BrianZell.com

Since I have stopped counting calories, and have not been disciplined enough to exercise every day, I have to change my health plan in order to progress yet move forward towards a healthier lifestyle.

My wife saw a show on Oprah a few months back that basically confirmed my beliefs in health and longevity. There was a man on it who ate a big bowl of fruit for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, and a regular supper each day. He didn’t need to count calories with this method.  He is 65 years old but apparently has the health of a 20 yr old. Wow!

Here is the link to an article….a good read.

http://www.oprah.com/printarticlefull/oprahshow/20090305-tows-oz-calorie-restriction

So, for now,  I have decided to have at least one meal a day of fruit only (breakfast) or veggies only (lunch or supper), and at least 8 cups of water per day. This will allow me to reduce my calorie intake and to increase my fibre intake without the burden of counting calories each day.  When I am ready I will upgrade to 2 meals per day of veggies or fruit…..but not yet.

Over the last few years I have had a few “hard lessons” about the power of staying hydrated. First of all, many things we consume on a typical North American diet are working against us by reducing the amount of water in our bodies.  Here are a few examples:

Coffee

Mmmm….coffee….sweet wonderful coffee!  Many people can not even fathom going without thier daily coffee or coffee(s). I for one, enjoy a cup with my wife in the afternoon which we both very much look forward to…for the social aspect and the chemical aspect.  We have not missed our daily ritual for a long time. We are talking about changing our afternoon date to tea once in a while but it just hasn’t happened yet.  

The trouble with coffee is that it is a diuretic….which means that it dehydrates your body….note the urge to “pee” after you drink coffee.  In order to counter this, I have read that for each cup of coffee you drink, you need 1  1/2 cups of water to make up for it.

Salty Food

Salt is an electrolyte.  Electrolytes absorb water. This is why drinking alot of water helps flush out the extra sodium in our body…on the other hand a lack of water leaves the salt inside our body. Too much sodium has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Alcohol

Alcohol is another diuretic. Alcohol encourages the body to lose more water than it takes on by halting the production of the body’s anti-diuretic hormone, resulting in you needing to go to the toilet excessively and so speeding up the loss of fluid from your body, leading to dehydration.

Our Bodies Need Water!!

You have been told a hundred times how important water is….yet when that headache comes or back pain starts…..most people go running to the Advil or Tylenol pills.  Since the ads we see on tv are not saying “take water for a pain free restful night” or “drink water to help mineral absorption and ultimately your health”, most do not think of this as a solution. Chiropractors, doctors and painkillers are money makers and we have all been trained to go running to these easy methods of pain control. Next time, make sure you are hydrated first. Did you know even mild dehydration can cause a lack of energy and tiredness? Think about why this happens and what is happening to your body day in and day out when you lack water.

So….if you have health problems….forget about the pills and make sure you drink 9-13 cups of water per day (depending on your sex, activity level etc).

See what happens and let me know.

Well, the main reason for counting calories is to measure, monitor and ultimately reduce caloric intake. I have found this to be very challenging when eating meals that are “mixed” such as lasagna, or there is little data on what the calories are……..there are just so many variables.  Also, tracking and updating the Fitday.com website takes time and I just do not have any to spare these days.

So….plans change and I have now STOPPED counting calories! I do not regret starting….I believe that it was a worthwhile exercise but not a long term solution.

The exercise of counting calories has profoundly educated me on what I should be eating and what I shouldn’t be eating. Basically eat fruits and veggies….just like we have been told all along.

Intuitively, I have always tried to stay away from pharmacy drugs.

It is only in the recent 5 years or so that I really am starting to understand why. First of all, most medications are “covering up” an underlying problem with a quick fix.

For instance, my father found out he had high blood pressure when he was 50 years old. Prescriptions were prescribed and my father was led to believe that he would be medicated for life and there really wasn’t any alternative. At the same time, I had a older friend who also got news of high blood pressure. He received different advice and was not given a prescription. My friend was told to start counting his calories and lose some weight. Guess what! He did start counting calories and he ended up curing his high blood pressure! Keep in mind he did this without the financial cost of medication and the health cost (side effects) of being medicated.

My father was overweight and has since passed away due to cancer which I believe stemmed from the moment he took that first high blood pressure pill.

My advice to you is to always question whether you really need that “Advil” or “Tylenol” etc., and do you really need to fill that prescription that your doctor recommends. These are quick fix solutions that end up hurting your health quickly and usually covers up the real problem. When you address the real problem which is usually lifestyle…this means the medical and pharmaceutical company does not make money. Keep in mind war and disease are very profitable and many individuals knowingly and unknowingly work hard to keep this money machine working.

Caution: I am not saying to never take any medication! Children with ear infections or fevers etc. should use whatever means necessary to keep them healthy. Adults that need that boost of antibiotic is sometimes necesssary. I am only saying to think twice and ask questions before using legal drugs.

Here’s a documentary called Big Bucks, Big Pharma which I found very interesting. Take a peek at this one day if you have time.

Take care,
Brian Zell

Now that I have completed Step 2, it’s time to move forward. The next step will be to reduce calories again, increase exercise and keep an eye on nutrients.

Calorie Reductions:

Step 1 – 3,183 Average Daily Calories Eaten (July 1 to July 19)

Step 2 – 2,962 Average Daily Calories Eaten (July 20 to Aug 2)

Step 3 – 2,700 Average Daily Caloric Target (Aug 3 to ~ Aug 16)

This new target will mean a bit more discretion on condiments, alcohols, and snacks but I feel it is a reasonable goal which will not cause too much discomfort.

Exercise:

Step 1 -  none

Step 2 – 15 minutes 3 times per week (Aug 3 – done)

Step 3 – 20 minutes 3 x per week

My new exercise target is only to add another 15 minutes per week…shouldn’t be a problem.

Nutrients:

No plan for changes or improvements at this time.

Allright, let’s see where we are.  My goal was to bring my average daily calorie intake to 2,865 or less and I came close at 2,962.

As per chart below, my vitamin D levels have come up with my new lowest vitamin being Vitamin E. I don’t think I will address this right now. If it happens next reporting period then I’ll consider it.

Now that I have completed Step 1 and now know my average calorie and nutrient intake, I can start to make some intelligent decisions.

Since  I seem to have a Vitamin D deficiency, let’s take a look at a few facts according to Wikipedia.

“Vitamin D is produced from skin being exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D defiency is possibly linked to a myriad of ailments with cancer being just one of them. Vitamin D regulates the calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood by promoting their absorption from food in the intestines, and by promoting reabsorption of calcium in the kidneys, which enables normal mineralization of bone and prevents hypocalcemic tetany.”

In actuality,  I may NOT be short on Vitamin D because I work in a greenhouse environment and get a reasonable amount of sunlight in the spring and summer.  This effect is reduced however as I live in the Northern hemisphere where apparently they have tested individuals and found that we do not get quite enough sunlight and are vitamin D deficient.

I will drop by my local health food store and see what my options are this week.  I have read that cod liver oil pills are a good source of Vitamin D….and I used to take these as a young child. I guess my Mom knew what she was doing!

The second problem is that my average daily calorie intake is too high. I do not want to affect my lifestyle too drastically as this can put my whole program at risk.  I am not even going to try to bring my calories down to ideal levels right away.  My goal is a 10% reduction for the next 2 or 3 weeks.

I want to add one more item to Step 2. I plan to take the time for 15 minutes of stretching  3 times a week.  I don’t think this is too much to add to my schedule and the benefits should be obvious to my back and general flexability.

To summarize, Step 2 is to look into Vitamin D supplements, reduce average daily calorie intake to 2,865 (or less), and to perform stretching activities 3 times a week for at least 15 minutes each time.

Later,

Brian Zell

Ok, I have been tracking my calories since July 1, 2009. It hasn’t been that difficult really, just takes a little discipline and a handy smallish notepad.

I have used Fitday.com to calculate and track my calories. I wasn’t worried about complete perfection at this time, I just did the best I could with the time I had. Here are the results:

a) I have been consuming an average of 3,183 calories per day. Much of this coming from Fat and Carbs. See chart below.

Based on a quick search online of recommended daily calorie intake, my ideal caloric intake is 2000 to 2,500 calories per day depending on activity level. So….my average daily caloric intake is way too high.

b) Also of interest is that Vitamin D intake is very low. Vitamin D is important for Calcium to work in your body. This needs to be fixed. I will visit my local health store and see what they have this week.

Step 1:  Don’t change anything…but keep track of Calories using Fitday.com (~2 weeks) – Started July 1st, 2009

Step 2:  Let’s do Step 1 first.

Age: 40 years, 5 months

Height: ~??

Weight: ~6′ 5″

Ailments:

1) 6 skin patches that appear to be psoriasis (4 on elbows, 2 on back of knees)

2)  Lack of muscle in back causes back pain if sitting too long.

3) Recently had internal knee pain which feel arthritic, currently scheduled for a blood test.

4) Prone to nasal drip if run down or feeling unhealthy in colder months.

5) Have had a heart murmer since birth. It is being monitored yearly and not a need for concern at this time….I am told.

6) Floaters in my eyes especially when I am tired or I drink alot of coffee.