Greetings GreenCropCircles (GCC) readers! I wanted to let everyone know I’m currently in the process of streamlining the site, so if you see any extraterrestrial changes don’t worry; it’s all part of the planned alien invasion. Some changes are a nifty new background and a few pages linked at the top of the banner now. Feel free to comment if you like or dislike the colors or anything else. I will probably keep experimenting with new colors and banners until the site looks right. I’ve also been tinkering around with the Feedburner settings and SEO (search engine optimization). I apologize to any Feedburner subscribers who might have received emails of old blog reposts or pages. If you do get any more of those unnecessary notices just disregard them. Figuring out all of the technical details of running a blog is a work in progress, but something I enjoy and look forward to.

On another note Charlotte has launched a food blog called PurpleYamHill. It’s a very professional looking blog and I think it has good potential for a wide audience and outstanding content. It’s gotten off to a slow start, but with the rainy season on the way I think our kitchen will see more activity in the near future, which means more food blogging. I also enjoy cooking and eating healthy so I’ll contribute some posts there when the inspiration strikes, which happened last week when I wrote about “The BMT sandwich”.

As for the content on this site my goal is to try to post at least once a month. I’d like to post 2-4 blogs per month in the future but I’ll have to see how it goes. I really enjoy writing these posts and have a long list of subjects I want to write about. Unfortunately these are not easy posts to create since a lot of research is typically involved. The research does allow me to learn more facts about the topics in my posts, and then pass that information along to the readers. Of course my opinions will be in the mix too, but as intelligent readers I would expect all of you to come up with your own opinions and conclusions to anything I or anyone else says.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have taken the time to read our blogs, contributed content, helped spawn ideas for us to write about, left comments, or provided feedback in any other way. It all helps to keep Charlotte and I inspired bloggers. I have a few posts that I’m currently working on so check back for those updates soon. In the meantime I’ll leave you with a hypnotizing picture of our favorite doggie Mulder.

Look into my eyes, you're getting very sleepy. Now on the count of 3 I want you to go get me a cheddar cheese treat!

I’ve always enjoyed fishing even though I’ve never been very good at it. Some of my earliest memories are from fishing trips I used to take with my Dad while growing up in Florida. I guess it’s just one of those activities that really appeals to kids. Most likely just being outdoors and in nature has a lot to do with it, as this study shows. Unfortunately many of the other 6,867,644,353 people on earth like to fish too, which is bad for the fish. There are only so many fish to go around.

Approximately 80% of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of the coast. For many of those people seafood is the primary staple of their diet, either by choice or necessity. Growing up in Florida seafood was a common part of my diet too. Lately as I’ve become more environmentally aware I’ve tried to cut down on my fish and seafood consumption. When I do eat seafood, which might be about once a month, I often lean towards more sustainable choices like wild salmon or trout, which are also high in Omega 3’s. Additionally these fish on average do not live as long as some larger fish, so that means they have less time to accumulate toxins in their bodies like mercury which is passed on to you when you eat them. It is actually possible to get mercury poisoning from eating too much fish. Some of the unhealthiest fish you can eat are the large predator fish that are at the top of the food chain like swordfish, shark, and tuna.

Besides being high in mercury many large game fish are being pushed to the edge of extinction. One such example is the heavily over-fished Chilean Sea Bass. Whole Foods Market has recently implemented a seafood ratings system which will mark seafood with a green, yellow, or red label. Over the next few years they, along with our other favorite grocery store Trader Joes, intend to completely phase out all red labeled seafood from their shelves. Other stores are following through with similar actions, but all too often it takes pressure from environmental groups or more knowledgeable purchasing decisions from consumers to prompt these changes.

Most wild salmon and trout are sustainable and healthy fish that are typically regulated and monitored by the department of fish and wildlife. Many states mandate catch and release style fishing in sensitive areas, while enforcing catch limits everywhere else. State managed fish hatcheries help keep the populations in line with the demand by anglers. These fish hatcheries are not to be confused with fish farms which raise fish in a controlled environment solely for the purpose of producing commercial food. While that might sound like a sustainable practice, it is not. The farmed fish are in an unnatural environment, which means they are more susceptible to disease and toxins. Usually the meat on these farm raised salmon is so pale and dull that red food color is used to make the end product look more attractive. Furthermore these unhealthy fish pass on disease, lice, and other problems to wild salmon which threaten their populations. Here is a very interesting youtube video describing the problem in detail.

Even though wild salmon in moderation can be healthy for people, the same is not true for your canine companions. I was surprised to find a notification in my Oregon Fishing Regulations book warning about salmon poisoning to dogs from Cascade salmon and trout. Even if you don’t live around here the salmon you buy at the store could very likely be from the Pacific Northwest, so if you have a dog this is something you should be aware of. Apparently Cascade salmon and trout can carry a parasite that when ingested by a dog is almost always fatal within days if left untreated. Thoroughly cooked fish is ok, but why risk it at all? There are places I’ve been fishing around here where people will just clean the fish on the river bank and leave the guts sitting there to rot. If you have a dog with you they will be sure to investigate this mess by sniffing and licking it, which can lead to big trouble for Fido.

Another problem in marine life is invasive species. Just as we have invasive species with animal and plant life, the same is true for marine life. Two examples I can think of on land in Oregon are the Bark Beetles that destroy forests by eating trees, and English Ivy that smothers trees and kills them. In the water one of the many invasive species Oregon has are Pike Minnows, which affect salmon and steelhead populations by eating their small offspring. To counter this problem a pikeminnow reward program is in place that pays anglers to catch these pesky fish. Each fish is worth from four to eight dollars, and a few fish are tagged with special 500 dollar tags so you can go green while fishing for green.

Throughout history mankind has driven many species of animals into extinction from overhunting, loss of natural habitat, and other unnatural means. Many people have the wrong impression that the oceans are a vast unending natural resource. With nearly 7 billion people in the world, the fish dimension is disappearing fast. Marvin Gaye sang about the problem in 1971 with Mercy Mercy Me, The Ecology, “Oh, things ain’t what they used to be, no, no, Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas, Fish full of mercury…”. Just as he knew about it then, we know about it now. So you have to ask yourself, what can you do to help fix the problem, or at least do to keep from adding to the problem? For some inspiration here is one of the many video tributes to Marin Gaye’s sad song.

As you all know, and some of you may have already forgotten, the biggest marine oil spill in world history gushed freely in the Gulf of Mexico over the summer of 2010 for 87 days. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Well Explosion and following leak was both deadly and devastating, killing 11 initially in the explosion and 2 more in the cleanup effort. Countless species of birds, mammals, and fish died in this disaster; more than we’ll ever know. The economic, psychological, emotional, and environmental damage to the Gulf Region was arguably as bad, or worse, than it was from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since nobody really knows the extent of the damage the oil will do long term, or how much oil is really still hidden in the depths of the ocean a mile or more deep, the end result of this catastrophe has yet to be determined.

I watched the entire sequence of events unfold on TV just like most people in the world who don’t live close enough to experience it firsthand. In a day and age where we are so desensitized from the bombardment of news and media sources it’s hard to really think of this as more than a news headline, unless you are affected by it personally. Sure everyone was mad about it, but what could anyone besides BP really do to fix it- nothing. So everyone went into bystander mode including the government. Watching, waiting, worrying, wondering, when will it end. Nobody wanted to get too attached to the issue emotionally because nobody could do anything to solve the problem except BP. Only BP had the equipment to fix the problem. Possibly other oil companies could have helped, but it was too convenient for them to watch their competitor drown in oil, along with the Gulf Region.

Now the bleeding has stopped, and the only people that will be affected by this long term are the residents that live on the Gulf Coast, or people brave enough to eat the government certified safe Gulf Seafood. Nearly as fast as the oil spill stopped, the news stories stopped flowing too. There were three other oil spills this summer (one in Michigan, one on land in Louisiana, and another one off the shores of Louisiana), but they barely registered a blip in the news, or were covered up quickly. It’s amazing how easily people can forget about an event so horrific, and move on talking about the next big story. Personally I’m disgusted by the whole thing, so when I had a chance to visit Florida this summer in late July and early August I knew that I had to tour the region to get my own impression, and then write something about it.

By the time I got to Florida the BP Oil Well was finally capped and testing was in place to finalize the seal on the cap. The current headline was all about if the cap would hold, what tropical storms were heading to the region, and what fishing areas had been reopened. My first stop was Siesta Key Beach south of Tampa. The oil spill never really reached this far south, at least not visibly. The water was brilliantly green and the sand white as can be. The beach was packed, and everything seemed to be business as usual.

The second best beach in the country-according to Travel Channel

A week later in early August I started my tour of the Florida Panhandle area that was affected by the oil spill. First stop was St George Island State park near Apalachicola FL. On the drive down there from Tallahassee I saw a few BP gas stations with tarps covering the BP signs. Apparently some BP stations have already started changing business names because nobody will buy gas from them. At the beach the water was the normal green color, but had streaks of brown in it. People were fishing and swimming as if nothing had happened.

The BP name ain't what it used to be.

Surf Fishing in the Gulf at St. George Beach

You might be a redneck, if you pitch a tent at the beach

A few days later I left for Texas and decided to make a driving tour of the Gulf Coast on the way. The first stop was in Panama City which was very deserted for this time of year. The panhandle beaches (also known as The Redneck Riviera) typically have their high season in the summer, unlike the rest of Florida. I walked out onto the Panama City Pier to see if I could figure out why the water had even more brown streaks in it than St George Island. The park ranger said that the water turned brown every summer when the algae bloomed during hot weather; it was indeed HOT. However I’ve never heard of this or seen it myself in the 16 years that I lived in Florida, or on the many visits I’ve had since. Although I did grow up on the southeast coast I have visited the Gulf Coast and the panhandle on numerous occasions.

To quote Diamond Dave- Panama, Uh Oh Oh Oh Ohhh

Does that look like normal algae to you?

More fishing off Panama Pier

Driving west my next stop was just east of Destin at Miramar Beach where signs were posted warning people that the beaches in this area had been affected by the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. I found tar on the beach and trash barrels labeled oil (which ironically look like oil barrels) to put this in. Surprisingly people were still swimming and fishing as if nothing had ever happened. The water was even browner than Panama City. On the radio I heard a commercial sponsored by BP. The content was as you would expect, the usual propaganda about how BP cares and is working hard to clean the waters etc, and then I heard this- although you may find dead fish washed up on the beaches this is a normal result of the algae bloom that happens every year along the Gulf coast. Really???

Oil affected beach- hey let's go swimming!

Who cares if there's oil in the water, lets party like its 2009!

On the lookout for oil and dead wildlife

The next stop was Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola Florida. Just a few weeks ago the Florida Governor Charlie Christ was seen on the news walking along this beach area surveying the puddles of oil spilled all over the famous white sand beaches Pensacola is known for. Driving along I saw several cleanup sites full of generically marked buses that looked like modified tour buses used to transport the oil cleanup crew to and from the beaches. There were police cars blocking access to the normally public areas, and crime scene looking tape blocking access to the parking and beach areas where workers were. Everything was very secretive and BP seemed to be in full cover-up mode. I had the feeling that if I crossed the line to the cleanup area I might be shot on site. It was that kind of operation, and this was happening in several areas starting around Destin and heading west. I left the coast and hit I-10 for my next stop Biloxi Mississippi, which still had temps in 90’s and near 100% humidity when I arrived near midnight. When I stepped out of the car my glasses fogged up and I nearly fainted from the heat. Blah!

Green flag or not, I wouldn't swim in that!

Tar/oil on the beach

No public access, anymore..

I’ve driven through Mississippi many times but to date my only memorable experience here was witnessing a fight at a local gas station somewhere around Jackson. A Charlie Daniels song Uneasy Rider comes to mind. This time I drove across the Gulf Coast on US90 which is similar to Florida’s coastal A1A. I stopped at several beaches from Biloxi to Gulfport and beyond. The water seemed to be a constant brown sewer color with a similar smell to go with it. There were several drainage pipes or culverts pouring straight into the gulf along various beaches, which were adding who knows what to the already oil infested waters. Dead fish were washed up all over the beach. Big industry factories were looming in the distance along the coast spewing out pollution of their own. Although the beaches were pretty much empty there were still a few hardy souls fishing and swimming in this water, which looked like it could be straight from an overflowed toilet. I struggled to keep my lunch down, and decided that I had seen enough.

Biloxi- Is that oil sheen in the water from the boats or the spill?

Dead fish and unknown substance on the beach in Gulfport

The lovely waters of Gulfport

Although I only saw the aftermath of this disaster it did put some things in perspective for me.

1. I realized it doesn’t matter how bad the environment is. Some people just don’t care, don’t pay attention, and won’t change their normal routine and habits to make a difference. Not even if that difference is for their own good.

2. My Mom reminded me that when my sister and I were kids we would always get tar on our feet at the beaches and have to use baby oil to get it off. As far as I know tar only comes from oil, although some oil leaks are naturally occurring. In any case there doesn’t seem to be much tar on the east coast of Florida anymore so its likely oil spills weren’t regulated or reported as much back in the old days.

3. The fishing industry is alive and well on the Gulf Coast. The recently closed fishing waters are quickly being reopened in order to get life and economics back to normal for Gulf Coast residents. Even as new studies are finding oil and dispersant residue in local seafood like crab larvae all along the gulf coast, locals are eating it anyway to show support for the fishing industry. If the government says its ok, then it must be, right? Not really.

4. The total oil spill was estimated to be 4.9 million barrels or 205 million gallons of oil; spelled out that’s 205,000,000 gallons! So basically if 2 out of every 3 people in the United States were to pour a gallon of oil into the gulf that would about equal the spill.

5. About a month after the oil well is capped it’s difficult to find any news on this catastrophe. The effects will be felt for years to come, but it seems everyone is so eager to move on and forget. The big money of BP in combination with the government cover-up machine has pretty much brushed this under the rug. Most people who don’t live in the Gulf Region have already forgotten about the Great Oil Kill and are now focused on what Mississippi’s favorite son Brett Favre will do this season.

6. BP has signs posted all over the Gulf region asking people to report oil and dead wildlife if you see it. I wonder if the dead wildlife is really counted or quietly discarded? We will never know for sure how many casualties this disaster claimed, nor how many future generations of wildlife will be affected by the new dead zones created in the Gulf from the oil and dispersant.

7. The number of dead birds, fish, and mammals that were washed up on the Gulf Shores was listed in the thousands, because that is all we could see washed up on the shores. This is conveniently inaccurate for BP and the public conscience. The reality is the oil spill affected an area much larger than the Gulf Coastline you saw on the news. Let’s just say hypothetically the spill affected an area the size of the state of Louisiana, which is probably not far off. Now if you counted the causalities only along the state’s shoreline, that would be a gross underestimate considering you covered a couple hundred miles (not even square miles), when the entire state is made up of roughly 58,000 square miles. Now imagine that the state is made up of water that is up to a mile deep in some areas, so you had to cover not only the area but the entire volume of its depth. It’s unfathomable!

8. Money seems to fix everything, for now. BP has deep pockets. Case in point- former BP CEO Tony Hayward gets an 18 million dollar golden parachute so he can “get his life back”. BP probably makes more profit annually than some small countries. With all that money they have millions to spend on propaganda, cover-up, and cleanup. 50 million alone went to advertisements saying we’re sorry, we care, and we’ll fix the problem. 50 million that could have gone to new energy technology research so we can get off oil.

9. If BP really cared about the environment they wouldn’t have sprayed 2 million gallons of toxic dispersants into the gulf after the EPA ordered them not to. In an effort to make the oil disappear they did it anyway. Unfortunately the dispersant doesn’t really make the oil disappear; it just spreads it out, along with the toxic dispersant. But as far as BP is concerned what you can’t see won’t hurt you, or at least it won’t hurt their image.

10. BP will likely divide itself up into smaller companies like other major companies with a bad reputation have. In the meantime if you want to boycott BP these brands also use BP oil- ARCO, AM/PM, Aral, and Castrol oil. I’m sure there are many others but it’s hard to find that information on the internet, just like it’s hard to find any current news about the oil spill. It all seemed to mysteriously vanish just like the oil.

11. Irony is cruel. This disaster did happen off the shores of the country that historically has been the number one consumer of oil products- U.S.A. Recently that top spot has been overtaken by the Chinese who have a population about 4 times the size of the U.S. What happens as China continues to grow and other populous countries on the rise such as India follow? We may be able to develop our own alternative fuels to become energy independent, like Brazil did decades ago after the 70’s oil crisis, but how long will it take for these new up and coming nations to follow that lead. If they are as slow as us it will take decades.

Now that the oil can’t be seen on the water surface or beaches where is it? Suddenly a great convenient theory about oil eating bacteria appears and all is well. If this is true don’t the bacteria defecate like every other living thing on earth, and wouldn’t that waste still contain the oil in some form? Where is the oil, and what form has it taken? Has it dispersed so much that it’s just mixed up with the water in trace levels so that whatever effects it may have down the road can never be traced back to the oil spill? There are lots of questions and proposed answers to all of this, but trying to find the truth in it all is like trying to mix oil and water. Meanwhile the residents of the Gulf Coast will be left behind and forgotten, once again.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Just like people pets need exercise too, so why not stay active together.

I’ve known a few people that have had news like that from the doctor. One person I know that was over 300 pounds finally decided to have gastric bypass surgery done after the doctor told her she may not live long enough to see her kids grow up. I saw her several months after the surgery when she had lost over 100 pounds and looked like a completely different person. I’m not saying that surgery is a great thing but if you neglect your body then tough decisions like that will have to be made down the road. If a fortuneteller had told this girl 10 years previous that she would require surgery to reduce the size of her stomach unless she changed her lifestyle and diet then maybe things would have been different for her. What I’m trying to say is why not have better health, fitness, and lifestyle before getting to the point of needing surgery for a health related problem that was preventable.

To wrap up the last part of the healthy series blog here are a few suggestions for changing the final aspect of lifestyle. If you haven’t read part 1 and part 2 yet then be sure to check those out.

Be honest and open with yourself and others
Be honest with yourself about your weight, and don’t be afraid to talk about it with friends and family. The topic of weight is a touchy subject to most people. Women are especially sensitive about their weight, but they shouldn’t be. When you are too sensitive or afraid to deal with the subject of your weight you are really just hurting yourself. You will get more support from your internal network than you might think. Additionally by talking the talk you will be expected to walk the walk. For some people the support or expectations they get from others is all they need to get moving in the right direction.

If you are going to be your own boss make sure you are doing the job
Think of this example; kids can get into all kinds of trouble and danger if left unsupervised. That is why they need adults to oversee them. Adults can likewise get into trouble when suddenly they grow up and nobody is there to tell them what they should or shouldn’t do. Good upbringing and education go a long way but nobody can be completely prepared for adulthood. One good thing my mom did when I was a kid was limit my sister and I to one treat each per trip to the grocery store, which wasn’t that often. These days I’m my own boss and despite that early discipline it is still hard to leave the store with more food than treats. In fact my wife doesn’t like it when I shop because I buy so many random items that don’t add up to meals. I can only imagine how bad some people can be who are their own bosses but basically give themselves permission to do whatever they want. More problems can ensue if you decide to let someone else who isn’t qualified be your boss. By nature most people want to follow someone else’s lead because it’s just easier than making their own conscious decisions. That easiness can turn into laziness, complacency, and misguided trust in sources that are unreliable. Just because your coworkers eat a big mac for lunch everyday doesn’t mean you should too. If someone else is your boss then fire them and/or recommit yourself to being a better boss.

Don’t let society determine who you are
Our over-polite and politically correct society is increasingly sending out the message that it is ok to be overweight, or to “be comfortable with who you are”. That’s great in concept and certainly accurate in some regards, but when it is in context to body weight that statement really tells people is its ok if you are overweight and there is no need to change. When surrounded by so many people that have this carefree attitude it’s easy for anyone to get off track. If you want to be successful YOU have to take the initiative to make it happen. This means independent thinking, self discipline, and having a proactive attitude. Don’t let society influence who you are. Decide for yourself who and how you want to be, and then make it happen!

Tune out the media
Even more than society, media pre-programs us with misconceptions and all kinds of propaganda. Just because Subway’s 5 dollar foot-long sandwich is only 5 dollars and supposedly healthy that doesn’t mean it’s ok to eat the whole thing at once. I’ll admit Subway is better than most fast food, but that I just can’t get that annoying jingle in their commercial out of my head. It makes me want to spear the TV with a foot-long sandwich so I never have to hear it again! Unfortunately this is exactly what these advertisers want, a commercial that you will remember one way or another for a very long time. Because even worse than hating them is forgetting them or not knowing they are there at all. This is just one bad example of media influence. There are also magazines, actors and actresses, politicians, billboards; just all kinds of advertisements and images coming at us from all directions vying for our dollars and interest. It’s all so overwhelming that people start to forget who they are and just become vessels of popular society. Just as you have to be proactive with exercise and diet, be proactive with your mind. Turn off the TV and read, study, learn; basically decide to think for yourself again. You will have a more studious approach towards life and an overall healthier attitude, which translates into a better lifestyle.

Get enough sleep
This should be a no-brainer, but many people can’t seem to get this sleep thing right. Your body and mind need sleep to recuperate from the day’s activities, and if you are exercising you need more sleep than normal to rebuild your muscles. Some people do have sleep disorders, but others just sacrifice sleep to make up for lost time or because of a poor personal schedule. I’m a late night person myself so swing shift works well for me. I worked a very early AM shift with a brutal commute for a year, and that made my circadian rhythm go haywire. During that time I only averaged about 5 hours of sleep per night. I was always tired and even though my job was very active I gained weight from eating more than normal to try to make up for the lack of energy. Once I got a swing shift job that was closer to home I went back to sleeping 8 hours a night with a normal diet. Without even trying I lost almost 10 pounds in a month to get back to my typical weight around 170.

Lay off the booze
This is a tough one for many people, myself included. I like to enjoy a good microbrew or glass of wine now and then which has just become part of my lifestyle. In limited quantities this is no problem, and many studies show that it can indeed be healthy in some aspects. The problem is most people don’t or can’t limit themselves to just one or two drinks. When you drink excessively this hurts your health, motivation, budget, waistline, workout routine, and brain functionality. I’ve decided to take a serious layoff from booze in 2010 to see what effects it has on my lifestyle. Initially I planned to go dry for the entire year but with summer coming I decided 6 months is long enough. It’s been 5 months already and the only thing I miss about not drinking is the social aspect. I guess for me it has been a good experiment and will permanently change the way I think about drinking alcohol. I will likely be more conscious of how much and how often I drink just like I have been about the food I eat after going on the South Beach Diet some years ago. In fact one thing I learned from the South Beach Diet was that instead of drinking beer which is full of Maltrose (a form of sugar), or mixed drinks loaded with sugar, try wine. Vino is much healthier, full of antioxidants, and easier on your waistline. What you do in this department depends on your lifestyle, but limiting or cutting out the booze for a while can really contribute to your overall success in the area of health and diet.

Walk after eating
We learned about the effectiveness of this after traveling in Europe for 4 months. Although the portions were smaller we still ate well and usually had a beer or two with our meal because it was so good over there, and usually the cheapest beverage on the menu. We always walked after eating because other than taking the train it was the primary way of getting around so we really had no choice. After that trip I was down to almost 160 pounds which was the lightest I had been since my early 20’s. After putting some thought to this I came to the conclusion that your stomach really does a lot of work to digest food which naturally makes you tired, and after eating you feel somewhat bloated and full so naturally you want to just relax. If you go against this natural desire and do something mildly active like walking after eating then your food will settle easier and you won’t feel so lethargic.

If you can’t work out find another way to stay active
In the year 2000 I went snowboarding for the first time on a very icy day and ended up separating my shoulder. The doc said there was nothing he could do for me short of surgery which wasn’t necessary unless I was a professional athlete. He simply suggested taking an Advil whenever I participate in an activity like racquetball or weight lifting that involved my shoulder. For about 5 years I had to go light on the weights, and at times went for months without lifting but I still managed to keep in pretty decent shape doing other things. When I did work out I skipped the Advil (which will eat holes in your stomach) and just lived with the pain. Eventually I did have to quit playing racquetball because the pain was too much by the time I would finish a few games. Instead I got more involved in other activities like hiking and ironically snowboarding, which made up for what I missed in the gym. I’m the kind of person that just needs to stay active so I had to adjust my lifestyle to accommodate that need and I think that adjustment turned out to be a very good thing. The gym is a great way to get in shape, but to have a healthy active lifestyle you need other sources of exercise than lifting weights or running on a treadmill.

Make your goals dynamic to match your lifestyle
Don’t get so set on obtaining a certain goal that you fail altogether and lose your overall confidence. If you’re goal is to lose 100 pounds in order to get down to your high school weight, but you are only losing 1 pound per week, then you will likely get frustrated and eventually give up altogether. If you do see yourself getting frustrated then modify your goal to be more obtainable. Make it a goal of losing 25 pounds, and then once you do that try for another 25 pounds. Even if you only lose the initial 25, but manage to keep that weight off in the long term, then it’s still a winning scenario from where you started.

There are no shortcuts
Plastic surgery, liposuction, TV gimmicks, diet pills, steroids- forgedaboudit! Two wrongs don’t make a right. It amazes me what people will put themselves through to try to take a shortcut. Oftentimes the shortcut takes more effort than the normal and correct course of action. The bottom line is if you want to be fit and healthy you need to exercise and eat better; so go exercise and then cook a nice healthy meal- now repeat over and over again.

Listen to your body
In today’s modern society we’ve lost touch with nature and ourselves. Your body often tells you what it needs and when enough is enough, but we usually don’t listen. Make it a goal to have a harmonious relationship with your body so you can naturally know what is right and wrong when it comes to eating, exercise and sleep. Most people don’t want to take the time to prepare healthy meals, exercise, or get a good night of sleep, but this is really just an excuse. These are not things you make time for; it’s just something you incorporate into your lifestyle. You wouldn’t say you never have time to do laundry or pay bills would you? Of course not, you have to do those things so you just do them. Eating healthy, exercising, and sleeping should be the same way. That’s not to say that you won’t occasionally get off track, but that is ok as long as you get back on track before your body derails. Just remember losing weight and getting in shape isn’t something you do just to look good for the summer, it’s a lifetime commitment to a healthier body and mind.

Does this count as Exercise? You Betcha!

This post is part 1 of 3 in the Healthy 2010 series.
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With a new year comes New Year’s resolutions. For most people (in the U.S.) one of the top New Year’s resolutions is to shed the extra pounds gained over the holidays, or over the years. To document my own goals and hopefully help some others out I’m writing a multi part blog series about health and fitness. The Winter Olympics this February should be further inspiration for all of you who have goals of dieting and getting fit.

Excluding Olympians, it’s no surprise that two-thirds of Americans are overweight according to this Reuters article, and more than half of those people could be considered obese. Obesity is described as having more than 30% fat mass on the BMI (body mass index) scale, while being overweight is 25-29%. Apparently 40% or more is called morbidly obese, yikes!

Those of you who know me might be surprised to find out that I’m overweight according to the standards of most generic BMI calculator websites. I’m 5’10” and about 175 pounds, so I don’t consider myself overweight even though I could probably lose an inch or two on my waistline. Along with different body types one of the factors that can skew the results of a generic BMI index is muscle mass. This is the case for me since I’ve lifted weights for most of my adult life. Just remember the generic BMI index doesn’t necessarily provide an accurate reading, but it is a good guideline. You can get a much more accurate BMI reading from your doctor, nutritionist, or a personal trainer. Chances are if you are overweight then you already know it, you just might not know by how much, or what health risks you are facing because of it.

Despite being “overweight” myself people ask me all the time how I manage to stay so fit and trim. My short answer is usually this- eat healthier foods in smaller portions, and exercise more frequently. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well it is! This is really the basic bottom line of how to stay healthy, fit, and lean. I could write a book about all the details expounding on that point, but since I haven’t written a book yet I’ll just start with this blog series. In the series I will outline some easy things you can do that will get you started in the right direction to fulfill your New Year’s resolutions of losing weight and getting in shape. There will be a lot of info to digest here and not everything will work for everyone. Focus on what works for you, and doing what it takes for you to be successful. If this post helps even one person lose 5-10 pounds I’d be happy. We’d love hear about any success stories (resulting from this blog or by other means) in either comments or email. Before I get on with the meat of the blog first let me give you some background history on my diet, weight, and lifestyle.

I’ve lifted weights on and off for 20+ years since I was in high school. Aside from this I generally lead an active lifestyle of hiking, biking, and snowboarding among other activities. My diet is generally healthy and as a result of all this I’ve maintained a steady weight range for most of my life. Currently I weigh in at about 175 with a height of 5’10”. My weight over the last 15 years has ranged from 160-180, but is usually in the low 170’s. When I was in high school I was super skinny weighing in at 145. I lifted weights like crazy to try to put on more muscle mass. Nothing happened until I hit 23 years old, and then I finally started filling out. With the help of lots of protein supplements, hitting the gym 5 times a week, and a serious body builder diet, I got up to 183 pounds that year and maxed out on bench press at 295 pounds!

I worked really hard to get to that point and never took any kind of steroids. The following year I started to focus on other activities and transitioned to a more casual workout routine. I dropped back under 180 pounds and have never weighed more than that, or less than 160 since. My workout routine has been on and off in recent years due to various injuries and moving around, but this year I’m feeling good and my gym is expanding to a huge new facility just down the street from my house. Never being one to miss a good opportunity I’ve decided to make my goal for 2010 to bench press 300 pounds. I don’t necessarily want to gain or lose any more weight, nor will I go the extra mile by taking boatloads of supplements and eating a body builder’s diet. My normal healthy diet along with an occasional protein shake or fruit smoothie will have to be good enough this time around.

I guess it just kinda bugs me that I never hit 300 (the 300 club) or 315 (triple plates on each side of the bar) on the benchpress, so I figure why not give it one more try before I get too old. The worst thing that can happen is I get in really good shape but only bench 250ish, which wouldn’t be half bad. When I started seriously hitting the gym in the beginning of December last year I weighed about 165 and my max bench-press was about the same. 2 months later I’ve gained 10 pounds and I’m working out with 205 and could probably max around 225 with a spot. I’ll keep you posted on my progress throughout the year. In the meantime here are my tips for getting physical in Part 1 of the Health and Fitness 2010 series.

Have a good workout or exercise routine
This is the first key to your success. It doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you burn calories and get your blood flowing on a consistent basis. This also helps you sweat out impurities in your body and relieves stress. Weight lifting is what I most often do to stay in shape. I like lifting because it’s very accessible and easy to do. You can also do this anytime, and you get a lot of benefit while using little time. The only activity easier to do is jogging, only because you don’t have to drive to the gym, and you can do this anywhere. Lifting weights doesn’t give you as good of a cardio workout, but you can work every muscle in your body. To avoid injuries always stretch out before hitting the gym. After you workout your muscles usually get sore or at least tense. They are actually breaking down and rebuilding which generally takes place over a few days. This means that your body’s metabolism rate is elevated and burning calories to rebuild your muscles even after your workout is over!

Find a workout facility
Before you go to the gym you have to find one. The first time you work out in a new place it may feel a little uncomfortable so try to go during a slow time of the day which is usually anytime other than 4-7pm when most people are just getting off work. You’ll find that once you push yourself to go the gym the awkwardness will disappear after a couple of visits. Going to the gym is a great way to motivate your exercise routine simply by surrounding yourself with motivated and fit people. If you think a gym membership is too expensive, or you’re not sure you will follow through with your commitment, then try going to the local high school or college gym which is sometimes free or cheap during certain times of the day. Community centers are even better options which are also free or cheap with additional activity options to choose from.

Start active habits
If you just can’t find the motivation or willpower to go to a gym then try exercising at home. There are plenty of activities that can be done from virtually anywhere. Exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, jump-rope, running, stretching, and yoga, are just a few examples. Another option is to get an exercise DVD program to follow along with. It sounds cheesy but if it gets you moving and burns calories then do like Nike says and “just do it”! Going on a daily walk, or doing little things like taking the stairs instead of using an elevator is another a good way to be more active. My active habits include walking or running with our doggie Mulder nearly every day, and when the weather is nice I sometimes opt to walk for 15 minutes during my work breaks instead of sitting in the breakroom.

Charlotte skiing at Loveland, CO- 12,700 elevation

Turn off the TV and start a hobby or activity
How many hours per week do you watch TV and surf the internet; 10, 20, more? If you have that much free time then that is great, but try to cutting it back, or make it a reward for yourself after you’ve done something active. Personally I think activities that involve all of your body’s muscles like swimming, karate, yoga, or rock climbing, work best to keep you in shape and should be complementary to a basic exercise routine as mentioned previously. Even hobbies like gardening or sports like softball are much better than lounging around. You can check with your local community center to see what’s available in your area. This will help you meet like-minded people and give you more of a sense of belonging and pride in your community. If you aren’t into group activities then there are other things you can do. For example if you live in CO and have never skied then go get some skis or a snowboard and hit the slopes. If you live in Florida get a kayak and start paddling. If you live in one of the overweight southeastern states listed in this article then step away from the BBQ and head to the gym immediately!

Me kayaking in Vero Beach, FL

Remember, muscle has memory
Bodybuilders know that muscle has memory. There are scientific definitions for this phenomenon which basically says something like once your muscles learn how to do a new activity such as walk they remember those motions so it is easier from then on. Bodybuilders on the other hand are interested in a different version of muscle memory. One that allows them to regain their maximum strength in a much shorter period of time than it did the first time. Experts can’t agree on whether or not this type of muscle memory is fact or fiction, but I do know from experience that it does seem to happen. Although I’ve had long intervals where I’ve gone without working out at all such as when I separated my shoulder, I’ve still been able to regain my peak physical condition within a few months once I start hitting the gym again. The same principles apply to everyone. If you are an active person or work out on a semi-regular basis you can always get back to your peak condition much easier than someone hitting the gym for the first time ever. Think of it like learning a second language. If you don’t use it for a while then you get a little rusty, but once you start using it again it comes back to you quickly.

It’s ok to take a break from working out
Things happen to break your exercise routine, that’s just the way it goes. You might get sick, go on vacation, or get extra busy with activities around Christmas or summer time. Don’t let this discourage you from getting back in the gym. Sometimes that first visit back after a break is the hardest one. The key to a successful workout routine is consistency and momentum so if you do take a break just do something to get started again and you’ll thank yourself later. Even if your first workout is only 10 or 20 minutes that will usually be enough to get you back on track. If you can’t muster the energy to go to the gym then try a quick 10 minute jog around the neighborhood or do some exercises at home to get the blood flowing. Don’t feel guilty or get frustrated about the downtime. Once you get going again you’ll find that sometimes you feel better after a short break from the gym, and if it’s a longer break you’ll regain your muscle strength and size much faster than you did the first time. Remember exercising is something you should do over the course of your entire life so if you get off track just be sure to get back on track again.

Tips for the newbie
If you have never worked out before don’t worry about missing the muscle memory advantage, you’ll get that eventually. The even better advantage you have is that your muscles will be shocked when you first start working out forcing them to adapt and grow. During the first few months you’ll notice significant increases in muscle strength and changes in the density and shape of your body. This is exciting, but it can be just as frustrating when you start to level out and see your progress slow down. When that happens just keep shocking your muscles by trying different things. You can experiment with new exercises, and try fewer repetitions with heavier weights, or more reps with lighter weights. Be sure to watch what other people do in the gym, and if you have the chance talk with them so you can get different opinions and ideas about working out. One more thing to focus on when your initial gains are slowing down is perfecting your form. This is especially important in back exercises. Your muscles should be doing the work, not your joints. In most cases you want to avoid jerky motions that can cause injuries and do little to benefit the muscles. Typically its easier to practice your form with lighter weights so you can focus on the muscles instead of the weight. A personal trainer and/or weight lifting magazines can provide more workout tips.

Girls, don’t be afraid to lift weights
I’ve heard it so many times from girls, “I don’t want to look manly, or lose my feminine shape”. This is a ridiculous myth and in some cases a big excuse. In all the years I’ve been working out I’ve never seen a girl at the gym that looked too muscular. They do exist however; I’ve seen them in the bodybuilder mags. Those manly girls, just like the muscle-head guys with veins popping out of their necks, are probably on steroids IMHO. That is why in the bodybuilding world you have fitness contests, and then you have bodybuilding contests. The fitness contests are the ones with contestants who are very fit and muscular, but not bulked out on roids. The popular bodybuilding contests that you see on TV more often are full of contestants that look anything but natural. Many women in these contests do look manly, which is as much a side effect from all the testosterone in the steroids as it is from the muscle mass. Normal women have a very difficult time getting the bulky manly muscles you see on female bodybuilders or other roided out athletes like wrestlers. All women can however get toned and curvier from working out. The women I’ve seen with the best bodies in the gym are the ones who aren’t afraid to bench, squat, and use free weights. Cardio and machines do a good job too, and certainly get better results than the alternative- which is sitting on the couch.

Get a professional opinion
Besides getting physical you should get a physical. It is always good to see the doc every few years to check your heart rate, get blood-work, etc. They may find a problem you didn’t know about or suspect; for instance you could be borderline diabetic, or have gluten intolerance and not even know it. Nutritionist and personal trainers can also be excellent sources of information and advice. Many gyms offer specials on introductory packages for personal trainers. I went through a 6 week personal training program once when I signed up at my gym because it was included in the introductory package. I figured it would be a waste of time but it turned out to be very helpful and informative. A professional can give you a more accurate BMI count, and a confidential honest opinion about your physical condition. If you think you might have a weight or fitness problem (or if you aren’t sure) then getting professional advice is highly recommended. Remember the first step to finding the answer to any problem is seeking the answer; inaction is your worst enemy.

Don’t blame your genes
This is a very important point about exercise and physicality that is a huge stumbling block for many people. Some people use or believe this excuse so that they give up before they even get started. They tell themselves “I’m big-boned, or everyone in my family is overweight” and then simply resign from even trying to improve their fitness. To use myself as an example you might think I got lucky with skinny genes, but I’d say it’s more like I inherited a skinny lifestyle. I believe that the fact that I grew up eating almost 100% healthy home cooked meals, having very few snacks in the house, and being very active during my younger years contributed more to this than my genes did to keep me skinny. Kids have little control over what food is on the table, so if the parents are overweight then it’s likely the kids will be too because the same food and lifestyle is being followed. Genetics may play a small role but I think it is way overblown. We all have to work with what we have physically, and in some cases overcome previous physical and dietary neglect. Many champions from different sports have beaten genetic odds to achieve their goals. Everyone’s metabolism slows down eventually as mine did in my mid-twenties. I can tell you with confidence that these days as I approach the big 40, I have to make a conscious effort to maintain my weight and fitness level. If I became complacent and ate whatever I wanted I could easily balloon over 200 pounds and beyond within a year. Doesn’t seem like much but add another year, or two, or five to that and I’d be super-sized. I don’t know about you, but for me that just isn’t an option.

Improve your self-image
Getting fit and healthy is not just about your appearance, it means improving all aspects of your life- physical, mental, and psychological. When these things improve you will notice a significant improvement in your overall well being and attitude. Just imagine if you are going on an interview or first date. Do you want to make an impression as someone who is satisfied to just waste life away playing video games and watching TV; or do you want to appear as someone who is self confident, proactive, and genuinely interested in the surrounding world? If you’re stuck in a cycle of redundancy the first step you have to make to break the cycle is forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone to make a change. Remember motivation and momentum build on themselves like a snowball rolling down the hill, so get the ball rolling and good things will happen.

Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3 in the Health and Fitness blog series

As a follow up to my last post about clean drinking water I wanted to add a post about water conservation. Everyone knows how important this is but rarely takes the subject to heart. Water flows freely here in this country as it does in many other places with little pressure on conserving it; except in places like Colorado and California where there are frequent shortages. When we lived in Denver, CO some people would post signs in their brown front lawn saying “water conservation in progress”. One of our favorite Thai restaurants there had a sign at each table saying “due to the water shortage we are making an effort to conserve water, so glasses of water will only be served upon request”. While both of these examples are mildly amusing they actually have a good point.

I recently read a very good article on water conservation called “This is a turn off“. The article focuses on the fact that the average American uses about 151 gallons of water per day and gives suggestions on how to cut that consumption in half to 75. Some of the ideas are pretty farfetched, some are obvious, and others are uniquely interesting and make good sense.

Where you live may determine which new ideas you might be inspired to try out. For example in Denver I could hang up my pants or a second layer shirt like a long sleeve on a clothes rack and wear them a second time. It was so dry there that you barely sweat so your clothes wouldn’t get that stuffy or smell like mildew as they do in humid climates. That doesn’t work so well in Oregon, but here we don’t have to worry about running sprinklers; in fact we just disabled our preinstalled sprinkler system. There is hardly anything more annoying than seeing a sprinkler system running while it is raining. Instead we just water our lawn by hand when needed in the summer, and the rest of the time the rain covers our needs.

Plants need more water than grass but you can’t beat the travel distance of a tomato from your garden to the table vs one from the supermarket, so in my opinion a home garden is worth its weight in water. To conserve water with our gardening projects we water plants in the evening or early morning. This allows the water to soak in when the soil is cooled down; otherwise most of the water will just be burn off. Our hose also has an attachment with different settings like mist, shower, jet, soaker etc so that we can water according to the needs of the plants, and that enables us to turn the hose off from the attachment so it is only running when we are actually watering the plants or yard.

We do plan to implement a few new ideas we haven’t thought of before from the web article “This is a turn off“, such as using cooking water for gardening. I think I’ll skip using the bathwater option though since I probably wouldn’t be able to eat a tomato without wondering if there was a hint of safeguard in it. The clean toilet hack sounds reasonably easy, but I’ll leave the dirty toilet hack to the hippie communes. I’ve seen more than my share of composting toilets at hiking trailheads-YUK!

There are a few other things we already do around the house to conserve water. We’ve installed a low pressure shower head in our bathroom, and I turned down the water pressure on all of the facets to about 1/3 the normal amount, which is fine for our purposes. We have energy compliant appliances which use less energy and water, costing less in the long run. Whatever you decide to do everyone should at least think about how much water they personally use. At a bare minimum avoid doing wasteful things like leaving the water running while you are brushing your teeth or shaving, or running the dishwasher half empty; that’s just plain wasteful.

A photo from India courtesy of Lukasz Maciejczyk

One last water conservation trick I do that some people may find extreme, but I think is perfectly sensible, is follow the old rule of “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down”. I first heard this from my college astronomy teacher who was the old hippie type. We all laughed when she said that, but it makes sense so I started practicing it. Of course I don’t always let it mellow otherwise the toilet would need to be cleaned constantly. Think about it though, if two people are going #1 in succession do you really need to flush two times and waste the extra 5-6 gallons of water? Millions of people in third world countries don’t even have running tap water, much less a flush toilet. I wonder what they think of our 150 gallon per person per day usage in the U.S.A.

As kids most of us were taught to flush the toilet after every use as a courtesy to the next person, but maybe we need to change our perception of what courteous is. “Honey don’t flush the toilet” may not sound very romantic but next time you think you might use the bathroom right after your significant other those six words could save six gallons of water. That much water may only be a nickel off your water bill, but over time it will add up. Over your lifetime and millions of others that little change in habit could mean the difference between our great-great grandkids in the 22^nd century having running tap water.

Water is everywhere so people tend to take it for granted. Approximately 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, and the human body is made up of about the same percentage. Naturally this means you need to keep your body hydrated on a daily basis with good clean drinking water. By drinking beverages such as soda that are full of ingredients other than water you are just making your body do extra work to get what it really needs.

In some parts of the world people are lucky to have any clean drinking water at all, much less water to bathe or cook with. Here in the good old USA water flows freely, which means many people use and unfortunately waste it without an afterthought. This easy access to the world’s most important resource has led Americans and residents of other first world countries to take water for granted. It was only recently that those same people began to question the purity of water that comes out of their tap. That is when the bottled water craze began.

Some of you might think drinking bottled water is a good solution, but I’d argue against that notion. Plastic bottles are clogging up our landfills, and it has been exposed that most bottled water is merely tap water or filtered water given a fancy name with a high price. If you do drink bottled water you should use your own reusable bottle that is BPA-free (you can get these at REI), and fill it with filtered water from home or work. Using your own water bottle or mug can save several paper or styrofoam cups every day.

So if bottled water isn’t the answer then what is? Let me tell you a little story that led to my path of clean water enlightenment. Many years ago, in a previous life I lived in Dallas, Texas. During these years I was more worried about what was in my beer than in my water, but one day I had a water revelation. I was playing tennis on a hot summer day and couldn’t help but notice that I wreaked of chlorine smell. I began to notice this after any activity where I sweat profusely, which in Texas can be something as simple as walking out to your car since temperatures often get into triple digits during the summer. All of this sweating of course means you have to drink a lot of water to rehydrate. The tap water where I lived in Texas was really poor quality, so bad that you could smell the chlorine in it when turning on the faucet. It only makes sense that if you drink this chlorinated water your body has to work overtime to purge your system of the chlorine.

Chlorine is a poisonous gas/liquid that is sometimes used to kill bacteria in water. You can read more about Chlorine at this web page from the CDC Chlorine Facts Page. My question is “if it is poisonous enough to kill you then why would you even want to intake it in small quantities, and wouldn’t that cause your body a lot of damage over years of exposure?” I took the first step to solving this problem by buying a cheap Brita filter from Wal-mart which did help a lot, but it still wasn’t quite enough.

When I moved to Colorado I found a local filtered water place called Water To Go  (also in Oregon) where you can bring in your 5 gallon (or whatever sized) jugs and fill them up for about 40 cents per gallon. They run their water through a 12 stage filtration system so it basically comes out completely purified. You can really taste the difference, or should I say not taste all the things that shouldn’t be there.

I know there are over the counter water filters that you can install in your sink and I think those are an excellent choice too, but usually pricey for the good ones. Currently we still fill our bottles at Water To Go, or Whole Foods Market. In the future we might get a home filter installed so we can have filtered water for all of our cooking and other needs.

Additionally we put a filter on our shower head from a company called Rainshow’r that filters out chlorine in the shower so it doesn’t dry out your skin. I immediately noticed a difference from this too. Previously my skin was always dry and sometimes itchy. When you take a hot shower your pores open up allowing your skin to become more vulnerable to absorbing harmful chlorine and other contaminants.

Whether or not you think using a filter on your shower head is a worthwhile practice is up to you, but drinking filtered water is a clear choice that everyone should consider. Everything you put in your body must be purged at some point; if it isn’t then it is unnaturally building up in your body which is likely to lead to bad news down the road. As with anything there are plenty of arguments on both sides of this issue. I’d recommend that you do your own research and decide for yourself if you think your water source is clean and safe, or if there is something funny in the water.

I “discovered” baking soda when I spilled something in the oven and made a huge burnt food mess. Sure, I’ve used baking soda forever but I never knew that it was more than just a baking agent. I tried to clean up the mess with a scraper but it seemed like it bonded with the bottom surface of the oven. Panic-stricken, I googled oven cleaning and found this wonderful tip of pouring baking soda paste (baking soda mixed with a little water) and leaving it for an hour then scraping it off. Well, I tried it and simply put, it worked. It didn’t just work but it made my oven shine, as in like brand new! I scraped the mess like I spilled it no more than a minute ago. Inspired by this “discovery”. I googled other uses for baking soda and found some interesting ones. I now use it for most cleaning tasks and it works like a charm.

Bathrooms: I threw out the COMET which is toxic anyway and now use baking soda for the whole bathroom. Sink, shower, toilet, floor, everything can be cleaned safely with baking soda.

Kitchen: Food stuck in pans? Baking soda paste is the answer. It makes our sink shine and stays cleaner longer.

Deodorizer: I keep a small partially open box in the refrigerator to keep it smelling fresh.

Shampoo Additive: About once a month, I mix a little bit of baking soda on a teaspoon of shampoo (sulfate-free) on my palm to remove product residues on my hair.

Laundry: Add ½ cup to a load for brighter whites and stain removal.

According to Wikipedia:

“Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slight alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda (sodium carbonate). It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs. The natural mineral form is known as nahcolite. It is also produced artificially.
Since it has long been known and is widely used, the salt has many related names such as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, bicarbonate of soda. Colloquially, its name is shortened to sodium bicarb, bicarb soda, or simply bicarb. The word saleratus, from Latin sal æratus meaning “aerated salt”, was widely used in the 19th century for both sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. The term has now fallen out of common usage.”

It also cites many other uses:

Vegetables: Used to remove pesticides. Not that I want to eat food with pesticides but it is not easy to be 100% all-natural so this is a good way to clean vegetables.

Insect Bites: Apply paste to remove sting. The poison is absorbed and therefore lessens the sting.

Medical: Used as an antacid.

As with anything, you have to do your own research and proceed with caution. Baking soda can strip a layer of material such as when it reacts with aluminum and could be very abrasive when used as toothpaste.

Forget Comet, Windex, and Bleach. I ♥ baking soda.

For further reading, check out:

About.com lists more uses for baking soda.
Care2 has several articles about non-toxic cleaning.
Arm & Hammer, the most common brand has a good website with tips and FAQs.

How about you? What do you use baking soda for?

People ask me all the time why I waste money on organic foods, or go through all the effort of my restrictive diet to abstain from beef and avoid eating foods with MSG, corn syrup, GMO’s, RBGH, and other items the FDA claims are GRAS (generally regarded as safe). The main reason is simply that I enjoy living a healthy lifestyle. The more I learn and research health and green topics the more adjustments I make. We all have the ability to adapt, and in this country almost always the means to adapt, just not always the will to change. Unfortunately some people have the attitude “who cares we are all gonna die anyway”. That is really just another way of saying “I don’t know any better and I’m too lazy to learn or change”. If that sounds familiar and you are just going through the motions in your life, then you are really missing out on good food and a lot of other things. It’s time to wake up and smell the organic coffee! 
 
The reason I bring all of this up is that I recently watched a very disturbing documentary called “The Future of Food”. It basically discusses corporate control over food and farming in America and GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) that are bioengineered. I have always loved watching documentaries because they are educational and usually expose facts and ideas that government and corporations would rather you not know about. “The Future of Food” was one of those documentaries that really open your eyes to a part of everyday life of food that affects everyone on earth. After watching this I felt like breaking out some protest signs and marching on Washington!

Many of the questions I had about food and GMO’s were answered in this film. Other topics such as growing your own food, buying organics, joining CSA’s were discussed and justified as part of the solution. My only complaint about the documentary is that I wish they had spent more time talking about solutions and less time making me mad about the details concerning the problem. I guess the point is that if people don’t fully understand the problem enough to get mad about it they won’t be motivated to change. Point taken! If you want to get mad about your food and government too then just watch the intro to this documentary from the link below, or better yet just watch the whole documentary and get really mad!

The current situation with agriculture reminds me of when oil prices doubled last year driving up inflation and helping to fuel the fire of the bad economic state we are in now. The reality of just how dependant we are on oil and the foreign countries that produce it became glaringly apparent. People became more conscious of the record profiting oil companies and lobbyist that have their hands in the pockets of government officials, auto industries, and just about everything else.

Now just imagine instead of an oil crisis there is a worldwide food shortage. Drought and overpopulation cause people even in this country to scramble for food and stockpile items like rice and beans just so they can be assured of their own future of food. In reality this is already happening in many parts of the world, but if another factor was added to that list you would have the perfect storm that could starve the world. Do you think when a loaf of bread suddenly costs 10 dollars people would wake up in a hurry and get educated about what we are eating, where it is coming from, and who are the corporations pulling all the strings? You bet!

“The Future of Food” talks at length about a handful of corporations that have been making and patenting genetically modified seeds since the 70’s. These modified seeds are designed to grow crops that withstand pesticides which are specially formulated to kill everything else except those crops. How convenient! If this all sounds like a racket, well it is. These corporations are all in bed with each other along with the FDA and lobbyists. The scary thing is that these seed and insecticide corporations are so greedy they continue to modify and patent new GMO’s such as suicide seeds that will sprout crops that produce sterile seeds that won’t sprout when replanted. This is all to make big money. Farmers will have to buy seeds every year from these corporations instead of saving their own seeds like they have done since the dawn of agriculture. These seed corporations have already put many small farmers out of business by suing them for having the GMO pesticide resistant seeds/crops mixed in with their own crops, which happens naturally from birds/bees/wind/etc. Here’s the real kicker- imagine what happens when these new GMO suicide seeds get mixed in with natural crops! The seed companies will rule the world, or what’s left of it.

The best thing we as consumers can do before it gets to this inevitable point is to get smart about food, and use the one influential power we have (besides our voice and vote) which is our buying power. What we buy dictates what is sold. It’s simple economics- supply and demand. So when you read food labels, buy organic foods, shop at farmers markets, join CSA’s, and grow your own food you are not only becoming what we call in Portland a “foodie”, but you are fighting corporate control. You can grow your own food, plant organic veggies, and use organic seeds instead of genetically modified ones. Local nurseries are better bets to find natural and organic plants than big corporate chain stores. For our own garden we have used mostly organic seeds and plants with no pesticides or unnatural fertilizers. We have found a really good seed company locally  in Oregon called Territorial Seed that uses only natural organic seeds. Next year we plan to buy all of our seeds from them and make sure everything in our garden is completely organic.

One additional thing we can do is demand that products containing GMO’s are labeled like they are in Europe. If you go into your local organic grocery store you will see many products that say “no GMO’s”, but you will be hard pressed to find a product in the U.S. that says “contains GMO’s”. Americans lead the way on many different fronts, but when it comes to food we could learn a thing or two from our neighbors across the pond.

Europeans are years behind America in food technology, and that’s a good thing. Instead of fast food restaurants and chain grocery stores on every corner you have local bakeries and farmers markets. That is the way it has been done for ages, and it’s how the people in Europe like it. Having firsthand experience with food in Europe and America I can tell you- there is no comparison. Americans want easy, fast, and cheap food; basically anything that comes in a box, bag, or can. Even most American restaurants shamefully serve what amounts to upgraded tv dinners at a premium price. When you go to a conventional grocery store the only natural looking food is in the produce and meat department, but alas even that is bioengineered in this country. Imagine if Americans decided to get smart about their food and used thier loud voices to demand change. It would change the Future of Food in this country, and maybe the world. Personally I’m all for new technology and lifestyle improvements, but when it comes to food I’ll take it the way nature intended it to be, not the way man has made it to be.

Why does anyone really even drink soda anymore? It’s kind of like asking why does anyone still smoke? Back in the 60’s it was cool to smoke and everyone did it without really realizing the health hazards. They were blinded by all the cigarette toting TV commercials and TV shows that fully displayed the smoking culture as part of normal society. Everybody was doing it, or should I say smoking it! Nowadays everyone knows the real deal about smoking. Smoking ads are banned on TV, warning labels are put on cigarette packages, and as a result most people do not smoke.

Unfortunately this same enlightenment about soda hasn’t dawned on most folks yet, and nobody seems to be lining up to protest the ill effects of soda. Sure there is no one real culprit to link to soda like there was when people figured out lung cancer was a direct result of smoking. Instead drinking soda is just bad for your health all the way around. In health terms soda is usually referred to as empty calories. It’s even worse now that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has been added to replace sugar, and act as a preservative. I guess you can now say that soda is genetically modified empty calories!

I could be wrong about this but it seemed like the height of soda popularity was in the 80’s. Right about the same time that Coke and Pepsi did the bait and switch on us by changing their star ingredient to HFCS over sugar. Most people today still drink soda, but many other drinks are coming to the forefront such as bottled water, energy drinks, and fruit juice ( the latter two usually mixed with HFCS). I have issues with all of these which I will address in later posts, but at least people are trying different things, however misguided they may be. Just as it took a couple of decades for people to really get the message about smoking I think the same will be the case for soda. Eventually drinking soda should be viewed by society as an occasional splurge, or if used frequently a self destructive behavior much like smoking is.

As a kid I can still remember my parents occasionally stopping at 7/11 to buy the small bottles of coke that was the “original formula” because it tasted better. That was the coke that still had real sugar in it. You can still find it today in Mexican grocery stores where it is imported as “Mexican Coca Cola” also made with real sugar. Other than the occasional original coke (when it was still available), soda was never a part of our household diet. It wasn’t stocked in our refrigerator or cupboards, and in those days kids couldn’t buy soda or other junk food in vending machines at school like they can now. Basically it just wasn’t readily available for me so I never really developed an addiction to it like so many other Americans have. I have found however, that soda (especially coke) is very useful for dissolving caked up battery acid on your car battery. Aside from that utilitarian use I can honestly say as an adult soda has never been a regular item on my grocery list; it only makes an appearance when other people who are visiting might want it. This is a direct result of my environment while growing up which just gives proof that the choices parents make are often the same choices children will make when they grow up. Food for thought…

At times when we do get a hankering to drink soda in our household, for example on Superbowl Sunday, then we will typically get a local root beer or ginger ale made with cane sugar which you can normally find at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or other organic grocers. Speaking of the Superbowl, advertising is the biggest pusher of soda. We are bombarded with ads basically telling us try it, it’s cool and everyone’s doing it. Advertising plays a huge part in the American society. It tells us how we are supposed to live, persuades our brains into thinking what is and isn’t right for us. It especially tells us what to eat and drink. In the 70’s there was Pittsburgh Steeler Mean Joe Green downing a full bottle of coke that a little kid gave him, then he says “here kid catch” when he throws him his terrible towel. While this commercial is a cultural classic, it is still pure influential advertising at its best. Give Mean Joe credit though; at least his coke probably was made with real sugar and not High Fructose Corn Syrup. Back in the 80’s Michael Jackson caught his hair on fire for a new generation of Pepsi drinkers. Then in the 90’s Prime Time Deion Sanders ran like the roadrunner from Wylie coyote for a Pepsi Superbowl commercial. This year we’ve gone full circle with Pittsburg Steeler Troy Palamalu doing his imitation of the original coke commercial from Mean Joe Green, albeit with the new HFCS version of Coca Cornla. See the original below.

You have to wonder do these athletes and celebrities even know what they are promoting, or are they just blinded by the extra millions they are making? Some of these millions are probably coming from the money saved by Coke and Pepsi when they switched over to HFCS. It’s a vicious cycle. The bottom line is while the public that drinks this carbonated corn syrup gets fatter, the celebrities who promote this and the executives who push it are getting fatter with cash.

If you really want to know the difference between the coke that Mean Joe drank in the 70’s, and the Coca Cornla that Troy Palamalu drank in 2009 then try an imported Mexican coke made with real sugar, and then drink one with made with High Fructose Corn Syrup (found everywhere). You might notice the filmy bad breath taste left in your mouth by the new version, not that the old version full of sugar is much better. What would be better is to forget the soda and drink a good old fashioned glass of ice water. Its free, calorie free, and your body is already made up of about 70% water anyway. If I was going to make a commercial I’d say “Drink water for that great refreshing natural taste”!