Fast food convenience costs a lot

Got this interesting tweet (which I'm addicted to btw it's awesome ;)

Fast-food nearby: Convenience, but at what cost?: Consumer Reports Health Blog
http://bit.ly/kE61k

The study looked at how fast-food influences the overall quality of people's diets, particularly when these restaurants are plentiful nearby. Researchers pulled data from a survey of more than 5,600 adults ages 45 to 84 who lived in six urban areas. They used two scales to rate the quality of people's diets, looking at both positive factors (e.g., eating fruits and vegetables, fiber, and good fats) and negative (e.g., eating fatty and processed meats, fried potatoes, salty snacks, and desserts). People were also asked how often they ate fast-food in a week, and whether they had many fast-food restaurants within a mile of where they lived. For an objective measure of fast-food availability, the researchers also mapped the locations of fast-food chains nearby.

People who consumed fast-food at least once a week were two to three times more likely to have a poorer-quality diet than those who didn't eat any fast-food. And having more fast-food options close by decreased the odds of having a healthy diet by up to 17 percent. When working out these results, the researchers took into account factors known to influence what we eat, such as age, sex, race, education, and income. Doing this makes the link between fast-food and diet all the stronger.

Apparently the proximity of fast food has a health cost on the surrounding population. I can't help but wonder over the years the overweight, diabetes and high blood pressure caused as a side effect in our little town from all we have around ...

1 year anniversary with Beachbody - a retrospective

It's been a year for me doing P90x and other beachbody programs! I wanted to chronicle some of the mindset I went through on my initial journey looking back ...

Last June 1st, I started my journey with Beachbody, nervously beginning Chest and Back and struggling to make my way through and keep up with what seemed to be an impossible task - all those pushups, pullups and the ridiculously tough Ab Ripper.

Then there was the food - all my cravings for bread, sugar and fats had me up at night, stomach growling and spending hours grocery shopping and preparing my meals - it was tough! Was it all worth it? How could I ever hope to lose the tube of fat around my midsection, could I ever hope to keep up with a 40 something (now 50) year old trainer with the snappy wit, positive attitude and funny quips? Would I make it without injuring myself as I had done with so many other programs?

My primary directive, I told myself, was to workout each and every day the guide said I should - 6 days a week. Don't miss one. And finish. Like the marathon - and I know I can do a lot since I did that. I wanted to do this. I needed to do this - for myself, my quality of life and my family. I don't want Lipitor - no blood pressure meds either! I'm not getting any younger so I need to start now. Grandfather died of heart attack, grandmother and aunts/uncles complications from diabetes and high blood pressure - strokes etc, I want to enjoy my age and life.

But I was uncertain, I didn't really take a lot of before pictures - would this be just an embarrassing defeat I wondered and another whack to my self-esteem? I was risking looking like a fool and wasting my time and money - I didn't know what the outcome would be. OK let me set a realistic goal. I'm going to try this and if I can do it without injury, I'll drop 25 pounds in 6 months. By my next birthday in November, when I turn 44. Sounds doable ... anything beyond that is a bonus.

Then ... the workouts and nutrition every day. What a grind.

Day 1: Man am I tired! Fitness test and workout on the same day - BIG mistake!

Day 2 plyo - holy **** I REALLY feel it now. This is nuts. Think I'm too big to do this. I dunno if I can keep this up.

Day 3: Alright, Shoulders and Arms - oh man BLASTED em, can hardly lift them! Yoga - last time I did it, I pulled something. But, to my surprise, Tony paces it right, I'm OK but I sweat around 5 gallons I think! My muscles feel better though surprisingly.

Struggling to keep up with nutrition, I just don't have the knack for it and I'm up til 11 every night cooking and cleaning everything!

Thursday, Legs/back. hey I'm a skier - my legs are strong. Wall squats tho - phew I'm cramping! pullups AGAIN!? OH man, got to do more than 2 or 3 somehow - frustrating. At the end using major chair, so humbling! And Ab Ripper - 10 reps most exercises, taking breaks. And I thought I had a strong core.

Friday, Kenpo - sorry but I didn't get half the moves sword hammer back kick front kick what?! I'm sweating again 2 hours after the workout.

end of week 1. Hey I lost 6 pounds! Hey I think there is something to this. I'm losing a pound a day! And ... no bread, wow still tough, but ya know what I can barely keep up with all the food I'm eating! Time to shop again.

After 10 days - feeling tired but mildly better. Still can't do the yoga. How can anyone? Chest and Back - still doing knee pushups at the end, still struggling with 4 pullups then 2 then 1 then chair. Shoulders and Arms - OK first three exercises I'm strong then - major cramps, can't keep up keep pausing the thing. All that heavy lifting I used to do and I have no stamina or energy.

day 12 - no more weight loss. Uh oh... crap what am I doing wrong? Better get online and I discovered - hey there's a lot of people starting this just like me and ... Steve Edwards and others say, throw away the scale at least for now. It's too variable. Weight fluctuates day to day even within the same day by 3-4 pounds! OK I'll stop the obsessive weighing. Just keep pushing play like Tony says. Hooked up with a great group of folks who are struggling just like me - this is great wish I knew about it before.

I do have a lot of energy though - home projects getting done on the weekends. Spending time with the 5 yo - and keeping up for the most part. Well OK he can still wear me down after a full day ;).

I got to chat online with Tony 3 weeks in - what a funny guy! I'm finding him really inspiring and seeming to know just when to push me and when to tell me to modify things. The tough points - letting me know when halfway through is also. Somehow HE seems to think I can do this, maybe I can ....

On nutrition - workout numbers went down, well, on recovery I'm doing it - changing over to phase 2. I read you can do this if you bonk and I was definitely starting to bonk. A few more carbs and ... my workout numbers went up again and I started feeling more energy!

Recovery week - OK I didn't realize it's recovery/ab focus! Man oh man core syn humbled me AGAIN. Plank to Chaturunga run - forget it I was toast. Shaking, collapsing ... that one is a killer! And - 3 yogas in 10 days - ARGH! Ya know what though - I'm really starting to do this. The Ohms at the end feel nice. Think it's working too - like self-massage. Not that it's easy ....

End of month 1: Take pictures, weigh. OK - things are working. I'm down around 12 pounds - NICE! Ahead of schedule! My goal was 20 for the 90 days. People are starting to notice. Late night dancing my butt off I think I lost a few more pounds - heh heh this is starting to really work. A few nutrition setbacks and I really feel it. Got to watch that. But I'm realistic, not giving up. It's alright for the most part.

Phase 2 - holy crap - these exercises are just killing me! Chest, Shoulders and Tris fried my body for 4 days. Back and bis - same thing - I'm a walking cramp afterwards. Recovery drink is helping though - I'm getting the capability to keep going. Somehow got through yoga and legs/back but after this week I am hurtin. Despite this in week 2, started doubles! Want to accelerate fat loss, I'm starting to see what's possible with this program. Fat is shredding off me but - NOT fast enough. I can be so impatient! :)

Ground through phase 2 and ... wow made some awesome gains in strength and stamina! Another "recovery ab torture" week. But ... plank to chaturunga - I did it! All the way through. And ... with a few exceptions doubles is going strong! I'm sleepin a lot though - it's brutal. Take a few days off here and there. But - on weighing, I REACHED my goal 60 days in (as far as weight). This is unreal - I'm down to 200 in less than half the time I thought possible! Amazing. Yet ... still not where I want to be with fat loss. I want abs now! It's a race to the finish. I have a vacation planned at the end of the round I want to look good for. Got to keep on doing it ...

Phase 3 - ready to bring it ... going OK first two weeks. Then ... think I'm starting to burn out! Alright ramping down the doubles. Can't wait for the end actually. But - what will I do then? Think I'll just workout once in a while maybe a few times a week. Ya that's enough. Dunno though it'll feel funny I think. And it's showed me I can SURPASS my best fitness levels ever if I keep going. I'll ask Tony in the mailbag. Surprisingly, he answers me - I can workout 4 days a week but it'll be like throwing myself down the stairs I'll get sore but that's about it... funny he has a way with words! I'm gonna do it - keep going.

90 days later, I had completed my first round of P90x without missing a day! Amazing but something I'll always be proud of! I need that family vacation. Will take Steve Edwards advice and take a week or so off completely I think. I need it - all those doubles, all that nutrition. Not stopping the intake part - need to eat clean all the time cos I feel so much better when I do! One of the lasting legacies of doing this.

A month later, into my second round, was proud to go to the docs and he was astonished - I had lost 40 pounds and gotten into the best shape of my life! My cholesterol was down to college days and my blood pressure too. Blood sugars and great, resting HR great. Even decided to lock in a long term life insurance policy to leverage my wellness. Got the super-preferred rate - saves me thousands over the life of the policy.

Well ... and here I am 7 months later, and all the great results are solidified as part of my life. I'm helping others through this and been able to meet up with some awesome folks along the way. It's been a great year for me and I'm sure I will benefit from the lessons and experience I've had here. Thanks to my coach and online friends for helping me and I hope I can repay that to others as a coach and friend going forward!

Having trouble maintaining muscle mass? Put away the liquor ...

Alcohol eats away at muscle mass.

Link

Some facts from the article which appears well-supported

Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consumption on Your Body

* Muscles—Reduces blood flow to the muscles, causing weakness and deterioration
* Hormones—Reduces testosterone in your blood and increases conversion of testosterone to estrogen, causing increased fat depositing and fluid retention
* Liver—Creates imbalances that can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), fatty liver and hyperlipidemia (build-up of fats in the bloodstream)
* Brain—Cuts off the supply of oxygen to the brain, resulting in a “blackout” caused by a lack of oxygen supply to the brain that can kill tens of thousands of brain cells

David Souter, SC justice, retires to hike

Some would see him as ascetic and weird for doing this but ... to me it's inspirational.

http://bit.ly/ufYms

He's remained true to himself and wants to climb Mt Washington in his old age so he's retiring from the court. Contrast that with Clarence Thomas who gained 100 pounds since he's been on the bench (or Rush Limbaugh, who's unapologetically fat, cigar smokes and is at least a habitual drug user).

Souter relies on the New Hampshire wild for restoration, he said, a sentiment shared by Thomas Jefferson. Say what you will about his legal rulings — and his backing of a decision that allows cities to condemn private property in order to get a higher tax base was a clunker that he should regret.

But Souter’s lifestyle, at the least, is close to original intent.

What's organic?

Nice little link about what organic labels mean and what to buy/not buy for organic foods.

http://tinyurl.com/osdu89

To judge how organic a product is, first check the label. If you see the USDA organic seal, that means the product contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Otherwise, “100% organic” means just that; “organic” means it contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients; and “made with organic ingredients” means it contains at least 70 percent organic contents.

ORGANICS TO SHOP FOR

√ Apparel & linens: Cotton, linen, wool, and hemp.
√ Beverages: Coffee, tea, cocoa, wine, spirits, and beer.
√ Fruit & nuts: Fruit baskets, preserves, and nuts.
√ Plants & flowers: Potted plants and cut flowers.
√ Sweets: Cakes, cookies, and chocolate.

ORGANICS TO SKIP

X Organic seafood: There’s no USDA standard for organic seafood.
X Some personal care products: While some ingredients may be certified as organic, the product itself may not be. Some products might also contain unapproved synthetic ingredients.

WHERE TO FIND ORGANICS

From specialty shops to department stores, today organics are sold just about everywhere. Online directories can help you track down specific organic products. For apparel and linens, check out the Organic Exchange. For food and flowers, check the Organic Consumers Association (it also lists clothing) or LocalHarvest, which features products from family-farmers.

Unsweeten yourself!

Some recommendations from a Harvard study on spreading information about sweeteners.

Link

Note that there's no mention of increasing artificial sweeteners - there's good reason.

According to another study, there's growing evidence use of sucralose (Splenda) and other diet sweeteners can lead to weight gain.

Link2

One worry about artificial sweeteners is that they uncouple sweetness and energy. Until recently, sweet taste meant sugar, and thus energy. The human brain responds to sweetness with signals to, at first, eat more and then with signals to slow down and stop eating. By providing a sweet taste without any calories, artificial sweeteners could confuse these intricate feedback loops that involve the brain, stomach, nerves, and hormones. If this happens, it could throw off the body's ability to accurately gauge how many calories are being taken in.

Studies in rats support this idea. Purdue University researchers have shown that rats eating food sweetened with saccharin took in more calories and gained more weight than rats fed sugar-sweetened food. (14) A long-term study of nearly 3,700 residents of San Antonio, Texas, showed that those who averaged three or more artificially sweetened beverages a day were more likely to have gained weight over an eight-year period than those who didn't drink artificially sweetened beverages. (15) Although this finding is suggestive, keep in mind that it doesn't prove that artificially sweetened soft drinks caused the weight gain.

Imaging studies support the idea that sugar and artificial sweeteners affect the brain in different ways. Some parts of the brain become activated when we experience a "food reward." At the University of California-San Diego, researchers performed functional MRI scans as volunteers took small sips of water sweetened with sugar or sucralose. Sugar activated regions of the brain involved in food rewards, while sucralose didn't. (16) So it is possible, the authors say, that sucralose "may not fully satisfy a desire for natural caloric sweet ingestion." More research is needed to tease out the implications of these findings for weight control.

Although the scientific findings are mixed and not conclusive, there is worrisome evidence that regular use of artificial sweeteners may promote weight gain. Because of these mixed findings about artificial sweeteners, drinking diet soda may not be the best replacement for drinking sugary soda.

Recently I gave up my Splenda in the morning coffee for this reason. It was becoming a bit too habit forming at the least, not sure of the total effects but I thought - why deal with it? Let's get to the next level without fooling anyone - my brain, body etc which probably fights back against it anyway.

Agrees with the bottom line of the Harvard study

So what's the best choice for your health? For adults and children, the evidence is strong that cutting back on sugary drinks—or eliminating them altogether—may help with weight control and will almost surely lower the risk of diabetes. There's emerging evidence that sugary drinks increase the risk of heart disease.The evidence is less clear-cut for artificially sweetened drinks. For adults trying to wean themselves from sugary soda, diet soda may be the beverage equivalent of a nicotine patch: something to be used in small amounts, for a short time, just until you kick the habit. For children, the long-term effects of consuming artificially-sweetened beverages are unknown, so it's best for kids to avoid them.

Fit body, smart brain

Some good info from an old timer (in awesome shape btw) fitness guru Clarence Bass.

Link shows that when they introduced a program called "Zero hour PE" in schools (example), the kids get smarter.

“The object of Zero Hour was to determine whether working out before school gives these kids a boost in reading ability and in the rest of their subjects,” Ratey explains.

There are many other aspects of the overall program, of course, but the main thing to understand is that this is not the typical team-oriented curriculum. The emphasis is on fitness instead of sports. The kids are encouraged to find an activity they enjoy: Eighteen choices are offered, ranging from rock climbing to aerobic dance. The idea is to find something that allows a student to experience success. Grades are based on effort rather than skill. “Any kid who wanted an A could get an A, if he worked for it,” a teacher explained. “Any time you got a personal best, no matter what it was, you moved up a letter grade.”

The kids learned about getting fit—and how it would make them perform better in the classroom.

To make a long story short, it worked. The kids got fitter and smarter.

First, the kids in Zero Hour were sent off to their first period class in a “state of heightened awareness” and prepared to learn. At the end of the semester, they showed a 17 percent improvement in reading and comprehension, compared with a 10.7 percent improvement for students who opted to sleep in and take standard PE class.

Again, the emphasis is NOT on expensive team sports here for cheering on some abstract notion of a town mascot or honor vs a neighboring rival. It's on individual fitness, where it should be IMO to serve the most students.