Sassy Sexy Shapely

MSNBC has published yet another list of ways to cut 100 calories from your daily diet.  Many of the tips are commonsense and well known.

1. Flavor your coffee with cinnamon and nutmeg instead of flavored syrup.
2. Enjoy your salad without the croutons.
3. Order pizza with grilled chicken instead of pepperoni.
4. Leave 3 or 4 bites on your plate.
5. Season steamed vegetables with fresh lemon and herbs instead of butter.
6. Choose your piece of sheet cake from the middle, where there’s less icing.
7. Add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice to sweeten fresh brewed iced tea in place of sugar.
8. Control your portions by pouring an individual serving of pretzels or chips into a bowl instead of eating from the bag.
9. Ask for the bread basket to be removed from the table.
10. Dip fruit into fat-free yogurt, and veggies into bean dip or salsa.

#1 is especially interesting.  My first thought after reading it was to suggest using sugar-free syrup instead of regular syrup.  That’s what I do when I go skinny at Starbucks.  I also season my latte with both cinnamon and nutmeg.

There’ve been a lot of reports lately about the newly discovered health benefits of cofee, but cinnamon is a nutritional star, too.  Cinnamon is celebrated for its ability to improve blood sugar control and soothing an upset tummy.  Nutmeg is no slouch either.  It ”…appears to have some beneficial effects on mood, possibly enhancing serotonin’s activity.”

Even if you don’t swap out your regular syrup, you may want to use cinnamon and nutmeg in your coffee anyway!

“If we grew thinner, exercised regularly, avoided diets rich in red meat (substituting poultry, fish or vegetable sources of protein) and ate diets rich in fruits and vegetables, and stopped using tobacco, we would prevent 70 percent of all cancers.”

Wow!  That’s one bold statement in the first paragraph of Newsweek’s Your Lifestyle, Your Genes and Cancer.  It’s the kind of statement that requires one to pause and absorb.  Seventy percent… think about that: preventing seventy percent of all cancers is a BIG deal.

Research just keeps confirming that the American lifestyle is harmful to our collective health - especially when you consider that healthy populations moving here and adopting our habits see their rates of illness increase to match ours.

The bottomline is that our dietary choices and lack of activity are killing us.  We’ve finally accepted that when it comes to tobacco, but we’re only just now recognizing it in relation to weight and exercise.

I’ve never quite understood how this works but apparently:

“Lifestyle influences a person’s risk for cancer by generating growth-promoting signals that affect cells primed to become cancerous, or that already are cancerous. What primes those cells to become cancerous in the first place are changes in their genes.”

“…most of us are born with good genes that succeed in flawlessly organizing our growth and development. After all, our genes have been optimized by more than 600 million years of evolution; they ought to work well. During the course of our lifetimes, though, genes are damaged in various cells throughout the body. It is these mutated genes that drive most cancers.”

The article explores the science of this thoroughly, beyond what I can comprehend, but much of it seems to come down to minimizing inflammation through a healthy diet and mitigating the by-products of inflammation by exercising.

I exercise regularly already (although I could always do more), so I feel pretty solid on that score.  But, my diet continues to need significant refinement.  I’ve been reasonably focused on clean eating, but I think it’s time to revist my Ultra Prevention and Ultrametabolism books.  These books focus intensively on inflammation and ways to avoid it.  The authors have also published a cookbook to help with recipe prep.  I was impressed when I first read Ultra Prevention, but I was also overwhelmed.  I’ve done much more cooking now and gone more in-depth into clean eating, so I think I might be better able to tackle it this time around.

When I calculated the nutrition stats for my Whole Wheat Soy Blend Peanut Butter Cookies, I mistakenly did my calculations based on 15 servings instead of 30.  No wonder they were coming out at 340 calories per cookie!  They are actually a MUCH more reasonable 170 per cookie.  Whew!  I was horrified that the calories were so high.  I am still working on the next version of these babies, though.  I want to get them as low calorically as I can while still keeping them yum-o-licious… and clean, of course.

I have some enhancements in mind.  So, tomorrow night, it’s back to the drawing board.  Maybe the 15th time will be the charm? 

 Whole Wheat Soy Blend Peanut Butter Cookies, v1

• 1 cup Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread
• 1 jar (approx. 2 cups) Smart Balance Omega Peanut Butter, creamy or chunky
• ½ cup egg whites (equivalent to 2 eggs)
• 1 cup Splenda Granular
• 1 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup soy flour

Directions

• Mix together the buttery spread, peanut butter and egg whites in a large bowl. When well blended and creamy, add the Splenda and brown sugar blend. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and salt, and mix again. Finally measure in the baking soda, baking powder and flours. Stir until well blended.
• Shape the dough into balls about an inch in diameter. Arrange them on a cookie sheet. Spray the bottom of a glass with non-stick pray and press to flatten each cookie. Then, use the tines of a fork to create the classic cross-hatch pattern.
• Bake the cookies, on a cookie sheet coated with non-stick spray, at 375° for about 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the sheet pan. Makes about 30 fairly large cookies.

Adapted from a recipe on the Hillbilly Housewife’s website.

No, I’m not talking about romantic preferences here; I’m talking about “non mainstream” food and/or philosophical lifestyles. Sometimes they are the same thing. Take veganism, for instance.

The response to the new book Quantum Wellness has prompted me to consider buying it… and consider adopting a vegan diet plan, at least for 21 days like Oprah.

Being on a fiscal diet as well as a physical one has made articles about extreme anti-consumerism very interesting to me. Most recently, the article “For frugalists, bargain hunting is a lifestyle” caught – and held – my attention.

We tend to accept the status quo: what we see on TV, what our friends and co-workers are doing, what’s presented to us at the supermarket. It’s rare that most of us venture outside the norm and try something different. I did that when I swapped my office chair for a ball, and it still draws comments, questions and sometimes mockery today. I also get raised eyebrows when I talk about my stair workout. Sweating during the workday seems nutty to some. And these things aren’t that far off the radar.

Veganism is becoming more commonplace, particularly with the rise in popularity of food stores like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. These stores make it easier to live the lifestyle by offering pre-packaged items that meet all the criteria. I think it’d be easier for me to follow a vegan diet than it would a raw one. I’ve gotten more comfortable with cooking than I was before, so the recipes seem less daunting to me now.

As far as the anti-consumerism/frugal living ideas go, I haven’t worked up the nerve to try dumpster diving, especially for food. I want to do it, though, at least once… just to say I’ve given it a go. I’ve always believed that we should try most things once in our lives, if only to broaden our experiential horizons. Plus, I’d like someday to be able to live as inexpensively – but as richly – as possible, and if this is a way to achieve that goal, I want to explore it.

I have benefited from hand-me-downs including exercise shorts, a suede jacket, dresses, handbags and shoes. I never turn down a secondhand item that’s offered to me. Even if I don’t use it for the intended purpose, I can always find something else to do with it. One used purse I was given became an art project. I’ve sold other items at garage and yard sales. It feels good to recycle things while enjoying a “new” item that I might not have been able to afford myself.

Sometimes the fiscal and the physical goals work against each other, like when you’re spending extra dollars on organic produce at a store across town. With some planning, though, I think you can accomplish both goals successfully.

It’s food for thought… literally and figuratively! J

 Today is my birthday.  As many of us do when a birthday arrives, I’ve been thinking about where I am in my life, at this age.  Excitingly enough, my life is the best it’s ever been.

• I’m the smallest/lightest I’ve ever been as an adult, wearing a size 4/6.
• I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, getting in four to six days of cardio and two sessions of weight training consistently every week.

Even though it makes sense to list these things first because of the blog’s subject, it still seems like I’m giving them too much importance.  But, the fact is, they are important.  For me, losing weight and exercising has not been about vanity, although appearance has played a role.  These accomplishments are the result of me taking charge of my health and wellbeing… watching the physical deterioration of people I loved and deciding to do everything I could to keep that from happening to me.  They represent years - literally, years - of persistence and commitment through really tough personal challenges.  They represent starting over again, time and after time, because I was unwilling to give up in spite of how hard it was… and how hard it continues to be.  This says a lot about how I feel about myself and my ability to stick to it, whatever “it’ may be. 

• I have wonderful boyfriend to share my life with.

Wow!  This truly is incredible.  As my marriage went south, I began to doubt that a quality relationship was in the cards for me.  The divorce and subsequent dating misadventures reinforced the doubt.  And, yet, here I am, a year and a half into an amazing experience that’s blossoming into a genuine partnership.  We had some ups and downs at the beginning, but we overcame those to start again with an appreciation for what we both bring to the table.  We continue to get better as we go along.  It’s beyond cool.

• I have a terrific job that is intense, exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.

My new gig has taken me in an unexpected direction and is a daily learning experience.  Plus, I am finally back to the salary level I was before I relocated here, actually a little bit more.  Not to mention the excellent retirement benefits.  Woohoo!

• I remain blessed with a fabulous family and fantastic friends.
• I am the proud of owner of The Best Cat on the Planet.
• I live in a spacious condo which I’ve been able to fill with my own original artwork. Even better, it’s on the second floor, so I get at least an additional set of stairs in every day! 

Happy Birthday to me, and a giant “thank you” for all the blessings I enjoy every day!

Obesity… smoking… drinking & drugs… these are seen as national health problems. Lack of sleep? No big deal. The common refrain is, “I’ll sleep when I die.” Well, death – or at least serious health problems – may come sooner than we think because we’re not getting enough shut-eye.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention four-state study on sleeping habits reports that, “with late-night TV watching, Internet surfing and other distractions, Americans are getting less and less sleep.”

“And all this sleeplessness can be a nightmare for your mental and physical health, CDC experts cautioned, calling sleep loss an under-recognized public health problem. Sleep experts say chronic sleep loss is associated with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, depression, cigarette smoking and excessive drinking.”

I can testify to the truth of the findings. I’ve blogged about how my urge to eat rises exponentially when I’m overtired. I’m aware of it, which means I can fight it off to an extent, but it’s still a struggle. I also notice that, after a good night’s rest, my mood improves. Sometimes the improvement is striking.

So why can’t we just shut off the TV, close the laptop, put down the book… and sleep? What’s driving us to stay awake?

For me, a generalized sense of urgency pervades my mind. It keeps thoughts of work and my “life plan” running through my mind at a fast pace, pushing me to research, review and strategize so that I’m ready to take action as soon possible the next day.

Just this week, I’ve started to talk myself through these cycles, remembering that I don’t have to solve every problem this minute. Sleep also gives the brain a chance to process information in a whole different way, so getting adequate rest will actually help me take care of what’s keeping me awake at night.

I hated being weighed at the doctor’s office, so much so that for a long time I would avoid medical visits unless absolutely necessary. Once I learned that I could refuse being weighed, I was more comfortable making appointments. And, now I’m fine with it, although, as I have blogged previously, residual fear remains.

The fear of the doctor’s scale is apparently pervasive among women. According to research reported in the the NY Times’ article The Dreaded Weigh-In, “…women experienced high degrees of discomfort at the prospect of being weighed in the presence of others.”

” ‘Weighing concern may make these women, particularly those who are overweight and already at risk for certain ailments, less likely to visit a doctor,’ ” said lead author Andrew B. Geier, a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences.”

Mr. Geier suggests putting the scale in a private place, so that the numbers aren’t visible to every patient at the doctor’s office. That’s a good idea, but it doesn’t go far enough. I wasn’t just worried about other people seeing my weight; I was worried about seeing it myself. I didn’t want to be weighed at all. I felt I would be judged by the nurse weighing me and then by the doctor when she reviewed my chart.

Considering my lifestyle change, it’s clear that I now fully appreciate the benefits of maintaining a lower weight. But, I believe that in addition to scale privacy, giving patients the option to refuse being weighed is a better way to go. My recommendation is that patients are first asked if they’d like to be weighed. Then, if they say yes, they are taken to a private location to do it.

It’s more important that women go to the doctor than it is to record their weight. Docs can generally tell if a person’s too heavy by looking at them, so the conversation about health concerns related to weight can happen regardless of whether there’s a specific number to discuss.

Even more important, not focusing on a number opens the door to a broader conversation, covering topics such as exercise habits, work/home issues, and the actual food choices –fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. - the person is making. After all, good health goes well beyond a person’s weight; it’s about the lifestyle practices that usually lead to the weight. Talking about those practices is much more likely to lead to a healthy patient than fixating on a number will ever be.

Two reports rocked my happy diet-and-exercise-loving world today.

First, I learned that the inclination to be overweight is largely – no pun intended here - genetic.  An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study of 5,000 identical and non-identical twins “found that differences in body mass index and waist size were 77% governed by genes.” 77%! Talk about a hurdle to overcome if you’re trying to lose weight and get fit.

Then, I learned that living a long, healthy life actually costs our healthcare system more than being sick and dying early does.  The Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment just released a study that thin, healthy adults are more expensive than obese folks or smokers. Fat people aged 20 to 56 were the priciest consumers of healthcare, but because they died sooner, their treatment cost less in the long run.

“Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on. The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000.”

“This throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars,” said Patrick Basham, a professor of health politics at Johns Hopkins University who was unconnected to the study. He said that government projections about obesity costs are frequently based on guesswork, political agendas, and changing science.

Yowsa! I felt like the universe had suddenly tilted at a crazy angle, and I was just trying to hold on.

If we only control 30% of our tendency to be overweight and being overweight actually costs less in healthcare over the long haul than being thin and healthy, why are we struggling day-in and day-out to lose weight and work out? We might as well be sprawled in the recliner, munching on ruffled potato chips and onion dip (yum!) while watching TV!

I’m not breaking out snacks just yet, though.

There’s still a lot we can do if we’re born with fat-friendly genes. As Tam Fry, from the Child Growth Foundation, says, “Even if someone has a gene which predisposes them to obesity, it doesn’t mean they will become obese if they work hard to eat healthily, and take more exercise to burn off those calories.”

And, although being healthy and living longer might cost our medical system slightly more, the quality of life we have as healthy people is more than worth it. I’m willing to spend a few more dollars on my health insurance to enjoy my life as fully as possible as I age, to not suffer the trial and tribulations a serious illness inevitably inflicts, not just on me, but also on my loved ones.

Okay, so some of the tenets of lose-weight-get-healthy movement have been shaken. I’m still on board with it. The benefits of my lifestyle change still far outweigh – again, no pun intended! – the negatives. I’ve been rocked, but I haven’t been knocked off the wagon yet. J