The Summer Games Are Unhealthy

If you are like me, you are spending more time in front of the TV lately because of the Olympics.  It seems odd that something that is possible because of some of the most awesome athletes and healthy people in the world could drive the rest of us to endless hours on the couch. 

As a "new" athlete, I find absolute joy in watching the tough endurance events such as swimming and track & field.  I am also looking forward to the Triathlon and Marathon events! 

I understand that it costs money to broadcast the Olympics covering hundreds of events with cameras and commentators (not that we see even 1/3 of them).  Money means sponsors and commercials. 

The two biggest sponsors for the Olympics are McDonald's and Coca-Cola.  Think about it.  How much soda of any kind does Michael Phelps drink?  How many trips to McDonald's does Gabby make after working out with her gymnastics coach?  I bet the marathoners skip the whole Paleo eating idea and just have a Big Mac when they need a snack.  My hunch is that Jeff Ford has no idea what he is talking about.  That is probably why he is doing Ironman Triathlons and not going to the olympics, right?

OK, I am officially talking out of my bum as they might say in London.

The truth is, while I thank the big, unhealthy sponsors for paying NBC millions of dollars, it is like advertising down jackets and winter wear on local Aruba TV.  One has nothing to do with the other. 

Coca-Cola was the premiere sponsor for the torch relay.  I assume they threw in mandatory stops for insulin for their athletes that carried the torch? 

McDonald's actually has the world's larget McDonald's within the Olympic village.  Who is eating here?

The reality here is that WE made them the gigantic companies they are.  We drove through their drive thrus and bought too much of their food.  We have had too much of "A Coke and a Smile" for far too long.  We have created the monster.


Well, I think an event is coming on....I need to get to McDonald's and get a Coke and a few sandwiches before it starts.

I am a little late bringing this to the blog, but I finally finished watching The Weight of the Nation on HBO.  As my earlier post suggested, I was worried.  There were many government agencies sourced in this documentary and while I am not one to point every finger at government for the obesity issues in our country, there certainly have been instances in the past where the government’s idea of healthy meals might have contributed.  Some might say that the old food pyramid was built to support our grain industry in this country but in reality, those foods are not in our best interest from a health perspective.  I felt this series could go either way.  One thing in the film that surprised me was how they did in fact go after the grain and farm subsidies and their special interest groups.  They illustrate how grain farmers and companies that have the stronghold in this industry such as Cargill get subsidies when their crops do well and when they fail.  There is really not any disincentive for the grain farmers to convert farmland into vegetable farms.  For the small vegetable farms that exist, there are no incentives at all.  This is why processed pasta is so much cheaper than broccoli. 

By the time I was halfway through the second part, I was ecstatic.  It was as if they went to Hilton Head Health and stole the curriculum.  From the portion control class to the basic concept of calories in vs. calories out, it was right down the middle.  It addressed what I felt it should address!  While watching the first 3, I was scribbling down statistics and notes but lost my paper somewhere between episode 3 and 4.  If I track it down, I will come back out and post some of the notable numbers I found.

Some reviews suggest that the series was a little heavy on scare tactics.  Yes, the series does imply that we are at a very bad place and the impacts to the US and employer’s ability to compete in the global market is at risk because of the rising health care costs.  I like this approach.  The curve of the line over time is moving to a more vertical direction.  The impacts of obesity are beginning to snowball.  We should be scared and concerned.

I only have one main issue with the series.  It tends to be a pattern in the film to blame everyone for the obesity problem in the US.  Blame the soda companies, the junk food companies, etc.  These companies play a role in what we eat and how we are marketed to, no doubt.  I would leave this in the series but they needed to stress that people need to be responsible for what they eat.  In past posts, I came clean.  What I ate was the key driver in my obesity.  Sure, it was marketed to me but the commercial did not shove it in my mouth.  We need to be people that take ownership for where we are whether we are talking about our own health, finance or any other aspect of our life that we have any control over.

If you do not have HBO, you can still watch these films for free online at http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/  I would encourage you to watch as they were very informative.

They also posted some neat themes and summary level pages at http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/themes

Confessions Of A Fruity Salad Guy

INTRO: Hello, my name is The Orracle and I eat salads that are fruity.

RESPONSE: Welcome, Orracle.

I feel like I need to join FSA….Fruity Salads Anonymous…..or is that sal-anon?  I know that The Rube may have a heyday with the 'Fruity Salad Guy' title.  I had no choice but to go with it!

I have always liked salads. I like them with lots of toppings but those toppings were always manly toppings like onions, peppers and most importantly, blue cheese dressing. We’re not talking low fat blue cheese. We’re talking home-made or really bad for you dressing like Maries. My first changes after Hilton Head Health were to move to the Dip and Spear methodology. That has allowed me to maintain the heavier dressings but just use very little of it. Two containers at a restaurant was barely enough before where now I can get by with ¼ of a single container/cup.

One day, I did not have any ‘good’ dressing. Ashlie had some raspberry vinaigrette. I decided to try it and why not throw some strawberries on it. I was instantly hooked. Then we found a better raspberry dressing from Panera that Target carries. It looks like raspberry jam it is so red! This dressing is 20 calories per 2 TBSP. Pouring this one on is safer and easier since it is a little bit thin to dip and spear. There is a Kraft version of this dressing that is an OK runner-up if you cannot find the Panera version.

The salad pictured below is the current favorite recipe.

• Salad greens of your choice
• Cut up strawberries
• Fresh blueberries
• Fresh blackberries
• Grape tomatoes
• Crushed, unsalted pecans (approx 10 pecans)
• Small amount of reduced fat crumbled feta cheese
• Panera Bread Raspberry Vinaigrette

I still love blue cheese but this is right up there and in this concoction, very healthy and as low in fat and calories as you can get!

Go Forward With What You Have Available

I had a conversation with someone on my flight from MSP-FLL today about technology and how tethered we are to it.  I need to come clean that for The Orracle, if not for technology, he could not pay the bills...but hang with me on this one.  As I talked, it dawned on me on how much we concern ourselves with purchases around technology.

For example, those of you that know me understand how much I really dislike (cr)apple products.  I would never buy an iPad.  I still do desire a tablet.  I really like the new Kindle Fire that is coming out for just $200 but with a smaller screen and just 8 GB of memory.  Listen again...just 8 GIGABYTES of memory. 

Go back to when we were in a space race.  Our brilliant minds in this country used slide rules and their mind.  Nowhere did they stop and say they could not do something or could not get by without bigger slide rules or slide rules with bigger numbers let alone calculators and 1/2" thick computers with Gigabytes of memory.  No, they used the technology they had and made amazing things happen around them day after day. 

In my case, I am consumed with possibly waiting for the 2nd generation Kindle fire to come out that will most likely have a bigger screen and 16 GB of memory.  We are just not willing to get by with what is available apparently.

I think we can take the same analogy to healthy living and eating.  Sometimes when we do not have the best food available or access to a top notch gym or even any gym, we just cannot make it happen.  We are tied mentally to looking for that easier way to do it when a simple 'slide rule' will do.  Unfortunately, there are wolves lurking on every TV station to sell you today's version of the Thigh Master or .  They know what your mindset is!  You have EVERYTHING you need to do whatever those gimmick items suggest they can do for you within your house already but it looks easier.  It looks like you can have more success if you buy it, right?

Tomorrow, take what tools you have for dinner and for exercise and make them work.  Don't wait until you have the perfect tool set to take your next step.  Don't assume you need the gym.  Make a slide-rule change tomorrow because what you have is exactly enough to do what you need to do tomorrow. 

Confronting A Problem

So many people face challenges with addiction today. Whether that addiction is substance or if that addiction is food, there comes a time when you have to own up to why you are where you are. I think back to some of the reasons I used to give for my weight gain.

“We were poor and I worked 3 jobs.”

“Money is tight so we have to buy cheap foods which are unhealthy.”

“My work is crazy and I have to eat out all of the time.”

“I don’t have time to work out.”

I used to say all of these things. Never did I admit to anyone that I would binge after going through one or sometimes even 2 different drive thrus! There were times that I could not decide what I wanted to eat so I would just visit both! Sometimes, I literally would realize how embarrassing it was to order that much food for one person and therefore would split it between 2 stops. I even ordered 2 drinks a few times to make it look like I was bringing it home to someone else. I even reached the point in early 2011 where I would rush out of work too late to get home for dinner but early enough to make a Chinese buffet or Old Country Buffet before they closed. Restaurants were chosen based on my knowledge that I would leave – not full – but completely stuffed. I knew who had the biggest portions!

WARNING:  Prepare to wince and groan….I decided to add up a few usual stops for me at fast food restaurants. Note – I always would have diet soda (to offset of course) so no need to add into the calories.

• McDonald’s. One of my favorite combinations was a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese combo which is 740 calories for the burger, 380 for fries (1120 total). But the meal would not stop there. With this, I’d probably get a filet of fish a well for 380 more. Meal total: 1500 calories.
• Another order at McD’s was to ‘downsize’ my combo to the Big Mac. Then I’d have to add 2 additional sandwiches. Big Mac (540), fries (380), filet of fish (380) and topped off with a Mc Chicken (360). Total: 1,660.
• How about breakfast at McD’s (sometimes in the same day as one of the dinners or lunches above). Steak, Egg and Cheese bagel (710), hash brown (150), 2 sausage burritos (600), large OJ (280). Total: 1,740 (that is a half of pound of weight for those playing at home)
• Let’s change it up to Taco Bell. I have some favorites there such as a Grilled Stuft Burrito (880), 7 layer burrito (500), 2 hardshell supremes (400). Total: 1,780.
• I could come up with 15 combos at taco bell – but let’s do one more: Two ½ pound cheesy potato burritos (1,090), volcano burrito (780), crunchwrap supreme (540), cheesy fiesta potatoes (270). Total (OMG….2,680).
• Let’s try Taco John’s: 1 meat and potato burrito (520), small potato ole (480) 2 beefy burritos (880), 2 crispy tacos (340). Total: 2,220.
• One more Taco John’s: 2 beefy burritos (880), 2 crispy tacos (340), regular super potato ole (1,090!). Total: 2,310
• Burger King: Double Whopper with cheese (950), chicken sandwich with heavy mayo (850) and 1 double cheeseburger (450). Total: 2,250.
• How about a sit down restaurant? Applebee’s (which incidentally is one of my favorites now for LOW calories meals). I used to get wings (710) and riblets platter (1,820). Total: 2,530.

I have not even started with the list I could create. What about business trips where there were fast food places that I cannot get at home? All the more reason to binge to try everything! I have not covered White Castle, Sonic or Wendy’s.

I realize that everyone with weight problems did not do this to themselves like I did. Chances are that except in rare cases, there was some reason a person gained so much weight like me. I get it….it is an addiction. It is also a beatable addiction. I crave these foods frequently. Just typing them out makes me salivate. Seeing the numbers also convinces me that I do not need it and I know I can live without it. In fact, I feel better than I ever did when I was eating like that on a daily basis.

It will be hard for me to press ‘PUBLISH POST’ on this. As I read it, it is utterly embarrassing how I treated myself. This will get posted though because I have found that talking about my past behaviors and writing about them is therapeutic. I have nothing to hide. The past is just that. I have today to deal with and will look forward to tomorrow. You can do the same!

When You Really Think About It...

I was watching a special on one of the CNN channels the other day.  They were talking about a doctor that is pitching a staunch vegetarian diet to prevent future heart attacks in people having had one or more.  He also was pitching it to have shown that people with artery calcification actually having it reduced or removed by following his plan. 

I do not foresee myself going that far but knowing how I have changed my diet and life and how much better I feel, I do believe what he is saying.  Even looking at former President Clinton you can see how much better he looks and feels by now following such a strict plant based diet.

He said something that caught my ear and I wrote it down.

"Heart disease could be as rare as malaria if we only put into practice what we already know."

If there was suddenly an outbreak of malaria in the US, we'd be nuts yet heart disease fueled by poor diet and obesity does not seem to have us up in arms.  If malaria was present, we'd be demanding that somebody or some government body protect us! 

When you really think about it....we should be up in arms about the trend in our country.  I do not want you to think that I believe the government is the answer or needs to be the source of the solution.  The solution exists.  We just need to act on it.

When you really think about it, even at my company where we are perpetually the biggest fundraisers for the Alzheimer's Association in the Twin Cities, the cost of Alzheimer's pales in comparison to obesity.  Disclaimer:  I am not against the Alzheimer's Association at all and believe companies like ours SHOULD support it.  As I think about the numbers that our fundraising team posted on the wall about the cost of Alzheimer's,  it is staggering.  Now imagine that number being tiny in comparison to the cost of obesity and all of the co-morbidities because it is tiny in comparison! 

When you really think about it....this quote really sums it up.  We can help ourselves not just with heart health but complete wellness.  The tools exist now.  Just implement them into your life!

No, HOLD the Firecracker....It Is SAFER!

Tonight, I overheard something that shocked me. It perplexed me. It made me want to yell at the top of my lungs. It made me realize why this country is so sick.

I was at Ruby Tuesday's having dinner in Miami Lakes, FL. Ruby Tuesday's is becoming a new favorite when I am traveling because of their huge list of fresh fit sides and other healthy options on their menu.

Today I tried a new summer special item called the Seafood Mixed Grill. I had them 86 the rice pilaf and subbed an extra side in. For the sides I had their roasted spaghetti squash and broccoli. In the main dish it was a smaller cut of Mahi Mahi, 3 grilled shrimp and small portion of grilled salmon made it a SUPER healthy, low calorie dinner.

Back to the tragedy that happened next to me.

It was a family of a mom and three kids. The oldest child was a boy of probably 13-15 years old. He was chubby in all of the places it comes first....butt, chest, hips and tummy. Not grossly fat but certainly overweight. He must be getting picked on about it or is self-conscious because when the waiter took the drink orders, he sheepishly asked for a diet coke. The waiter left and the mom said, "The diet soda is more fattening than the regular!"

What what what?

There is NO way I could have heard that correctly. Maybe she was winking at him and just being sarcastic.

Is this the newest entry in the 'Eat This, Not That' book series?








This is better for you than that?

Now I would agree that water would be the best bet if we were playing Unwise, Better, BEST! **Incidentally, I had that shirt on tonight!!**

Later, the waiter came back and offered refills. The mother spoke up that he should bring COKE this time for her son, not Diet Coke. Picking my jaw off the table, I realized that what I heard the first time was accurate. She believed this. When the waiter brought the new glass, she ACTUALLY TASTED IT to be sure it was not diet! She was CERTAIN that the diet was a horrible choice her son had made.

The only explanations I can conjure up is one of three possibilities:

1) Good old fashioned ignorance. Let's call it 'A lack of education'. This is the main problem in our country when it comes to obesity and health issues.

2) Perhaps she thinks the whole 'Diet' label is a super secret conspiracy and it actually is worse for you!

3) Maybe it is all of the stories about how diet soda tricks the body into thinking that it is real sugar and makes you react in a way that makes you eat more. Perhaps it is a misunderstanding on the study.

I wanted to say something, politely of course....but I did not because if it is scenario 1 or 2, she would never listen. Even on the off chance she would have answered my query as to why she thinks that, it was too risky in the middle of a restaurant and probably not my business.

I have lived both an active, fit life and an unfit, unhealthy life. I know which is easier. I know what it is like to be picked on or judged. That boy was trying to take a small step to make a difference and he was thwarted. I have never been a sugar based soda drinker. I cannot imagine how much worse off I would have been if I had that as an addiction along with food. Food alone put me in a very bad place.

So I ask you....what would you have done? Would you say something or have asked? Would you have left it alone like I did? What if you were an expert in the field like Bob Wright? Would you have said something then?

I am still speechless.

A Chip Off The BIG PICTURE!!!

I found this story reprinted in the StarTribune today from the LA Times. I find it completely misleading! You can follow this link or you can just read it below since it is so short.

<from the LA TIMES>

Blame the potato chip. It's the biggest demon behind that pound-a-year weight creep that plagues many of us, a major diet study found. Bigger than soda, candy and ice cream. And the reason is partly that old advertising cliché: You can't eat just one. "They're very tasty and they have a very good texture. People generally don't take one or two chips. They have a whole bag," said obesity expert Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer of the St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. In the new study, scientists from Harvard analyzed changes in diet and lifestyle habits of 120,877 people from three long-running medical studies. On average, participants gained nearly 17 pounds over the 20-year period. Potato chips were the biggest dietary offender. Each daily serving containing 1 ounce led to a 1.69-pound uptick over four years. For potatoes other than chips, the gain was 1.28 pounds. Within the spud group, french fries were worse for the waist than boiled, baked or mashed potatoes. By comparison, sugary drinks added a pound over four years and sweets and desserts added 0.41 of a pound.

Seriously? This is the biggest problem we have with the drastic rise in obesity? If the real problem is 'a pound a year of weight gain', then I guess I can go with it. Plus, it makes you think that soft drinks might just be OK. Guess what....they are not!

If you get some space to write a wellness column, use it for something productive like addressing the REAL problems! I think what bugs me the most is that scientists from Harvard analyzed data to come to this conclusion. They are probably tenured jackasses that have nothing better to do but spend some grant money on useless studies like this. I know the concept of 'tenure' bothers me but I know it bothers my buddy, The Rube too!

Why can't they spend their time and money studying and publishing something that stands a chance to change the knowledge level of Americans and nutrition as it relates to obesity? I could rant forever but I think I will just stop now!

My First Week On The Road!

This week I had my first opportunity to try out my travel skills since leaving Hilton Head Health. I find it surprising where my challenges were this week. I planned my trip to come early on Sunday which would allow me time to get to a grocery store. I did well on the plane but was surprised that the meals in first class do not have any nutritional information available. In that situation, go with what you have learned. There is no question that the chicken breast sandwich was the UNWISE or maybe just BETTER choice vs. the chicken breast salad. It was the BEST choice available. The dressing was on the side so I knew I could dip and spear. Fortunately, the tiny breadsticks had calorie information on them as did the brownie that I just looked at. Fortunately, chocolate is not my vice and it was fairly painless to let it slip away.

Let’s talk about groceries. Publix has horrible produce. Just junk. I managed to get apples, bananas, grapes, Rainier cherries and carrots with a new dip from Marzetti that is a greek yogurt, feta, dill dip and low in calories. I hope I can find that at home!

The eating out went well. I can always get lean filets, fish (especially here in Florida), salads, plain baked potatoes (with lemon....try it!) and grilled veggies. I did have a server at Bahama Breeze suggest that I have my fish grilled with olive oil because A) it has less calories than butter and B) the seasonings in the butter would add too many calories. Um, no….wrong and wrong. Butter actually has a few less calories and seasonings generally have none. Is it any wonder why our country is growing at the waist like it is? What I found amazing was how when I ordered FIRST as Bob suggested, every night, people in my group would follow my lead. More people would make healthier choices than those that did not. Many would just say, “I’ll have the same as Lyle!” I have traveled with these people before and KNOW how they normally would order. That is just amazing to me.

I worked out but was frustrated with the treadmills at the Hampton Inn. I think they have a weight limit of about 200 pounds as they slipped underneath me. I decided to not be defeated and hit the pavement. This is the first time I have walked/run on tar and it really beat up my joints. No more of that for a while. The rest of the week I just did fitball and resistance band stuff with dumbbells and managed to get enough work in.

The challenge came at breakfast. Two of my favorite items are the cheese omelet and the bagel toppers. Why did I even open the steam table cover? Still, I managed to have a poor man’s version of breakfast whack which was Total cereal, strawberry yogurt and a banana. Having the sweetened yogurt and the banana made it WAY too sweet compared to the Real Breakfast Whack but at 280 calories, it sufficed and filled me up. I really did not imagine that the breakfast would be my biggest challenge of the week.



One more night then off to home in the morning. I know where my calories have been but it feels like cheating when you eat out every night. I am curious to see if the scale shows what my food log says it should!

My next challenge will be in a couple of weeks when I do back to back 3 day trips to Cincinnati and Austin. I will be traveling with executives and will not have any opportunity to get fruits and veggies for snacking. Lunches will also be provided which means less chance to make a good choice. Control will be the key. This is my life though and I must learn to deal with every aspect of it. The great part about this week was that I proved that it can be done. Even though everyone has big eyes when you say you have to travel, knowing that it means eating out and in their mind, that means you have absolutely NO chance of keeping control, it is refreshing to know that it is possible with only a little preparation and knowledge. For that, I thank Bob Wright!

Something In The Water At Hilton Head Health?

I know my time at Hilton Head Health (H3i) was life changing. I know that the change in me is likely related to the fact that 1) I was there for 28 days 2) It is a very well rounded program focusing on diet, nutrition education, fitness and mental wellness and 3) The people there were amazing and inspirational. That was my theory up until today.

Today, I decided to not pack a lunch. That also meant no metabo-meals to snack on. I had my Breakfast Whack as usual and then for lunch, I went to Subway with Spiffy. Safe there with a footlong turkey on wheat, no cheese, tons of veggies and just mustard for sauce. 560 calories.

On the way home....well, I got hungry. I stopped for fuel and smelled a nearby Burger King.

--->Uh-oh<---

I started driving and soon found myself at Wal-Mart buying carrots and an apple. Slip, lapse and collape averted.

Now, the theory I posted above certainly was not the only factors at work. I have since given this some additional thought and have arrived at a few more ideas.

1) As the title suggests, there is something in the water. I Sure drank enough of it while I was there!
2) The reflector on the 'reflector tree', turning point for all of our after meal thermal-walks may actually be emitting some kind of mind-altering ray.
3) The pool at H3i was reported to us as being a saline pool. Perhaps that is a cover-up for some other kind of salt in the pool that enters you via osmosis (or via choking from Katie pushing you to do one more lap when you cannot swim well).
4) Could it be the Balsamic Pepper sauce that we became so addicted to?
5) Perhaps Chef Jen is behind this! She is such an amzing chef and extremely friendly that we'd never suspect her of being behind something like this!

I don't know the reason but I can say this....prior to my visit to H3i, even if I was doing well on a 'diet', I would not have avoided eating something bad. It might not have been fast food but probably would not have been 'best' or even 'better'.

No matter their tricks, I hope it never wears off because tonight when I felt better having had something healthy, I felt fantastic knowing I made the best choice I could have.