Happy Monday, Crew!
I see on my weather alert that the great mid-Atlantic is still getting hit with cold, damp, and dreary weather. And did you know that such a thing can be good for your health? It can! Over the past 11 weeks we have talk, at length, about macronutrients, sleep, minerals, supplements, activity, even “horizontal therapy.” Has anyone thought twice about their morning shower? Probably not. How many of you are slightly miffed when someone turns on the washing machine and…whoosh! There goes the hot water! Believe it or not, just like going outside in the chilly air with only a light shirt for ten minutes or so – cold showers can be good for you! Read the teaser below and check out the write-up. Let us know what you think! Any regular Polar Bear swimmers among us?
You’re in the middle of a nice, hot shower, feeling your muscles relax, the day’s tension (or night’s sleepiness) melt away. As you bask in the quiet moment of repose, suddenly your body gets a startling jolt. After a second of disoriented shock, you realize something has happened to the hot water. Did someone start the washer? Is the water heater going berserk? Your hopes of relaxation now dashed, your stress level through the roof, you finish only the most obligatory rinsing and step out of the shower cursing, muttering and shivering as you reach for your towel. Click here to continue reading…
When everything is going wrong…Oh, this was the story of Friday! Ever have one of those days where from the moment you wake up nothing seems to go right? That was me on the day of the fool! Task after task turned into one issue compounded by another all coming to a head when – POW! – the airline blew off of the impact gun I was using to cinch down a set of wheel bolts. The hose started blowing around in a perfect impression of a cartoon fire hose! Calmly I walked to the truck, shut down the compressor, took a second look at the situation and proceeded to laugh my head off. Then…everything went a-okay. The power of laughter. Give it a try next time you’re having a rough patch. It’s bound to make your day better!
This week we’ll have another look at our case study as well as learning all about our vegetables (for your awesome gardens!) and composting. I’ve got a couple recipes to tuck in there and a few nuggets of nutritional wisdom to share along the way. For our readers who love the highly detailed reports of a few of our favorite paleo-bloggers, here’s a snippet of Don Matesz’s most recent post “Diets High in Fish (and Meat) Liked to Stronger Bones.” This is a great article for those of you who are concerned about your need for supplemental Calcium!
Diets High in Fish (and Meat) Linked to Stronger Bones
Researchers analyzing data from the Framingham study have reported that people who eat the most fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids have the greatest bone mass. According to this report from Reuturs:
Women who ate three or more weekly servings of dark fish, such as salmon or mackerel, had smaller amounts of bone loss 4 years later, compared to women who ate less fish.
Men who ate dark fish or tuna at least three times per week also had less bone loss than other men.
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Speaking of supplements – I pulled out a great book this week at the bookstore by Drs. (Mr. and Mrs.) Eades called “Protein Power – Lifeplan.” This is an excellent book for our community as the authors do a terrific job of explaining our nutrition needs in simple scientific terms as well as giving a three pronged approach depending on how much change you are willing to try for (similar to Cordain in the Paleo Diet). They do advocate the use of beans, however, and I cannot support that. However, there was a very interesting section on Magnesium and how our intake ratio of magnesium to calcium has become extremely off-balance. We should be shooting for 1:1, but our modern diet (even the supplements!) makes it closer to 5:1 or even 15:1 in favor of calcium. Calcium, it turns out, is extremely toxic to the internals of the cell and causes many issues when the body has too much of it in the free form. By supplementing with magnesium and keeping calcium levels down we can significantly improve many metabolic conditions. This is still plenty of calcium for bone density needs (when combined with weight bearing exercise!) so no need to worry about that. I didn’t take any notes on the subject but I do recommend you looking into this book at your local library – I will be!
One of the passages I do remember from the book was in a section about what they feed their children. Many parents would give them grief as the Eades’ would not give their children the standard junk fare at any time. Their response? “It’s not a popularity contest. We’re raising grown men.” It may be hard to get your little-uns on-board after years of eating processed foods and sugar – but your grandchildren are directly affected by what your children are eating now. Don’t believe me? Would you believe Science Daily?
ScienceDaily (Dec. 24, 2010) — We aren't just what we eat; we are what our parents ate too. That's an emerging idea that is bolstered by a new study showing that mice sired by fathers fed on a low-protein diet show distinct and reproducible changes in the activity of key metabolic genes in their livers. Those changes occurred despite the fact that the fathers never saw their offspring and spent minimal time with their mothers, the researchers say, suggesting that the nutritional information is passed on to the next generation via the sperm not through some sort of social influence.
Or maybe Douglas Robb’s (Health Habits) take on it. You Are What Your Father Ate
Attention all fathers to be!!! Researchers from the U of Mass have found that the food you eat is going to make a big difference upon the health of your future children.
So, before you inhale another bucket of popcorn chicken, be aware that your diet will influence the genetic makeup of your children.
In the UMass study, researchers found that adult mice fed a low protein diet produced offspring with an increase in the production of cholesterol synthesis genes.
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Seems like I could just keep on going today! Better not…
Workout of the Day:
Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 reps – Jumping Jack, Shoulder Mobility, Push ups, Walking Lunge, Samson Stretch, Squat, Sit-ups
Work-out: 15 minute AMRAP – 15 double-unders, 25 squats THEN 50 sit-ups and 50 leg lifts, for total time.
You can sub 60 single-unders if you cannot do doubles. If you don’t have a jump rope (go get one!) or sub 40 jumping jacks.
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To Wandering Thoughts, as they all come together.
Mike.
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