You know part of the fun of working out is just being there. Have you ever looked around at all the people you work out with? Don't you think it is somewhat strange? I mean it is basically the same core of people there at the same time, same days. Most of them you do not know, and they don't know you. They see you every day but it is not like at work in a large office building. You see people in passing there. But it is different around work. It is like "hey," "how are you," "good to see you," "good morning," "tough day?" "have a nice holiday," "have you lost weight?" you know stuff like that. At the fitness center that is all out the door. There is some sort of code when guys are working out. Do not make eye contact, someone might get the wrong idea. No smiling allowed, and never, ever, say "good morning." Just grunt something inaudible, and slightly nod your head while completely avoiding eye contact. If it is someone you have worked out with regularly for a couple of years it is okay to look slightly down and not say, but mumble "Hey." If you have mumbled "hey" to them a couple of times before, then you can sort of quickly nod your head up and back while at the exact same time mumbling "hey." That signals you recognize the other person, but you are not looking at them. And the showers, well there is only one rule. And it can never to be broken. Look down at the floor at all times. If anyone says your name just keep walking and for gods sake do not look up.
Cindy says why don't you ever talk to those people down there and get to know them? As you can tell she is a rookie, and has no idea. Michelle on the other hand is concerned that I might speak to someone she knows, and that could lead to worlds colliding. And speak to women? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Are you nuts? Speak to one of the athletic young women and you are pegged as the dirty old man of the fitness center. Speak to the older widow women and you're pegged as a playboy looking for action. And if your not capable of action that may not be a hindrance to the widow, she may welcome that as a personal challenge...... Either way, if it gets back to your wife, you are packing your bags, and you are not going on vacation....
Why do the big heavy people always wear hooded sweat jacket pullovers, with the hood up? No I am afraid it is not because of being cold. It can be July and over 100 degrees in our climate and the big people will labor on the treadmill with that on and the hood pulled up. I guess it is to induce more heat and sweat. I wish they wouldn't wear those with the hoods up. Sometimes I have startled myself by looking over and you think there is an overweight Jedi from Star Wars on the treadmill next to yours.
And the worse are guys near my age who wear....... Now get this, spandex type shorts that are like what you see the speed bicycle racers wear. You know the tighter the less wind resistance, the more speed. Well it is not that windy in our fitness center and the older guys don't go that fast on a treadmill. I mean these aren't really guys, they are old men like me, and believe me, none of us need to be seen in public wearing anything tight fitting.
That is why I go at early hours. Less human contact.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Is It Okay To Eat Pink Slime? #93
Well, just as I thought we had a complete understanding of processed and red meats being unhealthy for heart patients, something known as pink slime steps into the picture. Yes, I know processed meat is bad for the non-heart patient too. Meaning your grandchildren, children, friends and neighbors eating red meat, and processed meats, are consuming unnatural chemicals which their bodies were not meant to absorb nor process. Let me tell you how I really feel about this. We were not, and are not meant to consume red meat. For my entire life, minus the last three years, I ate any and all the red meat I could and I liked it. I thought the great U.S. Federal government, beef industry, and food industry were looking out for your and my best health interest and would never provide us with a plate full of chemicals we could just as well fertilize our lawns with as eat. And every morning we would fry up a pan full of some marketed and labelled "Grandma's Old Time Country Sausage" to get the day started off like the healthy good ole country folks did. Knowing grandma would never feed us lawn fertilizer, we jumped right into that plate of sausage, right....And when we took the kids to the Fourth of July picnics and grilled up hot dogs, our children never thought we would feed them warmed up pink slime mixed in with some chemicals to make the hot dog look red and remain edible longer. Little did we or our children know without the chemicals their hot dogs would have soon turned a greenish yellow and would not have been suitable for human consumption. Most, not all, but most, of the food industry had absolutely no responsibility with providing good nourishment to our children, it was about using chemicals in processed foods as a marketing and sales aid. Providing healthy foods to ourselves and our families is our responsibility, not Oscar Mayers, or Ray Kroc's. They were sales and marketing entrepreneurs, not dietitians. That is about as obnoxious as I know how to be when saying if you are concerned about your heart health, do not ask me if it is okay to eat processed or red meats seasoned in ammonia nitrates. It is going to drive up your cholesterol levels and begin to damage your coronary arteries again. And it will make it difficult to lower your weight and blood pressure, if you continue eating heart unhealthy foods. Just go get yourself a slab of prime rib and don't waste your time talking about going on a diet, or walking around the block. What is the point of all the exercise if you're headed down to McDonald's later for burger and fries? Do I like to eat charcoaled dry rubbed pork ribs? Do I like the smell of ribs cooking over charcoal? Do I love them with mustard slaw and bar-b-cue beans? Do I miss eating them? Absolutely. But I can never do that again and feel good about myself. If God ever tells me, well I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is go eat that rib dinner tonight, and I'll wait until after you have finished dinner before giving you the other news...So you see, no more bad food for me, we were meant to take care of ourselves.
For the record, what is pink slime? Lean beef trimmings, which in fact are a by product of the beef butchering process, that go through a centrifuge. Why a centrifuge you may ask? The trimmings consist of various cuts of beef containing amounts of fat. The trimmings are processed through a centrifuge to remove the fat from the trimmings, and at the same time the trimmings are exposed to a "puff" of ammonia. This is done to raise the PH level of the beef and kill pathogens such as E coli. So you can not fault the process, or industry for applying standards and processes to make the product safe from dangerous bacteria. However, chemicals are applied to meet safety standards and to make the product more marketable, acceptable and desirable to the consumer. Which brings you around to educating yourself about what you are eating and making your own decisions for you and your family.
I believe some people think if you run far and fast enough, exercise hard and long and often, you can eat anything you want and remain healthy. And that works for some a while....as long as you are young. For the great majority of us with normal physically functioning bodies, we can not do that and remain healthy. Another well known healthy 52 year old person that I know of suffered a fatal first heart attack. If given the opportunity that person would not waste a prized second chance on unhealthy foods..................................................
I am not sure I need to write another posting until someone sends a comment or e-mail on what to talk about.
For the record, what is pink slime? Lean beef trimmings, which in fact are a by product of the beef butchering process, that go through a centrifuge. Why a centrifuge you may ask? The trimmings consist of various cuts of beef containing amounts of fat. The trimmings are processed through a centrifuge to remove the fat from the trimmings, and at the same time the trimmings are exposed to a "puff" of ammonia. This is done to raise the PH level of the beef and kill pathogens such as E coli. So you can not fault the process, or industry for applying standards and processes to make the product safe from dangerous bacteria. However, chemicals are applied to meet safety standards and to make the product more marketable, acceptable and desirable to the consumer. Which brings you around to educating yourself about what you are eating and making your own decisions for you and your family.
I believe some people think if you run far and fast enough, exercise hard and long and often, you can eat anything you want and remain healthy. And that works for some a while....as long as you are young. For the great majority of us with normal physically functioning bodies, we can not do that and remain healthy. Another well known healthy 52 year old person that I know of suffered a fatal first heart attack. If given the opportunity that person would not waste a prized second chance on unhealthy foods..................................................
I am not sure I need to write another posting until someone sends a comment or e-mail on what to talk about.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Heart Healthy Diet For The New Readers #92
For all of us heart patients, and regardless of what stage we are in and it could recovery, rehab, or near completely back to normal. For all of us, there is one common reality. Eating a heart healthy diet, exercising on a regular basis, and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment for us, if we are to enjoy an active and healthy life. That is one of the reasons I have taken such a rigid stand on avoiding eating red meat. We must eat foods that will lower and maintain safe cholesterol levels. Not to do so would be foolish for us. Combined with exercise, the heart healthy diet will lead to weight reduction, and help you maintain that healthy weight. Along with the reduced weight, and increased activity through exercise, your blood pressure should begin to drop to normal levels. So you see the three core ingredients of a heart patients lifestyle go hand and hand in maintaining a more healthy life.
There are more new readers who are looking for the foods that will best fit a heart healthy diet and lifestyle for them. Eating more green vegetables, and fruit daily is a good start, especially when you are replacing or removing from your diet high fat and cholesterol foods. We each find fruits that best suit our taste and needs. For me oranges, bananas, and strawberries are a daily part of my diet. And I may have grapes, apples, or some melon in addition. Eventually, as you replace the foods that were high in fat, cholesterol, and calories with fruit and vegetables, you will lose weight and not be constantly hungry as you had so many times in the past when you went on a diet for a few weeks. What you are doing now is much different and is not at all "going on a diet." You are changing lifestyles. You are becoming a heart healthy person who eats a completely healthy diet.
It seems like the subject of eating red meat, or processed meat comes around in most of our discussions about a healthy diet. I guess in all fairness that is because we have a lot of new readers, who are more recent heart patients. To control your cholesterol and reduce your weight, one of the most difficult foods to reduce, give up, or drastically change, is eating red meat. If you are serious about eating healthy foods consider this thought. Reducing, or eliminating red meats (includes processed meat) is critical in your struggle to improve your cardiovascular health. But you will also gain other health benefits, you will be reducing many chemicals you have been consuming through eating red meat. Go to the search box in the top right hand corner of this page and enter "sodium nitrates" and read posting number 41 concerning hot dogs, bacon, and other foods you use to enjoy to eat and see what came along with that.
When I was beginning heart surgery recovery I was very determined to make any changes necessary to regain good health, and not go back to my old eating and lifestyle habits. Why? I am not really sure. It was so unlike me at that time to change like that. I think more than having a heart attack, it was when I had the heart attack. Just weeks before having a heart attack I decided I was going to lose weight by not going on a diet, but by completely changing my eating habits and the foods I ate. I began when I stopped eating processed or red meat of any kind. Stopped all fast food and soft drinks, colas, or what have you. I drank water, orange juice, and coffee. I had not yet thought much of exercise or working out. At that time, working out to me was going to work each day. Then just a few weeks into this new me, I had a heart attack. So a lot of the changes related to good health you would make after heart surgery, I had already made and it was not as difficult for me as most of you having to make the decision to change under a lot more stress and pressure. If you are like me, 90% of making a change is, it must be my idea. And I have to want to do it. Not be told I must do it, by someone else. That is another issue I did not have to consider. You know being given a ultimatum. If you don't do this, then this or that will or won't happen. I am not sure I would have been able to fulfill the commitment to changing to a healthy lifestyle if I had not wanted to do it on my terms. It is not easy. Each day at lunch or dinner, it is a decision for me on controlling my urge to eat something that is not going to harm me to eat that one time. It is that I can not risk breaking the commitment once. It will become too easy after that, to more and more stray back to my old eating habits. And I suspect it will be that way from now on for me.
New to recovery or this blog. Go back to posting numbers 1, 2, and 3 for insight to beginning a new healthy lifestyle.
There are more new readers who are looking for the foods that will best fit a heart healthy diet and lifestyle for them. Eating more green vegetables, and fruit daily is a good start, especially when you are replacing or removing from your diet high fat and cholesterol foods. We each find fruits that best suit our taste and needs. For me oranges, bananas, and strawberries are a daily part of my diet. And I may have grapes, apples, or some melon in addition. Eventually, as you replace the foods that were high in fat, cholesterol, and calories with fruit and vegetables, you will lose weight and not be constantly hungry as you had so many times in the past when you went on a diet for a few weeks. What you are doing now is much different and is not at all "going on a diet." You are changing lifestyles. You are becoming a heart healthy person who eats a completely healthy diet.
It seems like the subject of eating red meat, or processed meat comes around in most of our discussions about a healthy diet. I guess in all fairness that is because we have a lot of new readers, who are more recent heart patients. To control your cholesterol and reduce your weight, one of the most difficult foods to reduce, give up, or drastically change, is eating red meat. If you are serious about eating healthy foods consider this thought. Reducing, or eliminating red meats (includes processed meat) is critical in your struggle to improve your cardiovascular health. But you will also gain other health benefits, you will be reducing many chemicals you have been consuming through eating red meat. Go to the search box in the top right hand corner of this page and enter "sodium nitrates" and read posting number 41 concerning hot dogs, bacon, and other foods you use to enjoy to eat and see what came along with that.
When I was beginning heart surgery recovery I was very determined to make any changes necessary to regain good health, and not go back to my old eating and lifestyle habits. Why? I am not really sure. It was so unlike me at that time to change like that. I think more than having a heart attack, it was when I had the heart attack. Just weeks before having a heart attack I decided I was going to lose weight by not going on a diet, but by completely changing my eating habits and the foods I ate. I began when I stopped eating processed or red meat of any kind. Stopped all fast food and soft drinks, colas, or what have you. I drank water, orange juice, and coffee. I had not yet thought much of exercise or working out. At that time, working out to me was going to work each day. Then just a few weeks into this new me, I had a heart attack. So a lot of the changes related to good health you would make after heart surgery, I had already made and it was not as difficult for me as most of you having to make the decision to change under a lot more stress and pressure. If you are like me, 90% of making a change is, it must be my idea. And I have to want to do it. Not be told I must do it, by someone else. That is another issue I did not have to consider. You know being given a ultimatum. If you don't do this, then this or that will or won't happen. I am not sure I would have been able to fulfill the commitment to changing to a healthy lifestyle if I had not wanted to do it on my terms. It is not easy. Each day at lunch or dinner, it is a decision for me on controlling my urge to eat something that is not going to harm me to eat that one time. It is that I can not risk breaking the commitment once. It will become too easy after that, to more and more stray back to my old eating habits. And I suspect it will be that way from now on for me.
New to recovery or this blog. Go back to posting numbers 1, 2, and 3 for insight to beginning a new healthy lifestyle.
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