JB Comes Clean

OK...it's time for me to come clean.  All this diet and nutrition stuff that I've been talking about lately, there's more to the story. 

I told you that I had been undergoing a lot of medical studies lately.  Blood work, sleep studies, cardiac function studies.  At first, it was all about pursuing better health.  I mean, I preach it so I've got to pursue it. 

I've seen my primary care physician, my cardiologist, a sports performance doctor, my physical therapist, two nutritionists, and a pulmonologist/sleep medicine physician.

Along the way, I found out a lot of good things about myself.  My cholesterol levels (total, HDL, LDL) are superb.  My body weight is right where it needs to be.  My blood pressure is under control.  

My coronary arteries are probably as big around as your little finger.  I am highly unlikely to ever have a heart attack. 

But I did find out that all the news isn't good.  I found that I have a significant case of atherosclerosis.  I have placque on my arteries. 

How could that be?  I've lived my whole life doing everything I knew to do to guarantee that I had good cardiac health!

I ate a diet low in dietary fats and exercised daily.  I always kept my weight and blood pressure under control.  I got an annual physical and followed the medical advice received.  I have never had high cholesterol.

You may remember my story.  My dad had his first heart attack when I was 5.  I lived my life from that point forward avoiding fried foods, eggs, and fatty foods.  We cooked with corn oil and used corn oil margarine.  I hardly knew what whole milk tasted like. 

As an adult I've continued that pattern, even going for several years without touching red meat.   

So what did I do wrong?  Turns out pretty much everything.

After getting past the shock of "how could this happen to me," I turned to what I know to do:  I did the research.

And what I found out was that from a nutritional standpoint, we had it all wrong.  Dietary fats are not the culprit--refined sugar and refined flour are.  That plaque on my arteries?  Most likely not my genes but my diet, a diet high in carbs. 

The research has been there for a while.  I've been told before that flour and sugar were bad for me (and everybody else).  Since I never had a weight problem, I really didn't worry about the bread and desserts.  Calories meant nothing to me.  I was so active that I could eat whatever I wanted and never gain.

Oh, I still minimized my dietary fats.  Still drank skim milk and ate only lean meats.  But it obviously wasn't close to being enough.

So 3 months ago, I made some drastic changes.  I eliminated most of the refined sugar and refined flour from my diet.  I started eating more whole foods, more foods where I know all the ingredients and most of the time know exactly where it came from.

I'm eating a lot more vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables.  I read labels for carbohydrate content and then look for ingredients.  I eat butter (really), drink whole milk, and get most of my carbs from fruit.

Breakfast is no longer cereal with milk but an egg/sausage casserole chased with almond milk.  

Lunch is no longer a PB&J but a salad, boiled eggs, fruit, and an avocado.  Dinner is meat (grass fed, pasture raised, wild caught), cruciferous vegetables, and a sweet potato.  No bread.  No desserts. 

The hard part is that I felt good before making these changes and I still feel good.  I won't wait on results (it will be a long time before there are any measurable changes anyway) to judge all this--because I've done my homework, I know that this is a better way to live.  

Primal Sports

I witnessed sports in its most basic form last week.  I saw 5 year olds playing basketball.  Oh, I've watched soccer for kids that age and younger but this was different.  It was almost primal.

It was a grandkid thing and for a couple of reasons, it all fell on me.  Grandkid #3 was playing basketball for the first time ever and had only practiced once.  Grandkid #2 was supposed to be on the same floor but she was sick.

My wife stayed home with the sick ones.  I took the player and Grandkid #4 with me.  Mom and dad were  out of town.

I'm not even sure how they ended up there.  Playing basketball seemed to come from out of the blue. 

Let's put it in context a little bit.  My daughter's sport was volleyball.  My son-in-law's sport was soccer.  Both became strong bikers later on and both are quite athletic.  My daughter played a lot of basketball in her day and my son-in-law surely could have (he can jump out of the gym) but I'm pretty sure that neither  pushed their children toward basketball.

All four grandkids have played soccer, a sport readily available to young children, but their parents have never seemed to push one sport or the other on them.  They seem perfectly willing to let them find their own way, providing them with activities and opportunities that should give them a good foundation of motor development. 

Just like the rule that I had for their mom, they have to play something.  What they play doesn't matter that much.  That's good.  Let them find their own sport, their own way.

Maybe that was what prompted the basketball sign-up.  Mom is 5'11" and dad is 6'4" so it seems a pretty good chance that there's gonna be some height in the bunch. 

They do a lot of other things too.  Like hike in the mountains, swim, ride bikes, and play actively all the time.  At least one of them is a Lego Master but none are expert at video games.

But let me tell you what I saw on that basketball floor last Saturday. 

I saw kids that probably won't have long and storied basketball careers.  I saw kids that might never play a minute of varsity sport.  Of any kind. 

But I did see kids that were having fun.  Kids that were doing something active and physical.  Some were awkward and obviously lost out there but I didn't see any that didn't have a smile on their face.

In this league, the score wasn't kept--only the time appeared on the scoreboard.  There were no referees to yell at and the coaches were out on the floor with the players.

The emphasis was on everybody having fun and maybe learning a little bit about basketball but mostly about moving. Everybody in the gym that day seemed there to provide the kids with a positive sporting experience. 

Oh, there were a couple of parents that were coaching hard from the stands but I'm quite certain the kids on the floor never heard them.

I looked around the crowd and saw about an equal number of parents and grandparents and most cheered whomever scored (the team didn't matter).  More than a few needed a bit more physical activity themselves but they are to be admired for trying to provide their child with the active lifestyle that eluded them.

It all demonstrated the value of youth sports when the focus is on the kids.  

Advice for the Team

Quite some time ago, I started a column on marriage advice.  I just could never finish it.   Just like relationships, it remained a work in progress.

Now, you might ask, what has marriage advice got to do with sports.  Pretty simple, really.  Marriage is all about teamwork, communication, commitment, giving of yourself.  Same thing for sports, especially team sports.

Before you get the idea that I've got it all figured out (just because I've been married to the same person for 38 years), let me tell you that I still have to work at it.

I'm really sure I'm not the perfect husband.  Oh, sure, I take out the garbage, handle all the bug-killing duties, and love to get up early on Sunday morning and have breakfast ready before I waken my slumbering wife.

But I also snore, have an annoying habit of clearing my throat, too often don't have much tolerance, and put my work WAY too high on the priority list.

So despite huge personal shortcomings, here goes-Joe's advice for effective relationships.

It is never 50/50.   This was what got this thing started.   I usually add that it is gonna seem like it is 90/10 all the time but at the core of this piece of advice is simply just don't keep score. 

Make your relationship a priority.  Maybe the biggest mistake I made early in my marriage (well, after kids came along anyway), was not making my wife a high enough priority. Go out on a date on a regular basis, even if the kids have to have a babysitter.  It won't kill them. 

Be ready to compromise.  In marriage and in politics, compromise is everything.  I wish Washington would figure that out. 

Listen to yourself.  Lower your voice, pick your battles, and avoid insults and declarations of absolutes. 

When you are wrong, admit it.  And when you are right, admit that you might be wrong. 

It's impossible to live by the rule "never go to bed angry."  Go to bed.  Forget about it for a while.  Sleep on it.  I guarantee it will be better or more clear in the morning.  Or it won't.  Either way, you get a good night's sleep.

You might have a really good excuse.  Just don't forget what an excuse really is.

Make sure that there are plenty of things that you share.  But know that it is just as important to have some things in your life that you don't share.  On the share side, my wife and I love to hike in the mountains together. 

Look for reasons to be happy. If you're always looking for faults and reasons to be unhappy, you're going to find them. 

Give credit.  The self-made man (or woman) is a myth. 

Don't take your work problems home with you. And don't take your home problems to work with you.  Each should be a refuge from the other.

Don't argue when you're angry, talk about money when you are frustrated, or buy groceries when you're hungry.  Remember that most marital stress is financial.

Have no regrets.  Don't worry about the things that you should have done.  Plan for the things that you're going to do. Missed opportunities are in the past.  Just prepare yourself not to miss the next opportunity.

Go Team!

2014 Visited for One Last Time

For the past week or so, I've read a lot of lists about the top this and the top that.  Top movies.  Top books.  Most important events.    So I decided to make my own.  It is the New Year after all. 

TOP SPORTS STORY.  The MHS comeback against Ravenwood in the 6A football state championship game.  Down 7-28 at the end of the first period, the Rebels held Ravenwood to 1 yard of total offense in the 2nd period and crawled back into the game.

And then T.D. Blackman (is there a better football name out there?) blocks a kick and then intercepts a pass in the overtime to seal the victory.  Wow.

Alcoa had a truly memorable season and I'm sure would love to play that last game again.  I'm betting that there would be a different outcome. 

And Greenback needs a do-over in their semi-final game.  After beating  Coalfield in the regular season, they couldn't pull it out when it counted most.  For my money, they should have been the 6th local team in the state championship game (along with Maryville, Alcoa, Fulton, Webb, and West). 

OTHER TOP SPORTS STORY.  Richie Koons of MHS returning to the field after suffering a knee injury and coming up HUGE on the defensive line.  I've been on the sidelines of local sports for 33 years and it was the bravest thing I've seen yet.

BEST FOOTBALL COACH-COLLEGE DIVISION.  No disrespect across the river but Mike Rader has done a phenomenal job at Maryville College.  Almost 5,000 people at an early season MC game?  Unheard of.

BEST FOOTBALL COACH-HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION.  Huh-uh.  Ain't goin' there.  GQ is my coach and there's nobody like him.  Gary Rankin has more wins than any coach in Tennessee high school history.  Tim Hammontree has restored a winning attitude at Heritage.  Jason Hicks was a win away from a state championship game.  Justin Ridge's WBHS team was always competing.

BEST COLLEGE PROSPECT-SENIOR DIVISION.  It's hard to argue against Dylan Jackson.  As the playoffs progressed, he got better and better.  But if somebody doesn't offer Jaquez Tyson a scholarship in a hurry, they're going to miss out on a great player.  Same for Bryce Miller.  And Kyle Malik Mitchell.

BEST COLLEGE PROSPECT-JUNIOR DIVISION.  Show me a receiver better than Kelby Brock.  Go ahead.  I dare you.  I didn't think so.  All those guys that he smoked (check with Sevier County, Science Hill, Oakland, and Ravenwood) can tell you how good he is.

TOP PRO ATHLETE.  You're kidding, right?  It has to be Randall Cobb.  He does us all proud.

PLACE TO BE ON A HOT SUMMER DAY.  On a paddleboard on Chilhowee Lake.  Or maybe a canoe.  Or a kayak.  It doesn't matter.  But on the water without a motor.

BEST PLACE TO BIKE.  Allegheny Loop.  The Wall.  Old Walland Highway from Coulter's Bridge to Townsend.  Then back.  River Road from Metcalf Bottoms to the Y.

WILL BE MISSED.  Bill Crisp.  Died from injuries suffered doing something he loved.  He made a difference in education in this community for a very long time.  Dr. Henry Callaway.  A medical pioneer and genuinely nice guy.  He never forgot where he was from. George Williams.  A difference maker.  A true leader.  A gentleman.  And the greatest handshake of all time.  Beverly Woodruff.  Life was tough for Beverly for a long time now but I know she was proud of serving Blount County.

There were more, I know.  All left their mark and all will be remembered in their own way.

Goodbye 2014.  Hello 2015.

Low Carbs: Further Defined

Apparently I generated a lot of discussion when I talked about my switch to a diet that was low in carbohydrates and high in (good) fats.  The discussion ranged from curiosity to doubt to "how could you do that with the holidays approaching!?!"  Others simply asked me to explain what I was eating now.

For the record, in October I made the decision to significantly reduce the carbohydrates in my diet.  That was a radical change for me. I was a carb animal.  Carbs for breakfast.  Carbs for lunch.  Carbs for snacks.  Lots of carbs on the bike.  Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.

Let me qualify this right now by saying this isn't for everybody.  Medical reasons can vary.  And not everybody agrees with this anyway.  I just ask that you do the research.

OK, so what has it meant for me since then? 

It means I shop differently.  I don't check calories or fat grams, I check carb content.  I shop for "whole" foods.  Foods without additives.  Fruit, vegetables, meats.  When I go through the checkout lane at the grocery store, most of the stuff in my buggy has a name that I know. 

It means I have to shop more often because I avoid preservatives and go for fresh stuff.  And yes, it does mean that it is more expensive.

Vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, and-insert shudder here-brussels sprouts).  Fruit (apples, bananas, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, pears, pineapple).  Nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios).  Foods that defy classification (mushrooms, avocados, eggs, olives).  Beans and peas of every sort.

Lots more meat.  Beef (grass fed when I can find it), chicken (I prefer free range), pork (pasture raised), and seafood (wild caught, always).  Benton's bacon (oh yeah...it might finally be healthy!)

Things without additives.  Like butter.  Milk that I can trace to the farm where it came from.  The same for cheese.

What's missing?  Things made from refined sugar and refined flour. Very little potatoes or white rice.  No pizza or pastries.  No more cereal.

I love bread but save my bread intake for really great bread.  Same with desserts.  It used to be that I had to finish a meal with something sweet.  Always.  And it didn't matter if it was that good or not. Now, if it isn't really, really good, I pass on it. 

I spend a lot more time in food preparation.  I usually make a sausage/egg casserole on Sunday night that is breakfast every morning.  Lots of salads and dressing I make myself.  I've always cooked with olive oil so that's no big deal.

Pancakes made with almond flour and coconut flour.  Try it.  You will be surprised.  Topped with fruit instead of...well...instead of what I always used.

Why did I do all this?  For cardiovascular health.  I don't need to lose weight but it's a good way to do that too.

Conventional wisdom for my entire lifetime has said that dietary fat was the biggest problem and the quickest way to poor cardiac health.  Conclusive new studies from the National Institute of Health tell us something completely different.

The American Heart Association now acknowledges that refined carbs (flour and sugar) are the dietary bad guys in weight control and cardiac health.  Dietary fat, not so much.

You've still got to have some carbs.  Athletic performance demands it.  If I don't have some carbs on a bike ride, I quickly fall behind.  But those need to be complex carbs and not the pure sugar that I used for too long.

I've preached moderation in everything for years.  The same is true for a low carb diet.  I still "cheat" from time to time but I do it only for something really good.  Like my wife's pecan pie on Christmas Day.

But all this is more lifestyle change than diet and indulgences are more just part of enjoying life than betraying what I am convinced will help me live longer and healthier.

What is a Redneck?

I got called a "redneck" the other day.  I was on my bike and someone took exception to me being on "their" road.  Forget the fact that they were driving a beat up 4 door sedan belching smoke and covered with bumper stickers proclaiming their...well...red-neckedness.

Redeck?  I don't know.  Maybe.   Depends on what you mean.  

When you get down to it, maybe I am.  I've always been involved in farming (small scale now) and I think that's where the term got its origins.  Farmers who had to be outside all day, every day tended to sometimes get a sunburned neck.

Except for a 2 year sabbatical to West Virginia, I've lived in Tennessee my entire life (so far).

I grew up in Loudon, Tennessee (rural east Tennessee/3 stop lights in the whole town) where pretty much everybody was in the same socio-economic category.  Most families were supported by one of the local factories.

Houses were small and tidy, yards were mowed, everybody had a garden, and there was only one home with a pool in the backyard.

Actually, it was the only pool around.  If you wanted to swim, you had to catch a ride to Lenoir City or hit the Tennessee River. Everybody went to church. Boys grew up to play football.  Girls were majorettes, cheerleaders, or basketball players.

We went fishing and ate what we caught.  We went hunting and did the same.  Most of us could tell when the dogs had a coon up a tree and knew where to be when the dogs would bring the rabbit back around. 

Today, I drive a pickup truck but don't own anything camouflage.   I no longer hunt or fish but that has more to do with time than anything else.  I live on a farm and love my overalls.  Redneck? Call me what you want to.

There are a lot of prejudices about the south.  Uneducated.  Slow.  Toothless.  Where everbody goes by two names.  Like "Billy Joe" or "Bobby Sue."  Unless they go by "Bubba" or "Junior."

I've written here before about my friend who is Southern Belle through and through.  She regularly makes two-syllable words out of words originally intended to be one syllable. With no small measure of southern charm, she also kicks butt in the real estate world. 

I do get frustrated with the southern tendency to butcher the King's English.  Double negatives kill me.  Confusing "they're, their, and there" just means you didn't pay attention in English class.  But 

I've heard the same in Manhattan.

I guarantee you that there are English teachers from my school days that find it incredible that I write a newspaper column.  And more than one would roll over in their grave if they knew I've done this for 29 years.

I don't often sound quite like some might expect.  Oh, I guess to someone from Michigan or Maine I still have a southern drawl but not too much.  But I love everything that makes me southern.

In the south, we're all about good food, good times, respect for the family, and being polite.  

Respecting your elders.  Holding the door open for others.  Always saying hello.  Did I mention good food?  And football.

The rest of the country has to admit, we play pretty good football in the south.  Although I have a strong love of the ACC, it's hard to deny that the SEC is the premier football conference in America.

And while Indiana may be basketball through and through, Bobby Knight has been through a couple of jobs since a team from there went to the national championship.  Seems like Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina are perpetually at the top of the ranks.

Although I'll have to give that guy named Geno his due, Pat Summitt is still the greatest basketball coach ever and the Lady Vols (forever Lady Vols) are the greatest basketball program in women's basketball history.

So here's to The South!  Born in the south, I'll likely die in the south.  Just remember...nobody retires and moves north.

Is Joe 40 or 80?

This was on one of my favorite cartoons the other day (which is where I turn as soon as the sports page is finished):  "We're not as dumb as it seems.  We're not as smart as we think."

Seems pretty simple, huh.   For some reason, it made me think of teenagers.

I deal with teenagers every day.  In a lot of respects, it is my favorite demographic.  I like the idea that maybe I can help somebody become a better adult.  A better parent or partner. 

Many times, I have commented how my work with these teenagers helps keep me young.

In Coach Derek Hunt's health class recently, a discussion about physical therapy led to my name being mentioned.  It turns out that I have had a lot of those class members as patients at one time or another.

The discussion turned to speculation about how old I might be.  Guesses ranged from 40 to 80.  I know better than  to be complimented by the 40 or deflated by the 80.  The real number (61) lies smack dab in the middle and means that collectively they were right on the money.

I believe their guesses have more to do with the fact that I've been around here for a long, long time.

I first arrived in 1977 when I took my first physical therapy job at Blount Memorial Hospital.  Two years later, I left for West Virginia.  In 1981, I returned to Maryville and opened my private practice.

I've always been interested in sports medicine. I had been an athlete since my earliest days and had decided on physical therapy as a career while in college and trying to decide whether to be a football coach or a doctor.  Physical therapy seemed the perfect blend of the two.

The first Athletic Trainer at Maryville College was Mike Sabatelle.  He and I shared a vision for athletic health care in this area.  My first game on the sidelines at MHS was in 1982 which means that this year was my 33rd year on those same sidelines.

I've seen a lot in those 33 years.  From the '84 MHS team that should have won it all to the '85 and '86 Heritage High teams that were certainly good enough to do the same (and almost did).

The 1987 Greenback team that won a state championship was special as was the 1989 AHS team that also won it all.   I've been on the sidelines for all of those.

And then you have the twin city dynasties that Maryville and Alcoa have created.  Yep, great memories all around the block. 

I mentioned last week about a player on the opposing team in a varsity football game that had a concussion and his parents were nowhere to be found.  There was another player in the same game that tore his ACL.  Same story--no parents in attendance.

I don't see much room for an excuse there anyway.  Our children are our biggest responsibility.

I also saw this quote recently:  "Your child's success or lack of success in sports does not indicate what kind of parent you are.  But having an athlete that is coachable, respectful, a great teammate, mentally tough, resilient, and tries their best IS a direct reflection of your parenting."

That pretty much sums it up.