tablets of human hearts

Day 10
I must admit, I find it hard to adjust to eating eggs every day.  In the past, the poor little guys have been given such a bad rap. But now studies are showing cholesterol does not necessarily beget cholesterol.  The processes causing plaque build up in our arteries, leading to heart disease are much more complicated than that.  I feel sorry for all the older gentlemen who gave up their egg breakfast for the sake of their health, when in fact the toast they ate with it were the probable culprits.

The true evidence of the basis of It Starts with Food will be when my main man goes in to have his blood work checked.  He is currently on both blood pressure and cholesterol medicine.  I must say, he is looking quite good and he is pleased to be moving to the smaller belt loop holes.  I will be interested in my cholesterol levels as well.  Since high cholesterol runs in the family, my levels have been borderline high.  One military doctor was ready to start me on medication and another encouraged me to add more “heart healthy” grains, like oatmeal and such, to my diet.

Which leads to the next chapter.  Is it a coincidence when our government created the food pyramid with grains on the bottom, that our country’s weight began to climb, and subsequently cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Chapter 10: Grains and Legumes

I mentioned the book Wheat Belly in an earlier post and in the past have tried to cut back, contrary to the food pyramid, on the amount of grain products I consumed.  It is hard, because who doesn’t enjoy a loaf of warm crusty french bread or a pile of fettucini with alfredo sauce?  We’ve been led to believe that a whole grain bagel, a bowl of oatmeal and a turkey sub on a whole wheat roll are healthy meal choices.  Choices I have made in the past.

This chapter is a long and detailed one.  A bit more than I can regurgitate.  It Starts with Food lays out the case on why the authors believe grains may be a culprit in many health issues.  They have determined grains fail all four of the Good Food Standards (see my previous post for the standards).  The chapter describes in detail how refined grains lack most of their original nutrients but still have all their calories.  Additionally, any health promoting substances found in grains can also be obtained from vegetables and fruit.  And apparently, one doesn’t have to have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity for grains to negatively affect the digestive system and create chronic inflammation.
The chapter also includes legumes, which fail three and four of the Good Food Standards. For this reason, both groups are eliminated in the Whole30 day cleanse. It provides the opportunity to determine, through gradual reintroduction, how they affect one’s system in order to make wiser food decisions.

Overall
My energy levels are starting to level out.  A bit tired in the afternoon, but I suspect it was our after midnight bedtime due to finding and investigating the additional water leak.

10 down, 20 to go.

Day 9

Chapter 9:  Seed Oils
Interesting chapter. It Starts with Food goes against current thought of vegetable oil being healthy.   They consist of a high proportion of polyunsaturated fat and a large amount of omega-6 fatty acids. In the proper amounts they are critical for healthy brain function, metabolism, growth and development, but in high amounts, promote systemic inflammation.  Unfortunately, they are found in everything, from processed foods to most restaurants.  And my kitchen pantry.  Thankfully, we tend to cook primarily with olive oil.  Other recommended additions are avocado oil and coconut oil. Their benefits will be addressed in later chapters.

Overall
Growing accustomed to the lack of sugars and sweeteners in my diet. Find my physical cravings for something sweet has diminished, although my psychological desire for a treat or a comfort food still remains, especially in stress.

9 down, 21 to go.

Day 8
Nothing like dental surgery, a leaky water heater that needs to be replaced, and water damage in the master closet to test our stress levels.  The dental surgery was planned, the results of a poor diet and too many sweetened carbonated beverages as a child.  The water heater overflowed and the water made its way into the master closet, soaking the carpet and pad. However, removing the water heater revealed a leaky pipe. From the damage to the wood, we believe the leak has been dripping for a while. We’re thankful we found it before the damage extended beyond a small area.
A similar scenario plays out in our bodies. From what I’m understanding in It Starts with Food, the foods choices we make can play a role in creating internal damage not necessarily apparent on the outside. Until something goes wrong causing us to investigate, it could continue unchecked for years, wreaking havoc on our systems.

Chapter 8: Sugar, Sweetener, and Alcohol
Well. Here it is. The chapter a sugaraholic dreads. We all know too much sugar is not good for us. And we really want to control our urges. And we tell ourselves we’re eating it in moderation. But, confession time, I have found, at least for me, one homemade chocolate chip cookie leads to another, and another, and maybe another (not to mention the dough I sampled while making them). A weekend trip to DQ for a treat becomes a weekly family outing. And Pinterest. Sigh. It’s like someone with a gambling problem browsing vacation packages to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Or an alcoholic perusing a winery or distillery catalog. Not a good combination. Then, when you consider all the insidious ways sugar shows up in our processed food (see my soap box rants from previous days’ blogs), it’s no wonder we’re addicted.
Back to the chapter. The authors lay out 4 standards to which they believe food should adhere.
The food we eat should:
1. Promote a healthy psychological response.
2. Promote a healthy hormonal response.
3. Support a healthy gut.
4. Support immune function and minimize inflammation.
Sugar, Sweeteners, and alcohol fail all 4 of their tests and provide zero nutritional value.
Obviously, we want to enjoy life, and sweet delicacies bring enjoyment. But we need to make educated (read the labels) decisions about food and we can no longer justify our choices with marketing labels trying to convince us something is “good” for us.

Overall
Tired. But I blame the dental surgery and the crazy, water-stressed day.

8 down, 22 to go.

Day 7
Whooo Hooo.  One week down.
Soap box time again. As I made dinner, I double checked some of the ingredients for sugars. I thought the only thing I needed to eliminate in my coconut curry chicken would be the two tablespoons of brown sugar in the recipe. I was wrong. I will need to be on the look out for sugarless brands of certain items. The brand of chicken broth we had in the cabinet had cane sugar listed. So, I decided I would use bouillon cubes and make my own broth. However, sugar is listed as the second ingredient and corn starch (a substance to avoid during the Whole30) as the third ingredient. Finally, the fish sauce had sugar listed as its third and final ingredient.
Seriously.  I’m not a conspiracy kind of person, but I’m beginning to think our food industry wants us addicted to sugar.   The invasion of sugar in places I would not expect makes it somewhat difficult to keep it out of my diet.

Chapter 7:  Inflammation: No one is immune
The last chapter of It Starts with Food discussed how certain foods can promote chronic disease, hypersensitivities and autoimmune conditions in the body.  This chapter expounds on their impacts on our immune system.  Basically, our immune system is designed to attack foreign invaders and protect our body.  But if our immune system has been conditioned to constantly attack something showing up in our body, like the ingestion of certain foods, then it is consistently on alert, creating chronic inflammation, and becomes ineffective in doing its intended job.   The authors believe this inflammation is linked to a variety of different conditions and diseases, many which are surprising.
Genetics are also addressed, which is of interest to me because, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, my family has a history of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke (along with several other conditions I’d like to avoid).  I have always believed these problems to be linked with food, but am beginning to understand more of the why it’s linked and what’s behind the concept of eating healthy (and I am also changing my understanding of what eating healthy means).   Although we might have a genetic predisposition for a certain disease (or diseases), doesn’t mean those genes will be triggered.  Our environment and our lifestyle choices make a difference in whether or not the genes are triggered and the diseases are given an opportunity to develop.  As always, it goes back to the foods we eat and, as I mentioned, I am surprised at how the things we have been conditioned to believe are healthy, are instead, the major culprits.

Overall
Nothing major. Another morning run. A busy and somewhat stressful day. I’m glad the fatigue has lifted somewhat.

7 down, 23 to go.

Day 6
A beautiful weekend to worship the Lord.  We joined our local body of believers during the evening for the launch of our first Saturday night service.  Afterwards, everyone gathered in the front for food and fellowship.  We enjoyed the fellowship, but bypassed the food.  We appreciated the gesture but were quite satisfied with our dinner of grilled pork, sweet potato and a pile of mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots).
We spent the afternoon strolling some property we have in the hill country.  We loved the breeze and look forward to cooler temperatures so we do some more clearing of the undergrowth.  I am thankful for the health and energy to do so.  Since things like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke run in my family, I want to do everything I can to keep from developing these problems.

Chapter 6:  The Guts of the Matter
A bit more review for me in this chapter, as I learned much of it in my nutrition class.  Discusses the organs making up our guts: stomach, small intestine, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder, all important for proper digestion.  And all also a prominent part of our immune system.  Like the hormones, when our digestive tract is functioning properly, our body is in balance.  But when it is not, our immune system can be compromised.  Since digesting food is the purpose of the digestive tract, the right foods keep it healthy, but certain foods can create an unbalance and promote chronic disease, hypersensitivities, and autoimmune conditions.

Overall
Still felt the afternoon wearies.  But perked up after dinner.  I am getting used to the drinks without sweetener.  (I usually stick to water, but it’s nice to have some variety).  We purchased some Le Croix water (coconut and lemon) to give us that carbonation zip without the sweetener (or added chemicals).   I also make celestial seasonings cold brew tropical fruit iced tea and it’s a nice addition to lunch.

6 down, 24 to go.