Keto and Cholesterol......

     I'm beginning this as we wait for a very long train blocking our route to Canada.  It's loaded with lumber heading south toward Seattle. We regularly wait for trains to pass back and forth from country to country. The trains going into Canada are loaded with Montana coal and the cars go on forever. Young Montana activists are trying to stop the mining and shipping of coal claiming the practices defy their state constitution which prohibits harming the environment. So far, they've been unsuccessful, and of course, we all know what is likely to happen at the Supreme Court level. Money still overwhelms global concerns. Sad! On a lighter note, I began my week with a visit to the doc for my yearly checkup and everything is improving, probably because of my weight loss. The only issue is that LDL is slightly over the recommended level, but vastly improved from last year. I'll work on that some more over the next year. I've mentioned my statin smoothie before, and it is obviously working for me.  I'll continue to have one every day.  As a reminder, it includes almond milk, raw spinach, chia seeds, hemp hearts, matcha green tea powder, moringa powder and now I'm adding protein powder for building muscle. This smoothie is a great way to start the day because it's healthy and nutritious.  My brother-in-law is also focused on cholesterol since his last blood work and suggested we watch The Game Changers on Netflix. It documents athletes who only consume plant-based foods and yet they have better energy and strength and according to blood tests, vastly improved numbers in the critical areas. I'm going to stick with keto for other reasons but I'm sure it benefits many. We're finally enjoying rain free days, and clear skies. This is the Birch Bay summer I'm accustomed to. However, the rain was very good for my tomato plants. They're already flowering. Our son, Jake flew in on Friday because he is beginning a new research position at the national lab in Richland next week. We traveled to Richland yesterday and we're helping him settle into his apartment today.  We'll head home tomorrow morning. This area of Washington State is lovely! There are a number of wineries and unlike our area, it is sunny most of the time including winter so Jake will do fine there. He needs sunshine.  So do I!