Our older girl Sydney got some special treatment at UF’s Integrative Service today. In addition to utilizing the underwater treadmill, she got to spend some time in the hyperbaric chamber and take in a little bit more oxygen. We are hoping this will improve her overall well being as she enters the twilight of her life.

Thanks to her special friend and care taker, Wendy, for the picture.

Ciao.

The above illustrates the crap that vegan/vegetarian worshippers put out. Ornish is one of the worst. How does he live with himself?

Ciao.

I love the graph above. It illustrates why Americans are sick and obese.

The graph shows it in all its splendor. While people were reducing the amount of red meat, animal fat and dairy consumption – they were gorging on seed oils and refined carbohydrates. Seed oils (vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, etc.) are BAD. BAD. BAD. STOP EATING THEM!!!

Refined carbohydrates are BAD! Stop eating them!

Eating any of these crap foods should be the exception – not the rule.

The US Dietary Guidelines need to be flushed down the toilet. I have no faith that the next iteration will be any better. Too much money invested by big food, big pharma and our industrial health care system to maintain the status quo. Why? Because the status quo is very lucrative.

See the above image. This is what the big money fears. Virta Health has REVERSED diabetes in 60% of their study participants. This is UNHEARD of for T2D. Imagine pharmaceuticals losing a significant portion of their sales because people no longer need their medications? Fewer hospitalizations. Fewer exercise injuries because you don’t have to kill yourself to stay fit and healthy. Fewer bariatric type surgeries. Fewer visits to the doctor. Fewer limb amputations. Fewer heart attacks. You get the picture.

How did Virta do it? A very low carb real food diet. It’s not complicated.

Get with the program.

Ciao.

I usually just drink one cup of coffee a day. It’s a double shot latte but still just one cup.

I decided to quit caffeine cold turkey. Why, you ask? I thought it might help me to better manage my stress – my job has become much more stressful with the loss of one of my coworkers and our aging dogs are suffering from medical ailments one after another. I knew caffeine was a stimulant and affected the adrenal system. So, I thought, let’s stop consuming it and see what happens.

I decided to start on a Saturday so I had the whole weekend to detox. Friends, it took me an entire week to detox – and I’m a lucky one. I have read stories of people taking months and years to get over their addiction. And, yes, I call it addiction – because you’ve gotta be addicted to something to experience the withdrawal I did.

I had two main symptoms: headache and muscle pain.

The expected headaches started Sunday and actually weren’t really that bad. They were more like a background headache – nothing close to a migraine or anything like that – there was a tad bit of brain fog. After four days they were gone.

What really surprised me – because I hadn’t actually researched withdrawal symptoms at the time – were the muscle aches. On the Tuesday following, the aches started in the lower back and down the legs – and then the whole body got involved. I couldn’t sit still in my chair – at home or at work. I could not get comfortable in bed – constantly moving around – and waking up during the night. Who knew? I certainly didn’t. Then I actually did some research – and yep, muscle aches were accounted for.

How bad was withdrawal? Well, let’s just say that early Saturday – a week after commencing “Operation Cold Turkey” I was seriously considering having a cup of caffeinated coffee Sunday morning to stop the aches. Friends, a miracle happened and Saturday night was pain free! The muscle aches disappeared. I had a good night and needed no caffeinated coffee Sunday morning.

One week of detox for me. I consider myself fortunate that it only took a week. I do enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning but from now on will drink decaf. I do realize there are still trace amounts of caffeine in decaf but I think it’s an acceptable trade-off.

I realized after doing this just how insidious caffeine is if consumed on a regular basis. In the future I will consume caffeine but only infrequently. No more addiction to this stuff.

Ciao.