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The McRib Code The McRib sandwich is back at McDonalds . But there is far more to it than the simple reintroduction of failed fast food sandwich for about the 19th time in approximately 31 years. I have combined the DaVinci Code formulas and validated them through Nostradamus’ projections that reference a similar irregular phenomenon. And it is not pretty.
Almost enough to make you want to go Mayan. After you’ve eaten a 2 for 1 McRib. Just know there more at stake. ; ) I believe most of us are educated enough to realize that most of the foods at the grocery store are contaminated in some way. Whether it be hormones and nitrates added to our meats, pesticides and insecticides sprayed on our vegetables or genetically modified crap thats all over the grocery store. It almost seems like the only way to eat decent food is to grow it and hunt it yourself. On top of all of that, we now have another problem child, gluten, that wrecks our digestive systems and puts our bodies in a state where we cannot lose weight or bodyfat. In fact gluten (which seems to be in everything) will not allow our bodies to absorb fat soluable vitamins (A,D,E,K) which leads to malnutrition. Malnutrition, you thought, only occured in third world countries right? Nope, it happens here in the US because of the food industry and the crap they put in our foods. On to the important stuff, I wrote this blog as educational and from a disertation point of view. It is somewhat “technical” but I find this topic interesting. This is a comprehensive list of gluten free foods, foods with gluten AND ingredients to look out for when considering gluten-free options (there are alot of options now). So here you go… What is Celiac Disease? Also referred to as gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE), or celiacsprue, is a chronic, inherited digestive disease that can lead to malnutrition if untreated.CD is the result of an immune system response to the ingestion of gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) that damages the small intestine. When the small intestine is damaged, nutrients pass through the small intestine, rather than get absorbed. To develop celiac disease (CD), you must inherit a gene, be consuming gluten, and have the disease activated. Common triggers include stress, trauma (surgeries, etc.) and possibly viral infections. Approximately 10% of first-degree relatives could have CD triggered in their lifetime. The disease is permanent and damage to the small intestine will occur every time you consume gluten, regardless if symptoms are present. Celiac disease is a genetic disorder affecting 1:133 persons in the United States,potentially 2 million people. For every person diagnosed with CD, approximately 80 people are undiagnosed. What is Gluten?
Diseases Associated with Gluten Intolerance- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Lupus can affect many organs: the skin, joints and muscles, kidneys, heart, brain, lungs, blood and blood vessels, intestines, hearing and balance. Ninety percent of patients are female. Symptoms vary depending on the organs involved, but may include fatigue, fever, anemia, rashes in sunexposed areas, aching muscles, painful and stiff joints,confusion, seizures, inflammation around the heart or lungs, sores in the mouth, vasculitis, blood clots, and changes in the urine. Thyroid Disease There are two common forms of autoimmune thyroid disease commonly associated with CD and DH – Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s disease. Grave’s Disease: An overaactive thyroid. Symptoms may include weight loss, rapid pulse, protruding eyes, feeling too warm, restlessness, insomnia, diarrhea, irritability, palpatations. Hashimoto’s Disease: An underactive thyroid. Symptoms may include weight gain, slow pulse, red puffy eyes, feeling too cold, mental slowness, drowsiness, confusion, constipation, enlarged thyroid gland in the neck, thick and coarse hair. Addison’s Disease A rare disease involving the adrenal gland. The prevalence of CD in persons with Addison’s Disease is significant. Symptoms of Addison’s may include weight loss, increasing fatigue, lack of appetite, anemia, darkening of the skin, increased sun sensitivity, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, and dehydration. Autoimmune Chronic Active Hepatitis A disease of the liver that may be mistaken for alcoholic liver disease. Seventy percent of patients are female. Symptoms can include fatigue, abdominal discomfort, itching, nausea, vomiting, bloating, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), enlarged liver, tumors on the skin, aching, fever, mental confusion, and cirrhosis. Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (Type 1) A disease of the pancreas. The incidence of Type 1 diabetes and CD is between 6-12%. Often the second disease is silent (having few symptoms). Symptoms can include excessive thirst, hunger, weakness, frequent urination, blurred vision, trembling, confusion, weight loss, and coma (if left untreated). Where is Gluten commonly found? Read the rest of… The new buzz word in the world of tech entrepreneurs is cherry-picking. It’s used as a verb, as in “You can cherry-pick your customers based on targeted demographics.” These MBA types like to have shared lingo because it makes them sound smart. I like to learn it so that I can pretend to fit in. I never really do fit in, but it got me thinking about cherry-picking and where that expression came from. I believe that life is a bowl of cherries. Lately I have been affirming that belief on a daily basis with the intention of creatively visualizing a brave new 2013 for me. So far it’s working. But often when I get all excited about a goal or a new year’s resolution it goes through the following cycle: Hope, Action, Reinforcement, Bold Action, Rejection, Defeat. Repeat.
Cherry-picking = Nitpicking. Aha, there’s the rub. I picture some lesser version of myself going to Whole Foods and literally picking out cherries one by one to get the best. But they are all cherries at Whole Foods! Granted the cherries at this store could be dubbed Whole Paycheck but they’re going to be delicious and it can’t possibly be worth my time to pick them out one by one. I tell myself- “Just buy the bag. Enjoy the cherries. Don’t be nitpicky.” It’s not even as unpredictable as Forrest Gump said about the chocolates. You do know what you’re going to get- a cherry! If it’s no good then you spit it out along with the pit and you move on. (Do those of you out there who are dating see where I am going with this?) You still have a bowl of cherries. Read the rest of… Sign up for the fitness challenge right here: [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]
When I started I knew 15 pounds was a lot of pounds to drop from the same body. That’s why I had “or at least 10” as a back up. A sort of high goal and low goal. What I didn’t anticipate is how hard it would be to lose 10 pounds. This whole weight loss and improving your health thing actually takes work. And change. And change isn’t easy. Especially if it means doing something different, which is kind of what change means, I think. Or not doing something the way you’ve always done it –and frankly enjoy doing it (like eating what you want because it tastes good and not exercising because it hurts). That’s just plain hard! And gives one pause. And makes change seems like a really bad idea. You know? Which means you won’t change. And, of course, change is especially tough if on this journey to change all alone. You’ve heard the saying “There’s power in numbers” I have to. But am not sure why I mention it here. Oh! No, that wasn’t it. It will come to me….
Well, good luck with that. If you are trying to do it alone. There’s no accountability. No sense of commitment. No plan. No mentor. No process. No reliable resource offering guidance. Just a fat, lazy guy who wishes he weren’t as fat and lazy as he feels at this moment. And no matter how intensely you feel that, it’s not enough in itself to lead to any sort of measurable change. So what can help? You have two choices. 1) You can be a miserable overweight and unhealthy person who hates yourself and will fail again trying to diet and get in shape. If you are satisfied with this option, stop here. There’s no need to even go to the other option. I’m going to sleep on it myself (I joke) But if you aren’t satisfied with #1, try #2. 2) Sign on with The Recovering Politician and Jonathan Miller and me to try to make some real, incremental and lasting changes. Not for fun. It won’t be fun. Not for torture, even though it will feel like torture at first. Unless you are in to torture, which is none of my business. But rather because the pain of staying the way you are is greater than the pain of changing. That’s when I get motivated. And you can too. And not have to do it alone. Seriously. Jonathan and I joke a lot and try to have fun with our little weight loss undertaking, but if we had to identify a single silent health problem in America today, few would argue it’s obesity and lack of exercise. And as guilty of both as I am. I’m trying to make some small changes…that could create some pretty big results for me in the long run. I hope you join me in trying too. And, yes, there is power in numbers to go back to that topic…but there’s much more the RP can offer to help you get serious….and then get fit. Or at least fitter. Hey, I will not be part of any health improvement process that allows striving for perfection to undermine small measurable progress. Real change is the most probably with realistic assessments and objectives combined with a liveable plan that has worked for others. Click for details. We have all that here. Read about it. And then sign up: either at the top of this post, or right below here: [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]I have written a blog about this topic many times but at this very moment I am watching the Biggest Loser on NBC. Jillian Michaels, Bob the trainer and some other guy are imposing their fitness will on a select group of people for the world to see, all for a cash prize determined on how much a number on a scale decreases. Does anyone else see something wrong with that? First of all, I have been known to push people beyond their limits and I am by no means scared to make someone sore or scream uncle. However, pushing around a number of 300 plus pounders and treating them like United State Marine Corps privates doesn’t sit well with me. Neither does judging a contest by a number (yes it is “reality” TV but these things give people complexes). There are great things about weight loss shows but I often think this drives your everyday gym goer to obsess about the scale, when in all reality it’s not the end all be all. And as a side note, you have to inspire change in people not demand it. To get the very most out of a person, you must INSPIRE them to do it themselves, not force them into submission. This is not what personal training is about. Off my soapbox. Back to the topic at hand….
Let’s back track for a second. What are we trying to do? Most people? Answer is losing weight. Statistics show the most common goal for any gym goers is losing weight. But that should really be the goal? The answer is yes and no. If you are 50 lbs overweight and you need to lose 50 pounds then I would say losing weight would be a great goal for you. However, if you are trying to lose 10-20 pounds, does it really matter what the scale says as long as your body fat changes? Of course not! I tell clients all the time; if I could have you weigh the same weight you are today and look 100% different, would it matter what the scale said? 9 times out of 10, the number didn’t matter. Read the rest of… What coffee feeling do you have this morning? Some mornings I feel like a shot of espresso. Some I feel like regular coffee with cream and sugar Some mornings I feel like black coffee Some I feel like a cup of decaffeinated coffee
And just hope I can find an old Heine Bros cup to hide it in so no one will notice what I really feel like. I am honest enough to admit when I’m wrong, and boy was I ever wrong to deny the “War on Christmas.” Thanks to David Frum for helping me see the light and realize my sad, sad role in this international conspiracy.
#TEAMJYB3: #TeamRP calls me a rascal for sending him a gift basket of Kentucky candy for the holidays. In the middle of our weight loss competition. I apologize I’m just getting to the accusation now….I have been AWOL today and just now getting in. Loads of work to catch up on. But my chief priority is victory over you in our weight loss competition. To paraphrase Malcolm X, I will assure victory “By any means necessary.” I believe he may have used that phrase originally in a weight loss competition with MLK Jr but I may have my historical events confused. Point is, in war, there are no rules. Just more candy baskets. I’m glad you enjoyed the gift basket. But don’t think of it as mere gift “basket” (singular) Think of it as more of an Advent Calendar. But an Advent Calendar that ends on the day you concede I win and you lose. I mean, that you concede that I lost more. I mean that you concede that in a competition to lose, I lost more. Or, whatever, you know what I’m trying to say. Watch your mail. Daily! === #TeamRP: J’ACCUSE AGAIN! I did NOT call you a rascal. Here’s what I said (try this link for the full post):
And by the way, you got the whole civil rights controversy wrong. Malcolm X did most definitely not challenge MLK, Jr. to a fitness competition. He challenged Gandhi. And guess who won that won, SUCKA?!?!?!?!?
#TEAMRP: Just a few minutes ago, I returned to my office from my slightly extended Christmas holiday to find a huge brown UPS box on my desk. After I dug through the styrofoam baubles, I pulled out the beautiful “Taste of Kentucky” gift basket pictured at left. It’s filled with delicious Kentucky Proud treats: Red Hot Roasters organic coffee, a box of Simply Kentucky Fudge, a gift bag of Bauer’s Modjeskas, a Blue Monday candy bar from Ruth Hunt, and my favorite — a Derby Pie: basically, a pecan pie with chocolate chips and a hint of bourbon. Probably my monthly allowance of calories in one basket. While I am in the midst of a fitness challenge against #TeamJYB3, it is always important to take a break from a diet every now and then, especially during the holiday season. Calculating the calories of just a few bites of the Derby Pie, I remembered that I hadn’t found a note identifying the kind, generous soul who would send me such a thoughtful gift. I rooted through the box and found the card that had been displaced. Check it out after the jump: Read the rest of… The old saying goes, “An apple a day will keep the doctor away.” Well, didn’t they tell Eve not to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden? Well, she did and with good reason, they are good for you! I’d almost say they are the perfect fruit, packed with antioxidants, fiber and overall taste. Your mother was again right when she said eating one will keep the doctor away; apples are packed with Vitamin C (almost 14% of the daily value) to help keep the immune system strong and efficient. Here are the top 6 reasons why you should be eating apples daily:
I am big believer in food as a source of healing for the body. We can get a lot of raw vegetables and fresh fruit more so that we can through processed foods. Apples are packed with good nutrition and should be taken everyday! |
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How bad?
Gluten is a composite formed from several different proteins. It is found most commonly in 
I’m trying to break that cycle with my “no fear” new year’s resolution. I suspect that cherry-picking may be part of the problem. If life is a bowl of cherries, and that is the symbol of beauty in the world, then it must hold true that
It’s a numbers game, right? Of course, it is.
Oh, I remember now. Yes, if you are …fat or overweight and lazy, like me, you may decide you want to change.
I’ve often wondered about certain strategies gym goers employ. The one strategy that has vexed my mind is a ritual of sorts and a lot of people do it every day. You know if you do something every day and expect a different result, that makes you crazy rightJ. It is at like the Holy Grail, the very reason people come to the gym and try to eat right, it’s the difference between a good day and a bad day, it is the end all be all. It is stepping on the scale! Don’t try to pretend you don’t do it because we all are guilty, especially in a place where there are scales and we are trying to lose weight, gain weight or stay the same. But the very fact people are control by this instrument, this measurement of body mass can be alarming and skewed. The end all be all may not be “all” it’s cracked up to be.
And then some mornings–like this one–I feel like a cup of warm brown water run through yesterday’s coffee grinds.
A “rascal” is a cute little freckled boy with funny hair.