2 miles and Real Food Choices

Just what I needed after a long day at the office. I had a lot of reading to catch up on and not a lot of time. Plus it was a bit of a stressful day, so I really enjoyed that my training plan just called for 2 miles in today's run. I hit the first mile in 6:58 and definitely slowed down to enjoy the pace back to the house on the return. It's amazing what an injury and month off will do to conditioning.

My physical therapy sessions usually include a good piece of conversation while the ultrasound does its magic on my neck and back (crossing my fingers that these muscles repair themselves soon!). In earlier sessions we have discussed how growing up on a farm/ranch usually leads to a stronger immune system. Today, that conversation turned into the burden we feel to eat "real" food. I'm always puzzled by how people define "real" food, so I asked. The answer is always different.

That turned the conversation into a discussion on the use and relative concentrations of hormones/antibiotics in cattle ranching today, how eating fewer processed food makes us "feel better" and whether or not cattle are supposed to eat corn.

By the way...

• Hormones are in very small proportions in meats, even compared to other "natural" foods
• You'd have to eat a ton of beef to feel the effects of different fatty acid profiles, you'd be better off eating fish to change that
• And no, feeding corn to cattle does not kill or harm them, they're perfectly capable of digesting grains.
• And yes, I'm all for eating smarter, depending on fewer labels/buzzwords, including fewer processed foods, and less junk (empty calories) in the diet, but that doesn't mean you can't treat yourself to a Reese's cup and mt dew every once in a while

So that got me to thinking, every health and fitness site I go onto these days has a different methodology for eating healthy and eating for a better lifestyle. It makes sense that athletes and active people are concerned about our food supply and individual choices. I'd love to hear more on these decisions and personal choices. 70 days until Ragnar Relay.

Lesson #1,003 Learned From Ranch Life

Lesson #1,003: How to change a flat tire almost as fast as a Nascar Sprint Cup Series Pit Crew.

True, I've changed my share of flat tires in my day. Everything from 4-wheelers and pickups to feed-mixer wagons and John Deere tractors. One of the many things my dad made sure I knew how to do was change a tire.

I've been pretty lucky when it comes to having flats on my pick-up, only 3 to date (knock on wood), but the knowledge has come in handy to help several people over the years. Yes, including a few college girls. Nope, no dates from those times. I have even seen grown men looking over their vehicle trying to find the spare. They can be hidden pretty well, but I just assumes that was something we were supposed to just know.

Well today I was walking out United grocery when I noticed I had a flat tire. Only two blocks from the house, I decided to wait till after the milk was in the fridge to investigate. On closer inspection, I had run over a pesky nail on the way to/from church services this morning.

Part of my lesson is never to drive on a leaking tire. Yeah, I could have just aired up the tire and driven to town, but driving on a tire with a nail in it could ruin the tire beyond repair. (Especially considering it's a 45 minute drive to the only tire store open on a Sunday.)

So changing a tire is as simple as locating the spare tire and jack kit in your vehicle. Jacking up the vehicle.Popping off the hub cap. Taking off the Lug nuts. Off with the old tire.

On with the spare tire. Tighten the lug nuts. Let down the jack. Make sure the lug nut are snug. And collecting all of your debris scattered in the process. And carrying on to the next tire store to let them fix the tire and change the two out. Of course, I reckon if you are mechanically minded, you could put the plug in yourself.

Unfortunately, mechanic skills are just not something my dad passed on to me. I can repeat something once it is shown to me, but forget figuring it out on my own when it comes to mechanic's work.

Who knew that a pesky little nail could cost me part of my Sunday afternoon nap? And yeah, it's obvious. I need to wash my pick-up a lil more often from the looks of that spare tire.

Stay tuned. Who knows when I'll have more Lessons Learned From Ranch Life to Share. Thank God for growing up on the ranch.

Antibiotic Use: No Easy Solution

Bacteria are becoming resistant to Antibiotics so we need to ban ALL antibiotic use in food animals.

We have all heard those lines. But livestock producers realize there is no simple answer. ALPHARMA Animal Health has a new way of communicating the "Straight talk about antibiotic use in food animal production" called "For the Record."

This month's issue presents 6 questions that show there is no easy solution to antibiotic use and banning antibiotic use does not account for the scientific complexities involved.

1. If bacteria freely swap the genetic material to resist antibiotics, why aren't all bacteria resistant to all antibiotics by now?
2. Where is the policy position against the use of tetracycline to clear up teen acne?
3. If it's "too risky" to allow farmers to use antibiotics, what's an acceptable risk?
4. If "no one's questioning the use of antibiotics to treat a sick animal" then why have you actively opposed?
5. If food animals consume an unacceptable fraction of all antimicrobials, then what's a fair percentage?
6. If animal suffering is a concern, why eliminate the least stressful means of medicating animals?

Many livestock producers have used antibiotics to treat animals at one point or another and it's not like we are going to use more than what is necessary because we feel like it.

Do you refuse vaccines, antibiotics, and other medications to prevent or treat sickness for yourself or your children? How many supplements do you take every day?

Consider these questions and view more of the discussion at the Antibiotic Truths website. Before you criticize livestock producers for using antibiotics, take the time to visit a producer in your area and learn why they make the management decisions when producing your food. You might find you have a distorted view on antibiotic use in livestock production.