The LILI Letter — May 2022

Let me apologize for sending the May LILI out so late. I had a good excuse.
Jennifer

May,

Spring has sprung, and Mother Nature puts on quite a show in May. Warmer temperatures are the norm, gardens are planted, school is out and it’s time to enjoy life! It is good to remember the light and darkness in life this month with new life bursting forth and establishing itself, and remembering those who gave their all. Mother’s Day and Memorial Day are bookends to the beginnings and endings of our lives, so to speak.

In good health,

Jennifer James

Success Story

I was treated to lunch by a good friend last week, and bemoaned my lack of a “Success Story” for this month’s newsletter. She told me to write about my situation this past month. I really don’t like writing about myself, but because I was fresh out of other ideas, I reluctantly agreed.

I failed to catch a softball 28 years ago and it damaged the top of my left foot. Bone spurs have been removed twice, and the last visit to the foot doc confirmed what I was dreading. I needed surgery — just a joint fusion with a plate and six screws. I could struggle along with the pain but decided to go for it. I am now five weeks out and even walking on my foot a bit. Yay!

I stayed with my dear father of 90 years for the first ten days. He drove me to several doctor’s appointments and was available if I fell or needed anything. I brought food to his house, fixed simple meals for myself (he doesn’t cook) and showered. My sister helped with groceries, my cousin sent magazines to read, and my boyfriend helped with errands, moving my stuff back to my home, installing a shower head and other odd jobs. My doctor did a beautiful job with the surgery, his staff have been so helpful, my boss lent me crutches and an audiobook, coworkers have checked on me and offered their assistance, and other friends and family continue to check up on me. I do as much as I can myself, such as buying groceries and cooking, but…this has been difficult. What choice did I have? I needed the surgery.

The whole point is this. Yes, I did as much as I could on my own. But, I needed help with some things, and people were very willing to step up.

I could not have done this alone. I think we should do as much as we can ourselves, but when we need help, it is quite alright to ASK.

Do you really know…almonds?

Almonds are actually not a nut, but a drupe. They are in the same botanical family as cherries, peaches, and apricots. Almonds were cultivated in Iran and the Levant 6000 years ago. They are referred to in the Bible and even found in the tomb of King Tut. California is the world’s largest producer of almonds, which were brought in by Franciscan monks in the 1700’s. Almonds are full of fiber, healthy monounsaturated oil, vitamin E and minerals. Try the simple recipe below.

In defense of “carbs”

“Empires were built on porridge” I read the other day. Porridge. Really? You bet. Nearly every culture on this planet has a grain or a variety of grains that are an integral part of their diet. Think rice in Asia, rye bread in Scandinavia, oats in Scotland, pasta in Italy, corn in Mexico and potatoes in South America. Carbohydrates are the building blocks of grains. Fruit too, for that matter.

Carbohydrate is a major fuel source for life on Earth. Plants take the sun’s energy and convert it into sugars, a process called photosynthesis. These sugars are a readily available fuel source (glucose), stored energy (starch and glycogen) and provide structure for plants (cellulose).  Phytoplankton are the base of the ocean’s food chain, creating sugars from sunlight and most of the oxygen we breathe on planet earth.

“Carbs” in the minds of dieters, are sugary foods, starches, and grains. For the all-out quest to lose weight, we bypass “carbs” and entire food groups (grains especially) are eliminated. When we drastically cut “carbs”, our liver and muscle stores of glycogen (sugar) are depleted. Glycogen is stored with water, so when glycogen is burned for energy, we excrete water, and voila! We lose weight.

I traveled to Scandinavia four years ago and noticed very few obese people. And guess what? They ate potatoes, fruit, rye bread and even dessert. What gives? The portions were small, many rode their bicycles to work, and they ate more whole foods. There was even a salad bar in a 7-11 store in the Stockholm train station.

The take-home message: whole, minimally processed grains and whole fruit can be, and should be part of a healthy diet, even for weight loss. Highly processed foods, such as candy, sodas, cookies, salty snacks, and so on, are the real enemy here, not “carbs”. Without carbohydrates, life as we know it would cease to exist on Planet Earth.

Testosterone and diet

I honestly never thought I would write about testosterone, but there is some interesting research that caught this dietitian’s attention. Testosterone increases muscle mass, increases energy, sharpens mental focus and memory, increases the production or red blood cells, builds a stronger skeleton, improves mood, and of course, boosts libido.

Low testosterone levels in men are more common than one might think. I had never thought that diet would affect this, but…it might. A review of 27 studies with a total of 309 young men found some interesting results. Eating a high-protein, (>/= 35% of total calories), low carbohydrate diet.

So what does this mean? It means it is an interesting finding in a small group of men. Obviously more research is needed, but it tells me that our bodies function better with moderate, and not extreme approaches. Stay tuned.

Whittaker, J. and Harris, M. (2022, March 7). Low-carbohydrate diets and men’s cortisol and testosterone: Systematic review and meta-anaylsis. Nutrition and Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/02601060221083079

Giving and receiving

I have been in situations where I wanted to give something to someone, be it money, a gift, or assistance in some way. If these offers were rebuffed I felt frustrated, because the person would have benefitted from my kindness. We both lost. The person I want to help misses out, and I am robbed of a chance to do a good deed. I have been on the other side of this where I have turned away someone else’s offer. Again, we both lost.

Why do we behave this way? Is it stubborn pride? The need not to appear weak or helpless? This warped intention to do everything ourselves and not depend on anyone? If Ukraine rebuffed all the help offered from other countries, although they clearly needed the assistance, what then?

We are all connected to each other on many levels. Life is much richer when we can freely give to and receive from others. So, let’s get over ourselves and be more open to helping each other out, and especially accepting that help. It’s the right thing to do.

Toasted almonds

I am falling down on the job this month with the recipe section, but it was the best I could do given my circumstances.

This is my favorite way to eat almonds, with no salt!

• 1 ounce of raw, unsalted almonds (~25)
• Small glass dish, such as a custard dish or ramekin

Place almonds in the dish and microwave on high for 45-60 seconds. Stir the almonds and repeat. You should hear popping (like popcorn). Be careful not to overcook. Cool before devouring.

Calories ~175

LILI support groups resume!

Mondays, 2-3 pm, resuming May 9^th
Heart Center Conference Room
Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 pm, resuming May 10^th
Via Webex or in person, Heart Center Conference Room

The support groups are free to graduates of LILI classes.

**We will not meet Memorial Day, May 30 **

Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many
to so few.

Winston Churchill