Maple Syrup Mmmmmm

Maple syrup may not be the best when losing weight, but now that
I am at a normal weight I am giving up my sugar free pancake syrup
for pure maple syrup.

Of course I still take into account the extra calories. Ounce per
ounce, though, maple syrup has less calories than honey.

I've been doing a lot of reading about maple syrup. Here are
some cool facts --

Maple Syrup Contains Manganese

The trace mineral manganese is an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses. The key oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells), requires manganese. One ounce of maple syrup supplies 22.0% of the daily value for this very important trace mineral that benefits our health.

Maple Syrup Is Sweet On Your Heart

Maple syrup is a good sweetener to use if you are trying to benefit the health of your heart. The zinc supplied by maple syrup, in addition to acting as an antioxidant, has other functions that can decrease the progression of atherosclerosis. Zinc is needed for the proper function of endothelial cells and helps to prevent the endothelial damage caused by oxidized LDL cholesterol and other oxidized fats. (The endothelium is the inner lining of blood vessels.) Endothelial membranes low in zinc are much more prone to injury. Additionally, studies have found that in adults deficient in manganese, the other trace mineral amply supplied in maple syrup, the level of HDL (the "good" cholesterol) is decreased.

Maple Syrup Benefits Your Immune Systems

Zinc and manganese are important allies in the immune system. Many types of immune cells appear to depend upon zinc for optimal function. Particularly in children. Researchers have studied the effects of zinc deficiency (and zinc supplementation) on their immune response and their number of white blood cells, including specific studies on T lymphocytes, macrophages, and B cells (all types of white blood cells important for immune defenses). In these studies, zinc deficiency has been shown to compromise numbers of white blood cell and immune response, while zinc supplementation has been shown to restore conditions to normal. In addition to the role played by zinc, the manganese in maple syrup is important since, as a component of the antioxidant SOD, it helps lessen inflammation, thus supporting healing. In addition, manganese may also act as an immunostimulant.

Men Benefit From Maple Syrup

Maple syrup may help to support reproductive health and provides special benefits for men. Zinc is concentrated more highly in the prostate than in any other human tissue, and low levels of zinc in this gland relate to a higher risk for prostate cancer. In fact, zinc is a mineral used therapeutically by health care practitioners to help reduce prostate size. Manganese may also play a role in supporting mens health since, as a catalyst in the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, it also participates in the production of sex hormones, thus helping to benefit reproductive health.

Since I am stil very interested in maintaining my health, I think it's
a good decision to swap the sugar free syrup for pure maple syrup. And,
it tastes much better.

Do I have to eat more?

Okay. Now that I am at my nearly at my optiumum weight,
I need to up my calories even more per day.

That's going to be rough. Over the last year I have
retrained my belly to be happy with me eating a meal
until I am satisfied and it has worked well for me. And
over the last 4 months or so I have been consuming around
1500-1700 calories per day.

But, if I don't increase my calories I will continue to lose
weight. For another 10 or maybe 15 pounds it would not be
a huge deal. Any more than that then I start to swing on the
other side of the unhealthy pendulum. Being underweight has
its own set of issues just as being overweight does.

I have recently increased my calories by about 100-150 more
per day. But, I still lost weight. I will give it another
week to see if it stabalizes but if not than I will bump it
about another 100-150 calories.

I can't believe I'm having worries about being
underweight. LOL.

My activity has been less, too. Over the last
two weeks it has dminished because at my new job there
are no stairwells so I can't run up and down the stairs on
my breaks like I used to. And, I have switched my daily
walk from the afternoon and three miles per day to the
morning and about two miles per day. I still work out
some evenings, as well, but even that hasn't been as often
as it was.

I just am not looking forward to eating more. That means
I will be full more often and I have so much re-programmed
myself not to get full anymore. Makes me feel like I am
going backwards.

I'll keep you all up to date on how it goes this week.

166lbs would put me at a 22 BMI which according to RealAge
is the "perfect" weight for me. So, I still have some wiggle
room to adjust. I just really don't want to go beyond the
166/165lb mark.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Another restaurant makes the grade :)

It has been sometime since my wife and I
had indulged in mexican food at a
restaurant. Knowing that most taco shells
are prepared with corn oil or cottonseed oil
(very high in omega 6's) and many times
made in partially hydrogenated oils, has
kept us from venturing into mexican
restaurants.

We generally make tacos at home where
we can control the ingredients. Oragnic
taco shells made with pure corn meal
processed with only canola oil and made with
ground chicken, turkey or bison meat seasoned
ourselves to be healthy.

Or fajitas made much the same way with
100% whole grain tartillias and healthy
sauteed onions and bell peppers cooked in
pure macadamia nut oil (high in monounsaturates).

But, a few nights ago my wife just wanted
to eat out and chose a place we had
visited quite often before we started
the diet called Tijuana Flats.

It's a local dive that has now grown to
about 30 or more locations througout
the Greater Orlando area. And, of course, all
mexican food.

I knew I was looking at a tough time staying
to the diet until we got a glimps of their new
menu. They were now offering 100% whole wheat
tortillias and boasting nothing in the place was
prepared or cooked in partially hydrogenated oils.

That brought a smile to our faces :)

I was able to order two tacos, made in a whole
wheat tortillia, with refried beans and diced
grilled chicken topped with only lettuce and
tomato. They also offer a line of hot sauces
(their trademark) and we always have fun tasting
the new offerings and enjoying the ones we have
chosen as our favorites.

That makes another restaurant that we can
now visit and not have to worry about breaking
the diet!

Fasting may lower risk of heart desease.

Foregoing food for a day each month stood out among other religious practices in members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormons), who have lower rates of heart disease than other Americans, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

Below is a link to the full article.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!


Link to article.

My weight was holding me back.

If you read my last post you know I just
got a new job.

I have been trying to change jobs for about
4 years or so now without any luck.

I was working in a call center doing
tech support but I wanted to do more
direct IT support; more hands on stuff.

My wife recently pointed out to me that the
last round of job interviews I went on was
before I started the diet. At that point I was
at 300 pounds. But, the first job interview
I went on after losing the all that weight,
I was offered the position.

My wife also says I look much more professional
now. So, being heavy was keeping me from getting
the position I was seeking.

Doesn't seem fair. I mean, I am happy and at a
healthy weight. And I much healthier overall.
But, shouldn't I have been interviewed back then
based on my knowledge?

I guess people are still judged by how they look
much more than anyone would like to admit.

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Just have
been busy with family issues and with the new job
and other day to day stuff.

I hope everyone has a HEALTHY and HAPPY Thanksgiving!! :)

I Sat Up Front :)

Okay. I know you're probably thinking I've lost my mind.
Well, not just yet :)

So, what am I talking about?

Roller Coasters! :)

Today my wife and I and a friend and his girlfriend all went to
Universal Studios Orlando. This is the first time my wife
and I have been to any theme parks since starting the diet
last November.

My adult daughter, Tabatha, came down to visit us from up north
last August and we went to Sea World. Yeah, that little girl
ran us ragged! LOL. Our feet hurt and just walking around all day
carrying my 300lbs was not fun!

I have always loved roller coasters but for the last 6 or 7 years
I have either been too big to fit into them or I had to sit in
a row that was "designed for our guests with special body dimensions".
Ummm, I believe that was just a politically correct way of saying FAT!
And this "special" row was always in the center of the ride car.

But today, I got to sit up in the front row of The Incredible Hulk
coaster and had enough room left in my restraint bar to fit one of
my nieces or nephews if I had wanted to! LOL.

We also went on Dueling Dragons coaster. I could have sat up front but
it would have been an extra 30 minute wait so I just sat wherever I ended
up. But, I didn't have to find any special row to sit in :)

All in all it was a pretty good day. We had a healthy breakfast at home.
Eating in the park was challenging. For lunch I had a plain grilled
chicken breast on a plate with a serving of french fries. There really
was no other side choice unless I ordered a $12 salad. For dinner, close
to the same, a hamburger with provolone cheese plain on a plate (no bun)
also with some fries. Both portion of fries were small. I was bad a little
and got 2 ounces of coffee flavored jelly beans from a candy store. It
wasn't my fault I tell you. We were about to leave and my friend wanted
to stop at guest relations and ask a question. Wouldn't you know..the
desk was located in the corner of a candy store...really. I actually
bought about 5 ounces of jelly beans but half or more of them I pawned off
on the other people with me. I told them the more they ate the less
I would eat. :) We all enjoyed them so it wasn't too bad. Just a treat.

Oh, and if you're asking why didn't I just have a salad for lunch
and dinner. Well, here's the deal. It's economics. Sorta. LOL.
They had no small side salad available. I asked. So, the salads
were $12 or more beacuase they were HUGE! Loaded with bacon bits
and croutons and pita bread slices and rice noodles and....I think
you get the picture. I could have asked for it plain, but I would
have basically gotten a HUGE bowl of lettuce and maybe a slice or
two of tomato for $12. And, they had no low cal dressing like I prefer.
So..the chicken and burger meals were cheaper so...I went with that.
Who wants to pay $12 for a head of lettuce chopped and served in a bowl? :)

Anyway...

Now we are back home unwinding.

Have a great week everyone!

Happy Anniversary! :)

Today is 1 year after we started following You: On a Diet.

We started on 11/07/06 by cleaning ALL the bad foods out of ALL the nooks and crannies out of our house and spending three hours at the grocery store and produce market getting only YOAD approved healthy items.

We still very closely follow the diet.

Our philosphy is that if we can go to bed every evening, and close our eyes and think back about all the food we had during the last 24 hours, and if we followed YOAD recommendations at least 90% or more for the entire day, than we had a good day and were successfully following YOAD.

To us, it is no longer a diet but a way of life! We have chosen to eat to live instead of our old way of thinking which was living to eat.

I had a job interview today and my wife wanted to post my pictures in my monkey suit...so here I am :)
Here are our stats. I lost a total or 115lbs and have lost 18 inches off my waist. My wife

has lost about 60lbs and 12 inches off her waist. Yippee!!

Have a great day everyone! :)

Great analogy.

Hope analogy is the right word. LOL.

I was trying to explain to a co-worker the problem with
simple carbohydrates and a bulb went off over my head.
I used how a car works to help him understand the problem
with consuming large amount of simple carbohydrates (in
the form of processed sugars and processed flours)

Here was the analogy I used. A car has a gas tank and it's
only so big. As the car drives along it burns fuel from the gas
tank at a certain rate. The gas is the fuel and when you start
having an excess of fuel, the car still cannot burn it any faster.
So, once the gas tank is full (your stomach) then you have to
put any excess fuel into gas cans (love handles, budankadonk butt,
big belly, etc) and store the gas cans in the truck, back seat,
floor boards and anywhere else you can find room.

Since simple carbohydrates have very little nutrition, there
is nothing else your body can do with them except burn it
immediately..or store it as FAT! Complex carbohydrates (in the
form of whole grains) are better because your body can use them
for other stuff rather than immediate energy. They have vitamins,
minerals and other nutrients that can be sent to our cells to help make
us healthy. Very little, if any, will be left over to be stored as FAT.

My rant for the day...have a great one everybody!