For many years now doctors in Japan have been prescribing this water routine for their patients for all sorts of health conditions. But people who need to lose weight are often told that water retention is part of their problem, so INCREASING their water intake seems counter-intuitive. In fact, the diet pill manufacturers have made a fortune from selling diuretics loaded with caffeine stimulants. But before you spend a dime on these, let me explain. The body tends to automatically store things it needs when it senses that it might not be getting a resupply on a regular basis. This applies to fat and water too! For this article, lets just stick to water. We'll talk about fat retention another time.
In many cases people who have a water retention problem are those who do not drink enough water. Many of us are dehydrated and don't even know it. If you are fatigued all the time, if you have high blood pressure, poor circulation, frequent headaches, if you tend to overeat, if you can't seem to lose weight --- you may be dehydrated. Think about this. If you are not getting enough water, you may be compelled to overeat because your body is trying to get more fluids by any means. And since you are not giving it the fluids it needs to function properly, it hoards what little water you give it. Sure, you give it a bit of water when you drink coffee or soft drinks, but not enough. And those things may contain caffeine, chemical sweeteners, preservatives, and flavorings that are not of much benefit.In addition to hoarding water, dehydration makes it difficult for the kidneys to function properly, so you are not able to properly metabolize fats. The result? Your liver can't support the kidneys and soon your body is storing not only water but fat as well. So what have we been told to do? Low fat diets, right? With what you've read so far, can you figure out the inevitable result of a low fat diet? Since fat is essential for proper body function, if you are not getting enough dietary fat, your body will begin to store fat as a protection. So now we have dehydrated people with storage locations of extra interstitial fat. One common location for this fat storage is around the liver. Not good. Again, we'll talk about fat later.
Back to the water. Next weekend, why not begin to give your body the water it needs to stay healthy? Wait for the weekend because for the first few days you will be making frequent trips to the restroom. But within a few days of this increased water intake, your body will begin to regulate it and those trips will become less frequent. Oh, you might also want to taper off the water drinking toward evening so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night. With that said, here is what is now recommended by a growing number of healthcare professionals. First thing in the morning drink a large (10 oz) glass of cold water. Do not drink or eat anything after that for 45 minutes or so. This will "kick-start" your metabolism and rehydrate your body after a night of rest. Water allows your body to flush out waste and toxins, and is essential for proper function down to the cell level. The next step is to increase the total daily intake of water to about two quarts (2-3 liters) every day. This is best done by spreading it out over the entire day. And please do not use bottled water! The bottles are a terrible burden on our ecology and the recent reports indicate that they are leaching harmful substances into the water we drink from them as well.I use a stainless coffee travel mug, a large one. I will admit that I do sometimes substitute plain water with green tea. But no other fluid counts. Not juice, soft drinks, or coffee.Once your body becomes accustomed to getting all the water it needs, it will stop hoarding it. Your skin tone will improve. Many people report that they get a "lift" from their morning glass of water. It wakes up the whole system. Given enough water to work with, the kidneys begin to function more efficiently, and the liver can do its job of secreting bile to assist in metabolizing the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K and helps the body assimilate calcium. With enough water, the liver can also more efficiently work as the body's detoxifier, and it can produce the GTF necessary (along with insulin from the pancreas) to properly regulate blood sugar levels. Water is essential for the circulation of blood. If you are dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker leading to reduced circulation and a whole cascade of related problems, including high blood pressure.
The body is a very complex organism, wonderfully made with the ability to keep itself healthy if we give it the basics, like water. You don't have to like drinking water, but you must admit it is a lot less distasteful than a lot of medicines, and a lot less expensive!! So, drink up!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Albert Schweitzer was right! So was Linus Pauling!
"It's supposed to be a secret, but I'll tell you anyway. We doctors do nothing. We only help and encourage the doctor within." Albert Schweitzer, M.D.
Let me share something with you. It is just my opinion and I'm certainly no expert. I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV...or radio. I do devote considerable time to reading and researching information concerning health and general wellness issues and I share that information with my friends, with readers of my blogs, and listeners to GSFM 90.1 in Victor Harbor, South Australia. I encourage all to add this information to whatever you have found on your own and always, always, always consult your doctor or other healthcare provider before changing your health routine in any way. Get several qualified opinions if necessary. But make a firm commitment to taking charge of your own health. No one can, or will, do that job better than you can.
Having said that, I would encourage you to make a note of these two web sites and keep them handy. The first is http://doctoryourself.com/ You will find this site to be quite informative but I must warn you that it contains some controversial scientific information. Andrew Saul firmly believes that education is better than medication. Unlike many others I could name, his site contains no advertising. He is not indebted to any advertisers.
The second site I want to recommend to you is http://orthomolecular.org/ You may know of Linus Pauling. He was a molecular biologist who made a number of well-known claims about such things as vitamin C and its benefits in treating the effects of cold and flu. But he also believed that large doses of vitamin C could be used in the treatment of cancer. Many researchers discounted his cancer therapy, but most of their studies were terribly flawed. I have personally read a growing number of reports, studies, e-mails, newsletters that prove to my satisfaction the efficacy of vitamin C therapy. I am so convinced that I keep a file on my computer of physicians in my area who will administer something called IAA (or IVC) therapy, and should I ever be diagnosed with cancer, that will be my very first course of action. IAA is Intravenous Ascorbic Acid (or Intravenous Vitamin C). Taking large doses of C by mouth does little or no good, yet that's how many studies have been done. However when sufficient doses are given intravenously, vitamin C kills cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. I first heard about a successful case from the publisher of a health newsletter in England whose mother was diagnosed with terminal stage breast cancer. Too late for any conventional treatments. But she was administered a concoction of liquid vitamin C and hydrogen peroxide intravenously three times a week. Six months after the initial diagnosis she was cancer free and remains so today.
I recently read a case study about a man with prostate cancer. He received weekly IAA treatments and in a relatively short time his problem was resolved and today he is symptom free and his PSA numbers are great. No harsh drugs, no radiation, no surgery.
I encourage you to educate yourself. And be prepared for any health problem that might crop up. Of course, our main goal should be to stay well so we don't have to try to get well.
Let me share something with you. It is just my opinion and I'm certainly no expert. I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV...or radio. I do devote considerable time to reading and researching information concerning health and general wellness issues and I share that information with my friends, with readers of my blogs, and listeners to GSFM 90.1 in Victor Harbor, South Australia. I encourage all to add this information to whatever you have found on your own and always, always, always consult your doctor or other healthcare provider before changing your health routine in any way. Get several qualified opinions if necessary. But make a firm commitment to taking charge of your own health. No one can, or will, do that job better than you can.
Having said that, I would encourage you to make a note of these two web sites and keep them handy. The first is http://doctoryourself.com/ You will find this site to be quite informative but I must warn you that it contains some controversial scientific information. Andrew Saul firmly believes that education is better than medication. Unlike many others I could name, his site contains no advertising. He is not indebted to any advertisers.
The second site I want to recommend to you is http://orthomolecular.org/ You may know of Linus Pauling. He was a molecular biologist who made a number of well-known claims about such things as vitamin C and its benefits in treating the effects of cold and flu. But he also believed that large doses of vitamin C could be used in the treatment of cancer. Many researchers discounted his cancer therapy, but most of their studies were terribly flawed. I have personally read a growing number of reports, studies, e-mails, newsletters that prove to my satisfaction the efficacy of vitamin C therapy. I am so convinced that I keep a file on my computer of physicians in my area who will administer something called IAA (or IVC) therapy, and should I ever be diagnosed with cancer, that will be my very first course of action. IAA is Intravenous Ascorbic Acid (or Intravenous Vitamin C). Taking large doses of C by mouth does little or no good, yet that's how many studies have been done. However when sufficient doses are given intravenously, vitamin C kills cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. I first heard about a successful case from the publisher of a health newsletter in England whose mother was diagnosed with terminal stage breast cancer. Too late for any conventional treatments. But she was administered a concoction of liquid vitamin C and hydrogen peroxide intravenously three times a week. Six months after the initial diagnosis she was cancer free and remains so today.
I recently read a case study about a man with prostate cancer. He received weekly IAA treatments and in a relatively short time his problem was resolved and today he is symptom free and his PSA numbers are great. No harsh drugs, no radiation, no surgery.
I encourage you to educate yourself. And be prepared for any health problem that might crop up. Of course, our main goal should be to stay well so we don't have to try to get well.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Better Than Flax Seed? You Decide
AZTEC SUPER GRAIN
What the Spanish referred to as Salvia Hispanica L, refers to the Chia seed, black and white, used by the Aztecs of South America. But more recently, cultivated white seeds have begun to be marketed as Salba. You may not find it in your grocery store, but you might be able to get it in a health food store or natural food supermarket. Just two tablespoons a day added to your cereal, fruit smoothie, or even in the goodies you bake, can significantly contribute to your cardiovascular health, and reduce such risks of Type II diabetes. This whole grain is a rich source of protein, calcium, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, iron and antioxidants. In fact, it contains 15 times more magnesium than broccoli, three times more iron than spinach, and it is gluten free. It is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, and it won’t change the taste of the foods you add it to, the way flax or soy products do. It has been described as the richest source of omega 3’s and fiber found in nature. So, if you have been using flax seed for the health benefits, consider trying salba.
Increasing your daily intake of magnesium and fiber has been shown to reduce diabetes risk, so salba might be a good way to increase those in your diet. Many companies promote products based upon Salba, or simply sell the whole grain. Such products are still fairly new on the market, with some few items appearing in stores in the US market only in 2006, though there is a long history of human consumption with no adverse health effects.
What the Spanish referred to as Salvia Hispanica L, refers to the Chia seed, black and white, used by the Aztecs of South America. But more recently, cultivated white seeds have begun to be marketed as Salba. You may not find it in your grocery store, but you might be able to get it in a health food store or natural food supermarket. Just two tablespoons a day added to your cereal, fruit smoothie, or even in the goodies you bake, can significantly contribute to your cardiovascular health, and reduce such risks of Type II diabetes. This whole grain is a rich source of protein, calcium, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, iron and antioxidants. In fact, it contains 15 times more magnesium than broccoli, three times more iron than spinach, and it is gluten free. It is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, and it won’t change the taste of the foods you add it to, the way flax or soy products do. It has been described as the richest source of omega 3’s and fiber found in nature. So, if you have been using flax seed for the health benefits, consider trying salba.
Increasing your daily intake of magnesium and fiber has been shown to reduce diabetes risk, so salba might be a good way to increase those in your diet. Many companies promote products based upon Salba, or simply sell the whole grain. Such products are still fairly new on the market, with some few items appearing in stores in the US market only in 2006, though there is a long history of human consumption with no adverse health effects.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Preventing Muscle Cramps and Spasms
One of the most important things you can do to help prevent muscle cramps and spasms is to work on improving your overall general health and fitness. Improving your cardiovascular fitness will improve the delivery of blood to your muscles, ensuring that they have adequate oxygen and nutrients to function properly.
A second key activity that will help to prevent cramps and spasms is stretching. Keeping your muscles loose and flexible will help to stop them from tightening up and cramping. Be sure to stretch the muscle groups that are most prone to cramping, but be very careful about stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons before they are adequately warmed up. After strenuous activity, stretching is a great way to cool down. Stretches must be done slowly, and hold each position for several seconds before slowly releasing. Don’t “bounce”. That’s a sure way to pull something. Just because it looks simple, don't make the mistake of thinking that stretching won't be effective.
Along with improving your overall fitness, making sure that you are getting sufficient fluids and nutrients is also important. Many adults are dehydrated and don’t know it. How much water or similar fluid (like green tea) you need to drink depends upon a number of factors including your size and your level of activity. On a day when you plan to go for a long walk or hike, for example, begin a little extra fluid intake up to two hours before you start. If the weather is hot and humid, you might want to increase fluids even more. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Taking a drink then will not help you prevent cramps. You need to take the fluid in a few hours before you put a strain on your systems, so that you are properly hydrated down to the cell level. You have no doubt heard about the importance of drinking 8 glasses of water every day, or even ten. I don’t support that rule. What is adequate for me might be too much for you or vice versa. Too much water can be dangerous as well, because it dilutes the blood and other fluids and can overwork the kidneys. Ask your doctor or health care provider what might be a good practice for you. Get to know your body and what it needs.
Once last thing…If you seem to be plagued by cramps or muscle spasms, you may need to increase your uptake of certain minerals. Some can do this by simply adding sea salt to their diet, using a little in cooking for example. Your doctor might recommend a supplement of calcium and magnesium, along with some extra potassium. While that is not a bad idea, it is usually best to get these and other nutrients in your diet, so ask the doctor about ways you might be able to do that over the long term. I must warn you that if you buy sea salt as a total replacement for table salt, you probably won’t be getting the important iodine, because most sea salt labels I’ve read warn that they are not iodized.
Before I go, since you really should consult your physician if you are having frequent leg cramps, while you are there, you might also want to check whether any of your medications have cramps listed as possible side-effects. I’ve had a problem with certain cholesterol lowering drugs.
A second key activity that will help to prevent cramps and spasms is stretching. Keeping your muscles loose and flexible will help to stop them from tightening up and cramping. Be sure to stretch the muscle groups that are most prone to cramping, but be very careful about stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons before they are adequately warmed up. After strenuous activity, stretching is a great way to cool down. Stretches must be done slowly, and hold each position for several seconds before slowly releasing. Don’t “bounce”. That’s a sure way to pull something. Just because it looks simple, don't make the mistake of thinking that stretching won't be effective.
Along with improving your overall fitness, making sure that you are getting sufficient fluids and nutrients is also important. Many adults are dehydrated and don’t know it. How much water or similar fluid (like green tea) you need to drink depends upon a number of factors including your size and your level of activity. On a day when you plan to go for a long walk or hike, for example, begin a little extra fluid intake up to two hours before you start. If the weather is hot and humid, you might want to increase fluids even more. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Taking a drink then will not help you prevent cramps. You need to take the fluid in a few hours before you put a strain on your systems, so that you are properly hydrated down to the cell level. You have no doubt heard about the importance of drinking 8 glasses of water every day, or even ten. I don’t support that rule. What is adequate for me might be too much for you or vice versa. Too much water can be dangerous as well, because it dilutes the blood and other fluids and can overwork the kidneys. Ask your doctor or health care provider what might be a good practice for you. Get to know your body and what it needs.
Once last thing…If you seem to be plagued by cramps or muscle spasms, you may need to increase your uptake of certain minerals. Some can do this by simply adding sea salt to their diet, using a little in cooking for example. Your doctor might recommend a supplement of calcium and magnesium, along with some extra potassium. While that is not a bad idea, it is usually best to get these and other nutrients in your diet, so ask the doctor about ways you might be able to do that over the long term. I must warn you that if you buy sea salt as a total replacement for table salt, you probably won’t be getting the important iodine, because most sea salt labels I’ve read warn that they are not iodized.
Before I go, since you really should consult your physician if you are having frequent leg cramps, while you are there, you might also want to check whether any of your medications have cramps listed as possible side-effects. I’ve had a problem with certain cholesterol lowering drugs.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Just go nuts!
And Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
You’ve been told that nuts are high in calories and contain a lot of fat? Well, it’s a fact.
But does that mean you shouldn’t eat them? Of course not. Over the last decade a number of studies have confirmed that eating certain types of unsalted nuts on a regular basis can reduce your risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac deaths. While they are calorically very dense, they are also an excellent source of protein, fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants as well as omega-3 fats. But as with all things, moderation is important.
Eating too many nuts can be a problem because you will be increasing your daily caloric intake. As you know, if you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
So what’s the solution?
First, eat nuts that can actually do you some good and avoid the rest. In 2003 the FDA approved health claims for 7 different nuts, including peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, some pine nuts, hazelnuts, and almonds. These nuts provide less than 4g of saturated fats per 50g. You don’t have to limit yourself only to these nuts, but be aware that others may be much higher in fat content. Also, nut allergies are a concern for some, especially children and young adults. But if you decide to make nuts a regular part of your diet, you might also consider pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, because they may provide the same heart healthy benefits.
Second, limit your daily intake of nuts to 1 or 2 ounces. One guideline is to eat only the amount of nuts it takes to fill the palm of your hand. This does not mean a handful of nuts. If you like almonds, for example, just put 8 or 10 almonds in your hand. That’s about the right amount of nuts to consume daily. If you are substituting nuts for some other source of calories you need not worry about gaining weight. In fact, starting your day with a little protein can actually help you lose weight.
I won’t bore you with all the details here, but below I’ve pasted just the conclusions of a number of reports on the subject of nuts in the diet. This is not a magic bullet that will eliminate all heart disease risk, but it is certainly an easy thing to include in your arsenal of weapons against CHD (Coronary Heart Disease).
CONCLUSIONS: Frequent nut consumption may offer postmenopausal women modest protection against the risk of death from all causes and CHD. (University of Minnesota)
CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates a significant inverse relationship between legume intake and risk of CHD and suggests that increasing legume intake may be an important part of a dietary approach to the primary prevention of CHD in the general population. (Tulane University)
CONCLUSIONS: Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of both fatal coronary heart disease and non-fatal myocardial infarction. These data, and those from other epidemiological and clinical studies, support a role for nuts in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. (Harvard School of Public Health)
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest potential benefits of higher nut and peanut butter consumption in lowering risk of type 2 diabetes in women. To avoid increasing caloric intake, regular nut consumption can be recommended as a replacement for consumption of refined grain products or red or processed meats. (Harvard School of Public Health)
You’ve been told that nuts are high in calories and contain a lot of fat? Well, it’s a fact.
But does that mean you shouldn’t eat them? Of course not. Over the last decade a number of studies have confirmed that eating certain types of unsalted nuts on a regular basis can reduce your risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac deaths. While they are calorically very dense, they are also an excellent source of protein, fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants as well as omega-3 fats. But as with all things, moderation is important.
Eating too many nuts can be a problem because you will be increasing your daily caloric intake. As you know, if you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
So what’s the solution?
First, eat nuts that can actually do you some good and avoid the rest. In 2003 the FDA approved health claims for 7 different nuts, including peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, some pine nuts, hazelnuts, and almonds. These nuts provide less than 4g of saturated fats per 50g. You don’t have to limit yourself only to these nuts, but be aware that others may be much higher in fat content. Also, nut allergies are a concern for some, especially children and young adults. But if you decide to make nuts a regular part of your diet, you might also consider pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, because they may provide the same heart healthy benefits.
Second, limit your daily intake of nuts to 1 or 2 ounces. One guideline is to eat only the amount of nuts it takes to fill the palm of your hand. This does not mean a handful of nuts. If you like almonds, for example, just put 8 or 10 almonds in your hand. That’s about the right amount of nuts to consume daily. If you are substituting nuts for some other source of calories you need not worry about gaining weight. In fact, starting your day with a little protein can actually help you lose weight.
I won’t bore you with all the details here, but below I’ve pasted just the conclusions of a number of reports on the subject of nuts in the diet. This is not a magic bullet that will eliminate all heart disease risk, but it is certainly an easy thing to include in your arsenal of weapons against CHD (Coronary Heart Disease).
CONCLUSIONS: Frequent nut consumption may offer postmenopausal women modest protection against the risk of death from all causes and CHD. (University of Minnesota)
CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates a significant inverse relationship between legume intake and risk of CHD and suggests that increasing legume intake may be an important part of a dietary approach to the primary prevention of CHD in the general population. (Tulane University)
CONCLUSIONS: Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of both fatal coronary heart disease and non-fatal myocardial infarction. These data, and those from other epidemiological and clinical studies, support a role for nuts in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. (Harvard School of Public Health)
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest potential benefits of higher nut and peanut butter consumption in lowering risk of type 2 diabetes in women. To avoid increasing caloric intake, regular nut consumption can be recommended as a replacement for consumption of refined grain products or red or processed meats. (Harvard School of Public Health)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
EXERCISES FOR SENIORS
Let’s face it. Very few people of any age get enough exercise. That’s why we have such an obesity epidemic in this country and many other parts of the world. As we get into our 50’s and 60’s we are pretty much set in our ways and our bodies are a reflection of that. Some stay fairly fit and trim their entire lives, and others just let it go. I believe that there is very little empirical evidence that those who stay fit and trim live a lot longer. But I’m convinced that they stay more active and enjoy more of their later years than those who haven’t made any effort to stay in shape. Well, round IS a shape. Anyway, if you have not done much in the way of exercise for many years and you have a sedentary job, you might be afraid to start now. It would be wise to first talk to your doctor about it, and if there are no medical reasons why you should not get started, then start slowly. The idea is not to cause health problems but to prevent them. Being sedentary can lead to all sorts of problems that regular motion might help you avoid. High blood pressure, lack of appetite, poor sleep habits, low energy, and a whole cascade of other things you would do well to avoid. Since this blog is focused on STAYING well rather than getting well, I want to encourage you to take some action. We’re not training for the Olympics, but we are in training to stay fit and active for as long as we can.
Lets start by just walking. Not far, not too fast, and not for too long at first. You want to get your muscles and ligaments and tendons and lungs used to idea first, so just take a little stroll for five or ten minutes, longer if you are up to it. If you live in an area where it is safe to walk outdoors, that’s best. Distracted by things going on around you, the time goes by more quickly. Walking in a shopping mall serves the same purpose. Just don’t stop to look in every store window. Gradually, you want to increase your pace and total duration of your walks to thirty minutes or more at least three times a week. Vary your route from time to time so you don’t get bored, and if possible, walk with someone else.
In our neighborhood the streets are not all flat so I can get a little more strenuous walk from time to time by going up and down some gentle hills. I have a treadmill, and I always start out at a 3% incline.
After you have made walking a regular part of your week, it’s time to add a little weight training or some sort of resistance. Muscle tone is important if you want to be able to fend for yourself in the years ahead. You don’t have to become a body builder, but you have to counteract the natural aging process. After about the age of 25, you will begin to lose muscle mass at the rate of 3% to 5% every decade. That could mean a loss of 20% by the time you hit 65. Weight training can offset that to some extent. You can’t stop it entirely because your body is changing whether you like it or not. You’re giving up nitrogen, an essential factor in muscle protein, faster than you can take it in. You’re also losing bone calcium. Your body is becoming more acidic. Decrease the acidity in your system by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat. And counteract the muscle loss with some regular resistance training. You can get some 2 to 5 pound hand weights and do mostly upper body exercise while seated or standing. These include biceps curls, French curls for the triceps, and butterflies. E-mail me if you want more complete descriptions of any of these. For resistance training of the legs and hips, I suggest moves adapted from T’ai Chi Chuan. We call it T’ai Chi, but that’s like saying “foot” instead of “football”. Without getting into the Taoist philosophy, we can benefit from the exercises. These moves will not only strengthen your legs and hips, they will help to improve your balance and ability to recover from an imbalanced move that might lead to a fall. Falls resulting in broken bones are harder to recover from as we get older, so let’s try to prevent them by making ourselves stronger and more stable. But we not only lose muscle mass, we lose flexibility, balance and endurance as well. So here’s a very simple series of moves to help improve all four, along with the upper body resistance training. You don’t need to buy any equipment, but I do suggest that you use the back of a sturdy chair for balance until you feel strong enough to do them without it.
· First, stand behind a chair holding lightly to the back, feet a comfortable width apart (shoulder width). Now, slowly shift your weight to the left until 95% of your body weight is on your left foot. Now bend your knees slightly. Inhale deeply. Slowly lift your right foot and move it beside your left foot. With both feet on the floor and close together, stand erect as you exhale completely. Now reverse the move, inhale and exhale slowly and completely as you go, until the right foot is back in the starting position. Now, very slowly shift your weight to the right foot and repeat to the right side. Once you have returned to the starting position, count as one repetition. Build up to ten complete reps over a period of a few weeks. Take your time. What is important here is not how fast you can do this, but how s l o w l y. And always in total control. If this is too easy, you are going too fast!
· The next series of moves is only slightly more complicated. By now, after several weeks perhaps, you have strengthened your legs with the first series, so adding this should not be too hard. As you shift your weight to the left foot and slowly bend your knees to a half-squat, lift the toes of your right foot from the floor, keeping your right heel firmly planted. Now slowly pivot your whole body to the right, keeping your left foot firmly in place pointing forward. If you are doing this correctly, you will turn 90 degrees to the right, your left leg will be bent at the knee and your upper body will be erect, facing to the right, your right heel will be on the floor, right leg fairly straight, toes pointing up. Now pivot back to the front, both feet back on the floor and slowly exhale as you stand very tall. Repeat to the opposite side.
These simple moves look and sound easy and perhaps pointless until you actually do them through ten complete repetitions very slowly. Then you will see just how powerful they can be. Don’t forget to observe your breathing. Holding your breath is never good.
I know people who have practiced t’ai chi for decades who remain strong, flexible and agile into their 70’s and 80’s. Using these simple t’ai chi moves can help you in the same way. At the age of 60 I can stand on one foot at a time and put my socks on.
I will write soon about this whole problem of acidity vs. alkalinity and aging and how you can combat it with your diet. Here’s a sample: One of my favorite things to add to spaghetti and certain casseroles is parmesan cheese. It is one of the most acidic common foods you can put in your body. Not so good. Spinach is one of the most alkaline vegetables. Look for this article in the next few weeks.
Lets start by just walking. Not far, not too fast, and not for too long at first. You want to get your muscles and ligaments and tendons and lungs used to idea first, so just take a little stroll for five or ten minutes, longer if you are up to it. If you live in an area where it is safe to walk outdoors, that’s best. Distracted by things going on around you, the time goes by more quickly. Walking in a shopping mall serves the same purpose. Just don’t stop to look in every store window. Gradually, you want to increase your pace and total duration of your walks to thirty minutes or more at least three times a week. Vary your route from time to time so you don’t get bored, and if possible, walk with someone else.
In our neighborhood the streets are not all flat so I can get a little more strenuous walk from time to time by going up and down some gentle hills. I have a treadmill, and I always start out at a 3% incline.
After you have made walking a regular part of your week, it’s time to add a little weight training or some sort of resistance. Muscle tone is important if you want to be able to fend for yourself in the years ahead. You don’t have to become a body builder, but you have to counteract the natural aging process. After about the age of 25, you will begin to lose muscle mass at the rate of 3% to 5% every decade. That could mean a loss of 20% by the time you hit 65. Weight training can offset that to some extent. You can’t stop it entirely because your body is changing whether you like it or not. You’re giving up nitrogen, an essential factor in muscle protein, faster than you can take it in. You’re also losing bone calcium. Your body is becoming more acidic. Decrease the acidity in your system by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat. And counteract the muscle loss with some regular resistance training. You can get some 2 to 5 pound hand weights and do mostly upper body exercise while seated or standing. These include biceps curls, French curls for the triceps, and butterflies. E-mail me if you want more complete descriptions of any of these. For resistance training of the legs and hips, I suggest moves adapted from T’ai Chi Chuan. We call it T’ai Chi, but that’s like saying “foot” instead of “football”. Without getting into the Taoist philosophy, we can benefit from the exercises. These moves will not only strengthen your legs and hips, they will help to improve your balance and ability to recover from an imbalanced move that might lead to a fall. Falls resulting in broken bones are harder to recover from as we get older, so let’s try to prevent them by making ourselves stronger and more stable. But we not only lose muscle mass, we lose flexibility, balance and endurance as well. So here’s a very simple series of moves to help improve all four, along with the upper body resistance training. You don’t need to buy any equipment, but I do suggest that you use the back of a sturdy chair for balance until you feel strong enough to do them without it.
· First, stand behind a chair holding lightly to the back, feet a comfortable width apart (shoulder width). Now, slowly shift your weight to the left until 95% of your body weight is on your left foot. Now bend your knees slightly. Inhale deeply. Slowly lift your right foot and move it beside your left foot. With both feet on the floor and close together, stand erect as you exhale completely. Now reverse the move, inhale and exhale slowly and completely as you go, until the right foot is back in the starting position. Now, very slowly shift your weight to the right foot and repeat to the right side. Once you have returned to the starting position, count as one repetition. Build up to ten complete reps over a period of a few weeks. Take your time. What is important here is not how fast you can do this, but how s l o w l y. And always in total control. If this is too easy, you are going too fast!
· The next series of moves is only slightly more complicated. By now, after several weeks perhaps, you have strengthened your legs with the first series, so adding this should not be too hard. As you shift your weight to the left foot and slowly bend your knees to a half-squat, lift the toes of your right foot from the floor, keeping your right heel firmly planted. Now slowly pivot your whole body to the right, keeping your left foot firmly in place pointing forward. If you are doing this correctly, you will turn 90 degrees to the right, your left leg will be bent at the knee and your upper body will be erect, facing to the right, your right heel will be on the floor, right leg fairly straight, toes pointing up. Now pivot back to the front, both feet back on the floor and slowly exhale as you stand very tall. Repeat to the opposite side.
These simple moves look and sound easy and perhaps pointless until you actually do them through ten complete repetitions very slowly. Then you will see just how powerful they can be. Don’t forget to observe your breathing. Holding your breath is never good.
I know people who have practiced t’ai chi for decades who remain strong, flexible and agile into their 70’s and 80’s. Using these simple t’ai chi moves can help you in the same way. At the age of 60 I can stand on one foot at a time and put my socks on.
I will write soon about this whole problem of acidity vs. alkalinity and aging and how you can combat it with your diet. Here’s a sample: One of my favorite things to add to spaghetti and certain casseroles is parmesan cheese. It is one of the most acidic common foods you can put in your body. Not so good. Spinach is one of the most alkaline vegetables. Look for this article in the next few weeks.
Monday, December 10, 2007
A SIMPLE, BUT EFFECTIVE EXERCISE
Want to tighten up your stomach without doing crunches? Good! Crunches aren't the best way. In fact, they can cause other problems. Everything I've read consistently says that spot reduction is not possible, and all the fitness gurus seem to agree that unless you remove the layer of fat covering your absdomen, even if you have a six-pack you won't be able to see it. So let's talk about a long term approach that will get results. If you are interested in being a baby boomer body builder (too many B's for me!), then this will not interest you. But if you are willing to do incremental things on a regular basis that will give long-term, lasting results, follow me.
Whether male or female, this exercise can be beneficial. A strong abdomen can help prevent back injuries. It is not a replacement for any other regular exercise you may get, but the nice thing is that you can do this WHILE you are doing something else that is part of your daily routine. Like applying makeup or shaving, or brushing your teeth. It's called the Stomach Vaccuum. Here's how it goes.
First, stand erect, straight back, in a comfortable stance. Now inhale deeply. As you slowly begin to exhale, pull your stomach in tight, as though trying to touch your belly button to your backbone. Now completely exhale, slowly. When your lungs are empty, continue to hold the vaccuum for another few seconds, then relax. In time, you should work up to at least ten repetitions of this exercise, and hold your final vaccuum position for at least ten seconds before releasing each time. You may find that doing this makes you a little light headed at first, and you should probably only do a few reps to begin with. But in time, you can do several sets each day. Remain erect as you squeeze the abdominal muscles. Don't curve your back or hunch your shoulders. Oh, and keep in mind that it is probably a good idea to do this before a meal, not after.
Do this every day for at least six weeks before you decide if this is worthwhile. It is not strenuous, but you will soon see that exercise doesn't always need to be a sweaty struggle.
Whether male or female, this exercise can be beneficial. A strong abdomen can help prevent back injuries. It is not a replacement for any other regular exercise you may get, but the nice thing is that you can do this WHILE you are doing something else that is part of your daily routine. Like applying makeup or shaving, or brushing your teeth. It's called the Stomach Vaccuum. Here's how it goes.
First, stand erect, straight back, in a comfortable stance. Now inhale deeply. As you slowly begin to exhale, pull your stomach in tight, as though trying to touch your belly button to your backbone. Now completely exhale, slowly. When your lungs are empty, continue to hold the vaccuum for another few seconds, then relax. In time, you should work up to at least ten repetitions of this exercise, and hold your final vaccuum position for at least ten seconds before releasing each time. You may find that doing this makes you a little light headed at first, and you should probably only do a few reps to begin with. But in time, you can do several sets each day. Remain erect as you squeeze the abdominal muscles. Don't curve your back or hunch your shoulders. Oh, and keep in mind that it is probably a good idea to do this before a meal, not after.
Do this every day for at least six weeks before you decide if this is worthwhile. It is not strenuous, but you will soon see that exercise doesn't always need to be a sweaty struggle.
Friday, December 7, 2007
TYPE II DIABETES
What’s behind this epidemic? How can you prevent it?
Type II diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and around the globe. What has led to this? There’s really no mystery. There have been a number of trends in our society, especially in the US, that have led inevitably toward this situation.
Consider that news headlines almost weekly have something to report concerning obesity, especially among children. When the number of super-sized fast food meals exceeds the number of minimally processed home-cooked meals week after week, the result is to be expected. Add to this the trend toward more and more time spent on the phone, in front of the television or playing video games, and less time spent outdoors playing, riding bikes, shooting hoops or exploring, what else could we expect? Now we see a nation of middle age adults and baby boomers who get even less exercise than their children, sitting in front of the television every night with a remote glued to their hand, and we wonder what has gone wrong. We eat over processed food that provides less than adequate nutrition, we walk the equivalent of about 100 yards a day, we park as close to the store as possible, ride elevators and avoid stairs, and use every possible excuse to avoid physical activity of any sort. There seems to be general agreement that obesity and inactivity may both contribute to the onset of type II diabetes for many. But even with all these factors at work against us, there is something else we might have missed…another factor that is far less obvious, but perhaps far more deadly.
Go right now to your food pantry or your refrigerator and look at a few food labels. Look for the words, “partially hydrogenated…….”. If you don’t see that, then look for “shortening”. After you’ve done this tiny bit of personal research, come back and read the rest of this. I’ll wait. . . . . . . . . .
What did you find? If you have cookies or crackers or just about any other baked goods on your shelf, you’ve got this stuff in your house. These are TRANS FATTY ACIDS. We’ll refer to them as TFA’s here. The reason we find them in so many processed foods is because they help keep the food product “fresh”. Instead of going bad in a week to ten days, it might still appear to be edible in ten MONTHS! Great, right? Well, if you are a food manufacturer, yes. You can now make your product in Maine in January and ship it to California and know that when it finally gets on the shelf at the local convenience store it will still look great in April.
Do you have a can of shortening (no brand names here) on your shelf. THAT is a can of trans fatty acids. Partially hydrogenated oil. You can keep this stuff for five years and it won’t go “bad”. But YOU will go bad. Here’s the scoop on TFA’s. Your body has no good use for TFA’s. It cannot digest TFA’s. In fact the safe adult daily intake of trans fatty acids is ZERO milligrams. The TFA’s actually harden the cell walls, making it harder for your cells to absorb nutrients or excrete waste. They also make it harder for your cells to communicate with each other. That’s right! So if you get a little infection over here, and you need a little help from over there, the message doesn’t get through. Like the cavalry in the fort under attack by a band of Indians, you send out a rider to get help from another fort. But he can’t get out the gate, so you’re on your own. Infection gets worse, spreads, and soon you have a serious medical problem. TFA’s seem to be directly linked to heart disease too. Back in the 50’s we were told to stop eating butter. Switch to margarine!!! Hmm. What is margarine? Partially hydrogenated oil, with a little sodium and coloring and a few other tidbits, so it looks and tastes a little like butter. As the use of margarine and shortening in the home and in food manufacturing increased, along with the spread of our interstate highway system, the incidence of heart disease went…UP, not down. We took the advice of the medical community and made ourselves more vulnerable to illness.
What’s the solution? YOU are. If you buy food, read the label. If it says “partially hydrogenated”….anything, don’t buy it. Is it really that simple? No. You will find
it quite difficult to find ANY label in the cookie and cracker aisle that doesn’t have those words on it. But you can get some really great cookie recipes that use applesauce that you can make at home, with no TFA’s. (here are just a couple of URL’s to get you started)
www.baking911.com/healthy/baking_101.htm
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/low-fat-baking3.htm
Oh, I know, we just don’t have time to bake cookies any more. But we are killing ourselves, so baking seems like a good alternative, doesn’t it? The more we avoid consuming highly processed foods, the healthier we can be. And it’s not just cookies and crackers that we need to watch out for. It is prepared foods of all sorts. Buy a prepared meatloaf, or some of that delicious lasagna in the frozen food case. Or maybe read the label and then go home and make your own.
Will this alone help you avoid type II diabetes? Perhaps not. But if you are willing to do this much, perhaps you will also be willing to take a little walk, 30 or 40 minutes, a few times a week. Maybe you will also learn something about portion control. And maybe by exercising some self-control we can turn this epidemic around. For an excellent group of article to help you better understand trans fatty acids, the history of their use in food products, and the threat they really are to your health, be sure to visit http://www.zimbio.com/Trans+fats Arm yourself with knowledge, then have the wisdom to apply that knowledge. Good health to you.
Type II diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and around the globe. What has led to this? There’s really no mystery. There have been a number of trends in our society, especially in the US, that have led inevitably toward this situation.
Consider that news headlines almost weekly have something to report concerning obesity, especially among children. When the number of super-sized fast food meals exceeds the number of minimally processed home-cooked meals week after week, the result is to be expected. Add to this the trend toward more and more time spent on the phone, in front of the television or playing video games, and less time spent outdoors playing, riding bikes, shooting hoops or exploring, what else could we expect? Now we see a nation of middle age adults and baby boomers who get even less exercise than their children, sitting in front of the television every night with a remote glued to their hand, and we wonder what has gone wrong. We eat over processed food that provides less than adequate nutrition, we walk the equivalent of about 100 yards a day, we park as close to the store as possible, ride elevators and avoid stairs, and use every possible excuse to avoid physical activity of any sort. There seems to be general agreement that obesity and inactivity may both contribute to the onset of type II diabetes for many. But even with all these factors at work against us, there is something else we might have missed…another factor that is far less obvious, but perhaps far more deadly.
Go right now to your food pantry or your refrigerator and look at a few food labels. Look for the words, “partially hydrogenated…….”. If you don’t see that, then look for “shortening”. After you’ve done this tiny bit of personal research, come back and read the rest of this. I’ll wait. . . . . . . . . .
What did you find? If you have cookies or crackers or just about any other baked goods on your shelf, you’ve got this stuff in your house. These are TRANS FATTY ACIDS. We’ll refer to them as TFA’s here. The reason we find them in so many processed foods is because they help keep the food product “fresh”. Instead of going bad in a week to ten days, it might still appear to be edible in ten MONTHS! Great, right? Well, if you are a food manufacturer, yes. You can now make your product in Maine in January and ship it to California and know that when it finally gets on the shelf at the local convenience store it will still look great in April.
Do you have a can of shortening (no brand names here) on your shelf. THAT is a can of trans fatty acids. Partially hydrogenated oil. You can keep this stuff for five years and it won’t go “bad”. But YOU will go bad. Here’s the scoop on TFA’s. Your body has no good use for TFA’s. It cannot digest TFA’s. In fact the safe adult daily intake of trans fatty acids is ZERO milligrams. The TFA’s actually harden the cell walls, making it harder for your cells to absorb nutrients or excrete waste. They also make it harder for your cells to communicate with each other. That’s right! So if you get a little infection over here, and you need a little help from over there, the message doesn’t get through. Like the cavalry in the fort under attack by a band of Indians, you send out a rider to get help from another fort. But he can’t get out the gate, so you’re on your own. Infection gets worse, spreads, and soon you have a serious medical problem. TFA’s seem to be directly linked to heart disease too. Back in the 50’s we were told to stop eating butter. Switch to margarine!!! Hmm. What is margarine? Partially hydrogenated oil, with a little sodium and coloring and a few other tidbits, so it looks and tastes a little like butter. As the use of margarine and shortening in the home and in food manufacturing increased, along with the spread of our interstate highway system, the incidence of heart disease went…UP, not down. We took the advice of the medical community and made ourselves more vulnerable to illness.
What’s the solution? YOU are. If you buy food, read the label. If it says “partially hydrogenated”….anything, don’t buy it. Is it really that simple? No. You will find
it quite difficult to find ANY label in the cookie and cracker aisle that doesn’t have those words on it. But you can get some really great cookie recipes that use applesauce that you can make at home, with no TFA’s. (here are just a couple of URL’s to get you started)
www.baking911.com/healthy/baking_101.htm
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/low-fat-baking3.htm
Oh, I know, we just don’t have time to bake cookies any more. But we are killing ourselves, so baking seems like a good alternative, doesn’t it? The more we avoid consuming highly processed foods, the healthier we can be. And it’s not just cookies and crackers that we need to watch out for. It is prepared foods of all sorts. Buy a prepared meatloaf, or some of that delicious lasagna in the frozen food case. Or maybe read the label and then go home and make your own.
Will this alone help you avoid type II diabetes? Perhaps not. But if you are willing to do this much, perhaps you will also be willing to take a little walk, 30 or 40 minutes, a few times a week. Maybe you will also learn something about portion control. And maybe by exercising some self-control we can turn this epidemic around. For an excellent group of article to help you better understand trans fatty acids, the history of their use in food products, and the threat they really are to your health, be sure to visit http://www.zimbio.com/Trans+fats Arm yourself with knowledge, then have the wisdom to apply that knowledge. Good health to you.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
WELLNESS OR FITNESS? Let's not quibble
Wellness is generally taken to mean a healthy balance between your physical, mental, and emotional state. Fitness commonly refers to your physical condition and is related to exercise and activity. One can be reasonably healthy, meaning disease free, but not in very good condition. One can be in good physical condition, perhaps sufficient to run a marathon or climb a mountain, but not be in good health. The runner Jim Fixx comes to mind. For the purposes of this blog, let’s just let the line between wellness and fitness remain a little fuzzy so as not to define the terms too narrowly. My intent in creating this blog was to provide clearly written articles on various aspects of wellness, to include from time to time some exercise or other activity that might contribute to fitness, and to create a platform for comments from readers who want to contribute their own experiences or studies or discoveries that might benefit us all.
I believe that when I feel “well” I do not feel fatigued or in pain or stressed out. If that’s somewhat close to what you mean when you say you are feeling well, then we are on the same page and I do hope you will contribute your input here. Feeling well is a difficult thing to attain and sustain. We all have certain stresses we face daily, from the jarring sound of the alarm clock to the jumble of traffic on the roads to the noise and light pollution that seems to permeate our space. In addition, we have multiple interactions with other folks who are dealing with their own stresses, and we can’t always be sure what their mental or emotional state might be. So, at least for myself, I don’t believe that wellness is a destination I will reach in this lifetime, at least not for a sustainable period of time. It is a journey, and a worthwhile one. And frankly, most of the time I am far happier with my life than I probably deserve to be. I have a thorn to deal with as far as my health is concerned, but I feel pretty well nevertheless. To achieve and sustain a state of wellness requires that we consciously learn how to keep our lives in balance, like a tightrope walker working without a net. Imbalance leads to trouble, maybe even disaster.
Now, the tightrope walker got up there voluntarily (I hope), but you and I are going to do this balancing act whether we want to or not. How well we do it depends first upon whether we see the need to keep in balance. Unfortunately, if we get out of balance without realizing it, we may not be able to resolve our problems without outside help.
This may sound overly simplistic to you, or to a mental health professional, but it works for me. I believe that, as Roger Miller said, “You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.” For the most part, barring some sort of chemical imbalances in our brain, we can be happy if we choose to be. In my experience, most of the time the people who were angry, depressed, disappointed, upset, enraged, all got that way the same way that the happy, pleasant, calm folks did. They decided to be. You see, when someone says or does something to you or in your presence, it may or may not be directed at you. Either way, it is their issue, not yours. Before you make it yours, you have the right, and the ability, and perhaps the obligation to yourself, to decide how you will react to it. Here’s an illustration. My friend Jorg says to his wife Kati, “Oh, your mother is coming to visit again!” What Jorg actually says may not be exactly what Kati hears. He may mean that he is happy to hear that his mother-in-law is coming to visit because she is so pleasant to be around, and she bakes things for him to enjoy. Kati may hear that Jorg is upset that her mother is coming for a visit again so soon. She was just here a few months ago. Can’t she find someone else to bother? Jorg might be able to prevent misunderstanding but being very careful where he puts the emphasis or inflection, but Kati also plays a role in how this communication turns out, doesn’t she? She can think about how well Jorg and her mother get along and assume the best. Or she can blow up at him for complaining about her mother’s visit. And there are many other possible interpretations as well. These are real people and I think I know what Jorg meant, but the point is that EVERY interaction is full of possibilities. Fortunately, Kati tends to choose to be happy and pleasant, so Jorg is in good hands.
Many people tend to automatically blame how they feel on someone else, rather than accept their own responsibility. I told my children often that they cannot blame each other for how they feel. “I did it because she made me mad!!!” No, you got mad because you decided that was how you wanted to react, but it was YOUR choice. Next time, make a better choice. Now you are in trouble with me.
To me, teaching children how to make better choices would be a wise thing for a parent to work on. One way is for the parent to also be careful about how they choose to react.
Teach by example. If your child sees and hears you screaming at someone in traffic because they inconvenienced you in some way, that’s a teaching opportunity wasted. But make no mistake, the child did learn something, and they are likely to repeat the behavior.
Your comments are welcome. Please visit my other blog at http://thenew50.blogspot.com/ directed to baby boomers like me.
I believe that when I feel “well” I do not feel fatigued or in pain or stressed out. If that’s somewhat close to what you mean when you say you are feeling well, then we are on the same page and I do hope you will contribute your input here. Feeling well is a difficult thing to attain and sustain. We all have certain stresses we face daily, from the jarring sound of the alarm clock to the jumble of traffic on the roads to the noise and light pollution that seems to permeate our space. In addition, we have multiple interactions with other folks who are dealing with their own stresses, and we can’t always be sure what their mental or emotional state might be. So, at least for myself, I don’t believe that wellness is a destination I will reach in this lifetime, at least not for a sustainable period of time. It is a journey, and a worthwhile one. And frankly, most of the time I am far happier with my life than I probably deserve to be. I have a thorn to deal with as far as my health is concerned, but I feel pretty well nevertheless. To achieve and sustain a state of wellness requires that we consciously learn how to keep our lives in balance, like a tightrope walker working without a net. Imbalance leads to trouble, maybe even disaster.
Now, the tightrope walker got up there voluntarily (I hope), but you and I are going to do this balancing act whether we want to or not. How well we do it depends first upon whether we see the need to keep in balance. Unfortunately, if we get out of balance without realizing it, we may not be able to resolve our problems without outside help.
This may sound overly simplistic to you, or to a mental health professional, but it works for me. I believe that, as Roger Miller said, “You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.” For the most part, barring some sort of chemical imbalances in our brain, we can be happy if we choose to be. In my experience, most of the time the people who were angry, depressed, disappointed, upset, enraged, all got that way the same way that the happy, pleasant, calm folks did. They decided to be. You see, when someone says or does something to you or in your presence, it may or may not be directed at you. Either way, it is their issue, not yours. Before you make it yours, you have the right, and the ability, and perhaps the obligation to yourself, to decide how you will react to it. Here’s an illustration. My friend Jorg says to his wife Kati, “Oh, your mother is coming to visit again!” What Jorg actually says may not be exactly what Kati hears. He may mean that he is happy to hear that his mother-in-law is coming to visit because she is so pleasant to be around, and she bakes things for him to enjoy. Kati may hear that Jorg is upset that her mother is coming for a visit again so soon. She was just here a few months ago. Can’t she find someone else to bother? Jorg might be able to prevent misunderstanding but being very careful where he puts the emphasis or inflection, but Kati also plays a role in how this communication turns out, doesn’t she? She can think about how well Jorg and her mother get along and assume the best. Or she can blow up at him for complaining about her mother’s visit. And there are many other possible interpretations as well. These are real people and I think I know what Jorg meant, but the point is that EVERY interaction is full of possibilities. Fortunately, Kati tends to choose to be happy and pleasant, so Jorg is in good hands.
Many people tend to automatically blame how they feel on someone else, rather than accept their own responsibility. I told my children often that they cannot blame each other for how they feel. “I did it because she made me mad!!!” No, you got mad because you decided that was how you wanted to react, but it was YOUR choice. Next time, make a better choice. Now you are in trouble with me.
To me, teaching children how to make better choices would be a wise thing for a parent to work on. One way is for the parent to also be careful about how they choose to react.
Teach by example. If your child sees and hears you screaming at someone in traffic because they inconvenienced you in some way, that’s a teaching opportunity wasted. But make no mistake, the child did learn something, and they are likely to repeat the behavior.
Your comments are welcome. Please visit my other blog at http://thenew50.blogspot.com/ directed to baby boomers like me.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
SENIOR MOMENTS? - Eat more fish!
Recent studies in Norway indicate that those who eat more fish, up to 80 grams per day, have significantly improved cognitive function than those who do not. Can't find your keys...again? Have some fish. Doesn't seem to matter if you eat lean or fatty fish, fresh, smoked, canned. All seem to have the same beneficial effect on brain function. However, merely taking fish oil in supplement gel caps does NOT seem to have any positive effect. The positives associated with fish oil are not to be ignored however, because they do have a very important role to play in cardiac health. As always though, it is better to get as much of the necessary nutrients as possible in your diet rather than as supplements. Supplements most often should be used to fill any gaps in your dietary supply of nutrients.Having read many of the reports over the last few years concerning such problems as mercury poisoning and the accumulation of pesticides and fertilizers in fish, caution is still advised. Where possible, eat only wild caught fish. Even then, you may want to limit your fish intake to two or three meals a week. When in doubt, moderation in all things is still a reasonable guideline.
STAYING WELL
In my experience and from everything I've read or learned by discussing it with friends, family and folks in the medical profession, staying well is far better and far less expensive than trying to GET well after you've become seriously ill. So give this some thought. For most of us, our contact with the medical folks is limited to those occasions when we have been injured or become ill, right? And unfortunately, most of us don't give a lot of thought to our general well-being at any other time. We get something to drink when we are thirsty. We get something to eat when we are hungry. We go to bed when we are sleepy. Individual variations on that theme are limitless, but for those who have access to food and drink and a place to sleep, that's about it.
For those of you who are NOT baby boomers, don't think this blog doesn't apply to you. In order to STAY well even after 50, you really need to consider the things you should be doing when you are 30 or 40 as well, because much of what you will face in your 50's, 60's and 70's and beyond can be set in motion decades earlier. This can bring either good or bad results. But let's say you are already approaching retirement. Your level of wellness today might be a direct result of what you did or failed to do many years ago.
In order to stay well you need a number of factors to come into play, and frankly, you just cannot control all of them. Genetics for example. You inherited genes that dictate certain things about you and you cannot do much about that. However, you do not need to surrender to that or use it as an excuse. If your whole family tends to be short and a littly heavy, there is a good chance that you too will be short, and unless you make a steady effort to combat it, a little heavy. But let's take this a little further. If your family had bad eating habits that were passed on to you from a very early age, you can do something about that. In fact, if you want to enjoy a high degree of wellness throughout your life, you BETTER do something about it. I once worked for a fellow who was quite large in every dimension. We'll call him Ron. He was about 6'5" and he was rather rotund. He said he was just "big boned", and during the period I knew him well, I seldom saw him without something handy to eat. Potato chips, Twinkies, candy, pretzels, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, you name it. He didn't actually stop to eat lunch. He just called that hour or so his lunch hour, and kept right on eating. I moved on to a different job and lost touch with him for about three years. One day in a shopping mall I heard a voice behind me saying "Jack, is that you?" I turned and looked at this fellow and had no idea who he could be. He introduced himself and though I remembered the name, I could not connect this fellow with that name in my mind.
Seeing my confusion he said "You probably don't recognize me. I've lost a little weight." He had actually lost nearly 200 pounds! We found a place to sit and visit for a few minutes and he told me his story. Briefly, a cardiologist told him that he would die before he made it to 50, just like his father and grandfather and one of his brothers. He asked, "Isn't there anything I can do?" The cardiologist told him that he would have to totally rethink his lifestyle, but he didn't seem to have much confidence that Ron would really do it. But after relating this news to his wife, Ron decided that he would do whatever was necessary to turn his life and his health around, and he enlisted his wife and three children in the plan. Growing up, he was accustomed to having ice cream for dessert just about every night. The family would open a half gallon carton and divide it amongst the three or four of them and eat it all. On special occasions, like Sunday supper, they would add some pie or cake to that. If it was a pie, they divided it, so that most often each one would get one fourth of a pie. They were all large people and had all been raised to empty their plate at every meal. "Waste not, want not." So Ron had these eating habits ingrained in him almost from birth.
In order to lose all that weight, Ron did two things at first. he took time every day, rain or shine, to go for a walk. Just ten or fifteen minutes at first, but eventually he worked up to about 45 minutes. At the same time, he just stopped eating dessert of any kind. Those two things resulted in such a dramatic weight loss that he really got enthused and started reducing portions of meat and substituting more vegetables, something he really didn't like to eat. But his successes gave him determination to go on.
When I saw this new Ron, he was still a big man. 6'5" and big boned, but not fat. He looked healthy and happy, and seemed to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and he certainly had improved his chances of survival well beyond 50. The point is that he took control of himself and his habits and made changes, not excuses. He has already outlived his father. You can do the same. If smoking is your personal struggle, you can do something about it. Something dramatic. We'll talk more about that another time. For now, let's just consider four things that you should keep in mind when you think about your own well-being. In order for the human body to function properly and heal itself from all the things that attack it from day to day, you must provide it with these four things: adequate nutrition, adequate hydration, adequate motion, and adequate rest. Eat properly, drink enough fluids, get some exercise on a regular basis, and get enough rest. If you will just do those four things, you will improve your current level of wellness and set yourself up for many more years of good health.
For those of you who are NOT baby boomers, don't think this blog doesn't apply to you. In order to STAY well even after 50, you really need to consider the things you should be doing when you are 30 or 40 as well, because much of what you will face in your 50's, 60's and 70's and beyond can be set in motion decades earlier. This can bring either good or bad results. But let's say you are already approaching retirement. Your level of wellness today might be a direct result of what you did or failed to do many years ago.
In order to stay well you need a number of factors to come into play, and frankly, you just cannot control all of them. Genetics for example. You inherited genes that dictate certain things about you and you cannot do much about that. However, you do not need to surrender to that or use it as an excuse. If your whole family tends to be short and a littly heavy, there is a good chance that you too will be short, and unless you make a steady effort to combat it, a little heavy. But let's take this a little further. If your family had bad eating habits that were passed on to you from a very early age, you can do something about that. In fact, if you want to enjoy a high degree of wellness throughout your life, you BETTER do something about it. I once worked for a fellow who was quite large in every dimension. We'll call him Ron. He was about 6'5" and he was rather rotund. He said he was just "big boned", and during the period I knew him well, I seldom saw him without something handy to eat. Potato chips, Twinkies, candy, pretzels, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, you name it. He didn't actually stop to eat lunch. He just called that hour or so his lunch hour, and kept right on eating. I moved on to a different job and lost touch with him for about three years. One day in a shopping mall I heard a voice behind me saying "Jack, is that you?" I turned and looked at this fellow and had no idea who he could be. He introduced himself and though I remembered the name, I could not connect this fellow with that name in my mind.
Seeing my confusion he said "You probably don't recognize me. I've lost a little weight." He had actually lost nearly 200 pounds! We found a place to sit and visit for a few minutes and he told me his story. Briefly, a cardiologist told him that he would die before he made it to 50, just like his father and grandfather and one of his brothers. He asked, "Isn't there anything I can do?" The cardiologist told him that he would have to totally rethink his lifestyle, but he didn't seem to have much confidence that Ron would really do it. But after relating this news to his wife, Ron decided that he would do whatever was necessary to turn his life and his health around, and he enlisted his wife and three children in the plan. Growing up, he was accustomed to having ice cream for dessert just about every night. The family would open a half gallon carton and divide it amongst the three or four of them and eat it all. On special occasions, like Sunday supper, they would add some pie or cake to that. If it was a pie, they divided it, so that most often each one would get one fourth of a pie. They were all large people and had all been raised to empty their plate at every meal. "Waste not, want not." So Ron had these eating habits ingrained in him almost from birth.
In order to lose all that weight, Ron did two things at first. he took time every day, rain or shine, to go for a walk. Just ten or fifteen minutes at first, but eventually he worked up to about 45 minutes. At the same time, he just stopped eating dessert of any kind. Those two things resulted in such a dramatic weight loss that he really got enthused and started reducing portions of meat and substituting more vegetables, something he really didn't like to eat. But his successes gave him determination to go on.
When I saw this new Ron, he was still a big man. 6'5" and big boned, but not fat. He looked healthy and happy, and seemed to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and he certainly had improved his chances of survival well beyond 50. The point is that he took control of himself and his habits and made changes, not excuses. He has already outlived his father. You can do the same. If smoking is your personal struggle, you can do something about it. Something dramatic. We'll talk more about that another time. For now, let's just consider four things that you should keep in mind when you think about your own well-being. In order for the human body to function properly and heal itself from all the things that attack it from day to day, you must provide it with these four things: adequate nutrition, adequate hydration, adequate motion, and adequate rest. Eat properly, drink enough fluids, get some exercise on a regular basis, and get enough rest. If you will just do those four things, you will improve your current level of wellness and set yourself up for many more years of good health.
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