A.L.O.E. 10.14.12

It's been a pretty relaxing weekend.  Tab and I were treated to a lovely dinner with the parents of two dogs we fostered last year.  It was to celebrate their one year anniversary.  Nice people, great food and interesting conversation.  It doesn't get better than that. Right?  Well, not until the weekend brings you a Giant win over the supposed "Best Team in Football."  That's a good way to cap off the weekend.  Oh.  That and a big pot of minestrone on the stove.  Let's get into A Little Of Everything.

Vitamin D
Ask anyone how to get more Vitamin D in their diet and 90% of people have been programmed to give the answer, drink milk.  That may not be a formal study, but I'm sure it's up there close to 90.  There are plenty of ways other than dairy to get in the Recommended Daily Allowance.  I, for one, am supposed to be supplementing with Vitamin D.  My bloodwork a few months back showed a deficiency.  Vitamin D is what aids in the absorption of calcium into the system.  Given the surgery I had ten years ago already made calcium an issue for me, not getting enough D is potentially a problem.  Why do I mention this?  Because last night I read an article from Men's Fitness about foods that are a good source of Vitamin D.  I thought I would lay out some ways other than dairy for you all to get in your RDA of D.  

• Sun is a great source.  Just by being out in the sun, your body converts it into Vitamin D.  Be sure to take all of the proper precautions for your skin, but get outside.  Soak in some rays.
• Three ounces of tuna can provide 40% of your daily value needed.  Limit tuna to once a week due to mercury concerns, but both tuna and wild salmon are great in this D-partment.  I like turning out a can of solid white tuna into a salad with a red wine vinaigrette.
• Eggs and shiitake mushrooms are both good sources, so why not knock out about 16% of your requirements with a two-egg mushroom omelet?  

Of course, supplements are another way to go, but getting these things through nature, rather than a processed source seems to make more sense to me.  Either way, give your bones a break and get more D.  Wait... perhaps, that was a poor choice of words.

A Little Confession
Okay.  I swore off alcohol for the month.  When we went out to dinner on Saturday and our gracious hosts asked my preference for which type of wine to bring to the BYOB restaurant, I replied that I wasn't drinking wine these days.  Good for me.  Yet, when we sat down and I saw what looked like an interesting bottle of white, I caved and said I would have just a little sip.  And literally a sip was all I had... until the entrees came.  Then it was just another sip.  Truth be told, I drank what probably amounted to about a third of a glass of wine.  I savored every delicious drop.  Do I feel guilty?  Nope.  But, I did feel the need to come clean here in the TDT195 confessional.  

Picture Imperfect
While my reflection in a window might be more palatable to me these days, I still cringe when I see photos of myself.  I have never felt that I was very photogenic to begin with, but I still dread seeing images of myself of Facebook, or anywhere else for that matter.  I spent a little time this weekend de-tagging myself from a shots from last week's Octoberfest party.  What I tend to see is an obese man who is looking quite old these days.  There's no pity party here and please do not post messages about how great I look or how handsome I am.  This isn't a fishing expedition.  Just an observation on my part.  Nothing more.  I suppose someday there might come a time when I can look at myself with a feeling of accomplishment and pride.  I just ain't there yet.

Cya for weigh-in on Monday night,
M

What I ate Sunday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Flax Granola w/banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ avocado, sliced onion and lettuce on whole grain toast w/lime juice and sea salt was a VERY tasty concoction on my part
Snack ~ a Fiber One bar
Dinner ~ two big bowls of my homemade minestrone with some grated cheese on top
Exercise ~ none