Exercise Bid

in a bid to exercise more ... we put up this Basketball net...to the left is a backboard to hit tennis balls ... this comes in handy during the cold winter months...rather than traveling to a gym ...this is much more convenient. Last year, i went to an indoor tennis facility which is great except for the commute... hit or miss with winter storms!  Both of these sports give a good amount of cardio.

Healthcare: Preventative, Protective, Protocols and Procedures

I am very interested in how to prevent disease - how to protect health i.e.. FIRST DO NO HARM, and the Protocols and Procedures used within the Clinical Environment.

We've discovered there is much we can do to prevent disease - but many times it is random or genetic or occurs despite our best efforts to prevent it.

What happens when you have an illness and enter the Clinical Environment - pluses and minuses...

I am in awe of many healthcare professionals - they show compassion and kindness in 12 hour days or nights - day after day.  

I am dismayed by the culture of mismanagement, disorganization and discipline (lack thereof)!  Nurses, doctors and other healthcare worker's good intentions are not empowered by process, protocols and procedures.  These protocols and procedures should be in place to minimize errors & exacerbations of a problem, and to facilitate effective remedies.  If they are in place, rare is enforcement and review.

Lack of a gold standard for medical tests and checkups to find disease early.

Medical costs are huge even for the insured.

Many people are unable to take control of their health, repeat habits and/or remain in the environment which led them to illness to begin with.  They are a repetitive burden on the healthcare system.

Many innovations do not come to the forefront on a timely basis to save many of our loved ones.  They lack funding and initiatives.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/heart-doctors-are-listening-for-clues-to-the-future-of-their-stethoscopes/2016/01/02/bd73b000-a98d-11e5-8058-480b572b4aae_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_stethoscopes712pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

"Path to Wellness"

Nutrient Density: Fruits & Veggies

Not surprising - cabbage, chard, beet greens, chicory, parsley, collards, Romaine, endive - all are highly nutritious veggies.  I always wonder - would the findings vary from field to field and growing methods?

One of the misnomers of nutrition labels is it represents the individual products - rather they are standards of a unit measurement of raw materials that go into the product.  There is no regard to where and how it's grown and harvested.  A lab test of the particular item may result in a different nutrition panel.

One thing that is known for sure - a diet rich in dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies is a healthy one!  To learn more about this list of nutrient dense foods - go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0390.htm

Item	Density
Watercress	100.00
Chinese cabbage	91.99
Chard	89.27
Beet green	87.08
Spinach	86.43
Chicory	73.36
Leaf lettuce	70.73
Parsley	65.59
Romaine lettuce	63.48
Collard green	62.49
Turnip green	62.12
Mustard green	61.39
Endive	60.44
Chive	54.80
Kale	49.07
Dandelion green	46.34
Red pepper	41.26
Arugula	37.65
Broccoli	34.89
Pumpkin	33.82
Brussels sprout	32.23

^a Calculated as the mean of percent daily values (DVs) (based on a 2,000 kcal/d diet) for 17 nutrients (potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B₆, B₁₂, C, D, E, and K) as provided by 100 g of food, expressed per 100 kcal of food. Scores above 100 were capped at 100 (indicating that the food provides, on average, 100% DV of the qualifying nutrients per 100 kcal).

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Living Long & Healthy Lives

With all the struggles, trials, and tribulations we each go through in the span of our lives - here are some  clues to health and longevity - the following are excerpts from an article published by CNN.COM:


...he took up running to overcome his grief after the death of his wife and a son. He ran his first marathon at age 89. The key to life: "Laughter and happiness," he says. "That's your remedy for everything."

...Her advice for a long life? Avoid smoking, drinking and vege
tables. She was also an optimist: "Every year brings something new. I've always been content with what I have."

...worked out at daily a local track. Healthy most of her life, she said exercise and an optimistic attitude helped. 
 attributed his long life to light eating, not smoking and work in the sunshine. After his postal career, he worked on a farm. ..."I am always looking up towards the sky; that is how I am."

...She said she ate more than two pounds of chocolate a week and only quit smoking at age 120, not for health reasons, but because she could not see well enough to light her cigarettes. She credited her longevity to port wine, her sense of humor and a diet rich in olive oil. 

...The secret to her long life, she said, was being cheerful. "I've always been a happy person, a giggling person, a wide-mouthed person." She also kept fit -- dancing the electric slide until age 103.

...She kept in shape throughout much of her life. At 102, she said she did leg squats to keep healthy. 
He credited cold showers with his longevity.

Dr. Ronald D. Adelman, who works with many of these old-old people as the medical director of Cornell's Wright Center on Aging, said that the study is an important tool to understand a population that's often overlooked.

"When it comes to the elderly there are really three groups we look at," explained Adelman. "Those who are considered old, who are 65 to 74 years of age; the older, between ages 75 to 84; and the old-old, which are those people over the age of 85.

"But when you look at centenarians, that really is an expanding group, and the important thing is to get their advance directives, to make sure these people express how they want to be treated in their later years, so they can live a better quality of life and be more comfortable. Where do they want to live, how do they want to live and what's best for them?"

Eat nuts, live longer

Because of advances made in medical technology, and the fact many people entering their golden years are more health-conscious than ever before, Adelman says it's time society takes the elderly, including centenarians, seriously because this older age group will continue to grow and need care.

"To be honest, 65 is no longer old," noted Adelman. "Ten thousand Americans are turning 65 every day. There are 77 million baby boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964. They are more educated, they have the best health literacy than prior generations, they exercise, they eat right and they are living longer, healthier lives.

"We need to be able to provide them the best care and services possible, as they age into their 80s, 90s and beyond."

Italian Lettuce

I am a big fan of crisp dark lettuce types - this one is called catalogna - I believe it is in the chicory family - as is dandelion and escarole.  Here is photo of the lettuce - called

This lettuce is called Radichetta Barba Dei Frati

Progress is being made on Field One - seeking lots of greens and lettuce for great summer salads!!!

New Study Advises against animal protein in Middle Age (50-65)

A new study backs up the benefits of eatiing a diet consisting more of plants and legumes for protein sources.  Here is an excerpt from the report
"...subjects ages 50–65 years potentially experiencing benefits from low protein intake, and subjects ages 66+ experiencing detriments. This may explain why previously the strong association between protein intake, IGF-1, disease, and mortality has been poorly understood and controversial..."

More of the study can be found here
http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(14)00062-X#Discussion

here is a response to a commentor from one of the authors of the study:

"A number of studies including ours indicate that you are at an increased risk for developing cancer and possibly other diseases. Also look at the study by Frank Hu at HArvard 2010 annals of internal medicine study on over 120,000 men and women showing that a high animal protein high fat low carb diet was associated with higher overall mortality in both men and women. Naturally, the high level of exercise is increasing your requirements for proteins, but we don't know if that can counterbalance the effects of high protein intake"

Combine this study with the red meat study showing: 
" carnitine - found mostly in red meat and energy drinks and supplements used in body building is responsible for an increase in TMAO levels in the blood - made from a little-studied chemical that is burped out by bacteria in the stomach after people eat red meat. It is quickly converted by the liver into yet another little-studied chemical called TMAO that gets into the blood and increases the risk of heart disease..."

also read the longevity " blue zones" and diet
http://www.bluezones.com/

I think this data makes a great case for very low if not elimination altogether of animal flesh derived consumption.

Better for You: Snack Ideas

reported by Yahoo, NY Times, Reuters Health, and many other news sources:

Plain Greek yogurt with fresh picked fruit, maple syrup, and/ or honey 

plain Greek yogurt for less sugar and a healthy dose of protein

fruit-and-nut bar
look for Dark Chocolate

nuts such as pistachios, almonds, and even the peanut - a legume

a hand full per day -

according to NYTimes nuts are: 

- rich sources of unsaturated fat

-  contain protein, fiber, plant sterols that can lower cholesterol

- micronutrients like copper and magnesium

- approx. 62 percent of the fat in nuts is monounsaturated, the kind that supports healthy levels of protective HDL cholesterol and does not raise blood levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.

- Nuts contain omega-3 fatty acids that can lower triglycerides and blood pressure, slow the buildup of arterial plaque and prevent abnormal heart rhythms. 

-Walnuts are especially rich sources of alpha-linolenic acid, some of which is converted to heart-protective omega-3 fatty acids.

-Most nuts, and especially almonds, are good sources of vitamin E, an antioxidant. 

-folic acid, selenium, magnesium and several phytochemicals are among the compounds in nuts that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or anticancer properties.

-Nuts also contain dietary fiber, about a quarter of which is the type that reduces cholesterol and improves blood sugar and weight control. 

-Peanuts and especially pistachios are rich in resveratrol, which is being investigated for possible anti-aging effects. Pistachios are also rich in arginine, which gives rise to nitric oxide.

steamed edamame 

a single-serve packet of edamame is only 90 calories

One cup of air-popped popcorn 

only 31 calories

A homemade smoothie 

A banana 

only 121 calories and zero grams of saturated fat.

One ounce of dark chocolate 

antioxidant/people who eat it a few times a week are thinner than those who don't
carrots and hummus 

dried plums /fruit
oats 

Oats also offer a surprisingly good amount of protein, plus slow-digesting fiber from whole grains.

roasted pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain good fats and protein. A one-third cup serving of roasted seeds is just 94 calories.

DARK LEAFY GREENS :Farm fresh picked, packaged, and ready to cook and eat

Our package is a mix of heirloom naturally grown and wild foraged greens - packing a BIG PUNCH of nutrients!!!!

Getting one or more servings per day of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dark green lettuce, collard greens, or kale should be enough to meet the daily recommended target of 120 micrograms per day for men and 90 micrograms per day for women...http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/

Arugula 

Broccoli 

Dandelion Greens 

Kale 

Mustard Greens

Spinach

Swiss Chard

Beet Greens

Edible flowers and leaves

Foraged Greens - lambsquarters, garlic mustard, wild mustard

what to do with dark leafy greens fresh picked, washed and packaged - ready to cook and eat - and may include :
note - it is best to include grated cheese, yogurt, beans, or other sources of calcium with your greens

stir fry - add ginger, sesame oil, peanuts, soy sauce, hot pepper, scallions
greens and beans - chickpeas, canneloni
Minestrone - add veggies, tomato sauce
greens and pasta - cook pasta, add oil and garlic
green Smoothies
frittatta and omelettes

FROM LOWCARBDIETS.COM

"Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, probably the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.

Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important than we once thought (the current minimum may not be optimal), and many people do not get enough of it.

Vitamin K:

• Regulates blood clotting
• Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
• May help prevent and possibly even reduce atherosclerosis by reducing calcium in arterial plaques
• May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthitis
• May help prevent diabetes

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, so make sure to put dressing on your salad, or cook your greens with oil.

Almost Carb-Free

Greens have very little carbohydrate in them, and the carbs that are there are packed in layers of fiber, which make them very slow to digest. That is why, in general, greens have very little impact on blood glucose. In some systems greens are even treated as a "freebie" carb-wise (meaning the carbohydrate doesn't have to be counted at all).

Note on oxalates: Some greens contain substances called oxalates which may bind some percentage of the calcium in the greens."