Mirror Athlete Blog Articles

June 23, 2010

Epidemiology Provides Ill-Health Prevention & Centurion Wisdom

Filed under: Anti-Aging, Consumer Safety, Diet, Environmental Toxins, Nutrition, Prevention, Product Toxins, Weight Management, Wellness, bacteria, disease, how to, infection, manage depression, pain, tips — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 15:58

    In a nut shell, epidemiology is the study of illness and disease affecting a population’s health.  It is also an applied science specific to the incidence of disease in populations as opposed to the individual.  I believe basic knowledge of this highly specialized job can provide individuals with a better understanding in prevention of disease and relative-timely medical referrals for ill-health conditions.  My point is if we could learn how to use specific data to our advantage in seeking to identify and treat our ill-health, we would be much more successful at alleviating pain-illness and maintaining better overall health and happiness.  This does not mean you need a degree in epidemiology to apply a common sense approach to find resolve to a specific ill-health problem.  What it does mean, by understanding how science identifies and treats epidemics in populations; the basic principles of this knowledge can provide the individual a better ill-health troubleshooting skill set that many centurions use to improve upon quality living experiences as they age!

     The work of epidemiologists includes researching risk factors in environment that cause illness and disease, clinical identification/study of illness agent, data collection, etc., of infected people and treatment of environmental out breaks on population.  What most don’t understand, epidemiologists rely on a vast array of disciplines in order to “best” identify an ill-health outbreak.  In order to understand how ill-health is disseminated on a population requires an understanding and mastery by these experts; and those specialized in the fields of biology, sociology, mathematics, statistics, anthropology, psychology and policy (research policy and bureaucracy impact data results and interpretation).  So the “one cause-one effect” to illness and death rarely is a single contributor of ill-health on a population.   Instead, multiple factors, circumstances and opportunity within environment typically lead to an epidemic that would create the lethal agent outbreak impacting an entire population.  If pain alleviation and ill-health prevention wisdom is the result of knowing how to apply some of this basic knowledge; than living to be a healthy centurion is a “more likely than not” goal scenario, is it not?

     With a broad range of potential bio-agents and psychosocial cause factors, ill-health agents can attack the physical mind-body from many internal and external cause fronts.  Understand that each one of us is a 3-part being that requires a healthy environment which caters to the mind, body and spirit.  Also recall, the internal biological neural highways, mind-body (psychosomatic) connection can depress the body’s physical biology and spirit.  The same is true of body-spirit pain which can depress the bio-mind making any part of being sick through the psychosomatic connection.  We are a 360 degree feedback “being” mechanism.  In other words, to make it simple, we all have the ability to think ourselves into ill-health conditions when our internal and external environments depress us through infection worsening a condition for example.  We do not become ill due to only biological external environmental agents!  And when our “being” is depressed, we are more susceptible to illness and disease agents from multiple environmental cause agents!

     Now let’s look at one example where epidemiologists have used their specialized data collection techniques to determine agent cause, treat and save lives in populations, than use this as a model to apply to self. 

     Before water and food sanitation practices evolved many people got extremely sick from the cholera bacteria.  This bacterium dispersed within a population from feces, or other effluents (vomit, diarrhea, etc.) that contaminated their living space; water and food sources, etc.    Cholera would not only be in the water source but would then spread to coastal water ways for example and attach itself to shellfish contaminating those whose diet in part was dependent on them.  Through consumption of shellfish the bacteria would continue its assault on distant coastal populations.   This chain of events could then infect local and distant water/food supplies, dwellings, etc., which infected the body, mind and spirit of individuals, also families in multiple communities.

     By “collecting data points” from various near and distant infected social-cultural environments, people, animals, soil samples, water, food, etc., scientist where able to find the common contributing denominator(s) to an epidemic that wiped out huge populations in the past before the Cholera bacteria agent was identified.  Once this agent was identified, preventative sanitation and treatment practices were put into effect and outbreaks in civilized populations became nonexistent.  Today these specialists collect data and provide consumers and other interest groups risk data and advisement on poor diet, smoking (second hand smoke), sewage-sanitation systems/practices, food preparation/storage, various environmental impact studies, toxic product identification, pandemic containment advisement etc., and the list goes on.

     So what can you as an individual take away from this wisdom to apply to self?  After all most of us aren’t statistical analysts that have participated in illness and disease epidemic studies.  Regardless, there are lessons to be learned and tools that can be used on self, much like the epidemiologist approach in discovery to rid a population of ill-health environmental conditions.  So the basic skill set you can improve upon when seeking relative and timely treatment to ill-health signs and symptoms will require you to provide historical and daily data to a treating physician, or specialist.    Regardless of whether an illness is acute (infrequent occurrence), or chronic (frequent-consistent occurrence), you must learn to track specific data much like the epidemiologist seeks the cause and effect in finding an ill-health agent afflicting a population.  By learning how to target the cause agent a likely solution can be applied to the internal/external threat before it causes further damage to being.  What kind of data you ask?

     You must begin collecting data on your daily habits, time/day of pain, and frequency of event, duration, signs-symptoms, products/food you consume; identify risky behaviors-habits and things that cause stress in your life.  Now you are collecting data that can be shared with those of specific medical knowledge disciplines.  Remember a “one cause-one effect” that creates illness in a population is seldom the case.  That is, the Cholera a bacterium was born and spread from multiple cause agent carriers; starting through poor sanitation practices.  This infected people, food, rodents and water; impacted social activities, wellbeing (quarantined/death) which impacted social/family dynamics in local and distant communities for years thereafter.   So where did science start looking first for this culprit?  Good question, a process of elimination through data collection and other scientific means of the times.  The same is basically true when any patient has complex illness and pain symptoms.  By collecting data on your daily habits, signs and symptoms you are providing biological, psychological, diet, physical, statistical and social environmental information that will provide a more likely inference on the cause agent(s) origin to your discomfort and ill-health.

     Below are 12 data points of interest you can track for self to share with a physician before consultations; much like an epidemiologist would collect to increase probability of targeting harmful agents by sharing collected data with other specialists to rid a population of a likely cause agent.  You too must also do some homework by providing suspected cause agent data to your physician for the best treatment outcome. 

     Information and Data Cause Agent Source Example/Ideals for the individual:  1) Use the Internet to research your symptoms/treatment solutions and visit chat rooms-forums to learn more about suspected illness and disease.  2)  If diagnosed with substantiated illness-disease buy self-help books from experts, or visit your local library for successful treatment solutions/ideals.  3) Talk to parents, siblings and blood relatives to see if there is a genetic ill-health connection, cause and what was the treatment… Did the illness worsen, or improve with treatment?  4) Are your symptoms caused from poor diet?  5) Do you engage in unhealthy habits, i.e., smoking, drinking, poor diet?  6) Are you active, or do you live a sedentary lifestyle?  7)  Do you socialize, practice spiritualism, or are you a recluse?  8)  Do you encounter daily environmental/product toxins at work/home hobbies, living area etc.?  9)  Are you involved in a stressful relationship, job and/or family?   10)  Do you take prescription medications, if so what kind & how long?  11) Are you generally depressed?  If so, do you understand why?  12) Have you had a past injury, allergy, infection that remains problematic, untreated, causes pain and/or depression?

     A process of environmental cause agent elimination can benefit your ill-health quest by collecting these daily data points and plotting them on a graph for example.  Simply list your data point suspicions horizontally.  Next list each column by the day with a 3 category code in bold: Worse, No Change, or Better.  This way you begin to plot data where status change of condition can easily be noted and shared with your treating physician(s).

     By becoming knowledgeable of symptoms caused per unique environment, one can begin the process of removing potential cause agent sources out of the equation that may be impacting, or depressing the mind, body and spirit.  For example, if you suspect something in your diet is the source of your problem; remove the potential suspect source agent for a couple of weeks to see if this improves your condition(s) plot and code the data points daily.  This can easily be done in between consultations which can be shared with treating physician(s).  Note: Do not put off seeing a physician before you start this process.  Instead, seek medical attention as soon as possible if you feel you have a serious medical condition and chart your medical condition suspicion study simultaneously.

     There are many other ways an ill-health cause agent can catch you off guard.  But this data collection insight will provide a starting point of suspected agent(s) data when consulting with physicians and specialists.  Then again, this is important why?  Because all too often we seek medical attention without providing valuable historical, recent signs/symptoms data during the physician consult.  This my friend’s leads all too often to untimely and non relative treatment!

     You don’t have to have the expertise of an epidemiologist, but only understand the importance of data collection to share with your physicians to better analyze your ill-health conditions.  Because in too many cases, we the patient depend too heavily on our doctors to fix, or treat us with a prescription and follow up based on if our signs and symptoms have not improved.  This all-too-often quick results treatment removes signs and symptoms temporarily.  But it does not address the underlying environmental and habitual cause agents of our ill-health.  As you’ve seen, we are much more complicated beings that require a multidiscipline approach to treat and keep us healthy.  And in order to determine ill health causal relationships, requires us to also be honest with ourselves by identifying our bad habits, risky behaviors and environmental stressors while taking preventative action to keep our 3-part being healthy.  To do otherwise not only risk your good health but also can impact a whole lot of other people.

     And through preventative knowledge and timely self advocacy action much pain and suffering in one’s life and family can be mitigated.  Many centurion benefits are possible through understanding the epidemiologist’s wisdom of data collection in sharing with various disciplines to rule out the “one cause, one effect” causing illness.  If a one cause, one effect is substantiated through medical exam than one knows what one must do to get well.  But for a good majority of patients, medical exams “do not” substantiate symptom(s), nor do they correlate well with conventional medical treatment.  Often non-substantiated cases of illness, pain, or just feeling bad are treated subjectively as opposed to objectively for lack of medical findings and then prescribed pharmaceuticals.  Here lies the problem for many that accept the conventional outpatient consultation protocol.  Without self advocacy for relative and timely treatment, data collection-sharing skill sets during physician consultation; insidious illness and disease agents can go unchecked for years.

     If you want to experience healthy life benefits, such as quality living conditions, personal comfort, happiness and other quality life experiences with family as you age, there is much to be learned and applied from an epidemiologist wisdom.  For the individual and centurion this skill set wisdom is invaluable as a prevention and problem solving tool that you can put to use immediately.  This wisdom teaches us to take accountability in keeping our 3-part being healthy by collecting, sharing data, while identifying-advocating for timely and relative treatment when working with our physicians for the “best possible health outcome!”

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2010 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

June 22, 2010

L-Tryptophan, The Obesity, Depression & ADD Silver Bullet Solution?

Filed under: ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, Depression, Diet, Mental Health, Nutrition, Treatment, Weight Management, Wellness, manage depression, obesity — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 01:22

    What is dietary Tryptophan?  It is one of the 8 essential amino acids our bodies require to function correctly.  It is found naturally in varying degrees within food we eat, such as red meat, milk, eggs, turkey, bananas and chocolate.  How does Tryptophan work to produce benefits for our bodies that could promote natural weight loss, reduce anxiety, increase happiness, remove depression, and promote good sleep?  Could it be possible this essential amino acid supplemented within a diet and known as “L-Tryptophan” could replace ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), weight loss, anti-depression, anxiety, and insomnia, also obesity prescriptions for you and your children?  The answer will surprise, anger and shock many of you about the health benefits our pharmaceutical industries don’t want you to know about.  This is because the prescription industry is a billion (s) dollar industries that do not want to give up its mind altering and weight loss prescription turf!

     First a little bit of history.  Back in 1991 the US government banned the dietary supplement L-Tryptophan because it was linked to a large outbreak of a deadly disease that killed 38 people in a 1989 study.  After 10 years had passed without incident of use in Europe, the US loosened its marketing restriction on the substance in 2001.  Like anything else, if misused any product may cause ill-health conditions.  Like many competitive industries, and most specifically our pharmaceutical industries back in 1989, they took full advantage of this disaster and profited in the market place by denouncing L-Tryptophan supplementation and created a whole slew of potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals to mimic the benefits of this essential amino acid.  As you will read below, there are still risks of using L-Tryptophan if not used correctly.  But I believe the pharmaceutical cocktail mixes our doctors now prescribe to you and your children have greater risk to our health than this natural occurring supplement.  So instead of our pharmaceutical industries developing a safe use form of this supplementation during its heyday, it was more profitable to create a whole lot of man-made chemicals appearing to do the same thing at greater expense and secondary health risks to the outpatient.

         How does this amino acid work in our bodies to promote health benefits?  Our bodies need serotonin and melatonin neurotransmitters which are bio-brain chemicals that allow proper function of our physiology.  Our bodies do not manufacture these neurotransmitters without this amino acid in the diet.  That’s what “essential” means, our body can’t produce this amino acid on its own, and it has to be obtained through the diet.  This is important why?  Because without enough of this essential amino acid in our diet any one of us stand a good chance of suffering from one, a combination, or all ill-health effects in varying degree:  Such as, migraines, low energy, sleepless nights, improper weight regulation, obesity, depression, anxiety and hyperactivity.  And if you are dieting and your diet is a low protein-high carbohydrate diet, you are at greater risk of these ill-health effects.  And there is no one at greater risk than our children because many of our families subscribe to this nutrition imbalance unknowingly.  Primarily by providing, or unknowingly allowing a high sugar-fat and low protein daily diet habit (fast foods, energy drinks, sodas, baked goods, processed foods, etc.).

     Remember, natural occurring products that can be derived from diet will not make these industries wealthy because there is no money in it.  However, today, more consumers are educated about proper use and benefits of L-Tryptophan.  It is making a big comeback in the mainstream weight loss, anti-anxiety/depression and ADD marketplace.  Of course, you can imagine there is big opposition to this movement from the pharmaceutical industry because there is much money to be lost once consumers wean off the man-made “addictive pharmaceuticals.”  I’m not saying all man-made products are without need and merit.  I am saying that there is a point where prescription use should be assessed and a more natural means applied if risk of pharmaceuticals now poses a health risk, and/or the risk could be avoided through use of a natural supplemental program to alleviate the ill-health symptoms to accomplish the same results.  All too often, our physicians and psychiatrists are too quick to prescribe pharmaceuticals when the answer to the problem could be very simple:  A bad diet that may simply require an essential amino acid boost to stimulate manufacturing of the necessary neurotransmitters!

     Can supplementing the diet with L-Tryptophan help us regulate and reduce weight?   Science shows us that this supplement can greatly reduce our cravings for sweets and carbohydrates.  When dieting for example, our serotonin levels appear to decrease which creates a carbohydrate binging and cravings effect.  When our serotonin levels remain low there is a direct correlation with weight gain and obesity.  We know this binging and craving effect as the “Yo-Yo effect.” 

     There “are known side effects” of taking L-Tryptophan if proper dosages and impure quality grade are not followed and considered:  Unlike Tryptophan extracted from the foods in our diet, there appears to be no health risk.   But like anything else we put in our bodies, if you consume too much with frequency and of low nutrition value, a negative to no benefit effect can result making the body ill. 

     Here is a list of possible side effects when misusing, or using L-Tryptophan:  Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome (EMS), or serotonin syndrome.  Symptoms include severe muscle pain, fatigue, and nerve pain, hair loss, rash, dry thickened skin, or skin changes. High eosinophil levels are found in the blood when supplementation has gone wrong.  Also when recommended dosages are disregarded, excess product toxic waste in the body can impact the brain bringing on psychotic symptoms.  This may include confusion, seeing, or hearing things, fast heartbeat, fever, sweating, diarrhea, difficulty walking.  Allergic reactions may include: Rash, hives, itching, swelling of mouth/throat, wheezing, or breathing difficulty.  Science still cannot tell us if EMS is the result of impure or specific brand L-tryptophan that had contaminants.  But for best results, it’s best to ensure a quality pharmaceutical grade is considered for use.

     If L-Tryptophan is supplemented within the right dosages, the scientific data shows the brain will manufacture balanced serotonin and melatonin neurotransmitters promoting a cheerful mood, assist in weight reduction, relieve anxiety, reduce migraine, reduce hyperactivity, reduce depression and promote healthy sleep patterns.  Sounds like the same benefits you’d receive from a doctor’s prescription of man-made pharmaceutical chemicals, does it not?  And for any one individual there could be any combination of literally dozens of dangerous cocktail mixes one could be prescribed at a greater cost to the consumer as opposed to supplementation.  Because this supplement also has many potential risks like prescriptions; it would be prudent to work with your primary physician if interested in supplementing the diet with L-Tryptophan.

     This essential acid is also responsible for manufacturing the neurotransmitter Melatonin (promotes healthy sleep patterns).  Melatonin is also found in an individual supplement tablet that can be purchased over-the-counter.  I’ve used melatonin after working grave yard shifts and I have to tell you this supplement works very well to induce sleep.  But if you’re getting enough dietary tryptophan sleepless nights become less frequent and melatonin supplementation becomes unnecessary.  Think of how you feel after consuming a big turkey meal, very satisfied and sleepy.  This is because turkey has of high concentration per serving of this amino acid in the meat.  Of course, we are all different in our ability to process Tryptophan and manufacture serotonin and melatonin, so these positive statements regarding healthy benefits will vary with each individual.  Also if you’d been advised to reduce the cholesterol in your diet, this will likely mean less animal product consumption, which may likely equate to a reduction of this essential amino acid.  I have not supplemented my diet with L-Tryptophan, but now I’m taking a closer look at it as I age and need to modify diet to better control my cholesterol count. 

 Recommendations:

     If you are a parent that is concerned about your child’s ADD, obesity, anxiety, depression signs and symptoms, consider a high quality L-Trpytophan natural supplementation program monitored by your primary physician for an alternative solution outside of pharmaceutical prescriptions.  Or visit our home site and see our health store for other quality pharmaceutical grade affiliate products.  Also consider seeing your doctor and inquire about supplementing your diet and implementing a parallel prescription plan.  This means, you, or your child don’t stop your prescribed medications, but instead, include L-Tryptophan to supplement the diet, diet modification and slowly work your way off the pharmaceuticals while being monitored by your physician.  If your physician does not want to do this, I’d highly recommend getting a second opinion.

     Many times it appears big pharmaceutical industries skew the natural solutions results because of investor result expectations to achieve profits.  Also, ensure you do your own DD (Due Diligence).  I will provide a couple of links on this topic below for you to get started in further research.  Understand there are literally thousands of Internet links and library resources on this topic.  There is much to be interpreted and derived from the data I found outside of the two links listed below.  I see the positive light behind this form of supplementation.  The pharmaceutical and psychiatric community does not share mine or others enthusiasm over the benefits outweighing the risks in comparison to pharmaceuticals.  Research the Internet and read up on diet Tryptophan versus supplement “L-Tryptophan” and how it may be your silver bullet to weaning off of pharmaceuticals and promoting a good health solution for you and your family.  Good health to you and your family!

 Research Links:  http://www.weight-loss-center.net/L-tryptophan.html; http://mental-health.emedtv.com/l-tryptophan/l-tryptophan-side-effects.html

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2010 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

February 24, 2010

How to Exercise Safely and Increase Fitness Levels

Filed under: Dare to Walk, Exercise, Fitness, Men's Health, Weight Management, Women's Health, body activity, how to — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 18:34

Bicep Exercise tones and strengthens grip, wrists, forearms, bicepts

MAE Video Safely Build Fitness Exercise Activity.  There are so many exercise programs one could engage in to increase fitness levels.  How does one know which is right for them?  This is pretty much a two part question because you also want to know, “even though you may not have completely thought it out, which exercise activity will increase your fitness levels significantly?  This is important why?  Increased fitness levels contribute to healthy heart, lungs, metabolism, lean body, body strength, reduced body fat, weight control, weight loss, better physical endurance, excellent circulatory properties, pain alleviation and ill-health prevention, etc.  So what you really want to know, how you can get the best bang for the buck with busy lives?

I highly recommended if you are getting back into an exercise fitness program or activity, you participate by working your way back to a 5 day/wk program.  This may take you 2-6 weeks or longer to get back into gear.  For example, after one of my surgeries, it took me one and half years to work my way back to walking significant miles in a day.  Persistence paid off big health and fitness dividends for me.  Having an Exercise Science undergraduate degree provided a knowledge base in my rehabilitation fitness process.   I understood without applying fitness, alternative health and pain management methods I would experience a disabling life outcome of limited activity, mobility, more pain and increased secondary health risks.  I know many of you reading this won’t have to rehabilitate yourself from injury, depression, disease or surgery.  However, it is important to understand, if you find yourself in a disabled and rehabilitative state you can enjoy fitness conditioning activities that provide quality living experiences while you nurse yourself back to good health.  The point is, depending on your fitness and health condition(s), there is a way to slowly work back into a 3-5 day exercise-activity program.  Those that work too fast to achieve an exercise-activity program will likely drop out of fitness conditioning; while possibly looking for high risk shortcuts to achieve physical results.  This is a bad plan!

One would be wise to follow a physical fitness conditioning program for the first 6-8 weeks while easing back into a fitness routine if you’ve been out of it for a while.  Your goal is to achieve a 3-5day consistent exercise activity program after significant fitness conditioning occurs.  Fitness conditioning prior to the 3-5 day exercise activity program may require rehabilitative services to reach the 3-5 day exercise activity goal.  And if you need to, consult with your medical providers before you exercise to ensure applicable health risk considerations are taken into account before you begin a 3-5 day exercise program.

Five day exercise program – Consider making two of your exercise days on Saturday and Sunday to include family fun activities as substitutes for exercise activity.  Work in the other 3 exercise activity days convenient with your work schedule, etc.  This will provide more flexibility at first to develop healthy fitness activity around your busy schedule, reduce stress, and more time to focus on exercise-activity technique, etc.  After the fitness habit is maintained for 2-6 week period, begin to modify the plan much like you’d schedule anything else “balance!”  I’ve always found it important to take two days off in the week for needed rest (Mon & Fri).  I don’t recommend a 6-7day workout routine unless you are training at an elite level for competitive sport.

 Recommendations, Tips, How to safely increase fitness levels and activity,

 First of all you must develop a plan around busy lives.  And before you develop the plan, you must have an ideal of what are your fitness goals.  Is your goal to lose weight, rehabilitation, build muscle, better health, sustain weight, increase endurance, competitive sport, improve task specific activity (ski, golf, walk, biking, running, etc.).  So now you know before you spend money on an exclusive fitness membership, be sure to have a plan to achieve the fitness goal in mind. 

 Second, you must be realistic about your daily schedule.  If you’re a working adult with children, there are considerations that must be thought through, like working around schedules, appointments, etc.  However, it is not impossible to squeeze in exercise activity even with a busy schedule.  It’s a matter of behavioral habit change.  For example, if you want something bad enough like taking a family vacation, new car, boat, weekend outing, social networking during time off, watch evening football, baseball, basketball game, spending more time with your significant other; you manage to find the time and resources don’t you?  Yet you have a tough time committing to a healthy activity because you simply don’t have the time or see the point.  Your fitness requirements must simply become as valuable to you as personal time, or personal possessions that you protect through health, home or car insurance.  You pay for these things for prevention against catastrophe.  Your fitness health requirements are no different.  You simply must value your health as much as you value your personal time and possessions.  Also keep in mind, just because you pay for health insurance there is no guarantee after years of physical and mental abuse medical services will provide a cure-all solution.  You must also do your preventative health part.  Only through daily preventative activity exercise can one add an additional layer of protection from all that will assault the mind-body as we age.  Activity exercise is the best pain and ill-health alleviation strategy.  Physical activity for life is a key centurion attribute.

 Many employers have fitness centers at the job and/or promote life fitness schedules that allow time for workouts.  Be sure to check with your employer, if you haven’t’ already done so to see if they have corporate fitness center discounts in the local area.  If you have time before work or after the children are in bed a daily exercise program can become a daily habit that you will become addicted too.  You simple must want increased fitness benefits as bad as working more overtime for more discretionary income.  Or value fitness goals as much as indulgences.  For me, working out after work and before dinner had a great stress relief benefit.  And for many years I’d get up at 5:30am go to the gym, or jog where the adrenalin and metabolism was at full throttle as I hit the job at 7:00am.  This habit served me and my professional careers well as I was always at the top of my game, I didn’t need energy drinks to start my day.  Now in my 50’s one of my age appropriate exercise activities is walking which I’m as competitive as when I played football as a youth.  I attribute much of my life and career success to my age appropriate fitness habits.

Like anything else it takes dedication to be successful at anything you do.  It’s more a matter of finding an activity that you really enjoy, get excited about and can become addicted to.  I tended to become addictive to my exercise program if I could get through the first 5 days.  If I didn’t make 5 days at the planned fitness level goal, I would reduce intensity until ready for more intense training.  I didn’t quit the training; I took it down a notch until ready for the stress load on mind-body.  Activity exercise must vary daily dependent on how the mind-body feels.  To push when not ready is defeating and causes many to give up when they don’t have flexibility built into the exercise activity.

Third, you must plan and program around age appropriate exercise if you want to find a workout plan, or activity that you’ll stick with.  All too often I hear people give up their fitness goals and activity dreams because they “self proclaim” their too old at forty to exercise.  And simultaneously they begin to look for fountain of youth quick results gimmicks (weight loss, muscle max goals, chemical stimulus, etc.).  This is absolute nonsense; when did 40 become the new 80 plus crowd?  On the flip side, there is absolutely no reason, 50 can’t be the new 30 plus crowd.  Also, you are not 20 if your biological age is 40.  Age appropriate exercise does not mean training to become a marathon runner at 40 years of age!  My point is, if you want to look and feel better regardless of age, you must find age appropriate activity and exercise programs, or you’ll not experience true quality living experiences.

I’m not saying this isn’t possible, as a matter of fact there are some very conditioned athlete’s well into their 50’s.  But for most of us, you can’t go from lethargic couch potato and train the way you did before you became a potato.  One thing you’ll find out about elite athlete’s (50+) they have not lost step with their competitive physical-mental edge, they’ve sustained a competitive habit without fail throughout the years.  Is there a health risk for this competitive demographic?  Certainly there is, they are pushing the biological-physical plane envelop.   This activity training intensity is not meant for most entering their 40’s.  Unnecessary stress on mind-body relative to age is something that needs to be considered if you want to increase fitness health goals safely.

Forth, if you are infrequent about your exercise, or activity routine, it is very important you learn to pace yourself each time you exercise until your body is ready for a 3-5 day exercise activity routine.  Ease into your workouts, forget about competing with what you see others doing.  Set your mind to see yourself as the healthiest 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 year old possible in your neck of the woods.  If you think exercise-activity appropriate per decade, you’ll stick with a healthy exercise program for your age while physically appearing and feeling 20-30 years younger for your age.  Why don’t I go beyond 80 years of age?  Actually, 80 years and above should walk-swim, light weight, flexibility training, eat right for good health and socialize, travel as much as possible.  At this age, I thoroughly believe, each day is a blessing and one should enjoy life to the fullest while reducing life stresses.

All too often those 40 and above seek the Hollywood conventional wisdom to find their fountain of youth quick result gimmick(s) after they fail to change behavioral fitness activity habits.  They become mesmerized by the tabloids and their favorite star’s physical appearances.  They focus in on young, vibrant and wrinkle/fat free models and starlets.  They are not focused on age appropriate activity.  Instead desperately want to turn back the hands of time and will stop at nothing to achieve this goal.  This is not God’s law. You have a purpose for every decade of life.  It is your job now to be wise and healthy for your children’s sake and grandchildren.

Those that follow Hollywood conventional wisdom must have blinders on.  Because if they follow the nip-tuck; take 30lbs off in 30 days; blast your abs, thighs and buttocks; fountain of youth gimmicks then they also know the following is true.  What does Hollywood do with its actors and actresses once their physical flaws become too apparent?  They throw them out like old dish rags don’t they?  The paparazzi relentlessly pursue them and exploit their aging, overweight, illness flaws, relationships gone bad through the tabloids for a buck.  Many of these star icons you worshiped can’t keep up with the immortal Hollywood youth expectations and self destruct.  You see this, but deny the reality of the situation and search for a younger icon to follow ageless beauty advice, etc.  Why would you ever follow a celebrity’s advice as a fitness health expert in your 50’s?  Especially if they have no specialized training in age appropriate fitness techniques?  Hollywood and your iconic stars don’t cater “how to achieve” quality living experiences for the 50plus crowd.  Instead, they offer quick result diet and fitness solutions to turn back the hands of time to make a quick buck.  All the while, they use perfect model specimen’s, made up to look as if the results are mostly due to their products secret ingredients. 

There is nothing mentioned about life long health habits and healthy behavioral change in order to achieve and maintain these quick result appearance benefits.  And this always leads me to wonder, really how healthy and how well do these diet and fitness products improve fitness levels?  And what health risk are these customers subjected to in the long run for a quick result promise?  I know this to be true because I have a vice.  I love to read smut magazines about the stars.  And they do slam aging stars without mercy.  I read these for pure entertainment, a habit I can’t seem to break since my childhood.   There is one fitness celebrity that sticks out in my mind as one of the greats, Jack Lalanne.  For years, he has been known as a world renowned fitness expert through the 60’s at his peak celebrity status through our TV’s.  He now is known for his Power Juicer products.  To this day his life-long fitness story is amazing.  Research him on the Internet if you get the chance and learn more about someone’s applied exercise fitness principles that have served his followers well through a lifelong fitness career discipline. 

Fifth, the other factor to staying with an exercise age appropriate fitness program is food intake.  If you over consume, especially after 7:30 pm, or on the weekends it will be hard for you to notice weight loss and body toning (reduced body fat).  Body metabolism slows down tremendously after this evening time storing excess calories as fat.  Weekends will be your worst enemy (over consumption typically occurs during this time).  This is why in the next paragraph I recommend if you are just getting started into a workout, fitness activity routine; plan two of your five days on the weekends during the first 2-6 weeks.  Try consuming mostly a Mediterranean diet and/or 50%protein, 20%fat, 30% carbohydrate diet.  What this means in real general terms.  Stay away from the following main dishes/snacks:  Pizza, pasta, breads (whole grain ok) baked goods, ice cream, deserts, casseroles, pancakes, waffles, restaurant chains (fast foods), too much salt, chocolates, muffins, donuts, lard, candy, gum, chips, fried foods, milkshakes, alcohol, beer, diet sodas, popcorn, artificial sweeteners (aspartame), energy drinks, coffee additives (cream, sugar, artificial flavored, etc.).  These are the main addictive foods and food consumption habits that are causing much obesity in this country. 

After exercise and fitness goals are achieved, balanced eating behaviors become much easier.  You will naturally crave healthier food as the chemical food toxins are removed from the body.  This is not to say you can never have pizza, deserts, etc., or have a few drinks.   “That would be ridiculous.”  Balance my friends; we simply must get to a level of fitness for your age that you desire and will stick.  Thereafter, the fitness habit will become addictive which will lead to lifelong healthy habits including balanced consumption of food choices.

Sixth, find a workout routine you can stick with and enjoy.  Various examples:  Try biking, stationary treadmill, stationary rowing, dance, ball room dancing with spouse, tennis, walking, golf, jogging aerobics sessions, swimming, etc., 3 days a week (mix it up with gym activity).  Make sure you get in 2 days a week exercise gym activity and 3 days aerobics (walking, biking, treadmill, elliptical walker, swim, hike etc.).   On the weekends substitute an aerobics week day activity with a planned family outdoor activity, backpack, dance, healthy cooking recipes (walk and shop for your meals), camping, beach walking, fishing, etc.   I recommend 5 days a week exercise activities to sustain fitness levels and good health.  I use combinations of all these activities throughout the week to sustain my age appropriate activities.

I use combinations of daily walking, swimming, gym exercises (stationary equipment use for muscle building and toning, light weights, 12-15 reps per exercise per body part), to include aerobic cross trainers (elliptical), bikes, etc.  I also like to bike, boat, walk, hike, travel, camp, and fish on the weekends as activity substitutes, etc.  Changing up fitness activities will help with motivation, will power to stick with a program and breakup gym exercise routines nicely.  These are activity mix habits that become very addicting if you can break the 4-8wk exercise habit barrier, because it takes this long for brain chemical stimulation, muscle toning and toxins to be adequately removed from the body.  Natural brain chemicals will stimulate activity motivation and will power if given the chance.  Efficient Brain chemical release (adrenalin, epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin) through exercise is as addicting as nicotine is to a smoker; chocolate is to a chocoholic.

Now that I’ve provided you “How to Exercise and Increase Fitness Levels,” get out there and get it done!  Try various combinations of exercise activity, break up the fitness conditioning patterns and don’t go into any activity program at full intensity until conditioned to do so.  “Good things in life come to those that take the time to do it right!”

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2010 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

January 23, 2010

After Holiday Weight Gain Blues

Filed under: Depression, Diet, Fitness, Natural Chemicals, Product Toxins, Weight Management, Women's Health, addiction, fast food, holiday, how to, manage depression, new year, obesity, stress — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 17:44

The End of Old Habits Are Near. Let Life Begin

Another year has gone by with all the Holiday décor and cheer with it.  I understand some of you had a tough time with the food choices and amount that you consumed.  And with this being said, should I dare say some of you are not only bummed out after you stepped on the scales, you are blue with depression.  This I understand and can definitely empathize.  The way I see it, you can continue to feed those screaming fat cells telling your stomach and brain it needs more, or you can deny them.  I know, easier said than done.  Cutting back after consuming all those rich foods will be the hardest thing you’ll do to get control of your weight for the New Year.  I also understand with the passing of the old year and in with the new, maybe last year’s resolutions to lose weight didn’t work out so well.  I’ve got to tell you; “don’t be so hard on yourself.”  There are many reasons weight gain occurs and I would never tell you I know what you are going through.    So many of us, when we get stressed, or traumatic change occurs in our lives, causes much long-term depression as well as over consumption of food.  Many at some point in time are at great risk of this prolonged weight gain habit being triggered during the Holiday season.  Because with the Holiday’s many emotions are triggered that can also set the stage leading to depression. 

Unfortunately too many of us deal with depression by consuming too much comfort food and drink.  After the consumption of too much rich food we get upset, frustrated and finally depressed about our weight because we don’t know why we can’t control this habit.  There is also an illness-disease cause and effect relationship that complicates controlling weight once we become obese.  At this point the mind-body “can” becomes susceptible to greater illness-disease risk.  For example, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), congenital heart disease, fibromyalgia, phantom pain, etc.  Over eating for many years will cause much discourse and depression in one’s life which complicates weight management, mood, and pain picture, relationships we have with people and life goals. 

Although I’ve written many articles revolving around depression, fitness and pain management, I have not written an article with regard to food habit & depression relationship triggers.   In general, stressful life events cannot be avoided in life but can be minimized by understanding the stress triggers and food consumption patterns.”  Regardless of season, or any day for that matter, you must learn to change behavior and habits to take control of your weight goals and develop better stress coping skills.  These skills can be greatly improved through healthy food consumption, relationship associations (behavioral food trigger habits), activity and exercise.  Learn to realize the stress triggers and substitute healthy food and activity as a stress reducer, i.e., walk-window shop, read a good book, call a friend, eat organic, or Mediterranean diet etc.  Whatever you do, don’t go to the fridge or quick mart and have a binge session.  This habit is very hard to stop.  Seek professional help if depression lasts longer than 14 days or frequently returns and/or if you become obese as a result of your habits and can’t stop them. 

Holiday’s are one thing and I completely get the weight gain during this eventful time period.  And I know the screaming fat cells will get over themselves once you get back to your normal routine once the festivities pass.  But all too often, it is too easy to continue the party into the New Year, or look to celebrate every weekend.  Don’t fall into this trap.  To carry this habit into one year and then the next is really unhealthy and depressing as I know you may be aware. 

Alright, I know I said “don’t be so hard on yourself,” and “I would never tell you I know what you are going through…”  However, there is a difference with cheerful event weight gain and short-term depression versus long-term weight gain and depression.  One is short lived and the other is not!  For a few, I would say your weight gain unfortunately may be due to a metabolic defect of the thyroid, or pancreas for example, in which case you require a physician’s treatment.  Any long-term weight gain that has become an unhealthy condition putting you at risk for more illness, disease, depression and pain requires a physician consultation!  However, there is no reason not to pursue changing your life style habits while seeking specialized medical treatment and advisement. 

Now I have brought about 8 prominent weight gain blues and depression behavioral habits people get themselves into and don’t necessarily know how to resolve the weight gain quagmire throughout the year.  Below I have listed eight habitual hard to break weight gain problematic habits that need to be realized before successful long-lasting health benefits occur.  It is the hope that by exposing unhealthy food habit behavior relationships, one can change these unhealthy habits into healthy habits that are enjoyable.  

 8 Prominent Weight Gain Blues and Depression Behavioral Habits 

  1.  Holiday Cheer Weight Gain – What can I say about Holiday Cheer Weight Gain that I haven’t mentioned in my previous writings.  Have a Holiday battle meal plan before you set down at the table.  Read the following article, “Holiday Weight Management Tips.”
  2.  Last Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight Failed – You know why you failed your weight loss program from previous years.  You did not resolve, or change your behavioral eating, drinking, or fitness habits.  To do so is still too painful for you for whatever the reason.  As I stated, “I will not pretend to know what you are going through…”  Until you can resolve and/or get serious about your weight loss/depression, or seek professional help, my fitness tips will fall on deaf ears.
  3.  Illness, disease, injury pain factor – All pain is directly related to illness, disease and/or injury.  And with pain comes more sedentary type activity.  It is for this reason, it is more important than ever you work with your primary physician and pain management specialists to find activities that you can do safely.  Also visit mirror athlete chronic pain center for other tips and recommendations.  All pain disorders are different and require much fitness specialization in order to work around and prevent pain trigger aggravations, or worsen pain disorders.  It is for this reason you become proactive to find a fitness activity that you can participate in daily while pain managing with your physicians.
  4.  Stressful life events and comfort food – For many the trigger to eat comfort foods stems from everyday stress factors such as:  Work, bills, health, relationship, family issues, etc., the list goes on.  Stressful daily events can culminate into major depression and poor eating habits (these two things often go hand in hand).  This is a duel health risk hazard that impacts millions of Americans causing the national obesity crisis our children now face.  We get so stressed out over our fast paced lives we can’t foresee how we could ever squeeze time in the day to maintain our overall fitness and healthy eating habits.  Then you tell yourself, I’ll take care of it later.  You must find time before, or after the day’s end to participate in a healthy fitness activity to thwart off daily stress and increase overall fitness levels.  Good diet and activity practices are important for the entire family where habit is essential to establish early on in life and critical for good health especially as we age.    For example, my daily fitness activity is walking.  I also mix up the fitness activities with swimming at the local fitness center, light weights and other aerobic equipment.  My fitness habit is mid-day; although it was 5:30am and 12:00pm for many of my working years.  This habit for me reduced stress depression, built self-esteem, controlled my weight, and alleviated pain disorders while keeping the body fit.  I know AM routine seems tough at first, but become an addictive habit if you give it a try for a couple of weeks.  For most, I don’t recommend an after workout fitness habit unless it’s walking.  The stressful day will make the fitness habit seem like pulling teeth for which one will not adhere for a long period of time.  For instance, walking, it’s much less stressful and more relaxing with your spouse, kids, dogs in hand, etc., where stressful issues can be discussed into reasonable solutions and making better relationships.  I highly recommend mixing it up with after work walks and every other day morning fitness activity.  Look for weekend activities with family, e.g., hiking, camping, boating, walking the beach, visit historical places, etc. I promise you’ll get healthier while improving family relationships.
  5.  Carry the party into New Year – Some carry the end of year festivities into the New Year.  This behavior can last for months.  For many through the entire New Year.  The festive mood appears to keep your depression at bay while keeping you preoccupied with comfort eating, drinks and cheer with friends.  The basketball and baseball season is loaded with reason for bi-weekly celebration.  “First and foremost, you must understand this is occurring and must break this bad habit!”  It is not bad to watch sports, of course this may vary in opinion with your significant other as time is spent on viewing other than bonding.”  However, to continue the party festivities for weeks and months in over consumption indulgence will only drag on the inevitable weight gain and depression blues that accompanies this jovial behavior after the party. Although jovial is enjoyable and relaxing, too much of anything can be a bad recipe for disaster.  As we age and continue this type of lifestyle behavior, weight will pack on and become harder to lose creating many health risks.  If you’re hanging onto this habit and want to change, incorporate a plan to change using my recommendations here, or review anyone of my articles to assist in your weight management control and lifestyle change goals.
  6.  Fast foods after the Holiday’s rush continue. Too many Americans consume fast foods especially during the Holiday rush.  Here lies a crux for the American obesity problems.  During the Holiday’s everyone is in a rush to get the shopping done for gifts, Holiday meals and travel.  During this time there is a huge spike in fast foods and alcohol.  This is greatly reflected through our stock markets.  Yes, business booms almost in every sector of the economy, especially, retail, fast foods and spirits.  Let’s focus on fast foods.  Fast foods are convenient, chemically addictive and bad for your health in the long run.  Both fast food and drink easily bind one into an addictive habit that is hard to break if continued too long.  I’ve watched too many people throughout my life not understand the addiction, weight gain and ill health results from fast foods.  Most that continue the fast food habit don’t even realize this is creating their weight gain problem.  All too often after obesity strikes so does illness and disease.  If you are eating out more than once per week, this could very well be your weight gain problem.  I know, you’re thinking, what if I just give up the fast food places and eat out at restaurants?  While this is a better concept, you don’t know how much of the meals are preprocessed and then served, even in fine dining establishments.  Also, when you eat out most tend to eat more.  Instead of eating out, develop a healthy active habit of shopping for more organic type foods and preparing your own meals.  I highly recommend you read my article, “Restaurant Foods Healthy?”
  7.  Love of Baking – I know, some of you carry your new found baking creativity and consumption habits into the New Year.  Although there is nothing wrong with healthy food baking habits, the pitfall is when you love everything you bake just a little too much.  I know the kids love your baking treats and it’s hard not to make cookies, cakes and pies after the Holidays.  Remember moderation with deserts.  Too much sugar, fats and salts are not good for anyone, even kids with fast metabolisms.  If you’re having a tough time with moderation of baking because of whatever is tugging at your apron, try changing up the desert menu a little.  Try to be creative with other types of deserts if the sweet tooth bug just won’t stop.  Try fruits-veggie tray, jello, pudding, etc.  Mix it up and break away from the continuous baking habit.  If you continue baking from one New Year into the next because you are the one that lacks the will power to balance this activity, I highly recommend you read the following article if you want to take back your weight control goals, “Will Power Weight Loss Secrets.”
  8.  Empty Nester’s Bake for an Army – Regardless of season, there are many empty nest couples that continue baking for their entire family after the children have left home.  There are many things tied into this habit which makes this pattern particularly tough to break, especially for those that want to take control of their weight.  And this is an especially tough feat if one wants to change the habit and the husband for example demands dinner meals that require traditional family recipes.  This is a tough to break psyche-food habit relationships for many empty nest couples.  For example, check out some of the tough relational habits after years of lifestyle practice:  Family dinners and social event food comforts; recipe serving portions equate to taste; favorite dishes tied to child personality, family traditions.  You continue to cook huge portions, eat bigger portions and/or store more.   The activity habit of hording food through continuous shopping may be a stress reliever as a form of social & physical activity.  You store excess foods in preparation for when family members visit.  You continue to invite your children and their children over for frequent mid-week and weekend meals.  You celebrate annual Holiday events to include sports playoffs with big meals whether family is there or not.  I could go on and on with this, but I think you get the picture.  Many empty nesters lived for their children where their food storing, preparation, celebration and eating habits were based on full house functionality.  As I stated, this is a tough habit to break but can be done.  If you fall into this category, you first must realize what you are doing and work to change this habit if weight loss and thwarting the blues is your goal.  If you feel the need to change your traditional cooking habits into a healthy activity with your significant other…  Learn to cook Mediterranean recipes and get exercise by walking to the local market to get the ingredients.  You will also have to learn to mix in your families favorite dish recipes, but modified to servings of two.  Also, make a huge effort to get in daily walks whether it’s coupled with a healthy walk meal shopping effort.  The idea is to get more activity and eat a healthier diet in proper proportions.  Walk to your local library, and pick up a healthy recipe books and/or look to take a Mediterranean, or low calorie healthy cooking class.  Consider previous MAE articles and apply this information to your lifestyle.  Visit Mirror Athlete’s health repository for other healthy habit weight loss and management tips and recommendations files under weight, holiday, depression and diet.

 After the Holiday’s it can be easy to get into a pattern of never ending “feel good binge eating habits” for whatever the reason and carried into the next New Year.  Just as any one, or combinations of reasons above apply to your particular weight gain and depression blues scenario through each passing year.  You cannot continue to mask your depression blues through food, year after year because your food habit controls your will power to change.  Once you begin to eat healthy and exercise, your fitness levels improve dramatically.  You’ll have the energy to walk and/or become involved in healthier hobby-exercise activities.  And with this habit change the depression blues will become infrequent to rare. 

 I would just like to end this article by providing a valuable bit of insight.  Too many people don’t understand this food habit relationship and the ill-effects it has on quality living.  The same is also true of natural addictive brain chemical stimulation through a more active life style and the effect it plays on weight loss and mood.  And with this being said, it is sad to say, all too many are now prescribed anti-depression pills to boost serotonin levels in the brain to make us feel better on a daily basis.  This does absolutely, or very little to promote increased activity, changing daily habits and weight management.  There is also known “secondary health risks” that “can/do” occur through long-term use of psychotropic prescriptions.  Instead, it would be wise to consider the natural alternatives in combating obesity and depression through increased activity which will naturally boost serotonin levels for healthy body, mind and soul.  If you now use psychotropic prescriptions to combat depression and it’s further complicating your health goals, please read the following article, “Activate Addictive Healthy Chemicals.”   Do not stop your medication; simply consider incorporating exercise and eating healthier while you work with your doctor.  You may be able to get off the medication, or reduce the dosage dependency, thereby decreasing other serious health risks. 

 Write us about your weight loss success and removing depression from your life.    We’ll publish your New Year’s resolution success story and identify your post with a first name and state you reside in.  Or make a comment in the posting log where this linked article resides in our healthrepository.  Simply email us with how you changed your habits to lose weight and/or thwart the blues and we’ll post for you under this article.  May this year be your year for weight loss success and defeating depression.  Good health to you and your family! 

 Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2010 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

December 24, 2009

Ikaria Lifestyle Boasts Longest Living People

Filed under: Anti-Aging, Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, Super Foods, Weight Management, manage depression, remedies, secrets, tips — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 00:20

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.

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress