Reduced Joint Pain

Joint pain was my constant companion for years. Injuries and aging had effected the joints in my legs, arms, shoulders, and back. Years of overstretching, heavy lifting, unbalanced muscle strength and risky behavior had taken their toll. My nights were filled with wonder, wondering whether I would ever fall asleep through the pain.

Today I sleep well and have less pain in my joints thanks to more reasoned activities, better exercise plan, and an inflammation reducing supplement that has no side effects. Ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory over the counter medications had caused me severe digestive distress in the past. The bioactive hyperimmune milk protein concentrate in the the joint aid suppllement I take has removed all of my discomfort except for an injury that will require surgery on my right shoulder. There is only pain in that joint when I strain it.

Be healthy stay active!

Medicine for the Spirit

Meditation is medicine for the spirit. Nutrition can heal the mind, but meditation can heal the spirit. I recently had a great experience with active meditation. In order to promote a consistent healthy exercise plan a group of my friends and family have started a walking group. We meet every day possible and walk at a vacant school gymnasium. During these events I have begun a regiment of running, concentrating very heavily on my breathing. This level of concentration causes me to enter into a state of meditation that is very difficult to break and causes me to be able to run longer with less pain or breath control problems. Long distance running has been a problem for me because of a shortness of breath. I have never been able to run around the block. Today when I practice meditation while running I can run for half an hour or better. It is my goal to continue to run for longer periods of time. I do experience a great peace of mind while a run and after I run when meditation is involved.

Be healthy stay active!

Try Olive Oil for Health

There are several health benefits to consuming olive oil.

It's tastes good, it has a mild somewhat nutty flavor.
It's natural, no heat or chemicals used in extraction process.
It's nutritious, High in vitamins E, K, and A.
It contains oleic acid, which aids in keeping arteries supple.
It is not a hydrogenated oil, no trans-fats.
It's high is high in powerful antioxidants and monounsaturated fats to lower bad cholesterol.
It may help prevent colon, breast and skin cancers.
It helps lower blood pressure.
Replacing other fats with olive oil will reduce risk of Alzheimer's.
It lowers incidence of gallstones.

Be healthy stay active!

NEAT - Daily Activity versus Gym Workout

I just read an article in Natural Health Magazine about using daily activities rather than intensive gym time for exercise. The results were better than gym time workouts. The term NEAT refers to Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This article talks about incorporating daily activities that have been enhanced by the removal of labor saving devices and machines, etc.

I won't give up the gym, because it is a part of my lifestyle and a way the I can help others, but I will and often do walk around town rather than drive, use a whisk rather than an electric mixer, rake leaves rather than use a leaf blower and many other tasks that can be more active.

There is no cost to NEAT. If you don't have the more activity weapons like rakes, or whisks they can be purchased at any rummage sale because no else is using them any more.

The boomer age has seen labor saving developments that have actually been detrimental to their health by limiting activity and therefore healthy exercise. Riding lawn mowers and snow blowers will not likely be cast away for push mowers and shovels anytime soon, but if the weather is nice and you can safely handle the exercise, do the work the hard way for a while for your health. It would not require too much imagination to fine the hard way to do even the most simple of projects.

So stand up right now just because you can.

New Year's Commitment

Resolutions are not generally for me. I don't care for the haphazardly set goals for the new year. That is why I say Commitment.

This year I have committed to a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, healthy diet, and nutritional supplements. The difference this year is that I have developed a network of friends who are also committed to the same thing.

We meet every night to walk for an hour. We meet once per week to share healthy eating ideas and recipes, we all take the same healthy aging supplements. There is more to healthy aging than taking supplements. It is the diet and exercise component that excites me most. Good friends sharing healthy help and support for each other. Like AA it works when all else fails. There is no need to do it alone.

I want to exercise on that mountain again some day.

The Sloppy Vegetarian

I have been reading a lot about macrobiotic and vegetarian diets. For a long time I thought that these diets were dangerous and unrealistic for most people to even comprehend. This would hold especially true for me. I am a hunter and gatherer, so to speak and I bring home a lot of game for the table. So compromise is the name of the game for me. I am going to limit my animal protein intake in order to get some kind of idea of how these lifestyle changes will work in my life.

I have tried to limit my animal protein before with limited but good results. Within the first 2 months I dropped 15 pounds with no effort before I hit a plateau where I had no weight change for a month or more then dropped another 5 pounds. During the time I limited the animal protein, I had no health problems or concerns appear. My energy level increased and I felt good. I did take nutritional supplement to make sure that I was getting all the vitamins, minerals, poly phenols, herbs, and whole food fruits that I needed in my diet to remain healthy.

It is difficult to stay on such a diet with no family support. This started out as an experiment, but was so successful that I want to go back to it and continue with it. By setting the example of good health and feeling good, dropping excess weight I hope to inspire my family to join me. Currently I limit my animal protein to 2 or 3 ounces of meat 1 or 2 days per week. This will get the game out of the freezer by next fall and I can get the benefits a healthy lifestyle change.

Relax and Enjoy Life

Relaxation is a key component to a healthy lifestyle. I like to hunt, fish, rock hound or do any activity that can be done outside. The air is fresh, I can learn from nature, and the work day stress is dissipated. My mind is on fun things rather than focused on problems when I am relaxing.

The photo shows several fish houses on the Red River of the North in downtown Breckenridge. This photo reminds me that I must have fun too. I do not always have to work or soon my fun will be work.

My relaxation activities are more physically demanding than my work so it is important for me to keep fit. So the discomfort of strenuous physical activity does not come upon me, there are two supplements in my arsenal that relieves the pain. The zeolite with its negative charge removes the pain causing chemicals from my muscles thus reducing the pain and a healthy aging product reduces the inflammation in my back and other joints to relieve joint pain. I rely on them to help me relax by not allowing the discomfort of strenuous activity to occur.