Gargle to PREVENT the Cold and Sore Throats?

When I was a kid, my dad would always tell me to go gargle with salt water to fix a sore throat.  For some reason, the idea was always gross, but when I did it, it wasn't a big deal, and it did seem to help.

Here's a study that shows it may also be valuable in preventing the cold.  Go figure!

Nike vs. Brooks

In a previous post, I mentioned a new pair of Nike Air Max shoes I bought in Portland while on vacation. Way expensive, but worth it.  I have run on Brooks Beasts for a long time, but they're clunky and don't really offer exceptional cushioning.  I've tried other brands & models which didn't do much either for a 220-pound runner.

And then along came the Nike Air Max+.  I was skeptical, but I figured I'd run a little and return them if they stunk.  Imagine my amazement when the odor of not failure, but wonder wafted upward toward my nostrils.  They provided great cushioning, and fit well, which Nike hadn't done to my feet in a very long time.

You can imagine then my frustration when a few weeks later, the air pocket in my left shoe gave out, leaving me walking and running a little funny, and without the great cushioning.  I had to go back to the Beasts.  In the meantime, I sent the shoes back to Nike, who now sent me a voucher for nikestore.com.  I'm about to order a new pair, but I've forgotten my size...I'll keep you posted.

At any rate, I'm excited to run with reduced knee pain again!  I can't say enough for this shoe for the heavier runner.  Most running shoes are designed for guys who are 160, maybe 165 pounds soaking wet in a track suit.  Add 50+ pounds of muscle to that, and the shoes don't hold up well.  All you beefy runners--if you can spare $160, I recommend it.

Want to Burn Fat Fast? Want Sore Hamstrings, Hip Flexors, et al.? Who Doesn't?

Who indeed, so I give you this challenge for this week:  Do as I did, and run 10 sprints up the hill at Kiwanis park right in front of the parking lot (or head north--it's longer and steeper).  Then do four 75-meter sprints in the grass on the flat.  Maybe we should organize this for printing before we go farther....
1| 10 all-out sprints up the hill--pump arms faster to make your legs go faster.  Remember--all out.
2| 4 x 75 meter sprints, increasing speed through each run, but hitting your fastest speed at 3/4 way through.
3| 20 pushups--Lie on stomach with feet uphill, head downhill.

Give it 12 hours.  You'll begin hurting.  If you're not sore to the touch after 24, you didn't push yourself hard enough.

And remember--any time I have a physical challenge, I look at it as an opportunity to increase my pain threshold without having to pay for such a thing!

Canadian Insulin is....Inferior?

If you buy your insulin from a Canadian source, say, a Canadian web site, it's feasible that it will be confiscated in San Francisco and held for 10 or so days in a hot warehouse while the FDA watches out for your safety.  Not your ability to purchase a legitimate product at your own risk under your own volition, but because they can't vouch for your safety.

I know what you're thinking--what about the 100 or so drugs the FDA approved and then recalled after finding out they killed people or otherwise damaged their health?  Don't worry about that stuff--the point is, the FDA can't vouch for the insulin produced by Lilly and repackaged for sale in Canada et al.

And another point is, you should rely completely on the FDA for safety and security in pharmaceutical drug use.  Except for the aforementioned drugs that have been recalled because people died or suffered from organ failure.  Except for those, the FDA's approval means a lot.

Of course, you could get injured buying a bicycle in Canada.  Suppose the bolts weren't tightened to American standards, the front wheel fell off, and you fractured your skull as a result?  Who's watching out for that?

Or suppose you purchased a steak knife set, and there wasn't a government body to let you know they're sharp?  Or imagine if you ate at a restaurant in Canada, and nobody was there to watch the Canadians prepare your dinner?  You could get sick!

So if the FDA does cut open the box, cut into the freezer packs that were keeping the insulin cool during transport, and spill the freezer pack contents all over your insulin, here's the label they may slap on the box after they so generously forward the box to you, even though you've broken the law:

FDA's Main Concern:  Patient Safety

FDA cannot ensure the safety and effectiveness of products that are not FDA-approved and come from unknown sources and foreign locations, or that may not have been manufactured under proper conditions. These unknowns put patient’s health at risk if they cannot be sure of the products identity, purity, and source. For these reasons, FDA recommends only obtaining medicines from legal sources in the U.S.

Bread and the Meat Eater

I've always loved meat and had a "meh" relationship with bread.  It's a good way to carry meat cleanly to your mouth, but so is head lettuce, and you don't get unnecessary Calories.  Problem is, few restaurants are on my wavelength.  Red Robin can put your burger on lettuce instead of a bun, and Applebee's has their quesadilla burger, which is somewhere in the middle.

If you put a plate of pasta in front of me and a plate of dirt, I would be equally excited to eat both.  So imagine my delight when my slightly insane--and insanely healthy--cousin, PJ Glassey, opened my eyes to Julian Bakery bread.  Before you make that face, this is NOT a paid blog.  They're not so much as giving me a free loaf for this.

Julian Bakery has fantastic bread, but my two faves are Smart Carb #1 and Smart Carb #2.  As a diabetic, each 15 grams of carbs means I take one unit of an expensive insulin.  Your average piece of bread has--wait for it--30 grams of carbs.  Smart Carb #1 has--wait for it--1 GRAM OF CARBOHYDRATE.  Per slice.  Seriously!

The Smart Carb #2 is an almondy-cinnamon loaf, with 2 grams of carbs per slice.  Get hour head around that for a second.  With Smart Carb #1, you can make a sandwich with a few ounces of meat, and ingest over 50 grams of protein, and over 24 grams of fiber lickety-split....and only 2 total grams of carbs.

I don't think you quite grasp the importance of this--I don't think you're excited enough yet.  Go get yourself a loaf (be prepared to make an investment in your health, not buy a crummy loaf from the store).  They're not cheap.  And #1 will require extra mayo, as it is a wee bit dry, but the bragging rights alone are totally worth it!

Homeless in San Fran Mad at McDonald's

McDonald's in San Francisco had to ditch its dollar menu.  This has made much of the homeless around the neighborhood upset.

Some homeless people are under the impression that McDonald's exists only to provide them with inexpensive junk food.  Said Blake Edwards, local bum, upon learning of the elimination, "That means that the Dollar Menu is a hoax, a fraud, a phony."

A phony what, he neglected to say.  He also neglected to list where he learned economics.  McDonald's exists for 1 reason, which is the same reason that ALL for-profit companies exist:  to make money.  Edwards apparently is under the impression that without his patronage, the whole corporation would fall apart, and that his is an integral demographic that McDonald's needs to serve.  It's the equivalent of me being angry with Pennsylvania because their residents have thus far not hired me for personal training or wellness plans--it's silly and absurd on its face.

Rather than continually drag down the neighborhood, he would do well to head to the Salvation Army, get fed, get cleaned up, read some books, and make something of himself.  He could then afford whatever crappy food he desired.

Another article, this one by ABC, reads, "...homeless people who often order the cheapest items available on the menu now say the approximately half dollar difference in prices sometimes means the difference between eating and not eating."

What the author fails to note is that what it really means is the difference between eating and not eating...McDonald's food.

That's the other part of this I find annoying--anyone can do far better and find much healthier food for a dollar than McDonald's.  For $5, he could have made a healthy sandwich with better Caloric value, and with better quality protein.  If he had $2, he could buy a protein bar and three apples at Wal-Mart.

Rather than complain about a minor cost increase that a company has to create to stay in business, he should thank God he can get a meal for under $10 in an area like San Francisco, where the cost of living has to be astronomical.

Fat Cells Working Together Against YOU!

Your fat cells are doing much more than just sitting there, keeping your vertical jump below 12" and looking nasty--they're actively killing you.

Story

Think about this picture and this story next time you want to feed your kids McDonald's or a frozen dinner because you're feeling lazy.  Nothing wrong with junk food now and then, but is your kid going to work his butt off on the playground and burn the worthless Calories you're feeding him, and turn the protein into muscle?

Or by overfeeding him, are you forcing his body to send hormone signals that will eventually kill him?  Sort of  takes you out of the running for "Parent of the Year."  If your kid is an active Huckleberry Finn type, it's less of a worry.  The problem is, the typical 1950s kid is an atypical 2010 kid.  Today's kids have lazy parents who allow their kids to balloon to obese levels before they even hit puberty.

Here's the take-home paragraph:

Scientists are reporting new evidence that the fat tissue in those spare tires and lower belly pooches — far from being a dormant storage depot for surplus calories — is an active organ that sends chemical signals to other parts of the body, perhaps increasing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases. They are reporting discovery of 20 new hormones and other substances not previously known to be secreted into the blood by human fat cells...