May 10, 2008

Every guy knows one thing for sure. When your loved one starts crying…you lose. Whatever chance you had of making your viewpoint known, or escaping from yet another butt-head move or ill-advised statement that ended when the tears started.

Crying is a mug’s game.

Sure, soft guy in loafers will act like a dime store romance character and weep a bit at the theater when Hollywood pushes the sap button. Kids cry and whine when they fall down. Girls cry all the time for what reason I am not so sure. I swear blind that my baby sister used to practice the act to get her way, but that could just be latent bitterness on my part. My mom, bless her soul, cried when I left for the war zone…every time. And, I have even known some older war veterans who in their last days have succumbed to the temptations to open the spigots over long forgotten memories, dead comrades in arms, and maybe a hint of regret. Like I said…a mug’s game.

The problem is that sometimes we have to play.

It normally starts with a tingle in the upper chest, a catch of breath, and a warm feeling behind the eyeballs. What follows is just plain embarrassing. Crying is very complicated if it befalls you when in the company of others. What I mean by that is that it is pretty bad if you cry in front of your spouse or children. But it is absolutely awful when you play the fool around your mates. Crap! I am pretty sure you cannot ever recover. Trying to pretend there is something in your eye is a weak argument when your chest is heaving and gasping for air. Like I said…horrible.

I cried all by myself the other day. It came on suddenly. This time it was Tom Hank’s fault – the opening scene of “Saving Private Ryan” when he kneels at the graveside of Captain John Miller . There have been others times.

It is funny though, when I am all composed and only slightly self-conscious, I feel more alive. The guys who didn’t come home, the wink-wink-nod-nod at death and suffering, the pessimism, stoic demeanor, and the cold that envelops my emotions takes a brief by noticeable hiatus. I feel better.

Maybe the mug was me and my crying is just another opportunity for me to process through all the complications in my head. I hope so…I don’t mind looking like an ass as long as I am not one.

Posted by Dr. Mike Colson at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Turkish Delight is a holiday treat made from starch and sugar, flavored with rosewater and lemon, and an absolute terror on tummy lines. It is also pleasing to the eye, delightfully delicious, and ever so conspiratorially addictive. I think of this treat when remembering the DFAC’s (chow halls) in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bright lights, welcoming windows displaying all sorts of food items, deserts, ice cream, main meals, sandwich lines, special steak and lobster events, salad bars with olives as big as jawbreakers, all the drinks and snacks you can carry. The place resembles a real life cornucopia that I am sure is designed to help relieve us from the pressures of arduous work.

It was always a real joy to enter – with weapon! – the DFAC and get stuck into some eating. Of course, too much “delight” has a cost. Especially if there are stressors in our lives that have the potential to unbalance the delicate system by which we live healthy lives.

Food is a great source of relief besides all the positive social rewards we gain from the activity. In both British and American 21st Century living, eating out is popular as well as convenient and standard for most of us. Even “British tea” had found its niche as a civilized way to share sustenance and conversation. When we are stressed, uncomfortable, working too hard, sick, conflicted on any level, or a combination of all of these the food emporium is a welcome respite.

At issue with the DFAC and all its goodness is that we can – if slightly out of kilter as mentioned above – be over-stimulated by the bright lights and food options. And this over-stimulation can impact how we decide (control) both quantity and type of food we indulge in. As an example, take caloric intake. A nibble here, a dollop there, and a stout main course at one meal, according to recent research, can add up to the total required caloric intake (1350 calories) for the whole day. If we eat two or three more times the math is horrifying. That’s because a single tablespoon of mayonnaise has 100, one hamburger 440, and a small vanilla frosty 155 calories respectively and I haven’t yet started counting the fries.

The second issue is how comfort foods sooth us. And they really work in that capacity. At issue is what has been described as “cortisol toxicity”, when the body for whatever reason begins storing fats and other food attributes under stress as a form of “future defense.” It is preparing for some level of survival – and - might even be assisting us in how we select what foods we eat. It is not uncommon for eating habits to change. Have yours?

One way to find balance (i.e. “rage against the cornucopia?”) is to take back control. Set caloric intake goals. And if necessary, work with a medical nutrition specialist to assist in meeting intake and overall weight and health objectives. When I returned from Iraq I personally lost 26 pounds (12 kilos) by only eating lower calorie foods across the food groups. Never dieted. Never felt hungry. And though I play soccer twice weekly, never hit the gym. What we can learn is how to control the natural urges we get from complicated and often arduous work schedules.

There are virtual medical weight management information that MCA Services would be happy to provide. Remember – MCA Services is a resource for you and your family and supported by donations.

Posted by Dr. Mike Colson at 05:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)