Life is Healthy

About to start your Christmas shopping? Don't know what to buy for a friend or relative who likes music and/or Venn diagrams? Do not fear, because Venn That Tune is still available from Amazon and all good book shops.

And to kick your festive season off, Christmas cards are once again available from Moo. Or just email the ones below to your friends (click for bigger images).

GABA (Gamma aminobutyric acid) is an amino acid supplement that is gaining popularity for its anti-anxiety effects. Gaba is produced in the body from glutamic acid and acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. That is, it slows down activity in the part of the brain called the lymbic system, which is our emotional alarm bell.

Gaba is able to reduce stressful feelings such as anxiety, fear and panic. As a natural tranquillizer, Gaba can partially replace valium by binding to the same brain receptors, providing tranquillization. Gaba is available from health food stores.

www.google.com › Health › Alternative
http://www.grannymed.com/

“We’ll get you off that smack, oh yes we will.”

I know the science, I know the psychology and STILL carbs are an evil temptress.

“We’re givin’ up that smack, oh yes we are.”

We watched “Death to Smoochy” Saturday night. Loved it! Smoochy is good and pure and walks his walk. If he was a person who’d lost a lot of weight, he’d be the kind of maintainer I’d emulate.


And so I aspire to be Smoochy.

We celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday because Daughter #2 worked on Thursday. Daughter #1 and I cooked all the trimmings on Thursday and we packed it all up (along with a husband, boyfriend and stepsons) and headed down to Pittsburgh the next day.

I had a plan. I was going to: eat a lot of squash; have a little artichoke dip and 4 pita chips; measure out ¼ cup of cranberry-orange sauce; and load up on steamed green beans and asparagus. When I planned this out the day before, it made perfect sense.

Here’s what I ate: twice the alloted amount of artichoke dip; some – as in I can’t remember how many – pita chips; a few bites of mashed potatoes (no ordinary mashed potatoes…these suckers included full-fat sour cream and cream cheese); a few bites of stuffing (that I’d made with real butter AND chicken broth which disqualified my vegetarianism for a few seconds); fewer green beans and asparagus spears than I’d planned; 2 cups of squash; two bites of pumpkin pie; and one or two (OK, four, maybe five) GENEROUS bites of apple cake. It was all so damn good that I…and I hate to admit this…couldn’t help myself.

Couldn’t help myself. How sad is that after five years?

Deep breath. Even Smoochy’s emotions overwhelmed him and he almost used a gun to kill his nemesis.

What kept going through my head on the way home was, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” But I know that’s not true in my weight-loss journey. Once I had a day to digest (figuratively, not literally), I realized the T-day food destruction wasn’t as bad as my head made it out to be. The empty-calorie hangover only lasted a day. I’ve not been on the scale yet, and I probably won’t weigh in until Friday, but I’m pretty sure things will be fine. Right now, I just need some distance.

I’m not kicking myself or demeaning myself because I swayed from my plan. I just temporarily forgot my mantra while picking at the T-day food – “How will I feel five minutes after eating this?” – and I didn’t place that thought-out portion on my plate. I just sat at the table and yakked with my family and stuck my fork in this bowl and that bowl and got completely at ease in the moment, forgetting my plan.

But it turned out to be a gift, an eye-opening experience! I was reintroduced to the person I was before – the one who randomly ate whatever. She still lives inside me. She hasn’t visited in awhile, but she lives nearby. OK. I can deal with that. It’s always good to know where your enemy lives.

The best news is that I couldn’t WAIT to eat a smoothie Saturday morning and broccoli for breakfast on Sunday. Just one day and I missed my food routine. So did my body. I felt sluggish and overall yuck when I woke up Saturday. Even though I didn’t eat “that much,” my body said, “WTF?”

Carbs are my nemesis, no doubt. But I’ll continue to aspire to be own superhero. My own Smoochy.

--------------------

Me and my family of man:

My children:

And, of course, Claire:

Three Case Studies in Occlusion

In this post, I'll review three cultures with different degrees of malocclusion over time, and try to explain how the factors I've discussed may have played a role.

The Xavante of Simoes Lopes

In 1966, Dr. Jerry D. Niswander published a paper titled "The Oral Status of the Xavantes of Simoes Lopes", describing the dental health and occlusion of 166 Brazilian hunter-gatherers from the Xavante tribe (free full text). This tribe was living predominantly according to tradition, although they had begun trading with the post at Simoes Lopes for some foods. They made little effort to clean their teeth. They were mostly but not entirely free of dental cavities:

Approximately 33% of the Xavantes at Simoes Lopes were caries free. Neel et al. (1964) noted almost complete absence of dental caries in the Xavante village at Sao Domingos. The difference in the two villages may at least in part be accounted for by the fact that, for some five years, the Simoes Lopes Xavante have had access to sugar cane, whereas none was grown at Sao Domingos. It would appear that, although these Xavantes still enjoy relative freedom from dental caries, this advantage is disappearing after only six years of permanent contact with a post of the Indian Protective Service.

Characteristically, the Xavante adults exhibited broad dental arches, almost perfectly aligned teeth, end-to-end bite, and extensive dental attrition. At 18-20 years of age, the teeth were so worn as to almost totally obliterate the cusp patterns, leaving flat chewing surfaces.

Despite a rudimentary agriculture, the Xavante depend very heavily on the wild products which they gather. They eat numerous varieties of roots in large quantities, which provide a nourishing, if starchy, diet. These roots are available all year but are particularly important in the Xavante diet from April to June in the first half of the dry season when there are no more fruits. The maize harvest does not last long and is usually saved for a period of ceremonies. Until the second harvest of beans and pumpkins, the Xavante subsist largely on roots and palmito (Chamacrops sp.), their year-round staples.

From late August until mid-February, there are also plenty of nuts and fruits available. The earliest and most important in their diet is the carob or ceretona (Ceretona sp.), sometimes known as St. John's bread. Later come the fruits of the buriti palm (Mauritia sp.) and the piqui (Caryocar sp.). These are the basis of the food supply throughout the rainy season. Other fruits, such as mangoes, genipapo (Genipa americana), and a number of still unidentified varieties are also available.

The casual observer could easily be misled into thinking that the Xavante "live on meat." Certainly they talk a great deal about meat, which is the most highly esteemed food among them, in some respects the only commodity which they really consider "food" at all... They do not eat meat every day and may go without meat for several days at a stretch, but the gathered products of the region are always available for consumption in the community.

Recently, the Xavante have begun to eat large quantities of fish.

• A nutrient-rich, whole foods diet, presumably including organs.
  
• On-demand breast feeding for two or more years.
• No bottle-feeding or modern pacifiers.
• Tough foods on a regular basis.
  

Severe abrasion was not apparent among the Bakairi, and the dental arches did not appear as broad and massive as in the Xavantes. Dental caries and malocclusion were strikingly more prevalent; and, although not recorded systematically, the Bakairi also showed considerably more periodontal disease. If it can be assumed that the Bakairi once enjoyed a freedom from dental disease and malocclusion equal to that now exhibited by the Xavantes, the available data suggest that the changes in occlusal patterns as well as caries and periodontal disease have been too rapid to be accounted for by an hypothesis involving relaxed [genetic] selection.

In the Masai tribe, a study of 2,516 teeth in eighty-eight individuals distributed through several widely separated manyatas showed only four individuals with caries. These had a total of ten carious teeth, or only 0.4 per cent of the teeth attacked by tooth decay.

The principal food of the Masai is milk, meat and blood, the latter obtained by bleeding their cattle... The Masai have ample means with which to get maize meal and fresh vegetables but these foodstuffs are known only to those who work in town. It is impossible to induce a Masai to plant their own maize or vegetables near their huts.

• A nutrient-dense diet rich in protein and fat-soluble vitamins from pastured dairy.
• On-demand breast feeding for two or more years.
• No bottle feeding or modern pacifiers.
  

The main articles of diet were white maize, [presumably heavily sweetened] tea, milk, [white] rice, and beans. Traditional items were rarely eaten... Milk... was not mentioned by 30% of mothers.

Much of the traditional way of life of these people (all white) has been maintained, but two major changes have been the movement of industry and mechanized farming into the area in the last 25 years. Traditionally, tobacco (the only cash crop), gardens, and orchards were grown by each family. Apples, pears, cherries, plums, peaches, potatoes, corn, green beans, peas, squash, peppers, cucumbers, and onions were grown for consumption, and fruits and nuts, grapes, and teas were gathered by individuals. In the diet of these people, dried pork and fried [presumably in lard], thick-crust cornbread (which were important winter staples) provided consistently stressful chewing. Hunting is still very common in the area.

• A nutrient-rich, whole foods diet, presumably including organs.
  
• Prolonged breast feeding.
• No bottle-feeding or modern pacifiers.
• Tough foods on a regular basis.
  

Suzi has lost an incredible 256 pounds in one and a half years. She was a morbidly obese 430 pounds 18 months ago. She's a 40 year old single mother and now weighs 176.

She was able to accomplish this incredible feat without weight loss surgery. But she did quit her job and moved in with her parents to focus on weight loss. She's kept up a very time-intensive exercise regiment to get rid of the loose and flabby skin.

Her typical breakfast these days is a bowl of oatmeal and fruit. (Photo of oatmeal, blueberries and sunflower seeds shown here is via Flickr).

See her inspiring story here.

I arrived in Madrid earlier this week, as I had to sort my passport out; it needs renewing.
So I went to the British Consulate to see what I had to do.
You get some VERY strange looks when you go into an embassy with a very large suitcase
(it was full of my weeks supplies for work).

The following day I went looking for a camera shop that Scott (Marisa’s son) told me about.
I found it and WOW! Now that is a photo shop!! Some much in there and so busy, it made me realise how little I still know.
Later on was the tapas, our old venue has closed down so we had to use a new one; it’s OK short term but sharing it with football supporters is not a good idea :S

This group was very big maybe the biggest I have had in VT, which on one hand is great on the other a challenge. The meeting room however was a little small for this amount of people; but we managed none the less.

The food started off well, but sadly as the week progressed the standards slipped from day to day - and I'm beginning to look and feel like an egg!

Lots of people meant lots of work and lots of fun. We had some great stories and presentations shared by some of the Anglo’s, it would have been nice to have more presentations from the Anglos though given the amount of them and their vast experiences.

The karaoke was enjoyed a lot and we had a great group of singers.

As for the Masters their challenge was debates, very difficult, but they did well, considering they have never done them before and it was in English. Joaquin shared an excellent story as his presentation; one I may well steal ;)

We had people from all over the world, which was great to see: South Africa, Philippines, Latvia, Ireland, America, Canada, USA, UK, Australia, so an enormous linguistic challenge/opportunity for the Spaniards to take advantage of.

Good luck with the baby Victoria, you will make a great mommy.

I do find it interesting that you give so much of yourself and there is a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ work yet some people still expect more?!

This week was made uncomfortable by the fact that the staff in the hotel told us we are no longer using the venue next year and asked why: as yet I have had nothing confirmed either way and couldn’t offer any comment or explanation.
However, it would be nice to be kept informed of changes for obvious reasons.

The photos of the weeks craziness can be found below

Vaughan Town - Salamanca - Program 194

Jaw Development During Adolescence

Beginning at about age 11, the skull undergoes a growth spurt. This corresponds roughly with the growth spurt in the rest of the body, with the precise timing depending on gender and other factors. Growth continues until about age 17, when the last skull sutures cease growing and slowly fuse. One of these sutures runs along the center of the maxillary arch (the arch in the upper jaw), and contributes to the widening of the upper arch*:

This growth process involves MGP and osteocalcin, both vitamin K-dependent proteins. At the end of adolescence, the jaws have reached their final size and shape, and should be large enough to accommodate all teeth without crowding. This includes the third molars, or wisdom teeth, which will erupt shortly after this period.

Reduced Food Toughness Correlates with Malocclusion in Humans

When Dr. Robert Corruccini published his seminal paper in 1984 documenting rapid changes in occlusion in cultures around the world adopting modern foodways and lifestyles (see this post), he presented the theory that occlusion is influenced by chewing stress. In other words, the jaws require good exercise on a regular basis during growth to develop normal-sized bones and muscles. Although Dr. Corruccini wasn't the first to come up with the idea, he has probably done more than anyone else to advance it over the years.

Dr. Corruccini's paper is based on years of research in transitioning cultures, much of which he conducted personally. In 1981, he published a study of a rural Kentucky community in the process of adopting the modern diet and lifestyle. Their traditional diet was predominantly dried pork, cornbread fried in lard, game meat and home-grown fruit, vegetables and nuts. The older generation, raised on traditional foods, had much better occlusion than the younger generation, which had transitioned to softer and less nutritious modern foods. Dr. Corruccini found that food toughness correlated with proper occlusion in this population.

In another study published in 1985, Dr. Corruccini studied rural and urban Bengali youths. After collecting a variety of diet and socioeconomic information, he found that food toughness was the single best predictor of occlusion. Individuals who ate the toughest food had the best teeth. The second strongest association was a history of thumb sucking, which was associated with a higher prevalence of malocclusion**. Interestingly, twice as many urban youths had a history of thumb sucking as rural youths.

Not only do hunter-gatherers eat tough foods on a regular basis, they also often use their jaws as tools. For example, the anthropologist and arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson described how the Inuit chewed their leather boots and jackets nearly every day to soften them or prepare them for sewing. This is reflected in the extreme tooth wear of traditional Inuit and other hunter-gatherers.

Soft Food Causes Malocclusion in Animals

Now we have a bunch of associations that may or may not represent a cause-effect relationship. However, Dr. Corruccini and others have shown in a variety of animal models that soft food can produce malocclusion, independent of nutrition.

The first study was conducted in 1951. Investigators fed rats typical dry chow pellets, or the same pellets that had been crushed and softened in water. Rats fed the softened food during growth developed narrow arches and small mandibles (lower jaws) relative to rats fed dry pellets.

Other research groups have since repeated the findings in rodents, pigs and several species of primates (squirrel monkeys, baboons, and macaques). Animals typically developed narrow arches, a central aspect of malocclusion in modern humans. Some of the primates fed soft foods showed other malocclusions highly reminiscent of modern humans as well, such as crowded incisors and impacted third molars. These traits are exceptionally rare in wild primates.

One criticism of these studies is that they used extremely soft foods that are softer than the typical modern diet. This is how science works: you go for the extreme effects first. Then, if you see something, you refine your experiments. One of the most refined experiments I've seen so far was published by Dr. Daniel E. Leiberman of Harvard's anthropology department. They used the rock hyrax, an animal with a skull that bears some similarities to the human skull***.

Instead of feeding the animals hard food vs. mush, they fed them raw and dried food vs. cooked. This is closer to the situation in humans, where food is soft but still has some consistency. Hyrax fed cooked food showed a mild jaw underdevelopment reminiscent of modern humans. The underdeveloped areas were precisely those that received less strain during chewing.

Implications and Practical Considerations

Besides the direct implications for the developing jaws and face, I think this also suggests that physical stress may influence the development of other parts of the skeleton. Hunter-gatherers generally have thicker bones, larger joints, and more consistently well-developed shoulders and hips than modern humans. Physical stress is part of the human evolutionary template, and is probably critical for the normal development of the skeleton.

I think it's likely that food consistency influences occlusion in humans. In my opinion, it's a good idea to regularly include tough foods in a child's diet as soon as she is able to chew them properly and safely. This probably means waiting at least until the deciduous (baby) molars have erupted fully. Jerky, raw vegetables and fruit, tough cuts of meat, nuts, dry sausages, dried fruit, chicken bones and roasted corn are a few things that should stress the muscles and bones of the jaws and face enough to encourage normal development.


* These data represent many years of measurements collected by Dr. Arne Bjork, who used metallic implants in the maxilla to make precise measurements of arch growth over time in Danish youths. The graph is reproduced from the book A Synopsis of Craniofacial Growth, by Dr. Don M. Ranly. Data come from Dr. Bjork's findings published in the book Postnatal Growth and Development of the Maxillary Complex. You can see some of Dr. Bjork's data in the paper "Sutural Growth of the Upper Face Studied by the Implant Method" (free full text).

** I don't know if this was statistically significant at p less than 0.05. Dr. Corruccini uses a cutoff point of p less than 0.01 throughout the paper. He's a tough guy when it comes to statistics!

*** Retrognathic.

I’m not going to yammer on in this post about all the things I’m thankful for. Instead, I’m going to let Don Henley, Luca, and Claire do my talking for me.

First, Don Henley’s “My Thanksgiving.” It opened my eyes when it came out several years ago. Helped push me over the edge and lose weight for good. I listen to it when I forget my place in this world, forget what I’m thankful for. Below are some of the lyrics and the video. (For some reason, the video starts playing right away. You can stop it.)

Now the trouble with you and me, my friend
Is the trouble with this nation
Too many blessings, too little appreciation
And I know that kind of notion, well, it just ain't cool
So send me back to Sunday school
Because I'm tired of waiting for reason to arrive
It's too long we've been living
These unexamined lives

I've got great expectations
I've got family and friends
I've got satisfying work
I've got a back that bends
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving

Have you noticed that an angry man
Can only get so far
Until he reconciles the way he thinks things ought to be
With the way things are

Here in this fragmented world, I still believe
In learning how to give love, and how to receive it
And I would not be among those who abuse this privilege
Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge
And I don't mind saying that I still love it all
I wallowed in the springtime
Now I'm welcoming the fall

For every moment of joy
Every hour of fear
For every winding road that brought me here
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving
For everyone who helped me start
And for everything that broke my heart
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving

Watching a child’s life unfold and witness their personality emerge is one of the most precious gifts we get. Seeing the world through Claire’s and Luca’s eyes is a sort of redemption because it teaches me that I, too, was once innocent and full of wonder. They soften my edges and ease my remorse and regrets.

This is Luca. He’s only six months, but he’s already pulling himself to standing. He thinks this is hilarious, apparently, as you’ll see in this video. I hope his laughter brings you joy, too.



This is Claire playing recently at my house. You’ll hear her say, “Hey Mum!” when she’s standing on the top of the cellar door.



I am ever so grateful to all of you for reading my blog and for inspiring me with your thoughts, experiences, and stories (and recipes!). I’ll be in back on the blog on Sunday. Until then, I wish you all a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving.

I've never stolen packets of jam or jelly from a restaurant and then hidden to eat to contents like Jennette Fulda a.k.a. PastaQueen admitted in her book Half-Assed, a Weight Loss Memoir. I have, however, been known to stand in my kitchen and eat jam right out of the jar. That said, I know I have a long way to go before conquering my food addictions—and this week is Thanksgiving. Thursday will be an excuse for me to eat far more than what I need to keep myself alive.

Saffron (Crocus Sativus) is a small perennial plant cultivated in many parts of the world. It is a medicinal herb with several benefits. Traditionally, its flower stigmas are a well known aphrodisiac. Saffron is also believed to strengthen the appetite, soothe the alimentary canal, increase bile flow, clear liver stagnancy, help menopausal difficulties and relieve phlegm.

Saffron contains a poison that can damage the kidneys and nerves, and therefore should only be used sparingly.

Grandbaby Claire was here last week for an overnight. Just before bed, we snuggled on the couch, ate a dish of ice cream, and talked about our day.

“Jake is happy, Mum,” she said, referring to our Golden Retriever panting next to her, hoping to lick the ice cream bowl. She calls me “mum,” I suspect, because that’s what my daughters call me. Every day she’s more aware of the world and people around her.

Wrapped in her blanket with her head resting against my arm, Claire rubbed her fingers along the veins in my hands. Then she climbed on my lap and rolled her fingers over my collarbones. She was mesmerized by these protrusions. I didn’t stop her, even though I was embarrassed. After all, I did the same thing to my mother and grandmother, and they didn’t stop me.

When I lived in younger skin, and later an obese body, my veins and collarbones were hidden. I didn’t realize I had them or pay attention that they were there. Now that I’m older and have lost a few pounds, my veins protrude like a blue river under my pale skin and my collarbones are a tempting teething ring for grandbaby Luca.

My grandkids aren’t the only ones who notice. Several people have written to me over the last few years (a few more recently) and told me I’m too thin, otherwise my bones wouldn’t stick out like they do. Reading this, I feel exposed, and I almost (almost) feel like I should apologize for getting older or losing weight (that’s Old Me thinking, I know, but it’s still so strong). My genetics are what they are and I can’t change the way my body has evolved. So like I’ve done with excess skin and wrinkles, I can either learn to accept what is or appease the perceptions of other people and gain weight/apologize/live in aversion.

I choose to accept.

Public perception’s a bitch, and I’m as guilty as the next person of jumping to conclusions. For instance, I watched an interview with James Cameron tonight on “60 Minutes.” Morley Safer mentioned Cameron had been married five times. Five times? What a flake, right? Only losers get married that many times!

But wait. I’ve been married four times. Four. Times. One less than Cameron’s five. How does that make me, in the public eye, any different? Most people when they hear I’ve been married four times conclude I have commitment issues. While that is (was) part of the story, it’s by no means the entire truth. Knowing that about myself, I should also know there’s more truth behind Cameron’s five marriages, too. And yet I make snap conclusions.

Then there’s morbid obesity. When I was 300 pounds, how many people probably thought I was that way simply because I ate too much? Again, that’s part of the story, but hardly the entire truth. Yet when I see morbidly obese people, my first thought is they eat too much, too. Geez oh man. I don’t want that conclusion dumped on my plate and yet I dish it out to others! How perverted is that?

To fill people in on our entire truths 24/7 would be exhausting if not impossible. People are going to think what they will. But my terse conclusions of others is needs to change based mostly on my finally confessed fear of being misunderstood.

I’m a bony, middle-aged woman who formerly weighed 300 pounds and has been married four times. If that’s all you knew about me, what would you conclude?

I know what I’d think, and it’s narrow-minded and wrong. But I know that this jump-to-conclusions mindset is something I can change, unlike my collarbones and veins, fat history and four marriages. There’s always more to our stories and the entire truth is probably way more interesting than the story based on our initial conclusions.

Here’s to no more false perceptions! *clinkingglasses*

As I wrote last March, I’m a tea freak (see Tea Time) and from that, learned many of you are, too. Thanks to Lori and Kimberly, I have both SensibiliTeas and Teavana in my Favorites file and will try both companies this winter as soon as I’m off my holiday high from Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride and Candy Cane Lane.

While I normally wouldn’t buy more tea until the SCSR and CCL were gone, Joy Bauer mentioned on her Facebook page that her office had received a sample of Double Dark Chocolate Mate tea from The Republic of Tea. Chocolate tea? I had to check that out.

My order arrived yesterday and I made a pot this morning with which to experiment. Here’s my review:

By itself: Eh…it’s OK. Smells divine, though.

With stevia: Very good. The sweetener brought out the chocolate flavor.

With ½ cup plain soy milk and stevia: Very good, however I suspect it would be even better with vanilla soy.

With 2 T fat-free half-and-half and stevia: A little better than plain, but a little on the funky tasting side.

I’ll have another cup tomorrow with just stevia and see if it grows on me. Chocolate tea is different; not at all like my usual teas. Plus this one has caffeine – not much, but some. I didn’t feel any effect, though.

The Republic of Tea catalog lists 17 “Be Well Red Teas.” I know many tea companies blend teas for specific ailments or to enhance wellbeing, but I’ve never tried them. Have you? Do they work? I’m particularly curious about the blends that promise a “sensual nudge” (their words, not mine), a healthy heart, more energy, better skin and a good nights sleep. Let me know your experiences.

I roasted a pumpkin the other day just to test its consistency. I was also curious what it tasted like and discovered it’s MUCH better than canned. More alive, less bland. Mix it with a little butter and maple syrup…heaven.

I’ve also clipped several roasted pumpkin recipes and thought I’d use roasted pumpkin in place of canned in soup recipes. I also want to make our T-day pumpkin pies just as my grandmother Katinka would have made them 100 years ago. Actually, I don’t make the pie. My daughter Carlene does. That’s her domain. However, she’s baking with au naturale pumpkin because I’m the one paying for the ingredients. I told her she can blame me if her pies turn out like crap. That’s only fair.

I’m pretty sure Katinka didn’t pick up a can of pumpkin at the grocery store or buy a pre-made crust in a tube. She cooked the pumpkins herself , and probably grew them, too. I had the good fortune to learn from her and my mother how to make a pie crust, so hopefully I can pass that on to my daughter. We tried an unusual recipe last year that turned out very well, but for the life of me I can’t find now. So much for being organized. Guess I’ll rely on the old Betty Crocker cookbook this year.

Pies are as far as I’ve gotten in my Thanksgiving preparation – although I do have a free-range turkey on order that I can pick up on Monday. $2.49 a pound was too good a price to pass up. While I don’t eat turkey anymore, when I did I was always disappointed in the sodium-laden Butterballs and other store-bought frozen turkeys. I’d love to cook a wild turkey for the crew. I’d even eat a bit of that.

I’m sure our menu will include the usual: sweet potatoes, party potatoes, stuffing, orange cranberry sauce, crescent rolls, and black olives. Oh, and green bean casserole. Why, I’m not sure since no one really eats it. It’s a carb-laden feast, yes, but if I broke with tradition, my family would disown me. It’s once a year. I love to cook for them. So there you go.

As for me, I’ll probably eat some sweet potatoes and cranberries. Maybe a sliver of pie. I know if I eat the stuffing I’ll feel like crap because my body’s not used to it, so I’ll avoid that. My joy truly is making the meal. I also cherish our “table time” before the meal. Everyone goes around and talks and/or prays about what they’re thankful for. And they all know they can’t just say, “Thank you for everyone” and pass it to the next person. Nope. They know to come prepared. Carlene even warned her new boyfriend who will be joining us. No one escapes the spotlight, she told him. If you can’t handle it, you don’t belong in our family. //word

This food attitude is a complete reversal from last year. I’m not approaching the holiday with the same angst I wrote about in 2008 (see Because I Said So). Another year of maintenance, another year of learning, I guess. Life’s too short for me to be pissed that I can’t eat potatoes in mass quantities! LOL

I hope your holiday plans are free from the stress of wondering what you “should” and “shouldn’t” eat. Remember your reasons for wanting to lose or maintain your weight and let those be your guide. Be good to yourself and have a sliver of pie if you want. Don’t let it derail you and send your head into a major self-persecuting meltdown. You’re worth WAY more than that.

I think life should be about fun and enjoyment. All too often it's serious and boring. Or is it what you make it?
These clever guys have being putting the fun back into the mundane; and it works!

Stairs


Trash


So how are you going to make your day more fun?!

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen last night. One thing I did was make a fabulous new recipe I found on Veggie Venture . I made it while g-baby Claire sat on the counter playing with spoons and whisks and plastic bowls. Who knew kitchen utensils could be such good babysitters?

This Curried Squash recipe (if you love curry) is to die for. (It was so good I had leftovers for breakfast this morning.) Also, while the squash roasted in the oven, I made a fabulous veggie soup using my first-ever homemade vegetable broth. I have to say, it’s better than any boxed, canned or cubed veggie broth I’ve ever bought. I’m not sure I can go back to the store-bought. Dammmit. Now I’m destined to make veggie broth every other week.

All this time in the kitchen meant frequent trips to the refrigerator, which started me thinking, “If you want to get to know someone, look at their refrigerator.” A refrigerator speaks volumes about who a person is and what’s important to them. Besides, if you want to know a little something about someone, looking at their fridge is way less intrusive than looking in their medicine cabinet.

My refrigerator tells the ongoing story of my life. There are photos all over it that I rotate every few weeks depending on if there’s been a birthday, holiday, get-together, or just random silliness.

Holding the photos in place are magnets from businesses I use and places I’ve been. Included in my collection is a magnet photo of Socks the Cat I bought at the Clinton Library in Little Rock; one from Chincoteague Island I bought when I was married to someone else; random magnets from Minnesota, New York and California; and a few from the Andy Warhol Museum. There’s one from the salon I go to and one from the vet’s office. Calendar magnets from our insurance company come in handy when I hang paintings by Claire because they’re big.

As for the inside of my refrigerator, it’s a fairly healthy testimony to how I eat. You’ll see the random frozen yogurt container, perhaps scoff at the sticks of butter, maybe wonder what I’m doing with so many types of jam (I’ll never give up the jam), and think, “She drinks boxed wine?” (yup, I do). But my refrigerator is a picture of health compared to six years ago when my fridge was stuffed with fat-laden leftovers and condiments as well as take-out I forgot were there.

I’m amazed by how many people are like the old me, who have no idea what’s in their refrigerator. These days, I have the contents of mine memorized, including most sell-by and use-by dates. This doesn’t make me a saint or anything. I just have a good memory and the desire to keep tabs on all the food I consume. If I slice a tomato, wrap up the unused part and put it in the crisper, I remember it’s there and create a sandwich or omelet around it before it goes bad. At least I usually do.

There’s always the occasional food that I open or have made and not liked much, but I’ve kept it anyway “just in case.” I know it’s there, but it gets pushed further and further to the back. By the time I throw it away, it has died a natural death and I feel less guilty for letting it go. (It’s a mind game, I know. But I have to tell myself that two tablespoons of peanut sauce or the year-old jar of barbecue sauce won’t feed the world.)

In many ways, my refrigerator is a lot like me. After many soul-searching years, the person I am now on the outside reflects who I am on the inside. My outside shows happiness as well as age (i.e. refrigerator has photos and magnets, and I have grey hair and wrinkles, but a big old smile). On the inside is maturity (i.e. the refrigerator contains no more double cheese pizzas, and I’ve quit, for the most part, the negative self-talk).

I’m no longer embarrassed by my “refrigerator.” Anyone who visits or attends my parties is welcome to take a look. Just don’t look in the medicine cabinet. That might be a little harder to explain.

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P.S. Apologies for reverting back to the other way of leaving messages. I keep forgetting to click on that super secret button when I post. This will most likely happen again, so bear with me.

Also, thank you for your responses to my recipe post. Lori, the Brussels sprouts recipe sounds challenging, only in that while shredding those little buggers I know I’ll shred my knuckles, but I’m going to give it a try. Blood adds no calories, right? Debby, my husband (your kindred spirit) gauges his veggie taste on how “British” they are, as in boiled just right or boiled to death. Lynn, thanks for the sprouts recipe! McLauren, LOVE cauliflower that way! And Pat, your okra story…so sad. I would sit in a chair for days if it meant I didn’t have to eat it. It’s like snot on a fork.

Made it to the gym again. I've been tracking my exercise minutes on Sparkpeople. I go to the gym, then rush to work so I can add the minutes to my tally. Since I've been tracking them, I'm up to 300. Not too bad.

Early Postnatal Face and Jaw Development

The face and jaws change more from birth to age four than at any other period of development after birth. At birth, infants have no teeth and their skull bones have not yet fused, allowing rapid growth. This period has a strong influence on the development of the jaws and face. The majority of malocclusions are established by the end this stage of development. Birth is the point at which the infant begins using its jaws and facial musculature in earnest.

The development of the jaws and face is very plastic, particularly during this period. Genes do not determine the absolute size or shape of any body structure. Genes carry the blueprint for all structures, and influence their size and shape, but structures develop relative to one another and in response to the forces applied to them during growth. This is how orthodontists can change tooth alignment and occlusion by applying force to the teeth and jaws.

Influences on Early Postnatal Face and Jaw Development

In 1987, Miriam H. Labbok and colleagues published a subset of the results of the National Health Interview survey (now called NHANES) in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Their article was provocatively titled "Does Breast-feeding Protect Against Malocclusion"? The study examined the occlusion of nearly 10,000 children, and interviewed the parents to determine the duration of breast feeding. Here's what they found:

The longer the infants were breastfed, the lower their likelihood of major malocclusion. The longest category was "greater than 12 months", in which the prevalence of malocclusion was less than half that of infants who were breastfed for three months or less. Hunter-gatherers and other non-industrial populations typically breastfeed for 2-4 years, but this is rare in affluent nations. Only two percent of the mothers in this study breastfed for longer than one year.

The prevalence and duration of breastfeeding have increased dramatically in the US since the 1970s, with the prevalence doubling between 1970 and 1980 (NHANES). The prevalence of malocclusion in the US has decreased somewhat in the last half-century, but is still very common (NHANES).

Several, but not all studies have found that infants who were breastfed have a smaller risk of malocclusion later in life (1, 2, 3). However, what has been more consistent is the association between non-nutritive sucking and malocclusion. Non-nutritive sucking (NNS) is when a child sucks on an object without getting calories out of it. This includes pacifier sucking, which is strongly associated with malocclusion*, and finger sucking, which is also associated to a lesser degree.

The longer a child engages in NNS, the higher his or her risk of malocclusion. The following graph is based on data from a study of nearly 700 children in Iowa (free full text). It charts the prevalence of three types of malocclusion (anterior open bite, posterior crossbite and excessive overjet) broken down by the duration of the NNS habit:

As you can see, there's a massive association. Children who sucked pacifiers or their fingers for more than four years had a 71 percent chance of having one of these three specific types of malocclusion, compared with 14 percent of children who sucked for less than a year. The association between NNS and malocclusion appeared after two years of NNS. Other studies have come to similar conclusions, including a 2006 literature review (1, 2, 3).

Bottle feeding, as opposed to direct breast feeding, is also associated with a higher risk of malocclusion (1, 2). One of the most important functions of breast feeding may be to displace NNS and bottle feeding. Hunter-gatherers and non-industrial cultures breast fed their children on demand, typically for 2-4 years, in addition to giving them solid food.

In my opinion, it's likely that NNS beyond two years of age, and bottle feeding to a lesser extent, cause a large proportion of the malocclusions in modern societies. Pacifier use seems to be particularly problematic, and finger sucking to a lesser degree.

How Do Breastfeeding, Bottle Feeding and NNS Affect Occlusion?

Since jaw development is influenced by the forces applied to them, it makes sense that the type of feeding during this period could have a major impact on occlusion. Children who have a prolonged pacifier habit are at high risk for open bite, a type of malocclusion in which the incisors don't come together when the jaws are closed. You can see a picture here. The teeth and jaws mold to the shape of the pacifier over time. This is because the growth patterns of bones respond to the forces that are applied to them. I suspect this is true for other parts of the skeleton as well.

Any force applied to the jaws that does not approximate the natural forces of breastfeeding or chewing and swallowing food, will put a child at risk of malocclusion during this period of his or her life. This includes NNS and bottle feeding. Pacifier sucking, finger sucking and bottle feeding promote patterns of muscular activity that result in weak jaw muscles and abnormal development of bony structures, whereas breastfeeding, chewing and swallowing strengthen jaw muscles and promote normal development (review article). This makes sense, because our species evolved in an environment where the breast and solid foods were the predominant objects that entered a child's mouth.

What Can We do About it?

In an ideal world (ideal for occlusion), mothers would breast feed on demand for 2-4 years, and introduce solid food about halfway through the first year, as our species has done since the beginning of time. For better or worse, we live in a different world than our ancestors, so this strategy will be difficult or impossible for many people. Are there any alternatives?

Parents like bottle feeding because it's convenient. Milk can be prepared in advance, the mother doesn't have to be present, feeding takes less time, and the parents can see exactly how much milk the child has consumed. One alternative to bottle feeding that's just as convenient is cup feeding. Cup feeding, as opposed to bottle feeding, promotes natural swallowing motions, which are important for correct development. The only study I found that examined the effect of cup feeding on occlusion found that cup-fed children developed fewer malocclusion and breathing problems than bottle-fed children.

Cup feeding has a long history of use. Several studies have found it to be safe and effective. It appears to be a good alternative to bottle feeding, that should not require any more time or effort.

What about pacifiers? Parents know that pacifiers make babies easier to manage, so they will be reluctant to give them up. Certain pacifier designs may be more detrimental than others. I came across the abstract of a study evaluating an "orthodontic pacifier" called the Dentistar, made by Novatex. The frequency of malocclusion was much lower in children who did not use a pacifier or used the Dentistar, than in those who used a more conventional pacifier. This study was funded by Novatex, but was conducted at Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany**. The pacifier has a spoon-like shape that allows normal tongue movement and exerts minimal pressure on the incisors. There may be other brands with a similar design.

The ideal is to avoid bottle feeding and pacifiers entirely. However, cup feeding and orthodontic pacifiers appear to be acceptable alternatives that minimize the risk of malocclusion during this critical developmental window.


* Particularly anterior open bite and posterior crossbite.

** I have no connection whatsoever to this company. I think the results of the trial are probably valid, but should be replicated.

Made it to the gym again this morning. I feel more energetic. I'm still working out on the elliptical. I'm trying to work up to going to the spin class again. I will—one of these days.

I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore who prefers “traditional” veggies. Oh, and okra.

Larry grew up in the south, far removed from the vegetables I grew up with in Minnesota. He’s also partial to steamed veggies, and he considers peas, corn and lima beans “vegetables.” I personally don’t consider the starchy variety “real” veggies because of their carb content, but if Larry wants a side of peas and corn and call it a veggie, I’ll still love him. I refuse to eat okra, so that makes us even.

Because of Larry’s penchant for steamed veggies, I’m always looking for ways to jazz them up so he doesn’t fall asleep during dinner. Here are four of my favorites, and I admit I’m posting this to generate perhaps a few more steamed ideas from all of you? Please? I can only be so creative on my own!

Broccoli in Spicy Orange Sauce (From the Mayo Clinic Cookbook)
6 servings

2 pounds of broccoli, or pre-cut broccoli florets
1/2 C orange juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 t of Dijon mustard
1 t of grated orange zest (you can substitute orange oil if needed)
1/2 t of reduced sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1½ t cornstarch
1 T water
1 t of toasted or raw sesame seeds

Trim the broccoli into small florets so that each one is around 4 cm each. If you want to use the stocks, trim them so they are about 1/2 inch thick.

Place a steamer basket into a large pot, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Add the stalks to your steamer basket and cover and steam for 2 minutes. Add the florets and then steam for an additional 3 minutes. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can also microwave the broccoli in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water.

While the broccoli is cooking, add the orange juice, honey, mustard, orange zest, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper flakes to a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat.

In another bowl, combine and whisk together the cornstarch and water. Once the cornstarch is dissolved, stir this mixture into the orange juice mixture, and cook both until thickened (should take about 1 minute) stirring constantly.

In a new bowl, toss the broccoli with the sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds to taste.

Asparagus (From Taste of Home)

1. Cut 1 pound of fresh asparagus into 1½ pieces and sauté for 2 minutes in 1 T light butter with one (or more) minced garlic cloves.
2. Stir in ½ C chicken broth (I use vegetable broth), cover and cook on low until crisp-tender.
3. Remove to serving dish with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Sautéed String Beans with Almonds (from Weight Watchers)
8 servings (or if you’re me, about 3 or 4 servings)

2 t olive oil (I leave this out and sauté with 1 T vegetable broth)
½ C slivered almonds
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 C green snap beans, fresh, trimmed, or thawed if frozen
½ C canned chicken broth, or vegetable broth (you know which one I use)
¼ t black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
½ t table salt, or to taste (I leave this out)

Place almonds in a large dry skillet and place pan over medium heat. Cook until nuts are golden brown, shaking pan frequently, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove nuts from pan; set aside.

Heat oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook , stirring, 1 minute. Add string beans and sauté 1 minute. Add broth to pan; cover and steam until string beans are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper; stir to coat. Remove from heat; stir in toasted almonds. Yields about ¾ cup per serving.

I just discovered this one last night:

Spicy Carrot Coins (from Taste of Home)
4-6 servings

2 pounds carrots, sliced
1¼ C water
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cumin
½ t ground coriander
¼ t salt (again, I left this out)
1/8 to ¼ t cayenne pepper
¼ c honey
4 t lemon juice

In a large nonstick saucepan, combine the first 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. Add honey and lemon juice to carrots. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until carrots are tender and liquid has evaporated (more or less).

And this one isn’t about steamed veggies, but it’s still one of my favorites.

Broccoli Slaw Sauté (From Health, Jan/Feb 2007)
3-5 servings

1 T olive oil (tastes just the same with or without oil)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 julienne-cut red bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 sliced green onion
1 (12-ounce) package broccoli coleslaw
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt (again, I leave this out)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Warm oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant. Add the red bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add the broccoli coleslaw, salt, black pepper, and vinegar. Cook, stirring 4-5 minutes or until the slaw is tender but not mushy.

Transfer mixture to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with grated cheese, if desired. Can be served warm or cold.

If you’ve got some favorite “traditional” veggie recipes, I’d love you more than chocolate if you’d send them! Well, maybe not more than chocolate, but definitely almost.

It's a new week. I made it to the gym today. I did about 40 minutes on an elliptical. I walked for about 10.

Catherine lost 35 pounds and has kept the weight off for the past year. She's 30 years old, 5'7" tall and used to weigh 168. In the photo here she weighs 132.

She was able to break the cycle of overeating by joining Crossfit as well as learning about nutrition and beginnning to cook her own meals. See her inspiring story and before and after photos here.

Ok so I have been taking the amino acid 5-HTP now for two weeks and at first I thought my anxiety had not improved. However now after two weeks I have to say that in a stressful situation I am much calmer, and I don't feel as if I am going to panic. The feeling that I like the most is that I am not worrying about anything nearly as much.

I have enough tablets for about another two weeks, so I think I will be getting some more. 5-HTP is available from health food stores although it is much cheaper online.

Has anyone else had experience of 5-HTP.
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An Indonesian student made mini satellite or nano-satellite to be launched in 2012, because the discussion between students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Bandung Technological Institute (ITB), University of Indonesia (UI), and Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya (PENS) from Surabaya Technological Institute (ITS) with Indonesian students overseas has already begun.

"Starting this year (2009), we conducted a series of meetings with students from various campuses," said Dedy HB Wicaksono, PhD., researchers from Indonesia in the TU Delft the Netherlands, At Surabaya, Monday.

In between Workshops of INSPIRE (Indonesian Satellite Platform Nano Initiative for Research & Education) in PENS ITS, he said the meeting would continue with an intensive research in the Netherlands or in Indonesia.

"INSPIRE is an inter-student meeting forum with various stakeholders from government and research institutions to encourage the mastery of satellite technology from the students," he said.

Alumnus of Teknik Fisika ITB Bandung (S1) in the year 1934-1998 was declared Indonesia desperately need satellites to map forests, fisheries, natural disasters, islands, sea crime, and so on.

"We already have the Palapa Satellite and its age was 30 years. The technology created outside the country, so that foreign exchange will be sucked out and we finally have no independence," said alumnus of Tokyo University of Technology (S2).

According to this alumnus of TU Delft Netherlands (S3), the big satellite requires an expensive fund hundreds of billions or even trillions rupiah, but the nano-satellite is only Rp 5 billion range and mini satellites would last for three-year period.

"Not only cheap, but nano-satellites that could easily be in our hands, let alone within the existing educational elements, aspects of technology applications, and cross-scientific research such as telecommunications, electronics, solar energy, and so on," he said.

Therefore, the originator of the INSPIRE said, the lecturers can encourage telecommunications students who have been formulate their final assignment (TA) of telecommunications devices such as mobile phone, now can lead their TA in the field of satellites.

"So, the discussion can be carried out in 2009, then in 2010 with intense research, the TU Delft even very happy if the research can be conducted in the Netherlands, then in 2011 made the preparation and in 2012 will be the launch," he said.

Likewise, the Secretary of Communication and Information Minister, Dr. Eng. Son Kuswadi, said the funds to build a nano-satellite is only Rp. 5 billion and when began with the meetings, researchs, until finally launching nano-satellites, it will need funding of about Rp. 10 billion.

"The discussion through workshops which involved dozens of students from various universities that we will do two times during the year 2009, including discussions with LAPAN, BPPT, IPTN, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries," he said.

After that, the lecturer of robotics of PENS ITS Surabaya said, intensive discussions for the application will be conducted at the TU Delft in the Netherlands and in Indonesia until the year 2011.

"In 2012 we'll do the launch, whether the launch will take advantage of similar institutions in Indonesia, such as LAPAN who already have a rocket launch site or may LAPAN is ready in that year," he said.

He added that the use of nano-satellites will be applied for telecommunications function in a natural disasters and prevention of illegal fishing. "In the future, could also for weather sensors," he said.