Old Sailor on a low carb and cleaner diet

Dear Bloggers,

Eat more of the good. Eat less of the bad. That is what the dietitian told me a couple of weeks ago. And yes I was skeptic until I started losing weight.
That’s the whole idea behind clean eating. It’s all about, well, cleaning up your diet so that there’s a greater focus on whole foods (think fruits, vegetables, protein and healthy fats), and less reliance on processed or refined foods.
The benefits of adopting a clean diet are pretty clear (reduced incidence of disease, increased quality of life, and a longer life expectancy, just to name a few). But ditching the donuts, pizza and mocha lattes can be a lot tougher than it sounds. (Seriously, if you need proof, check out how many people around you are more obese than you?)

The good news is there’s no need to wing it. Here’s your plan to help get your eating on track.Start Clean Eating Without a Hitch

“Trying to loose some weight and the best motivation to inspire change comes from within.”

Pinpoint your reason ‘why.’
Building any new healthy habit will absolutely require some effort, and eating clean is no exception. That’s why it’s so important first to determine what’s inspiring you to change. Maybe you signed up for a race or have a reunion coming up and want to look your best. Maybe you’ve been feeling sluggish and want to increase your energy throughout the day. Perhaps you’re thinking about your long-term health like me as I am a diabetes type 2 and about 40 kilos overweight and I wondered about what I can do to stay healthy in the near future. These are examples of getting motivated, positive reasons to aim for cleaner eating. And that’s a good thing. So I started with checking in with a diabetes nurse and a dietitian.Cleaning up your diet because someone told you to do it, or because you feel guilty about your current eating habits just isn’t as powerful.It has to come from within.

Determine first of all how much time you’re willing to commit.
Making meaningful life changes can often take several months or more. “People need to be aware that any goal worth achieving is going to take time. There is no fast-track to developing life-changing habits,” says a clinical counselor of health behavior change.

After establishing your ‘why,’ it’s time to sit down and think about how much you’re willing to devote to the process, from meal planning and doing grocery shopping, to food preparation and cooking. Making a relatively minor diet twists is like changing your usual snack from a bag of chips to a piece of fruit each day, might be a habit achievable in the short-term. But shifting towards a truly cleaner diet is a much longer-term objective for most. Have an hour to steal from your Sunday TV line-up? That could mean prepping healthy lunches for the entire week. Have 30 minutes a day? How about kicking your greasy takeout habit for good with preparing healthier meals within 30 minutes. Expensive is not the word even on a budget you can cook more vegetables and eat less potatoes for example.

Do a thorough audit of your current diet.
Despite the growing obesity epidemic, 90 percent of our Dutch adults report themselves as having a healthy diet. But how healthy is it really? I kept a food journal, and there’s no escaping the truth, I talked to a certified wellness coach who is training ice skating youngsters. “So often we think that we are on track, but when we actually see on paper what we are consuming, it is easier to tell where we might need to cut back,” he says. He told me to start a food journal (or download a fancy apps), and begin tracking everything you eat and drink for at least three days. This will help you gouge your starting point and allow you to identify any patterns emerging. Next, simply make two lists:

1. The not-so-healthy foods you want to reduce or remove from your diet. Note: If this list gets long, pick three to five obvious choices that you would like to deal with first (e.g. soda, fast food, sugary snacks, etc.).
2. The nutritious foods that are missing from your current line-up. A clean diet focuses on eating high-nutrient foods, not simply cutting out the junk. How many veggies are there? If you’re coming up short, come up with three to five you like most and add those to your weekly grocery list.
   
   
   

Choose your targets wisely.
After listing the less-healthy foods you want to reduce or eliminate from your diet as well as the healthy foods you want to incorporate, the next step is to make some strategic choices. Setting a few small goals that you can consistently act on is a much more effective approach than trying to take on everything at once. And they can add up fast.

Changing your life starts wit selecting one habit…only one habit per month.You can choose any habit whatever you think will have the biggest impact on your life.” What small clean eating habit are you going to target first? And which changes will likely to offer you the best chance of success? At the start of every new month, simply add on from there.

Make your goals specific and measurable.
Let’s say you want to begin the process of cleaner eating by tackling your evening cookie obsession or your bag of chips. But how exactly do you go about defining this goal? Maybe you’ll make a statement based on moderation: “I’m going to stop eating so many cookies.” But what does that mean exactly? Is one cookie per day allowed? Does the type of cookie matter?

Be specific and make your intentions measurable: “I will put all the cookies in the jar and will only take one out per day.” Or better yet, “I will stop eating preserved prepacked treats and allow myself one of these healthier homemade protein bites after dinner.” There is no ambiguity in this statement. You have a clear path that will lead you to control your sweet tooth.

The same goes for adding healthy foods to your diet. Saying “I will eat a low-fat quark instead of bread each day for breakfast” is a specific action that will ensure your breakfast is already healthier than before. It's your life and you choose.

Shop with a purpose.
Just like eating itself, grocery shopping is based on habits. You likely follow a certain route when you hit the store, so be prepared to forge a new course (hello, green stuff and meat!). Bring a detailed grocery list, and stick to it. (Extra tip: Avoid those chips and soda aisles altogether.)

Sure, some research shows that clean eating will put a bigger dent in your bank account than a diet filled with cheap convenience foods, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Some clean eaters practise a meatless Monday to reduce their grocery bills. Looking for in-season products, and buying in bulk are two other ways to keep your food costs down. I am eating sometimes two days in a row the same vegetables to keep the costs in hand. I am saving money by doing it like this.

Meal prep now, eat healthy when it counts.
Last but not least, it’s time to turn those healthy ingredients into clean,wholesome meals you’ll love. Start by searching out simple recipes that you can whip up quickly. You can find inspiration on healthy food blogs around the web, or get one of these free recipe magazines in the supermarket and check out which recipe is something for you.

Sure, preparing a meal is likely going to take a little more work than slapping together some pasta or grilling some burgers or anything like fast food’s, but you don’t have to do it all by hand either. There are all kinds of kitchen gadgets or pre cut that can help get the job done with less effort. And be sure to prepare in extra large batches so that you have plenty of leftovers to freeze for easy clean eating all week long.

When it comes to clean eating or any other health-related goal, achieving a sense of mastery is vital. When you experience success, you are likely to want (and get) more. Keep working on it until it becomes manageable, effortless, or even automatic.

When the effort is gone you’re ready to take on a new challenge, something that will move you closer towards a truly clean diet. What is the next “20%” that you want to work on? Again, the clean eating process takes time. But imagine how you will feel when you can look back, you might be ready to pick up something sporty, and see all the positive changes you’ve already successfully made. 

In my case I started with walking in the park with our dog and with my family. After half an hour I was done. I do this once a week and I challenged myself within six months I pushed myself to walk for 2 hours and approx. 10 kilometres. And yes I lost nearly 10 kilo grammes in the last six weeks. Yes you can do it just be positive.

The Old Sailor,

Freezing cold springtime

Dear Bloggers,


It has been more than 50 years since temperatures were this cold this late in the winterseason in The Netherlands, but here we go again. Temperatures near zero for what many with me are hoping will be the last time this spring.

“I’m definitely tired of it,” I hear one of my passengers say when he hops on the bus, and I see a woman looking cold and beaten by the weather as she went jogging in the pooring rain and hailstone showers, and she didn’t expect this severe weather untill the end of the year, when temperatures start to edge a bit closer to normal.

The normal high temperature for late April is around 15 to 18 degrees, and the normal low is 7 to 10 degrees Celcius which most of Holland likely won’t even see as a high until early next week. The average temperature this time of year is 10 to 17 degrees.

However, temperatures won’t get anywhere near the 10 this week. The highest temperature in the forecast is Sunday’s high of 16 degrees. The closest we’ll get to 20 is Monday’s forecast high of 17.

Temperatures overnight dipped as low as -1 degree at the local weatherstation here early last Wednesday morning. That’s just shy of the coldest April. 20 on record, when it was 1 below zero in 1963.

Although temperatures did not get below zero as expected, subzero temperatures remained a possibility. No one held out much hope that springlike weather will arrive “on schedule” with the arrival of spring in less than a month.

On route I see a man walking his chocolate Labrador retriever, who makes the walks necessary, although the man is wearing a winterjacket and hat and scarf he looks pretty cold he probably will make his daily walk a bit shorter, and will walk more briskly.

In the case of a 48 year old professional bus driver which would be me.in this case. I see a lot of people being sick or having the sniffles, although it is not abnormal but you feel that they are all waiting for the beautiful Sunny springweather, normally they would go by bike enjoying the Sun. The bus has to do it's route. no matter what the weather. Opening the front door in bitter cold is not the most fun thing to do.

Yet another man on the bus, said the weather has been so cold so many times, “I”m getting used to it. … I actually enjoy the cold weather now.”
Snow is not that bad, although the rain is crap but the cold is fine. You just put your winter hat on and your gloves. And just when I thought everyone was sick of winter.

The extreme cold this year has been taking a toll on homeowners’ wallets, too. As the heating has to stay on longer

“No question this has been a very tough winter for many gas and oil consumers.”

I hope that we are getting nice and sunny weather soon. People will cheer up again and my life on the commuter bus a little easier. I will have time to look around me and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Let the Sun shine.........Let the Sun shine.......

The Old Sailor,

Bucket lists why should you wait?

Dear Bloggers,

This time I am writing about the need of bucket-lists and why do many people wait to do these challenges until they are in their last weeks of their lives. You should be doing these things as soon as you are able to fix the things that you want to do the most.

Bucket Lists are all the rage, 10 things to do before you are twenty, 15 books to read before you start university, 8 foods to try before you die. There are many items that crop up time and again, swim with dolphins, climb a mountain, write a book. But what if you spend more time compiling these lists than actually completing the challenges? And are you completing them because they really resonate with you, or because you want to take a selfie to commemorate?

One sure fine way to find out what the really important accomplishments in life are, is to ask the people who are coming to the end of theirs. That is exactly what keeps my mind going. Why is it all of a sudden so important to get these list completed. I wander if they have really lived life when everything was still normal, I can not imagine that you did not fulfill your dreams at least the ones that you can afford.

There is something so profound in the themes that came up in my mind and again. It highlights the importance of living each day fully. Strangely enough swimming with dolphins didn’t come up in my brain, although that’s not to say you should set this goal aside if it is important to you. This is what would pop up in my mind but okay I am not the average guy.

“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

This is what I think the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.” When I was wearing a younger man's clothes I travelled a great part of the world and in a later stage of life I started sailing (to get rid of a traumatic impact on my life.)

“I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”

This is something that many males with me would have on their minds. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also might have this regret, but as most of them only work part time as they take care of the kids as well, many of the females that I know are not being breadwinners. If you get sick you start realizing all kinds of things. And i personally regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.” I wouldn't have missed the years that I have sailed but somehow there are some pieces missing.

“I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”

Many people suppress their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settle for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.” Bitterness is not the way to live your life. I keep somethings inside as I am a man but I am pretty open if it comes to issues. And I am speaking myself out.

“I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”

Often you won''t truly realize the full benefits of good old friends until you are in your dying weeks and it is not always possible to track them down at that moment. Many have become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There will be many deep regrets, I guess, about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserve.

"I wish that I had let myself be happier.”

This is a surprisingly common one. Many do not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They are stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change makes them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they are so content, when deep within, they are longing to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.” It makes me happy that I do quite a lot of silly things.

What are your thoughts? Do you live life without regrets? What is on your bucket list? If you want to something bad enough, whether it’s starting a business or running a marathon or traveling abroad, you should try to get it done as early as possible in your life. You will have those memories and that experience within you for the rest of your life.

It’s never too late to tackle your bucket-list dreams, or to recognize that your list will grow the more you grow, and the more you learn about the world.

But, when you also give these dreams a sense of urgency and don’t put them off until "the stars are aligned," you’ll be amazed at how much life you can fit into your years.

The Old Sailor,

Getting old and crumbling down slowly

Dear Bloggers,

I recently injured my right arm and was told I had damaged a ligament on my bicep, known as a 'Popeye' muscle. I wish to have surgery to repair this, but have been told this isn't considered for older people, regardless of their physical condition. I am willing to pay for the treatment if necessary. I am a fit 48-year-old - I go to the gym once a week and try to stay healthy to care for my mental crashed wife.

 
I've damaged a ligament on my bicep, known as a 'Popeye' muscle It just snapped when I helped the son of our neighbors to get his car out that was stuck in the mud
This injury is clearly frustrating for me but it's not a reason to withdraw from your valuable regular exercise regime, which is so vital for the maintenance of good health - physical as well as mental.

Hopefully, a detailed explanation from my doctor will help me to regain some of my former drive and enthusiasm,
He said to me: Enabling you to remain as physically active as ever, particularly retaining your ability to cope with the demands of your dear wife.
The bicep muscle is in the front of the upper arm; contracting it allows the elbow to bend and the upper arm to lift.

The lower end of the muscle attaches to the bones of the forearm; at the upper end the muscle divides and is attached to two sites in front of the shoulder.
The muscles are attached to the bones by tendons, which are tough tissues. Repetitive activities can lead to pain - what we call tendinopathy.
The risk of tendinopathy increases with age, resulting in the sudden rupture of one of the tendons at the top of the muscle, in the shoulder. I had mine on the elbow side,
I suffered a sudden traumatic moment when pushing the car my hand slipped from the car and I fell over, It came with an immediate pop, with pain and swelling, then considerable bruising a day or so later.

The bicep muscle is in the front of the upper arm; contracting it allows elbow to bend and upper arm to lift
This will have resulted in a visible lump in the mid-upper arm, causing the classic 'Popeye' deformity. This never repairs itself so the appearance will not change, although it may shrink a bit in some people.

Athletes who play sports that require upper arm power may need to have immediate surgical repair, though this is exceptional.
In most people with this injury, the reduction in strength is of less significance than you might expect, and most will regain good function after the bruising and pain has settled down, despite the inevitable weakness.
Surprisingly, you lose only 25% of muscle strength - bear in mind that there is a second tendon at the muscle.

Because the rupture is usually due to a process of long-term degeneration, though surgical repair seems logical, it is not necessarily a good practical proposition. This is because rupture is often associated with a more significant elbow problem,
Statistically seen distal biceps injuries are more common among people in their fifties, but I typically see them in active individuals in their fourties. That might be a result of the population I belong to.

For readers unfamiliar with my description of the injury, let me explain what he sees and feels. A Popeye deformity occurs when the biceps tendon tears off the bone (the radius) in the forearm and allows the muscle to retract up the arm. The retraction allows the biceps muscle in the arm to look larger than normal. The hook test is a test where a physician tried to hook his or her finger around the biceps tendon in the front of the elbow. If the tendon has torn and retracted, there is no tendon to hook.

I think surgery is necessary in active individuals, whether they are in their thirties or fifties or sixties. It is certainly possible to have a good outcome without surgery, but the biggest complain is residual weakness. The weakness is more related to decreased supination than elbow flexion. Common complaints of patients who treated their distal biceps tendon rupture nonoperative include weakness with turning a screwdriver or a doorknob.

According to my physician it is already to late to get surgery. If physiotherapy might not work out he will send me to a Podotherapist who might be able to fix this. As surgery is not without risks and chances to catch a bacterial infection are up to 40%
Prior to that, physiotherapy, with a range of strengthening and mobility exercises, may prove helpful despite the ruptured tendon - it will help you regain much of your lost strength, even though the 'Popeye' appearance will not alter.

There is a lot more to learn yet, but as we have known for years... you are what you eat. To stay in shape is for most of us a battle.



The Old Sailor,

Look at the whole picture before you judge someone

Dear Bloggers,

What is wrong with being a loner? That was the question I asked myself. Nothing I would say although on the other hand a couple of good friends, a partner or even relatives and of course your mom and dad if they are still around. Those are the ones that you need to get the unfinished stuff out of your system. I grew up in a small village at the lakeside in Friesland a place that doubled her population in summer months with tourism and in the winter we lived together like how it goes in a small community.

In those days it was normal to go to elementary school and on Sundays you either went to Sunday school or church in the village. Everyone knew each other so if you did something bad the social control was doing her job. And before you were home your parents knew already about it or the message was on it's way.

Nowadays I drive a commuter bus through the city of Groningen and I see and hear a lot of things that I hardly could imagine during my youth. In this city you are anonymous and some lay dead for many weeks in their shabby apartment's. You also see a growing number of homeless people and drug addicts. They hardly respect anything or anyone as they are surviving in the big mass. Armed robbery is a growing problem as the value of life is forgotten. They will attack you for less than € 50,- Yes, I was thought that everyone should be treated equal no matter what your background is. I learned a lot of animals they simply accept you if you can accept them. In my days on board I read a lot about psychology and was stunned by the fact that I have learned most things through natural and holistic behavior of these great animals.

In my youth I grew up in between horses and ponies and a lot of other animals. I learned that every animal should be treated with respect and you should give them some affection but most of them are not cuddly animals, you learn from scratch how to command respect. You're the boss and there is no doubt about that. The horse is the worker and you're the leader

Before you climb on and sit on a horse or pony, it is very important that you know why a horse or pony does something. A horse mirrors the rider how that works I will try to explain to you in this story. You have to know a lot about a horse before you can sit on it. To most of us it's all quite normal you first take a good look into the character of a dog before we make a purchase. Then most of the time puppy training is followed by one of the family members. We don't want to make any mistakes. Therefore, everyone that wants to become a rider should also take a course to start riding.

In my youth (and that was a while ago) my mom was the caretaker of the farm and dad worked with the horses on their riding school as a child you were told that you had to pay attention to what you could and could not do. Yes, I grew up among horses and all the other animals on the farm. 

We didn't only had the horses and ponies, but also ducks, chicken, rabbits, goats, geese and sometimes we got pigs just for consumption matters, In those years I learned to assist in the births of foals, and I learned when you had to stay and correct or not had to be somewhere else.

As a young bloke you had to help out moving them from stable to the pasture, You learned to pay attention to the posture of the animal, whether it was a horse or a chicken. You saw not only how the animals together, but also dealt with their offspring. Years of experience I carry with me and a little bit of this experience I want to pass on to the horseman or woman of the future.

As a rider you have to move the legs of the horse and the horse does not move you. In the stable, during brushing, but rather as you pick up the horse from the pasture, it begins. That is the base of riding horses.
The horse mirrors the rider, a truth like no other. Where the horse is blamed (beating with a whip) is the rider the error and I mean really they are thinking wrong. The rider gets on with the wrong attitude and the horse follows the match. One problem that I want to solve the rider deliberately should learn during the ground work (working from the ground) being aware of his or her attitude towards the horse.

Groundwork in the raw picture
Natural attitude of the horse and the man/ woman
Guiding a horse or pony
Knowledge of maintenance of the saddle and bridle
Brushing and saddling
Riding bareback

You have probably heard the phrase "Holistic Horsemanship" before. But did you ever stop to think about what this really means? Holistic Horsemanship goes way beyond learning a few techniques or trying to force the same step-by-step method on every horse you meet.    It's a total mindset. It is the very way you interact and communicate, not just in training, but in every moment you spend with your horse. It is the desire to build a trust-based partnership with the horse, and fluency not only in their language, but an intimate understanding of their psychology, biology, herd dynamics, and much more. The foundation of it begins with an understanding of not only the techniques of natural horsemanship, but becoming fluent in the Language of horses or ponies. In this hectic and messed up world we have loads of trouble and many things on your mind. You lost a battle and partly yourself and now you will enter the world of the horse, a world that a few horsemen and women truly know.   1: Connection & Communication In this first period we'll cover many of the nuances of the Language of horses, the grammar of which is rich in the use of body language, and the detection and direction of energy. Understanding and mastering of this on your own will set your skills above those of the average horse trainer or enthusiast. It is one of the skills exhibited by Horse Whisperers which makes what they do appear to be magical. 2: Becoming Fluent in the Language of the horse In this second period, the obstacle course at liberty, in-hand, and even while riding how to perfect use of your energy, telepathy, and body language to build not only your confidence, but the horse's as well. It also covers the use of the obstacle course liberty training to build the trust-based partnership you've always wanted with your horse and how to avoid behavioral issues with trust-building exercises. 3: Positive Reinforcement and the Proper Use of Reward In period three, They should teach you how to identify what motivates the horse you're working with and how to use that to bring out the very best in the both of you.It should cover the proper use of food as reward, and under what circumstances you may want to consider using it. 4: Solving Behavioral Problems Compassionately During this 4th period, Find out about some very common problem behaviors you may currently be working with, or if you're around horses for any length of time, you will be confronted by things like: Biting, striking, boxing, trailer loading problems, and evasions while riding, are just a few of the problems covered. 5: The Horse as Your Personal Self-Help Guru In this 5th period, we'll cover how important the use of your mind and making a true connection with the horse on not only a mental but spiritual level is to successful "Horse Whispering". You will see how, in building a trust-based partnership with your horse, you may in fact be looking straight into a mirror, polishing your own rough edges, and in the process, enriching your life and other relationships.here we can discuss the use of the mind, telepathic communication with the horse, and the use of energy in holistic horsemanship. 6: Holistic Horsemanship From the Ground to the Withers In this final period You become a real horseman and it ties everything together to show you how you can apply the principles of holistic horsemanship in the saddle. Are you aware exactly how sensitive your horse is, and how they can feel your energy, your moods, and your intent while you're on their back? Do you have an understanding of how the horse can become an extension of your body and mind, and how this connection will improve when you ride using your intuition? You will find out that if you set aside time you can answer some of the most common questions about Horse Whispering and Holistic Horsemanship yourself. When you learn and commit to master these principles and skills, you will improve not only your horse's life but the lives of every horse with which you come in contact The Old Sailor,