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Thursday, 21 April 2016

Princess Health and Want to avoid prostate cancer? Evidence suggests that one thing you could do, if you're a smoker, is to stop smoking. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Want to avoid prostate cancer? Evidence suggests that one thing you could do, if you're a smoker, is to stop smoking. Princessiccia

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As fewer men are smoking, fewer are dying from prostate cancer, and the trends appear to be related, especially in Kentucky.

"From 1999 through 2010, decreasing prostate cancer mortality rates were consistent with a reduction in cigarette smoking at the population level," says the report, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

The study looked at four states: Kentucky, with the highest smoking rate (24.8 percent), Utah, with the lowest rate (9.1 percent), and Maryland (15.2 percent) and California (12.1 percent), with average rates.

Researchers found that in Kentucky and Maryland, smoking rates declined by 3 percent and prostate cancer deaths declined by 3.5 percent annually. Among black men in Kentucky, there was little change in the smoking rate or the prostate-cancer death rate.

In California and Utah, smoking declined by 3.5 percent annually, and prostate cancer deaths declined by 2.5 percent and 2.1 percent respectively each year.

The report says current cigarette smoking, rather than past or cumulative smoking, is a risk factor for prostate cancer development, progression, recurrence and death. The U.S. surgeon general named smoking as a cause of prostate cancer in 2014.

Men were classified as current smokers if they reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and continued to smoke at least occasionally.

The researchers note that these findings do not prove causation, only that the two time trends were similar. They also noted that further studies should be done to include more states.

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Princess Health and April 20th, 2016 Fair Warning. Princessiccia

Princess Health and April 20th, 2016 Fair Warning. Princessiccia

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April 20th, 2016 Fair Warning

I'm opting for a rerun tonight. But not just any rerun, this one is a personal favorite--probably in the top 10 of all 1500+ blog pages you'll find published here on the DDWL.

One of the things I discovered along the many "failed" weight loss attempts in my past, was how much my own personal beliefs about myself played into the unraveling of whatever brief consistency I could muster. I didn't believe I could accomplish my dreams of successful weight loss. Further, and on a broader scale, I told myself things about me that, number one--weren't true, and number two--I believed them anyway--and number three, I allowed them to become the chains keeping me at over 500 pounds for so many years.

I put "failed" in quotations, because I no longer look at all of those past weight loss attempts in that way. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was learning valuable things in each attempt. Even my relapse/regain period was a blessing in disguise. It didn't mean I was a failure, it simply meant I had some more things to learn. And by the way--that learning, never stops. If I ever proclaim to be finished learning along this road, I'll be finished, alright, but not in a good way.

So here we go--fair warning--the following is pretty heavy stuff (no pun intended). It was written on this blog over six years ago, in August of 2009:

The Emotion Ocean and The Mix Tape of Our Mind

Since crossing the 200 pounds lost milestone on Wednesday, I've talked about the major elements of my success. It's been an amazing journey so far. But in talking with a struggling friend today, I realized something. I realized that talking about the mental changes being 80% of this battle, and talking about all of the little and big psychological gymnastics I've done to stay consistent, well, it just doesn't go deep enough. So take a big breath and let's go diving into the deep waters of our emotion ocean.

Is your past in complete command of your future? Have you given it control of your life? What are you afraid of? What is your biggest fear? Whatever your answer to the last question is, that's what's holding you back. 

I've always had a fear of not living up to my potential. Never following through. Never becoming what my teachers, family, co-workers, coaches, and comedy colleagues just knew I could be. 

Potential. 

Do I fear my potential? Or do I fear not living up to that potential that everyone is so certain I hold within? I've never had a problem convincing people to believe in me, but I've had a devil of a time convincing me to believe in myself. 

It's like I've had a mix tape playing over and over in my head for so many years. That mix tape would say horrible things to me, and it made me believe them. You'll never live up to your potential. You'll always be fat and ugly. You'll never realize any professional success in broadcasting beyond a small market level. You'll pass your horrible behaviors with food onto your children. You're worthless and not worthy of success. Who do you really think you are? You're just a poor kid from the projects that will never amount to anything special. And you're stupid, an uneducated buffoon just faking his way through life, trying to convince everyone that you really have a clue. 

What does the mix tape in your brain say everyday to you? 

I guess what I've done is this: I've hit the eject button on that old mix tape. Then, I destroyed it. It will never play in my mind again. Never. I've made a new mix tape. 

What I hear in my head everyday now is this: You will exceed your potential in ways you can't even fathom at this point. You will be healthy, thin, and handsome. Your success in broadcasting, motivational/inspirational speaking, and anything you decide you want to do is only limited by your imagination. Your example and guidance for your family is exemplary. Your worth is immeasurable and success is yours for the taking, go ahead, you deserve it. You are a man of integrity with amazing abilities of communication. You're a kid that was raised through humble beginnings completely surrounded by love and acceptance. You're a self-educated intelligent human being who doesn't have to convince anyone of anything. 

Big difference, huh? 

What we tell ourselves everyday is what we become. It's true my friend. So why after a lifetime of fighting obesity am I breaking free so wonderfully now? 

Because I destroyed that old tape and replaced it with something worth listening to. How do you make a new mix tape for your brain? 

Write it out, memorize it, burn it into your brain, and most importantly...Believe it. Maybe it's too much to replace everything all at once. Replace one at a time...transform how you think about yourself at whatever pace you're comfortable. This is what Mr. Ralph Marston is speaking of when he talks about no outside force holding you back. You're holding you back.

Your old mix tape was made over time. It is the product of your past. And if you continue allowing the past to determine your future, then you'll always get the same result. Don't allow your past to own you, OWN IT. Put it in its place. Let the past know that its effects on your future are over right now. 

Don't try to completely forget about the past. A good friend of mine told me, very recently in fact, that you can't amputate your past and walk freely into the future. Your past is your story. It's made you who you are today, good or bad. But you can immediately decide that it will no longer control your future in a negative way. And someday, that complete story that is you can and will shine as a light of hope to others. Letting them know that anything is possible, anything at all.

I honestly didn't know what I was doing when I started. But I was doing these things, accidentally stumbling upon epiphanies that would prove to be life changing for me. It wasn't until recently that a couple of good friends clarified exactly what I've done by sharing �the mix tape� analogy. Something else that they shared was something I've done without realizing for the last 327 days: I've been �acting as if...�

I've acted as if I was a normal responsible eating individual. I've acted as if I was someone who cared about exercising. I've acted as if I was someone that could share my story and help others along the way. 

Three very powerful words: �Acting as if.� Why are they so powerful? Because you become whatever you put into your brain. When you're �acting as if,� you're training your brain to accept and transform to what you desire to become. And you will.

So now you know where my resolve comes from. Now you know why my consistency level is unwavering. Now you know why I'm so passionate about sharing my story, my triumphs, and my struggles. Is it perfect? No. I've said that many times along this road. It doesn't have to be perfect. Striving for perfection is the quickest detour to disappointment. But if we continue with a positive consistent effort, and we change the way we think about ourselves...then our success is practically guaranteed, my friend. You will not be able to stop it from happening. And don't be afraid of success. Go ahead, you deserve it. And the great thing about weight loss success? It happens slowly over time, allowing you to adjust and get use to the new you. You're going to absolutely love it.

Okay--back to good ole 2016...

Um, yeah-- that. I was doing my best to be a Dr. Phil, Richard Simmons and Tony Robbins all rolled up into one.

Even still, it resonates with me in a powerful way. In the more than six years since that was written, I've learned so much more--and many of these things have reinforced the very real power behind the thoughts we nurture each day. And really, that was the point of the whole thing. We truly can effect how this all turns out by changing our personal perspective--changing what we believe about ourselves and shifting our vision toward what we desire instead of expectations built from the experiences of our past. 

There are some things about this post that I've rethought in a better way. For instance--I may have been "acting as if I was a normal, responsible eating individual," but I now know, I was trying very hard to assume a "common" normal I perceived everyone desired. I hadn't discovered and embraced "my normal" at the time that was written. The "my normal" perspective has developed over the course of this turnaround from regain. You can read more about the "My Normal" perspective in this blog post titled "Finding Our Normal" --from October 21st, 2014: http://losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com/2014/10/october-21st-2014-finding-our-normal.html

I'm letting the Tweets tell the tale of today...

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:














































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Princess Health and April 19th, 2016 Worth The Investment. Princessiccia

Princess Health and April 19th, 2016 Worth The Investment. Princessiccia

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April 19th, 2016 Worth The Investment

If you know me well, you know I've never really used recipes. I tend to wing it in the kitchen. As much as this seems to work for me most of the time, it also tends to limit my selection. If you've ever thought, "Hmmm...Sean seems to eat the same things all the time," as if my favorites are on a limited rotation of some kind, I've got a surprise for you this time!

My food selection isn't bad at all--I do know what I like, and I don't eat anything I don't, but I'm also open to learning new things. Meeting Joy Bauer and learning more about what she does, inspired me to open up and try some things.

The first recipe I tried from Joy's latest book, From Junk Food To Joy Food, was Barbecue "Ribs." I chose this one for a reason.

Several years ago, after learning of the BBQ Rib menu at a special function I was set to attend, I did my calorie counting research and was absolutely appalled at what I found. One single rib, depending on size, could be anywhere from 250 calories to 450 or more---for one rib!! 

It didn't fit into my calorie budget at all. So I declined the ribs on that occasion. And on every other occasion since...

Because it was that night, on my blog--over six years ago, I declared ribs off limits simply based on calorie value. Spending my calories like cash each day from my Calorie Bank & Trust, requires me to make "investment decisions." And I concluded there would never be a circumstance worth the investment required for BBQ Ribs.

Until now.

In the book, Joy wrote, "I totally rethought ribs." And now, I have too!!

I couldn't find a sugar free BBQ Sauce, so I made my own.--and following Joy's recipe for the ribs, the double serving (8oz) checked in at a very manageable 389 calories. The entire plate--with fresh cut and baked sweet potato fries and a mini ear of corn, was 637 calories (see the Tweet below)

I'm impressed.  

Incredibly delicious--with all the taste of meaty-dripping with sauce, ribs. It was plenty of food (more than enough, actually)--and a great calorie value!

To make the sugar free BBQ Sauce, I used a 16oz can of tomato sauce, 50g minced yellow onion, a fresh garlic clove-minced, 8 tblspns sugar free Polaner-All Fruit Peach spread, a teaspoon of chili powder, a teaspoon of paprika, salt, pepper and 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.

I used the olive oil in a pan for the onions and garlic--mixed it in with everything else and simmered it for awhile... my goodness, it was perfect--it was sugar free bbq sauce!!

I added all ingredients into a recipe in MyFitnessPal--then poured into small individual serving containers--I took the total calorie count and divided by the number of small cups... 6 servings, 86 calories each. I used 1.5 for tonight's dinner.

Today was really good. I honored my plan by maintaining the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I exceeded my daily water goal by 16oz and I had a great workout at the gym.

And I added another fantastic food item to my list of favorites!

I was planning to write a completely different post tonight--all about experiences with the mental and emotional side of weight loss--but I'll wait another night. Tonight was all about ribs!

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:


















































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Princess Health and FDA launches its first advertising campaign aimed at rural youth about the dangers of smokeless tobacco. Princessiccia

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today launched a campaign on the dangers of smokeless tobacco among rural teens. FDA is expanding its �The Real Cost� campaign "to educate rural, white male teenagers about the negative health consequences associated with smokeless tobacco use," it says. "For the first time, messages on the dangers of smokeless tobacco use�including nicotine addiction, gum disease, tooth loss, and multiple kinds of cancer�are being highlighted through the placement of advertisements in 35 U.S. markets specifically selected to reach the campaign�s target audience."
FDA�s Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study found that 31.84 percent of rural, white males ages 12 to 17�629,000 total youths�either experiment with smokeless tobacco or are at-risk, says FDA. "According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, each day in the U.S. nearly 1,000 males under the age of 18 use smokeless tobacco for the first time�almost as many male teenagers who smoke their first cigarette�making early intervention critical and highlighting a need for targeted youth smokeless tobacco prevention."

The campaign will be conducted through advertisements on television, radio, print, public signs, billboards, the internet and social media, says FDA. The agency is also partnering with Minor League Baseball teams, with stadiums promoting tobacco-free lifestyles "by displaying campaign advertising and providing opportunities for fans to meet and interact with players who support the campaign�s public health messages." (Read more)

Here's a link to the campaign�s bites and B-roll package; the ads are also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgf1d4CujVYYl8IZmTz5hedERt3f19hED

Monday, 18 April 2016

Princess Health and April 18th, 2016 Like A Pinball Machine: Sugar & Me. Princessiccia

Princess Health and April 18th, 2016 Like A Pinball Machine: Sugar & Me. Princessiccia

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April 18th, 2016 Like A Pinball Machine: Sugar & Me

I've received several questions since the Today Show appearance about my abstinence from refined sugar. I found a question from a reader and my reply in the archives. So instead of rewriting the same information, I'm republishing the excerpt. By the way, did you know the archives are searchable? Enter your search words in the upper left hand corner of the web version--and hit enter!

I've updated and added to my reply in the following excerpt--

Question from a loyal reader:
"As always your food looks nurturing, delicious, healthy. Ok so with that being said never a glass of wine or a piece of birthday cake? I know you have said would people say these things to an alcoholic trying to abstain.? I gave that some thought and with an alcoholic you can never have it again. But food you have to have it daily. I know it's all about the sugar for you. You do not feel there's ever a time when you can indulge? I don't ask any of this from a judgmental mindset but rather a curious one."

Reply:
Your question is a very natural one! I didn't eat a piece or even a bite of my daughter's wedding cake!

And it was still one of the most wonderful and memorable days of my life.

There is a common misunderstanding about food addiction when compared to other addictions. It's not necessarily all foods. It's specific substances within the foods we eat. For me, it's sugar. For some, abstaining from flour, sugar and even grains, or a combination of those, is what helps them.

I've never had a binge on carrots.

So the common phrase, "it's different with food addiction because you have to eat," really doesn't apply 100%. Yes, there is another side when we start talking about emotional and stress eating...but if we're talking about the bio-chemical/addictive reactions and subsequent behaviors, for me, it's sugar.

And knowing this about myself is wonderful information to possess. I still get to eat well. I still enjoy my food. I get a bunch of naturally occurring sugars in my daily nutrition--so I still have sweetness... I just can't do refined/added sugar.

Because when I do, it sets my brain off like a pinball machine--and suddenly I don't want to stop.
And as I successfully abstain, I enjoy a peace and calm--like the binge switch is turned off... I feel a calmness I didn't have before and in that, I'm able to navigate my choices without too much instability.

I was very apprehensive about trying this. But now, 719 days into it--I wouldn't trade this feeling for all the cake in the world. And that's what it would be.

If I choose to eat cake or consume refined sugar in whatever form--It would require me to sacrifice my peace and calm. And that's too important for me to give up.

Before I committed to cutting out refined/added sugar, 100%, I talked with people who had what I wanted: Long term weight loss maintenance. Each one had maintained their weight loss successfully for years--we're talking, 27 years, 22 years, 11 years, 5 years and 4 years. Their individual food plans varied to a degree. Their lifestyle varied as well. Different people, different worlds--except there was one common denominator: Abstinence from refined sugar.

I had to give this a shot. 

The amazing thing that happened for me was, once I gave it an honest try for ten days or so---I was completely convinced of the benefits. To this day it is without a doubt the single most important nutritional decision and recovery decision I've ever made.

With all of that written-- not everyone responds to sugar the same way. Some people can eat a piece of cake occasionally and they're fine. They're NOT immediately off the rails for days, weeks, months--or who knows how long? They don't have to white knuckle it, trying to reign it in for some semblance of control.  

It's like me and alcohol. I can totally have an alcoholic drink if I want-- it doesn't affect me in the slightest, beyond whatever buzz it might create in the moment--- but friends of mine who are in recovery and hold their sobriety in the highest regard--they dare not do what I can do with alcohol...because they know, it would devastate their lives...and so they cling tight to their elements of recovery; their daily disciplines, because letting go would mean sacrificing the peace, calm, freedom and stability their sobriety provides.

When this level of importance is placed on something-- a sacred level--it becomes a very transformative experience-- mentally, spiritually and emotionally---and in the case of sugar and me, the peaceful and calm balance my abstinence provides, creates a more stable foundation for consistent weight loss--and now, weight maintenance.

I hope that helps!

 photo FullSizeRender 5_zpsbi6y104d.jpg
Hoda, Kathie Lee, Joy and me--looking at thirteen cups of refined sugar, the estimated amount I consumed each week as I maintained a 500 pound-plus body weight for nearly two decades.

If you think sugar might be a substance triggering addictive food behaviors in you, there's a list of questions to ask yourself at www.foodaddiction.com. Also--giving it (abstinence from sugar) an honest try for ten to fourteen days might be all the convincing you need! It was all I needed.
------------------------------

Today was Italian day. I had veggie pizza for lunch and pasta with mini meatballs and sugar free all-natural marinara for dinner! See the Tweets below.

Today was super busy at the studio. My show went well--production time was heavily involved--and I worked hard to leave on time, and did. I made it home in time for a good lunch, a nap, a fantastic Monday night support group conference call, an amazing dinner and a wonderful workout.

Today was truly a gift. I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I hit my water goal and I worked out-- Oh, and I published this blog page. 

I'll go for another day like today, tomorrow!

Goodnight!

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:








































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Princess Health and Women in small-town America aren't living as long as before; alcohol, drugs, food, housing, jobs, education, pollution to blame. Princessiccia

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By Trudy Lieberman
Rural Health News Service

Those of us who grew up in small rural communities in the 1950s and '60s expected to have longer life spans than our parents.

The trends were in our favor. White women born in 1900 could expect to live, on average, just shy of 49 years; white men 46.6 years. Those were our grandparents and our neighbors. By 1950, life expectancy had climbed to 72 years for white women born that year and 66.5 for white men. By 2000, life expectancy was still increasing, with female babies expected to live to nearly 80 and males to almost 75.

America was on the rise, jobs were plentiful, antibiotics kept us from dying of strep throat, and polio vaccine kept us out of the iron lung. We thought things would only keep getting better. So I was dismayed to read a story in The Washington Post in April that blew holes in those childhood expectations.

The Post found �white women have been dying prematurely at higher rates since the turn of this century, passing away in their 30s, 40s, and 50s in a slow-motion crisis driven by decaying health in small town-America.�

That �small town America� was where I grew up. I contrasted the Post�s findings to the claims made by all those politicians who have told us we have the best health care in the world and who point to gobs of money lavished on the National Institutes of Health to find new cures and to hospitals promoting their latest imaging machines.

The Post found that since 2000, the health of all white women has declined, but the trend is most pronounced in rural areas. In 2000, for every 100,000 women in their late 40s living in rural areas, 228 died. Today it�s 296.

If the U.S. really has the best healthcare, why are women dying in their prime, reversing the gains we�ve made since I was a kid? After all, mortality rates are a key measure of the health of a nation�s population.

Post reporters found, however, that those dismal stats probably have less to do with health care � which we like to define today as the latest and greatest technology and insurance coverage albeit with high deductibles � and more to do with what health experts call �the social determinants of health,� such basics as food, housing, employment, air quality, and education.

Landmark studies examining the health of British civil servants who all had access to health insurance under Britain�s National Health Service have found over the years that those at the lowest job levels had worse health outcomes. Some of those outcomes were related to things like work climate and social influences outside work like stress and job uncertainty.

In its analysis, the Post found that the benefits of health interventions that increase longevity, things like taking drugs to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, are being overwhelmed by increased opioid use, heavy drinking, smoking and obesity.

Some researchers have speculated that such destructive health behaviors may stem from people�s struggles to find jobs in small communities and the �dashed expectations� hypothesis. White people today are more pessimistic about their opportunities to advance in life than their parents and grandparents were. They are also more pessimistic than their black and Hispanic contemporaries.

A 42-year-old Bakersfield, California, woman who was addicted to painkillers for a decade explained it this way: �This can be a very stifling place. It�s culturally barren,� she said. There is no place where children can go and see what it�s like to be somewhere else, to be someone else. At first, the drugs are an escape from your problems, from this place, and then you�re trapped,� she told Post reporters.

I recently heard U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy talk about his upcoming report on substance use. About 2.2 million people need help, he said, but only about one million are actually getting it. Murthy wants his report to have consequences as far reaching as the 1964 surgeon general�s report linking tobacco use to lung cancer. In 1964, Murthy noted, 42 percent of Americans smoked; today fewer than 17 percent do.

The Post story concludes that the lethal habits responsible for increasing mortality rates are cresting in small cities where the biggest manufacturer has moved overseas or in families broken by divorce or substance abuse or in the mind and body of someone doing poorly and just barely hanging on.

The Surgeon General has taken on an enormous task, but his efforts just might help the nation move its life expectancy trends back in the right direction.

What do you think is causing poor health in your community? Write to Trudy at trudy.lieberman@gmail.com.

Rural Health News Service is funded by a grant from The Commonwealth Fund and distributed by the Nebraska Press Association.

Sunday, 17 April 2016

Princess Health and April 17th, 2016 Needed Today. Princessiccia

Princess Health and April 17th, 2016 Needed Today. Princessiccia

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April 17th, 2016 Needed Today

I've made this a super-relaxing Sunday with plenty of rest and recharging. I cooked well, ate well and exercised well, too! I grabbed a short midday nap before accomplishing some work in preparation for a big upcoming speaking event I'm doing with a friend of mine. Then I napped, again. I've been carrying around a sleep deficit lately, and that's not a good thing.

I also downloaded Joy Bauer's newest book "From Junk Food To Joy Food-All The Foods You Love To Eat...Only Better." 

You know me--from the very beginning I've been all about eating what I like and nothing I don't, and this has been key for me. Throughout this entire experience, I can proudly say I've never eaten something simply because "it's good for you" or because it's considered "diet food." I instinctively knew that if losing weight required me to eat things I couldn't stand--then it wouldn't be sustainable and I'd quickly retreat to my old behaviors. The "gradual evolution of good choices" I've written and talked about so much, has been and continues to be critically important to my success.

I'm not on "a diet." I'm living and eating within the personal boundaries that have evolved along the way. I have my limits, I have my abstinence from refined sugar--and in the kitchen, I have my favorites. 

However, I'll be the first to admit that my list of foods I enjoy regularly could use a little more variety. That's why I'm excited about trying some of Joy's recipes. Her food philosophy as it applies to weight loss (described in the front of the book) mirrors my experience. If you're a regular reader here, you'll notice it when one of these new items pop up in the Live-Tweet stream! I've already discovered a few that have my attention, meet my refined sugar free requirement and will likely be what I try, first. Stay tuned!

I decided to do an awesome workout tonight in my living room floor. Body weight strength training exercises are effective and require absolutely zero equipment or memberships or special rooms--or anything. Which really brings to mind the question, why haven't I --and why don't I do these more often, in addition to the cardio I do each week? It's not like it takes a lot of time. And the way I felt afterward-- yeah, I'll pass on the beating myself up for not doing more before now--and I'll go straight to doing more of these workouts from here on out.

After an exceptionally busy week, I needed today. I do need a few things I forgot to grab at the store late last night--but they can wait until tomorrow.

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:




























Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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