Mirror Athlete Blog Articles

February 7, 2010

“Dare To Walk,” TV Reality Game Show

Filed under: Anti-Aging,Dare to Walk,Exercise,Fitness,Health,Natural Chemicals,Prevention,Wellness,body activity,how to,manage depression,obesity,pain,posture,tips,well-being — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 18:54

See MAE Video \”Dare to Walk,\” Stay Fit, Alleviate Pain, Save American Families One Step at a Time!\

“The original Concept “Dare to Walk another Day” came from a 30 chapter Mirror Athlete manuscript (currently seeking publication).  The 30 chapters encompass preventative exercise and pain alleviation modalities known as “Mirror Athlete Science,” fitness and pain management philosophy.

“Dare to Walk” another Day is devoted to 2-3 chapters in the manuscript.  It explains the importance of this game concept in the last chapter and why this fitness and pain management philosophy would be of great interest to all Americans, including the politics centered around preventative health and Medicare issues.  The intended audience (76 million baby boomers) and family interest in this type of Reality TV Game show would be huge, also educational.  This show could put our nation’s health first by using walking as the preventative health outreach initiative through a competitive and exciting walk Reality TV game show. Those that manage pain effectively and walk show you “how they do it!”  The globe would benefit and the audience would expand immensely by the second year of production because of the shows promotional unique appeal and draw to boomers and families of all ages throughout the world.  “Dare to Walk” SITE ,” WGAW Registry #1409703, Feb 2010 (“Dare to Walk,” TV Reality Game Concept).  Copyright Mirror Athlete Enterprises, All rights reserved 2010.

Read the Full Story - ”Dare to Walk,” Reality Heals a Nation’s People in Pain! See how the origin of this concept began.   You’ve read nothing like this, nor have you heard of any TV reality concept that comes near this caliber of entertainment.  Read the full story and ”Dare to Walk, another day!”

Participation Interest – If interested in a TV reality game show based on content from Read the full story link above, simply visit the Mirror Athlete home site .  Once at home site, enter your email address into the “Dare to Walk” subscription box to receive updates on the Reality TV Game concept and production interest.”  If there is enough interest in this concept there is good likelihood this show will be produced and you will have first dibs at qualifying for the first season and selected to participate and “Dare to Walk” to win prizes.  I will use this email list to provide a tally of interest to producers and provide you updates.

Tell your walking clubs and walking partners to visit MirrorAthlete.com and sign up as a free subscriber of interest.  The goal is to get 10,000 interested fellow walkers while officially submitting the full pitch concept to Reality TV producers.  This concept has been registered under intellectual property register WGAW#1409703, 2 Feb 2010. 

Subscribe for updates/Qualify for game:  When you subscribe to this listing for updates, you’ll also receive the “Free” MAE Health monthly eNewsletter.  

 How to Qualify:  Enter email address into Subscription box at mirrorathlete home site, also found through my hubpages profile.   Make sure you subscribe to stay on top of the secret “emphasis found in MAE monthly health articles.”  If you miss a month, or lose the email; not to worry, visit MAE Health Repository .  Articles published from the eNewsletter are posted 30 days here after monthly circulation.  Or subscribe to a RSS reader to get all current articles.  Be sure if your email address changes, update it, or you will not receive the subscription and possibly miss the opportunity of a lifetime to possibly play in the ”Dare to Walk,” Reality TV Game.

Desired Qualifying Physical Attributes:  Desired walker qualifications for all practical purposes are normal walkers with typical aches and pains but know how to exercise and warm up prior to walking, not necessarily know how to pain manage.  They may be out of shape but walk well.  Others may appear to be in great shape, but know how to pain manage and exercise well.  Selectees cannot be competitive walkers (speed walking), or on a competitive walking team.  The perfect age demographics are ages: 35-68 for all that want to apply for this game show.  Each one of these players should have a medical acute or other pain challenge with daily fitness routines to alleviate and manage pain.  Most desired qualifying “pain challenges” are those that experience back, neck, shoulders, feet, hips, knee pain problems, etc.  And these pain challenges are diagnosed as soft tissue and nerve pain issues, successful back surgery, or prosthetics (hip, knee replacement).  Excess weight creates pain on posture bearing musculoskeletal structure which is also a good pain qualifier.   Many Americans are obese.  Borderline obesity is a good qualifier if these selectees are already on a walking program.  A good variety of demographic qualifiers and pain challenges will be added to the mix.

Guarantee Game Participation – There is “no guarantee” you will qualify, or be selected to compete on the show if it is produced.  With that said, there is also no guarantee MAE will be able to find a producer with interest or budget to produce this  type of TV reality show.  But with your support there is a good possibility of production and better potential for selection to compete since you are on this list and able to pre-qualify by reading special emphasis in MAE articles related to ”Dare to Walk.”  We simply must show producers that ”Dare to Walk,” Reality TV game is of interest to many that want this production as home family entertainment and profitable for the production company.

 Personally, the concept is so good I would select viewing a show of this caliber over travel, discovery channels, Big Brother, Survivor, etc., type shows.  Plus a number of other reality TV game shows, simply because there has been nothing produced like it.  My advisement team believes this concept has a strong potential to capture a production studio to produce this show.  Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime, subscribe now and be part of history gone mad.  To receive all necessary updates and to pre-qualify for ”Dare to Walk,” Reality TV Game show enter your email address in mirror athlete home site subscription box.  Thank you for your support, now let’s make it happen!

See other Mirror Athlete Enterprise projects you may be interested in, such as “Viking Carnivores” Reality TV Game Show.”

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

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September 22, 2009

What to do About Bunions?

Filed under: Feet,Health,Men's Health,Surgery,Women's Health,pain,posture,remedies — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 16:21

What exactly is a bunion?  A bunion is a bony bump that forms at the base of the big toe joint which becomes enlarged and points inward toward the other toes.  The medical term used for this condition is hallux valgus.  Other symptoms aside from the bony bump: Thickening skin at the base of the toe with redness, swelling and soreness.  People with weak or flat feet including the improper use of foot wear (high heels, tight fitting shoes) and genetically predisposed to inherit the bunion often experience this painful condition.  Most bunion avoidance or relief once bunion is established can be achieved through shoe modification and anti-inflammatory (aspirin and ibuprofen) to assist with swelling and general pain management.  You can relieve pressure on the big toe by wearing shoes that are comfortable and don’t create pressure at this area, and/or by placing a pad on the bunion to reduce friction.  For women they must avoid wearing pointed high heeled shoes. 

 Improper shoe wear creates most bunion issues by rubbing the bony areas of the toe creating a tender red and swollen area where a thick calloused skin covering grows over this heated contact point.   Since bunions never go away once created surgery may be necessary if pain is unmanageable.  Should pain worsen your doctor may recommend a bunionectomy.  This is where the swollen tissue is taken out and/or the toe is straightened by taking out part of the bone and/or permanently joins bone at the affected joint.

 Bunionectomy Surgical procedure:  A general anesthesia will be given prior to the procedure to make you feel as if you are asleep while pain is subdued during the operation.  The doctor will make a cut over the bump, removing excess tissue and may reposition the toe in a more natural position by removing bone.  Recovery time after surgery is typically around 2 months.    Hospital stay after the surgery is really dependent on severity of bunion and how a patient responds to the surgery.  Most patients go home the same day with a foot brace, or special shoe. 

 Recommendations, Prevention and Bunion Pain Management

 Wear roomy shoes that are comfortable and does not irritate, or cramp your feet.

  1. Keep swelling down with anti-inflammatory.  Keep pressure off of affected toe.
  2. See primary care physician if pain worsens.  Get x-ray of joint, see foot specialist.
  3. Wear a thick felt-ring around bunion to alleviate pain.
  4. Get the bunion removed through a surgical procedure (see above – bunionectomy).
  5. Ensure you arrange for care after bunionectomy as walking will be limited for 2 weeks.
  6. Custom made orthotics may reduce bunion pain See Mirror Athlete Press Release .

Benefits of surgery – Your toe won’t hurt, shoes may fit better.  Risk after surgery – Your bunion could come back.  Nerves and arteries could be damaged.  Toe may remain stiff.  Toe could lose blood supply.  Infection and bleeding may occur.

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

Exercising for Weight Loss a Myth?

Filed under: Exercise,Fitness,Health,Men's Health,Weight Management,Women's Health,obesity — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 16:00

Do you recall seeing commercials or reading magazine advertisements where exercise gadgets and specialized exercise programs promise great weight loss results?  Well if you haven’t, let me tell you weight loss exercise products are big business for ex-celebrities in the entertainment and sports industries.  Remember the thigh and abs flex products that promoted inches will melt away around these areas while leading you to believe this would be the result of the entire body!  After all, the models used in the sales pitch appear to be perfectly lean specimens.

 Look around your house and count how many unused exercise gadgets, exercise equipment and books you have lying dormant in your home.  Why do these products lay around the home collecting dust?  And if these products did not work for you why did you not return the product?  Most of these exercise weight loss products guarantee great results by your favorite celebrity.  You were lead to believe if you follow the typical 4-12 week exercise product program you would see great results, well did you?  It is also interesting to note most guarantees have a 30-90 (4-12 weeks) day satisfaction return policy, no questions asked.  If the product didn’t produce the results was it because they actually didn’t work, or that you didn’t give an honest effort, or would it have mattered whether you used the product or not?  Regardless, the product is sitting in your home now dormant.

 Could it be you blame your lack of motivation to use the product that ran out the warranty?  Maybe you used the product as instructed without great, or no results, but in fact gained more weight.  Possibly the relatively small dollar amount of the purchase didn’t seem worth the effort to send it back.  In each example, you disregarded the warranty.

 In any case, most of us have been conditioned to believe exercise is the key to great weight loss success.    Product sales pitches that use the science of exercise as a weight loss product concept have been misleading consumers desperate to lose weight for years.  Yet those that are desperate want to believe the hype because they believe this premise is based on hard scientific fact!  Marketers and your favorite celebs take full advantage of desperate and emotional overweight people that are not educated in exercise science!

 Yes, exercise science is a real undergraduate degree program offered in many universities, also known as exercise physiology.  I have a B.S. degree in this discipline, so this is true if you’d never heard of it before.  These marketers are smart.  They know how to slant the rhetoric leading you to believe they actually care about you.  Remember, many of your celebs are banking on this pitch to make them more money as well!  Weight loss through exercise alone could not be further from the truth!

 What do the marketers know about sales, physiology and psychology that most of us do not think about?  They know how to target an audience and that the younger demographic will have a weight loss result that can be further promoted to increase future sales.  They know this is so because if a younger demographic with fast metabolisms actually works any type of exercise product program a good majority of these people will have some kind of result.  I know, you’re thinking I said, “Exercise for weight loss is a myth.”  You’ll soon have the full story, patience.

 Haven’t you noticed the before and after shots on the infomercials?  Most of these people appear to be between the ages of 18-35 years of age.  And as science has proven in many controlled studies, the human metabolisms before the age of 35 are pretty responsive to increased activity.  However, weight loss results within “any age” demographic seem to have more to do with the psychology of weight loss desire then does the use of any singular, or combination of exercise product(s). Desire to lose weight within any age range is mostly to do about motivating psychological desires:  The dating scene, interview for job, want youthful look back, vanity, health, you name it there are many reasons to motivate a person to lose weight through behavior and lifestyle activity changes. 

 In other words, if you have motivation and desire to lose weight, you may be more prone to reduce weight through a combination of lifestyle changes including the use of exercise equipment and/or products.  For example, nutritional diet changes, smoking, alcohol cessation, shift to healthier environmental-social influences-activities, exercise aerobic-anaerobic activity changes (type, frequency, duration, intensity).  The sum of the total changes typically has a greater calorie burn response leading to weight loss.

 On the flip side, science has proven exercise makes people hungrier.  And because of this compensation effect, what leaves the body must eventually be replaced to maintain body comfort equilibrium.  For most of us over 35, this is our will power weakness defeating our motivation to lose weight, or making weight loss goals more challenging as we age.  This is because the sacrifice of feeling hunger to achieve weight loss results becomes much more difficult on the psyches will power with age.

 For those that maintain great results for a life time after being overweight, or experienced a period(s) of obesity may have sacrificed some part of the overall health for the result.  What do I mean by this statement?  Whenever the body is stressed beyond an equilibrium comfort level to achieve long-term results; it’s not the maintenance of maintaining the weight loss results so much that stresses the body’s metabolism.  It’s the initial stress on mind-body that can create internal metabolic (bodies homeostatic system) harm while achieving quick weight loss results.  Yet there are others that never have had a weight problem and never exercised in their lives.  This may only be attributed to great genetics and/or simply living a moderate active lifestyle while minimizing risky behavior, or combinations of both.

 With continued stress the body may lose weight in an unhealthy manner that can and does lead to illness and disease.  I know all of you have heard of yo-yo dieting and the ill-effects of practicing such weight loss practices.  The goal here is not to discuss poor dieting practices, but instead attempt to help the consumer understand; exercise alone, regardless of exercise equipment, product or technique does not have a significant impact on your weight loss goals because of the “compensation effect” (calories burnt demand to be replaced).  Even if you are an aerobic junky, you must look at your entire lifestyle picture.  The picture of your lean weight loss results is more to do with your age, race, sex, genetics, lifestyle habits and behaviors. 

 This is not to state that exercise products don’t promote any positive health benefits.  In fact, we know that exercise lower risks for many types of diseases, especially within the cardiovascular system, prevention of diabetes and cancer.  Exercise is also excellent for body toning, strength, and muscular endurance, postural alignment which contributes to overall good health and pain alleviation.  Whatever your experience with exercise weight loss products the reason you accumulate these things, most likely you believe they will either work again, or when you’re ready to use them the weight loss results will be achieved. 

 The marketers understand there will be a small percentage of you that will try the program and turn the product back within the guarantee time.  However, this means nothing to them.  The discipline of sending back a product before the warranty expires is very small regardless of customer dissatisfaction.  After all, most of you have been conditioned to believe exercise is necessary to lose weight.  They also know you don’t blame your favorite celebrity because you admire them and they look fantastic.  The pitch people continue to mislead the exercise science weight loss rhetoric slanted in their favor sometimes using professionally paid sponsored credentials.  So your weight problem must be solely due to your inability to exercise exactly as your favorite celebrity or intended use as specified within the instructions.  Wrong!

 To add insult to injury, those selling the exercise products are banking on most of you never understanding the calorie compensation effect on weight control and will power.  This way you’ll continue to purchase the latest hype exercise products from your favorite celebrity in hopes that something may work for you down the road.  One thing is for sure, you will keep them fat and happy rolling in dough.  The cycle continues on.  Amazing!

 Does exercise to reduce body weight on its own work, or is this line of thinking a myth?  You decide after reading my next article. “Science Proves Exercise Alone May Promote Weight Gain.”

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

January 22, 2009

10 Step Basic Weight Loss Tips

Filed under: Diet,Exercise,Fitness,Health,Nutrition,Prevention,Weight Management,Wellness,how to,obesity,tips,well-being — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 17:19

For me the following tips keep my body weight stable.  I could lose more weight through moderate calorie reduction or increased activities.  I choose not to.  Instead, I’ve set my weight where I’m comfortable and wake up every day energized and excited about my daily activities and never worry about my food choices.

“Lose weight and/or manage your weight after you’ve lost the fat”

1)    Find a daily activity that increases your metabolism 15-60minutes a day that you can get excited about and have fun.  Walking works best for me.  Think of other interests and mix it up, e.g., biking, hiking, camping, fishing, shopping, walk the dog, dance, yoga, exercise class, swimming, fitness center, home aerobic exercise equipment purchase, etc.  Any activity that increases heart rate will benefit your weight management program and is essential to good health.  Visit our home site health repository and read “Weight Management and Super Food Ideals, etc.”

2)   If you can’t get 3-4 fruits and vegetable servings per day because of cost or inconvenience, you must supplement your diet, or consume more concentrated quality super foods.  I use a high quality “natural” supplement daily with super food ingredients to boost metabolism, weight management and increased antioxidant protection for healthier longer living.  Visit my home site health repository to read our article, “Why we Need Super Foods.”

3)   Fad Diets – Stay away from any diet plan that restricts your food groups, such as carbohydrate, protein or high fat diet only.  These types of diets to include pharmaceuticals to achieve quick weight loss results will only harm your body’s metabolism.  Eventually these types of diets add on more weight with increased health risks.  Go to my home site within the health repository and read “Diet Pills, What’s The Deal?”

4)   Eat sensible meals.  I eat pretty much what I want to including snacks and other items I know are not in my best interest.  However, I love certain foods just like you.  The key here is to know when to stop.  Moderation and balance of food choice selection is important.  In order to eat sensible meals without going overboard, you must learn to incorporate healthy snacks in-between eating the main meals.  You will actually eat less for lunch and dinner if you do this because you won’t be as hungry.  Make sure you eat breakfast “This is the most important meal of the day.”  Your metabolisms health and stable weight management program requires this discipline.

5)    Don’t eat after 7:30pm.  Your metabolism slows down too much after this time.  If you feel hungry after this point, build an addiction around oranges, grapes, apples or fiber drink-bar in the evening.  You will become addicted to them… I guarantee you will not crave other deserts after about a week.  This is not to say you can’t have cake, pie, ice cream… You just don’t want to eat these things after 7:30pm and a day-to-day basis.

6)   Give up alcohol – Alcohol is responsible for much weight gain, weight loss failures and known alcohol induced illnesses that can create chronic body conditions.  If you can’t quit consuming beverages, or don’t want to, consider red wine (1-2 8oz glasses, proven health benefits).  Do not consume more than 2 drinks on any one day if you must drink alcohol.  Visit our home site health repository and read “Alcohol Consumption.”

7)    Drink water in the evening – Always have a glass of water at your side in the evening.  A lot of hunger feelings are not because your body requires more food.  Your brain really is telling your stomach you need more water but you perceive it as food.  This is because food has water in it where the brain signals the body to eat more for hydration purposes if you don’t drink enough water!  That can add up to a lot of calories and ultimately body weight!

8)   If going to a social function always ensure you eat a small meal not less than 2 hours before the main meal, especially when you know there will be a lot of rich foods served.  You will not be as hungry and you will indulge less because you will not be as hungry.  Visit our home site health repository and read “Holiday Weight Management.”

9)   Try to only eat fast foods once a week if you must do so.  There are so many chemical additives and preservatives in these foods.  These chemicals can make you ill, cause chronic health problems e.g., diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, etc.   I don’t tell you to give up these foods; I only suggest you look for more organic alternatives.  Visit our home site health repository and read “Restaurant Foods Healthy?  Or any of our articles written on Super Foods for weight management and antioxidant boost.”

10.)   Give up diet sodas and deserts that contain aspartame, splendid, spoonful, etc.  Aspartame as a sugar replacement goes by many brand names.  Read my health article on “Aspartame the Silent Killer” located at our main site health repository.  Diet soda has the opposite effect on your body weight.  The aspartame industry is responsible for poisoning our families and creating obesity within our children at an alarming rate.

Although weight loss is not exactly simple, weight maintenance once the desired weight is achieved only requires modest will power and discipline.  If you want to lose weight, I recommend you apply all my principles above.  Once you achieve your desired body weight goal, then you only need to maintain the weight by using in variations from the list above that works best for you.

 

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2008 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free monthly eNewsletter.

November 18, 2008

Breast Health Importance

Filed under: Cancer,Environmental Toxins,Exercise,Health,Nutrition,Prevention,Product Toxins,Treatment,Women's Health,how to,mortality,tips,well-being — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 07:12

  Breast health to a woman should be of the same importance as the prostate is to a man.  The breast, like prostate health is dependent on many factors, i.e., environmental, heredity, activity and diet.  I must also emphasis, while breast cancer is predominately a woman’s disease, men also get breast cancer.  While in the Air Force, I was shocked and surprised that a good friend of mine, a 19 year old male had to go through a life changing surgery on his chest.  The intrusive surgery saved his life as the tumors in his chest were removed and had not yet metastasized (spread throughout the body).  The radical surgery at the time forever scared him mentally and physically.  I was aghast when he showed me his chest after this procedure.  I had no ideal that a surgical chest procedure of this magnitude would ever be performed on any human let alone a man.  To this date, I’ve always wondered if he survived that ordeal by being cancer free.  This disease can be so devastating by way of its insidious progression; many are caught off guard until aggressive treatment is necessary. 

  Cancer under the right conditions can incubate without knowledge for many years.  Breast health in America should not be taken lightly as breast cancer is the second leading cause of death next to lung cancer for women.  CDC (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention) 2004 statistics – Women 186,772 and 1815 men diagnosed with breast cancer (40,954 and 362 respective mortality).  Risk Factors Increase:  1) As a woman ages.  2) When a woman begins menstruating (young age “Is Not” immune).  3)  Pregnancies near, or after 30.  4)  Hormone (estrogen) replacement treatment.  5)  A 50 year family tree window of breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.  6)  Those without risk factors. 

A summary of treatments: A mammogram is the most common preventative “nonintrusive” test available to ensure breast health is not compromised and proactive treatment is taken immediately if necessary.  Breasts are placed between two plates to be x-rayed, identifying tumors, etc.  Mammograms can detect tissue abnormalities that cannot be felt through self examination, but seen with x-rays!  With early detection of breast abnormalities “it is more likely than not,” cancer will never see the light of day.   If diagnosed with breast cancer, get a second opinion and information on intervention procedural options “do not delay!”  There are various intervention common treatments available:  Chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs); radiotherapy (high energy x-ray kill’s cancer cells); hormonal therapy (tumor reduction); biologic therapy (cancer agent spread blocker).  If biopsy of breast tissue is necessary and tests review the breast(s) positive with malignancy, inquire about conservative “Lumpectomy” (tumor removal) opposed to mastectomy; part-full removal of breast(s). 

Recommendations,
1.  Look for lumps, or thickening under arm, or change difference, ridges, pitting, redness of breast.
2.   Get Annual mammograms starting at age 40, if high risk runs in family, etc., start much earlier.
3.   It is highly recommended all women between the ages of 20-39 get breast exams every 3 years.
4.   Men breast Cancer – Symptoms and treatments are similar.  Typical age when diagnosed, 60-70.
5.   Ask about various breast cancer diagnoses: Mammogram, Ultrasound, exam frequency, etc.
6.   Ask physician about genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 and early detection testing with family history.
7.   If a family has breast, ovary, prostate cancer, family should seriously consider screening.
8.   Reduce weight, reduce alcohol consumption, stop smoking and increase activity-exercise.
http://www.oncolink.org/types/article.cfm?c=3&s=5&ss=33&id=8320

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2008 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.
 

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