Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Chocolate Milk - diet?


I have held the belief for years that I could live off of Chocolate Milk alone, but now I find out I can use it as a diet drink! Woo Ho0! I attach a picture of my favorite beverage in the same cup I have been using for that purpose (and spoon) for nearly 30 years now.




The Chocolate Milk Diet

By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding - Posted on Thu, May 13, 2010, 9:52 pm PDT
Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
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The Chocolate Milk Diet

Imagine if everything you needed to know about weight loss, you learned in kindergarten. Well, if your teacher gave you chocolate milk as a lunchtime treat, she was (unknowingly) giving you one of the most powerful weight-loss tools in the nutritional universe. Turns out this childhood staple may be the ideal vehicle for your body’s most neglected nutritional needs. Each bottle delivers a package of micro- and macronutrients that can help you shake off body flab and replace it with firm muscle. And when you served it ice-cold, the creamy sweetness flows across your tongue with all the pleasure of a milk shake. Yum.

That’s the crux of what I'm calling "The Chocolate Milk Diet," which isn’t a diet at all. It’s essentially three eight-ounce servings of chocolate milk consumed at key points throughout your day: one when you wake up, a second before you exercise, and a third directly after your workout. Or, if it's your day off, just pattern them for morning, afternoon, and night. Sounds good, right? It is, and that’s why it’s so easy. But is this a free ticket to eat as much fried chicken as you want throughout the rest of the day? Unfortunately not, but alongside a healthy diet, it can help you drop lots of belly fat fast. Here are the four reasons why:

Secret #1: The Calcium Effect
Researchers have known for years about the role that calcium plays in building strong bones, but a more recent development deals with they way it affects your belly. A series of studies have shown that calcium can actually impede your body’s ability to absorb fat, and when researchers in Nebraska analyzed five of these studies, they were able to estimate that consuming 1,000 mg more calcium can translate to losing nearly 18 pounds of flab. What’s more, other studies have shown that dairy foods offer the most readily absorbable calcium you can find. Knock back three servings of brown cow and you’ll reach that crucial 1,000 mg threshold. At that point, any other calcium that you eat or drink is a bonus.


Secret #2: The Vitamin D Factor
All the calcium in the world isn’t going to help you if you don’t get a good dose of vitamin D to go with it. That’s because vitamin D is responsible for moving calcium from your food to your body, which means if you’re running low on D, you’re probably also missing the calcium you need to stay slim. Other symptoms of the D deficiency are weak muscles, easily breakable bones, and depression—not a great combo for success. Now here’s why this is significant: Most experts agree that the average American isn’t getting enough D. Some estimate that only half the population is meeting the requirement and one study published in the journal Pediatrics found that 70 percent of American children had low levels of D in their diet. The thing is, your body makes vitamin D naturally when you expose your skin to sunlight, but most people spend too much time indoors to benefit. And intentionally spending more time in the sun could put you at risk for skin cancer. The solution? Drink up. Chocolate milk, like most milk, is fortified with vitamin D. One caveat here: Drink 1% chocolate milk. Vitamin D won't work without a little fat to help break it down. You want to skip the whole milk, too, as it has too many calories to make it a regular habit. The best option is 1%, or low-fat chocolate milk. It has the fat you need to absorb crucial vitamins, yet at three cups a day, it will save you 120 calories over whole milk.


Secret #3: The Endurance Boost
If you want to lose the gut, you’ve got to exercise—no surprise there. But here’s a fact that’s not so obvious: Drinking chocolate milk can improve your gains. In a study published in The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, subjects given chocolate milk before hopping on the stationary bikes were able to ride 49 percent longer than subjects given a generic carbohydrate-replacement beverage. And on top of that, they pedaled even harder. Total work performed by the chocolate-milk group was greater than the work performed by subjects drinking carbohydrate-replacement drinks or electrolyte-fortified sports drinks. The reason? Milk has naturally occurring electrolytes that keep you hydrated—more hydrated then water, in fact, which I revealed recently on my Twitter account—and its natural sweetness helps push more energy into your muscles. Another study from 2009 found similar results, but it went one step further by asking participants which beverage they thought tasted better. Not surprisingly, 100% chose chocolate milk.


Secret #4: The Protein-Body-Weight Connection
Want to know the secret to staying thin? You need more muscle. That’s because muscle burns more calories than fat, so for every new muscle fiber you create, your resting metabolism receives another surge of fat-torching energy. And chocolate milk can help you do that. Researchers have determined that the ideal protein load for building muscle is 10 to 20 grams, half before and half after your workout. How much protein will you find in low-fat chocolate milk? Eight grams per cup. (That means one serving before your workout and one serving after will give you a total of 16 grams of highly effective whey protein—a perfect serving.) Add that to the extra cup you drank first thing in the morning and you’re looking at a turbocharged metabolism that keeps you burning calories all day long.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Christmas Card 2009

“And to think that I saw it from an Odyssey Seat”
– with apologies to Dr. Seuss,
based on “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street”[1]


When another year [2]is come and gone
Nanette will say “Hon-ey,
Will you roll your sleeves on up
and write our card for me?”

But when I tell her where I’ve been
And what I think I’ve seen,
She looks at me and sternly says,
Your eyesight’s much too keen.

Stop tellin’ such outlandish tales.
Stop telling folks you’re now a whale.”[3]

So, what can I say
When I write our card today?

What I have noted,
is that all of my feats
were generally started
from an Odyssey[4] Seat.

That can’t be my card.
That’s boring as heck!
My rep would be ruined, and I’d be a wreck.[5]

My card must be clever, and never repeat,
when I say that I saw it from an Odyssey Seat.

How about driving coast to coast![6]
The story would really be better to hear
if the driver were Josh learning to steer![7]

Starting in Cali, Pacific sand in our feet
Finishing in Delaware at Rehoboth beach.

California, Utah[8], Idaho[9]to visit family we go
Independence Rock, Martin’s Cove we had not seen – they’re new by jove.

Just to mention a couple more things,
Mt. Rushmore, then Crazy Horse where hammers still ring![10]
Minute man silo and then Winter Quarters;
Independence; Nauvoo on Iowa’s borders.

And then one last stop before we head home,
In Jackson TN, where Grandpa Hamm went to roam.
Say! That makes a story that no one can beat,
When I say that I saw it from an Odyssey seat.

But now I don’t know…Our card isn’t quite right.
A couple more stories to shed some more light,
Jaclyn’s a Cougar to all our delight![11]
Scott helped give her a handcheering Cougs from the stand![12]

Nathan and Tyler flag football MVPs,
Playoff victories both and a great big trophy.
Hillside Elementary, Nate - class rep
Tyler to 2nd grade class -smile & pep.

Jacob is now in High School, as well
Biceps like Schwarzenegger to hear him tell.
Joshua sits in judgment on court: Basketball reffing – his favorite sport. [13]

For Nanette, five years
As Young Women’s pres.
with 45 YW, there’s always a need
which she meets with skill and speed!

Scott coaching soccer,[14]
Tyler’s a goal scorer
Jacob’s now a teacher,
and Josh is a priest.

That is a story that NO ONE can beat!
When I say that I saw it from an Odyssey seat!

The card is so close
And it is sure grand
a little more bragging
then to friends we’ll send

…a marathon by the old man…[15]
a scholarship for Jaclyn…
..staples in Jacob’s head – a tale[16]

No time for more,
It’s time to mail.

I pulled out some paper
this card was first rate
I just had to smile
And I felt simply GREAT!

FOR I HAD A CARD THAT NO ONE COULD BEAT!
AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IF FROM AN ODYSSEY SEAT!

So I sat down quite calmly
This was going to be cool
I would show all my friends
That the Hamm Family rules!

There was so much to tell, I JUST COULDN’T BEGIN!
The paper was there - I lifted my pen.

A braggadocios letter of all our feats
All the things we had looked at…the places how neat.
Where to start all the tales I saw from my seat...

“Nowhere,” I said, growing red as a beet,
“Just Merry Christmas to all… from my Odyssey seat.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all us Hamms to all of you!







[1] I have been told that my selection for the basis of my card was too esoteric. So, if you are not familiar with this book the boy is walking home from school and begins to imagine a story he will tell his Dad about what he saw on the way home which grows and grows until he gets home and bursts into the house and…tells his dad the truth.
[2] Wow, 2009 is gone. I can’t believe it was a decade ago we were worried about Y2K. This marks 5 years here in the East.
[3] In all honesty, the thing that gets me most in trouble are comments about her, they usually end up on the editing floor.
[4] Our Toyota Sienna was having struggles (before it’s time according to my calendar) and so we bought a Honda Odyssey this year – I would have preferred a Suburban, but I don’t drive it every day so Nanette got her wish.
[5] Some would argue I’m a wreck regardless.
[6] We went cross country and it was a GREAT trip. I highly recommended to anyone who would like to visit sites across the country. I will say that after about the third day lunching on Skippy brand peanut-butter-honey sandwiches from the back of the van we nearly had open revolt!
[7] Joshua has his driver’s permit. Loan papers for auto insurance are in process.
[8] A trip to Lagoon and the Country Boy store are always included.
[9] We took most the cousins and went to Jackson Hole and floated the river. It was awesome!
[10] If you are up that way, we definitely recommend Crazy Horse – kids liked it better than Rushmore. And they got FREE souvenirs – rocks.
[11] Jaclyn was admitted to Brigham Young University – her first choice. It also means that Scott can still sit in student seats for football!
[12] Not that this worked out too well, I attended two games – FSU & TCU. Sigh.
[13] Refereeing isn’t his favorite sport, but basketball is. Although, he makes good money reffing and since he turned 16 it should help pay for dates…
[14] Coaching is probably a bit generous. Herding cats is probably more accurate.
[15] It is true, I finished a marathon. As for my time, as one friend told me “Wow, that is a long time to run.” Finish line pic: http://gatecitysports.com/Marathon%202009/Site_6/Bibs_51-100.html#44
[16] And why does this always happen on vacation and right when you are getting ready for something else? Finding a swim cap for him to use while whitewater rafting was fun. And we got to find a really interesting doc in a box in Cody Wyoming.