Tuesday, September 24, 2013

GoSt-Barefoots Online-Shop

Here's an interesting take on "barefoot shoes" (that term will always bother me).  Made of stainless steel mesh.  Seem to have good reviews, but really pricey.

GoSt-Barefoots Online-Shop:

'via Blog this'

Monday, September 23, 2013

THE REASONS WHY WE EAT

Weight control is a tough subject, and a touchy one for those who are carrying a bit (or a lot) of excess fat around with them.  In our society today, that seems to be the majority, at least anecdotally if you look around you on the street.  The big question is WHY has it happened.  People in western society, at least seem to be getting progressively fatter and fatter.  One reason is, of course, the abundance of food.  It is EVERYWHERE!  There are fast food "restaurants" (and I use that term loosely) on nearly every corner.  Grocery stores abound, and "convenience" stores stand ready, 24/7 with salty, sugary snacks and drinks.

If we didn't have this built-in drive to eat, those places wouldn't exist, as we wouldn't have an interest.  Nature has evolved us, over  the millenia, to have drives to survive, fuel ourselves, and reproduce.  It is no surprise that, as society changed and our bodies did not, these drives have become off-kilter, with predictable results.  The food drive is the reason that our hunter-gatherer ancestors became so good at their craft.  Boy, can we gather food!  When we had to climb, run, walk miles, and spend hours to get it, it worked beautifully.  We could sometimes gather up enough food to last us a few days, or even fatten ourselves up when there was abundant fruit and game, in preparation for sometimes bleak winter months, when life was much harder.

Eating is FUN!  Flavors in our mouth are pleasant.  Sweet fruit, good meat, some salt are all enjoyable.  It is that way for a reason.  If eating was an unpleasant task, our ancestors would not have become so good at it.  The problem is that, as our society "evolved" and grew more sophisticated, we, as a group, learned how to gain access to unlimited food supply, and to make it taste SO GOOD, that we want to eat all of the time.  Food has moved from nourishment to entertainment.  It is present at every celebration.  Most of us eat our "three squares" a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks in between.   Kids at school have "snack time".  It doesn't matter whether we need to eat at a particular time.  We've all heard "It's dinner time!" since we were little kids.  If a little guy skins his knee, he gets ice cream to make him feel better.   Food is not looked at as nourishment now.  It is recreation.  If you can keep that in mind, you can beat this system.

I like ice cream as much as the next guy.  There's no denying that candy activates the pleasure centers in your brain.  What you have to do is to recognize food for what it is, what it should be, and what it's not.

What it is:  Food is what we take into our body to fuel it, to build it, and to repair it when it's damaged.

What it should be:  You SHOULD take in food in the amounts needed, with the nutrients that you need, in the quantity that you need, when you need it.

What it's not:  Food is not a substance to make you feel better when you are injured, depressed, angry or sad.  It's also not what you should celebrate with when you are happy.   It is NOURISHMENT, NOT ENTERTAINMENT.  You can celebrate some one's birthday without a giant plate full of sugar.  Go to the celebration, sing happy birthday, slap them on the back, give them a present, and politely decline the big slice of chocolate cake with sugar icing and ice cream on top.

Don't make yourself crazy with this.  It's not rocket science, it's pure nature.  If you REALLY want that cake at the time, eat it.  Realize however, that you are eating for recreation, not nourishment.  Don't make a habit of it.  Get yourself into hunter-gatherer mode, and MOST OF THE TIME, eat only what your ancestors, as I have said in the past, ad-nauseum, could PICK, FIND, OR CATCH.  If you do that, you'll gradually get back to normal weight.

Stay away from the "office doughnuts".  Don't grab a bag of chips and plop in front of the TV.  Get up, get outside, move around and eat real food in the amounts, and types that you need.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

WHY ARE YOU EATING? NO, REALLY ***WHY*** ARE YOU EATING?

What an amazing machine we have in this body!  It has been honed and fine-tuned as the ultimate survival mechanism for a couple of million years.  It can run hundreds of miles, lift hundreds of pounds, heal itself, go for long periods without refueling, withstand heat, cold, abrasion and trauma.  It can propel itself through any environment on Earth, including snow, sand, and water.  It can fight off disease, climb, fight, catch prey, escape predators, plan, evade, jump and swim long distances.

Why, therefore, are so many of our species currently in a state where they can do virtually none of the above.  There are some of us who, through no fault of our own, have been stricken with an injury, illness, or other malady or condition that limits our abilities.  We, as a society, have methods in place to provide assistance to our members who need it.  As we should.

There is, however, a huge portion of our population who choose actions or inaction which render them nearly helpless.  Having people render themselves into such a state is an infuriating sight to me.  We all have our shortcomings, for certain.  Not everyone can swim from Cuba to Florida, run across the continent, climb to the top of the world, or dive off of high cliffs into churning water.  Those of us who have the unbelievable fortune to be reasonably healthy can, however, do what we can to maintain that health and those natural abilities with which we have evolved.

I see daily, people who, because of the unparalleled availability of food, have consumed enough over long periods of time to render themselves barely mobile. Look around in any store, on the street, at sporting events or other venues where large numbers of people congregate.  It seems like nearly EVERYONE is overweight, and a great many people are obese to the point that it affects their very ability to walk.  The food available nearly everywhere, with no caloric cost is, I think, the culprit.  That's why I say "Simulate the Hunt" (C).   You need to expend calories to offset those consumed.  If you sit and consume thousands of calories (meaning kilo calories), obtained with no physical effort, it will pervert your body's built-in energy storage system to the point that you are rendered helpless to move, defend yourself or others, get to safety in an emergency situation, or even perform basic daily tasks.

We certainly don't want a famine.  We have really healthy food sources available in unprecedented amounts.  We have the scientific knowledge of what to do to stay healthy.  We have the ability.  We just need the fortitude and commitment to do so.

Drop the chips, get out of line at the fast food drive through, lose the soda.  Eat something that your hunter gatherer ancestor's could have CAUGHT, PICKED, OR FOUND.  Move that body around to pay the caloric price for what you eat.  The giant abdomen or wide hips will begin to shrink back to normal size.  Energy will pick up.  Organs will function better.  You will feel better, and be happier.  Just TRY it. 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

ANOTHER SHOE RANT

I work everyday in an enviornment that calls for "professional dress".  There are certain rules that are followed, but I continue to marvel at the footwear that people who are "dressed professionally" wear.  Men walk around all day wearing shoes that look hard, sometimes with a toe that is pretty pointed, and you can tell that they aren't comfortable on their feet by how they walk.  I have, over the past few years, been very observant of people's gaits, and it has become fairly easy to spot someone who is hurting or uncomfortable.  The men's shoes are bad enough, but the women's shoes is such environment are RIDICULOUS!  Not only do many wear stiff leather or other material, but they come to a virtual needle point, and it is really common to see 2,3,4 or more spike heels, with a 1 or 2" thick sole, and the feet pointing to the ground in a 45 or more degree angle.  They mince along, and many have apparently been doing it for so long that they don't realize how badly these things have affected their way of walking.

     I read or heard something on 9/11 that reminded people to pick their footwear carefully, as those who wore such impractical shoes on that day had no choice but to take them off as they negotiated hundreds of flights of stairs through debris that included broken glass.  Particularly for those who don't go barefoot on a regular basis, the feet aren't up to such a challenge, and you won't make it down many stairs quickly in 4" spike heels.

     The point is that feet were designed to provide you with mobility.  When you encase them in coverings that force them into unnatural configurations, you are going to eventually damage them, and in the mean time, render yourself practically immobile in the event of an urgent need to move.  Although we live in a pretty comfortable and safe environment for the most part, it is imperative that you leave yourself options.   It sounds a bit over dramatic, I know, but you should basically dress for combat in the morning.  Most days, it will never be an issue, but in the event of some horrendous event like those on the morning of 9/11, you, by wearing "fashionable" clothing/footwear, put not only yourself at risk, but those who may need to come to your aid.

     This carries over to your physical abilities, and I'll address that in another post, but we really need to get back to putting ourselves into a physical state something near nature intended.  OK, you don't want to, or can't go barefoot in every environment.  I understand that.  You can, however, find shoes that fit, are of a material that is flexible enough to allow your foot to move naturally, and have no, or at least a much lower heel.  Let your feet be feet.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Buy SKECHERS Girls' Twinkle Talls: Twinkle Plus 2 Wedge Sneakers only $58.00

Buy SKECHERS Girls' Twinkle Talls: Twinkle Plus 2 Wedge Sneakers only $58.00:

'via Blog this'  Wow! only $58 to get sneakers for you kids that have a "hidden 2 inch built in wedge heel"!

Ok, I'm no expert, so I can't say that these will harm your feet.  I just know that MY KIDS won't be wearing anything with a magic hidden 2" wedge heel to make them look taller (and, I assume, point their toes toward the ground).