A word about Twilight

I admit it. I love the series of books and the movie Twilight. Why? Who knows. I'm a Master of Arts student in political science doing a public policy thesis on nursing. I've been in the military, a civil servant (now retired) and have worked in the private sector as well. This is something COMPLETELY different for me. I enjoy all the hype that has been generated around the movie - love the capitalist marketing machine. It's a prime example of making something out of not much, not to say that the movie is irrelevant. Our lives must be at some kind of low level if we thrive on this stuff, but here I am admitting that I am enjoying it all. I have to laugh at all the magazine articles about Rob Pattinson and Kristin Stewart and the other cast members, who are probably horrified at some of the things that get written. The hype machine. But I'm all for entertainment and I enjoy the soundtracks of movies when they introduce new material. I'm enjoying the Paramore and Muse music, as well as Rob Pattinson's songs. And I say to my friends, there was no swearing and less sex than one would see on afternoon television. Bravo. I've gotten so that I just don't go to movies any more - I'm done with war, horror, chase, shootemup, etc. It leaves me with little but foreign movies and Twilight. And it's nice to watch a love story, even when the stars are younger than my kids. I may just go for the third time.

Fat percentages in "optimal" diet still not settled

We know that the amounts of fat and carbs in the optimal healthy diet has not been settled. Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard Department of Nutrition says, "(W)e have found virtually no relationship between the percentage of calories from fat and any important health outcome. But what does seem important is the type of fat and the form of carbohydrate." (Harvard World Health News) He goes on further to explain how the message of substituting unsaturated fat for saturated fats got mixed up with substituting carbohydrates for fats. What's more controversial is when he says that the view that all complex carbs are good is not substantiated by any data, and is inconsistent with historical knowledge that the type of fat is a critical factor.

I personally have gotten fat by eating lots of carbs, thinking they were "OK". My friend lost 60 pounds on a low carb diet and I thought she was crazy. She pointed me to Gary Taubes' book "Good calories, Bad calories" and I learned a bit about endocrinology and have been researching more. I now try to stay away from potatoes, rice, bread, crackers and sugary things. I've had good success and have been able to reduce my metforming dose. I am careful about what kind of fats I eat and stay vigilant with saturated fats. I must admit I eat a lot of eggs.

When you learn more about how your body works, you wonder how you have gotten by all these years. I am looking at endocrinology texts now, and reading sources like medical journals. Of course there is a lot of money to be made (and has been made) from low fat foods. Obesity will cost health systems lots in the future until the message changes from Heart Associations and nutritionists.