Take the quiz...

Take Dr. Oz's Heart Health Quiz. I only scored 14 out of 22.

June 28
Weight: 187
Calories Burned: 2624 - short of my goal of 3000 which is disappointing as I thought my power walks would make the difference.
Calories Consumed: 1473
Fat: 15%
Carbs: 60%
Protein: 25%

Renewing my vows...

Recent events and my own lack of discipline have allowed me to veer off course. Time to make adjustments. I have found that I am averaging about 2716 calories burned per day. I am going to kick it up a level and try to hit 3,000 calories per day. This will involve some power walks at lunch etc. I will also shoot at keeping my calories consumed to under 2,000 per day and my fat intake under 20%.

According to a story published in the WSJ (click to see video) Interval Training may be better for your heart than regular training. The story includes the usual disclaimer of contact your physician for approval but makes some interesting points nonetheless.

Kathryn made one of my favorite meals last night....pizza and beer. Actually I made the beer but the pizza was all hers. She made the dough with our bread machine and its so easy a husband can do it but it takes some time (not effort). It's a super low fat dough but it cooks nicely and you would never know that its low fat. Then she added non-fat ricotta cheese and some low fat mozzarella. We chopped up some tomatoes and red peppers to complete the masterpiece after adding some low fat pepperoni (only 35% calories from fat). We made a second pizza that but avoided almost all of the fat by excluding the mozzarella and pepperoni.

Kathryn's awesome homemade pizza

The slingshot...

On Friday I received some tragic news that affected the lives of two close friends of mine and changed my plans the last few days. I don't really want to discuss it but it was very stressful and caused me to miss workouts on Friday and Saturday. And then I ate poorly do to stress and situation...no doubt poor excuses.
Friday Calories Burned: 2,533
Saturday Calories Burned: 2,559
Sunday Calories Burned: 2,758 (worked out)

The lesson learned is that the BodyBugg is very sensitive to my activity level. I have averaged burning 2,716 calories per day and have worked out every day except last Friday and Saturday.

On Saturday I went to the Del Mar Fair and had some beers at the International Beer Fest. Afterwards I did the Slingshot (click the link for the video). The film is of me and my wife's cousin's wife. No drunks were hurt in the making of this video - thanks (sort of) to Josh Graybill. The video also illustrates my recent weight situation. Enjoy.

Bending and breathing...

Dr. Dean Ornish is considered the world's leading expert on reversing heart disease. After my heart attack my cardiologist recommended I read his book on the subject. He advocated many things I expected such as a low fat diet and exercise and quitting smoking (not that I smoke). But he also suggested doing yoga and breathing exercises. This seemed a bit silly to me but he makes a very good case about stress relief and how yoga and breathing has been proven to lower stress. Try it!


Downward Dog Your Way to a Better Mood is an article that shows some studies that suggest your mood can be enhanced by exercise and yoga. Don't judge it until you have tried it and according to one friend of mine the ratio of beautiful women to men is outstanding!

June 23
Weight: 186
Calories Burned: 2703
Calories Consumed: 2418
Protein: 23%
Carbs: 55%
Fat: 22%
Total Calorie Deficit: 11,602

Consistently counting...

June 22
Weight: 186
Calories Burned: 2608
Calories Consumed: 2108
Protein: 35%
Carbs: 44%
Fat: 21%
Total Calorie Deficit: 11,317

My heart attack was not how I envisioned a heart attack. I had been exercising and got dizzy and just decided to drive home. 1/3 of people die during their first heart attack so it really is critical to recognize the symptoms and quickly call 911. I didn't realize I was having a heart attack even though I have poor family medical history and that is fairly common. Most people think you have  pressure on your chest and that it is obvious. My experience was different. I was confused and out of breath but I wouldn't describe it as chest pain. I also didn't experience pain in the jaw which is common.

The American Heart Association has an article dealing with recognizing heart attacks called 911- Warning Signs of a Heart Attack. It's brief and worth a look. Check it out.

June 21
Weight: 186
Calories Burned: 2770
Calories Consumed: 1855
Protein: 17%
Carbs: 40%
Fat:43% - lots of unsaturated fat but this is way to high
Total Calorie Deficit: 10,817

Grillin & chillin...

Today is the first day of summer and in that spirit let's review some bar-b-que or more specifically burgers statistics.
Each of the following is for  a 1/4 pound patty:
Lamb - 240 calories - 23% fat - 9g sat fat
Chuck - 209 calories - 20% fat - 5g sat fat
Turkey - 193 calories - 13% fat - 3g sat fat
Bison (grass fed) 124 calories - 2.5g sat fat
Lean sirloin - 140 calories - 5% fat - 2g sat fat
Turkey breast - 91 calories - 1% fat - 0.5g sat fat
Soy crumbles - 90 calories - 0g sat fat

As for chillin...getting some exercise is always great but it's even better if you can get outside to get it. The picture below is at the top of Cowles Mtn (from last Friday). It's 3 mile RT hike with 900' of vertical. And the views are great!

June 20
Calories Consumed: 2109
Calories Burned: 2522
Protein: 22%
Carbs: 44%
Fat: 34%
Total Calorie Deficit: 9902

The perfect meal - tacos and beer

Mexican food is not often conducive to a healthy lifestyle but I love Mexican food so I have had to become creative. Fish tacos can be made healthy while remaining tasty. We get frozen tilapia from Costco and then cook it in a frying pan with water and seasoning (covered to keep it moist). Add finely chopped red peppers and/or cabbage. It will also need a special sauce. This can derail your low-fat ambitions so I use a mix of hot sauce and fat-free sourcream. Heat up some corn tortillas directly on a gas burner (no oil) and you have low fat fish tacos. Crack a brew (my personal home brew below) and the meal is complete. And the best news about beer is it's always fat free!

Total Calorie Deficit: 9489

June 17
Weight: 187lbs
Calories Consumed: 1204
Calories Burned: 2830
Protein: 29%
Carbs: 50%
Fat: 21%
Total Calorie Deficit: 8830

June 18
Weight: 186 lbs

Calories Consumed: 2547

Calories Burned: 3149

Protein: 21%

Carbs: 55%

Fat: 24%

Total Calorie Deficit: 9432

June 19

Weight: 186lbs

Calories Consumed: 2614

Calories Burned: 2671

Protein: 17%

Carbs: 59%

Fat: 24%

Healthiest nuts...

What are the healthiest nuts?
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Macadamias
Peanuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Walnuts

June 16
Weight: 188lbs
Calories Burned: 2646
Calories Consumed: 1696
Protein: 12%
Carbs: 58%
Fat: 30%
Total Calorie Deficit: 7204

And the winner is...with the highest quality and concentration of heart healthy antioxidents (nearly twice the other nuts) and also protein, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber...walnuts! But don't go crazy. You should limit consumption to about 7 walnuts per day.

Eating out can be hazardous...

I went to a conference yesterday on investing. Harry Markopoulous was the speaker. He is the man who attempted to turn in Bernie Madoff for the better of 10 years with no luck.  His story is amazing but ultimately it's one of perserverence. I think this is the case for heart health and weight control. It is a life long battle.

Markopoulous was very entertaining but the included lunch was probematic. They ran out of the vegetarian option and gave me some very tasty fried chicken with the usual fixings. This derailed me on my low fat day. But I must get back to perservering.

One way to perserver is to prepare food as often as possible. One of my favorite meals is quinoa (pronounced keen'wa). This is a seed that tastes like a grain. You cook it like rice but for far shorter (about 12 minutes). I like to add chopped tomatoes and parsley. You can add artichoke hearts but it will increase the fat content. Or you can add oil. Canola oil is a better choice than olive oil. Both are 100% fat but canola oil has about 40% less saturated fat though olive oil is also fairly low.

Quinoa is available in grocery stores but I get mine at Costco. It is suppose to be an outstanding food for diabetics as well. It has about 13% fat and contains much more protein than most grains. You can even make beer out of it!

June 15

Weight: 188lbs

Calories Burned: 2569

Calories Consumed: 2823

Protein: 15%

Carbs: 48%

Fat: 37%

Total Calorie Deficit: 6254

A little less embarrassing...

I guess I was just retaining water....sodium will do that to you. The scale was somewhat my friend. Internet at Regus has been slow all day so this post must be short as I have to be to the IBC meeting at 5. IBC is the Island Beerdrinkers Club and beer is fat free!

June 14
Weight: 187
Calories Burned: 2869
Calories Consumed: 1894
Protein: 19%
Carbs: 58%
Fat: 23%
Total Calorie Deficit: 6508

This is getting embarrassing...

One of my goals was to take off some weight during the month. I figured that I could shoot for 10lbs and if I fell short at maybe 7 or 8 lbs I would be fine. What I didn't plan on was gaining weight. My total calorie deficit is 5533 calories which means I should have lost about1.5lbs. Not really that impressive but since it's better than I am actually doing maybe I should rethink things. First it's possible my weight gain is the result of water retention as I have had a few beers the last couple of days. Or it's possible that I am not calculating the calories consumed correctly. ApexFitness, the website I use for the BodyBugg (calorie counter) says that most people underestimate their portions. I think this is possible but I have been trying to be pretty accurate and estimate on the high side. That being said I think it's time to redouble my efforts. I am going to try to get a bit more exercise by taking the stairs at my office and trying to walk a bit during the day. We'll see the results soon.

Last year shortly after my heart attack I was able to lose some weight. One of the strong motivators was a bet I placed with my wife's father. We decided that we needed to both get down to 180lbs in a certain time frame. We could both make weight and it would be a tie but if either or both of us failed we would have to pose in a speedo for the family calendar. To the disappointment of many ladies we both made weight. But perhaps I need to coax another bet with Dan...hmm...

June 13
Weight: 190lbs
Calories Burned: 2661
Calories Consumed: 2521
Protein: 25%
Carbs: 46%
Fat: 29%
Total Calorie Deficit: 5533

Heart stopper: Is salt really bad for you?

Salt has been linked to high blood pressure (hypertension) which increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. In an effort to keep rising hypertension rates in check, the federal government recently released a dietary guidelines recommending that healthy people limit salt intake to about 2300 milligrams (mg)per day. For people with heart disease or diabetes or over 51 they suggest limiting intake to 1500 mg. Bread, processed foods and ready-made meals and sauces are among foods that contain the highest sodium levels. Look at food labels. Beware if an item is over 300mgs per serving.

June 11
Weight: 188
Calories consumed: 2218
Calories burned: 2852
Protein: 20%
Carbs: 62%
Fat: 18%
Total Calorie Deficit: 5650

June 12
Weight: 188
Calories consumed: 2975
Calories burned: 2718
Protein: 30%
Carbs: 46%
Fat: 24%
Total Calorie Deficit: 5393

Low fat banana bread that is actually good

I have tried a number of low fat recipes and many are pretty bad. One that Kathryn found that is quite tasty and relatively easy is the following banana bread recipe:

Only 14% of calories are from fat (assuming you don't butter it afterwards)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light butter, softened
1 2/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
1/4 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites; beat well.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Add flour mixture to banana mixture, beating until blended.
4. Spoon batter into baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 45. Test with wooden tooth pick (it should come out clean). Cool completely.

June 10
Weight: 188
Calories burned: 2637
Calories consumed: 1977
Deficit: 660
Protein: 16%
Carbs: 67%
Fat: 17%
Total Calorie Deficit: 5016

Dr. Diggs says...

Cholesterol is a waxy fat that is carried in the blood. It is produced by the body and removed by the liver. Additional cholesterol comes from foods we ingest. It is essential for some bodily functions but most Americans have far more cholesterol than is needed. Excess cholesterol is a huge risk factor for heart disease.

My cardiologist explained diet to me in a way that made a lot of sense. He said humans were designed to eat grains, vegetables and fruits, and the occassional fish or meat (perhaps once a week). Modern humans die primarily from heart attacks, strokes, or cancer. There are 4 major cancers we die from: breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. Women don't need to worry about prostate cancer and men don't need to worry about breast cancer. I don't smoke so lung cancer is pretty unlikely. For me I need to get checked regularly for colon cancer and prostate cancer. Both cancers are manageable if they are caught early. Colon cancer is highly correlated with diet. If you eat food with more fiber your risk goes down. Follow the diet mentioned above and the risk of colon cancer is low. In fact, for most of human history the diet mention above is how people ate and it is how many people in developing nations eat today. And they don't die of heart disease. The irony of wealth is that it leads to poor diet which leads to heart disease and obesity.

June 9
Weight: 188
Calories consumed: 1900
Calories burned: 2546
Fat: 17%
Protein: 23%
Carbs: 60%
Total Calorie Deficit: 4356

The fairer sex

Did you know that the leading killer of women is Cardiovascular Disease? It kills 1/3 of all women which is more than breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer kill combined. Women also tend to have more mild warning signs. People have asked me what having a heart attack is like. Well I didn't realize I was having one. I did feel some shortness of breath but I nearly went home where I would have gone to bed and hoped I felt better later. This would have been the worst thing I could have done. Heart attacks damage your heart tissue and the longer a blockage occurs the more permanent damage is done. When in doubt call 911.

Below is a link to an article on the warning signs of a heart attack for women.
http://www.realage.com/check-your-health/womens-health/hidden-heart-attack-signs-in-women

June 8
Weight: 188lbs
Calories consumed: 1736
Calories burned: 2657
Protein: 19%
Carbs: 66%
Fat: 15%
Total Calorie Deficit: 3710

Let's start cooking...

Eating a low fat diet requires going out to lunch or dinner less often. This means I have to prepare food in advance and since I don't have lots of extra time I find that means cooking ends up meaning nuking. I have found some pretty low fat tasty foods at Costco. The two items below are a couple of my favorites. The soufle is made with egg whites (no cholesterol) and is surprisingly tasty and easy to make. It has 140 calories and only 5 calories from fat. The burrito is 260 calories and 10 calories from fat.

I also like to prepare some foods from scratch at home. Since I am no chef it needs to be easy to make. I have found that I can make some delicious meals by buying some vegetables and chopping them up and throwing them in a crockpot with some spices. Add some pasta and you have a meal that cooks while you are at work.

June 7th

Weight: 189

Calories consumed: 1599

Calories burned: 2784

Protein: 22%

Carbs: 56%

Fat: 22%

Total Deficit: 2789

An apple a day and you still have to see the doctor

I dread all blood tests. For some reason no one has figured out how to do a cholesterol test without a needle. I had a routine doctor's appt. yesterday and had to go to the labs to have tests taken. Before my heart attack I had cholesterol of 260. Given my family history I knew I needed to lower it...and I did. They ran a test while I was in the hospital from my heart attack and I had lowered it to 214, a significant improvement but ultimately too little and too late. I am on Lipitor and that stuff works like magic. My cholesterol is as follows:
129 total
43 hdl
58 ldl
140 triglycerides

My cardiologist thinks Lipitor is a miracle drug and the more you take the better. I am on the max allowed dosage, 80 mg. When I asked why I was not on a higher dosage he told me that they had not run clinical trials on higher dosages and that appeared to be the only reason. He also explained that Lipitor makes the arteries slippery which in his opinion is more important than lowering cholesterol levels. When is the last time you had a cholesterol test? The LDL is the bad stuff and Lipitor really lowers it.

I got my body bugg working properly now so my actual calorie burn from June 5th was 2914 calories. I am hitting the ellipitical trainer for at least 30 minutes and trying to take the stairs whenever possible.
Monday June 6
Weight: 189 (still)
Calories consumed: 2018
Calories burned: 2808
Protein: 15%
Carbs: 73%
Fat: 12%
Total calorie deficit: 1604

And so it begins...

Sunday was the beginning of my lent and I christened it with a drive out to Anza Borrego with Kathryn. We did the Palm Canyon hike out to the oasis which is impressive in itself however the hike out ended up being far more interesting. As we turned a bend about a quarter mile in we surprised 4 male big horn sheep. They eye-balled us a bit suspiciously and then commenced with some head butts. Pretty awesome sight and sounds. I even have the photos to prove it if I can figure out how to post them.

A goal I have during this lent is to exercise everyday and to lose a few pounds. It is always easy to come up with excuses to take a day off or to eat something I shouldn't but I know I need to take this seriously. No excuses! My other goal is to see if I can keep my fat intake under 20% which should be harder than it sounds. Dr. Dean Ornish, a renowned heart specialist, believes that heart disease can be reversed following a strict dietary plan which limits fat intake to under 10%. He emphasizes avoiding saturated fats. The RDA is to keep fat intake under 30%. I think the average American takes in about 40% of calories from fat.

It takes 3500 calories to lose a pound. In order to lose 10 pounds this month I need to create a calorie deficit of about 35,000 calories. This works out to about 1200 calories per day. I use a body bugg to measure the calories I burn (http://www.bodybugg.com/). I also log the calories I eat.

Sunday June 5
Weight: 189lbs
Calories burned: 1813 (this seems to low so it may need some tweaking)
Calories consumed: 2100

Protien: 16%

Carbs: 65%

Fat: 19%

I am posting my results from June 5th but today is actually June 6th. This is relevant because this is the 19th anniversary of my mom's death from a heart attack. She died at 56 - far too young.

Gearing up...

Sunday is the start, the anniversary of it all. I am getting set to embark on 30 days of absolute heart health. My plan is to eat well, exercise, avoid stress, and take my medicine (currently on Lipitor and an aspirin regime) and hopefully lose some weight just in time for the beach weather! I plan to be completely strict and go back to slightly less healthy lifestyle beginning July 4th. If this is successful I will try to do this year after year.

I am going to monitor the amount of calories I burn using a Body Bugg. I will also monitor the calories I consume using the Apex website and my handy dandy home food scale. I'll let you know how it's actually going including my weight. I should have some diet & recipe tips and some facts & references for you on heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America with over 25% of all deaths. I hope this blog inspires you to take action. I thought I had a few more years to get healthy but it turns out it's never to early to get started. What are you waiting for?
http://www.howtolivealongerlife.com/2009/07/leading-causes-of-death-in-us.html