Monthly Archives: October 2013

Ghost peppers – I’ve reached my limit

So I have finally reached the limit of what I can consume for hot stuff. I came across these at our local hot sauce shop:

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It is a jar of whole ghost chili peppers, the naga jolokia. It is one the hottest peppers in the world. I was very excited when I saw them and eagerly bought them up. I have had several Dave’s products including their ghost pepper sauce and always enjoyed them. As soon I got home I popped them open checked them out.

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I planned to make some fish for dinner (tilapia) and though it would spice it up nicely to cook it with a few peppers  I grilled it up and sure enough it added just enough kick for me. Then for reasons unknown I decided to eat three of the peppers I had used for cooking. I figured since I had already cooked them so they couldn’t be too bad, right?

They went down easy enough. Didn’t seem too hot, just a little bite. Everything seemed good until I went to bed. I started to feel a sharp pain in my stomach but I figured it would pass and went to sleep.

At about 4 am I woke up in extreme pain. I decided to get up and see if I could ride it out watching some TV. Unfortunately it only got worse. I finally had enough and made my way to the bathroom where I proceeded to throw up. Because of my diet the only thing in my stomach was those peppers, surpirisingly intact.

I immediately started to feel better. I realized I had hit my limit. I can’t eat three whole ghost peppers Next I will stop after two!

 

Mid-study check

So I went tp my mid-study check this past Monday and I received some very good results. When I started the study I weighed about 285 lbs. I also found out after my bloodwork came back that my blood sugar was at 173 and my blood pressure was too high. When I went back I had lost 24 lbs and dropped 70 points off my blood sugar. My blood pressure was also down to what would be expected.

I was very excited. In five weeks I had really turned things around. Not only had I improved my health, I have started to change the way I eat. I am more conscious of what I eat and how I eat it. I used to eat very fast and always felt compelled to clean my plate even if I was full. Now I eat much slower. I take time and enjoy my meals. I also stop and check to see just how full I am. If I feel sated I stop. That was a big adjustment for me.

I am also much more aware of the types of food I eat. I pay attention to the nutrition information and am careful with the portions. I have learned so much about proteins, grains, rice, vegetables, fruits, you name it.

I am about to start my 7th week so I only have four more weeks. Hopefully the trends that have started will continue. I really have to thank Dr. Paul Arciero of Skidmore College for allowing me to participate in this study. He and his team have been encouraging and helpful throughout the entire process.

I think my next post will include some of the information I have learned regarding proteins and grains. Stay tuned…

Dietary study

So as my introductory post to my new blog site I thought I would write about the study I am currently participating in. It is a 10 week study of diet and how it can be used to not only help you lose weight but do it in a way that are actually healthier than without it.

The high-level view is that if you eat frequent but smaller meals it will train your body to metabolize better. Now that isn’t really new. The difference here is that each meal should contain 20 to 30 grams of protein. The protein is what helps your body in processing the food you eat. The other key is to not starve your body of carbs the way a lot diets seem to do. When you cut out carbs your body goes into starvation mode. That means it will hold onto every single carb it can. This is why people coming off these types of diets tend to bounce back in a big way in the weight department. This study is intended avoid that problem.

I am half way through and so far I have lost 24 pounds. But I have also shaved 70 points off my blood sugar and reduced my blood pressure. I feel great and never feel tired and cranky. The only downside is that because it is a study I can’t really work out, not that I have much desire to do so.

Anyway, so far so good. Five weeks to go. There is a lot more going on with this study which I will share in another post.