My Diet My Life Blog: Here I have cataloged my e-mail messages to three friends into a BLOG. "Telling someone what I was eating," was key to my getting healthy. Recording and reporting my eating to three trusted friends forced me to look at how much junk food I was eating, which gradually woke me up and promoted a change for the better. I shared my thoughts and what I was learning along the way, too.

“…Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” vvvvWilliam James

For all Previous Articles, please see below......

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Founder of mydietmylife.com

Knowledge is power . . . "The great art of learning is to understand but little at a time." John Locke

Getting Started . . .

#1 You Want the Truth? Well… it’s that I really loved junk food! or How to Break the Junk Food Habit!

#2 My UFO Has to Go!

#3 Staying Fit and Focused!

#4 KISS: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart

#5 The Urge, the Splurge, and the Surge

#6 Be in It to Win It

#7 Keep Your Head in the Game

#8 It’s Worth the Work

#9 The Sweet Tooth Fairy

#10 Read the Directions!

#11 FBI vs Public Enemies

#12 It’s NOW or Never

#13 Accentuate the Positive

#14 Get a Clue: The Power's in the Follow Through

#15 Revelations to Resolutions

#16 Make Yourself a Priority

#17 Coming Distractions

#18 The Take-Away Plan

#19 Procrastination Pays

#20 Going Green and Staying Lean

#21 Truth or Consequences

#22 Love~Learn~Live

#23 Tasty Tempting Palate Pleasers

#24 Plan and Prepare or Beware

#25 Your Diet or Your Life

#26 Better Safe than Sorry ~ Part 1

#27 Better Safe than Sorry ~ Part II

#28 Body-Bank Deposits

#29 Irreplaceable Real Estate

#30 Destination with Determination

#31 Reaping a Harvest of Heath

#32 Dominant Thoughts Prevail

#33 Date with Destiny

#34 Intentional Fortitude

#35 Missing in Action

#36 Nourishment and Encouragement

#37 Keep On Keepin' On

#38 Eat CRPs to Prevent CPR

#39 Be a BusyBody

#40 SOS: Sharing Our Stories

#41 It's Resolution Time Again

#42 The Means and the Motive

#43 The Decisive Moment

#44 Take a Chance on Health

 

1. You Want the Truth?
Well, it’s that I really loved junk food!

or How to Break the Junk Food Habit

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Founder of mydietmylife.com

I had a revelation when I stopped at our local gas station to check on the repair of my car’s flat tire. Since gas stations are notorious for being filled with junk food, this one was no different. I saw the shelves stocked with stuff that I love. Even though I know that it's an arsenal loaded with potentially artery-clogging little demons bent on destruction, I bought some anyway: a small pack of Oreo cookies and a Mounds candy bar. I was certain that  I'd be able to save them for later, eat them over several days, or even weeks, and wouldn't eat them all at once. However,  since my flat tire was still flat,  I walked home, carrying my little bag of weapons of mass destruction, a steady diet of which is probably capable of slowly destroying my mass.  In the short walk of just 2 1/2 blocks to my front door,  I'd eaten them all. As the old commercial stated, "I ate the whole thing!"

I went inside my house, sat at my desk, and was stunned by all the junk food I had just gobbled down.  I asked myself out loud, “What have I done? I am out of control. I have  to do something!" I paused, and then continued, "What am I going to do?" The answer I heard, “Tell someone what you're eating,” was pretty shocking and clear. It seemed a little extreme and was definitely not something I'd ever think of on my own. “Oh, no!” I thought to myself,  “That’s way too embarrassing!"  And thenI said, "Don't You have any other ideas?” I didn't really like that one, but I also knew that it would take a drastic measure like that to get me to stop my insidious and harmful eating. So, I finally decided to give it a try. I thought about who might be willing to help me, and I sent out an S-O-S e-mail to three friends, telling them why I was writing,  requesting their support and  asking them if they'd be willing to let me write them every day to tell them what I was eating. Thankfully they all said yes. So, my journey of honest eating and reporting began.

As I began writing about what I was eating, I realized I needed willingness to keep going and rigorous honesty to make this plan work.  Of course, I began to pay attention to and notice what I was  eating. I especially noticed my junk food intake. As I began to write down what I was eating,  I also started writing about what I was thinking about my eating.  It became obvious very quickly that  I was eating way too much junk food. And, an amazing thing happened I began to cut back on the junk,  I began to lose weight,  about a pound a week, and so my tight jeans started feeling a little more comfortable.  I suppose I could have bought bigger jeans, but I refused to go there. I was able to make the old ones fit by pinning them together at the waist using a very large safety pin and by wearing loose tops to cover  my mid-section. I had always  hoped that they would fit comfortably again one day. Well, that day was finally here,  and I could fasten my jeans again! All this because I became aware of my problem and had asked for help.

Reflecting or recording what I was eating was never something that I had done before. One of my friends who read my daily e-mails  also began to pay closer attention to what she was eating,  began to lose weight, and was thrilled about  it. She lost twelve pounds.  My husband, who was also reading my e-mails,  lost twelve pounds, too. Writing and reflecting was becoming surprisingly helpful in my stopping a very bad habit  that I, unfortunately, could not stop by myself. Knowing that I had to report to my supportive  “team” was sobering and helped me stay on track. I changed harmful habits. My food attitude started changing, too.

Here's a good example. The other day I put my car through the car wash at the same gas station where I first learned that  my junk food intake was out of control. As I went  to the checkout,  I saw a candy bar, and actually didn’t buy it. Yes, it was tempting,  but not tempting enough to 1) have to admit I ate it,   2) worth ruining my health and raising my cholesterol, and 3) increasing my weight.  It feels so good to have shrunk a few fat cells, and I know all too well how easily they plump up again.  So, my journey began and has continued for more than three years, with ups and downs,  but mostly downs (weight, that is). Not only did I get my weight down,  but my cholesterol also went  down 40 points! Paying attention to what I was eating and being honest about it was really working!            

Reporting what  I was eating to other people was probably the most important  ingredient. I’ve gained some knowledge (not weight) along the way and have become more educated regarding my health.  My husband is helping edit the avalanche of  information, which we receive in medical and health newsletters, some of which I started to include in my e-mail reports. I have a lot to share with you regarding healthy eating,  exercise,  and dieting tips, and even a few recipes.  I also share my honest  insights into my thinking about what  I was eating and how I mentally motivated myself  to keep going.  

One thing I finally figured out after wondering about it for a lifetime: Why is it so hard to lose weight,  but so easy to gain it? While I was walking around the track of the health club one wintry day I said to myself,  “I know the answer to that question! It’s because lifting cookies is not a weight-bearing exercise,  and walking back and forth to the kitchen to get more food is not a cardio workout!  It was a real revelation for someone who was clueless as to why I could never seem to lose weight.  But, now I have successfully lost nearly twenty pounds and you can too! I’ve added many e-mail addresses to my original  list of three,  and have enjoyed sharing my thoughts, tips, insights, struggles, and successes with many people who are also on the same journey towards weight loss and health.  Responses and insights from others have been motivating for me, too.

I often included photos I've taken along with my e-mails.  For instance, “Fireworks Over Chicago” is below. Go to www.terrytasche.com and click on theTutorials tab to see more.

Copyright © Terry Tasche 

"Fireworks Over Chicago" - ©Terry Jo Tasche

Chicago and the Sears Tower/Willus Tower

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

 

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2. My UFO Has to Go!

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N., founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Fun and festive celebrations are always all around us, from holidays to birthdays. But many of us are "afraid," because the food temptations are abundant.  My fear comes not from the food itself, because really, it's only food. The truth is, it's my UFO that really scares me. I can be cruising along minding my own business and suddenly my UFO is hovering overhead. UFO is my Unhealthy Food Obsession, an enemy I was not always equipped to handle. It engulfs me and into it I go, never to return until I have eaten too much and once again become disappointed with myself. It seems to appear out of nowhere, especially when I'm hungry. 

I was obsessed with food that was bad for me like caloric carbs devoid of nutritonal value, cookies, potato chips, ice cream, etc., which are heavy in calories and lack essential ingredients like vitamins, minerals, and protein.  It seemed that my days revolved around these types of foods; when I would get to eat them, how much I would try to limit their consumption, and the guilt I felt when I went overboard realizing that I'd just ruined another day of my diet again. I was obsessed with these unhealthy foods that seemed, at least at times, to be taking over my life, kind of like I would imagine a UFO might do.  The food, like a UFO, took over, as if I had been pulled out of reality and onto a ship where I was under the command of another force. Getting near to it and focusing on it only drew me closer to it, making it a close encounter of a tempting and dangerous, carb-laden, sugar-filled kind.

 I felt helpless as my UFO approached. I finally realized that I had a choice!  I could be in control, not the UFO, although for most of my life, I did not feel that way. Healthy food won't come after me, but my UFO definitely will. Without changing in my attitude, behavior, and choices (ABC's), today will be the same as yesterday, and my UFO will never stop hovering over me. A change in my thinking can lead to a change in my eating. Then my UFO is no longer master over me, but I am master over it.

When I finally began to see the dangers of my obsession, I was able to stop being drawn into it. That is the power of changed thinking, which results in changed behavior.  I wasn't slim, because evidently I chose not to be by making junk food a higher priority than my health.

My UFO was in charge, until I decided to take back the control and make choices that were good for me.  Before, I went willingly and without a fight, and was left with delusion and the wreckage: overweight, high cholesterol, and very discouraged about it. My UFO is always waiting nearby for the opportunity to land and carry me off into the la-la land of denial.  Now I can say, "I'm not getting into that UFO!  Let me go!  Stop! I'm not yielding!"   

  
I have removed the UFO's landing pad from my home by not allowing it to land and invade my home. It would cruise into my pantry,which eventually gave it access to my body.  Now I yell, "Get out! You're no longer welcome here! And don't ever come back!"  Not like before when I'd say, "Come on in and stay a while, make yourself at home," and I made sure it was comfortable and had a nice little home in a cupboard, drawer, or on a shelf.  And, I even paid for it!   I would ponder and wonder why I couldn't stop taking flight in my UFO.  I'd wonder what happened. What a mystery! Was I stupid or what?

I'd eat, gain weight, diet, lose a little, eat junk food, etc. I rarely lost the bulk of the weight, because I wouldn't get rid of the junk food I had stuffed into my house and myself. Well, that mystery has been solved.  My Unhealthy Food Obsession was stopping me from achieving my goal of being healthy and fit. Those days are over! I learned that it's about deciding to take my UFO welcome sign off my door. It's about healthy food or bust.

I have to stay alert and notice when my UFO is approaching... so I can get out of its path and let it pass. Just because an unhealthy temptation comes my way does not mean that I have to eat it, and I certainly don't need to eat 2, 3, 4 or more.  They may look great on the outside, but I know they will damage me on the inside. When I'm stressed out, it's especially important to focus on healthy food, which I'll call My Healthy Food Focus as opposed to my UFO Focus.  The difference may be life or death.  It may have taken awhile to achieve this change, but everyday I know it's worth it to protect my body from outside invaders, like little nefarious aliens, bent on causing harm or even destruction.

The image "Architectural Abstract" is below, in which I used the Adobe PhotoShop filters to create the effect. Tutorials available at www.terrytasche.com.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

        "Architectural Abstract" ©Terry Tasche, M.Photog.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

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by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

It's a New Year, and it's time to get fit by staying focused. What a nice thought, especially for photographers!

I was thinking about how helpful a visual of my nearly twenty-pound weight loss would be to remind me of what approximately twenty pounds would look like when I found this picture taken a few years ago of my husband and his beautifully prepared 20-pound Thanksgiving turkey.  When I look at that turkey, I see that it was a lot to lose, and I don't ever want to have it back on me again.

         Today I had an interesting conversation with a lady who said that she had lost 12 pounds in the last month. Guess how she did it:  by walking and cutting out junk food!  Wow! It's almost too simple, but it really works.  Cutting out the high-caloric worthless food products and doing more exercise does wonders for the psyche and does wonders for health.

Sometimes I feel like the mother of a two-year old who is having a horrible outburst when I feel starved or I just want junk food. Inside I start yelling, screaming, kicking, throwing myself on the floor, carrying on and demanding very loudly, in my mind, that I have to have it, NOW!  I can kindly and patiently say to this ungrateful tyrant, "Sweetheart, you don't need that.  Let's look over here and find something healthy to eat.  You know how much better this is for you."  The very annoyed child, with arms crossed, takes a stance, glares at me and says, "Who cares what you think!  That is not what I want.  I want that!"  At that moment I must calmly, but strongly, ask myself, "Will I give in or will I stand my ground?"

Not long ago I had just such an encounter with this unruly brat having a temper tantrum, who, unfortunately, lives deep inside me and often comes to the surface when I see tempting refined carbs (RC's).  I had gone to a coffee shop to buy a decaf coffee, a fine idea.  However, while standing in line I was challenged by this little brat.  It was yet another crossroad in MyDiet.  As I stood in line waiting to pay for my coffee, I came face-to-face and nose-to-nose with an entire case of delectable items: huge muffins with voluptuous "muffin tops" drooping over their paper containers, chocolate-filled croissants, and cup cakes with creamy frosting.  How was I to resist and how could I quiet the demands of a hungry, growling stomach?  I thought, "Is there no healthy food around here?" I quickly looked around me for help to avoid the pitfall of choosing one of those temptations.  There it was: a bowl of fruit by the cash register- large, perfectly ripe bananas and green apples.  I turned off the voice inside me and said to myself, "No, you are not having that junk, I am choosing this beautiful banana for us to eat."  I bought the banana, which was only 39¢, ate it, got out quickly, and counted it as a victory to have not succumbed to yet another muffin that literally stood in the way of my losing my junk food addiction and my extra weight and puffing up my own muffin top. 

I am VERY happy with that decision, and I know that it will pay big dividends down the road in the way of health, not to mention the money I saved and the "muffin top" around my middle that I prevented from growing in dimension.  The expense and hidden cost of buying jfk's (junk food killers) could show up down the road in health bills, knee replacements, diabetes, which then could result in needed insulin injections, heart surgery from clogged arteries, and on and on.  It is a choice to have healthy food in the house rather than cupcakes, cookies and candy, or whatever jfk's that I may want to drag in there.  Each and every day is my chance to choose a healthy future. I am excited about my new lease on life that MyDiet has given me, and I'm grateful that I've finally discovered the perks of eating a healthy diet, which greatly outweigh the fleeting enjoyment from eating jfk's

The image this month was taken at Chicago's beautiful Field Museum, which I created using Adobe PhotoShop and Corel Painter.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Grand Entrance" by ©Terry Tasche, M.Photog. Cr., F-PPANI

Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman Degrees

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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4. KISS: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

 "When I woke up this morning, and you were on my mind.  You were on my mind."  They're singing about sugar and refined carbs, aren't they? 

When all I think about is how and when I can get to the "good stuff" and want to forget the healthy offerings, I have crossed over into my UFO (Unhealthy Food Obsession).  Remember that one?  Something is wrong with my thinking.  My mind becomes obsessed, clear thinking disappears, and I am in trouble. "Oh, I've got troubles; whoa, whoa.  I've got worries, whoa, whoa," and so the song continues. 

If I didn't have troubles before, I'll have them before long as I delve deeper into the sugar insanity.  Where and when will it all end?

Valentine's Day is this month and sugar takes center stage once again.  Even though it's prettier than ever, it's still all made of flour, water, and sugar and sometimes shortening, butter or saturated fat, with a pinch of salt thrown in for good measure.  It all doesn't sound as appealing as it looks.

It's interesting that a heart represents Valentine's Day, so it seems like I should be concerned about my heart and the heart of loved ones.

Are all those sugar products really being bought to give to friends and lovers?  Or, will I wind up also buying them for myself, because there seems to be more candy, cookies and cupcakes than there are friends and lovers in the world? 

Perhaps the V and D in Valentine's Day could stand for Very Damaging to my health; I could give a card and flowers instead, even to myself. I don't need things that will destroy my blood vessels and ultimately me.

I can choose radiant red raspberries or strawberries, which are an investment in my own heart, rather than sugary hearts, which can slowly, over time, stop the blood flow to my heart, my mind and body, too, by increasing my cholesterol levels.

Put my money into my heart and health instead of into their destruction.  Investing my money can be an overwhelming mystery and quite complicated, but this is a simple and concrete way that I can invest in my future: 

Go to the grocery store and head straight for the strawberries.  They're beautiful and pay back in health. I can learn to love what is good for me. Think "sweet dreams" rather than "sweet treats."
The mydiet article is short and sweet this month, just like February.

The KISS slogan could stand for Keep It Simple, Sweetheart! Have a happy and healthy Valentine's Day.

Here's a tip from a Humane Society of the United States pet calendar: "Looking for the love of your life? Try your local animal shelter, and find that perfect pet this Valentine's Day."

The following image is an abstract of Chicago's beautiful 333 W. Wacker Drive.

"Wacky Wacker Drive" by © Terry Tasche

333. W. Wacker Drive, Chicagos

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman Degrees, F-PPANI

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5. The Urge, the Splurge, and the Surge

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

.
       
I have to tell myself stuff like this every day. It’s like feeding my mind with knowledge and arming myself with clear thinking regarding my health. I have to keep this information in the forefront of my thoughts in order to stand strong and not collapse under pressure when confronted with the much, too much, available junk food. I have to get control of my life and not waste it eating sugar. I can be strong when I apply what I’ve learned. To quote Aristotle, who said, “What we learn to do we learn by doing.” By changing the way I think and, therefore, how I eat, I can change my world and my weight. The choice is mine; I can either go from the URGE stage right on to the SPLURGE, or I can choose to PURGE (in green to remind me to eat healthy food like green leafy vegetables) the high-caloric foods, which contain little or no nutrition, from my pantry, cupboards, drawers and house so that the URGE won’t go on to cause a SURGE.

The image of the month is “Autumn Snow" by © Terry Tasche, taken at Montrose Harbor and rendered into a painting using Corel Painter.

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“Autumn Snow” by ©Terry Tasche

Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman Degrees, F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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6. Be in It to Win It!

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

I noticed that the health club Curves is advertising nutrition classes. That's a great idea, because that is where it starts, with education and the reprogramming of the mind.There are two mental elements, which need to be addressed right off the bat. The first is my decision to do it and the second is my all-important commitment to stick to it. 

The Decision to Do It! along with the Commitment to Stick to It!
Those two items are actually the most underrated points of any healthy eating and exercise program that anyone can come up with. It's easy for me to lose my focus, especially when the weight isn't dropping as easily as the spoonfuls went in and the weight went on. When the scale moves up instead of down, I can lose heart and start procrastinating, forgetting my decision and commitment to my health. Losing heart may be prophetic, because I can actually lose my heart if I don't exercise it and feed it healthy food.

It may seem overwhelming and like a long haul to lose five, ten, fifty or even one- hundred pounds, but not getting it off is an even longer haul.  Hauling it around and being miserable is a very long, hard haul. 

Motivating myself to keep going is a journey to say the least.  A motivating factor for me is to write and share what's going on in my thinking and with my eating. For example, I would like to think that eating doughnuts, chocolate, and lots of jfk's (junk food killers), will somehow, someway make me lose weight.  This is magical thinking.  Chocolate bars do not turn me into a beauty queen, a model or a thin person.  They don't make me lose or help dissolve one ounce of stored fat. There are, however, certain things that, if I just do them, plan them into my daily schedule and don't have to think about them, will help me accomplish my goal of being healthy.  I won't have to try and remember what to do.  I'll call them Basic Basics To Do Daily.  These are things that I must do every day.  I can turn bad habits into good ones and, therefore, into Health Habits. Healthy rituals and good routines can turn me into a healthy, slim-and-trim person.  Rituals and routines override feelings, because I do them whether I want to or not and whether I feel like it or not.  They are intentional and repeated and reflect my commitment to my health.  They have no bearing on how I feel; I do them routinely as part of my day. They are totally doable, or else, frankly, I wouldn't do them.  Sorry, but it's true.

Here's an example of how a little work pays off: every morning I do a few simple exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, knee-bends, walking lunges and stretching. Having an exercise routine in the morning jumpstarts my metabolism, revs it up and gets it started for the day. By doing fifty push-ups each day, I wind up doing 18,000 in one year. Each day's activity is important, because the daily consistency adds up to toned muscles, stronger bones, and my cholesterol has even dropped 40 points, too. How many calories I burn each year by doing 90,000 little exercises I am not sure, but cutting down on junk food, adding some walking and an exercise routine has undoubtedly paid off for me with benefits to my health. Wow! I am impressed how doing a little every day can add up to making me a healthier person.

And, my simple exercise routine is easy, only taking five-seven minutes each morning. I started out doing just twenty of each exercise every day and gradually increased the amount. It's not even hard to do. And, another bonus is that the back of my upper arms is no longer flabby, because the muscles are being toned as well.

Why did I choose these specific exercises? Because I had read in my American Journal of Nursing magazine a couple of years ago that the most common areas fractured are the hips, wrists and cervical spine. These areas need weight-bearing exercise in order to strengthen the bones. In these exercises, including walking, my body is bearing its own weight. Adding some additional work at home twice a week, with light weights and long stretchy bands, has also been helpful. (Please do not try these without first checking with your doctor.)

Not only do I have the power to make every-day decisions that will improve the quality of my body and my life, but I also have the responsibility to myself to keep the commitment. Be in it to win it! After all, if I don't do it, who will?

The image this month, "Montrose Trees", was taken after a light snowfall at Chicago's Montrose Harbor.

"Montrose Trees" by ©Terry Tasche

Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman Degrees, F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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7. My Diet, My Life: Keep Your Head in the Game

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Here's a benefit I recently reaped from my commitment to do my six simple exercises every morning. I went skiing in Colorado with my daughters, and I am happy to report that I was not sore afterwards, even though I had not skied for two years. My body was strong and my muscles were toned. I even tackled a black-diamond run with my girls. Amazing how consistency and commitment to a daily routine can create a stronger body. My husband said that the walking lunges (taking a stride and lowering the back knee) remind him of the old familiar telemark skiers smoothly gliding down the slopes. It's an easy exercise that strengthens the legs, burns calories and revs up the metabolism. I've read that even after I've stopped exercising, the metabolism continues at an increased level for a couple more hours. In other words, I can actually increase my metabolism by doing some exercise and walking.

So much for the theory that there's nothing that I can do for a slowed-down metabolism and that when one gets older, it nearly comes to a complete halt. I think that's perhaps because I had just about come to a complete halt by sitting at the computer and not walking or exercising. Time to get up and move it!

Walking 1-2 miles each day can increase metabolism, burn calories, move the muscles, strengthen the bones, and improve circulation and flow of oxygen to the tissues and brain. What's not to understand about the importance of getting up off the couch and moving my body? Now that I know how easy it is, even if I can't get to the gym, I still can do my exercise routine and walk regularly, and BENEFIT!

I met a friend the other day for lunch to talk about my website and was delighted to see that she had ordered a salad, because it made me choose to stay on track, too, to attack the fat and keep my weight under control by eating healthy!

Eating just one hundred calories each day more than I need, more than I metabolize, and burn can add an additional ten pounds in one year. Eating two hundred extra calories a day can add up to twenty pounds in the short span of one year. Thirty-five hundred calories is the equivalent of one pound. A gain of ten pounds, therefore, means that I have over-indulged myself with 35,000 more calories than my body needed.

Moving right along to the twenty-pound calculation means that I have eaten 70,000 more calories than I burned. That's a lot of calories, junk food, fast food, refined carbs, or whatever; it's just plain too much. My body doesn't know what to do with it, because it doesn't need it. All it can do is to move the excess to fat storage. Packing on the pounds is the easy part; reversing the destructive habits, reclaiming my body's health, recognizing my part in it; redeeming and recovering my lost health may require some recreation instead of reclining, and also some restructuring of my food attitude, reflecting on what had gone wrong in my thinkingand my eating, and recommitting not rationalizing regarding my health.

Reducing my weight raises my spirits and my resolve before I have yet deeper regrets and need rehab for my heart and body. High cholesterol and high blood pressure can be precursors to strokes and heart disease. Reinforcing my resolve to be responsible for what goes into my hands and then into my mouth results in resurgent energy as my weight is reduced. And it's easier to walk and breathe and zip up my jeans.

As it says right here on mydietmylife.com, "In so many ways My Diet determines My Life; the word diet comes from the original Greek word diaita, meaning "way of life." There's no way around it, healthy meals and snacks, some walking and a daily doable exercise routine can be all it takes to keep me moving in the right direction in the battle for life. I'm worth it! My life is the only one I've got or that I'm ever going to get. Think clearly and eat wisely and keep your head in the game.

"Spring Blossoms", taken in Chicago's beautiful Lincoln Park, was created and given the soft glow using Adobe Photoshop. Tutorials are available; click the Tutorial tab at www.terrytasche.com.

"Spring Blossoms" by ©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

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8. It's Worth the Work!

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

The other day here in Chicago while driving down Lincoln Avenue I saw the most beautiful car. I had to go around the block again to have another look. It was parked on the street, and two men were along side admiring it. I pulled up at the stoplight and rolled down my window and asked what kind of car it was. The older gentleman said, "It's a Jaguar." I said, "It's a beauty! What year is it?" He replied, "1957." I just had time to exclaim, "It is GORGEOUS!" before I had to refocus my attention on the changing light. How I wish I'd had my camera so that I could show you. It was black with a caramel-colored convertible top. Its silver adornments sparkled in the sun. Although I usually don't pay much attention to cars, I had to say that it was pretty spectacular.

I imagine that its engine purrs like a kitten, all because of the good care it's had over the years. I can see that there's a lot here to be compared to my diet and my life, my body and my health. It's great to treat myself to healthy food and exercise so I, too, can look good, and feel good all my life.

It is a symbol of how much I value myself, even more than I admired that beautiful car. Keeping us both in tip-top running condition takes time and effort, but it pays off in years of beautiful benefits. Deterrents to my health are subtle, but creep in like rust on a car. Sitting for long periods is bad for cars and extremely bad for me. The car is taken out for spins to keep it running well. Taking myself for a "spin" and walking every day will help keep me fit. (By the way, I'm using my iPhone pedometer app to help keep me motivated and enthused about walking and working out more.) The car's not given too much weight to carry either, because that would ruin the springs, shocks and joints. Excess weight on my "chassis" is important, too!

Since people have more cells and systems than cars have parts, it's necessary to pay more attention to all the body parts and to notice how excess weights weighs on them all? Having a healthy body is even more rewarding than attaining the status of owning a polished and gleaming 1957 Jaguar, as nice as that would be. I can always buy another car, but never another body. The results are definitely worth the work!

"Railroad Crossing, Alton, Illinois," see the photo tutorials available at www.terrytasche.com.

"Railroad Crossing, Alton, Illinois" by ©Terry Tasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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9. The Sweet Tooth Fairy

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche

The longer and longer I do nothing about a problem, the bigger the problem becomes. It doesn't go away, but may often shows itself in more obvious ways. Take for instance my junk food addiction (JFA), it never ever got better until I began to face it head on and deal with my behavior.

As my problem grew, so did I. I got bigger and wondered why.
I am amazed that a day finally came when I was able to see my junk food addiction more clearly.  If I hadn't heeded the suggestion I heard, "tell someone what you're eating," I would have never gained the awareness I needed, and I'd still be the same today, with an insatiable craving for bad carbohydrates, e.g., the RS/RF (Refined Sugar/RefinedFlour) variety.

Telling someone what I'm eating puts me on high alert to the dangers involved when I don't tell. The eating I did in secret suddenly is out in the open, shedding light on my actions and changing my denial into awareness. The more I wrote about what I was eating, the more I was able to think clearly about it. Writing revealed my dilemma about the excessive calories I was eating, (especially the EEUW-Extra Empty Useless Worthless kind) and helped me to understand how much trouble I was causing myself.

Being aware of how long it takes to walk off one pound (3500 calories = one pound) or how much time it takes at the gym to work off 3500 calories, I am less apt to pop in several high-caloric slices of pizza. Knowing how long I need to pound the pavement burn the calories to take off a pound that went in oh so easily by simply chewing and swallowing, which hardly took any effort at all, is startling.

Getting a glimpse of the work I'll need to do down the road may make me stop and use a little foresight, which can save me lots of time and weighty woes. One cookie equaling 200-300 calories only takes 60 seconds to eat, but takes one hour of brisk walking to work off.  (Unfortunately, I may have been the original cookie monster.) The benefit/gratification ratio of the cookie consumption decreases when I stop and think before I gobble. Being slimmer is gratifying, but it just takes longer to be thin than it does to eat a cookie. When I finally can see the benefits of not eating empty calories outweighing the immediate gratification of eating them, I'll be able to stop and think about waiting and eating the cookie tomorrow instead. I'll tell myself, "Today I'm not going to eat it. I'll eat a carrot, a piece of cheese, a slice of red pepper, or a slice of whole grain bread instead."

I needn't think that just because I licked my problem today, that I've licked it for life. It returns every day in another way, as surprise attacks. I can be ambushed all over again if I let down my guard. Like in the old western movies where the cowboy rides along not noticing the villain watching and waiting in a tree. The villain leaps onto the cowboy as he innocently rides underneath.

If you've ever been to Northern Wisconsin, you may have been the subject of an ambush by wood ticks. Recently my husband and I were vacationing there and took a walk in the woods. I unknowingly picked up a tiny tick "hitchhiker," which I fortunatley found strolling along on my khaki-colored pants leg before it became attached and began sucking my blood. It had evidently jumped onto me while walking under a tree. Ticks are unwelcome guests and need to be removed immediately before they burrow their little heads under the skin. The junk food and unnecessary calories ambush me, too. I get ambushed when I'm not vigilant and on the look out for this destructive villain. The added calories go into my mouth and down my throat. Just like the cowboy, I am unaware of the impending attack and take over of my mind and body.

My affection for confection may have begun when I was little. I was not only visited by the Tooth Fairy, but probably also by the Sweet Tooth Fairy, who doesn't pay for lost teeth, but causes teeth to be lost by overindulgence in sweets and makes me pay with costly cavities and crowns.

Like the nearly invisible wood tick, the Sweet Tooth Fairy came for a visit and never left. She's created lots of cavities. RS/RF and cavities do definitely coexist. Yes, Virginia, there is a Sweet Tooth Fairy. She moved in and took over. However, I don't have to offer her residence in my house, body and life. She's lived rent free, and I paid the mortgage. I pay even more when I allow her to move in and destroy the house she lives in. It's up to me to move her out and move in the Health Fairy instead.

One summer when I was eight, I stayed with my aunt and uncle in North Dakota for six weeks, who let me eat all the candy I wanted.  When I went home to my next dental check up, I had eight cavities.

No one but me can stop my compulsion to eat unhealthy food, aka Unhealthy Food Obsession. I can't do it alone, and I alone can do it. Even when I'm tempted by irresistible cravings, I can resist and know it's up to me to be free.

Copyright © Terry Tasche

"Autumn Beauty" was created using Adobe PhotoShop and Corel Painter.

   "Autumn Beauty" by ©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

 

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10. Read the Directions!

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

© Terry Tasche All Rights Reserved

Has anyone else ever failed to read the directions, or am I the only one? I've been taking calcium pills for three years in order to enhance my bones and keep them strong, but I had never read the directions on the bottle. Just a month ago I happened upon an article in my American Nurse journal and found that calcium carbonate, which is the one I've been taking, specifically Calcium 600 mg + vitamin D & minerals, needs to be taken with food. The article said this is necessary because it's important to get the gastric juices flowing in order for the absorption of that particular calcium supplement to take place. I've been purposely taking them on an empty stomach, because my thinking was that they would be better absorbed if they didn't get mixed up and bogged down with food. It just made sense to me. But, unfortunately, I was wrong! When I finally read the instructions on the bottle, they said clearly, "Take with food." No wonder my bone scan hadn't improved.

Vitamin D is another important component in the absorption of calcium and in the potassium and sodium connection. I now take 1000 mg of Vitamin D per day along with 1200 mg of Calcium. (2 tablets taken separately, because evidently the body can only absorb 5-600 mg of calcium at a time.) Recent studies also found that Vitamin D can help prevent diabetes.

Vitamin K may also help save bones from deteriorating and may fight diabetes, too. The Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter states that the most common dietary form of the vitamin, dubbed K1 or phylloquinone, is known to play a role in bone metabolism. Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, escarole, kale, endive, collard greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard and Romaine lettuce, as well as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spring onions and pistachios. The study group which received vitamin K1 was less likely to suffer insulin resistance, a key factor in the development of type-2 (adult-onset) diabetes. However, it also warns that people on anticoagulant medicines like warfarin-Coumadin-should avoid sudden changes in vitamin K intake. We'd better eat our vegetables, and maybe it's not the best advice to "leave room for dessert".

Since it is now known that caffeine can "pull" calcium from the bones, it is important to know which food items contain higher doses of caffeine: chocolate, regular coffee, caffeinated tea, and colas are among the highest. Johns Hopkins researchers report that "energy drinks can range from 50 to 500 milligrams of caffeine (as much as 14 cans of cola) and their labels do not always state how much caffeine a product is supposed to contain."

I think that reading the directions is time consuming and boring. But, the manufacturers have the instructions there for a purpose-to help me get the most out of their products. When will I ever learn? When will I eeeeevvvv----ver learn?

Here's another story, which conveys the importance of reading the directions. My daughter, Julie, told me about this story she'd read recently. A man had gone on a wilderness adventure by himself. He was running out of supplies and was fearful he'd never be found. When he didn't return for several months, the authorities sent out a search plane to look for him. He heard an approaching aircraft overhead and ran out of his tent to get its attention. He threw up his right arm in jubilation, like cheering after winning a game, and did it again and again because he was so happy to be found. He knew that the pilot had seen him, so he ran into his tent and gathered up his belongings in preparation for his rescue. The sound of the plane faded. As he was placing each item in his backpack, he ran across his hunting license. He turned it over and read the directions on the back. Drawings of emergency hand signals were shown for communicating with an airplane from the ground and what one should do if a rescue plane was sighted. It showed that both hands up in the air means "SOS; send immediate help," and one hand up signals that "everything is okay" and that no rescue was necessary. The pilot had understood that the man was all right and so left the area. The plane never returned, and, tragically, the wilderness traveler eventually died. The complete and fascinating story of this young man can be found in the book, Into the Wild, by Jon J. Krakauer.

Reading the directions can literally mean life or death, health or sickness, or whatever. But, needless to say, they are there for a reason, and I would do well to pay attention to them. There are lots of directions in books and articles, but one of the best books I've seen is You: The Owner's Manual, by Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, published by Harper Collins. The twelve chapters cover the body's systems and what is necessary to maintain their health. It's easy reading and cleverly written. It includes directions on what nutrients are important for the healthy functioning of each organ. It's an eye-opener and gives insights from doctors' perspectives on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Although everyone can't be a doctor, anyone can read their interesting and informative approach to the subject of keeping the body in good working order.

Many of their directions are called "Actions", like "Your Immunity: The Live Younger Action Plan".  For instance, they state to avoid toxins don't smoke, thereby adding up to eight years to your life.  On the other hand they say that smoking adds the risk of "lung diseases like cancer, emphysema, and bronchitis," (p.169), and to stay away from secondhand smoke, because "Spending an hour in someone else's smoke is like smoking four cigarettes yourself," (p.172).

They include healthy recipes and which body systems they enhance and why, along with information on which nutrients are in each food and the nutritional value per serving.

Reading and following directions can increase my knowledge about what I can do or not do to improve my chances of living a longer and healthier life. Be sure to always read the directions; it may be just what the doctor ordered.

"Flags of Freedom" was created using Adobe PhotoShop filters. Tutorials are available at www.terrytasche.com.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Flags of Freedom" by ©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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11. FBI vs Public Enemies

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Parts of the Johnny Depp movie, Pubic Enemies, were recently filmed just a block from our house on Lincoln Avenue, which was transformed to replicate scenes from the 1930's. It was fascinating watching and photographing the antique cars and actors dressed in vintage clothing as they lined the streets for the movie. Depp played the part of John Dillinger, who was shot in the alley just south of the Biograph Theater. He had been proficient at robbing banks, and the FBI was on the look out for him.They were tipped off by the "Lady in Red," who had told them that he would be there at the theater with her that night. 

Just like banks, certain "public enemies" can rob me of my life, cause havoc with my diet, and empty out my health account. So, what are the public enemies that affect my health the most and age me the quickest, i.e. shorten my life? The top two "most wanted" on my list are Worry and Weight. Worry adds mental stress and weight adds physical stress. Finding the villains and getting rid them is a daily battle.

This battle for my life needs to be won, or I will die sooner than later, and sooner than I'd like. It is won or lost by me. My public enemy number one is worry. Dr. Oz said on the Oprah show that the number one "major ager" is STRESS. It increases the secretion of cortisol, which in turn increases hunger, which leads me to eat more calories than I need. That then adds excess weight, which in turn raises blood pressure, which causes more stress. Worry, although slightly dfferent, yields the same cycle of events that must be controlled, and I can do this by learning better habits! You: the Owner's Manual, by doctors Oz and Roizen, states that the worst kind of stress is the unresolved, nagging stress of problems, which seem to have no solution and that hang on for long periods of time without any sign of relief. A few examples are relationship tension, difficult to-do list items, job dissatisfaction, and financial concerns.

Worry and weight seem to work together to add more stress to my life and health. I sometimes think that eating will relieve stress, but the stress remains. Food turns out to be a temporary cushion, and the resulting adipose tissue (i.e. fat) does not relieve stress, but adds to it. Funny how it never works out the way I planned. I need a red alert like the  "lady in red" to show me the deceiving thieves who come in disguise and drain my energy and health. However, unfortunately, none exists so I must learn to use my conscience and nutritional understanding to defeat these gangsters. Without keeping a constant watch on my sneaky jfa (junk food addiction), I could easily indulge in those temptations, which lead to stress on both my body and my mind. But, as in the Dillinger story, the good guys win, and the villain is shot down. I can defeat my public enemies, too! Yea!

Worry and weight break down my immune system and can wreak havoc in my life. What's a person to do? It is a battle for the FBI (Fat Blasting Investigators), who are experts in rooting out the causes of fat and worry. They seek out and find them so that I can do something about them. Instead of worrying I could take control of my life and start by working on a nagging task, relax by taking a walk, or even simply take some deep breaths. When I am hungry, I could refuel my body so it is better equipped to handle stress by choosing to eat a healthy snack.

To begin blasting the fat I had to first cooperate with the FBI and recognize that I am often the creator of my own problems and understand that mouthfuls do matter. I don't like this, but it's true. Searching out the offenders is difficult, because many of them had become my friends. I hated to allow the authorities to lock them up where I'd no longer be able to see them.

Eliminating my very own public enemies that were holding me hostage in my own house was not easy. I knew I had to move them out of my life. I had to get them out of my house so that, in time, I could develop better friendships: friendships with healthy food, problem solving, relaxing by exercising, and walking more. So, my mission, should I choose to accept it, is to continue to employ the FBI to do its work and remove the worry and weight culprits. The FBI can lock them up and throw away the key, or "shoot 'em dead" like they did Dillinger.

The image this month is of John Dillinger's favorite car, a 1932 Chrysler Imperial. Several years before the "Public Enemies" movie, I had gone for a walk in our neighborhood and saw this beautiful car parked in front of the historic Biograph Theater, just a block from our house. The Biograph was celebrating the grand reopening of the theater and was having a reenactment of the FBI shooting of John Dillinger that evening.

Originally, as I said earlier, the FBI had been tipped off by the "Lady in Red," as she came to be called, who had informed the FBI that Dillinger would be there with her watching a movie. It was a black-and-white gangster movie called Manhattan Melodrama, starring Clark Gable, William Powell and Myrna Loy. My daughter Julie and I got to see it, too, and sat two rows behind Dillinger and "The Lady in Red."

Dillinger walked out of the Biograph after the movie, and the FBI chased him down the street and into an alley just south of the Biograph, where they shot and killed him. As you can imagine, the movie was excellent, and I recommend renting it. The reflection of the Biograph's marquee can be seen in the fender.

Copyright © Terry Tasche

"Biograph Reflections" by ©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

This image appeared in the International Exhibition of Professional Photography.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

 

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12. My Diet My Life: It's NOW or Never!

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

What is the NOW Plan? NOW is the day to do it, to take control. Today is where it's at! This plan only works for today, because, yesterday no longer counts, and tomorrow isn't here. And, as the old Country Western song by Earnest Tubb goes, ". . . But, Tomorrow Never Comes."

It's not the tomorrow plan or the yesterday plan. It's the NOW plan. If I'm NOT doing it today, then I'm not actually doing it. If I'm doing it today, I'm living it. Anyway, what I do today will benefit me tomorrow, but won't do a thing to change yesterday. And, thinking, "Oh, well, I'll start trying to be healthy tomorrow," doesn't work. For me that is just a way to procrastinate.  What counts is today. What am I doing or eating NOW?

The New N•O•W Action Plan is what I need to do NOW and consists of three basic and essential elements of health.
The essential elements of health happen only in the present tense, and are all needed to sustain life N•O•W:
     Nutrition
     Oxygen
     Water

Give the body what it needs--NOW:
1) Nutrition--eating the necessary nutrients to create and sustain a healthy mind and body.
2) Oxygen--breathing clean, natural air.
3) Water--drinking the life-sustaining water my body needs.
How do I get these three basics? Two simple activities will do it: E & E, healthy Eating and Exercise.

Nutrition, which means eating the nutrients contained in natural foods, like f & v's, (Fruits and Vegetables), containers of some of the basics I need now. Double up on fruits, (FF • Flavorful Fruits), and vegetables, (VVV • Very Valuable Vegetables), and reap the benefits of having a healthy body, looking better and feeling great. Whole grains, dairy, lean protein, and fiber are other Vital Vittles.

Oxygen is essential. Take deep breaths to relax. Walk briskly to increase oxygen to all cells. Exercising gives me more than oxygen. Walking and exercising increase the the flow of oxygen and the oxygen content of my blood, getting it deep down into all the cells. These activities also strengthen muscles and bones and even help improve my outlook on life. They also speed up my metabolism. By the way, Dr. Mehmet Oz recommends taking the time every day to take 20 deep breaths.

Water is the life-sustaining liquid the body needs and receives by adequate water intake. Water keeps things moving in the blood stream and the GI tract, so I won't dry up and blow away. The river of life flows through my blood vessels, moving the life-giving oxygenated red blood cells, disease-fighting white blood cells, and nourishment to all cells. If they get clogged up with saturated and trans fats, which cause a decrease in N•O•W to all cells, disease may be just around the corner. My heart suffers, my organs get sluggish, my brain function slows down as the entire system stalls and eventually stops. Cool, clear water is far better than sugary sodas, carbonated beverages, or caffeinated concoctions, especially the high-caloric ones requiring five or six adjectives when ordering.

My day, my body and my life improve when I think and consider what I'm doing and what I'm eating. When I stick to the plan, I've W•O•N. It's a simple idea and I can O•W•N it N•O•W. How can I say it so that it is clearer; because any way I spell it, it stands for the same three elements. This day, this moment, this bite is a chance to make healthy choices. When I see the advantages and disadvantages more clearly, I can make wiser decisions as to what goes into my hand, my house and my mouth. Thinking about junk food and learning to leave it alone can easily save me 500-600 calories a day and many dollars each year. Instead of picking up a cookie or chips, why not eat a few carrots or an apple instead?

Make sure to include the basics, Nutrition, Oxygen and Water, to increase the chance for a healthy life. Do it N•O•W, because if it's not N•O•W, it may be never.

These two geese were behind me one autumn day at Chicago's Montrose Harbor. I heard a commotion and turned around to catch these action shots:

"Goose Takes Charge" by ©Terry Tasche

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"I told you to stay away from junk food!
What about this don't you understand!"

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"HELLO! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!" by ©Terry Tasche

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Here are the full-frame original images of the two geese photos seen above, before cropping:

©Terry Tasche

by ©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche
See more images at www.terrytasche.com

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13. MyDietMyLife: Accentuate the Positive

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative," goes Johnny Mercer's popular old song. Hear it sung on YouTube by Bing Crosby and Bette Midler as they celebrate the "Bing Crosby Special."

Dividing food into two main categories demonstrates for me the problem that I have. Simply put, the positive foods give positive results, but the negative foods may give more negative results than I had bargained for.  While the positive foods give me nutrition and energy, the negative foods merely give me calories, leading to weight and unforeseen problems. When I eat it, I think I'm solving a problem, like making me feel good, but in the end, it makes me feel bad, because of all the negatives it brings with it. My only motivation in eating negative food, really, is that I like it, I want it, so I eat it. But the consequence is that it goes in and stays in and may even turn into fat or plaque if it is not soon burned off. (Ooh, that sounds painful.)

Seeing one side as positive food, which is healthy, and the other as negative food, whichis unhealthy, helps clearly demonstrate the two extremes. The negative-food force seems to have a much stronger "magnetic" pull on me than the positive, healthy food. The comparison to a magnet helps me understand my attraction toward the negative. Just knowing that it's there, thinking about it, or seeing it, increases its magnetic power.

Sometimes the magnetic pull is stronger than at other times. For instance, five main triggers that can make me head for the negatives are when I am 1) over hungry 2) bored 3) frustrated 4) anxious or stressed out, or 5) even just in a hurry and, therefore, willing to grab anything. When any of these occur, I often find myself standing in front of the fridge, pantry, or vending machine looking for negative food items for a "quick fix." There is a certain magnetic field or force surrounding negative items, where my power to resist them is lousy. The closer I am to the actual item, the more likely I will be drawn to it.

Another correlating term is magnetic mine, which draws an intriguing parallel for me. It is an underwater mine equipped with magnetic sensors that cause it to detonate when a large metal object, usually a ship, passes into its magnetic field. I may eventually detonate if I keep moving closer to this minefield, which can cause bodily destruction. It may look and seem harmless, but it's not.

Removing the negative items from the premises, or more importantly out of my hands, decreases their field of attraction and my susceptibility to them. If I can't resist, then the moral of the story is to stay clear of their magnetism. The further away I am from the magnet, the less power it has over me, and the more power I have to resist it.  When I'm too close, the attraction may be too much for me.

Here's an example of one thing I'm doing to add positive healthy things to my diet. I know that my body needs antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, protein, fiber, etc. Focusing on fiber, I know how important it is for men and women. It helps keep the food moving through the digestive tract, and it also helps to lower cholesterol levels. One easy way that I can add fiber to my diet is by sprinkling some of the ground flaxseed, which our daughter Julie had me buy, on my yogurt, cereal, sandwich, or salad. The Nutrition Facts on my package of refrigerated Spectrum's Cold Milled Organic Ground Premium Flaxseed states that it contains fiber, omega-3 and lignans, and that 2 Tbsp's contain 80 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and 200% of the daily-recommended dose of omega-3. Apples are another good source of fiber. WWW.usapple.org points out that apples are linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (as in "an apple a day..."), diabetes, and cancer (especially lung cancer).

Positive actions, like getting rid of the "negative" food items, help protect the integrity of the body that I'm trying to keep healthy. The next action is to replace the negative with positive food choices. This action goes a long way toward promoting health, producing a healthy body, which in turn will provide me with a healthy life. Invest the time to become good at building a better body by accentuating the positive, eliminating the negative, and latching on to the affirmative food. A healthy lifestyle is an outgrowth of "Hand-to-Mouth Health" and begins with a good food attitude .

Here's an image with a positive feeling. I had gotten out of the car to photograph the colorful autumn leaves seen in the background when, believe it or not, I saw these three geese walking along on the grass , and, "I got 'em". See more photos and The Tasche Tutorial Collection by going to www.terrytasche.com. Click on the Tutorials tab.

"Let There Be Peace on Earth"         ©TerryTasche

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

See the original image below...

"Three Geese out for a Walk" or or "Let There Be Peace on Earth"

©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

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14. Get a Clue! The Power's in the Follow Through.

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15. My Diet My Life: Revelations to Resolutions

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Having an actual REVELATION about what is really wrong and what really needs to be changed is the first and imperative step in making and keeping workable resolutions. My own personal revelation came the day that I went into the gas station to check on my car, which wasn't finished, and bought a Mounds candy bar and a package of six Oreo cookies. Although I had told myself that I'd eat them over the next several days, I wound up consuming it all during my five-minute walk home. I had the revelation that I was out of control and often could not stop eating junk food once I had the first bite in my mouth. This revelation led me to say, "I am out of control. What am I going to do?" Almost immediately I could hear the words in my head, "Tell someone what you're eating,"and I saw that this could be my solution.  I then made a resolution to faithfully do just that. I wasn't really excited about doing this, but I thought, "What did I have to lose?" (Except weight and cholesterol).

Every day I promised (resolved) to openly and honestly and yes, even willingly, although sometimes reluctantly-- tell three friends via e-mail what I ate that day. When I had eaten junk food, I hated to tell them that I had eaten it. However, the honesty of the process increased my awareness of how I was creating my own problems; i.e. weighing more than I wanted, elevating my cholesterol levels and even increasing my blood pressure. All of these things would have just gotten worse had I not had the revelation, heeded the suggestion, and made a resolution to make a real change.

The word "Revelation" means "knowledge of something previously hidden". I was so totally unaware that overdosing on junk food could be dangerous to my health. My continual challenge now is to take a look at my own health and life and use the knowledge to eat healthier and exercise more, which is the simple but effective solution.
Reminding myself every day to place common sense above high-caloric carb consumption and couch comfort motivates me to stop indulging myself to my own detriment. Even small day-to-day decisions can either lead me toward fulfilling my resolutions or away from the successful accomplishment of them.

Reading articles and books like You: The Owner's Manual, which was featured on Oprah by doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz (2005), has helped me focus on how important a proper diet and exercise are to my health and well being. It includes an "Owner's Manual Activity Plan: Crib Sheet" and an "Owner's Manual Diet Basics: Crib Sheet," both of which are easy to follow actions that can help in making a resolution list and also aid in keeping me on track.

A fun "resolutionary" exercise, which could even be made into a game, could be creating resolutions based on the acronym for the words "Happy New Year". I'll start it off with the word HAPPY:

Harbor no resentments
Acquire no more debt
Practice healthy living
Plan for the future
Yearn for less.

If anyone still needs ideas for resolutions, the following government website has helpful tips: http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml. The list includes links to: lose weight, manage debt, save money, get fit, eat right, get a better education, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, reduce stress, or volunteer.
My resolution this year is to keep eating mindfully by choosing more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein and to keep refined sugar/refined flour (RS/RF) at a minimum. I would also like to get thirty to forty minutes of exercise at least five days a week.  I know I can stick to this because I've done it before and I can do it again.
Who's with me?  If not now, then when!  What are we waiting for?  What are your resolutions for 2009??? The solution is in the resolution. Make the decision and do it!
The image tutorial this month is "Flooded Farmland". Please go to the Home page of http://www.mydietmylife.com/ and click on the "Current Article" to access the link to the tutorial at the end of the article. Thanks! And, Happy New Year!

I have prepared a tutorial for the image "Flooded Farmland".

Copyright © Terry Tasche

©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

 

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#16. My Diet My Life: Make Yourself a Priority

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Make yourself a priority" and live your best life, says Oprah in her "Best Life Series". Putting myself on my own priority list, after all, is something no one else is going to do for me. NO one is going to feed me either or take me out for a walk. I have to be motivated to do these things all on my own. If my neighbor had a dog that was never taken for a walk, we'd be calling the anti-cruelty society to report animal abuse.

Priorities, how do I keep them?  I remember seeing a photo sometime ago of a sweet, little kitten cuddled up in a soft blanket, and the caption under it read, “It can be done; it should be done; it shall be done…tomorrow.” Obviously, he is a little procrastinator. This is completely my motto, too, because I can so relate. I’ll exercise more tomorrow; I’ll buy more fruit tomorrow,  and eat more vegetables tomorrow. I’ll call for a check-up tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes if I don’t start today.

What motivates me today is that I now know that activities like healthy eating, exercising and just plain walking could save my life and improve the quality of my life, too; my ONE and ONLY life. Today I can be, as the cartoon character Yogi Bear says,  "smarter than the average bear", and not let temptations and inertia overtake me. It is up to me to place myself on my own priority list.

While Oprah's busy getting us going on a healthy life plan, I need to remind myself what I discovered sometime ago: that walking back and forth to the kitchen to get more food is not a cardio workout; and lifting cookies, or the forkful of food to my face, is not a weight-bearing exercise. When my travels take me more frequently to the store's junk-food aisles, and more to the fridge and pantry than to the gym to work out or to go for a walk in the park, I need to reassess my priorities.

What is my plan for the day? I can't just hope or assume that my pantry and fridge will have the right food I'll need when I get hungry. I'll have to go out and buy the healthy food first to be ready when hunger strikes.

A little change can add up to healthy benefits. So, besides adding one tablespoon of cold-milled ground flaxseed to my oatmeal or yogurt each morning, I also now include cranberries (Trader Joe's orange-flavored cranberries are my favorite) or blueberries, because little things can mean a lot regarding my health.

While driving to Wisconsin I listened to a very informative CD by experts on walking. Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., and Mark Fenton, walking coach and America's best-known walker, give suggestions on the two-CD set called, "Walking~the Ultimate Exercise for Optimum Health". Some things they mention are the benefits of walking and tips for getting the most out of walking.

Mark Fenton is also the author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss and Fitness.

They report that walking is the supreme form of exercise.  Moderate walking, 30 minutes a day, even when broken down into three 10-minute segments, gives health benefits. The maintenance of physical activity throughout life is one of the reasons that healthy older people ARE healthy and have lived longer.  The goal is to be active, and they stress that in order to stay healthy, we must move more by walking more. 

There are many advantages to walking: Our bodies are made for walking, everyone knows how to do it, it's free, it's calming, it reduces anxiety, we can do it anywhere, and it allows for a low risk of injury. Moving joints without jarring, keeping bones, joints, and muscles fit is easily done with walking, and it even provides all the health benefits of any exercise. So, I guess there is just no excuse not to do it; it's one of those totally doable exercises.

Using a pedometer has helped and encouraged me to get out and walk. WOW! Walk Off the Weight! The link to my favorite one is on the website at http://mydietmylife.com/products.html, which I have been using for a year. It's also the one that Chicago's Channel 7 News team reported as being the best quality and the best value for the money. It helps keep me focused and excited to put in a little time each day toward improving my health.

According to the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, January, 2009, (p.8) "an active lifestyle with moderate amounts of aerobic activity will likely improve cognitive and brain function" and "might even reverse the neural decay frequently observed in older adults." A few simple changes may help save me from decline and decay. What a deal! To top it off, walking is free. Processed junk food is costly, in more ways than just in dollars spent. But, thinking about walking is different than doing it. It's worth the work that it takes to put on the pedometer and walk.

It's a simple solution: I must be my own self-advocate, make my own health a priority by putting healthy food into my mouth and engaging in healthy exercise, like walking. These simple activities can improve my health and my life. And, by making myself a priority, I'll be able to live my very "best life". And, you can do it, too!

A friend introduced me to Stevia, now my favorite "sweetener." It's categorized as a "nutritional supplement" and can be found at all health food stores, and even online at Amazon.com.

"Eight Miles High"

©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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#17. My Diet My Life: "Coming Distractions"

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

The definition of a distraction, according to the Microsoft Word dictionary, is 1) something that interferes with concentration or takes attention away from something else, or 2) something providing entertainment or amusement, especially something that takes the mind off work or worries and helps relaxation. That certainly describes my distractions pretty well: 1) I allow my junk food distractions to take my attention away from my health, and 2) I may even use them as entertainment, for instance, when I am bored. I also use them to take my mind off work or worries, and as a relaxation technique. I find the third definition also interesting, because it states that a distraction can be "a state of great mental or emotional upset."  That may be true, too, because at the end of a day of eating more calories than I need, I groan as I see my growth in girth. Any way you look at it, allowing them to cause distractions keeps me from the primary aim of taking care of myself in the realm of health. 

Coming soon... Don't miss... Be sure to see... Distractions are billed as main attractions as if they will enhance my life. The advertisements of these coming distractions work very hard at keeping me from paying attention to my health.

I am attracted to the distractions and distracted by the attractions, of which there are many, way too many. How can I avoid this? Sometimes all it takes is to look ahead a little, which will enable me to see beyond those apparent attractive distractions. Or, perhaps a set of blinders could be a helpful tool in keeping me focused, although I'd probably look pretty silly with a pair of flaps like they put on a horse's bridle, attached to the side of my head, one beside each eye, to keep me looking straight ahead. I could call it the Don't-Get-Side-Tracked Diet. I could also use someone to hold the reigns and lead me in the direction I should go. Don't look to the right or the left; look straight   ahead. I shouldn't let the distractions get to me. They are coming. They are everywhere, and they will get me if I don't watch out. They're in the drug store, gas station and coffee shop. Blinders are even needed in hardware stores. 

I remember how I used to make innocent enough trips to the hardware store to buy some hardware and come out having also bought a bag of candy, which was conveniently displayed near the checkout counter. I bought it and would eat half the bag by the time I got home just two miles away. Although I had foolishly thought that I would eat only two or three pieces, I opened the bag in the car and placed it on the seat beside me, and kept putting my hand into the bag and eating them, one after the other. I need to keep my hands a "safe driving distance" between me and the distractions, and then my hands can't collide with the candy, calories, and carbs.

Coming Distractions! I should know they're coming. They're pretty obvious and hard to miss. They are broadcast by beautiful, colorful signs that tell me to turn in here, buy this, eat that. They are announced in innovative ways, like pretty pictures on their perfect packages containing sugary sweets. They see me coming, but why am I blind to them and their R-rated content, which will Result in Ruining my health? When I know they're there, I can plan and prepare. How to avoid these pivotal pitfalls! One simple solution is to look the other way, ignore them and think about my health instead. Go for nutritious lean protein, whole grains, colorful fruits and vegetables rather than paying good money for destructive distractions, which eat into my pocketbook and into my health.

Distractions have a funny way of turning themselves into fat cells and high cholesterol once I see them and put the distractions into my hands. Saying that I will "try" to stay away from distractions is not enough, because just saying that I will "try" is not a commitment. Saying that I will "try" is really not trying at all. On the other hand, saying that I "will" do something or I will not do something is a much stronger statement, with a conviction and a commitment. Little changes can mean a lot and over time produce lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight. Identify and eliminate distractions and then say no to them and yes to health. Healthy choices make healthy bodies, day-by-day and bite-by-bite.

"Chicago Bull out in Left Field" is the image tutorial this month. If you're interested, please click on the image below for the tutorial.

 

"Chicago Bull out in Left Field"

©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

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#18. My Diet My Life: "The Take-Away Plan"

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Magazine covers shout solutions of how to: "Drop Two Sizes in 8 Weeks!" "Firm Up Your Belly," "Conquer Cravings," "Eat to Burn Fat." And, that's just the front of one cover. Another cover reads, "Drop 30 lbs Fast!" "3 Weeks to Being Diabetes-Free," "6 Inches off Your Belly in 10 Minutes a Day!" I want to read them all to find out the magic answers, but instead of answers they tell me to send for reports: Quick Healthy Fixes, Fat Blasters, Flatten Your Belly, Age Reversers, Pain Erasers, Diabetes Stoppers, Cancer Blockers, and on and on. Yes, I could have ordered them all, but I'm pretty sure I already know what they have to say: eat more fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, and less junk food, walk and exercise more. The millions and zillions of answers all add up to two things D & E: Diet and Exercise. Surely there's another way. Surely it's more complicated than that. The gist is this: expend calories by moving more and sitting less; and eat healthy produce to produce a healthy body.

The hope of health is not in secrets but in common sense. Take away the junk food and what is left? Health! When I take away all the things I shouldn't eat and drink, I have lower cholesterol, blood pressure and weight. The increase in all three has been a result of my taking things away from the store and storing them on me. When I add up the calories of what I shouldn't eat, I could save myself hundreds of calories of unnecessary, empty calories. Empty calories are calories devoid of nutrients. They are just calories and nothing else. I derive no nutritious benefits from EEUW (Extra, Empty, Useless, Worthless) calories. Flee from them and see what happens. That's when health happens.

Dr. Mehmet Oz says in his book You Staying Young: eat foods that are rich in antioxidant and /or anti-inflammatory properties, which will reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other complications of aging. Include green leafy vegetables like baby spinach every day, which may also reduce the risk of macular degeneration (blindness). Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and walnuts are a necessity and keep the brain healthy. (The design of the walnut, which kind of looks like a brain, reminds me to eat some for improved brain function.) Tomatoes and tomato sauce contain lycopene, an antioxidant compound that gives tomatoes their color. Lycopene lowers the risk of heart disease and macular degenerative disease, too. The antioxidant activity of lycopene is also thought to be an effective cancer-preventing nutrient.

Eating my vegetables may be the best antidote against aging and disease. Fruits and vegetables have three things going for them to make them attractive to my senses: their fragrance, their color, and their texture. Really look at the produce section and see the colorful vibrant vegetables, smell the fragrant fruit, and feel the tactile textures of the apples and oranges (after they're bought, of course). I can tell which is which with my eyes closed.

Take in the full enjoyment of all that is healthy. Appreciate the really good things in life. Forget about the junk food. Take away the foods that age the body and health remains. Get excited about being healthy. Dr. Oz also says that reducing caloric intake is another proven age retardant. Wow! What a simple way to stay young! Take away a few unnecessary calories each day. The weight falls off, the belly fat vanishes and the sizes drop once I set my eyes on colorful, fragrant, delicious nutritious food. It's like magic, but it's not.

The store is where it starts. Think about my choices right then and there, with the first glance. Because, if I put it in my cart and take it home, it is going to wind up on my body. If it will cause harm to my health, take it away. Whatever I pick up and hold in my hands will soon be in my mouth. The take away for today is to take away the empty calories, replace them with healthy, colorful fruit and vegetables. And that, my friends, will take away the excess weight and leave us with more healthy lives.

The tutorial for "Birds of a Feather" is available at Tasche Tutorials by clicking on the image below.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Birds of a Feather"©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

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#19. My Diet My Life: "Procrastination Pays"

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

I hate to admit it, but procrastination is one of my biggest problems. But, I have found a way to make procrastination work for me: I can procrastinate my way to health. Procrastination can be particularly helpful when a junk food temptation hits. Procrastinate and say, "Wait just a minute! Hold everything." WAIT and ask myself,  "Why Am I Tempted?" (W•A•I•T is my acronym for Why Am I Tempted.) What's really going on? What's behind the temptation? I feel hungry and jump to the conclusion that eating junk food will squelch my hunger.

The definition of procrastinate means to postpone doing something, especially as a regular practice. That is exactly what I need to do. Stop my regular practice of running for high-caloric carbs or junk food whenever my body signals the hunger-alert alarm.

What do I need in order to stop the craving and also enhance the health of my heart, brain, muscles, organs, bones, hair, skin, nails and physique in general? I need to take all of those into consideration. I am the only one who is going to look out for me. All of me needs special care and feeding.

I can put it off for a minute and give myself a chance to evaluate the situation. What do I need to do when I am tempted? Part of my problem, as simple as it may sound, is that I often hadn't known what to eat and didn't have a plan. So, now while I wait, instead of gobbling grub, I can have a little protein. Protein will help satisfy my hunger.

Not taking the time to think through to the consequences of my actions on my health has been foolish. It is important to find out what it is that I really need instead of going for the "quick fix" like candy, cookies or other empty, high-caloric carbs. Sitting down to a real meal is a good idea and a very good thing. When I actually sit down and eat a meal, like a low-cal salad and a sandwich, my craving is curbed. When I approach it with a logical plan, I discover I can manage my munching. Amazing!

Following are my seven tips for countering the temptations. Tip number four is detailed, because it's important to have healthy choices that I like and to have them available when I am feeling "starved".

1) Wait, procrastinate, and don't run for the high-caloric carbs.

2) Run to the kitchen faucet first, let it run, and fill a glass with water and drink it while you think.

3) Have a plan, which includes some protein so that when you eat, you will be satisfied.

4) Make sure to have some protein choices in the house, because protein satisfies the body's craving for nutritious food: favorite cheese choices like string cheese, Muenster or cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, deli turkey slices, nuts, peanut butter, yogurt, eggs, especially hard-boiled eggs (readily available in times of crisis), egg salad (made with light mayo), a chicken sandwich on whole grain bread with a glass of skim milk, a tuna sandwich, a salad with salmon (high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids), beans like garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas, available canned, dried or in hummus), soy protein foods like tofu, lean beef, yogurt (my favorite being Light Yoplait Yogurt, or "light yo-yo", containing just 100 calories and 5 grams of protein), a high-protein drink or a protein bar.

5) Get rid of the tempting junk food, knowing that if it's in the house, it may unfortunately be my first choice.

6) Take a deep breath and sit down and make a grocery list and include healthy protein choices like those listed in #4, so I'm never without them.

7) Eat high-fiber foods, because fiber boosts heart and digestive health, reduces cholesterol, and produces a satisfying feeling of fullness. WikiAnswers.com states, "Fiber slows digestion and absorption so that glucose (sugar) in food enters the bloodstream more slowly, which keeps blood sugar on a more even level."

And, while I'm waiting I can THINK about my priorities regarding how I want to look and feel. 

T-H-I-N-K is my acronym for:

Thank Heaven I Now Know; i.e., how to take care of my basic need for healthy food. Think carefully and at length about the problem and ruminate on it before running to empty high-caloric calories like junk food, which will only make me crave more high-caloric carbs. What can I do instead? Think about what will certainly help me. Think about the primary purpose of hunger, which is to get me to eat, and to provide health to my body, which I can do by feeding myself properly.

So, to sum it up, W•A•I•T and T•H•I•N•K, because procrastination pays.

W~O~W!!! Walk Off the Weight and Step into Health with the help of the BEST Pedometer ever!

Read how this pedometer can make walking more FUN!.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"The Field Museum of Chicago"

©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

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#20. Going Green and Staying Lean

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Everyone is going green today to "save the planet". Why shouldn't I also Go Green to save myself!

Foods containing all the colors of the rainbow come up almost like magic right out of the brown ground. They are fresh and loaded with nutrients. Since going green is our theme, let's name a few green foods from A to Z, like artichoke, arugula, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, granny smith apples, kale, lettuce, lime, peas, spinach, sugar snap peas, and zucchini.

The darker the green, the more nutrients the food contains. The Whole Foods' website reports that "spinach, with its jade green color, provides more nutrients than any other food." A dark green vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse of health, beyond what any expensive vitamin pill could ever give us.

While reading the latest issue of Bottom Line, June 1, 2009, I noticed the front-page report entitled, "Fracture-Proof Your Bones". It states that flexibility, which gives bones the ability to give a bit and not break, is the characteristic of bones that helps them resist fracture. It's their "protein-rich infrastructure called collagen" that gives bones what I call their "flexibility quotient". It states, "Vitamin K builds collagen in bones." It's good news to know that I can cut the "fracture factor" nearly in half by eating green, like spinach, daily. New studies show that our bodies need one-half cup of dark green vegetables each day.

Spinach is rich in vitamin K, calcium and magnesium, which are all important for bone health. The vitamin K provided by spinach contains almost 200% of the Daily Value in one cup of fresh spinach leaves, which incidentally contains only 7 calories. The article goes on to say, "Vitamin K helps prevent excessive activation of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone. Additionally, friendly bacteria in the intestines convert vitamin K1 into vitamin K2, which activates osteocalcin, which anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone." Cook it, prepare it fresh in a salad, or add it to sandwiches and burgers in place of lettuce.

Besides our all-important bone health, here are fourteen more reasons to "Go Green" and eat our vegetables. Spinach extracts have been shown to slow down cell division in 1) stomach cancer cells and to reduce 2) skin cancers. A study also has shown that the intake of spinach is inversely related to the incidence of 3) breast cancer.

A carotenoid in spinach combats 4) prostate cancer in two different ways. According to research published in the Journal of Nutrition, the spinach nutrients not only induce prostate cancer cells to self-destruct, but are converted in the intestines into additional compounds, which put prostate cancer cells into a state of stasis, thus preventing their replication.

A flavonoid in spinach, called kaempferol, combats 5) ovarian cancer. Other foods richest in kaempferol include blueberries and broccoli.

Spinach is also an excellent source of folate, which is needed by the body to help convert a potentially dangerous chemical called homocysteine that can lead to heart attack or stroke if levels get too high, into other benign molecules.

In addition, spinach and other dark green vegetables are excellent sources of calcium, potassium and magnesium, minerals that are important for maintaining 6) a normal heartbeat, and 7) healthy levels of blood sugar.

They also help to 8) lower high blood pressure, and protect against 9) heart disease, and are necessary for 10) regulating blood sugar, and 11) the healthy functioning of the nerve system. In addition, some studies report that calcium may help relieve 12) PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome). Studies also suggest that calcium may be able to reduce colon polyps, which can lead to 13) colon cancer, (which my husband just had removed and is doing great).

I read in my research of spinach that it is one of the richest sources of lutein, a phytonutrient that helps 14) protect our eyes from damaging UV light and may help in the prevention of retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and cataracts.

Visual cues like colorful foods are a delight to the eyes and can be helpful in drawing my mind to the right things to eat. For example, I have a red, wooden salad bowl filled with colorful lemons, limes, apples and bananas, which I keep in the center of the kitchen table to be a healthy reminder to eat my fruits and vegetables.

All these benefits for my whole body are worth the effort of going green and having a daily dose in my diet. So, let's serve up a bowl of health, be keen, Go Green and stay healthy and lean!

The image this month is to encourage the GREEN scene. Including a splash of the complementary color red creates a tantalizing temptation. And, how about adding a side of the summer favorite, which is both green and red, watermelon! For the tutorial on the lighting set-up, please click on the image below.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Colorful, Flavorful, Delicious, and Nutritious", ©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman Degrees

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

Healthy reading:

Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber who states,

"All of us have cancer cells in our bodies. But not all of us will develop cancer," is the pitch of the book's front cover.

 

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#21. Truth or Consequences

"We may be gluing ourselves together on the inside." Terry Tasche

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.
founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Ever wonder what the term "Whole Wheat" really means?  Here are some fascinating facts about the wheat we eat.  Know the truth, or face the consequences!

1) The BRAN is the protective skin, or outer covering, of the wheat kernel.  It is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

2) The GERM is the nutrient-rich seed.  It is comfortably padded inside the endosperm (starch) awaiting its birth into a sprout so it can grow into a new wheat plant.

3) The ENDOSPERM contains mostly starch, the food source for the new plant sprout.

The WHEAT kernel consists of 3 basic parts:

"Whole Wheat for Wellbeing"

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

 

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR is made up of all 3 parts, the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. WHITE FLOUR, also called "refined flour" (RF), is made from only the endosperm (starch). Here's what we lose when all but the starch are removed: the wheat kernel's life-sustaining ingredients, i.e., the fiber, basic amino acids, vitamins, minerals (including calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and iron), and antioxidant phytochemicals.  The Web site, www.horizonmilling.com, calls the starch portion "food for the growing seedling." I have a body needing nourishment, not a seedling needing to grow! Consuming products made from the plump "belly" of the wheat kernel will make me plump, too. As I fill myself with these starchy calories, new plump growth is created in me, not health.

Some may remember how when we were kids we made PASTE out of flour and water. (Some of our classmates even ate it.) Perhaps that's why food made out of refined flour is called pasta or pastries. Sugar and fat is often added to make the flour and water sweet and scrumptious, but a steady diet of this is not healthy. The body cannot survive on starch ( sugar and fat) alone.

According to the Microsoft dictionary, "refine" means to produce a purer form of, or to improve something by removing impurities. The wheat "refining" process is done by the mechanical removal, by grinding or selective sifting, of bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm (starch). Bleaching, mixing, and brominating are methods to further refine wheat. So I ask, why is it called "refined" wheat? Essential ingredients of health, not impurities, are removed. Refinement" eliminates essential elements. Understanding the truth about what is stripped from the wheat kernel helps avoid the consequences of only consuming the starch that remains. Refinement sounds better than it turns out to be, because the RF products may be tempting but are bad for me. Fitness, vigor and bodily strength cannot be maintained by eating only the wheat's starch. Starch strengthens only shirts, but not my body.  We may actually be gluing ourselves together on the inside.

Studies have shown that the fiber and nutrients in whole grains help fight cancer, diabetes and heart disease. What is done with the needed nutrients and essential elements of health that are removed? Maybe they are sold back to me as nutritional supplements! Why not get it all in one tasty healthy bite of whole wheat!

The Whole Foods website, whfoods.com, states, "Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, features a host of important nutrients. Therefore, to receive benefit from the wholesomeness of wheat it is important to choose wheat products made from whole wheat flour rather than those that are refined and stripped of their natural goodness."

What else have I learned about refined flour? A steady diet of it won't lead to health but will lead to high blood sugar levels and insulin surges when eating refined or "stripped-down" wheat (RF). (Suggested reading: my previous article The Urge, the Splurge and the Surge.) I can expect the wheat kernel's starchy "padding" to help grow my own padding. Is that what I really want from my food? It also sets up a craving in me that is hard to get under control once I take the first bite. I have to ask myself, Who's in charge here? Me or the food? Every little bit that I don't bite helps! Because every bite bites me back!

Sometimes I forget the fact that eating, although an enjoyable activity, is for the purpose of providing nutrition to my body. Eating things that are damaging and destructive, all the while providing more calories than I need, can lead to many disastrous health problems. Understanding reality brings clarity in decision-making and may help me to dodge the desserts. It's truth or consequences: Know the truth, improve our health, and avoid the consequences!

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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#22. Love ~ Learn ~ Live

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

It's been said that you will be the same five years from now as you are today, except for the people you meet and the books you read!

Going on that premise, reading can change my brain, my attitudes and my actions. My eating attitude starts with the information I feed myself. Learning creates and promotes change. It is obvious why we go to school. Education, as one of my teachers once said, means change. The point of education regarding my health is to make me more knowledgeable and to change my thinking so that I can make wiser decisions. Education regarding health helps me in my diet and my life.

Education and change can be measured with tests, which can judge improvement on a given subject. Have I improved? Now here is the real test:
1) Which will give me a healthy start for the day, white or whole-wheat bread?
2) Why eat whole wheat: to get all of the available nourishment from the wheat kernel.
3) Which has more calcium, a) yogurt or b) sweet rolls?
4) Which has more protein, a) an egg or b) a muffin?
5) Which has more fiber, a) an apple or b) a cookie?
6) Which has more vitamins and minerals, a) fruit and vegetables or b) pasta and pizza?
7) Which has less sugar and fewer calories, a) water or b) a can of cola?
8) Which has less harmful consequences, a or b?
9) So, when confronted with hunger, which will I choose:

• a) yogurt or b) a  sweet roll
• a) an egg or b) a muffiin
• a) an apple or b) a cookie, and so on and so on?

10) And, when I am thirsty, do I choose

• a) water or
• b) sugary sodas filled with carbonated calories?
  These are tests I take along the way each and every day.

I can learn to love what is healthy and live what I've learned. Think about my health before I eat or drink. I can gain knowledge without activating it. For example, although I want a flat stomach and know how to have one, am I willing to do my sit-ups?

Perhaps writing down what I've learned will help me remember the important points. A journal may be the answer here: a daily diary of my diet and my thoughts.
A diary of delusions helps uproot erroneous beliefs. Here are some of mine:

    1) I deserve dessert daily.
    2) I crave it, therefore, I must have it.
    3) I see it, so I must eat it.
    4) If I don't have it and I think about it, I must go and get it.

WRONG! All of the above are not true. They are false beliefs that I lived by for literally decades. Damaging delusions like these lead me to harmful choices. Reading and learning has motivated me to change my thinking and brought about a change in my lifestyle, which can lengthen my life.

I didn't realize that daily doses of junk food could cause high cholesterol. I had often heard about the importance of reducing the intake of high-cholesterol and high-fat foods in order to reduce cholesterol levels, and had never heard how reducing high-caloric, refined flour/refined sugar (RF/RS) products could lower elevated cholesterol levels. But, reducing my intake of junk-food calories reduced my cholesterol level by 40 points.

I obviously know that consuming more calories than I need each day causes body fat. But, why didn't I think that the fat would also get stored in my arteries along the way? Food is broken down and then travels through the blood vessels; the nourishing calories do their work and the excess calories get stored as fat, inside and outside the arteries. Some of the fat gets stuck and stored in the arterial walls on the way to becoming body fat. Over time deposits of cholesterol, the fatty plaques inside the arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, clog the arteries and kill vital organs. Those stored in the coronary blood vessels, which supply blood to the heart muscle, can clog the coronary (heart) arteries and cause a "heart attack" or myocardial infarction (the death of a segment of heart muscle). Let's stop this scenario before it starts.

I'll end with this sobering thought, I have to love my life and learn to live healthier.
Love to be healthy • Learn to be healthy • Live and be healthy.
If I don't love it and learn about it, I won't have a life to live.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Venice" ©TerryTasche, M.Photo.Cr., F-PPANI

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#23. Tasty Tempting Palate Pleasers

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Dr. David Kessler, pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, writes in his book that we crave fat, salt and sugar, and he reveals how the food industry has been contributing to our craving for unhealthy food.

Indeed it is tasty and tempting. I, too, notice how Salt, Sugar and Fat (SSF) can be stimuli and make me forget about the normal natural, healthy foodst that are available.

Presentations and packaging activate the brain to anticipate the excitement of the food we are about to consume. Overdosing on enticing elements of SSF food may even lead to addiction. Ice cream, chips and chocolate have a way of making me lose my sense of what's good for me as they float me off into la-la land.

Product manufacturers know the addicting power of these three ingredients. They carefully create just the right combinations to please the palate and give an experience we'll surely want again and again. Luring us is their goal. Just like luring the fish to take the hook, I bite the bait.

Advertisers cue us for consumption by offering us pleasure and fun. Last week at the local drug store the check-out clerk asked me if I wanted a chance to win $500. I said, "No, thank you." Then curiosity caused me to ask more about this exciting opportunity. She said, "We have a promotion where you get three of these for $2," and she pointed to a display of candy bars next to the register. I bit the bait, bought three, and walked out with 750 calories in hand with a receipt that said, guess what, "Sorry; you did not win." I got in my car and promptly ate one on my way to the gym, which is where I was headed. I walked and worked off what I'd just eaten rather than the stored fat I had hoped to remove. The odds were slim to none of winning and even slimmer of keeping me slim. I had stepped right into the trap.

Junk foods with their SSF are multi-sensory sirens, enticing the senses to anticipate their glorious riches of salt, sugar and fat (SSF), and I can easily get too much of NOT a good thing. The more senses stimulated and the more of these three elements included, the more attractive the products become. Combine sugar with fat, or fat with salt, and what do I get? I get fat and fatigue while eating too much salt, sugar and fat. I become zoned out and don't even realize how much of it I'm eating. But, I can change my perception and think about the consequences instead. For example, although the people appear to be having fun in the advertisements, I'll envision them going to the doctor for help with their weight, diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol later.

Understanding how SSF's are out to entrap me and zap me at every turn can prevent me from making the same unhealthy mistakes time after time. As I thought about the win-$500 scenario later that night, I determined to throw out the remaining two candy bars the next morning, which I had stashed in the pantry. Unfortunately, I forgot to do this. By the time I remembered, I was hungry and so ate another one. But, I am happy to report that I finally did throw out the third sugary assassin, which continued consuming my thoughts until I either ate it or got rid of it. Throwing it out saved me from having to walk off even more calories.

Temptations are everywhere, calling and drawing me with seductions to indulge. I have been a voluntary target for too long, but I'm learning to get out of the line of fire and stay out of the cookie aisle and away from the candy counter. Setting these simple boundaries can prevent a lot of problems. Taking my body out for a walk everyday is also a good idea.

One simple and easy way to eat healthier is, "Carry nuts to eat," as Dr. Oz suggests in his Time magazine interview of August 10, 2009.  Although they are a bit high in calories, they are convenient little power-packed packets of protein and nutrients that help curb the cravings and are good for me, and you, too.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

 

"Sweet Nectar" ©Terry Tasche

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#24. Plan and Prepare or Beware

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

And for me, planning and preparation determine the direction. A daily plan of action is an important part of the process. What am I waiting for?  Begin the process; plan and prepare for health. Keep it simple. Two basic E's are Eating and Exercise. Two more E's, also important in planning a healthy program of weight loss and health, are Education and Evaluation. Take the action to plan and prepare.

1) Eating: Preparing a grocery list of healthy food items, thus surrounding myself with healthy food, is the beginning of planning healthy meals and snacks. The preparation process means placing plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber-containing food items (like salads, beans, baby spinach and broccoli, for instance), lean protein, foods with omega-3 fatty acids (like walnuts, Brazil nuts, flax seed, or salmon, for example) and whole-grain products on the list. Eliminating flab-producing foods will keep me from taking, trying, and tasting tantalizing temptations; "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." That will give me no other choice when I am hungry than to go for the healthy stuff. High-caloric carbohydrate products that are full of empty calories are also called high-glycemic index foods. These are foods that raise the blood sugar very quickly and cause an intense secretion of insulin, which then causes a sudden drop in blood sugar, making me feel hungry again. This is an unhealthy cycle of ups and downs, of high blood sugar and then low blood sugar. The Urge-Splurge-Surge Cycle is described in more detail in the previous article of the same name. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Beware! Don't just sit and stare. There's no time to spare. Stay clear of the junk food snare. By the way, make sure to stick to the grocery list! Halloween Tip: Candy that goes through the lips may wind up on the hips. Jelly Bellies aren't named that for nothing.

2) Exercise: Planning a simple daily, doable routine is preparation for having a body that is a stronger leaner machine. Walking 30 minutes daily is an easy calorie burner. Moving more speeds up metabolism.

3) Education:  Preparing my mind with knowledge from the experts provides information, which can lead to transformation. There are plenty of experts in books, articles, research projects, newsletters, talk shows, magazines, etc. One of my favorites is Sugar Busters by H. Leighton Steward, Andrews, Bethea and Balart. Some of my expert resources are Harvard Health Letter, Cleveland Clinic Heart Advisor, Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, Nutrition Action, all of which are delivered to our home. Someone recently told me, "I think that if I read something regarding health every day, I could probably stay on track." Well said! So, keep reading.

4) Evaluation: Writing down my daily food selections is a key part of my plan and makes me aware of what I'm eating. Research backs up the importance of recording what I'm eating and reports that those who record are more successful and actually lose more weight than non-recorders. Amazing! Way to go! Another secret of success is to let someone know. This can be pretty easy to do, too. Just start a MicroSoft Word document, date each entry and write down the food choices throughout the day. That's what the blog on mydietmylife.com is: a 145-day blog journal of my journey. Here's my new word: blourney, which I define as a way to use my blog to begin and record your journey. You can do this by simply inserting your journey into my blog. Go to the blog page of mydietmylife.com, "select " all 145 days, and "copy" them. Then paste the selection into your own MicroSoft Word document and save the new document in your computer. Each day read the entry and then record your own entry right after mine, follow it with your name and date. This can help jumpstart your writing and record keeping. Send it to me if you like via the email link. No diet police will arrest anyone for their writing, their temptations, indulgences or bad thoughts. I found that writing NOT only what I was eating, but also my thoughts ABOUT what I was eating sometimes became quite interesting, informative and revealing. Awareness and accountability grew out of recording and reporting as I kept learning every day.

Finally, keep expecting results with hopeful anticipation, and keep looking forward to more victorious outcomes. Losing one pound each week is inspiring. Going down in weight and down in size is a motivating benefit. Lowering blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings also declare the success of healthy eating, exercise, education and evaluation.
Preparation is the GOAL, and a plan is key. Make a plan and prepare for success. Better health is on the horizon if we don't give up.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

www.terrytasche.com

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#25. Your Diet or Your Life

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

The robber quickly approaches and yells, “Drop everything! This is a stick up! Your money or your life!”

What makes the victim so quickly drop whatever he’s holding and hand over the money? The fear of the loss of his life is the final answer to that question. The solution isn’t hard to figure out when confronted with an ultimatum like that one.

Comparing this dramatic scenario to my health, gives me cause for pause, because eating sugar, refined carbohydrates, and refined flour day after day, year after year can cause havoc with my health and eventually cause me to hand over my life, too. Unhealthy choices and being unwilling to give up a diet that’s causing problems can cost me more than money. Where junk food and high-caloric pre-packaged, processed products are concerned, these robbers are happy to steal both my money and my health.

Have I no fear where my health is concerned? A little fear here can go a long way in waking me up to the deadly outcome that’s waiting down the road. Fear for my life can help keep me on a healthy track. It’s as though my diet is in one hand and my health is in the other. Either hand over my health or hand over my unhealthy diet? Do I fear the plaque that accumulates as a direct result of my poor food choices? It’s insidious so I’m oblivious to what I may be doing to myself on the inside? Do I care more about my health or more about the instant gratification that unhealthy food and drink can bring?

What about this don’t I understand? There’s a lot going on in my body that can’t be seen but needs my attention. Nutritional foods loaded with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and protein go into building a healthy heart, cells, systems, organs, nails, hair, skin and teeth, bright eyes that are able to focus clearly, strong muscles and bones, tendons, collagen, etc. My body and all of its parts need nutrients in order to rebuild, restore and rejuvenate.

Exercise helps improve blood flow, which carries the nutrition, vital oxygen, and water to the body, and also helps carry waste products away and out the door, so to speak. The body systems will all collapse and die without them. How can they do otherwise? Eating and exercise makes it all happen.

Does anyone know how many pounds of sugar will be consumed in one year by drinking just one sugary soda per day? I recently read that having 1 soda (not diet soda) per day translates into consuming 32.5 lbs of sugar annually! It’s simple addition. Add 365 cans of non-diet soda together, and it adds up to overdosing on sugar, which can lead to overloading the body with weight. A 30-pound bag of sugar is a heavy load for the body and blood stream to carry year after year. I wonder how many calories 365 sodas contain, and how many pounds of weight would that add in one year?

So, instead of adding more vitamin supplements or prescription pills to the medicine cabinet, here are seven simple suggestions to add to the kitchen cabinet and fridge. Harold Bloomfield, M.D., author of Healing Anxiety Naturally, suggests reducing stress and anxiety with healthy food, and states, “Recent studies show that a healthy eating plan (like a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean protein) erases anxious feelings . . . often in as little as three weeks.” This works because “wild ups and downs in blood-sugar levels stimulate the adrenal glands to pump out excess stress hormones, like cortisol.” A healthy diet keeps blood sugar on an even keel. Make food the medicine and enjoy eating:

1. Dark chocolate can reduce the levels of a marker called C-reactive protein, which causes heart-damaging inflammation--just one or two ounces a day will do.
2. Drink one glass of cranberry juice a day. It’s rich in polyphenols, which boost HDL cholesterol levels, the “good” cholesterol.
3. Have a V-8! Tomatoes reduce the level of LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol. The lycopene in tomatoes helps prevent the LDL from turning into plaque, which can clog arteries.
4. Walk 20-30 minutes every day to strengthen the heart and increase the flow of life-giving nutrients to it and to all the body’s cells and systems.
5. Improve the appearance and health of skin and hair by eating salmon, which contains the good fat DHA-omega 3. The carotenoid in salmon can also improve the skin’s elasticity,
6. Prevent frail and brittle nails and hair by eating nuts, egg yolks, soybeans, legumes, or avocados to increase biotin, an essential chemical for the metabolism of fat and carbohydrates.
7. Produce more collagen and elastin for healthier skin by eating pomegrantes, which contain phytonutirents, thereby accelerating wound healing and rejuvenation.

Drop the junk and hold onto health. Determine what it is you really want and make it a priority. It could mean the choice between your diet and your life.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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#26. Better Safe than Sorry ~ Part 1

By Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

A wise man once said, "In order to learn something, you need to teach it." I recently received in the mail a 10-page report entitled The Food-Health Connection from the Harvard Medical School. I read it right away so that I could share it with you, and I'll reinforce what I've learned by writing about it. The newsletter states that it is excerpted from Healthy Eating: A guide to the new nutrition published by Harvard University, 2009.

Eating a diet high in calories, but low in nutrition is a poor decision. Food is how we fuel our bodies. Sugar and flour together give me the temporary taste of sweet paste along with their long-lasting effect of a bigger waist. Is that what I really want? When I put all the food and drink I will have today out before me, will they give me the consequences of disease or the benefits of health?

I gave myself a gold star for giving away all of the leftover Halloween candy. And, miracle of miracles, I decided to cut sugar and artificial sweeteners from my coffee after reading an article on curbing sugar to lower heart risks in the Cleveland Clinic Heart Advisor. It said that the recommended daily "dose" of sugar be just 6 tsp. for women and 9 for men. I thought, "I could have that much in my cups of coffee in the morning." The idea came to me that, "If I don't like it with only skim milk added, I'll have to drop coffee altogether, or switch to tea." A sugar addiction doesn't die easily, but actually, having it without sugar has been fine. I had to make myself like it or leave it. I dropped the artificial sweetener, too, because I know that the amount I was adding was above the "legal limit." After reading the Advisor's suggestion, I'm creating an initiative to be aware of and remove more and more refined sugar and refined flour from my diet and calling it TCB, or Taking Care of the Body I live in, because small changes can mean a lot.

The upshot of the Harvard report is that healthy eating and regular exercise can help prevent high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer, all of which can kill me.

As an example, one of their conclusions is that the researchers have now been able to show that "the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is related to the amount of sugar in the diet. Most at risk were those who drank high quantities of fizzy or syrup-based drinks. The group who said that they drank such products twice a day or more ran a 90% higher risk than those who never drank them. People who added sugar to food or drinks (e.g. coffee) at least five times a day ran a 70% greater risk than those who did not."

The report states another finding, "Adult diabetes is three times as common today as it was in 1960, and it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, memory loss, and other kinds of mental deterioration." And it continues, "90% of cases of diabetes could be prevented with a healthy diet and lifestyle, including exercise." Further, "The good news is that, according to research, adult-onset diabetes can be prevented with healthier eating habits and regular exercise." There they are again! Those two E's are everywhere in the health literature and research. The front page of thousands of magazines keeps repeating the mantra; it's about "Eating and Exercise." Cutting out extra, empty, useless, worthless calories and engaging in a regular routine of exercise will improve my health, help me look and feel younger and give me more energy, too.

It goes on to say that about half of adults in the United States, and 80% of those over 50, have blood pressure high enough to put them at risk for heart disease and that a healthy blood pressure is considered to be 120/80 or lower.

The report has gathered information from several sources and various research studies. It mentions diets such as the DASH, the Mediterranean, and the OmniHeart diets, and sources such as The Nurses Health Study, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Seven Countries Study (an international diet survey conducted in the 1960's, which "produced the surprising news that the region with the lowest incidence of heart disease is the Greek island of Crete"), the 2007 Cochrane systematic review of 18 of the best studies to date, The Women's Health Initiative, World Cancer Research Fund, the American Institute for Cancer Research, Harvard's Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a major American Cancer Society study published in JAMA, among others. Lots of research has been done, and the report is definitely worth reading. (www.health.harvard.edu)

If someone told me that there was a simple solution to protect myself from dying an early death, or from killing myself by my own eating or drinking, would I listen? Advice is easy to give and sometimes difficult to follow. If disease can be prevented, isn't it better than trying to control it once it's here? It's better to be safe than sorry.

Please return next month for Part II and my "Ten Tips for Tip Top Health, " which I have gleaned from the Harvard report in order to give guidance and direction to help us make wise, healthy choices.

"Venetian Villa" is the image of the month, and this month's tutorial is on how to create brushes in PhotoShop, which can then be used to "paint" pictures, like in the Venice painting seen below. Please click on the image to access the tutorial.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Venetian Villa" ©TerryTasche

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#27. Better Safe than Sorry ~ Part 2: Ten Tips for Tip Top Health

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Following is the continuation of my article on the 10-page report titled The Food-Health Connection published by Harvard University, 2009. The findings in this report, subtitled Harnessing the Power of Food to Fight Disease (www.health.harvard.edu), state that the healthiest diet contains lean protein, healthy fats like olive oil, fish and nuts, and whole-grain products, healthy carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables, fiber foods and water. Eating these items "helps lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol profiles, and lower the risk of heart disease."

Here are my "Ten Tips for Tip Top Health, " which I've gleaned from the report and   consolidated into ten tips. They can give guidance and direction to assist us in making wise, healthy choices.

1) Avoid saturated fat and trans fat, which increase the risk of heart disease by raising triglycerides and blood cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol. They are found in processed meats, refined sugar and refined flour products, which add only non-nutritious, empty calories. Trans fats ("hydrogenated oils found in commercial baked goods, like chips, cookies and cakes, many candies, and many margarines") should be avoided.

2) Carbohydrates that have a high-glycemic index-foods that raise the blood sugar quickly-like refined sugar and refined flour, contribute to the development of and appear to be "the leading dietary villains in diabetes." They cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, create a feeling of hunger soon after, and so cause overeating. This cycle of surges leads to weight gain. The blood sugar surges and causes spikes in insulin production and ultimately wears down the pancreatic cells that make insulin. In type II diabetes the pancreas stops producing insulin, the sugar stays in the circulatory system and is not placed into the cells where it can be used. It rides around the blood stream creating havoc in the heart, kidneys, brain, eyes, circulation in the feet and legs, etc.

3) Eat healthy fats, like omega-3 and omega-6, found in fish and olive oil. These monounsaturated fats lower LDL cholesterol. They help prevent strokes and reduce blood pressure. It reminds me of adding the right oil to the engine of a car to make it run more smoothly. Flaxseed is a great source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. I add 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed to eggs, cereal, or yogurt each morning.  Spectrum Organic Ground Cold-Milled Flaxseed is a healthy choice.

4) Eat whole grains, which protect against heart disease and stroke. The nutrition and fiber in whole grains help lower cholesterol. Including fiber, like in whole grains and beans, adds bulk and a feeling of fullness, which help to curb overeating.

5) Water is important, especially when increasing fiber intake to help it move through the GI tract. Drink tap water, because the fluoride it contains helps build bones and teeth; throw-away bottles fill landfills and empty pocketbooks. Vitamin D and magnesium are also essential for calcium absorption. And, Vitamin K helps regulate calcium and build bone and is present in dark green lettuce, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, or spinach.

6) Take folic acid and B6 supplements, which together offer more protection than when used alone to reduce the risk of heart attack or death from heart disease by nearly 50%, as reported by The Nurses Health Study. They may do this by lowering blood levels of homocysteine, high levels of which are implicated in heart disease and stroke.

7) Eat fruits and vegetables and reduce blood pressure and help your heart stay healthy. Potassium, found in many foods, is known to lower blood pressure. Reducing common table salt intake and foods with salt can also offset rising blood pressure readings. The lycopene in tomatoes, especially cooked tomatoes, may also have a beneficial effect in preventing prostate cancer.

8) Moderate the intake of alcohol, because "heavier drinking increases blood pressure and interferes with blood pressure medication, and may deny the body the benefits of nutrient-packed calories." Several studies found that "drinking one glass of any kind of alcohol per day increases a woman's risk of breast cancer by about 9%," and "having two drinks a day increased a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 20% to 25%." "Moderate consumption of alcohol boosts the body's levels of estrogen, which can promote breast cancer...Eating too many calories increases the risk of breast cancer."

9) "Red meat and alcohol appear to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. People who eat a lot of red meat, and especially processed meat, or who drink more than a modest amount of alcohol have higher rates of colon cancer than people who consume lower amounts." Vitamin D, and high-fiber foods may help reduce the risk. "Harvard researchers found that higher blood levels of vitamin D were directly related to a lower risk of colon cancer, supporting other studies associating vitamin D with cancer protection." Alcohol hampers the ability of the body to use folic acid, and this nutrient plays a leading role in preventing colorectal cancer."  Also, a strong dietary link to colon cancer is overeating. "Belly fat adds an additional risk. One study cited in the global report found a 5% increased risk of colon cancer per inch waist circumference [over the normal healthy measurement]." Exercising helps reduce the risk and reduce the weight and belly fat, and also builds endurance and strengthens the heart. Regular exercise, like walking, also helps prevent high blood pressure, wards off diabetes and even creates new brain cells. Yea! Eat healthy high-protein foods such as poultry, fish, beans, and vegetable protein products.

10) Take vitamin and mineral supplements like selenium to reduce the risk of cancer. "A study of 1,312 men at the Arizona Cancer Center showed that those who took 200 mcg of selenium per day were 63% less likely to get cancer of any kind and, in particular, reduced their risk for lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers."

I can do this. It's a new day and a New Year! Today I promise to lay out a simple plan that leads to health. The products I need are available. All I need to do is buy them and keep them around. Just as I had always been able to have plenty of junk food around me, I can choose to have healthy things handy. And, I have two workable legs, so I can walk, too. Add some blackberries, blueberries or bananas for breakfast, and have an apple in the afternoon. Heed the research and live. Isn't it better to be safe than sorry?

"Venetian Windows" is the image of the month. Please go to the current article on mydietmylife.com and click on the image at the end of the article to access the tutorial's page.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Venetian Windows" ©TerryTasche

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#28. Body-Bank Deposits

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

       
"If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed." Ancient Chinese Proverb

We all know that depositing checks, cash, and gold coins into our financial bank accounts heads us in the direction of future financial health.

Just like making deposits into bank accounts, it's also important to make healthy deposits into a "health account," which I'm calling my Body Bank. What am I depositing into my Body Bank Account? What nutritious deposits can I make today to ensure my future health?

My future health stability depends on what I'm depositing today, like vitamins, and minerals, amino acids, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy, complex carbohydrates. These all come from foods we eat, digest and utilize for brain power, muscle and bone strength, heart health, cellular activity, and more. Is it too much to ask of myself to learn what my body needs, put them in my mouth, chew and swallow?

The financial and health accounts are equally important.  If I don't have my health and die early, I won't have much need for a bank account. Or, if I have made unhealthy deposits into my body, I may need a much stronger bank account to help cover the costs of poor health and disease, much of which can be avoided through eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly: E & E: Eating and Exercise.

The body bank is set up to accept contributions and donations of all kinds whether they are healthy or not. I alone decide which go in and which stay out. They enter through the mouth and go to various places like muscles, brain, organs, blood system, and of course, unfortunately, may get added to fat deposits. The extra, empty, worthless, useless calories in junk food (mainly refined sugar and refined flour products RS/RF) seem destined for the fat cells if they are not expended through calorie-burning exercise. RS/RF are like wooden nickels and counterfeit cash to a bank account that take up space and may often get carried around as dead weight for way too long. They're definitely easier to deposit than to unload. They're like robbers and thieves that go into a bank and steal away the wealth, but in the body bank they can steal away the health.

Let's face the facts and focus for a moment on one simple nutritional source of energy, the low-caloric orange, a citrus fruit that's full of fragrance and flavor. It's small but mighty and able to deliver numerous nutrients with every bite.

It's one example of something I could and should be eating daily: the flavorful, power-packed and portable orange. According to Volume 27, Number 11 of Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter the orange contains a wealth of lesser-known antioxidants, "including more than 170 phytonutrients and 60 flavonoids, like limonoids, which are being studied for their cholesterol-lowering benefits and anti-cancer properties. Its nutrients are also vital for the body's production of collagen."

How much tastier is flavorful food than vitamin pills and medications, which may be necessary if I don't eat my fresh produce like fruits and vegetables. The Tufts report also states that oranges  "help fight against cardiovascular disease by supplying thiamin, vitamin A, calcium, antioxidants, folate, and potassium," to name but a few nutrients that it contains. As a bonus, a medium orange contains only 80 calories of quality carbs, i.e., complex carbohydrates, giving it a low glycemic index (GI), meaning that it releases its energy slowly. As reported by Tufts University research, the consumption of low-GI foods reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARM). It's a fact worth noting for all of those interested in seeing for a lifetime.

The orange is also high in dietary fiber, which adds a feeling of fullness and aids in digestion. It's important to feel full in order to avoid bingeing from feeling hungry. A medium-sized orange can suppress hunger for up to four hours. The dietary fiber contained in a medium orange is three grams compared to only half a gram in a cup of orange juice. The body bank needs a minimum of thirty grams of fiber a day, because fiber is essential for good health and can reduce heart disease and cancer risk. Fiber can be a simple solution to help prevent a serious problem.

Grating a little well-washed orange peel onto a salad or into a beverage not only adds zest, but a dose of antioxidants. Or, how about adding a little peel to a smoothie? After reading the report, I cut up the whole orange, peel and all, and threw it all into the blender for our breakfast smoothie.

Search online for recipes containing oranges. I found a great cranberry-orange relish recipe on Pillsbury.com, which even includes the peeling, makes 3 cups, and only has 1/4 cup of sugar added.

Make the deposits today and every day before extraordinary measures are necessary to repair the damage caused by unhealthy deposits. Now, every time I eat, with each bite I take, I think about the body bank deposits I'll make.

This month's tutorial is on adding a texture to an image as seen below in "Venetian Harbor."
Please click on the image to access the tutorial page.

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"Venetian Harbor" ©TerryTasche

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#29. Irreplaceable Real Estate

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

What's the most valuable and expensive real estate I'll ever own? It goes without saying that it's my home; a lot of time, money and effort have gone into it. Repairs, improvements, and maintenance costs add up, because things need to be done to keep it from falling apart. Keeping it in tip-top shape can be expensive, but it's worth it in order to protect this valuable investment. Thousands are spent on it during a lifetime.

But there's another even more expensive home I care for, repair and maintain. It's the home of a closer kind, the one I live in every day, my body. This is the home I was given at birth, to exist in every day. It started at birth as a healthy body with healthy lungs and limbs made to last a lifetime. I'm in it wherever I go, and as a dear friend of mine used to say, "Wherever I go, there I am." It goes on vacation with me, to work, to bed, to the concert and hopefully to the gym. I take it for walks, and I put it to bed, because it needs both exercise and rest. It's my very own house, made of blood, sweat and tears, organs, systems, muscles and mass. It's my body. I live in it day in and day out. It belongs to me alone, and no one else. It's mine to take care of or to let fall apart.

The body is strong, but can only endure so much abuse and/or neglect, and then it begins to collapse. If we saw my house collapsing or the roof caving in, wouldn't we shore it up or take the weight off the roof before it fell in? What makes us think that the consequences of our daily doses of fat, sugar and salt won't add up to disaster? Doctors tell us what we need to do. Lab reports confirm their suspicions when we aren't drinking, eating and exercising properly. When our bodily real estate is deteriorating, are we determined to eat and drink what we want anyway? Humph! We'd better think again. But, even problems and disease can often be reversed, because our bodies are capable of repairing themselves in many ways when given the nutrients they need.

Preventive maintenance is key for my home, and it's best not to let it become run-down real estate. Why, because it's lived in every day and very expensive to repair. A peaceful, uncluttered house, and healthy bodily abode is a most heavenly sight to behold.

Improve the value of this real estate by helping it appreciate rather than letting it depreciate. After all, it will depreciate soon enough all by itself if we do not care for it. It takes work to keep any fine machine like the body running smoothly. If we don't help it, it can fall apart, pipes can get clogged and vital structures may need replacing.

Here's a recent revelation: I have been having my coffee without any added sugar or sweeteners. I just discovered a healthy substitute for sugar and artificial sweeteners. I don't know why I haven't heard about it before now. A few months ago my daughter, Julie, introduced me to a protein powder by Biochem Sports called 100% Whey Protein. The container states that it is free of wheat, gluten, lactose and fat. It can be added to such things as smoothies and cereals. I'm now adding the vanilla-flavored powder to my coffee. One-half scoop contains 5 grams of protein and only 25 calories, making it a great way to add a flavorful, nutritious twist to my day while sipping java. Protein helps curb the craving for sweets, too. And, amazingly, for all those who are interested in saving the planet, it's manufactured with wind power. Yea!

Whatever we love to do, we'll enjoy more and do better while living in a healthy body. We're in it wherever we go, whatever we do. Our bodies are real estate worth investing in and protecting. People may never see your house, but they'll see your healthy, or unhealthy, habitat wherever you are. This is the body we call home, and it's literally irreplaceable real estate.

This tutorial is on combining two images together as seen below in "Phantom of Venice."

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"Phantom of Venice" ©TerryTasche

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#30. Destination with Determination

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"...Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." William James

Changing what I put into my mind can help change my attitude about my body and my participation in my health.

Comparing my goal of a healthy life to a long road trip in my car helps me to clarify my goals where eating and drinking are concerned. When I plan a trip, and AAA prepares my trip details, they'll ask me the obvious questions like: "Where are you going?" "When do you want to get there?" "What route do you prefer?" My responses hopefully are not, "Wherever, whenever, and whatever." I'll have a destination determined and know when and how I plan to get there.

Having a destination is necessary in order to get anywhere. Not knowing where I'm going will get me nowhere. Knowing how I'd like to look, how I'd like to feel, and how healthy I'd like to be gives me a way to measure my progress. It focuses my attention on the daily details necessary to accomplish my goal and get me where I want to go.

What determines my destination and drives my diet? Habit? Hunger? Health? The unhealthy habit of eating high-caloric foods that have no nutritional value can be hard to break. The heavy cargo it adds slows me down and delays the estimated arrival time.

My car, just like my body, needs preparation for the trip. Preparing it for the journey requires a tune-up, a check-up, and a fill-up. I never tell the gas station attendant to fill 'er up with whatever. I specify exactly what my car needs in order to run smoothly so it, and I, can make the entire journey. It may also need a spare tire, but I don't.

Will Rogers said, “Even if you’re on the right path, if you just sit there you’ll get run over.”

A dead end may be ahead, but watching the signs, turning on the bright lights, the high beams, lets me avoid the road that goes nowhere. There may be a few detours along the way, too, but getting back on the main road will always get me to my destination faster.

When stopping for refreshments at a restaurant or a rest stop, a healthy plan can be as simple as choosing a snack at the fresh-fruit stands rather than the rest-stop vending machines, or drinking water instead of a can of sugar soda. After all, who would ever think to pour a 12-oz glass of water, add 10 tsp of sugar, a little carbonation, plus high-caloric caramel or fruit flavoring and think it was a healthy choice? The target today is to eat no more than 100 calories (25 gms, 6 tsps) of added sugar a day for women; 150 calories (38 grams or 9 tsps) a day for men. Good-bye sugary sodas, which cause an overdose in just one can. High-caloric carbohydrate consumption, like calories from refined flour and refined sugar, has its consequences, like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Drive-through diet choices cause diversions, too.  They may be quick and easy, but can be detrimental to my health and divert me from my healthy path.

I might drive into a ditch if I don't pay attention to warning signs, wind up in a rut, spin my wheels, wonder why I have high cholesterol and am not able to lose weight. After all, we'll all have a healthier and longer journey in life when we stay on the highway to health.

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"Chicago Pizzazz"

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#31. Reaping a Harvest of Health

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Reaping a harvest of health starts by making healthy food choices.  But, what gets in the way of making healthy choices and choosing healthy food over junk food? Andy Rooney pinpointed the problem in one of his clever commentaries: he said that it's his desire. It's the desire for unhealthy junk food over the desire for health that gets him in trouble. It's simple, but true. He thinks an anti-desire pill is the answer. I like that idea. I'd buy stock in the company that can help me with that.

Changing my desire and having a new food attitude is a paradigm shift. It's seeing things from a different perspective. For instance, thinking that junk food will make me happy only works for the moment and not for the long haul.  When I eat food that is full of empty calories, and lacking nutrients and fiber, I'm not cheating myself out of fun I'm cheating myself out of health.
Having a healthier diet means making healthy choices.  Health comes from recognizing the right things to do and taking the right actions. It's a simple formula of eating right and, oh yeah, daily exercise. I eat the right foods, and they produce health. I eat unhealthy food and they produce an unhealthy overweight body, with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. For example, lean protein helps to produce a lean body. One important and helpful exercise that I'm doing more regularly is pulling myself away from the desired distractions. That one exercise alone keeps me from having to do more strenuous exercises to lose the weight from those unhealthy distractions. Another exercise that will result in less weight is throwing out the junk food.

Thinking about health is where it all begins. It's a little seed in my thought process that can sprout into a healthy body and a healthy life. A healthy body sprouts from eating nutritious food. Health needs cultivating just like a garden does. Seeds are planted and grow into beautiful, healthy plants. When I plant thoughts of healthy eating in my mind, a healthy body can be the result. When I plan and put whole grains, healthy fats, produce and protein in my mouth, I reap a harvest of health. Just thinking about having a beautiful garden is not enough. I must take the action and plant the seeds. I can think about eating healthy, but the action of doing it is what makes it happen. Each bite is important and is like a seed planted, which can grow into health. I will reap what I sow by taking healthy actions. I can make a healthy choice with each bite.

Last week I chose fruit instead of fries when I had lunch with a friend, and it saved me 300 calories in one sitting. Now that's a healthy choice, because, not only did it save me calories, but saved my waistline and my arteries, too. It's thinking differently about what I choose to eat. At home I suggested to my husband that we not buy ice cream for a while once the current container is emptied. (It's almost gone.) It's better to have it remain in the store rather than be stored in our fridge, and then stored on me. Whatever I bring into the house is what will be on the menu, in my hands or on my plate. How could it be otherwise? Whatever's available and at my disposal is what I will eat. Buy and eat healthy food and reap a harvest of health.

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"North Pond Winter Wonderland"

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#32. Dominant Thoughts Prevail

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Obstacles are things a person sees, when he takes his eyes off his goal." E. Joseph Cossman, entrepreneur, 1918-2002

I have to admit, I am easily distracted by junk food obstacles. They definitely get in my way while I am trying to stay healthy.

Following is an example, which demonstrates the severity of such distracting obstacles: I recently went to a luncheon meeting where the waiters brought some of my favorite desserts following the meal and placed them in the back of the room right near my table. While the program attendees went to the front of the room to watch the presenter's demonstration (before having dessert), I stayed in the back with the junk food-all alone-where no one could see me, eating one after another, as if they were all for me. Although I had just eaten a beautiful and satisfying lunch, the fact that these temptations were so close at hand made me lose all sensibility, and I dived in. Instead of joining the program with the other guests, I missed the demonstration and gobbled instead. 

I was not even constrained by the social norm of having only one or possibly two servings. No one was around to judge me or to say, "Wow! Is she going to leave any for the rest of us?"  I probably ate 700-800 calories in just a few minutes, which would take hours to walk off. Incidentally, that is why it's so much easier to gain weight than to lose it. This situation was just too tempting for me. I went right ahead and ate to my heart's content. That is actually not a true statement, because my physical heart was not at all contented with my overindulgence. As shameful as this is, I really found myself unable to stop. This is a testament to my out of control carb cravings. Enough said.

Here are some tips from Dr. Daniel G. Amen, M.D., mentioned in the May/June issue of AARP, on how to add healthy ingredients to our menus in order to boost brain health and increase brainpower. They are: turmeric, saffron, ginger, garlic and cinnamon.

A University of California, Los Angeles, study in mice showed that turmeric broke up protein plaques, called amyloid beta, "a hallmark of Alzheimer's," and may be helpful in preventing Alzheimer's disease in humans.

Dr. Amen stated that a 2007 University of Tehran study discovered that saffron, which is often added to rice dishes, "works as well as Prozac in treating mild to moderate depression."

A 2007 study in the journal, Cancer, noted, "garlic compounds eliminated brain-cancer cells, leading some experts to predict that garlic-based treatments for brain cancer aren't far behind."

Dr. Amen also quotes findings regarding migraine headaches, "A recent study found that more than 80% of migraine-prone patients with mild headaches who were treated with a combo of ginger and the herb feverfew staved off migraines. If a headache doesn't go to full-blown migraine, that's a success, says Roger Cady, M.D., study author and director of the Headache Care Center in Springfield, Missouri."

And finally, Dr. Amen reported that chewing cinnamon gum helps you, as he says,  "React faster during your next tennis game, because a recent study found cinnamon speeds the rate at which your brain processes visual cues. One reason the gum may help: cinnamon regulates blood-sugar levels, and this helps you stay focused."

Keeping these and other healthy tips in mind helps me stay focused and reminds me to choose healthy meals and snacks. There are dominant and recessive thoughts, just like there are dominant and recessive genes. Keeping my healthy thoughts dominant will help me fit into some slim and trim blue jeans.  "The dominant thought wins," says health author Dana Demetre. For me, the task at hand at every moment of every day is to get my head, and my hands, going in the right direction. That is why I educate myself on healthy eating. And, that is why I write, in order to help myself, and others who may be interested, to make health a dominant thought by deepening the thinking-healthy grooves in our brains.

Beautiful flowers are in bloom here in Chicago. Go to www.TerryTasche.com, Tutorial page, to sign up to receive the free tutorial this month: Attaining a painterly-look with a Simple Technique using Corel Painter.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Bleeding Hearts"

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#33. Date with Destiny

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Control your own destiny or someone else will." Jack Welch
When I don't take control of what it is I really want, which is a healthy body and a healthy life, others may eventually have to make my choices for me. In the end, when I continually impulsively indulge in junk food, I will cheat myself out of health, and the doctor will wind up making choices for me that I may not like, but have to do.

How can I get control of my desires and feed my body what it needs instead of what I want so I won't have a "date with destiny?" Knowledge can help me know the benefits of eating right. Something that I now know is that over dosing on sugar causes the body to cross over into a state of acidic pH balance, which is not good. In order to get back to normal the body needs calcium, which it draws from its own source, the bones. That is probably one reason I was losing my bone density, because I was not aware of how eating sugar deteriorates the bones. Thank Heaven I Now Know and can THINK better about my health.

Since health begins at the cellular level, we need to feed the cells nutrients if they are to grow into healthy systems, like organs, muscles, tissue, teeth, eyes, brain and bones. There's a lot to be fed, by me, to keep me going. Health starts in my head with the desire to take care of me.

Here's a little information about what vitamin C does for our bodies. According to the Contemporary Nutrition book by Gordon M. Wardlaw, cigarette smokers need extra vitamin C because of the great stress on their lungs from oxygen and toxic by-products of cigarette smoke. And, Dr. Wardlaw states, "The best understood function of vitamin C is its role in synthesizing the protein collagen. This protein is highly concentrated in connective tissue, bone, teeth, tendons, and blood vessels." Vitamin C is very important for wound healing. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C. My husband grows them in pots on the roof deck of our garage, and they are sweet and delicious. It doesn't sound as though I'd want to leave home without it. Vitamin C is plentiful in orange juice, but not in soda pop.
Here's an interesting fact: the term folate (vitamin B9) is derived from the Latin word folium, which means foliage. The vitamin folate is found in foliage like green vegetables, i.e., spinach and asparagus are good examples. This helps me remember to go green and eat green. Folate helps metabolize various amino acids and their derivatives, such as homocysteine, one of the culprits sited in Alzheimer's Disease. Folate also helps to form DNA. Golly, these seem like pretty important nutrients.

The point is that knowing how much my body relies on my choosing healthy food for it helps me to lay off the junk food and lay in healthy provisions. Choose things with nutritional value, like cheese instead of chips (Protein satisfies, and carbs cause craving.), carrots instead of cupcakes loaded with a lot of calories, fruit instead of fries. The best way to get nutrients is the old-fashioned way, to eat them in healthy food. Maybe we should change the old phrase from, "Eat your fruits and vegetables," to "Eat your vitamins and minerals." It's a conscious choice, which can lead to a date with a healthy destiny.

Created for my daughter's high school graduation.

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Graduation Bookmark ~ Front

Graduation Bookmark ~ Back

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#34 Intentional Fortitude

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"A habit is something we can do without thinking-which is why most of us have so many of them." Anonymous

I just completed 3,650 deep-knee bends. No, I didn't do 3,650 in one day, but ten each day for 365 days. That's how it adds up! Actually, that's how everything adds up.
I could never do anything that monumental, which took me an entire year, in just one day. "Rome wasn't built in a day," as they say. I can walk one mile each day, but not 365 miles in one day. Just think, if I did 20 deep-knee bends every day, those twenty would add up to 7300 in one year. "Inch by inch life's a cinch." It's also true that it's easy to gain, but difficult to lose. Daily additions like eating 100 more calories every day than I'll use can add up to a gain of ten pounds in one year. It's a cinch to grow an inch (around the middle), one day at a time.

Staying focused on health, i.e. diet and exercise, takes focus and strength, or intentional fortitude. Similarly, intestinal fortitude is a humorous term, which means doing something with courage and perseverance. Intentional fortitude, my newly coined phrase, means being done on purpose, not by accident, and with strength and endurance in a difficult or painful situation. Taking care of myself with intentional fortitude, even when it may seem painful to exercise, eat right and eliminate the junk food takes intention (focus) and fortitude (strength). Staying on task, getting a daily diet and exercise routine, and following through on my goal of good health is what I hope to gain, rather than weight. I do my exercises with intention and fortitude, by exerting internal mental focus and strength to gain physical strength and health. And, by the way, practicing my tap dancing ten minutes nearly every day can add up to one full hour of practice each week, or fifty-two hours each year!

Something else I've become intentional about is not wasting food and throwing out leftovers. Dietitian Jackie Newgent, author of the "Big Green Cookbook," wrote an article that opened my eyes to the truly huge cost to myself and to my planet of not eating what we buy. Letting food mold and rot, then throwing it out, is a waste that goes far beyond my garbage container. She pointed out that we are "wasting trillions of liters of water that went into its production, plus untold dollars in energy and transportation used to get it to our plates."

Just think about the workers needed to plant and harvest the food, the trucks and transportation necessary to get it to the packaging plants, the people needed to get it to the stores, the stocking, the pricing, the diplays, the refrigeration, and on and on. It's no good to me in the garbage can. The things that should be going into the garbage are the junk food, refined flour/refined sugar items that are serious temptations for me, adding only extra, empty, useless, worthless (EEUW) calories. When they're not around, I have to choose the leftovers and the perishable plant foods, like the fruits and vegetables. Add them to smoothies and salads, and use leftover meat in sandwiches, soups and stews. Cheese is another one I no longer let gather mold. I've gotten more creative by adding leftovers like tomatoes, mushrooms, and baby spinach to omelets and scrambled eggs. It reminds me to eat the healthy, perishable food items so I won't perish either, but live a longer and healthier life.

Participation is the key to harmony: participation of my whole body, e.g., my arms, legs, mind and mouth. Little by little I have made my legs stronger, one deep-knee bend at a time. This all takes focus, perseverance and endurance, intentional fortitude to gain physical strength and bodily health.

It's fun to "paint" in Corel Painter. Here's an example, which was then printed on canvas:

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#35 Missing in Action

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." George Bernard Shaw

So, how can I make a better future for myself and get myself to think more about my health today? How can I motivate myself to move more, sit less, eat healthy and resist junk food? I have an idea that can help me focus my mind and activities toward healthy actions. We all know that exercise is important, but just how important is it? "From the top of your head to the bottom of your toes, being physically active is the stimulus that gets most organs in the body to work at their best," says Tufts University exercise expert Miriam Nelson.

Some catchy reminders were needed to mobilize and motivate me in order to increase metabolism, burn calories, improve health and give the whole body added benefits. Designating a day for each body part, organ or system would, in the end, benefit my whole body and keep it healthy.

Think and focus on the benefits of walking while walking, for example, and concentrate on a different body organ or function each day in order to realize how that body part or system is helped by exercise. Think about how if I didn't take my body for a walk every day, it would feel neglected and eventually would become sluggish and stop functioning properly. Devote a few minutes each day to my health, because it will improve my life. It's like making a health to-do list for each day of the week. If I sit all the time, I'll go to pot and get a pot. It's inevitable.

Just three hours of walking a week is beneficial. Although it's difficult to walk three hours in one day, it's no problem to walk at least 30 minutes most days.
Here are the days of the week with each day's coordinating mindset:

Monday:  Muscles and metabolism can be my focus on Monday, because exercise can speed up metabolism and strengthen leg muscles. Add some arm exercises along with strength-training exercises and stretching to improve flexibility, for instance.

Tuesday: The Ticker needs exercise for heart health. It helps prevent stroke by clearing out the plaque and improving heart function.

Wednesday: Weight management and weight-bearing exercise, which includes walking, are the goal today, to reduce weight and strengthen bones. Taking my bones for a walk helps keep them strong. W-O-W: Walk On Wednesday and Walk Off the Weight.

Thursday: Think. The Thinker needs exercise and oxygen for healthy brain function. "The evidence is fairly solid that people who are more physically active are at a lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia," says Constantine Lyketsos, director of the division of geriatric psychiatry and neuropsychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. So, on Thursdays I'll think about brain benefits how great it would be to save my brain.

Friday: Flow of oxygen and increasing circulation, lung capacity, and blood supply to all the cells and body parts are the goals for Friday. Brisk walking increases breathing delivering oxygen to all my cells and organs. Oxygen is a valuable commodity and it's FREE! Exercise your freedom and breathe in free oxygen. It's an offer I can't refuse. Inactivity affects all body systems, right down to the cellular level of the power-producing mitochondria.

Saturday: Stamina and energy increase with exercise.

Sunday: Sabbath and rest are for Sunday, because you deserve a break one day. But, on Monday get moving again. Exercise is FREE and, of course, every day I exercise benefits my whole body.

Other benefits of exercise include reducing the risk of cancer and diabetes. "The one thing that seems to deteriorate quickest with inactivity is insulin sensitivity," says Ben Hurley, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Maryland at College Park. "Fortunately," he adds, "it also responds most consistently when you train. Experts say that exercise makes the cells better at taking in glucose and processing it."

Exercise also boosts the immune system, enhances mental health, and improves the GI tract, increasing mobility and regularity. "The evidence is fairly clear now that men and women who are physically active have a 30-40% lower risk of colon cancer compared to individuals who are not active," says Harvard's I-Min Lee, who examined dozens of studies. (Medicine and science in sports and exercise 35: 1823, 2003.)

It's all about action. I was the one missing in action. When I take action, I get better results. Exercise is not something that is done and finished at the end of the seven days. It is an ongoing doing that gets me and keeps me where I want to be. Thinking about exercising rather than doing it will only add more weight and visceral fat. Although it sounds energetic, thinking about exercising doesn't burn calories, because thinking is not a cardio workout.

Daily exercise increases my chances of living a healthier and longer life. After all, the simple secret of a centenarian is to keep moving. Of course, every day and each 30-minute segment that I walk is important to all areas of my body. What about this don’t I understand? If I miss a day, something is being neglected, actually many parts and systems miss the opportunity for better health.  These are all such worthwhile reasons to get up and move. 

So, let's get going and take action by moving, thinking, and planning our way to better health and a healthier future.

Below is the painted image of the month.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Little Flower"

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#36 Nourishment and Encouragement

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

As Winston Churchill so succinctly stated, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

It takes courage to keep going, especially when I don't see the results instantaneously. It helps if I get some encouragement to keep on providing my body with the nourishment it needs. This is especially true when discouragement overtakes me, like when I step on the scale and my weight went up. Just because I slip one day, doesn't mean the game is over.

Winning today doesn't mean I'll win tomorrow unless I stay focused on my goal, my goal of health. The rewards are great, but the consequence is poor health when I don't take care of myself.  But, with a little encouragement the discouragement will fade as I indulge better nourishment. Slumping into a state of mind that says it's too hard to stay on track will only drive me to the track at the gym to take off the weight I gained during my slump. Eating junk food only leads to discouragement and disappointment in myself.

Success comes with perseverance.  We know the path to health and success. It's not a mystery, but needs to be and can be followed. My 3-E principle is easy to remember: Educate yourself, Eat healthy food, and Exercise regularly. What about this don't I understand?

For example, the more I understand and educate myself on the role of healthy, nutritious food, the more I am reminded to eat it. The holidays are upon us, and colorful, tasty pomegranate seeds are a way to add festive flavor and zesty zing to yogurt, cereals, salads, sandwiches, etc. Pomegranates are full of fiber and nutrients, like vitamins and antioxidants and are thought to be effective in reducing heart disease risk factors.

My exercise routine includes twenty simple push-ups and twenty deep-knee bends every morning before my shower. I just do it! If I don't, I wind up at the end of the day having forgotten all about my daily exercises. I also do some stretching and arm-strengthening here and there. Making these things a habit is vital to my accomplishing them.

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going," says American speaker and author, Jim Rohn.

The Get Motivated Tour was recently held here at Chicago's United Center and I got to see and hear some extremely motivating speakers. Top celebrities like Mike Ditka, General McChrystal, Zig Ziglar, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell, and others encouraged and motivated everyone to have goals and to persevere in pursuing them.

Terry Bradshaw said to listen, learn, and then to act on what you've learned. Learning without the action will get you nowhere. Another speaker said that we become what we think about most of the time. Therefore, if I think about unhealthy food, I'll be drawn to it and fill myself with it. But, since healthy food is what I need, and healthy is what I want to be, I need to think healthy thoughts.

Exchange discouragement for encouragement and get filled with nourishment. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and remember that there's no need to be stuffed like the turkey.

"Ollie" is the image of the month.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Ollie"

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#37 Keep On Keepin' On

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Founder of mydietmylife.com
Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn."
C.S. Lewis

A person's experience of finding out that their health is in jeopardy because of weight problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, etc., can be a jolt and may be the first step in accepting that bad and destructive habits need to change and that resolutions need to be made. Then resolutions can lead to deciding on some drastic actions to take in order to change behaviors that drove original good health into the ground. 

Making and keeping resolutions could be broken down into two simple and basic steps:
1) Learning what I need to do, and
2) Doing it!

But, what happens between 1) the awareness of knowing that changing bad habits is necessary and 2) actually changing and continuing on a better, healthier path? Making a resolution may be a start, but it is the easy part. The perseverance of trudging along when gratification and progress are slow is the hard, if not impossible, part for a lot of us?

It takes an ongoing commitment and continual motivation, day after day, in order for change to happen and stay on the road to health.  Of course, we all know this. But, again I ask, "When I know what to do, why don't I keep on doing it?" Where does the motivation go? What happens to the desire to do better regarding a healthy diet and exercise program?

The experience of others can help us to learn more quickly, and the words HUBA~HUBA may help in remembering four simple steps to motivational momentum. The letters HUBA stand for Hearing, Understanding, Believing, and Acting.  Perseverance and commitment to the resolutions are almost a laughing matter (HA~HA) without the middle two.
1) Hearing the experts' experience and research is helpful in the learning process of knowing what to do. This is the first step, for it is important to know what will help if we are to have a better life experience regarding health. 

2) Understanding the information we hear regarding why it's vital to change poor eating and exercise habits is the second step and is key. Understanding the connection between dietary habits and health problems brings insight to their causes and consequences.

3) Believing that we are causing or have caused the destructive consequences helps us to stay with a program of health and make the necessary changes to enhance life.  Understanding what and how health problems are caused can help turn us in the direction of healthy living. Believing that we can actually cause healthy changes to occur by doing the right things is enlightening. Believing gives hope that we can make a difference in our own lives.

4) Acting in a new and healthy way will be a result of the first three steps. Understanding and believing that the relationship between two essential and critical actions, i.e., 1) eating and 2) exercise, and health can then increase motivation to stick to the resolutions. Craving health more than junk food will hopefully be the happy outcome.

We will never rest from our dieting until hearing and reading lead to learning. Aligning intentions with actions is key. How can it be otherwise? Knowing the need to cut out the EEUW (Extra, Empty, Useless, Worthless) calories is necessary, but eating junk food anyway doesn't work, but shows that we are not really acting with our body's best interest in mind.

The results of actions eventually show up and may even be recorded in health reports. Therefore, we know what needs to be done, but may continue to eat junk food regularly anyway. It takes clear and firm decisions to resolve problems and continue on with the resolutions that can help change lives.

Maya Angelou said it best, "When you know better, you do better." (At least you'd better.)  So, remember HUBA~HUBA, resolve to keep the resolutions and keep on keepin' on.

"Icy Trees" appearing after a Christmas ice storm presented a picturesque scene along the road as our family returned from Galena, Illinois.

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"Icy Trees"

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#38 Eat CRPs to Prevent CPR

By Terry TascheI, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"A memory is a photograph taken by the heart to make a special moment last forever."                                         Unknown

But, can we make the heart last forever, or at least the length of a normal lifetime? To be or not to be, that is the question for the heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death, so how do we delay its onset? The heart supplies blood to the body, and if it stops, we stop, perhaps forever. Awake or asleep, it never stops; it can't, or the body stops-dead in its tracks.
It needs strength and endurance in order to keep on pumping. Give the heart what it needs to live and beat 24/7, i.e., nutrition and exercise. I found some interesting facts found on pbs.org on this vital organ:

"The human body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood, which circulates through the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels a total of 12,000 miles-that's four times the distance across the US from coast to coast. The heart muscle beats about 100,000 times in one day, 35 million times in a year, and more than 2.5 billion times during an average lifetime. The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime-that's enough to fill more than 3 super tankers."

How do we stop heart disease before heart disease stops us? If the heart stops, as in a "cardiac arrest," perhaps brought on by a heart attack, it can lead to the need for CPR, or "cardio-pulmonary resuscitation," in order to save that life. Preventing the need for drastic measures like CPR is the goal.

This brings me to another similar acronym called CRP, or C-reactive protein, which is one of the acute phase proteins that increase during systemic inflammation. Research has shown that inflammation is a key indicator of heart disease. It's been suggested that testing CRP levels in the blood may be an additional way to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A more sensitive CRP test, called hs-CRP (highly sensitive C-reactive protein) assay, is available to determine CVD risk.

The New England Journal of Medicine published several studies in the year 2000 showing that the blood indicators of inflammation are strong predictive factors for determining who will suffer a heart attack.

As a critical inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein (CRP) indicates an increased risk for destabilized atherosclerotic plaque and abnormal arterial clotting. The arterial plaque can burst open and block the flow of blood through a coronary artery, resulting in an acute heart attack. One of the New England Journal of Medicine studies done by Ridker et al. in 1997 showed that people with high levels of C-reactive protein were almost three times as likely to die from a heart attack.

Although high CRP levels are apparently not the cause of heart disease, research shows that elevated levels indicate an increase heart attack and stroke risk. January 28, 2003, the American Heart Association and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) jointly endorsed the C-reactive protein test to screen for coronary-artery inflammation to identify those at risk for heart attack.

A growing consensus among scientists is that common disorders such as atherosclerosis, colon cancer, and Alzheimer's disease are all caused in part by a chronic inflammatory syndrome. Studies also suggest that higher levels of hs-CRP may increase the risk that an artery will reclose after it's been opened by balloon angioplasty.

Normal metabolism causes oxidation. But this process can create molecules called free radicals, which cause cells to be damaged. So, the solution to the problem is to reduce the process that leads to heart disease by eating antioxidants.

I recently read that antioxidants such as Carrots, Red Peppers, and strawberries can reduce CRP (C-reactive protein) formation. I noticed that these two vegetables have the same initials (CRP) as C-reactive protein (CRP), and that the acronym could help me remember what to eat and why (Carrots, Red Peppers and Strawberries). These fruits and vegetables are also representative of other helpful antioxidants like vitamin supplements, fruits like apricots, prunes, dates, and berries, vegetables (especially dark green leafy veggies, spinach, kale, and peppers), whole grains, nuts and seeds, and beans (like pinto beans and soy beans), coffee, wine, and popcorn, and spices like cloves, cinnamon, and oregano. CRPs could also stand for Cherries, Raspberries, Prunes, and spinach. The choices are endless. You think of some.

So, all that to say this, eat antioxidants, like CRPs, to gobble up the free radicals, which can result in a reduction of dangerous CRP levels, so we won't wind up needing CPR.  Whew!

This month's image was taken at Chicago's lakefront and Fullerton Avenue at the start of the infamous Blizzard, February 1, 2011.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Warning! Proceed with Caution!" ©Terry Tasche

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#39 Be a BusyBody
by Terry TascheI, R.N., B.S.N. and Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

How can I lose weight, lower my risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, lower my blood pressure, lower my LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase my HDL (good) cholesterol, boost my metabolism, strengthen my bones, control blood sugar, lower my chance of getting cancer, improve my brain power, lower my stress, reduce dangerous belly fat, feel stronger, have more energy, boost my immune system, and elevate my mood, when I only have 30 minutes a day to do it all? How can anything that comprehensive be accomplished in such a short time frame? Please tell me, and I'll do it. Does anyone have the answer for all of those health issues that are killing so many every day?

It's risky business not to find an answer. The solution has to be too overwhelming to even consider. I'm looking for a solution that will comprehensively cover all the problems in one full swoop. Call it multi-tasking if you like, but I only have 30 minutes, or one hour max, to devote to this each day.

Wait, here are some interesting facts that I found in the research:
* Live longer and healthier by walking off the weight.
* Regular exercise may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease later.
* Millions of people are in poor condition and even in poor health simply because of the lack of exercise.
* Exercise bumps up the activity of important cells that fight off viruses and bacteria, and helps improve the immune system.
* Adding aerobic exercise, e.g. exercise which requires more oxygen, i.e., like getting a cardio work out, will burn more calories, and strengthen and give protection for the heart.
* Exercise also increases HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides and resting blood pressure and helps control blood sugar.
* According to data from the Nurses Health Study, 30 minutes of walking per day may cut heart attack risk by 30 to 40 percent.
* A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that brisk walking for 2 1/2 hours a week helped people lose 6.9 percent of the dangerous belly fat around their waistline (an average of an inch).
* Doing yard work and housework, washing the car, painting the walls, doing projects to keep the body busy also gets projects done, all the while improving our health! That's healthy multi-tasking with accomplishments to show for it.
* "Schedule some form of activity every day to get cardiovascular benefit," says Dr. Gordon G. Blackburn, Ph.D, the Cleveland Clinic cardiac exercise physiologist. And he continues, "Just about any physical activity can be beneficial, so long as you do it regularly."
* Walking and exercise improves mental health by raising confidence and brightening mood.
* Walking and exercise help the GI tract to have better regularity & mobility, and a lower risk of colon cancer to boot.
* Women who did moderate exercise for 2 1/2 hours weekly were 33 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, and those exercising 5 hours each week were 55 percent less likely to get the disease.
* Walking is a weight-bearing exercise, which is important in strengthening bones.
* Exercise helps protect joints by keeping cartilage healthy and may even reverse knee problems by helping to control weight.

Talk about accomplishing a lot with minimum effort by keeping your body busy! Of course, this is just one piece of the health puzzle. Just imagine how much improvement is gained when a healthy diet is added to the mix.

This message is brought to you by someone who wants your body and brain to last your entire lifetime. Run, walk, dance, swim, stretch, but do some form of exercise to improve skin and bones, mind and muscles, and all of the body, mind and spirit, but do something besides sit. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain, heart, and all the organs and bodily systems. We'll be moving and improving. So, be a busy body and keep your body busy with life-sustaining, healthy walking and exercise.

Don’t be like the quotation I found by Robert Maynard Hutchins, "Whenever I feel the need to exercise, I lie down until it goes away." Instead, be like this little that landed in Lincoln Park's North Pond, and get going and dive into a healthy lifestyle of daily exercise.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

“Coming in for a Landing”  ©Terry Tasche

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#40 SOS: Sharing Our Stories, Saving Ourselves

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one." C. S. Lewis

Of course, we know that SOS stands for a call or signal requesting help. I needed help with my junk food addiciton and sent out an SOS, my sincere, almost desperate plea for help. I couldn't seem to stay on track 'cause I couldn't seem to leave the junk food alone. Although it may have seemed like defeat at the time, it turned into victory. What started as helplessness and hopelessness regarding my junk food addiction turned into help and hope. When I became willing to ask for help, help arrived. How the help came was so simple that I'm surprised I'd never thought of it myself. When I said, "God, what can I do? I am out of control," five simple words came into my mind, "Tell someone what you're eating." And, if it worked for me, it can probably work for you, too.
Acronyms for SOS and telling someone:
• Sharing Our Stories
• Sharing Our Struggles
• Sharing Our Successes
• Saving OurSelves!!

Sharing our stories can save our lives as we find out that we're not alone after all. Together we can do what it takes to stay on the path to health.

Who should I share with? Share with others who may also have stories, struggles and successes to share and who want to get control of their eating. It's like building a stronger foundation with the essential support.

I didn't know that I would learn things about myself by writing and telling someone else what I was eating. But, it helped me as I fought against the tyranny of junk food.
Yes, it definitely took courage. I'd never thought of exposing my eating, or my junk food secrets. But really, what did I have to lose, except weight and high cholesterol? I was looking down the road at potential health issues that were bound to happen if I didn't change my eating habits.
Here's some of what I've learned:
1) I can't be trusted to have junk food near me.
2) I shouldn't bake cookies from scratch, even though they're to send to my daughter in college, because I'll eat the dough and the cookies!
3) I can't let hunger take control.
4) I can't sit around and do nothing and still expect to have strong muscles, bones, heart, immune system, etc.
5) I can't do it alone, and being connected and not feeling alone any longer helps.

Things I could do that would help me were things I'd never thought of by myself:
1) Admitting defeat. No way!
2) Asking for help. Never thought of it!
3) Assembling a support team who understands. That's a novel idea.
4) Writing from the heart increases awareness of actions. Being honest, although the best policy, never crossed my mind. But it helps me, and others, too.
5) Writing about the process is powerful and transformational.  Amazing!
6) Enabling myself to see what I am doing helps me focus, focus, focus.
7) Telling and sharing with others what I'm thinking helps change my perspective.
8) Making a decision to do it today, and tomorrow, too. Yea! We're worth it!
9) Writing motivates, inspires and pushes me in a positive direction to change.
10) Finding out that the desire I feed usually wins. Interesting concept.

Reading others' writing and responses helps me, too. And, the people who were reading my daily emails about telling them what I was eating, and what I was thinking about eating, also started eating healthier and losing weight along with me (so they said).

Researchers at the University of Alberta set out to see whether regular email reminders could prod people to eat better and exercise more. Over a 12-wk period, they sent weekly emails to 1,600 volunteers at five large Canadian workplaces. The electronic nagging seemed to work: As reported in the American Journal of Health Promotion, the recipients exercised more and actually reduced their Body Mass Index (BMI). Co-workers who did not receive the emails wound up gaining weight, not losing it, over the span of the study.

If distraction is a problem, then writing may help. Do as Oprah did when she wrote a friend in high school, "I've decided to voice my thoughts on paper to prevent my brain from becoming disrupted." 

Writing is important in keeping us accountable and aware of what we're doing, not doing, eating, and not eating. A blog for you to enter your comments will soon be set up on www.mydietmylife.com. So, write it down, and tell someone what you're eating and keep your health. Because, as C.S. Lewis so aptly said, "Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours."

Copyright © Terry Tasche

"Stormy Weather"  ©Terry Tasche

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#41 It’s Resolution Time Again

by Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N. and founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Happy New Year! It’s Resolution time again. That one time a year when I look at the past, peer into the future and realize nothing is going to change until I do things differently in the present, in this moment, today. Today I resolve to live a healthy life.

Weeks and months of inactivity and poor health choices can lead to years of damaging effects, which don’t improve one’s lot in life. But, the damaging effects may be reversed when I think of changes that I’d like to make today and resolve to do them.

A resolution is more effective when it is written down. A written resolution is really a goal. A written goal is a REAL resolution. Writing it down as a goal is the first step. Putting pen to paper is a resolution in itself, because it means I am serious. I want to do it, and I mean it! Then, my resolution can turn into an accomplishment when the action is taken to do it.

And that’s how it works. So, let’s get started. Setting a goal helps keep me focused and puts a plan in place for today, and just for today. Tomorrow is not here, and yesterday is gone, so let’s plan today to eat healthy food, even if it’s just one apple, and to take a walk, even if it’s only for 20 or 30 minutes. This is a healthy start for today. The present is here, and today’s a present to me, the gift of my life.

Plan the path you’ll take today. Where will you walk, and what will you eat? Quoting Alan Lakein, “Planning is about bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”  I may not know how much I need to change until I start. More is revealed as I begin and continue with healthy choices. Writing down what I eat reveals much about my choices. It is one of the most clarifying exercises I have ever done. It brings my actions into clear focus. It allows me to view my life from a new perspective. I can step back and review and evaluate.

A resolution is only an idea; it’s not an action. A resolution may lead to a decision to do something, but as the story goes: three frogs were sitting on a log. One made a decision to jump off. How many were left? Three were left, because one had only made a decision. He didn’t actually jump off the log.

A resolution is only as good as the actions that follow. The actions are the real life changers. The actions are what will get me where I want to go. The actions may be the hard part. However, the actions can be easy when they are broken down into little everyday accomplishments, called life layers. The small actions layered upon one another can lead to a better today and a healthier tomorrow.

Small actions are not overwhelming and can be accomplished one simple action at a time. Losing 10, 20, 50, or even 100 pounds may seem overwhelming. But realizing that 100 pounds is not eaten in one sitting helps us see that it can come off the same way it went on, just two ounces a day. Losing two ounces a day adds up to losing about one pound a week. That is totally doable. Of course, it can be lost more quickly, but that may be overwhelming.  And, then it's gained back quickly, too, as crash diets will later lead you to do.

Slow and steady wins the race, and just lose a little everyday. Bring down the blood pressure point by point. Lower the cholesterol and *BMI with every healthy bite. The commitment to do the small actions results in keeping the resolution that started the whole process: the resolution to have a healthy life. So, get started today by eating an apple, fruits and vegetables, by taking a walk. Don’t delay! Because life’s too short!

“Life’s Too Short,” chosen as a PPA Loan Collection print.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

*BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation = weight in pounds x 703 divided by height in inches = total divided again by height in inches. 

BMI value guidelines: 17-20 under weight, 20-25 good, 25-30 overweight, 30-40 obese, over 40 morbidly obese.

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#42 The Means and the Motive
by
Terry Tasche, R.N., B.S.N.

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

What does it take to stick to a diet, to live a healthy lifestyle of a good diet and regular exercise? I need two things: the means and the motive. 

First, do I have the means? Of course, I do. I have the resources, a healthy body and the right food. The means, although simple, may be the most difficult, because it requires taking the action to eat the food and move my muscles every day. These actions can maintain or even improve my health, strengthen my body, build muscle, and burn calories through exercise. Studies show that the stronger live longer, and muscle contributes to health by burning more calories than other tissues do.

Second, do I have the motive? It won’t happen ‘til I’m willing. It takes willingness to stay motivated and away from junk food. Terry Bradshaw, as a spokesman for Nutrisystem, said he was “overweight and out of shape!”  How’s that to motivate! Having enthusiasm increases my motivation.
 
Do I need it, AND do I want it? I can ask myself,  “Am I moving more and eating less? Or am I eating more and moving less?” Humor can help me here. A dear friend of mine humorously shared this about herself, “I know there’s a body under that fat somewhere.”

Taking a very clear and naked look in the mirror can provide the motive to get started. How do I view myself, with clothes on, and clothes off? Covering a fat body with nice clothes is not the solution.

Further motivation is to know the risk factors. Again I quote Christopher Guest in The Princess Bride, “Let’s just start with what we have.” The goal is heart disease, stroke and cancer PREVENTION. And, hot off the press and just heard on the evening news, “Overeating doubles the risk of memory loss.”

Here’s the challenge, like in Where’s Waldo by Martin Handford, ask yourself, “Where’s the weight?” Here are two ways to determine how much fat there is and where it is, i.e., body fat measurements and how it’s distributed: 1) the *BMI (Body Mass Index) and 2) the **waist-to-hip ratio.

Speaking of Waldo, here’s a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it.”
     
Studies reported in the Harvard Men’s Health Watch found that a large waist circumference, reflecting abdominal obesity, was linked to a high death rate. It states, “Many studies confirm that upper body fat (the “apple shape,” or “beer belly”) is much more dangerous than lower body fat (the “pear shape”).” And continues, “In fact, fat plastered around the body’s internal organs (visceral fat) is much more dangerous than fat layered beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat).” A waist circumference of 40 inches and over in men, and 35 and over in women, signal high risk. A lackadaisical attitude won’t help much. So, knowing the numbers can be motivational.

I love to read the Agnes cartoons by Tony Cochran, and regarding sticktoitiveness Agnes said, “I never give a hundred percent effort—I like to keep it at about fifty percent or so.”
“That way, if I fail, I only half fail…the humiliation isn’t as bad as failing one hundred percent.”
Her good friend, Trout, replies, “Wow…That’s quite a recipe for greatness.”
Agnes says, “Yes, and when I am older, I’m gonna give speeches to semi-motivate people.”

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal: nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” Thomas Jefferson

Upcoming anniversaries, weddings, and reunions may help with motivation. Whet your appetite by imagining walking in with a slim and trim body. Focus on a body wanna-be. Have you seen someone you’d like to look like? Keep that vision in mind. Set aspirations high, because you’ll never do better than what you aspire to do. If you don’t reach the highest level of your aspirations, you may be disappointed. But, in retrospect, you probably went further than you would have if you had set more modest goals.

And by all means, Keep It Super Simple, Sweetheart, by keeping in mind the means and the motive.

*BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation = weight in pounds x 703 divided by height in inches = total divided again by height in inches. 

BMI value guidelines: 17-20 under weight, 20-25 good, 25-30 overweight, 30-40 obese, over 40 morbidly obese.

**Waist-to-hip ratio = waist circumference (in inches) divided by hip circumference (in inches). A ratio of 0.95 and above for men and 0.85 and above for women signal high risk.

The photo below is in memory of snow.

“Winter Wonderland” ©Terry Tasche

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#43 The Decisive Moment
by
Terry Tasche, M.Photog. Cr., F-PPANI
R.N., B.S.N. and Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

The French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, considered to be the father of modern photojournalism, described the decisive moment as, “the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression.” He spent part of his childhood in Normandy, France, where the Battle of Normandy took place.

The Battle of Normandy of WWII is an example of a significant event captured in many photographs. Jim Tice, Times staff writer, states in his article, June 6, 1944: Against all odds, “D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the decisive moment of the decisive campaign to gain victory over Nazi Germany. Years of planning, Ike’s (General Dwight D. Eisenhower) leadership, laid the foundation for D-Day success. When 150,000 American, British and Canadian forces assaulted beaches and drop zones on the Normandy coast of France on June 6, 1944, they were executing a strategy conceived four years earlier, well before the United States officially entered the war.”

Tice goes on to say, “The Americans and British agreed early on that a single officer, Gen. Eisenhower, would command the invasion of Europe — a unique position that went to Eisenhower in December 1943.” It’s an exciting story of victory that lead to freedom. History professor Dr. Christopher Gabel, referring to the plan to strike at Germany and destroy its war machine, said, “I think it was very important that we knew where we wanted to go, and we stuck to that concept.”

Decisive moments can bring victory, as in the Normandy invasion. They may also bring defeat, as French author Andre Gide, who coincidentally was also brought up in Normandy, might have meant when he said, “The most decisive actions of life are most often unconsidered actions.” I can relate to that, because when I don’t think and plan ahead with decisive action, the results can be other than what I intended.

Eisenhower knew where he was going and what he was supposed to do for that all-important decisive moment. How important it is to have a plan and a single focus! That principle presents itself many times in every day life. For instance, knowing where I want to go and sticking to my concept are successful strategies for victory in daily life, diet and exercise, too.

Interestingly, the word “decide” comes from the Latin root meaning to cut off.  This is meaningful because cutting off my junk food supply will most assuredly bring victory over weight gain and other defeats, which added weight can bring.

Other meanings for decide are significant, too: to make up one's mind about (will I eat junk food or not); decide what to do (when confronted with hunger, will I take the easy road to unhealthy food); to influence or determine the outcome of (will I take note of the eventual outcome for my body and health); announce a verdict (can I see that judgment day is coming regarding the toll my actions will lead to).

One decisive moment for me was the day I decided to write and tell someone what I was eating. It’s so simple, but amazingly helpful to see it written in black-and-white. It lets me know just how things are adding up. Being accountable never hurts either.

My diet includes decisive moments, like: the moment I decide to want the weight off, to eat healthy food, or not; the moment I decide to exercise more, or to sit around and do nothing that benefits my body and my health. These are very decisive moments that can make or break my health.

When I think to myself, “I just want to a little taste of something,” I don’t mean for it to stay with me forever! I don’t see how much work that little decision will take to burn off the fat that little bite adds.

Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision-making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate or we 'blink' and go with our gut. And, at the moment of decision, if I go with my gut, I let my gut go.

So, plan the strategy in advance to outwit the enemy.
Stick to the battle plan!
Make up my mind to win.
It’s the added calories going in.
It’s a decision I make.
I am the one who decides my fate.

The lighted sign on Chicago’s Blue Cross-Blue Shield Of Illinois Tower/skyscraper caught my eye one evening and says it all: Eat Right!

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

www.terrytasche.com

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#44 Take a Chance on Health
by
Terry Tasche, M.Photog. Cr., F-PPANI
R.N., B.S.N. and Founder of mydietmylife.com

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

Take a Chance on Health by Terry Tasche

My daughters and I just returned from Las Vegas, which is famous for entertainment and gambling and general excess. A gambling “Game of Chance” is usually played for money or stakes in which the winner is determined by a chance event, like drawing numbers, throwing dice, pulling the slot machine’s handle, or betting on a chance to win at Black Jack, etc. The game of chance, when played for money, often leaves me the loser and the house the winner.
 
 Designating only a few funds for “playing the slots” and trying to win a hand at the Black-Jack machines was entertaining, and when we “turned in our chips,” so to speak, we found we had won! Definitely good news! The key was to follow the usual good advice: everything in moderation. That strategy can work with the game of health, too.
 
Playing the game of health like it’s a game of chance, can lead to faulty thinking, i.e., unhealthy chips, like potato chips, chocolate chips, pita chips, and so on, won’t matter.
 
 For example, we fool ourselves by taking an extreme medical case, which is totally out of the ordinary, such as a seemingly healthy person suddenly dying of a heart attack or stroke may lead me to believe that there’s no use in trying to beat the odds and be healthy. So, I may decide that it’s all a gamble anyway, and that what I eat or how and if I exercise doesn’t matter. But, these activities can change the game from a game of mere chance to a game of life, health and hope.
 
 Nutrition Action, January/February 2012, reported that one out of two men and one out of three women get cancer, but that cancer is not as random as it may appear. It states that the American Cancer Society estimates that a third of the 571,950 deaths that occurred in 2011 would never have happened if no one smoked. And added that, “Another third could have been prevented with weight loss, exercise, and healthier eating.”
 
Turning in our “chips” for high-fiber foods, whole grains, lean protein, fish, fruits and vegetables increases my chance for a healthy, longer life.
We can have a second chance, or another chance, by learning and applying what we know.
 
Knowledge can be the supplement we need in order to beat the odds and be inspired to apply what we learn: A-E-I-O-U Application, Education, Inspiration, and Onward with Understanding!

So, the key is to not only beat the odds, but, as quickly as possible, to beat the clock, before we destroy our health with all those unhealthy chips, (potato chips, chocolate chips, etc.), and before we have to turn in our life chips.

 Increase the odds, take a healthy chance, and choose health.

 “Vegas” by © Terry Tasche

Copyright © Terry Tasche - All Rights Reserved

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There are no quick fixes where health is concerned, but here are some Quick Tips to help me through the Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, the Halloween, or any holiday for that matter, that may leave me overloaded with sweets. Any little bite-sized tidbits can put on the pounds when I eat too many.

These tips particularily pertain to purchases for Halloween, but can be apply to other occasions, too:

1. Prudent purchases, buying only what I'll need for the festivities. Buy only enough for Halloween trick or treaters, hopefully leaving nothing for me. Buy it the day they're needed, not a week early.
2. Leave the bags of candy in the car, locked in the trunk, until the holiday.
3. Try to give it all out on Halloween night.
4. Give away leftover candy; take it to work and leave it there.
5. Send any leftovers to the neighborhood school for a treat.
6. Donate leftovers to a charitable organization.
7. Throw out any junk-food leftovers.
Better to have it out of the house and in the garbage than on me. I have the tendency to treat it as if it were pure gold, and to treasure as if it were very valuable. But it's not!