Friday, December 27, 2013

100 things we didn't know last year


Interesting and unexpected facts can emerge from daily news stories and the Magazine picks out such snippets for its weekly feature, 10 things we didn't know last week. Here's an almanac of the best of 2013, taken from the December 26, 2013 edition of the BBC News Magazine Monitor.

If you knew any of these, you are one up on me.
1. It would have taken 2.5 million seagulls to lift James's giant peach into the air, not the 501 that Roald Dahl suggested.
2. Hot drinks taste different according to the cup colour.
3. It's easier to pick wet things up with wrinkled fingers - suggesting an evolutionary reason for getting "prune fingers" in the bath.
4. There are two firms in the world cloning polo ponies.
5. Two per cent of Europeans lack the genes for smelly armpits
6. Horse-eating is called Hippophagy.
7. "Russian flu" got its name because of the Cold War rather than because it originated in Russia.
8. Women look their oldest every Wednesday at 3.30pm.
9. Prince Charles did not use the London Underground between 1986 and 2013.
10. The House of Lords has a rifle range.
11. Wines with animals on the label are known as "critter wines" in the US.
12. Female hawksbill turtles can store sperm for 75 days.
13. Fidgeting is good for men's concentration but bad for women's.
14. Workers at Amazon's warehouse in Rugeley walk past a life-sized cardboard image of a blonde woman who says: "This is the best job I have ever had!"
15. William is the surname that has decreased the most since 1901.
16. 1980s pop star Glenn Medeiros is the vice principal of a high school in Hawaii.
17. Haribos are so-named because of founder Hans Riegel and his hometown Bonn.
18. Drone operators experience post-traumatic stress at the same rate as combat pilots.
19. Nigel Farage writes a column for Total Sea Fishing magazine.
20. Monkeys avoid selfish people.
21. "Aunt" is the most popular pornographic search term in Syria.
22. Plants lace their nectar with caffeine to keep pollinators loyal.
23. South Korean media often refer to national politicians using only their initials.
24. Sarah Greene used to bite Peter Duncan's ankles to distract him during Blue Peter cookery demos.
25. South Africa was included in the BRICS as it made for a better acronym than Nigeria.
26. There are more deer in the UK now than at any time since the last Ice Age.
27. Some Norwegians feel strongly about whether firewood is stacked bark up or bark down.
28. Tears do not fall in space.
29. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak belonged to a group of hackers and hobbyists called the Homebrew Computer Club.
30. At a Swedish dinner party you should never fold your napkin and put it on the table before the hostess has done so.
31. Bill Bailey bought a live owl in a Chinese restaurant to take it off the menu.
32. Women really are satisfied by deep, husky voices.
33. Midsomer Murders is massive in Denmark.
34. "Lucifer" and "." (full stop) are banned baby names in New Zealand.
35. Birmingham City Council blocks the word "commie" from incoming email.
36. Using "don't" and "won't" correctly in online dating messages boosts response rates by more than a third.
37. The French call a walkie-talkie a talkie-walkie.
38. Philip Hammond used to be a Guardian-reading goth.
39. 6x8 is the multiplication children get wrong most while 9x12 takes longest.
40. Time doesn't fly when you're having fun (we just remember a lot more detail than normal after enjoying something so think it went quickly).
41. Babies learn to grimace in the womb so they can show they are unhappy after birth.
42. Sleep deprived men think women are more amorous than they actually are.
43. Until recently the US Navy had a requirement that all official messages be sent in capital letters.
44. "God's bones" was the sweariest expression in medieval times.
45. Qantas' Sydney to Dallas service is the world's longest commercial flight at 8,568 miles (13,790 km).
46. The pigment gene SLC45A2 causes tigers to be white.
47. It's not the "Spending Review", it's the "Spending Round".
48. The French had no official word for French kissing… until now. It's "galocher".
49. The film Life of Brian remains banned in parts of Germany, but only on Good Friday.
50. Ampersand was once an actual letter which followed the letter Z in the Latin alphabet.
51. There are only two escalators in the entire state of Wyoming. Elevators are more commonly used.
52. The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams is the most frequently misquoted song in the UK.
53. McDonald's drive-thru staff won't serve people on horseback.
54. You could drive on the left or right in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
55. The least common PIN code is 8068.
56. Bookshop customers are six times more likely to buy romance or cookery titles when they can smell chocolate.
57. Scientists still don't really know how bicycles work.
58. Women who fear being forced to marry abroad are advised to hide a spoon in their underwear.
59. There's a Kenyan tradition of running naked at night.
60. The first recorded incorrect use of the word "literally" was in 1769.
61. Chimpanzees and orangutans swim a form of the breast stroke.
62. Polyamorous people have invented a word to indicate the opposite feeling of jealousy - compersion.
63. Wearing camouflage clothing is an offence in Barbados.
64. You need an 8ft-high table to ensure toast lands butter side up when dropped.
65. Justin Bieber and Will.i.am used to live next door to each other.
66. Glaswegians are starting to sound like Cockneys because of EastEnders.
67. Men with wide faces make people around them more selfish.
68. Shy male birds build closer friendships than bolder birds.
69. Bill Clinton was taught a jujitsu move by his aides to prevent Yassar Arafat hugging him for the cameras.
70. Cuban rescue workers use sniffer rabbits to find people in collapsed buildings.
71. People pour more white wine into a glass than red.
72. The Soviet Union published a children's book of Stalin's five-year plan.
73. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall won't eat the brown bits in bananas.
74. Some species of marsupials mate with such vigour and intensity that it kills them.
75. Medieval French cookery book Le Viandier de Taillevent contains a recipe for plucking and basting a live chicken, which is then rocked to sleep and placed on a platter beside two roasted chickens.
76. Morrissey was asked to perform Smelly Cat on Friends.
77. A universal law of urination means that elephants, cows, goats and dogs all take roughly 21 seconds to empty their bladders.
78. In Scrabble, a Benjamin is a three-letter extension to the front of a five-letter word.
79. A man's walking pace slows by 7% for wives and girlfriends but not for other women, and increases if walking with another man.
80. The word "get" went out of fashion in books between 1940 and the 1960s.
81. Red underwear is popular in Wales, while those in North-West England buy a lot of thongs.
82. Amazon's original name was to be Relentless - and the URL relentless.com still redirects to the company website.
83. Nervous dogs wag their tails to the left, and happy dogs to the right (from the dog's point of view) - and fellow canines pick up on this lop-sided tail language.
84. The most effective time to drink coffee is between 09:30 and 11:30.
85. Lee Harvey Oswald still has an overdue library book from Dallas public library.
86. Wayne Rooney's voicemail password was Stella Artois.
87. There's only one sneeze in the bible.
88. John Wayne coined the phrase "the Big C" to avoid naming cancer.
89. There's a twins-only military unit in Russia.
90. The pope used to work as a bouncer.
91. A hummingbird's brain accounts for 4.2% of its bodyweight, the highest of any bird.
92. Americans pronounce gifs as "jifs".
93. Victorian students put crocodile skins on their walls.
94. The mathematical chance of meeting your soul mate is one in 10,000.
95. A long-term lover is known as a "small house" in Zimbabwe.
96. In Brazil barbecuing is a form of public protest.
97. Urban blackbirds grow up faster than their country cousins.
98. Hemingway never used a Moleskine notebook.
99. Mothers think the youngest child is shorter than they really are despite correctly estimating the height of their other children.
100. Until May 2013, "being an incorrigible rogue" was a criminal offence.

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Sucralose - Is it worth the risk?

This post is another from my good friend, Marlene Harris, from her fitness newsletter.

 When my granddaughter was quite a bit younger than she is now, she had some issues with artificial sweeteners. The doctor told us at the time tat we should avoid things like sucralose. In time she would grow accustomed to it, but since then we have become very conscious of the things it is in, for her sake. To our surprise, this chemical is in more than we ever though possible, and judging from the following report, we have good reason to be concerned... not just for our granddaughter's welfare, but for our own as well.

 Read through it and see if there is enough in it to make you question exclusion of this from your own diet. It's nearly impossible to eliminate but by making wise choices and reading every label, you can limit your intake.

 We have.

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sucralose's (Splenda) Harms Vastly Underestimated: Baking Releases Toxic Compounds  11/30/13  by Sayer Ji, Founder
A new, in-depth review on the synthetic sweetener sucralose (marketed as Splenda), published in the journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, is destined to overturn widely held misconceptions about the purported safety of this ubiquitous artificial sweetener.
Found in tens of thousands of products and used by millions of consumers around the world, sucralose's unique ability to dissolve in alcohol and methanol as well as water, makes it the most versatile and therefore most widely used artificial sweetener in production today. However, its popularity is no indication or guarantee of its safety. As with the widespread use of other “safety approved” artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose has been linked to a wide range of serious health conditions including brain damage.

But the tide may be turning...Already this year, the Center for the Public Interest in Science downgraded Splenda from "safe" to "caution," citing their need to evaluate a forthcoming Italian study linking the artificial sweetener to leukemia in mice as a basis for their decision. Another recent human study linked Splenda to diabetes-associated changes, calling into question its value as a non-calorie sweetener for those suffering with, or wishing to prevent, blood sugar disorders.
The new study, however, may be the most concerning yet to surface in the peer-reviewed literature. Titled, "Sucralose, a synthetic organochlorine sweetener: overview of biological issues," it reveals an extensive array of previously underreported safety concerns, not the least of which is the formation of highly toxic chlorinated compounds, including dioxins, when Splenda is used in baking, an application which its manufacturer, McNeil Nutritionals (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), actively encourages it to be used for.
Cancer-Causing Dioxins and Dioxin-Like Compounds Formed When Splenda (Sucralose) Is Cooked: Perhaps the most concerning issue in the report is the 'Safety of Sucralose That Has Been Heated.' According to the paper, sucralose was reported to be heat stable at temperatures used in cooking. But they cite a number of reports from independent laboratories showing that sucralose undergoes thermal degradation when heated. One study showed that the stability of sucralose decreased as the temperature and pH increased, with the breakdown process commencing at 246 degrees (F) and temperatures of 356 degrees (F) causing the release of chloride ions. Additionally, they refer to research showing that sucralose can break down into other concerning compounds when heated that include known genotoxic, carcinogenic and tumorigenic compounds.
Chlorinated compounds like dioxins and DDT are notorious for being both highly toxic and resistant to breaking down once released into the environment, which is why they are classified as 'persistent organic pollutants.' Splenda was launched in 2000 with tagline "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar," until it retired this slogan in 2007 after settling with its rival, Merisant Co., the maker of Equal, who accused the makers of Splenda of intentionally confusing consumers into thinking its product was more natural and healthier than other artificial sweeteners.

Today's research clearly indicates that sucralose is a toxic chemical that we should go to great lengths to avoid rather than something we should intentionally add to our food. You will also find a growing body of research that indicates that sucralose not only does not break down in the environment, but survives water treatment plant purification techniques, with the inevitable consequence that it is accumulating in concentrations in our drinking water and the environment that may adversely impact humans and wildlife alike.

The discovery that thermal breakdown through cooking can lead to the formation of highly toxic and equally persistent chlorinated compounds, including dioxins, should raise a series of red flags for consumers, manufacturers and regulators as the information becomes more widespread. A cursory perusal of the World Health Organization's description of 'Dioxins and their effects on human health,' which lists it as belonging to the "dirty dozen" of the world's most dangerous pollutants, will see what is at stake here.

A Dizzying Array of Other Splenda (Sucralose) Safety Concerns That Have Never Been Adequately Tested: In addition to the most recent finding on thermal breakdown, the study argues that, despite its widespread approval and use, further scientific safety research is warranted due the following significant findings:

"Sucralose alters metabolic profile and its chronic effects on body weight are unknown": both animal and human research indicates sucralose may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, indicating it may have diabetes-facilitating properties.
"Sucralose alters expression of various intestinal flora": While classified as a food additive, sucralose's structure indicates it interferes with a wide range of medications, and activates detoxification pathways and enzymes.

"The metabolic fate and health profile of sucralose metabolites (by-products) are currently in question": Contrary to statements in the research literature that sucralose passes through the body in the feces 'unchanged,' metabolites have been detected in the urine and feces of both animals and humans. The health consequences are unknown.

"Sucralose alters intestinal bacterial balance: Sucralose (delivered as Splenda) has been found to reduce the number of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointesintal tract such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, while increasing the more detrimental bacteria such as enterobacteria. One study found the adverse effects on flora did not return to normal after a 3-month recovery period. Sucralose also altered the pH of the gastrointestinal tract.

In Sum, numerous toxicological issues regarding long-term exposure to sucralose are unresolved": 1) DNA damage, and possible adverse larger scale genetic alterations. 2) The generation of toxic compounds during baking, including chloropropanols, 1,6-DCF and dioxins. 3) The bioaccumulation of sucralose and/or its metabolites, and their effects, 4) The interaction between sucralose and/or its metabolites with medications.

The Acceptable Daily Intake of Splenda (Sucralose) May Have Been Set 100's of Times Too High To Ensure Safety: Lastly, an equally concerning issue addressed by the paper is the problem of the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The FDA approved an ADI for humans of 5 mg/kg/day in 1998 based on toxicity studies in rats by determining a “no-observed-effect” level of 500 mg/kg/day, and then applying a 100-fold safety factor. Since then, research has showed that the no-“observed-effect level” in the gut bacteria of rats for Splenda is actually as low as 1.1 mg/kg/day – 454 times lower than first determined. If the biological effects of sucralose in rats and humans are the same or similar, then significant effects would also be expected in humans far below the accepted daily intake.

For additional research on sucralose's adverse health effects, visit our research page that collates peer-reviewed research on its toxicological properties. It’s best to use natural sweeteners not associated with these adverse effects, such as stevia, xylitol, or erythritol.
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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Santa, Stop Here!

When I put a sign in the 
front of my home saying...

*
*
*
This wasn't exactly where 
I wanted you to stop.


I hope your Christmas was memorable!





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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The most significant events in 2013

2013 was a year like any other, but as we reflect on it, a number of events that pass into history stand out. We should not forget where we were and celebrate that we survived another one. Each year that I pass through becomes more poignant for me. Maybe it's because I'm just getting older and find more ways to appreciate what I have. Maybe it's because of my personal history, and the fact that I'm still here and doing the things I love when I was given such a somber prognosis nearly eight years ago.

As each year passes, I find more reasons to hang around for just a bit longer. The children within our family that have come into this world, both here and in Korea, bring more joy and harmony than I ever imagined.

I may just be a sentimental old fart, but my life feels richer and the coming generation gives me hope that we will eventually solve many of the problems facing us.

With that being said, here's a look at the past year.
How did these events color your life... your view on the world... the steps you've taken?

2013
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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Have a great Christmas

Enjoy time with people you love, and may you get everything you you wish for.



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Softening Kim Jong-un's Image

There has been much talk about North Korea's new young leader, and attempts to view him in a different light seems to be a national effort. However in many cases, it seems to hold true that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You may or may not have heard about a former girl friend of his, but this story seems to point out that nobody (including their families) is safe.

 The Softening of Kim Joun-un's Image

 The Kim dynasty is becoming fragile as their behavior becomes more erratic and unpredictable, and their anemic economy sinks deeper. The recent execution of Kim's uncle, Jang Song-thaek, validates that no one is safe from his paranoia, suspicion, and vengeance. It is only a matter of time before this style of politics and acrimony becomes a path for his own ultimate end. History once again is destined to repeat itself.

 Clock ticks for the Kims
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Friday, December 20, 2013

700-hp Hennessey Corvette Stingray hits 200 mph on a Texas toll road

There is not much you can say that tops this video.
Watch this Corvette Video
Some guys have too much fun at their job.
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Saturday, December 14, 2013

The future of robotics

I recently had an offhand discussion at work on robotics. It was just a lunchtime conversation, but it got me wondering. There are a number of companies (and countries) which are taking this much further than just talking about it. Real work is being done, and some amazing results are taking place. After a basic search on the subject, I ran across this BBC program made earlier this year. It's pretty fascinating.

Watch How Robots Will Change the World, and see if you find yourself wanting to know more. I'm certainly intrigued.

Google has also been interested in the subject. Check out this article just published in the December 14,2013 edition of Business Insider - Google Just Bought A Company That Makes Absolutely Insane Robots. There is a video of Big Dog included. Watch this cool demonstration.
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Wednesday, December 04, 2013

The Zombie Dance vs. 92-Year-Old Sol


This post is another from my good friend, Marlene Harris.

Marlene’s Note: The following discussion is, in the usual fashion of the author, Phil Kaplan, a little “in your face”, so consider yourself warned. Phil has been involved in the fitness industry for decades, and has transitioned from trainer, to health club manager, on to health club owner, to trainer of trainers, and currently on to championing the virtues of exercise, healthy nutrition, and good life habits to the medical community. He’s doing this in hopes that they will begin to embrace and include what these vital aspects of living have to offer their patients in terms of reduced medical care, reduced pain and grief, and reduced medical expenses. I’ll let his dialogue speak for itself.



The Zombie Dance vs. 92-Year-Old Sol . . . Who’s the Winner? 
By Phil Kaplan



Every day I experience some shift in awareness, and with each shift my desire to learn increases.  This clearly defines me as the eternal student, but in that role I can also become a better and more empowered teacher. 

Friday was an interesting day.  I worked out at 5:30 AM and enjoyed a word exchange (that means conversation, face-to-face, nothing to do with IM or text) with Sol, a 92-year-old man who I see at the gym every time I work out early enough.  He shuffles a bit, one eye is sort of lazy, and he pauses sometimes between sentences . . . but . . .  his 15 reps on the Hammer Strength shoulder press with 50 pounds appears athletically perfect.  A few sets of 15 and he shuffles off to the Free Motion bicep machine where he concentrates on every repetition.  As Sol and I talked over the course of 15 minutes, I noted his wit is sharp, his memory is solid, and he hasn’t failed to get at least 5 days of exercise in any given week since he was 70. 



He does have a running joke that gets old after you’ve heard it 50 or 60 times, but it might be couched in fact. Whenever somebody comments on Sol’s dedication, he faces them, asks them how old they are, and then dismissively says, “I have socks older than you” and moves on to his next exercise.  Maybe he could use a new joke, but when it comes to health and longevity, I’d say he’s got things figured out. This is not as rare as it may sound.  Everyone knows at least one octogenarian (80-something+) who has come to appreciate (and exemplify) the virtues of regular exercise and healthy living. 



After the gym I went to the Hilton Suites. They have a great breakfast with a master omelet maker and I enjoy the food and people watching there.  At the next table a couple, I would guess were in their 60’s, sat down.  Slowly.. They barely looked at each other. They didn’t speak. As soon as they were seated, the woman reached into her purse and pulled out some containers. She methodically, ritualistically, sorted out capsules and tablets. Together, as if they were in some weird seated zombie ballet, they each took their respective glasses of orange juice, and began the dance; pill in hand, hand to mouth, insert, sip, swallow, repeat. I looked at the time on my phone, it was 7:44. Mesmerized by the slow zombie hand-to-mouth ballet, I was amazed. She finished first at 7:48. He didn’t swallow his last pill until 7:50.  Then, she reached back into the purse and pulled out some little packet.  She poured half of the powder into his remaining juice, the other half into hers.  She mixed vigorously, and they both drank without any sense of expression. Then, they got up to fetch their breakfast, and returned . . . with pancakes, bacon, and muffins. They didn’t smile. They didn’t joke. They didn’t talk about socks. They just performed their ritualistic pill progression and then topped it all off with empty calories, highly refined carbs, and processed saturated fat.



Being I can’t just sit there and observe without inviting myself into conversation, I asked if they were from up north. Long Island, they said. We spoke about snow, about their new villa in Boca Raton, and . . . about health.  I wound up sitting at their table. Doug has been on statin meds since he was 45.  Today he’s 54!  Just one year older than me! I honestly thought he was well into his sixties. I didn’t ask his wife her age, but . . . we spoke about their pill ritual.  “This one’s for cholesterol, this one’s for blood pressure, this one’s for anxiety, this one’s for . . . “  I wanted to scream.  I wanted to vomit. I wanted to help. I wanted to do something . . . but I listened . . . and wondered how many pills 92-year-old Sol took every morning.



I haven’t seen Sol again yet, but “how many pills” will be the first question I’ll ask him when I do. Thankfully, with my attention now tuned to the differences between pancake-eating pill-takers and committed exercisers, I was happy when a short time after breakfast, my father’s old army buddy, now 79-years old, called to ask if I’d like to meet him for lunch.



At lunch time I headed to one of my favorite, healthy South Florida lunch spots and Jerry was already there. I took note. Jerry must weigh within 10 pounds of what he weighed when I first met him, 40-something years ago.  He’s sharp, witty, and full of stories.  He travels, studies, and attends classes to continue to learn.  Of course we got to discussing exercise.  He runs every day, did four miles that morning, and is healthfully addicted to tennis.  The differences between avid exercisers, (especially those who enjoy a healthy lunch), and resigned pill swallowers is so striking, it almost accounts for a 25-year difference.  Not chronologically, but biologically.  I mean, show me a multiple-pills-as-appetizer 54-year-old resigned to the zombie ballet, and I‘ll show you an exercising 79-year-old who can (literally) run circles around him, and barring other calamity, will likely continue to do so.



As I work with the medical field to drive acceptance of exercise and eating interventions as curative, every new insight leads to greater validation of the power we have to affect the aging process in the face of the hazards of living in this 21st century “civilized” world.  

Marlene’s Concluding Note: As famous success expert Jim Rohn has stated (paraphrased), we’re all destined to suffer one of two pains in life; the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret. He continues that the difference is that the pain of discipline weighs ounces, while the pain of regret weighs tons.
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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

No one has said it better

I don't usually get involved in politics, in fact, I avoid it wherever possible. However, it almost impossible to ignore the debacle going on with Obamacare. Barbara Bellar has said it better than anyone else and put it into a single long sentence. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. 



“So let me get this straight – this is a long sentence. We are going to be gifted with a health care plan that we are forced to purchase, and fined if we don’t, which reportedly covers 10 million more people without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman doesn’t understand it, passed by Congress, that didn’t read it, but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, for which we will be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and financed by a country that is broke. So what the blank could possibly go wrong?” 

― Barbara Bellar
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Friday, November 15, 2013

Treat everyday as if it were your last

We plan each day as if we will always be here. We get up, go through the motions of our daily routine, and continue through it without appreciating the magic of it and the people around us. 

 The daily grind and the continuous negativity of the news seems so oppressive at times, we fail to recognize how special our lives are to others, and others to us. This article was published on November 14, 2013, and drives home the impermanence of life around us. 

 Read Every Day and see if doesn't touch you in the same way it did me. I already have personal experience with this subject, as have you. How do you start your day?
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Metabolic Mayhem

This post is another from a good friend of mine, Marlene Harris.

 Marlene's Note: There's a number of general factors that affect our metabolic rate, among them, height, body structure (small, medium, or large frame), age, gender, and activity level. However, there's also a number of smaller, day-to-day type factors that can affect it as well, and that's the focus of today’s article from INH Health Watch.

Metabolic Mayhem: Stop these habits now to boost your calorie-burning potential! 

 Need another reason to love your body? It burns calories all by itself—as long as you don't get in the way. See, every cell in your body plays a role in energy metabolism—the process of turning the food you eat into energy that keeps your heart beating, lungs pumping, and muscles moving. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. And just like there are ways to speed it up—by working out, for instance—certain habits can hit the brakes on your natural calorie-churning engine.

 Here are things to avoid in order to keep your metabolism humming.

 Marlene's Note: Notice that it said to AVOID doing these! :-)

 1). Skipping Breakfast: When you miss breakfast, you don't just set yourself up to overeat at lunch. You actually tell your body to conserve energy—which means it burns calories more slowly. That's one reason of the many reasons a study from the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who skip a morning meal were 4.5 times more likely to be obese. 

 2). Dehydration: All of your body's cellular processes, including metabolism, depend on water. If you're dehydrated, you could burn up to 2 percent fewer calories, according to researchers at the University of Utah.

 Marlene’s Note: Now, 2% fewer calories may not seem like much, but let’s do the math: for the sake of simplicity, if you need 2,000 cal/day to function, by just not drinking enough water, you’ll burn 40 calories less each day, 1,200 calories less each month, and 14,400 calories per year, which amount to 4 pounds of flubber (divide by 3,500 cal/lb.). All that by simply not drinking enough 0 calorie water!

3). A Weird Eating Schedule: In a 2012 Hebrew University study, in animal studies groups fed high fat foods sporadically gained more weight than mice that ate a similar diet on a regular schedule. Researchers suspect that eating at the same times every day trains the body to burn more calories between meals. Certainly what we eat has an enormous impact on our health and weight status. But did you know that when and how we eat also make a huge difference? Eating at the appropriate times throughout the day will help to maximize fat burning and keep hunger at bay.

 Soultions:

    Aim to eat every 3 to 4 hours. Timing your meals will improve your fat loss by preventing excess insulin, allowing leptin to work its magic on appetite control and metabolism, and by balancing the stress hormone cortisol. Try to schedule your meals at the same time every day.
  
   Eat within 1 hour of rising. Your mom was also right when she told you breakfast was the most important meal of the day. When you skip breakfast, you lose its stimulating benefits on your metabolic rate. You also become more likely to eat unbalanced meals, more calories, and larger amounts of saturated fat throughout the day. Plenty of research shows that those of us who skip breakfast are heavier. Missing out on a healthy morning meal also increases your stress hormones.

    Start the day with protein. For better appetite control throughout the day, try combining your starchy carbs at lunch, dinner, or after your workouts rather than at breakfast. Stick to eggs or whey protein smoothies for breakfast and you'll eat less throughout the day.
   
   Don’t eat within 3 hours of bedtime. Eating too close to bedtime raises your body temperature, increases blood sugar and insulin, prevents the release of melatonin, and cuts down on growth hormone release. All these factors interfere with the quality of your sleep and the natural fat-burning benefits of a good night’s rest. Furthermore, sleep deprivation leads to more cravings and a greater likelihood of overeating the next day. If you must eat before bed, opt for something light that's high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat. 
  
   Always eat within 45 minutes of finishing your workout. This meal or snack is the only one of the day that should not contain much fat and should be higher in carbohydrates. For example, have a smoothie made with juice, fruit, and protein powder, but no flaxseeds or oil.

      Never do your weight training on an empty stomach. You need energy from your foods to perform optimally. You may, however, complete your cardio before eating if your session will be less than 30 minutes.

      Eat protein first. Eat the protein on your plate first to help speed the signal to your brain that you are full.

 3). Skimping on Sleep: A 2012 study found that people who sleep less move less the next day, which means they burn fewer calories. But it gets worse: Sleep deprivation actually reduces the amount of energy your body uses at rest, according to the German and Swedish researchers.

 4). Eating Too Little: When you skimp on calories, your body slows your metabolic rate to conserve on fuel. There's no getting around this fundamental truth: You can't have weight-loss success unless your calories burned are more than your calories in. Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., a sports nutritionist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, recommends the following formulas for figuring out how many calories your nutrition plan should include. Use them to get a basic idea of how many calories you should be eating for both active and inactive days.

 Marlene's Note: The following calculations should be considered "quick and dirty" type references, and not taken "written in stone"!

Lazy-Day Calorie Goal: Use this on days when you're taking it easy/not exercising:

A. Your weight, in pounds: ____
B. Ans. To A x 15 = _____
C. Ans. To B - 500 = _____

Active-Day Calorie Goal: Use on days when you're active/exercising:

A. Your weight, in pounds: ____
B. Ans. To A x 18 = ____
C. Ans. To B - 500 = ____

Aim for these numbers and you'll set yourself up to lose 1 pound per week, a weight-loss rate that's healthy and easier to maintain.

5). Sitting Too Long: It takes only 20 minutes in any fixed position to inhibit your metabolism, according to Carrie Schmitz, an ergonomic research manager for Ergotron. Develop a game plan to get up from your work station more frequently and move around. You can walk, or even develop a little body weight exercise routine to do to augment your fitness program.

6). Not Getting Enough Calcium: Another reason to drink your milk: Calcium plays a key role in regulating your fat metabolism, which determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat. A diet that's high in calcium could help you burn more fat, according to research conducted at the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

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Saturday, November 02, 2013

It must wait...

This is something you need to watch from start to finish, and then ask yourself is texting and things like this worth it when so much is on the line, and a split second can make a world of difference. It's a film by Werner Herzog that shows what can happen when you become distracted for even a few seconds.

One Second to the Next

Spread this around. It's the one thing you can do to help.
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Volcanos of Mexico


Looking at this, I can hardly believe I once climbed this mountain. It's one of two peaks that I reached the summit on during my trip to Mexico. It's also a fair bet that nobody will have a chance to do it again in my life time.

This is the other one I climbed. Higher by 1000 ft.


Both were exciting and challenging, and a highlight of my adventures.
It's one thing in my life that I am pleased to have accomplished.

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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Seoul, Korea Trip 2013

We just returned from a trip to Seoul, Korea and I thought I would share a few observations.
For those of you who know me, you know I have a deep connection, but every trip serves to offer a few more insights, as well as reinforce old ones. And you need to know as you read through this, I really do love the place. It is a city of contrasts and life, and offers just about anything you are looking for, and maybe some things you weren't.

 The cost of living has hit here like everywhere else. The cost of food, whether buying at a grocery store or eating out is more expensive, forcing people to make wiser choices. That doesn't stop the people from buying something, it just means that they have to compensate. When they want something more on one side, they give up something on the other.
Housing is almost prohibitively expensive, and their system of jeonse would freak out the average American. It would make coming here to live pretty difficult. Most of us don't have that sort of money ($500,000 plus) on hand. If you want a reasonable place to live, that's what its going to cost.

 The food is one reason I love coming to Korea. I have accumulated a number of places and dishes that you can't get anywhere else. I have tried to find places in Arizona that are similar in some way, but nothing even comes close to measuring up (except maybe our house). So when I get the chance to come to Korea, I make sure I get all of my favorite spots at least once during my stay, while on the lookout to add to my list with another great place. The food is basically healthy and low in the bad stuff. Of course you can get your Big Mac, Whopper, KFC, Krispy Kreme, Papa Johns, etc., if you want, but with all the choices of great Korean style cuisine, why would you want to? I find that I don't even give these places a second look.

 Driving here is only for the brave or mildly insane. Koreans give new meaning the the phrases "every man for himself" and "go for it." It seems to be a perpetual game of chicken, and I found myself wondering, why do they even bother painting lines on the road (and for that matter, traffic lights about half the time), because nobody pays them any attention. I've seen city busses run red lights. If there is nearly a car length between you and the car in front of you (and often even if there isn't), you can be sure someone will try to insert their car in it. They can be the best and the worst  drivers I have ever seen, and all at the same time. And what we might call a California stop is time wasted waiting in one spot. I'm truly amazed there aren't more car accidents. It's a good thing guns aren't allowed in Korea, but horns are used with enthusiasm.

 There are about a zillion motorcycles there of varying sizes, primarily used for transporting goods and food. From what I observed, there is no place where they won't drive, including the wrong direction down a busy street, sidewalks, and threading the needle between cars. It's more like two-wheeled anarchy, and they use their horns freely to tell YOU (the pedestrian) to get out of the way. Although there are traffic laws for motorcycles, I've never witnessed a cop citing one for anything.

 Their use of technology and connectivity is far beyond the USA. They find it hard to believe that people in America still use any sort of dial-up, or low speed service. Our average internet speed is slow compared to theirs, and actually more expensive to boot.

 Nearly everyone in Seoul has some sort of smart phone and it seems like they (especially kids and young adults) are connected almost continuously. To me this can be rather annoying, since they hardly look up to see where they are going when walking down the street. I observed a lot of young people only have one free hand, because their smart phone is usually in the other.
In one case, I was riding the bus (actually standing, because the bus was a little crowded), and an elderly lady got on. A young guy purposely stared into his phone, trying to look too busy to notice the lady could have been given his seat... so she stood next to him while he played with his smart phone. I guess manners and reverence for age in not as universal in Korea as is led to believe, or times for stuff like this has changed. If it was my seat to give, I would unquestionably got up and offered it to her. As I have seen in the USA, Korea is no different. It's "all about me", and I was here first, so manners and respect are dying out all over. Maybe I was just brought up in a different time and place.

 I am definitely a guy who appreciates the female form. I'm not outwardly overt about it, but I do enjoy the view as much as the next guy, and just keep it to myself. The woman in Korea set the bar high, as attractiveness and sophistication is measured (just my personal opinion, I assure you, but based on many, many years of observational experience). You see no overly amply exposed muffin-tops, although I'm sure there might be an exception out there somewhere. The women there appear to be more conservative, and quite conscious of their outward appearance, taking to time to look good, if even going to the corner bakery for a loaf of bread. There are no Walmart people types to witness in Korea (although I'm sure they probably exist), but in the time I was there, I never saw anything close. There maybe one in 20 that they would consider overweight here, but by our standards, they are still reasonably proportioned. I think times are changing slowly though. With the introduction of KFC, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, etc, etc, the overall Americanized diet is creeping into the Korean diets, so it's just a matter of time before we begin to see its effects, but for now it's a girl watching Shangri-la, and life is good.

 If you appreciate a great pair of legs, there is no place better. I would venture to say that after a few days, you might be a leg-man convert in short order. Fashion styles have changed over the years, but short skirts always seem to be in style there (and getting shorter, if that's possible), making the supply of shapely legs an ever present display. Is it any wonder I love to get out and walk around. It's a miracle my head doesn't spin completely around sometimes. There are some who see issues. Check out this report from March 2013.
I am just a guy after all. When I stop looking, you might as well fill in the hole, because I have probably died.

 Koreans are quite brand conscious, and the more famous the brand, the more exposure it seems to get. Actors and actresses, and models from America are in many of their advertisements, promoting cars, clothing, alcohol, what-have-you. Places like the Hyundai and the Shinsegae Department stores are something wild to behold. Nothing we have (that I have seen) measures up. Of course out of 11 floors in the Hyundai Department store, six of them are fully dedicated to women's fashions and three of them are for groceries and restaurants. Guys, kids, and the rest of the stuff they sell get the rest of the floors. I guess we know now why women there look so good.

 I continued to work out while we were there, and would jog several miles in the early mornings. We were staying next to a fairly upscale part of town, and I would always get a chuckle (and I felt a little strange) as this older guy dressed in sweats, would jog through this section of the city, passing shops you might find in Beverly Hills, including a Rolls Royce dealership. Stranger in a strange land to be sure.

 I guess that about sums up my latest visit. The family time there was the best, and getting to know the new generation of the family is always fun. Being the only non-Korean on that side of the family has its downside to be sure, because I tend to get left out of some conversations. However, the rewards of the little smiles and playtime with them, and visits with good friends makes it all worth the effort, and I look forward to the next opportunity to travel that way.

 Cheers!  :o)
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