30-Day Challenges

30 day challenges for diet/health or business activates have been all the rage to evoke action to a goal.  The structure supports action however if those actions are not aligned with the goal then there is just wasted energy.
In a Results Only Workplace (ROW) known as the modern day workplace model you don't get rewarded for micro goals such as turning your computer on, getting you inbox to zero, etc.  Your value is measured by the end product.  Going back to the 30-day challenge goes hand in hand with the millennium mindset where everyone is given praise for the simplest of tasks.  Didn't lose any inches off your waist (you gained some)??? But hey your still a winner because you exercised everyday!"

Fail: Mr Quaker Oats

If his stuff was that good why do we have to re-fuel 3 hours later?

Gerald the Cow Survives

Should we buy meat from a local farmer in bulk?

When buying a quarter of a cow (200-300) dollars which equates to 3 full grocery bags of various cuts of meat.

Local farmers charge 3-5 dollars/lb. for grass fed meat.  I estimate the final cost to be $7-14/lb. costs per average cut of meat.  Hidden costs as follows:

-100-150 dollar butcher fee

-50-150 dollars on extra electricity usage per year to preserve

-Sunk costs of having you freezer packed to the brim

-Transportation costs to travel to farm

Conclusion: To buy a whole (quarter) cow is fun however unless you have a family of 8 and already have the freezer storage space I suggest buying grass fed beef in the supermarket.  Bill the butcher has several locations which sell for equal to or less than the cost of buying a quarter cow. http://billthebutcher.com/

Woodinville Shop
12637 N.E. Woodinville Dr     Woodinville, WA 98072
425-949-8277

Laurelhurst Shop
3600 NE 45th St     Seattle, WA 98105
206-588-2539

Redmond Shop
7990 Leary Way NE     Redmond, WA 98052
425-636-8901

Magnolia Shop   

3800 34th Ave W      Seattle, WA 98199
206-829-9741

Edmonds Shop
323 Main St      Edmonds, WA 98020
425-361-1341

Paleo Bandwagon

Most recently the Paleo bandwagon has been getting more crowded with followers as evident in the following graphic showing Google search results.

What is not right is the expansion of these paleo branded products which are not paleo such as

-primal whey (its dairy, and made into a liquid form)

-coconut water (its sugar)

Lorin Cordain, the first published author's first book was popular when it first came out but as since gained in popularity with the movement.  

 I don't know if I like this trend because it is making me feel less special.

The Secret to Good Health PT.2: The Data - BOOZE is GOOD?

...Continued from part 1.

I then graphed the relationship between the variables and the output and found these conclusions.

Figure 4 Correlation Study: Hours of Sleep Effect on Change in BF%

Figure 4 illustrates that as you get more sleep bodyfat percentage goes up.  Coefficient of T-Statistics is -.0046, R2 is 1.9%, R value is 0.137.  Therefore the data supports that sleep is bad for you. This is not true and illustrates how data can be corrupt.

Figure 5 Correlation Study: Exercise Effect on Change in BF%

Figure 5 illustrates that as you get more exercise bodyfat percentage goes down.  Coefficient of T-Statistics is -3E-.06, R2 is 0.15%, and R value is 0.039.  The data supports that exercise is good for you.  However there factor in this relationship seems to be a flat line correlation (Y=-3E=06x+.0029) therefore there is no evidence to suggest any correlation.

Figure 6 Correlation Study: Booze Effect on Change in BF%

Figure 6 illustrates that as you drink more alcohol your bodyfat percentage goes down.  Coefficient of T-Statistics is -0.0003, R2 is 0.25%, R value is 0.5.  Therefore the alcohol is good for you.  As much as this study spits in the face of common logic I personally believe that the driver between this correlation is how alcohol is accompanied with peer bonding and other moral builders which could explain the positive benefits.

The Secret to Good Health (Pt. 1)

I attempt to answer the age old question what is best for my health using myself as (N=1) experiment.  In other words what is better: Sleep or exercise or diet?  The output that I wish to measure is “bodyfat percentage”.  The main reason I select this aspect to measure is how it strongly correlates to longevity a due to a good profile in lean body mass and linkage to good insulin sensitivity.  I the test subject being of moderate bodyfat (male 10-15%) is therefore a perfect candidate to test (since having a 4% bodyfat and losing bodyfat would be considered unhealthy).  I am not a medical professional… I just attempt to read the scientific numbers and this report is purely to illustrate the demonstration of using statistics.

Variables:  As stated before bodyfat change will be the measured output.  An increase will be seen as a negative mark against my health and a decrease will be viewed as positive event.  The three measures that have been recorded is 1) hours of sleep averaged in a month, 2) amount of exercise I average each day (measured in calories) and, 3) Alcoholic Beverages consumed in a total month (measured as a unit of 12oz beer, 8oz wine, 1.5oz hard liquor).

The change in bodyfat percentage was put on a chart to analyze the validity or the data and the distribution.

Block number	Cell boundaries	Frequency
1	-1.057%	3
2	-0.563%	2
3	-0.070%	7
4	0.424%	3
5	0.918%	3
6	1.412%
block size	0.494%

Figure 1 Chart of Changes in Bodyfat Change

Figure 2 Chart of Changes in Bodyfat Change

Figure 2 illustrates a normal distribution evenly centered about the median of the date.  Most of the measurements were in the 3^rd block which represented data of -0.070% to 0.424% change in bodyfat.

Month Sampled	30-day Sleeping average	Estimated amount of Exercise (Calories)	Alcoholic Beverages	Change in Body Fat
Sum	143.2	6454.3	455.3	0.0314
Standard deviation	0.2	84.2	11.4	0.0071
Sample mean	8.0	358.6	25.3	0.0017
Median	7.9	358.3	25.0	0.0021
Coefficient of Variation	2.7	23.5	45.1	407.1271

Figure 3 Analysis of Variables and Output

I then graphed the relationship between the variables and the output and found these conclusions.

Stay tuned for the data...

Dr. Oz

First of all I don't want to this come out as me being an asshole but I don't really care for doctor Oz. He gives everyone really bad advice, I think he told everyone that to get lycopene folks should have 3 tablespoons of Ketchup everyday(HFCS).

Why are all his staff fat in this video? Maybe they are listening to dr oz and following a moderation diet of low fat diet high in multigrains and walking/jogging everyday. go figure. BS flag.

Book Report: Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival

Long days w/o 9.5 hours of sleep => summertime => winter is coming => famine => feast now to store body-fat

Sleep in a pitch dark room.

Read it here

Go Figure

The USDA: United States Department of Agriculture is telling us to eat more whole grains. Link to recommendations.

Happy Groundhog Day

If you diden't hear the good news from Punxsutawney, PA that the Groundhog did come out of its hole. We are all so gracious.

Did you know that groundhogs and other animals that hibernate disproves the "Calories in minus calories out = weight change".

To think change in weight (a unit measured in mass) has anything to do with calories in-calories out (an energy measurement) is wrong. I took an intro Chemical Engineering class: Thermodynamics and although it was a blur to me I do know how to call BS and I am throwing my BS flag. The only place this theory holds true is a bomb calorimeter and this is where Mr Atwater came out with the 4 calories per ingested protein, 9 for fat, 4 for carbs. If Atwater stepped outside of a lab went for a sprint and felt the heat dissapation on the bottom of his shoes he would understand how bogus his numbers were.

Going back to the groundhog...the groundhog's ability to survive without food demonstrates that it is not calories in calories out but a bigger power at play... Hormones...Insulin. As the groundhog is in pre-winter-feasting, hormones are putting the groundhog in insulin sensitivity and when the food supply is cut the groundhog demonstrates insulin resistance. Its too big of topic to talk in detail tonight.

BTW due to the ice-ages in this world Humans had this hibernating trait but today it is a fraction of that of a groundhog.