Bicycles Banned!

    

The school district recently issued a directive stating that “…effective immediately, employees are not permitted to use bicycles to travel between worksites…” This includes travel “ to and from meetings – both on and off district property”  My reaction to this directive: bulls**t!

The reasons cited for this directive (issued by the Superintendent) are “safety and efficiency”. These reasons are both misguided.

First, safety. The use of bicycles is covered in Worksafe BC regulations. Workers may use bicycles, provided they “…wear headgear meeting the requirements of CSA standard CAN/CSA-D113.2-M89…”  (8.13 [1]) and “If a bicycle is operated at speeds not exceeding 20 km/h within a specific location, safety headgear meeting the requirements of    of section 8.11 is acceptable when worn with a chin strap” (8.13 [2]) The WCB, being the safety regulator for worker safety, should be the ultimate authority, not a policy thought up  board office because “we know best”

Some statistics about relative safety as reported by   Exponent Consulting, 1998:

Activity                                                                                                 Fatalities per million hours

On-road Motorcycling	8.80
Scuba Diving	1.98
All Causes of Death, Average	1.53
Swimming	1.07
Snowmobiling	0.88
Passenger Cars	0.47
Bicycling	0.26

These numbers show that a person is almost twice as likely to die in a car than on a bicycle! They are 34 times more likely to die on a motorcycle. If safety is the true motivator, it is clear that the School District must ban motorcycles immediately.

The second stated reason is “efficiency”.  It is true that cyclists often take longer to travel from one location to another. As a responsible employee, I take this into account when travelling to and from meetings. I leave earlier to get to a meeting, and allow time at the end of the meeting to get back to work. Sometimes this means I miss some of my lunch break – a sacrifice that is well worth it given the very obvious health benefits – benefits that include improved health, making me more productive, not less .    

So, to sum up:

• Statistics show that biking is safer than driving
• Lack of exercise is more likely to kill a person than biking
• A worker who suffers from a stroke, heart attack or death (!) is much less efficient than a worker on a bicycle
• The worker safety regulator allows for the use of bicycles, provided appropriate safety gear is worn.

This directive appears to me to be poorly conceived, far too sweeping in nature and an over- reaction to an issue that really isn’t a safety issue at all. 

Eat Healthy 1

Eat Healthy 1

The other day, my brother in law posted a picture of a plate of Eggs Benedict. It was actually a fairly clever pun on “Ex Benedict” about the Pope resigning.  The sight of the picture reminded me again of some of my dietary changes a few years ago. I realized that if I deconstructed the Eggs Benedict, the only thing on the plate depicted that I would currently eat is the cilantro that was used for garnish!

Hollandaise sauce (eggs, butter):  NO. Whole Egg (this one looked fluffy like an omelette, not even poached) NO. Ham: NO.  Buttered, toasted English muffin NO to the butter; probably not to the English muffin unless it was whole wheat or gluten free. The whole thing times 2 = 550 calories. (The Mayo Clinic notes that it would take more than two hours of canoeing to burn off the calories in this dish.) Fat = 34 grams of fat, of which 12 g is saturated fat. The American Heart Association suggests limiting your daily intake of saturated fat to 16 g, as this type of fat may increase your risk of heart disease.  Protein = 32 g of protein. Eggs Benedict = heart attack on a plate.

All of this caused me to think of Graham Kerr.

Graham Kerr had a cooking program in the 1970’s called the Galloping Gourmet. I used to watch it when I was young. I remember him for his various antics: running into the studio, jumping over chairs, etc. I also remember some of the cooking:  ½ cup of heavy cream here, stick of butter there, salt, deep fried most everything, and olive oil by the cup.  I don’t remember him doing eggs Benedict, but it would have been right up his alley.

In recent years, I learned what happened to Graham Kerr. His wife had a heart attack and he had to radically change the way he thought about and prepared food. (see his website and video blog for details) In the early 1990’s he wrote a book called Smart Cooking.  In it, he took classic dishes and recreated them with much less or no meat, fewer calories, more fiber, etc. I remember getting as copy of the book one year for Christmas. Being the wise guy that I was then, I took many of Kerr’s ideas and reverse engineered them. Strained yogurt? I’ll use sour cream!  4 oz. steak? I’ll go for 10! Fry in 2 tablespoons of olive oil? I’ll deep fry in lard! (I had a really nice deep fryer )

And thus, I eventually weighed almost 240 pounds.

I came to healthy eating gradually.  First, I cut out dessert. Also, I stayed out of the staff lunch room for about a year. The lunch room almost always has cake, cookies, or other “treats”. Cake is basically a sugar and fat delivery system. Nanaimo bar = Nanaimo death bar.

Next, I began to decrease the meat portion of meals and increase the vegetables. Graham Kerr calls this “meat in the minor key” – smaller portions of meat = less risk.  I went from whole chicken to skinless chicken breast to boneless skinless chicken strips  from free range organic chickens to no chicken at all. New York Beef Steak became Buffalo steak, and eventually no steak. (I now grill a very tasty tofu steak once a week!)

The number one question I get from people is: Where do you get your protein? It is a legitimate question, as you cannot simply eliminate meat from your diet and not replace the protein source. The average adult male requires about 50 grams of protein to remain healthy . The book Diet for a Small Planet introduced me to the idea of combining grains and legume.  For instance, rice and beans together make a complete protein. There is some controversy about how “complete” this combination is – I stick to brown rice and black beans most often.  Other common protein sources:

[i]Beans, Nuts, Seeds

1 cup garbanzo beans 14.5 grams
1 cup pinto beans 12 grams
1 cup refried beans 15.5 grams
1 cup soybeans 28 grams
1 oz. cashews 4.4 grams
1 oz. peanuts 6.5 grams
1 oz. sesame seeds 6.5 grams
1 oz. pistachios 5.8 grams
1 cup tofu 22 grams
1 cup lentils 18 grams

Dairy

1 cup yogurt 13 grams

Fruits and Vegetables

1 avocado 10 grams
1 cup broccoli 5 grams
1 cup spinach 5 grams
1 cup peas 9 grams
1 medium artichoke 4 grams
1 cup asparagus 5 grams

The key for me, as l have stated before and will likely do so again, was to make changes gradually.  I eliminated one meat meal per week and replaced it with a vegetarian or vegan option. This was doable. Next I eliminated a second meat meal per week. Eventually, I had a good stock of tasty vegetarian meals and simply eliminated the last meat meal. (No doubt the same effect can be achieved by switching to lean meats such as bone less skinless chicken, grilled. I am relating what worked for me)

It is very important to carefully watch the nutrition numbers! (There are plenty of fat vegetarians in the world!) Calories are calories, whether from steak or tofu. Controlling portion size is a must. I would portion out each meal, eat it in a slow, controlled manner, and then immediately get up from the table and do something else. Dinner is over, no second helpings!

This approach does require a certain amount of discipline. For me, the motivation came from the knowledge that my weight had to be reduced, the time to do it was now, not next year, and a commitment to the process. I was in a sense fascinated with watching the numbers go down each week. This helped me stay on the dietary track (chocolate cake? No way! I need to lose 2 pounds this week!) After a while, the weight loss process became automatic, almost routine.

Most of the dietary habits I adopted I retain today. My diet is almost entirely vegetarian (grilled fish once a week is the only exception) often vegan (Quinoa Edamame and black beans with mushrooms, chopped tomato, garlic, onion, basil and oregano makes a terrific Italian casserole!) and rarely includes dessert. I pay close attention to nutritional numbers, and continue to monitor my weight closely.

Time for an apple!

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[i] Several sources, including http://www.naturalnews.com/036270_vegan_protein_legumes.html

Cycle Commuting (2)

Victoria BC

I was in Victoria this past weekend. Victoria is well set up for cyclists. Many of the main streets, including Douglas, have a dedicated bike lane. It is just two painted lines, so you still have to keep your wits about you as vehicles can and will cut you off by crossing through the bike lane, but it is certainly better than no lane at all. There are several covered bike shelters around the city, including one in front of Mountain Equipment Coop.  During the summer months, the city converts the occasional vehicle street parking stall into bike parking. I think this works out well for businesses. Instead of one car or truck, there are now a dozen or more bikes in the parking spot!

Perhaps the most remarkable thing happened on Government Street in front of Munro’s Books. I pulled up and got the last spot on the bike rack. The next guy to come along had to chain his bike   to a tree. This is February! Only in Victoria are the bike racks full in February!

Diet and Exercise 2

Diet and Exercise (2)

 

A few more thoughts on diet and exercise.

As previously discussed, the word “diet” I interpret to mean “a person’s  total food intake” and “exercise” to mean “any movement”.  In the context of weight loss, the two items must be examined together.

Think of it like a triangle: on one point is activity (exercise) and on the opposite  point is diet (caloric intake, or food). The triangle rests on the third point, weight.

Figure 1 In balance.

 

 

 Increase diet (eat more) decrease activity, weight goes up. Decrease diet (eat less) increase activity, weight goes down. A very simple equation.

How to increase activity? Perhaps the simplest way is by walking. For a person weighing  150 pounds, each hour walking ( 2.5 mph, moderate pace) consumes about 225 calories, more if you are heavier.  10,000 steps per day (about 5 miles, or 2 hours) will burn anywhere from 250 to 600 calories, again depending on your weight.  The catch is, as your weight decreases, you must increase you activity to get the same benefit.

As previously discussed, any weight loss program must include regular (weekly) measurements. This is critical: If your weight does not decrease add more steps. If you are already logging 10,000 steps a day and not losing or maintaining your weight, then the key is to add another 2,000 steps per day (and/or eat fewer calories).

What if walking is too difficult?

Richard Simmons, the famous exercise guru who was popular in the 1980’s, famously worked with a woman who was so obese (500+ pounds) she literally could not walk. Her initial exercise  program consisted of clapping her hands to music. Everyone can do something!

Diet and Exercise

 

The body consumes units of energy called calories. The body then uses these calories whenever physical motion is called for (exercise). If the body consumes more calories than it needs, it stores the extra calories (fat). If the body needs more calories than have been consumed, it uses the stored fat. Therefore, to gain weight, eat more and exercise less. To lose weight, eat less and exercise more. That, in a nutshell, is the secret to weight gain and/or weight loss.

In general, as a society, we are overweight. We eat far more than we need to, and exercise much less than we should. Food is much more plentiful (in general) than it was for our ancestors, particularly in a high calory/ high fat form. In general, we do much less physical work than our ancestors.  

The single most important fact to remember about what  we eat is this: FOOD IS FUEL. Don’t  think about great taste, glorious presentation, or fantastic texture. Using food as a form of celebration, to give us comfort, or as entertainment gets us away from it’s basic function.  Food is fuel. If you think it this way makes it easier to deal with.

This next paragraph will get me in lots of trouble, but it is nonetheless true. Entire industries surrounding food now exist with the basic purpose of killing us (slowly, with pork fat on our upper lip). The Food Network is dedicated to highlight food that is deadly! Most restaurant meals are the same – high in fat (particularly saturated fat) and high calory.Fast food (spelled sideways is fats food) is even worse.  High fat, high calory, tastes great – but deadly! Why? Because fat and sugar taste great! Consumers want food that tastes great, so the food industry provides it.

Lets look at one example in detail – the Wendys Baconator sandwich. I use this example as I used to have a great fondness for the Baconator – you could say it was close to my heart. One Baconator sandwich has about 840 calories, (as well as 23 grams of saturated fat) You would need to walk for about 8 1/2 hours to use  that many calories. Maybe you don’t have that much time. Maybe you only have 45 minutes. You would need to cut your Baconator  into 8, and throw away 7/8ths of it , then go for your 45 minute walk afterward. This presumes that you would consume no other calories that day. I am not saying don’t eat the Baconator. I am saying that you need to understand the caloric consequences of that decision.

This is by no means the only such example. Pizza = poison! French Fries = calorie sticks. Alfredo sauce = heart attack in a jar. I once worked for a fast food outlet called “Chicken on the Run”. We not only deep fried the  breaded chicken (high in saturated fat) in oil (high in saturated fat) we did it in a pressure cooker – which had the effect of  squeezing the oil right into the meat. I remember the oil running out of it when you bit into a piece.

 So what is the solution?

First, read labels. Most packaged “food” is high in calories. Avoid it! Second understand the relationship between calories consumed and exercise.

Some key concepts:

Control of portion size

Reduce or eliminate saturated fat

Exercise more, eat less  

More to come…

Cycle Commuting (1)

The very nice benefit to living here in the “Ecotopia Triangle”-  (East coast of Vancouver island is one leg, City of Vancouver is the opposite point) -  I can cycle  360 days per year. This will probably annoy cyclists in Toronto, Winnepeg and Kelowna, but it is what it is! The key (as with most things in life) is preparation.

The first step is to know the weather.  I am much more intimately involved with and affected by the weather on a bike than I would be in a car. The weather will affect how I dress, and sometimes the route I take to work. Last night was very wet and windy, but this morning there are only a few scattered showers of a very light rain. The wind is gusty from the south east, which is to my advantage – the wind will be at my back most of the way. Bonus! The temperature is around 5 degrees.

Now that I know the weather, I can get prepared. I won’t need my water proof pants, so they get rolled up and put in a pouch on my saddle bags (I always have them with me – the weather can and often does change quickly!) I will need my water resistant pants – waterproof on the front, breathable in back. They are good for light rain. In a heavy rain, they soak through at the seams in about 20 minutes. Since they are form fitting and quite warm, I wear them   all winter. (Yes I have several pairs!) Next, a heavy long sleeve bike shirt – no need for waterproof, I have a waterproof jacket. Regular socks, waterproof socks over top. My bike shoes are designed like a running shoe with a firm sole and a metal cleat for my peddle clips. I cover them with waterproof covers. Theses see a lot of use in the winter, and are getting quite ratty. I will replace them this weekend – hello MEC! This morning, like most mornings,   I will be wearing my cycling “toque”, and  leave the waterproof cover on  my helmet. It is light enough now (7:15) that I don’t need my helmet light.   Gloves are an important consideration. With the temperature at 5 degrees, I am going to wear my water resistant heavy 5 finger gloves. If it were any colder, I would use a handwarmer packet.  If it were below about 3 degrees I would switch to the not-very- water resistant “lobster claw” gloves. Below freezing, I would wear heavy mittens, 5 fingers together, and a warmer pocket right down at the finger tips. Zip up the jacket, clip on the hemet, and we are ready to go!

I unfasten the combination lock on my bike shed. I need a hand light to see the numbers – it is not quite light enough yet in the shadow of the shed. The bike is still wet from last night – no surprise. I wheel it out, clip on the saddle bags, and turn on my flashing front and rear strobe lights, so vehicles cans see me clearly. 7:20, and it is time to go.

Since I was already out this morning for a 45 minute walk, I don’t feel the need for a warmup – I am warm, alert and ready to go.

One of the things I   am constantly aware of is my surroundings and environment. There is considerable spray from the pavement, still wet from last night. I immediately feel the effect of the wind from the southeast. It is daylight enough that I can see the houses of my neighbour hood.

Turning the corner, I ride a short downhill leg, so I shift up to 7^th gear. The internal hub gears shift smoothly. As I start up the first hill, I quickly shift down to second.( How steep? There must be a grading system for hills. I should look into that…) There is no traffic so far, but I pass awoman out walking, and another walking her dog.

As I pass through the parking lot of the real estate office, I see my first traffic light ahead. As is usually the case, I have to wait for the light, then wait on the island at the other side for the left turn.

Through the intersection (highway 19 and bowen road) I access the E and N trail, a Purpose built hard surface walking/biking trail the city built several years ago along the E and N railway right of way (tax dollars at work!) I pass the family of black rabbits by the car dealership. There are 6 now, sure to be more in the spring. I can here birds in the trees. I pass by another cylclist- one of the regulars. There are perhaps  6 of us who are regulars through the winter. I pass a man jogging.

The E and N ends at the intersection of Mostar/Rutheford and highway 19. While I wait for the light, I can see the animated digital board ahead – 6 degrees, and &:37 – right on time.

The home stretch along Metral – down to where the bridge crosses the creek, then a steep up hill, a more moderate uphill, and a final steeper stretch until the corner and down towards my school. I see I am first one in again this morning – good! The time is 7:45 – my commute took the usual 25 minutes. I arrive energized and alert, but not sweaty from exersion.

This afternoon, will take a slightly different route, 30 minutes to the gym, an hour and a half workout, then home. This evening I teach rock climbing at the Romper Room. Fun!

Weight and Wellness.

I am frequently asked to write about my experiences in the area of weight loss and fitness, so I am going to give it a try.

Peoplefrequently ask me for my secret.What was the secret to reducing from a weight of 239 pounds to 139 pounds in a year and a half. The secret is simple: diet and exercise. Eat less and exercise more.

A commonly held belief is that ``diets don`t work, in the long term`` Like many ``truths`,  this is both correct and incorrect. It depends on how you define the term ``diet`

If by diet you mean a temporary change in eating habits to achieve a weight loss goal, then  such a thing will not be effective long term. An example might be chocolate. One might resolve to give up chocolate for a month to lose weight This may or may not be effective, but as soon one resumes eating chocolate, the weight will reappear.

On the other hand, if you take the concept of diet to mean `perrmanent changes to the way one eats``, then the results of such changes can be expected to be long term.

Next: The link between diet and exercise