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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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!!!

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?

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

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

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

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.