You Are What You Eat and Joanne Neft

Friday, July 22, 2011. Today, I’m going to comment on food. On Wednesday, I mentioned a study that found that caloric amounts varied. What was stated on the menu, as far as the number of calories, was less than the actual amount contained in the food. Was that terribly surprising to you? By the same token, I wonder about the accuracy in the products we buy at the market. In other words, we may not be getting what we think we’re getting. You might’ve heard the expression “you are what you eat.” You just have to figure it out.

Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with Joanne Neft.  Joanne and Laura Kinney recently published a book titled “Placer County Real Food”. I encourage you to consider finding out more about Joanne and her book. Joanne believes that 98% of us do not think ahead about our food and the type of experience we wish to obtain when eating. She is probably right. If you are concerned about what you put in your mouth i.e. portions and variety then thinking beforehand about the experience would be helpful too. In dieting, it is important to think about and plan your meals in advance rather than making impulsive decisions. Since there is so much stress in daily living, meals and meal planning are likely to take a back seat. Take Joanne’s advice and consider making it a priority.

There was an error in yesterday’s blog. When I was referring to walking, I stated going at the speed of 20 mph. What I intended to say is to walk at a 20 minute mile pace.  Thank you Janet for catching and pointing out my error. Couple of statistics per Wall Street Journal, dated April 12, 2011 pertains. Eating just two pieces of candy each workday adds about 480 calories over a work week.   To burn  that off a 160 pound person would have to: walk( 2 mph) 157 minutes; ballroom dance  132 minutes; golf( carrying clubs) 88 minutes; backpack 56 minutes; and run( 8 mph) 29 minutes.

The July 11, 2011 issue of Time stated that 25% is the number of daily calories that the average American consumes in snacks. And beverages account for 580 calories every day outside of meals. Wow! As my friend Ed Budde from the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL says “keep moving.” It’s obvious that food intake and physical movement are keys to better health and longevity. There is nothing wrong about walking. It’s a good place to start and one can learn to improve the pace. Before I run, I walk to warm up and after my run walk to cool down. I certainly enjoy the walking part and recommend it to you.

A recent commercial that I saw on TV had to do with medication for arthritis so that the individual could move. Hopefully you won’t have to take medication to move without discomfort. Last but not least, there was an article about the placebo effect for the common cold in the Wall Street Journal issue July 12, 2011. In this particular study of 700 patients, the researchers found that cold sufferers who got a pill regardless of what it contained had less severe symptoms and recovered sooner than individuals who took a pill. The placebo effect was most pronounced among people who believed in Echinacea’s healing properties.  There is more information that I will share with you at a later date. Find the magic pill and live a great life.