Health kicks

[Gob]

Ok, being of a "certain age", it made me think. I remember from the 70's, when fitness fads boomed; martial arts (Bruce Lee), body building (Arnold,) the marathon running/jogging (Jim Fixx,) Aerobics (Fonda,) even if you think about it things like skateboarding, mountain biking, and dare I say rock climbing, all came into wider public notice then.

Maybe it was just the spread of TV during that generation that pushed these, but they certainly had a lasting impact on society.

I think back over the 21 years Hatch has been around, and apart from competitive thumb twiddling on play stations and the like, I cannot think of any health or fitness fad which has had an impact, can you?

[wesw]

internet surfing

[wesw]

organic gardening maybe?

[Big RR]

Snow Boarding? Actually, before around 2000 you didn't see all that many riders on the ski slopes. Now in many places (except those that ban snow boards) you usually have terrain parks and the riders many times outnumber the skiers.

Also, perhaps martial arts due to the popularity of IFC?

[Guinevere]

The mainstreaming of yoga, Crossfit, triathlon (especially the rise of anywoman in the sport), paddle boarding, Ultras.

The women's Olympic marathon only started in 1984, so I would add distance running for women.

[RayThom]

... or lack of same.

Competitive eating training:

[Guinevere]

Not to mention paleo eating, and the whole annoying gluten-free thing (and by annoying, I mean by those who don't have wheat allergies but act like they will die if they eat wheat).

[Long Run]

and the whole annoying gluten-free thing (and by annoying, I mean by those who don't have wheat allergies but act like they will die if they eat wheat).

It is annoying, but, on the other hand, many people who go gluten-free feel better . . . not because they are gluten-less but because they become less gluttonous (i.e., they remove a lot of lousy foods from their diet by following this one rule, kind of like not eating anything with refined sugar or sweeteners will improve most anyone's diet).

[Long Run]

Agree generally that there is not much new in the last 20 years, but there are some. There are a bunch of sports/activities that have existed for some time, but only recently became mainstream popular, or have been tweaked to create a new variation. Stand up paddling has been around for centuries, but did not go main stream until the last 20 years. People ski diving with their bat suits is fairly recent. And all the obstacle run-races -- Tough Mudder, Spartan, Warrior Dash, etc. didn't exist 20 years ago. Surfing with a jet ski pull to get on monster waves. Cross country skate skiing has been a technique since about 1980, but did not go mainstream until the last 20 years. Someone mentioned snowboarding's increased popularity, but I would add that there is the whole "skate board" style of snowboarding that is really a recent development.

[rubato]

Kite boarding is the only thing I can think of which fits that time frame, +/-. It went from experimental to commercial sales of equipment in the middle-late 90s. Almost made it into the next Olympics.

Squirrel-suit flying, a sub set ofbasejumping, might be in that era but I refuse to call an activity which kills nearly everybody who does it within 10 years a sport.


Dietary fads come and go so fast and are recycled so often that it's hard to keep track but I think we have seen a fundamental change in the way refined sugar is viewed. The grocery stores of 20 years from now I expect will look very different than today. I am curious to see if "diet" sodas will disappear as I think they should; they are like methadone for sugar addicts.


Yrs,
Rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

Snow Boarding? Actually, before around 2000 you didn't see all that many riders on the ski slopes. Now in many places (except those that ban snow boards) you usually have terrain parks and the riders many times outnumber the skiers.

Also, perhaps martial arts due to the popularity of IFC?

Growing up we had the forerunner of the snow board, the Snurfer. I still have mine although I will probably never "snurf" on it again. Almost killed myself a few years ago attemting to recapture my youth. Lucky I wasn't going too fast when the tree jumped out in front of me.

I'll stick to going 100mph on a snowmobile instead.

[Guinevere]

and the whole annoying gluten-free thing (and by annoying, I mean by those who don't have wheat allergies but act like they will die if they eat wheat).

It is annoying, but, on the other hand, many people who go gluten-free feel better . . . not because they are gluten-less but because they become less gluttonous (i.e., they remove a lot of lousy foods from their diet by following this one rule, kind of like not eating anything with refined sugar or sweeteners will improve most anyone's diet).

I'm particularly annoyed because my sister and her training partner convinced me to join with them in a wheat-free, refined sugar-free (a little honey or maple syrup are allowed) January. So far, except for screwing up at the Chinese place on Saturday by forgetting soy sauce has wheat and having sushi from the buffet that had tempura something inside it, it's been ok. I'm not substituting the wealth of gf options (although I did buy quinoa and quinoa pasta, just in case) but making sure I cook more veggies and reach for more fruit (not a huge stretch for me). My crunchy salty snack is popcorn, which I love anyway but tend to forget about. I've forced myself to eat oatmeal instead of granola some mornings and didn't die. And I have cut back on coffee and wine, too.

I've had to be careful about planning my meals and making time to cook on the weekends so I have things to take for lunch or to make a quick breakfast. The mindfulness required is a good reminder of things we can all get better at.

Just this Sunday I started to feel a bit more energetic and a bit less creaky. That could also be the concerted effort I've been making since December to spend more time in the pool and on my yoga mat, too (and less time in front of screens and in chairs - other than necessary work/office time).

[Sue U]

And I have cut back on coffee and wine, too.

You're killing me here.

[Guinevere]

No kidding.

No baguette. No brioche. No Friday morning breakfast of pain au chocolat and espresso. But if it means I cover more ground with less pain on my next trip to Paris, I suppose it's worth it.

I just picked up a few lovely bottles of this Châteauneuf-du-Pape and haven't even cracked one open yet!

International Wine Report: 91 points
"The 2011 Domaine Chante Perdrix is loaded with lovely dark cherries, plums, spices, roasted herbs and some wet earth notes. This has a wonderful, rich, silky texture and shows impressive balance. The finish is long and velvety, with lingering spice and chocolate notes. This is composed of 75% Grenache Noir, 11% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 3% Muscardin and 4% other varieties which all come from soils dominated by river stones, or the galets roulés that are famous in the region. While it can be approached now, it should become even better as it fleshes out and settles down with a bit more time."

[Sue U]

International Wine Report: 91 points
"The 2011 Domaine Chante Perdrix is loaded with lovely dark cherries, plums, spices, roasted herbs and some wet earth notes. This has a wonderful, rich, silky texture and shows impressive balance. The finish is long and velvety, with lingering spice and chocolate notes. This is composed of 75% Grenache Noir, 11% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 3% Muscardin and 4% other varieties which all come from soils dominated by river stones, or the galets roulés that are famous in the region. While it can be approached now, it should become even better as it fleshes out and settles down with a bit more time."

Oh my. I may have to go lie down now.

[Big RR]

Guin--I can understand foregoing the pastries and baked goods, but coffee. Zero calories, rich taste, what can be bad.

And yes, wine has calories (but then I've yet to see a fat wino), and offsets these with health benefits.

We have so few edible, drinkable pleasures left--don't deny yourself these.

[RayThom]

Make a conscious effort not to watch food programs on TV, or to share food pictures or recipes on social media. These visual cues are powerful stimuli and activate your brain sensors on a subliminal level, even recreating pseudo-aromas which can easily overpower your will to say 'no.' Next thing you're in the kitchen creating a six course snack for one.

If you're constantly thinking about food it's easily to understand why so many dieters struggle and fail. Fun fact: Over 75% whose New Year's resolutions was to stick to an effective weight loss program have already failed. It's not the quality of food you eat, it's the need for quantity that creates obesity.

You can thank me later.

[rubato]

So far, there is no evidence that the caffeine in coffee is significantly harmful and some slight evidence that it is protective (as is its near analog theobromine which is in chocolate).






Theobromine


The third member of the family is theophylline which is found in tea and used to improve breathing for people with COPD and asthma:





Chemically, they differ by which nitrogens in the ring system are methylated.

I think there was an introductory chemistry lab where we extracted and purified caffeine from tea and got nice white needles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Risk of other diseases

Coffee consumption is associated with a lower overall risk of cancer.[82] This is primarily due to a decrease in the risks of hepatocellular and endometrial cancer, but it may also have a modest effect on colorectal cancer.[83] There does not appear to be a significant protective effect against other types of cancers, and heavy coffee consumption may increase the risk of bladder cancer.[83] A protective effect of caffeine against Alzheimer's disease is possible, but the evidence is inconclusive.[84][85][86] Moderate coffee consumption may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease,[14] and it may somewhat reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.[87] Drinking four or more cups of coffee per day does not affect the risk of hypertension compared to drinking little or no coffee. However those who drink 1–3 cups per day may be at a slightly increased risk.[88] Caffeine increases intraocular pressure in those with glaucoma but does not appear to affect normal individuals.[89] It may protect people from liver cirrhosis.[90] There is no evidence that coffee stunts a child's growth.[91] Caffeine may increase the effectiveness of some medications including ones used to treat headaches.[92] Caffeine may lessen the severity of acute mountain sickness if taken a few hours prior to attaining a high altitude.[93]

yrs,
rubato

[Guinevere]

Coffee gives me reflux -- although perhaps it is in combination with wheat and sugar in my overall diet. Thus, the cutting back, to see if it impacts me differently.

I also prefer my coffee with steamed milk and a little bit of sugar, so there's that, too.

[Big RR]

The reflux is a known problem for some with coffee; I have heard that some get relief with decaf, and there are a lot of good decafs on the market now.