hormones at the start of the study, at week 10 when the diet period ended, and again a year later.

The hormone levels did not revert to baseline values within 12 months after the initial weight reduction, said study senior author Dr. Joseph Proietto, a University of Melbourne professor of medicine at Austin Health in Victoria.

For example, in follow-up blood tests, one hormone called ghrelin, an appetite stimulator produced by cells in the lining of the stomach, increased after weight loss and continued to do so throughout the study. On the other hand, levels of the hormone leptin, which suppresses appetite, went down.

It's studies like these that I think demonstrate the most clearly why crash diets don't work.   Your body just responds by doing everything it can to put back on any weight you lost.

Making gradual permanent changes to your diet--in the direction of eating less processed food, less meat and more fruits and vegetables--leads to longer term weight loss. It may take a year to lose 20 pounds, but the 20 pounds that comes off, stays off.

Call it the Tortoise diet.   The Hare may take off weight faster, but it's the tortoise that keeps it off.

Occupy Against Big Food

2011-10-26T16:03:00.000-04:00

A movement I can get behind:

Doctor Diva

2011-10-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

Having cancer is stressful.   Even though I know the prognosis is good. I had a successful surgery and a great pathology report. I still have this huge uncertainty hanging over my head.

That uncertainty is my overall treatment plan.

So, when I have one of those doctors who is supposed to be helping me through this somewhat stressful time adding to that stress, it's not a good thing.

Let me digress.   A few weeks ago my breast surgeon gave me the name of an oncologist.

Now the good news was that although my cancer was invasive, it was caught at a very early stage--stage 1A.   My surgeon's opinion was that she did not feel that chemotherapy was necessary. Whether or not chemo was off the plate, however, had to be confirmed by an oncologist.

Needless to say I wanted to get into said oncologist's office ASAP to either confirm the good news (lifting a huge cloud of doubt over my head), or get the bad news and move forward.

Getting an appointment to see said oncologist, however, required more maneuvering than turning a cruise ship around in the high seas.

First there was the problem with actually getting the doctor's peeps to pick up the phone.   I called the telephone number on the card my surgeon gave me, but was told that the oncologist my surgeon wanted me to see was in another office and was given Telephone Number 2 to call.

So I called Telephone Number 2 at 2 pm on a Wednesday afternoon. Although the message indicated that office hours were 9-5:30 Monday through Friday, no one picked up the phone. I tried several more times that day to get through to no avail.

So Thursday morning I started to try again, and I couldn't get through. Finally I called the Telephone Number 1, and informed them of my difficulties of getting any actual people to pick up the phone at Telephone Number 2.   I got a receptionist who asked me to hold while she tried to get someone in the office.

After holding for a few minutes the receptionist got back to me and indicated that while their were receptionists, nurses, etc. in the other office, since the doctor wasn't in they decided to not pick up the phones so that they could get paperwork done.

Looking back, I now realize that I should have right then and there hung up the phone, called my surgeon and demand the name of another oncologist.

But, I'm a woman, I have cancer and I didn't want to make any waves.

Instead, I was told that the oncologist's office would get back to me by the end of the day.

I should of asked "Why not now?"

A few hours later the oncologist's office called.

Hip, hip hooray!!!

A nurse asked me a bunch of questions and then said that they would request my records from my surgeon and get back to me by Tuesday to set up an appointment.

Tuesday at 4:45 I still hadn't heard back. I called the office, and guess what?

They didn't pick up the phone.

I once again called Telephone Number 1, got a person, and asked what was going on.

Quote "the doctor wasn't in, so they decided to leave early."

Huh???? I started to think that this was one office where I'd really like to get a job.

I'm already really irritated at this point, and emotionally distraught since I'm dealing with cancer, kids, autism, work and all the other daily stresses of a a modern day, 21st century working Mom.

The receptionist at Telephone Number 1, however, assured me that she would see that someone would get back to me first thing the next morning.

At 11 o'clock the next day they finally called me (that's first thing?).

"Dr. X will see you at 11 am Tuesday, October 25th," the receptionist told me in a tone that seemed to indicate that she was setting up an appointment to let me see the Queen or the Dali Lama.

"I can't make that time," I told her, "I have another appointment with another doctor at that time."

"That is the time the doctor will see you," I was told.

I booked the anointed appointment, and cancelled the other doctor.

Well, today was the appointed day to see the oncologist, and guess what?

I got a call this morning.   The appointment was canceled.

And, I was given a new appointment, Friday at 10.

"Um," I said, "I already have another appointment at that time. I have already cancelled one appointment to accommodate the doctor's schedule and I'm not going to cancel another one."

At this point I got a tirade about how this doctor was the "number 1" breast oncologist and that he has a very busy schedule and that I was lucky he was willing to fit me in.

All I could think about was that scene from Sex in the City where Samantha Jones is trying to get in to see some fancy oncologist and she has to deal with the snitty receptionist.

Well, I am not Samantha Jones.   I'm not some single woman with no other responsibilities except satisfying my libido.   I can't just sit around some fucking doctor's office hoping that at some point they will look down favorably on me from their exalted positions and deign to favor me with an appointment (or at least a telephone call).

I've got cancer, dammit and I don't expect to treated like some peon by some diva doctor and his obsequious staff.

Jesus, fucking Christ, am I really supposed to beg and be grateful for treatment????

Who the hell does this doctor think he is???

So I told diva doctor's receptionist what she could do with the appointment, hung up the phone and called my surgeon.

I got her nurse and explained that me and diva doctor were not going to cut it.   This ship was sailing, and diva wasn't going to be steering it.

The nurse told me that it was understood and that she would ask the surgeon for other recommendations.

Well, long story short, I think I found a new oncologist.   He's already deemed me worthy to speak to me directly on the phone, and his staff is working on getting me in for an initial consultation.

Breast Cancer Update

2011-10-24T15:27:00.000-04:00

Where am I?   Feeling a lot better these days.   The post surgery trauma, aches and pains are pretty much gone, and I was able to both take a walk and do a full yoga practice today.

I am, however, sleeping quite a bit.

How much sleep? Well yesterday I work up at 8, took a 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon then fell asleep at 9.

I took another nap today.

So, you can say I'm sleeping my way back to recovery.

But, of course, just as I'm feeling better, stuff looms in the future that's pretty much guaranteed to get me feeling like shit again.

Tomorrow I see my oncologist and he'll tell me if I need chemotherapy.

Needless to say the idea of getting pumped full of poisons and chemicals and losing my hair doesn't make me want to jump up and down and yell "hooray!!"

My surgeon thinks I don't need chemo, but it's up to the oncologist to make the final call.

Wish me luck.

Chemo or no, I will need radiology, every day for 4-6 weeks.   I'm seeing the radiologist on Thursday, and based on what the oncologist says, he'll tell me when and for how long I'll need radiology.

Radiology is also not something that makes me want to jump for joy.   I have to go EVERY FUCKING DAY for 4-6 weeks.   That alone is a drag, but I'm told that after a while your boob gets so burnt you can't wear a bra.

And, did I mention that I'm going to essentially get zonked with huge doses of RADIATION????

I've come to the conclusion that no real progress has been made in the treatment of breast cancer.

Huge strides have been made in detection, leading to fewer deaths from breast cancer.   Huge strides have also been made in reconstruction.   But the actual treatments are just as barbaric as they were 10, 20 or 30 years ago.  When I talk to women who've had breast cancer in the past, the amazing thing is that what I'm going through is pretty much exactly what they went through.

The idea that a full mastectomy was still on the table for me boggles the mind, as is the idea that the only available post-surgery treatment options are still pretty much only chemo and radiation.

The Ideal Boob

2011-10-20T17:01:00.002-04:00

There's a science to it.

Your Choice is Their Profits

2011-10-19T14:44:00.000-04:00

As always Marion Nestle has an excellent post on the latest corporate marketing drive directed at keeping you sick and fat.

It is not taking away YOUR choice to have Federal food safety regulations, so that YOU don't get sick after eating a slice of cantaloupe.

If you search down through the comments you'll see that the Washington Legal Foundation, which appears to be so concerned with individual freedoms, is actually funded by big corporations such as Pepsico.

Believe me, Pepsico couldn't give a shit about your freedoms, the only thing they're concerned about is profits.   Corporate conglomerates don't give money to advertising campaigns promoting "individual choice" because its the warm and fuzzy thing to do.   They do it because they're afraid that additional food safety regulations will cut into their profits.

Ads like the one Marion mentioned in her post generally never arise from real, individual, grass-roots concerns.   They're corporate propaganda, pure and simple.

The Pain of Tai Chi

2011-10-18T14:50:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, the pain from the incision where they took out lymph nodes under my arm finally subsided.   I am happy to report that I can once again move my arms up over my head without pain,and that ongoing low throbbing pain is gone.

But, I had to hit the Motrin again on Sunday.

It started rather innocently.   On Saturday I went to my Tai Chi class and was grateful that my instructor focused the Qi Gong part of the class on developing lower body strength.

Now, Tai Chi is deceptive.   You're doing what seem to be easy movements, slowly and repeatedly.    You feel fine. You're not uncomfortable or tired at all while you're doing them.

But then, you wake up the next morning and can't move the area you worked because your muscles are in too much pain.

Sunday morning when I woke up, I realized that moving my legs was a problem because the muscles running down the front of my thighs were spent.   Walking up and down stairs, actually just walking in general, was shear agony, and several doses of Motrin and a hot bath did little to relieve the pain.

I still hurt on Monday, and I'm still feeling the residual effects even today.

Quote for the Day

2011-10-17T10:26:00.000-04:00

"If a "food" is flooded with so many preservatives that it can withstand a full year in both sub-zero and 100 degree-plus temps without decomposing, what kind of havoc might it be wreaking in my body?"

This was written about a package of Hillshire Farms Deli Meat left in the trunk of a car for over a year.

Here's the story:

Three years ago, the time came to sell my trusty red Mercury Cougar. She'd lasted me a full decade, ever since my parents bought her for me as a college graduation gift. At the Honda dealership, we were given a large garbage bag to empty out our trunk before trading her in. Back there, I found a Best of Britney Spears Beta tape, some old sports bras, a beat-up Locker Room Diaries manuscript and... a package of Hillshire Farms Deli Select sliced honey ham.

The expiration date on the ham was February of 2008. It was currently October of 2008. Now, fat-free packaged deli meat is generally so pumped full of preservatives that the expiration date tends to run about five months ahead, which means I had likely purchased said pork in October of 2007, a full year earlier, when it must have fallen out of my grocery bag without my noticing. It languished there during a Chicago summer, when the temps often climb to Bikram Yoga levels.

And yet, this ham was not moldy. It did not smell at all. It was perfectly preserved. My husband turned to me and said, "I hope you never, ever eat this crap again."

I have to agree.

Just Breath

2011-10-14T13:31:00.000-04:00

Today I did my first led Ashtanga practice since the surgery. Earlier in the week I went to my shala and did a self-led practice. My regular teacher, Val, helped me to adapt the vinyasas and asanas for my limited range of motion.

I'm still having problems with the incision area where they took out lymph nodes, and, according to my surgeon, will continue to have issues for a while.   I can't follow extend my arm up over my head yet, and the swelling in the area makes it uncomfortable for me lie on my right side.

My stamina is also still not back.   I'm tiring pretty easily, and finding that I've had to pull back on all my physical activities.

The Friday morning led practice at my Shala is the advanced primary series. Even though I had to adapt and modify the asanas and vinyasa pretty extensively, and even though I had to sit and breath while my fellows yogis did all the vinyasas during the seated portion of the practice, it still felt good to just breath and stretch in unison with my fellow practitioners.

I had the same experience in my Tai Chi class.   Last night I went back to my first Tai Chi class since the surgery.   During the early Qi Gong portion of the class it just felt good to stand and breath with my fellow students.

When we went into our Yang long form, however, I found I had to stop during the second part to take a break.   My incision started to bother me from all the arm movements, and I just got plain old tired.   I was able to rejoin towards the end of the second part (the entire form takes between 15 to 20 minutes to complete) and finished.   I decided to forgo any practicing of my sword or saber forms for a few weeks, since my sword/saber arm is, of course, my right arm (where the incision is).

But, as in yoga, it was still just good to move and breath.

Losing Tony the Tiger

2011-10-13T12:39:00.001-04:00

I don't have a lot of time to blog today but wanted to give the heads up to this interesting post by Marion Nestle on her blog about Congressional Hearings on nutrition standards for marketing food to children.

In commenting on the various governmental nonsensical maneuvering, Marion makes a good point:

"This, as I keep pointing out, is about protecting corporate health at the expense of children’s health."

As I always point out, be aware of marketing, and do not be a slave to it (and don't let your kids either).

I do not allow my children to eat any processed breakfast cereal unless it's a special occasion, e.g., we're on vacation. Never mind the character-driven varieties that are loaded with sugar, I won't even buy the "healthier" versions. They may have less sugar and overly processed ingredients then Frosted Flakes or Captain Crunch, but they still have enough to be a nutritionally unsound way for children to start the day.

And, you know what? My kids are fine with it. They get bagels, toast, eggs or oatmeal and they're content.

Breast Cancer Fighting Foods

2011-10-12T12:27:00.000-04:00

I have been pretty much going out of my way to avoid anything regarding Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I'm more aware of Breast Cancer than I really care to be THANKYOUVERYMUCH, and don't need to be bombarded by a barrage of pink ribbons.

But I have been somewhat obsessing about why I get breast cancer.

I've gone over the risk factors time and time again. There's really never been any breast cancer in my family. I don't smoke. I'm relatively lean and I eat a mostly plant based diet. And, while I like a glass of wine or two a few times a week, I'm not exactly guzzling down Martinis or Scotch on a daily basis (in fact, I pretty much don't drink hard alcohol and never drink beer).

So when I saw this article on foods to eat to avoid breast cancer, I thought I'd take a look despite my "avoid Breast Cancer Awareness Month" articles at all cost. Here's what they listed as the "8 Foods that Can Avoid Breast Cancer Risk," and how I stack up:

1. Plums and Peaches: Now I'm not the biggest fan of plums and peaches, but I eat a fair share of each when they're in season:

2. Walnuts: I love nuts, and was actually eating a salad with walnuts in it as I read this article:

3. Broccoli: I eat a ton of broccoli. It's one of my top favorite veggies. In fact, dinner tonight for me is a baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli.

4.Salmon: Another food I eat a ton of, generally at least once a week.

5.Olive oil: I'm Italian. Need I say more?

6. Parsley: I grow parsley in my garden every year, and it grows so abundantly actually go out of my way to add it to just about everything I cook. Whatever remaining parsley which doesn't go into my food immediately, gets dried and added to food until the weather warms up and the parsley grows fresh again.

7.Coffee: My morning cup of coffee is one of the highlights of my day.

8. Beans: See number 5 above about being Italian.

So, once again, the reason why I got cancer eludes me.

BTW, I guess the ultimate breast cancer avoidance meal would be salmon sauteed in olive oil with broccoli and beans and sprinkled with chopped parsley followed by a plum and walnut tart for dessert with coffee.

On a positive note, I stepped on the scale this morning for the first time since I was diagnosed.

I lost three pounds in the last few weeks without watching what I ate, and despite my not exercising at my regular levels.

It's the stress diet.

Not a diet I'd recommend to anyone, however.

Recovery

2011-10-11T16:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I decided to make dinner for my family for the first time since my surgery. I prepared the food, cooked the food, and served the food. As I was cleaning up the kitchen my husband walked in and said "there's some left-over chicken, could you make me a sandwich for lunch tomorrow?"

I told him what he could do with the chicken.

I've been recovering fairly quickly. I pretty much slept the first two days, as the anesthesia worked it's way through of my system, but by Friday I was up and about, and took a long walk down by Long Island Sound, where it's flat.

On Saturday I took another Sound walk with my mother and kids, and did a brief treadmill walk at a 0 incline.   By Sunday I was able to do my regular 3.5 mile "hilly" walk around my neighborhood, but it took a lot longer than usual.    I also was able to do the first section of my Tai Chi long form.

The incision where they took out lymph nodes, however, is right under my right armpit and it starts to bother me whenever I move that arm about too much.

Yesterday I used the treadmill at a 5 incline, and my arm was feeling well enough that I was able to practice my entire Tai Chi long form which takes about 15-20 minutes.   I'm not quite confident yet to wield my Tai Chi sword or Saber yet, but I'll get there.

Today I again took a Sound walk, this time with a girl-friend, and we added in a fairly steep hill so that we could get a fantastic view of Long Island Sound from the top.

I'm hoping to try an abbreviated, self-guided yoga practice tomorrow which will mark my one week surgery anniversary.   That incision under my armpit, however, is still bothering me a bit, so I'm not so sure how much I can do at this point.   Just to get back to the Shala, and breath with all my fellow yogis, however, is all I really need right now (although a little stretching would feel great as well).

Food-wise, I've never really been off track, but I haven't been completely on-track either. With my mother staying with me and cooking, I still managed to remain on fairly healthy diet, albeit a bit more meat-based than I usually eat.   After she left, I began to work through much of the food my friends brought over, just grateful that I didn't have to cook.

I swear that after this is all over I don't want to see another bowl of chicken-broth-based soup for a long, long, long, time.   Over the last few weeks, I've eaten gallons Jewish chicken soup, Italian chicken soup, Matzo bowl soup and even Wonton soup.

By last night, however, I felt that it was time to take control of my food again, and when friends call asking what I need, I tell them the greatest thing they can give me right now is their friendship.

On another note, I still haven't gotten my pathology report back, so it's still up in the air as to whether I'll need further surgery or chemotherapy on top of the radiation.

It's all rather disconcerting to have this hanging over my head, but I'm trying to remain positive.   When friends ask about chemo I tell them that if I do have to go through it I'm getting a wig with the hair I always wanted but could never achieve.   It's going to be the straightest, shiniest hair ever.

Junk Food is Not Cheaper than Real Food

2011-10-07T07:46:00.000-04:00

I always love reading the New York Times' Mark Bittman. He really appreciates good food, but at the same time knows how to blow bunk out of the water. This column on why junk food is not cheaper than "real food" shows how it is cheaper to cook then run to McDonalds. First he notes that it costs a family of four $28 to eat at McDonalds and then says:

In general, despite extensive government subsidies, hyperprocessed food remains more expensive than food cooked at home. You can serve a roasted chicken with vegetables along with a simple salad and milk for about $14, and feed four or even six people. If that’s too much money, substitute a meal of rice and canned beans with bacon, green peppers and onions; it’s easily enough for four people and costs about $9. (Omitting the bacon, using dried beans, which are also lower in sodium, or substituting carrots for the peppers reduces the price further, of course.)

He also has the same opinion of the "junk food is cheaper by the calorie" argument as I do--in a world were obesity runs rampant, people NEED to be eating fewer calories, so the "cheaper by the calorie" is nothing but pure bullsh!t:

Another argument runs that junk food is cheaper when measured by the calorie, and that this makes fast food essential for the poor because they need cheap calories. But given that half of the people in this country (and a higher percentage of poor people) consume too many calories rather than too few, measuring food’s value by the calorie makes as much sense as measuring a drink’s value by its alcohol content. (Why not drink 95 percent neutral grain spirit, the cheapest way to get drunk?)

Bittman also goes on to note that the poor can eat well, without resorting to organic, free-range, grass-fed, etc. The point is to get real food and cook it, not pick up ultra-processed foods on the fly.

If Only the Republicans were Like the Tories

2011-10-06T17:34:00.000-04:00

David Cameron, the prime minister of Great Britain, backs a Danish style "fat tax." In case you didn't know, the Tories are the party of Margaret Thatcher, the equivalent of our Republican party but far more pragmatic.

As Cameron sees it, this is an fat is economic problem for his country. Unlike the US, Great Britain guarantees health care for all, having the largest single payer system in the world, and he knows that costs are going to soar if obesity soars.

According to the Daily Mail:

The tax – being considered at a time of rampant food price inflation – could put 25p on the price of a pack of butter and 8p on a packet of crisps.

Although no details have been worked out, the levy would target products such as milk, cheese, pizza, meat, oil and processed food.

Mr Cameron said drastic action was needed because by 2050 more than half of the population is predicted to be obese – so fat their health is in danger.

But many of his backbenchers will criticise the move as an example of the ‘nanny state’ his party is supposed to oppose.

If you didn't already know the Danes already has a fat tax, which Mark Bittman writes about here.

Home

2011-10-06T12:54:00.000-04:00

I'm home. A bit tired and sore, but home (which is always good). The surgery went well, but I won't know until next week if more surgery is needed (hopefully not), and what additional treatments I'll need (hopefully few).

Surgery Today

2011-10-05T06:50:00.002-04:00

I'm having a lumpectomy today. Needless to say, I doubt I'll be doing any posting today or tomorrow.

I'll get back into the swing soon.

Marketing Makes Us Obese

2011-10-04T14:46:00.000-04:00

An interesting cover story from Kogod Magazine, the magazine of American University's Kogod School of Business.

The article focuses in on how marketing, particularly marketing to children and minorities, fuels the obesity crisis.

The Comfort of Food

2011-10-03T08:13:00.000-04:00

This is breast cancer awareness month, which really, really sucks when you've just been diagnosed with breast cancer.   Those damn pink ribbons are everywhere, so I can't even run into the grocery store to pick up a roll of paper towels without being reminded that I have cancer.

I guess that after this is all over I may take some comfort in this annual breast cancerthon, but right now it just plain old sucks.

I have taken comfort in two areas, however.   First, I've surrounded myself with flowers (many courtesy of my friends who know I love flowers.)

Two, food.    Now, I don't mean I'm gobbling down 7 layer chocolate cakes, but food can be really comfortingl, and you can be food comforted without breaking the calorie bank.

Last Thursday after seeing my surgeon for the first time I took my kids out for lunch.   The kids had the day off for the Jewish holiday, so they tagged along while I discussed the how, when and where's of my surgery.

So, I'm sitting in this diner on the Post Road in Westport about to order my usual salad when my eyes focused in on the Mazto ball soup listed half a column up.

I had this enormous empty feeling inside of me, and the IDEA of Mazto ball soup just seemed so warming and filling.   I got the soup and slowly drank in the broth while keeping up my happy front for my children.

I think I'll remember every spoonful of that one bowl of soup for the rest of my life.

The other "comfort food" I keep turning to is oatmeal.   After an endless September of hot, muggy weather, we are finally getting Autumnal coolness here in Connecticut.

At night I go to bed thinking I'll just have fruit in the morning, but every morning I wake up knowing I need the warmth and comfort of a bowl of oatmeal.

BTW, my friends and family threw me this incredible party on Saturday. It was actually a "surprise" 50th birthday party, but it turned into so much more.

I did tell everyone, however, that they are never, ever to attempt to pin a pink ribbon on me.

The Upside to Cancer--FREE LIPO!!!

2011-09-30T16:43:00.000-04:00

My surgery for my breast cancer is scheduled for next Wednesday.   The good news is that my tumor is very small-less then one centimeter.   The bad news is that because of the kind of breast cancer I have--invasive Lobular--they have to remove a fairly large amount to make sure they get clean margins.

A plastic surgeon will be working with my breast surgeon to help reconstruct the breast.   The first phase will involve "re-segmenting" the breast to prevent a collapse which will leave the overall breast smaller.  They plastic surgeon compared it to the fanning out the segments of an orange. I'll have to "stuff" one side of my bra for a while so that I don't appear lop-sided.

The second part will happen about a year later.   It's a technique called "fat grafting."   They are going to liposuction one area of my body and then graph the fat into the re-segmented breast to even it out with the other one.

So the bad news is I have breast cancer.   The good news is that it looks like I'll finally be able to get rid of my persistent muffin top.

Did I mention that numerous girlfriends have offered their fat if I need any extra?

Mental Health Break

2011-09-29T07:29:00.002-04:00

A video combining two healthy habits: yoga and wine:

Cheese = The Grim Reaper?

2011-09-28T07:41:00.000-04:00

A group known as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has posted this billboard in Wisconsin.   They're claiming that eating cheese can make you sick and fat.

Now, this group isn't saying that eating an excess amount of cheese is bad, they seem to be claiming that eating ANY cheese is bad, and that feeding it to your children is tantamount to child abuse.

I did a bit of digging around and found at that PCRM is an organization that promotes, among other things, veganism that has in the past made dubious claims regarding eating hot dogs.

As anyone who reads my blog with any frequency knows, I like to come down hard on big food making health claims based on shady research that they've bought.

So, when I see an over the top fear tactic like this one by a group promoting veganism I'm going to come down just as hard.

I've written before that eating an excess of animal products, including cheese, will hamper your ability to take weight off and keep it off.   Unlike the gals who wrote Skinny Bitch, however, I'm not going to preach that if you want to be thin you should be 100% vegan.

I myself, realized a few years ago that dairy products don't really "agree" with me anymore.   Whenever I indulge I get bloated and excessively "bubbly."

Believe me, you wouldn't want to be in the same room with me afterwards.

Sometimes They Just Don't Get It

2011-09-27T15:09:00.000-04:00

From the WTF? files.

My local school district a few years ago took steps to improve the food choices offered to students.    After conducting some research, a new food provider was brought in to provide healthier food choices to students in the cafeterias, soda was banned from vending machines along with candy and sugary, salty snacks, and when pizza, pasta or bread was served, it was always made with whole grains.

I really, really, really loved and appreciated that these steps were taken.   Granted, it's still not perfect, but at least if my daughter was eating pizza or chicken nuggets, I knew it was a better class of crap from the usual, dismal cafeteria offerings given to students across the country.

So, you can imagine my shock and dismay when I get a permission slip detailing a "field trip" for my 16 year old autistic son to go to, of all places, MCDONALD'S!!!

First, let me back-track.   My son is somewhat overweight--something which typical occurs with people on the spectrum.    The weight issue is due to his inability to self-regulate his food consumption.   If he likes something, he will literally eat until he throws up.   So, you have to limit his portions, and try to gauge whether or not he is actually hungry.

Now, because diabetes runs in my family, and my son is overweight, he has a pre-diabetic condition.   Our pediatrician,therefore, has advised us to closely monitor his overall food consumption (difficult since he sneaks food), and make sure that he eats a proper diet (at least as much as you can get an autistic teen-ager to do so).

All this information has been conveyed to the school.

Let me also explain that my son loves to buy lunch at school.    We have a debit card system and he just loves to go up, order his own lunch (which always includes fresh fruit thank God).

The first week of school I noticed that he was spending $12-14 a day on lunch.     This got me concerned and I contacted the school and asked what he was getting.

I was told that he was ordering (and eating) 2 hamburgers, a side of bacon and 2 fruit cups a day.

I hit the roof and told the school that the aides with him were not monitoring his eating appropriately.    They, of course, scrambled for an excuse, but indicated they would limit him to $8 a day, and make sure he made better food choices.

Now, the schools' program for my son is beyond lame (and I'm actually trying to get him placed in a private program), and they frequently go on field trips "out into the community." This is really nothing more than glorified babysitting done because they really don't know what else to do with the lower functioning sped kids.   In the past they've gone bowling, to the zoo, etc.

So, you can imagine how I hit the roof when I found out that the next "field trip" was to McDonald's.

I mean--HELLO!!!--THE DISTRICT HAS A HEALTHY EATING POLICY AND YOU'RE TAKING A BUNCH OF COGNITIVELY DISABLED YOUNG PEOPLE TO MCDONALDS?????

And, one of those kids you're taking has a pre-diabetic condition that you know about, and who, you've been told, needs to be on a low-salt, low fat diet?????

It's bad enough that because they can't actually teach these kids they have to go on these lame trips to begin with, but then to take them to a fast food restaurant???

My son still can't get dressed on his own, tie a shoe-lace, take a shower or shave, but the school thinks it's important for him to know how to order in a fast food place?

I really, really, really need to get my son out of that environment ASAP.

Breast Cancer

2011-09-26T14:42:00.000-04:00

Sometimes even our best efforts to lead healthy lives get way-laid by, well, life. This morning I found out that I have invasive lobular breast cancer.

I've been in a flurry of trying to get tests and doctor's appointments scheduled.

Why Even Resolute Dieters Fail

2011-09-25T14:02:00.000-04:00

An interesting article from the New York Times.

It's Better to Let People Die so We can Make More Money

2011-09-23T15:52:00.000-04:00

Big food fights proposals by the UN to lower the rates of obesity and other non-communicable diseases. According to this Bloomberg piece, food companies are attempting to stop the United Nations from issuing a statement that says anything about how food marketing promotes obesity and related chronic diseases. Marion Nestle expands on the issue on her blog.

Nestle notes that the last time the UN looked into this issue, it caved in to the food industry. She's hoping for a better outcome this time, although I have less faith than she does.

Bat-Sh!t Crazies Week

2011-09-22T12:10:00.000-04:00

I should officially name this Bat-Shit Crazies Week.   Following my posts yesterday on nuttier then nuts politician Michelle Bachman comes this move by PETA--an organization that seems to be entirely composed of bat-shit crazy animal lovers.

What did PETA do?   Well in attempting to convince more people to become vegetarians or vegans they registered a porn site and hired porn stars to promote their message.

I guess nothing quite says "end exploitation of animals" like exploiting women.

Now as anyone who reads my blog regularly knows, I'm all for eating a primarily plant-based diet, and even promote short periods of vegetarianism or veganism in the name of health and weight loss.

But, I've never advocated for entirely eliminating animal products from one's diet for a number of reasons.   For one thing, I believe that we were meant to be omnivores and completely eliminating animal products from our diet is just as unhealthy as eating too much.

For another thing, I lack the animal compassion gene--I really couldn't care less if a chicken lost it's life to sit on my plate as long as it was raised organically.   In fact, I have, in the past, participated in the slaughtering of animals prior to eating them.

Finally, I always thought that vegans and vegetarians were tremendous pain-in-the asses with a "look at me, I'm more virtuous then you" attitude. I put them on par with religious fundamentalists of all religions (they're all just as bad IMHO).

So, the message of "don't eat meat to be kind to animals" is pretty much completely lost on me, and I'm completely in the dark as to why PETA would think that somehow tying that same message to porn is going to change it.

Maybe I should go out and buy some fur to protest PETA's exploitation of women?   I just bought a new Bogner Ski Jacket two weeks ago, and the sales lady told me I can separately purchase this adorable raccoon fur lining for the hood.

Bachman is Bat-Shit Crazy--A Reply to Downsizers

2011-09-21T18:47:00.000-04:00

Every so often I get a comment on a posting that I just have to reply to. Earlier today I commented on a speech Michelle Bachman made. Well, someone who I guess has listened to a little too much talk radio and seems incapable of a single original thought of their own made this comment to me:

You weaken your position when you reduce an issue to name calling. This is my main problem with liberals - the arrogance. People with whom you do not agree are beneath your contempt, lack intelligence, and just don't measure up. I was discussing a topic with a liberal the other day and Sarah Palin came up. One liberal went for her hair style (made me wonder if her lipstick was OK) and of course the comments about intelligence. Both these women have degrees and have been elected to office. Their intelligence would probably at least match yours. A liberal the other day reminded me about Palin saying she could see Russia. Anyone ever say something like "deeper than the deep blue sea" or "over the rainbow" or "older than dirt"? Could Palin have been speaking rhetorically about how clear in was in Alaska and how far one could see due to large open areas? This person went on to say she was a quitter; I googled why she resigned as governor of Alaska - perhaps liberals should do that as well. Stick to the issue please.

Downsizers, what the????? I'm not exactly doing thoughtful political analysis here. I'm commenting on what I think about issues revolving around food, food politics, dieting, weight loss, healthy eating, women's issues, etc.   I could give you in-depth, well thought out reasons as to why neither Palin or Bachman should be allowed anywhere near the reins of government, but I'm not. If I was going to do that I would start a whole new political blog and call it A Connecticut Bitch Talks Politics.

Oh, and BTW, I'm a Republican.   I worked on both of Ronald Reagan's campaigns for President, and on Giuliani's first run for Mayor.

It's not just "liberals" who think that Bachman is bat shit crazy and Palin a very sad commentary on the downfall of our entire political system.   Many people who fall on the right of the political spectrum think so as well.

If you're looking for thoughtful analysis of Bachman and Palin weaknesses without "name calling" I suggest you look to actual conservative commentators such as George Will and Peggy Noonan.

But here, if I want to call some politician bat shit crazy, then I'm going to call them bat shit crazy because it's my blog and I can do what I want to do here, and I don't need some Rush Limbaugh drone calling me a "liberal" just because I believe that both Palin and Bachman are about as crazy as crazy gets without being confined to the nut-house.

She Has Got to be Kidding

2011-09-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

I understand that this crazy-assed, bat-shit nuts lady doesn't stand a rat's chance in hell of ever getting to be elected president (nor will her repressed homosexual husband ever get to be first dude), but Michelle Bachman is already a member of Congress. Therefore, it is truly terrifying to think that she actually believes that the food industry is over-regulated.

Read about what she has to say here.

Hello!!! Michelle how many more people have to get sick and/or die from tainted spinach, hamburger, lettuce, eggs, cantaloupes and tomatoes until you feel that maybe, just maybe, the US government needs to do a little something extra to keep it's citizens from dying after eating a meal?

Cooking From the Garden

2011-09-20T15:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I harvested all kinds of great veggies from the garden. I got some tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, thyme and red onions.

It's like having a farmer's market in my own backyard.

BTW, how do you like my "harvesting basket?"    We got a lovely fruit basket for Christmas one year, and the fruit was piled high in this basket.    It's the perfect shape for gathering the harvest.

Right now the garden is overflowing and I'm making primarily plant-based meals every night to take advantage of the garden.   I'm also cooking and freezing whenever I can as well (although I lost part of my frozen harvest bounty when we lost power for four days due to Hurricane Irene--BUMMER!!). My dehydrator is also running non-stop drying herbs I'll use over the Winter in my cooking and to give as gifts as well.

I thought because tonight is cold and rainy, a nice hearty tomato-based minestrone soup is in order.  What's great about making minestrone is that I can double or triple the batch and freeze it for other rainy-night dinners.

Tomorrow I want to harvest the first of these incredible savoy cabbages I tried this year. I plan to saute the cabbage with pancetta and garlic and serve it over pasta.

Two days ago, I harvested a handful of fragrant scallions from my herb garden along with cilantro and poached cod in a broth of scallions, cilantro, ginger and soy sauce.   I tossed additional chopped scallions and cilantro on top when it was done and served it over brown rice.

I'm also eating lots of salads to utilize the tomatoes and cucumbers (although tomatoes cooked down are great over pasta as well).

And, the garden bounty will continue.   Yesterday I planted out red-leaf lettuce and broccoli raab for an Autumn harvest and sowed seeds for radishes and scallions.   My Brussels sprouts still need a few weeks before they're ready to harvest, and the flavor improves with a few frosts, so I'll be harvesting those through the end of November!!

Why Gardening is like Weight Loss CTD

2011-09-19T14:34:00.000-04:00

I've been spending a lot of time in the garden again.   I have to admit that I'm a bit of a fair weather gardener.   When the weather is beautiful, I'm out there weeding, planting, pruning and sowing for hours.   When it's too hot, too cold, too damp, etc., however, I don't venture out into the yard unless I absolutely have to do so.

But, the weather this weekend was perfect gardening weather, and since I had no other plans, the bulk of the weekend was spent rehabilitating the garden.

What do I mean by rehabilitating?

Well, when I first moved into my house 17 years ago the yard was an overgrown mess.   What had once been cleared farm land, had been left to go wild for the previous few decades so there was very little space to plant a garden, and almost no sunlight.   An old chicken coop that sat a top the hill behind my house was not visible from the house.

So we started out just taking out trees.   I bought a chain-saw and took down most of the saplings and small trees myself.   Professionals were brought in to take down the larger trees.   This opened up space and light.

Next, I turned to transforming my rocky New England soil into something that a garden would thrive in.   If the soil was beyond hope I would just dig out big trenches, cart away what I dug out and then fill the trenches in with new topsoil.    If the soil was salvageable, I worked in copious amounts of manure and compost until the soil was rich and dark, dark brown.

Then came the planting. I visited far-flung nurseries and scoured catalog to find just the right combinations of long-blooming, deer resistant plantings (although we did eventually surround the property with a deer fence.)

Every year I extended the gardens until I reached a point when I considered myself finished.    Then I sat back, and admired my work (often with a nice glass of wine in hand).

There was up-keep, but the major work was done--or so I thought.

For the last few years, I've been noticing that the garden hasn't been performing as well as I would like.   The plants are a bit too crowded, and when I go to plant new plants, the soil isn't as rich as it should be.

I've come to the realization that the entire garden needs to be rehabilitated.   Everything needs to be dug up, nutrients worked into the soil again, and any crowded plantings divided.

So, I've begun digging up the garden, section by section, to do rehabilitation.   I may take me a few years to get through everything, but it's just work that needs to get done.

While I was digging up a particularly crowded patch of iris this weekend, I once again thought of how gardening is like weight loss. It's constant work and you can't just sit back and rest on your laurels (at least not for long).

If you want a beautiful garden, or maintain weight loss, even when the initial hard-work is over, there's still constant upkeep.

And, after a few years, you may notice that, despite your best efforts, weight slips back on again so you need to do some hard work again.

But, in the end the work is worth it. And, that's what you have to keep telling yourself. Yes, it's hard work. Yes, it would be so much easier to just eat fast food and not cook. Yes, you'd like to just sit and watch TV instead of exercising. But, if you cook, and eat mostly vegetables and exercise, you'll not only be thinner, but healthier.

What's a Whole Grain?

2011-09-16T18:47:00.000-04:00

In case you were wondering, it's explained here in detail.

If You Can't Fit Into White Castle's Seats

2011-09-15T11:14:00.000-04:00

Then you shouldn't be eating in White Castle. A 290 pound man is suing White Castle because he can't fit into their stationary seating. Watch:

Is that or is that not unbelievable? I agree with the "right wing" guy who pointed out that the litigant here should be spending less time at White Castle and more at the gym.

Furthermore, as the mother of a child with an actual disability, I really take offense at this idiot making his claim for damages under the ADA. It's silly lawsuits like these that discredit the larger good that the act does in protecting the truly disabled.

In Defense of Plastic Surgery

2011-09-14T13:04:00.000-04:00

We all know that one way to lose weight is to simply have the fat sucked out of us.   That loose roll of fat on your tummy can disappear instantly with a tummy tuck, and those lines on your face can be erased with an injection.   Think your boobs are too big or too small?   Well, you can easily change that as well.

I've never gone under the knife for cosmetic purposes, but I will admit to having cosmetic procedures--including a laser procedure to erase some of the scarring on my face due to acne.   I'll also admit to having "liposuction fantasies" to deal with those stubborn pockets of fat on my belly, hips and thighs.

But I've always viewed full blown cosmetic surgery or liposuction with some suspicion.   I've also never had any "injectables" to fill in my wrinkles, or Botox to paralyze my face.

For one thing, I've always been concerned about the possible medical consequences of these kinds of procedures.

However, the artificiality of having lipo, etc., has always been a bigger hurdle for me to get over.   Once you go in for liposuction, a tummy tuck or a boob job, you become less then real.

In our society women with boob jobs tend to be mocked by those who haven't undergone the procedure and on TV and in movies.    And, how about all those liposuction and Botox jokes?

So I found this article rather interesting.   The author, an academic, asks why cosmetic surgery should be viewed any differently then, say, plucking one's eyebrows or putting on make-up.   Here's what the author has to say:

Even though cosmetic surgery has grown to become a multi billion-dollar industry, it is looked at with some suspicion. Many feel that there is something superficial and, perhaps, slightly desperate about undergoing surgery for aesthetic reasons. In academia, at least, although a hair transplant and a teeth bleaching might pass, chances are that a breast enlargement would raise eyebrows.

It is not be unlikely, however, that the eyebrows in question would be both plucked and colored—for we already do quite a bit to enhance our looks. We work out, try to dress well, shave, and go to the hairdresser. We make sure we get tanned during summer. Some of us are on a diet, wear make up, or dye our hair.

I have got to admit that I never thought of it that way. I do, after all, wear make-up, have my eyebrows waxed (otherwise I can do a good Frida Kahlo imitation), and my once monthly hair dying appointment is sacred.

So why do I wince at the idea of finally booking that liposuction session? After all, as the author points out, cosmetic surgery patients tend to be quite happy with their results, and it's not like I'm not already engaging in activities to artificially enhance my looks.

As the author notes, beauty may only be skin deep, but looking good scores you points in society. So why not look the best you can be even if it means undergoing the knife?

I'm not saying that I definitely will now book a session to slenderize my thighs at a local plastic surgeon, but my inherent reluctance to do so is something to ponder.

Fat is the New Thin

2011-09-13T07:42:00.000-04:00

According to this the new normal is to be overweight, and the medically ideal weight for height and age is now being perceived as being underweight. The article says that this can lead to a worsening off the obesity epidemic:

This lack of reality around body weight and diet is considered to be one of the many barriers in the nation’s growing obesity epidemic. We’ve become more “numb” to overweight and obesity because it’s everywhere; a person who is of normal weight actually appears to be the one who doesn’t fit in anymore.

Back in April 2010 I blogged about how pictures of circus fat men and women from the early part of the 20th century didn't look all that freakish. The pictures showed overweight people that were so unusual for the time that people actually paid to see them.

These circus fat people don't seem all that unusual anymore. In fact, you probably see people just like them anytime you go to the mall.

That's because fat is the new thin, We've grown so adjusted to seeing overweight people, that people who are just slightly overweight are now considered "thin," and those who are at their medically ideal weight are considered underweight.

Subsidizing Healthier Eating

2011-09-12T12:59:00.000-04:00

I've written before that good eating habits should be subsidized for the poor, so I was thrilled to read this.   Philadelphia now offers its food stamp recipients a 40% subsidy if they buy food at Farmers' markets.   Food stamp recipients can now go to Farmers' markets in Philadelphia which sell cheaper produce then supermarkets, AND get an addition $2 in food for every $5 they spend.

This is great news for the poor and great news for small farmers. It's a "win-win" situation.

The bad news??? It's only a pilot program and soon the money will run out. Philadelphia has yet to find funding to continue the project.

The other bad news? Well since it's been a success, big food will no doubt try to find a way to sabotage it.   As the article's author points out:

The good news is that the processed food industry hasn't figured out how to lobby against healthy food subsidies, which appear to be the programs gaining the most traction with consumers. Or at least not yet: Big Food will no doubt try to devise a way to fight the intolerable desire consumers of all income levels have to find ways to eat better. We'll just have to fight back harder.

You'll Lose More Weight with Weight Watchers, because Weight Watchers Says You will

2011-09-09T16:25:00.000-04:00

This morning I read about a new study which claimed that people lost more weight with Weight Watchers. Read about it here.
In short the article says:

In a study published today in the British medical journal The Lancet, people following the Weight Watchers regimen for 12 months lost twice as much weight as those who followed the weight-loss guidance of their primary-care physicians.

Sound good--right??? I've never done Weight Watchers but I have a lot of friends and relatives who have, and it always seemed to be a sensible way to lose weight.

But a little ways down in the article I read this:

The study was funded by Weight Watchers through a grant to the U.K. Medical Research Council.

Get that? Weight Watchers funded the freaking study which showed, of course, that you'd lose more weight on Weight Watchers.

Now, I actually do think that if you want to go with a "program" to lose weight, Weight Watchers is the only one that will actually work in the long run. They're not trying to sell you any pre-packaged foods, or miracle extreme short-term weight loss. When you sign up for Weight Watchers you get a sensible program which teaches you how to eat for the rest of your life (and group support).

So, for the life of me I do not understand why they have to participate in this guy of junk science, and, yes, when a company funds research that puts their company in a good light, it's nothing but JUNK.

Weight Watchers, I expected more from you.

Proof that you can Still have a Rockin' Body in your 60's

2011-09-08T08:41:00.000-04:00

Dame Helen Mirren was voted "best body" in a Poll by LA Fitness. She beat out Elle MacPherson (48) and Jennifer Lopez.

Sorry Dudes, but David Beckham got 1st place amongst the men.

BTW, check out the picture gallery of the Dame. She really knows how to rock a red dress, and can hold her own next to any young starlet.

Motivation--Or Any Excuse for a New Pair of Bitchen Shoes

2011-09-07T14:34:00.002-04:00

I firmly believe that eating right and trying to be at your optimum weight should always be a full time focus.
But let's get real, sometimes one needs a little motivation to stay on course, or, even better, make some improvements.

Well, a few months ago I found out my husband was throwing me a "surprise" 50th birthday party.   It's going to be October 1st (my 50th party is actually January 3, 2012).

I found out about it from my husband.   He had become overwhelmed by the planning of the event, and realized he needed me to help.

However, because my mother, sisters and several friends where also involved in the party planning, he didn't want to ruin the "surprise" for them, and so I'm not supposed to know about it (even though I actually do know about it).

Well, knowing that there was going to be a major party for me, in which I was going to be the center of attention has been a MAJOR motivating factor for me throughout the Summer, to eat lightly, exercise frequently and avoid sweets and junk food.

And, knowing that there is going to be this major party for me was also an excuse to go out and buy a sexy MaxMara dress and a new set of black patent leather, peep-toed, sling-back, Jimmy Choos.

It's nice to be surprised.

How Many Calories Does Hurricane Preparation and Clean-Up Burn?

2011-09-06T14:16:00.000-04:00

I'm still in my post-Irene phase here in Connecticut.   We got our power back on Tuesday, but it wasn't until Saturday that I thought the basement dry enough again to begin moving all the boxes of Christmas ornaments, teaching materials, yoga mats, blankets, etc. back into the basement.

Preparing for the hurricane took two full days.   I had to empty the previously mentioned basement (because I knew we'd lose power and when we lose power we lose our sump pump and then the basement fills with water.) Everything that was moved out of the basement was moved into the dining room. I also had to move our rather heavy teak outdoor dining room set inside, along with all the umbrellas we use to create shade in our outside dining and sitting areas.

Then there was the matter of surveying our two acres of property and making determinations as to whether or not something could be a "projectile" that could cause problems in 70 MPH winds.   Many garden ornaments, watering cans, plant supports, etc. had to be moved into either one of the sheds, or our barn.

Then there was the matter of stocking the house.   When we lose power, we lose our pump which means we have no running water.    Tubs had to be filled to give us water we could scoop out with buckets into our toilet bowl tanks to flush our toilets (although on the last day I was actually taking buckets of water out of the basement and hauling them two flights of stairs up to the second floor toilets).

Gallons of drinking water also had to be bought and carried into the house.

Needless to say, while I didn't have a lot of time to exercise during the hurricane, prep, power outage and clean-up, none-the-less all the extra "activities" I had to engage in during the hurricane prep, power outage and clean-up, have no doubt burned quite a few calories.

Now if I could just find a chart somewhere telling me how many  calories I burned, I'd be a happy camper.

Keeping That Muffin Top Away

2011-09-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

When it comes to weight loss, actually losing weight is the easier battle.   The real war starts the day you reach your goal weight.   Fighting to not put the weight back on is, in it's own way, a harder and much longer skirmish.

I bring this up because there's a real good, no-nonsense piece in the Huffington Post about weight maintenance which you can read here.   The article explains both why maintaining weight is such an uphill battle, along with how to maintain weight loss.

The number one rule in keeping weight off is that you can never, ever go back to your old eating habits.   As the author explains, your fat cells are just dying to plump up again and looking for any excuse to do so.   Start eating potato chips again, and those cells will start rounding out again.

I've used to go through the dieting yo-yo myself. I'd change my eating habits, lose weight, then go back to the old habits and the weight would pile back on again.

I've also seen dozens of friends lose 20, 30, or more pounds on The South Beach Diet, Atkins, Jenny Craig etc. and each and everyone of them gained the weight back as soon as they went off the diet.

I've managed to keep my weight off now for more than 4 years. I did so by never going back.   I'll admit that now and then I allow myself an occassional "treat," and may even go off for a week at a time if I'm on vacation, but for the most part, my eating habits have changed for life.

I'll also admit to some long term "drifting."   I'll go through periods where I start to slip and the scale starts to move upwards, but then I correct course again, and the weight will come off.

But, I've managed to stablize my weight for the most part at around 130 pounds. I'd like to be thinner, and when I really work at it I can get down to 125, but it never seems to "stick" at that weight.

I guess one woman can only do so much!!

Mental Health Break--And then Some

2011-09-01T08:02:00.000-04:00

Brilliant animation conveying a brilliant message, although I'm not such a huge fan of Chipotle:

I now have power, but am in clean up mode after the storm.

Earthquakes, Evacuations and Hurricanes--Oh My!!!

2011-08-30T13:54:00.000-04:00

I know it's been wa-a-a-y too long since I've had substantial blog of note, but as I described in an earlier post, for whatever reason Blogger wouldn't let me even view my blog for close to a week, and THEN I was on vacation by the time I actually could even attempt to post.

Then, all hell broke loose. First, we had a minor earthquake while I was at the Jersey shore, just south of Philadelphia.   That actually wasn't too bad, and kind of interesting. It was, believe it or not, the first time in my life I ever experienced an earthquake.

Hell really started to break loose on Thursday, however, when an evacuation was ordered for Long Beach Island where I was vacationing.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Jersey shore, LBI is an island off the coast of NJ which is nothing more than an 18 mile long, 1 mile wide sandbar.   There is one road that runs down the center of the island, one bridge to and from the island, and, at the height of the summer season 250,000 people on it on a given day.   In the absolute best of circumstances, its estimated that it would take 22 hours to clear the island in an emergency.

With a history of severe flooding of the island and the bridge connecting the island to the mainland during tropical storms and hurricanes, the powers that be thought it best to start evacuating the island as Hurricane Irene made it's way up the coast.

So starting Thursday afternoon we went into "hurricane mode."  Thursday we had to pack and leave the island, then Friday and Saturday were spent in "hurricane prep" back home in Connecticut.   Sunday we lost power, and the power remains out.

My yoga studio is closed due to lack of power, as is my martial arts school where I practice Tai Chi. Luckily, yesterday and today I've been able to go for long walks prior to my husband leaving for work.

With no school, I've had to watch and entertain the kids for the last two days, and tried to work in some exercise for all of us, including a walk along the Sound this morning in Westport were we surveyed some of the damage the storm did.

Prior to the hurricane hitting, I stocked up the house with non-perishable healthy foods and foods that wouldn't spoil easily, including cans of beans, nuts and dried and fresh fruits.

Wish me luck in getting my power back, and once it does I'll be back to blogging regularly--I promise.

Maybe I should Just Get Divorced?

2011-08-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

Because, according to this my marriage could be a source of weight gain.

Unfortunately, I'm pretty happily married, so that won't be happening anytime soon.

Blogger Issues

2011-08-22T09:40:00.000-04:00

Sorry for not blogging in a while, but for some reason I couldn't access Blogger at all last week, and this week I'm on vacation. I'll try to blog later today or tomorrow.

Weight Loss in a Nutshell

2011-08-16T09:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I friend who has been unhappy with her weight for years asked for advice as to what to do to get her weight under control.   This friend has tried every fad diet that has come down the pike and while she may have lost a few pounds on each, it always came back and then some.

So here's what I told her:

1. Dieting fucks up your system.   If you lose weight too quickly your body says "what the fuck????" and then works to put it back on pronto.

2. Always eat the calories for the weight you want to be.   Look up how many calories you can eat a day for the weight you want to be for your height, weight and age. Factor in physical activity, etc., then try to stick to it for the rest of your life.  If you eat for the weight you want to be, eventually you will be that weight. If you have a big meal one day, eat less until you make up the difference.   Remember that as you age, you have to eat fewer calories to maintain that same weight.

3.   If you're eating too many calories now, reduce to the amount you want to be at gradually.   See number 1 above as to the reason why.

4. Learn to distinguish between food cravings and true hunger.   Chances are you haven't actually experienced a true hunger pain in your entire life.

5.   Don't eat processed foods. If it comes from a bag, jar, box or bag and has ingredients you can't pronounce, just do not eat it.

6.   Eat any bad foods you truly love in moderation.    If you try to just deny yourself what you really love, you won't stick to a plan for the rest of your life.

7. At least 75% of your diet should be plant based.   Meat, fish and dairy products should be the exception and not the rule.

8. Of that 75% at least 50% should be raw, uncooked fruits and vegetables.

9. Refined carbs should be a rare treat. If you're going to eat bread, pasta or rice, make sure they are whole grains.

The Truth About Protein

2011-08-15T16:27:00.000-04:00

Whenever someone asks me about my weight loss, I tell them about my mostly raw, vegan diet. This inevitably prompts what I call "the protein question," either "how do you get your protein?" or "aren't you afraid you're not getting enough protein?" or some other question along those lines.

I'm bringing this up today because I saw this on-line article that discussed the actual amounts of protein we really need. The reality being, that people vastly over-estimate how much protein we actually need and this actually leads to an over consumption of protein. As the article states:

In fact, the average person eats about double the amount of protein that their body requires, according to the results of 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I've blogged before that I got quite a bit of inspiration as to how to lose weight and keep it off from the book Skinny Bitch.

I should warn you that if you haven't read Skinny Bitch already it's pretty much a vegan screed trying to induce you to become a vegan in the name of being slim.

Now, I'll never be a vegan (or vegetarian for that matter), but the book sites a lot of very interesting research to back up their cause (the footnotes and end notes are amazing.)   I too was under the "I need vast quantities of protein" misconception until I read Skinny Bitch and realized that not only was I eating far too much protein, but that that over consumption could lead to illness.

The other misconception I labored under was the best source of that protein.   When I started my weight loss journey, I assumed that if I was not eating vast quantities of meat, fish and dairy I would be protein deficient.   I now know that not only can I get enough protein from plant sources, but it's actually higher quality protein.

As the article states:

Whole grains, seeds, and some vegetables also contain protein, so consuming enough is not difficult even if you don’t eat meat. Vegetarians and vegans can easily get what they need by balancing complimentary proteins such as corn and beans or rice and tofu. Nutritionists used to recommend combining foods at the same meal, but research now shows that is unnecessary.

Wasn't Kate Middleton Skinny Enough????

2011-08-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

I'm always amazed at the profound need of catalog producers and magazine editors to take skinny women and photoshop them to the point that they look abnormal. Case in point, Kate Middleton in her wedding dress.

Check out the dreadful photoshop next to one that's not as dreadful here.

Frankly, I think the Duchess looks better before the waist slimming.

Another Reason To Go Organic

2011-08-11T14:54:00.000-04:00

Organic agriculture fights the spread of antibiotic resistent bacteria. A new study confirms that the wide-spread use of antibiotics on livestock causes naturally occuring microbes to become resistent to drugs. The new study, was headed by Amy Sapkota of the University of Maryland and published in Environmental Health Perspectives.