Food, Cycling, Running, and Weight Lifting
This is not professional but I am person not a machine and these are important aspects of life. If they help others to achieve healthier goals and lifestyles, I am glad to be of service.
I've been asked about diet and exercise enough that it seems prudent to put it in one spot for them to read. Some people think I don't eat but I do and sometimes quite a lot. My appetite is healthy and I generally eat more than people would suspect based on my size, which causes people to quiz me about my diet.
I am 5' 7" in height and weigh 130 - 133 lbs., which puts me on the low end of the BMI. For those that cannot readily interpret those numbers, that is a size 6. When my weight drops to 130 lbs., I consume more fat because I don't want it to drop too low. And, I love fat. It taste good and our bodies need fat for optimal health.
It might be easier to state what I do not eat: sugar and most processed foods. I do not view processed foods as food. It is junk food. The only processed foods I eat are dairy in the form of whole fat: milk, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, cheese, and butter. Otherwise, no processed foods. Hidden sugar in processed foods became a real problem for me as I aged. It happens to everyone. I am convinced it happens to some sooner than others, which is evidenced by the rate of overweight and obesity in younger people.
Basically, I eat anything grown but not made. I eat meat from any land or sea animal and their fat. I buy raw meat to cook to avoid the sugar, salt, and preservatives in pre-packaged meats. I think preservatives are an unnecessary load on the liver. I eat all of the vegetables and fruits. I love green foods. Nuts are a particular favorite as a snack. Legumes are wonderful, too. Grains are eaten daily and usually with oil or butter. But, I do not eat bread. Breakfast consists of oatmeal and oat bran with prunes, blueberries, oil or butter, light salt, and cinnamon followed by an egg. I eat quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat; however, quinoa has the most complete protein chain so I eat it most often. I really enjoy the flavor and texture of amaranth but to me it is not as spice friendly as quinoa. I add all kinds of stuff to quinoa because its flavor and texture lend handily to experimentation.
Some question my cholesterol but it is a low 147 and the ratios are great. I learned in my 30's that sugar made my cholesterol increase and threw my ratios out of balance. Consequently, I have watched my sugar intake. But, hidden sugars became my nemesis with age. I did not realize they were putting High Fructose Corn Syrup, HFCS, in just about every processed food. My doctor, an internal medicine practitioner, said hidden sugars are higher than most people realize and cause men and women to get fat with age. Our bodies use sugar less efficiently as we age. She recommends people eat more natural foods and consume less salt, too.
As for exercise, I have been accused of being a nut about it. That could be. But it is a good thing to be a nut about, isn't it? I do less now than in previous years simply due to time constraints. Cycling and weight lifting have been the mainstays. I enjoy both because of the deep muscle burn both produce, when you are willing to push limits. I recently added running back to my workouts, when I lack time to ride. So, one to four mornings a week I run a couple of miles. Two weekday mornings I ride 20 miles. One weekend day I'll ride 30-40 miles. I work one muscle group per day with weights or my body weight with a TRX Suspension Trainer. To ensure I have proper form and to get new ideas, I check Scooby's Home Bodybuilding Workshop regularly. He seems like a regular Joe and he is a fellow engineer. What and how much I do depends on my fatigue level, weather, season, and time availability. I watched Mother exercise most of my life so its importance was rooted in my brain early.
Mother's philosophy was to maintain your body to the best of your ability through eating right, exercise, and good hygiene habits. It is the courteous thing to do for those around you. It also helps your mental attitude. I am her daughter and the fruit didn't fall far from the tree. My brother and sister hold the same philosophy.
I rarely drink alcohol. I love the flavor of alcohol but dislike the effect on my brain. As the Bible says, it is dissipation and I don't need dissipation. It's an unnecessary load for the liver. I drink coffee about once a week because caffeine is not my friend. I love the aroma and flavor of coffee but detest the effect of regular consumption on my brain.
I feel great. My grocery shopping time is minimal and simple because I do not walk the aisles filling my cart with edible manmade products that are not real food. I breeze through produce, meats, dairy, and eggs. My food bill is low because my body gets what it needs thus I do not get ravenously hungry too often. Daily my taste buds experience an explosion of flavors unmatched by manmade foods. It does not get any better than this.
I've been asked about diet and exercise enough that it seems prudent to put it in one spot for them to read. Some people think I don't eat but I do and sometimes quite a lot. My appetite is healthy and I generally eat more than people would suspect based on my size, which causes people to quiz me about my diet.
I am 5' 7" in height and weigh 130 - 133 lbs., which puts me on the low end of the BMI. For those that cannot readily interpret those numbers, that is a size 6. When my weight drops to 130 lbs., I consume more fat because I don't want it to drop too low. And, I love fat. It taste good and our bodies need fat for optimal health.
It might be easier to state what I do not eat: sugar and most processed foods. I do not view processed foods as food. It is junk food. The only processed foods I eat are dairy in the form of whole fat: milk, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, cheese, and butter. Otherwise, no processed foods. Hidden sugar in processed foods became a real problem for me as I aged. It happens to everyone. I am convinced it happens to some sooner than others, which is evidenced by the rate of overweight and obesity in younger people.
Basically, I eat anything grown but not made. I eat meat from any land or sea animal and their fat. I buy raw meat to cook to avoid the sugar, salt, and preservatives in pre-packaged meats. I think preservatives are an unnecessary load on the liver. I eat all of the vegetables and fruits. I love green foods. Nuts are a particular favorite as a snack. Legumes are wonderful, too. Grains are eaten daily and usually with oil or butter. But, I do not eat bread. Breakfast consists of oatmeal and oat bran with prunes, blueberries, oil or butter, light salt, and cinnamon followed by an egg. I eat quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat; however, quinoa has the most complete protein chain so I eat it most often. I really enjoy the flavor and texture of amaranth but to me it is not as spice friendly as quinoa. I add all kinds of stuff to quinoa because its flavor and texture lend handily to experimentation.
Some question my cholesterol but it is a low 147 and the ratios are great. I learned in my 30's that sugar made my cholesterol increase and threw my ratios out of balance. Consequently, I have watched my sugar intake. But, hidden sugars became my nemesis with age. I did not realize they were putting High Fructose Corn Syrup, HFCS, in just about every processed food. My doctor, an internal medicine practitioner, said hidden sugars are higher than most people realize and cause men and women to get fat with age. Our bodies use sugar less efficiently as we age. She recommends people eat more natural foods and consume less salt, too.
As for exercise, I have been accused of being a nut about it. That could be. But it is a good thing to be a nut about, isn't it? I do less now than in previous years simply due to time constraints. Cycling and weight lifting have been the mainstays. I enjoy both because of the deep muscle burn both produce, when you are willing to push limits. I recently added running back to my workouts, when I lack time to ride. So, one to four mornings a week I run a couple of miles. Two weekday mornings I ride 20 miles. One weekend day I'll ride 30-40 miles. I work one muscle group per day with weights or my body weight with a TRX Suspension Trainer. To ensure I have proper form and to get new ideas, I check Scooby's Home Bodybuilding Workshop regularly. He seems like a regular Joe and he is a fellow engineer. What and how much I do depends on my fatigue level, weather, season, and time availability. I watched Mother exercise most of my life so its importance was rooted in my brain early.
Mother's philosophy was to maintain your body to the best of your ability through eating right, exercise, and good hygiene habits. It is the courteous thing to do for those around you. It also helps your mental attitude. I am her daughter and the fruit didn't fall far from the tree. My brother and sister hold the same philosophy.
I rarely drink alcohol. I love the flavor of alcohol but dislike the effect on my brain. As the Bible says, it is dissipation and I don't need dissipation. It's an unnecessary load for the liver. I drink coffee about once a week because caffeine is not my friend. I love the aroma and flavor of coffee but detest the effect of regular consumption on my brain.
I feel great. My grocery shopping time is minimal and simple because I do not walk the aisles filling my cart with edible manmade products that are not real food. I breeze through produce, meats, dairy, and eggs. My food bill is low because my body gets what it needs thus I do not get ravenously hungry too often. Daily my taste buds experience an explosion of flavors unmatched by manmade foods. It does not get any better than this.
