Wednesday, June 28, 2017
How to Avoid Becoming a Fitness Failure
of new exercisers quit their program within the first six months. With a
little help you can ensure you're not one of them. Give these ideas a try
as you begin your exercise program for the new year.
Set goals
If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get
there? Setting short-term and long-term goals may increase your
chance of success. Your goals must give a clear picture of the end-point
to work towards. Use the SMART model, your goal should be Specific,
Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Without these
you'll never know if you have achieved the goal. You can't just say "lose
weight or gain energy." Instead say, "I will lose 10 pounds in 12 weeks
by doing strength training 3 times a week and cardio 3 times a week."
Go for variety
Whether you do a home workout or belong to a gym, build your routine
on cross-training to keep things fresh and interesting, and keep yourself
from developing an injury. Frequently vary the order of your exercises
and mix in dumbbells, barbells, resistance tubing, machine or body
weight exercises. Don't be afraid to take a class.
Track your progress
Write down your measurements and weight at the beginning of your
program. Keep a workout log and use it. Seeing results is a great
motivator. At least once a month, re-measure and review your log to see
advances in your aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility and body
composition.
Seek out support
A workout partner with similar goals and a positive attitude can make
your workout more fun. knowing you are accountable to another person
can be a great motivator too. So can working with a certified personal
trainer.
Devise a backup plan
Time and access are the largest obstacles to fitness, and even devoted
exercisers experience lapses. Don't use these as excuses to avoid
exercise. Having some portable home workout gear like a stability ball,
resistance tubing, jump rope, and dumbbells, will allow you to work out
while traveling, at home or even at work. With limited time, focus on
compound
movements for the largest muscle groups and superset 2 for opposing
muscle groups. A brief but intense workout can be accomplished in a
few minutes.
Just do it
While pumping iron may not be right for everyone, the idea being active
is. Find something you enjoy doing that elevates your heart rate and
challenges you most days of the week. Also pay attention to how you
feel. If you are like most people in as little as three weeks you will find
yourself
sleeping better and feeling more rested.
The information contained in this article is strictly for informational
purposes and is not intended to provide medical advice. If you are
sedentary or over 40 please get clearance from a doctor before starting
an exercise program.
You have permission to publish this article electronically,
without changes of any kind, free of charge, as long as the
bylines are included, and remain working hyperlinks. Please send
a copy of the URL where you have posted this article.
A Vital Tool For Your Fitness Success
A Training Diary is a Vital Tool For Your Fitness Success
I know you've heard this before and it seems
"basic". But it is an important key to success.
And apparently, it isn't heard enough because
I'd say less than 1% of the people I see in the
gym keep track of their workout.
After each workout reflect on your evaluation and,
when necessary, make adjustments to avoid falling
foul of overtraining.
A training diary or journal is indispensable for
keeping you on track for training success. No matter
where you are now -- 180-pound squat or 500, 13-inch
arms or 17, 135-pound bench press or 350 -- the
systematic organization and focus on achieving goals
that a training journal enforces will help you to
get bigger, stronger, and leaner.
As simple as it is to use a training log, do not
underestimate its vital role in helping you achieve
your fitness goals. Most trainees are aware that
they should record their workouts in a permanent
way, but few actually do it.
And even those trainees who keep some sort of
training log usually fail to exploit its full
potential benefits. This is one of the major reasons
why most trainees get minimal results from their
training.
Your training journal is extremely important and
should be more than just a list of weights, sets
and rep.
When used properly, a training journal enforces
the organization needed to get each work-out right,
week after week, month after month and year after year.
By recording your poundages and reps, you log your
entire training program and the week-by-week breakdown
of how you work through the routine (s) in each
training cycle in the journal.
A training log eliminates reliance upon memory.
There will be no, "Did I squat eight reps with 330
pounds at my last squat workout, or was it seven?"
Refer to your journal and you will see precisely
what you did last time--i.e., what you need to
improve on if you are to make your next workout a
step forward.
With a well-kept and detailed journal, you'll know
with absolute certainty what is working in your
program and what doesn't. Are you stagnating? Not
making the progress you want? Go back and consult
your journal at a time that you were making fantastic
progress? What were you doing then that you are
not doing now?
You must be 100 percent honest when entering data.
Record the quality of your reps. If you did five
good ones but the sixth needed a tad of help from
a training partner, do not record all six as if
they were done under your own steam. Record the
ones you did alone, but note the assisted rep as
only a half rep.
It is not enough just to train hard. You need to
train hard with a target to beat on every work
set you do. The targets to beat in any given workout
are your achievements the previous time you performed
that same routine.
If you train hard but with no rigorous concern
over reps and poundages, you cannot be sure you are
training progressively. And training progressively
is the key to making progress. But for accurate records
of sets, reps and poundages to have meaning, your
training conditions must be consistent.
If at one workout you rush between sets, then at the
next workout you take your time, you cannot fairly
compare those two sessions.
If one week the deadlift is your first exercise and
the following week you deadlift at the end of the
workout, you cannot fairly compare those two workouts.
And the form you use for each exercise must be
consistent and flawless every time you train.
Likewise, if you do 3 sets of the bench press and
one workout you take 1 minute between sets and the
next workout you take 3 minutes between sets, you
can't be sure that you've progressed from one
workout to the next.
Get all the details of your training in black and
white, refer to them when appropriate and get in
control of your training. In addition to control
over the short term, this permanent record will
give you a wealth of data to analyze and draw on
when designing your future training programs.
Keep accurate records of each workout, each
day's caloric and protein intake, how much
sleep you get, muscular girths and your body
composition. Then you will remove all guesswork
and disorder from your training program.
But all of this is just a bunch of words. You
have to make the theory and rationale come
alive with your conscientious and methodical
practical application. Do exactly that now, and
take charge of your training!
Most trainees have neither the organization
needed for success nor the will and desire to
push themselves very hard when they need to.
But these are the very demanding essentials for
a successful fitness program.
Find out how you did in trying to make today
another step toward achieving your next set of
short-term goals. Have all of today's actions--
training (if a training day), diet and rest--met
or exceeded the goals for the day? If not, why
not?
A daily critical analysis of what you did and
did not do to take another step forward will
help you to be more alert to improving tomorrow.
Take a few minutes each day to review your
journal.
Take as much control over your life as you can.
Learn from your mistakes. Capitalize on the
good things you have done. Do more of the
positive things you are already doing and
fewer of the negative things
I know you've heard this before and it seems
"basic". But it is an important key to success.
And apparently, it isn't heard enough because
I'd say less than 1% of the people I see in the
gym keep track of their workout.
After each workout reflect on your evaluation and,
when necessary, make adjustments to avoid falling
foul of overtraining.
A training diary or journal is indispensable for
keeping you on track for training success. No matter
where you are now -- 180-pound squat or 500, 13-inch
arms or 17, 135-pound bench press or 350 -- the
systematic organization and focus on achieving goals
that a training journal enforces will help you to
get bigger, stronger, and leaner.
As simple as it is to use a training log, do not
underestimate its vital role in helping you achieve
your fitness goals. Most trainees are aware that
they should record their workouts in a permanent
way, but few actually do it.
And even those trainees who keep some sort of
training log usually fail to exploit its full
potential benefits. This is one of the major reasons
why most trainees get minimal results from their
training.
Your training journal is extremely important and
should be more than just a list of weights, sets
and rep.
When used properly, a training journal enforces
the organization needed to get each work-out right,
week after week, month after month and year after year.
By recording your poundages and reps, you log your
entire training program and the week-by-week breakdown
of how you work through the routine (s) in each
training cycle in the journal.
A training log eliminates reliance upon memory.
There will be no, "Did I squat eight reps with 330
pounds at my last squat workout, or was it seven?"
Refer to your journal and you will see precisely
what you did last time--i.e., what you need to
improve on if you are to make your next workout a
step forward.
With a well-kept and detailed journal, you'll know
with absolute certainty what is working in your
program and what doesn't. Are you stagnating? Not
making the progress you want? Go back and consult
your journal at a time that you were making fantastic
progress? What were you doing then that you are
not doing now?
You must be 100 percent honest when entering data.
Record the quality of your reps. If you did five
good ones but the sixth needed a tad of help from
a training partner, do not record all six as if
they were done under your own steam. Record the
ones you did alone, but note the assisted rep as
only a half rep.
It is not enough just to train hard. You need to
train hard with a target to beat on every work
set you do. The targets to beat in any given workout
are your achievements the previous time you performed
that same routine.
If you train hard but with no rigorous concern
over reps and poundages, you cannot be sure you are
training progressively. And training progressively
is the key to making progress. But for accurate records
of sets, reps and poundages to have meaning, your
training conditions must be consistent.
If at one workout you rush between sets, then at the
next workout you take your time, you cannot fairly
compare those two sessions.
If one week the deadlift is your first exercise and
the following week you deadlift at the end of the
workout, you cannot fairly compare those two workouts.
And the form you use for each exercise must be
consistent and flawless every time you train.
Likewise, if you do 3 sets of the bench press and
one workout you take 1 minute between sets and the
next workout you take 3 minutes between sets, you
can't be sure that you've progressed from one
workout to the next.
Get all the details of your training in black and
white, refer to them when appropriate and get in
control of your training. In addition to control
over the short term, this permanent record will
give you a wealth of data to analyze and draw on
when designing your future training programs.
Keep accurate records of each workout, each
day's caloric and protein intake, how much
sleep you get, muscular girths and your body
composition. Then you will remove all guesswork
and disorder from your training program.
But all of this is just a bunch of words. You
have to make the theory and rationale come
alive with your conscientious and methodical
practical application. Do exactly that now, and
take charge of your training!
Most trainees have neither the organization
needed for success nor the will and desire to
push themselves very hard when they need to.
But these are the very demanding essentials for
a successful fitness program.
Find out how you did in trying to make today
another step toward achieving your next set of
short-term goals. Have all of today's actions--
training (if a training day), diet and rest--met
or exceeded the goals for the day? If not, why
not?
A daily critical analysis of what you did and
did not do to take another step forward will
help you to be more alert to improving tomorrow.
Take a few minutes each day to review your
journal.
Take as much control over your life as you can.
Learn from your mistakes. Capitalize on the
good things you have done. Do more of the
positive things you are already doing and
fewer of the negative things
Monday, June 26, 2017
Top 10 Tips for More Fun and Better Health
Professionals and small business/home office workers have tremendous freedom to schedule their days, arrange the furniture, choose the music and take care of themselves at work. Unfortunately, they also have all the responsibilities, make all the decisions, and carry all the burdens. The result is too often we forget to take care of ourselves. Use the advantages you have! The following tips can make the day go easier and help you work smarter, better and healthier.
1. In the morning, limit caffeine to one cup. Or better yet, switch to herbal teas! Start out calm and you're more likely to stay that way through the day.
2. Use up-beat music and humor (I love my daily Far Side calendar!) to get your morning off to a great start.
3. Make sure your first appointment of the day is a great one! Meet a friend for breakfast, greet co-workers with a big smile, schedule a favorite client first thing in the morning. Start the day with some fun!
4. At mid-morning, stand up, stretch and move around, at least for a moment. Take several deep breaths, wave your hands above your head, be silly, dance a jig, move your body!
5. Eat a light lunch of fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates. The traditional soup and salad is great, or a half-sandwich and an apple. Your body needs sustenance, not a heavy load, so lighten up!
6. Take a few minutes during your lunch break to do something totally different: read poetry, call an old friend, take a nap, go for a run. What you do is not as important as getting your mind and body away from your work. Take a real break!
7. During the afternoon, stand up and stretch at least once every hour. Gently arch your back, touch your toes, or touch the sky. Turn your head from side to side, and take some deep cleansing breaths. And while you're at it, smile!
8. When stress and work pile up, take a mini-vacation. Close the door (or go to the restroom, or a broom closet if you have to!) but get alone, close your eyes, and imagine a tropical island, or your favorite picnic spot. Life is good! Breath slowly, and relax.
9. Once a day, do something "extra" - call an old client to check in, thank a colleague for a referral, send a note to a friend. Have fun with this. Make it a game to combine business with pleasure and broaden your circle of contacts. (Hint: Send a quick 'thinking of you" email! People love 'em!)
10. At the end of the day, clean off your desk, and straighten up the office. The janitor will do the routine stuff, but take pleasure in closing down for the day. Develop a routine that signals the end of the day, it's time to quit, time to go home.
1. In the morning, limit caffeine to one cup. Or better yet, switch to herbal teas! Start out calm and you're more likely to stay that way through the day.
2. Use up-beat music and humor (I love my daily Far Side calendar!) to get your morning off to a great start.
3. Make sure your first appointment of the day is a great one! Meet a friend for breakfast, greet co-workers with a big smile, schedule a favorite client first thing in the morning. Start the day with some fun!
4. At mid-morning, stand up, stretch and move around, at least for a moment. Take several deep breaths, wave your hands above your head, be silly, dance a jig, move your body!
5. Eat a light lunch of fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates. The traditional soup and salad is great, or a half-sandwich and an apple. Your body needs sustenance, not a heavy load, so lighten up!
6. Take a few minutes during your lunch break to do something totally different: read poetry, call an old friend, take a nap, go for a run. What you do is not as important as getting your mind and body away from your work. Take a real break!
7. During the afternoon, stand up and stretch at least once every hour. Gently arch your back, touch your toes, or touch the sky. Turn your head from side to side, and take some deep cleansing breaths. And while you're at it, smile!
8. When stress and work pile up, take a mini-vacation. Close the door (or go to the restroom, or a broom closet if you have to!) but get alone, close your eyes, and imagine a tropical island, or your favorite picnic spot. Life is good! Breath slowly, and relax.
9. Once a day, do something "extra" - call an old client to check in, thank a colleague for a referral, send a note to a friend. Have fun with this. Make it a game to combine business with pleasure and broaden your circle of contacts. (Hint: Send a quick 'thinking of you" email! People love 'em!)
10. At the end of the day, clean off your desk, and straighten up the office. The janitor will do the routine stuff, but take pleasure in closing down for the day. Develop a routine that signals the end of the day, it's time to quit, time to go home.
Partnering for Health: A Parent's Perspective
Sara's one-hour surgery took three and a half hours. The doctor's promise of "no pain" was a lie. The promise of "only one incision" was, too. The "four-hour easy recovery" actually involved 24 hours in ICU. We are only home now because we have life support equipment.
Sara's mad at us, but she'll get over it. I even expect her to smile again soon. But for now, every time a family member comes to visit her, Sara simply must tell them all about her hospital visit, making full use of her hoarse voice and her cutest pout.
As for the family, we're hoping that the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) surgery proves to be the promised cure for seizures. The VNS is like a pacemaker, stimulating a nerve in the neck, and we've heard that many patients with intractable seizures have benefited from this device.
The previous week. . .
Like many parents waiting for a doctor to come out after surgery, my husband and I became agitated when the doctor didn't appear until hours after the estimated time. When he finally came out, he told us that everything was all right, but that nothing had gone the way it had been planned, which didn't put us in high spirits.
The doctor promised that we could go back and see our daughter in an hour, but after two hours had passed, my fear level had increased, and I grew more hostile. I pestered the young man at the information desk until I finally got to speak to Sara's nurse on the phone. By the time they let me into the recovery room, I was an emotional tornado, spinning black clouds around everyone who came near me.
Sara was more than mad; she was scared and in extreme pain. The doctors couldn't remove the intubation tube because Sara wasn't able to breathe on her own, and she couldn't have pain medication because her blood pressure wasn't stable. She was on the verge of hypothermia with a temperature of 88.
"I don't think she's getting the best care," I said to the nurse. That was a mistake. As soon as I blurted this out, I thought: "Careful, they can kick me out of here anytime they want to."
I guess I should have been a nurse instead of an interior designer.
In Surviving Healthcare: How to Take Charge and Get the Best from Your Doctor, Your Hospital, and Your Health Insurance, Pam Armstrong says, "Remember, you should know about and have a say in everything that happens to your body while you are in a hospital. Your health should always be the focus of your care. Hospital routines should serve your needs, not the staff's or hospital's needs. Don't let yourself be intimidated by hospital staff who seem to feel otherwise. To get the best care, combine assertiveness with a partnering and empathetic approach toward staff, who may have overfull workloads."
When the patient is a child or is otherwise unable to speak for themselves, a family member must work in partnership with the hospital staff to make sure the patient gets the best care. I learned years ago that hysterical outbursts at nurses and other hospital staff do little for my daughter. I've learned to keep my mouth shut, to think first, and then to speak gently. That doesn't mean that what I say doesn't count--I've just learned a few key phrases that will show the hospital staff that I know what type of care my daughter needs.
After mothering Sara (requesting heated blankets, wiping tears, and straightening her legs), I explained my fears to the nurse. Apologizing for my outburst, I told the nurse how scared we were because the surgery had taken longer and had been more involved than had been planned, and because Sara was in pain. Instead of telling me to leave the recovery room, the nurse agreed to let my husband come in, too.
Acknowledging my fears and keeping my mouth closed helped our daughter receive the best care during her hospital stay. Sara, at twenty-five, still needs total care because of disabilities. Instead of placing Sara in an adult intensive care unit with many patients and limited visiting hours, Sara was moved to Pediatric ICU, where the ratio of patients to nurses is only two to one. There was also newer equipment, but best of all, they allowed me to sleep in her private room.
You too can learn to help care for a loved one when they're faced with hospitalization. Just remember to partner with the physicians and hospital staff to ensure that your loved one will get the best care.
(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher
For more information about Surviving Healthcare: How to Take Charge and Get the Best from Your Doctor, Your Hospital, and Your Health Insurance (Chestnut Ridge Books, 2004, ISBN 0-9754560-59, $19.95), see http://www.SurvivingHealthCare.com . After nearly 25 years in health care administration, Pamela Armstrong, MPH, MBA, is on a one-woman mission to ensure consumers that they get the quality care they're entitled to.
Health, Vitality, and Courage
This deviation was partly due to my limited control over my diet, as I lived in a hospital or a group home. It was also due to my reduced health-consciousness. Largely disgusted with life, I was proportionally hedonistic and suicidal. I sought consolation in gustatory pleasure at the risk of undermining my health. To be more precise, I often overindulged my fondness for fatty and savory foods or sweet ones, with the result that I gained weight and lost my edge - that is, part of my vitality. This loss was ominous. It took a wealth of vitality to accept and overcome the difficulty of attaining happiness. The more I was devitalized and consequently weak, the more I was likely to be daunted by this difficulty.
Devitalization was the worst form of impoverishment. In a state of weakness, it was tempting to deny that happiness was possible or worth the effort and choose the easy option: idleness and carelessness or death. I never gave in to this morbid temptation, but my overindulgence in fatty and savory foods or sweet ones caused my vitality to lessen and my depression to worsen, thereby reinforcing my hedonistic and suicidal tendencies. I had entered a vicious circle, or rather a downward spiral that led to hell.
Fortunately, before it was too late, I became disgusted with my way of life, as opposed to life itself. I was less a victim of circumstances than a fool who brought about his own misery, on account of his negative attitude and self-destructive behavior. I began my uphill journey to wisdom and health.
Health is the basis for every human achievement, even when it is poor, in which case it provides a lot less vitality and longevity than when it is good. I pledged to do everything possible to be healthy to maximize my potential to live and love.
In fact, health is not just a matter of vitality and longevity; it is also a matter of sanity. A sound mind is a complement to a sound body. Furthermore, the one is dependent on the other. This dependence had dawned on me with dazzling clarity a few months after I had moved into my apartment and improved my diet. By then I had studied many health books. They had helped me define and meet my nutritional requirements much more wisely.
My body needed a balanced and moderate amount of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins to function well. Correlatively, the foods containing these nutrients had to be properly chewed to aid digestion and absorption (this did not apply to fiber: a type of carbohydrate that the body can neither digest nor absorb). Proper chewing reduces foods to mush and proportionally increases the effect of the digestive juices on them or the availability of the nutrients that are ready for absorption. I thoroughly performed this simple chore, at the center of life.
To start with, carbohydrates are simple or complex sugars that I generally obtained from fruit, honey, milk products, beets, rutabagas, potatoes, legumes (beans, lentils, or peas), nuts, seeds, whole grains, and the bread, cereal, or pasta made from these grains. Simple sugars and digestible complex sugars serve as an energy source and participate in the synthesis of DNA and RNA molecules: the genetic information and the genetic messengers that enable the organism to regenerate and reproduce. Indigestible complex sugars, better known as dietary fiber, are capable of promoting the elimination of waste through the intestine. Refined foods are depleted of this fiber, without which constipation is a predictable outcome that bodes ill. Except on festive occasions, I resolutely avoided them.
Lipids include two main subdivisions: saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fats (with a phosphoric component in some of them - i.e., in phospholipids versus triglycerides that are pure fats) and cholesterol, which is a singular fatty compound. Like simple sugars and digestible complex sugars, saturated fats and monounsaturated fats serve as an energy source. In addition, they contribute to the integrity of the body tissues. Polyunsaturated fats and cholesterol also contribute to this integrity and are used for a variety of vital functions involving the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and immune systems.
A distinctive feature of polyunsaturated fats is their instability. When exposed to heat, light, or air, such as in processing, intense cooking, or prolonged everyday use, they can suffer damage and become harmful. In view of this fact, I was careful to eat the foods that contained them - for example, walnuts and seeds, and the oil extracted from either - in their most natural (unprocessed and if possible uncooked) form and fresh (unspoiled) state. When cooking was necessary, as in the case of fish or tofu, which numbered among these foods, I resorted to steaming or baking in preference to frying and proceeded with caution, while avoiding the pitfall of undercooking. I applied the same basic principles to the foods that contained monounsaturated fats, like peanuts, almonds, olives, and avocado, and the oil extracted from any of them, though these fats are less unstable than their polyunsaturated counterparts. As for cholesterol, found exclusively in animal products, and saturated fats, found mostly in land animal products, they have a reputation for causing arterial blockage and organ dysfunction if consumed without restraint. I limited my intake of them by following a largely vegetarian diet where animal flesh was the exception, not the rule. Actually, I exercised restraint in my consumption of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats as well. The opposite, like any lack of moderation, is a health hazard.
Now for proteins. They are various macromolecules that comprise a large number of amino acids (nitrogenous molecules that occur in twenty-two different forms). In the course of digestion, these macromolecules are broken down into these molecular components, which act thereafter as raw material or building blocks to produce new molecules or new macromolecules (polypeptides, smaller than proteins, or proteins) that suit our physiological needs in many areas: the metabolism, the blood, the mucous membranes, the skin and the tendons, the muscles, plus the endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. These molecular components act so if the body has enough carbohydrates and fats to satisfy its energy requirements. Otherwise, they are stripped of their nitrogenous part and mobilized into satisfying these requirements. This constitutes a waste of precious amino acids and a burden to the kidneys, in charge of eliminating the free nitrogenous part after the liver has transformed it into urea. As it happened, my main sources of protein - namely, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and the bread, cereal, or pasta made from these grains, together with milk products and eggs - were also rich in carbohydrates or fats. Here the fats that mattered were saturated or monounsaturated, whereas the polyunsaturated ones were not a favorable means of satisfying my energy requirements, given the many other important roles they played.
Lastly, minerals and vitamins are a group of some thirty substances that complement carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. A deficiency in one of them can hamper a bodily function and jeopardize in so doing the health of an individual. Collectively, as precursors or components of useful agents, or as useful agents themselves, they assist in numerous processes: vision, nerve impulses and neurotransmission, muscle contraction, digestion and absorption, regulation of blood sugar and of the metabolic rate, respiration, energy production, regeneration and reproduction, formation and maintenance of bones and teeth, coagulation, protection against free radicals (noxious atoms or molecules), and immunity. My usual sources of carbohydrates, lipids, and protein already supplied me with minerals and vitamins, all the more since they were unrefined. Refining is a terrible refinement that depletes fibers and nutrients in foods. Nevertheless, to make sure I got enough minerals and vitamins, I rounded off these usual sources with additional vegetables: carrots, radishes, cauliflower, red cabbage, green vegetables, leafy or non-leafy, garlic, and onions. I drank plenty of water to boot, though not during or immediately after meals lest I interfere with my digestion by flooding my stomach. Drinking water typically contains a minute quantity of minerals. Much more importantly, it has the ability to replenish the bodily fluids and cleanse the system of undesirable substances.
The best thing about my improved diet was that in a few months my state of mind had taken a turn for the better in a big way. Never before had I thought so clearly and felt so enterprising. I was brimming with vitality and soon became immersed in the writing of my book on "vital efficiency." It appeared I was a lot more capable of rationalizing and embracing the challenge of leading a fulfilling life, because I was a lot more alive. My energy level had risen dramatically. I could sleep three hours, rest another two hours, and go about my business for the remaining nineteen hours. In conjunction with this rise, my morale was unusually high. Circumstances alone could not account for this boost. My relationship with my girlfriend (the extremely kind and gentle, and rather pretty nurse) was in the doldrums and on the brink of termination. My new apartment, on the other hand, was a significant improvement; but what changed for the better during the few months in question was primarily the condition of my body, which impacted my state of mind. I was vibrant with health, notwithstanding I still experienced bladder problems that somewhat weakened me on occasion. This health was both physical and mental. I had a vigorous and joyous sense of purpose that kept me going and especially writing.
In the effort to be healthy, a reasonable diet is not everything. Fresh air and regular exercise ought to form part of this effort. There are two types of exercise; both require stretching, before and after, plus warmup and cooldown periods, to avoid injuries.
The first type of exercise is anaerobic, not dependent on the intake of oxygen. An example of anaerobic exercise is weightlifting. Done frequently, in vigorous workouts, it strengthens muscles and bones. The second and most beneficial type of exercise is aerobic, dependent on the intake of oxygen. An example of aerobic exercise is jogging. Done every day or a few times a week, for at least fifteen minutes (enough to markedly and sustainedly increase the activity of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, responsible for delivering oxygen to the body tissues), it yields numerous health benefits. Besides strengthening muscles and bones, it raises endurance, improves the handling of stress, promotes good mood, boosts the immune function, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, and helps to prevent obesity together with disorders like diabetes and hypertension that often accompany this condition. In a nutshell, fresh air and regular exercise are important aspects of a wholesome lifestyle. They result in someone being stronger, feeling better, and probably living longer.
Devitalization was the worst form of impoverishment. In a state of weakness, it was tempting to deny that happiness was possible or worth the effort and choose the easy option: idleness and carelessness or death. I never gave in to this morbid temptation, but my overindulgence in fatty and savory foods or sweet ones caused my vitality to lessen and my depression to worsen, thereby reinforcing my hedonistic and suicidal tendencies. I had entered a vicious circle, or rather a downward spiral that led to hell.
Fortunately, before it was too late, I became disgusted with my way of life, as opposed to life itself. I was less a victim of circumstances than a fool who brought about his own misery, on account of his negative attitude and self-destructive behavior. I began my uphill journey to wisdom and health.
Health is the basis for every human achievement, even when it is poor, in which case it provides a lot less vitality and longevity than when it is good. I pledged to do everything possible to be healthy to maximize my potential to live and love.
In fact, health is not just a matter of vitality and longevity; it is also a matter of sanity. A sound mind is a complement to a sound body. Furthermore, the one is dependent on the other. This dependence had dawned on me with dazzling clarity a few months after I had moved into my apartment and improved my diet. By then I had studied many health books. They had helped me define and meet my nutritional requirements much more wisely.
My body needed a balanced and moderate amount of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins to function well. Correlatively, the foods containing these nutrients had to be properly chewed to aid digestion and absorption (this did not apply to fiber: a type of carbohydrate that the body can neither digest nor absorb). Proper chewing reduces foods to mush and proportionally increases the effect of the digestive juices on them or the availability of the nutrients that are ready for absorption. I thoroughly performed this simple chore, at the center of life.
To start with, carbohydrates are simple or complex sugars that I generally obtained from fruit, honey, milk products, beets, rutabagas, potatoes, legumes (beans, lentils, or peas), nuts, seeds, whole grains, and the bread, cereal, or pasta made from these grains. Simple sugars and digestible complex sugars serve as an energy source and participate in the synthesis of DNA and RNA molecules: the genetic information and the genetic messengers that enable the organism to regenerate and reproduce. Indigestible complex sugars, better known as dietary fiber, are capable of promoting the elimination of waste through the intestine. Refined foods are depleted of this fiber, without which constipation is a predictable outcome that bodes ill. Except on festive occasions, I resolutely avoided them.
Lipids include two main subdivisions: saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fats (with a phosphoric component in some of them - i.e., in phospholipids versus triglycerides that are pure fats) and cholesterol, which is a singular fatty compound. Like simple sugars and digestible complex sugars, saturated fats and monounsaturated fats serve as an energy source. In addition, they contribute to the integrity of the body tissues. Polyunsaturated fats and cholesterol also contribute to this integrity and are used for a variety of vital functions involving the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and immune systems.
A distinctive feature of polyunsaturated fats is their instability. When exposed to heat, light, or air, such as in processing, intense cooking, or prolonged everyday use, they can suffer damage and become harmful. In view of this fact, I was careful to eat the foods that contained them - for example, walnuts and seeds, and the oil extracted from either - in their most natural (unprocessed and if possible uncooked) form and fresh (unspoiled) state. When cooking was necessary, as in the case of fish or tofu, which numbered among these foods, I resorted to steaming or baking in preference to frying and proceeded with caution, while avoiding the pitfall of undercooking. I applied the same basic principles to the foods that contained monounsaturated fats, like peanuts, almonds, olives, and avocado, and the oil extracted from any of them, though these fats are less unstable than their polyunsaturated counterparts. As for cholesterol, found exclusively in animal products, and saturated fats, found mostly in land animal products, they have a reputation for causing arterial blockage and organ dysfunction if consumed without restraint. I limited my intake of them by following a largely vegetarian diet where animal flesh was the exception, not the rule. Actually, I exercised restraint in my consumption of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats as well. The opposite, like any lack of moderation, is a health hazard.
Now for proteins. They are various macromolecules that comprise a large number of amino acids (nitrogenous molecules that occur in twenty-two different forms). In the course of digestion, these macromolecules are broken down into these molecular components, which act thereafter as raw material or building blocks to produce new molecules or new macromolecules (polypeptides, smaller than proteins, or proteins) that suit our physiological needs in many areas: the metabolism, the blood, the mucous membranes, the skin and the tendons, the muscles, plus the endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. These molecular components act so if the body has enough carbohydrates and fats to satisfy its energy requirements. Otherwise, they are stripped of their nitrogenous part and mobilized into satisfying these requirements. This constitutes a waste of precious amino acids and a burden to the kidneys, in charge of eliminating the free nitrogenous part after the liver has transformed it into urea. As it happened, my main sources of protein - namely, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and the bread, cereal, or pasta made from these grains, together with milk products and eggs - were also rich in carbohydrates or fats. Here the fats that mattered were saturated or monounsaturated, whereas the polyunsaturated ones were not a favorable means of satisfying my energy requirements, given the many other important roles they played.
Lastly, minerals and vitamins are a group of some thirty substances that complement carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. A deficiency in one of them can hamper a bodily function and jeopardize in so doing the health of an individual. Collectively, as precursors or components of useful agents, or as useful agents themselves, they assist in numerous processes: vision, nerve impulses and neurotransmission, muscle contraction, digestion and absorption, regulation of blood sugar and of the metabolic rate, respiration, energy production, regeneration and reproduction, formation and maintenance of bones and teeth, coagulation, protection against free radicals (noxious atoms or molecules), and immunity. My usual sources of carbohydrates, lipids, and protein already supplied me with minerals and vitamins, all the more since they were unrefined. Refining is a terrible refinement that depletes fibers and nutrients in foods. Nevertheless, to make sure I got enough minerals and vitamins, I rounded off these usual sources with additional vegetables: carrots, radishes, cauliflower, red cabbage, green vegetables, leafy or non-leafy, garlic, and onions. I drank plenty of water to boot, though not during or immediately after meals lest I interfere with my digestion by flooding my stomach. Drinking water typically contains a minute quantity of minerals. Much more importantly, it has the ability to replenish the bodily fluids and cleanse the system of undesirable substances.
The best thing about my improved diet was that in a few months my state of mind had taken a turn for the better in a big way. Never before had I thought so clearly and felt so enterprising. I was brimming with vitality and soon became immersed in the writing of my book on "vital efficiency." It appeared I was a lot more capable of rationalizing and embracing the challenge of leading a fulfilling life, because I was a lot more alive. My energy level had risen dramatically. I could sleep three hours, rest another two hours, and go about my business for the remaining nineteen hours. In conjunction with this rise, my morale was unusually high. Circumstances alone could not account for this boost. My relationship with my girlfriend (the extremely kind and gentle, and rather pretty nurse) was in the doldrums and on the brink of termination. My new apartment, on the other hand, was a significant improvement; but what changed for the better during the few months in question was primarily the condition of my body, which impacted my state of mind. I was vibrant with health, notwithstanding I still experienced bladder problems that somewhat weakened me on occasion. This health was both physical and mental. I had a vigorous and joyous sense of purpose that kept me going and especially writing.
In the effort to be healthy, a reasonable diet is not everything. Fresh air and regular exercise ought to form part of this effort. There are two types of exercise; both require stretching, before and after, plus warmup and cooldown periods, to avoid injuries.
The first type of exercise is anaerobic, not dependent on the intake of oxygen. An example of anaerobic exercise is weightlifting. Done frequently, in vigorous workouts, it strengthens muscles and bones. The second and most beneficial type of exercise is aerobic, dependent on the intake of oxygen. An example of aerobic exercise is jogging. Done every day or a few times a week, for at least fifteen minutes (enough to markedly and sustainedly increase the activity of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, responsible for delivering oxygen to the body tissues), it yields numerous health benefits. Besides strengthening muscles and bones, it raises endurance, improves the handling of stress, promotes good mood, boosts the immune function, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, and helps to prevent obesity together with disorders like diabetes and hypertension that often accompany this condition. In a nutshell, fresh air and regular exercise are important aspects of a wholesome lifestyle. They result in someone being stronger, feeling better, and probably living longer.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Top 10 Tips for More Fun and Better Health
1. In the morning, limit caffeine to one cup. Or better yet, switch to herbal teas! Start out calm and you're more likely to stay that way through the day.
2. Use up-beat music and humor (I love my daily Far Side calendar!) to get your morning off to a great start.
3. Make sure your first appointment of the day is a great one! Meet a friend for breakfast, greet co-workers with a big smile, schedule a favorite client first thing in the morning. Start the day with some fun!
4. At mid-morning, stand up, stretch and move around, at least for a moment. Take several deep breaths, wave your hands above your head, be silly, dance a jig, move your body!
5. Eat a light lunch of fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates. The traditional soup and salad is great, or a half-sandwich and an apple. Your body needs sustenance, not a heavy load, so lighten up!
6. Take a few minutes during your lunch break to do something totally different: read poetry, call an old friend, take a nap, go for a run. What you do is not as important as getting your mind and body away from your work. Take a real break!
7. During the afternoon, stand up and stretch at least once every hour. Gently arch your back, touch your toes, or touch the sky. Turn your head from side to side, and take some deep cleansing breaths. And while you're at it, smile!
8. When stress and work pile up, take a mini-vacation. Close the door (or go to the restroom, or a broom closet if you have to!) but get alone, close your eyes, and imagine a tropical island, or your favorite picnic spot. Life is good! Breath slowly, and relax.
9. Once a day, do something "extra" - call an old client to check in, thank a colleague for a referral, send a note to a friend. Have fun with this. Make it a game to combine business with pleasure and broaden your circle of contacts. (Hint: Send a quick 'thinking of you" email! People love 'em!)
10. At the end of the day, clean off your desk, and straighten up the office. The janitor will do the routine stuff, but take pleasure in closing down for the day. Develop a routine that signals the end of the day, it's time to quit, time to go home.
Improve Your Health While Saving Money on Pure Water
Unfortunately, as most people now know, most sources of drinking water are also contaminated with a wide variety of toxins. As a result, increasing numbers of people are now using water filters and are spending large sums of money annually on bottled water.
It is not so widely known, however, that an FDA survey has stated that 31% of the 52 brands of bottled water tested were tainted with bacteria. Similarly, a study conducted by the National Resources Defense Council on 103 brands of bottled water found that about one-third of them contained levels of contamination--including synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic. Moreover, there is growing evidence that xenoestrogens can leach out of the plastic bottles into the water when they are stored for long periods in either hot or very cold environments.
So many Americans, in spite of spending over $1,000 a year on bottled water, may still be exposing themselves to a significant level of toxins. These two facts taken together provide a major incentive for considering a new alternative to bottled water. It's called "WELLNESS WATER."
A Brief History of Wellness Water
Around 30 years ago, Haru Naito left Japan to attend the State University of New York. After winning the NCAA swimming championship there, he returned to Japan to coach Japan's National Swimming Team. Through his devotion to improving the performance of his swimmers, he became involved in the emerging field of sports medicine. This led him to start investigating the unusual levels of health, vitality, and longevity of certain ethnic groups, including the Hunza of Pakistan.
As a result of his extensive research with this group, he concluded that their extraordinary health and longevity was largely due to their water supply. Through careful analysis of this water, he discovered that it had certain unique features as a result of being filtered through minerals of volcanic origin.
During the following years, he continued to investigate the effects of filtering water through similar volcanic minerals in Japan until he developed water with properties very similar to those he had discovered with the Hunza. The final result of his ongoing research was the development of the "Wellness Filter."
Following the circulation of many anecdotal reports throughout Japan about the health benefits of drinking water that had been conditioned by this special filter, the Japanese Ministry of Health conducted rigorous scientific testing of this filter. This resulted in an unprecedented governmental endorsement of the filter. It has now been installed in over 100 government hospitals in Japan, and one of its mineral components has been licensed in Japan as a medicinal mineral.
It was introduced into the U.S. for the first time in 2000. Research here has added further documentation of the many health benefits of this enhanced "wellness water," not only for humans, but also for chickens and cows. (A link to an extensive online summary of this research can be found by clicking on the URL provided at the end of this article.)
How to Have Your Own Portable Supply of Wellness Water
Very recently, the "Wellness Filter" has become available in a 16 oz. Wellness Sport Enhanced Water Bottle. Through the use of this unique bottle, ordinary tap water is instantly transformed into purified ENHANCED water. Not only is this water at least as pure as the best bottled water, it also alters the water so that it: 1) increases the ease of absorption, helping your body absorb nutrients and rid itself of toxins; 2) adds trace minerals for cellular health; and 3) adds reduced ions for an anti-oxidant and anti-aging effect.
In additon to being superior in all of these ways to bottled water, Wellness Water is also much less expensive. Depending on the particular brand of bottled water used as a price comparison, the savings can range from $160 to over $1,000 per year.
Finally, using this Wellness Sport Enhanced Water Bottle as an alternative to bottled water eliminates the expense and burden on the environment of disposing of approximately 1,000 plastic bottles per person each year.
The Wellness Sport Enhanced Water Bottle is now being distributed in the U.S. exclusively by only one American company. To get further information, including how to purchase it, please click on the URL below.
George Shears Retired Psychologist and Wellness Consultant 800-291-2146 gshears@hcctel.net [http://www.mannapages.com/mildredshears]
(NOTE TO EDITORS: This article may be edited for publication in your newsletter or on your website but must include the author's name and a live link.)
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