@Andrae Smith : Some vitamins are denatured by the high temperatures, that's true, but for some foods, such as tomatoes and pulses, the thorough cooking is what makes them especially healthy. Also, cooked food is easier to digest, thus giving you more 'bang for your buck'. It also allows for meals to be cooked with bones, which releases the bone marrow goodness which is very nutritious. Pulses and legumes have to cook for hours anyway, and once you have your delicious, economical, crock pot stew, or a soup, you can pair it up with some steamed veg on the side, brown rice, or salad. It's a mistake to think that only raw or minimally cooked food is best for us. It isn't, it's just one type of food we need to include if we want to have a balanced diet.
Oh shoot, @Lewdog, I never thought to look for pots there. It's always been a battle of what to spend on and how often I'd use it... hmm. this gives me new perspective. @jazzabel it's funny that you say that because my friend and I just had this same discussion on Facebook this morning. I think you're right (not like my thoughts would really change the facts ). You have, admittedly, given me something new to consider and research though. Ah well, all a part of being a conscious, unbiased eater ha ha. As I told my friend, I think the freshness obsession is a part of the push to "resell" health and wellness. It's a movement, a craze, an image that people are buying into without checking things out. People all over the states are tweeting #fitlife, #eatright, #eatorganic #rawfoods #gymtime and many many many more, but I wonder how many actually know what they are doing beyond what is being publicized. I'm not judging them, I have more learning to do, as you've shown. But I'd rather learn what is really healthy, than buy what's being old to me as healthy.
@Andrae Smith : I remember reading a research that found eating disorders and body issues were most common among the fitness community, even more than the fashion industry. It's because of the focus on health and muscle mass and shape, tone, and body fat percentage. And even though not the same as anorexia, it likewise nurtures the obsession with eating right, exercising, and maintaining a certain physical appearance that doesn't come naturally but has to be worked hard at. Athletes can be perfectly healthy, though, and many people just love to run long distance or play a sport, so it all depends on what they are eating and whether the fat phobia is present or not. Diet and health, even though sciences that require quite detailed knowledge, are very close to all of us, so naturally, we feel that we should instinctively 'know' what's good for us. Also, this makes people susceptible to blindly accept a nicely packaged and explained theory, presented as fact, as long as it promises weight loss, lower body fat, fewer inches, six pack, health and longevity. Studies do show that restricted calorie diets promote longevity, but low calorie isn't the same as forbidding ingredients or odd patterns of gorge alternating with starve, which seems to be the basis for most fad diets. It's been shown that long term dieting can be unhealthy too, such as low fat diets causing cognitive decline and vitamin deficiencies, because we need regular fat in order to allow cells to regenerate and function properly. Or artificial sweeteners messing with insulin and satiety levels. Raw or barely cooked fruit and veg and grainy breads, as healthy as they are, can cause problems for people who can't tolerate too much fibre. It gives them irritable bowel symptoms, so they can end up malabsorbing and loosing weight, having diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nutrient deficiencies etc. For others, the reason why they drop body fat on this type of diet is because we can extract more calories more easily from well cooked food (at lower metabolic expense to ourselves) then from raw. But raw has more vitamins than cooked. I think that having a little bit of everything in our diet gives us all the nutrients we need whilst filling us up and giving us fuel to go about our day. Lifestyle and balance are the only things that actually make a difference between healthy and unhealthy in this context Best advice I heard so far is - don't eat anything you grandmother wouldn't recognise as food. Makes sense
Basically ankylosing spondylitis is rheumatism of the spine although it also causes pains in the sternum / rib cage and all over the back muscles. I also have two degenerated discs in my lower back and a spinal disc prolapse, which have bugged me much longer (the spondylitis is a new thing). And no, none of it's the result of injury. The degenerated discs and the prolapse might have been... made more possible by excessive training with less-than-perfect technique, but it's not certain. My physiatrist and orthopedist believe I was just dealt bad cards since there are no such problems in my family; some just have bad luck. At least now I have a solid reason to make time for exercise since exercise is crucial in the treatment of spondylitis. I love combat sports because you get to test your mettle against other people (I'm very competitive by nature). When it comes time to spar, I always try to pair up with the biggest, toughest guys of the gym (one of the instructors is a monster at 6'2 / 250lbs). I know they'll kick my ass (and those who've gone light at first, I've told not to hold back), but I've always been a bit of a bonehead; I learn best the hard way. Besides, when they pummel me hard, I won't feel bad when I get in a few good ones too. And there really is something strangely (masochistically?) satisfying in seeing blood on your mouthguard or blowing your nose only to notice it's dried up blood that blocked it. Weird, I know, but I guess it has something to do with the warrior mentality: you know you trained hard when you got a few bumps and bruises to show for it and training hard is a pretty effective method of learning. And, of course, getting hurt is a pretty good motivator for learning to defend yourself: my head movement and guard have improved dramatically since we joined the sparring group and my eye for finding openings and counters has also gotten much better in just a couple of months. Of course, sometimes I pair up with @KaTrian, and since I'm 6 inches taller and 72lbs heavier, I gotta go light (or as light as I would go with a guy her size anyway), but that's when I focus purely on technique and tactics; how can I slip in a solid hit? How can I trick her guard down to get in a good hook? How could I draw her in to connect with that overhead counter? It becomes like a really fast-paced chess game. And it's just plain scary how quickly she's getting good at it, grasping in one session techniques and concepts that took me years to internalize. Btw, if you don't like hitting people, you might want to give Brazilian jiu-jitsu a go. We trained that for a while a couple of years back and we loved it so much, we're going back after we've gotten this boxing bug out of our systems (probably in a year or so). Our goal is to get blue belts (the one after the white belt), but it's gonna take at least a year since in BJJ they really don't give belts easy. Here the mentality is that you get your blue belt when you can beat all the other white belts and that's no small feat. Especially since the club where we trained was truly a weird one: I'm a pretty big guy at 6'1 / 185lbs, but I was the 2nd smallest guy in that group and none of the others were fat; just plain huge, muscular guys. One of them was a pro boxer (a heavy weight) and wrestling with him was like trying to wrestle a brick wall. The funny thing is, Kat choked him out, something I never managed. Seriously, grappling with her is like grappling with an eel with eight limbs. Anyway, BJJ is great for those who don't really want to hurt their opponents. Sure, the training hurts (in our group, someone got injured somehow in every training session, be it a sprained muscle, a nosebleed, an opened eyebrow, a twisted ankle, what have you), but it's also so much fun because unlike in the striking arts where even hard sparring isn't usually done with 100% force, in BJJ and other grappling arts, you can use 100% of your strength in a relatively safe setting. It's truly exhilarating. And it's awesome when you're scared of going to train because you know you're going to get hurt, but you overcome your fear, go to the gym anyway, and face the challenge. Afterwards the feeling of triumph is the best feeling ever. And it's funny how people stare at you in public places when you got mat or gi burns on your face and neck.
Haha! Sounds feral! I love it! @andrea Smith It can be a journey to learn how to be intune with your body. Keep at it! Took me a while to understand myself (and always does with everything, hah).
I'm coming late to this discussion (having been 'away' from the internet for about a week.) I think @Andrae Smith 's original post is a good thing to think about. Lots of tips and lifestyles represented here. I'm going to turn 65 this year, and as yet have no health problems requiring any medication, so I guess I'm not doing too badly. I have normal cholesterol and blood pressure. I'm overweight, but I got that way by eating too much (huge appetite) and not by eating the 'wrong' stuff. I'm working on losing weight, and have managed to drop a stone since January, so I'm headed in the right direction. My favourite exercise as an adult has always been walking. I've done lots of it ...and a lot of it carrying a backpack. This is something I'd re-think, if I had my life to live over, because various heavy backpacks did put unnecessary stress on my knees, which developed problems (before I got 'fat.') I also did a fair amount of speedskating in my youth, and that, too, stressed my knees. I've managed to repair my knees to a great extent (glucosamine/chondrytin is excellent for repairing cartilage) and am back to walking again, although I try to avoid uphill/downhill treks and uneven ground, and I NEVER carry a backpack any more. But I do a brisk walk - a half-hour to an hour - every day now, weather permitting. So I feel pretty good, for somebody who has never exercised for its own sake. (Bores the crap out of me!) Most of the jobs I held before retirement were very physically active, so I got a lot of exercise simply being at work. And I always walked to and from work, so that was an additional activity. I ate well as a child, within the scope of what was available then, and feel I had a relatively healthy upbringing. When I was in my 20s I became a vegetarian for a few years (wanting a healthy, sustainable lifestyle) and learned a LOT about nutrition. I finally went back to including meat in my diet, but it is not central to what I eat. I only eat meat once in a while, and it's usually part of a larger dish, like a stir-fry, a homemade curry, stew, whatever. I eat lots of vegetables and fruit. My big weakness is cheese and dairy, but I offset that with plenty of good stuff like nuts, wholegrains, etc. I bake my own bread every week, so I know exactly what's going into that. I do eat sugar, but in small quantities, and I'm fortunate to have weaned myself off a sweet tooth many years ago. I drink lots of black coffee, which I feel is beneficial. So that's my health regime. I do take a cod liver oil supplement to ensure my Vitamin A and D levels are normal, and usually a 500mg Vitamin C tablet as well. That's about it. I believe in a little of what you fancy, a non-regimented attitude toward food and exercise, and just having fun whenever possible. Oh, I don't use cosmetics, and only use olive oil as a skin moisturiser. I avoid chemical products as much as possible, although I'm not a fanatic about things like shampoo, detergent, bleach, etc. I just try to use as little as possible, not only for my health but for the environment as well. I guess I'd say avoid anything that smacks of fanaticism, and you'll be fine! None of us live forever, and something will 'getcha' in the end. The trick is to enjoy the life you've got and don't deliberately screw it up. Avoid smoking, heavy drinking, nuclear waste and skydiving and you'll probably live to a ripe old age.
@jannert : Great comment! I recently discovered the line 'Burt's Bees' they have really wonderful volumising shampoo and all sorts of body moisturisers and even tinted lip balms, all organic and based on honey and beeswax. Really nice stuff and inexpensive too
I'm a big fan of LUSH, meself. I buy my shampoos, conditioners and soaps from them. They are lovely to use, and the staff in those stores are great fun. I'll keep my eye peeled for Burt's Bees, though.
At the different GNC's I managed, we sold a ton of Burt's Bees products and those Dr. Bronner's different hemp soaps.
@jannert I really enjoyed reading your post. It just goes to show, healthy living is very possible. It shines a new light on the things that we consider crucial to health and fitness. Long-term strain on muscles and joints can truly wear them out. I like the fact that you are so conscious. Your advice is sound too, but why no skydiving??? I soooo plan to go skydiving one of these days ha ha! @jazzabel, I've said it before, but I'll say it again, you're brilliant. There's just no arguing with what you've presented (as far as I can tell). We have a tendency to overdue things in part of an obsession for perfection. But, as you said, it's important to strike a balance. Too much of anything while not enough of another is bad. I think optimum health comes from a balanced, diverse diet and regular activity. We don't all have to climb mountains, but we don't always need to take the elevator or escalator to go up one floor. And that is some good advice. She may not know he science behind things, but my great-grandma has generally been right about her foods. @T.Trian yeah, that kinda sucks, but I'm glad training and exercising relieves some of the pain and helps you out. I realize, now, just how many people are suffering from something. I've almost taken it for granted to be in as good of health as I am. I better capitalize on this time that I have. I've had slight neck, back, and shoulder pains this school year, and I realized it's from all the sitting. Once I got back into motion, everything straightened out. I tried wrestling back in my freshmen year of high school and it kicked my butt. I didn't last long (partly due to the fact that I wasn't at my healthiest back then). I didn't join football even though I would have been good, because I just didn't have much of an aggression to dominate. It was there on occasion, but I completely fell in love with shot put and discus. It was just me and the ring. Everything is determined by how much I can synchronize my mind and body to do what I wanted to do as well as extend into the shot or disc to project my will into it. I was more of a discus guy, and let me tell you, I was never happier than when I had a good day in the ring. Just the intense focus, and yet the need to stay relaxed, all while building up to an explosion at the end of the throw.... It took me. And when I got really good at the technique, I could run through that 8.5 ft circle for hours. I never got tired of watching a well thrown discus sail through the air. And don't even get me stated on competition ays. I had the competitive edge to want to win, but I loved the fact that in order to win not only did I have to be the better thrower, but I had to be better in that 2.5-3 second moment where in I had to ground myself, get into myself, and then bring everything out in precise, controlled movements and yet with such fierceness. My coach trained us to yell (back before he left and I spent 3 seasons coaching instad of getting much better myself), and you would know how good my throw was by the yell. mmm... just thinking about it makes me all excited and nostalgic. I would have thrown in college, but ASU only takes the best of the best cuz they have a world class track program darn near.
Oh yeah, you learn to appreciate your health when you lose it, so try to enjoy it while it lasts. Also, I highly recommend preventative back exercises so you can avoid chronic back problems 10 years from now. One thing that's absolutely crucial is strengthening your core muscles (stuff like the ab wheel, the plank etc) and I recently read an article where they said that the correct way to sit is so that you can stand up without leaning / rocking forward. I haven't tried that because I avoid sitting like the plague (nothing aggravates my back more), but I will as soon as I have to sit again. Another thing that's great for the back as well as the core muscles is swimming. Hell, it's great for every muscle group, easy on the joints etc. and you get a killer bod to go with your health.
@T.Trian I've only just remembered how important core strength is... I tell people all the time too. I guess I'll stop being lazy and get serious now ha ha. No more games. Shoot and there is poo down stares and the weather is great. I can swim some laps! I've also taken to yoga, which I need to get back into.
An interesting topic, @Andrae Smith! It's really encouraging to hear what others are doing to stay alive. Also, I can understand any falling out with yoga; It's really hard to stay on track with that kind of thing. A shirt I had my favourite song lyrics custom-printed onto started getting really tight, so I began eating a bowl of cereal (almond milk, don't even touch soy) every morning before work and a heaping dinner plate of a rainbow-coloured salad every day. Combine that with lots of baked beans for protein. My running theory is that my intake of healthy food should outmatch my intake of unhealthy food. And absolutely no bread. Cutting out doughy delights is harder than it sounds, as I'm a freaking baker, but I've managed to so far. After a month of it, the shirt fit again (It's an extra small, though, so the sleeves look weirdly short on my arms) and I've stuck with it since. Amazed at how much healthier I feel. My guilty 'filler' food right now is lots and lots of pasta; it needs to go, but it's hard to find good alternatives. My ancestors, likely named 'Fat Eddy' and 'Toni' and 'Mario,' started that bad habit .
I thought about cutting bread, then I realized, whole grain isn't all that bad for you. Moderation is the key. I have to get over cookies and pastries. It's getting easier as I replace them with carrots and apples, but some days... I still grab one or two. Working on it though. I feel you on the salad. My trouble is less with my diet now than actually working out--which is odd because I've never had an issue with exercising... scratch that, I haven't since I was in 5th or 6th grade, like 8 or 9 years ago...
Awww....I hate the thought that you don't allow yourself bread any more, even though you love it, and are trying to cut out pasta too. I love those two things myself, and could easily 'overdose' on them. But I think the trick is not to cut them out (unless you're allergic to gluten and it's making you ill) but to cut way down. Just eat lots of veggies with your pasta, etc. Make sure you don't eat white flour products on anything other than special occasions, and don't wallop through a box of doughnuts a day. Me, I LOVE pizza, and occasionally treat myself. When I do, it's whole hog, all the toppings, etc ...but I just don't do it very often. Once a month, if that. Your diet sounds fine, but don't cut out everything you love. Just reduce the amount, and you should be fine. And if you, like Fat Eddy and the rest of your Italian ancestors, eat plenty of olive oil instead of butter and other 'bad' fats, you won't get a high cholesterol count. Just enjoy your food. I use the mantra "A little of what you fancy does you no harm." A friend of mine, who has been a food fanatic for years—ie she eats all the weird faddy stuff, has cut dairy, meat, grains etc out of her diet, switched to coconut oil and rapeseed oil, eats various leaves and seeds from exotic places, bla de bla–is now a diabetic and has just been diagnosed and treated (successfully) for breast cancer. So there is no guarantee. I think the 'diet food' industry makes a lot of money out of peddling the 'silver bullet' notion of special foods being a cure for every ill. Load of nonsense...
I've boxed since i was young, my uncle is a trainer and my younger cousin fights in MMA. I'm a big guy and like to keep it that way so i lift weights almost everyday, one or two days rest is usually enough for me. Carido wise i cycle often, 22-24 miles a day for work, rest when im off, or if im too knackered i ride one of the motorcycles in. Nutrition wise, i eat standard bodybuilding stuff, your chickens, turkey, sweet potatoes, tuna, protein shakes etc. A multivitamin and a few other supplements. I have a keen interest in nutrition and im quite well read on the subject so i do like a good debate on it. I study physiotherapy so keeping injury free is interesting, but when i do go and get an injury its a learning opportunity, and from the patient side too.
I like that idea. It's true, you learn a lot from injury. And some of it is NOT what you're 'told' will happen. It's good to get to know your own body, isn't it?
The thing with eating disorders -- this may vary, though, depending on the individual -- is that you think you're in control, but really you're just food's bitch. But with the right choices, one can really improve and maintain their health. I'm big on doing "pre-emptive" physiotherapy; I want my core to be strong and my posture healthy 'cause I'm afraid of ending up with back problems. Since you're studying to become a teacher, the good news is, you get to stand a lot. I'm teaching in a brand new school right now and they've really put some thought into ergonomics, so even the time between classes allows you to work without having to crouch by a desk; there're saddle chairs, couches, and these torso-high desks, so you're encouraged to avoid the typical office worker's positions. I personally love it. We also have a classroom with beanbag chairs and another with couches and armchairs That's okay, I couldn't understand it before either. I guess the universe wanted to teach me a lesson, then I guess I should've seen it coming. I'm the cliché over-achieving female in this sense. Burn-out, depression, and perfectionism tend to go hand in hand. Especially after T's back problems, I've started pushing myself harder. Writing, exercise, and eating well helps keep me sane I think I'm slowly getting the hang of sparring with a taller partner, which is pretty much every time I spar 'cause I'm the only girl in our group. But it's super frustrating. My hubby has naturally long arms, so he's fine against taller guys (though come to think of it, he's probably the tallest there anyway), but I'm only 5'7'' and even the only guy who's my height has longer arms. It seems men tend to have proportionally longer limbs... I got this raw food book from my mother-in-law, and there were some interesting tips, but the sanctimonious, holier-than-thou tone really got on my nerves. Basically anybody who ever eats a donut is a fat pig. How about protein pasta? Don't know if you have it in your neck of the woods. Over here everything's protein enriched nowadays because fitness is the 'it' thing... It seems bread and pasta just don't work for some people, and I'd imagine it's possible to maintain a pretty good diet without ever eating bread. Where I come from rye bread is the standard, and this pale whey bread (French loaves, ciabattas, etc.) just don't seem to keep me sated the way rye (or oat) does. I don't care for pasta too much, but when I eat it, it's always whole grain. As of late I've favored a rice mix (wild rice, whole grain and red rice) or sweet potatoes, but sometimes I eat the chicken breast with only salad. My guilty pleasure is whole grain toast with honey and butter, but I only get to eat such breakfast once or twice a week. It hasn't affected my weight, but then again, nothing seems to, apart from starvation.
alot of people bashed fat a few years ago, now its carb's turn. Truth is none of it really matters too much if you calorie consumption isnt higher than your expenditure. That is of course if your aim is to lose fat.
See, I can imagine that being true. We had a chapter or two on eating disorders back in my health class, and one of the things that came up is that the individual rarely knows he or she has a problem... But I try to be sympathetic and compassionate regardless. "Pre-emptive" is a good way to go. That's what really got me started working out, way back when. I wanted to avoid health problems. Then somewhere along the lines my focused shifted to becoming the best athlete for competition. Then, when I had no more competition, and no more built in physical activity, I pretty much sowed my wrk out train to a near stop. Only recently did I remember why I started in the first place. Core and back strength are hugely important, and leg strength. This sounds so great. I can't wait. And what's more is I also want to become a discus coach, so that gives me all the more reason to get and stay in shape. Coaches are supposed to be role models of health, fitness, and skill. The universe is one of the hardest teachers I've ever had... It seems to be fond of whacking people across the knuckles I'm sure you've heard this a thousand times now, but just don't push yourself too hard. Don't go stressing over things in the river if they aren't stopping the flow. You're right, if all someone wants to do is lose fat (at least initially). But like I tell my friends, weight loss is good, but it is better to be conscious of what you're taking in. Some things are simply high in LDL cholesterol while others re high in HDL. Saturated fat took a huge hit recently; although, now research is pointing to carbs and sugars. I you really want to be healthy, don't follow the latest trends, just stay up to date on nutritional research/news, eat balanced, well-portioned meals, stay active, find time for peace and rest, and BE HAPPY!
And then there's the "skinny fatso" -effect. If you eat mostly, say, carbs and very little to no protein, you'll lose weight, but a lot of it will be muscle mass and you'll end up like so many anorexic girls: they're skinny, yeah, but their thighs, butts, and stomachs are still wobbly because their body fat percentage is still relatively high. If you keep your protein intake high enough (say, 3 x 15-20g a day), a bigger portion of the weight you lose will be fat. My current goal is to lose weight, but do it by lowering my body fat percentage. I'm pretty sure that if I get it somewhere below ten, I'll be light enough to go down one weight class in boxing.
Bingo! My current goal is to build up muscle mass, but I also want to tone up, so I kinda have to be choosy right now. I've shrunken a lot from not working out, s I should be more tone, but I lost mostly muscle. If I build up my muscle without packin on the carbs, I can effectively build muscle and tone at the same time because I'm thinner, and closer. In other words, if I do the right combo of workouts, and watch my intake, I can build and strengthen my muscles and have the toning effects, like those people who go from scrawny to buff without hitting the fat guy stage. (although I'm not coming from scrawny lol)
There are a lot of things that you have to take into consideration in some of the things you are talking about. First and foremost, if you plan on upping your protein uptake, you need to check for a family history of kidney stones and/or gastric problems. High protein take can help to cause kidney stones, and for those with gastric problems can cause a lot of digestion problems. There are things you can do to help lower the chances of these problems, including taking digestive enzymes daily and eating chew-able papaya. Of course I could get a lot more detailed than this, but these are a few important things to think about.
Thanks for the that, Lewdog. That's something I didn't know about protein. I wasn't planing on really increasing my protein by much, so much as ensuring I get a regular intake along with a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains. I've never been much of a protein nut, it just seems too unnatural. What I'm more interested in, above all the fitness, muscle, gym fanatics I have for friends, is eating and exercising with purpose. They eat to workout and workout for the look... I ain't about dat life.
Well if you have insurance, even though you might think you are healthy, before starting any kind of work out routine it is important to see your doctor and get a physical along with blood work up to test your sugar, cholesterol, and other things. That way you will have a point to work from, and help you to set up the right kind of meal and exercise routine that is right for you. For example if you have high cholesterol you might need to lower your red meat intake and include more fish, or buy protein powders low in cholesterol, or buy skim milk. See what I mean? I had to talk to every person that came in my stores and asked me these types of questions. I swear I got to the point I was talking about vitamins in my sleep.
