Listening can be difficult

   I have been doing my best to listen to my body when it tries to let me know what is good and what is not, but honestly, listening can be difficult. My weight has stagnated over the last couple of months and I have yet to understand what my body needs to get my weight loss kick started again. I am seeking the loss of another 30 pounds. Weight plateaus are common and there are several recommendations on how to break through them. I have increased my calorie intake for a few days hoping to convince my body that it no longer needs to conserve energy (fat). I have increased exercise, which is a good thing, to try to increase my metabolism, but that hasn’t seemed to work either. I increased my leafy green vegetable intake, especially spinach and kale, and have been dealing with a mild case of diarrhea for the past couple of weeks. I am taking probiotics and eating a bland diet to combat the diarrhea, and that is working.

 

   So, I have not figured it out, but that just reinforces that each of us is different. We each have our own needs tailored to our own metabolism and sensitivities. I will be adding in different foods slowly to determine which might be bothering me. Life is an experiment, and I am enjoying this one, even if it is a little difficult to read what my body is trying to tell me.

This Incredible Machine

   In my last post I wrote about the magic and wonderment of learning and being in awe of everything around me. I am thoroughly enjoying myself learning about nutrition. Even though I am not vegan, I want to learn about these options and how to apply different diets so that they fulfill the nutritional needs for those who choose them. I am fascinated by the effects of food and our environment has on our bodies, even changing the expressions of our genes. Not only are we what we eat, but everything has an effect on us, good or bad. Learning how our bodies change and react constantly to all the forces on us convinces me that there must be an intelligence behind us. I find these internal mechanisms too sophisticated and beautiful to come about by chance.

    Our bodies are incredible machines, evolving and adapting every moment. The more I learn, the more amazed I become. I am not only learning this for my own health and satisfaction, I truly want to share this new found health with those that might be hurting. I am a long way from being able to provide any professional services and I hope that the passion for this does not wane.

    Do you want to see something incredible? Look in the mirror. You are an incredible creation. You are an incredible creature adapting and changing every day. I hope that you like where you are today. If not, you can change it. No one knows the future, but it can be more assured if you take the steps to get to the future you want.

    I know there can be tough circumstances, we all have had them. But think about how you came through those circumstances, usually stronger and wiser than before you faced them. You are an incredible machine, a living miracle. Have an incredible life. I wish happiness, love and health to you.

Ceaseless Wonderment

   I have embarked on an online study program for nutrition and I signed up for a second class to learn about plant-based nutrition. I have always had an incredible thirst for learning. The more I learn, the more I realize that there is so much more to learn. If God gives me 5,000 years to live on this earth, I still don’t think I would run out of things to learn about. In that time, there would be more discoveries, more understanding, rethinking things that were once thought to be understood as well as the social, civil and moral changes that would take place.

   The universe is a ceaseless source of wonderment. Think back, if you will, to a time when you were just a child. Things were magic then. You could imagine anything at all. You could see castles, dragons, jungles and pirates on the sea. The magic was all around you and most importantly, the magic was in you. It was that wonderment that made you appreciate the most mundane thing. A cardboard box could magically become a boat, a car, a lion’s cage or a treasure chest.

  We think that when we set aside those types of thoughts that we become more mature, a grown up. But really, you can bring that magic with you even today. It just takes being mindful of what is around you, paying attention to the moment, savoring the experience.

   Since I started my grain free diet, I have a better appreciation for the food that I eat. I taste it. I experience the texture, the taste while it is in my mouth and the finish after I swallow. It is magical. That attention to the food helps me pay attention to other areas in my life. While I am hiking with my son, or walking through the parks with my dog, I am awed by the diversity the universe affords us. The vast number of plants, insects, wildlife that abounds. It makes each walk an incredible journey in the intelligence of nature, the infinite touch of God.

   Even as we strive to understand quantum physics, genetic expression, and the human mind, each discovery leads to more questions and more opportunity to be in awe of what is around us. And just as we do understand some universal law, we can find exceptions. Everything in the universe expands when it is heated and contracts when it is cooled – everything that is except for water. Water expands when it is heated and when it freezes. The reason and mechanism is an understanding beyond me. It is magic.

   Magic can be the awe of those things that are not yet understood. Rabbits come from magician hats and if you put two of them in a closet, you find 200 when you open the door 10 minutes later. That’s how it works in the cartoons. But really, the universe has such incredible diversity, that there is no one person that could possibly learn everything there is to learn. But, I promise, that as long as I am able and cognitively aware, I will wear myself out trying to learn more and more. Knowing that all that I learn will show me how much I have left to learn. In the global library of knowledge, I know next to nothing. But what I do know I hope will settle in my heart as wisdom.

   Be in the moment, pay attention to what is around you and do forget the magic that fills every day. Heck, I think that just waking up in the morning is such a blessing. It means that I get to enjoy another day in God’s incredible creation and experience the ceaseless diversity and wonderment that waits for me.

Spinach and Kale

   I buy packaged baby spinach / baby kale mix. It is one of my favorite combinations of dark leafy greens. Most know that dark leafy greens are good for you, but these two together provide a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. Both are rich in Vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and K, and minerals like manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, potassium and even calcium.

   Both greens are modest in calories, but each calorie is very dense in nutrition.  There are more than a dozen different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents. Kale has many of the same properties and even more Vitamin K than spinach. Kale has at least 45 different antioxidant flavonoids. This is likely to be the key to kale’s cancer preventive benefits.

   I am not sure how much Popeye knew about his favorite food, but the truth of it was not far off. Both spinach and kale are superfoods, delivering vast nutrition, great health benefits and good taste. While I don’t think it will allow you to pick up large objects, like Popeye did, it will make you healthier and stronger.

   When it comes to kale, I choose the younger, smaller leaves. They are more tender and have a more mild flavor than the larger leaves. Older kale can be bitter. I tend to shy away from bitter foods. Mixing the baby kale with baby spinach makes for a mild and delicious serving of the vital greens.

   One caveat though, both spinach and kale contains oxalates. When oxalates become too concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems, this is especially true for persons with existing and untreated kidney and gallbladder problems. Persons with existing and untreated kidney and gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating spinach and kale. Oxalates occur in many foods. Our bodies even create them. So you should not be afraid to eat spinach or kale unless you suffer from the afflictions previously mentioned or eat a lot of high oxalate containing foods.

 

   Good food and good health to you.

Can Gluten Free Diets Make You Sick?

   It is possible that gluten free diets can make those people sensitive to substances other than or in addition to gliadin (the gluten found in barley, rye and wheat) feel unwell or even worse. It is possible that gluten free products contain other things that make you sick. Not because they are gluten free, but because you may be sensitive to the sugars or other things in gluten free products. They are usually loaded with various sugars and other starches. So, can a gluten free diet make you sick? I don’t think so. A better answer would be to find out what really bothers you and work from there. We shouldn’t just assume that gluten is the problem for every gastrointestinal ailment.

   Other dietary triggers that can potentially cause gastrointestinal symptoms can include lactose and casein from dairy products, certain preservatives and poorly digested carbohydrates known as FODMAPS. If you are sensitive to gliadin, there has been some research done on cross-reactivity, where your body reacts to peptides similar to wheat gluten. However, as with most studies, there are conflicting results and theories.
   Since gluten is found in grasses and grains, their effect can range from non-toxic to initiating auto-immune responses (such as celiac disease). Even cutting out all grains might not solve your stomach issues, if the real culprit is dairy, or one of the many FODMAPS.
   This further reinforces that we are all different. There is no blanket treatment or diet. There is no one answer that fits all. We can do our best to be tested, if possible, and proceed with caution. I would still suggest eating real food, limit manufactured or processed foods and those foods that contain so many chemicals that you need a Masters in chemistry just to figure out what you are placing in your mouth.
   If you are suffering, I hope that you find relief soon. Take care and may you find and maintain good health.

Oatmeal Pancakes

   For about six months now, I have been grain free. Today, I tried some flourless oatmeal pancakes. I decided if I am to introduce any grains back into my diet, I would do it slowly, and gradually and not in large amounts.

   The recipe was simple, which is what attracted me to this recipe. It had common ingredients and was easy to prepare. I added fresh blueberries to the mix.  I have added a link below to the recipe that I had found. They were very good. The site says one serving is one pancake. I think two pancakes is much more reasonable as a serving. Two pancakes is about 250 calories. Nutritional information per pancake is available at the site.

Flourless Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup quick oats
2 whole eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/5 cup applesauce
1/4 cup nonfat milk

Directions

Whip eggs before mixing other ingredients. Add all other ingredients and let sit for a few minutes. Cook as you would any other pancakes.

Recipe for Flourless Oatmeal Pancakes

Why I Give Blood

   I participated in a blood drive recently. When I was done donating, I rested, as instructed, with a small can of cranberry juice and a small bag of raisins. The manager asked me why I give blood. This was my second donation, my first donation took place on 4/25/2014.

   I would have started much earlier. I first entertained the idea of donating blood in late 2005. I was told that because I have a heart condition, I was not eligible to give. What prompted me to consider giving is that my father was a cancer patient and required occasional blood transfusions. I wanted to give back to the community and have a chance to help others, like my father. I was disappointed that I could not donate.

   Then earlier this year, I read an article that pointed towards a study in Europe that showed that men who donated blood reduced their own risk of heart attack and stroke, and not by an insignificant amount. So, I think of this as a gift of life, not only for those who might receive my blood but for myself as well. And being a gift of life, it is also a gift of love. I will never know who might benefit from my donations. I am not looking for them to thank me personally. It does make me feel good to know that I have helped, and possibly saved someone’s life.

   On April 25^th, 2014, I decided to walk into a blood collection drive location. I read the literature there. I asked if I would be eligible. I had also read that the requirements are reviewed time and time again to protect the blood supply. The receptionist recommended that I go through the screening process and I would learn for sure if I was eligible or not. I followed her suggestion. Much to my surprise, I was eligible. There was some concern, but after checking their computers, they decided that my condition did not prevent my donation.

   Now, why didn’t I consider it before 2005? I am not sure. I probably was: too busy; afraid of the needle; afraid of the process; not concerned with mortality. None of these were good reasons then or now. The procedure is safe. I don’t like needles, so I just don’t watch. I take a book with me and read during the donation process.

   Each donation of a pint (you have 10), can help or even save up to three persons. Blood is constantly needed. The Red Cross Blood services began in 1940, and now supplies about 40% of the blood needed in the US. 41,000 blood donations are needed each day. 38% of the population in the US are eligible to donate blood but less than 10% actually do.

 

   So think about giving the gift of life. You can visit RedCrossBlood.org to learn more. You never know, someone might be alive tomorrow because of your gift today. The need is constant. If you are eligible, it is a gift for them and for you.