Sherman R. Frederick/Publisher
Now comes the news that if you no longer fit into the jeans you wore when you were 21-years-old, you are a top candidate for type-2 diabetes.
But here’s the good news: If you can lose 10 to 15% of your body weight, you can “achieve remission” from type-2 diabetes. Prof Roy Taylor, a leading authority on the disease, presented this data at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes’ annual conference.
I think we’ve known the value in weight loss for diabetics for decades. The new part of the study is that losing weight cuts the levels of fat in the liver and pancreas so much so that insulin-producing cells are restored.
I want to thank the scientific community for once again reminding me that keeping trim is a good thing. But, I gotta tell ya, fitting back into the 28-inch-waist jeans I wore when I was 21 would be quite a sight.
Which gives me an idea for jump-starting business at local bars. They could draw crowds by offering their stages to people trying to squeeze into their old jeans. Who needs karaoke night, when you could have skinny jeans night?
UP FOR A DRIVE?
We, of course, are blessed with fabulous farmers markets in Marin. Novato’s little one at Lee Gerner Park stands out as well as the big daddy of farmers markets every Sunday at the Civic Center in San Rafael. But, if you are up for a drive, I ran across a nice list of others in the region. Here it is with a big hat tip to the San Jose Mercury News:
Davis Farmers Market — Started in 1975 by students, it is ranked one of the better markets in the region. More information: davisfarmersmarket.org.
College of San Mateo — It features farmers from the Half Moon Bay area. More information:.pcfma.org/sanmateo.
Brentwood — It is now year-round. More information: pcfma.org/brentwood.
California Avenue in Palo Alto — This beauty features a 50/50 mix of farmers and artisans. More information: https://uvfm.org/palo-alto-sundays.
North Berkeley — This is an all-organic affair. More information: ecologycenter.org/fm/.
Aptos — When the coastal fog dissipates, you will also have stunning ocean views. More information: montereybayfarmers.org/aptos-farmers-market.
WHAT I’M READING
I’m in the middle of reading (actually listening to) “Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey. I’m not much of a fan of celebrity memoirs, but this is worthy of attention. First, he has some stories to tell, and, man, oh man, he tells them well. There’s a philosophical bent to his “lessons learned” that lifts this effort above the usual Hollywood “who cares?” schlock.
McConaughey is a celebrated actor. Google him if you don’t know much about him. His first film, “Dazed and Confused” is a classic now. And, in the book he’ll tell the story about how his famous line “alright, alright, alright” came to be.
Also, as a sidebar, “Greenlights” has been so well received that some are floating his name as a possible gubernatorial candidate in Texas. Hope that doesn’t happen, frankly, (why ruin a perfectly good actor like that) but I can see where he’d have a shot at getting a lot of Texas crossover votes.
ONE MORE THING
— Stealing someone’s coffee is called “mugging.”
— It’s officially wear a sweater in the morning and regret it in the afternoon weather.
— The atoms that make up your body are ancient things, recycled over millions of years. You are literally made of stars. Also, dead racoons.
— Here’s your Redneck Sushi idea. (You can thank me later.)
That’s enough tomfoolery for today. Thank you for reading. Hope you can fit into your jeans without too much of a struggle. Until next week, be kind, laugh a little and always question authority.
(Sherman Frederick is an award-winning journalist and publisher of Marin’s community newspapers — the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
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