Frank Lieberman - Part 3

Part 3   It Has Nothing To Do With Age continued from Chapter 1

Just because we age, does not mean we have to retire or stop living productively.  We can also evolve and become an active outdoor participant in meaningful and healthy events.  Noted attorney, Eugene D’Ablemont, 870, was forced to retire from his New York law firm even though he was a partner there for four decades, and definitely did not want to retire. Essentially our society forced him to step down, pushing aside the facts that he was still productive, successful and engaged and committed to his profession.  Our society views aging in terms of numbers, rather than ability.  The question remains, who should make the decision?  In my opinion, we need to challenge the notion of how this arbitrary, stand-alone number is the basis for retirement.

Is there more to life than work in today’s world?  Look around and you will see “older “individuals being more active, acting younger, and participating in more adventurous activities.  Take Hse Telesmanich, for example.  At 90 years of age, she sprained her ankle while hiking in South Africa.  Was her sprained ankle, a problem that got in the way of her hiking?  No!  She said, “I got very good at hopping on one foot.”

When Tom Lackey was a youthful 89, he stood atop the wing of a biplane while it was flying across the English Channel. Why did he do it?  His explanation was that he took up wing-walking as a way to deal with the grief of losing his wife.  There are, of course, simpler and less dangerous ways to deal with loss.  You might become like Jon Mendes, age 90, who entered the New York City Marathon in 2010, or even like Canadian Olga Kotelko, age 91, who still competes and holds the record for the javelin throw, 100 meter dash, shot put, and the high jump in Masters track competition for her age group.  At the moment, she is the age group.  Who knows, you might become a competitor in the centenarian age group too.

To be continued

Frank Lieberman - Part 2

If you are an equestrian, you would more than likely know about the Tevis Cup.  If you were an ultra endurance runner, you would be familiar with the Western states Run.  If you knew about both endurance riding, and an ultra running, you might be knowledgeable about Ride & Tie.  Similarities in each of these events are as follows: all take place on mountain trails and are 100 miles in distance; each event has about a 50% completion rate; all three were created within the last 60 years; and they are known as the grandfathers of their sport. Each of these events has competitor entry criteria, and each has a completion time cut off, and each is too completed within one day.  Both Ride & Tie and the Tevis Cup have a 24-hour time limit, while the Western States Endurance Run has a 30 -hour cut- off.

It is likely that most people do not know about these three extreme amateur sports or the other unique sport activities found in this book.  As you read these chapters you will discover what drives the men and women who compete in these difficult sports known as the Dipsea and the Hawaiian Ironman, details about the sports themselves, and about the history of the competitions. The water sports of outrigger canoe paddling, rowing, and sculling round out the list of extreme competitions.

I believe the individuals in this book, all ranging in age from 65 to 85 are interesting, inspiring, compassionate, driven, and disciplined people.  Yes, they had accomplished incredible feats in their senior years, but they are also mortals faced with the typical challenges we all confront in life-financial woes, family issues, divorce, health problems, and even death.  As life deals out these cards, sometimes it is those challenges that cause people to push themselves, ultimately escalating to ultra sports.

As I have experienced from writing this book, I hope they you will also identify and draw strength from these inspirational stories.  I encourage you to use the information to your advantage, and let these role models assist you in establishing a roadmap for developing meaning and passion in your life.  It is never too late to begin.

To be continued:

Frank Lieberman - Part 1

Frank Lieberman is mentally and physically strong, tough, athletic, health conscious and competitive.  He is goal oriented, persevering, determined and passionate, while defying his age.  Born on November 26, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, this PhD psychologist is about 5’9” tall and weighs approximately 165 pounds.

I am Frank Lieberman and these pages contain the profile of my life as a senior ultra athlete.  My purpose here is not only to entertain and educate you about my path and the journey of other ultra-athletes, but to also give you inspiration and guidance in your own life.  Your goal may not be ultra sports, but perhaps just making that one step forward toward a healthier, more joyful life.

In the year 2000 at the age of 60, I completed the Tevis Cup, a 100 mile endurance horse event over the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  This is a grueling challenge that must be accomplished within 24 hours to qualify for completion.  At the age of 62, I was a division winner in the 100 mile Western States Endurance Run, the ultra marathon known as the toughest on the planet.  These two events have attracted a remarkable range of competitors from all over the globe, and I am one of about 45 individuals in the world to have earned belt buckles in both the Tevis Cup and the Western States 100 mile Endurance Run.

At the age of 68, I came in first place in the Swanton Pacific 100 mile Ride & Tie along with team members Jonathan Jordan, and my Arabian mare “Gypsy.”  A Ride & Tie is three athletes-two people, and one horse-competing over a designated distance; one person runs and the other rides, and then they trade-off during the competitive race.

With those three accomplishments, I became one of only four individuals in the world to have completed the Tevis Cup, the 100 mile Western States Endurance Run, and the Swanton Pacific 100 Mile Ride & Tie. Proudly, I am the only individual in their 60s to have ever completed these three events.

To Be Continued

Heat Training

Sunday, Randall organized a trail run for us.  One of his favorite loops totals about 11 miles around and through Drivers Flat which is near Todd Valley. Randall first picked up Michelle and Marty, and then yours truly around 8:30 AM.  We then proceeded and met Secretariat in Cool before heading to our run location.  Secretariat’s vehicle was parked at the start and Randall’s car at the halfway point.  Now, we had a convenient aide station.

The first of the two loops were on the American River side, while the other on the lake Clementine side.  As in all the runs in northern California, there are plenty of ups and downs with this being no exception.  These two loops are very popular with Mountain bikers, especially on the weekend.

It was hot at the start of the run and it really warmed up by the time we were done.  It takes approximately a couple weeks to get acclimated to the heat.  At this point, it was very difficult to run in this warm temperature.  One way to get acclimated is simply working out, or by running in the heat.

Upon heading home after the run, Randall put on the air conditioning.  I remarked to him that putting on air-conditioning, even though it feels good, was no way to prepare for running in the heat.  Air-conditioning counters becoming acclimated and defeats the purpose.  I make sure, during the summer, to avoid air-conditioning as much as possible in order that I can continue my running in the brutal temperatures. Of course, I like to get an early start, which is around 8 AM, for running in these temperatures.

Earlier I told Linda that I would go out on the trail with her after returning from the morning run.  Although I was tired and had discomfort in my Achilles, I accompanied her and her horse Nails on a short 5 mile or so loop.  Our dog Digger went along as well.  The Dos Equis, beer commercial “stay thirsty my friends” reminds me of  running in these temperatures. Do not stay thirsty ,by all means, do not forget to hydrate and take electrolytes for your summer workouts.

Forest Hill,Michigan Bluff ,Tevis Cup and Cool Ride and Tie

Yesterday, Carrie Barrett, Secretariat and I met in Cool.  The plan was to run from Forest Hill to Michigan Bluff and back to introduce Carrie to the Western States Trail.  After approximately an hour drive, we reached downtown Forest Hill.  The elevation at Forest Hill was 3,225 feet.  We proceeded and went through the vet check area before heading down Bath Road towards Michigan Bluff.

Although Secretariat had completed the Tevis 10 times, for his thousand mile buckle, he did not always head in the correct direction. When confronted, he said “it looks different.”  While heading For Michigan Bluff, most of that Rocky trail was uphill.  We reached Volcano Creek which was cold, and the rocks were slippery.  A human chain, allowed us to cross that Creek.  It was a tough climb, going from Forest Hill to Michigan Bluff.  Possibly, the recovery from last Saturday’s trail run at Woodside was a factor.  In any event, we arrived at the historic town of Michigan Bluff at 3,530 feet of elevation.

As we begun our walk down the street, Secretariat and I both recognized Tonya Chandler a longtime resident and Tevis  Cup competitor.  We chatted with her for a while and introduced Carrie so she could have a potential riding partner. We continued walking down the street to show Carrie where the trail entered this town.  We filled our water bottles, and while heading back talked to Gary Hall another resident.

The run back to Forest Hill did not seem easier as the temperature warmed up even more.  Secretariat did not have any difficulty with the direction, going back to Forest Hill.  We reached the car and went across the street to the saloon so Secretariat could have his beer.  I had my smoothie and Carrie had her sandwich.

We agreed to meet back at the pizza place In Cool for dinner that evening.  The plan was for Sue Smyth to meet us for ride and tie meeting.  At the restaurant, I introduced Carrie to Michel Bloch another Tevis Cup competitor and potential riding partner.  Secretariat, Debbie, Sue, Bill, Carrie, Linda and I hung out and had dinner.  Incidentally, Sue, and Carrie are going to be the new race managers for the Cool ride and tie scheduled for September 29, 2012.  See you   there.

Running in the Redwoods-Woodside 35 Km

Running in the Redwoods- Part 2

I did not catch Secretariat. I reached the finish line and I found him there smiling with a gold medal around his neck.  I inquired about my gold medal.  Instead of a gold medal, I was given a second place ribbon and then told that I was in Secretariat’s age group. I was stunned, and he started laughing.  He thought it was hilarious that I was placed in his age group and wound up with the ribbon instead of a medal. Upon registering for this race, he was   placed in the 60 – 69 age groups, and I was placed in the 70 – 79 age groups.  Being the only individual in my age group, I thought I was going to come in both first and last in my age group. He could not stop laughing.

As it turned out, my finishing time was faster than two 50-year-olds, and one runner in the 30 to 39 age group.   I also came in front of a runner in the 20 to 29 age group which meant that I was more than three times older then that runner.  All told, there were about 45 runners in this 3 5Km, and over 80% younger than age 50.  Those runners were fast.

  By the way, last year, I came in first in my age group 3 times and have yet received a gold medal from the Pacific Coast Trail race management.  I do not know what I have to do in order to receive a gold medal from this group.

After leaving the park, Secretariat and I returned to the Holiday Inn and cleaned up.  Then we headed for home having dinner in Tracy.  I suggested that we have our desert at Baskin-Robbins.

We stopped at Baskin-Robbins in El Dorado for a real treat.  Stopping at Baskin-Robbins took the sting from not receiving that gold medal.  I look forward to another race day and another Baskin-Robbins treat. Thank you Secretariat, the weekend was fun, difficult, rewarding, and the company was good. We both laughed a lot.

Today Secretariat and I are planning on running the trail.  On Thursday, Secretariat, Carrie Barrett and I are running from Forest Hill to Michigan Bluff and back in order to introduce Carrie to that section of the Western states trail. Carrie is considering competing in the Tevis Cup this year.

Tomorrow I am lecturing at UC Davis in their Cardiology Rehab department to talk about well-being, overcoming and a preventative health prescription.

Stay healthy, my friends and keep on running.

Running in the Redwoods, Woodside 35K

Running in the Redwoods- Part 1

 On the 14^th, Secretariat and I ran a 35 km trail run in Woodside, California.   Although the morning temperature was cool, it warmed and was comfortable during the run. In other words, the weather was perfect.  Parts of the trail were wet, but that did not interfere nor take away from running in the redwood environment. The day was serene and spiritual.  I cannot easily recall   another trail that was more beautiful.

I divided the run into four parts.   Section one was practically all uphill for about 6 miles.  I wore a heart rate monitor and kept my VO2, primarily in the 90% range.  Keeping my heart rate that high was a test to see if I would be compromised later on during the run.  The   next section, part two, was approximately 6 miles and was easier as the trail had more gentle ups and downs. At the end of this section there was a turnaround.

Just prior to reaching the turnaround I saw Secretariat running toward me. .  He remarked that I looked good.  I said to him   “I am feeling good, wait for me.”  He replied “I am slowing down.”  Should I believe him?  Would he allow me to catch him?  I do not think that is in his DNA. I reached the turnaround point, got supplies, and headed back in search of Secretariat.

  I eventually reached the last aid station (section 4) but Secretariat was nowhere to be seen.  I refilled my water bottles, took some GU and proceeded down that last section.  I was impressed with myself as to how I handled that difficult and tough section earlier. I ran that section easily, and I did not run hard nor beat myself up going down the trail since I had not trained running down hill with that steep grade for such a long distance.

To be continued- Did I catch Secretariat?

A 35 Km in Woodside, California

Today is a travel day.  Secretariat and I are heading for Woodside, California, later today, for a 35 km trail run put on by the Pacific Coast Trail people.  Although this is a new course, I am anticipating a tough run but expect to do well.  I am certainly conditioned and have tapered properly for this run.  I will let you know, next week how it turned out.

Keep running on the trails.

40 Years of Running

Part two- These men continue to run because …….Some might say that these men are crazy. Why would anyone run daily for over 40 years?  Do you want to join their club?  What is it about them that’s different? Let us first take a look at their mental toughness, and hypothesize what might drive these men.

 Does being men and at least 60 years of age have anything to do with it?  Think about it for a moment.    Is this about testosterone? Do you think age has anything to do with it?  Remember the title of my book   “it Has Nothing To Do With Age.”  

These men, regardless of weather or climatic conditions, work schedules, family obligations, sickness or injuries, or what they were feeling, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year covered at least a I mile  distance .  How’s that for having a focus or a goal? Sutherland, over this 40 year time period, had run over 185,000 miles, which equates to roughly 7 ½ circumnavigations of the globe. You have to admit that is impressive.  On the other hand, may be this compulsion, for running, might have an unconscious component or drive?

  We know that for Simpson, having polio as a teenager, played a significant part in his motivation.  Compensating and strengthening for a weak or inferior body part was part of his drive.

 Notice the goal for each was concrete, measurable, attainable and easily defined. There was no goal ambiguity.  Either you ran that day or you did not.  Make no mistake about it; having a goal was very important for these men.  

Also, think about the number of success experiences, each had in meeting their goal.  These men got positive intrinsic reinforcement daily, weekly, monthly for over 40 years. Have you had that amount of reinforcement in your life on a consistent and repetitive basis?  Just think about being able to experience that amount of accomplishment and satisfaction daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. The notion “I can “fits.

Further these men likely expected to accomplish their goal.  Their expectancy was realistic, barring some unfortunate situation beyond their control.  Notice that even when these men experienced an injury or medical procedure they continued to persevere regardless of the amount of discomfort. In other words, these men expected to succeed.  The key word here is expected.

These men were all future oriented.  In order to accomplish the goal, they had to be thinking about the next day’s run.  They had to make sure to fit in their schedule.  They were thinking, planning, and calculating on how to make their goal achievable.  It did not matter what obstacle got in the way, they made plans to deal with it.  Their goal became a major priority in their life. In part, their goal was their life.

In addition, these men displayed mind-body toughness.  Throughout the 40 years, they displayed positive thinking in relation to their goal.  By thinking positive and not letting irrational ideas get in the way, they were able to make their legs work to complete their goal i.e.  physical injury didn’t get in their way.  

Most of their time, if not all, they accomplished their goal outdoors.  Being outdoors has a spiritual quality to it.  Longfellow, Wadsworth, and Thoreau discovered that a long time ago.  For these men running became their passion and gave meaning to their life.  They became the” streak.” This running streak became their identity.  This was who they were.  They were the runners, running daily.

Mental toughness, guts, grit, ego strength is like a mosaic.  There are number of parts or components to it and make no mistake about it the number of parts are always greater than the whole.

Run on my friends.

You Won't Believe What These Men Do

 The 40 Year Club

  Jon Simpson, do you know him?  Do you believe that Jon has run every day and I mean, every day since August 30, 1971.  Jon is currently 73 and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. This retired dentist has run at least 1 mile every day for 40 years.   Jon has become only the sixth person in the United States to complete 40 years of running, according to the US Running Streak Association. Simpson, reminds me of my friend Don Nichols, who also had polio as a kid. Both turned to exercise to successfully overcome their handicap.

A man by the name of Mark Covert, age 60, from Lancaster, California holds the record streak.  Mark has been running, at least 1 mile, since July 23, 1968.  In spite of a few medical issues, this track coach, has not missed a day of running.  For instance, to keep the streak going Mark jogged with his boot laced up even though he had a broken ankle. Also, minor knee surgery, and an issue with flat feet that caused him severe back pain did not stop him from his running streak.   After tearing his meniscus, he once considered stopping because it took him up to 20 minutes to put on his socks.   Mark also had a good sense of humor when he stated that keeping the streak alive was not a mark of his intelligence.

Jon Sutherland, age 60, from West Hills, California ranked number two on the Association’s list.  On his list of his “50 dumbest runs” was running with a broken hip that took nine months to heal.  Sutherland and Covert first met as track teammates at Los Angeles Valley College.  Sutherland acknowledged that his friend Mark has 300 days on him and may not catch him.

Another man by the name of Steve De Boer, a dietitian, at the Mayo clinic works with many diabetic and obese people.  He admitted that he had 30 pairs of running shoes and proud of that fact.  When the shoe company Brooks heard about his streak, they sent them a free pair.  A family history of heart disease played a part in his motivation to run.

 Ken Young, age 69, from Petrolia, California is other member the club.  This man once covered 1 mile in 40 minutes as a result of knots in his leg muscles.   He claimed that was not his most difficult run.  His most difficult run was jogging 1.1 miles with new plates in his broken wrist.

.Jim Pearson, age 67, another member of this elite group, ran with blood clots in his lungs.  Jim’s 25-year-old son Joel started running when he was seven, and is predicted to break Mark Covert’s streak.

Part 2  to be continued.  These Men Run Because....

Michelle Obama ,School Meals , and Childhood Obesity

Part 2 Obama, Obesity, and Federally Subsidized Meals in the Schools

  Currently, federal officials attempted to place limits on saturated fat, French fries, and other forms of white potatoes served in school programs.  However, the food industry lobby and their lawmakers did not like that idea and said no, because it did not serve their interests.  Forget about nutrition. Where were the parents and schools in this argument?  Having a lot of potatoes served in the schools must be good for somebody; so what if it is not good for the children. Thank goodness we have lobbyists and lawmakers looking out for?  Lawmakers represent whom?

With the new standards, next year, the schools are required to offer students ¾ to 1 cup of vegetables, plus a half to 1 cup of fruit a day, which is about double the amount currently served in these school programs.  But, nutrition groups( synonymous with those  that run school cafeterias), school districts and food service companies” worry” that students  do not like fruits and vegetables and would simply throw them away.  Their solution was what? They said just change the rule (reduce or limit the amounts) and then the kids would eat those amounts, because it is easier. I do not understand that “reasoning”, if you call it that, and that was clearly not their motivation.   Remember, a rule is just a rule and man-made.   They claimed the Department of Agriculture’s rule would result in more cost for the schools .Well, what if it did?

Let us get this straight.  Limiting fatty, salty and sugary foods and replacing them with nonfat milk, fruits and vegetables cost more money.  Since it costs more money for “healthy foods,” Just feed the children foods that make money for the various interest groups - the food industry.  So what if the kids eat saturated foods like in French fries or starchy vegetables like potatoes. So what if these foods are related to childhood obesity.  Do we place all the blame on the farm lobby, and our wonderful lawmakers?  Did you know that tomato sauce on pizza counts toward a vegetable requirement? Well, the agricultural department attempted to diminish that silly vegetable requirement, but the food industry complained and Congress blocked that effort. Congress did what?  Who are these members?  I do not want them representing me.

 So we have one government agency coming up with ideas to deal with the obesity problem only to be opposed by another form of government   i.e.  the House, Senate along with the various lobbies, Just continue feeding unhealthy foods to the kids with both the parents and the school boards remaining silent.   In other words profit, rationalization, complacency and ignorance triumphs health.  Come on parents lobby your school district.  Does anyone out there want to form a health and fitness lobby?   

 Am I just spitting in the wind? I hope not!  As part of my tapering program for next Saturday’s 35Km, I am going to run a short 6 mile loop.  Another benefit to running on the trail is that it helps reduce the stress about the things that I read about in the Wall Street Journal.

Obesity,First Lady Michelle Obama, Congress and School Lunch

Our nation has a   problem with obesity  . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 17% of children between the ages of two and 19 are obese. That’s a lot of children.  Okay, what can be done about it?  I think parents have a part to play, as well as the school.  However, it does not seem that parents and schools are working toward a solution to deal with this epidemic.  First Lady Michelle Obama was talking about the nutrition problem in the schools.  Why didn’t we hear support from the schools and parents as well?  Maybe the Wall Street Journal’s, January 26, 2012 article sheds insight on our nation’s problem.

 Why does the First Lady and the Department of Agriculture have to tell schools that children should eat more fruits vegetables and whole grains in their school lunches?   For the first time, the Department of Agriculture had a plan by setting calorie limits on government subsidized lunch and breakfast programs for school cafeteria meals.  Why wasn’t there parental support for this government initiative? Why were the parents silent?   Why were school boards mum?  Don’t tell me that it is only the federal government’s responsibility to tackle the problem of obesity. If that is so, we need more government, not less government.  

 Get a load of this. The department of agriculture has a plan to limit the number of calories served for lunch to 650 for the children in kindergarten through fifth grade?  Guess what?  Instead of being supportive, some people are complaining. Why don’t the parents and schools care about caloric restriction for the kids? 

  Read Part 2 of this Article Next Week

Tapering for a Race and Food of the Gods - Chocolate

  On the 14^th of April, Secretariat and I plan to compete in a 35 km trail run in Woodside.  We have invited Randall, the join us.  On Thursday of this week, I intend to begin tapering for that run by running a shorter distance each day forward.  Generally, that means running 1 to 2 miles, less, each consecutive day, starting Thursday through the following Sunday. Then   from Monday through Thursday limiting my trail runs   to an hour or hour and a half each day.

 Today, Secretariat and I plan to run 10 to 15 miles. Tomorrow’s run is likely to be roughly the same distance.  Anyway, that is my plan.

I have some news for all the chocolate lovers.  According to an article in the Wall Street Journal on March 30, 2012, Fredy Pinchi Pinchi is currently in the Amazon jungle.  You might be wondering, who is this guy and he is doing what? All right, he is a 31 year old agronomist searching for a hardier and more prolific cocoa tree.  Currently, the major chocolate suppliers are looking for better trees since the existing cocoa trees are too old, fragile and low yielding.

Fredy is looking for an elite plant since a lot of people depend on cocoa.  According to estimates, the global consumption of cocoa will surge by 25% to about 5 million metric tons by 2020.  Unfortunately, the process of grafting different kinds of cocoa trees to achieve the right genetic mix takes years.  In fact, this year, to make things worse, the world’s biggest cocoa growing region, in West Africa experienced   blasts of hot winds that seared the plants, pushing up prices 15% from a three-year low.

Some in this cocoa industry are predicting a potential problem of supply with demand increasing.  Incidentally, the cocoa tree’s scientific name Theobroma cacao translated means “food of the gods.”  I totally agree with the Greek description.  Unless Fredy finds the right cocoa variety that yields bigger beans, expect the price of chocolate to rise. Come on Fredy I am counting on you.

Is Red Meat a Killer ?

This past February, Linda and I were having dinner, in Scottsdale, with a rancher friend from Montana.  Clayton indicated that the ranching business was spectacular at this point.  His stock was selling at record highs.  Of course he was very pleased with the cattle industry this past year and his profit. Clayton would likely say “baloney “about the following study.

Recently, a study by the Harvard School of Public Health followed more than 121,000 men and women over a period of 24 years.  These men and women, every four years, submitted information about their diets to the researchers.  Unfortunately over the 24 years, almost 24,000 of these people died.  The death rates of those who ate the most red meat were higher than among those that ate less red meat.

These researchers issued a warning.  According to them, an extra daily serving of unprocessed red meat (steak, hamburger, pork etc.) increased the risk of dying prematurely by 13%.  However, processed meat (hot dogs, sausage, bacon, etc.) increased the risk by 20%.  Before jumping to conclusions, let us take a look at the absolute risk for unprocessed red meat on deaths per 1,000 people per year.  For women only, one serving of unprocessed meat a week equaled 7.0 deaths, while two servings of unprocessed meat a day equaled 8.5.    Which number do you like best?

These researchers suggested that the increased risk from red meat may come from saturated fat, cholesterol, iron and potentially cancer-causing compounds generated when cooking red meat at high temperatures.   Another factor could be sodium found in processed foods.

 Are you like Clayton and was this information a problem for you?   Are you still going to get a hot dog or Polish sausage when attending a baseball game or football game?  Remember the song “take me out to the ballgame and buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack? “ What a dilemma, it might be difficult to eat healthy foods at America’s past time or attending popular sporting events.  Wait a minute; you can always buy beer which, according to an unnamed source, is good for you.  Just Ask Secretariat and he will say “drink in moderation. “ However, sometimes, the number of beers varies as does, his definition of moderation.

For me, I like a hot dog and hamburger every once in a while.  My definition of, every once in a while, can change.  For instance, when at a ballgame I make sure to get a Polish dog.  It is too bad, that I cannot have two other persons like me that I could compare with eating a hot dog and hamburger once in a while to eliminating a hot dog and hamburger’s from my diet. 

Scientifically, the best healthy diet, hands down, is either the Mediterranean or a vegan.  Truthfully, the Mediterranean diet would be easier to follow since a small amount of red meat is allowed. I do not think I could become a vegan because every time I return to Detroit, and I mean every time, I go to one of the delis-maybe Steve’s and get either a corn beef or pastrami sandwich.  I must confess that I miss that Deli from Detroit.