Mid-March Thoughts and Interesting Info

Friday, March 15, 2019 · Mike Davis

Good morning…

So yesterday I read this short blurp about how to lesson the bitterness of coffee. Organic coffee tends to be on the bitter side and as I drink it black, I have nothing cutting the bitterness. While some people enjoy the bitterness, I do not. Anyhow, the short article suggested adding a quarter teaspoon of Kosher salt to every six table spoons of grounds. Of course, I do not have any Kosher salt and in my limited knowledge of the different salts, I figured Himalayan salt would be an okay substitute. I was even excited to taste the results this morning.

I just tossed out a whole pot of coffee! I guess there is a difference between Kosher and Himalayan salt. More to come…

When the clock turns to noon tomorrow, we will be at the mid-point of March. Many people have had to suffer my whining of how much I hate March in New Hampshire, however I must say, this particular March is moving along rather quickly. Maybe the extended daylight we now enjoy has been enough of a boost to offset the late stages of winter I dislike so much. Though someone reminded me of the tradition of “April showers,” so that kind of brought me down a bit. Dwelling and complaining is useless, so my goal is do much less of both. I will say, I am a flipflop guy!

Tuesday, I took advantage of the improved temperatures and got an interval run in, wearing shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Along with being a flipflop guy, I am also a minimalist when it comes to outside attire. Running free of layers of clothing is so much more enjoyable for me and even improves the ease of my performance. I am hopeful my winter running gear is ready for storage.

Somehow, I need to figure out how I can overcome my distaste for fish. Yesterday I read a study on how the Mediterranean Diet can improve athletic performance in as quick as 4 days (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324674.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_country=US&utm_hcp=no&utm_campaign=MNT%20Weekly%20Full%20%28non-HCP%20US%29%20-%20OLD%20STYLE%202019-03-13&utm_term=MNT%20Weekly%20News%20%28non-HCP%20US%29). In all my readings on the various diets, a lifestyle focused on the Mediterranean Diet appears to be the most effective for healthy living and now apparently, improved athletic performance.

Despite my not following the Mediterranean Diet lifestyle, I was once again pleased at my annual physical when my doctor told me he was quite pleased with the results of my various numbers. While genetics often play a role in certain areas of our health, he believes my active lifestyle is making a difference. The past year has not been my best on many levels, so I certainly know I can improve my fitness consistency.

My doctor asked me about my alcohol consumption, and I told him I may average a glass of red wine or hard apple cider once a month. He pulled out a copy of the most current findings (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/1808...), and explained to me while that amount may seem harmless, any amount is now proven to have adverse effects. He talked of alcohol and the direct correlation to visceral fat with as little as I drink. It was an interesting conversation, because he admitted to enjoying his beer and this has caused him to pause. He expressed that all the current information supports zero alcohol consumption is far more important than embracing the Med Diet. Interesting and surely not something many want to accept.

I was planning on an easy 40-minute run today, but it is raining and that certainly puts a bit of a damper on my running in shorts! Ugh! Life is about overcoming!

Time to get along. Thanks for having coffee with me and I will get back to you on how the Kosher salt goes. I will tell you; do not use Himalayan salt!

God Bless!

Mike