RADIO HANNIBAL

24 hours of zen music

About a year ago I began to practice yoga.  It coincided with my fundamental change in diet.  In other words, my 2015 new year's resolution was a major success through discipline and a strong mindset.  I can't wait for the 2016 resolution to reap rewards. 

Yoga is very much about music.  Music that's sometimes maligned by the music snobs.  The new age genre elicits plenty of snide comments on it's lack of true musicality, whatever that might be.  It was announced that Yanni is coming to Cleveland this summer and, sure enough, the comments popped up on Facebook.  

I used to be one of those who derided spiritual music of this sort.  With maturity comes wisdom.  This sort of music can be good for the soul.  It's not so much about listening as it is creating a vibe in your environment. 

I've been using SiriusXM's Krishna Das Yoga Radio for my yoga sessions but it tends to be more about chanting and meditation.  I decided to create my own Spotify playlist.  All I did was google search for articles on the best yoga music.  I ended up with 24 hours of bliss.  Enjoy. 

Namaste - 24 hours of yoga music

Factory farming has me striking meat and poultry from my diet

It's been awhile since I wrote about nutrition.  Probably because my diet's pretty boring other than when I dine out.  I stay the course and eat healthy at breakfast and lunch then light the grill at night, throw on some meat and begin to feel guilty. 

I guess it's an evolution for all of us.  Eventually our love of meat and poultry are overshadowed by what it is we're actually consuming.  I'm really talking about intensive animal farming or factory farming.  It really is disgusting.

Actually giving up meat and poultry won't be too difficult.  I did it with ice cream, something I loved.  I cut back on most wheat products, and not because I'm gluten intolerant, with relative ease.  The same thing with orange juice.  All I need to do is recall studies and articles written about factory farming.  It'll ruin my appetite for meat.  Like this New York Times editorial from 2008, The Worst Way of Farming and this story from Mic.com, Striking Satellite Photos Show What the Meat Industry Is Really Doing to America.  Or this fact sheet from factory farm map. 

In a way I feel as if I'm enlightened.  I can't turn a blind eye to it anymore.

There's plenty of health benefits to it as well.  So I guess the health factors and my humanity will work hand in hand in staying the course. 

I'm not about to become a vegetarian nor a vegan.  I'll still eat fish and egg whites.  And I'm not opposed to having a piece of meat or poultry on a rare occasion.  I just need to know that it comes from a free range local farm where every piece of the animal is used, from hoof to snout as they say.  So the question I ask is how do I know who's using this type of meat exclusively?  What butcher offers it?  What restaurants?  I hope you have some suggestions. 

A new healthy breakfast

Yesterday I talked about how I've been cutting wheat out of my diet.  Someone asked why I stopped eating oatmeal.  My answer was a bit vague but the same person who turned me onto this wheat belly theory explained why oats is similar to wheat.  He said, "The only wheat/oats that seem to be ok are heritage varieties. The rest, whether organic or not, are of the same seed-stock that seems to be offering the issues to most people."

That same guy is the one who gave me an alternative breakfast to my oatmeal regimen.  You can fix it up in 10 minutes.

In a small frying pan heat up some extra virgin olive oil.  Now add a couple of tablespoons of chopped onions and green peppers.  These days most supermarkets have prepped produce so there's nothing to chop.  Next toss in a teaspoon of chopped garlic.  Again, you can buy pre-chopped garlic in a jar. 

Next I bunch up a fistful of power greens (Giant Eagle is carrying this now) which is a mix of spinach, mizuna, chard and kale and chop that up, tossing it into the frying pan.  Some mornings I'll toss in a fistful of sliced almonds while other mornings I'll break up some ground turkey and add that to the mix.  

Cover the frying pan, mostly so the greens will wilt.  Let the onions brown.  Now add two egg whites.  No more separating the yolks as you can buy egg whites in a carton these days.  Scramble the whole thing up then top with a sprinkling of some sort of shredded white cheese. 

There you have it.  It's quite different than my oatmeal and doesn't give me that weighted down feeling.  Plus, it feels like a real homemade breakfast with the frying pan, the smell and all. 

Cutting back on wheat in my diet

I haven't talked about fitness for awhile but I've made some changes to my daily routines recently.  One of them has to do with my diet.

Let's talk about the new breakfast.  I had been eating steel cut oatmeal mixed with blueberries and a dab of natural peanut butter but not anymore. 

Someone told me about a book he'd been reading called Wheat Belly.  It's written by a cardiologist who puts forth a theory about the wheat we eat today.  So many of the fruits and vegetables are being genetically altered and not usually for nutritional reasons but for bigger profits. Wheat is no exception.

It seems a super wheat is being produced.  This allows the stalks to grow very tall with added strength to keep them from falling over.  This yields a better harvest and ultimately more wheat to sell.  The author of the book contends that our bodies cannot digest this super wheat the way we can with normal wheat. 

So how do you know if you're eating a product containing genetically altered wheat?  Since you really can't know I've cut as much wheat from my diet as possible.  That means no more oatmeal.  It also means no more pizza, a favorite of mine.  Add to that list pastas, breads and anything else you can think of that has wheat.  Oh, except for beer.  I'm not giving up craft beers.  I have to draw the line somewhere.  

This cutting back on wheat has nothing to do with gluten.  I'm not even sure what all the fuss is over gluten anyway.  Have you every had a gluten-free beer?  I tried one.  Yuck.  

The new diet doesn't mean never again will I eat pizza.  I like the rule that allows you to cheat once a week.  Well, that's my rule anyway.  But, seriously, I haven't had pizza in probably a month.  Oh, and over the course of this abstention from wheat, three months now, I've dropped about ten pounds so.

So what am I eating for breakfast every morning?  I'll share that tomorrow.

 

May is Cleveland Bike Month

I love bike riding.  I've loved it ever since my father let go and I was heading down the sidewalk on two wheels all by myself.  Freedom.  Escapism.

In my junior high years a friend and I were obsessed with taking long bike rides.  We'd head from our neighborhood in Fairview Park and end up at Midway Mall in Elyria or Parmatown.  I guess we were obsessed with malls too. 

Now that the warm weather has made it to Cleveland I take a bike ride pretty much every day.  These rides range from running errands, to one hour, two hour, or multi-hour rides for fitness and pleasure. 

May is bike month in Cleveland.  Bike Cleveland declared it so.  The link shows you a calendar of bike events not only for the special month of May but for every month. 

I think everyone should ride a bike.  It accomplishes so many things.  Bike riding keeps you fit, keeps health care costs down, decreases our independence on oil and keeps our air cleaner.  And it's one of the most fun things to do in life. 

Doing your part to cut the deficit by staying healthy

It gets very frustrating watching the shenanigans that go on in Washington DC these days.  It seems our representatives are not representing us but positioning themselves for re-election campaigns with a refusal to compromise.  It's enough to make you sick.  So turn it off.

Your becoming sick through stress due to your inability to do anything about lousy leadership will actually exacerbate the fiscal woes of the United States.  And that's just step one of what you, as a solitary person, can do to help with the financial problems in America. 

Today's health care system is one of the biggest factors in the mounting deficit.  What can you do?  Stay healthy and be proactive by practicing preventive medicine. 

First, see your doctor.  Especially if you've hit the age of 40.  You should be seeing your primary care physician for an annual check up.  I'm shocked by how many people I know tell me that they never go to the doctor unless there's a problem.  Prevention and early diagnosis can be a cost savings in the long run let alone save your life.

Tell your doctor you want to start a fitness routine.  Get his ok and follow any guidelines he sets for you.  Then do it. 

You should spend 45 minutes to an hour five to six days a week on your exercise program.  Depending on your present fitness level you may have to start out at ten minutes a day and gradually increase the duration.  Make it a mix of cardio and weight or resistance training. 

You can go to a gym or set up your own home program, which I do.  There's plenty of information online to figure out the right path.  Or ask friends who are already on the right track.  Yes, if you are not working out regularly you're on the wrong track. 

Finally, change your diet.  You've heard it over and over again.  Eat more vegetables and fruit.  Cut back on red meats.  Stay away from sugar and processed foods.  And to lose weight cut down on carbs.  Again, you can find good nutritional information online.

Oh, and for God's sake stop smoking cigarettes. 

All of these things will make you healthier.  You'll look better and feel better.  You should also live longer, enjoying your children, family and friends. 

And all of this good health means fewer medical concerns, generally speaking.  If every one of us, as individuals, would start a healthy life style it would make quite a dent on health care costs.  So be a patriot, do your part and get fit.     

 

An update on eating right

Chances are most of you were at some Labor Day weekend picnic where there was just way too much food.  And, if you're like me, the temptation was too great to resist.  There was this buffalo chicken dip that was downright addictive.  Thankfully there's no more of these glutton fests until the holidays.  So it's back to sensible eating.

I'm not one to get on the scale every morning.  What's the point?  If you're eating right and exercising it'll take care of itself.  So I've been a bit surprised over the last couple of months.  In July I discovered that I'd dropped below 200 pounds for the first time in, well, too long.  I thought to myself, well 190 is achievable then.  A month later I got on the scale and was at that magic number. 

How'd that happen?  It appears that ridding the house of snacks like chips and imbibing in cocktails rather than beer, and not drinking too many, has helped me literally shed the weight.  Plus, I've ramped up the workout routine, especially outdoor bike rides.  I'm down to a weight I haven't seen in 10, maybe 15 years.

I've also made an effort to eat more organic foods.  It's a bit more expensive but isn't your body worth it?  That means chicken breasts without chemicals and organic fruits and vegetables. 

I've described my typical breakfast and lunch before.  It does feel monotonous at times but it allows me to indulge in extravagances when I dine at restaurants.    

 

Proud to say I live in the town that is home to Vita-Mix

It's been awhile since I wrote about health and nutrition.  Actually I'm riding a nice high since my annual check up last week.  After taking some of my doctor's advice like cutting out orange juice and switching to steel cut oatmeal my body fat ratio is dropping once again, my blood pressure's perfect and the good/bad cholesterol levels are improving. 

Your body is like a car and the older it gets the more maintenance it needs.  I've still got some work to do but the daily maintenance will never end.  That means a daily vigorous workout and eating healthy 95% of the time.  I'll never forget when a teacher in high school once told me that we all should work up a good sweat everyday.  I didn't take it to heart for a long time, finally realizing the truth in that statement about eight years ago. 

Health consciousness is spreading not only here in the United States but throughout the world.  This is especially true in countries that are doing well economically.  It's the reason Vita-Mix is breaking ground on a $10 million expansion of it's facility in my town of Olmsted Falls.  Well, I actually live in the Township and I wish we'd just merge but that's another story. Here's the front page coverage from today's Plain Dealer, Vita-Mix tasting international success.

It's kind of neat that while out-of-towners have never heard of Olmsted Falls they most certainly have heard of Vita-Mix.  It's something we take pride in and share their joy today. 

The best thing is that it's not merely a business success story but that Vita-Mix is helping people be more healthy.  It's a mission they can be proud of beyond the financial section of the paper. 

 

 

Always read the ingredients label

Why should I be writing about fitness and health?  After all, there's many others who do.  Plenty with more accreditation than myself.  Think of me as the "everyman" just sharing what I've learned and what works.  Besides, it appears that no matter how many say the same thing, people just aren't listening. 

Eat your fruits and vegetables.  It's a saying as old as your grandmother.  It seems every study on nutrition and health that comes out carries the same bottom line.  We need to eat more fruits and vegetables. But many don't heed the warning or take the advice.

It's God's cruel joke that the more delicious something tastes the worse it is for you.  Butter and bacon make everything taste better yet both will lead you to an early grave if you use them with that kind of regularity. 

Here's another lesson you've been told over and over, read the labels.  I'm talking about the back of the labels where the ingredients are listed.  Not the front of the label where nutritional sounding tag words are used as marketing and hold little validity. 

Someone in my family came to visit a few weeks back.  They came bearing gifts in the form of some food.  One of the items was a jar of Skippy Natural peanut butter.  The person even pointed out that it was "natural".  

I took a look at the ingredients, said thanks for the gesture but pointed out that the product was hardly natural.  Here's a look at the label of ingredients.

Added sugar and salt hardly constitute natural to me.  It may have less artificial crap than regular Skippy peanut butter but sugar and salt are far from good for you.

I use a dab of peanut butter in my steel cut oatmeal every morning for a bit of protein.  The brand I use is Smuckers Natural, headquartered right here in northeast Ohio.  Here's that label.

There's only one ingredient, peanuts.  Some people find truly natural peanut butter unsettling because there's peanut oil that rises to the top of the jar.  I find it unsettling that a manufacturer puts unnatural chemicals in the peanut butter to prevent that. 

Reading the ingredient labels adds a little time to your shopping trip.  It takes awhile to find a brand of barbecue sauce that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup. But once you've determined the right product you're set and on your way to a healthier lifestyle.     

 

Keeping visual count of your workouts is great motivation

I work out six times a week.  I take Saturdays off since I usually DJ a party that night.  The load in and load out of gear along with standing for seven hours or so makes up for it. 

I alternate between weight training and cardio which means three days of weights and three days of some form of cardio, either on the bike or step.  I do my routine early in the morning, like clockwork.  That's important.  Pick a time of day that works for you and then block off that time.  There's not much that should take priority over it.  After all, we're talking about your health. 

Certainly there are mornings when the last thing I want to do is workout, but I know that if I skip a day I'll feel guilty about it.  That guilt trip kicks in after about three months.  In the early days of a fitness program it's much easier to skip a day guilt-free.  That's why it's very important to stick to the routine through discipline those first 90 days.  After that it really becomes a part of who you are. 

Another great way to stay motivated is to keep score.  Use a notebook to write down every set up reps you do and every minute you spend doing cardio.  Here's my notebook.

It's not like I analyze the thing.  It just gives a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment to see pages fill and reps and minutes increase.  It's proof that you have a successful fitness program.  Of course looking in the mirror is proof as well.