"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps." ~Peter A. Cohen
Readers: This quote was just the 'next in line' in a long list of motivational quotes and thoughts. It really fits my attitude today, however. The last several days I have been giving random rabbit trails and then this interview, partly becuase I have been somewhat stalled for things to talk about regarding the "2006 challenge". Instead of Good Story/Bad Story or new things I am finding about my weight loss, I have been lacking stuff to say. I think the cause of this is due to the quote above. I have been taking a lot of little steps that feel like they aren't doing much of a difference.
Diary:
D: hamburger and chedder cheese open-faced sandwich, brussel sprouts, ramen soup
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B: eggs and sausage
S: protien bar
L: lean cuisine, vitamins, xs energy
S: celery sticks and peanut butter, banana
G: elliptical 1.78 miles, 356+ calories, walk 1 mile
Notes:
The other day, my sister gave me a grocery bag full of "Cooking Light" magazines, and as you know, I love reading recipie and health books, so this is like hitting the jackpot. I only assume that she gave them to me becuase she is starting to prepare for the big move and is looking for things that she can get off of her list of things to pack.
Also, today there was a "75% off" book sale in the atrium of the building my client is located in. (I will discuss this building more in the next weeks.) I found a nice Slow Cooker book endorsed by the Rival Cookware company, and a special edition of the big "Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook" that is bound in a pink binder, to support breast cancer research with a donation to The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I bought both of them, so I will be living in bliss for some time to come.
I have more to say, but I will keep it for a later day. Today we will finish up the Interview with Dr. Zelasko:
continuing our virtual interview (that never happened) with Dr. Chester J. Zelasko.
Chazz Vader: Yesterday we spoke about Protiens, the second of the three macronutrients that run our bodies. What is the last macronutrient, Dr. Zelasko?
Dr. Zelasko: Chazz, call me "Chet". The final macronutrient is Fats. Fats, also called lipids, are our primary source of energy while at rest.
CV: Chet, please allow me to stop you there before we get too deep into lipids. I can tell this is going to be a complicated subject, becuase you are using a term I haven't heard of before.
Before we go down this road, I need to clear up something that we talked about yesterday about Protiens. Many readers have indicated that you stated Protiens are used for body building and cellular repair, but also are used for energy during our normal activities. The confusion comes with the statement you made that "Proteins aren't really stored in the body." If Protiens are used for energy, aren't they stored? Please elaborate.
Dr. Z: Chazz, Protiens can be used for energy, but that is not their primary duty. Maybe this will clear things up. An excess of protiens, just like with carbohydrates, will be converted into fat and stored in your fat cells.
CV: Thank you for the clarification. Let's move on to Fats.
Dr. Z: As I indicated, Fats are also known as lipids. Lipids are composed of a molecule of glycerol and one to three fatty acids. Most fats are found with three fatty acids and are called triglycerides.
CV: Oh my, more long words... Obviously, I am not going to understand what you are talking about, so I will try to do my best to interview you. I have a feeling that this interview will include lots of long and complicated words that I don't understand. Tell me more about Lipids.
Dr. Z: I will try and use short, easy words as often as I can. I can see your eyes spinning in your head, so I will try to keep it simple and use examples.
Fats are energy intensive, containing 9 calories per gram. But energy isn't the only function of lipids in our body. The primary function of lipids is to form the membranes of each and every one of the cells of our body -- billions and billions of them. You've heard of the expression that "oil and water don't mix." That characteristic of lipids is very important because it regulates fluids in and out of our cells. Instead of passing through at will, water and other fluids have to move through special openings or channels in the membranes allowing the water content of each cell to be controlled. It's all possible because of lipids.
CV: Thanks for the analogy. I am starting to warm up to the concept of lipids.
Dr. Z: Another important function of lipids is that they’re used to make cholesterol. We've heard so much about how bad cholesterol is for you that we tend to overlook the importance of cholesterol. It works right next to lipids in the cell membranes and makes the membranes rigid and able to hold their shape. There are many more membrane functions thought to be attributed to cholesterol's presence, but the research continues. Cholesterol is also used to make hormones necessary for metabolism and sexual development.
CV: (interrupting) "HELLO NURSE!"
Dr. Z: Yes, ok. continuing... Fat is also used for insulation and shock absorption. It protects organs and joints from the trauma of movement.
CV: I know all about that part. I fell down while walking up a set of 2 steps at the gym today, and fell right on my well protected bumm! My body must do a pretty good job of storing Lipids.
Dr. Z: Speaking of storage, Fat is stored in the form of triglycerides, which was the big word that I used earlier, consisting of one molecule of glycerol and three fatty acids. Unfortunately, we're all too familiar with where the fat cells are located. We can see the subcutaneous (or under the skin) fat stores all too well when we take off our clothes. Men tend to store fat on the back and around the waist while women tend to store fat around the hips and the thighs. However, half of your fat stores may be found under the muscle, surrounding the organs in the abdominal cavity. This "internal fat" is thought to be more dangerous than subcutaneous fat stores and is implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
CV: Those are bad. So, how do we control the fat surrounding our organs?
Dr. Z: First, Fats are found in animal foods including meat, fish, and dairy products, the oils derived from corn, olives, flaxseed, etc., and in nuts. Fresh fruits and vegetables are generally low in fat, but that doesn't mean all vegetable matter is. We like fats because they add so much flavor to the foods we eat. Think about it. What tastes better: a plain baked potato or a potato with butter and sour cream? Beef jerky or prime rib?
CV: Are you telling me I can't, or shouldn't eat prime rib or put butter on vegetables?
Dr. Z: It is more complicated than just not eating Fats. You need to take in less than 30% of your daily caloric intake from fat with no more than 10% of your daily intake from saturated fats. As part of the total fat intake, adults should consume 1.1-1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from fish, flax, nuts, or dietary supplements.
Eating too much fat has serious health implications. Besides being stored as fat which leads to overweight and obesity, excess dietary fat can be converted to cholesterol. Serum cholesterol has been associated with the development of atherosclerosis; the higher your cholesterol, the greater the risk of heart disease. Excess weight is also associated with diabetes, cancer, gout, arthritis, sleep apnea, and many more conditions.
CV: Woah, you used a big term again. "Saturated Fat?" What is this?
Dr. Z: Sorry, I guess this is also a complicated subject, and let me dumb it down for you. Dietary fats can vary in structure and how the body metabolizes them and therefore, can have differing effects on blood cholesterol.
- Saturated fats are hard at room temperature and generally come from animal sources, dairy products, or vegetable shortenings. Saturated fats increase blood cholesterol and are linked to heart disease.
- Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Most fats contain some monounsaturated fat, but the richest source is olive oil. Monounsaturated fats help lower blood cholesterol levels.
- Polyunsaturated fats are liquid or soft at room temperature, and come from oils of fish, plant, or vegetable origin such as corn or soybean. Polyunsaturated fat is linked to heart disease prevention because it lowers blood cholesterol.
- Cholesterol makes up about 5% of dietary fat and is found in animal foods sources, along with saturated fat. The liver and intestinal wall also synthesize cholesterol.
- Trans-fatty acids are fats formed when oils are partially hydrogenated to make a more solid fat like margarine and shortening. Evidence continues to mount that trans-fatty acids raise blood cholesterol about as much as saturated fat does.
Note to readers, Dr. Zelasky earned a Masters and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and Health Education from Michigan State University and currently hosts “The Better Life Radio Show” on WGVU’s in Grand Rapids, where he provides listeners with research-based, practical information that can improve the way they look and feel. You can listen on line at www.wgvu.org. Do you have any parting wisdom for our readers?
Dr. Z: Chazz, thanks for the opprotunity, and good luck with your challenge. In today’s society, we are fortunate that food is abundant. With so many choices it can be difficult to eat to live, instead of living to eat. By understanding the composition of food, it’s role in your body, and what constitutes the best choices to make from the variety available, you can make an informed decision about how to eat to attain optimal health.
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Interview over. Maybe more interviews to come. Let me know if you liked the interview and the format, or have suggestions of other real people who I can do a fake interview with.
more tommorow..
Chazz
1 comment:
I would like to see an interview with Kaptain Karl, Evan Johnson, A Hon, and/or DMA. I don't know if that applies to your blog at all, but that's who occurred to me as possible intersting interview guests.
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