A TRIBUTE TO ORANGE FARMERS

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I was eating a deliciously sweet orange the other day and suddenly had the thought “what went into producing this orange?”  It was so good, it deserved a “thank you!”  Anyway, in reading about orange production, I learned a few things.  And I am so grateful to farmers!  I do not think they get enough adulation.

Did you know that oranges are self-pollinating, so they do not require bees?  They of course need sunlight.  And orange trees prefer to get about a month of 32 degree days.  Too cold, and they suffer.  I read about one farmer who grew oranges in California, who would sometimes have to get up several times a night to check the temperature in his orchards.  If it was too cool (below 29 degrees), he would turn on wind machines to warm things up a bit.  He eventually purchased auto-start wind machines that would monitor the temperature and turn off and on by themselves so he could sleep.

Then there is a need for water – not too much or too little….. and the correct soil…… and fertilizer…… and pruning.  There is a lot of science in farming.   He also may actually test the sugar and acid content of oranges, as well as color  before deciding if they are ready to harvest.

 

The oranges can be shaken from trees by machine but are often picked by hand.  Hand is better because people are gentler than machines.  A bruised orange is just like bruised skin.  If there is a little damage to the “skin” there is also damage beneath the skin in the fruit below.  Usually the oranges are actually completely orange when picked, but early in the season they can be a little green. If they are a little green they can be ripened or “oranged up” using ethylene gas.  (same process you can use at home by putting unripe fruit in a brown bag and sealing it up)

Once the oranges are harvested, the farmer may use a black light room to check for mold or fungus, since it is not always easily visible to the naked eye.

Oranges are an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, folate and thiamine.  They are fairly easy to find, since the United States alone produces 4 to 5 million tons each year. So go buy an orange and enjoy. However, you look at it, realizing all of the effort that goes into cultivating a perfect orange….so we can eat it…..makes that orange even more enjoyable!

 

 

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WHAT’S WORSE THAN SUGAR??

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Sugar has taken a bad rap.   If we all ate sugar in limited quantities, it would be fine.  It’s just that we don’t.  HOWEVER, there is a substance that is worse and, I believe, deserves MORE blame than it gets for our societal health woes.  This substance was not even available in the United States before the 1960s.  Today it makes up over 20% of our daily carbohydrate intake.  So goes the story of HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP(HFCS).

HFCS  is made from corn starch.  It is processed, using enzymes, and in its final form contains a mixture of fructose and glucose, making it similar to table sugar.  However, it is cheaper and easier to use than sugar.    HFCS is a liquid, whereas table sugar is a solid.  All of this has resulted in HFCS being added, it seems, to virtually everything!  Because of this we are ingesting enormous quantities.  And that is leading to many health problems.

Humans metabolize fructose differently from other simple sugars.  Glucose, for instance, is metabolized by the brain, muscles, and the liver.  Fructose, however, is mainly metabolized in the liver.  In excess, it will raise your blood triglyceride level.   And all that fructose overload, when it is turned into fat,  can lead to a fatty liver.   When I was in medical school and residency, I never had a patient with a fatty liver.  Now it is extremely common.

Today HFCS is prevalent in most US soda drinks.  The popularity of soft drinks has led to generations of kids who often drink a full day’s worth of calories in addition to the solid food they eat!  This has helped lead to the ever-increasing obesity rate in America.  This in turn, has led to increased diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and likely increased cancer and dementia rates.

As to HFCS being everywhere, look at the list of foods below where it may be hiding:

  1.  soda
  2. candy
  3. sweetened yogurt
  4. salad dressing
  5. frozen convenience foods
  6. bread
  7. canned fruit
  8. juice
  9. boxed dinners
  10. granola bars
  11. breakfast cereals
  12. store bought baked goods
  13. sauces and condiments (like ketchup!)
  14. snack foods
  15. cereal bars
  16. nutrition bars
  17. coffee creamer
  18. energy and sports drinks
  19. jams and jellies
  20. ice cream

SO…….if Americans are to become healthy again, it is going to take changing the way we eat and drink.  We HAVE to go back to eating more whole, unadulterated foods.  We have to avoid so called foods that are made in labs.  We have kitchens, and we have curiosity and ingenuity!  Take your curiosity and ingenuity to your kitchen and see what YOU can come up with using whole ingredients.  And read food labels, avoiding anything that contains High Fructose Corn Syrup!

STAYING HEALTHY IN AN UNHEALTHY WORLD #2 KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

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Our human bodies are marvelously and intricately designed. Like any machine, they need to be treated well. A healthy lifestyle takes work, but you first have to know what IS a healthy lifestyle.

A start is to know two very important numbers about your own body. If you keep these two numbers in a healthy range, you will save yourself much grief and sickness in the years ahead. So the first goat is just to find out where you stand. This blog is simply to help you find this information.

The first important value or number is your own BMI (body mass index). This gives a good estimate of total body fat.

There is an easy calculator to determine your BMI in the link below, from the CDC. Then look on the chart below to see where your current weight status puts you.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html

BMIWeight Status
Below 18.5Underweight
18.5 – 24.9Normal or Healthy Weight
25.0 – 29.9Overweight
30.0 and AboveObese

The second number is your waist circumference. This is a measure of abdominal obesity, which is an independent risk factor for heart disease. You can measure your waist circumference with a simple tape measure, using the directions below. A man should have a waist circumference < 40 inches and a woman < 35 inches.

  1. Remove clothing
  2. Measure, placing the tape measure between the top of your hipbone and the bottom of your ribs. 
  3. Breathe out
  4. Make sure the tape measure is straight around your back

So there you have it! Quick and easy. Check out where you are and then you can decide if you should eat your next meal or abstain! Or at least change your mind about that double cheeseburger you were so looking forward to!

STAYING HEALTHY IN A SICK WORLD – #1 BE KIND

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COVID  has every one focused on how NOT to get sick.  Don’t let that virus in! We know the basics.  Wash your hands!  Don’t pick your nose!

BUT……..What happens when Covid (or any virus) sneaks in anyway? How is your defense system?  

It is felt that when we are first born, we are protected by an “innate immune system.”  Then, as we continue to live, we also have an “adaptive immune system.”  This system can change and adapt as the enemy changes.  It LEARNS!  How can we have a healthy, adaptive immune system?  Are there things we can do to make it function more (or less) effectively?

ABSOLUTELY, THE ANSWER IS YES!  Our immune systems are affected by our environment, our lifestyles and our choices.

There is a LOT we can do to protect ourselves.  And there is a lot we can do to harm. ourselves.  Let’s look at just one way today.    (And others in future blogs)

There is general agreement that mental health and physical health are connected.  There is a “mind-body” connection.  This truth has been validated by research.  A healthy emotional lifestyle can lead to improved health.  I am not just talking about fewer tension headaches.  A healthy lifestyle can help you fight off infections!    ( Look at these studies which show that a healthy, less stressful lifestyle can  lead to increased resistance to colds and respiratory infections after purposeful inoculation of nasal passages with rhinovirus or influenza virus [411,412].)

So if we can help extinguish the Covid pandemic by fostering a healthy, less stressful environment, how do we do that?  Could we fight back against Covid simply by being nice to each other?  Think about it.   No one feels better after they have been yelled at, ignored, or belittled.  In our current environment, there is an awful lot of noise.  Everyone has an opinion and it seems that there is a lot of shouting and very little listening going on.  We may not be able to extinguish the Covid virus, but we can strive to treat others well.  Let’s quit yelling.  Let’s let others speak and really listen.  Let’s start to care about the people around us – whether they are like us or different from us.  

 So………..This is a suggestion of one way to boost your immune system, and help in the fight against this pandemic. It is simply this…..

SPEAK KINDLY TO ONE ANOTHER!!

Gracious words are like a honey-comb, sweetness to the soul and HEALTH to the body!   –  Proverbs 16:24

Alternatives to Sugar – the Good and the Bad

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Since excessive sugar consumption leads to obesity and other health problems, what are the alternatives, other than never enjoying the “sweet life?”

Fortunately, there are some.  I have listed 4 common ones to choose from below………….BUT I WOULD ARGUE FOR A DIFFERENT CHOICE.  (SEE # 5)

#1. Stevia – made from the leaves of the Stevia plant

  1. 200 – 400 x sweeter than table sugar
  2. can have a bitter aftertaste
  3. can be used for baking but can alter the texture of food

#2.  Sugar alcohols – erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol

  1. sweet carbohydrates with fewer calories and resistant to digestion
  2. xylitol is common in sugar free chewing gum and mints
  3. erythritol is the main ingredient in Truvia and has fewer GI side effects and can be used in baking
  4. Sorbitol has a smooth feel in your mouth but can act as a laxative in large amounts

#3.  Sucralose (Splenda)

  1. this one is ARTIFICIAL
  2. made from sugar by replacing three hydrogen-oxygen groups with chlorine atoms
  3. 400-700 x sweeter than table sugar
  4. can be used in baking, BUT at high temperatures may break down and possibly form some carcinogens

#4.  Aspartame (Nutrasweet or Equal)

  1. Artificial
  2. 180- 200 x sweeter than table sugar
  3. can give an aftertaste
  4. breaks down at high temperatures

AND FINALLY, AN EVEN BETTER ALTERNATIVE!!

#5  Monk Fruit (luo han guo)

  1. A small melon, known and grown for 800 years
  2. No known toxicity – recognized by FDA as safe for all, even children and pregnant women
  3. 150 – 250 x sweeter than table sugar, but has 0 calories
  4. has antioxidants and possibly some anti-cancer properties
  5. more expensive and less available in the US than Stevia
  6. can be used for baking

 

If you would like to try out Monk Fruit, here is a brownie recipe from a website called The Smart Cookie (check it out)

Frosted Chocolate Brownies

Brownies:

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup dates (5 large)

1/4 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup Special Dark cocoa powder

Frosting:

1 ripe avocado

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted

1/4 special dark cocoa powder

1/4 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw

2 dates

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8×8 pan (or a smaller pan, if you want thicker brownies).  In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients for brownies. Blend until completely incorporated with no oat or date chunks.  Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes (baking time may change if you use a different pan), until a toothpick comes out clean.  Once brownies are done, remove from oven and let cool.

Quickly rinse out your food processor and dry (it’s not necessary to completely clean it).  Then, to make frosting, combine all ingredients in the bowl of food processor.  Blend until smooth and thick, with all ingredients compeltely mixed.  You should be able to take a spoonful of the frosting and tip it upside down without ot falling off.  Spread frosting on top of baked brownies and chill for at least one hour.  Then, slice into 9-16 squares and serve.

ENJOY THE SWEET LIFE WITHOUT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH SUGAR!

(Alas, this was the second writing of this post.  Had it all ready and accidentally hit the delete button.   I hope the “redo” did not convey my frustration!)

THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT SWEETS

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This year I am trying to treat my 63 year old frame a little better.  Indulging in a sugar binge in front of a screen (always one of my favorite things) didn’t seem to affect me as much when I was a young thing.  Now, I wish I had not practiced that bad habit so much.  But, of course, I did not know the damage I was doing.

I am wiser now.  I am OLDER now.  The first I like.  The second, not so much.  Anyway, I have learned of the detrimental effects of sugar on the human body.  In small amounts, it can sweeten life.  But we don’t use it is small amounts, do we?

HOW DOES SUGAR DESTROY YOU?  Let me count the ways……….

  1.  First I will state the obvious.  Sugar makes us fat!  Even our children. About 1/3 of adolescents and children in the United States are now considered  overweight.  Obesity tripled from the 1970s to 2000.
  2. With the obesity that follows high sugar consumption, there is an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
  3. Obesity is an underlying cause for joint disease.  It has been said that for every pound gained, there is an added 5 pounds of pressure on your knees.  WHAT A PAIN!
  4. Obesity increases your risk of certain cancers

THEN THERE ARE SOME LESSER KNOWN RISKS……

OBESITY is associated with a 1.5 fold increase in your risk of developing ALZHEIMERS.   It seems that this risk is most closely associated with midlife obesity.  That spare tire in middle age hurts more than just your golf game!

Finally, SUGAR CAN HURT YOU BEFORE YOU ARE BORN!   In one study, sugary beverages consumed by the mother were associated with increased weight in their school-aged children.  For every serving of a sugary drink consumed during the second trimester in this study, there was a 0.15 kg/m2  increase in fat mass.  Even that BUN IN THE OVEN is not safe.

So needless to say, many of us need less sugar in our diet.    Sugar is an ADDICTIVE ENEMY, so it may be best to try to avoid it completely for about 6 weeks to lessen the craving for it.

It is a challenge, but one well worth it.  Take it and let me know how you feel afterward!

 

NEW BEGINNINGS

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I am thankful for New Year’s Day.  I am thankful for new beginnings.  New beginnings always means opportunity.  Sometimes it is a chance to try something different.  Sometimes it is a chance to build on something already in progress.  Like making a new friend or deepening a relationship with an old one.

2020 was a difficult year, but it was a year of learning.  There was some amazing progress made in the science of vaccines.  We all did things we maybe thought we could not do, or at least did not want to do.  But we learned of resilience.  Fortunately, the end of the Covid pandemic looks to be in sight.  But some of the things we have learned to do differently may remain.  Working virtually and shopping online will not likely disappear completely.  On the bright side, for many, the shutdown in society has lead to more time with family which is good.

When I think of new beginnings, I think of one of my favorite plants, the Mexican Lilly.  The reason I love this plant is that every morning it bursts forth with a completely new crop of purple flowers.   Every evening the flowers fall off, but then the next morning another crop appears.  It reminds me that God’s mercies are new every morning.

So as 2021 begins, I am hopeful that I have learned from 2020.  Can’t say as I am not glad to see it go.  I look forward to again experiencing some things I have missed, like eating in restaurants with friends, giving and receiving hugs, and breathing freely without a mask.  But whether that comes sooner or later, I am grateful that 2021 has arrived with all of its possibilities.  I am anxious to see what God has in store.

I don’t know what new beginnings the new year holds  I hope for many exciting adventures!  I pray for calm, not stormy, waters ahead.  But though I do not know what the future holds, I know who holds the future.  If you belong to God, remember He is with you always.  Let’s give our worries to Him and enjoy the year ahead!

What This World Really Needs

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I am writing this at 3:30 am.   It is because I cannot sleep.  Like lots of people, I am troubled by Covid and all of the news and events surrounding it.  But there is a deeper matter.

As a physician, I have spent the last 3 decades trying to keep people healthy and living longer.   But there are still two underlying truths that I cannot change.  We are mortal….and God is sovereign.  Somehow, that message is lost in the way that Covid is being handled and discussed.

The CDC, by way of the media, keeps pounding out the message that we can beat the virus with quarantines, lockdowns, avoiding each other, isolating.  But we have not made a significant impact on the spread of the virus and all the while our infection control measures have led to loneliness, anger, frustration, increased poverty, anxiety, and depression.

In my office practice, personally, I see these problems creating much more significant impact on people than I see serious cases of Covid 19.  The Godless world that we live in has nothing to offer as help for these problems.

I would suggest that what we really need is different.  We were created to be together, to look out for others, to love each other.  We are the most unhappy when we put ourselves first and spend all of our energy trying to save and protect our own selves.  I am not suggesting that we act foolishly.  The virus is not a hoax and we should not be reckless in our movements.   However, in light of the fact that we are mortal and God is sovereign, we should be doing two things differently.

Instead of closing churches,  we should be opening church up even more for much needed days of repentance and prayer.  Whatever happened to calling for days of prayer in times of crisis?  This is what God’s people have done in the past during their hour of need.

Secondly, while we are waiting  on science to come up with a “fix”, we must remember that science is not perfect.  Science gets things wrong all the time.  Science is a constantly changing body of ideas.   In fact many times today’s fact gradually becomes tomorrow’s mishap.  We have leaders who act like they know what is best and issue one edict after another.  They are trying to “follow the science” and change their minds constantly.  This is why what we need is the perfect, all wise, all loving, God who created the world.  

Covid is an infectious disease.  It is behaving like a lot of other infectious diseases.  It can be deadly, as can other infectious diseases.  We should wash our hands.  We should not go to work sick.  We should sterilize surfaces.  We should develop a vaccine.  But we are sinful men and women, who live in a fallen world and Covid is just one more thing.

We are mortal and we are all going to die.  God is sovereign.  God calls us to himself.  I for one, want to live forever with Him.  That can start here on earth, thank God.  I am so grateful that my creator loved me enough to send His Son to die for my sins.  I am so grateful that He is sovereign and not the public officials.  We need leaders who are humble and lead us back to God who knows all things.  All science is just the searching out of what God already knows.  Ignoring God is what will really kill us and make us miserable, not Covid

THE WORST TIME TO EAT

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Do you want to live longer and be healthier, think more clearly, have more energy, and decrease your risk of getting cardiovascular disease, diabetes,  or Alzheimers?  Then you need to seriously consider not only WHAT you eat, but also WHEN you eat.  

Human beings are created with the ability to store excess calories as fat.  That is great, if a famine hits your area occasionally.  But that is not the norm in America.  If the famine never comes,  and we keep eating and storing fat, we not only get fatter, but we also tend to keep high blood sugar and insulin levels.  This, over time, is very detrimental to our circulatory system, which basically feeds every cell we have.  All sorts of damage is done by excess fat.  It happens slowly, and you may not notice it …….UNTIL YOU DO!   At that point, well…..the goal is to avoid that point.

So how (and when) should we eat?  I have talked before about intermittent fasting.  All that means is that in each 24 hour period, you leave enough time with an empty stomach for your body to recuperate from processing food and take care of other matters.  You need to leave time to actually use up some of that stored fat.  It is not meant to keep accumulating.  

FAT STORES ARE NOT LIKE A BANK ACCOUNT.   You do not want to keep storing and never use any of it.  If you keep storing fat and never use any of it, your body suffers.

However, if you give your body a chance to get hungry…to use up the easy glucose and glycogen stores, and then look around for other energy sources, there are a lot of benefits.

Your body will turn to using stored fat.  Since fat is also where the body stores a lot of toxins, there is the added benefit of getting rid of toxins.  ALSO, your body will scout for cells that are damaged and RECYCLE parts from defective cells.  That is called AUTOPHAGY, a process whereby the human body can clean up all sorts of problems.  But if you constantly keep pouring in new fuel, this will never happen.

So,  WHEN IS THE WORST TIME TO EAT?  The worst time is BEFORE BED or LATE AT NIGHT.   Since, for the most part, we don’t eat while sleeping, we get at least a 6 to 8 hour fast while in bed.    If you can add a few hours after dinner or before breakfast (or both) you can fast longer.  You need to get to about 12….or even 16….hours of fasting before getting the benefits.  By eating a bedtime snack, you are not helping yourself.  You are sabotaging your body’s efforts to stay healthy.

So….go to bed hungry.  It is a good thing!

OVERNUTRITION

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TOO MUCH FOOD

What is essential to life but also one of the greatest killers?  What do you need to stay alive but also is responsible for more disease and premature death than Covid or Cancer?  The surprising answer is FOOD!

Overnutrition causes overweight and obesity.  It is easy to find out if you have become a victim by calculating your BMI (body mass index). Here is the formula:

BMI = (weight in pounds/2.205)/(height in inches/39.37) squared

Then plug that number in to the chart below:

  • NORMAL WEIGHT               BMI greater or equal to 18.5 – 24.9
  • OVERWEIGHT                      BMI 25-29.9
  • OBESE                                   BMI greater or equal to 30

It has been know that carrying too much weight is harmful to one’s health for over 2000 years.  But the incidence of obesity has  skyrocketed in modern society.

  • In the United States, from 1988 – 1994, the obesity rate was 22.9%
  • Then form 1999 – 2000 it was 30.5%
  • From 2015 – 2016, it was 39.6%
  • By 2030 it is projected to be 50%

It is important for citizens to begin to learn how to avoid becoming obese…and how to undo damage already done!

OVERNUTRITION, in addition to leading to overweight and obesity, also leads to

  • -poor health outcomes
  • -premature deaths
  • -cardiovascular disease
  • -diabetes
  • -hypertension
  • -cancer
  • -sleep apnea
  • -GERD

It is also associated with osteoarthritis, gallstones, depression, and the list goes on…………

But we can learn to avoid OVERNUTRITION.   It starts with a few simple rules.

Rule#1 – avoid caloric drinks and stick with water, unsweetened tea, coffee, milk – drinks like gatorade and soft drinks have great marketing but leave you fat and empty

Rule#2 – avoid processed foods.

Rule #3 – practice portion control

Rule #4 – self monitor.  Keep a food diary.  Avoid mindless eating in front of the TV.

YOU CAN DO IT.  START SMALL.  LITTLE STEPS STILL MOVE YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.  IT’S NOT A DIET….

IT’S A LIFESTYLE

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