Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

What should you eat? What is healthy? Which foods will help you live longer? It’s obvious that we were meant to eat both meat and vegetables. We are omnivores, after all. What should an omnivore eat?

The science of it all is a little sketchy and the way we look at food (Nutritionism) can make the whole experience of eating very confusing.

Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, explains what he believes is Nutritionism and how to see through the myths:

1. The important thing about any food are the nutrients it contains (i.e. fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamin, etc.)

2. If nutrients are all that matter in food, and they are basically invisible to the naked eye (you can’t smell, taste or see a nutrient), then you need an expert to tell you how to eat. It’s a little like a religion.

3. Like any religion, Nutritionism divides the world into good and evil. Sometimes, the evil nutrient is protein, carbohydrates, fat, etc. The good nutrient also changes.

4. The whole point of eating is health. Historically, there were many reasons for eating, such as pleasure, community, family, ritual purposes (religious), or to express identity.

Unfortunately, all of this dedication to eating for health hasn’t really helped us be healthier. Michael Pollan’s simple advice is, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

You can see more from Michael Pollan here:

The truth of the matter is that we haven’t totally figured out how food helps us be healthy and how our digestive system works. Michael Pollan suggests that we take back control over our eating from the corporations that we have allowed to cook for us. We have learned that they don’t cook very well. They cook with lots of salt, sugar and fat because we are hard-wired to like those tastes. Salt, sweeten and fatten up your own whole food and you’ll do a better job of it, even if you’re not a good cook.

Via: Good Food, Eating, and Diet Advice Talk by Michael Pollan: Some random bits scribbled by Jeremy Zawodny

Of all the things that my dad taught me about eating, the most healthy is Egg Thing. He never called it that. He used to have a name for it, but I can’t remember what it was called. I’ve called it Egg Thing for years, but I rarely made it for myself. It’s very filling and fairly low in calories, but the way my dad taught me to make it, well… it looks kind of gross.

So, after years of making it for myself, I’ve finally found a way to make Egg Thing appealing. It looks good, doesn’t it?

Here’s the recipe:

Egg Thing

Ingredients:

• One Egg
• 1 Tbsp. of mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. of mustard
• 1 Tbsp. of ketchup
• Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

• Using an egg separator, separate the yolk from the egg white. Set aside the yolk.
• Mix the mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup in with the egg whites.
• Spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Pour the mixture into pan and add the egg yolk on top of it.
• Cook for four minutes on medium heat.

Servings: 1 Calories: approximately 150 WW Points: 3

When my dad made Egg Thing, he would just crack the egg in the pan and squirt the condiments onto the egg, which was less than appealing. By mixing in the condiments with the egg white, it tastes the same and looks better.

By the way, don’t just mix them all together with the yolk. I tried the scrambled egg version of Egg Thing and it changed the egg texture so that it stuck to the pan, was too thin and difficult to eat. If you want easy, just squirt the stuff on the top of a normal egg.

My dad is one of the people in my life who actually TAUGHT me how to binge, but Egg Thing is one of those dishes that is relatively healthy and very filling. Try it and see if you like it!

Egg Thing is featured in the online fictional serial, Merriton, in the following episodes:

• Merriton » Elvis said you folks pulled in late last night.

• Merriton » God, tourists everywhere.

• Merriton » Celebratory Egg Thing

Ghrelin is a hormone that makes you more hungry, more focused on food and willing to eat more. This article from CBS mentions it:

• The Hunger Hormone, Controlling Ghrelin May Be Key To Curing Obesity – CBS News

We observed one illustration of ghrelin’s power. A mouse was injected with the hormone. Just 15 minutes later, he was absolutely wild for food, even though he’d already eaten enough to be full.

This article from New Scientist explains it:

• Stomach hormone turns hungry people into junkies – health – 06 May 2008 – New Scientist

The hormone also made food more memorable. Volunteers better recalled the food pictures after they got the hormone, and an area of the brain involved in memory lit up when subjects viewed images of food.

Several pharmaceutical companies already have their sights set on ghrelin, as drugs that block the hormone may quell hunger and fight obesity.

I’m not so sure the pharmaceutical companies are setting their sites on ghrelin just to help us. What if they were double-dealing? What if drug companies sell us pills to block the hormone and at the same time, sell the hormone to fast food companies? The minute you take a bite of your hamburger, your appetite for food increases until you cannot stop eating.

That is the premise set up by io9, a science-fiction blog:

• Hormone Tampering: Fast Food Joints Add Hormone to Food That Makes You Want to Eat More

Since ghrelin isn’t regulated, a fast food restaurant that wanted to sell more food could easily turn it into an additive in their hamburgers or donuts, essentially “addicting” people to their food. Or making them hungrier so that they buy more.

My paranoid mind convinces me that something like this could already be happening. When I eat whole foods from the grocery store, my appetite is satiated far quicker than when I eat processed food. What is it about processed food that makes me want to eat more? Is it more digestible? Has it been specially formulated to taste good?

It’s not like grocery food would be safe either. Fresh meat, cheeses and vegetables could be infused with ghrelin, causing that insatiable hunger as well. In the future, we might have to go back to raising and killing our own food if we want to be healthy.

This postcard from PostSecret was from a couple of Sundays ago:

It reads:

I was beautiful too…

When we get older, does that make us ugly? I’ve known tons of beautiful women in the 70’s and 80’s. Sure, the advertisers never put them on their covers or plaster them on walls, but I have come to realize that marketing and reality are two VERY different things.

I never felt beautiful, so I don’t know what that feels like. As I head into my forties, I really have no fear because I was never pretty, I have no good looks to lose. I kind of feel sorry for those that have prided themselves on their appearance to the detriment of other features that are more permanent, like intellect, humor and wit.

In the end, we are mortal and there will come a time when I lose my quick mind, but I’m sure that I’ll have it far longer than any of my peers will have their good looks.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

Long before my tread on the bottom of my shoes wears out, the inside heel of my shoes gives up the ghost. This entry from Instructables shows you how to repair the inside heel:

• How to Repair the Heel of Athletic Shoes – Instructables – DIY, How To,

With some durable cloth, strong thread and shoe glue, you can add miles to your favorite shoes. They end up looking like this:

I’ve talked about cleaning my shoes and replacing the shoelaces to make my running shoes last longer here:

• Starling Fitness » Bringing New Life To Running Shoes

They say that you should replace your shoes every 400 miles, but if you can get extra miles out of your shoes, it not only saves you money, you don’t have to go through the trouble of breaking in new shoes.

Via: Craftzine.com blog: HOW TO: Repair the Heels of Athletic Shoes

Chris at Runner+ gave us a fantastic review of the new Garmin Forerunner 405. It’s a GPS running watch that will track your runs (like Nike+, but more accurate).

• Garmin Forerunner 405 first impressions & review – RUNNER+

Here is the killer for me:

First off, most important issue: there is Zero Mac support. The frustrating thing about this is that nowhere does it say this. Not on the box it came in, and not in the documentation that comes with the 405. Thankfully I have both Mac and Windows PCs, but I primarily use a Mac. Even the 305 has some moderate support for Mac. I called Garmin and they confirmed that Mac support is non-existent, and if you are a Mac-only runner, you’ll have to wait for “late Q3 or Q4 2008” to use this device. Merry Christmas!

On the bright side, I heard that REI is putting the older Forerunner 305 on clearance for less than $200 and it DOES work with the Mac. If you are a PC user, then the software problems are not an issue.

After a few runs, he also noted a few more things:

• The battery life of the 405 with GPS enabled is only 8 hours (compared to the 305’s 10 hour life) which may prohibit some ultra marathon runners from upgrading to the 405 and sticking with the 305.

• Charging the battery on the 405 couldn’t be easier. You can charge it with the included USB cable to any PC (including a Mac), or attach the adapter to charge via any household power outlet. The way it charges the 405 is via a clip (think of an aligator clip) that clips onto the side of the watch and makes contact with two metal contact points on the bottom of the watch. Pretty cool!

• The default backlight timeout is 8 seconds, probably to conserve battery life from the get-go, but it’s far too short. Luckily it’s easy to change in the options menu to 15 or 30 seconds, 1 minute, or “stays on” mode which keeps the light on until you touch the bezel with two fingers. My preference is 15 seconds.

• Odd GPS behavior: after my run it kept the GPS turned on. This drained my battery life after a few hours from 100% down to 91%. Would prefer that if I wasn’t in training mode that it would automatically turn the GPS off. So now it’s a bit of a pain to have to turn the GPS on and off, before and after each run. It should be automatic.

Chris had a lot more to say about the Forerunner 405, so click on over to the full review to see the rest:

• Garmin Forerunner 405 first impressions & review – RUNNER+

When I saw this advertisement, I laughed at the description: Pure Delicious Vegetable Fat. Sure, adding fat to your food can enhance the flavor, but do any of us consider Wesson Oil to be delicious?

I love to look at old advertisements because they seem so wrong. It makes me feel smart and I think that I am impervious to advertising. Then I look at the current ads for Wesson:

• ConAgra Foods: Wesson

They are STILL using the same “delicious” advertising that they used back then:

Pure Wesson Cooking Oils have been at The Heart and Soul of Good Food for 100 years. Pure Wesson Cooking Oil provides fried foods with a crispy, golden outside and a juicy inside, while allowing the cook’s own seasoning to shine through. Great chefs agree and recognized Wesson with the American Tasting Institute’s Gold Medal Taste Award in 2001.

Oh?! They won an award?! Well then, they MUST be delicious.

The truth of the matter is that we need some healthy fat in our diet. Canola oil, which is one of the oils that Wesson sells, is a method of adding that healthy fat. I don’t need an advertisement to tell me that and I certainly don’t need the mom from the Brady Bunch telling me that it’s “All Natural.”

If you can’t sell me the oil, how about the bottle?

In the end, companies are trying to sell us their food by any means possible. Next time you see an ad to the TV or in a magazine, remember that.

Photo via: Found in Mom’s Basement: Vintage Art Deco ads for Wesson oil, 1920s

This postcard from PostSecret showed up in last Sunday’s list:

It reads:

I suspect that my chronic health problems are related to the fact that I make myself throw up multiple times a day.

To me, the first thing I think is, “Don’t do that! Just stop it.” When I am tempted to binge, however, the advice, “Don’t binge! Quit eating so much you hurt yourself,” doesn’t really help me. In fact, it makes me want to do it even more. Talking to a doctor never really helped me either. Their advice wasn’t much better than, “Don’t do that.” Oh yeah, and the ever-present, “Eat more fiber.”

I suspect that we’ll eventually find that all eating disorders are triggered by physiological responses in the body rather than psychological responses in the mind. In the future, there will be a diet to stop bingeing, a diet to stop starving yourself to death and a diet to stop causing yourself to vomit. Until the doctors figure it out, find out what YOUR healthiest diet is for your body. I KNOW there is some way out there to prevent you from feeling to constant urge to vomit. Find it.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

There have been some studies that show that cinnamon can reduce insulin resistance.

• USDA – Cinnamon Extracts Boost Insulin Sensitivity

ARS chemist Richard A. Anderson and co-workers at the Beltsville (Maryland) Human Nutrition Research Center assayed plants and spices used in folk medicine. They found that a few spices—especially cinnamon—made fat cells much more responsive to insulin, the hormone that regulates sugar metabolism and thus controls the level of glucose in the blood.

If it seems like you are hungry every two hours or if you constantly crave sugar or bread, you might have insulin resistance. It has been said that a dose of a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day can help reduce your cravings and correct your body’s reaction to sugar.

• About.com: Health Benefits of Cinnamon – Cinnamon for Diabetes and Insulin Resistant

Several studies have shown improved insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control by taking as little as 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day. Improving insulin resistance can help in weight control as well as decreasing the risk for heart disease, so this has a lot of people interested. Although the results of preliminary studies are somewhat mixed, the majority of the research seems to be pointing in the direction of cinnamon being beneficial.

But watch out, it’s possible to eat too much cinnamon. Here are some of the common negative reactions:

• Skin rashes
• Irritation to the tissues of the mouth or stomach
• Mild anti-clotting effect in the blood
• Stimulating effects on the uterus (not recommended for pregnant women)

In an effort to increase my cinnamon intake, I created this cinnamon tea, which I’m rather fond of.

Cinnamon Tea

• 7 ounces of boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream

Pour the boiling water into a coffee cup. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix well. This takes quite a bit of time since cinnamon isn’t easily soluble in water, but if you keep stirring, it will eventually mix into the hot water. Add the cream and continue mixing.

I keep the spoon in the cup and keep stirring between sips because the cinnamon will sink to the bottom otherwise.

Calories: 50 Carbohydrates: 0 WW Points: 1

This treat has replaced my evening sugar-free cocoa. Strangely, it tastes a little sweet, even though you don’t add any sweetener. It’s perfect for people following Weight Watchers and Atkins, since it’s low-calorie AND low-carb.

You could substitute 6 ounces of heated skim milk for the cream and boiling water to make a low-fat version with the same amount of calories. I haven’t tried this, so I don’t know how well the cinnamon would mix with milk. If you try it, leave a comment telling me how it is.

Enjoy!

If you watch television late at night or if you scan the advertisements in any fashion magazine, there are plenty of pills and gadgets that promise you better health. This is not a new phenomenon. Here is an advertisement from 1883 for an electric corset:

You can click on the photo to see the full ad, which reads:

Dr. Scott’s Electric Corset

Owing to the unprecedented success attending the sale and use of our $3 Electric Corset, and the constant demand for Electric Corsets of less price, but of the same therapeutic value, we have decided to place upon the market A HANDSOME LINE OF ELECTRIC CORSETS, ranging in price from $1 to $3, thus bringing them within the reach of all who desire them.

Thanks, so now you can bilk people in all the financial strata.

Their therapeutic value is unquestioned, and they quickly cure in a marvelous manner, Nervous Debility, Spinal Complaints, Rheumatism, Paralysis, Numbness, Dyspepsia, Liver and Kidney troubles, Impaired Circulation, Constipation, and all other diseases peculiar to women, particularly those of sedentary habits. They also become, when constantly worn, equalizing agents in all cases of extreme fatness or leanness, by imparting to the system the required amount of “odic force” which Nature’s law demands.

So they can make me thinner AND fatter. And all those problems CAUSED by corsets, like “spinal complaints, liver and kidney troubles, impaired circulation, constipation, and all other diseases peculiar to women” will be CURED by an electric corset? Sounds like poppycock to me!

It’s really easy to disregard this electric corset, but even now, the same item is being sold. It’s called Slendertone:

Just like the electric corset, they have a Slendertone for every budget:

SLENDERTONE products for every fitness level, body toning need and budget.

They make very similar claims, although they don’t profess to cure paralysis:

Get firmer, stronger abs with FLEX Abdominal Toning Belt. In just a few weeks, you’ll feel more fit and confident as you firm, tone and strengthen your ab muscles. Even if you’re too tired or too busy for a traditional workout, just slip on our toning belt and you’ll get an effective workout that stimulates all the muscles in your abdomen.

According to Chris Woolston at the L.A. Times, however, the Slendertone doesn’t do much more than zap your body, despite the FDA approval:

• Slim results for ‘electric exercise’? – Los Angeles Times

Claims of “1,500 sit-ups an hour” or “rippling muscles” from EMS are ludicrous, and no EMS device could dramatically flatten a stomach or speed weight loss, he says. A person needs to burn calories to lose weight, and it’s not possible to burn significant calories through contractions alone. “You’d have to do thousands of actual sit-ups to lose any weight,” adds Wayne Miller, an exercise physiologist at George Washington University. “Anyone who can do that many sit-ups probably doesn’t need to.”

It’s easy to make fun of the fantastic claims made by an electric corset back in 1883, but don’t let yourself be fooled by similar claims made today.

Via: Retro Futurism: Zap Yourself Healthy With The Electric Corset, 1883