It wasn't really that funny

My manager drew this on the white board in my cubicle yesterday. She was trying to make me laugh. It didn't really work. Because the picture on the left is definitely me, including the dark circles under my eyes. We have a software release on 10/12, with a code complete date of 9/3. Pretty much anything that could go wrong, has gone wrong.

61 hours. That's how many hours I've worked in the last seven days. That includes last Sunday and today. Three days left the office at 8pm, 11-hour days with no lunch.

A weird thing happens when I work too much and don't get enough sleep. I cry. Deep, sad, weeping. For no apparent reason. That was what happened yesterday when I was driving home at 8pm. I was crying so hard I could hardly see to drive. Why? I have no explanation other than complete exhaustion.  It's just a deep sadness that overwhelms me. After ten-hours of sleep I'm usually like a new person. This morning, not so much.

Even though I had a really productive day in the office today, and I'm confident I'll make Friday's deadline, I'm tired of working. I even went to the gym for an hour and half after work today, hoping it would create some happy endorphins. It didn't work.

Tomorrow I have to go in to the office again. I think I'm going to go to the gym before I go. Going tonight wasn't fun, but I manage an intense StairMaster session for 30 minutes, and 45 minutes of weights. I added some bonus exercises, concentrated dumbbell curls 25 pounds, and that was after three sets of 12 with a 20-pound dumbbell. I also did some dumbbell curls with that big 44-pound barbell. Gosh that thing is heavy all by itself. It was a great workout, but I didn't really change my mood for the better. Okay, maybe just a tiny bit.

As far as my eating, it's been pretty good but not good enough to lose weight. I'm holding steady at 175.4. I really need to lose weight. Not just so I can fit into my clothes comfortably, but also because my blood pressure has skyrocketed lately. I've been checking it the last few weeks and it's creeping up. Last night it was 154/82. Not good.

I was on blood pressure medicine three years ago for almost two years. Then my doctor took me off of it about a year ago when I was down to 160 pounds. I held steady at 110/60 for about a year. I'm sure the extra weight and the stress at work, a lethal combination, is causing my high blood pressure.

Since I can't quit my job, I need to at least lose the weight. The thought of a stroke or a heart attack scares me to death (ha..ha..now that's kind of funny).

I probably shouldn't write anything when I'm feeling like this. I'm not exactly an inspiration right now.

Saturated Fat, Glycemic Index and Insulin Sensitivity: Another Nail in the Coffin

Insulin is a hormone that drives glucose and other nutrients from the bloodstream into cells, among other things. A loss of sensitivity to the insulin signal, called insulin resistance, is a core feature of modern metabolic dysfunction and can lead to type II diabetes and other health problems. Insulin resistance affects a large percentage of people in affluent nations, in fact the majority of people in some places. What causes insulin resistance? Researchers have been trying to figure this out for decades.*

Since saturated fat is blamed for everything from cardiovascular disease to diabetes, it's no surprise that a number of controlled trials have asked if saturated fat feeding causes insulin resistance when compared to other fats. From the way the evidence is sometimes portrayed, you might think it does. However, a careful review of the literature reveals that this position is exaggerated, to put it mildly (1).

The glycemic index, a measure of how much a specific carbohydrate food raises blood sugar, is another darling of the diet-health literature. On the surface, it makes sense: if excess blood sugar is harmful, then foods that increase blood sugar should be harmful. Despite evidence from observational studies, controlled trials as long as 1.5 years have shown that the glycemic index does not influence insulin sensitivity or body fat gain (2, 3, 4). The observational studies may be confounded by the fact that white flour and sugar are the two main high-glycemic foods in most Western diets. Most industrially processed carbohydrate foods also have a high glycemic index, but that doesn't imply that their high glycemic index is the reason they're harmful.

All of this is easy for me to accept, because I'm familiar with examples of traditional cultures eating absurd amounts of saturated fat and/or high-glycemic carbohydrate, and not developing metabolic disease (5, 6, 7). I believe the key is that their food is not industrially processed (along with exercise, sunlight exposure, and probably other factors).

A large new study just published in the American Journal of Clinical nutrition has placed the final nail in the coffin: neither saturated fat nor high glycemic carbohydrate influence insulin sensitivity in humans, at least on the timescale of most controlled trials (8). At 6 months and 720 participants, it was both the largest and one of the longest studies to address the question. Participants were assigned to one of the following diets:

1. High saturated fat, high glycemic index
2. High monounsaturated fat, high glycemic index
3. High monounsaturated fat, low glycemic index
4. Low fat, high glycemic index
5. Low fat, low glycemic index

Compliance to the diets was pretty good. From the nature of the study design, I suspect the authors were expecting participants on diet #1 to fare the worst. They were eating a deadly combination of saturated fat and high glycemic carbohydrate! Well to everyone's dismay except cranks like me, there were no differences in insulin sensitivity between groups at 6 months. Blood pressure also didn't differ between groups, although the low-fat groups lost more weight than the monounsaturated fat groups. The investigators didn't attempt to determine whether the weight loss was fat, lean mass or both. The low-fat groups also saw an increase in the microalbumin:creatinine ratio compared to other groups, indicating a possible deterioration of kidney function.

In my opinion, the literature as a whole consistently shows that if saturated fat or high glycemic carbohydrate influence insulin sensitivity, they do so on a very long timescale, as no effect is detectable in controlled trails of fairly long duration. While it is possible that the controlled trials just didn't last long enough to detect an effect, I think it's more likely that both factors are irrelevant.

Fats were provided by the industrial manufacturer Unilever, and were incorporated into margarines, which I'm sure were just lovely to eat. Carbohydrate was also provided, including "bread, pasta, rice, and cereals." In other words, all participants were eating industrial food. I think these types of investigations often run into problems due to reductionist thinking. I prefer studies like Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's paleolithic diet trials (9, 10, 11). The key difference? They focus mostly on diet quality, not calories or specific nutrients. And they have shown that quality is king!


* Excess body fat is almost certainly a major cause. When fat mass increases beyond a certain point, particularly abdominal fat, the fat tissue typically becomes inflamed. Inflamed fat tissue secretes factors which reduce whole-body insulin sensitivity (12, 13). The big question is: what caused the fat gain?

Raw Food Detox Diet: The Enzyme Miracle

Raw Food Diet: The Power of 'Metabolic' Enzymes to Help You Lose Weight!

Plus The Raw Food Detox Diet: Lose up to 10 lbs every week (Meal Plan)

Digestive enzymes, the ones most people think of when they hear the word 'enzyme', are responsible for bringing together digestive agents and food so that the food can be broken down into the tiny particles that are best absorbed by the gut without excess gas or discomfort.

But there's a larger class of enzymes called metabolic enzymes that's critical to alleviating tiredness, burning fat and optimizing health. These are the brokers that minimize our risk of heart disease and diabetes by creating reactions that lead to clear arteries and balanced blood sugar. They help keep our skin glowing, our hair shiny and our joints limber.

It's the interrelationship between digestive and metabolic enzymes that has baffled the medical community for decades. Although the two types of enzymes function to aid very different bodily functions, they are both produced by the same organs- the pancreas and the liver. When our bodies don't have enough digestive enzymes, these organs switch from creating metabolic enzymes- because they can't let food 'just sit there'- to making sure there are enough digestive enzymes to break down food. So things like converting fat into energy have to wait.

And there's another metabolic cost to the manufacture of digestive enzymes. Because the pancreas and liver need energy to produce enzymes, the resulting drain renders these organs temporarily unable to perform their functions of detoxification, blood sugar control and fat burning, says Joseph Brasco, M.D., gastroenterologist at The Center for Colon & Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, Alabama. The short-term impact: We feel tired, pack on fat and may suffer from mood swings. The long term-effect: We're more likely to get heart disease and other major illnesses.

The bottom line: As we age, our enzymes 'wear out' and at the same time our pancreas and liver lose their capacity for manufacturing new enzymes. That double-whammy creates 'enzyme exhaustion', which affects 80 percent of women over the age of 35. Luckily, eating more raw foods or supplementing can restore enzyme levels- and a speedy, efficient metabolism.

4 Ways to Flood your body with Fat Burning Enzymes

When eating enzyme-rich raw foods, there's no need to count calories- the enzymes will do the weight loss for you, says raw food expert Ellen W. Cutler, coauthor of MicroMiracles: Discover the Healing Power of Enzymes.

And the more enzymes you consume, the faster the weight will melt off since your body's fat- burning systems become more efficient.

Easy ways to up your enzyme levels:

1. Chew each bite 20 times.
This strategy gives food longer exposure to salivary enzymes like lingual lipase (which starts breaking down fat), experts at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine report. As a result, less undigested food goes to the gut, says Cutler. This reduces the strain on the pancreas and liver since fewer digestive enzymes need to be recruited to complete the digestion of that food.

2. Fill up on fresh fruit in the morning.
The body's inclination to metabolize fat and convert blood sugar into energy peaks from 6 A.M. to noon, say experts at Stanford University School of Medicine. Eating foods that are difficult to digest can derail the detoxing, but a breakfast of fruit can be ideal. Why? Fruit is easily digested, so the body doesn't require many stored enzymes to process it, Cutler says. Plus, it's rich in dietary enzymes that can be used later in the day.

3. Eat a raw salad before cooked meals.
Enjoying a cup of raw salad as an appetizer daily can kick-start weight loss in as little as a week, preliminary UCLA research suggests. And that holds true no matter which eating plan you follow. Raw salad has enzymes to digest cooked foods, so blood sugar can stabilize and hunger pangs can be prevented, says Joseph Brasco, M.D., coauthor of Restoring Your Digestive Health.

4. Sip veggie juice in the afternoon.
Vegetable juice is rich in helpful plant enzymes. The fiber has been removed, so enzymes can quickly break down undigested food, explains Natalie Rose, author of The Raw Food Detox Diet. Plus, studies suggest the P.M. is the ideal time to sip to prevent cravings.

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The Raw Food Detox Diet: Lose up to 10 lbs every week

The Raw Food Detox Diet: Lose up to 10 lbs every week

The Raw Food Detox Plan

When eating enzyme-rich raw foods, there's no need to count calories- the enzymes will do the weight loss for you, says raw food expert Elle W. Cutler. And the more enzymes you consume, the faster the weight will melt off since your body's fat-burning systems become more efficient, she rays.

Lose up to 3 lbs every week: 50% Raw Diet Foods

Women who eat processed or artificially sweetened foods at least four days a week, or who regularly use prescription or over-the-counter drugs, should start at this level. It gives a body that's low in enzymes time to heal without causing discomfort or fatigue, says nutritionist Natalia Rose. Once you're feeling energized (a sign that your cellular enzyme levels have normalized) you can up your raw food ratio for even faster weight loss.

Sample Day

Upon rising: Small bowl of fresh fruit such as bananas, strawberries and blueberries
Breakfast: (at least 20 minutes later): 1 scrambled egg and 2 slices toast topped with fresh avocado slices
Midday Snack: Fresh fruit of your choice
Lunch : At least 1 cup raw-veggie salad with store-bought salad dressing and 1 whole-wheat pita filled with 3 thin slices lean deli meat, 2 thin slices cheese, mustard and unlimited sprouts
Snack#1: 8 oz. yogurt
Snack#2: Unlimited baby carrots and green or red lemonade

Lemonades to nourish the pancreas and liver

To do: to get the benefits of fresh veggie juice, use a juicer. Drink 8 oz. to 16 oz. daily:
Green lemonade: 2 stalks celery, 6 leaves spinach, 1 or 2 apples, 1 lemon and one 1" to 2" piece fresh ginger
Red lemonade: 1 medium beet, 4 large carrots, 1 or 2 apples, 1 lemon and one 1" to 2" piece fresh ginger
For an on-the-go option: Stir green food powder (like Miracle Greens) into juice or water.
Dinner: At least 1 cup raw-veggie salad with store-bought dressing and grilled chicken with 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup black beans simmered in onions, garlic and cilantro
Dessert: 1/2 cup ice cream

Lose up to 5 lbs. every week: 70% Raw Diet Foods

Women who are already eating whole grains and at least one serving of fruit and vegetables daily can begin at this level. Since you'll be restoring your liver and pancreatic function more rapidly, Cutler says you can expect to lose up to five pounds each week. If at the end of week one you'd like to see faster weight loss results, you can move on to the next level- a 90 percent raw food diet.

Sample Day

Upon rising: 1 glass warm water with lemon
Breakfast: (at least 20 minutes later): Fresh fruit of your choice or fresh-squeezed fruit juice
Midday Snack: Fresh fruit of your choice
Lunch: Spinach, pear and walnut salad with olive oil and apple cider vinegar and a small roll of crusty bread
Snack: Unlimited baby carrots
Dinner: At least 1 cup raw-veggie salad with homemade carrot-ginger dressing (try this recipe: 2 large carrots, grated; 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar; 1 Tbs. ginger [optional]; 1 tsp. freshly grated horseradish) and 1 pork chop seasoned with rosemary, garlic salt and black pepper with side of steamed asparagus
Dessert: 1/3 dark-chocolate bar that's at least 70 percent cocoa

Lose up to 10 lbs. every week: 90% Raw Diet Foods

Women who consistently eat whole grains and at least two servings of fruits and vegetables (raw or cooked) daily can jump straight into a 90 percent raw food diet without side effects- and lose up to 10 pounds weekly, says Rose.

Sample Day

Upon rising: 1 glass warm water with lemon
Breakfast: (at least 20 minutes later): Fresh fruit of your choice or fresh-squeezed fruit juice
Midday Snack: Fresh fruit of your choice
Lunch: 2 slices grain-sprouted bread, such as French Meadow Sprouted Bread, with fresh avocado slices; raw-food bar like WildBar
Snack: Unlimited baby carrots and green or red lemonade
Dinner: At least 1 cup raw-veggie salad with homemade carrot-ginger dressing (see recipe in 70% raw food sample day: dinner) and 4 oz. grilled tuna with lightly steamed vegetable medley
Dessert: Warm pears drizzled with agave nectar

Try an enzyme supplement.

While raw foods contain the enzymes needed for their digestion, many women wouldn't trade cooked foods for the world. Good news: You don't have to. The fix: Simply take an enzyme supplement before meals.

The best supplements combine several different kinds of the four main types of digestive enzymes: proteases (break down protein), lipases (break down fats), amylases (break down carbohydrates) and celluloses (break down plant compounds). In addition, well-rounded supplements will feature lactases (break down dairy) and other minor players.

Try Digest Gold, a well-rounded and highly recommended enzyme supplement. Its manufacturer, Enzymedica, also offers a wide range of targeted enzyme supplements that treat everything from allergies to candidiasis.

Day 4 and 11, 340 days to go...

Yikes, I missed posting on Thursday! However, it's 1:12 a.m. Friday morning, and I haven't been to bed yet. So it's sort of still Thursday night as far as I'm concerned.

I had a really fun night out with my best girlfriend. We went to dinner and a movie, which was a lot of fun.

Dinner was at Joey's at Southcenter, a place where the wait staff all look like young, beautiful models. No one is overweight or unattractive. It's kind of weird and a little disconcerting. They don't look like real people, kind of like Stepford-people. If you've ever been there, you know what I mean.

I had Panang Curry Prawn Bowl with organic brown rice (no peanuts because I'm allergic). It was one of the lowest calorie items on the menu, but it was still was 680 calories and 24 grams of fat! I'd eaten lightly all day so I think I'll be okay. It was delicious, but that's a lot of calories and fat for one meal.

We saw The Switch, a really fun movie. It's a chick flick, but if you like Jennifer Anniston, you'll love this movie. It was Jennifer at her best, basically playing Rachel from Friends (a few years older, but just as pretty as ever...actually, I think she's gotten prettier). It was her typical role, but she's good at it so why not play what she's good at doing.  Plus Justin Bateman was excellent and he's a cutie.

I managed to drag myself to the gym this morning at 5:30 a.m. My goal of an hour of cardio a day is no longer my goal. After 36 minutes on the elliptical I thought to myself - I'd rather take a bullet to the head than do an hour of cardio a day. I wouldn't mind biking for an hour, or hiking, or even walking outside. But stuck on a piece of cardio equipment in the gym, um, no thanks. Total and complete boredom. Even with my iPod and the TV and people to watch, I really don't enjoy it. I know it's necessary, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

In case you're wondering, the title of this post, "11, 340 days to go" is how may days I have left to live, approximately of course since no one knows when they'll die. If I live until I'm 86 (same as my mom), then that's another 31 years or 11,340 days. That's how many days left that I need to eat healthy and exercise...not the 127 days until December 31, 2010...it's more like forever.

The moon Thursday morning at 5:20 a.m., on my way to the gym.

The strange thing is I love lifting weights. I can't explain why, but I can easily lift weights for an hour or more and not get bored. I wish would be to only lift weights and never do cardio (unless it's outside). If only...

The Wonder Foods that Curb Your Cravings!

List of wonder foods that stop food cravings!

Appease your appetite with 26% Fewer Calories! Ordering a bow of vegetable soup or sipping a V8 about 20 minutes before your main course can cut one-fourth of the calories you consume in a sitting, according to research at Penn State University.

As the liquid is being digested, it activates the stomach's stretch receptors, which send 'I feel satisfied' signals to your brain, explains study author Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. They're also 'suspension' liquids, which means the bits of vegetables and protein suspended within take more time to digest, causing you to feel full longer, says Rolls. Next time a hearty feast is in your future, keep your calories in check without having to count a single one by ordering a premeal Bloody Mary.

Nix a blue-mood Binge! Savoring foods rich in tryptophan (an amino acid the body can't produce on its own) when sadness strikes can circumvent blues-induced overeating or emotional eating. A depressed state is linked to low levels of the mood-regulating hormone serotonin, explains Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of From Fatigued to Fantastic (Avery).

But since tryptophan kick-starts the body's production of serotonin, enjoying a treat that's packed with the amino acid can pick you up and squelch your urge to splurge. For an indulgent source of this nutrient, sink your spoon into a luscious banana split or savor a slice of pecan pie.

Conquer a Sweet Tooth! Sugar cravings occur when the body's pH level becomes too acidic, says Robert O. Young, Ph.D., author of The pH Miracle (Warner Books).

But snacking on alkaline veggies restores pH balance, creating an unfriendly environment for the yeast cells that thrive on sugar and activate junk food cravings, says Young. So when your sweet tooth acts up, dip into chunky salsa for a figure-friendly fiesta.

Outsmart Menstrual Munchies! Spooning up a bowl of steamy cream of broccoli soup or oatmeal is a powerful way to tackle PMS-related cravings. During your period, elevated estrogen levels trigger the monthly need to nosh, says Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., a nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota at St. Paul.

But high-fiber foods like broccoli, oats and brown rice mop up excess estrogen compounds, much like they bind to cholesterol, she says. Bonus: Eat just 14 grams of filling fiber (the amount in one pear) and you'll enjoy a 10% reduction in caloric intake- effortlessly.

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Lose Weight with these Foods

Chitosan Diet: The Super Fat Blocker that lets you eat fat without storing it

Chitosan Weight Loss Diet Plan: The Super Fat Blocker

Too stressed to lose weight? Eat what you love and lose, plus lower 'bad' cholesterol by 15% with Chitosan fat blocker.

Scientists have discovered a fibrous component of shellfish that actually prevents fat from being absorbed by the body. And even though its chemical properties act as powerfully as a weight loss drug, decades of research have verified its safety.

The 'super-fiber' that lets you eat fat without storing it, leading to weight loss.

Called Chitosan, this form of fiber is one of the most abundant polysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) on the planet. And while this fat blocker is found in everyday foods, including bananas, mushrooms and grains, the richest sources are the shells of crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans.

Researchers have discovered that when chitosan is extracted from these high-density sources and ground into a fine powder, it acquires a strong positive charge. Fats are negatively charged, so they bind to any chitosan in the digestive tract, explains research scientist and nutritionist Linda Meltzer, C.N. The beauty of this is that since the body can't absorb chitosan, any fats that lock onto it are automatically excreted, too, she says.

Chitosan: the Fat Absorber is proven to be safe and speedy.

In a six-month study led by Barbara Zahorska-Markiewicz, M.D., Ph.D., of the Silesian University School of Medicine in Katowice, Poland, women taking 4,500 mg of this fat blocker daily lost 31 percent more weight (35 pounds on average) than those taking a placebo. And subjects in a study at ARS Medicina in Helsinki, Finland, who took chitosan lost up to 8 percent of their body weight in the first month (5 pounds in the first week!).

The health benefits of Chitosan.

Researchers at Finland's University of Tampere Medical School and elsewhere have discovered that the health perks of supplementing with (3,000 mg of) chitosan daily extend far beyond weight loss.
-15% drop in LDL (bad) cholesterol
-8% drop in body weight in one month
-6% drop in total cholesterol

Strategies that turn this natural fat absorber extract into a metabolically active fat-trapping superstar:

The three keys to Weight Loss with Chitosan!

When it comes to non vitamin supplements, chitosan is one of the most researched on the market. In study after study its safety has been verified, and in animal research, it consistently has facilitated dramatic weight loss. But in human trials, the outcomes are less reliable. Some show amazing benefits, while others have concluded that, despite chitosan's ability to trap fat, its weight-loss potential is too slow-acting to be worthwhile. Fortunately, scientists continue to investigate chitosan, reviewing the research to determine the variables that may cause it to fail- and discover the strategies that ensure weight loss success. Here, the findings that will make you lose weight fast!

Skip the salt.Low-salt foods help chitosan trap more fat. The bond between chitosan and fat is strong, but laboratory studies suggest it can be broken by salt, which neutralizer their opposing positive and negative charges, says Meltzer. That means a high-salt diet can sabotage chitosan's ability to bind and flush fat from the body, she adds. But since 80 percent oft the salt women consume daily comes from processed foods, it can be tough to weed it out of the diet. To cut back, opt for foods labeled 'low-sodium' or 'unsalted' when possible (they contain no more than 140 mg of sodium per serving), aiming for a total of 2,300 mg of sodium or less daily.

Supplement consistently. Targeted dosing speeds weight loss. The minimum amount of chitosan needed to lose a significant amount of weight is 3,000 mg daily, research at The University of Auckland in New Zealand revealed. Yet in some studies, scientists gave subjects as little as 250 mg of chitosan daily, which produced a mediocre outcome. For best weight loss results, take 1,000 mg of chitosan 10 to 30 minutes before meals.

Go easy on super-fatty foods. It's fine to enjoy sweets in moderation. When looking into the psychological aspects of why some studies fail, experts at Singapore General Hospital discovered that people taking chitosan subconsciously allow themselves to eat more fat. But when fat intake exceeds chitosan levels, either weight stabilizes or weight loss continues at a rate too slow to be considered statistically significant. This helps explain why animal studies are so successful- scientists can rigidly control food intake, so overeating is not an issue.

Addicted to carbs? Opt for this instead of chitosan. Chitosan traps fat, so it is especially helpful for fatty-food lovers. But for women who crave pasta, potatoes and bread, a better bet might be white kidney bean extract (marketed as Phase 2). This natural compound cuts absorption of starchy carbs by 66 percent, helping women more than double their weekly weight loss, according to studies at Pennsylvania's University of Scranton and elsewhere. It works by neutralizing the digestive enzyme alpha-amylase before it can convert starch into body fat. Try Starch Away available at drugstores.

Next:

Chitosan Diet: A Sample Meal Plan to speed your Weight Loss!