NabaTech

"YOU: The Owner's Manual" Lives up to the Hype

By now you have probably heard about YOU: The Owner's Manual—a best-selling guide to your body, written in an entertaining style by two physicians, Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. I noticed that this morning the book is #4 in Amazon.com sales rank. From my previous post on sales rate versus Amazon sales rank, you know that means huge online sales. I finally had a chance to make one complete pass through my copy of the book (also purchased online from Amazon), stopping at interesting points and checking all the myths and facts. Here's my quick take on the book.

The 430-page hardcover book has 12 chapters, with the last chapter focusing on diet (which, I was pleased to see, jibes well with my dietary beliefs of lower-carb, more fish, nuts for snack, and so on). The ten chapters from 2 through 11 cover the major bodily functions—heart, brain, bones/joints/muscles, lung, intestines, sexual organs, sensory organs, immune system, glands—and one chapter on cancer. Each chapter has lots of relevant factoids, myths and myth busters, and a Live Longer Action Plan with specific actions for the bodily functions covered in that chapter. The action plans seem practical with lots of details. For example, the Live Longer Action Plan for the bones/joints/muscles chapter (Chapter 4) recommends the following four actions:

1. Do the right amount of physical activity (weight or resistance training, cardio/stamina training, and stretching or yoga). By the way, they don't endorse training for or completing marathons because of the pounding the joints take—a good excuse for me to skip the marathon :-)
2. Eat for strength (calcium, vitamin D and magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids from fish and walnuts, vitamin C).
3. Think of alternatives (where they mention glucosamine and chondroitin supplements to regenerate cartilage in knee and hip joints as well as use of acupuncture for pain relief).
4. Make minor changes such as stand up straight wear well-cushioned shoes, and stop smoking.

The book includes tons of other useful facts as well such as the ideal blood pressure is 115/76 (no matter where you live in the world), the ideal weight for a 5-foor tall person is 100 pounds (plus 5 pounds per inch for taller persons), and the ideal daily calorie count for losing a pound a month is about 9 times the ideal weight in pounds plus the calories expended through physical activity and exercise.These examples should give you an idea about the kind of information the book provides.

I have lots more to read in this book, but the nice part is that you don't have to read it sequentially—you can use it as a reference guide and just turn to the chapter that relates to your current question about your body. All in all, I think the book lives up to the hype and provides health and diet information you can really use.

Tags: diet exercise glucosamine vitamins omega3 acupuncture chondroitin healthyliving

Diet—Leha's Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Walnuts

Over the past year or so we have often had a salad at dinner. The salad recipe is something my wife, Leha, whipped up. With the ingredients ready in the fridge, the salad takes only a few minutes to prepare, so it's ideal for the busy individual or family. I want to share the recipe so you can try it and also write it down for myself and our daughters so they easily can get it off this blog :-) Here's the recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2):

• A third of a head of lettuce
• Some roast chicken or turkey
• 5 or 6 slices of red beet (from a can)
• About a quarter cup of sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil and herbs—along with some of the oil (we buy it in a jar from a warehouse store)
• One teaspoon of ground parmesan cheese
• One teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
• Some raisins
• Handful of walnuts

Steps:

1. Wash a third of the lettuce head, shake off the water, and then tear up the leaves in a plate.
2. Sprinkle the raisins on the lettuce. For variety, you can replace the raisins with other fruit such as grapes or chopped apples.
3. Cut the beet slices and spread them on the salad.
4. Tear some roast chicken and spread them on the salad (add as much as you like). By the way, we roast the chicken during the weekend and use it from the fridge as and when we need. You can also use leftover roast turkey.
5. Assuming that the sun-dried tomatoes were in a jar in the refrigerator, warm them up for 20 seconds in a microwave oven. Then chop the sun-dried tomatoes and spread them on the salad (keep the oil).
6. Put a teaspoon of parmesan cheese on the olive oil left over from the sun-dried tomatoes and then add the teapoon of balsamic vinegar into the olive oil and mix them up with a spoon. This is going to be your salad dressing—drizzle it on the salad.
7. Crumble the walnuts and sprinkle them on the salad.

That's it! Pour a glass of wine and dig into the salad :-)

Tags: diet chicken salad sundried tomatoes walnuts beet raisins healthy

Diet—Breakfast is a Must

We are all so busy nowadays that in our rush to get to school or work, breakfast is often a casualty. You might think: good riddance! After all, if you are trying to keep to a diet and eat less, missing breakfast can seem like an easy way to cut some calories. I used to think that way too and typically skipped breakfast, but that has all changed since I modified my diet. Now I think of the body as an "eating and calorie burning machine" that needs to be jump started with a good breakfast in the morning. Breakfast is the fuel to fire up the body's machinery for the day, so I don't dare skip breakfast. Otherwise, I fear the body would bend my will and get me to take that donut in the morning meeting, or worse, overindulge at some other meal during the day.

What do I eat for breakfast? Earlier I used to settle for milk and cereal plus a cup of coffee. After I switched to a low-carb diet, I now go for a bowl of soup and black tea for breakfast. And I take along a handful of nuts—almonds or walnuts—to munch on the way to work.

For your breakfast, pick whatever suits your diet, but don't skip breakfast—your body will behave itself and, best of all, you won't have to deal with a growling stomach at your 10:00 AM staff meeting!

Tags: diet breakfast lowcarb nuts

In Praise of Glue People

By Glue People, I don't mean the 1996 Mad About You episode with the same title, nor am I referring to anything related to glue sniffing. What I mean by "glue people" is similar to the way Larry Wall, the creator of Perl, used the term. In any organization or any major endeavor, glue people are the ones who hold things together and keep everything going. These are people who welcome and listen to multiple viewpoints, bridge gaps between differing opinions, and, without really forcing themselves onto anyone, keep people working productively together. It's not one person that does this, but many people throughout the organization fulfill the glue person role. Most people are glue people to some degree; some are just better at it and can sustain the glue role continually and more effectively.

If you stop and think about it for a moment, I bet you can sense who the glue people are in your own organization. They generally don't crave the limelight and their work is done behind the scenes, but if you are in a position to bestow recognition and reward performance, you should keep the glue people in mind and try to nurture them. We need more glue people—they're a truly invaluable resource for any organization.

Tags: glue people gluepeople

Running is a Pain in the Joint

Yes, running is indeed a pain in the joint, but I like running as a convenient way to squeeze in a concentrated dose of workout into a busy day. I don't really mind the pain (even though I don't like it). I accept the pain as the body's way of preventing me from overdoing it. If I felt no pain, who knows what damage I could do to my body by overexerting! Assuming that I am taking care to avoid injuries, what worries me more is the effect of running on the joints, especially the knee and the hip. I am worried that I may damage the cartilage over time. A while ago, I read a newspaper article about how Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate might slow cartilage breakdown. Since then I have started taking a daily dose of the two supplements. I can't tell if the supplements are doing any good or not, but I sure hope they do.

The Arthritis Foundation lists Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate under alternative therapies and mentions past studies that indicate that these supplements might slow cartilage damage, which helps protect against knee osteoarthritis. Although conclusive evidence is lacking, researchers think that glucosamine helps create new cartilage, while chondroitin slows cartilage destruction. We would find out soon whether these supplements work or not. In 2000, National Institutes of Health (NIH) began a study to test the short-term (6-month) effectiveness of these supplements on a population of over 1,500 people. According to a May 2004 update—see Questions and Answers: NIH Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT)—NIH says that the investigators are analyzing the data now and when that's done, they will submit the report to a peer-reviewed medical or scientific journal. I am looking forward to the results of that trial. In the meanwhile, I'll continue taking the supplements, hoping for the best.

Tags: exercise running glucosamine chondroitin arthritis supplement knee joint pain NIH GAIT

New Market for Classical Music

My daughter Emily is studying violin performance now and plans to pursue a career as a violinist. Naturally my ears perk up whenever there is any mention of a new market for classical music. After all, I want classical music to thrive so that Emily and her compatriots can have an audience for their music (not to mention a means of making a living at it). That's why I listened with interest when American Public Media's Marketplace Morning Report recently aired a story—Montreal cellist—about a Vermont musician who is bringing classical music to punk, folk and rock clubs. Cellist Matt Haimovitz is a successful classical musician and currently teaches at McGill University, but he likes bringing classical music to smaller audiences in clubs. You have probably also heard of superstar violinist Vanessa Mae whose reinterpretation of classical style as well as fusion of classical and pop music has done much to broaden the appeal of classical music to a wider audience. What's interesting is that these artists don't really give up their classical roots; they simply extend their styles, improvise, and make bridges into other styles and, in that process, make their music accessible to the masses. That seems to be the key to a new and expanding market for classical music.

Note: See more Matt Haimovitz at his web site Oxingale.com and read his story in this Andante article: Redefining Success, Off the Beaten Track - Cellist Matt Haimovitz, Bringing Bach to the Bar Band Stage

Tags: music >classical >violin >violinist >cellist >Vanessa Mae >Matt Haimovitz

Diet and Weight—The Body Has a Mind of Its Own

It’s so hard to lose weight and, once you have lost the weight, to keep the weight steady! Of course, the theory is to take in fewer calories and expend a bit more calories by exercising. Taking in fewer calories (by cutting down food) seems easy, but I think the body has a mind of its own. It’s constantly on the lookout for any attempt on your part to reduce the calories it wants and it wants a lot more than it needs! When I tried to lose weight by cutting down on my food intake, the body always found a way to make up for it. If I skimped on breakfast and lunch, I simply ended up eating a lot more at dinner. If I lowered calories uniformly, the body seemed to adjust to the lower intake and adjust who knows what so I still stayed the same weight.

When I started losing weight, what worked for me was a sudden change in the composition of the diet coupled with slight escalation in the amount of exercise. My wife drastically cut down the carbohydrates in our diet, but—and this is the key—kept the volume of food about the same by replacing the carbs (rice, noodle, potatoes, etc) with vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, etc.). The point is that the diet composition changed, but I ate similar volume as before. I also made sure that I ate a good breakfast and a meal about every five hours. I think the sudden diet change took my body by surprise and before it could figure out what’s going on, my weight already dropped by nearly 40 pounds. Of course, my body quickly adjusted to a new steady-state weight. To stay at the current lower weight, I continue a similar lower-carb diet (with enough volume of food) and steady exercise. To avoid the hunger pangs, I eat at regular intervals and snack on mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts—only the unsalted kind). And I drink lots of black tea. It’s going well so far, but I have to watch out constantly for my wily body. I’m afraid the moment I drop my guard, the body is going to stock up on calories and pick up some extra pounds!

See also: Diet and Exercise: What’s the Program Doc? NPR recently aired a story on why we gravitate towards unhealthy food—Jonesing for Fries? Blame the Cave Men

Tags: healthy living diet exercise low-carb weight loss

Running Races: Pike's Peek 10K

Montgomery County Road Runners Club (MCRRC) had their 10th annual running of the Pike's Peek 10K today. It's a nice and easy course, starting at the Shady Grove Metro Station and gradually descending down Rockville Pike all the way to the finishing line at White Flint Mall. It's a huge annual event. This year we had 2,000 runners, my daughter Ashley and me among them. It was good running weather—starting off cold (around 42°F) and sunny, but gradually turning cloudy. With 2,000 runners, they had to use ChampionChip chips for race timing and a wave start in four waves depending on pace. I had to work really hard to convince Ashley that we could manage the second wave, which was for a 6:30 to 8:00 minute a mile pace. Ashley can do a lot, but she just doesn't know it. I had to set the pace at what I imagined was between 7:30 and 8:00-minute mile. With my regular treadmill running, I think I got the rhythm of my steps down pat. We could both keep roughly less than 8-minute pace up to about 5 miles. Then we slowed a bit. In the end, Ashley finished 49:34 net time, which is about 7:59 pace and I was at 8:00 minute pace with a 49:42 finish for the 10K. This was a huge confidence boost for Ashley, which is what I liked best about today's race.

What amazes me is that a year ago I would not have imagined that I could run 10K in under 55 minutes. Somehow I got it stuck in my mind that I could do bno etter than 9 minute a mile for the 6.2 mile course. First I had to prove myself wrong by running 10Ks under 55 minutes on the treadmill and once I knew I was capable, it was just a matter of keeping the pace to finish the 10K at an 8-minute pace. Goes to show, the body can do a lot more than I ever imagined!

Note: I use this Performance Predictor at run-down.com to figure out my expected times for various distances based on results for a specific race.

Tags: healthy living diet exercise low-carb weight loss

This is Not Your Daughter's Blog

The saying goes: "this is not your father's <fill in the blanks>." When it comes to today's blogs, I think the saying goes the other way around—"this is not your daughter's blog." I have been trying to coax my daughter Ivy to start a blog and use it as a forum for her daily writing about art and film and anything else that interests her. She already writes me email messages with her thoughts on a movie she has seen or a museum she visited. All she has to do is write those same thoughts in a blog. I told her a blog could be the daily column she always wanted—a place of her own where she could write about anything she wants. Her reaction has been somewhat lukewarm. She feels that she knows blogs, knows where and how she could start one, but doesn't see why they are useful. My hypothesis is that the blogs she knows are not the ones I know. My daughter's world of blogs is the world of daily journals. There is still plenty of daily journal blogs, but we also have blogs that focus on thoughtful discourse about specific topics. Then there are ones that aim to provide the latest breaking news, ones that provide political opinions, and ones that promote themselves, and so on. It takes all kinds and we have all kinds in the blogosphere.

The best part about blogging today is that you can make your blog whatever your heart desires. It could be your daily writing exercise. It could be a place to capture your thoughts about whatever interests you at that moment. It could be for promoting yourself, polishing your image, gathering an audience for your words of wisdom, but then again, it could be just for your own satisfaction. Writing for my own satisfaction is what I want from my blog. I started my blog thinking how I would write about technology and get lots of people to subscribe and read my blog, but now I feel content just to write—write about anything that interests me and any subject about which I have something thoughtful to say. Of course, if someone stumbles upon my blog and finds it interesting, I hope they'd stop by to read just as I have done in my meanderings through the blogosphere.  Happy blogging!

Diet and Exercise: What’s the Program Doc?

All advice about getting into shape boils down to diet and exercise, but the question is how do you find out what specific diet and exercise program would work for you? It's a trial-and-error process, but you can probably get some pointers from what has worked for others. Thanks to my daughter and my wife, I have found a diet and exercise program that seems to work for me. For me the exercise program began when my daughter Ashley started running in the Montgomery County Road Runners Club and wanted me to accompany her. I wanted to be sure that I could finish the 5K run without collapsing, so I decided to practice on the treadmill. I had modest aspirations—run 3 to 5 mile races at less than 10 minutes a mile. Since I found running to be somewhat stressful on the knee joints, I began alternating the treadmill runs with some weights and the elliptical machine. Soon I was routinely running 13 to 15 miles a week at about 9 minute per mile pace.

At the same time I started running on the treadmill, my wife suggested that we try some variations in our normal diet. It wasn’t any specific diet plan. We simply cut back—way back—on the carbohydrates (rice, noodle, bread, cereals) and made up the volume with vegetables (salads or vegetable soups). For protein, we ate more fish, some chicken, lots of tofu ("bean curd") and very little red meat. And I switched from coffee with cream and sugar to black tea. We also ate a good breakfast, which we used to often skip in the bad old days. By the way, just as we were starting on our diet, I saw Nicholas Perricone talk about his diet on PBS—it was in the context of skin care. We did not want to follow his (or, for that matter, anyone's) strict diet regimen, but it seemed many diets had a similar thread of less carb and good proteins such as fish.

With my lower-carb diet and running program, I have had very good results. After about five months, I lost about 40 pounds and dropped six inches off my waist! I have maintained the current weight level (and the waistline) for over 20 months, which is encouraging.  It's hard work, but I plan to keep it up!

What can you do? You have to find your own unique diet/exercise program, but some intense exercising together with a reduced carb diet might be worth trying out. The trick is to find a diet and exercise plan that you can stick with for the long run. How about getting started today?

Tags: healthy living diet exercise low-carb weight loss