My Opinion Counts

Michael Phelps
Physique as an art. 8 golds. Great person. Loves his mom.

I think he would make a great friend.

Some of you may know that we adopted a dog who was in bad shape. We are not sure what caused our little Brody to have problems with his kidneys. It may have been tainted dog food. We will probably never know. It was so bad that the veterinarian told us not to become attached to him. Sheya right! Luckily, he overcame the odds the vet gave him and Brody is fine. Many dogs were not so lucky.

I recently ran across a blog, Ramblings Round the Watercooler, that told of another problem with dogs dying from eating tainted dog food. This time it is not only dogs but cats who are also becoming ill. You can read the consumer report to find out more about this topic. The article lists some of the stores selling the dog food as well as the manufacturer.

Get the word out.

My son and I have enjoyed watching the Olympics. We are couch potatoes who wish we could be in shape like the athletes we see on tv. I know how to get into shape. I did it a few times. I know what foods are healthy. I can eat tons of vegetables, a portion of meat and a carb no bigger than my fist and I will lose weight. I did it a few years ago and said I would do it for the rest of my life. Ha! I love ice cream, chocolate cake and pancakes. Eating healthy foods is boring. I would rather eat my favorite foods every now and then and not deprive myself. I am not obese but I could be thinner. Some are able to use diet pills to lose weight without any adverse effects. I have never tried them. I want to keep my cholesterol in check and keep my bones hard. I work on that and enjoy life. You did want to know that didn’t you? LOL

I came across an interesting forum where the participants are banding together to try something new. They are not sure if what they have planned will work but feel as though it is well worth their efforts. The community at the resveratrol forum is preparing to take steps for a man, who has 4 months to live, to use Resveratrol. Resveratrol is a natural chemical produced by some plants, and can be synthesized, too. It’s been used to lengthen the lifespans of some animals, and is currently being experimented with as a cancer-treating drug. This will be the first time the drug will be tested publicly. You can read the full story about this battle at imminst.org. I know that there are medicines and treatments available that have to go through the red tape before humans can use them. My dog overcame a serious kidney ailment with a medicine that would help humans with kidney problems. (If you remember the tainted dog food issue, you will know what bad shape our dog was in). The medicine is not available at this time for human consumption. This is crazy. Time is running out for people who need these treatments NOW.

One thing I noticed while on vacation is that I get hungry on a schedule. I never really noticed but I am hungry every three to four hours. I get a headache quickly if I don’t eat so I grab whatever is handy and gobble it down. That isn’t the best way to watch calories. Quick snack foods are often the most high in fat and sugar but darn it, they are also the easiest to grab. I hate to cook when I have that sense of falling over faint with hunger.

The best snack items can be prepared ahead. With a little bit of effort, I am determined to eat healthy foods. Vegetables can be eaten without regard to fat content. I plan to stock up on them even though they are expensive. The grocers don’t help us eat the healthy foods when you compare the prices. Grrr. Chopping will become my exercise as I prepare little baggies of veggies. Those of you who garden are to be admired. I love fresh vegetables but I have a brown thumb.