I'm Right! (Aren't I Always?)

There's some saying about a man who toots his own horn being bad thing. I forget how it goes, precisely. But, I'm going to take my chances here and say...I was right!

Of course, what I'm right about really should be nothing spectacular. It involves cereal and a healthy heart. According to this article, men who eat a bowl of high-fiber cereal each day are at significantly less risk for heart disease than those who don't.

It seems common sensical to me. So much so that I've been preaching the "eat foods high in fiber" message for a long time. My wife, frankly, is sick of it, and I have to sneak a peak at the nutrition labels now when she isn't looking. My personal goal is that when I'm eating any food that would be considered a "grain" or "bread" item, to aim for at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

My kids, of course, would love if it I had been wrong. Because me buying "kid's cereal" is a rare treat. Sure, it comes "fortified" with vitamins. But fortifying really doesn't make it healthy. It just makes it seem healthier. No, I insist that they eat high-fiber cereal, eating it like a man. Of course, there are plenty of healthy yet tasty high-fiber cereals. Raisin Bran, Frosted Mini Wheats, Kashi Go-Lean Crunch, Mueslix and similar multi-grain cereals, just to name a few.

Sorry, kids. But this only proves I'm right and justifies the lack of Cocoa Crisp and Lucky Charms cereals.

See, thing is, when my cholesterol levels started to creep up a while back, it was during a time that I had reduced my high-fiber cereal intake. When I returned to due diligence, my cholesterol levels dropped, no medication necessary!

So branch out, folks. Browse a little longer in that cereal aisle. Check the labels. If you see less than 4 grams of fiber, put it back on the shelf. Yep, that means skipping some cereals that otherwise seem healthy, such as Special K. And if you are new to the game, I don't suggest jumping right in with a 9-gram per serving cereal. Ease into the waters of healthy cereals. Your heart will thank you for it. (If, that is, your heart could talk.)

Incidentally, diabetics, who are most prone to heart disease, are most likely to benefit from this change. Just bolus accordingly!

Shedding Light on His Dark Materials

I received a new book in the mail this weekend, co-authored by none other than my own brother, Kurt Bruner. Kurt has a bunch of books to his credit, including several co-authored with Jim Ware (Finding God in the Lord of the Rings being the most popular.)

My brother writes Christian non-fiction, so perhaps that's not your cup of tea. If it is, however, then his new book might be right up your ally. It focuses on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy.

At this point, I can't tell you, first hand, much about the book. For one, I've never read the His Dark Materials trilogy. And two, I've not yet read Kurt's book about His Dark Materials. But, since it just came out, and there is an upcoming movie based on the first book in the series, I thought I'd bring it to your attention.

What this means for me, of course, is that I'll have to go read Philip Pullman's books and then read Kurt's book. So, give me about four months to get back to you. Or just go buy Kurt's book without waiting for me. Either works.

The book is titled Shedding Light on His Dark Materials, by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware.