Mirror Athlete Blog Articles

December 24, 2009

Ikaria Lifestyle Boasts Longest Living People

Roman Culture is Interesting Even in Vegas

Realizing the importance of super foods, clean environment, exercise, healthy lifestyle choices, work load balance, pain management benefits on overall health, etc., it is interesting to note longevity cultures are alive and well without the medical resources that are plentiful here.  How is it with all of our medical resources we can’t boast of achieving the longest living people?  Yet a small Greek island people can boast of many that live well past a hundred years in age.   Our dilemma in the land of plenty, it is difficult to discipline oneself with healthy activity and lifestyle habits when greed, power and control, control us!  I recently read an article by Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones: “Lessons for Living Longer” from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest (National Geographic, 08).  This article captivated my attention which I thought was important to share with you.

 The Ikaria, Greek Island people’s longevity lifestyle has interesting attributes that can be duplicated within almost any culture to receive the same healthy longevity benefits.  I say, “Almost any culture” because there are third world countries that simply do not have the resources that Westernized cultures do.  Our nation, like other similar cultures have no excuse for many illnesses and disease pain placed upon ourselves because of our unwillingness to change lifestyle habits.  Much of our poor health and fitness levels occur because of our quick fix and results expectations, convenient and plentiful transportation, jet set lifestyle, fast pace society, family and value system(s) breakdown, drug and alcohol addiction, nonorganic-fast food diets, etc.  This is a very simple comparison of differences within our two cultures.  But by no means is a total list of lifestyle differences to make my point.

 Following is a list of Ikaria’s habitual lifestyle differences from their culture and a testament to their long and healthy centurion lifestyle.    To get the full story on lifestyle differences Click on the Ikaria’s link above, or comment on your ideals of what you believe to be beneficial to live a long healthy life.  Actually, this would be good exercise before you read the full story.  Post your comments on this blog and compare your thoughts, or knowledge of anti-aging and longevity before you read the Ikaria’s lifestyle differences and why they are living well into their century age mark. 

If active lifestyle and longevity is your goal with minimal pain and aggravation for you and your family while you age; it may be wise to consider living a Mediterranean and/or Ikaria-type lifestyle in part, or fully comparable as possible.   By simply modifying your lifestyle habits and choices a dramatic-positive effect on your overall health and fitness can be experienced?   In our fast pace environment this can be a real challenge but doable.

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.

December 23, 2008

Why We Need Super Foods

I was asked, just exactly what are super foods and why do we need them?  There seems to be a huge craze out there to understand how the right types of foods in our diet can greatly improve our health condition(s) and incorporate these foods into our preventative health, wellness and nutrition program.

What’s the deal?  Could this be the anti-aging or fountain of youth formulae?   Or could this just be another way to get money out of your wallet?   Well I’ve done a little research for you and here’s what I came up with.   There currently is no official or legal definition of super foods.  Also there is a common denominator of discussion amongst dieticians and nutritional scientists.  Mostly, the claims made regarding specific food items and benefits toward health.  The problem is marketing companies now are using the term “super foods” as a catch all tool to sell more product.  We understand science has come up with some very good data on select foods that provide extreme nutrient and health benefits.  After all, God provides natural good foods (super foods) as everything we need on this earth to be healthy and fit.

Only because of man’s greed have many consumer foods now become a blend of additives and chemically preserved and altered foods.  The chemical food companies, FDA, FTC, lobbyists, politicians, special interest groups and others control and back much of the processed food and chemical industries.   The food and chemical industries are worth billions of dollars to investors and keep millions of workers employed, much like our health, pharmaceutical and petroleum industries.  Money rules the roost regardless of whether these processed foods knowingly make our families sick.   If food is not in its natural form and/or man-processed (some with carcinogenic chemical additives) be suspicious and read the ingredients on the label prior to purchasing, for many additives are known to cause cancer.  If you can’t pronounce the ingredient(s) on the label, or understand what the ingredients are… Chances are it’s one of thousands of addictive chemicals used to addict you to a product, much like nicotine keeps smokers addicted to cigarettes that can have an ill-health effect on you.

The food industry is now saturating our retail food markets with chemically induced additives to our foods that not only get you addicted to a product but are creating a whole generation of unhealthy children and adults through fast food chains.  Products such as diet sodas, candy, desserts, etc., use artificial sweetener (Aspartame – Also known as splendid, spoonful and a whole lot of other brand labels).  Read my articles, “Aspartame the Silent Killer,” “Can You Prevent Cancer?” Also “Is Cancer in Your Tub?  Located within MAE (Mirror Athlete Enterprises), Health Blog.  Other important health information that you and your family should be aware of are located within our “Health Media,” Wellness Company,” or “Health Repository” pages.  After you read our health articles or view our health video players, you’ll give up diet sodas and many other processed foods.  I know I did.  Once I learned this information, this became yet another reason to create Mirror Athlete Enterprises to spread the word of industrial product and consumer lies.

I wanted to find a wellness company that I could share with consumers and their families.  A place to shop that walked & talked healthy home and consumable products.   Our site has an entire page devoted to the “Wellness Company Products and Services” with almost 400 clean green home products and healthy supplements for weight loss, nontoxic home environment and preventative health programs, etc.  The list is so extensive, I recommend you visit the Wellness Company at www.mirrorathlete.com and read the Wellness Company summary.  You can contact me and I will work with you personally providing you better health while showing you alternatives to cleaning your home environment. You’ll have more energy, better weight and pain management through natural supplementation and so much more.  Through health and wellness consulting there is a very good chance we can find what’s making you and your family sick and begin the healing process with natural products that you can trust.

On the forefront as supper foods I’ve listed a few:  Blueberries, apples, avocado, bananas, beans, bee pollen, broccoli, flax seed, oats, oranges, papaya, raspberries, soy, spinach, green tea, walnuts, yogurt… and many more.   For a full listing of super foods go to our Mirror Athlete Enterprise Home page and use the custom health search engine.  Type in “super foods,” you’ll be provided with a wealth of super food information.  Some benefits of super foods boast of longer healthier living, less wrinkles, better skin, lower blood pressure, healthy heart, cancer prevention and a whole lot of other claims that will knock your socks off.  Each super food listed above has high concentrations of antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese, fiber and anthocyanins [provides the concentrated pigment in berries where consumption has health benefits per scientific studies:  Cancer, aging, neurological disease, inflammation, diabetes and bacterial infection]. Because these specifically identified foods are highly nutritious and beneficial to health and well-being they have been coined “super foods.”

I believe there are many benefits to consuming super foods.  You’ll need to do a little homework to determine what is backed by scientific research versus which foods are backed by marketing sales hype.  I will not do this for you because; everybody’s bodies and health requirements are so different.  Our bodies are like cars that perform better or worse dependant on the fuels, oils and additives for longer lasting maintenance free operations.  However, our bodies do not perform as simplistically as our car fuel analogy would depict.  This is because the human body is a zillion times more complicated than any car on the road.   Another good analogy is when you go to your primary physician for whatever ails you…  They may perform a combination of various exams; send you for an MRI, x-ray, or blood work for example to determine which specialist to refer you to if required.  Hence, to endorse a super food combination that would be “just right” for all that would read this article won’t be prudent.

However I do endorse the Wellness Company products located within our home site because the company has already scientifically formulated natural products based on illness prevention and getting people well per ill-health categories (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, irritable bowel, Candida, boost immune system, eyes, arthritis, osteoporosis, healthy prostate, weight loss, weight management, cognitive function, etc.)  I’ve researched a lot of companies and products.  I can provide individual product Wellness Company recommendations for you because the company has done all the research with scientific results to back the data.  The Wellness Company has many product(s) for our bodies, including many clean green and safe environmental solutions also backed by scientific research, “with a 100% money back guarantee.”  This company is simply the best at what they do with regard to clean green health and well-being for you and your family.  I don’t have to be an expert selling you product hype.  The Wellness Company is the only real green company of its type with backed healthy safe and natural product solutions for you and your family.

You may, or may not have a good handle on your medical or health prevention goals, but if I haven’t stemmed your curiosity to check out our Wellness Company, or to participate as a wholesale preferred member, just go to our custom health search engine at our home site and research “super foods,” look for food combinations that make sense for your medical or health prevention benefits, type in “super food and/or health condition.”  For example, some super foods work better for high blood pressure, or cholesterol reduction, you get the point.  If you have no idea what would work best for your body, just start incorporating some of the super foods I listed into your diet.  You will most likely start feeling better, have more energy, lose weight, etc.   Or see your primary care physician and request an Annual physical with blood work so you can see your base line blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose levels etc., then you have a foundation to base your customized super food needs.   I highly recommend all adults over the age of 35, or younger (dependant on health) supplement their diet with a high quality absorbable mineral-vitamin complex, antioxidant, flora (good bacteria) daily supplement pack (Inquire about our Wellness Company Wholesale Member Products).  Of course you should make every attempt to eat as nutritiously as possible, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber, reduce animal fat and reduce sugar in the diet.  The most important advice I could add as a bonus… Stay away from diet sodas and aspartame laced desert-candy products (an additive in thousands of our processed and packaged foods).  Also read “Lose Weight with Super Foods,” soon to be located within MAE Health Repository, Health Blog.

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 eNewsletter.

October 25, 2008

Aging Gracefully is it Possible?

To answer a question such as “how does one age gracefully” can be for some as perplexing as what is the meaning of life? Or how far does space and time reach? Is there a God? Are we the only life force in the universe? And so on.

For each one of these questions and many more like them seem to have more questions arise when attempting to answer without a solid conclusion. I find it interesting and fascinating to witness these time old adages continue on with todays youth as did with our ancestors. There is absolutely no difference in the types of questions and answer sessions as when I was a kid “these questions are universal within all languages and cultures.” To understand and attempt to find answers to perplexing and mind boggling unknowns outside of our sphere of control is a normal process from childhood through adulthood. Ask a family member, or friend any one of the proverbial questions and you’ll quickly see the curiosity and willingness to chime in on the topic if you don’t catch them in a rush. Now not everyone will find these time old adages of any consequence. For those few, “I believe they have the mind and body functioning without a finely tuned soul.” Remember, my mirror athlete philosophy incorporates the soul with mind and body to balance all good things in life, including our health and ability to make the most out of our lives and others around us.

Just yesterday, my daughter mentioned how she and friends were having a great discussion on attempting to understand the meaning of the universe, God, extraterrestrials, and such. Boy did this hit a cord with me and my childhood. The body, mind and soul are in an “ever quest” to find the meaning of life, “in this case at the ripe old age of thirteen!”  We are at our greatest intuitive state in our early developing years. Some how we understand and relate to our soul as a critical support function to mind and body. I believe with children, this is true because they are born innocent and then influenced negatively by a culture where values and beliefs are tough to maintain discipline. I must point out, because of our fast pace culture a lot of people tend to tune out the communicative soul port in the teen phase through our working years. This is mostly due to a “Me First,Win American culture,” where wants rule.Most of us… Once we receive our wants tend to further enhance & develop our health & spiritual needs looking for centurion healthy goal answers.

The mind thinks with the souls influence then controls the body. Without a soul the mind and body relationship “CAN” create havoc [toxic and unhealthy activities] within the other two components of “being.”  Many negative stresses [physical, greed, addiction, emotion, stress on all planes, etc.,] could occur within “being” if maintenance of the soul is not in sync with life events. Without development and proper maintenance of these 3 very important components making up “being,” a person will experience less quality of life, and less healthy as one would otherwise. As we age, development of this “Triassic” (body, mind, soul) relationship must occur, or we simply deal with our own present mortality in a “less” healthy way due to improper stress coping techniques. I believe, if this Triassic relationship is not learned at an early age and developed into adulthood, some of us unintentionally ostracize ourselves from our greatest life potentials!  I know this sounds heavy and this type of philosophy could go wild in discussion, however, I will only brush the possibilities within the Triassic and health context with my take on how to age gracefully making my point.

Without closure to mortality questions where man can not provide definite answers to, “you simply must find answers by-way of the soul to fulfill this unknown” thirst for knowledge. Including, “what does it mean to age gracefully?”  There are those that can answer these types of questions with absolute certainty because their constitution is better than blind faith. This is because the day they were born, intuitively they knew they had purpose and there was something much bigger then any one of us!  And with this inner connection breeds “healthy calm” as the universe makes sense learned first at a very young age.  Everyone is in search of answers that can not readily be provided by a man made answer, or solution. Man looks for a scientific explanation for everything, but even man will “never” unlock God’s universal secrets. Instead, each one of us can unlock every proverbial secret that the soul “will, can and does bear.”  Each and everyone of us has the ability to tap into the soul where all answers are provided. It is through the Triassic connection we begin to understand the universe, our place in it and existence in life followed by the next.

It takes a life time to understand how each one of these questions applies, or does not apply to each one of us. I began by asking the question “How does one age gracefully?”  I can not provide a single answer as a fit for all. Each one of you will have to examine your own beliefs, connection and reality within your being. Instead, I can only paint one meaningful relationship that I understand to be an answer to this question without digging myself deeper into a never ending quagmire. It should be understood with age comes limitations of the mind, body and “NOT soul,” the soul never dies. Every decade and every 5 years after 25, one must examine their lives course. The “Triassic Being” and healthy proverbial development as we age is an important relationship as to how we see ourselves and the value perceived by all influences (Triassic Being, families, friends, employers, etc.) and the effect it has on our bodies health and souls mindset. If who you are now defines you 10 years from today without significant adjustment to mental, physical and spiritual stress planes as you age, can you age gracefully? “Ah, that is the question!”

Maybe, yes, maybe no. It depends on how your body, mind and soul are holding up. If ANY of these three elements are “breaking, or are broke,” one must change the game plan. To not change the way one operates within this worlds reality creates a health risk due to negative stress forces on any, or all 3 planes which make up “being.”  Without reexamination of our lives every 5-10 years (and more frequent review as we age) and not making healthy life choice decisions in tune with our “Triassic Being,” we put great stress on our mind, body and soul. To risk “being” without periodic examination of the Triassic relationship “is not to age gracefully!” And not to age gracefully, is not the philosophy, or mindset of a Mirror Athlete!

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.

September 25, 2008

Do you have “Dry Flakey Skin, Itchy Scalp, Lifeless Hair, Nails?”

Get Excited About Things - Experience Life!

The following question was asked of me when I was heavily involved as a Wellness Company Executive. By the way, I still purchase the products for my personal use. But have a representative that handles all of those that wish to get involved in the program (simply visit the Wellness Company Wholesale program within my home site if interested in how to naturally take care of flakey scalp, skin, have better hair, nails, etc.).

Question “I have flaky dry skin. I’ve been told I have seborrhea by my dermatologist. I’ve been given prescription lotions etc. What causes dry skin? Most of my problems seem to be in the scalp. Although my prescriptions seems to work OK, I’m concerned about the side effect risks as you mention regarding man-made products. Is there any natural alternatives, if so what? There are many reasons for Dry Flakey scalp, skin, hair and nail problems. Much discourse here could be greatly improved if the following knowledge was promoted through a national healthy body, mind, soul campaign. Don’t hold your breath on this one.

Answer. Did you ever notice, your skin condition flare up vs. flare down? Even without medication, I know you’ve noticed times of low to worse skin conditions. Whether it be seborrhea, or some kind of dermatitis. You’ve probably even thought at some point, “maybe I don’t need medication any more.” But to your dismay, the dermatitis returns with a vengence. What does this tell you? It tells me that many of you are experiencing acute to chronic skin conditions caused by toxins in home & ingested products. In other words, the flare ups come and go without consistency in duration and frequency.

Let me give you a good example,

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