Friday 31 May 2013

Diabetes and Cancer in Canada

Just noticed this article on CBC this morning regarding the sky-rocketing increase in diabetes in Chinese Canadians.

"Diabetes incidence rose 15-fold between 1996-2005 among Canadians of Chinese origin despite lower levels of obesity."

So, the advice we are given?

"Dr. Jan Hux stressed the appropriate action is to pursue a healthy diet that includes whole grains rather than refined grains, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and control portion sizes."

Of course, why didn't I think of that?

Another article recently published is that Liver Cancer in Canada has tripled in men and women since the 1970's. Is that when we really actively started the healthy lifestyle, seed oils instead of saturated fat, lower meat consumption, more healthy whole grains, more sugar, more carbs, more exercise? Blaming it exclusively on Hep B or C or whatever shows they haven't a clue.

Thursday 23 May 2013

I love life

Got home from work, made supper, ate and looked out the window overlooking my balcony. There is a giant evergreen growing 5 feet away, my flower pots are full to overflowing with flowers, there's a bit of a wind, some clouds and the air is wonderful. All of a sudden I choked up, fighting back tears at how wonderful life is (for me) and how much I love life. I still don't like to see the news that shows disasters of nature and the mindless, irrational slaughter of innocent people by people who are crazy, etc. For this moment in time when I look out the window, I feel love, peace, and calm. I love my life regardless of all it's stresses and heartaches.

Besides, I just baked Eddie's flax bread and it's cooling on the counter. Now how much better can life be :)

Monday 20 May 2013

Preparations for a new beginning

Went shopping this weekend for allowed foods: got bacon, eggs, headcheese, blood sausage, wild haddock, wild sole, wild salmon, pork chops, lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, feta cheese, cherries, borshch, sour cream, liverwurst, rye crispbread. No one was selling chicken livers so I'll head to the Chinese Super Market next weekend. They always have them. Also bought flax meal to try making Eddie's flax bread. I have this huge problem in that I love liverwurst but I like it on rye bread or bread or crackers and hopefully the flax bread will hit that particular spot.

Now I'm all set to start all over again. Set up a weight loss ticker (see above). This is only my 67th time that I'm starting over but I'm not going to stop until I've made it.

I eat when I'm bored and the two times I'm bored is when I'm at Bingo or at work. Now Bingo I have control over, I just don't go. But work is another story. I'm not busy enough not to get bored and I'm eating all the time. I even went into ketosis about a month ago, stayed on track for two weeks and still couldn't do it. At my age and the number of times I've gone on and off plan, I'll need at least four to six weeks to get to that great feeling. Two weeks wasn't enough. I was tired, hungry and not feeling great at all. The sleepiness around 2 pm was unbearable, just as if I was eating carbs all day. Plus I still wasn't sleeping, getting up several times a night. So this time, armed with what I know and food that I enjoy, I will try this again.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Only 599 days till retirement

But who's counting. I've been so busy lately at work mostly but these last 599 days are going to kill me I swear.

Last weekend I've titled "Mother's Day Blowout." There was no one to celebrate with so I said, "piss on it, I'm going to spoil myself." Tried two new restaurants  here in town. Friday night was Cafe de Sol, Mexican food. Now I was able to creatively not cheat by ordering the pork soup and skewered grilled shrimp. Saturday, was at the Zembaba Ethiopian restaurant and I had the minced beef, spinach, mushrooms and home made cheese, goat stew and green salad. Yummm!!!! Bought myself two huge hanging flower baskets for the balcony. Then played bingo 3 times and am bingoed out for the next year or so. Felt I needed it. Oh, and read a book or two.


Sunday 5 May 2013

The Significant Other

In my travels in the blogishere, I come across significant others eating garbage/carbage foods in front of their supposed loved one. Now if you are a significant other and see your partner losing weight, regaining their health, being happier, more energetic wouldn't you at least have the courtesy to eat somewhat like them when you are actually eating with them? You could always revert to eating garbage at other times if that is what you prefer to do.

I am a zero tolerance person I'm afraid. If my partner didn't respect my wishes they would know about it. Yes I'm a dictator and maybe that explains why I'm single, lol. But I believe in this way of eating so much that I figure anyone would benefit from eating this way. I can't see myself hooking up with a vegan for example.

Dictatorships aside, it all boils down to respect. If your partner is struggling with weight and health issues, it's only a matter of respecting their choices and not trying to derail them.

Saturday 4 May 2013

Weekly progess report #1

Wt lost this week: 3.6 lbs
Average
Cals 1525
Fat 124 gms (72%)
Carbs 25 gms (7%)
Protein 75 gms (21%)

No headaches at all this past week although I've been tired and sleepy. Bought ketone urine sticks yesterday and they showed 4 last night and 1.6 this morning. My appetite has disappeared altogether. The higher calories for the week reflect the stuffing of face during the first few days while getting into ketosis and battling cravings. Now I'm sure I can eat once or twice a day and be perfectly happy. The reason it took me less time to get in the groove is because I've been bouncing in and out of ketosis since the new year, never actually stuffing my face with carbs on a daily basis.

Foods I've been eating: bacon, chicken broth, beef broth, buckwheat and pork sausage, some romaine lettuce, head cheese, eggs, steak, pork chops, chicken, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, coffee, tea, cream, stevia.

I achieved my heaviest weight ever on March 13th of this year. I am now down a total of 6.2 lbs. No more half-hearted attempts. I've been so excited about retirement in 1 year, 8 months, and 21 days, but wasn't sure I'd make it if I didn't smarten up and follow my own dietary advice. I'm fortunate in that I actually know what works for me but am usually too weak-willed to follow through. I feel sorry for those who are following conventional dietary advice and wondering why they are getting heavier and sicker.

Friday 3 May 2013

Oh Boy, More Pizza

I'm amazed at what makes the news sometimes Take a look at this.

Normally, mozzarella cheese is not what I would call a bad cheese when used responsibly but it seems everyone can't think of a thing other than Pizza when they hear Mozzarella.

The Obesity Epidemic just got a great shot in the arm. However it will be the cheese that gets blamed.

Thursday 2 May 2013

Odds and ends and rants

Several rants here:
  • The Bran Bud Caper - Got an email from my sister stating she thinks she has IBS, has had diarrhea and stomach cramps for a month and is going to see the doctor as she doesn't know what's going on. She's lost about 60 lbs on a low carb diet and eliminated her acid reflux, migraines, joint pains, etc. However, she's over 50 so it's not my place to be the diet police. After a lot of poking and prodding and squeezing the information out of her it turns out she's been eating "Bran Buds" and after me hitting the roof she finally sent me an email that since she's eliminated the bran buds her problems disappeared. Well imagine that? Seems she was unable to conclude on her own that since she started eating them her digestive problems started. BANG HEAD ON DESK.
  • Girl Guide Cookies - Two lovely young girl guides came into my place of work selling girl guide cookies. Now I've always been tempted to tell children who are eating anything with sugar that it will make them fat and ugly like me, today was the day I was able to pull it off. Have you ever seen a deer or a moose in your car headlights? That's what these poor girls looked like. I told them to move along to the next door and a lovely young lady would probably like to buy their cookies as they hurriedly moved along. She eased their confusion and fear by buying a box. Once they had left, she came out and laughed out loud about how funny it was listening in to my conversation with them.
  • Wheat Sensitivity - Now here's a CBC story about wheat sensitivity which has given me much hope as to the future of wheat research looking into non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Of course the Dietician they interviewed stated what we all hear so often that had no bearing on the story covered, and spouting all the usual nonsense about gluten free products having no nutrients, etc. (like wheat does?). However, reading some of the comments made me livid. Some babbling dissonance about the uselessness of anecdotal information/cures for one. So, let's say I've got a condition like RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) for example. The doctors tell me there is no hope, no cure and that I will continue to deteriorate and die a slow and painful death even with drugs. Do I just lay down and take their word for it. Not on my life. I start exploring the internet and check out all anecdotal information I can find. If it doesn't kill me outright like hanging by my toenails over Niagara falls (ok that one I made up), then I'll try the ginger root juice cure, the apple cider vinegar and honey cure, the no-grain cure (I actually found these within minutes of googling). What the frig do I have to lose, right? Yet this person is rejecting anecdotal information out of hand. Actually I'll take anecdotal over anything else nowadays.
  • Cancer Death - one of our long standing Tech people who was my age died yesterday of brain cancer. He followed his wife's dietary advice (low fat), rode his bike to work and yet seemed to have a paunch. I recall a conversation I had with him about 5 years ago when I was losing weight on a low-carb diet. He told me he had been doing Atkins but his wife put a stop to that basically saying she'd kill him if he continued doing Atkins. Those were his words. Well I'd say she probably had a lot more to do with his death than she knows, however I can't tell anyone about it except you readers. It's so sad. When I think of Vlad I think of our conversation and whether or not he would have gone so soon if he'd continued low-carbing. We will never know. May he rest in peace.