More Secrets

Now that the new year is really getting on down the road I am still inundated with new and dynamic ideas on how to take care of your health or even better the “secrets” to good health and a long life. Well first of all these secrets are not really secrets and have been revealed for many years. While I do realize our world has gone through the time when they really didn’t know the real dangers of smoking cigarettes I think that common sense really revealed that there were bad consequences with this habit. I remember when I quite smoking 47 years ago I did it because I just knew that it didn’t make sense to inhale this alien smoke into my body. The one thing I did know is that it was one very addictive habit, it made everything around it stink to high heaven, it became a very costly commodity, and it causes many health problems. Now researchers say it is actually worse than heroin. While I have never tried the big H I can testify that cigarettes are very addictive and in the end not very enjoyable. So, what I am going to do today is go over my basic “secrets” of healthy aging/living since we are all aging every day that we live on this planet.

Secrets(not):

• Exercise-not matter what the exercise is, find one that fits your lifestyle and time available to practice it. Did I say become a marathoner, a dancer, a hunter, a mountain climber? NO!!! I said to find something that fits you, but I would encourage something that not only works your muscles but also works the most important muscle of your body--YOUR HEART!!

• A sensible well balanced diet that could be 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein, 30% fat. Being an extreme vegetarian is an option many take now and if that floats their boat then so be it. I tell people I am half vegetarian, half my plate is vegetables and the other half is red meat. Again, find a well balance solution that works.

• Have an annual physical exam by a health care person that you trust and who has a practice that allows him/her to sit down with you to take the time to talk about your health care practices. Remember, the real responsibility is on your shoulders since the health care provider is just the one that takes care of bad things that happen. Many of them don’t care until something does happen then they put emergency procedures to work. The best philosophy any person can practice is preventative healthy practices.

• Supplements-when you get the stuff in the mail that says someone has found these great new all natural herbs in the far off jungles of Africa or Brazil take the time to do some research. There are times when so-called Herbs are just as dangerous as prescription drugs. With the internet and the ability to “google” any subject please take the time to do so. If you have an open minded health care provider you can also get their opinion on alternative supplements. What do I take? Will Juice + is probably one of the most effective supplement that I take. It comes from a very reputable company and covers all of the fruits and vegetable needs that any person will have. Also on my list is Zinc, Vitamin C, Prostate supplements, etc. Recently I agreed to try a new liquid supplement for healthier joints called Elations. It has glucosamine/chondroitin in a 8 fl. oz. bottle and is very tasty. While I have no evidence at this time that it works I have found that in endurance athletics the joints must stay healthy. So, I will give it a try and see what develops. It is noted that you will not feel any difference for at least two weeks. So, I will report back after that. When talking about supplements it is always wise to mention water, since 70% of our body is made up of water we must ensure that we drink plenty of this during the day.

• Many times we spend lots of time on our body but forget our mind, so I en-courage everyone to do some form of mind exercise. No matter what it isjust something that gives you some intellectual stimulation. Checkers,cards, writing, reading, board games, chess, cross word puzzles, etc.

• Now for a little write it down kind of stuff. Take out a blank piece of paper and draw a big empty circle on it and we will call that a “pie”, then draw five pieces of pie and put each of these topics in it with the percentage of time that you spend on them. Please remember that there are 168 hours in the week with 49 hours devoted to sleeping and 40-50 hours working. If you want to expand on this you could put additional pieces like for hobbies, education, etc. At any rate this gives you a birds eye view of how you are spending your time to put the “secrets” to work for your health. My main goal here is for you to just write something down. Many times this is the difference between thinking about it and then getting it done.

For today,

mike greer