Drinking beats Exercise for Heart Health?

I've blogged about the possible health benefits of alcohol consumption before (see the links below). In one post, I discussed red wine consumption, resveratrol, and expressed my feeling that, if you're diabetic, and are going to drink anything at all it should be a very, very, dry red wine. In another post, I discussed red wine again and the polyphenols that are present in it.

Today, I came across an interesting article written by Dr. Sanjay Gupta that put forth an "interesting" notion, which is that you may be able to trade off daily exercise for one to two drinks per day.

You can see why I put the word "interesting" in quotes. I don't think any sane person would literally recommend giving up exercise in favor of hitting the bottle, even if the alcohol consumption is minimal. However, the information Gupta reported was nonetheless interesting (that word again).

As Gupta states, in a cardiovascular sense, exercise and alcohol affect people in similar ways. Namely, when it comes to cholesterol. They both raise HDL, or high density lipoproteins.

HDL is something you want high levels of because it helps get rid of fatty buildup along the interior walls of blood vessels (which form as a result of LDL cholesterol).

Interesting points from the article:

1. The highest rates of cardiovascular disease are seen in people who neither exercise nor use alcohol.

2. Moderate consumption and exercise lowers the risk by half.

3. Alcohol consumption, in combination with caffeine, may lower insulin resistance.

Here are those two prior posts I mentioned:

English cider apples are rich in polyphenols which are also found in Red Wine

Are there health benefits to Drinking - Is it healthy?

How will you know when a ferret is sleepy and should go to bed?

Chloe "thinks" she will tear up my plant

Well, one question to deal with is, Will you know? Ferrets seem to be notorious for wandering off and falling asleep. This wouldn't be so much of a problem were it not for the fact that they can do this at, practically, any moment, at any time.

So, let's say you've let your ferret out for a morning jaunt, but you have to be somewhere in an hour and a half. You better watch your ferret, because after he/she has done some playing, running around and investigating (a never-ending pursuit in the ferret world), and eating...your pet could decide to amble off and take a siesta... in a drawer, under a couch or chair (where all sorts of valuables have been stolen and stashed), under your bed's comforter, or even under your kitchen sink.

Obviously, a ferret pulling a houdini act could put a definite crimp in your plans for the day, especially if you are running on a tight schedule.

However, I've noticed with Chloe that events tend to happen in this order:

1. get out of cage,

2. run around checking to see if there's anything new in the house,

3. brief play with owner,

4. checking to see if stolen-goods caches are ok,

5. more running around,

6. more play,

7. mischievous event of the day,

8. settling down at the bowl on the kitchen floor for a good meal.

Chloe tends to eat at the end of her jaunt, after which she gets sleepy. So, I keep an eye on her and I know that when the crunching begins its time to keep an eye on her before she disappears for several hours into some place unknown.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Bodybuilding and nutrition

Here's an article by Opal Tribble on bodybuilding and nutrition. Good nutrition is one of the cornerstones of bodybuilding and strength training, as important as good workouts and good genetics. You simply cannot build power and muscle without supplying the body with the proper foods, including optimal amounts of high quality protein as well as the nutrients that are necessary to allow the body's metabolic processes to operate at peak efficiency.

Here's the article: Bodybuilding: The Importance Of Nutrition

The Ferret Clown car

Here's a pretty funny ferret video, even if it is fairly short. Almost makes me wish I had more than one ferret...almost, but not quite.

Why the issue of nutrient supplementation is fluid and complex

In the previous post (Vitamin D Supplementation, I pointed out that a number of nutrition researchers are of the belief that the current recommendations for vitamin D intake are too low.

However, here's one of the problems with advocating any level of nutrient supplementation: the benefits of supplementation are not really cut-and-dried and, very often, it happens to be the case that ongoing research presents information and conclusions that seem contradictory to previous information, perhaps even undermining the possible basis for supplementation.

The article linked below states, with regard to vitamin D:

1. Ingested vitamin D (supplementation versus natural food sources) may suppress the immune system.

2. Vitamin D intake may make certain disease processes worse.

Unfortunately, when we're talking about nutrient supplements, we may often be speaking from a podium constructed on shifting sands.

Vitamin D may make things worse

Vitamin D Supplementation

Increasingly, it is thought that many westerners are now deficient in their levels of vitamin D. This is partially due to the fact that many individuals now spend the majority of each day inside and out of the sun (the best source of vitamin D), and also due to the fact that there are very few natural food sources for vitamin D, aside from cold water fish and enriched milk.

What are the benefits of vitamin D? Many or most of us have grown up knowing that this mineral is beneficial for strong bones and teeth. However, most of us haven't a clue as to the role this nutrient may play in other areas, such immune and brain functioning, and the likelihood of developing prostate and breast cancer.

Can you get enough vitamin D from a typical diet? This is debatable, and, as more time passes, increasingly a contentious issue. There are those who believe that a standard (and balanced diet) will generally provide every nutrient that is needed by the human body.

However, the percentage of the population that actually gets something akin to a consistently nutritious and balanced diet may be fairly low. And, then again, there is that fact that we have, as a society, become much more sedentary in our work and recreation, and more reliant on processed foods that are high in sodium, fat (not the good kind) and calories and low in nutritional value.

Individuals who believe in supplementation, including a number of noteworthy gerontologists, contend that:

1. There are optimal levels of nutrient substances, that, if maintained within the human body, may lead to optimal health.

2. These optimal levels of antioxidants and other nutrients are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to obtain through dietary intake alone.

Dr. Michael Holick, a researcher at the Boston University Medical Center, has stated that more than one-third of the U.S. population, perhaps half, is either chronically or seasonally deficient in vitamin D. Other researchers believe that the current recommended levels of vitamin D are too low and that the guidelines may increase, at some point, from 200 IUs (international units) daily to between 800 and 1000 international units daily.

Alternative Medicine and Migraines

Here's some information I just came across that is fairly interesting. of course, some might find it questionable until they read the source.

Alternative therapies for individuals who have migraines can potentially include the following:

1. Acupuncture treatment

2. Biofeedback

3. Yoga

4. Supplementation with coenzyme q-10, magnesium, and feverfew.

The source of the information? A neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Jerry Swanson. He does, of course, caution individuals to consult with a physician before embarking on alternative therapies. If for no other reason, this is simply to avoid situations that may arise due to one's existing medical conditions or one's current medication regimen.

Ferrets and bags

Chloe steals an apple

Tip: don't leave zippered bags (such as carry-on luggage, cosmetics containers, laptop bags, and purses) laying around the house if you have a ferret, particularly if you have things in those bags that you'd like to keep possession of.

For some ferrets (I'm referencing Chloe here and, to be realistic, all ferrets), bags hold all the lure of buried treasure. And zippers on bags simply dare them to try and steal the treasure. Remember, ferrets are a bit like bank robbers. You don't want to tempt them and you certainly don't want to dare them. So, keep the bags out of sight, or at least out of reach. Remember, the name for this animal, Mustela putorius furo, actually means “stinky thief.”

Also be careful of leaving openings in your home to anything that might be hazardous to your ferret, including bags, doors, and containers that they might not be able to get out of (such as, speaking from experience, an umbrella stand).

They say curiosity killed the cat...but I believe the saying fits ferrets all the more.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Folic Acid Supplementation

It's not so infrequent that you'll hear arguments against vitamin and mineral supplementation. The mantra typically goes something like "you can get everything you need from natural food sources alone".

And, for the most part, I agree with that statement. A balanced diet, low in processed foods and rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and (for non-vegans and non-vegetarians) lean meat can give you exactly what your body needs.

However, as sensible as that mantra may seem, it, nonetheless, flies in the face of one reality: the typical consumer does not enjoy this type of diet and, instead, consumes meals that are high in calories, low in fiber, and largely bereft of nutritional value.

In other words, people tend to eat a lot of cheap, fast food.

The truth is that nutrient supplementation can provide substantial and verifiable benefits. Supplementation, it should be noted, is not synonymous with mega-supplementation, a practice that, for some individuals, may actually be unhealthy and even potentially dangerous (for instance, mega-supplementing with nutrients that have a blood thinning effect when you already use a prescribed anti-coagulant).

And here's a good example of what I mean, recently reported in the news. For more than a decade, white bread products have been enriched with folic acid. The result: statistically significant drops in the incidence of spina bifida and anencephaly among newborns.

This is, of course, a very specific example, as it applies to women of childbearing age. However, it does illustrate the point. For optimal health benefits and to lessen the risk of certain conditions, supplementation can sometimes fill in the gaps left by a modern lifestyle.

One Ferret's Passing

This is surely one of the saddest posts I've ever read. No one wants to lose a cherished pet, but the loss and grief a person feels when a pet dies is a testament to the animal's life. I hope this site remains up.

Saying Goodbye



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Other ferret sites

Some people think that directories have gone out of fashion on the web. I disagree. There's really ample room for the development of special interest niche directories that serve a specific type of user community. Perhaps, one day, I'll take the time to develop a list of every great ferret site out there and organize it. Perhaps not. In the meantime, though, I have a small list of a few good sites on the homepage for Chloe's mini-blog. The list should grow over time.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

How many ferrets are there named Chloe?

I have a feeling that there might be quite a few actually. I suppose, as with people, certain names achieve popularity (I didn't name Chloe, by the way. She was a rescue, for which I am always glad and grateful) and this phenomenon applies to house skunks, or ferrets. Actually, I shouldn't compare Chloe or other ferrets to skunks. She is a cousin to the mighty and honorable skunk, but she has been, as I'm sure most house ferrets have been, descented. Still, the little weasel does seem to need a bath every few days. If not, her "aroma" starts leaning toward the skunky end of the weasel family spectrum.

Here's a link to another page about a ferret named Chloe:

Chloe ferret finds a cozy place to nap...



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

New Stuff

Here are two new articles by Opal Tribble. The first is on The Mediterranean Diet and the second is a very informative article about Yoga, titled Yoga: A Path To Exercise, Healing, And Enlightenment

Also, here are the most recent additions to the dictionary that's under construction:

Hypothalamus

Inflammation

Statins

Sucrose

Telomeres

Sucralose

Norepinephrine

Glucose

Human growth hormone

How much play-time does a ferret need?

Chloe luxuriates on a comforter

I've seen more than one book recommend several hours of daily "out of the cage" time for a pet ferret. But this may be difficult for many owners due to the fact that when a ferret is out and running about, an owner should remain attentive to what is going on, which can be demanding.

Obviously, you don't want things destroyed, household items knocked over, or off a shelf and broken. And you certainly don't want your ferret becoming hurt or injured simply because you weren't paying attention. Having a ferret "out" is similar in a sense to babysitting.

So, how much playtime your fuzzy friend gets will probably be mediated by how willing or able you are to devote supervisory attention to the task. And, of course, if you are very tired or have to concentrate on something tedious and anxiety-provoking like doing your taxes, you may not "especially want" your ferret out and causing bedlam.

However, your ferret does NEED to be out of its cage EVERY day without fail. Repeat: your ferret needs this!

And if you can't provide daily opportunities for your ferret to be out in the house, running around, investigating, exploring, and playing (and occasionally causing havoc), you DON'T NEED to own a ferret. Because you will have a very sad ferret and you will, in fact, be a terrible ferret owner.

Ferrets are highly intelligent animals and crave and require free time out of their cages, no matter no how nice the cage may be.

How long your ferret should be out will be dictated by two parties, you and your ferret. You, as the first party, will let your ferret out and responsibly watch him/her. Your ferret, as the second party, will dutifully engage in ferret activities (causing chaos and generally having fun). Your ferret will also at some point begin to wind down (sometimes after eating) at which point, you, as the first party, should notice and then take your pet back to its cage where it can crawl into its hammock or into its sleep sack (contrary to the advertising images in stores, Chloe refuses to use a hammock).

In my case, Chloe gets out in the morning, and then again at night. In each case, I try to make sure that no one is visiting (you don't want doors opening and shutting--too tempting to a ferret--and you don't want excess "people feet" moving around since a ferret can be injured by a careless person who is not paying attention).

I also try to make sure that I interact with her when she's out. In other words, don't just let your ferret out. She's not a cat. Ferrets like to interact. Yes, sometimes they are cat-like in that they will sometimes ignore you and do their own thing. But, sometimes, a ferret will want nothing more than to play with you. And you should be available for this. Ferrets have short lives. And they live fast and furious. And if you are going to own a ferret, you should be willing to accomodate them and allow them to be happy. Because if you provide the opportunity for this, they will be.

Once again, don't be a ferret owner unless you TRULY can be.


Oh, forgot to mention: when Chloe starts eating, I know that is my signal to put her back in the cage, because otherwise she will slink off and find a place to hide and fall asleep in (a hardware drawer, the bottom of an armoire, or my sock bin).



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Developing a rudimentary beginning workout routine

Here's a factoid: A german study found that those individuals who had the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet had the lowest rates of hay fever.

Fortunately, I've never had hayfever. Nor have I had problems with allergies.

Anyway, I was asked by someone if I could supply a basic free weight workout routine. This is for an individual who certainly has the genetic potential to develop a significant amount of strength and muscle (you could describe his physique as metamorphic, with some endomorphic properties), but has almost no experience working out in the gym.

This is what I told him. He needs to start with basic exercises and, initially, it wouldn't be a bad idea to simply do one basic exercise per major muscle group. I also told him to use an amount of weight, on each exercise, that would allow him to comfortably accomplish 8-10 repetitions in good form (i.e. no jerking of the back on curls or pushdowns, and no bouncing of the bar on presses).

The routine I setup for him is a very basic four-day-split that groups certain complementary muscle groups together on mondays and thursdays, and other complementary muscle groups together on tuesdays and fridays.

What is the purpose of this type of split workout routine? Quite simple. It allows you to avoid overworking certain muscle groups by working them all on the say day and it also allows more than ample time for muscle recuperation.


Mondays and Thursdays

Chest - Bench Press
Shoulders - Lateral shoulder raises
Triceps - Tricep pushdowns on a pulley machine

Tuesdays and Fridays

Back - Lat (latissimus dorsi) pulldowns
Biceps - Dumbbell curls


This routine does not mention abs or legs, of course. But for an individual who is just starting a workout routine, particularly a free weight routine, there's no harm in taking graduated steps.

The Fox and the Hound

Here's a link to a really endearing story about an orphaned fox who was adopted by a three-year-old dog. However, the story reminds me of the lady (I could say "girl" since she is only about 22 but I'm not sure if that sounds right) who regularly cuts my hair. She seemed to think that foxes are not part of the canine family. She stated once, as I sat in her chair, "foxes are really small, but that's because they're rodents". Which, of course, has to be one of the most memorable comments I've come across. Perhaps she should consider employment at Petsmart where all the clerks seem to think that ferrets are rodents as well. Well, I shouldn't laugh too hard at her expense. Perhaps, oneday, she'll learn that foxes are not related to rats and mice. But, then again, I do live in the south and "book lernin" still has a "ways to go".

This is really a great story:

Adopting a fox

What I ate for breakfast

This is not the first time I've posted about what I've eaten for breakfast and I suppose it won't be the last. Today, I had a green apple and a variety of nuts, in addition to a third of a zero cholesterol, zero fat omelet (too many mushrooms in this one for me to continue eating it).

Nuts are great because they are a source of monounsaturated fat (in a prior post, I mentioned that monounsaturated fat has been linked to weight loss and a more efficient metabolism). And specific nuts can be great sources of certain nutrients. For example, brazil nuts supply selenium, a mineral and antioxidant.

Can you eat too many apples, though? As they say, too much of anything can potentially be harmful. In this case, that would probably mean eating apples and nothing else. Regarding myself, I probably eat three green apples a day. And the greener they are, the more I like them.

In addition to providing fiber, I recall reading that quercetin (bioflavonoid) is found in apples, as well as in bananas and onions. Studies seem to suggest that quercetin can lessen the inflammation that causes sinus pain and congestion. Quercetin supplements often contain bromelain. Bromelain, nicely enough, is an anti-inflammatory agent that boosts the absorption of quercetin.

More entries in the Dictionary

Work on the Vitaminstuff dictionary of terms continues. Here are the latest entries. What will be interesting, of course, when the dictionary is completed, is going back and crosslinking the terms where appropriate (i.e. where relevancy applies).

For example, serotonin and neurotransmitters would be crosslinked, as would the terms insulin, insulin resistance, and pancreas.



Insulin

Insulin Resistance

Kidneys

Naturopathy

Neurotransmitters

Pancreas

Phytonutrients

Pituitary Gland

Serotonin

Probiotics

Collected Posts from the Vitamin Stuff Blog

Here are more collected posts from this blog. In other words, this is--

Archive page #2


St. John’s Wort -Uplifting and Natural!
Can Asthma Be Caused By Dairy?
Big Breakfast = Small Waistline?
The Juice from Sea-buckthorn Berries
Can Drinking Alcohol Increase Chances of Breast Cancer?
Where are Germs Lurking?
Green Tea May Protect the Brain From Problems Stemming From Sleep Apnea
Are Omega Three Fatty Acids Beneficial in the Treatment of Bipolar Disease
Do Sedentary Individuals Age Faster than Active Individuals?
Can People can Live Longer in Spite of Being Overweight?
Older Americans are richer and live longer, but fatter than ever
Study of Cardiac Event Sufferers - they rarely change unhealthy eating Habits
Black Pepper Treats Skin Pigment Disease
Does sugar cause wrinkles?
Whole grains can shrink your mid-section and ward off disease
True Sex Foods and Aphrodesiacs
Get more sleep - Lose more weight
Supplemental Drinks and Too Faced Marketing
Short naps Boost Memory
Eating Red Meat Increases Colon Cancer
Researchers may have found a Longevity Gene
Limiting Yeast Consumption may lead to a longer healthier life
Botox: from food poisoning to wrinkle eliminator
What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk of Colon Cancer
Fish Oil is a healthy source of good fat
Peppers, Capsaicin, and Prostate Cancer
Artificial sweetener linked to weight gain
Food Enzymes
Losing Weight to Decrease your Risk of Cancer?
Cannabis Causes Gum Disease
Women’s G-Spot Found?
Don’t Supersize your meals – Superpower them with Super Foods
Nutritious, Amazing Olive Oil
Simple ways for cutting calories
Fish is Probably Healthy, Even With Mercury
Depression, Social Interaction, Endorphins, and Exercise
Acupuncture Not Just a Placebo
Type II Diabetes, Weight Loss, and Gatric Banding
Gout and Sugar Soft Drinks
Acupuncture Really Helps Osteoarthritis Sufferers According to Study
Nutrition for Healthier Eyes
Media Fallacies: Don't always believe the mainstream media
Can Acupuncture help In Vitro Fertilization?
Acupuncture as an anesthetic and the Limbic System
Organic food really is healthier
Pregnant Mothers Need Vitamin E to Reduce Asthma in Children
What's a Blogroll really for?
How the sexes fare when they reach 100 years
High Fat Diets and Vitamin C Create Carcinogens
Jumper - sci fi movie that jumped and fell short
Grape Seeds - the seeds themselves are a nutritional element
Creatine is a Natural Constituent of Skeletal Muscle
Inflammation allows the body to heal itself
Eat Grapefruit for Healthy Gums
The Devil is, obviously, in the Details

Hydrotherapy comes in Various Forms
Weight Training for Health
Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis May Not be Effective
Substituting Grape Juice and Grape Seed Extract for Wine
Smoking and Alzheimer's
The Sweetener Stevia and Diet Soda
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - its not hype
Would I ever undergo Lasik?
Dietary vitamin E can boost physical health for the elderly
Getting more fiber in your diet
Low Carb Diet versus Low Fat Diet
Protein Burns More Energy
DHEA Levels, Beer, and...erectile dysfunction, arthritis, etc.
Sleep, Carbs, and Food Cravings
Multiple Sclerosis and the Best Best Diet
Successful management of osteoarthritis
More definitions added
Working out to improve your sleep cycle
Drinking beats Exercise for Heart Health?
Bodybuilding and nutrition
Alternative Medicine and Migraines
Vitamin D Supplementation
Why the issue of nutrient supplementation is fluid and complex
Folic Acid Supplementation
Developing a rudimentary beginning workout routine
The fox and the hound
More entries in the Dictionary
What I ate for breakfast
Visceral Fat a.k.a Hidden Belly fat
Deaths caused by poor nutrition
Future Medicines in Danger

Visceral Fat a.k.a Hidden Belly fat

Visceral fat is another term for hidden belly fat, the fat that builds up around your internal organs. What are the risks of having too much visceral fat? That's an easy one: an increased risk for the development of metabolic syndrome and the onset of type II diabetes, in addition to hypercholesterolemia and hypertension.

In other words, if you build up too much visceral fat and maintain it for too long, you are putting yourself at risk for all the these conditions, not to mention cardiovascular disease and impaired kidney functioning.

Fortunately, however, visceral fat can be reduced through a number of tried and true techniques. There's nothing new about these techniques, of course, but they are certainly worthy of repetition.

1. Burn more calories by becoming more active. If you don't have time to go to the gym, at the very least try a morning or afternoon walk and do it consistently. Even getting a minimal amount of physical activity into your daily routine can, over the long haul, make a difference in your health. Consistency and repetition are really key. And if your job is sedentary and requires you to be chained to a desk, keyboard, and monitor all day long, make sure you get up and stretch or walk around frequently. Recent evidence indicates that the mere act of remaining sedentary for prolonged periods without interruption can sabotage an individual's attempts to lose weight.

2. Reduce your portions and eat more meals, not less. Those who vacation in Europe typically notice two things when Americans and Europeans are dining in restaurants. Americans are larger and they take bigger portions at meal time. The truth is, however, that few of us really need to consume the portion sizes that we have become accustomed to. By reducing portion size, you can begin to get a handle on appetite control and satiety and make life easier for your gastrointestinal processes. And eating a number of smaller meals throughout the day versus 2-3 large meals each day can help facilitate this. Not only that, it can help you avoid glycemic overloading and spikes in blood glucose levels, which, over time, can lead to insulin resistance.

3. Eat more monounsaturated fats. There's a reason why the residents of certain countries can include a significant amount of fat in their dietary intake without increases in average weight and added visceral fat. And it has everything to do with the type of fat they consume. Monounsaturated fats have been linked to weight loss and a more efficient metabolism. Where do you find monounsaturated fats? Olives, avocados, nuts (including peanuts, almonds, pistachios), seeds, and even peanut butter. However, from the standpoint of meal preparation, substituting olive oil for standard cooking oil is an excellent idea.

4. Get more polyunsaturated fats in your diet. Polyunsaturated fats can help to reduce overall cholesterol levels and can also help to lower your levels of bad cholesterol, or LDLs. These good fats can be obtained from fish oil, seafood, and nuts, foods that are coincidental for omega-3 fatty acids.

Future Medicines in Danger

There are a number of reasons for increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine and herbal medicine. And one of those reasons is the realization that many of the pharmaceutical agents that we rely on have a basis and origin in nature.

However, I didn't know the following statistic until this morning: more than half of all prescription drugs were developed from chemicals that were first identified in wild plants.

It's not just speculation, but fact that there are future medicines "out there" still, just waiting to be discovered and utilized. This was actually the premise of a 1992 movie featuring two of my favorite actors, Sean Connery and Lorraine Braccho (later of Sopranos fame). The movie was Medicine Man and its focus was the destruction of the rain forest for short-sighted agricultural purposes (short-sighted because this type of land is not suited to farming and gives out quickly).

And with all this in mind, here's a link to an article titled:

Medical plants 'face extinction'

Deaths caused by poor nutrition

The link at the bottom of the page leads to an article that reports that three and a half million children die globally each year as a result of poor nutrition.

Amazingly, one out of four of these deaths could have been prevented by breast feeding and vitamin A supplements (the article also mentions zinc supplements).

Something else that I found interesting was the article's focus on poor nutrition and the resulting effect on growth. Vitamin and mineral deficiency states can irreparably stunt human physical growth, and damage cognitive growth and development as well.

Deficiencies of basic nutrients, however, should be easy enough to rectify with basic supplements. And it makes me wonder if any programs exist to distribute vitamin and mineral supplements to populations that are at risk due to basic nutrient deficiencies.

Poor diets 'kill 3.5m children'

Common Sense Tips for Eating

An article by Michael O'shea in Parade hits on many cylinders. Here's essentially what he has to say, in summary.

Avoid fad diets, particularly those that encourage drastic calorie reduction. Drastically cutting back on your daily calorie intake only tells your body one thing. That you're in starvation mode and your metabolism should slow down in the attempt to hold on to its fuel reserves, i.e. fat.

Reduce your intake of processed foods. Excellent advice and common sense advice as well. Processed foods typically contain lots of salt and sugar. And, from a dietary consumption standpoint, you need little of either added to your food. Too much sodium can, in fact, raise your blood pressure and too much sugar can spike your blood sugar, leaving you hungrier and feeling rundown.

Get more fiber in your diet. This is important for the sake of gastrointestinal well-being. How do you get more fiber? You can try metamucil. But a better approach is by replacing some of the low fiber foods in your daily diet with high fiber alternatives. And some of the foods he lists are foods that are high on my personal list of favorites, including spinach, almonds, and apples (green granny smiths are my personal choice and my ferret's as well).

More fiber in your diet can help you avoid constipation, can lower your cholesterol, and can help you keep "things moving along" in your intestinal tract. And that last item is important for not allowing carcinogens to sit for too long.

Realize that fat is a valid component of your dietary intake. There's no problem with fat, as long as its the good stuff. Omega-3 fatty acids, for instance, such as can be found in walnuts and fish.

Eat beakfast. This is the first meal of the day and, arguably, the most important one. Including milk in it is a good idea since far too many of us lack the proper amounts of calcium and vitamin d, and having your breakfast lean more toward lean protein versus carbohydrates is also a good idea (you'll feel more full, more satisfied, and you won't experience the sugar rush "pancake and syrup" phenomenon of feeling energized and then later listless.

All in all, his recommendations boil down to common sense and a lot of common advice that we've heard over the last couple of decades. In my own opinion, though supplements can be useful, particularly when certain nutrients in specific quantity are difficult to obtain from a standard diet, the best route to staying healthy and fit comes through A) healthy eating and B) a physical fitness regimen.

Ferrets and personal property

Chloe tunneling under the bedspread

They have no respect for it. Depending on the value of your personal property (to a ferret, that is), they may ignore it...shred it, bite it, or steal it. Oh, and if it's in a corner, they may poop on it. However, whether they have a true interest in your belongings or not, if its something "new" and out in the open, they will investigate it.

Ferrets seem to be nature's fuzzy little detectives. And they have all the required attributes, including good memory, determination (some would say obsessive-compulsiveness), and true problem solving ability. The bees are next in line to achieve sentience? No, I'd probably bet on the ferret.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

John Hopkins University Goes Latex Glove Free

Written by Opal Tribble

While I was listening to the radio yesterday a local new reporter stated that Johns Hopkins University, America's first research university, announced that is latex glove free. Why did they remove the gloves? Hopkins surgeons stated they removed latex gloves because of the rare reactions that some people were having to the latex.

The way that latex was made changed In the 1990’s. According to Hopkins officials, this was when they noticed that people were having severe reactions. Latex is also known as rubber or natural latex. Latex comes from the rubber tree.

According to research, the main source of the allergic reaction is latex gloves; however, latex is used in other items like condoms, feminine products, and certain medical devices. The renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, Ben S.Carson, Sr. M.D., practices at Johns Hopkins. Interestingly, Hopkins was believed to be one of the first to use latex gloves for surgery and now they are one of the first hospitals to stop using them.

Who Is Affected By Latex Allergy?

Research has concluded that health care workers have a 5 to 10 percent chance of developing a latex allergy. The cause of the latex reaction is unknown, but repeated exposure to latex can cause reaction symptoms. I found that to be interesting. I’m a soapmaker, and I found, after continually using latex gloves, I developed a skin rash. Figuring that I had a reaction to the gloves, I had to switch to non latex gloves.

According to WebMD, there are others who might be at risk for latex allergies. I’ve included the information below.

What People Are At Risk For Latex Allergy?

1. People with a bone marrow defect
2. People with deformed bladder or urinary tract
3. People who have a history of multiple surgeries.
4. People allergic to bananas, avocados, kiwis, or chestnuts


How Are People Exposed?

1. Direct contact with the skin, such as when latex gloves are worn
2. Mucous Membranes such as the eyes, mouth, vagina, and rectum
3. Inhalation, Latex gloves contain a thin coating of powder that can be inhaled
4. Blood, some medical devices used during surgery contain latex


Immediate Reactions To Latex

Immediate allergic reactions can be manifested as cramps, hives, severe itching, and in severe cases rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, tremors, and, in extreme cases, death. If you have an immediate allergic reaction to latex, contact your health care provider immediately.


To read articles written by Opal Tribble

Essential Oils and Colon Cleansing

Here are two new articles by Opal Tribble.

The first one is titled:

"Essential Oils: Follow Your Nose".

And the second is titled:

"Colon Cleansing: Eliminate the Backed Up Waste".

I found the information on both articles illuminating and I may personally look into colonic irrigation just to see for myself what the benefits might be.

Do ferrets come when called?

See the prior post "Do ferrets listen very well?". However, if you don't want to view that page, here's my answer. They come when called...when they feel like it.

Ferrets typically do everything "when they feel like it". They are nature's little hedonists and they have an incredible zest for life and living (sounds like a craig's list personals ad, huh?). But this is what makes them so endearing and so unique, which is why so many people want them for pets.

Unfortunately, most of those same people fail to research the behavior typified by ferrets---------HA! You may think I am making this up, but, just as I was writing that last line, I heard a crash in the living room. What was it? The sound of my ferret having knocked a drink glass off a table. That's one of her behaviors. She likes to push things off tables. Why? Just to see what happens next, of course.

Soda was spilled everywhere (thankfully, it was a diet soda so it won't stain). What was chloe doing when I got in there? Having a drink at her leisure. See? That's what I mean when I say that potential ferret owners may not be prepared for all the things that ferrets do.

But this is an example of how demanding it can be to own a ferret. Before I let Chloe out this morning, I closed certain doors in the house (for rooms I keep off limits), I removed the potted plant from a table she can climb onto (because, otherwise, she will employ her handy-dandy digging claws on the soil in the pot), I made sure the cat was not in (the cat is afraid of Chloe who will chase Cleo the cat all over the house), I closed the door to the front loading washer, etc, etc, etc. But, still, I forgot to take that drink glass off that table.

Ferrets are great. But they're not for everyone. And certainly not for passive pet owners.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Do ferrets listen very well?

Depends on what you mean by the question. Can ferrets hear very well? They seem to be able to. Do they listen very well? A different kind of question all together. Answer: a ferret is like a cat. And, consequently, ferrets will heed you at their leisure. This can make for an exasperating kind of pet.

Cats, of course, are fairly exasperating in the way they ignore you when it suits them (My cat, Cleo, does this---chloe, cleo---it can get confusing). But ferrets can be even more exasperating since they---

1. will ignore you when they please.

2. will ignore you and continue on about their merry way causing havoc and chaos in your house.

So, if you can't handle this sort of behavior, don't get a ferret.



Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets

Ferret Proofing never ends

I began to alter the way I think about my home and how I move within it a long time ago. When you have a ferret, you have no choice but to do this. In a zen-like way, I suppose, you must allow yourself to bend to the predilections of the ferret.

What does ferret proofing include? You name it. For the most, ferret proofing boils down to giving consideration to everything that happens within your home and how it might affect your furry little detective friend, i.e. how it might catch the interest of your ferret, even to its detriment.

As soon as the front loading washer in the photo above was delivered, I knew that I could never again walk away from the washer with the door open. It would simply be too inviting for a curious ferret who might like to curl up in a pile of clothes, blithely unaware of the wash and rinse cycle that might follow.




Chloe the ferret - a Mini Blog about Ferrets