Love What You Do!

The wind storm yesterday was something else! I helped a friend relocate a swing set from West Jordan to Orem in the nasty storm, I thought I was going to blow off the road at one point, I was glad to get back home. 

At about 2:30 this morning, I woke up randomly. I quickly realized that our power was out when I noticed my fan was not on. Don't judge me because I use a fan to sleep! I haven't been able to rid myself of it since I was an infant. 

While I was lying there awake, trying to get back to sleep, I started thinking about my busy weekend. Friday morning I have a wedding to be to at 11am, that will last about 3 hours. Right after filming the wedding I will head home to switch my camera gear for camping gear so that I can go on the trip with the scouts in Utah County. Bright and early Saturday morning I will wake up and head to Ogden for a wedding that I'll be at all day. Last night while lying awake, I was trying to plan everything out so that I would have my camping gear already packed and ready to go. Then, when I get back from the wedding on Friday afternoon, I will have to make sure to that the batteries are put on the charger in preparation for the Saturday wedding. "Remember to bring enough memory cards" I tell myself. 

Being that it is now officially wedding season, I have been losing a lot of sleep thinking about everything that I need to remember so that I don't have issues while at the shoot. I am in the middle of editing a wedding video for a wedding from last weekend. I am feeling the pressure to get the existing video completed and sent off before the weekend, because if I don't, I will be working on 3 videos at the same time. I generally work best under pressure, but I don't want to test my limits. 

Every wedding that I am involved with makes me remember my own wedding. I remember how special it was to have so many loved ones come and show their support. The other day I realized something, think back to your wedding  day. Can you remember everyone that was there? You most likely can't remember everyone because you most likely don't interact with everyone that showed up to YOUR wedding on an ongoing basis. Think about it. Your wedding day is probably the first, and most likely the LAST day that all of those people will be in one place at the same time. Uncles and aunts from great distances, cousins that you may or may not get along with. Wedding days are such an amazing occasion, not just for the couple, but for everyone. 

If you're not married yet, remember what you just read. Your wedding day is most likely the first, and the last day that all of those people will be in the same place at the same time. Make the most of it. 

For me, as a Videographer, I get to be part of that for many couples. Preserving that special day for a family is such a treat, and a tremendous blessing. Every time I book a Wedding I get goosebumps. Not because of the money, but because it is another opportunity for me to insert myself into someone else's life for a day, or two. I have such a great passion for storytelling. 

The best feeling for me is to hear a Bride say "The video made me cry"after receiving her DVDs. 

Whatever you do, love it or leave it. If you don't love your job, you won't be any good at it. Find your passion, reach for your dreams. If you love what you do for a living, you'll never work a day in your life!

How Does Fat Leave The Body After "Burning" It Off?

While on this journey of mine I have often wondered about the physical changes that happen internally that equate to "weight loss". In other words, how does fat actually leave your body? Anyone who has changed their diet drastically from junk food to mostly or only whole foods can attest to a drastic change in bowel movements. I know it's gross to talk about it, but I am sure many of YOU have wondered this same thing at least once in your life.

Does the fat get broken down and passed through your digestive system somehow? No. It does not.

After weeks of trimming a few calories here, exercising a little more there, you put on a pair of jeans,

and like magic, the waist has grown. You button them up to behold a welcome space between your belly and the fabric. How did that happen?
With 66 percent of the adult American population either overweight or obese [source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], a lot of people are trying to drop some pounds. Through dieting, exercise, surgery or a host of other alternatives, they hope to reach the goal of a smaller body. But to where does that weight disappear when the hard work pays off?
The short answer is that our bodies convert molecules in fat cells to usable forms of energy, thus shrinking the cells. But getting this to happen isn't just about sweat bands and short shorts. Understanding how our bodies perform this tummy-trimming trick requires a little more detail.
We know that weight loss hinges on burning calories. Calories measure the potential energy in food you eat in the form of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
If our bodies were cars, energy would be the gas to keep everything running. Lounging in front of the television is like cruising the strip, while sprinting around a track is more like drag racing at maximum speeds. In short, more work means more energy.

The body uses some of those calories to digest food. Once the food is broken down into its respective parts of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, it either uses the remaining energy or converts it to fat for storage in fat cells. Fat cells live in adipose tissue, which basically acts like an internal gas station, storing away fuel reserves.
To lose weight, you must burn more calories, or energy, than you consume to start using up that fuel reserve. Essentially, you're not ingesting enough calories to fuel your additional exercise, so your body must pull from fat stores.

How We Burn Fat
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, matter is neither created nor destroyed, but it may alter its form through chemical reaction. Essentially, that tells us that while we lose mass in our bodies by burning up fat, it does not just disappear. It simply changes form, like water and steam.
When we eat, the glucose and sugar harnessed from carbohydrates are the first fuel sources. The liver stores the glucose in the form of glycogen and releases it into the bloodstream as necessary to keep our body trucking along. Think of your bloodstream as an interconnected conveyor belt that takes necessary nutrients to the body parts that need them. Once that glucose runs out, fat takes over. Harnessing energy by burning fat is referred to as ketosis.
Hormones regulating our blood sugar levels activate an enzyme in the blood vessels of fat tissue called lipase. Lipase ignites fat cells to release macromolecules called triglycerides, which are what make fat cells fat. Triglycerides are made of glycerol and three fatty acid chains. When they receive the signal from lipase to exit the fat cells, the triglycerides break up into their respective components and enter the bloodstream for use. The liver snatches up the glycerol to break it down for energy, and some of the fatty acids move to the muscles that can farm them for energy as well.
This action of breaking down triglycerides into usable energy is called lipolysis. Once inside the mitochrondia, or power source, or muscle or liver cells, the components of the glycerol and fatty acids are shuffled and reshuffled to harness their energy potential, producing heat, water, carbon dioxide and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP hauls potential energy in its molecular bonds for use when we exercise like cellular carb loading. The water exits our bodies as sweat and urine, and we exhale the carbon dioxide.
Now that the body has relieved fat cells of some glycerol and fatty acids, they get smaller. But if the fat tissue shrinks, what happens to our skin?

Lost Weight = Loose Skin
If our jeans hang loose when we lose weight, it would make sense that our skin would as well. In cases of moderate weight loss, our skin shrinks back to fit the body's new size, thanks to its elasticity. A protein called collagen in the skin gives it this special property, which helps explain how we don't outgrow our skin as we get older. As we age, these collagen fibers in the skin weaken, leading to wrinkles.
Collagen does have its limits. Rapid growth or weight gain can outpace collagen production in the skin, causing areas to overstretch. This can lead to striations called stretch marks. These are particularly common with pregnancy and adolescents going through puberty. Although a number of lotions and creams on the market claim to get rid of stretch marks, most naturally go away on their own.
Sometimes in cases of massive weight loss, people have folds of extra skin left over from their heavier days. Their skin had become so outstretched that it hangs limply from the thinner body, like worn out elastic.
As the number of obese people undergoing gastric bypass surgery increases, so do corrective surgeries for the unwanted and often uncomfortable loose skin. Although it may seem purely cosmetic, extra skin can actually cause infections, rashes and back problems. Since it's a highly invasive procedure, plastic surgeons may space out skin tucks and removals over months or a year, costing up to $100,000.
Even after the work is done, patients wear lifelong scars from the surgeries. Also, this type of body recontouring comes with risks. Since it's a relatively new procedure, doctors only know anecdotal evidence of complications, including dead skin, infection and open wounds [source: Singer]. But as beltlines continue to bulge, the numbers of patients will likely increase as it has the past decade.

Source: http://health.howstuffworks.com

West Valley City Utah STINK - What Is It?

If you are like me and live in Salt Lake City you may be smelling a nasty odor in the air this week. I hear people ask all the time what the odor is. Years ago there was an article in the Deseret News about this very issue. I just thought I would share the article to hopefully answer the question if any of you have wondered what it was. 

SALT LAKE CITY — Scott Woodruff sometimes bikes from his West Valley City home to his job at a downtown Salt Lake City architectural firm. He not only gets great exercise, but does his part for the environment.

But sometimes, he’s found, the environment in West Valley City doesn’t return the favor. If the day’s right and the wind’s right, he can be hit by a “horrific stench,” Woodruff says.

Once, “I had to stop and pull over and get off my bike," he said. "It was so bad I thought I was going to throw up.”

He’s also encountered the smell in other parts of West Valley City, he says — at Rocky Mountain Raceway or at his sister’s house near 5600 West, even at West Valley’s Centennial Park and the Costco parking lot.

Calling himself a “proud resident of West Valley City,” where he moved over two years ago, Woodruff has taken on the task of solving the problem. About a year ago, he spoke at a West Valley City Council meeting — but despite promises no one ever got back with him, he says.

Woodruff said he will make another attempt at the council's Tuesday meeting.

“Everyone I’ve talked to smells it, too,” Woodruff said.

Mostly, he smells it in the lower part of West Valley City when the wind blows from the northwest—from the direction of the Salt Lake Valley Landfill. He asked a worker there, who told him it's not the landfill, but a nearby company recently set up to process waste from portable outhouses.

That’s close, but not quite the case, said Salt Lake County recycling coordinator, Ashlee Yoder, who has an office out there. She agrees the smell is “definitely not the landfill,” but it's not a port-a-potty company either. Rather, the smell emanates from a nearby company known as ET Technologies, Yoder said.

“It’s pretty obvious.”

If so, the smell is hardly new. The company set up operations in 1984 to process wastes that then-new federal regulations had prohibited from going directly into landfills.

ET Technologies is a for-profit company, but it operates on 40 acres at the western end of the landfill’s property under agreement with its co-owners, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County. And both the landfill and ET’s operation are within the boundaries of Salt Lake City — not West Valley City, according to a county map.

Company vice-president Ted Sonnenburg acknowledges that ET's operation produces its share of odor, but it’s doing all it can to alleviate it, he says. And other nearby facilities may contribute as well, he added — such as the landfill itself, a water treatment plant and a composting operation.

ET processes bio-solid waste from area water treatment facilities, petroleum waste from automotive shop sumps and other forms of waste, Sonnenburg said.

The material is treated, dried, laid out into long piles, or windrows, and periodically turned in order to leaven the brew with oxygen. Bacteria within the waste break down its hazardous chemicals — a process that takes several months.

And all of the company’s end product then goes to the county landfill free of charge, Sonnenburg said. ET makes its money by charging fees to its “incoming waste stream” producers.

“The processing that ET does has to take place some way,” Yoder noted. Besides processing such waste so it can be safely disposed, the landfill needs the product to help grow erosion-preventing vegetation in its clay-heavy soil.   

The company spends tens of thousands of dollars a year on odor reduction, Sonnenburg said, including mixing odor-reducing chemicals into the waste and an odor control system around its perimeter.

Additionally, they try not to “push out” material in windy conditions, and an odor-reduction consultant visits every three months to tweak the odor-reduction system, Sonnenburg added.

“Unfortunately with bio-solid waste, it’s a material that inherently has an odor.”

The problem now is that with encroaching development there are more residents nearby who notice, and complain, about the smell, Yoder said.

“We put these things a ways away from people purposefully.”

A similar smell issue arose for the Trans-Jordan landfill in South Jordan about three years ago, when housing developments began sprouting nearby, says that landfill’s general manager, Dwayne Woolley.

New move-ins to Kennecott Land’s Daybreak and other residential developments began complaining of the smell caused by Trans-Jordan drying and mixing waste treatment sludge into the compost it sells to homeowners and others.

“It’s a little like moving by a horse barn and then complaining about the smell of horses,” Woolley said.

But to keep peace in the neighborhood, Trans-Jordan quit using the sludge, which it had been getting from the South Valley Water Reclamation Center in West Jordan, Woolley said. Instead, the landfill began making a non bio-solid compost, with no effect on its bottom line. And while the quality is not quite “premium,” as it was before, it is still good, he said.

But the water treatment facility had to add additional processing steps to its operation, and install additional equipment, which may have put upward pressure on sewage rates, Woolley said.

The Trans-Jordan Landfill is a joint operation of seven cities in south Salt Lake Valley.

We Will Stand Up and Never Let Anyone Get The Best Of Us

It is amazing to look back and see the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings just a year ago.
When it first happened, many speculated that it was another 9/11 type of attack. Today, thousands of Americans flooded the streets to show their support for loved ones and complete strangers. Together they stood together and refused to let last year's actions affect the outcome of today's events. It goes to show how strong we are as a people. We can unite and become great together.

(Reuters) - Meb Keflezighi on Monday became the first U.S. male athlete to win the Boston Marathon in three decades as onlookers chanted "USA! USA!," an emotional performance in a city still recovering from last year's fatal bombing attack.

Keflezighi, who was born in Eritrea but is now a U.S. citizen, pulled ahead of a pack of elite African runners a little more than halfway into the race and held off a late challenge by Kenya's Wilson Chebet to finish in two hours, eight minutes and 37 seconds.

Among the women, Kenya's Rita Jeptoo notched her second consecutive win of the race, smashing a 12-year course record with a blistering time of two hours, 18 minutes and 57 seconds, reeling in American Shalane Flanagan, who had set a punishing pace as she led the women for the first 20 miles of the 26.2-mile (42.2-km) race.

 
"This is probably the most meaningful victory for an American, just because of what happened here last year," Keflezighi told reporters after his win. "Up till now I'd say my career was 99.9 percent fulfilled. Today I'd say it is 110 percent fulfilled."

Noting that the Boston Red Sox's World Series championship last year had lifted the city's spirits, he added that he wanted to provide a similar boost: "When the Red Sox did it, I said, 'I want to do it for Boston.'"

Flanagan, who finished seventh, said she had decided to run this year's race immediately after last year's attack.

"I just wanted to send a message that I was not afraid to be back here and I was not afraid to be a part of this day," said Flanagan, who vowed to return next year, and to keep returning until she notched a victory.

Last year, three people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed and 264 were hurt when, prosecutors say, a pair of ethnic Chechen brothers left homemade bombs at the crowded finish line, tearing through the crowd.

'SYMBOLIC' VICTORY

Fans had packed the course, waving American flags and wearing T-shirts bearing the "Boston Strong" motto the city adopted as a rallying cry after last year's attack. Their screams grew deafening as Keflezighi tore through the final miles.

"It is very symbolic that an American won this race today one year after the bombing, said Veronica Carroll, who had traveled from New Jersey to watch her husband run. "It represents the strength of our country."

Some 35,755 runners from 96 countries competed in the second-largest field in history for the 118th running of the Boston Marathon.

Among the women runners, Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia was second and compatriot Mare Dibaba third. They too turned in faster performances than the previous course record of 2:20:43 set in 2002 by Margaret Okayno of Kenya.

Among the male runners, Wilson Chebet of Kenya finished second and Frankline Chepkwony, also of Kenya, was third.

Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa, last year's winner, did not finish, race officials said.

No American athlete has stood atop the podium on Boston's Boylston Street, not far from the site of last year's bombing, since 1985 when Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach of Michigan won the women's race. The drought has been longer for U.S. men: Greg Meyer of Massachusetts won in 1983.

Race organizers expanded the field by some 9,000 runners this year, to allow the roughly 5,000 athletes who had been left on the course last year when the twin pressure-cooker bombs went off near the finish line another chance to compete.

One of the two brothers who are accused of the bombing died after a shootout with police a few days after the blasts while the other, 20-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is awaiting trial. If convicted, he may face execution.

Utah Jazz FINALLY Let Coach Tyrone Corbin Go

I grew up watching Jerry Sloan lead the Utah Jazz to NBA Finals over and over. Sloan's win/loss record is third highest in NBA history. The untimely retirement caused a broad array of speculation. I had a deep love for Coach Sloan and how he was able to lead the team to so many wins with such opposition over his career. I was deeply saddened when Sloan was replaced by Tyrone Corbin, even though Corbin was said to have been trained under the wing of Sloan which was supposed to translate to a similar coaching style on the court. Coach Corbin has done nothing but disappoint, game after game lost.

What will happen to the Jazz now?



SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz have let go of head coach Tyrone Corbin, announcing Monday its decision to not renew his contract.
The Jazz front office and Corbin met Monday morning to discuss the team’s future, upon which, Corbin was informed his contract would not be renewed after his four-year tenure as the team’s head coach.
"I would like to thank Ty and his staff for all of their hard work, dedication and professionalism over the last three-plus seasons," Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey said in a prepared statement. "This has not been an easy decision, but after a thorough review process, we as an organization feel that this is the best decision for our franchise moving forward."
Corbin’s overall record as the team’s coach was 112-146, with a record of 25-57 this season for the worst record in the Western Conference.
At Thursday’s locker room cleanout, Corbin addressed his pending future to the media, saying his role as head coach was difficult based on the roster he was given.
“Anything can happen in this league. I’ve been in it a long time,” Corbin said. “You want to have a fair shake. You want the best opportunity you can have to win. We just, the organization just decided to go in a different direction from the guys we had the year before.
“I knew it would be difficult from the beginning,” he added. “In no way when you change the roster like we changed is it good for the coaching staff, especially in the last year of a contract. It brings a lot of questions in everything you do with young guys.”

I would like to thank Ty and his staff for all of their hard work, dedication and professionalism over the last three-plus seasons. This has not been an easy decision, but after a thorough review process, we as an organization feel that this is the best decision for our franchise moving forward.

–Dennis Lindsey

Lindsey said on Thursday the coaching decision would be made after a short “decompression” period for both parties to consider its options.
“When we spoke to Ty and his representation during the year, we laid out that we wanted to take the full season,” Lindsey said. “We wanted to take a small period for all of us — Ty included — to decompress, so we aren’t making a decision based on the last possession, the last game, and make an emotional decision.”
Corbin is the third head coach to be let go this season. The Pistons fired Maurice Cheeks in February and New York fired its head coach Mike Woodson Monday morning. Minnesota’s Rick Adelman announced his retirement Monday.
The Jazz coaching search will begin immediately; however, the hiring of a new head coach is expected to come early in the offseason.
"Ty represented himself and the Utah Jazz organization with great class and dignity, and he and his family have been an important part of our team and community for many years," Jazz President Randy Rigby said in a prepared statement. "I want to thank them for their numerous contributions to this franchise and wish them well in the future. They will always remain a part of the Jazz family."
Corbin took over for Hall of Fame head coach Jerry Sloan on Feb. 10, 2011, finishing the season with a 39-43 record, 8-20 as interim head coach. Corbin would then coach his team to an NBA playoff appearance the next year in a shortened lockout season, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round 4-0.

Corbin was an assistant under Sloan from 2004-2011 before assuming the head coaching job. Corbin was also a member of the Jazz team as a player from 1991-1994.

KSL Utah

No Distractions No Excuses

Most of my life I have heard again and again the phrase "you can do anything that you put your mind to". I would let it go in one ear and out the other. Those sayings are JUST for Olympic athletes and professional sports stars right? WRONG!

Many of us use excuses to justify why or how we can't accomplish a certain task. For years I have used one excuse after another like many of you out there. I have people in my life that would like to quit smoking. As far as they're concerned, they WANT TO quit smoking. I disagree.

If you really WANT to do something, you DO IT! If you fail at quitting one day, you start again the next, and the next, and the next. Think of any famous inventor in the history of the world. Einstein, Walt Disney, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton. One thing they all have in common, they never gave up! For every victory, they each had dozens, and maybe hundreds of losses. Which ever addiction you are battling with today can be won. You are on the road to victory, but one thing is true, you must take the first step. You will fall down, you will have struggles.

I hear it all the time "I want to quit". No you don't! You like the idea of what life would be like if you didn't have to answer to your caffeine addiction, or your cigarette addiction. Put that desire for change to work. You may find several ways that things don't work for you until you finally find one way that does.

I have been on my own weight loss journey for over a year now. For about 11 months, I thought I was doing everything right but I was not losing weight. It wasn't until I was talking to my father in law about how much fruit he was eating, and how he was having to adjust his food intake to continue losing weight that I finally realized what my problem was. I was eating fruit smoothies for breakfast and lunch. I was having some veggies, but not nearly enough. All of the work that I was putting myself through was being wasted because I was ingesting so much sugar from the fruit. Since making the adjustment to mostly veggie smoothies about 3 months ago, I have lost 33 pounds and continue losing weight.

The thing about losing weight is it is NOT about losing weight. It is about everything else that comes along with it! The last few days have been amazing because my pants are getting too big. My wedding ring is starting to fall off as well. It is titanium, so I guess when here in a little while I'll get to buy a new wedding band. We went shopping saturday. I really wanted to buy some clothes because mine are starting to fall off me, but I decided to wait a while until I really needed them.

Back to the topic.

I am a stay-at-home parent with 3 boys. 2 of them are 4, the other is 5. I am a videographer, so sometimes I am out on a shoot, but when I am not, I am at home editing videos so that I can book more work. I juggle school, laundry, dishes, lawn mowing, cleaning the house, and everything that comes with raising children. I don't get 8 dedicated hours in a day to get my work done. I get 8 minutes here, 14 minutes there, all interrupted by "Daddy can you wipe my bum" and "Parker bit me". Some days we spend hours at a time in the car, other times we are at home working. My day never ends. That being said, I could use any of that as an excuse. My former fat self would.

 When I look in the mirror I see a fat guy. I don't see myself. I see the symptom of my actions over the last ten+ years. I feel so different inside. I feel strong, like I can overcome anything. Like I can accomplish ANYTHING, because I CAN. And YOU can too.

No matter how busy you are, no matter what your excuses are, don't let your excuses dictate how you
live your life. You have a choice as to how you react. Isaac Newton's law of motion "An object at rest remains at rest unless acted upon by an outside force". You are that object! You don't have to remain at rest. Put a reminder on your phone that repeats every day at the time of day that you are currently making that choice to continue sitting to watch TV. The reminder should read "GET UP AND GET MOVING". If you remember that every day, and you do something to get moving you will see results. Some days I take my kids to the park and kick around a soccer ball. Other times I walk laps around the playground while they play.

Take your youth back, just because you're in your thirties, forties, or fifties doesn't mean you have to feel like it.

Every win is a win, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem

Today I am off to shoot another wedding. I love being a videographer because it means that I get to be part of an important day in several peoples lives. In order to prepare for a wedding, I generally get up very early and run through a checklist to make sure that I have everything I need for the day. I then eat a hearty breakfast, in order to prepare my body for the beating I am about to put it through.

This morning I left home without eating breakfast because I planned on eating out on my way to the shoot. When I pulled out of the driveway, my first thought was to drive to McDonald's and get myself a value meal for breakfast with orange juice to drink. I justified it in my mind because typically on any given wedding shoot I end up burning enough calories that I lose 2 to 3 pounds in a single day.

 As I sat in my car contemplating if I really should go to McDonald's for breakfast, I reflected on the last time that I ate fast food since I made a decision to get healthy for good. I remember feeling bloated, sick to my stomach, an excruciating headache that I simply could not get rid of. I felt utterly disgusting. I then realized that i could I ever eat McDonald's breakfast again.

I used to go to McDonald's sometimes twice a day. I used to think that I had no other choice. Today I made up my mind that I did not want to feel bloated and disgusting. So I found the closest subway restaurant, and got myself a ham egg and cheese sandwich on flatbread with lots of veggies.  I was very proud of myself for being able to make a decision like this. Even while standing in line waiting for my sandwich to be made, I resisted the temptation to grab a bottle of processed juice from the cooler. I was proud of myself for being able to resist the temptation that I used to think was impossible. Since I was able to make those decisions, I decided to pick egg white instead of the full yellow egg for once. It actually wasn't that bad, I really couldn't tell a difference.

Every day I learn new things about myself, I learn about my strengths. I am stronger than I give myself credit for.  I am learning more and more each day that I do have the ability to do what I want to do. I can pick what I want to pick. Even though my brain was telling me that I should go to McDonald's and get the sausage egg and cheese muffin with orange juice, I knew deep down that my body didn't need that. I remembered what I heard my trainer say recently, you know what your body needs, give it what it needs not what you think smells, tastes, or looks good.

You and I are capable of great things, the only thing standing in our way is a choice. You can choose to be a winner or loser. You are only restricted by what you tell yourself. Standup today and fight, you know what I'm talking about. There is something that each one of us holds onto every day that we wish we could let go. 

Join the resistance! You don't have to be a victim anymore.

USDA 'Food Pyramid' Is Wrong

With 70% of American adults now considered obese, something is obviously wrong, right? For
decades now, we have relied on the Food Guide Pyramid as our bible for daily nutrition. I remember growing up eating potatoes every week for Sunday dinner, with a thick slice of meat, and a small portion of veggies. How similar was your Sunday dinners growing up? 

As someone who is now fighting each day to eat healthy and to lose weight, the food guide pyramid for me has been turned upside down. Obesity is now considered a disease. Some don't consider it a "disease" simply because the resulting effect was caused by personal choice. That being said, is lung Disease also not considered a disease because it is also caused by a personal choice to smoke cigarettes which are widely known to cause cancer and death? 

I read recently a statistic that 90% of ailments we experience as a people are fully reversible by getting proper nutrition. That includes cancers, diabetes, heart conditions, etc. The Food Guide Pyramid was not put in place with our best interests in mind. Many of us believe that simply because the government puts something into place that it is in our best interest. 

It is common knowledge that eating lots of fruits and veggies every day, with lean proteins, and minimal breads and dairy is the right way for us to be healthy. I want to pose a question. 

The Food Guide Pyramid was installed by the USDA which only has its interests in mind. Obesity is now an epidemic which affects 70% of adults and a growing number of adolescents. Food Addiction is the root cause of obesity. Is it a coincidence that the USDA put in place a Food Guide for us to follow only to purposely addict us to the food that they oversee? Addict the general population, sell more food, make more money. Just a question. 

The article below gives more insight to the problem I just addressed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by Tom Hargrove,

PlanetRice Editor-in-Chief

The famous "food pyramid," considered almost holy by many nutritionists and dieters, is wrong and hurts both waistlines and health, claims Dr. Walter Willett, a leading U.S. nutrition researcher, in his new book Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating (Simon & Schuster, US$25).

The pyramid, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1992, advises daily consumption of six to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta; two to three servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts; and sparing consumption of fats, oils, and sweets.

The food pyramid is published widely across the United States. It's printed on cereal boxes and bread wrappers, posted on elementary school bulletin boards, and published in university textbooks.

It's also known globally. The USA Rice Federation distributes the food pyramid, for example, through its promotion of U.S. rice in Mexico.

But the food pyramid is outdated and doesn't reflect the latest food research, says Willett, chairman of the Nutrition Department at Harvard University, in a July 26 feature in USA Today.

Willett claims that his new food pyramid offers a longer, and better, life.

Furthermore, the USDA food pyramid serves the interests of its main client, the U.S. agricultural industry, Willett claims.

In Chapter 1 Willett, a long-time critic of the pyramid, writes, "The thing to keep in mind about the USDA Pyramid is that it comes from the [U.S.] Department of Agriculture, the agency responsible for promoting American agriculture, not from agencies established to monitor and protect our health, like the Department of Health and Human Services, or the National Institutes of Health, or the Institute of Medicine.

"And there's the root of the problem--what's good for some agricultural interests isn't necessarily good for the people who eat their products.

"Serving two masters is tricky business, especially when one of them includes persuasive and well-connected representatives of the formidable meat, dairy, and sugar industries. The end result of their tug-of-war is a set of positive, feel-good, all- inclusive recommendations that completely distort what could be the single most important tool for improving your health and the health of the nation.

"At best, the USDA Pyramid offers indecisive, scientifically unfounded advice on an absolutely vital topic--what to eat. At worst, the misinformation it offers contributes to overweight, poor health, and unnecessary early deaths."

USA Today reported that a startling 61% of U.S. citizens weigh too much, and about 26% are obese-30 pounds or more over a healthy weight.

Willett says that the USDA pyramid puts too much emphasis on red meat and lumps too many types of carbohydrates together. The pyramid gives too little emphasis to nuts, beans, and healthy oils, which have positive health effects.

Willett's alternative, the Healthy Eating Pyramid, has daily exercise and weight control at the base, and recommends eating whole grains like brown rice at most meals.

It also emphasizes eating plant oils like olive, canola, and soy, and suggests eating lots of vegetables and gives fish, poultry, and eggs a higher profile than red meat.

USDA had no comment on Willett's new book or his pyramid, USA Today reported.

USDA designed the pyramid as an easy way to show the groups of foods that make up a good diet, and how much of the different groups one needs to stay healthy.

It is in a pyramid shape, rather than a circle or square, to explain the different proportions of foods to one another. The foods that make up the base, or widest part of the pyramid, should be the largest part of a diet. As one goes up the pyramid, the amounts get smaller as the pyramid apexes.

http://www.rense.com/general12/wrong.htm

Live like you're dying - Make today count

Every morning, I wake up to one of my boys wanting to come into bed and snuggle with me before the rest of the boys wake up. This morning I was sleeping soundly when I suddenly awoke simply because I sensed a presence in my room. As I opened my eyes, there he was, not 3 inches from my face. My youngest boy, Parker. Thumb in his mouth, blanket hanging to the floor. "Good morning Daddy, I love you" he says.

I invited him into bed with me for a short while and reflected back to times before we had the pitter patter of little feet in our home. 

My wife and I were married in 2007 and made the decision that we would not wait to have children. The way I look at it, when God wants us to have children he will provide them. "In God's time".  After roughly a year of trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant, we made an appointment with a fertility doctor. When the reports came back, it was clear that the both of us had issues internally that offered us little to no chance to ever conceive on our own. The doctor said we had less than .001% chance. 

That day, I think a little part of me died inside. All of my life, I had hoped of nothing more than to be a father. I knew in my heart that I would be a great father. My father was not in my life much, so I wanted nothing more than to be there more for my own kids. 

We weighed our options, adoption, foster care, or no kids at all. Both realizing that we wanted nothing more than to be parents, we felt that the third option was not an option at all, and adopting a child would take years, and tens of thousands of dollars. Adoption didn't feel right. Too many kids are born into families that cannot provide for them in one way or another. I do understand that some children are put into foster care where they wold have been better off in their own homes, but most foster care children are there seeking a second chance. They feel cast away, neglected, hopeless, and unloved. Katy and I decided that WE NEEDED to look into foster care so that we could possibly give one or more children the second chance that they needed. We knew that we had love to give, and felt that newborns have more parents lining up for them, we knew we wanted the children that had less people lining up to take one home. 

In October of 2009 we received a call asking us if we would be willing to take a child into our home. We specifically asked the Foster Care Foundation for children over the age of 5 since they were the least "wanted" by other parents. The phone call left us surprised. They were asking us to take in a 7 month old boy. At the time, we both worked full time, I owned two Pizza restaurants that ate up close to 100 hours a week. We prayed about it and knew that he was for us. 

For the first little while, I called him "The Boy". Before we were allowed to take him into our home, we were required to read about his story. What he went through, the conditions in which he was found, and so on. He wouldn't let you hold him while he ate, he wouldn't let you hold him to rock him to sleep. One day I remember him laying on the floor eating his bottle, he rolled over and left the bottle where it landed. He scooted around for a minute and when he turned to come back to the bottle, he looked at the bottle, and at us. Again and again. He went back to the bottle, picked it up, shook it up, and put it back on the floor, scooted away from it watching us every step he made, making sure we didn't take it. He would put it in different parts of the house, leave, and watch us to see if we would leave it there. It became apparent that in his old home, he didn't have adequate food. He was testing us to see if we would leave his food alone or not. It was so heartbreaking for us to witness this sort of thing. 

At our first court appearance just days afterwards, his parents relinquished their rights, asking us if we would adopt him for good. At first we were shocked,  but we knew what we had to do. This was our opportunity to be permanent parents, this was our chance to give unconditional love to someone that needed it from us. 

His mother was already pregnant with twins, and she fully expected to keep them. But as she got closer to her delivery date, she changed her mind and asked us if we would be willing to adopt them. At first we said NO, even HELL NO. How could we handle another child, let along two?! Most parents have 9 months to buy clothing, crib, stroller, diapers, etc. for a child, we had just done all that over a weekend for one child, now we would have to do it for two more? 

After spending a day pondering the reasons that we couldn't take on two more boys, I woke up the next morning and knew without a doubt that we would adopt them. The lord bore witness to me that they were born for us. 

March of 2010 our family grew by 2 more, making us a family of 5. The twins were not in the best of health, being born 12 weeks early. Jackson (our oldest) spent most of his time at "Pop Pop's" house getting to know his new grandpa, while Katy and I spent every spare hour in the NICU with our two struggling boys. 

I remember the day that one of the nurses pulled us aside at the hospital to discuss Dylan's health screening that day. They had done a brain scan and found that his brain was "mush", "swiss cheese" they called it. We were astounded to say the absolute least. How would this affect his life? How would it affect our lives? We spent more time holding him that day, pouring our hearts out to him. That night we got on our knees and asked for mercy. We prayed for Dylan's health, we prayed for patience to be able to understand and help him as he grew older with brain damage. 

The next day when we visited the boys, the nurse said that he was doing fine and that they had done another scan and that he looked fine. I don't know even today what happened back then. Maybe a miracle, maybe a mistake, but either way that day has influenced the way I think about my boys. 

We brought the boys home 12 weeks after birth, and started our crazy, complicated, busy life together. We had 3 boys all under the age of 1. Jackson is 11 months older than Parker and Dylan, so each year for 3 weeks they are the same age. 

Parker & Dylan just turned 4, and Jackson turned 5. They are full of energy, and wanting to learn as much as their little minds can soak up. People look at us like we are freaks when we go anywhere. "Are they triplets?", or "I bet your hands are full". My response, "I'd rather them be full than empty". 

I walked away from my Pizza businesses less than a year after the twins were born so we didn't have to let them be raised by daycare. I started a recycling business so that I could make a living while also caring for my boys. 

Some people tell me that I am crazy, I feel like I am lucky. I have an amazing wife that works hard so that we can have insurance and stability. I was able to start a business that makes me a decent living while not having to put my kids in daycare, and because of that I get to see my boys all day, every day. Since being at home, it has allowed me to explore my passion and build my Videography business while my recycling business paid most of the bills. I get to snuggle with my boys in the morning, feed them breakfast, and watch them learn and grow as individuals. I get to teach them things every day. Because I don't have a set schedule, and with Katy's job being so flexible, we get to travel a couple times a year. 

We started off as a depressed couple unable to bear children of our own, now we have 3 amazing, smart little boys that remind us that every day is a blessing. 

There is a famous saying "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that is why it is called the present". I recite this quote several times daily. When one of my boys comes to me and wants to show me something that he built, I jump at the opportunity. I remember growing up, always hearing excuses as to why my parents wouldn't or couldn't help us with something, or simply come see what we had done. I made a commitment to myself and my boys that I would NOT be THAT parent. I don't want to look back in 20 years and think to myself "I wish I would have..."

You never know if tomorrow you won't wake up. What if your spouse gets in an accident today on the way home from work. What if your child falls off the slide at school and snaps their neck and dies of his/her injuries. I know it's tough to hear, but these sort of things happen every day. Today, do something a little reckless. Don't go rob a bank or shoot the neighbor that has been driving you crazy. Do something NEW, something that you wouldn't have done yesterday. 

The next time your child comes up to you and grabs your hand because they're excited to show you something, run! You may never get this chance again! Your child will NOT be this age ever again. This day will NOT come again. 

Live today like it's your last and you'll never regret a thing!

Four Reasons to Quit Your Job

By Jack and Suzy Welch

What criteria can you use to determine if you have been with the same company too long?

A friend of ours, an investment manager at a highly regarded company in the Midwest, who drove to work one morning, parked his car in the usual spot, and then found he simply could not bring himself to get out of the car. “I guess I stayed on the farm one day too long,” he joked later. When we asked him what went wrong, he answered, “It wasn’t one thing. It was everything.” No wonder he drove home and called in his resignation.

Obviously, most people don’t decide they’ve overstayed at their companies in such a dramatic fashion. Usually, angst about work creeps in, and then builds until it consumes you. And that can happen early or late in a career. Gone are the days when, after graduation, you took the best available job and stayed for as many years as you could possibly stand, frustration be damned. These days, it is not unusual to hear of perfectly legitimate careers built on multiple job stints.

So, to your question, how can you tell when it’s time to move on? We wouldn’t set out specific criteria as much as offer four questions to help sort out an answer.

The first is so simple it almost goes without saying, but the fact that a lot of people don’t confront it, including our friend who ended up stuck in his car—a Harvard MBA, by the way—suggests we should go ahead and put it out there: Do you want to go to work every morning?

This is not a matter to be over-brained. Does the prospect of going in each day excite you or fill you with dread? Does the work feel interesting and meaningful or are you just going through motions to pull a paycheck? Are you still learning and growing?

We know of a woman who worked in consulting for seven years. She loved her firm and had originally planned a career with it, but suddenly started noticing that she wished every weekend was five days long. “Basically, I felt like we were putting together massive books in order to make recommendations to people who knew more than we did,” she said. “Every day at the office, I felt a little bit more of a hypocrite.” She now happily works on the “front lines,” to use her phrase, in the marketing department of a retail company.

Second, do you enjoy spending time with your coworkers or do they generally bug the living daylights out of you? We’re not saying you should only stay at your company if you want to barbecue with your team every weekend, but if you don’t sincerely enjoy and respect the people you spend 10 hours a day with, you can be sure you will eventually decide to leave your organization. Why not make the break sooner rather than later and start cultivating relationships at a company where you might actually plant roots?

Third, does your company help you fulfill your personal mission? Essentially, this question asks whether your company jibes with your life’s goals and values. Does it require you, for instance, to travel more than you’d like, given your chosen work-life balance? Does it offer enough upward mobility, given your level of ambition? There are no right or wrong answers to such questions, only a sense of whether you are investing your time at the right or wrong company for you.

Fourth and finally, can you picture yourself at your company in a year? We use that time frame because that’s how long it usually takes to find a new, better job once you decide to move on. So peer, as best you can, into the future, and predict where you’ll be in the organization, what work you’ll be doing, whom you will be managing, and who will be managing you. If that scenario strikes you with anything short of excitement, then you’re spinning your wheels. Or put another way, you’re just about to stay too long.

To be clear: We’re not suggesting people quit at the first inkling of discontent. No matter where you work, at some point you will have to endure difficult times, and even a deadly dull assignment, to survive a crisis or move up. But it makes little sense to stay and stay at a company because of inertia. Unlock your door and get out.

Jack Welch is Executive Chairman of theJack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University. Through itsExecutive MBA program, the Jack Welch Management Institute provides students and organizations with the proven methodologies, immediately actionable practices, and respected credentials needed to win in business.

Suzy Welch is a best-selling author, popular television commentator, and noted business journalist. Her New York Times bestselling book, 10-10-10: A Life Transforming Idea, presents a powerful decision-making strategy for success at work and in parenting, love and friendship. Together with her husband Jack Welch, Suzy is also co-author of the #1 international bestsellerWinning, and its companion volume, Winning: The Answers. Since 2005, they have written business columns for several publications, including Business Weekmagazine, Thomson Reuters digital platforms, Fortune magazine, and the New York Times syndicate.

A version of this column originally appeared in BusinessWeek Magazine.

How to cook moist chicken breasts and tenders Every Time

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (aka BSCBs) — is there anything more boring? They are all too often served dry, chewy and tasteless. I usuall avoid now BSCBs in favor of more succulent boneless, skinless thighs. I do have one method, however, that makes unfailingly juicy and tender boneless skinless chicken breasts. Need some chicken for a salad, or to top some pasta? This is the method. It takes some trust, but believe me — it works flawlessly every single time.

This method takes trust; you can't check them or really watch them cooking. But I promise that if you follow this method exactly you won't be disappointed. I learned it from the old Joy of Cooking, which gives this method its special label: Cockaigne, reserved for only their personal favorite and best recipes.

I usually do this with about 1 pound of chicken breasts at a time. It gives me enough chicken for a
few days of salads and lunches.

What You Need
Ingredients

1 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon freshly chopped herbs (optional)
Olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter

Equipment

10-inch sauté pan with lid

Instructions
1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness with the handle or flat of a knife.

2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts.

3. Mix about a half teaspoon of salt in with the flour along with a little pepper. Chop the herbs finely, if using, and mix in as well.

4. Quickly dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, so that they are just lightly dusted with flour.

5. Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the olive oil and butter. Let them melt, and swirl the pan.

6. Turn the heat to medium. Add the chicken breasts. Cook for just about 1 minute to help them get a little golden on one side (you are not actually searing or browning them). Then flip each chicken breast over.

7. Turn the heat to low. Put the lid on the pan. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and walk away. Do not lift the lid; do not peek.

8. After 10 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat. Reset the timer for 10 minutes and leave the chicken breasts in the pan. Again, do not lift the lid; do not peek.

9. After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, and tada! Soft, tender, juicy chicken breasts that aren't dried out in the least. Doublecheck them to make sure there is no pink in the middle. If you want to be absolutely sure it is cooked, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check (the chicken should be at least 165°F). Slice and eat.

http://goo.gl/AOHbAq

Junk food diet causes laziness, study says

LOS ANGELES — A diet full of processed food isn't only a potential cause of obesity, it can also lead to fatigue and laziness, according to new research.

In a study, rats were split into two groups and either given a normal diet of mostly unprocessed foods, like fish and corn, or a highly processed diet with lower quality ingredients, according to researchers from the University of California Los Angeles. They said the rats on the simulated junk food diet gained a significant amount of weight and became more tired and sedentary.

The findings apply to humans because their physiological systems are similar to rats, according to lead researcher Aaron Blaisdell.

"Overweight people often get stigmatized as lazy and lacking discipline," lead researcher Aaron Blaisdell said in a statement. "We interpret our results as suggesting that the idea commonly portrayed in the media that people become fat because they are lazy is wrong. Our data suggest that diet-induced obesity is a cause, rather than an effect, of laziness. Either the highly processed diet causes fatigue or the diet causes obesity, which causes fatigue."

  Enlarge image
The rat on the left was on the "junk food" diet.
Credit: Courtesy of UCLA
Researchers measured the rats' activity levels by giving the rats tasks like pressing a lever to receive rewards of food or water. The overweight rats did not perform as well, according to the study.

"The rats on the junk food diet demonstrated impaired performance, taking substantially longer breaks than the lean rats before returning to the task," a release from UCLA reads. "In a 30-minute session, the overweight rats took breaks that were nearly twice as long as the lean ones."

Blaisdell said the study also suggests obesity and cognitive impairments are caused by a pattern of consuming junk food and not just the occasional binge. After six months, researchers switched the rat's diets for a period of nine days, but didn't see any significant change in weight or activity during that time.

There doesn't seem to be a quick fix to the problem, he said.

Researchers said other side effects of the junk food included the growth of numerous large tumors throughout the rats' bodies and an increased appetite.

On a personal note, Blaisdell said he cut processed foods out of his diet five years ago and has noticed a big improvement in his health and cognition.

"We are living in an environment with sedentary lifestyles, poor-quality diet and highly processed foods that is very different from the one we are adapted to through human evolution," he said. "It is that difference that leads to many of the chronic diseases that we see today, such as obesity and diabetes."

The research was published in the April 10 edition of the journal "Physiology and Behavior."


Read more at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1012&sid=29485588#GhRBaAC9XS2Y9Eoo.99

This Is Why You Have Food Cravings

Have you ever wondered why you crave certain foods, even when you’re not hungry? There are a few possibilities to explain your food cravings. Here are the three most common causes of food cravings, along with tips to fight them:

Simple conditioning

The first possible cause for your cravings is classical conditioning. Much like how the sound of a bell
triggered Pavlov’s dogs to salivate, certain activities, people and places can trigger you to crave certain foods. In fact, I’m a victim of this type of craving. I like to watch movies with my family on Thursday nights, and movie night also happens to be when I'm most likely to say, “You know what? I feel like eating pizza!” In reality, my body does not have a physiological need for pizza every Thursday at 8 p.m. For whatever reason, I have conditioned myself to crave pizza on movie night. To be honest, I'm not sure why I started associating movie night with pizza, but because I am aware of it, I have been able to break this unhealthy habit.

It’s as simple as that. Once you figure out what triggers your craving, you will be better able to combat it. Just to clarify, when I say “simple” I am really referring to the concept. Actually breaking the habit can be tough. To break a habit based on conditioned food cravings, you have to do two things. First, figure out when the food cravings tend to occur so you can see if there’s a pattern. Second, determine what specific foods you crave at those times. Can you think of any life experiences in which a food is connected to a specific food? Are there any emotions connected to the food? Do you feel sad? Do you feel upset, anxious, happy or afraid? Once you know the “why” behind your food cravings, you can begin to actively fight them. Remind yourself, “My body doesn’t need this food. I have conditioned myself to crave this food, and I can condition myself to stop.”

A Physiological Craving

Sometimes we get food cravings for physiological reasons. For example, I began to notice a craving for salt every time I was very stressed and every time I did an intense workout. After doing some research and getting a few testing done, I found I have this craving for salty foods because my adrenal function is on the low side. The adrenal glands are responsible for sodium retention and regulation in the body. Since my adrenal function is low, it does not retain and regulate my sodium levels properly, and this is exacerbated when I am stressed and when I exercise. Since I lose so much sodium in my sweat when I work out intensely, it makes sense I crave salt afterward. Now that I know this, I make sure I have healthy options available after my workouts to satisfy my salt craving. I bring things like vegetable chips so I don’t turn to a bag of potato chips or French fries instead.

Stress has a similar effect as exercise in that it impairs the adrenal glands’ ability to regulate sodium levels, which causes salt cravings. When you can identify scenarios like this, you can get tested to determine if you are deficient in certain vitamins or minerals.

Addiction

If you don’t think your food craving is a result of classical conditioning or a vitamin or mineral deficiency, there’s a chance you’re addicted to the foods you crave. While you can be addicted to any food, sugar seems to be the food most people struggle with.

Certain foods, like sugar, stimulate the reward center of your brain in much the same way drugs such as cocaine and heroin do. These foods cause your body to release endorphins, which are your “feel good” hormones, every time you eat them. The method to kick a food addiction isn’t hard, but it requires a massive amount of passion and commitment. The first thing you need to do is detox your body of the food you are addicted to. In other words: You need stop eating those foods. This isn’t easy, because you will go through a withdrawal process, but it’s critical you stick to it if you want to kick the habit. The good thing is that you only have to do this for about two weeks. After the detox period, you can begin to introduce the food back into your diet very slowly.

As you can see, there isn’t a simple answer to why you have food cravings. And everyone is different – cravings can be caused by one factor or multiple reasons. That’s why I like to tell people to become their own scientists. If you learn the basics of how your body works, it will be easier for you to make better food choices and kick food cravings for good.

The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food

NY Times
By MICHAEL MOSS
Published: February 20, 2013


On the evening of April 8, 1999, a long line of Town Cars and taxis pulled up to the Minneapolis
headquarters of Pillsbury and discharged 11 men who controlled America’s largest food companies. Nestlé was in attendance, as were Kraft and Nabisco, General Mills and Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Mars. Rivals any other day, the C.E.O.’s and company presidents had come together for a rare, private meeting. On the agenda was one item: the emerging obesity epidemic and how to deal with it. While the atmosphere was cordial, the men assembled were hardly friends. Their stature was defined by their skill in fighting one another for what they called “stomach share” — the amount of digestive space that any one company’s brand can grab from the competition.


Grant Cornett for The New York Times; Prop Stylist: Janine Iversen
James Behnke, a 55-year-old executive at Pillsbury, greeted the men as they arrived. He was anxious but also hopeful about the plan that he and a few other food-company executives had devised to engage the C.E.O.’s on America’s growing weight problem. “We were very concerned, and rightfully so, that obesity was becoming a major issue,” Behnke recalled. “People were starting to talk about sugar taxes, and there was a lot of pressure on food companies.” Getting the company chiefs in the same room to talk about anything, much less a sensitive issue like this, was a tricky business, so Behnke and his fellow organizers had scripted the meeting carefully, honing the message to its barest essentials. “C.E.O.’s in the food industry are typically not technical guys, and they’re uncomfortable going to meetings where technical people talk in technical terms about technical things,” Behnke said. “They don’t want to be embarrassed. They don’t want to make commitments. They want to maintain their aloofness and autonomy.”

A chemist by training with a doctoral degree in food science, Behnke became Pillsbury’s chief technical officer in 1979 and was instrumental in creating a long line of hit products, including microwaveable popcorn. He deeply admired Pillsbury but in recent years had grown troubled by pictures of obese children suffering from diabetes and the earliest signs of hypertension and heart disease. In the months leading up to the C.E.O. meeting, he was engaged in conversation with a group of food-science experts who were painting an increasingly grim picture of the public’s ability to cope with the industry’s formulations — from the body’s fragile controls on overeating to the hidden power of some processed foods to make people feel hungrier still. It was time, he and a handful of others felt, to warn the C.E.O.’s that their companies may have gone too far in creating and marketing products that posed the greatest health concerns.

The discussion took place in Pillsbury’s auditorium. The first speaker was a vice president of Kraft named Michael Mudd. “I very much appreciate this opportunity to talk to you about childhood obesity and the growing challenge it presents for us all,” Mudd began. “Let me say right at the start, this is not an easy subject. There are no easy answers — for what the public health community must do to bring this problem under control or for what the industry should do as others seek to hold it accountable for what has happened. But this much is clear: For those of us who’ve looked hard at this issue, whether they’re public health professionals or staff specialists in your own companies, we feel sure that the one thing we shouldn’t do is nothing.”

As he spoke, Mudd clicked through a deck of slides — 114 in all — projected on a large screen behind him. The figures were staggering. More than half of American adults were now considered overweight, with nearly one-quarter of the adult population — 40 million people — clinically defined as obese. Among children, the rates had more than doubled since 1980, and the number of kids considered obese had shot past 12 million. (This was still only 1999; the nation’s obesity rates would climb much higher.) Food manufacturers were now being blamed for the problem from all sides — academia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. The secretary of agriculture, over whom the industry had long held sway, had recently called obesity a “national epidemic.”

Oreos More Addictive Than Cocaine? Study Shows Cookies Might Produce More Pleasure Than Coke In Rats

I have long known that processed sugars were not good for me, yet I have had no problem continuing to ingest insane amounts of junk food over the years. Just today, I was in a situation that would have sent me spiraling out of control just a few short weeks ago. For many years, I have worked jobs that

required me to be in the car most of the day. I never ate breakfast, but I would have my morning Mountain Dew. By around 11am, the beverage would be partially digested, leaving my stomach feeling like a gaping hole of hunger.

I remembered back when this sort of situation would leave me feeling absolutely powerless. Like I had no other option but to hit the closest drive thru. Not just that, but then I'd pull get up to the window to order and decide that i am so hungry, I can't JUST have the Double Quarter Pounder and large fries, I NEED to have a 10 pc nugget too, and a large Coke. The first bite tasted so amazing. The second bite, a little less amazing. By the time I was finished, I would have consumed around 3,000 calories in a single sitting. This was my life, every day.

Today I found myself out and about, I had already drank my breakfast smoothie, and my snack smoothie. I expected to be home by lunch, but ended up taking longer than expected. So now I am driving around many drive thru restaurants that used to be in my eyes the "only solution". Today. I was determined not to let the smell of french fries or cheeseburgers get the best of me. I did end up pulling into McDonald's, but I did not let my stomach tell me what I was going to be eating today.

I took my time, looked over the menu, and decided that I was going to feed my body what it NEEDED at the time, not what my brain told me sounded good at the time. I ended up getting a McWrap with grilled chicken, no dressing, just veggies. I had never had one of them before, and it was quite good, and only 330 calories.

I have finally learned my lesson. For far too long, I have been a victim of circumstance. You CAN choose to hit the drive thru, but you have to make up your mind that you won't just get what your brain thinks will taste good, you have to get what your body needs.

The food industry specifically manufactures food products that are highly addictive. They want us to eat more. Below is an article that I found that helps illustrate the point I just made.

_________________________________________________________________________________


Oreos More Addictive Than Cocaine? Study Shows Cookies Might Produce More Pleasure Than Coke In Rats
By Simon McCormack
Posted: 10/18/2013 12:55 pm EDT  |  Updated: 10/18/2013 1:53 pm EDT


Put down that bag of Oreos and pick up that crack pipe. Just kidding -- please, please don't.

But there is evidence that, at least in one respect, Oreo cookies may be more addictive than cocaine.

As the Christian Science Monitor reports, researchers at Connecticut College designed a rat maze with Oreos on one side and rice cakes on the other. The rats spent a lot more time hanging out and eating the Oreos than feeding on the rice cakes.

In a similar test, the researchers also measured which side of the maze rats preferred when on one side they were offered injections of saline and on the other, there were injections of cocaine or morphine. The rats spent just as much time on the cocaine and morphine side of the maze as they did on the Oreo side in the other experiment.

In both experiments, researchers monitored brain activity in the rats, according to a press release on the findings.

They used immunohistochemistry to measure the expression of a protein called c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, in the nucleus accumbens, or the brain’s “pleasure center.”
The researchers found that "Oreos activated significantly more neurons" than cocaine.

"This correlated well with our behavioral results and lends support to the hypothesis that high-fat/high-sugar foods are addictive,” Joseph Schroeder, associate professor of psychology at Connecticut College, said.

Keith Humphreys, professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, told The Huffington Post he's skeptical of the study's findings.

"The cornerstone of scientific quality is peer-review," Humphreys said in an email to HuffPost. "This study hasn't been published in a peer-reviewed journal. It has not even been presented at a conference. All I know is that they put a press release making a series of claims based on a study, the details of which they have not shared with their colleagues. On principle, that makes me doubt their conclusions."

Humphreys also said there are limits to comparisons between food and drugs.

"There is no doubt that foods and drugs can produce activity in similar parts of the brain," Humphreys said. "However, addiction is about negative consequences such as overdose and death, and that's not parallel for drugs and food. If a heavy heroin user stops using heroin, he is better off. If a heavy eater stops eating, he dies."

It's beautiful outside! Get up and get moving!

I LOVE spring time! Can anyone agree?

A couple weeks ago I planted some Tulips in our front yard with the help of my three little helpers. The last few days, I have been having them help me water them, reminding them that they were the ones that planted the flowers. They get so excited seeing something that they did turn into something so beautiful.

We are hosting the Elders tomorrow night for dinner. One of the Elders is finishing his mission here and heading back home to Hawaii in a couple weeks, so it's sort of a farewell party. Since it will be one of his last weeks here, I told him that he had to pick what we ate for dinner. He opted for steaks, I subsequently promised that we would do a BBQ if weather allowed.

According to the weather reports, it is supposed to be up to 78 degrees here today, which means we'll be doing a BBQ. That also means that we will be outside, so I guess I have to mow my lawn for the first time this year. I have been procrastinating thus far. Normally our grass struggles to grow at all, but right now it is thick and green.

Right as I remembered that I need to mow my lawn, a daily reminder notification popped up on the screen of my phone reminding me to "get up and get moving". I guess that's a sign! I think I'll find a way to make it fun with my boys. Not sure how I will do that yet, but I plan on it!

Yesterday I was brutalized by my trainer. I made the mistake of telling her about my excellent progress in the last couple weeks in my workouts at home. She put the boots to me yesterday for sure! Some may use that as an excuse to not work out, but I will use it as fuel to increase the intensity today. Each day, we should be striving to do better than the day before. Do 5 more sit-ups, 3 more push ups. Bump up the intensity on the treadmill for the last 10 minutes.

Kick it into high gear!

It's almost summer time, I plan on spending most of my time outdoors this year and I want to be comfortable doing it!

Update:

While mowing the lawn this morning I had a "moment". I remember mowing the lawn last year, I would sweat more, and I always felt like I put all of my effort into mowing the lawn. Sometimes I would mow just the front, or just the back. I wouldn't always do the whole lawn because it was seemingly too much to handle. Today, I did it all at once. I even had enough energy to clean up the yard a bit more than I usually would. After that was all done, I even cleaned out my truck. I cleaned the inside of my windows, every square inch. When I was younger, I used to clean my car inside and out twice a week. My car was my image, and I was proud of it. Since I have kids now, I have used them as an excuse to not get back into shape, among other things.

I realized once again today that I can do what I want. No matter what it is. I used to think those were only words. Like what professional trainers told to olympic athletes before a competition, I never thought it pertained to me.

No matter what obstacles may be in your way, you CAN do whatever you put your mind to it.

While this weight loss journey starts as a means to an end, a way to lose weight, you will find out for yourself that it is SO MUCH MORE! Losing the weight is only 10% of the overall journey. Don't be afraid. Take that first step and don't look back.

When I first started on this journey, I could not complete a single push up. Now, I can do 20 or more. I didn't set that as a goal, but when I did the push ups, I burst into tears. What an amazing moment for me. I have been trapped under all these layers of fat for so many years, I finally saw the old me coming back. I saw the ME that used to wash his 20 year old rusted car twice weekly because I was proud of what I was able to accomplish even through all the trials that I had to face growing up.

Most people don't know who I am. They may know that my name is Ryan, but my story is so much bigger than my name. I am not just "that fat guy". When I look in the mirror I see a fat person, but inside I feel the old me coming out. I can't wait to peel back the layers of fat and reveal the real ME that I used to be. You just wait people.

Start with "losing weight" as your goal. Before long, you will find the person inside that you have subconsciously hidden inside for so many years. You will realize how miserable of an existence you have been putting yourself through. You just accept it as it now because you don't think you can change. I am here to tell you, YOU CAN!

Change today so you can have a better tomorrow!

Need some motivation?

I was reading today about some incredible people who have lost a large amount of weight and I got inspired. I hope to have an amazing success story like this one day!

Huffington Post January 2014
Name: Marie Dozier
Age: 30
Height: 5'7"
Before Weight: 271 pounds

How I Gained It: My abuse of sugar, as a substance to provide me that rush, began as a small child. I knew I had a problem because I could never understand why all of my friends were able to have entire pantries full of snacks and treats at all times. The pantry would not stay stocked in my house for longer than a day because instead of eating treats occasionally, I would eat until the entire stock was gone. This continued to be an on-and-off struggle for me throughout my adolescence and into early adulthood, but reached its peak when I entered into an extremely unhappy and dysfunctional marriage. What started as a problem with overindulgence and lack of moderation became a full-fledged addiction. For about two years, I stuffed my emotions down by filling myself with food: cheap, easily accessible, nutrient-deficient junk food. I ate from fast-food restaurants daily and made frequent trips to the grocery stores for chips, candy and cakes. I'd go to the movies by myself with a giant purse full of binge food just so I could get my high in private. I would only binge in private. But what I kept trying to hide from others became extremely apparent when I continued to gain weight and topped the scale at 271 pounds.

I was tired of living the miserable existence that comes with having over 100 pounds of excess body weight. I was tired of being uncomfortable, unattractive and alienated. It was very unpleasant for me, physically, to have to carry around the heavy burden of morbid obesity. Simple tasks, such as getting in and out of the car, carrying groceries into the house or putting away laundry were exhausting and torturous. I was uncomfortable in every single thing I did, from breathing to sleeping. Every moment of my existence was terribly burdensome.

I also felt a lot of shame as a morbidly obese person. I wore the same outfit every day because I couldn't bring myself to go out and purchase anything for the size that I was. I left my house to either go to work or go get food, but otherwise I was on my couch, in front of the TV, with food. I couldn't do anything I wanted to do because I was uncomfortable in my own skin, and therefore uncomfortable around other people. It kept me from making friends, participating in activities that I would have otherwise enjoyed. I was a perpetual loner.

Breaking Point: July 27, 2007 is when I "snapped" and decided that I had to get the weight off once and for all. Food issues and my morbid obesity was a form of slavery, and I was determined to break free in order to live the life I desired. I had finally grown weary of starting over every single day. I knew my youth was going to be gone soon. I rationalized that if I was going to enjoy my youth at all, it was now or never.

How I Lost It: Losing weight is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The journey began slowly. I became more mindful of what I was putting into my body. I slowly began replacing soda with water, candy bars with high-fiber snacks, fast food with home-cooked meals. I began by eliminating fast food and food that comes from packages (like chips and candies) and working through the process of learning to "eat clean". It was not easy at all, considering I had pretty much been living off of fast food and junk food for years. Breaking any addiction requires a certain amount of suffering, and suffer I did. It was misery. I experienced legitimate withdrawal symptoms. I had intense cravings. This was beyond just "being on a diet". It felt like I was in detox for the first six months. During those six months, I lost about 40 pounds.


In 2008, I joined SparkPeople and began to look through the success stories and food logs of fit and healthy members. I tried to mimic how they ate, which changed my diet dramatically. I began to eat significantly more fruit and vegetables and increased my exercise. I started walking in the neighborhood and going to the gym. This was also another difficult thing for me to do, because I had become so accustomed to living a sedentary lifestyle. But, every day, I forced myself to do some type of exercise. I was walking more, doing the elliptical trainer at the gym and hiking three miles at a time. Eventually I was able to start running for a few minutes, here and there, on the treadmill at the gym. My weight continued to drop, and I began to start feeling better about myself. It wasn't long before I started running outside. Next, I ran my first 5K, then 10K, then half marathon. A year later I was running a full 26.2 miles!

I experimented with many diets throughout the process of losing weight, but have indeed made this a lifestyle change. When I first began my journey, I had little expectations of transforming my life from a morbidly obese, sedentary person to a fit and healthy person. I felt somewhat hopeless. When I found SparkPeople, it really drove home the possibility that I could make lasting changes and achieve success. It took about two years to lose the bulk of the weight and then another three years of "ups and downs" in maintenance. Then, in the last two years, I have finally lost the last 30 pounds to reach a comfortable weight.

Now, I love and enjoy healthy, nutritious, fresh foods on a daily basis. I really enjoy food and the experience of eating, but it's no longer a destructive behavior that causes guilt, shame and weight gain. I feel fueled, nourished and energized! I exercise every single day, and don't even have to force myself to anymore; it is now a habit and a consistent aspect of my life. I participate in sports and fitness classes that keep me engaged and that I consider fun. I take my dog hiking in the woods. I run races. I do yoga.

I am a better person because of my weight loss. I have more energy to keep up with my two young daughters. I have confidence to be a good wife to my husband. I have a better work ethic because I'm more fit, rested and can move about with ease. I no longer shy away from opportunities to socialize, such as going to church or birthday parties. I have been able to travel and see the world -- something I never would have done as my obese self. I am able to do things I never dreamed possible. I'm in the perfect career now, working as a psychiatric nurse to help others with addictions, and finally, I look cute in a pair of jeans! Fighting that battle and overcoming my food addiction was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But I believe I'm a stronger person for it and have learned incredibly valuable life lessons that continue to help me grow and mature into a healthy, whole, happy and content individual. I am no longer a slave to my addiction. That is very liberating!

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