Instant Health Improvement!

I’m a sucker for anything lists.  Give me a list of books I should read, movies I should view, or places I should go and I’ll read it.  In honor of that idea I am going to make a few lists starting today.

Top 10 things you should start doing today to improve your health and well being:

1.       Start moving.  Exercising sounds so difficult!  Truth is just moving will help.  It’s estimated by Nielsen (the TV tracking company) that the average American watched 34 hours and 39 minutes of TV per week – almost 5 hours per day.  We have time to move, don’t we?  

2.       Make the appointment.  If you haven’t seen your doctor or dentist for awhile take some time to make the appointment.  An ounce of prevention…

3.       Get the proper amount of rest.  Our bodies need ample time to repair from the stress and strain of our hectic lives and that happens primarily while we’re sleeping.  If you’re only getting 5-6 hours of sleep try to bump it up to 6 or 7.  For a full grown adult 8 hours is sufficient.  Must beyond that and we begin to encounter the law of declining marginal utility. 

4.       Dental Hygiene.  I don’t know one person that likes the formation of pus pockets in their mouth.  That is often a side effect to not flossing reguarly.  There also is a correlation between poor oral hygiene and heart issues.  Plus, a pearly white is awesome!

5.       Forgive.  I realize that this is an intangible but it is important.  When a grudge is held the only person adversely affected is the person holding it.  Ulcers, shingles, bitterness and other maladies are the fruit of unforgiveness.  Life is too short. 

6.       Drink some water.  Our bodies crave H2O so give into that urge.  Drink a glass when you awake and another prior to bed.  If you’re able to pull it off drink water during your meals instead of other liquids. 

7.       Go Green!  Are you aware that leafy greens are some of the most nutrient dense foods anywhere?  Find a way to get spinach, kale, romaine, turnip greens, mustard greens and others introduced into your diet.  

8.       Get Fruity, baby! I could eat fruit all of the time.  It’s naturally sweet and bursting with natural goodness.  Loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and many other phytochemicals it is the perfect addition to a meal.

9.       Shake & Smooth.  Smoothies are an easy way to move the needle in a healthy manner.  I start with a base of non-dairy milk, add some fruit, kale (trust me!) and some ground flaxseed.  BAM!

10.   Tell people you love them.  Anger and resentment has the tendency to corrode us from the inside.  It’s hard to remain angry when you are expressing love.  This is something I had to really work at because I am not a touchy feely kind of person.  I’ve begun expressing my love for people more and more and it actually feels good!

Can You Pinch an Inch?

For some reason I had a memory of the old Special K commerical that had an actor ask, “Can you pinch an inch?”  Yes, I am that old. Absolute confession: Yes, I can still pinch an inch on my belly and my not-so-lovely “love handles.”  Anyway, why did I have that vivid memory?

It is estimated that over 67% of Americans and overweight and many are obese.  I am skeptical that Special K is the answer but I suppose it is preferrable to Pop-Tarts, Paczki’s, and anything fried.  Could Kellogg’s get away with asking that brutal question, from a marketing perspective?  I doubt it. 

Mr. Kellogg, the founder of that great Michigan institution, was a healthy eater and understood the importance of a hearty breakfast.  We’ve often been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and it probably is. However, it still should be healthy. 

One of my favorite breakfast meals is fruit cereal.  I chop a banana, an apple, and strawberries, add some blueberries, and walnuts and top it with non-daily milk.  It’s packed full of nutrients, fiber, vitamins, and other healthy goodness! 

My other “go to” breakfast is oatmeal.  “Yuck,” you say.  Not so fast sparky!  Cook a serving according to package instructions but don’t get it too thick.  Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, a chopped banana, a handful of blueberries, and some walnuts.  I also like to throw in some chopped apples.  If you do you might want to cook them in the oatmal because they often cool the meal down too much.  This meal is especially good if you want to lower your cholesterol!

Both are staples in my fight against heart disease.  I’ve lowered my cholesterol (without the aid of medicine or supplements) by half (total) and lowered LDL by 62%!  I’ve also dropped 10+ pounds in the past 5 weeks.  I am working to get to the point where I can honestly declare, “No, I can’t pinch an inch.”

Healthy eating works!

The Final 15: Week #5

After a frustrating week of weight gain I was able to successfully lose another 2.2 pounds this week.  The strange thing is that I didn’t really feel as though I had improved over the prior week.  I guess it goes to show that feelings are fickle.  Total weight loss so far since my original weigh in on 1/20 is 10.6 pounds.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.

I have continued the P90X/Insanity combo.  I am complete the P90X lifting DVD’s on M/W/F.  I am doing Insanity cardio interval on T/TH/S.  My Sunday is dedicated to yoga.  During the evenings I walk or do a walk/run interval thing on the treadmill.  I am convinced that eating correctly is the key and that a I can’t out train a poor diet.

I was talking with a relative that has adult onset diabetes, high blood pressure, and had heart surgery about 2 years ago.  She is interested in “trying” some of my healthier recipes.  I spent a few hours on Monday (it was holiday for me!) and came up with a few for her to give a shot. 

I am convinced that anyone can eat healthy.  It takes some effort but anything worth doing takes effort.  The big thing is having a legitimate why.  Ask yourself why do you want to make a change?  The internal why must be bigger than external obstacles and circumstances.  As for the relative, high blood pressure and diabetes are both killers.  I don’t know of anyone that WANTS to die of self-inflicted diseases.  Why do you want to change?  I want to live and enjoy kids, grand kids, great-grand kids, etc.

What about you?  Do you have a why that is bigger than a greasy double cheeseburger?  I hope so.

One Bite At a Time

I am astonished at how many people fail prior to ever attempting something.  Failure has been etched in their mind and success is no longer an option.  I’ve been sharing my cholesterol numbers with anyone that will listen.  Of course, many people I share these numbers with experience high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure.  “I could never do what you do,” they lament. 

I could never eat only plants.  I would never give up my Big Mac, Whopper, Double-Double, or whatever other fast food temptress that means more to them than a strong ticker.  By default they are saying:

·         Heart surgery can’t be that bad, right?

·         I want to die young – the golden years are overrated

·         If I don’t die young I want my last 5 years to be filled with hospital and myriad doctor visits

·         I really want to put my kids through the ringer.  I want them to stop their lives every 6 months and visit me in the CCU and think I am dying

·         I want to be known as the widow maker.

·         I don’t care if I can purchase a life insurance policy

·         I really don’t want to enjoy my grandkids

·         I enjoy testing my sugar every day – it’s freakin’ awesome

·         Meeting my annual deductible with prescription drugs is much better than taking a vacation with my family

·         One can never have too many spare tires or chins

There are dozens or even hundreds more of these types of remarks that could be made (please feel free to add them).  I simply get frustrated when someone tells me they CAN’T do something.  They are living in the land of Myopia.  When the taste of an Olive Burger supercedes the desire to play catch with a future grandkid we have a prioritization issue.

Our nation is in a health care crisis that is mostly preventable.  Heart disease is the #1 killer and it is preventable.  Obesity is the catalyst for many other ailments and it too is preventable.  Join me in my quest to put a dent in it one bite at a time.

Who Wants a Sick Ticker?

January 2011 I went for normal blood work consisting of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, and glucose.  To make a long story short only glucose and triglycerides were anywhere close to the acceptable range. The rest were alarmingly high or in the case of HDL way too low.  I was concerned and for good reason.

My family is from the south.  My maternal grandmother was born in Mississippi, my maternal grandfather Missouri.  My paternal grandmother born and raise in Virginia and my paternal grandfather Tennessee.  In my family everything was fried and covered in gravy and the sodium content was sky high. 

Little surprise that many members of my family began to gain excessive weight as manual, field work was exchanged for tractors and manufacturing jobs.  Eating habits are difficult to change.  Portion sizes were large for reason as physical exertion required sufficient fuel to get the job done.  Our jobs changed but our eating habits didn't evolve.

Heart issues and type 2 diabetes began to hit close to home.  So I made some subtle changes.  Subtle wasn't sufficient and moderation, at least in my life, was useless.   After getting my lab results in January 2011 I decided to give a plant based diet a shot.  I ordered The Engine 2 Diet, The China Study, and You Can Reverse Heart Disease and read them quickly.  I began implementing what I learned and adapting my food consumption accordingly.  After 60 days my total cholesterol dropped 59 points.  My LDL and HDL were still not where I wanted them so I decided to continue.

About six weeks ago I bought Eat to Live.  It was a bit different than the previous three and inspired me to dig deeper in my quest for excellent nutritional health.  I had my first physical since my prior lab test and my cholesterol numbers are mindblowing! Total = 133, LDL 78, Triglycerides 63, Glucose 93, and HDL 42. 

My prior doctor never even suggested a plant based diet.  Cardioligist, ditto.  I'm sure there are some out there that are hardcore in the diet area but not enough.  If you are struggling with these issues I highly recommend the books previously mentioned.  It might seem strange at first.  I decided having stents inserted or my heart cracked open or dying of a heart attack is strange.  Eating plants - not so much.

Final Fifteen 2.0

Another successful week in my efforts to drop the final 15 or 20 pounds.  I eradicated an additional 2.7 pounds  over the week. I think I have lost over 6 pounds total over the two weeks and I am eating better than ever.

Eating clean, exercising, no caffeine, and only a few sips of wine.  I've found the Eat to Live concept the easiest to follow.  Eating hasn't been strained at all.  Matter-of-fact we had falafels, ratatouille, and Moroccan tagine last week.  My family has been marvelous about trying new and exciting foods.

Shakeology: The Good, Bad, Ugly

Shakeology is no different than any other processed food that gives people false hope.  Most of these products are touted as a panacea but actually are over-priced alternatives to whole food.

The Good

Shakeology is delectable.  The chocolate with peanut butter, strawberries, and milk (soy for me) tastes wonderful.  The Greenberry is versatile usually doesn't require juice (if you're cutting calories).

The Bad

It's expensive.  About $129 per month which for many people is quite pricey.  Could you use an extra $1,500 annually?  It has whey in it so those that are vegan or lactose intolerant will have difficulty.  The testimonials offered are circumstantial at best.  Often people are working another program, such as P90X, and are adjusting their diets.  In those instances it's difficult to give the credit for health gains to Shakeology. The name Greenberry is bad.  Couldn't they come up with a better name than that?

The Ugly

A company that is attempting to "end obesity" shouldn't be pimping supplements.  They should be advocating for fresh whole foods! At best their idea is disingenuous. It's a constant stream of cash that most obese people do not need.

But it does taste really good!