Here are a few great books about food to kick back with at the beach this summer. Please note that by “great”, I don’t mean to suggest that they romanticize food in the least. Actually, they are very aggressive in talking about what is wrong with the state of food and eating today. But, as far as educating yourself goes (and ain’t that what we’re trying to do?), ya can’t beat ‘em with a stick.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals– This book delightfully confused the hell out of me, and I don’t think I was able to eat without a great deal of forethought for weeks afterward. But Pollen’s delivery is never over the top and it makes for a very quick and interesting read.
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto– Pollen’s follow up to The Omnivore’s Dilemma, this book gives a rough and tumble look at the Western diet (such as it is) as well as the food industry as a whole.
So kick back with a couple of margaritas and some BBQ and have a terrific read!!
I know what your thinking: I should just re title the blog “All about running shoes”. I agree. It seems every two minutes someone is publishing more info on the correct shoes for your feet. And, for whatever compulsive reason, I always feel the need to comment. Why not? The Shoe Industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business, with a ton of money thrown specifically at marketing. And, as most people go into their local shoe store and simply buy “the pretty blue ones”, I think the topic is one worth discussing.
The latest blurb was in the New York Times, regarding a program developed by the US military to assign shoes based on the shapes of soldiers feet in order to avoid injury. As they could find no definitive study regarding shoe design with regard to injury prevention, they started their own practice of handing out shoes to recruits based on the shape of their arches. I found this especially amusing as one good friend who recently returned from serving in Iraq told me that most soldiers ignore the shoes given to them by the military and buy regulation footwear from outside sources. Leave it to the military to find brilliant uses for finances.
Of the three studies quoted last month in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found no connection between shoe choice and injury prevention. And, further more, a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the “corrective” shoes actually led to more injuries. Go figure.
I see corrective shoes like the old joke:
Me: “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.”
Doctor: “Don’t do that.”
Corrective shoes are doing nothing for the imbalances and weaknesses that exist in your lower body. Forcing you out of a position will just put more pressure on the weakened area and, eventually, that will cause injury. I believe that there are shoes that can help each individual. But, at the end of the day, it is very important to take a look at your weaknesses and imbalances and set out on a plan of strengthen those weaknesses to avoid injury.
Which brings me back to the Barefoot Argument. Many people believe that barefoot running is better for the foot because it helps to strengthen the entire foot. Injuries are a result of weakness and imbalance brought on by years of over-support.
Do I subscribe to this philosophy? I think its a good argument. And personally, I know that the shoes I use for EVERYTHING- running, boxing, cross training, weight lifting- are the same shoes with which I ran the 2007 NYC Marathon. I can’t be too sure but I would guess they have three or four thousand miles of use on roads, treadmills, stair machines and in the ring. And, as I use them, the calf pain that I use to feel after a particularly long run, has all but disappeared.
A few weeks ago, I reported on the WORST Burger in America. Turns out that I may have jumped the gun. First, that burger was actually four burgers served on one plate– that’s not quite cricket. But now I find out that I haven’t done enough research.
It seems the Carl Jr.’s restaurant chain has been market testing a brand new foot long burger. That’s right– the dimensions that are usually saved for your favorite hero sandwich are now available in medium rare.
The plain cheeseburger cost $4 and you pay $4.50 for the trimmings, like tomatoes and lettuce. Deluxe costs a bit more. As it’s still in the testing phase, it’s not possible to get the stats on this 12 inch monstrosity, but let’s assume for the sake of argument that it is not nutritional perfection. And calorically, it probably comes in at close to half a day’s worth of calories. MMMM-mmmm good!
A tip of the hat goes to Ena Mallett is the first woman to get a 7th dan black belt in Spirit Combat International jiu-jitsu.
The 77 year old grandmother teaches classes in the local community hall and twice a day she turns out to help kiddies cross the road outside the village school in South Walsham, Norfolk, England.
She has only used her skills once, helping to apprehend a 14-year old shop lifter. Apparently, the adolescent was so shocked being nabbed by the grandmother he dropped the candy he was stealing and Ena let him run away.
Ena began her studies in 1979, studying karate as a means to stay fit. She moved to jiu-jitsu, a Japanese art that focuses on pins, joint locks and throws, in 1987.
Says Ena: “Spirit Combat is all about using self control – but you have to be prepared for violence to defend yourself. I love teaching it and I certainly have no plans to give it up. I don’t see why I should put my feet up.”
Up until about 24 hours ago, I didn’t even think such wonders were possible. Then I happened upon an article in the New York Times: apparently, a money manager, Mr. Travis L. Wright, has been accused of taking clients cash, which he had said he was going to invest in real estate and deliver 24% returns, and investing in a company that dreams of canning sandwiches. Called Candwich. Get it?
……not sure where to begin on this one…….
To Mr. Wright: of all the colossally boneheaded money manager stories about the misappropriation of funds and shear lack of integrity in your industry over the past couple of years, this one takes the canned cake. If it all proves true, I hope the punishment fits the crime: years of hard labor with nothing to eat but aluminum-wrapped Monte Cristos (prepackaged with a maple-syrup-like substance). Though I am very impressed that you were able to squeeze……deep breath…….$145 MILLION DOLLARS from investors, this thinking takes shallow to a whole new level.
To Mark Kirkland, the developer behind the Candwich idea: really?!? Pepperoni Pizza Pocket in a can?!? Really?!? This is keeping you up at night?!? If I were reading the Onion, I might get a good laugh, but this just makes me queasy. Is the dream to have a can of PB & J in the lunch box of every school child? This idea is to health and well being what the Snuggy is to formal wear. Please: drop it. Drop the idea before it is too late. Personally, beyond the thought of other humans eating such things, the thought that this might be part of our legacy as a people is a little overwhelming. Suddenly KFC and their bread-less chicken sandwich looks amazingly health conscious.
On the plus side: according to the Times, Mr. Kirkland believes the Candwich has a remarkable shelf like. Kinda like Soylent Green.
Join the Guru Gang on Tuesday nights at 7pm, now thru the end of August (with the exception of July 20) for an hour-long Pilates Mat Class. Blow off some steam and build up some muscle, all in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge in the fabulous new park at Pier One!
THE CLASS IS FREE!! (Can’t beat that with a stick) and a limited number of exercise mats are available for those who haven’t brought their own. All levels are welcome to attend.
IF you haven’t taken part in the Experience before, it is a fantastic time and a brilliant class! Tell your friends (especially your Manhattan friends who still have yet to venture over there).
Calling out to the pregnant folk out there– though mostly this for the ladies…..
Here’s a video that was shot with our friends at Duck Duck Green. Their mission? That the childcare products we use should be safe- for both our babies and the environment- and that it’s just better to be surrounded by cool looking stuff. Check out their web site.
Lawson has some great stretches you can do to ease the tension and stress that come with pregnancy….and just feel a dang bit better!
It doesn’t matter where you were Wednesday, by now you have heard about, if not actually seen, the “shot heard round the world”: Landon Donovan’s late game goal to beat Algeria in the World Cup. No, we didn’t win the whole enchilada. But the Americans late game tenacity proved that these boys are more than ready and dedicated for international play.
Meanwhile, across the pond, in England, the epic sports battle of the century was taking place. John Isner and Nicholas Mahut battled for over 11 hours to determine the winner of their match, setting a record for perseverance, determination and shear will that will probably stand for all time. When I saw the score was 59-59 at the end of the second day, I thought that was points. It took a friend in the know to point out “no, genius, that’s games!” ( I’m thankful because, not only did I learn these two players names and histories– I’m not a big follower of tennis– but I also learned Wimbledon doesn’t allow tie breakers for the match. Go figure.)
This morning, the day after the deluge, I was met with the sad anecdote of a 53-year old lawyer who dropped dead of a heart attack at a business luncheon. The teller of the story was Ed, a 50-year old lawyer for whom the story was obviously charged. Ed came to the Studio two years ago at his wife’s urging (insistence?). He was a man like I often see: having dedicated himself to work and business for the past so-many years, here he stood in middle age, overweight, weakened and not feeling to good about his general state of being. He threw himself head first into training and literally changed his life: he is healthier, more powerful, and, dare I say, happier than he has been in years.
So my message to him: keep doing what your doing. You never know when you’re going to go but you can certainly work the odds. It doesn’t matter if your 18 or 80, if 20, 30, 40 pounds overweight. It’s never too late to change things, to make them better.
I always tell people who start with me that you never know where it will take you. You may reach your goals and then surpass them. You may find along the way that those weren’t your goals at all. But what you will find is a better, happier quality of life.
No one could promise Landon Donovan that goal. But, dammit, he was going to take it.
The United States isn’t necessarily a land of subtlety……we just seem to like our stuff big. Sometimes that’s pretty spectacular and fun. Sometimes it’s just spectacular. And sometimes….well, sometimes it’s just big.
Here’s a fascinating little lunch time nugget for you. Perhaps it’s not the worst burger in America (certainly there are some interesting entries on This Is Why You’re Fat), but in a fast-food-replicated-across-our-great-country kinda way, this one takes the cake.
It’s the Smokin’ Q Four Pack from our buddies at Denny’s: it’s four burgers in one little meal, “sliders” style, topped with fried onions and bacon. And the statistics? Here we go: 2,020 calories, 110 grams of fat and 3,570 mg of sodium (not a typo). The breakdown: a full day’s worth of calories, 50% more than the DAILY recommended intake of sodium and twice as much fat as you should be chowing daily.
As we enter into the hot summer months (and this one is supposed to be a scorcher), I feel it is my duty to remind you once again to stay hydrated. I know, I know…..I’m a nag……but, unfortunately, nagging is my calling.
As I am sure I have told you over and over again, the body is made up of over 70% water, and water is a key element in most of the major bodily functions. Consequently, when we become dehydrated, it becomes very difficult for our bodies to function properly.
First, what are the signs you may be dehydrated:
Your mouth is dry and your tongue might be swollen. You’ve probably had this feeling when working out, but by the time your mouth is dry, your body is already begging for water. So fill up…..
You’re overheating. It’s that overwhelming feeling of being uncontrollably hot. Sweat helps to regulate our bodies’ temperatures by cooling us off through evaporation. But if you are dehydrated, your body can’t produce enough sweat and you start to overheat.
You feel very tired and fatigued. Water helps nutrients and oxygen move throughout the body, so when there is a lack of water, our muscles and nerves start to slow down, leading to that feeling of exhaustion. And, p.s., that feeling is going to kill your workout…..
You suffer from muscle spasms and cramps. Water is key in maintain an electrolyte balance in the muscles, aiding the process of contraction and relaxation. Not enough water, no muscle regulation……..
You feel heart palpitations…….and since the heart is perhaps our most important muscle, a lack of water leads to electrolyte imblances which can affect the heart’s timing….oops……
You feel lightheaded or dizzy. A drop in blood pressure and blood volume due to a loss of water can lead to a lightheaded feeling.
You stop producing tears. Sure, tears are made of water. No water, no tears (quick test for this one: rent Beaches. If you are dry-eyed by the end, you need more water)
You’re constipated. Your digestive system will reabsorb water to help maintain a hydration level if you are suffering from dehydration. This can lead to constipation.
So what do you do?
Well, start by drinking more water. As my dear friend Ed asked, “Does that include water that’s mixed with coffee?” Oh, Ed. No it doesn’t. I’m talking about real water water. Not fancy sugar water, not coffee, not tea……just water.
How much?
Here is where people tend to argue. I tell people to drink half their body weight in ounces every day. So if you weigh 150 lb. you are going to drink 75 ounces right off the bat. Add 8 ounces for every 15 minutes of exercise you complete on each particular day. Does that seem like alot? Sure, and odds are, you won’t drink that much. But if you strive for that level, it is very unlikely that dehydration is something that you are going to have to contend with……
tell me, is it truth or a myth that what someone would refer to as their "trouble areas" are always the last to show any sign of weight loss?
Guru answers:
Bridgette asks: You always hear people say that the “trouble areas” of your body are the last to start losing inches. For example, I tend to put on weight first in my thigh area (definitely my trouble spot) and last in my mid-section. Over the past two weeks, I’ve had significant loss in my waist, [...]
Here are a few great books about food to kick back with at the beach this summer. Please note that by “great”, I don’t mean to suggest that they romanticize food in the least. Actually, they are very aggressive in talking about what is wrong with the state of food and eating today. But, as far as educating yourself goes (and ain’t that what we’re trying to do?), ya can’t beat ‘em with a stick.
