My most ambitious project ever is an undertaking that has
been years in the making. It started as an idea, like many of mine, it seems,
that came to me while basking in the Maui sun. A few months before my Hawaiian
trip, a catchy tune found its way inside my head…this was followed by
some lyrics that seemed to fit just right. That sequence of events was the
early genesis of this song.
Back to Maui…
I thought the song was good, but the lyrics were
better—they meant something more than just what a song has to offer.
While on that tropical paradise, I put pen to paper and scratched out the basis
for the book that was inspired by the song:
In the book (and song and video), I discuss how the ability
to change as a person can effect change on a larger scale—like maybe even
changing the world for the better. That’s a major and ambitious task,
for sure, but one, if approached at a grassroots, singular perspective, could
have global impact.
Being a videographer, a songwriter, and enjoying sharing
both endeavors with as many people as possible through my myriad websites, I
wanted to create the most effective way to share this concept. A music video
was my natural choice. On all of my songs and music videos, I have
collaborated with my pal Dale Price, from Electric Canyon Studios. He is a master at making
my voice sound better than it is and turning my acoustic guitar into a rocking
band. He was also instrumental in taking hundreds of hours of video footage
and turning it into the amazing result below. Thanks, Dale!
Q:
What is the most lethal silent killer facing the world today?
The first reply from most of us would probably be
hypertension—as it is seldom symptomatic. Or high cholesterol, for the
same reason. How about obesity or heart disease? All valid guesses, but how
can obesity be considered a silent killer?
What about diabetes?
I recently finished an excellent book called Sugar Nation,
written by Jeff O’Connell. In it, Jeff, a thin and seemingly healthy man
who is fighting diabetes, goes into lengthy and fascinating detail about how
this disease is growing at record numbers. And is not only afflicting the
obese and sugar-scrafers. It attacks the slender and fit folks, and potentially
people like me, who ingest little sugar, but have some carbohydrate food
challenges.
Jeff’s father died from diabetes; I’m sure this
motivated him to write Sugar Nation. I can relate to that, as my father died
in his mid-fifties from years of tobacco abuse, along with overindulging in
alcohol and unhealthy food choices. It was through his death that I became the health advocate
that I am today. And helped motivate me to create this blog and my website,
livelife365.com.
I was recently asked by Jeff’s marketing team to write
a review of Sugar Nation. I offer it here for you to read and learn, and strongly
urge you to buy the book. It just may save your life.
Oh, and, of course, I also produced this video about Jeff's book for your viewing pleasure:
One thought that continued to meander around my brain as I
dove into Jeff O’Connell’s must-read book, Sugar Nation, was
that I did not consider myself a sugar-eater. All my life I have been lucky to
eschew the temptations of a sweet tooth for the desire to indulge in more salty
snacks. I could literally walk past a mound of brownies and dishes filled with
chocolates without batting an eye. Yet find it quite difficult to put down a
bag of potato chips without consuming most of them. But did you know that the
carbohydrates from that bag of chips turns into as much sugar, once processed
and stored inside the body, as consuming spoonfuls of the sweet stuff?
Sugar Nation reads as much like a personal memoir as
a convincing diatribe against the medical community for seemingly turning a
blind eye toward one of the worst killers decimating the world
today—diabetes.
Jeff O’Connell, a diabetic battling the same disease
that killed his father, knows of what he speaks. A former executive writer at Men’s
Health and editor at Muscle & Fitness, Jeff decided to take
matters into his own hands in his fight against this growing disease. Through
a tireless energy and investigative zeal (challenging, given his constant
battle with low blood sugar, spiking insulin, crashing insulin, and the
countless maladies that accompany diabetes), Jeff shatters conventional (and at
times very incorrect) wisdom, deciding to battle his illness with diet and
exercise, rather than the all-too-often remedy: prescription drugs.
I am familiar with this type of attitude when it comes to
not accepting the first (or second or third) opinion of someone in the medical
profession. A few years ago I was overweight, had high blood pressure and
unhealthy cholesterol and glucose levels. The immediate reaction from my
doctors was to reach for a prescription pad. My immediate reaction
was—do I want to spend the rest of my life gobbling pills? Or could I do
something myself to change those life-threatening results?
Like Jeff, I combated my nemesis through diet, exercise, and
supplements. The results were so amazing (I dropped forty pounds in six months
and lowered my blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol down to healthy levels)
that I created my self-help video website, livelife365.com. I wanted to
reach as many people as possible so I could share my successes. Just like what
Jeff is doing with Sugar Nation.
While I consider myself a guy who knows what to eat, and
what not to, I learned a lot from Jeff about healthy diet—especially when
it comes to carbs. I lost most of my weight through a high-fiber, low-fat
diet. But that diet may not work best for diabetics. More animal proteins and
only carbs high in fiber are the keys to not only healthy weight loss, but
assisting in the fight against diabetes. I learned that some carbs I have been
consuming daily for years (potatoes and bananas) may not be as good for me as I
thought.
Sugar Nation is a wakeup call. Not just for the billions of
overweight and obese people out there who are walking time bombs for stroke,
heart disease, and diabetes. But to all those seemingly fit folks (like Jeff,
a tall and thin man often misdiagnosed because of how he looked) who need to
change the way they live. It is also a very well written critique of our
healthcare system, the medical profession, and the powerful pharmacological
lobby that seems to affect how the former go about their business.
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Who knows, reading it may just save your life…or a
loved ones.
Last week I wrote a post about looking back at 2011, reviewing many wonderful accomplishments, as well as taking
a moment to do some self-back-slapping. For me, it was a memorable year
that had many achievements. But not all of 2011 was stellar—I start this
year with plenty of opportunities for improvement.
My 2012 to-do list shares many of
the same daily expectations I hold myself accountable to while ensuring I maintain
my triad of balance—the interconnected coexistence between the MIND,
BODY,
and SPIRT.
Let’s start with the MIND:
Read more, if possible (especially
more diverse, undiscovered areas that I normally do not venture into).
Finish writing two books and self-publish
them (both are almost done, just need some tweaking, polish, and editing. “God’s
Will,” and “We Can Change the World…If We Wanted To.”).
Continue to create and produce more entertaining
and relevant videos, start another website, with a goal of doubling my current
success I have had with livelife365.
Continue to grow in my “day job,”
strive to reach more people in whatever endeavor suits me best (in other words:
keep plugging away, be thankful to be employed with a job that challenges my
creative side while affording me the ability to earn a decent wage…).
Learn to organize better—I have lots
of strengths as a human being, but being organized is not one of them. I vow to continue to work on being better
with all of the above.
Produce two more music videos and another
original song (both already in the works, with the hope of publication by
mid-year).
Be a better social networker—while I
am not as fond of this practice as one would think, given the success and necessity
of my websites and this genre, if you will, I need to be better to ensure said
success. And to grow even more! I am working on it daily.
Get back to doing daily crosswords (my
new desk calendar, by the way, is a daily ten-minute crossword puzzle…that
should help).
Write more…again, if possible, given
all of the above. But one of my passions
in life has always been writing. And while
I do write daily and have produced a plethora of wide-ranging results of that
practice, I would still love to write even more. It can be done, I just need to find the time
and balance (see SPIRIT goals).
Next, the BODY:
Drop these excess travel
pounds! This is a major bone of
contention for me, as I have always been in great shape and advocate the need
for limited dietary intake. I also know
that a dozen (or more!) excess pounds can lead to so many detrimental physical ailments:
heart disease; diabetes; cancer; gastrointestinal problems; and bone and muscle
issues.
Maintain a better routine of
exercise. By that I mean, walking EVERYDAY! And upping my thrice-weekly weight program
with more reps and pounds. Also keeping it
going on weekends—these are the times that I tend to kick back.
Cut back on the carbs and add more
protein. As a vegetarian, I tend to
consume more carbs than I’d like. While I
always strive to eat complex, high in fiber, carbs, I sometimes do not. I vow to cut back on the empty carbohydrates,
while concentrating on more complex, high fiber carbs. And will add more fish into my once only
vegetarian diet. A good thing, in the
healthy long run.
Sleep more! I used to get by on six hours of sleep a
night…not anymore. I need to kick back
in bed and close my eyes sooner rather than later. Sleep deprivation will shorten one’s life as
fast as poor diet and lack of exercise. Don’t
under estimate the necessity of adequate sleep.
I’m not going to.
Balance. I need to spend more time with my wife, family,
and friends versus staring at this computer screen. While I love the work I do, I need to also
find the balance in my days to spend less time working and more time
enjoying. I often advocate the need to
find the time and balance in one’s life to do all that you need to do to be all
that you need to be…but also you need to find the time to be just you. Think about it.
Incorporate more diverse exercise
programs, et al. into my weekly routine.
Like yoga, tai chi, and even Pilates…whatever works. As we grow older, our bodies change and what
once worked as an exercise regimen may no longer. I am cool with discovering new ways to stay
in shape. Even Wei…whatever floats your
boat and keeps that boat afloat.
Last, but not least, the SPIRIT:
Spend more time with my wife. We have already started an every quarter day
out of work to spend together. Last month
we spent a Friday away from the office, went out to breakfast, and then just
hung out. We also investigated local
volunteer opportunities that we could work on.
Volunteer more. While I pride myself in spending time helping
others, I still can do lots more. 2012 I
want to do even more than ever. My wife
and I have applied to several local charitable places that need support, like
Meals on Wheels and Hospice Care. We are
in the process of setting up a regular volunteer schedule that will assist
these places over the coming years.
Find more balance. I have mentioned this earlier in this post,
but repeat it here to underscore its importance. While I love working at my full-time job and
all of my blogs and websites, I understand the importance of balancing those
vocations with the rest of my life. Family
and friends, working around the house, relaxation, or just kicking back and
doing little other than watching some goofy television show are equally as
important as earning a living and spreading the good word of livelife365. One of my biggest opportunities of this year
is to better balance my life. All work
and no play really did make Jack a dull boy.
Stretch my mind to understand others
more. While I consider myself a
compassionate person, I sometimes overlook what motivates and makes other
people do the things they do, and in turn, be so utterly different than what I feel
they should be. My desire to help them
change, or just be better in many aspects of their lives, at times flusters
me. One of my spiritual goals this year
it to be more open minded, forgive more, and stretch my mind to openly embrace
more diverse attitudes and personas…while still vowing to share the programs
and successes of livelife365 as best I can.
Practice more random acts of
kindness. It sounds simple and very obvious,
but holding open the door for someone or reaching for an item from a tall self
for a wheelchair-bond person used be the norm, the decent thing to do. No matter how we arrived at this place in
society, I still have no problem waving someone before me into traffic or
holding the elevator door rather than frantically pressing the close
button. Kindness is a virtue, a
compassionate necessity that makes us human beings what we are.
Meditate even more. I take great spiritual joy from my daily
zazen, every morning. Yet my desire and
my ability to add more time to my sittings often conflict. This year I would love nothing more than to
double my meditation times, daily. I have
no doubt that this will lead to nothing but good things: a more relaxed,
complete, fulfilled and happy Mike Foster.
This is a pretty big list, but one that I am
thrilled to have at. What’s on your list
of things to do in 2012?
Resolutions and goals are a vital necessity for
anyone who wants to change their lives for the better. But as I always encourage, don’t only set
goals at the start of a new year. Set goals
to better yourself and your life throughout the year.
My wife and I just returned from a wonderful vacation Back East. We attended the wedding for my niece in scenic Narragansett, enjoyed an emotional tribute honoring the twentieth year of my father’s passing in rural Exeter, then hopped a train in quaint Kingston for the hectic mania of NYC.
During all of the above, my wife, embracing a new fitness kick (hmm, wonder where she got that idea from?), meticulously kept track of all of her steps, using a pedometer. Now, I’ve used pedometers for years, but since I walk basically the same route just about every day, I seldom use one anymore. My loss, by the way, as I still feel they are an excellent tool for not only tracking results, but to assist in motivating, inspiring, and celebrating vital fitness gains and successes.
Since we spent the majority of our time together, I was able to piggyback her step results as if they were my own (except for my morning two-mile walks, from which I added 4000 steps to my daily tally). The goal, by the way, is to shoot for 10,000 steps a day. One mile is approximately 2000 steps, so 10k is roughly five miles. Depending on your size and how fast you walk, you can burn around 100 calories per mile. Add this 500 caloric burn to the rest of your non-sedentary lifestyle, and you can easily see how counting steps, using a pedometer, and walking every day can assist in losing weight and living a healthier, happier, better life.
I am thrilled to report that my wife and I were able to exceed 10,000 steps most days during our two-week getaway. Shuffling through airports, racing from car rental agency to train stations adds up! We averaged well over ten thousand steps per day, which was a big help in balancing all of those extra vacation calories one consumes while away from it all.
But it was while visiting the Big Apple, traversing endless city blocks, that we amassed historical step results. Both days we were in the city we tried to walk to as many destinations as possible, eschewing taxis and the subway, often challenging each other to take one more step, try for one more city block, before yielding to fatigue and hailing a yellow cab. More often than not we amazed ourselves by doing just that and congratulating each other on our results.
Both days on Manhattan I exceeded 20,000 steps—a very good thing! We stayed at a hotel on 57th street. My wife was going to spend a day shopping at Macy’s down on 34th street, while I wanted to prowl the aisles of one of my favorite book stores that was in the financial district. After breakfast, we took off toward downtown with the goal of no taxis or subways unless we were really beat.
Walking twenty city blocks isn’t that difficult, so I was still fairly fresh when I dropped my wife off at Macy’s. But my bookstore was another fifty-plus blocks—at least an hour of more walking! I decided to walk until I was too tired to take another step, then hail a cab. The weather was overcast and humid. My head was covered in sweat. I sucked down the last of my water. I was parched and in need of napkins to mop my damp brow. I ducked into the first friendly shop I found, bought water and grabbed a handful of napkins. Rehydrated and patted dry, I continued my trek. I was crazed, determined not to give in; I stepped in a pothole, twisted my ankle, blistered the soles of my feet, yet I continued onward.
Why?
The only reasonably response was to echo what the mountain climber says to those who ask why he climbs that mountain—
“Because it’s there!”
Huh?
Overlooking blistering feet, a sweat-drippy skull, near-dehydration, and cluelessness as to where my bookstore actually was, I found myself at the site of where the twin towers once stood. The place was alive with activity. Thousands of tourists gawked and stood proudly where those behemoths once guarded lower Manhattan; while men at work did their thing in trying to rebuild what misled cowards tore down.
Me? I was both emotionally taken by where I was and exhausted at how I arrived there. I asked someone who looked like they’d know what I needed to know, and was sent back uptown toward my bookstore, sweaty, beat, and proud to have walked so far in one of the great cities known to man.
I enjoyed a few wonderful, air-conditioned hours of book shopping, continuing to accumulate steps on my wife’s pedometer, far exceeding any previously recorded steps for one day in my life, no doubt. The moral of this story, is that you can stay fit while on vacation, no matter where you are, be it traveling the endless city streets of Manhattan, or the gorgeous beaches of Maui, the wine country in Europe…or right down the road from your house.
The secret is finding the good in the moment, while on vacation or when doing that thing called life we all must do every day. 365.
Livelife365 is all about doing. Doing something positive every day. Something healthy. Spiritual. Exercising your body, yes, but also your mind. And your spirit. When I created livelife365 I wanted to share with as many people as possible helpful tips and successful programs that I have developed through the years, using videos and blog posts, like this one. Most of the successes that I talk and write about are things that I do every single day. Maybe that’s why this site is called livelife365.
What are some of the things—positive, useful, invigorating, creative, important, worthwhile, fun, healthy, entertaining, fulfilling—things that you do each day?
I created a list, but also, of course, a video:
TEN THINGS I MUST DO EVERY DAY
1. Exercise. Break a sweat. Do something physical, be it just taking a walk or lifting weights and riding my stationary bike. Even if you detest working out you can still get plenty of exercise chasing your kids around the yard, doing housework, washing the car, walking to the mailbox, or rolling around in bed with your significant other.
2. Enjoy the great outdoors. You don’t have to live in the mountains or by a beach to appreciate the natural wonder and beauty of the earth. I have to go outside as often as possible during the day. Summertime is easier, but I still see many folks walk from house to car to work to car to house without stopping to smell the flowers or bask in the splendor. Taking a walk is an excellent way to get your exercise in while also listening to the birds. Plus the sun offers vitamin D, an essential necessity. 3.Meditate. I meditate every morning. My goal is at least thirty minutes of just sitting in a quiet room, eyes relaxed, sometimes closed, most times half-closed, clearing the clutter from my brain, listening to the sounds around me other than the thoughts in my head. It’s easier than you may think, and well worth a few minutes of your day.
4. Drink green tea. I used to be a soda junkie, drank over five cans of Diet Coke a day. Not only is all that caffeine bad for you, but the other junk they put in soda can remove corrosion from a carburetor…imagine what it does to your stomach. When I gave up soda several years ago I started drinking green tea, and have never looked back. Green tea tastes great, is loaded with antioxidant and polyphenols, which help the immune system and protect against cancer and heart disease. Green tea also settles your stomach, not upsets is like with soda, and it can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, and even fight tooth decay. Get the idea I dig green tea? You should too. Oh, and by the way, my new music video called “Drink Green Tea Every Day” will be out very soon.
5. Laugh. Sounds simple, sounds easy, sounds, well, rather silly to put on my list, but you’d be amazed how many people don’t laugh enough—especially at themselves. Having a sense of humor goes a long way toward helping heal whatever ails you. And it’s fun! That’s why when I developed this site I included lots of funny stuff to go along with the healthy living and personal development tips, because you gotta laugh.
6. Eat healthy. Easier said than done for way too many people, but enjoying a healthy diet of fresh veggies and fruit, whole grains, beans and legumes, low in bad fats and high in fiber is the fuel that makes me who I am. The best part, besides being good for you and aiding in helping you live a longer, happier, healthier life, is all these healthy foods taste amazing. Don’t let those fast food commercials fool you. A farm fresh tomato on whole wheat is one of the tastiest things you can eat…my mouth is watering already.
7. Pursue my hobbies. I play my guitar every day—sing, write music, just enjoying the sound. That’s one of my hobbies, I have many more: gardening, landscaping, writing, videography, book collecting. We work, we rest, we enjoy time with family and friends, we eat and go to bed. In between you must try to find the time to do something for yourself—hobbies will get you to the place you need to be. 8. Read. Speaking of hobbies. I have had a voracious appetite for books ever since I can remember. I love to read. I read every single day of my life. I usually have several books going at one time—fiction, non-fiction, humorous, historical. I also devour newspapers and magazines…not to mention spending way too many hours of my life at my day job, reading endless tomes there. Reading is my great escape as well as my daily bread.
9. Think positive thoughts. I am a firm believer that no matter how bad things get—and life WILL deal you bad stuff—you have to remain positive. You have that power, something only you can control. Even if I’m having a particularly dreadful day for reasons that only astrologers and weathermen can explain, I still try to find something positive inside the gloom. And more often than not my sour mood turns better, and I shake my head and wonder why I was so down in the first place. Again, life is going to get all of us sometimes, but we have the power to fight back with positivity.
10. Floss. Every day. Besides brushing after every meal, I floss every night before bedtime. We only get one set of choppers so we have to take good care of them. Flossing is actually good for your heart, as well as reaching all those nooks and crannies inside your maw that your toothbrush cannot. Like my oral hygienist likes to say, “You only have to floss the teeth you want to keep.”
I’m sure there are a few more things I do each day that didn’t make my top ten list, but it’s a good list. For me. What about you? We all have certain things that we need to do every day to live the life we want and need—these are some of mine. Hope your list is as healthy and happy and as fulfilling as I feel mine is.
I recently started meditating, counting my breath, sitting in a quiet room and trying not to think about anything. And you know something? It’s not as easy as it sounds. In fact, you try it. Try sitting still, with your legs folded over each other, your eyes half-closed and unfocused, willing your mind to banish any outside thoughts from entering it. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
You probably discovered very quickly that thoughts, distractions and outside interferences overwhelm your ability to focus, to render your mind a blank slate, to meditate on nothing. And that’s okay, I warned you that it was challenging, maybe even impossible. But that’s not the point of why I meditate, why I sit in a room by myself and try to focus on nothing. I do so to find self. And I have discovered, through trial and error, research and reading, that to find self you have to first lose self.
Huh?
“Huh?” is right. But it’s a good kind of huh, one that makes you think, makes you take note, makes you intrigued, I hope. Makes you want to read on. Or, better yet, watch:
I often talk about the TRIAD OF BALANCE, what I refer to as the continuous process of maintaining the harmonic balance between the mind, body, and spirit. I have found that when I have all three of these essentials working and in harmony with one another, then I am at my strongest and happiest, enjoying the most effective way of living my life to its fullest. If one of my big three is out of whack, but the other two are still strong, while I may feel a bit off and not my complete self, I can still do most of what I need to do…only not all of what I want to do to be all that I need to be. That is why finding that balance, working on the mind, body, and spirit all the time, is one of the main focuses in my life, this blog, and my video site.
So to strengthen my spiritual side, after working, of course, on my intellectual and physical areas, I decided I needed to lose self first…to find self later. Okay, Mike, how does one lose self?
Glad you asked. Meditation is a good start. Let’s go back to trying to not allow any thoughts to invade your mind while you sit still with your eyes half-closed. Even though this is a difficult task, it is possible…if you focus on everything BUT your own thoughts while doing it.
Ummm, you lost me.
Got back to your quiet place, sit, focus, and try not to think. Only this time, if a thought tries to weasel its way into your mind, just gently push it aside. Then, while trying not to let YOUR thoughts back in, allow your mind the freedom to let everything else in.
Huh?
Hold on, I’m getting there. Notice your surroundings. The sound of the clock on the wall, the wind rustling the leaves or tinkling your wind chimes. A car passing by. Your refrigerator rumbling into life. Everything else but YOUR thoughts. Make sense?
Kind of. But what’s the point?
The point is, by allowing the outside world in, while trying to eliminate your internal thoughts, you have, in a small way, lost your self. And this, in a larger sense, helps you find your self.
To sweat or not to sweat? Sweating, at times, gets a bad rap, and when you think about it, actually ponder the merits of having your skin break out in a cold (or hot) sweat, it’s a wonder we don’t all go running for the hills. But there’s the rub—if you did head for the hills at a good gait then chances are in no time you’d be drenched in sweat. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, sweating is as important for your health as proper diet, exercise, positive attitude, and the rest of all the good stuff I advocate at this site and livelife365.com.
There are many reasons why we sweat—hot weather, exertion, sickness, nerves, anxiety—all sharing one commonality: we need to! Why? Because sweating regulates the body’s internal temperature. When any of those above situations occur, you heat up inside. If you don’t have a place for this increased heat to go, you’re in trouble. But for most of us, the brain recognizes this warm up, sends a signal to the sweat glands, and, voila, in no time your hair becomes a matted mess (not mine: I Miss My Hair), your armpits a river of sorrow, your back and belly, face and neck, hands and even feet are suddenly coated in liquid. Again: This is a good thing!
Sweating: · cools down the body · removes excessive heat · regulates your internal temperature · removes small amounts of waste (like chlorine)
But even more importantly, if you’re sweating it usually means that you are moving around, exercising, working in the garden, playing with your kids, taking a walk or run, or just fooling around with your significant other. Many studies have shown that some of the healthiest cultures in the world find a way to sweat every day—you should too! Me? I like to:
Is it possible to sweat too much? Or too little? Yes, and yes. Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating, that, while maybe embarrassing or uncomfortable, is usually not a cause for alarm. But anhidrosis, which is a rare disease where one has little or no sweat, can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke because the lack of sweat limits the body’s ability to cool itself down.
Pop quiz:
Q: Does sweat have an odor?
A: Believe it or not, sweat is odorless. It is the bacteria on one’s skin that mixes with the sweat that causes body odor.
So, working out, running around, exercising and frolicking in the sun, getting a good sweat going, is always a good thing, right? For the most part, yes, but you must stay hydrated or you could become very ill.
If you have any of those symptoms, you immediately should: · seek shade · drink water · chill out, and drink more water
If left untreated, dehydration can cause a multitude of far worse maladies. Your best bet is to drink plenty of water while breaking that sweat and use common sense. Or, watch this video:
Breaking a sweat every day is one of the healthiest things you can do, just remember to replenish those liquids you are sweating out to keep dehydration at bay. And, as always, have fun while living life every day in every way.
The other day I took my first walk around my new homestead. Being an avid walker, and a creature of habit, I was intrigued and mildly concerned during this reconnaissance mission. Why, you ask? Because I am programmed to take a half-hour walk every day. I don’t feel right whenever I miss my walk, have a tendency to gain some unwanted pounds when my feet aren’t traversing pavement, dirt, gravel, and path. But most of all, I LOVE walking because of how it clears my head, soothes my soul, and exercises my body.
So, why the concern, then? It all goes back to my recent move. One of the paradoxes of moving is sacrificing one comfort with the hopes of discovering something even better. While we used to live in a wonderful home and nice neighborhood, and were comfortable and established there, the desire for a change, especially (and hopefully) for the better, outweighed our need to stay. One of the things that moving disrupted were some established routines, like my daily walking ritual. Or better put: the move changed my walking path.
I knew when we bought this new home that I was going to have to establish new routines, which, in its own way, is both a good thing and a not so good thing…another paradox, if you will. Again, why is this? Because while routines offer comfort and familiarity, they can also become stale and mundane. The solution is to seek balance between the dull and ordinary and new and unknown. Leading me to:
Several days have passed since I recorded that video and since that time I have been able to establish a semblance of a walking routine that I am getting used to and becoming happy with. But exploring new paths isn’t just about discovering a new place to take my daily walks. It is about stretching yourself, embracing change, seeking new challenges, and, always, living your life every day in every way.
Sometimes we need to make changes in our lives, our routines, to shake up the same old/same old. And other times bigger changes are a necessary result of carefully planned actions. Either way, they are forms of self-growth, which is essential if your goal, like mine, is to become a more complete person.
I hope you enjoy all of your new explorations and find health, happiness, and growth for your mind, body, and spirit.
The numbers don’t lie, the statistics are staggering, and the repercussions deadly. What am I talking about? In the United States alone:
* nearly 70% of Americans are overweight * almost 4 out of 10 are considered obese * 14% of children ages six to eleven are obese—think about that! * being overweight shortens your life * obesity is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year * between 1962 and 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to 31%
What is obesity?
From medterms.com: “A person has traditionally been considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight. That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and build.
Obesity has been more precisely defined by the National Institutes of Health (the NIH) as a BMI (body mass index) of 30 and above. (A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight.)
The first thing we all need to do is find out what our idea weight is. This is something you should know, even if you are not trying to lose weight—given the stats, do yourself a favor and take a gander at these charts:
I suggest you also check your BMI. Body Mass Index takes into consideration body fatness and size, giving you a more accurate idea of where you stand.
Now you have a starting point. If you’re like most of America (and the world), you no doubt found your weight, for your height, on the above chart and wasn't pleased. Don’t despair, this is a good thing. No, not being overweight or even obese, but at least taking that first step toward eventually getting you to your ideal weight on that chart.
The next step? Doing something about it! I’ve produced dozens of videos that deal with weight loss, fitness, and nutrition. Here is one that can help you get started:
One of my favorite mantras is: “Count your calories and make your calories count.” By that I simply mean: if you are ever going to lose weight—and keep it off—you HAVE to, must, there’s-just-no-getting-past this one thing: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU INGEST! While this is easier said than done, this video should help:
While viewing these videos you notice I repeatedly harp on the magic number 3500. Why? Because it IS magic. It is the best way, from my years of experience, to lose weight. Oh, adding an exercise program to your life, eating more fiber, cutting back on fatty foods, and drinking green tea will also help you lose weight, but there is no getting around the cold, hard fact that:
“To lose one pound you must burn 3500 calories more than you ingest.”
Getting back to the title of this post: Can we beat obesity? The answer to that questions is: Yes, but it will take lots of hard work, proper nutritional education, cooperation between school lunch programs and fast food restaurants, parents and friends, and most of all everyone taking personal accountability for their actions. Especially all you parents out there that have children who are overweight, obese, or bordering on either one of the two.
One of the motivations I had for creating livelife365 was to share my success in weight loss with as many people as possible. Believe it or not, at one time I weighed over 200 pounds, which one glance at that chart at the top of this post let me know that I was well overweight for my height and heading for obesity. I took action, and I am imploring and encouraging anyone reading this post or who knows anyone who needs help to do the same—take action. Take that first step that will change your life for the better. I did, you can too.
We all have weaknesses, encompassing myriad aspects of our lives, be it health and fitness challenges, personal development and growth issues, or career and relationship struggles. And then there are food weaknesses. For me, I have a soft spot for salty snacks, like potato chips. I have also been known to power down copious amounts of Doritos with the best of them. What’s your food weakness? Candy? Chocolate? Pizza? Cheese? Cake? Soda? Fast food?
* by the way, if you enjoyed this video (or despised it), please visit livelife365.com and let me know your feelings by utilizing my new comment system; if would be mucho appreciated!
In the above vid, I focused on food weaknesses, like my naughty secret (not-so-secret anymore!) addiction to potato chips. But most of our weaknesses do not stop there. We are, after all, human beings, which makes us flawed individuals, which throughout a lifetime of living leads us to acquire a multitude of weaknesses. Anything from not exercising enough to watching too much daytime TV; from procrastination to condescension. Being too unorganized to being just plain lazy. These are all typical human weaknesses, and all share one commonality:
THEY CAN BE OVERCOME!
Let’s start with some common, and not-so-common, quotes:
“The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” “Mind over matter.” “If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” (one of mine) “To err is human, to forgive divine.” “Cut yourself some slack, man!” (another one of mine)
By admitting and accepting that as human beings we are going to have our share of weaknesses, we can then begin to understand them, and then work on overcoming them.
Let’s return to that potato chip (and Doritos) jones I’ve been nursing since I tasted my first salty treat as a curious child growing up in New England. FACT: Chips, while made for the most part from natural ingredients, are loaded with sodium and empty calories. FACT: Mass consumption of chips will contribute to unhealthy weight gain, hypertension, and a laundry list of assorted maladies (possibly diabetes, heart disease, obesity). FACT: I love chips and could eat them every day.
SOLUTION: Don’t run from your favorite weaknesses, embrace them! Use that weakness as a reward for sacrifice.
Here’s where those earlier quotes come into play. Use them to play mind games with yourself. By embracing your weakness as a good thing, you will eliminate some of the guilt associated with said weakness. By denying yourself your weakness (and, granted, this is by far the most difficult part) through self-sacrifice, focusing instead on exercise, moderation, concentration, and good, old-fashion determination during the five-day workweek, you can then reward yourself with said weakness, in moderation, on the weekend.
Make sense?
It’s all about risk versus reward. We know what the reward is: taste, comfort, fun, and favorite foods. And I’ve already listed the risks. The rest is up to you; your choice. While I have focused mainly on food weaknesses, this formula can be used for almost any other weakness; just follow the formula and give it a try.
If you want to live a better, happier, healthier, longer life, then you have to make sacrifices, need to deprive yourself of some things, and then reward yourself for your efforts.
I’d like to close with my favorite quote on this topic, and one I’m the most proud of:
“Exercise control, control your weaknesses, and your weaknesses will become your strengths.”
Where’s the sun? Is it freezing in here, or is it just me? Pass the Kleenex…ah, could you hurry…ah…ahh…ahhh. Sniffle, sniffle. Hey, are there any more holiday cookies left? Is your brother ever going to leave our guest bedroom? Man, I feel like…hold on…ah…ahhh…ahhhh
CHOOOO!
Winter. Blah.
Is it spring yet?
Nope, not for a long time.
Does this sound familiar? This time of year, after weeks of overindulging on fattening foods during the holidays, compounded by icy and sun-deprived weather, further complicated by the cold and flu season, can take its toll. Hey, I can go on and on, complain with the best of them. Instead, I’d rather offer up some positive tips on how to:
Or at least take a walk. Too cold or rainy outside? That does present some problems, but ones that need to be addressed if you not only want to help combat those winter blues, but stay (get?) in shape. A daily thirty-minute walk does wonders for you. It gets your blood flowing, which actually warms you up, shaking the cobwebs off the old bones and sending much needed (and appreciated) endorphins to the brain that stimulate your soul (and life) with happiness. Still too cold for you? Get yourself a treadmill or stationary bike, anything! Just pump those legs and pump that blood. Be sure to dress accordingly: hat, gloves, waterproof jacket, and, always, good walking shoes.
STEP AWAY FROM THE COOKIES!
Eating the right foods and the right amounts is a reoccurring mantra for me and this website. There is no better time to adopt healthier nutritional eating habits than right now, during the blah winter months, following the holiday (overindulging) season. Besides assisting your weight loss goals (and we all have those, don’t we?), proper nutrition can actually make you FEEL better. These fitness and nutrition videos can help get you started.
PASS THE KLEENEX AND WASH YOUR HANDS!
Sneezing, coughing, phlegm-laden human beings that you come into contact with are everywhere this time of year, and often unavoidable. But you CAN protect yourself from catching whatever illness is ailing them by following a few precautions:
*Try to avoid shaking hands or having other contact if you know someone is sick. *Wash your hands with HOT water and soap throughout the day. If you can’t, then carry a hand sanitizer with you and use that until you can wash properly. *Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, hoping that others will do the same for you. *Always use a Kleenex, and toss it when done. Don’t use hankies, they hold germs. *Wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER using a public restroom, then use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and one for the door handle. *Try to avoid sharing telephones, keyboards, pens--anything where hand-to-hand contact is prevalent. *ALWAYS disinfect hotel room TV remote controls!
SUPPLEMENT THE SUN!
Winter weather can swallow up the sun for days on end, and that’s not a good thing. Why? Vitamin D. A lack of this important vitamin, which we get naturally from exposure to the sun, can lead to myriad health issues, as well as contribute to the winter blues. A simple solution: Take a vitamin D supplement. A not so simple solution: Move to Maui.
GRAB A GUITAR!
Sometimes boredom or the same old, same old contributes to the blahs this time of year. Why not start that hobby you’ve been putting off? I love playing my guitar. It helps take my mind off things and it is said that music, be it performing or just listening to it, can cheer you up. Not musically inclined? There are hundreds of other hobbies that may interest you: sewing, reading, collecting, the list is endless, the rewards many.
SMALLER IS BIGGER!
Enjoy the simpler things in life, especially during these challenging financial times. Play with your kids. Take a nice stroll with your spouse…to the bedroom. Cook a meal together. Work a puzzle, jigsaw or crossword. Interact, in positive ways, with those who mean the most to you and those winter blues will evaporate like a snowman in July (except in Canada and parts of Minnesota). Deal, adjust, cope, enjoy. Live life.
Nothing beats humor and laughter to make those winter blah/blues go away. Laughter not only cheers you up and makes you feel better, but it’s proven to be healthy for you. The significance of laughter is often underrated as a healthy option for what’s bringing you down or making you sick.
Winter has just begun and will not be over any time soon. Why not make the best of winter (can you tell it’s not my favorite season?) by taking action and doing everything you can to enhance each day, living life to its fullest. Every day. Every way. And beat those winter blues.
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