Re: hurricane shopping for Weight Loss

[Guest guest]

Funny, when hurricane Ivan was imminent here I momentarily considered doing my weekly food shopping a day early as Ivan hit on my shopping day. Then I considered whether I really needed another weeks worth of food in the house with the risk of a power outage. So I skipped my normal shopping day and sure enough did lose power. Luckily I got power back within 24 hours so I didn't lose any of my food already stashed in the freezer.

I also admit to vicariously checking out other people's food carts when I do my weekly shopping. I rarely see much "real" food with tons of highly processed psuedo food. I also find remarkable how much flavored sugar water they buy. Sometimes it's even more scary to hear shoppers talking with each other about their purchase decisions, like which version of cool whip is better for the south beach diet..... Sometimes I have to bite my tongue they are so poorly informed.

I have only had modest success at transferring what limited understanding I possess if I wait for acquaintances to actually ask me specific questions. I don't even attempt to educate strangers while shopping. It wastes my time and irritates them :-).

JR

-----Original Message-----From: Jeff Novick [mailto:jnovick@...]Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 4:08 PM Subject: RE: [ ] Weight Loss

Right. I dont think we disagree.

My comments were only in relation to GI and GL. They are virtually impossible to teach or explain as the reality of the GI GL is 1) there is an incredible amount of variables that influence these numbers even in any one food, 2) if we could figure out point 1, there isnt any evidence to show it works in relation to weight or other dieseases.

As far as your other points. I agree. While not quite the same as you, I had to change my whole outlook on food, nutrients, nutrition, eating and my life, to make this work for me. I didnt have HTN, CVD, or DB but wanted a HQ life. And, the good news is that not only did the resulting "diet" contrinute to a higher QL, so did making the changes in my outlook. I love the foods I eat, I love to eat, its just not an obsession for me, nor is it a form of entertainment, nor does every meal have to be an orgasmic experience. I have come to appreciate the quality, flavors and tectures of whole natural foods for what they are.

I think part of the problem is that we live in a society that is obsessed with food, does use it as entertainment too much , does expect every meal to bethe equivalent of a full body orgasm and has no apppreciation for whole natural foods. And we have a huge industry of companies that are making billions promoting these very concepts.

I think the alcoholic has it easier as he doesnt ever have to put alcohol in his body again. But a human must eat and usually has no knowledge of what to eat, how to eat and or why to eat. Than, usually for some health issue, they are forced into trying to learn this later in life in the midst of a society and culture where the loss of huge profits is at stake if the person does figure it out.

Unerstanding that, pushing the GI and GL makes sense. Give consumers an issue that is completely confusing, hard to understand, and of course, doesnt work.

Food and the food industy has become the modern day opiate for the masses.

What I think would be most interesting is to do a psychological profile and testing of those who have made the commitment to this kind of life (ie Cr-ON, Ornish, Pritikin etc) and have been successful at it. They have done that with the subjects in the National Weight Control Registry, and while they have been extremely susccessful at losing weight, I am not sure they would meet all the criteria of a healthy diet and thier average BMI of them post weight loss is 26"ish". Much better than the starting 35"ish" but not quite Cr-ON or healthy. I will post what they found out.

Well, got to go, another hurricane is coming.

Speaking of which, I made some interesting observations during the last 3 hurricanes that hit here this season. I went to the grocery stores just before the hurricanes hit, and for all the people who are supposed to be on "low carb" diets, the bread aisles were the first to be cleaned out after the water. As was the cookies, cakes, crackers, etc etc. For me, it was a pleasure to shop cause the only thing left on the shelves, was the healthy items. Now, maybe not all the ideal Cr-ON foods, but under the circumstances of facing the loss of water, and electricity for days, I was suprised (maybe not) that no one touched the dried fruits, nuts, seeds, natural almond and peanut butter, the 100% whole grain crackers, the pure fruit jam and jellies, the salt free cans of beans, vegetables, the low sodium, water packed sardines, salmon, tuna and chicken breast, low sodium/fat canned soups, etc etc.

I even wrote up a PR "Heart Healthy Hurricane Survival Guide" that I sent out to all the media outlets but alas, no one was interested.

Jeff

[Guest guest]

I often ask a fat person buying the "wrong" stuff, how's the hypertension? And they usually say;"Oh I control it with a little pill".

We keep a lot of canned food for hurricanes. And fluorescent lanterns - the gas lanterns get too hot. We also have on hand gallon of drinking water - fill the tub for flush water. The worst thing is no A/C. Last class without a generator.

Ivan's eye went right over my house in Texas, after wasting itself on the east. We got nothing.

Being properly prepared (like not living in Fla) scares them off (ha). But in 83, 's eye went over my trailer in League City. The windows were boarded except the south facing so we could see out. It didn't really bother us, until the power went out.

79 was the worst - just a tropical storm but it dumped a record 44 inches and I barely got home. My truck was almost floating in 24" of water crossing a bridge (a dumb thing to do). Fortunately, my trailer was on the highest ground around so we had little problem.

When we saw Ivan coming, my son got a pallet of 1/2" OSB, and we were making plans to do our three houses. I cut, he hangs it. Covering the windows is extremely important, not just for flying debris, but for the pressure buildup which will take off the roof off any house.

There is a gadget called a "plylock" which is a clip put on the edge of a plywood piece and will hold it in the recessed window of a brick house. Anyone know IF they work? It grips just by friction. I've never found an easy to do method yet.

Regards.

----- Original Message -----

From:

Sent: Monday, September 27, 2004 7:07 PM

Subject: RE: [ ] hurricane shopping for Weight Loss

Funny, when hurricane Ivan was imminent here I momentarily considered doing my weekly food shopping a day early as Ivan hit on my shopping day. Then I considered whether I really needed another weeks worth of food in the house with the risk of a power outage. So I skipped my normal shopping day and sure enough did lose power. Luckily I got power back within 24 hours so I didn't lose any of my food already stashed in the freezer.

I also admit to vicariously checking out other people's food carts when I do my weekly shopping. I rarely see much "real" food with tons of highly processed psuedo food. I also find remarkable how much flavored sugar water they buy. Sometimes it's even more scary to hear shoppers talking with each other about their purchase decisions, like which version of cool whip is better for the south beach diet..... Sometimes I have to bite my tongue they are so poorly informed.

I have only had modest success at transferring what limited understanding I possess if I wait for acquaintances to actually ask me specific questions. I don't even attempt to educate strangers while shopping. It wastes my time and irritates them :-).

JR