Holiday Musings

Here I am. . . . . at the end of my first year without sugar.  I realize that I did not live entirely without sugar.  July August & September were pretty shady months.  Not that I was running around snorting pixie sticks, but I was not paying that much attention.  The little things slipped through the cracks.  As I look to 2011, I am anticipating another year without the inGREEDient.  More planning, better knowledge, more resources . . . . maybe these things will help me to do better. 

I know that I have not even begun to scratch the surface of truly healthy living.  I wish I could choose only organic products - I wish I could grow all of my own vegetables - I wish I could raise my own grass-fed beef. . . . etc. etc. etc.  It is not to be - at least not at this juncture in my life.  Unless someone wants to turn my blog into a movie, these things are just to far outside of my budget. 

While home with my family for Christmas, I read Dr. Mercola's Total Health Cookbook & Program.  I don't know if I buy into the 'Eat for your body type' philosophy, but I am quite thrilled that it contains 150 grain free recipes.  Dr Mercola's philosophy includes the conversion to a completely organic lifestyle with an emphasis on animal products and vegetables with a minimum of grains, starches, and fruits.  I struggle the most with the lack of fruit in this particular prescription.  

I have tried some of the fad diets - Atkins, South Beach, I think I even tried the cabbage soup diet for a short time.  Any diet can help you lose weight.  Simply by eliminating a food group, or by halving one's calories it follows that weight loss would be the result.  

I have noticed lately that I have often dwelt on and expounded upon the weight loss aspect of my decision to give up sugar.  Don't get me wrong, after more than a decade of struggling with my weight, I am thrilled to have lost weight.  What's even better is that it takes very little effort on my part to maintain my new weight.  More importantly, though, my health has been transformed.  I do feel vital.  I wake up every day with a new plan to conquer the universe.  No matter how overstated a cliche, it is so true that only a change in lifestyle, not just a temporary fast or binge, is what enables us to change the course of our health.  

Yes, I do wish for a Pepsi now and again.  I wish for the simplicity of boxed dinners that only require adding water to make them 'food'.   I wish that dark chocolate bars didn't contain sugar.  Wishing doesn't make things happen.  Action makes things happen.  So I am going to act in such a way that my health continues to progress from that of an average person to the point where people start wondering if I'm really a super-hero.

I have two major goals for the first quarter of 2011: 

1. No more Vitamin Water (or similar beverages).  I have been telling myself that these drinks are acceptable because they are sweetened with a stevia product.  The problem is, I suspect that the sweetener used is far more processed than mere ground stevia leaf.  It's back to water and unsweetened tea for me.
2. I am going to drastically cut back on the amount of pasta I eat despite the fact that I adore pasta.  OK.  Here's the truth.  I detest whole wheat pasta.  I can never seem to cook it properly.  Either I don't cook it enough, and it is tough, or I cook it too much and it becomes mush.  Either way, I just don't like it.  So I have continued to eat regular pasta.  White flour, however is generally considered as unhealthy as sugar itself - having had all the nutrition refined out of it.  An anti-nutrient, if you will. 

Right now I have no idea how to fill in the pasta gap, but I'm sure I'll manage.  Your suggestions are always welcome.  More experimentation with strange foods I've never tried before?  Probably.  Will they all turn out perfectly?  Probably not.  Such is life - trial and error.  No one gets it right all the time.  Success rarely presents itself without a fight.  I shall leave you tonight with a quote. 

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. - Teddy Roosevelt

Strive Valiantly!
Dare Greatly!
Avoid Sugar!

JamiK

Yes, I Really Do Think Like This

"There are persons who would rather be killed by a regular (doctor) in a customary manner than to get well by an irregular (doctor) in an unusual manner." - D. D. Palmer, Founder of Chiropractic

Why is it that people prefer to seek a drug dispensed by an M.D. than to receive an adjustment from a D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic)? It seems to me, that this sort of thinking is what also causes people to seek a pill to eliminate pain, another pill to lose weight, and a vitamin to make them healthier instead of eliminating an addictive, and arguably poisonous substance (sugar) from their diet.

The sugar pushers and the drug pushers have so intertwined themselves into the fabric of society, that we seek excuses for our poor health instead of trying to live healthier lives.
"Obesity runs in my family"
"I'll always have allergies - you can't cure them"
"I'm just big boned - there's nothing I can do about that"
"I have a poor immune system - hopefully the new drug I am taking will help"

Have you ever paid attention to the side effects of the drugs advertised on television? 'Drug X will eliminate the need to get up and pee in the middle of the night . . . . side effects include blurred vision, hallucinations, anal leakage, and exploding hemorrhoids." I don't know how these drugs sell.

It seems to me that as a society, we have become so busy, that we will do whatever people tell us to do as long as they have a title. D. D. Palmer also said "Doctors who use drugs do not need intelligent patients. One who takes drugs does not need an intelligent doctor." The purpose of my tirade here, is to point out, that though giving up sugar seems to be extreme to some, and most would rather take a pill or have a surgery to lose weight and be healthier; in the long run I think there are few, if any who would say that giving up sugar will not improve my health in more ways than one.

If you have poor health, and your Doctor can't give you any advice that doesn't involve drugs or surgery, see a Chiropractor. Read 'Nutrition Tests for Better Health'. Visit your local organic nutrition store and talk to anyone you find there. Then, cut sugar out of your life, and see how things improve.

Ciao for now,
JamiK

Antics From the Peanut Gallery

There will always be naysayers. I arrived back in the office after lunch today to find my desk covered with mini candy bars. The Nerve! It honestly didn't bother me to see them there, I simply picked them up and gave them to Cupcake who occupies the cube next to me. What did bother me a bit, was the fact that the person who put them there resorted to the Lap Band a couple of years ago to lose weight. Wow - way to cheer someone on for trying to be healthy without resorting to extreme measures.

I made a batch of MomK's Banana Bread last night - Yum:)

Tonight I am spending some quality research time with D.D. Palmer's The Science of Chiropractic and more William Dufty.

Enjoy life responsibly - avoid sugar!
JamiK

Resources & Random Commentary

A friend of mine suggested the following website as a resouce for salad dressing recipes: www.epicurious.com I have decided to try the lemon garlic dressing first. Thanks Kristy!

I also discovered The "I can't believe this has no sugar" cookbook By Deborah E. Buhr . . . . I will double check the items used as sweeteners before I purchase it . . . . seems too good to be true.

Triscuits do not have added sugar! Neither does Bible Bread Gourmet Crispbread (I like the garlic kind). Beef Jerky is safe, if you choose the plain or pepper varieties (but double check the ingredient list of your favorite brand just to be safe).

I will be returning my 'Stevia In The Raw' brand Stevia to the grocery store tomorrow. . . . it lists Dextrose as the primary ingreedient. The 'Sweet Leaf' brand is just stevia.

What is Sugar?

Dictionary.com gives us the following definition:

Sugar (noun): a sweet, crystalline substance, C1 2H2 2O1 1, obtained chiefly from the juice of the sugarcane and the sugar beet, and present in sorghum, maple sap, etc.: used extensively as an ingredient and flavoring of certain foods and as a fermenting agent in the manufacture of certain alcoholic beverages; sucrose. Chemistry. a member of the same class of carbohydrates, as lactose, glucose, or fructose.

Following is an excerpt from William Dufty's book "Sugar Blues".

"The use of the word carbohydrate to describe sugar is deliberately misleading. Since the improved labeling of nutritional properties was required on packages and cans, refined carbohydrates like sugar are lumped together with those carbohydrates which may or may not be refined. The several types of carbohydrates are added together for an overall carbohydrate total. Thus, the effect of the label is to hide the sugar content from the unwary buyer. Chemists add to the confusion by using the word sugar to describe an entire group of substances that are similar but not identical.
Glucose is a sugar found usually with other sugars, in fruits and vegetables. it is a key material in the metabolism of all plants and animals. Many of our principal foods are converted into glucose in our bodies. Glucose is always present in our bloodstream, and is often called blood sugar.
Dextrose, derived synthetically from starch, also called 'corn sugar'.
Fructose is fruit sugar
Maltose is malt sugar
Lactose is milk sugar.
Sucrose is refined sugar made from the sugar cane and the sugar beet.
Glucose has always been an essential element in the human bloodstream. Sucrose addiction is something new in the history of the human animal. To use the word sugar to describe two substances which are far from being identical, which have different chemical structures, and which affect the body in profoundly different ways compounds confusion. It makes possible more flimflam from the sugar pushers who tell us how important sugar is as an essential component of the human body, how it is oxidized to produce energy, how it is metabolized to produce warmth, and so on. They're talking about glucose, of course, which is manufactured in our bodies. However, one is led to believe that the manufacturers are talking about the sucrose which is made in their refineries. When the word sugar can mean the glucose in your blood as well as the sucrose in your Coca-Cola, it's great for the sugar pushers but it's rough on everybody else."

Since beginning the experiment, I am often met with incredulity on the part of my friends and acquaintances. "How can you give up sugar? It's in everything! There's sugar in fruit, in milk, in vegetables . . . . and your body needs sugar!" This is when I try to explain that I am giving up refined sugar, and added sugar. If God put it there, it's OK. If man put it there, it's not.

Signing off,
JamiK

Get Angry People - I Need Company.

Ingunation: To pull the wool over someones eyes. This word isn't anywhere to be found on dictionary.com, or even in my massive dictionary of the English language. The word is so old, and so rarely used, that it has passed from record (though it can be found in the game 'Balderdash'). You know that moment when you realize you've been had? Duped? Scammed? That the wool has been pulled over your eyes? That you are nothing but an unsuspecting rube? I am having that moment now.

For the most part, I blame myself. I should have known better. It all started when I wanted to avoid making my own chicken stock for a recipe. I thought, 'Oh, I'll just go pick up a quart of chicken stock at the grocery store'. It was not to be. Emeril Lagasse puts sugar in his chicken stock. Swanson's puts sugar in their chicken stock. Campbell's puts sugar in their chicken stock. El generico Flavorite puts sugar in their chicken stock. WHY IN THE WORLD DO WE NEED SUGAR IN CHICKEN STOCK?!?!?!?!?!?!

About three years ago I read 'Natural Cures THEY don't Want You to Know About' by Kevin Trudeau. Mr. Trudeau's book is a bit dramatic for my taste, and he needs an editor. . . . . But . . . he may not have been far off the mark when he claimed that the food industry is out to addict us to each and every one of their products. We all know sugar is addictive. This is why when you eat a bon bon, you follow it up with another bon bon. When you have a piece of pie, or cake, you follow it up with another 'half slice' because you don't want to seem GREEDY. It seems that just about every prepared food product on the planet has sugar added to it. Perhaps so that you will follow each and every serving up with another?

Well I for one shall not play the part of the rube any longer. I'm out to get you sugar pushers!!!
Once I compose myself enough to compose a letter, I shall be writing to Mr. Lagasse, Swanson's, Campbell's, and Flavorite to express my displeasure with their choice of additives. When MomK makes chicken stock from scratch, she adds no sugar - and MomK's chicken stock is awesome. It's made from chicken - what a novel concept!!

On a less violent note, I did find a sourdough bread in the bakery section that does not list sugar as an ingredient.
Please let me know what you find as you investigate the ingredient lists on your grocery store purchases. I need all the help I can get at this point.

Talk to you soon,
JamiK

Say Hello to My New Lifestyle

Well, here we are. I made it back from NYC alive. Tired and bruised, but alive.

Synopsis of today's eats:
Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee w/half & half and stevia
Lunch: Ranch Chicken Wrap
Smear a Mission tortilla wrap with Bolthouse Farms ranch dressing
On the tortilla, lay a romaine lettuce leaf
On top of the lettuce, some chicken & tomato slices
Roll it up and eat it
Snack: Hand full of salted cashew halves
Dinner: Pasta with mushroom marinara
Cook up your favorite pasta
Sauce Recipe: (Combine all ingredients and simmer on stove for 30 - 45 minutes)
16 oz tomato sauce
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp Basil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if you like

Now, a word about breakfast. Since reaching adulthood, I have not been much of a breakfast eater. I usually opt for a couple of cups of coffee and leave it at that. Conventional wisdom says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - but I have never been even remotely conventional. If you need to eat breakfast, try sticking with fruit.
In their best selling book 'Fit for Life', Harvey and Marilyn Diamond advocate eating only fruit until noon. I tend to agree with their philosophy, but I struggle to make time to sit down and eat breakfast. According to the Diamond's principle of the correct consumption of fruit; fruit should be always eaten alone on an empty stomach. The reason is that fruit requires very little digestion and therefore should assist in the body detoxification. It should be eaten in the morning for better food utilization and elimination. The Diamonds recommend starting the day with fresh fruit and fruit juices and consume nothing but fruit till noon. Such a beginning to the day will purify your body and provide energy.

If, like me, you don't feel you have the time to sit down and eat breakfast - maybe try juice. Simply Orange, Naked and Bolthouse Farms make wonderful juices that are free of added sugar (Check before you choose one, there are a couple of varieties that do list sugar as an ingredient).

And, finally, on a non-nutrition related topic - if you ever go ice skating in Central Park, watch out for the ice monsters. They are sneaky little boogers. Right now, I am hoping that a reduced sugar intake will speed up the healing of the massive bruises on my legs. . . . .

What's the Goal?

Good Health is not merely the absence of disease - it is the presence of vitality. Do you feel vital? Do you wake up with enthusiasm each morning with a new plan for conquering the universe? Though only thirty years old, I do not. Most days, I hit the snooze button a couple of times, and then moan and groan as my muscles and joints protest the coming of a new day. I don't want that anymore. Do you ever see a child and wonder where they get their energy and wish you had the same? I do. Could giving up refined sugar be the key? Some of my research is leading me to believe that it just might be. We shall see, shan't we?

I re-read Sugar Blues on the way to NYC today. This book is scary. Read it if you dare.

From Manhattan,
JamiK

Bits and Pieces of the Puzzle

Thus far, I have only referred vaguely to the guidelines which I plan to follow for my Giving up of Greed. Here are a few specifics:

To Replace Sugar:
Stevia, Honey, Agave Nectar, Pure Maple Syrup, and maybe Palm Sugar (need to research this last one). I have long been suspicious of 'sugar substitutes' such as Saccharin, Aspartame, and Sucralose. I don't use them now, and I don't plan to use them in the future.

No one is perfect, and I am sure that eventually, I will consume something that has sugar in it. This isn't an experiment that I will give up if I unwittingly eat something without reading the ingredient list first. Upon discovery of my error, I shall berate myself, pledge renewed vigilance, and carry on. If you are thinking of joining the movement, don't feel like you have to throw away everything in your cupboards and start over tomorrow. I've been preparing for this for two months. Replace your pantry with healthy, greed-free options as you go through the next month or two. You'll get there!

To Track Results:
When I get home on Monday, I shall record the following: my weight, heart rate, blood pressure, and take measurements of my waist, hips, bust, arms, & legs. I am also working on finalizing a spreadsheet analysis of Dr. Cass Ingram's book "Nutrition Tests for Better Health" (MomK & I have been working on this for a month now). By noting all of my physical symptoms of ill health, I will be able to identify improvements six months to a year hence. Anyone who is interested in improving their health should read this book. It is an amazing compilation of symptoms which assists in the identification of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

I have also listed some books which I have found invaluable to my knowledge of health and nutrition. Please let me know what you read to stay healthy - I'm always looking for more wisdom on the subject.

Happy New Year!!
JamiK