Since I presented agave as an alternative sweetener to table sugars, I should go over the health benefits of honey. I wrote that I did not care for the taste of agave. Honey was my taste preference.
Honey possesses many photonutrients produced by bees during the natural process of making honey from the nectar of flowers. According to Worlds Healthiest Foods, some honey nutrients are known to have cancer preventing and anti tumor properties. Many of the benefits of these nutrients are lost when honey is heated to high temperatures during processing. Honey contains 10 different friendly bacteria, and properties to help lower bad cholesterol. It is high in calories, 1 oz. having 128.
Honey is probably a lifetime favorite of most of us. I certainly like and plan to continue to eat it. Then there is also sorghum molasses, which is also a natural sweetener similar to honey in health benefits and a little bit higher in calories. One tablespoon being 61 calories. I really like the taste of sorghum, especially over pancakes or biscuits.
We have a family holiday tradition at our home each Christmas morning. We all gather for a once a year holiday breakfast. We have ham, country ham, red eye gravy, milk gravy, sausage, eggs, biscuits, and loads of crispy bacon. Michelle and Brent have a contest on who can eat the most bacon before Cindy can get it to the table. My personal favorite use to be sorghum molasses poured over a biscuit with butter. 2 or 3 of those. Throw in some country ham smothered in gravy and you would have to walk 2 days on a treadmill to get rid of those calories. There is more meat eaten in our home that day than the combined year. Our son's eating habits are a lot like the previous me, he enjoys eating, especially red meat. Our daughter Ann eats a healthy diet. Her husband is like Brent when it comes to food, he enjoys eating. Michelle and her husband also eat a very healthy diet. Since Michelle and her husband begin working out and training seriously for triathlon competition earlier this year they have really become slim and fit. I've been wondering how much weight she has lost, but Cindy told me you never ever ask a woman that question.......I mean like what's the deal, when I lost all that weight, I would try to maneuver the conversation to where somebody would have to ask me how much I had lost......I don't think I would even be tempted by the Christmas ham, bacon, or gravy. You know a couple of those biscuits and molasses might be worth the extra treadmill work....
My workouts are not boring, but they are basically the same repetitive daily exercises. I not bored with them and do not dread working out daily. However, I am concerned that because I am not writing daily about exercising I am not reaching out to everyone. My wife and two daughters encouraged me to begin writing this, I think, mostly because they were glad for me that I overcame the set backs of a heart attack. But also because I should let others know how I did it. Well I'm just letting you know if you are not exercising, or working out, you are not truly going to recover to the extent you are probably capable of achieving.
Michelle and her husband competed this weekend in a triathlon in Nashville. She finished 2nd and he finished 1st in their groups. I am really proud of them and for them in their competing at such a high level. I think being passed by an old codger (her words, not mine) a couple of weeks ago motivated Michelle to take it to another level.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Fooducate App, Exercises, Churrasco #37
There is a new app out for your smart phones. Cindy has a droid and she found an app that she has used and I think is great. If you have not heard about it the name of the app is Fooducate. It allows you to take your smart phone and scan the bar code on food products and it will then provide you with information to let you decide if this product is or is not a healthy food item for you. Depending on the food item you will get information on that specific product and brand. So when grocery shopping you take your phone and scan the package and you will get calories, yes or no 100% grain, contains any undesirable additives, sugar contents. It will apply a health rating based on a system of D being low, through A being high. If you're not using it, you might want to check it out, if it is available to you.
Worked out this morning and I am beginning to feel really good after doing some of those exercises. The pull ups I do are my favorite. Meaning I feel strong after doing those and it really works well on my posture and helps my lower back. A guy who is a member of the Memphis Grizzlies radio broadcast team does the same exercise using the equipment next to mine. He is an former Memphis State basketball player and is 6' 9". I guess guys that tall, when they begin to get older and aren't as active, are also subject to back and posture problems. Anyway, I do enjoy doing that particular exercise and doing abdominal crunches on the AB-X. I have not used the elliptical in a while. I just could not get use to the elliptical and decided I would rather take the time spent on the elliptical and add it to my treadmill. I think I may add some more weight lift exercises. I really like using the weights and think they are good for improving your circulation.
What I should do is find a book on different free weight exercises and techniques. When weight lifting, you can really be specific to certain muscles, depending on the exercise. Another advantage to lifting weights is you can do a lot of exercises that do not require the use of strength training machines. Sometimes when the center is busy, some of the equipment you want to use may not be available. Knowing more about weight lifting exercises could free me from depending on certain equipment.
My daughter Ann and her husband just returned from Brazil. He was down there for a couple of weeks on business. Ann went down for vacation time. She is a healthy eater, enjoys food, travel, and dining. She thought the fruit in Brazil was varied, fresh, and very good as was the seafood. I don't think she cares much for the Churrascaria style restaurants. Beef, chicken, sausage, and pork is popular in Brazil cooked in the churrasco style which is much the same as roasted or barbecued. I'm not sure she likes how it is served, brought to the table on skewers and sliced off. Anyway, they enjoyed the Brazilian food, people, and scenery. They said the beaches and ocean were great and the people were very friendly. There is a Brazilian churrascaria style restaurant in Memphis which also has a huge varied salad bar, and it is delicious. Full of fruits, and vegetables for those more apt to lean to eating salads than the meats. Ann is much like Cindy, thinking when meat is brought, sliced and served that style at your table it is not appetising. I have eaten once at the restaurant in Memphis and the salad bar was all I needed to eat. There was so much selection in vegetables, salad fixings, fruit and such, eating meat was not necessary.
I think I'll put on my sunglasses, lean back, listen to "Girl from Ipanema," and dream of being on a beach in Brazil.
Worked out this morning and I am beginning to feel really good after doing some of those exercises. The pull ups I do are my favorite. Meaning I feel strong after doing those and it really works well on my posture and helps my lower back. A guy who is a member of the Memphis Grizzlies radio broadcast team does the same exercise using the equipment next to mine. He is an former Memphis State basketball player and is 6' 9". I guess guys that tall, when they begin to get older and aren't as active, are also subject to back and posture problems. Anyway, I do enjoy doing that particular exercise and doing abdominal crunches on the AB-X. I have not used the elliptical in a while. I just could not get use to the elliptical and decided I would rather take the time spent on the elliptical and add it to my treadmill. I think I may add some more weight lift exercises. I really like using the weights and think they are good for improving your circulation.
What I should do is find a book on different free weight exercises and techniques. When weight lifting, you can really be specific to certain muscles, depending on the exercise. Another advantage to lifting weights is you can do a lot of exercises that do not require the use of strength training machines. Sometimes when the center is busy, some of the equipment you want to use may not be available. Knowing more about weight lifting exercises could free me from depending on certain equipment.
My daughter Ann and her husband just returned from Brazil. He was down there for a couple of weeks on business. Ann went down for vacation time. She is a healthy eater, enjoys food, travel, and dining. She thought the fruit in Brazil was varied, fresh, and very good as was the seafood. I don't think she cares much for the Churrascaria style restaurants. Beef, chicken, sausage, and pork is popular in Brazil cooked in the churrasco style which is much the same as roasted or barbecued. I'm not sure she likes how it is served, brought to the table on skewers and sliced off. Anyway, they enjoyed the Brazilian food, people, and scenery. They said the beaches and ocean were great and the people were very friendly. There is a Brazilian churrascaria style restaurant in Memphis which also has a huge varied salad bar, and it is delicious. Full of fruits, and vegetables for those more apt to lean to eating salads than the meats. Ann is much like Cindy, thinking when meat is brought, sliced and served that style at your table it is not appetising. I have eaten once at the restaurant in Memphis and the salad bar was all I needed to eat. There was so much selection in vegetables, salad fixings, fruit and such, eating meat was not necessary.
I think I'll put on my sunglasses, lean back, listen to "Girl from Ipanema," and dream of being on a beach in Brazil.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
For Those Just Starting To Rehab #36
How many out there are just beginning recovery from a heart attack and surgery? Wondering how you're going to get back to where ever it is you want to get to. It all starts with your first few steps, and you just build from there. A lot of us have been there and are continuing to build on and take more steps every day. You've got 3 basic challenges you have to meet. Diet, weight control, exercise. Diet, not in the common sense of eating more of some foods and less of others in order to lose weight. No, we are talking about in the sense of diet being the kinds of food you eat and what they do for your health. That's the way the new you has to think now. You can't stay with the old eating habits just because doctors cleared out those arteries, or went around them with some good strong clean new ones. You can't go on from here business as usual. Nope that won't work. You've just got lucky and beat the odds of surviving what most don't. Surely you do not want to risk going through that again? Or worse putting your family through it again, or maybe you won't be as lucky next time. Well, let's don't dwell on that any further, let's get on with the new you.
Your cardiologist will offer, or steer you in the right direction when you talk to him about diet, lowering your cholesterol, and exercising to get stronger. That's part of his responsibility to you. Now he is not going to do all the homework for you, but he will give you enough information to get you started. That is now your responsibility. From here on, where your health goes is in your hands, no one else. Others can guide, but you're in control. That's what this blog is about, sharing how to get and stay healthy. Most of us are at an age where it is a challenge to do the healthy things we must do. Look at Bill Clinton. He had to change life style and deal with the same three challenges you must, to become and remain healthy.
You know, I heard from a business friend recently, and talking to him, I remembered a trade show he and I attended in Las Vegas a few years ago. We had a dinner together in the Steakhouse dining room of the Las Vegas Hilton, which was the best steak dinner I have ever eaten. I feel certain my friend would agree it was also one of his best. I say this because as great as the food was, it is not something I am willing to go back to. I feel too good about myself and my recovery. You will feel the same way. Most of us, like you, had a pretty good amount of weight to lose and we were not exercise and workout people. We lost the weight over time. Consistently losing a little bit at a time, and you can too. Eat the right foods, and begin a smart exercise program. Something as simple as walking, or maybe something your cardiologist knows of. You'll be surprised at how quickly as weight goes down and exercise continues to grow, you will see benefits in lower blood pressure, cholesterol improving, and feeling a little stronger. Working out and exercising has helped lower my blood pressure.
Next time we will talk some more about exercise. If there are any questions about my rehab and recovery, e-mail me and I will post something regarding your question.
Your cardiologist will offer, or steer you in the right direction when you talk to him about diet, lowering your cholesterol, and exercising to get stronger. That's part of his responsibility to you. Now he is not going to do all the homework for you, but he will give you enough information to get you started. That is now your responsibility. From here on, where your health goes is in your hands, no one else. Others can guide, but you're in control. That's what this blog is about, sharing how to get and stay healthy. Most of us are at an age where it is a challenge to do the healthy things we must do. Look at Bill Clinton. He had to change life style and deal with the same three challenges you must, to become and remain healthy.
You know, I heard from a business friend recently, and talking to him, I remembered a trade show he and I attended in Las Vegas a few years ago. We had a dinner together in the Steakhouse dining room of the Las Vegas Hilton, which was the best steak dinner I have ever eaten. I feel certain my friend would agree it was also one of his best. I say this because as great as the food was, it is not something I am willing to go back to. I feel too good about myself and my recovery. You will feel the same way. Most of us, like you, had a pretty good amount of weight to lose and we were not exercise and workout people. We lost the weight over time. Consistently losing a little bit at a time, and you can too. Eat the right foods, and begin a smart exercise program. Something as simple as walking, or maybe something your cardiologist knows of. You'll be surprised at how quickly as weight goes down and exercise continues to grow, you will see benefits in lower blood pressure, cholesterol improving, and feeling a little stronger. Working out and exercising has helped lower my blood pressure.
Next time we will talk some more about exercise. If there are any questions about my rehab and recovery, e-mail me and I will post something regarding your question.
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