Shaun Groves
A new study from Israeli scientists suggests a link between tomatoes and a reduced risk of colon cancer. In the study, 56 colon cancer patients were given tomatoes, which contain the antioxidant lycopene, every day for ten days.
The upside: The patients’ levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a hormone linked to cancer growth, plummeted.
The downside: I hate tomatoes.
In related news, I turned 34 over the Christmas break but I’m actually 31.8, according to RealAge.com. RealAge suggested I do two things to be healthier: More cardio. More tomatoes. Did I mention I hate tomatoes?
What’s your “real age?” How many of you made resolutions having to do with your health? Are tomatoes involved?
Trey says:
The trick with tomatoes is chopping them up as fine as possible and mixing them with other foods, i.e. salads, Mexican, whatever. There is less likelihood that you will taste them or bite into a big, slimy chunk. I hate Toms too, and that’s the only solution to the problem for my gag reflex. Hope that helps.
shaunfan says:
Shaun, so glad to have you back blogging. I’ve been lost “Without You”. I love tomatoes, and I’m actually 2.8 years younger so you made my day. I’m actually 33.5 instead of 36.3 which is just awesome. Do you ever have ketchup at Chik-Fil-A? I know you like Mexican, so how about salsa? My health resolution is basically to finish my leftover Christmas candy as soon as possible so I can start eating more tomatoes.
Cristy says:
My Calendar Age = 38.9 & My RealAge = 34.1
I was pleasantly surprised at the results. I didn’t make any resolutions, but I did ask for a bike for Christmas, and since it’s currently over 60 degrees in Indiana, I plan to take it for a ride this evening!
Glad you’re back!
Shaun Groves says:
I do have tomato based stuff like ketchup but I don’t get enough servings even if I count that and pizza. Bummer.
Cristy and Kevin, congrats on your youngness (relatively speaking).
Has anyone ever tested OLDER than their age on that site? Sounds like marketing genius to me. There’s some guy in a closet with a laptop going “Ehhhhhh, 12. Let’s say you’re 12.” Totally random. And I love it because, well, that’s just how hard turning 34 has been.
I’M OLDER THAN JESUS!
I feel better now. Thanks for listening.
Cristy says:
My co-worker tested older…she’s 10 years younger than I am (28) and her RealAge is 32.something…only 2 years younger than me. Yeah, she was pretty upset about it, but she goes out drinking… in excess at times, smokes, doesn’t eat right, etc.
hmmm, I’m still wondering how I feel that you didn’t question the system until after I told you my RealAge…
Kat says:
“I’m older than Jesus”
That’s funny! I’ll be there soon enough. According, to the RealAge site it will be in 4 years. According to my birth certificate, it will be in two years…
What is it you don’t like about tomatoes? The texture, the taste or both? It seems like it would be hard to avoid tomatoes. Interesting…
shaunfan says:
That’s exactly how I felt when I turned 34 and now I’ve got to go through it again in .5 more RealAge years, which I should be able to stretch out for a year with enough tomato consumption.
Don’t worry Shaun, you don’t look a day over 31.8. Do they make chocolate covered tomatoes? That would work for me.
David Martin says:
Lucky me, I keep finding out that tomatoes and onions and garlic and various other things that I like the flavor of are also good for me! Though figure if it grew on a tree, you generally can’t go wrong (in terms of health benefits, anyway – flavor and the effect on your social life aren’t so guaranteed).
Unfortunately, I also have a weakness for incredibly creamy things that are very fattening. So I may be undoing the health beenfits of that salad with the copious amounts of ranch dressing, and so forth.
I’m about to turn 30, but I’m willing to bet my RealAge is higher than yours.
Shaun Groves says:
Yes, but excellent use of “copious.” Bonus points.
I don’t mind tomato sauce, ketchup, etc. Or in a salad really…with copious amounts of dressing.
It’s a tomato by itself I can’t stand. Don’t know why. It’s s texture thing I think. I have the same problem with smooshy bananas and apple sauce. Don’t like the apple sauce.
But enough about me. Health resolutions anyone?
David Martin says:
Well, sure, I’m not gonna just grab a tomato and bite into it. That’d be silly. I love bananas, though – I’ll still eat ‘em even when they’ve got a few brown spots.
I have texture problems with some foods, though – particularly taro. I eat a lot of Asian food due to the demographics of my church and consquently, my friends, but that’s one element of Asian cuisine that I have yet to acquire the taste for. It’s like a pasty purple potato that doesn’t work for me as an element of a vegetable dish, or as a dessert. And don’t even get me started on poi (which is ground up taro paste – a traditional dish in Hawaii that I tried once on a dare). Ick.
As for health resolutions – well, I like hiking, so I’m gonna try to do more of it. My strategy when I want to do something active but think I might cop out later is to tell my wife “Let’s do (whatever) this weekend”, then she’ll make sure we actually get out of the house and do it. She keeps me honest.
Cali Amy says:
If tomatoes are fresh, I love them, but if they’re from the restaurant or something, ick. I hate smooshy bananas.
Cruz-Control says:
Happy (belated) Birthday, Shaun!
Grilled instead of fried for a year made me so much healthier (and over 100 lbs lighter). Oh and running too.
What d’ya know?
Grovesfan says:
I LOVE tomatoes! My aunt used to keep a huge garden and she’d can tomatoes for me all the time. I love them right off the vine too. I haven’t gotten my “real age” results back yet, but I’m sure they’ll be sending a link for my obituary to my local paper right after they finish replacing the computer they used to calculate it!
Beth
kim says:
Shuan,
Don’t you know Resolutions are bad for you?!? Because you think you have to stick to it for 365 days! 30 days of Lent is hard enough.
I am not setting a resolution for the whole year. I am, however, setting monthly goals. If I resolve to lose 30 lbs in January… I still have until December 31 to lose it, so resolutions don’t work for me.
I figured I’ll take baby steps and start with cutting out half my sugar for the month of January. Maybe move into February with walking 10 miles a week. Start weight training in March… etc. That way, I’ll meet 12 goals for the year and try to carry the new change over to the next month. If I’m good, I’ll carry at least 6 new healthy habits into 2009.
Noelle says:
I don’t know that it’s a resolution, but my roommate and I have started to walk about 1.5-2 miles every other day. Except we live in Missouri and the weather has been insane. We’ve had ice just a couple of weeks ago and yesterday we had sixty degree weather and tornado warnings. *sigh* I’d love to live in a place where the weather was consistent.
Cristy says:
Noelle, would you really like to live in a place where the weather is consistent? I live in Indiana and I love the different seasons. (I have to admit though, sometimes I do grumble at the cold.)
Laptopius says:
I say Yack too! Hate tomatoes.