Some final nutty and dairy ideas

Although I still have a lot to learn, I would like to wrap up some unfinished business on nutrition.

When I buy nuts and other rather expensive food items, I'll look for a sale and stock up. Guess what, when you have more, you eat more. It is a proven fact that shopping at Costco will make you fat. So just a small palmful of nuts a day as a snack or in a salad is both heart healthy and appetite suppressing. Just remember, they are high in calories, so not too many.

As a group, nuts are high in monounsaturated fats, which are known to raise your HDL (good cholesterol) and lower the LDL (bad cholesterol).  Some nuts are considered better than others for boosting your immune system, and memory, and walnuts get a special shout out for their high antioxidant properties. Raw and dry roasting are best as is all-natural peanut and almond butters.

Moving right along. I used to think that a discussion about milk would be easy. For years I would only buy skim milk and use a little in my coffee, and the kids would have it in their cereal. Everything was fine until the not so great Wizard of Oz (Dr. Oz) declared that whole milk was better than fat free. He stated that when you strip out the fat etc., all that's left is a lot of sugar which is much worse for you. Now my teenage son, who wants to gain weight for sports, heard that he can have whole milk and insisted that we comply. We have come to a compromise of 2%, which I believe is not so heart healthy. Once again their are many experts who believe that all dairy products should be eliminated from the diet and they are backed up by a great deal of scientific evidence. I also believe that a plant based vegan diet is very healthy but at what personal costs.

In our house even yogurt has gotten a little complicated. For myself I buy fat free, plain, Greek yogurt and mix in some fresh fruit. For my son, I have to buy Dannon Greek, fat free, fruit flavored and for my wife we just buy any popular brand of light yogurt. If you haven't tried Greek yogurt yet, it wins hands down for protein and less sugar, but varies in tartness by brand. I prefer a more tart flavor over sweet and if a recipe calls for heavy cream, sour cream, etc.., I'll just use yogurt as a substitute.

Picture my ultimate fantasy nightmare. It's a clear night in Paris and we're at a cafe along the Champs-Elysees.  Placed before me is a beautiful bottle of wine, a basket of fresh bread, and the most wonderful spread of domestic cheeses. As you already know, I don't drink, and I eat very few carbs, which I absolutely crave. Now I'm overwhelmed with cheese as only the French can create. I'll just say that every man has his weakness.

Don T

   




    

Sunny Saturday

Thanksgiving was great, and Black Friday went just as I planned, I didn't do anything. I got up late and had a restful day. On Saturday, however, I was up early, read the paper, and got started on a full host of activities including running, yard work, and the movies.

Although I try to stay active throughout the day, running is my main form of exercise. Like diet and nutrition, my running experience has evolved over time, and I have seen my share of ups and downs. So I would like to tell my story by starting in the here and now, and describe what I did yesterday.

I run 5 miles a day, 5 or 6 days a week, on a tree lined paved trail that is shared by cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, and dog walkers. My run is slightly downhill on the outbound, and thus uphill on the return. There are a few small streams along the way and a few rather nice homes close to the trail.

I'll walk about 1/4 of a mile before and after the run, to and from my car, as a form of warm up/down. I'll start out pretty slow for about a 1/2 mile + and try to finish strong. I do not time my run, or look forward to running in any kind of race in the future. Many people, young and old, pass me by, and that's perfectly okay. I do run with a smile and try to say hi, or at least just nod to everyone as we pass each other by. I no longer bring my Ipod, I just relax, run, and enjoy my surroundings. I have perfectly flat feet, but I don't worry about under/over pronation or worry about heal/mid foot/ or toe strike. I studied about all of those things and came to the conclusion that for me the best way to run is the Nike way "Just Do It". After my run I'll take a hot shower, do a series of stretches, and call it a day.

How I came to this relaxed place as a runner was an evolution of trail and error, learning to understand myself, and the effect of some outside influences. I look forward to sharing this part of my story on my road to healthy living.

An amazing web site: www.takethemagicstep.com

Take The Magic Step is an international organization founded by Uta Pipping. Uta was the world #1 ranked marathoner, having won 3 consecutive Boston races, the NYC marathon, and many others as well.. Her organization has an amazing amount of information on healthy living, running, yoga, nutrition, etc.. They are also involved in a number of charitable efforts worldwide.

I didn't get to finish my raking, it was getting late and we needed to get to the theater to see Lincoln. It's a great film about a great man by a great film maker.

Happy feet,  Don T  

Thanksgiving: My sincere thanks

Thanksgiving is here so just enjoy some quality time with your family and friends. Eat and drink your favorite holiday treats, the one's that makes you feel special, and watch a little football, or go for a walk. I plan to do the same, and realize that this is not a good time to keep harping on about food choices and dissecting the merits of this health food over that, or feel guilty about calories. In the spirit of peace, kindness and thanks for my many blessings I will take a break from any discussion of diet and nutrition.

I was in the super market the other day, picking out a turkey when I had a very interesting encounter with a delightful young woman. I had decided on a fresh bird and was looking for the right size when we started talking. She was also selecting a fresh turkey but chose a rather small one . She then went on to explain that they were having a large gathering for the first time, and that her husband wanted to make sure that he could carve the bird with at least a little bit of grace, so she was buying a practice one.  For the real deal she planned on making a large, 20+ pounder, and a separate breast. There must be at least a 100 YouTube videos on turkey carving, so does he really need to practice?  I feel bad for her kids who will be eating turkey for at least 3 or 4 days before Thanksgiving. I also thought about testing out some new recipes, but where did the time go? Over the past few days our guest list has grown two fold so we're going to just stay with my wife's and kids' favorites. Yesterday, I talked to a guy who is going to smoke his turkey, and nobody is talking about turduckins anymore.

It's hard to put into words just how thankful I feel this year. Over the past few years, the economy has take it's toll on my family, but not nearly to the degree that so many others around the country have suffered. We have plenty to eat every day, access to the best health care, and a small but nice, loving home in a safe neighborhood. My children have very set the bar very high for themselves and are exceeding all of our expectations. As for myself. I am for the first time in a long time truly healthy and feel healthy. So for these blessings I give my most sincere thanks, and hope that your world is equally blessed.

Don T

Thanksgiving Road Trip

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I feel the excitement growing. We usually go to my brother in northern Virginia. He's health conscious and a pretty good chef so we just bring some sides and/or desserts and have a really nice time. On Thanksgiving Day we leave my brother and sister alone in the kitchen, the good soldiers that they are, and head off to DC to the Smithsonian museums. We've been to the Air and Space, US History, National Gallery, and Natural History museums over and over again. All of the government buildings, monuments, and memorials are historic and define our country. We never seem to get enough, and every year we find new things to explore. Visiting the Holocaust Museums is especially moving, and 2 years ago we saw an exhibit of the Terracota Warriors. By the time we get back we're ready to relax and enjoy some quality family time and turkey. On Friday we usually eat out since there are some wonderful, trendy, and ethnic restaurants in the area. Northern Virginia is a great, extension of the DC beltway, and there is so much going on. Saturday is a slow day, maybe we'll sightsee a little, or maybe we'll just hang out, but usually we'll have leftovers and head back to NY. If you've ever been on the NJ Turnpike on Thanksgiving Sunday you'll know why we leave on Saturday. When we travel on Thanksgiving I love seeing minivans, with far away licence plates, filled with wrapped Christmas presents. I don't know why but it just makes me feel good.

This year, my brother is going to be away, and we are going to have Thanksgiving at home. At first, I thought it was just going to be just us but now I'm not sure. We've invited some friends so we'll see. If we have friends I'm going to have to test drive any new culinary creations. I would hate to try something new, and it be a total flop. If it was just us I would search the internet for healthy Thanksgiving or autumn recipes and give a few of them a try but for guests I would have to try out anything new on the family first. Thanksgiving is special and I hate to just stay with the tried and true, except for the turkey of course.

Staying at home is great but I'm not going to be so lucky after all. On Wednesday, I will be driving to DC anyway to pick up my son at school. I'll start out at about 5:00am and we'll start back to NY right away to avoid the holiday traffic. My not so little secret is that I love the one on one time with him. He just hit the age where we can have an adult conversation, and it's amazing how much more he knows about so many things than I do.

On Black Friday I promise you I will not get out of my pjs, or if I do it will be only to go for a run.

Be safe and enjoy your holiday, Don T

Dinner and Personal Tips

I try to eat a balanced dinner with the family whenever possible. Everyone has a busy schedule and  sometimes we can't sit down together, but we try. An unwritten rule is he who cooks doesn't have to clean up. Maybe that's why I love to cook. I'm not all that good at it, but I'll try new healthy recipes with fresh ingredients. I personally follow both a heart and diabetes healthy diet and find that it has become an easy and comfortable routine.

Everyone knows about a heart healthy diet which includes no trans fats and very limited saturated fats. The less and leaner cuts of meat the better, especially red meat which has marbleized fat throughout. Good fats, such as Omaga-3s, fish, nuts, avocados, olives (oil), have been shown to raise your HDL, good cholesterol and are heart healthy. There are some in the research community, however, that advocate against them, but that's where reading and your own comfort level comes in. Less salt, less sugar, and controlled carbs are also part of a healthy diet. Dairy is a whole discussion onto itself and we'll save it for another day.

Just some personal tips: 

- Go shopping yourself; if unhealthy foods are not in the house, you wouldn't eat them

- Big salad everyday (If you have it for lunch make extra for dinner)

- Plan and make meals ahead when you're relaxed 

- Balsamic, lemon juice, fresh herbs, less sauces

- No frying

- Bring your leftovers to work and pack them when your finished eating at night      

- Bring a healthy snack to work
- Fresh fruit not juice, lots of fiber and less sugar

- Only one of the following per meal: bread, pasta, rice or potatoes and only a small portion

- Beans and/or oatmeal everyday ( I do both)

- Limit alcohol

- Health food stores have great artisan breads without sugar

Personally, I stopped ice cream, cookies and candy, cold turkey on the day I walked out of the doctor's office. A whole lot of fear will do it. An interesting thing has happened since then, however, my cravings for sweets is gone. It's been totally replaced by a need for savory, spicy and much simpler  flavors. For me, eating is now more enjoyable and tastier. I have a big appetite, and eat a lot. Yes, there are tradeoffs, I never do desserts or alcohol and bring my own food if I know there will be no reasonable choices available. 

We, you and I can't do it alone, you need a supporting crew and you need exercise. Start small, find what you enjoy, there is no time table, but there is no alternative.

I too have my weaknesses and falldown from time to time; actually this past week has been a little tough and I need to right the ship.

Thanks for listening, Don T        

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy's path of destruction hit us hard. Our entire town was plunged into total darkness with massive tree damage and extensive power failures. The schools are closed, my work week was lost and the power company can't say when things will be back to normal. So I sit here in a neighboring town's Barnes and Noble, drinking a large coffee and count my blessings. All of my friends and family are safe and none of us had any damage to our homes. We are on each others nerves without heat, increasingly cold water showers and BBQing everything: breakfast, lunch and dinner. About 2 months ago we had major work done on our property and on the next to the last day of construction my wife and I stopped the project to have 3 rather large trees, looming over our deck and new driveway, taken down. Was it a premonition? I don't know, but we are very thankful that they weren't here to face Sandy's wrath.

Tomorrow my older son is due to arrive from DC. He plays Division II College Hockey and has games    scheduled this weekend in NYC and NJ. I sure hope that the games are cancelled. We made plans months ago to watch his games and spend some quality time together, but there's always next time.

Regardless of Sandy's destruction and inconveniences there is one thing that I must do and that is to vote next Tuesday. I know that living in a non-swing state, my individual vote has less significance, but I will vote the first thing in the morning. I strongly favor one of the candidates and really can't understand how half of the nation doesn't see it my way.


Finally, Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, is one of my all time favorite rock songs. Can you believe that they are still going strong after 50 years of touring. I know Keith Richards isn't reading My Road to Healthy Living.

Don T