The best toys - two boxes I think all kids should have

 The Costume Box and The Collage Box are two things I think of as essential for all households with kids. I think I must have inherited my philosophy regarding children's toys from my mother. She believed quite firmly that children really shouldn't have a ton of toys, especially "cheap junkie" ones. We also didn't have a lot of money, so it was easy to stick to this. 

They did splurge to get me a Patty Playpal doll when I had my tonsils out, I think I was about age 4. This doll was widely advertised on TV as a life size doll who could share your clothes and be almost like a real live playmate. I was thrilled. But my mother said once I got her clothes off I found it too hard to maneuver her and I would just drag this naked large doll around the house by her hair.

My mother did believe in books. Ours were mostly from the library, though we did have some Little Golden Books and a World Book Encyclopedia. And she approved of art supplies and building toys. I remember a nice set of solid wood blocks my brother and I shared. And Lincoln Logs.

I tried to implement this with my daughter. Though I was not as disciplined because when my daughter was young I used to go to garage sales every Saturday and there were always so many great children's items at ridiculously low prices that I could not resist. I think sometimes more toys are overwhelming and less appreciated compared to when they are scarcer.

But one of her favorite things, right up there with the kitchen I made for her, was The Costume Box. A large carton filled with various outfits and accessories. I had fun collecting the contents, mostly from the aforementioned yard sales. Filmy gauzy fabrics, hats, fake furs, beads, and other things like that were a big hit. Whenever other children came to play, dressing up would be a main activity. And this interest held for many years. Such an easy to put together but satisfying pastime.

A Collage Box was another idea I got from my childhood. My father, although his occupation was a ladies dress cutter in the garment district of NY, was always a creative, art appreciating type. It was his idea to set aside a carton and put all random interesting bits and bobs into it. Later to be used to arrange and paste and form a collage with. A little doily, some tissue paper, a ticket stub, some gold foil from candies, things like that soon made their way into the box. And it was always at the ready if a card needed to be made or just something to do on a rainy day. P.S. I still have one.

You've got to laugh a little

I'm someone who often clicks on sad headlines, which thanks to modern technology, are now available from all over the world in a moment's time. And lord knows there is no shortage of bad news nowadays. To say nothing of the overall sad state of the world in general. And then I have an unfortunate tendency to perseverate on these things. Sometimes it will stay with me for days if I read something particularly sad. Even seeing forlorn dogs in ASPCA ads can leave me feeling troubled for awhile.

I know I should probably just limit my reading of the news. But I don't. I know I should also do more about trying to change bad situations where I can. I do some things, but I know I could do a lot more. And some things I read are just horrible bad luck, fate, and nothing that I could influence.

To counteract this, lately, I have been looking for things that make me laugh (in addition to Mr Nankie's jokes). Here are two that work for me.

I just discovered this guy, Ryan George, on YouTube and thought he was pretty funny. I've only watched a couple so far, and he has lots. This "Tools" one made me laugh and another one "The First Guy to Ever Bring Home a Cat"  where he tries to sell his roommate on the merits of having a cat. "He's very clean, he licks himself constantly". Roommate responds, "I don't know if that makes him clean so much as covered in saliva.

Another one I like a lot, is Dr Glaucomflecken. Perhaps you need to have a medical background to fully appreciate the nuances, but really the way he plays all the different roles and gets the details so right, is very funny to me. Actually, I just realized Ryan George (above) does that too. There's something about one person playing all those characters that really makes me laugh. Like I used to love Lily Tomlin back in the day. Especially as Ernestine, the telephone switchboard operator. Do young people today even know what a switchboard is?

Things I Try to Eat Every Day (or at least fairly often)

EDITED TO ADD: this is from my first blog incarnation, approximately 5 years ago now. Some things still hold true in this post and some don't. I will make a new post at some point about how my current eating habits have evolved.

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Although I still take quite a few supplements, I am coming to the realization that it is probably best to just eat real whole foods, close to the way that nature provided them, or as they say, "foods your grandmother would recognize".  It can't be a coincidence that the very elements that we need for our bodies to function are found abundantly in the things growing around us. Not on an Oreo assembly line.

I try to eat foods from these categories daily or at least several times a week. Whether they will increase my longevity, who knows? I do know that I feel better in general, when I eat these things. And fortunately, to me, they don't taste too bad.  The more I eat them, the more I find the taste appealing. (I have not been able to get used to the SMELL of kimchee however! The whole house stinks for awhile after I open a jar!)

My mood and my energy level are usually better when I eat like this.  And I definitely seem to get colds/flu/sore throats much less often than I used to. They haven't cured everything though - I still have muscle pain/stiffness in my low back and neck, particularly after first arising from being immobile too long. Fortunately though, it is at a low level and doesn't keep me from doing anything.

My hope is if I continue eating this way, even those symptoms will gradually abate. One thing I have noticed with holistic methods is changes can take a while, over months to years (the same way problems often develop).  Unlike pharmaceutical solutions, the results may not be as immediately dramatic. But then neither are the side effects!

These are the foods:

Greens - parsley or other herbs - sometimes I'll eat a few sprigs of the oregano and thyme I grow in a pot on my balcony, scallions, moringa powder (I know not really a whole food, but a powdered version of one) I usually choose organic as they are not too much more costly for these items.

Fish or fish oil - salmon, cod liver oil, herring, sardines, oysters

Fermented - kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir (these can fairly easily be made at home - there are tons of YouTube videos - but my experience was that the commercial ones always tasted better and I really didn't want to put in the time and effort, so for now I buy them. Maybe when I'm retired I'll give them another try.)

Seaweed - dulse flakes, in sheets (from Trader Joe's)

Antioxidants - olive oil, elderberry syrup, olives, olive oil or olive extract, pomegranate, sea buckthorn, blueberries

ACV (apple cider vinegar)

Sea salt - good source of minerals. I don't find it has any effect on my blood pressure, which has always been low normal. Apparently only a small percentage of the population, that is genetically susceptible, really needs to avoid salt. And too little salt can be just as bad as too much - like many things our body needs.

Eggs - free range when possible

Liver (organic only) - once a week to two weeks (supposedly healthiest food you can eat, but you don't want to overdo it, as Vitamin A can be toxic in too high doses)

Green tea and/or coffee

Bittersweet chocolate, a few squares daily

Most of these can be purchased on Amazon or at Whole Foods or other health food type stores. I am lucky to have an Asian grocery store, Mitsuya, near me where I get the kimchee. (I also used to get natto there, but that is one I decided I really do not like enough to put on my regular rotation, no matter how healthy it purportedly is!) There is also a Russian market near my work where I purchase cod liver and sea buckthorn berries. Ethnic markets are often a good source of healthy foods as well as being fun to explore!

I also try to work in garlic, ginger and turmeric, but need to be a bit more diligent about this. Garlic I use in cooking but not as often as I should. Ginger I drink as ginger teabags, but I'd like to use fresh ginger more. I have used fresh turmeric in smoothies, but honestly I am not crazy about the taste and it makes a mess turning everything orange!

For protein, I primarily have fish or free range eggs. I will eat grass-fed beef from time to time, and very infrequently, free range chicken.

I eat fruits, but not too liberally because most, other than berries, can raise your blood sugar too high. I eat vegetables.  I love nuts but try to eat just a handful a day because of the high Omega 6 issue. It's not easy for me to stop at just one handful though.

Also important - the foods I try to avoid or eat less of (but I don't make myself crazy - if something really appeals to me I will eat it no matter what! I just try not to go overboard): sugar, grains, legumes, dairy (although I make an exception for cheese, which I love and occasionally yogurt) any high Omega 6 oils - which are in processed and restaurant foods, corn, soy, anything containing high fructose corn syrup, such as bottled salad dressings. I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads.

Our goodnight ritual

 

"The goodnight ritual" as we always called it, is one of my happiest memories of my daughter's childhood. I think she looks back on it fondly too. Each night after washing up and getting ready for bed, my husband, myself, and our daughter would settle in to her bed to read a picture book or two. Dad, although he often fell asleep part way through, enjoyed it as well. I recall he used to ask me, "will you still read to me even when she's grown?"  Well it's now 25 years later and no, I do not read to him! But at the time we used to both enjoy the books and were often impressed at the high caliber of children's books we got from the library. I mean there were some we didn't care for but that she loved (Richard Scarry, Lowly Worm and the infinite annoying details of those books comes to mind) but for the most part we found many we all enjoyed. I loved reading classics that I recalled fondly from my own childhood (Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal).

But the real highlight was the last part of the ritual, what we called "Once upon a time". It was her own personal story and involved me starting with the exact same phrasing every night:  "Once upon a time there was a little girl named L_____ E____ O______ and she lived at 124 Q__________ St with her mommy and daddy who loved her very very much. And on this particular day, she____________________."  At this point I would improvise and tell about some aspect of her day. It was easy on days where we did something in particular, like attended a birthday party or went to the beach. But some days we did nothing special at all and I would have to rack my brain to come up with something, anything. "And on this particular day we saw some ants on the deck." It didn't matter, she loved it. 

By the way, the second picture above, with the quote about reading, is not there because I think high ACT scores (do they even still use them?) and academic achievement are the end all and be all. But because I do think reading is more important than all those other activities listed, in helping a child to have a satisfying, enjoyable and successful life. I am grateful that my parents passed their love of reading on to me.

 

My quickie dinner tonight

Sometimes I just don't feel like cooking. Actually many times I don't. So this is a go-to quickie meal I put together. It's not the most exciting meal but it actually tastes better than it looks, well to me anyway. Mr Nankie won't even try it. I find it satisfying and healthy. I like to use whole foods as much as possible. Meaning just one ingredient foods, that are in the same form as they first came into the world. 

I microwave the potato (Yukon gold are my favorite) for 2 minutes, cut it up into small pieces, add it to an avocado cut up in chunks, and some sardines. My favorite are these skinless and boneless ones that I get at Trader Joe's. Perhaps a little less nutritious than if they had skin and bones, but they are a lot meatier and don't have a strong fishy smell. I add the oil from the sardines and some salt and balsamic vinegar and fresh cilantro when I have it.

The apple was dessert. Followed a little later by a bowl of ice cream!

 

 

 

 

           

 

One trait of successful people that I definitely don't have

 I have read several books and articles lately where the person who is the subject of the book/article and happens to be very successful in their field, states they get their most unpleasant task of the day out of the way as quickly as possible, by doing it first, soon after waking up.

The most recent one was a very interesting biography of Paul Revere Williams, the architect who overcame many obstacles (orphaned by age 4 was one) to achieve a rare degree of success for a Black man at that time. He was known as architect to the stars, although he designed many other buildings too. He was extremely prolific and many of his buidings are very famous. Like the iconic pink Beverly Hills Hotel, for example. 

I read that he always woke up early and did his most distasteful chore first.

Well that would never be me. Unfortunately my natural inclination is to put off anything I find difficult or unpleasant (which are most things that aren't on my fun/enjoyable list) to the last possible moment. 

And although I wake up early, my favorite thing is to sit around reading online over coffee and breakfast, frequently til midday, now that I am retired. Mr Nankie likes that too and it is quite pleasant. Not the best for productivity however.

I am definitely a hard core procrastinator. I mean I do ultimately get done what I need to - I managed to get an education, have a successful career, raise my daughter, and have a long satisfying marriage, so I'm not doing too badly. But my first instinct is always to put things off.

My father was similar. We are particularly bad at responding to letters/emails promptly. Almost every one starts with "sorry I haven't written". Maybe a genetic component? Though not present in brother or mother.

The internet hasn't helped the situation. Could there be a better way to avoid doing what one doesn't feel like doing?

 

Learning a new skill (Can you teach an old dog a new trick?)

 I am determined to learn to draw before I die. Throughout my life I have always had an interest in sketching and would work at it for several months at a time and then get discouraged and drop it. I hope this time will be different. I have the time now that I am retired, so that excuse is gone. I have challenged myself to do a 20" drawing every day for a month. So far I've done three. It is so easy to get discouraged when trying to learn something new. When the result doesn't turn out like the vision you have in your head it is easy to give up.

But I try to remind myself every new skill felt like this at first. Things that initially seemed so challenging (driving a car) become second nature. I need to allow myself to just feel the discomfort without being stymied by it. I think the main thing is to just keep at it, no matter what. And quash the little voice in your  head that is saying you're no good. I am finding the process of drawing itself, pleasant and relaxing, so I try to focus on that aspect and less on the result.

I'm inspired by Mr Nankie who is trying to learn the guitar. He plays along with his YouTube instructional videos nearly every night for an hour or two and has been doing that for about 6 months. Progress is slow, but it's there.

It is so easy to compare yourself to others and feel you don't measure up. We went to a guitar workshop performance at the local college and when we got home he said it was discouraging because he didn't think he'd ever be that good. Just like the time I was taking violin lessons in seventh grade and my mom, thinking it would inspire me, took me to a performance at Carnegie Hall! She said my response was "I could never be that good". 

I follow the "Urban Sketchers" on Facebook and am totally amazed at the quality of art they produce, right on scene. But I try to keep in mind how long they must have practiced to attain such proficiency. 

Just keep at it.

Changes

 Looking over the header to my abandoned and now revisited blog, I see that many things I mentioned are no longer pertinent to me anymore. In just the short span of a few years, things have changed. As we all know, change is the only constant in life (Heraclitus). 

For example, nutritious eating - well I am still very interested in eating as healthily as possible but the question has become, what is healthy eating? I am not nearly as sure as I used to be. The problem is there are so many studies and so many that contradict each other. Also, everyone is different. People have different responses to the same diet. I've also decided worrying about it too much causes anxiety and is counter-productive. 

So I just try to stick with eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods. But not eliminating any particular group of foods. And not worrying too much when I mess up. I do try to check off a few things on a daily (or close to it) basis: fish of any sort, something purple/red like cherry juice or hibiscus tea, greens, even if it's just a few bites of parsley because I'm honestly not that keen on most greens, eggs, ginger. I try to avoid white flour and sugar, with varying degrees of success.

I'm not as happy with my weight as I was. While still in the normal BMI range, it is slowly creeping up to the upper limit. I will keep experimenting with that. At the moment I am trying Inositol and Berberine to see if that is any help. I am not willing to get too strict though, because food is one of life's great pleasures.

I'm back

 Well, I know I said in my "about" section that I would post when I got around to it, and that I tended to be a procrastinator. But I didn't expect there to be an interval of several years! And in typical fashion, times have changed, and I now see that blogging has had its day and most people don't read blogs anymore.  Many have switched to Instagram and Twitter. And probably other places that I don't even know. But I don't really care, as I just want to get in the habit of writing something daily. Even if no one else ever reads it. 

I like Instagram because I enjoy beautiful photographs and am very visual. But I miss the content of blogs. I need text too. When I see row after row of comments solely of emojis, I find that very boring. I am a compulsive comment reader. I want to know what people are actually thinking. Not see a row of smiling faces or clapping hands. 

Anyway, I will see how things go this time around. As it is January 1st, I am full of hopeful new intentions. We'll see how long that lasts. (I know that is the wrong attitude.) Happy New Year!

Why I test my blood sugar...even though I'm not diabetic

Several years ago, when I was still pretty much a believer in mainstream health advice, I would have my fasting blood glucose checked once a year, along with other basic lab tests. It always came back in the normal range, and I was not overweight, so I didn't think much of it - even though diabetes definitely ran in my extended family.

I also had a brother-in-law with Type 2 diabetes and one day I saw an advertisement for a free glucose meter, so I sent away for it thinking I would give it to him. (Boy was I naive, now I know it's like printers and their ink, or for those who remember, Polaroid cameras and their film - it's not the machine that's expensive, it's the supplies that go with it.)

Anyway, I happened to have it with me, at work one day and thought it would be interesting to check my own glucose after eating a typical lunch, one that I had always thought was healthy.  It was beans, collard greens, and sweet potato. To my surprise it was 190! This is high. Ideally it shouldn't be over 140 one hour after a meal.

Well I ended up keeping the meter for myself and became quite interested in seeing how different foods affected the reading. I went on to read quite a bit about it - finding these two articles particularly interesting: How to Lower Your Blood Sugar and How to Prevent Diabetes and Heart Disease for $16

I now feel that being aware of one's blood glucose, and keeping it in check, is possibly the single most important thing you can do for your longterm health. Even more important than knowing your cholesterol numbers (the significance of which sparks a lot of controversy and the whole statin debate.)  This is because a high blood glucose has been associated with pretty much everything you don't want to have and affects every system in the body...eyes, kidneys, blood pressure, heart disease, liver, blood vessels, brain, depression, nerves/neuropathy, Alzheimer's, gum disease, infections, some even say cancer, etc, etc.

And ironically, had I not tested it for myself, I might not have discovered my propensity for high blood sugar until much later, if at all. Because the fasting glucose - which is traditionally checked -  is much slower to become elevated than the post prandial (after meals) reading.

Though fortunately there has been a shift towards checking the Hemoglobin A1C. This lab test gives you an average of your blood sugars over the past 2 to 3 months.  It is not completely accurate, as factors like anemia, for example, can affect the reading. But overall it gives a better picture of a person's tendency towards diabetes - or if they already have diabetes, how well-controlled it is.

I think everyone should know their A1C number. Because you really can't know if you have glucose issues otherwise. There isn't necessarily a typical diabetes look - you'd be amazed at how many thin people have diabetes. And young people. Although extra belly fat (even on a non-obese person) is often a tip off of glucose dysfunction. And apparently damage can be occurring even if not diagnosed with diabetes. It is more of a continuum effect (the higher the number, the greater the correlation with disease) - than a sharp cut off of either you have it or you don't.

There are still old-fashioned doctors who don't agree with this. When I asked my mother's doctor to check her A1C, he said we only order that test for diabetics (and she wasn't). A friend of mine, who has a strong family history of diabetes, asked her doctor to order a glucose meter and the supplies for her, and was told no, only if you already have diabetes or pre-diabetes. (The test strips can get expensive, but some insurance covers it, or I've heard you can but them at Walmart or on Amazon for less.)

This to me is SO shortsighted. But typical of our American way of dealing with health and disease. We will try to manage the problem once you have it...but let's not give any thought to what might be causing the problem and how we can prevent it. Really stupid.

I think if everyone who wanted one was given a free meter and test strips, we would go far towards having a healthier nation. Of course there are plenty of people who just don't want to be bothered, but there are many who would welcome the chance to possibly improve their chance of avoiding serious illnesses.

I actually find it quite interesting to see how different foods and time of day affect me. I remember years ago a patient telling me that a plate of pasta made her blood sugar spike higher than eating a bunch of candy. At the time, I didn't know much, and found that astonishing. Now I have observed the same to be true for me. Rice too, has a strong elevating effect on my blood sugar. As do oatmeal and potatoes.

Another surprise was how much fruit can increase my blood glucose.  I used to think fruit was healthy no matter what, but I now know that fruits can cause a significant rise in glucose. Especially bananas. I still eat them, but usually only a half at a time and without too many other carbs. I can usually tolerate one or two servings of a carb food per meal. Beyond that, the additive effect is too great.  Berries, such as blueberries or strawberries, are the least likely of any fruit to raise my blood sugar, so I try to eat more of those.

I have also noticed that I can eat way more carbs in the morning than at night, in terms of not sending my sugar too high.  But I had a diabetic patient (who was type 1, in which the pancreas does not make insulin vs type 2, which is more common as one gets older, and the cells become insulin resistant) who told me her experience is exactly the opposite.

So, I believe, testing for yourself is the way to go. And you don't have to test all the time. Once you learn how various foods affect you, it's not necessary to keep testing unless you introduce new foods.

An exercise regimen I might be able to embrace.

I don't love exercise. But I try to do it because I feel it is good for me. And sometimes I even enjoy it. I do think diet is more important to good health than exercise, but it's obvious the body is certainly meant to move too.

Though I'll never be one of those people lined up on treadmills at the gym. I much prefer being outdoors. (And some people feel the issue of natural light vs. fluorescent light has an important effect on our well-being.) From older people (older than me, that is) I've observed, it appears that just staying active in day to day life is key. I'm less sure about super intense, long exercise. Well I needn't worry about that, because that would never be me anyway.

But today I read something intriguing, that perhaps could be me. The benefits of super short but very intense exercise.  I had heard of the benefits of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) before, but never was inclined to try it. But just ONE MINUTE (in 20 second segments) of intense exercise in a ten minute workout! I could probably get behind that. Although for older people like myself, I'd worry that this could be a formula for injury...or worse. Still, I might give it a try.

I remember my Dad used to say, look at the animals, the lions and tigers - you don't see them jogging hour after hour. Short bursts of speed interspersed with long periods of rest, is their modus operandi. I'm good at the long periods of rest.

But what I'd really like to know, as one commenter asked: Does it work if I just think about exercising for 20 seconds at a time?

The Japanese Are My Inspiration When It Comes To Food

One of the biggest surprises of all when I visited Japan (a fabulous two week trip to Tokyo and Kyoto last year) was to discover that 7-Eleven convenience stores - which were everywhere - had the most delicious and economical food! Yes you heard me right. That was not a misprint. 7-Eleven!! Of all places.

They had all kinds of amazing and tasty fish dishes, as well as vegetables and other things that I'm not really certain of what they were, and of course, sushi. I marveled that their convenience foods could be so healthy. How disappointed they must be when they come to the U.S. only to discover Slurpees and hot dogs.

I noticed this too when we walked along the local tourist-oriented shops in Ohara (a lovely rural spot an hour's bus ride away from Kyoto.) The tourists seemed to be mostly Japanese (I guess kind of how we might make a weekend trip to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles) or from other nearby Asian countries. I did not see many Western faces.

There were many food shops - apparently it is particularly common in Japan to bring home local food delicacies for friends and family to try after a trip. I was surprised how so many of these shops featured huge varieties of fermented vegetables and pickles, ginger, matcha/green tea, seaweed and fish variants. All beautifully packaged and displayed. There were sweets too, but much less and in smaller portions than we are used to seeing.

The Nishiki Market in Kyoto is an immense and completely overwhelming food hall.  As was the basement food court at Takashimiya department store in Tokyo. Do not miss either if you are ever in the area! And again I was struck by the amazing variety and preponderance of healthful food items displayed.  We tried many things, though far from everything and I found there were many new things that I liked but some that I just didn't care for, even though they were considered delicacies by the Japanese. I wonder if I kept at it, would I develop a taste for it or is it a taste that has to be inculcated from childhood?

Picking out candied ginger at  Nishiki Market.

Traditional Japanese breakfast we enjoyed in Ohara.

And even back in Los Angeles, shopping at my local Japanese Market, Mitsuwa, I notice that the produce and fish sections are huge and filled with variety, whereas the dairy and bread/cake sections are almost nonexistent. Although sadly I have noticed a trend over the years to more sweets and frozen and convenience foods, just like their Western counterparts. But their portion sizes tend to be much smaller, so even the junk food doesn't seem as bad.

So I guess it is not terribly surprising that Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world and that our obesity rate in the U.S. is 10 times that of Japan. 30% vs 3%. Or that their heart disease deaths are 30 per 100,000 people compared to our 106 per 100,000 people. They do have more smokers than we do - 30% vs 17% - which actually makes the heart disease rates even more impressive. Imagine if they didn't smoke! They also have significantly lower rates of breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease than the U.S. Interestingly, we also spend three times more on health spending per capita than they do. Which tends to confirm my belief that the food one eats is the single most important factor in health and longevity. Health care, exercise, genetics and environment are important, but it seems to me that diet trumps all.

How My Current Way of Eating Has Evolved

At the moment, I am pretty content with the way of eating* I have settled upon.  Of course, that could change at any time. It already has gone through several iterations, as I learn and tweak and adapt and tweak some more. But fortunately, I find this process interesting, rather than onerous. Kind of like solving a puzzle. And the outcome, feeling good and staying healthy (at least I hope so - thus far so good) seems worth it to me.

At 62 years of age, I am pretty much at my college weight. I know what my college weight was because my old college boyfriend used to joke "Nankie, 2 pounds per inch".  Meaning I was 5'2" and weighed 124 pounds. I am now 126 pounds. I have never been really heavy, but I was definitely starting to head in that direction the past decade or so. My weight was creeping up, 134 at its peak.

Of course, it's no longer distributed exactly the way it was 40 years ago, but still for my age I feel I am doing pretty well. I wear a hand-me-down two piece bathing suit from my daughter (who has a great figure) and it's passable. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could even get into it. (And Mr. Nankie said it looked nice!)

But worse, my blood sugar was becoming elevated, to the point of pre-diabetes. I have a strong family history of diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension, heart disease, and thin people in youth becoming heavy people as they aged (the last is true of many, many people). Really shocking was incidentally finding out I had a fatty liver when I went in for an ultrasound for another reason. It was mild, but still.

Anyway, to show how my eating has evolved, I will start with my childhood. My mother did her best to serve us healthy food and was ahead of her time in insisting on fresh vegetables vs. the canned that were so common in that era. She had it easier though, because of "Jack, the fruit man" who came from his farm in upstate NY to the suburbs of Queens NY, in his truck filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. She would stand at the back opening of his truck where everything was displayed and choose what she wanted. Sometimes she would just leave a list on our door and in the afternoon a bountiful bag would be sitting there. I guess he trusted her to pay up later.

It wasn't exactly like this, because we were on a much more urban street - but Jack's truck was similar.

My mother also did not believe in junk food. To my dismay, we almost never had soda, candy, chips, etc in our house. I envied my friends who always had these things. An occasional box of Mallomars was about it for us.

                                  

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So of course, as soon as I moved out on my own, to the Nurses Residence at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, I pretty much ate primarily junk food. I was thrilled to discover a vending machine room in the building where I could purchase Hershey bars 24/7.  I also recall making a lot of English muffin pizzas in the community kitchen. Beyond that, I can't recall (which is why I have so little faith in the findings of the Nurse's Health Study, which asks you to remember, in detail, what you ate decades ago, even though I am a participant in it.)

This pattern continued as I moved into my first apartment in Manhattan and became a full time working nurse. I honestly do not recall thinking much about food or the right way to eat. Taste was my main criteria. I don't think at this point I thought much about if it was healthy or not. Of course, neither did most of the rest of the world yet. Nutrition labeling was still far off in the future. The term obesity epidemic was yet to be coined. I also smoked cigarettes for a few of those years. So clearly health was not a major concern of mine.

Then in a few more years I followed my boyfriend (the present Mr Nankie!) to California where he had taken a job - the land of the wacky health nuts that we New Yorkers always ridiculed.  But still my eating habits remained the same until we married and had a child and by now I paid a bit more attention to the "proper" way to eat.

Which from what I could glean from pop culture magazines and media, was more carbohydrates and less meat. (Although I took a Nutrition course in college for my nursing major, I don't remember learning any useful information there except for post surgery patients needed extra protein and Vitamin C to heal.)  I remember serving lots of pasta meals and feeling virtuous when we chose pretzels as snacks instead of nuts. Wheat Thins were another big favorite of mine that I felt was a good snack and I would eat them by the boxful. I also served a fair share of frozen dinners (Stouffers Lean Cuisine) just because I was often too tired to cook. A half gallon of orange juice, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and a box of breakfast cereal were always on my weekly shopping list.

It wasn't until many years later that I discovered low carb eating. I decided it was time to start eating more healthily and try to lose a few pounds, and I added in lots of quinoa, other whole grains and fruit, thinking that was healthy. Two weeks later I had GAINED 5 pounds! Clearly this was not the right path. A friend who was smarter than I said "well carbs are still carbs, even healthy ones" and that started me doing research into what exactly was the best way to eat. Fortunately, by now the internet had made its appearance, so it was a lot easier to look things up and figure things out (and also to get distracted and waste time)!

I was in love with low carb because suddenly I could eat all the cheese I wanted and was still losing weight! But alas, after awhile, this effect started to wane and I started looking for what I could change. I was particularly surprised when I trained for a hike down and up the Grand Canyon, and while doing more exercise than ever before, I ended up gaining five pounds! And it wasn't muscle.

That is when I realized that what I always thought was just an excuse "my hormones are off, that's why I'm fat" - actually had some basis in reality. I think the increase in exercise without a corresponding increase in carbs shifted me towards a more hypothyroid functioning. I've since read this has been observed in many Crossfit followers, particularly women.

I came across The Perfect Health Diet by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet and this has been essentially my guide. Although I never weigh or measure anything, I do try to stick with their overall recommended and forbidden foods. I make plenty of exceptions, but in general these are the guidelines I follow. It is essentially a paleo low carb type diet, but with the addition of some carbs (mainly rice, not grains). Although I don't agree with everything they say, they do strike me as intelligent, thoughtful people who read the scientific studies. And know a lot more about nutritional science than your average doctor. 

So this is where I have been at for the past few years, because it  has been working for me. I have also introduced intermittent fasting. And lest you think I am someone with crazy strong will power and self-discipline, I am not! By any means. I never believed people who would say "you will lose your cravings" or "you don't get as hungry" but I have in fact found these to be true. Not to say, I never grab a chocolate when there is a box of See's candy sitting on the desk at work. I do. But I am much more able to eat healthily without it feeling like a tremendous sacrifice.

*I do not call it a diet because I have never followed a specific "diet" and allow myself to eat anything I want, if I really want it. However, I do try and follow certain guidelines, most of the time. The 80/20 rule works pretty well for me. If I stick to my guidelines 80% of the time, I am happy with that.

Thirst for Knowledge

Today I walked to work (the few blocks from my car to work; unfortunately I do not live close enough to actually walk to work) and noticed many pine cones on the ground. I have always thought pine cones were very attractive. But today I started wondering a little bit more about them. What purpose do they serve, what is their life cycle, do all pine trees have them, etc? This may seem obvious to some, but don't forget, I am a city girl.

This is why I am grateful to Wikipedia - and contribute money to them every so often. When I got to work I was a few minutes early (a rare occurrence) and decided to look it up. It is almost always very informative. For example, who knew: "The members of the pine family (pines, spruces, firs, cedars, larches, etc.) have cones that are imbricate (that is, with scales overlapping each other like fish scales). These are the "archetypal" cones. The scales are spirally arranged in fibonacci number ratios". Or this: The condition of fallen pine cones is a crude indication of the forest floor's moisture content, which is an important indication of wildfire risk. Closed cones indicate damp conditions while open cones indicate the forest floor is dry.

My brain often works this way. One thing leads to another and I often find myself looking things up. This is why I am so happy to be alive during the internet era. I recall in the old days, it would require a trip to the library, and by then, my original curiosity was usually long forgotten.

It's not like this quest for knowledge does me any good. Half the time, if I try and tell someone about it later, I can't even recall enough detail to relate a cogent story. If it comes up on Jeopardy, there's still a good chance I will get the answer wrong. But despite this, it gives me pleasure.

(And distracts me from other work I SHOULD be doing.)

Quite possibly it is also a sign of ADHD. And definitely contributes to my procrastination tendencies. Though since I am able to apply myself without being distracted, when needed, I have not worried too much about it. I feel this trait enhances my life, because I rarely, if ever, feel bored.

I think I inherited this trait from my father. In our family, he was famous (and sometimes teased for it by my brother and I) for looking up at the clouds or down at the ants and wondering what made them tick.

So today it didn't stop at the pine cone. Google-imaging pine cones led me to this unique and fascinating Elephant a Day blog, where every day, an elephant made by the author - in any form - is highlighted. She also includes beautiful graphic images of related items and historical notes. I will definitely be going back to this.

And here I found something called a cone cow, which I had never heard of before. A sweet toy from a gentler, simpler era. When children had to figure out how to entertain themselves without the help of a screen.

A pair of traditional cone cows.
Photo: Timo Viitanen
Source: http://www.cartinafinland.fi/en/picture/78143/Cone+cow.html

And another interesting fact that I was not previously aware of - in Germany, at the zoos, elephants and other animals are given Christmas trees to eat. Whole! Apparently, they love this special after the holidays treat! Funny, because I had just been reading about the health benefits of pine oil.  Perhaps the elephants know something we don't know.

Elephant calf Thabo-Umasai at the Dresden Zoo.
Photo: Matthias Rietschel/AP
Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070104-christmas.html

Then under the References at the bottom of the Wikipedia page (yes I read the footnotes too!) I saw a link to the Swedish Postmuseum site and although I could not make out the Swedish I still managed to find an interesting video on there about mail art, which I watched.

So for those who may have wondered why I am so slow to respond to emails...now you know!

This struck me funny

I was walking behind two women, and one said to the other, "so why is she mad"?  The other replied, "because I'm not 'liking' her recipes on Facebook".

I just don't think I could do this!

I am always in favor of trying new things and being open to new flavors and foods of other cultures. "Dishversity Day" was one of my favorite parent participation days when my daughter was in elementary school! I think it's silly to think that the limited vegetables and fruits we eat over and over and over in the U.S. are the only ones in the whole wide world that are tasty and health giving. Whenever I travel I am impressed by the variety of produce I see, things that I am not familiar with. I love shopping in ethnic food markets. And I think the more variety, the better for us.

However....this is something I am hearing about more often recently, and while it makes perfect intellectual sense, I JUST DON'T THINK I COULD DO IT! Eating insects! Apparently they are quite nutritious and lord knows there is no scarcity of them. But I just don't think I could do it. Cultural conditioning is just too strong in this case. Perhaps if they were pulverized and disguised. But even then, just knowing they were in there would probably freak me out.

Once, many moons ago when I had just moved to California from NY and I had a friend and his father stay with me for a few days, they sent me as a thank you gift a case of U-Bet Chocolate Syrup. This was my holy grail of chocolate syrups (obviously before, way before, my days of health conscious eating). And at the time it was only available in NY. And they knew I missed it so. So this was the most amazing gift they could have sent me and I was ecstatic.

Except that shortly thereafter I read an article in Consumer Reports reviewing of all things, chocolate syrups. And U-Bet was the ONLY one rated UNACCEPTABLE!  Why, you ask. Because it was found to have "insect parts and feather barbules" in it. Sadly, I never touched them again and the whole case went to waste.

So as much as I like to try new things, I'm just not sure about this one.

A visit to Ikea

I have mixed feelings about Ikea. For the price, they do have the best modern design of any store I know. (Of course Design Within Reach has really great modern design too - but despite the name they are hardly within reach of most people.) They are a great place to outfit a dorm room or beginner apartment. Or even to augment a later home as long as you don't go overboard with too much Ikea stuff. I like their little food shop at the end filled with Swedish delicacies, where I've bought delicious cheese at a very reasonable price. I like that their advertising includes all types of people, couples and families.

I'm not crazy about the seemingly endless winding path that you have to follow through the store. I've always thought this would not be a good place to be in when an earthquake hits, a factor I sometimes think of when living in southern California. Although I've since learned you can shortcut some of it by finding the almost hidden doors. Mr. Nankie hates that almost all the furniture is made from particle board and not real wood. And he feels it is poor quality. Though we have had several pieces that have held up very well over the years.

But pros and cons notwithstanding, there is one thing I think every time I am there. I do wish they sold stock in their company! And I don't even buy stock, but I would make an exception for this. Because I have NEVER, I repeat NEVER been to that store that it is not bustling. And with such a wide range of customers - young (mostly), older (some), ALL ethnicities (at least in the Southern California one that I frequent), gay and straight couples - all are represented every time I go there. And the lines just keep on coming of people leaving with carts piled high with stuff.

Of course, getting it home and trying to put it together is another story.

One of my better parenting ideas.

In retrospect (now that my daughter is 23!) one of my better parenting moves was the play kitchen I made for her when she was about two years old. Inspired by some rolls of hot pink contact paper that I had purchased for a dollar at a yard sale, I stayed up until two am one night and fabricated a kitchen out of cardboard cartons, a dishpan (the sink), small paper plates (the stove burners), corrugated tubing (the faucet), some duct tape, and assorted other items from around the house (I spot some things I wouldn't have now, like the Nestle's Quik!)

It was nothing terribly fancy, definitely not like some of the more elaborate ones I've seen since. I figured she would use it for a little while and then we'd discard it or it would fall apart.

Well to my surprise, it became her very favorite setting for all kinds of imaginative play and lasted for many years! Visiting children were always drawn to it too. And once when we ate dinner at Benihana, we got home and she moved the whole thing and turned it around and stood behind it to make it her chef's station. (Which we thought was terribly clever, in the way parents do. Even when it's just normal childhood behavior. But actually, the way children learn and develop is pretty amazing when you stop to think about it. I wish I still learned that way.)

Eventually, after much use, it got quite bedraggled and she agreed it was time to give it up. But when Mr. Nankie started to hack away at it, she began to cry. So he stopped and we waited another six months and then deconstructed it while she was asleep. Shortly thereafter that same space became the site for the home of her beloved guinea pigs, so the pain was assuaged.

It still amazes me how something so simple captured her interest for so long.

My yoga practice

I have been doing yoga on and off (mostly off) for about 12 years. I started with a drop-in class on Saturday mornings at the beach. I enjoyed it (and because the beach was relatively empty at that hour there wasn't the "on display" factor). But eventually other activities intruded and the gaps between my attendance got longer and longer until I stopped. I started up again about two years ago, with a very low key class. Still I was dismayed to see how much harder some poses had become, ones that used to be easy. I sometimes wonder if it is actually helping or hurting the persistent low level lower back pain I have. But overall I like it and the small group of people in my class, so I continue.

My favorite pose remains final shavasana or dead man's pose where we end with extreme relaxation. (Disclaimer: that is not me in the photo above, my final shavasana does not look as good!) Am I a bad yogi because at this point I always find my mind wandering to what I am going to eat when I get out of class?

Letting kids do their thing....and gain confidence.

This made me happy - to see an activity for kids that had not been ruined by budget cuts or fear of liability. Today, on my walk to the beach, I saw kids getting a lesson in ocean kayaking. I am guessing it was this L.A. County Dept of Beaches and Harbors program. The kids seemed so excited! They looked to be about middle school age. What a great thing, especially for kids who don't get to the beach very often. I sure would have loved this break from the classroom when I was in school, but growing up in Queens, New York, this was definitely not an option.

I think kids benefit when they are entrusted to do "real" and challenging activities (under appropriate supervision of course).  Or perhaps even without proper supervision.

I remember letting my daughter use a chef's knife in the kitchen at a fairly young age and she was quite proud of herself because of it. I guess you have to know your child though, and I knew she was the type to take the responsibility seriously and not take frivolous risks. And of course, I instructed her in proper technique and supervised her at first.  (And now as an adult, she is a great cook!)

I tried to remind myself that there was a time when children were married by thirteen! Not that I'm advocating for that.

I'm not quite as cocky about most physical risks though. I recall being glad she didn't want to surf or skateboard. I'm too much of a worrier. Although I would have let her if she wanted to, but I would have worried. I still worry, even though she's grown up, when she takes a long drive up to the Bay area or is out in her car late at night! As I tell my pregnant patients who are worried....welcome to motherhood, the worrying never really ends, it just changes...at least if you are the worrying type.

I also recall letting her do the family food shopping alone, when she was about eleven maybe? I don't quite remember the age, but I remember her friend's mother being shocked. I guess everyone has to do what feels right to them. I drove her to the supermarket and gave her the list and I waited in the car while she shopped and then I went in when it was time to pay. It was a win/win as I got to relax and she was very proud of her accomplishment.

I think this kind of activity does more to bolster self-confidence then the empty awards that are sometimes given out at schools and camps.