Entry 1/31/09

Weight: 237 lbs. Holding in there. I've got to get in some exercise!

Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is how fast food turns in to sugar in your blood. If you have peaks of sugar the excess is stored as fat. Healthy meals would include larger amounts of carbohydrates with a low glycemic index and smaller amounts of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. I don't eat many carbs. When I do, I try to eat carbs with an index below 55. Anyone trying to lose weight and diabetics should eat very small amounts of any food over 55 or stay away from them entirely.

Breads
Rye (crispbread) 95
Rye (whole grain, i.e., pumpernickel) 68
Wheat (white) 100
Wheat (wholemeal) 100
Pasta
Macaroni (white, boiled 5 min.) 64
Spaghetti (brown, boiled 15 min.) 61
Spaghetti (white, boiled 15 min.) 67
Cereal Grains
Barley (pearled) 36
Buckwheat 78
Spanky 101 (I just put this in for fun)
Bulgur 65
Millet 103
Rice (brown) 81
Rice (instant, boiled 1 min.) 65
Rice (parboiled, boiled 5 min.) 54
Rice (polished, boiled 5 min.) 58
Rice (polished, boiled 10-25 min.) 81
Rye kernels 47
Sweet corn 80
Wheat kernels 63
Legumes
Baked Beans (canned) 70
Butter beans 46
Chick peas (canned) 47
Chick peas (dried) 60
Frozen peas 74
Garden peas (frozen) 65
Green peas (canned) 50
Green peas (dried) 65
Haricot beans (white, dried) 54
Kidney beans (dried) 43
Kidney beans (canned) 74
Lentils (green, canned) 74
Lentils (red, dried) 38
Peanuts 15
Pinto beans (canned) 64
Pinto beans (dried) 80
Soy beans (canned) 22
Soy beans (dried) 20
Breakfast Cereals
"All Bran" 74
Cornflakes 121
Muesli 96
Porridge Oats 89
Puffed rice 132
Puffed wheat 110
Shredded wheat 97
Fruit
Apple 52
Apple juice 45
Banana 84
Grapefruit 36
Grapes 62
Orange 59
Orange juice 71
Peach 40
Pear 74
Plum 34
Raisins 93
Dairy Products
Custard 59
Ice Cream 69
Skim Milk 46
Whole Milk 44
Yogurt 52
Potato
Potato (instant) 120
Potato (mashed) 98
Potato (new/white boiled) 80
Potato (Russet, baked) 118
Potato (sweet) 70
Yam 74
Sugars
Fructose 26
Glucose 138
Honey 126
Lactose 57
Maltose 152
Sucrose 83
Cookies
Crackers (water biscuits) 100
Oatmeal 78
Shortbread cookies 88

Lunch: Potted Meat sandwich....that's right a potted meat sandwich. I like potted meat. When I was a little boy we had to eat a lot of potted meat.. you might say I'm a conosewer, I have a sophisticated palate for it. It also brings back fond memories of my dad. He and I would out at 5 am in a old wooden John boat built by Joe. Joe had a fishing camp on Lake Jordan, Alabama. After fishing all morning we'd go back to Joe's camp buy some sardines, potted meat, Vienna sausage, soda crackers, a soft drink and usually a Moon Pie for desert. Joe and dad would exchange fishing reports and talk. Nothing has ever tasted as good. I miss you dad.

I had 6 oz. skim milk for lunch.

Snack: 3 walnuts.

Exercise: My 5 yr. old granddaughter and I went for a walk. I tried to talk her out of it. I told her she would have to walk fast. She kept up with me the whole time. Several times she would have to break into a run. It's funny how you take for granted some things. Like everybody knows the concept of "short-cut". She was breathing very hard and I would tell her to go that way and I would go this way and I would meet her over there - "Kylie its' a "short-cut" you will get a chance to rest. You won't be as tired". She just didn't get it. Went 1.83 miles in 32 min. Kylie slowed me down but I loved her being with me...she is such a joy. Max heart rate 134 Avg. Hr 113. All according to my Garmin Forerunner 405.

Entry 1/30/09

Weight: 237 lbs. Been doing a lot of stressful eating lately. I've got to get back on track.

Breakfast: Bowl of oatmeal with 2oz milk, slice of wheat toast. Cup of coffee with cocoa, creamer and sweetener. I make Starbucks House Blend but it does not taste the same as it does in the store. I've tried to make different strengths and at different temperatures in a French Press. My wife hates the press so she uses a drip maker. I use half and half like I get at Starbucks. I just can't get it to taste as good no matter how we brew it. I wonder if they reserve their better coffee for the stores. A Pox on Starbucks! Before they came along I was perfectly happy with Maxwell House!

Lunch: Salmon steak, fresh green beans, steam vegetable medley, iced tea with sweetener. Business Blitz meeting. Good group.

Dinner: KFC two orignal recipe thighs, cole slaw. Diet Dr. Pepper.

Entry 1/28/09

After a tour sponsored by McDonalds, Wendys, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell and some other fast food chains, Michelangelo's David is being returned to Italy. Grazie Italy.

Thanks Cuz for the newsflash

No that is not a before and after of me!





Weight: 236 lbs.

Breakfast: 4 slices of Turkey Bacon, 2 fried eggs (just a tad of grease from the bacon. Turkey bacon has little grease) Cup of coffee with cream, sweetener and cocoa

Lunch: Bowl of chilli, with 2 slices of cheese on top, grilled cheese sandwich and 8 oz. skim milk.

Dinner: 2 pieces of fried fish, 3 popcorn shrimp my granddaughter didn't eat, and cole slaw. Diet Pepsi. One spoonful of ice cream sundae my wife made me eat.

Entry 1/27/09

Weight: Didn't get to weigh this morning. I was running late for a Business Blitz meeting.

Breakfast: Bowl of oatmeal, 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar, tablespoon of raisin, 3 packs of Splenda, 1 oz. cream. Drank 3 cups of coffee with Splenda and cream.

Ate at Original Pancake House. I used to frequent the place often, usually with the family but haven't been there in about 8 years. Don't really have an explanation. I suppose it's the location because the food is great. They have a special pancake called the Sugar Baby. The pancake is actually formed into a bowl. Inside is melted butter, confectionery sugar and fresh lemon juice. It is delicious. My children loved them when we frequented the place. I resisted this time. That's a good thing about doing this blog. I have some accountability for what I eat. Otherwise I might have had me a Sugar Baby this morning.

Entry 01/26/09

Weight: 236.5 Lbs.

Breakfast: 3 strips of turkey bacon, 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of whole wheat with margarine. 1.5 cups of coffee with creamer and sweetener. 2 fish oil capsules.

Snack: 2 walnuts

Lunch: Three oz. of chicken breast, 2 slices of American cheese on whole wheat with mayonnaise and mustard. 8 oz. skim milk.

Snack; 8 walnuts I eat too many but it's a better bad choice. Better than eating a candy bar or pastry.

Dinner: Cup of Chilli, with two slices of American cheese melted on top amd some soda crackers. It sure was good. I should have left off the crackers. Green tea to drink.

Entry 1/25/09

Weight: Didn't weigh this morning...was running late for church.

Breakfast: Cup of All Bran, 6 oz. Skim milk, coffee with creamer and sweetener.

Lunch: My wife left this morning for a convention in Austin so I had to eat by myself. I decided to go to Poor Richards with the intention of getting a vegetable plate. I don't eat enough vegetables.

While waiting to order, the thought occurred to me to tell you about Poor Richards. It really is interesting. Poor Richards is a simple Home style cooking restaurant in Plano that has connections to the whole world....Japan, England, France, Russia ..the whole world. It is frequented by many regulars who have been coming weekly for many years. Dave Manders, center for the Dallas Cowboys in the early seventies, still frequents the place. So does Bill Donahue, a local plain speaking farmer dressed usually in his dirty overalls, who still raises wheat and hay on what little land he still owns and leases around Plano - anything large enough on which he can turn one of his giant John Deere tractors with their 30 yard wide plows. He's probably got more money than he can count but he's still a down-to-earth country good-ole boy, who frequently explores caves in New Mexico and hunts bear and fishes in Alaska. Howeve, most of the patrons, who stand in a line that winds around once in the resturant and usually out the door and down the side walk, are just ordinary people. So how is Poor Richard's connected to the whole world?
Poor Richard's started in 1973 as Park Mall Restaurant. Plano was still just a little town of 12,000 on the southern border of Collin County about 20 miles from downtown Dallas. Plano was just beginning to feel the growth created by Texas Instruments, which was the first to make transistors in the early sixties for less than $1.00 a piece out of a converted farm house in Richardson. By 1970 there were 3 large buildings spanning over 100 acres of the land surrounding the farm house which had since been torn down. They had become an international company. It had also spurned the growth of numerous small start up companies in the area. Plano was surrounded by thousands of acres of farm land that was being developed by many builders. Many of those would meet at the Park Mall Restaurant for coffee in the morning before starting their busy day. That is the time that Richard, an school teacher of 15 years, bought the restaurant and renamed it Poor Richard's after Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac. Quotes from the almanac like "Don't criticize your husband's judgment, he married you" appear on the menu and walls. It was already becoming a very busy place firmly established by the repeat business of the builders and their workers.

One of those builders was Joe Duncan, a Plano Fireman who started his building business on his off days. Joe was very successful as a builder in the seventies, but during the real estate down-turn during the Carter years of the late Seventies he fell on hard times. He had contracted to build a large house on fifty acres in Parker which is east of Plano and just before he completed it the customer ran out of money and Joe was stuck with the house. Joe had to sell everything else and move into the house himself and complete it. I moved to Parker in 1979. Joe's place was a a mile from my house as the crow flies and I could see the 2nd story across the fields on which Bill Donahue raised wheat.

The highway in front of Joe's house was one of the ways to my office. While not the quickest I would often go that way and admire the beauty of the place. It was a beautiful 2 story frame house set on 50 acres of lush green coastal bermuda pasture. There were a 3 white horse stables behind the house. A black wooden fence surrounded the entire 50 acres and about ten horses and a few cattle grazed on the bermuda. There was a long paved driveway to the house lined with oak trees and at the highway was a wrought iron fence and a wrought iron arch above the drive that read "Duncan Farm". I fantasized about having such a place. I didn't know Joe at the time and I thought he must be very wealthy. Actually he was nearly bankrupt and about to lose the farm. Fortunately for him a film studio located in Los Colinas a industrial development near Dallas, wanted to use his house to make a film. There was now enough money for him to hang on to the farm.

I first met Joe at a meeting between he and officers of the then recently formed Parker Volunteer Fire Department. I was the Fire Marshall. The meeting was to discuss how Joe could help the fire department. Having been a fireman himself he had empathy for our efforts. He was a big help. Through his indirect generosity we were able to purchase a modern refurbished FMC fire engine to replace the 1949 LaFrance, which had seen its better days. Joe later sold his place for $18 million and retained a note for 25 acres south of the house. When the new owner lost the house and defaulted on the note to him, Joe built pads on the acreage and turned it into a "Trade Days" facility. The last time I saw Joe, he was riding on a four wheeler, dressed in his usual western clothes and boots with a red bandanna around his neck. He told me the Trade Days effort was not going to make it. He and his son who recently graduated from college, were trading in commodities. He proudly pointed to the satellite antenna installed on the office he had built for the Trade Day venture and how they were linked to real-time market data. I don't know how that venture turned out, the last time I saw Joe he was riding away on the four wheeler.

How does all this relate to Poor Richards connection to the whole world? Well one day before I had ever met Joe, I drove past his farm and to my surprise there was a new sign above the drive. The sign above the driveway, belonging to this builder that drank coffee and ate breakfast everyday at Poor Richards, instead of reading "Duncan Farms" had been changed by the film company to read "Southfork Ranch".

By the way since they serve breakfast all the time, I ended up ordering the Protein Lovers Breakfast, four scrambled eggs with cheese (I ordered extra cheese), 2 sausage patties and a sliced tomato and drank 3 cups of coffee while reminiscing. Maybe a vegetable plate another day.

Dinner: Salmon steak marinated in lemon juice and fried in a little Granola oil, stirr fried vegetables and slice of whole wheat with a little margarine. Diet Lipton Green Tea to drink. I miss my wife.

Exercise: Lifted weights for 40 minutes. Peak Heartrate 140 beats per minute, Avg HR 112 bpm. The equipment at the gym is equipped with Fitlynx sensors and workout monitoring system. Since the new software was installed ,I stopped getting the emails with my elephants, deisel locomotives and Statue of Libertys. I really miss them. Leave me a comment if you want to know more.

Entry 1/24/09

Breakfast: Cup of Raisin Bran 6 oz. skim milk, 2 cups of coffee, sweetener and creamer. Only 1 fish oil capsule because I had no fat to eat. Forgot to take my Resvinatrol (antioxidnat) Joint Care

Snack: 2 walnuts

Lunch: Chicken breast Dijon, 1/2 cup of mushrooms, grean beans, Lipton Diet Citrus Flavored Green Tea.

Snack; 3 walnuts, Medium Fuji apple. I use to think a crisp Red Delicious apple was the best but they have really created some good apples, Braebuan, Honey Crisp, and others but I like Fuji the best. The produce manager at Thom Thumb told me they are coming from Chilli and South Mexico now. Thanks to the jet age we can have good fruit year round now.

Dinner: Pigged out. Went to Mexican restaurant, ordered some corn tortillas to eat with the salsa (a better bad choice), but I ate half bowl of chips with salsa (a bad choice) before the tortillas got to the table, Ordered Fajita for two (yes my wife was with me..you don't think I would eat all that by myself do you?), ate them with flour tortillas, sour cream, cheese, Pica de Gallo, salsa. Margarita on the rocks.

If you read through my blogs you'll no doubt notice that I don't eat a lot of carbohydrates. I try to stay away from anything white such as white bread potatoes, rice etc. While I don't eactly follow the Atkins diet I have used it from time to time to jump start my weight loss. I usually eat more carbs than the Atkin plan allows and I don't eat as much fat as the diet allows. Low carb is the best way for me to lose weight these days. Here's another study supporting Low Carb eating:

A low-carbohydrate diet may help treat obesity and diabetes say researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. A clinical study found that people on low-carbohydrate diets burn more liver fat than those on low-calorie diets, therefore fighting diseases such as diabetes, insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

“Instead of looking at drugs to combat obesity and the diseases that stem from it, maybe optimizing diet can not only manage and treat these diseases, but also prevent them,” said Dr. Jeffrey Browning, assistant professor in the UT Southwestern Advanced Imaging Research Center and of internal medicine at the medical center.

Glucose (a form of sugar) and fat are sources of energy that are metabolized in the liver and used as energy by the body. Glucose can be made from lactate, amino acids or glycerol. Too much fat in the liver can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) a condition that may affect as many as a third of all American adults. NAFLD is linked to metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. It can also lead to inflammation of the liver, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Researchers gave overweight or obese patients either a low-calorie or low-carbohydrate diet. After two weeks, they used imaging techniques to analyze what techniques the body used to make glucose.

“We saw a dramatic change in where and how the liver was producing glucose, depending on diet,” said Dr. Browning, the study’s lead author. Those on the low-carbohydrate diet produced more glucose from lactate or amino acids than those on a low-calorie diet. Those on low-calorie diets got about 40 percent of their glucose from glycogen, but those on low-carbohydrate diets got only about 20 percent of their glucose from glycogen. Instead, low-carb dieters burned liver fat for energy.

“Energy production is expensive for the liver,” said Dr. Browning. “It appears that for the people on a low-carbohydrate diet, in order to meet that expense, their livers have to burn excess fat.

Results also indicate that those on low-carbohydrate diets increased the amount of fat burned throughout their entire bodies.

Even though the study wasn’t designed to determine which diets worked best to control weight, patients on the low-carb diet lost almost twice as much weight as those on a low- calorie diet.

Entry 1/23/09

Weight: 235 lbs. Weighed 233.5 yesterday. I took an antihistomine last night. I've never tracked my weight this close while taking them so I don't know if that causes me to retain water. I'll do some research on that. My scale rounds off every 1/2 lb so it may be that I was on the high end of 233.5 yesterday and the high end of 234.5 today.

Breakfast: 3 strips of Turkey bacon, 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of whole wheat taste. Coffee with creamer, sweetener and tbsp of cocoa, 2 fish oil capsules, multivitamin, Dhea tablet.

Lunch: Grilled chicken thigh and leg, grilled vegetables, beans, pica de gallo and diet coke,

Snack: 8 walnuts. I try to have a healthy snack 2-3 times a day. It keeps the metabolism revved up and reduces the tendency to overeat at meal times. Overeating causes the blood sugar to peak and contributes to Type 2 diabetes if it occurs on a repeated basis. Ideally splitting 3 meals into 6 is the best way to eat but for me it's hard to put into practice on a consistent basis. I eat a lot of walnuts, more than I should, because I like them and they are an excellent source of omega 3. The fat in them reduces my appetite. Even though omega 3 is the good fat it is still fat and has calories. You must account for them in your daily total.

Dinner: 6 oz. blackened grilled salmon on rice (I ate only a teaspoon of rice), steamed broccoli and green beans. Iced tea with sweetener to drink.

Exercise: Was going to the gym and lift weights but I forgot to bring my shoes. I'll do it tomorrow. I'm really trying to get a workout in every other day.

Entry 01/22/09

Weight: 233.5 lbs Weighed 234 yesterday

Breakfast: Cup of All Bran with 4oz. skim milk, cup of coffee with creamer, sweetener and tspn of cocoa. Only 1 fish oil capsule. If I eat a very low fat breakfast, I only take one fish oil with breakfast. I take the other capsule at lunch, when I usually eat something with fat in it.

I haven't mentioned in my recent blogs that I also take a DHEA tablet each morning. The research is mixed on DHEA. Natural DHEA levels decrease as we get older. I haven't read anything that suggest any negative results of supplementing it. Some studies suggest it increases the testosterone levels which helps in muscle growth and reduces susceptibility to depression. When I run out of my present supply I probably won't replace it unless I notice a significant difference.

Snack: 5 walnuts.

Lunch: 3 oz turkey sandwich with slice of American cheese, 1 oz sharp cheddar cheese, tbsp of mayo, mustard on whole wheat bread. 6 oz. skim milk.

Dinner: Chicken breast fried in Canola Oil, steamed vegetables, slice of whole wheat with margarine (better to leave off the margarine if you can).

Entry 1/21/08

Weight: 234 lbs. weighed 235 yesterday. Most of that 1 lb was probably water since I exercised for an hour last night.

How we eat is the most important thing in weight management. However exercise is not far behind in the rank of importance. The extra calories burned are only part of the benefit. The chemical changes in the blood will suppress appetite for up to six hours, improve our mood and help us control the subconscious urge to eat as an emotional crutch. Adrenaline the "fight or flight" chemical can cause tension and stress. During regular exercise adrenaline can be converted into energy; it is used as a fuel and burned up along the way. Exercise produces a natural 'high' caused by the brain's secretion of endorphins - morphine-like chemicals that help combat pain and stress. Endorphins give you a healthy sense of wellbeing. The muscle we produce by exercising burns more calories even while we rest. It is almost impossible for me to manage my weight without exercising.

Breakfast: 4 strips of Turkey bacon, 2 fried eggs and 2 slices of sugar-free dry whole wheat toast. 2 cups of coffee with creamer and sweetener and tblsp of cocoa. Two capsules of fish oil (omega 3 --the good fat) Centurim Senior Multivitamin, DHEA tablet, Resvinatrol (antioxidant-makers claim "equals 26 glasses of red wine"), Joint Care (contains MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and Collagen). MSM, Glucosamine,and Chondroitin are relatively new on the scene for treating joint care. I took collagen alone in the form of Knox Gelatin since the late eighties and had great results. I had to take it daily for 3 months before the pain from some old football injuries went away. I wouldn't think of not including it for joint care supplement. Few products contain all four of the chemicals so make sure collagen is included or take collagen by itself (Knox Gelatin- not the most pleasant thing to ingest).

Lunch: 6 oz. of Honey Boy Pink Salmon Packed in water - straight out of the can! I am not a gourmet cook and besides I think it taste good and its fast! Mix with an egg and a few cracker crumbs and fry to make salmon patties if you like that better. Bowl of salad with Ranch dressing. Diet Fresca

Snack: 4 walnuts. Walnuts are not my favorite nut but they are an excellent source of omega 3 the good fat and they also add some bulk to your diet. I have acquired a better taste for them over the past year. 16 oz. of Lipton Diet Citrus Flavored Green Tea.

Dinner: 1 slice of Thom Thumb Pizza with sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, olives and cheese. 2 slices of topping only. I just scrap it off and eat. When I go to CiCi Pizza or Pizza Hut I order a crustless pizza. They put the topping in a tin and cook it. I usually eat a slice of regular pizza with it. That is a "better bad choice".

Snack: Half slice of pizza and 3 walnuts.

Entry 01/20/09

Weight: 235 lbs.

Breakfast: Four slices of Turkey bacon, 2 fried eggs, 1 slice of cheese toast, 2 cups of coffer with creamer & sweetener. 2 capsules of fish oil, Centrum Senior multivitamin, Resvinatrol (antioxidant) and Joint Care (sometimes I don't mention them but I usually take these supplements every morning).

Lunch: Turkey sandwich made with 3 oz. Turkey, tablespoon of mayonaise & mustard, green salad with tablespoon of Ranch dressing and a diet Fresca.

Dinner: Green salad with chicken breat and Ranch dressing. Had Lipton Diet Citrus flavored Green Tea. Ate late which is not good idea for weight management. The reason I ate late was because I went to the gym and worked out.

Exercise: Lifted weights for 45 minutes, with a 5 minute warm up and 15 min. cool down walk and stretch. Always stretch after working with weight. It not only improves flexibility but will reduce soreness in the following days. My Garmin Forerunner 405 record 139 beats per minute peak heart rate and an average 109 bpm. As I've mentioned before 103 bpm is the lower end of the fat burning range for me with 119 bpm the upper end. Weight lifting can be an aerobic workout if you move from exercise to exercise quickly. This can compromise your muscle gain because you can't max out the lifted weight. I compromise by letting my pulse rate fall to 112 bpm before starting the next exercise.

Entry 1/19/09

Weight: 236.5 It takes at least four days to spot a trend in weight. This is for all the reasons I have mentioned in previous entries - change in hydration levels, change in muscle vs fat mass, weight of food eaten etc. It appears I'm holding steady. I have been sick off and on for the past weeks. With my two granddaughters living with us and bringing home every germ and virus from the daycare center, we've had more sickness in the house this season than I can remember. Hydration levels really fluctuate when you have the flu or cold. It is important to consume a lot of liquids. If you're not eating much I would suggest a sports drink to keep the electrolytes balanced. I prefer Powerade over Gatorade because Powerades contains less sodium and more potassium. If you monitor your nutrition closely you'll find that you get plenty of sodium from the food you eat. I usually get more than my limit everyday.

Breakfast: Three strips of Turkey bacon, 2 scrambled eggs (started out as fried but I have not mastered the art of the Waffle House flip. Some of the yolk went on the burner)2 slices of sugar free whole wheat toast, 2 cups of coffee with tablespoon of cocoa sweetener and creamer and 2 fish oil capsules. Cocoa is a great antioxidant and it produces nitrous oxide in the blood causing them to dilate, which result in lowered blood pressure and pulse rate. Also improves the mood. Ever had nitrous oxide at the Dentist?

Snack: 2 Walnuts 6 oz. skim milk

Lunch: Baked chicken thigh, leg and 2 oz. of breast. Diet Fresca.

Snack: 2 Walnuts

Dinner: Twelve lemon pepper chicken wings, celery and carrot sticks with bleau cheese dressing. Diet Fresca

Entry 1/18/09

Weight: I broke the scale! Seriously the battery went dead. I'm hoping that in some way that the low battery caused an erroneous reading yesterday.

Breakfast: Bowl of oatmeal, slice of toast with margarine, 2 cups of coffee with half & half and sweetener. Ten Blueberries

Snack: 10 blueberries

Lunch: Baked chicken drumstick and thigh, Salad with ranch dressing, diet Dr. Pepper

Snack; Medium apple

Dinner: Kentucky Fried chicken original leg and thigh, green beans, cole slaw and 8 oz. skim milk.

Snack 4 walnuts

Entry 1/17/09

From News Max Health:

Drinking Coffee Slashes Risk of Alzheimer’s

Drinking coffee during midlife can slash your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A Finnish study found that those who drank coffee at midlife had a lower risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in late-life than those who drank no coffee at all. Those who drank three to five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk by 65 percent.

“We aimed to study the association between coffee and tea consumption at midlife and dementia/AD risk in late-life, because the long-term impact of caffeine on the central nervous system was still unknown, and as the pathologic processes leading to Alzheimer’s disease may start decades before the clinical manifestation of the disease,” says lead researcher, associate professor Miia Kivipelto from the University of Kuopio, Finland and Karloinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Coffee-drinking was categorized into three groups: low (0 to 2 cups daily), moderate (3 to 5 cups) and high (more than 5 cups). Tea-drinking was categorized into two groups: those not drinking tea and those who drank at least one cup daily. While all coffee drinkers had a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than non-drinkers, those who drank moderate amounts of coffee lowered their risk by a surprising 65 percent. Drinking tea had no impact on the risk of developing dementia.

“Given the large amount of coffee consumption globally, the results might have important implications for the prevention of or delaying the onset of dementia/AD. The finding needs to be confirmed by other studies, but it opens the possibility that dietary interventions could modify the risk of dementia/AD,” wrote Kivipelto. “Also, identification of mechanisms of how coffee exerts its protection against dementia/AD might help in the development of new therapies for these diseases.”

Weight: 237 lbs. Whoa! wrong direction. I have had the flu and taking Benydrl and not really caring what I eat. I don't know if antihistamines makes one retain water. I'll research that.

Breakfast: Two slices of whole wheat toast with tablespoon of peanut butter spread on them. 2 cups of coffe with half & half and sweetener. Peanut butter is not the best form of protein but it was fast and that is what I wanted this morning. I don't feel very well.

Snack: About 4 cups of popcorn that I popped for my Granddaughter. She loves to watch it pop.

Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, 8 oz skim milk. Wasn't too concerned about eating "right" today. I feel too bad. I just ate what I wanted.

Dinner: Went out to celebrate my baby's 24th birthday. Wish I had felt better. Had two chicken enchiladas with chili sauce, 1/2 cup of beans, 1/2 cup of rice and 3671 corn chips with salsa. That is the problem with me going to Mexican restaurants, I can't eat just one chip.Finished off my wife's margarita. She gets giddy after one sip of any drink.

Entry 01/16/09

Weight: 236lbs..... I forgot to weigh before eating breakfast as I usually do. This is a half pound gain from yesterday. Breakfast and 2 cups of coffee. Two cups of coffee weighs approximately 1 pound. (A gallon of water weighs weighs 8.3 pounds. There is 16 cups in a gallon. 8.3 lbs divided by is 16 cups is approximately .5 lbs. 2 cups = 1 pound). I have worked out with weights 2 days this week so I should have gained a little muscle which weighs more than fat for the same volume. This is confirmed somewhat by my 38 in. waist pants fit slightly looser yesterday. So my point in all this is that I am not alarmed that I weighed more today.

Breakfast: Two fried eggs in margarine, 2 slices of toast with a little strawberry jam and margarize, 10 blueberries. 2 cups of coffee with half & half. If you have more motivation to lose weight you should fry your eggs in a little canola oil spray and leave the strawberry jam and margarine off your toast.

In planning your meals I would suggest going to mypyramid.gov . It is a free site. There you can determine how may calories you need to eat each day how many calories in each food. Look in the sidebar of this blog under "Basics" to determine how many calories you need reduce to lose fat. Remember cutting out too many calories can produce the opposite result.

Entry 01/15/09

Weight: 235.5

Breakfast: 2 slices of bacon (only the lean part), 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of toast coffee with half & half.
I usually take 1 to 2 fish oil capsules with breakfast - definitely when I consume any animal fat or eggs.

Snack: 10 blueberries

Lunch: Double Cheese burger and Diet coke

Snack: 2 walnuts

Dinner: Tuna helper and 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 7 oz milk

Exercise: None....I'll be glad when spring comes and I can get out to walk and jog. I could go to the track at the Rec center but it is so boring. Makes me feel like a hamster running in his wheel.

Entry 01/14/09

Weight: 235.5

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs. 2 slices of whole wheat toast. Coffee with half & half.

Snack: 10 blueberries (good source of antioxidants)

Lunch: Grilled chicken thigh and drumstick, grilled vegatables, beans, Pica de Gallo
and diet coke.

Snack: 5 walnuts (good source of omega 3)

Dinner: 2 pieces of fried fish and cole slaw, diet pepsi

Snack: 10 blueberries

Exercise: Weight workout with 5 minute warm up and 10 minute cool down walks. Total time 1hr 20 min. Max heart rate 138 beats per minute and Avg HR of 111 bpm. 103 bpm is the low end of the fat burning range for a man 61 yrs old, 119 is the top of the range.

Entry 01/10/09

Exercise: Couldn't work it in today. I really need to. It is important to weight loss. Not as important as eating correctly but there is some interdependence between the two. I find this especially true as I age. I need exercise to counteract the normal muscle atrophy of aging and the decrease in metabolism. Muscle is very important to burning calories. The more muscle we have the more calories burned even while we sleep. Exercise also helps us avoid negative emotions which can lead to eating to make us feel good.

After our early twenties, our bodies begin aging. All our joints and organs are past their prime. Exercise helps slow the onset of arthritis and other joint problems. Joint cartilage depends on synovial fluid for its nutrition since it has no blood vessels. Synovial fluid is forced into the cartilage surfaces when the joint is loaded, as in physical activity. Joint cartilage functions in an elastic manner during short term loading. The cartilage becomes temporarily deformed when long term loading forces water out of the cartilage. It returns to its original shape when unloaded, when water is again drawn into the cartilage. The alternate compression and decompression along with the pumping of synovial fluid due to physical activity is partly responsible for nutrition to the cartilage.

Breakfast: Boiled egg, 2 slices of toast with margarine and tiny bit of strawberry preserves. Coffee, with creamer and sweetener.

Lunch: Bowl of Chilli and Bologna sandwich, 6 oz. skim milk

Entry 01/09/09

Breakfast: Cup of multigrain Cheerios with skim milk. Not my first choice of cereal but all that was on hand. Cheerios have a glycemic index (how quickly converted to glucose) over 55.I try to avoid foods over 55. Oh well, I wanted cereal this morning. Tired of eggs. Coffee with creamer and sweetener.

Lunch: 2 pieces of fried fish, Cole slaw, diet Pepsi.

Snacks: 5 walnuts, Medium apple

Dinner: Salmon, steamed veggies. Lipton Diet green tea.

Snack: Bowl of Ice cream. Shouldn't have but I did. It was "emotional eating" eating as an escape from emotional pain. A lot is going on with my mother and children. Best thing to prevent this is to have only healthy food in the house.

Entry 01/07/09

Breakfast: Two slices of toast with peanut butter, coffee with cream and Equal. Food scientist Dr. Woodrow Monte states that a sweetener should be out 20 years and deemed safe before you use it. There's a new one on the market. I can't think of the name but it is supposed to be all natural like Stevia, which taste like a root to me. I'll be 81 yrs. old in 20 years. I'll let you know what I think about it then. NOT! I'm going to try it as soon as I find it in the super market.

Lunch: 5 oz. turkey breast, creamed spinach, green beans, water with lemon.

Snack: 5 walnuts.

Dinner: A few nacho my daughter did not eat and a tuna fish sandwich, green tea.

No exercise today. I really missed walking on such a fine day but I had a full plate today.