Dawn from Fit Sailor

Last week Patrick and closed on the sale of a 1981 Pearson 424 ketch rig.  We are so very excited to start working on our dream boat.  It is a beautiful boat if I might say so myself.  It needs some work but she is in very sound condition.  She has been owned by two prior owners that cared a lot about her.  She has been bluewater sailing down to the South Pacific too!  So in a way we will be taking her home when we set sail in a few years.  She does need some work on the interior.  Patrick and I have very specific ideas for customizing the interior to meet our needs.  We are green minimalists and take the use of space and products very seriously.  We are making a concerted effort to ensure our renovations are going to be green.  We are considering the direct impact on the environment, i.e., the use of solvents, cleansers, epoxies, etc. and of course handling of human waste.  We are going to be replacing the head (it doesn't work right now) with a composting head.  I am very excited about these products as the thought of dumping my waste into the bay or lagoon that we share with other marine life is very disturbing to me.  We also are going to rename the boat to Deep Playa.  The link will explain the meaning for us.  We are going to do a whole boat renaming ceremony complete with champagne!  More to come as we make our way through our list of improvements!  Note: we only cleaned the interior on the first weekend.  (Patrick likes to think big)

As a result of all the hype regarding the negative effects of Bisphenol-A on the human endocrine system, I am retiring and recycling my Bastyr Nalgene bottle.  I have had it for a couple years and it has experienced many outdoor adventures including rock climbing, Burning Man (twice), sailing, biking, running and accompanying me to each and every curriculum class at Bastyr.  It is a sad day, but I must make sacrifices to protect my health.  In Seattle, they accept your Nalgene bottles in your residential recycling waste.  I cut off the top because apparently that is not recyclable (DUH!) for whatever reason.  Lately, I have been thinking about how appropriate the old addage "What's old is new again".  Personally, I have been purchasing glass baby bottles for my girlfriends who have recently given birth, which always reminds me of the old baby bottles that my mother used for us kids.  Now that we know (AGAIN DUH!) how plastic and other patroleum-based products are litterally choking our Mother Earth,  old things are becoming new again.  When I was a kid, we took boxes and recycled paper bags to our local grocery store to bring home our groceries.  Our grocer did not provide ANY bags!  Of course I support the green movement by religiously bringing along my reusable bags to the grocers for a while now.  When I am asked by the bagger if I would like a plastic bag to put my meat in, I always refuse.  I no longer grab new produce bags to place my broccoli in at the grocery store any longer.  I just place it in the cart.  I re-use plastic produce bags by rinsing them and drying them for future use.  Patrick and I are in the process of buying a sailboat so I have been thinking more and more about our everyday purchasing habits.  We really need to make changes to reduce, reuse and think of muti-use common everyday items.  So over the next few years while we are still on land we are going to be adjusting our habits to become more socially and environmentally responsible human beings.

Patrick and I have really exciting news!  We are in the process of buying our first sailboat.  It is a Pearson 424 ketch rig named Free Spirit located in Blaine, WA.  We have performed the sea trial and we both really liked the way she sailed.  I was a little nervous about it being a ketch since neither of us has sailed a ketch before.  I was unsure if we would like the way she handled but my reservations quickly went away once we got to sailing her.  We are currently scheduled for the survey on the 30th in Pt. Roberts so if all goes well then Patrick and I will soon be new owners! 

OK...I have a comment on my last entry.  I have watched a couple more of the episodes in the Human Body: series on Discovery. I do like the detailed graphics and overlay of the muscle and skeletal systems but I don't like the fact that they don't use the correct terminology when talking about the anatomy of the human body.  For instance, in discussing the brain and its functional components they did not actually use the correct terminology.  This may not be a big deal but it would be nice for the general population to learn what parts of the brain are used during higher logical reasoning (the cortex) and what part is primarily used during reactions (the limbic system).  It is also nice to review those parts for people like myself who haven't taken anatomy in a couple years.   

I have been recording the new TV series about the human body on the Discovery channel called Human Body.  It is really great!  I am really impressed by the accuracy of the language and the really cool graphics they are able to create to represent muscles and nerves.  I give the series 4 stars!

Well, Patrick and I are all finished up with the detox diet.  We felt so good being on the diet that we have made a pact to reduce the amount of gluten we eat and are not going to drink alcohol during the week.  It is amazing how quickly your body gets used to NOT eating something, like sugar, chocolate, gluten, and you naturally make healthier choices throughout the day.  We have decided that we will not buy bread and avoid products with gluten while at the grocery store.  We allow ourselves to eat it while we are out but for the most part we try to avoid it.  The most amazing realization I had during this whole experience was that I did not miss or crave chocolate!  I am a huge dark chocolate lover!  LOVE IT!  I just love to have a little square of really dark super high-quality chocolate once a day.  I noticed that I have not really craved it throughout the diet.  So I have also committed to making this decadent treat a more rare experience.

Well, Patrick and I are three weeks into the detox diet and we are doing great.  I am feeling a little tired and I sleep alot of hours and can't get out of bed quickly in the morning.  I expect this to change as this week progresses.  We haven't made any changes to our diets.  We went to the Flying Apron in Fremont!  Thank goodness for gluten free and sugar free baking!  I love this place.  They also make their lattes (caffeine free) with rice/almond milk!  Oh yum.  I had a gluten free berry oat bar with gluten free oats!  Yes gluten free oats!  It was good because we are far into our detox now that we are craving some sweets.  Anyway, Patrick was having some pains in his joints especially in his pelvis and lower back.  He was also having skin pain up and down his back the day after he played ice hockey.  Dr. Alexandra Porter, my excellent, smart and beautiful N.D friend told us that he might want to take some Magnesium to help his recovery after playing hockey.  Patrick plays pretty hard and sometimes falls hard too! :-)  So we are going to try this remedy to see if it helps him out.  I have an enormous zit on my chin but I won't complain about it as it is part of my body ridding itself of the toxins.

OK... Week One over and Week Two up at bat.  Patrick and I are finishing up with our first week on the detox diet.  Patrick is still having some headaches on and off.  I had a caffeine headache yesterday and started to have one today but I had some green tea with a little caffeine and I was all good! 

Here are some symptoms that we may experience in the second week heading through day 10 of the detox diet.  Fever and/or colds may also appear; the skin may break out; there may be a short interval of bowel sluggishness, occasional diarrhea, feelings of tiredness and weakness, disinclination to exercise (that is Patrick), nervousness, irritability, negativity or mental depression, frequent urination.   I did notice that Patrick and I have been sleeping alot more and I have been having some really funky dreams.  Patrick usually does not remember his dreams so this is quite new for him.  I have been waking up feeling unrested because my dreams are so interesting like little movies!  I hope that this symptom moves quickly. 

I am so happy... tomorrow I am adding meat back in to our diets.  It has to be all organic, grass fed, no antibiotics, and no hormones.  We usually buy and eat meats of this quality anyway so it won't be too hard.  I am so happy to be eating meat again!  Patrick and I are going to Shiro's on Tuesday to celebrate and eat some healthy sushi!  yum yum...

If you live in Seattle, please feel free to write to Jim McDermott  and let him know how you feel about this.  If you don't live in Seattle, write your representative.

Patrick and I are on the 4th day of our detox diet.  I am feeling pretty good now.  I am not as tired and I feel like I have more energy.  I had alot of energy for a great run and workout at the gym tonight.  I think I am getting over the hump but I am only half way through the first stage of detox (which lasts 10 days).  Patrick on the other hand is still having dull headaches.  This probably will be the last day of those (hopefully!)  Headaches are a normal symptom of the first stage of detoxification.  As the human body begins to heal and detoxify internal organs the waste moves into the blood stream, lymph and other bodily fluids for elimination through urine, ***, and exhilation.  The brain also takes up toxins and when those are being released they cross over the blood-brain barrior therefore causing headaches.

We don't have any changes in our diet until week number two which starts on Monday the 21st.  So far, cooking every meal is very taxing due to the limitations in my options for ingredients.  I can't wait for week two so I can start cooking with organic lean cut chicken and turkey, eggs and fish!  Man... I could NEVER be a vegan or vegetarian!

I have moved some of my most favorite blog posts from my old blog to my new Fit Sailor blog.  So you might read some posts that fall out of chronological order.

I have always loved oatmeal, especially as a child.  My mom would buy us Quaker Instant Oatmeal (rolled) in different flavors (my favorite was Apple and Cinnamon).  Now that I am an adult and my tastes have changed greatly I find it way too sweet.  Reason for being so sweet?  Quaker Instant Oatmeal (Maple and Brown Sugar) contains 13 grams of sugar in each little packet.  This equals approximately 3 teaspoons of sugar!  Don't get me wrong, oatmeal, even if it is instant is an excellent food which provides a healthy dose of dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.  But I want to discuss its predecessor, old world steelcut oatmeal.  Let's compare the nutritional values based upon the Percentage Daily Values.  Daily Values (DVs) are a set of dietary standards used to compare the amount of a nutrient in a serving of food to the amount recommended for daily consumption.  This standard was developed by the Food and Drug Administration to represent the needs based upon a "typical" consumer.  However, keep in mind that if you have special dietary needs because of illness, disease, pregnancy, or you are elderly then your needs may be different.  The labels on foods were created so you can easily compare nutritional values of products so you can make a more informed and healthful selection while at the grocery store.  The Nutritional Labeling and Education Act of 1990 was created to educate consumers about the foods they were consuming.  Studies have revealed that consumers who use these labels routinely purchase foods which are lower in fat, cholesterol, saturated fats and sodium. 

Now you might be thinking that the Quaker Instant Oatmeal is a more healthful choice simply based upon the label because it contains more iron, calcium,  vitamin A and others, however, these are added nutrients which do not occur naturally in the food at such high levels.  This is called fortifying the food.  Unfortunately, when they process oats to make instant oatmeal, they have to cook, heat and flatten the oats which takes away some of its natural qualities.  Steel cut oats are made with minimum processing, they simply cut the groat in its whole form two or three times to make smaller pieces.  They have a nuttier, more flavorful chewy texture than rolled oats.  Eating foods in their most natural "whole" state provides addition benefits.  Oatmeal is considered a functional food, a food that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition, such as reducing cholesterol and reduce risk of colon cancer.  Refined grains reduce the amount of the concentrated bran and germ which limit the amount of fiber and beneficial phytochecmicals (plant chemicals).  They include thousands of compounds, pigments, and natural antioxidants.  When we eat these plants, the phytochemicals are absorbed in our tissues and blood and provide protection against free radicals, which are short-lived, highly reactive chemicals often derived from oxygen-containing compounds which can have a detrimental effect on cells, and they also modify the way hormones affect the body.  Oatmeal contains phytochemicals, called terpenoids, which produces a significant reduction in total and LDL cholesterol levels, which reduces the risk of heart disease.  Eating oatmeal everyday or most days of the week also provides a great source for an essential fatty acid called GLA (gamma linolenic acid) which is required to produce an important eicosanoid (PGE-1).

Patrick and I will one day own a sailboat in which we plan to start a new and relaxing life while cruising around the South Pacific.  However, I, like many other sailors, have a difficult time figuring out to keep up a healthy and physically active lifestyle while out cruising on a 40 foot sailboat.  I have read some articles that Patrick has clipped out articles for me from his sailing and boating magazines but they have been less than impressive.  I have been hoping to find information about how to perform specific resistance training exercises to minimize the loss of lean body mass to discourage body fat gain.  This is a major problem for many individuals partaking of long distance sailing trips.  The articles I have read talk about partaking in physical activities that can be done while docked and on land.  Some of the obvious activities were taking walks on the beach, going hiking, rowing a dinghy, kayaking, tai chi, yoga and biking using collapsible bikes.  That is a no brainer.  Of course it's not difficult getting your exercise while on land.  The problem is getting exercise while surrounded by alot of water on a little boat.  In addition, I have only read one article about an individual that was using features on his boat to do resistance type training.  That is when you have to get really creative.  It is extremely important for a healthy and lean body to incorporate resistance training into an exercise regimen.  Especially since many sailors out cruising are older individuals and need to be concerned about keeping up with boat maintenance, which can be very strenuous, without getting injured.  In addition, older individuals lose muscle mass, termed sarcopenia, of mostly type II muscle fibers which results in less strength and power generation.  Decreases in muscle mass leads to a loss of muscle strength and according to one study, 45% of women aged 65 to 75 years and 65% of women aged 75 to 84 years old were not able to lift about 10 lbs.  In addition, the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, a reduction in mineral bone density, increases with age.  The only way to ensure a reduction of this risk in the vertebral column is to mechanically load the skeletal system to stimulate osteoblasts to lay down new bone.  A mechanical load can be produced by strong muscles pulling on the bone for leverage and by loading the shoulders with weights, such as heavy backpacks, weighted vests or squats with barbells.  Age-related reduction of muscle mass and bone mineral density can be avoided and even reversed by creating a well-balanced resistance training program.  This can be very challenging on a small boat with very little storage and floor space.  I have been trying to think through some of these challenges and some of my ideas include utilizing what will always be very abundant...water.  Water would make a great weight to provide resistance.  One gallon of water weighs approximately 8.3 lbs depending on its salt content.  And the bonus...you don't have to store it on the boat!  So I have been thinking of different types of lightweight and collapsible vessels that you can fill with water and attach to wooden or metal bars to create barbells or dumbbells.  I have seen travel barbells that have little bags attached to each end that you can fill up with water.  An obvious problem is that I am currently squatting around 100 lbs and that would mean I would need a vessel that could hold approximately 12 gallons of water!