A Dinner Party with Michael Pollan

There are so many current affairs that people have become passionate about! One of my very best friends is a lesbian, so it should be no surprise that she recently went to and graduated law school and is now "fighting the good fight" for marriage equality. I have a friend in the military who has taken up the cause of making sure that soldiers sent across the globe has a say (via the ballot box) in the very freedoms that they are protecting. Likewise, with the coming election, it should be of no surprise that the subject of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is one that I have taken up. Thanks to Prop 37 on the California books, the issue is receiving national press. Earlier this month, renowned food authority Michael Pollan released his thoughts on the matter in an article entitled "Vote for the Dinner Party."

Pollan is definitely behind the "food movement" in America. People have been demanding change in how we eat for years, some say decades, but is this a worthy cause? Or just one for elitists? There is an alternative food economy rising up! The supermarket has evolved, and not in a good way! This has been combated by local and organic markets responding. The movement has shifted from just an interest to a political topic.

Prop 37, about to be voted on in California, would require geneticially modified organism (food) to carry a simple label. Pollan, however, realizes the significance of a tiny sticker and whether the movement passes or not what it means. California has a history of using such Props to further causes. In the 1970s, Prop 13 was a response to the tax rebellion. In the 1990s Prop 215 raised the question of accessibility of medical marijuana. And more recently, human dignity was questioned with Prop 8, often called the Marraige Equality Prop bringing about the question of gay rights. According to Pollan, Prop 37 is not about a simple label, but rather the direction of the industrial food chain.

Attacks on Big Food have been proposed but not followed through on. Taxes on "junk food," possibilities of being taken out of schools, the pink slime in our meat, how our animals are treated and slaughtered, have all been brought up but only as passing thoughts. Few of these have resulted in more action that a 5 minute news spot. Big Food decided that rather than to combat these attacks, they would defend themselves claiming that they did it for the people. This is definitely evident by the sugar and corn sugar tv spots. Pollan also points out that the United States is one of the only First World countries who has not already labeled GMOs. Monsanto and DuPont, are the main competitors of Prop 37, investing millions (perhaps billions) to knock it down. Monsanto owns the patents on crops. But how? How is a crop an invention? It is when the only available seeds are modified and not a product of nature.

Big Food regulates itself currently. Reminds me of the Banking Industry. What happened when they regulated themselves? Pollan points out that the label is not the focus, but rather it is one of power. The consumer should have the power not the corporations. Whether Prop 37 passes or not, the food economy will change. Should it pass, the government will be aware that it is not just elitists who want to decide what to put in their body. Unfortunately as of right now, you have to pay more for better labeling. Should it not pass, it opens the door for better change in the future. People will become aware of what power the Big Food companies have.

Pollan's challenge is simple. We need to let the people, the government, and Big Food realize that they should not dismiss the Food Movement. What is seen as a small voice will bring about remarkable change! Take what you are passionate about, get out and vote to change it!

Bob Harper want to know, Are You Ready!

Bob Harper, best known for his role as the only constant trainer on NBC's Biggest Loser, recently put out a book call Skinny Rules. Skinny Rules is a simple checklist of 20 things that those who do not struggle with weight have in common. It is fairly simple, hydrate, get sleep, eat protein at every meal. Years earlier however, Harper put out a small book that tackled the root of the problem with weight, the issues within.

In Are You Ready, Harper does more than just list want needs done. He introduces himself, which in itself is humorous since the obvious target audience are those who are already fans of his work in shrinking down 300+ lb Americans on a weekly basis. I do find it curious that the books title, an obvious question, has an exclamation mark and not a question mark. Perhaps that is because the book assumes that you have already reached a point where you are excited and discovered that a change in lifestyle in necessary.

The book focuses around what Bob calls the Inner Compass, after a brief introduction about how he got into the celebrity fitness industry. The Inner Compass is essentially the mental and emotional attachment that leads to what we really want in life. Be it physical or emotional, the Inner Compass is what in life incorporates everything. Its our strive for balance. It is what points us towards balance in all aspects of life.

Before working on the physical, Bob brings home the point that you cannot move from where you are, that is, until you acknowledge where you are in the first place. This is not to destroy yourself, but quite the opposite. He says, "before you can even think about what you want to change about yourself, you need to be able to see yourself honestly for who you are at this moment in your life." This step helps to see your true motivation, a key step in avoiding burn out. Once you see yourself you are more able to appreciate the work you are doing, adding mean to the task and making this not a diet or exercise plan, but a new way of life. That is Part One.

Part Two and Three compliment each other quiet nicely. Part Two focuses on diet and Three on the physical workouts. Two offers tips like counting calories, food lists, recipes, and other ways to ensure you are eating properly. The diet plan, if you use the term liberally, is not to have you follow a list but rather, to train you into eating better for yourself. Part Three is a list of workouts and exercises. Similiarly to Part Two, it is merely guidelines for creating your own workout regimen. The book continually builds on itself, using the workouts as the pinnacle. The end of the book may be quite grueling since the last hundred pages or so are simply the list of exercises and how to properly do them.

The book does not have much of a conclusion, but rather a simple paragraph of parting words. Perhaps it is a metaphor since there is no end to the plan, like many 30, 60, or 90 day diet and exercise plans. On the contrary, it is just a beginning, to a new way of life. So, whether you are just starting out, having a low point in your motivation, or just want to up you fitness ante, Are You Ready! is a great weapon to arm yourself with!

What's so great about Good To Great?

Business phenom, Jim Collins, author of Built to Last, brought out another essential part of the businessmans' library. He describes Good to Great as actually a prologue, rather than a continuance of Built to Last. He and his group of students took several companies over different fifteen year periods. The book is actually built upon the performance of CEOs, but not eh CEOs you would think of. His thesis is that the most successful CEOs are the ones too busy in their day to day that they do not not have time to be focused on other distractions.

The great CEOs are Level 5 leaders. A level 5 leader is not just a highly capable individual (Level 1) or a contributing team manager (Level 2.) He is also a competent manager (Level 3.) He is more than an effective leader (Level 4.) He is all this and more, he thinks not of himself but of the company. Not of the company just while he is there, but building a legacy as well. They are results driven. After a brief introduction who the Level 5 is, the rest of the book shows the buildup and breakthrough of how this greatness is achieved.

The buildup is composed of getting the right people in the right spots. Usually getting the right people in the right spots is a better strategy than getting a new direction. Great vision without great people is irrelevant. Good to Great drives home the point to stay on task. Do not constantly jump from one product to another. balance is the key to life.

The breakthrough builds upon this balance. In something referred to as the Hedgehog Concept, Good to Great leaders see the world as simple. They concentrate on what is essential. The rest is just a distraction. Good to Great companies built upon what would make them greatest. That which makes them greatest is what provides for growth and builds upon fundamentals. This also allows for a clearly designed goal and mission. Getting rid of all distractions and sticking to this framework allows for greatness. Once you understand the Hedgehog Concept, you incorporate other activities, not as distractions, but to add growth to that one thing that will make you great. Technology is Collins' best example of this!

This book does have a most definite business slant on it, but as the track coach example towards the end of the book shows, there is nothing here that cannot be applied to everyday life. Every part of life.

Its All In the Packaging

As I began to think about the unnecessary additivesd that have contributed to the health problems including cancers, diabetes, and obesity, I imagined I would concentrate on things like the sweeteners, the syrups, the preservatives, and the like. However, it seems like just as guilty a culprit is something that is not even in the food, rather it is what the food is in. I am talking about butylated hydroxyanisole and the related compound butylated hydroxytoluene, better known as BHA and BHT.

We are all familiar with BHA/ BHT. Our cereal is put in bags of it. The bread is too. Much produce is put into flimsy, plastic containers made from it. BHA/ BHT is a white (or sometimes a yellowish) wax like solid. It is normally recognizeable by its faint aroma. It is often found as a white powder additive as well. BHA/ BHT reacts with the oxygen in a product, rather than the fats and oils, preserving them from spoiling. It helps them from getting rancid, thus its main function: to improve shelf life. Thus, it is fat soluable, rather than going through the entire digestive tract, it gets stored in the body's tunnels possibly clogging the pathways.

It is also used in cosmetics and health and beauty products and drugs. It preserves the color, odor, and flavor of food. As well as grains, it is also found in shortening and other fats and oils.

So aside from making our food processed and less natural, what are the side effects? Similar to how people with Celiac's Disease have problems processing gluten, and people with lactose intolerance have thier dairy problems, some people have a hard time metabloizing BHA/ BHT resulting in dire health and behavioral side effects. This was proven by animal testing. There animals exposed to BHA/ BHT internally were found to have tumors the forestomach (which humans do not have, just a stomach) and the liver. It also results in indirect complications in the pancreas and kidneys. 

HFCS! It's Everywhere!

There's a lot of undue pressure being built up here! This post has been written and rewritten and written again, and thats before it was put to paper or keyboard! Of all the "poisons" put into our food HFCS, high fructose corn syrup, is by far the worst! It is also the most prevalent in our food supply! If that is not bad enough, the corn industry is doing their best to persuade the American people that there is no difference between Corn Syrup and table sugar. But the truth is, that while corn syrup is worse than pure or cane sugar, HFCS is the worst of the worst.

It takes a conscience decision to avoid it. Obviously its in candy, ice cream and sweets. You would be hardpressed to find cereals, chips, and pastas without it. Its in soda, soups, and sandwiches. Subway who markets themselves as the healthy alternative to eating out, has it as a major ingredient in all of thier breads, as well as fixings and sauces! I wanted to list just a few facts about HFCS because to be forewarned is to be forearmed!

Since the 1980s, HFCS replaces sugar and honey as the go to sweetners in pretty much everything. HFCS comes from genetically modified corn. Americans eat on average, about 60 pounds just of HFCS. It has made its way into more than 33% of the American food supply. Nutritionists and doctors do not support HFCS, actually they advocate the opposite. HFCS has a different biochemical structure than cane sugar. In fact HFCS generally brings with it a higher caloric intake. HFCS is often blamed for the weight gain and obesity epidemics in America. Princeton University tested this theory on rats and found the rats fed HFCS gained weight 300% over those fed cane sugar. The different structure messes with our bodies and how our bodies process insulin. Its no surprise that since that same period of time, the 1980s, Insulin Dependent (also known as Juvenile or Type II) Diabetes has had a dire increase! It leads to high blood pressure and a dramtic rise in bad cholesterol levels. Children are especially susceptible to all of these damaging effects!

Pure sugar once digested goes to all cells in the entire body, providing energy everywhere. HFCS, however, goes directly to the liver, gallbladder, and kidneys. Its no wonder that diseases including cancers of these organs imparticualrly occur in high HFCS diets. As does mercury posioning. People think they should avoid fish because of mercury, but fish has nothing on HFCS. Mercury has been linked to brain damage and nervous system deterioration.

  

Aspartame.

Aspartame. Its the miracle drug of the past century! You can eat ice cream and other novelties guilt free!That slice of cake or pie too! Drink soda while on a diet! You can even have a perfectly brewed cup of coffee or glass of tea in mere moments! Energy to get through the full day in just a few gulps! Sounds amazing, doesn't it? So, why is it that this incredible ingredient has been submitted as toxic to the FDA 26 times, over a 23 year period? Why is it used at all? Aspartame is considered the ultimate cheat! You still taste the sweetness! You still get to enjoy your favorite foods without all the sugar! Everywhere you go are ads and warnings saying how sugar is bad! So, this miracle worker has stepped in! It has a smiliar consistency to sugar, making it ideal as a cooking substitute! But perhaps the best evidence in the case for aspartame is that, of all its benefits, it comes with zero calories per serving!

The FDA has been approached with many possible side effects of Aspartame, but refuses to recognize it as harmful. They list it as a sweetner, not an additive. That being said, since its inception in 1969 (and introduction into the U.S. over the next decade), the following symptoms and side effects have been found in numerous serial Aspartame users. They include, but are not limited to, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, methanol toxicity, partial blindness, muscle spasms, shooting pains, seizures, headaches, depression, anxiety, memory loss, birth defects from mothers who used Apartame while pregnant, mood changes, and even cancer and death!

Aspartame works similar to a protein, rather than a carbohydrate like sugar. Its unique structure contributes to its total lack of calories. It is sweet on the tongue, but does not send the proper signals to the brain that the body is getting a sweet treat! Thus, cravings continue, and in some cases can actually get worse since there is no sensation of satisfied. So, you are able to enjoy your treat food, but your body doesn't realize that its being given a treat!

With its possible health risks, some people believe it is easier to just avoid this chemical altogether. That is a difficult task- its in everything from chewing gum to yogurt! A single cube of sugar only has 14 calories. So rather than 2 servings of a potential poison, take the 28 calories! Drink regular soda, or better yet water, instead of diet soda! Take the time to brew your coffee and tea, rather than using instant mixes and powders. Eat actual food instead of meal replacement shakes!

PG

It is an active ingredient in nail polish. Its most popular for the fact its used to de-ice planes and used in antifreeze. Its in both smoked and smokeless tobacco. Your woman's perfume is able to have a longer shelf life because of it. It is even used to develop film. Your mechanic uses it as a lubricant on your car. That coworker who gets a little too close, doesnt smell near as bad because its a main ingredient in deodorant! So, what is this miracle product?

Propylene glycol. This product has the health industry up in arms. But why?

It can't not all bad, after all it has been used to clean up a number of oil spills. It makes pharmacueticals able to be injected. Its moisturizing powers allow it to creep its way into many household products like cleaners. It is also used to take the place of protein when feeding cattle.

Truth is, it is bad. It shares the same physical properties as ethylene glycol, the only difference is the ethylene is considered toxic, yet propylene is a staple is preserving the moistness in our food. Think of some of the uses, if it can stop oil from spreading, imagine what it does the the weaker nutrient in your body. Our insides are made up of mostly water, well it is used to stop water from spreading on glass. Glass is sturdy, our bodies are fragile. It intteresting to find out why this is even in so many products we use. It preserves moistness. The same reason it is in chewing tobacco, is the same reason it is put in sports and alcoholic drinks, it stops the fermentation process. That's right, living organisms cannot function thanks to propylene glycol. However, it may not be listed on the label, often times its listed just as "artifical colors and flavors." That's right, its sweet flavor makes it easy to overlook! 

We mustn't though, we must pay attention to what we put in our bodies. No one else is! 

Chicken Wings

You would expect a health and wellness blog to tell you to stay away from chicken wings. Not those fatty, greasy, high caloric gifts from God, I am referring to the guys and gals you see in the gym , some with the vessel of a bodybuilder from Olympis. Some fit as can be. Yet when you begin to look at thier lower half, all you see is the product of neglect! Only working out your upper body is nopt only not good for you- it is downright dangerous!

The leg muscles are the largest and the most powerful in the entire body. So, why do so many people skip them as part of thier workout regimen? Lower body training should be essiential to your training. There really is no reason to ignore it. Your athleticism, and even your daily life, are dependent on your lower body being strong and powerful. Something as simple as getting out of bed or a chair without difficulty and without aid (such as a can, walker, or mechanical lift) is a result of a strong lower body. Neglecting the lower body can not only lead to weak leg muscles, making virtually all movement difficult, but it can also lead to poor posture and labored breathing. Osteoporosis and ther signs of bone weakening are also symptoms of a weak lower body. Since a weak lower body is often one that has chosen to neglect cardio, heart problems are  often the case for those with weak lower halves.

Even if cardio gives you a heart attack (pun intended), there are other ways (through resistance and bodyweight training) to stregnthen your leg muscles. Squats are simply amazing because though they focus on the quads and the lower body, they also give stregnth to the core. The same is true of lunges. Add a bicep curl as you lunge, and this compound exercise has become an upper and lower body experience. Yoga is also another full body experience gaining popularity. As is plyometrics (jump training) and crosstraining (which owes much of its success to CrossFit's growing popularity, or is that the other way around?) No matter how you do it, the "chicken wings," or more accurately, the "chicken legs" should be left at the restaurant, not the gym!