The Case for Skim Milk

Some health and fitness professionals advise against drinking milk. I once heard fitness guru, Jack LaLanne, say adult human milk consumption was unnatural, illustrating the point with the fact that no other adult mammals drink milk.

While Jack LaLanne's point is valid, it's hard to ignore the valuable nutrients contained in milk. And unlike other mammals, humans have figured out how to skim the fat out of milk, leaving just the good stuff.

When you drink skim milk, you are benefiting your body with the following:

• Protein
• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• Potassium
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin A
• Niacin
• Riboflavin

In total, the above nutrients help you maintain bone mass, muscle mass, healthy blood pressure, healthy skin, and good vision. The protein in milk also provides an energy boost.

With milk (as with most other foods), organic is better...and more expensive. The organic label guarantees the milk-producing cows were not treated with growth hormones or injected with antibiotics. Thankfully, growth hormones are not widely used anymore in non-organic milk.

Companies Are Coming Around to the Idea of Power Naps

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The issue of power naps in the workplace seems to come up every few years. New research conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management indicates that 6% of employers provide nap rooms for their employees. This number is up 1% from last year.

I've long been a fan of the power nap but never had an employer who was amenable to the idea. Employer-employee relationships, in my experience, are based on mistrust. Mostly that mistrust is unidirectional -- that is, employers mistrust their employees.

So, I see this development as mostly good news. Power naps help us work better. We all need breaks during the workday (we are not robots), and sometimes we need to relax instead of socialize with coworkers.

I worry, however, the employers will use this benefit as a way to keep people at work for longer hours, defeating any productivity gain. Corporate America often excels at taking good ideas and screwing them up.

I advise against rocking the boat. Instead, make your own power nap time if possible. Find a place during your allotted break time or lunch hour -- your car, a sofa in a hotel lobby, your desk, a hidden room in your office building -- and take a nap.

Vegetarian/Vegan Diets May Decrease the Risk of Cataracts

We've all heard the many benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet. Results of a recent University of Oxford study may add one more to that list: reduced risk of cataracts.

A cataract is a cloudiness on the eye's lens that, as it worsens, can severely impair vision. Most people (if they live long enough) will eventually develop cataracts. A cataract is treated by removing the eyes natural lens and replacing it with a manufactured, intraocular lens (IOL).

Just under 28,000 subjects participated in the study. Subjects were broken into categories of high meat consumers (3.5 or more ounces per day), mid-level meat consumers (1.7-3.4 ounces per day), low meat consumers (less than 1.7 ounces per day), fish eaters (who did not eat meat), vegetarians (ate dairy but not meat), and vegans (no meat, fish, or dairy).

From 1993-1999, subjects (all over 40) were surveyed on their dietary intakes. In 2008 and 2009, these same subjects were evaluated for cataracts. A total of 1500 subject developed cataracts.

The study's results showed a link between low meat consumption (compared to the high meat consumers) and reduced risk for cataracts. The breakdown is as follows:

Diet Group	Reduced Risk of Cataracts
Mid-level meat eaters	4%
Low meat eaters	15%
Fish eaters	21%
Vegetarians	30%
Vegans	40%

And so we have another reason to go veggie. Although the thought of replacing my imperfect natural lenses with vision-correcting IOLs is appealing too. Let's hope we all live long enough to develop (or not develop) cataracts.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/cataracts/news/20110420/vegetarians-may-have-lower-risk-of-cataracts

Healthy Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Taco Recipe

This is an easy chicken taco recipe that only requires a crock pot (slow cooker) and a few ingredients. You'll never prepare more tender chicken breasts.

Base Chicken Taco Ingredients

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cups of no-salt-added chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• cilantro

The above ingredients serve as the foundation of this chicken taco recipe (see below for variations). If you want to save a little money, buy frozen chicken breasts from your grocery store. They will absorb so much flavor, you won't know the difference.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Recipe Variation 1

Ingredients:

• 1 packet chicken taco seasoning

Combine base and variation 1 ingredients in your slow cooker -- you may want to mix the chicken stock, orange juice and spices together first. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken at around 6-7 hours and cook some more. Go ahead and substitute your own taco seasoning if you'd like. Stir in cilantro about 30 minutes before serving.

Crock Pot Chickent Taco Recipe Variation 2 (Spicy)

This is a modified version of a recipe my wife got from Cooks Country. The ingredients are as follows:

• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 teaspoons of minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (add more if you want your tacos spicier)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard

Combine the chicken stock, garlic, chipotle peppers, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice and yellow mustard together in a bowl. Add to crock pot along with your chicken breasts. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred the chicken at 6-7 hours and leave them to cook more. Add cilantro about 30 minutes before serving.

Healthy Advice from Walter Breuning, The World's Oldest Man

Walter Breuning, the worlds oldest man, died at age 114. If you're like me, you're wondering how this man lived such a long, healthy life. Well, Mr. Breuning left a short list of advice for us to consider:

• "Every change is good." Accept change and roll with it.
• Two meals a day is "all you need."
• Work for as long as possible because "that money's going to come in handy."
• "The more you do for others, the better shape you're in."
• "Never be afraid to die."

Thank you Walter Breuning; your advice is Spa Leonard approved. RIP.

Taco Bueno's BC Vegetarian Black Burrito

At some point in the last year or so, Taco Bueno introduced a menu of healthier items it refers to as Taco Bueno Choice or BC. I generally like to avoid fast food establishments, but my business partner occasionally itches for Taco Bueno's Beef Muchaco Combo meal. He is still young enough to be on his parent's health care plan. I predict he will change his fast food ways sometime within the next ten years, but I digress.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the BC menu during our first visit to Taco Bueno together. It includes lower fat options like the BC Chicken Fajita Taco and the BC Steak Fajita Taco -- both served without cheese.

I decided to try the only vegetarian item on the menu, the BC Vegetarian Black Burrito. I scarfed it down as my business partner and I discussed how to rank higher on Google search for Dallas SEO company.

It is comprised of fat-free black beans, cilantro rice and a tortilla. If you are interested in trying this item, make sure you order off the BC menu; Taco Bueno also offers a regular black been burrito that includes cheese and sour cream.

How Does the BC Vegetarian Black Bean Burrito Stack Up?

The burrito is tasty and filling. According to the nutrition information on Taco Bueno's website, a BC Vegetarian Black Bean Burrito will add 440 to your daily caloric intake. It has 10 grams of fat, 780 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of protein.

The Taco Bueno BC Vegetarian Black Bean Burrito is marginally Spa Leonard approved. I appreciate its high fiber and protein content; however, it could do without so much sodium. But sodium is king across the board in American restaurant establishment, and no reasonable person would expect otherwise from a fast food joint.

Avoid fast food if you can. If you can't, and you find yourself at Taco Bueno, go ahead and try something off the BC menu.

Yours in Health,

Leo

KFC's Double Down Sandwich

I remember when KFC introduced its Double Down sandwich several months ago. I predicted a short lifespan for this one. I simply didn't understand the appeal - bacon, two types of cheeses and mystery sauce sandwiched in between two fried chicken breasts. Or, you have the option of choosing grilled chicken breasts instead.

To my surprise, I saw an advertisement for this sandwich just last week. Is the sandwich selling well, or are they giving it one last go? Who is KFC marketing to here? I can understand a male college student trying a Double Down out of curiosity or on a dare. Perhaps a man in his twenties would eat one if he lost a bet, but I can't imagine someone over 30 going anywhere near this sandwich.

According to the nutritional information on KFC's website, the sandwich has 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1380 milligrams of sodium. If you are going to try this sandwich once, you might as well stick with the fried version because the grilled version contains 460 calories, 23 grams of fat and 1430 milligrams of sodium - not quite worth the regret you'll experience by not going with the likely better-tasting fried version. For that matter, if you are going to eat the Double Down on a regular basis you might as well stick with the fried version. Good thing for you Obama passed his health care bill.

This goes without saying: the KFC Double Down sandwich is NOT Spa Leonard approved.