The Dark Side of Anti-Oxidants

I read this article this morning on the dark side of anti-oxidants and was very surprised. I have heard all the benefits of anti-oxidants and why it is important to eat them as part of a healthy diet. Some medications are made with antioxidants. Many people rush out and get fresh fruit and vegetables specifically for their antioxidants and benefits.

"There is no question that antioxidants, such as those in fruits and vegetables and other foods, neutralize molecules called free radicals that can damage DNA. That has led to assertions that antioxidants can prevent cancer, since DNA damage can turn normal cells into malignant ones. But studies of whether antioxidant supplements (pills, not foods) can prevent cancer have largely disappointed."

So that last sentence tells us something. A hint that maybe anti-oxidants aren't quite as good as previously thought.

"Because free radicals might also attack cancer cells, scientists are studying whether antioxidants might allow tumors to flourish. The new research, in Science Translational Medicine, found that they can. When scientists exposed lab dishes of human cancer cells (liver, breast, colon, ovarian) to the diabetes drugs sitagliptin (sold by Merck as Januvia) and saxagliptin (AstraZeneca’s Onglyza), the cells migrated more. And when nine mice with human tumors were given either of the drugs, the cells metastasized more and invaded far-flung tissue...."

Did you read that right? Yes you did! The previously thought wonderful anti-oxidants appear to help metastasize cancer! So if you have cancer, your cancer will spread faster with help from the anti-oxidants. Nice! They are off my diet for now.

But the writers add that they did not cause cancer, just that they helped it spread. And this is a mouse test which means that it may not be the same for humans. And more research is needed.

So I am not jumping to any conclusions here. I know its only a mouse test but these results do not make me happy. 

We are supposed to be eating better

We means those of us who are post cancer. A new study claims that all of us who get through cancer develop crappy eating habits.

"Cancer survivors are a bit less health conscious in their eating habits, a large U.S. population-based study found.

Compared with the general population, cancer survivors consumed more empty calories in the form of solid fats, alcohol, and added sugars, reported a research team.... 

In addition, cancer survivors' intake of fiber, vitamin D, and other important nutrients was lower on average than recommended levels, Zhang and colleagues reported in the journal."

Um, first of all I must state that I think I am a relatively good eater. I don't eat a lot of prepared food, I like home made food not premade crap out of the freezer or a can. I like fresh fruit and vegetables.

But, why am I eating healthy to prevent future health issues when I already have them so many? On many levels it doesn't make sense. I do try but then sometimes I wonder why I do. I mean why do I worry about things like cholesterol when one of my other ailments is going to lead to many other issues where cholesterol may end up being so far down the list in impact on my health.

Once you get through cancer many other things become less important. The medications you are given cause so many side effects that  healthy eating during chemo is changed to only eating what will stay in your stomach.

A cancer diagnosis changes everything so let's have our cake now and eat it too.

Cancer causes

Let's see how I do on this one.  The American Association for Cancer Research just announced the preventable causes of cancer in the US.

1. Tobacco - I quit that a few years back
2. Cancer made me fat. I wasn't fat until breast cancer treatment.
3. I have no idea about cancer causing pathogens.
4. I go to the gym 3x each week and get 1 hour of cardio each time followed by 30 minutes of weights, machines, and stretching.
5. Fruits and vegetables every day. A minimum of two pieces of fruit by noon followed by salad and/or green vegetables with dinner. 
6. I have never been to a tanning salon but do go to the beach. I don't remember the last time I got a sunburn.

So let's go back to the 'why me?' question.... No let's not. Anyhow more discussion on this can be found here. I'm doing the best I can.

On the hunt for healthy food

I traveled home yesterday from the wilds of Wisconsin back to Boston. It was a long day as travel is not the best activity for me. My back hurt to sum it up. We had a two hour drive back to the airport (O'Hare), had to return a rental car and didn't really know where we were going. The weather forecast was also for potential severe thunderstorms....

Our plan (pushed later than originally reserved) left at 645 pm. We wanted to get there two hours prior to allow for car rental return chaos, plus two hours for driving, plus extra time to pad for weekend return traffic. We got to the damn airport at 3pm. No traffic, no car rental return hassles. We had plenty of time.

I was with a friend from college. We took turns sitting with luggage and looking for healthy food options to eat either before or on the plane. Finally she found a build your own salad place. I found a Mediterranean place which had a salad with grilled chicken, a few slivered almonds, and some Gorgonzola on a large bed of lettuce. It looked perfect until I looked at the nutritional information - it was listed as having some where around 640 calories and 55 grams of fat. My jaw dropped. I showed it to another woman who was also looking at food choices. She was equally appalled. Then we decided it must be because of the huge (3.25 oz) container of salad dressing.

We checked another item - a sandwich of turkey, brie cheese and red peppers I think - and it had 630 calories and 70 grams of fat.... I'm not even sure that's possible because there are 9 calories in every gram of fat or something like that. I think. I'm not completley sure.

But either the labels were wrong some how. Or the food was just not good for you.

I ate my salad without dressing and it was just fine. But I really hate travel food. Today I am going to the grocery store and I think we will have some salmon for dinner with a salad and maybe some Israeli couscous on the side. That will be much better.

A weekend of eating badly ends

We eat healthy as a rule. We have lots of fruits and vegetables. Breakfast and lunch includes a piece of fruit for both. Dinner always has a green vegetable and salad. We eat fish and chicken. We do all the right things.

This weekend we did not. Friday night for Valentine's Day we had a picnic dinner of cheese, pate, and smoked salmon. I meant to cut up a pear to go with it but forgot. Saturday we met friends for a late lunch at a burger place. I had a grilled chicken sandwich but did eat fries and onion rings. We never had dinner Saturday night because we were too full.

Yesterday we celebrated Valentine's again with a fancy brunch at a restaurant which featured lots of seafood, salads, and the basic breakfasty things. We both felt like we overate again. We didn't have dinner again.

Today we are starting over. We had a nice healthy breakfast - I even had a banana. Lunch will be left over roast chicken something with fruit. Dinner will be left over roast chicken something else with green vegetables and Israeli couscous.

Its amazing how eating too much over all and eating rich food at all can make you feel like crap. I had issues with indigestion all weekend. I didn't feel right. Blach!

I hate to think what all this did to my body.... Never mind fat grams, calories, salt, carbohydrates and more.

But I do not think any of that greatly destroyed my health any further than it already is. And it was kind of nice to eat delicious non-healthy food for a few days.

$1.50/day

It took several government studies years of research and multiple governments speaking up to figure out it only costs $1.50 per person per day to eat healthier. This means make healthier studies like lower fat content in ground beef, etc.

I have a couple caveats:

• This is based on 'normal' portion sizes. This means a serving of beef is 4 oz - or the size of a deck of cards.... If you eat normal sizes, you can expect to spend an extra $1.50/day.
• $1.50 means different things to different people.
• For a family of five on food stamps this would mean another $7.50 each day which quickly adds up.
• For someone who stops for a coffee every morning, we can say skip your morning coffee and there is your extra money

I believe in eating healthy. If money is tight or you just want some variety, try a few of these ideas:

• Frozen vegetables are cheap and don't taste that bad unles they have been used as an ice pack for too many injuries.
• Substitute beans for meat in meals and get some lean protein. How does this work? At the family taco night substitute beans for meat or even use refried beans.
• Buy in bulk or when lean meat is on sale and use your freezer. Last week chicken was on sale for $.88/lb. I put it in the freezer and now it is defrosted and will be tonight's dinner.

And a few shopping tips for saving money:

• Shop early in the day and check the meat section and home made bread section first for expiring items which have been further marked down.
• Store brands, store brands, store brands.
• Fresh produce in season is cheapest.

Now if I haven't bored you and you are wondering how does this relate to breast cancer or any cancer, I'll just say that if you eat healthy you can reduce your risk of getting cancer. I mean I did and look at me, I haven't been diagnosed with cancer in 6.5 years.

Dieting and such

Here's a theory: skip focusing on which diet is best and start focusing on changing eating habits.

This translates to stop focusing on what we eat and getting the balanced diet and change to focus on how we can get people to make healthier food decisions. Are we eating because we are stressed? Do we have bad habits related to the drive through where we make a quick stop on the way home and eat the food in the car?

Researchers look at all sorts of diets - Paleo, Atkins, Weight Watchers - and compare them all. The FDA issues the nutrition pyramid which is now a plate. But does anyone stop and look at the eating habits we have developed and why we have them?

We live in a world full of light this and fat free that and a widening population. Why?

I used to work with a woman who was a fairly healthy eater at work. She did not snack, she didn't go out for donuts. But she was quite large. I never really figured out why.

Then I went on a business trip with her and  she insisted we stop at the grocery store on the way to the hotel so she could get some stuff for her room. I was happy to go and get some seltzer (my secret addiction). She bought a couple boxes of crackers and cookies - for a three day business conference. I think she went out and made another grocery run later on. I think she was an evening snacker - hence her hefty weight.

So why does a normal, bright, well educated person, sit and eat for hours at night by themselves? That is the question to answer.

If you watch the greater loser shows, people talk about their bad eating habits and are taught how to eat healthy -  no soda, no drive through, healthy snacking. They also get exercise and lose weight. But they change their eating habits. Maybe they eat more salads and fewer french fries but often these shows are accompanied by tears and emotional breakthroughs as well.

I know my weight stems from three issues I have.

1. At my job, there are more snacks than any place I have ever worked and the kitchen is right next to my office.
2. I snack after dinner which I shouldn't do. (Why did I eat that granola bar after dinner last night? I didn't have dessert is my justification and I wanted something crunchy. But I didn't need it.)
3. Sometimes I eat when I am not hungry because I am bored, stressed or in pain.

So if I can get rid of those habits, I can lose weight. I have been working on them, my weight is going in the right direction. The funny thing is I am still eating desserts sometimes and normal food. I didn't switch what I eat. I switched when I eat. My goal is to modify my eating habits so I can get to and maintain a healthy weight but still enjoy eating. I will no live on lite versions of crappy prepared food.

Maybe that's what researchers need to figure out so other people can more easily lose weight.

The Battle of The Bulge in History

I never know where I am going to end up on the internet these days. Its really amazing - even without the cat here to help - he is very helpful in websurfing.

Yesterday I found the historical battle of the bulge or "A Slim History of Dieting" on Ancestry.com (see you never know where I will end up).

Its pretty funny. I can tell you that we are much safer these days in our dieting techniques. Previous diet tips have included that fat people should move to swampy areas or "daily cold baths, lots of exercise, chastity, temperance, and hard mattresses".

Personally, I would prefer watching what I eat vs. daily cold baths and living in a swampy area.

Chemical food

I have never been a fan of what I call 'chemical food'. Well not now. I admit there was a period in my life where I lived on Tab and Diet Coke and went to fast food restaurants occasionally. (I also admit that my favorite food of this lifetime is fried clams.)

I am snickering sarcastically these days at the idea that Coca Cola is trying to reposition their artificially sweetened sodas as not being so bad. Ahem, what is that they say? Its not bad? Oh, come on.

In my personal opinion and I am neither a nutritionist nor a doctor of any sort, coke and diet coke are not health foods. A healthy food has to meet one of three rules to me: Either it has no more than five ingredients or it is handmade and full of natural ingredients or no scary, unpronounceable or unfamiliar ingredients.

This is what is in these two beverages:

Coke's official ingredients: Carbonated water, sugar, colour (caramel E150d), phosphoric acid, natural flavourings (including caffeine).

Diet Coke's official ingredients: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), phosphoric acid, citric acid. Contains a source of phenylalanine.

They clearly fall into the category of chemical food. Phosphoric acid is a rust inhibitor, dental etchant, and a food additive. It gives food a sharper taste and slows mold and bacteria growth. But it might eat away your teeth.

Another comparison between healthy food and chemical food is yogurt. How about yoplait light vs. Fage fat free Greek yogurt.

Yoplait includes aspartame, potassium sorbate, acesulfame Potassium, Red #40, Vitamin A Acetate, Blue #1, and Vitamin D3 with a note that for Phenylketonurics that it contains phenylalanine.

Vs. the ingredients in Fage fat free Blueberry yogurt which is my preferred brand.

INGREDIENTS

STRAINED YOGURT: Grade A Pasteurized Skimmed Milk, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei). BLUEBERRY FRUIT PREPARATION (20%): Blueberries, Cane Sugar, Water, Corn Starch, Contains 2% or less of: Lemon Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum.

So why does a better tasting and healthier product actually contain natural products and has smaller market share? Marketing monopoly? I don't know.

The best and easiest comparison for anyone is the butter vs. margerine comparison. What is in butter: cream and possibly salt.

What is in margarine (I Cant Believe its Not Butter):

Ingredients: Water, Vegetable Mono and Diglycerides (Adds a Negligible Amount of Fat), Rice Starch, Salt, Gelatin, Lactose (From Milk), Soybean Oil (Adds a Negligible Amount of Fat), Vegetable Datem (Adds a Negligible Amount of Fat), Coloring, (Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Disodium EDTA) Used to Protect Quality, Natural Soy Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Artificial Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene (Color).
 
You can do this too - buy your bread in the fresh bakery section of the grocery store or better yet at an organic bakery vs the bread aisle  where the bread was made weeks ago and sits in little packages in a row that might have been shipped across country.

I vote with my feet and buy the healthier way. Go get a laugh and watch some of the Coke commercials for artificial sweeteners.




I find the ad somewhat offensive in that it only says two things: asparatame is safe and obesity is a big problem in the US.  If you switch to diet coke you may no longer be obese. I say save your money and drink some water.

What to eat

I am confused. In an age where the latest trend is to eat healthier food, buy local, and all that, I really do try.

My first motivator is the Mediterranean diet because it is supposed to be healthy and because I like the food. This means eating plant based food like grains, fruits and vegetables, less butter and more olive oil, less red meat and more fish and poultry. I can do this. Except my husband likes steak so when we eat red meat, I have gotten us smaller portions. This works pretty well for us.

Then there is the fibromyalgia diet which is lots of plant based food and lean protein which sounds pretty similar so that should work as well.

But then there is the arthritis diet which says lots of beans particularly ones with antioxidants like red beans, small red kidney beans, and pinto beans as well as black  beans and garbanzos. It also says to avoid the nightshade family to reduce inflammation. Night shade vegetables are tomatoes, eggplant, red bell peppers and potatoes. Some studies have shown them to contribute to increased pain in arthritis patients but this is not yet confirmed.

What is very common in the Mediterranean diet? Tomatoes, egg plant, red bell peppers and potatoes. This clearly leads to a conflict.

Also, there is the breast cancer - soy link. I hate tofu so I opt to skip it. I also avoid soy supplemented food and edamame because every time I turn around, the proverbial them change their mind if it is okay for breast cancer people to eat or not.

So if I take all this advice and summarize it. More chicken and fish, more beans and hummus. Less red peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes which could lead to a boring Mediterranean diet. Skip the tofu as well.

Meet my oncologist and her cookbook

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I had an oncologist who I really liked. He was nice and would explain numbers and statistics to me and give me detailed explanations on treatment options and why he chose one over the other.

At the end of my active treatment phase, he left. He was not given permission for this and I was upset. One big trauma point for cancer patients is when the active treatment portion ends and the come back and see us in six months starts. They go from caring about every sniffle to 'see-ya!'.

I was pretty stressed about the change and did not know what to expect from my new oncologist. But I was pleasantly surprised to find out how nice, compassionate and caring my new oncologist was. Over the past five years I have gotten to know her more. I have seen her speak at events as well as met with her individually.

Now I learned something more about her. She, along with other doctors, has written a cookbook for cancer patients. Now I have to get a copy of it. It is a book for people in active treatment. Its not that I am planning to go back into active treatment but I am a cookbook junkie and I am sure it will be full of good, healthy recipes.

If you are looking for a new oncologist in the Boston area, I do recommend her.

 

This is an ad for a CNN Special called "Escape Fire: the Fight to Rescue American Healthcare" which premiered last night (after my bedtime so I recorded DVRed it and will watch in the next few days).

It was included with this article titled US Manages Disease, Not Health which states that though Obama care represents change and has the goal of helping more Americans get health insurance and access to health care. But tjhat is the wrong question to answer.

They claim the real question that healthcare reform needs to answer is: "How can we improve medical care so that it's worth extending it to more people? In other words, how can we create a health care system that helps people become and stay healthy?"

Personally I would like to believe that both questions should be answered. We need everyone to have access to health insurance and health care and we need a better medical system that helps people become and stay healthy.

As this article claims more focus needs to be on prevention and keeping people healthy where treatments are less expensive and less arduous. We do need to focus on healthier life styles. More exercise - go for a walk instead of watching tv. Provide better food - meaning less processed food, fewer ingredients.

I have seen changes which help make Americans healthier by offering free annual physicals as a preventative measure. There has also been a movement coupled with the recent recession where people are eating healthier, farmers markets are showing up everywhere, and there has been public awareness of the dangers of obesity.

But we have a long way to go. We need health care reform, we need to focus on keeping people healthy, and we need financial reform in the way doctors, medical centers, and insurance companies pay and charge fees.
 

Dash - blah, blah, blah

Blah, blah, blah. Dash. Again. do you know what Dash is? Its that boring diet that won again as the best overall diet. Its called Dash or - Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. It was developed by the NIH. It also helps reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and kidney stones. Blah, blah, blah.

It focuses on limiting your sodium intake as well as the usual balanced plate of grains and fruit and vegetables. So hide the salt shaker and you will do fine. (I like the picture on CNN.com which shows a salad full of olives.)

The thought of it makes my skin crawl. It was introduced to me by a doctor who told me the high blood pressure issues I was experiencing a couple of years ago was completely my fault due to poor eating habits and didn't listen to me at all. I will probably never go on the Dash diet but I don't really use a lot of salt in my food and I eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and grains.

See what a poor bedside manner can do to a patient?

And the best commercial, easiest to follow and all that diet is Weight Watchers, which I sort of live by anyway. You can see more at US News & World Report.

Diet, schmiet. I'm trying. The scale is slowly going in the right direction which is a good thing. We finally are almost rid of all the junk food/candy which accumulated since Halloween - a continuous influx of junk. Now we can go back to eating healthy. And I'll skip the Dash.

Taking charge of my health

I have fallen into a rut of bad behaviors:

• I am eating too much leftover Halloween candy. This is a new 'bad' thing. We never have candy in  our house so we are taking advantage of it. We did not get the trick or treaters we thought we would  and have had candy in the house. I think I need to hide it from us until my brother comes to visit with his wife and four children over Thanksgiving. I can safely say there will not be any candy left by the time they leave.
• We need to eat more fruit and vegetables. This is not to say we do not eat fruit and vegetables. We both have a piece of fruit with breakfast and another as a snack during the day.  We also have a vegetable with dinner every night. But some how we have gotten out of the habit of eating a salad as a first course every night. I have to fix that. 
• I need to lose 20 lb. - see the two items above. Decrease candy + increase salad = weight loss.
• New ailments and on going old ailments make me feel crappy and in pain more and more. I need a lot less of that.

I have to focus on my long term health. After discovering I was allergic to my first two RA drugs, my rheumatologist said something to me and I said 'I am focused on my long term health." It has to be my goal. I go to the gym three times a week and do as much of my work out as I can - some days about half, some days more.

With my medical history, I have to be more proactive than the average person. I have to increase my fruit and veggie intake. I got my flu shot. I do get exercise. I need to be in charge of my health again. I have been lazy.

Cancer killer article

I love these articles which tell us the things to do/eat/drink/avoid to cure cancer. They usually appear on some what dubious websites, full of ads for other 'cures' which make me think of snake oil salesmen. But here's one that tell us the 'Top Ten Natural Cancer Killers'.

Its on prostate.net which is a website for 'healthy living for men'. It requests '© All Prostate.net Content is Copyrighted | Please Link to Us but Don't Copy From Us'.  This little statement is a big red flag in website credibility.

But I digress, here are the top ten natural cancer killers from their website:

1. Beans
2. Broccoli and other vegetables
3. Carrots
4. Red peppers and Capsaicin
5. Garlic
6. Mushrooms
7. Raspberries
8. Resveratrol (found in red wine and grapes)
9. Tomatoes
10. Turmeric

You can read their article on what the benefits of all these are but here is a dinner menu which you could make at home and eat once a week and get all the benefits:

Appetizer

Broccoli and carrot salad - shred or finely chop - add some finely chopped red onion, and fresh parsley, and toss with oil and vinegar or lemon juice.

Entree

Vegetarian stew with beans, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, finely chopped hot red pepper, and onions. Saute onions and garlic. Add beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, some water or vegetable broth. Season with turmeric, Garam Masala, and Vindaloo seasoning (substitute curry powder if none available). Bring to boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over brown rice or with Naan bread.

Dessert

Raspberries and grapes by themselves or over vanilla ice cream. Or puree raspberries and serve over ice cream with grapes on the side.

Beverage

Nice red wine to counteract the heat of the stew.

This is how I cook. I look at what I have and wait for an inspiration. We will not have this for dinner as we are having cheese burgers. We will have it later in the week. I may think the website is dubious and am not sure these will kill off cancer - I would want a little verification before I did believe it. But it would make a relatively easy and healthy meal. A home cooked meal always beats restaurant food.

Eating healthy

Us cancer people need to eat healthy. For some reason with a cancer diagnosis, many people feel the urge to ditch the processed food in their life and eat organic. They turn over a new leaf (no pun intended) on their eating habits. Everyone seems to find their own way to eat healthy, but now the people over at Environmental Working Group have released a list of Good Food on a Budget that makes it easier. Down load a  pdf here.

It is actually full of lots of practical advice and helps you take good intentions and turn them into a menu and grocery list. I think that's the most important part. We all have good intentions and then don't cross the bridge from idea to grocery list very well. But now we have help.

Well that's it for today. My brain is not inspired. Blah. My cold still rules.

Blah, blah, blah

As we approach the end of the month, the media is full of advice on how to keep your resolution to lose weight.Blah, blah, blah. This clip tells you to write down what you eat, get exercise, eat right, and weigh yourself once a week.

Here's my non-professional advice:

1. Eat right. This means no ice cream, french fries, pie, cake, donuts, candy, chips, fried food, or anything snack with more than 5 g of fat or 200 calories except on special occasions. And special occasions do not happen every day. Also, eat a piece of fruit or a serving of vegetables with every meal. Have an apple as a snack, instead of a bag of chips. etc. If you must go to fast food, pay attention to those evil calorie count signs and get a healthy option and not a double bacon cheeseburger, large fries and a large soda. How about a regular burger with an apple and a bottle of water? Plan your snacks by bringing them with you. Don't over complicate things with fancy diets unless you can cook.

2. Get moving. Go to the gym, go for a walk, yoga, zumba, weight training, bike riding, skiing, snow boarding, roller blading, surfing, Just move your butt. No excuses. No drive throughs - park and walk into the bank, restaurant or whatever unless you have three screaming small children in your car. (If you do have three small children you are probably running non stop after them but take them to the playground and run around with them - that counts too.)

3. Its not a diet its a life style change. A diet implies a short term effort. A life style change is permanent. You didn't get fat in six weeks so you won't get skinny in six weeks. Be realistic. Change your eating habits and expect to lose a pound or two a week or 5-8 lbs a month for a permanent change.

4. Weigh yourself once a week at most. If you weigh yourself every day you are on the perpetual yoyo. You lost a pound so you celebrate and eat a pizza. You gain a pound and you are depressed so you eat a pint of ice cream.

Here at our house we are trying to lose weight. I had a banana for breakfast and will go to the gym and come home and have egg beaters for a second breakfast. (I don't have time for breakfast first because I snoozed after the alarm.) Lunch will be a turkey sandwich and maybe some pretzels and an orange. Dinner is asparagus and chicken or something in a crustless quiche, omelet, or souffle (which are all the basically the same ingredients but cooked differently) and a salad. I might have some crackers for a snack this afternoon too. And maybe some wine with dinner. I am not expecting miracles from my scale but I am trying.

So blah, blah, blah. Go figure out your healthy plan and start moving to meet your resolutions.

Eating well vs. eating right

I have new books to read: 'Omnivores Dilemma' and 'Food Rules' - I am on the waiting list at the library for these as of five minutes ago. Michael Pollan, their author, will be speaking in Boston later this month - but tickets are sold out (damn). I need to learn more about this concept of eating well vs. eating right. There is a brief article on it and I want to learn more.

Here is one quote: "You don’t have to eat organic to eat healthily. Eating real food, whether it’s organic or not, is going to do a lot for your health. Any apple is good for you. The pesticides are probably a problem, but the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables outweigh them as far as we know. And there are ways to minimize pesticide exposure by washing and peeling."

And another: "Eating real food, eating meals together with family and friends, cooking, paying attention to where your food comes from..." 

I can do this part. We don't eat processed food. Well not really. I sometimes make bread but not always. I do buy lunch meat for my husband's lunches but they are usually turkey, ham, or roast beef. No salami (unless he sneaks it), definitely no bologna or preprocessed crap. My husband had a cold last month and wanted soup for dinner. I bought chicken and made him soup. He asked me why I didn't just get a can and open it but that's not me. We don't have cans of soup in the pantry, we have containers of frozen home made soup in the freezer. We also have cans of beans and things like that. I don't buy prepared food, I buy ingredients.

I do have problems with parts of this. I like eating apples with their peels and am too lazy to peel them before I eat them so maybe I am getting some pesticides. But I did get a bushel of organic apples this fall that we are (finally) almost done eating. I look at the fish counter, and try to remember which I am supposed to buy farm raised and which wild. I get confused so I usually try to stick with local and wild because that means they came off a boat in Boston harbor as opposed to off a plane at the airport.

I think I am doing some of this right but I am sure there is more. We do eat vegetables and fruit often. My husband complains when I make a sandwich using 'cardboard' bread - the stuff with fiber and whole grain. On Saturday night, I roasted a chicken, made butternut squash and turnips, salad, and sauteed leeks for dinner. I thought that was healthy. Last night, we had left over chicken. Tonight we will have left over everything again, and tomorrow, and Wednesday. We did lapse our salad every night rule for about a month. I got lazy and I had a cold but we are back on track.

So as part of being healthy and taking care of myself, I want to eat well not just eat right.

[Sorry another boring post.]

Taking care of ourselves

Look, another article on increasing health insurance costs! Wowie kazowie! Health insurance rates are going up! Maybe a little less than in the past but still they are going up - which is the wrong direction. Woop de doo! I want an article saying health insurance rates are going down. But we know that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Anyway, its just another article in the long line of articles on rising health care costs to which we are now very accustomed and basically expect them.

This one includes a video from an insurance company big wig as he tries to justify the increasing rates in another 'if-we-can't-kill-them-confuse-them' explanation but he does make some valid points.

One of the biggest reasons for increasing health care costs besides an aging population and technology and medical advances is that we, as a population, are not taking as good care of ourselves. We are fat and lazy and as a result have all sorts of ailments as a result. While I am not a fan of insurance rate increases and our health system overall, I think he has a few valid points. We are our own biggest supporters and our own worst enemies. We owe it to ourselves to get off our butts, eat right, get exercise, brush our teeth, and all that good stuff.

The increase in health ailments, such as cancer, can be attributed to increasing industrialization, longer lives, and pollution among other causes. But they also can be attributed to the fact that as an industrialized nation we have all sorts of 'modern improvements' that made life easier - no more trips to the outhouse and ringing out the clothes by hand - that have made us lazier and lazier. Packaged, prepared, and fast food have made life easier but have increased the chemicals and fat grams we consume without having to get out of our cars and have pretty much eliminated the need for taste buds.

We owe it to ourselves to make the effort to take better care of ourselves - which is the one part of the health insurance mess we can control. We might feel better as well.

How we really eat.

We have our new recommendations on eating right that came out at the beginning of the month. But now real American's have put their slant on it. How we really eat. Face it we are creative.

This is what I will eat today. My breakfast plate will consist of coffee (half decaf with skim milk), a piece of fruit, egg beaters and toast. My lunch plate will be left over Chinese food of brown rice and chicken with peanuts and vegetables. My dinner plate will be salad and chicken quesadillas - which will have onions, scallions, chicken, salsa, and cheese.

Somewhere in there will be a little chocolate too. Maybe I'll have left over Chinese for breakfast and have a sandwich for lunch.

I don't know. I hate following the rules. I like to eat what I like. Everyone has their own version of what they like to eat. We just need to use some common sense and skip the junk.

A friend was telling me her sister was on food stamps and she couldn't buy prepared anything. She had to buy ingredients and make things. I thought that was a great idea. Too bad food stamps don't come with cooking lessons.

I think the people who make up these rules assume a couple things about us:

1. We all know how to cook. Not true. I can cook. I know other people who don't.

2. We follow the rules. We don't. People do eat things like Poptarts and cake.

3. People have time to prepare meals. Not true. How many times have you grabbed what you could and ate it in your car on the way to some place you had to be.

4. We plan our meals and then we actually eat what we planned. Nope. I may have left over Chinese for breakfast instead of my planned healthy meal. Its not even 7am and I'm making changes.