3.25 Sugar is everywhere in our culture. On average, we've gone from consuming several pounds a year per person 200+ years ago, to over 100 pounds a year each, today. Huge consumer product groups like snacks and sodas and breakfast cereals are chocked full of sugar. Why? The refined sucrose and fructose in sugar is truly addicting, with similar effects on our brains as cocaine and other addictive drugs. Getting more raises the threshold of response and we need more to get the same 'benefit.' And what do we get for this addiction? Not only obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but sugar also speeds aging, stresses our liver the same way alcohol does, and interrupts our natural immune responses. And sugar literally feeds the growth and replication of cancer cells. Uhg. Beyond that, sugar in our diet increases inflammation response in our metabolism, and new studies are showing a strong relationship between elevated fructose in our diet and the development of Alzheimer's disease. Natural sugars are better than refined sugars, but both are still concentrated sucrose:
Today's refined white sugar often comes from beet sugar
Cane sugar comes from sugar cane and has been a growing staple of western culture for centuries
High fructose corn syrup is highly-refined corn syrup, it is significantly cheaper than other sugar sweeteners, and it has even worse health impacts
Natural sugars come from raw, unrefined or lightly-refined sources, like honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar.
Natural sugars also come from fruit, and even those add to our overall sugar load
So what is the solution to the sugar addiction and the health trauma that results? Moderation. Do we need to eliminate sugar? No, not all of it - just reduce refined sugar intake and keep it under control. The American Heart Assn says no more than 100 calories from refined sugars per day for women, and no more than 150 calories per day for men. Keeping sweeteners to natural forms like honey is best, or minimally-refined ones like maple syrup or agave nectar. The point with any sweeteners, though, is moderation. Without moderation in our sweeteners, we can develop a sugar addiction (remember, it eventually takes more and more sugar to get the same amount of satisfaction.) With moderation, we find simple enjoyment from the sweetness of fruit and the occasional sweet treat, and they're easy to walk away from. Take a hard look at your sugar habits and sweet expectations. If you are overcome with an uncontrollable desire for sweets, start today to detox from sugar and give moderation a try.
By the Way
Fruit sugars are much healthier than any prepared sugars or refined sweeteners, but these are sugars just the same. The only redeeming quality of getting sugar from whole fruit is the fiber and carbohydrates from the fruit, which help our bodies metabolize and use the sucrose with less ill-effects.
3.24 I have a co-worker who is super-healthy and vegan. He understands the value of nutrient-dense foods and a plant-based diet, and we have frequent conversations about what's new (to us) in healthy choices and recipes. The other day he sent me several articles about protein and how much misinformation is out there about needing lots of protein in our diet. The research was gathered and supported by Gatorade and focused a lot on how even committed athletes don't need nearly the amount of protein that conventional wisdom indicates. This misinformation is systemic in our western culture, and it doesn't look like it will get better anytime soon. The truth is, a plant-based diet rich in veggies, fruits, healthy grains, nuts and seeds will far outpace a protein-rich diet focused on dairy and animal proteins. I often say that if we lived on the plains of Kansas in the 1800's we'd be incredibly grateful for a cow and her milk, some chickens and their eggs, and maybe a couple of pigs if we were really blessed. At least with a small barn yard, we would have some calorie-dense meats that would nourish our family consistently. And some fresh grains and produce thrown in, and we might even prosper. But we don't live in the 1800's, and we have so many options for healthy food buying and eating, we have no excuse to get this wrong. The bigger issue is changing the message. We still have an archaic centralized government message telling us that dairy is essential to our health (especially brainwashing our kids in public school) and supporting big meat industry messages and sales volumes to a willing public. I get that there is nothing more savory than the smell and taste of grilled meat. Throw in some salt and garlic, and hey, how can something that tastes this good be bad for you?! In small, occasional amounts and meals? No problem. But at the exorbitant rate that western culture eats meat protein, we write our own prescription for disease and untimely demise. If you aren't convinced, do your own research. Check out Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Dean Ornish, and web resources like MindBodyGreen. We live with food-abundance like never before, and with extensive information available, we have no excuse for living with food-related poor health. What we will hear and learn from government and conventional media is full of half-truths and lobbyist-fed industry pandering. The truth on healthful foods is not what we think.
By the Way
If you really want to update your perspective on plant-based eating and healthful choices, check out these valuable documentaries (available on Netflix, or at their websites): Fork Over Knives Food Matters Hungry for Change These are all exceptionally eye-opening. Here's to upgrading what we know about our food choices and making healthful choices.
3.23 Summer is almost over! Quick, what are all those fun things we wanted to do before Labor Day and school restarting?! We checked off one: our family just returned from an epic two-week+ vacation out West... it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to suspend the 'rules' and engage life in a completely different way for a while. But a healthful lifestyle isn't conditional. After all, it's a lifestyle. I'm usually a "90/10" eater. 90% of my calories typically come from nutrient-dense, plant-based foods, and about 10% are some rare dairy or lean meats or something processed. On vacation though, it was probably more like 70/30. We enjoyed ribs in Wyoming and excellent smoky BBQ in Colorado, and also had trout, tremendous salmon dip, and several wonderful salads. Mmmm... That's what vacation is all about. It's okay to change the rules for a while, as long as we know where our baseline is. Changing the rules is different than breaking the rules. And I've been a clean eater for so many years that I know I'll pay for straying from healthful choices. My body and metabolism react to poor food choices. But hey, I'm okay with that for a brief spell of summer. Now that we're back in the swing of things I look forward to cleansing for a bit and then this fall, I'm planning on bringing more variety to my own healthful diet, and the overall food choices our family enjoys. How about your summer? Hopefully it's been fun and relaxing and memorable. And if you feel like you fell off the wagon where your health and eating are concerned, it's simple enough to take a deep breath, contemplate your choices a bit, and get back to your wellness baseline.
By the Way
Part of my changing the rules was having ice cream twice on vacation (one was a fudge sundae) and it was fleetingly awesome. Because I wasn't running or working out, I didn't notice the dragging lethargy that usually hits me when I eat dairy. For healthy choices though, I also had a delicious dairy free treat at a frozen yogurt shop, and the organic plum sorbet at Moo's in Jackson Hole, WY. Tremendous!
3.22 Today was filled with undiluted awesome! I completed my first Spartan Race, the Sprint in Palmerton, PA (at Blue Mountain Ski resort). It was everything you would expect it to be and more, full of life-lessons, physical challenges and exertion that you can't get anywhere else, and the personal victory of finishing. I had this crazy idea a year or so ago to do an obstacle course run, and after studying a number of the mud-runs out there, settled on Spartan Races because they are the classiest and seemed to be the most well-run. I was right on both counts. Their goal behind great planning and execution is to get our sedentary, overfed population off the couch and engaged in this great life around us. And the Spartan races certainly do just that. There were thousands of racers there today, from the most serious gym-enthusiasts to the middle-aged casual-training guys like me. I hit my three modest goals today: Finish (my time was 3:12:24); don't get injured (no blisters, sprains or cuts, just one small rope burn); don't throw up. Mission accomplished! There are so many lessons learned it would much more than the space I could commit here. But the great thing is that finishing a significant personal goal reminds you that you have
what it takes, and after the finish line you can be assured it was all worth it. Now it's time to rest up, and I've already been hitting the apple cider vinegar to help my muscle recovery, and just get a good night's sleep. If you feel like you haven't done something 'significant' lately, dig deep and challenge your thinking, and maybe you'll find yourself on a personal journey toward something that will change your life.
By the Way
There was one huge disappointment for such a great day - my Fitbit Blaze isn't waterproof!! There are numerous waterholes and wet events in a Spartan Race which would have wrecked it... So for all the extreme physical challenges, exertion and accomplishment I had today, I wasn't able to record any of it. But no worries, I know what an awesome day it was!
3.21 I was talking with a business colleague a few weeks ago about some wellness discoveries he is making, and how he is benefiting in significant ways. He also shared one of his recent discoveries about beet juice with me, which got me thinking and researching. One thing he tried out some time ago was MyFitnessPal, and took it seriously, logging his food choices consistently and making appropriate additions and deletions. Now he is training for and running in half-marathons and has seen his weight drop and energy increase. I love hearing power pantry stories like his. Stories outlining how life wasn't terrible or unhinged, but could obviously be better. And then this new world of nutritional excellence and discerning choices opens up, and voila', unanticipated benefits begin to accrue. And I really appreciate that he mentioned about the substantial benefits of beet juice. As a new runner, he was trying to improve his times and endurance, and had found that beet juice was giving him an edge. Making the hand-off of a personal discovery solidifies our place in the lifestyle wellness community - we're in it together...So here are some things I looked into and am learning about the numerous benefits of beet juice as well:
the micronutrients and antioxidants in beet juice aid in cleansing and detox
betaine in beet juice fights inflammation in tissue which can reduce the effects of arthritis, skin issues like acne, heart disease and things like kidney stones and gout
beet juice lowers blood pressure by helping our bodies produce nitric oxide which relaxes and dilates blood vessels
it assists with the absorption of oxygen, providing more stamina in workouts and cardio exertion
Check out some of these resources on how beets are a natural source of nutritional health and healing: Dr. Mercola on the benefits of beets Beet juice benefits from The Best of Raw Food website So if you want to try out a great, nutritionally-dense raw food that your body will love, give beets and beet juice a try. And wherever you are in your journey of wellness, share what you're learning with someone and maybe you'll be helping them on their journey as well.
By the Way
Because beet juice helps with the absorption of oxygen, it is also known for improving endurance and reducing your time in running events. While the effect doesn't seem to benefit Olympic-level athletes (they apparently reach their ideal oxygen absorption through years of extensive training) studies show beet juice is helpful for the novice to moderate athlete. You could try cold-pressed beet juices like those from Naked Juice, or supplements from Beet Elite, if you're really serious.
3.20 My 2016 training season continues. Some months ago I asked the question about your training season. Are you training for a running event? Or are you signed up to walk in a benefit walk? Maybe you get to the gym regularly and you're progressing toward lower weight and better muscle mass to improve base metabolism... Whatever your training may be, you may soon realize, as I have, that the training never ends. I was talking with a coworker this past week about the Spartan Sprint I'm signed up for. I've been training much differently for this race than I would for a marathon or running race. It's been really challenging. Mud runs like a Spartan race may seem like an odd activity. Why would anyone choose to do this? What I've come to realize is that the journey to any one event is really the payoff. That is really why people do these, and that is the passion many of the organizers have for creating them. Crossing the finish line confirms that we paid our dues, and having a better time than last race can indicate growth. But it really is all about the journey. Millions of people worldwide participate in mud runs every year. Think of the hundreds of millions of hours of training, all around the globe, and the life-change that represents. Wow. To me, that's the point. The training and journey are their own reward, and as we are truly committed to a wellness lifestyle, the training never ends. That is a great truth, and happens a step at a time, month after month, and over the years, we get closer to whatever valuable goal we have before us. So if you or those close to you have been flirting with a wellness lifestyle, maybe it's time to commit to a never-ending investment in health and wellness. You'll benefit, they'll benefit, and there's a good chance your journey will inspire someone else on their journey.
By the Way
Joe De Sena, founder of Spartan Races, says it all in this recent promo video for Spartan Races... maybe it's your time, too...
3.19 Modern life brings many conveniences, and I also think we are exposed to a lot of unintended consequences. A while back, a friend of mine suggested I do a post on 'earthing' or 'grounding'. He relayed a story about a friend of his who had significant health issues which were totally overcome by getting barefoot on a beach. That sounded a bit odd to me, but a bit familiar at the same time... So I did some of my own research, and realized I was vaguely familiar with what this friend of mine was describing. There is growing evidence of the benefit of 'grounding' our bodies to the earth (think of electrical grounding just like we do for appliances, and house wiring, except we're doing this with our bodies.) To benefit physically from earthing, or grounding, all we need to do is walk barefoot on a natural surface or get in a body of water. What? That sounds a bit crazy... but stick with me and recognize where we find ourselves. For millennia humans wore foot coverings made of animal hides, etc., or no foot coverings at all. Since about the 1950's shoes have been made more and more of synthetics, especially rubber and plastics. Animal hides are great conductors of electric current, so they are great at grounding; synthetics are great insulators, so they break our connection to the earth's grounding potential. 'So what' you many ask? The free radicals we all have in our bodies, as well as numerous other inflammation-causing imbalanced electrical charges, all lead to poor health. These electrical charges can be neutralized through grounding our bodies; literally getting our shoes off and making a connection to the grass in the yard, walking on a beach, or getting our hands in the soil or swimming in the ocean or a pool. All of these will reduce or eliminate the additional electric charges present in our bodies, while we're grounded. If we would make this grounding connection for 30 minutes a day, I suspect we would see our health improve, maybe by leaps and bounds. Sounds crazy, but I would say give it a try. Think of how it feels to lay in the grass and watch the clouds or star gaze... both of these are good means of grounding. Running on the beach? That's a wonderful way of grounding. A daily swim? Great idea. Earthing and grounding is a worthwhile wellness pursuit. If you're ready to improve your connection with the earth, check out this article from Dr. Joseph Mercola with extensive explanation and resources for next steps. Enjoy your connection.
By the Way
I love that Dr. Mercola gives broader context: he highlights that there are numerous European communities (in Germany, Austria and Switzerland) where their daily routine starts with a barefoot stroll. I would venture to guess that health challenges of those citizens are significantly less than others in our modern, Western society.
