Shortest Cold Ever

I caught a cold visiting my sister in Colorado, so I raided her vitamin cabinet.

In addition to Echinacea root tincture (recall, Echinacea root is the only effective part; the aerial parts are bogus, because they do not contain the cold-fighting compounds), which I took, she had this Zicam oral mist, containing zinc.

The label said it was clinically proven to reduce the duration of a cold, something the FDA might take issue with. However, all I can say is I used it thrice daily, and this was the shortest duration cold I ever had. I wish I had had this stuff last year, when I had a cold that lasted from Halloween all the way to New Years. I am definitely investing in some when I get back to Wisconsin.

This is not a scientific case study of course, because, like I said, I also took Echinacea, as well as vitamins and a Mucinex type of thing. I also drank a lot of tea and got tons of sleep (I am on vacation after all...).

None the less, I feel like the Zicam spray did help shorten the duration of this cold, which is now almost gone. I don't know how I know, it is just a gut feeling.

Zinc has been shown to help fight colds. So, I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

The Paleolithic Diet and Syndrome X

This morning I read chapters 6 and 7 of the book entitled "Syndrome X," in anticipation of my New Year fitness challenge to follow a Paleolithic Diet to the best of my ability.

I already knew most of what it had to say, but it confirmed some things and reminded me of other things. Chapter 6 gave an overview of the Paleolithic Diet and why it is most genetically compatible with human health. It is common sense, really, if you have anything close to a belief in evolution. For millions of years, humans ate only natural foods foraged from the land, and we co-evolved with these foods. Therefore, surviving humans today are most adapted to this kind of a natural diet, due to natural selection. If this diet were unhealthy for humans, we would not have survived. It's kind of a circular logic, but it's true.

Chapter 7 of the book basically goes over the guidelines of how to be a 21st century hunter-gatherer, with the foods available to us. Most of us obviously cannot go out and hunt and gather our food every day (I'm not talking about going to the grocery store, although if you wanted to simulate a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, you could walk 3-5 miles around trip to the nearest grocery store). But we can try as much as possible to buy an eat foods that are low in carbohydrates (especially refined ones) and bad fats, but high in protein and nutrients needed for health.

Basically, the strictest form of a Paleolithic Diet would be lean meats, low starch vegetables, high fiber fruits, and some nuts. The key with the meats and fats is to consume much higher quantities of omega-3 and omega-9 fats than are typically available in most processed American foods.

Processed foods are pretty much out on this diet. It will be difficult to follow this diet 100%, but I am going to try for one month. It is not hard to stick to free range eggs, lean chicken, legumes, and any low-carb vegetables (broccoli, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.). It is harder to avoid non-Paleo snacks though. I will need to be diligent in packing leftovers, and raw nuts, for snacking.

I'll keep up the five workouts per week regimen as best I can as well. It's hard now that I am traveling for the holidays, but once I am back to the grind in early January, it will be easy.

Fitness Challenge - I Made It Another Week

This week was touch and go on my Nov-Dec fitness challenge to do five 45-minute light/moderate workouts every week. It is Sunday, and I just completed the five for this week. However, I had to do a 90 minute workout today and yesterday to achieve it.

I could make some excuse like it was a busy week, but in all honesty I procrastinated until I calculated I could not procrastinate any more. I worked out last Monday, doing 45 minutes on the stationary bike. But then I lapsed Tue-Fri. There were a few times when I could have squeezed in a 45 minute workout, but I just didn't. I did other things instead.

But I doubled up yesterday and today and made it. I probably won't do that again. I don't like to do 90 minute workouts if I don't have to. 45 minutes is more reasonable. Plus, I need to distribute the calorie burns more evenly throughout the week, especially around Wednesdays. That is band practice night and we usually order high calorie pizza. So I should strive to workout Tuesday night and Thursday at noon or at night.

This coming week I do not have very many after work activities, with the exception of band practice on Wednesday. So I should be able to get three or four 45-minute workouts in on weekdays and then one on the weekend, long or short depending on how well I do for the week.

My Fitness Pal

I joined My Fitness Pal at the behest of a friend in order to track my exercise (and diet) as I complete my 2 month fitness challenge to do five 45-minute workouts per week.

I am good about tracking exercise but horrible about tracking diet. It turns out that if I don't log any activity for 3 days (yes, I am behind on workouts this week but I still plan to achieve the goal by Sunday), then My Fitness Pal "tattles" on me to my friends who are also subscribed (that being only Wendy right now). She called me a slacker at lunch today.

I like that feature because it means you can't anonymously slack. It keeps you honest and accountable. 90 minutes on the stationary bike for me tonight. Maybe even a full 2 hours.

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4 Down and 1 to Go (and it is only Friday)

This 2 month fitness challenge I am on to do five 45-minute workouts per week from November through December is turning out to be not as much of a challenge as I thought. It is pretty easy actually.

Today I ran a 5k at a very modest pace (10 minute miles). I can't believe I am still able to run in shorts in late November in Wisconsin. But I can't complain. Running has become a lot easier for me too. When I first started this, running was killer. Now I can get through it pretty easily.

And I think I am a little bit faster roo, as evidenced by the fact that my dog Buddy now has to trot, rather than just walk, to keep up with me. He even galloped a couple times.

The run was my 4th workout for this week. I attribute being ahead of schedule to the 2 days off for Thanksgiving, and the fact that I did a double workout yesterday - 90 minutes on the stationary bike (it wasn't as warm outside as the forecast had indicated). I also did the stationary bike for 45 minutes on Monday night.

I was supposed to run with a co-worker on Wednesday, but she bailed. I had a lot of work to do, so I also bailed. Otherwise I'd be at my 5 workout goal and could pretty much take the weekend off from exercise.

I have a rock show tomorrow night, GUPPY EFFECT's last show. That will be pretty much of a workout in and of itself. However, I can't count it. I have to do a "real" workout that I can document on My Fitness Pal, which I am using to track my exercise and calorie consumption. Although dietary restriction is not required on this challenge, it is kind of nice to know when I am over or under my caloric intake goal.

My basement smells like kitty litter, and that's really odd, because I don't have a cat.

One Down and Four to Go

I did 45 minutes on the stationary bike this evening, knocking off one of the five 45-minute workouts I have to accomplish this week in keeping with my 2-month fitness challenge to do five 45-minute workouts each week for November and December.

So far I have not missed getting all five in a week. I even got 6 one week. I might get 6 again this week, because Thursday and Friday are holidays from work.

I am going running on Wednesday. I may or may not get a workout in tomorrow over lunch, depending on workload, what with the short week and all. But if I get them in on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I will be up to 4. So then I have the whole weekend to get the fifth one in, and I will probably get a sixth one, the way things look now.

Five 45-Minute Workouts Per Week

This morning I accomplished my goal of five 45-minute workouts for the week by doing 90 minutes on the stationary bike. This counts as two 45-minute workouts.

I also did 45 minutes on the stationary bike on Monday and Friday this week. On Tuesday, I ran 5K with a co-worker.

It is not too difficult to maintain a fitness goal if you plan for it. Optimally, I would accomplish all 5 workouts during the week. But this week I had conflicts on both Wednesday (band practice night) and Thursday (just lazy). I got up super early on Friday to squeeze a workout in before work.

That is also what I am hoping to do tomorrow.

I hope you will join me in my fitness challenge for November and December. All you have to do is find time to do five 45-minute workouts of mild to moderate exertion. Nothing crazy, just get active. 120 bpm is totally easy to achieve and not a struggle.

GO!

My Fitness Pal App

As part of my 2 month fitness challenge to do five 45-minute workouts per week, I have been logging my diet and exercise using the MY FITNESS PAL app for Android phones (it has a web browser version too).

I have not been restricting diet as part of this fitness challenge, as far as what I eat, but it is kind of nice to know the calories in and calories out each day.

My friend Wendy hooked me up with it. You tell it how much you want to work out and how much weight you want to lose, if any. Then it gives you a daily calorie budget and let's you log diet and exercise.

When you exercise, you add points to your calorie budget, allowing you to eat more.

The diet log is kind of difficult to use because it is really hard to search for the exact foods I am eating. A lot of them are based on brand names and I do not eat branded packaged foods that much. It is more difficult to find just a generic boneless chicken breast of about 8-10 ounces.

That's what I had for breakfast today, FYI. I am going to eat another one now, and then go for a run.

This morning I did 45 minutes on the indoor stationary bike, but I am only up to 4 workouts for this week so I need to do another one today. My week goes Monday to Sunday.

Recall that last week, I had a bonus workout because I did 6 workouts. I could credit that one to this week and not have to run. But it is actually kind of warm out for early November and my dog Buddy could use the exercise.

The problem is it might rain. There's a chance.

5K Run Indoors

Wisconsin got its first light snow yesterday, but I wasn't going to let that dissuade me from achieving my weekly fitness challenge of five 45-minute light to moderate workouts per week.

Normally when I exercise indoors, I do the stationary bike. But yesterday I decided to do a 5K moderate run on the treadmill. My pace was an easy 11 minute mile on average and I got my bpm up to about 140 at peak. I inclined the treadmill to 0.5% for a little extra challenge but it was still an easy run.

It only took 37 minutes. I walked the last 0.2 miles to cool down. When I run, I only have to achieve 3 miles of distance regardless of time. That is one of my allowed exceptions to the 45 minute rule.

On the down side, it hurt my arthritic left big toe and I chafed a bit on my inner thighs. Anyone have any suggestions for minimizing chafe on the legs? I am all ears.

I logged yesterday's workout on Fitocracy. I have only done 2 workouts so far this week, not including today's planned workout and the freebie I achieved by doing 6 workouts last week. So theoretically, after today, I should be up to 4 on paper.

I am also going to do the stationary bike at home tomorrow morning before the weatherization inspector comes at 9. On track for this week.

No weight loss, but recall that this 2 month fitness challenge does not have a dietary component and I am in fact doing it at this time of year for the very reason that I want to enjoy all the holiday food from Halloween through New Year's (hence the Nov - Dec time frame).

Conversely, I have not gained any weight, notwithstanding a higher than usual carb intake. Basal metabolism is definitely higher.

I might lift weights a little today.

Join "Getting Fit for the Zombie Apocalypse" Via Fitocracy

As part of my two month fitness challenge to do five 45-minute workouts per week until the end of the year, I joined FITOCRACY's "Getting Fit for the Zombie Apocalypse" group via my buddy SparxMind.

FITOCRACY is an online game where you earn points and gain levels for various fitness activities.

However, it is only in BETA now and you can only get invited via someone who is on it already.

I found out I can invite you via my Zombie Apocalypse Readiness group.

Here's the link: http://ftcy.co/vSvdgj.

The group code is XKFFH, but I don't know if you need it.

There are 87 invites left as of this posting. Hurry. Zombies are coming.

Once you get on there, find me (Cactus Joe) and add me as a friend.

90 Minutes on Stationary Bike Today - One Workout Surplus

With today's 90 minute bout of stationary biking, I surpassed my goal of five 45-minute workouts per week this week.

Having worked out for 45 minutes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, today's workout puts me ahead by 1.

This is not to say I am going to skimp on one this coming week. I still plan to do five workouts this week. But if for some reason I can't, I won't feel too bad.

But that is a slippery slope, and I am not going to start down that path.

So I am going to add a caveat to my fitness challenge these next two months. If I have a surplus of workouts for a week, I will only be allowed to roll one of them forward.

Chances are I will never achieve more than six in a week, given my schedule. But there you go.

2-Month Fitness Challenge on Track

I am about to go do workout 4 of 5 for this week.

My 2-month fitness challenge to do five 45-minute moderate to light workouts per week is going well.

I haven't missed any workouts yet, although I am definitely not ahead of schedule this week. It's Saturday and my workout week is Mon-Sat. I worked out Mon, Tues, Thur, and (in about an hour) Sat this week, which means I will need to do one tomorrow too.

Last weekend on Sunday, I did a 2-hour workout in one day, counting toward 2 workouts, but I do not roll them over into the next week.

No noticeable weight loss, but recall that this challenge has no dietary restriction component, other than to eat sensibly.

So far it has been easy. I am dutifully NOT doing more than the minimum effective dose. I like to get my heart rate into the range of 120-140 and I have been hitting that easily, without undue exertion.

When I use the gym at work, I usually read a book to make the time fly by. On the stationary bike at home, I watch episodes of decent shows on Netflix.

Well, I had better go do this...

Fitness Lifestyle Challenge

Tomorrow I start my 2 month fitness challenge to work out moderately for 45 minutes, five days per week. However, I have been pre-training for the challenge for almost 2 weeks and it is going great.

I have not missed a session and today I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike at work at an easy pace. It was perhaps too easy, but that is the purpose of this challenge, to see if benefits can be gained from minimal effective doses (MEDs) of exercise.

The challenge does not restrict diet, but I will eat sensibly when I can. Right now I am about to eat an avocado jack wrap at Barriques, so I will be thee adieu for now.

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Lunchtime Workouts

Due to this unseasonably warm weather (for late October), I went for a 3 mile run again today at lunch. I have not run substantially in a while, so my body is still adapting. I ran yesterday and today. My goal is a 45 minute workout, but running is such a potent aerobic workout that I am OK with anything over 30 minutes. I think it takes me about 36 minutes to run 3 miles. 12 minute miles are just fine with me.

Recall, this fitness challenge for November and December is designed to be fairly easy and doable. I have a nice, fairly flat 3 mile route, with minimal cars and street crossings.

My quads hurt. I need some magnesium. I expect the lactic acid buildup will dissipate in a couple of days.

Project for November and December

The holidays are coming.

I like to eat holiday food.

Because of that, I also need to work out regularly, to keep my basal metabolic rate high enough to burn through all those calories.

So my lifestyle project for the next 2 months is to work out 5 days per week, for a minimum of 45 minutes, at a modest exertion level (120+ pulse rate).

The goal is to see if weight can be maintained, or better yet lost, with a fairly benevolent workout that is not too intense it scares people away. Time commitment is the only hurdle of this regimen. The exercise itself is meant to be very doable without a lot of physical effort.

I would have started this project sooner, but I needed to get everything in place.

I have an exercise bike set up at home on a trainer. I recently gained access to the gym at work, where I can workout most lunch hours. There's a treadmill, bike machine, and elliptical. So getting the 5 workouts in shouldn't be a problem.

4 of them will be during the work week. Friday will usually be the day off, because that is the day I go out to lunch with some co-workers. The additional workout will be on the weekend some time.

If I can get in a 90 minute workout on the weekend, I may reduce the following week's regimen to 3 days, as a reward for doing more on the weekend. But we will see how it goes.

I have already started on the protocol, even though it does not kick in until November, officially. One thing I have noticed already is that when I workout at noon, I am madly productive in the afternoon in the office. I have so much energy, and don't get sleepy.

It's awesome.

The 4 Hour Body Lifestyle

I have been following the 4 Hour Body dietary recommendations for about a month now.

I've lost 10 pounds.

It's basically a modified Paleolithic diet.

I say modified, because it includes a lot of legumes, which strictly speaking, would not have been a major staple of the hunter-gatherer diet during the millions of years of Homo sapiens evolution.

The 4 Hour Body, by Tim Ferriss, is worth checking out at the library. He has done the nutritional research and it's at least 80% accurate on most points.

But the most important point is, does it work?

Like I said, I have been following it faithfully for month and I am 10 pounds lighter as of today. It's the most success I have had on any diet I have tried, including Atkins. Of course, the $500 wager from my mom to lose 25 pounds by Labor Day is a major incentive...

The diet itself is rather boring and repetitive. Ferriss' regimen is to follow the diet for six days of the week and then have a FREE DAY, always the same day of the week, where you can eat anything you want in whatever quantities you want.

Arguably, this is how humans ate in nature during most of human evolution. They would forage for vegetation and periodically take down wild game, on which they would gorge themselves (with no luxuries like refrigeration, the meat would not keep long).

But on a practical level, the FREE DAY helps to break up the monotony and serves as a kind of motivator in a strange way. The interesting thing is that I consistently have my greatest weight loss the day after my free day, which seems counter-intuitive.

The diet emphasized slow carbs, principally beans, and lean proteins. Beans are kind of the key because they are high in protein and low glycemic index carbs. Nutrient dense, low carb vegetables are also allowed ad libitum (Latin for unlimited amounts). Lean meats are also OK.

Protein consumption is encouraged within one hour of waking. This is supposed to kick start the metabolism and improve calorie burning during the day. I am not entirely clear on the biological basis for this, but I do notice that if I eat a breakfast high in protein, I don't get hungry again until well into the afternoon.

Anyway, it seems to be going well.

Sweet Italian Temptation, 4 Hour Body, and the Power of a Friendly Competition

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I can't lie to you. It was extremely hard to resist the free lasagna and pizza offered for lunch at work today.

But not hard enough, because I did resist it, in no small part because of the $500 wager I have with my mom to lose 25 pounds by Labor Day following the 4 HOUR BODY slow carb diet.

Since I have lost 8 pounds already on the plan, I have momentum and I know it works. That's a potent reason not to break the rules, with hard cash on the line.

The diet eliminates fast carbs but allows unlimited vegetables, legumes, and lean meats (slow carbs and protein). It also allows one free day every week when you can eat whatever you like and as much as you like. My free day is Saturday.

Not today. Sadly.

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4 Hour Body Slow Carb Diet - Week 3

The 4 Hour Body slow carb diet is still working for me.

I started this about two (2) weeks ago or so and, entering week 3, I am down from a starting weight of 225 to 217, as of this morning (Monday).

This was amazing to me, given that my free day was on Saturday, and included both pizza and ice cream (with M&Ms!). On Sunday, I adhered to the diet strictly, and found that I wasn't very hungry most of the day. I had beans and eggs for breakfast on Sunday, and a salad with beans for lunch. But after that I wasn't hungry for the rest of the day, and but for a handful of almonds, while driving back from the cottage, I did not eat again.

So far so good.

As I have said before, I am not trying to do anything different as far as physical activity, while I do this diet. It's a controlled experiment. I do whatever activity I would normally do. I don't want to confound it by changing two variables, only one.

This weekend did include a couple of decent walks, some wind surfing, and some leisure swimming. But overall it was nothing out of the ordinary.

I feel great too.

Time.

No Temptation Whatsoever

I am doing the 4 Hour Body slow carb diet and it is going smoothly, in no small measure due to the $500 dollar wager with my mom to lose 25 pounds by labor day.

I have not felt hungry or had any cravings, so when a bunch of free food and cookies was dropped off in the lunch room at work, I decided to go and test my resolve. I looked upon the sandwiches and chips and cookies with apathy. i thought briefly about taking a sandwich home and saving it for my free day on Saturday, but even that did not particularly appeal to me.

Thus, I think this diet plan is beginning to become second nature, part of true lifestyle change. I do look forward to Saturday free eating. It is a treat. But even then I seldom go overboard.

I wonder how many overweight people, if offered $500 to achieve their nominal weight in a realistic amount of time, would do it. There is no question they could. But would instant gratification undermine the goal of long term lifestyle change?

I don't know or care. All I know is that I am winning the bet and achieving my goals with the 4 Hour Body slow carb lifestyle shift.

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Flattop Grill Take Home Deal

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Although I am a HuHot loyalist, Flattop Grill is alright.

You can take home a full serving for half price if you buy a full price one trip. Or you can eat all you can eat for a dollar more.

I went with the former option. Flattop Grill is on Midvale Blvd, west side of Madison by Great Dane West, Hilldale Shopping Plaza.

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Flattop Grill and a Wager

Everyone likes a good wager.

My mom bet me no small amount of CASH to lose 25 pounds by Labor Day.

Of course, due to the nature of the wager, which I cannot disclose, I will have to achieve the desired weight loss within about 30 days. Suffice to say, said cash will be going toward a plane ticket for which advanced booking will be required.

So I am currently 225 pounds, weighed naked in the morning (which, incidentally, is a great song title).

I will have to lose about a pound per day on average. I will be following the dietary protocol outlined in Tim Ferriss' "4 Hour Body." It's a slow carb diet and fairly restricted to legumes, vegetables, and eggs/lean meats. As I am vegetarian for the month of July and possibly beyond, I will be focusing on the legumes, mainly beans.

I am in fact right now eating at Flattop Grill, where I can choose my ingredients.

I will also weigh daily with a plus or minus 5 pounds range that I must fall within. This gives me a 5 day buffer on either end of the wager period. Thus, tomorrow, on which my median weight should be 224, I will be satisfied with any weight between 229 and 219. If I am closer to the high end, I will adjust my diet by reducing caloric intake that day, and if I am closer to the low end, I will increase caloric intake.

This allows me to adjust day to day.

You can wish me luck if you like, but failure is not an option.

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Rhubarb Polenta Cake

My coworker brought in this yummie cake. It doesn't contain any of my rhubarb, but I found out that some of my rhubarb that I gave her is currently being processed into rhubarb schnapps.

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Veggie Lunch

A veggie wrap and side salad with a tasty vinagrette dressing at Barriques in Madison WI.

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Veggie Breakfast

Generic Oatie O's with strawbs, bluebs, and soy milk.

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2 Veggie Plates Full of HuHot Wholesome Goodness

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Tofu and veggies too numerous to list here.

Sauces were peanut, Mongol mustard, yellow curry and an assortment of juices, broths, and oils.

Loving it. And low calorie too.

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A Veg Breakfast

No frills Oaty O's with grapes and blueberries, plus coffee with vanilla soy milk.

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Spinach Salad With Wholesome Goodness

How many fruits and veggies can you identify here?

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Lentil Dish and California Walnuts

This is an eco friendly but not strictly veg late lunch.

Bison meat in there.

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Snack of Rhubarb Kringle

A coworker made an awesome rhubarb kringle using some of MY rhubarb. I could get used to this system.

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Egg n Chee Breakfast

I understand now why Americans die early of chronic diseases. I would never normally eat something as atrocioius as an Asiago egg n chee bagel from Panera, but my carpool buddy wanted to stop there on the way to work, so I am experimenting.

It is vegetarian in a remote, ovo-lacto sort of way.

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Not Veg But Eco Friendly Dinner

I had to use up the bison meat I got at the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago. At least bison is an eco friendly, grass fed meat. Since the reason I am doing this vegetarian thing is largely ecological, I will let it slide and you should too.

As soon as I use up my remaining eggs I can shift to lacto only vegetarianism and if I can forego cheese, I will whenever I can.

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veggie Lunch

The veggie panini is obscured in shadows, but not the sweet potato fries.

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Whole Food Barley

Lunch to celebrate working for a new company.

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Ovo-Veg Breakfast

Tofu and eggs.

Coffee with soy milk.

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A Couple Weeks of Vegetarianism for the Heck of It

My June project to go on an "information fast" has been lackluster at best.

I know it won't kill me to avoid all news and media for a month. But I feel compelled to check out interesting news and keep myself informed about current events (now that the charlatan Republicans are screwing everything up).

So starting this week, I am going to change projects. I have been reading "World on the Edge" by Lester R. Brown, and it made me realize what a massive impact meat eating and the associated agricultural meat industry has on the environment and human health.

Many people, when they drive past a midwestern conrfield, assume that all the acres of corn everywhere is sweet corn, for human consumption.

Think again.

99.9% of the corn in American cornfields is essentially meat and food additives (corn oil, corn sugar, corn starch, etc.). And some of it is ethanol to offset our consumption of fossil fuels.

It takes 10 times more land area to grow an animal for food than to grow vegetable based foods on the same land.

And the waste...the industrial chicken farm about four miles from my home is a disgusting cesspool of death and chicken crap, which they spread all over the nearby fields and it smells to high heaven.

So that's the plan. Stay tuned.

Photo Food Diary 5/31/11 (LAST DAY!)

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Hi everyone.

Today is the last day of this photo food journal I have been keeping for the month of May.

I learned a lot about my food habits, and knowledge is half the battle.

But I neither gained nor lost any weight, so it wasn't very helpful.

I don't think I am going to keep doing it.

Since this is the last day, let's have a QUIZ.

Name the foods...

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Photo Food Diary 5/30/11

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I began the day with coffee and string cheese.

After mowing the lawn and doing some gardening and yard work, I drove down to Illinois to hang out with my GF's immediate family.

After we saw off her brother on the bus to O'Hare Airport, we went and ate ice cream at the Machine Shed. Caitlin and I split an ice cream covered giant chocolate chip cookie. So you'll have to image me eating just slightly more than 1/2 of what you see there.

Having boycotted Brat Fest on account of Scott Walker/Johnsonville Brats, and having missed the protesting Alt Brat Fest on account of severe thunderstorms, I decided to have my own mini-brat fest at home for dinner. I ate Klement's brand, sans MSG, nitrates, and other toxic additives (that Johnsonville puts in theirs...), with mustard. I followed this with some 100% pomegranate/cranberry juice, known to reduce cholesterol uptake in the gut.

Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. But I definitely could tell a difference between these chemical free brats and Johnsonville brats (when I ate them in the pre-Walker era). J-ville brats make me feel yucky afterwards. These didn't. Karma? Like I said, no idea. I also took some fish oil pills, known to reduce triglycerides.

My microwave died yesterday. No protestations. It just went dead, quickly and without suffering. 15 years I had that thing and it always worked awesome. Then, in a matter of microseconds, it died. Anyone have an extra microwave on the cheap? Actually, it might be kind of nice to go back to the old ways of re-heating things on the stove. It only takes a couple minutes longer, but the down side is that the stove doesn't turn itself off if I forget about it...

Photo Food Diary 5/29/11

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I started off the day finishing off the remaining Raisin Bran and unsweetend plain yogurt + soy milk, with raw walnuts and fruit juice concentrate to sweeten it up.

For dinner I fried up a pound of emu meat I got at the farmer's market, with onions, garlic, celery and some spices.

I added this to a mess of stir fried fresh vegetables and it was so gosh darn good I ate the whole thing.

I feel this was largely OK because it was healthy.

What do emus eat anyway?

Whole Food Photo Diary 5/28/11

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Today was a high protein day.

I kicked if off with tofu and eggs.

Then at the Madison Farmer's Market this morning, I also ate some cheese curds.

In the afternoon, more tofu, curried and fried.

After my late night workout, leftover veggie stir fry from last night.

Tomorrow, I am going to eat some emu meat. Stay tuned.

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