The New Silent Killer

Q: What is the most lethal silent killer facing the world today?

The first reply from most of us would probably be hypertension—as it is seldom symptomatic.  Or high cholesterol, for the same reason.  How about obesity or heart disease?  All valid guesses, but how can obesity be considered a silent killer?

What about diabetes?

I recently finished an excellent book called Sugar Nation, written by Jeff O’Connell.  In it, Jeff, a thin and seemingly healthy man who is fighting diabetes, goes into lengthy and fascinating detail about how this disease is growing at record numbers.  And is not only afflicting the obese and sugar-scrafers.  It attacks the slender and fit folks, and potentially people like me, who ingest little sugar, but have some carbohydrate food challenges.

Jeff’s father died from diabetes; I’m sure this motivated him to write Sugar Nation.  I can relate to that, as my father died in his mid-fifties from years of tobacco abuse, along with overindulging in alcohol and unhealthy food choices.  It was through his death that I became the health advocate that I am today.  And helped motivate me to create this blog and my website, livelife365.com.

I was recently asked by Jeff’s marketing team to write a review of Sugar Nation.  I offer it here for you to read and learn, and strongly urge you to buy the book.  It just may save your life.

Oh, and, of course, I also produced this video about Jeff's book for your viewing pleasure:

Is Sugar Killing Us?

One thought that continued to meander around my brain as I dove into Jeff O’Connell’s must-read book, Sugar Nation, was that I did not consider myself a sugar-eater.  All my life I have been lucky to eschew the temptations of a sweet tooth for the desire to indulge in more salty snacks.  I could literally walk past a mound of brownies and dishes filled with chocolates without batting an eye.  Yet find it quite difficult to put down a bag of potato chips without consuming most of them.  But did you know that the carbohydrates from that bag of chips turns into as much sugar, once processed and stored inside the body, as consuming spoonfuls of the sweet stuff?

Sugar Nation reads as much like a personal memoir as a convincing diatribe against the medical community for seemingly turning a blind eye toward one of the worst killers decimating the world today—diabetes.  

Jeff O’Connell, a diabetic battling the same disease that killed his father, knows of what he speaks.  A former executive writer at Men’s Health and editor at Muscle & Fitness, Jeff decided to take matters into his own hands in his fight against this growing disease.  Through a tireless energy and investigative zeal (challenging, given his constant battle with low blood sugar, spiking insulin, crashing insulin, and the countless maladies that accompany diabetes), Jeff shatters conventional (and at times very incorrect) wisdom, deciding to battle his illness with diet and exercise, rather than the all-too-often remedy: prescription drugs.

I am familiar with this type of attitude when it comes to not accepting the first (or second or third) opinion of someone in the medical profession.  A few years ago I was overweight, had high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol and glucose levels.  The immediate reaction from my doctors was to reach for a prescription pad.  My immediate reaction was—do I want to spend the rest of my life gobbling pills?  Or could I do something myself to change those life-threatening results?

Like Jeff, I combated my nemesis through diet, exercise, and supplements.  The results were so amazing (I dropped forty pounds in six months and lowered my blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol down to healthy levels) that I created my self-help video website, livelife365.com.  I wanted to reach as many people as possible so I could share my successes.  Just like what Jeff is doing with Sugar Nation.

While I consider myself a guy who knows what to eat, and what not to, I learned a lot from Jeff about healthy diet—especially when it comes to carbs.  I lost most of my weight through a high-fiber, low-fat diet.  But that diet may not work best for diabetics.  More animal proteins and only carbs high in fiber are the keys to not only healthy weight loss, but assisting in the fight against diabetes.  I learned that some carbs I have been consuming daily for years (potatoes and bananas) may not be as good for me as I thought.

Sugar Nation is a wakeup call.  Not just for the billions of overweight and obese people out there who are walking time bombs for stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.  But to all those seemingly fit folks (like Jeff, a tall and thin man often misdiagnosed because of how he looked) who need to change the way they live.  It is also a very well written critique of our healthcare system, the medical profession, and the powerful pharmacological lobby that seems to affect how the former go about their business.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. 

Who knows, reading it may just save your life…or a loved ones.

Think about it.


peace,

Mike

Bananarama

No, this is not a post about an all-girl, British rock band from the '80s. But it would be a cruel summer if I didn't mention that my lovely wife is a huge '80s music aficionado and becomes exceptionally elated whenever Bananarama plays on the radio.


But enough about decades-old girl groups. Today, I honor not the music group but the amazing health (and taste) benefits of the most popular fruit in the world.

THE BANANA!

Bananas have been around a long time, having been mentioned in Buddhist Pali workings dating back to 6th century BC. Alexander the Great is credited with bringing the banana from India (via slave routes) to the Western World, and then eventually the banana migrated into Africa. It wasn't until 1876 that bananas found their way into North America as part of our country's Centennial celebration in Pennsylvania.

And, just think, after all that arduous travel and storied history, I get to eat one just about everyday. Guess what? You should too!

Bananas are loaded with all sorts of healthy good stuff, mostly: potassium. One large banana has around 600 mg, while only carrying 140 calories. One of the misconceptions about the banana is that it is fattening. This is far from the case. 140 calories, 4.0 grams of fiber, with virtually zero sodium or fat. Bananas are good for you, not fattening! Why not toss your little monkey (I mean child) a banana next time the cute chimp...er, I mean, little darling, asks for a snack. Hey, they taste good too!


Considered one of the healthiest fruits around, bananas are loaded with vitamins A and B, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, and a decent source of calcium and magnesium.

I eat a banana as part of my daily fiber ritual. I like to peel, use a knife and slice (while searching for and cutting out bruises), and consume. But bananas also go great with cereal, oatmeal, in yogurt and desserts (from banana breads and cakes to ice cream and Bananas Foster). Also, in many countries, bananas are eaten daily in savory dishes.

POP QUIZ!

Bananas grow...?

(a) in a tree
(b) under ground
(c) in a herb
(d) in water
(e) none of the above
(f) stop goofing off, Mike, and get back to work!

Did you know that daily consumption of bananas can:

* stimulate production of hemoglobin in the blood to help with anemia
* cure hangovers and morning sickness
* sooth heartburn
* calm the nervous system
* help lower blood pressure
* boost brain activity
* combat constipation, reduce stress, strokes, ulcers!
* lower gas prices!! (just seeing if you were paying attention)

Wow, no wonder I eat one everyday, and why you should too.

The old adage--"Never put bananas in the refrigerator"--is said for a reason. Don't do it. If you do, they will not ripen because the cold interferes with the ripening process. Conversely, during the warm summer days they seem to ripen overnight. You CAN refrigerate them AFTER they ripen, but don't keep them in there for more than a week or two. Me? I buy them as green as I can find during the summer and leave them out, never refrigerating them. In the winter, I try to find the brightest yellowest ones and leave them on the counter. I've found that this method works the best for me.

Okay, for all of you who made it to the end of this post, I have a treat for you. A Banana...rama treat! No, it's not as healthy for you as eating a banana is, but it's got a catchy tune and you can dance to it. And, besides, my wife made me do it.



Oh, and the answer to the pop quiz is: (c). That thing that looks like a tree that bananas grow on is actually a herb. Go figure.

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

This Spud's For You

Potatoes are a misunderstood vegetable. They are kind of like the Rodney Dangerfield of the veggie world—they don’t get any respect! Sure they are popular: they are the number one consumed vegetable (around 130 pounds per person, per year…man, that’s a lot of spuds!) in America. But they are never mentioned along with broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, or apples as one of the healthiest. One reason: their association with that deep-fried, fast-food staple, the French fry. But what if I told you that potatoes are loaded with all sorts of healthy goodness—even in their greasy French fried state? Why not grab a fry (not too many) and read on.

The first misconception about the potato is that is it high in calories. French fried potatoes are (over 500 calories per serving; plus high in saturated fats and sodium, though zero cholesterol). But a medium baked potato (before you smother it with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits—wow, my stomach just growled real loud!) has only 160 calories. I eat my baked potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, and they taste delicious. Try one with just a touch of your favorite butter or margarine (although I recommend trying the olive oil), and skip all those other toppings, and you will get the healthiest benefits. The potato’s bad rap comes from the fatty toppings most people add to them, as well as in how they are prepared in other ways (augrautin, mashed, for instance). I compare this to eating salads (trying to eat healthy), but then drowning your lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, and carrots with fattening dressings, high-in-calorie croutons, cheese, and the rest of those salad bar offerings. You have essentially taken a healthy eating choice and rendered it unhealthy. Please resist doing this. Instead, let’s focus on more of the potato’s good attributes—like fiber.

One potato has around 4.0 grams of fiber. I am a huge advocate of fiber, constantly looking for ways to get more than the recommended amounts of fiber into my daily diet. I recently lost 40 pounds on a high-fiber diet, and have kept it off. I am always searching for healthy, fiber-rich foods, and the potato gets high marks.

Here’s a question for you: Which has more potassium, one banana or one potato? Most of us assume that the banana, with around 800 mgs, has the most. But a medium potato has just over 900 mgs. Did you know that the best way to get the most out of this tuber is to eat the skin, along with the potato? This helps retain the nutrients. So, always eat the skin when digging into a baked potato. Buy yourself a good potato scrubber and give your spuds a good cleaning before baking. That way you can enjoy the tasty skin without hesitation, while getting all that healthy potassium (and other nutrients) in the bargain.

Looking for a source of vegetable protein? I know I always am. Look no further than the potato. Eat one and get around 4.0 grams of protein—a good thing!

Potatoes are also loaded with more than 60 vitamins—including 45% or your daily value for vitamin C, also thiamin, niacin, iron, and magnesium—and phytochemicals, which along with flavonoids, are considered heart-healthy. Plus kukoamines, a plant chemical found in potatoes, which help lower blood pressure. Those are a bunch of big words that just mean—EAT POTATOES, THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU!

Wow, when you look at all those amazing healthy benefits, maybe potatoes aren’t the Rodney Dangerfield of the veggie world after all? I guess it’s all in how they are prepared. My mantra—keep it simple. The more toppings and extras you add (to any food, not just potatoes) that do not enhance the naturally good flavor and healthy benefits of that food, will ultimately detract from it…and add unnecessary and unwanted calories, fats, sodium, and carbs.

To help you get started on your way to appreciating (and eating) the amazingly healthy potato, here are a few excellent websites that are all about potatoes. They offer some great recipes and helpful tips in preparing these tasty spuds.

Potato Recipes

Potato Underground

Healthy Potato

Okay, wait, just one fry can’t hurt, can it? Man, those are good…
And good for you (in moderation)!

Until next time…

peace,

Mike