April 25, 2009

Shorts Spurts of Exercise



field along the edge of the woods


I must admit - I spend way too much time in front of the computer.

Being self-employed for the last 10 years is the main reason for this, and if we do not work, we do not get paid.

And getting paid is getting harder and harder to do these days with the economy as it is.

Working from home though does have its benefits when it comes to time.

Taking 10 minutes each hour to get up and walk around outside the house is easier to do when there is no boss hanging over your shoulder.

And these short spurts of movement really wake you up and make your feel more energized.

The ability to concentrate is renewed and you can actually feel your metabolism still in gear after you have returned to work sitting in your chair.

I took my last walk for the day a few minutes ago.

It is almost 8:00 pm and the twilight is moving in. I hear the peepers in the distance. The robins are protesting my walk, and the cool air from the edge of woods caresses my arms and legs as I pass by.

These walks are not good for just the exercise they give - the spirit gets a boost too.

All the senses are enhanced and it all works for a more healthy person in all aspects - body and soul.














April 16, 2009

Beware the New Trans Fat - Interesterified





I discovered this new fat completely by mistake.

Since I always read my food labels, I purchased a box of graham crackers for a recipe, and was happy to see no partially hydrogenated oils as I scanned the ingredients.

Once home, I was interested to see what they used for a fat substitute in the crackers, and I came across a new term - Interesterified Oils.

Thanks to the good old internet, I was able to find out what exactly this new ingredient was in about 2 minutes.

And was I surprised.

The first thing that came to my mind was a line by Shakespeare:

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

Only it isn't sweet - and no matter what they call it - it is still a trans fat.

To make this "new" fat, they take fully hydrogenated oil and mix it with liquid polyunsaturate oil.

They claim fully hydrogenated oil is healthier than the partially hydrogenated variety.

My thought: If the partially one is bad, then the fully one has to be doubly bad.

So, like lambs to slaughter, the food manufacturers keep leading us down the wrong path, again.

Take an minute to read your labels, and keep this new term in mind as you scan them.

After all, we are what we eat.