Here is a real live customer service story that happened to me today. It starts a few months ago when I was talking to a friend about his new eye glasses. They were pretty cool, and he's a cool kind of dude. I asked where he got them and he told me about an online company that was incredible in terms of service and price. I remembered my experience dealing with a big international company with stores in all of the shopping malls that promises service in about an hour. I had paid about $800.00 for a pair of progressive lens glasses and it took about a week to get them. I wasn't pleased with the constant up-selling for various coatings and whatever else they charged for, but I was leaving for Hawaii and needed them and didn't know any better.
My friend told me that he had paid 1/10th of that price!!!!
I was immediately suspicious of the huge price difference but filed the information for a future date. That future date arrived last July when my $800.00 glasses broke at one of the weld points and no one, including the company I bought them from, could fix them.
I went to my optometrist and had a check up and got my new prescription and went on line to Zenni and viewed the hundreds of pairs of glasses available, uploaded a photo of myself so that I could see them on my face and compare them with each other, found a pair that I liked and placed the order. They usually promise next day shipping but in the case of progressive lenses, it may take 2 to 3 weeks. A little longer than my former provider but the price, delivered, with the anti-scratch, anti-glare and a pair of clip on Polaroid sunglasses was a total of 75.00 - yep, you read that correctly - 75.00. What did I have to lose? If they lasted as long as the 800.00 pair, I was 700.00 ahead, so I ordered them and made do with an old pair of glasses until they arrived one week later (2 weeks earlier than promised) by air courier - all included in that price. I have been wearing them ever since and after a few days of making minor adjustments to the fit (yes, the 800.00 ones were fitted at the store) they have been great.
And then yesterday, one of the soft nosepads broke off and I couldn't figure out how to order a new set so I called the 800 service number on the website and talked to an agent. He asked my original order number, apologized for the problem and said that a lifetime supply of pads along with the small screw driver to install them would be in the mail immediately. No hassle, no charge, no problem, no pitch or up-selling...no kidding.
So, customer service, price and a friendly live voice - where would you go for your next pair of glasses? And no, I am not being paid or reimbursed in any way for this testimonial but it sure is the way to do business in today's overly competitive world. Here's their link again www.zenni.com
A Baby Boomer shares the natural byproduct of a fertile mind
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
February 16, 2012
January 21, 2010
MY FRIEND GORD
Gord's journey with Alzheimer's disease
Gord’s Story
“I could do this before,” I said to myself as I looked down at my Blackberry.
My name is Gord - I’m 59 years old and I’m living with Alzheimer’s disease. This is my story.
My name is Gord - I’m 59 years old and I’m living with Alzheimer’s disease. This is my story.
I spent most of my career in the competitive cargo shipping industry. In my early 50s I found myself increasingly anxious about things that did not bother me before and found it difficult to cope with the stress, the complexity and the fast-pace. I started taking anxiety medication to help calmed me down, but I didn’t improve.
Thinking it was excessive stress, my wife Brenda and I moved to a small town to adopt a slower pace. As part of our new life we bought a coffee shop. While running the shop my anxiety continued and even heightened – I had trouble with orders and cash deposits and generally coping with the demands of life. In my confusion, I began to lose my confidence.
I questioned myself and knew I wasn’t fine.
We turned to a psychologist for help. After a thorough assessment, he told me “you’ve either been hit over the head with a blunt object or you have serious dementia.” I took this finding back to my doctor and after more tests I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Brenda and I were shocked. I was only 57 years old. Our first reactions were fear and sadness then anger and disbelief. Anger at how our lives and dreams were to change and disbelief that this could happen at our age – we’re too young -- so we thought.
We went to the Alzheimer Society of Calgary for guidance and learned from a recent study that Alzheimer's disease is the second most feared disease among Canadians over the age of 45.
We also learned that dementia is an urgent community issue and realized that your donations ensure that people within Calgary and surrounding area continue to be educated, supported, and aware of their choices.
Did you know in Calgary there are 12,000 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia? For each of these people there are 10-12 others who are impacted.
This is a fast growing issue with the possibility of 50 per cent more Canadians and their families facing Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia in just five years.
After battling anger and disbelief for about a year, Brenda and I are at a point now where we realize we have a role to play in helping people in similar situations. Part of this role is to help overcome the fear and stigma people have with the disease by encouraging people to live in truth.
I accept that I have Alzheimer’s disease – so do Brenda and our daughters. And we are determined to make a difference. We learned the worst thing you can do is live in fear. And the key to overcoming that fear is knowledge.
The Alzheimer Society of Calgary works with people like me, Brenda, and our family. The Society has programs for people who have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia; they support their families, their caregivers, and many groups within the community. In doing so, they provide a number of educational workshops, family consultations, support groups, and adult day support programs.
There are going to be millions of people like as we baby boomers age and it is vital to have services like those of the Alzheimer Society of Calgary in place. To sustain quality dementia care programs, the Alzheimer Society of Calgary needs your support. Please donate today.
My family and I have been dealt this Alzheimer card. Despite my diagnosis we recognize that we still have the opportunity to live a varied and vibrant life. We have good days and not so good days. But, our philosophy is to live life now and in the present – be joyfully present.
Thank you for your past contribution to the Alzheimer Society of Calgary. I strongly encourage you to continue your support. This is a vital community service that is funded with the support of people like you. Together we will make a difference.
Sincerely,
Gord Strandlund
Alzheimer Society of Calgary Ambassador
Gord Strandlund
Alzheimer Society of Calgary Ambassador
P.S.You can donate now by visiting the Alzheimer Society of Calgary website at www.AlzheimerCalgary.com. Thank you for your support.
January 16, 2010
BOOMERS HAVE LOWER HEARING LOSS
This is an interesting article but the researchers failed to answer why the hearing loss in husbands is FOUR TIMES HIGHER than that of their wives. I could offer a thought or two...
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
01-15-10
Jan. 14--Though they were the first generation to endure rock concerts, boom boxes and iPods, the baby boomers have lost less of their hearing than their parents, according to a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
The findings, which are to be published Friday in a medical journal, suggest that hearing can be preserved even as people age.
"We didn't know that," said Wen Chen, a program director with the National Institute on Aging, which financed the study.
The study used data from the Beaver Dam Offspring Study that involved 5,275 people from that community and their offspring born between 1902 and 1962.
While everyday life may be getting noisier, actual hearing loss from one generation to the next has declined, said Weihai Zhan, lead author of the study, which was published Friday in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Overall, the baby boomers had 31% less hearing loss than their parents.
Among men who were born between 1944 and 1949, 36% had a hearing impairment. However, among men born between 1930 and 1935, 58% had a hearing loss at the same age.
Among women born between 1945 and 1949, 12% had hearing impairment, compared with 23% among women born between 1930 and 1939.
Prior to the study, it would have been expected that 66 million Americans would be hearing-impaired by 2030. However, the new findings suggest that number is more likely to be 51 million.
The authors cautioned that because the study was based from the mostly white Beaver Dam area, its results do not necessarily apply to other regions or racial groups.
Still, the findings run contrary to the belief that large numbers of baby boomers are destined to lose their hearing because of exposure to loud music.
Indeed, hearing loss from one-time events such as concerts may be temporary while daily exposure to excessive noise is a bigger concern, co-author Karen Cruickshanks said in a statement.
More stringent rules about workplace noise and fewer people working in noisy industries such as mining and manufacturing also may be contributing to less hearing loss in the younger generation.
Reduced smoking may also play an indirect role, said UW researcher Zhan. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, which can lead to less blood flow to the inner ear, he said.
Another factor may be better health care and antibiotics resulting in less inflammation and infection, said Cruickshanks, a professor of population health sciences and ophthalmology and visual sciences.
If hearing loss was genetically determined, you would not see this loss over a generation, she said.
The authors concluded that there was strong evidence that environmental, lifestyle or other modifiable factors might contribute to hearing impairment in older adults.
"These data suggest that hearing impairment with aging is a preventable or delayable disorder rather than a normal part of the aging process," they wrote.
-----
To see more of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.jsonline.com.
Copyright (c) 2010, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Say what? Baby boomers not losing hearing as fast as parents
01-15-10
Jan. 14--Though they were the first generation to endure rock concerts, boom boxes and iPods, the baby boomers have lost less of their hearing than their parents, according to a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
The findings, which are to be published Friday in a medical journal, suggest that hearing can be preserved even as people age.
"We didn't know that," said Wen Chen, a program director with the National Institute on Aging, which financed the study.
The study used data from the Beaver Dam Offspring Study that involved 5,275 people from that community and their offspring born between 1902 and 1962.
While everyday life may be getting noisier, actual hearing loss from one generation to the next has declined, said Weihai Zhan, lead author of the study, which was published Friday in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Overall, the baby boomers had 31% less hearing loss than their parents.
Among men who were born between 1944 and 1949, 36% had a hearing impairment. However, among men born between 1930 and 1935, 58% had a hearing loss at the same age.
Among women born between 1945 and 1949, 12% had hearing impairment, compared with 23% among women born between 1930 and 1939.
Prior to the study, it would have been expected that 66 million Americans would be hearing-impaired by 2030. However, the new findings suggest that number is more likely to be 51 million.
The authors cautioned that because the study was based from the mostly white Beaver Dam area, its results do not necessarily apply to other regions or racial groups.
Still, the findings run contrary to the belief that large numbers of baby boomers are destined to lose their hearing because of exposure to loud music.
Indeed, hearing loss from one-time events such as concerts may be temporary while daily exposure to excessive noise is a bigger concern, co-author Karen Cruickshanks said in a statement.
More stringent rules about workplace noise and fewer people working in noisy industries such as mining and manufacturing also may be contributing to less hearing loss in the younger generation.
Reduced smoking may also play an indirect role, said UW researcher Zhan. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, which can lead to less blood flow to the inner ear, he said.
Another factor may be better health care and antibiotics resulting in less inflammation and infection, said Cruickshanks, a professor of population health sciences and ophthalmology and visual sciences.
If hearing loss was genetically determined, you would not see this loss over a generation, she said.
The authors concluded that there was strong evidence that environmental, lifestyle or other modifiable factors might contribute to hearing impairment in older adults.
"These data suggest that hearing impairment with aging is a preventable or delayable disorder rather than a normal part of the aging process," they wrote.
-----
To see more of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.jsonline.com.
Copyright (c) 2010, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
January 13, 2010
November 6, 2009
BREAST CANCER AND VITAMIN D
Eradicate Breast Cancer With Vitamin D?
11-05-09
TORONTO, Nov. 4, 2009 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) --
Breast cancer risk 'virtually eradicated' by elevated vitamin D levels,researchers suggest.
Breast cancer is a disease so directly related to vitamin D deficiency that a woman's risk of contracting the disease can be 'virtually eradicated' by elevating her vitamin D status to what vitamin D scientists consider to be natural blood levels.
That's the message vitamin D pioneer Dr. Cedric Garland delivered in Toronto Tuesday as part of the University of Toronto School of Medicine's "Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency" conference - the largest gathering of vitamin D researchers in North America this year. More than 170 researchers, public health officials and health practitioners gathered at the UT Faculty club for the landmark event.
Garland's presentation headlined a conference that reviewed many aspects of the emerging vitamin D research field - a booming discipline that has seen more than 3,000 academic papers this calendar year alone, conference organizers said. That makes vitamin D by far the most prolific topic in medicine this year, with work connecting it with risk reduction in two dozen forms of cancer, heart disease, multiple scleroses and many other disorders.
Dr. Reinhold Vieth, Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at University of Toronto, and Director of the Bone and Mineral Laboratory at Mount Sinai Hospital, organized the event in conjunction with Grassroots Health - an international vitamin D advocacy group founded by breast cancer survivor Carole Baggerly.
Baggerly implored the research group to take action and encourage Canadians to learn more about vitamin D and to raise their vitamin D levels.
An estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, according to the Canadian Cancer Society's latest figures.
As much as 97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient at some point in the year, according to University of Calgary research - largely due to Canada's northerly latitudes and weak sun exposure. Sunshine is by far the most abundant source of vitamin D - called 'The Sunshine Vitamin' - with salmon and fortified milk being other sources. Vitamin D supplementation helps raise levels for many as well.
Grassroots Health's "D-action" panel - 30 of the world's leading researchers on vitamin D and many other vitamin D supporters - recommend 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily and vitamin D blood levels of 100-150 nanomoles-per-liter as measured by a vitamin D blood test.
Vieth pointed out that natural vitamin D levels of mammals who live outdoors in sunny climates is higher than that - up to 200 nanomoles-per liter. And Garland, whose presentation was entitled "Breast Cancer as a Vitamin D Deficiency Disease" presented data showing that raising one's vitamin D status near those levels decreased breast cancer risk more than 77 percent.
'The Sunshine Vitamin' was once thought of only for bone health, helping the body process calcium. But more recent work has shown that all cells in the body have "vitamin D receptors" which help control normal cell growth. Additionally, Garland presented new evidence that low vitamin D status compromises the integrity of calcium-based cellular bonding within tissues, which when eroded allow rogue cancer cells to spread more readily.
Grassroots Health is trying to raise vitamin D awareness among Canadians. Despite epidemic-level vitamin D deficiency in Canada, fewer than nine per cent of Canadians have ever had their vitamin D levels checked by a professional and most who have do not know their vitamin D blood level.
SOURCE: GrassrootsHealth
CONTACT: or to set up an interview with Dr. Vieth, please contact: Michelle Di Rocco, (416)
360-6522 ext. 251 or michelle@punchcanada.com
Copyright (C) 2009 CNW Group. All rights reserved.
I can't help myself here and I don't mean to demean the seriousness of this devastating disease, especially during Breast Cancer Awareness month but... is this why so many of us caring men advocate clothing optional beaches around the world?
November 5, 2009
COFFEE GOOD TODAY
Coffee brims with health benefits, researchers say
11-02-09
Oct. 31--Drink up, coffee lovers. Not only is coffee aromatic and delicious, it's good for you.
Who says? None other than Harvard Medical School.
Once considered questionable for your health, it turns out that the beloved beverage is actually healthful in moderation. That means a few cups a day.
At about 20 cents per 6-ounce cup, coffee is a good deal if you brew it yourself.
Harvard researchers say drinking coffee may help prevent diseases such as:
Cancer: Some studies have found coffee drinkers have lower rates of colon and rectal cancers and are 50 percent less likely to get liver cancer than coffee abstainers.
Type 2 diabetes: Coffee is thought to contain chemicals that lower blood sugar because heavy coffee drinkers may be half as likely to get diabetes as those who drink little or no coffee. Coffee also may increase your resting metabolism rate, which could help prevent diabetes.
Parkinson's disease: Coffee seems to help protect men from Parkinson's disease, but not women. The difference might be due to estrogen, researchers say.
Heart disease: Coffee is not linked to the development of heart disease. In the past few years, Harvard scientists say, coffee has been shown to be safe even for heart attack survivors. Scientists think antioxidants in coffee may reduce inflammation and protect blood vessel walls.
Life span: Recent studies suggest that drinking coffee decreases the risk of premature death, especially in women. Women who drank at least five to seven cups a week had a death rate 26 percent lower than non-consumers, a large investigation by researchers in Spain and at Harvard Medical School found.
It's not only Harvard researchers who are touting the brew's benefits.
Last month, a study led by Neal Freedman of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., showed that people with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who drank three or more cups of coffee a day cut their risk of the disease progressing by 53 percent.
Although caffeine might be considered the "active ingredient" in coffee, coffee is only 2 percent caffeine and 98 percent "other stuff," including more than 1,000 different compounds such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
It even contains fiber. Each cup contains from 1.1 to 1.8 grams of soluble dietary fiber, the kind that dissolves in water and helps prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the intestines, according to researchers at the Spanish National Research Council in Madrid.
Do researchers have any words of caution? Yes -- although regular coffee drinking isn't harmful for most people, that might not hold true for pregnant women. Research has linked miscarriage to caffeine consumption of 200 milligrams or more per day. A typical cup of coffee has 100 to 150 milligrams, Harvard reports.
Of course, we like to be able to justify our morning addiction as healthful, when the truth may be we can't get moving without it!
Is it possible to be caffeine-addicted? Yes, University of Florida professor and director of toxicology Bruce Goldberger says.
"It is one of the most commonly ingested drugs worldwide. It is addictive. One example of that is if you consume a lot of caffeine, then you don't, you start to crave it. If you consume a lot of caffeine, and it is not working, then you need to consume more," Goldberger said.
Like anything, experts advise, moderation counts. Anyone who's ever had the jitters from drinking too much coffee knows that.
What can I add but the fact that coffee seems to get a bad rap for awhile and then we read something like this, but good news; no warning labels on a bag of beans, so far. And, in case you are interested, I think the best coffee in the world is Kona coffee and I accept bags of whole beans in the mail should you wish to send some...
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October 31, 2009
BOOMER HEALTH IMPROVES WITH FIBER
Dr, Mark Hyman writes in his blog post about ways to be more healthy. I strongly recommend checking out his blog weekly here
9 Tips for Increasing the Fiber in Your Diet.
- 1. Get the flax. Get a coffee grinder just for flax seeds, grind 1/2 cup at a time, and keep it in a tightly sealed glass jar in the fridge or freezer. Eat 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds a day. Sprinkle it on salads, grains, or vegetable dishes or mix it in a little unsweetened applesauce.2. Load up on legumes. Beans beat out everything else for fiber content!
3. Bulk up on vegetables. With low levels of calories and high levels of antioxidants and protectivephytochemicals, these excellent fiber sources should be heaped on your plate daily.
4. Go with the grain. Whole grains like brown rice or quinoa are rich in fiber, too.
5. Eat more fruit. Include a few servings of low-sugar fruits to your diet daily (berries are the highest in fiber and other protective phytochemicals).
6. Go nuts. Include a few handfuls of almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts to your diet every day.
7. Start slowly. Switching abruptly to a high-fiber diet can cause gas and bloating. Increase your fiber intake slowly till you get up to 50 grams a day.
8. Consider a good fiber supplement. If you're have trouble getting your fill of fiber, choose a supplement that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber and no sweeteners or additives.
9. Choose GM. By now, you know that my favorite kind is glucomannan (GM), or konjac. Many companies sell it in capsule form. Although I don't normally recommend specific brands, I like the one produced by Natural Factors called WellBetX. You can take 2 to 4 capsules with a glass of water, 30 to 60 minutes before eating. Don't take any medications within 1 hour before or 2 hours after taking it because the fiber may absorb the medication.
October 30, 2009
CRANBERRIES AND HEALTH
Cranberries Provide Eight-Hour Health Protection----New Research Reveals Urinary Tract, Cardiovascular and Cancer Benefits of the Berry from the Bog-10-29-09 SAVANNAH, Ga., Oct 28, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- For those who think cranberries are nothing more than a turkey side dish, new research revealed this week confirms that the crimson berry may be small, but its health benefits are large. Leading scientists from throughout the country and abroad convened today in Savannah, GA, for the Fourth Cranberry Institute Health Research Conference to review the latest findings on the potential health benefits of cranberries, including studies that reveal an eight-hour protection against certain harmful bacteria and significant improvements in biomarkers for many chronic diseases. More than 30 nutrition scientists from leading research institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a variety of prestigious universities, presented new findings about the cranberry's antibacterial and anti-adhesion properties, as well as promising new areas of research in anti-aging, anti-cancer and protection against cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. "New studies are continually finding how unique cranberries are, and that their potential health benefits are impressive," said Jere Downing, executive director, Cranberry Institute, the nonprofit organization dedicated to cranberry health research. There seems to be no denying that cranberries are antioxidant-rich and deliver unique proanthocyanidins (PACs) that are responsible for cranberries' beneficial anti-adhesion properties. Cranberry Juice Cocktail Offers Eight-Hour Urinary Tract Protection Cranberries may offer help to more than 11 million American women each year who contract urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs cost some $1.6 billion in healthcare and the only known treatment is antibiotic therapy, which increasingly contributes to creating bacterial resistant strains of pathogens. Cranberry PACs have been shown to protect against P-fimbriated Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is thought to be responsible for as much as 95% of urinary tract infections, and other strains of E. coli bacteria through anti-adhesion properties, so that pathogenic bacteria are unable to adhere to our cells, multiply and cause an infection. New research presented by Amy Howell, Ph.D., associate research scientist at Rutgers University, Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension, examined the anti-adhesion effects of 16 oz. of cranberry juice cocktail (CJC) versus water on subject urine samples exposed to E. coli bacteria. The researchers, including lead researcher Terri A. Camesano, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, reported that CJC provided protection against the pathogen for up to eight-hours. "The potential for cranberry juice cocktail to help prevent urinary tract infections is significant, especially since we know that the berry's unique proanthocyanidins offer at least an eight-hour anti-adhesion benefit," said Howell. "Based on this and other studies, we recommend that drinking cranberry juice twice daily can help maintain a healthy urinary tract," she added. Pathogen Protector The same anti-adhesion benefits studied in urinary tract health are now being identified in other areas of the body, such as the oral cavity, stomach and small intestine. Studies at the conference identified that cranberry PACs help prevent oral bacteria from adhering to tooth and denture surfaces, thereby helping to protect against gum disease and cavities. In addition, researchers from the University of Maine conducted trials to determine if cranberry PACs can help protect against E. coli 0157:H7, the strain responsible for serious--and even life-threatening--cases of foodborne illnesses. While more studies are needed, the preliminary studies suggest that cranberry PACs may play a role in oral health, gastrointestinal health and protection against bacterial, fungal and even viral illnesses. Heart Health Emerging research suggests that cranberries may also play a role in cardiovascular health. A University of Scranton study presented one way in which the cranberry provides cardioprotection. In the study, animals fed a high-fat diet with two doses of cranberry juice cocktail (CJC) daily had significantly decreased atherosclerotic development, compared to animals fed a high-fat diet without CJC. The mechanism of the effect of CJC on atherosclerosis is currently under examination, but is thought to be from the potent antioxidant capacity of the berries. Anti-Cancer Numerous ongoing and recently completed studies are evaluating the role cranberries may have in preventing certain cancers. Preliminary in vitro studies conducted at the University of Massachusetts found that compounds in cranberries limit the proliferation of human breast, colon and prostate tumor cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Researchers at the University of Western Ontario presented research showing that cranberry extracts impaired the growth of eight different human cancer cell lines. The Cranberry Institute The Cranberry Institute is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1951 to further the success of cranberry growers and the industry in the Americas through health, agricultural and environmental stewardship research, as well as cranberry promotion and education. CONTACT: Tasia Hurt/Emily Blasi Pollock Communications 212-941-1414 thurt@pollock-pr.com/eblasi@pollock-pr.com SOURCE The Cranberry Institute www.prnewswire.com |
October 28, 2009
H1N1 FLU
I wish that I could figure out which side of the fence I'm sitting on regarding flu shots. I've never had a flu shot in my life and I almost never (touch wood) get the flu. On those few occasions over the years when I had the flu - well, I had the flu...and got over it. Color me skeptical about a vaccination that has been created in record time, approved in record time and is now being marketed by everyone from newspapers to Presidents, from doctors to Prime Ministers. What a wonderful service the pharmaceutical industry is providing to mankind - saving us all so that we can continue to buy our prescriptions, I presume. I am amazed that we have spent decades and billions of dollars trying to find a cure for cancer, AIDS and heart disease without success but in a few short months, this H1N1 vaccination has been foisted upon us as the Saviour of mankind. I have not fallen prey to the previous pandemics like the bird flu, West Nile virus, Mad Cow disease, Hantavirus, ebola and the black plague so perhaps I live some sort of charmed life.
Maybe this one is different. All the media certainly are saying that it is, not that I think there are that many qualified journalists who also have doctorates in infectious diseases but they are parroting what other so called experts are saying. I am not suggesting that there is some sort of conspiracy about, but the speed with which this has been proclaimed and the magic bullet concocted, approved and delivered is somewhat suspect in my little corner of the world. Perhaps you think that I am just an old, curmudgeonly skeptic but what happens when people start having all sorts of unexpected reactions to the vaccinations? Is this like most other products created in the labs of big pharma and has a laundry list of side effects that are scarier than what it is supposed to cure? If you are going in for the needle - do you know the potential hazards of taking it in the arm?
Perhaps I will wait and let you and a few million others pretend to be lab rats and see what the results are. In the meantime, I will wash my hands frequently and cover my face when you cough.
I guess I'm off the fence for the time-being - is red wine good for the flu too?
Maybe this one is different. All the media certainly are saying that it is, not that I think there are that many qualified journalists who also have doctorates in infectious diseases but they are parroting what other so called experts are saying. I am not suggesting that there is some sort of conspiracy about, but the speed with which this has been proclaimed and the magic bullet concocted, approved and delivered is somewhat suspect in my little corner of the world. Perhaps you think that I am just an old, curmudgeonly skeptic but what happens when people start having all sorts of unexpected reactions to the vaccinations? Is this like most other products created in the labs of big pharma and has a laundry list of side effects that are scarier than what it is supposed to cure? If you are going in for the needle - do you know the potential hazards of taking it in the arm?
Perhaps I will wait and let you and a few million others pretend to be lab rats and see what the results are. In the meantime, I will wash my hands frequently and cover my face when you cough.
I guess I'm off the fence for the time-being - is red wine good for the flu too?
October 27, 2009
PREVENTATIVE HEALTH MEASURES FOR ALL OF US
Chicago Tribune
10-26-09
Oct. 25--Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, fish and cereals is associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline in adults 65 years and older.
Journal of the American Medical Association, August
People who live in neighborhoods with access to parks, safe walkways and public transportation and fresh fruits and vegetables are 38 percent less likely to develop diabetes than people who live in more unhealthy neighborhoods.
Archives of Internal Medicine, October
A daily supplement of 700 to 1,000 international units of vitamin D reduces older people's risk of falling by 19 percent.
British Medical Journal, October
For women past menopause, at least seven hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week during the previous 10 years is associated with a 16 percent reduction in the risk of breast cancer.
BMC Cancer, October
Men who engage in moderate exercise are significantly less likely to receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer. If they do receive a diagnosis, they are less likely to have aggressive disease.
Journal of Urology, September
Women who are obese in middle age are 80 percent less likely to be healthy and free of chronic disease at age 70.
British Medical Journal, September
Mortality rates for people with the lowest fitness scores are double those who are moderately fit and four times that of people with the highest scores.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, July
May 25, 2009
HEALTH FULL BOOMER
I recently bought a book entitled, StrengthsFinder 2.0 which includes the opportunity to go online and by answering about 20 minutes worth of questions, determine what our 5 key areas of strength are. Many of you may already know yours ( or think you do) and I must admit that after doing the tests and reading the comprehensive reports they sent me, I was able to look and say, "oh yeah, I guess that is true." One area of strength is my need, or drive to learn and assimilate knowledge and another strength is my ability to take information from a wide variety of sources and disciplines and put it together in some sort of cohesive package of researched facts and make sense out of it on a larger scale. Until I did the tests, I didn't necessarily see these things as strengths as I always assumed that it was better to specialize and focus our efforts on increasingly smaller areas of study. After all, in medicine, it's the specialists who make all the money and perhaps this is true in most other areas of business, marketing, writing, education, science, etc. This would account for my increasing frustration with people and organizations that just can't seem to see the big picture, i.e. governments, schools, religions and other bureaucracies.
Over the past few months I find myself totally immersed in several disparate areas of study and haven't thought too much about how it all comes together, until now. I realize that some of it has to do with approaching retirement age, not being sure of our ability to afford retirement, seeing so many people around me having serious (and worse) medical conditions, personally being irresponsible with weight, food and fitness choices and the general malaise that seems to come with economic meltdowns. It also occurs to me that I am not alone in these struggles as so many of us try to make sense out of a world that is moving increasingly faster with annual pandemic panics that are starting to happen twice a year, food that is unsafe to eat, wars, pestilence, diseases that have been raising billions of dollars with no cures in sight, government agencies rife with corruption (including ones responsible for our health and nutrition safety), multi-national pharmaceutical companies that have created junkies out of everyone, taxation that punishes the successful and independent and a laundry list of other depression inducing nonsense that would drive one to a good bottle of wine - if one could afford one.
Out of this field full of fertilizer a few flowers must eventually sprout and I have decided to create or at least plant, a flower of my own. I will continue to use this space for my excess Mind Gas and general ranting about whatever suits my fancy but I am initiating a new blog dedicated to providing positive options as a result of all of the seemingly unconnected reading, research and interests that I have been working on. It will be focused toward people who are considered to be "baby boomers" and looking for alternative ideas about everything from health to income opportunities, retirement planning to travel and fitness solutions to safe food choices. I will do my best to boil down some of the interesting research and new information into plain language with connections to my sources so that the reader can continue their own investigation.
Some of you may be aware of my like for contradiction and whenever I find information that flies in the face of conventional and accepted wisdom, I devour it. I use the excuse of keeping an open mind when I stumble into that kind of research - really, it is just plain glee at pricking a hole in all of those pompous gas bags that try to control our lives. You won't need to be a contrarian to enjoy the new blog but I really believe that there is an enormous amount of BS in most of the fields I study and that some professions (and you know who you are) shroud the truth in obfuscation and diatribe that is intentionally designed to make it more difficult for laymen - see, I can do it too.
OK, so the new blog is called Health Full Boomer and I plan to offer information on the complete "health" areas of our lives including medical, fitness, nutritional, financial and anything else that contributes to the whole person and our enjoyment of life. Life is for living, not waiting and it is a lot easier (as I have recently found out) when we are physically fit. I don't know about you but I come from the school of 'no pain - no gain' and during that pursuit I have discovered a program developed by a doctor (of all people!) from Florida who has turned the entire idea of long, boring, exhausting workouts on its head. He claims, and has the research to back it up, that we need 12 minutes per day of intense workout to reclaim the fitness that our bodies were created for. No expensive gym memberships, hour long jogs or $2,000.00 electronic clothes hangers in the basement. I currently have his program open on my desk as I put together a new 12 minute routine for next week. I have been using his ideas for about a month and a half and can happily report that it really works! So, if you are curious, my first posting at Health Full Boomer will be about the PACE program developed by Dr. Al Sears, MD.
In the new blog, I will try to keep the tone light and informative and save my whining for this space. I am also hoping to drive more traffic to Health Full Boomer and will be writing some magazine articles, etc. that will reference it. If you are so inclined, I would appreciate your help in spreading the word about it and will be offering some FREE reports and information exclusively available to followers of the blog.
To your continuing prosperity and good health...
Over the past few months I find myself totally immersed in several disparate areas of study and haven't thought too much about how it all comes together, until now. I realize that some of it has to do with approaching retirement age, not being sure of our ability to afford retirement, seeing so many people around me having serious (and worse) medical conditions, personally being irresponsible with weight, food and fitness choices and the general malaise that seems to come with economic meltdowns. It also occurs to me that I am not alone in these struggles as so many of us try to make sense out of a world that is moving increasingly faster with annual pandemic panics that are starting to happen twice a year, food that is unsafe to eat, wars, pestilence, diseases that have been raising billions of dollars with no cures in sight, government agencies rife with corruption (including ones responsible for our health and nutrition safety), multi-national pharmaceutical companies that have created junkies out of everyone, taxation that punishes the successful and independent and a laundry list of other depression inducing nonsense that would drive one to a good bottle of wine - if one could afford one.
Out of this field full of fertilizer a few flowers must eventually sprout and I have decided to create or at least plant, a flower of my own. I will continue to use this space for my excess Mind Gas and general ranting about whatever suits my fancy but I am initiating a new blog dedicated to providing positive options as a result of all of the seemingly unconnected reading, research and interests that I have been working on. It will be focused toward people who are considered to be "baby boomers" and looking for alternative ideas about everything from health to income opportunities, retirement planning to travel and fitness solutions to safe food choices. I will do my best to boil down some of the interesting research and new information into plain language with connections to my sources so that the reader can continue their own investigation.
Some of you may be aware of my like for contradiction and whenever I find information that flies in the face of conventional and accepted wisdom, I devour it. I use the excuse of keeping an open mind when I stumble into that kind of research - really, it is just plain glee at pricking a hole in all of those pompous gas bags that try to control our lives. You won't need to be a contrarian to enjoy the new blog but I really believe that there is an enormous amount of BS in most of the fields I study and that some professions (and you know who you are) shroud the truth in obfuscation and diatribe that is intentionally designed to make it more difficult for laymen - see, I can do it too.
OK, so the new blog is called Health Full Boomer and I plan to offer information on the complete "health" areas of our lives including medical, fitness, nutritional, financial and anything else that contributes to the whole person and our enjoyment of life. Life is for living, not waiting and it is a lot easier (as I have recently found out) when we are physically fit. I don't know about you but I come from the school of 'no pain - no gain' and during that pursuit I have discovered a program developed by a doctor (of all people!) from Florida who has turned the entire idea of long, boring, exhausting workouts on its head. He claims, and has the research to back it up, that we need 12 minutes per day of intense workout to reclaim the fitness that our bodies were created for. No expensive gym memberships, hour long jogs or $2,000.00 electronic clothes hangers in the basement. I currently have his program open on my desk as I put together a new 12 minute routine for next week. I have been using his ideas for about a month and a half and can happily report that it really works! So, if you are curious, my first posting at Health Full Boomer will be about the PACE program developed by Dr. Al Sears, MD.
In the new blog, I will try to keep the tone light and informative and save my whining for this space. I am also hoping to drive more traffic to Health Full Boomer and will be writing some magazine articles, etc. that will reference it. If you are so inclined, I would appreciate your help in spreading the word about it and will be offering some FREE reports and information exclusively available to followers of the blog.
To your continuing prosperity and good health...
April 2, 2009
HEALTHY BODY: HEALTHY MIND a mistake that I have made
I should insert a little bit of advice here for those of you who are following along. Advice based on a mistake that I made in following Dr. Hyman's program to an Ultra Mind. I have mentioned before that this is a six week program of eating nutritional food, supplements and exercise and it really, really works well. I have tons of evidence of the health benefits of eliminating some foods that our bodies don't recognize as food, but a key element of the Ultra Mind Solution is reintroducing the foods on a controlled basis and then by using the detailed questioning he provides, finding out what sensitivities we might have to various substances. This is crucial in the effort to create a healthy body and mind. The knowledge of what we can eat without returning to some of our old symptoms is paramount to being able to lead a normal life including eating out at restaurants and with friends. Armed with the knowledge of our body's reaction to milk, gluten or sugar (80% of food allergies are found within one or more of these products) gives us the opportunity to make informed decisions when faced with a large variety of food choices.
The error I made was to continue on the eating program beyond the 6 weeks without doing the recommended testing. In my defense, I felt so darned good that I just wanted that to continue for an indefinite time and I was also trying to support some other family members in their efforts to find amazing health and lose weight by not flaunting foods outside the Ultra Mind program. When I decided to eat hockey arena food and drink wine all on the same weekend, I did the inevitable "dive" in energy and also experienced a number of other symptoms including a certain "bunged-up-ness." While this is dramatic evidence of the effects that some of this stuff we call food have on our bodies, I don't know which ones caused what. My advice to those of you who have decided to embrace the incredible feeling of health that comes with Dr. Hyman's program is to follow his advice on testing yourself with the various foodstuffs and rigorously recording the results so that you can continue to live a long and healthy life armed with the knowledge of how to do just that.
In addition to correcting my tendency for run on sentences, I will now spend a couple of weeks staying true to the program and then go through the procedure of determining if I need to avoid certain substances in the future. I seem to have some evidence, for the first time in my life, that I may have some sensitivities to more than just schmaltzy movies. Anyway, more next time on the 7 biological systems that need to be in balance to create an Ultra Mind. If you haven't tried this program yet, do yourself the biggest favour of your life and do it for 6 weeks.
The error I made was to continue on the eating program beyond the 6 weeks without doing the recommended testing. In my defense, I felt so darned good that I just wanted that to continue for an indefinite time and I was also trying to support some other family members in their efforts to find amazing health and lose weight by not flaunting foods outside the Ultra Mind program. When I decided to eat hockey arena food and drink wine all on the same weekend, I did the inevitable "dive" in energy and also experienced a number of other symptoms including a certain "bunged-up-ness." While this is dramatic evidence of the effects that some of this stuff we call food have on our bodies, I don't know which ones caused what. My advice to those of you who have decided to embrace the incredible feeling of health that comes with Dr. Hyman's program is to follow his advice on testing yourself with the various foodstuffs and rigorously recording the results so that you can continue to live a long and healthy life armed with the knowledge of how to do just that.
In addition to correcting my tendency for run on sentences, I will now spend a couple of weeks staying true to the program and then go through the procedure of determining if I need to avoid certain substances in the future. I seem to have some evidence, for the first time in my life, that I may have some sensitivities to more than just schmaltzy movies. Anyway, more next time on the 7 biological systems that need to be in balance to create an Ultra Mind. If you haven't tried this program yet, do yourself the biggest favour of your life and do it for 6 weeks.
April 1, 2009
HEALTHY BODY: HEALTHY MIND
I thought that this article would fit in rather nicely with the posts I have been doing about The Ultra Mind Solution since the health of our bodies is paramount to the health of our brains. I have known too many people lately, especially men, who have ignored the facts found in this news release. Some of them are no longer here to refute this evidence. Please pass it on to anyone that you think needs a bit of a wake up call.
Death from colon cancer preventable
United Press International
03-31-09
LOS ANGELES, Mar 31, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment have greatly reduced the death toll from colon cancer, a U.S. researcher says.
"While colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States, it is the most preventable major cancer," Dr. Randolph Hecht of the University of California, Los Angeles, says in a statement.
Hecht and colleagues said any persistent symptoms -- blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, weight loss, narrower-than-usual stools, abdominal pains -- should be reported to a doctor.
Researchers advise those at normal risk to begin having regular colorectal cancer screenings beginning at age 50. However, those with a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, other cancers or inflammatory bowel disease should talk to their doctor about starting screening sooner.
To lower colon cancer risk Hecht suggests:
-- Maintain healthy weight by eating a low-fat diet that includes leafy greens containing folate and other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and beans that provide between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day.
-- Drink alcohol in moderation and quit smoking. Alcohol and tobacco in combination is linked to gastrointestinal cancers.
-- Exercise at least 20 minutes three to four days a week.
"While colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States, it is the most preventable major cancer," Dr. Randolph Hecht of the University of California, Los Angeles, says in a statement.
Hecht and colleagues said any persistent symptoms -- blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, weight loss, narrower-than-usual stools, abdominal pains -- should be reported to a doctor.
Researchers advise those at normal risk to begin having regular colorectal cancer screenings beginning at age 50. However, those with a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, other cancers or inflammatory bowel disease should talk to their doctor about starting screening sooner.
To lower colon cancer risk Hecht suggests:
-- Maintain healthy weight by eating a low-fat diet that includes leafy greens containing folate and other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and beans that provide between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day.
-- Drink alcohol in moderation and quit smoking. Alcohol and tobacco in combination is linked to gastrointestinal cancers.
-- Exercise at least 20 minutes three to four days a week.
URL: www.upi.com
March 27, 2009
HEALTHY BODY: HEALTHY MIND
When I was first exposed to Dr. Hyman's new book, The Ultra Mind Solution, besides being my usual skeptical self, I was actually fascinated by some of the testimonials of his patients who had reported some amazing results in themselves or their loved ones. When I delved a little deeper and began looking more carefully at the footnotes, I was blown away by the quality of the research and scientific evidence that was presented. Now, I will not pretend to be some sort of authority on highly technical, medical research data but I did randomly pull up some of the articles and research papers (isn't the internet grand?) and did plow through some of the conclusions to satisfy myself that the evidence actually exists and that, as best as I could determine, the results supported Dr. Hyman and his patients, in their discussions. So, armed with that bit of amateur sleuthing, I proceeded to go to his website and order the book. This took me to Amazon, where I made the actual purchase but, at the Doctor's request, I was able to link back to his website, quote my receipt number and download an unbelievable amount of information so that I could begin to participate in the program without waiting for the book to arrive in a few days. As far as I know, these are bonuses available to people who purchase his book in this manner and I don't know if it is available by just going to your local bookstore.
There are over 200 pages of support material, including what may be the most important part of his program, the self testing questionaire. I began reading the material and quickly realized that this was no "late night TV info schlock." This was an incredibly detailed examination and discovery process designed to produce very valuable feedback about the participant's physical and mental health. At no time in my life have I ever had a doctor ask any of these questions, let alone spend the time to explain what was going on in my body. I completed the entire question and scoring part over the next couple of nights and read the explanations and easy to understand recommendations based on the results of my own tests. I learned about a new area of medical practice called Functional Medicine and began to see the relationships between the food I was eating, the vitamins and minerals I was missing and the life I was living. I really didn't have any idea that some of the limitations, physical and mental energy, thought processes and mood were so inter-related and dependent on what I was injesting. My eyes were opened in a way that was supportive and encouraging by someone who has experienced personally and through his patients, the symptoms and solutions in his book. All of this gave me the confidence to "give it a try."
I made the decision to enter into the Ultra Mind Solution about the middle of January and start the 6 week program. This was made very easy because of the recipes and food shopping lists contained in the support material, along with a daily half hour excercise program that consisted of walking. I had finally found a use for the electronic clothes hanger in the basement, sometimes called a treadmill. I will share some of the results that I began to experience immediately and then report some of the longer term benefits that have continued to surprise and please me to this day, in future blogs. In the meantime, take a look yourself at Dr. Hyman's Ultra Mind Solution.
There are over 200 pages of support material, including what may be the most important part of his program, the self testing questionaire. I began reading the material and quickly realized that this was no "late night TV info schlock." This was an incredibly detailed examination and discovery process designed to produce very valuable feedback about the participant's physical and mental health. At no time in my life have I ever had a doctor ask any of these questions, let alone spend the time to explain what was going on in my body. I completed the entire question and scoring part over the next couple of nights and read the explanations and easy to understand recommendations based on the results of my own tests. I learned about a new area of medical practice called Functional Medicine and began to see the relationships between the food I was eating, the vitamins and minerals I was missing and the life I was living. I really didn't have any idea that some of the limitations, physical and mental energy, thought processes and mood were so inter-related and dependent on what I was injesting. My eyes were opened in a way that was supportive and encouraging by someone who has experienced personally and through his patients, the symptoms and solutions in his book. All of this gave me the confidence to "give it a try."
I made the decision to enter into the Ultra Mind Solution about the middle of January and start the 6 week program. This was made very easy because of the recipes and food shopping lists contained in the support material, along with a daily half hour excercise program that consisted of walking. I had finally found a use for the electronic clothes hanger in the basement, sometimes called a treadmill. I will share some of the results that I began to experience immediately and then report some of the longer term benefits that have continued to surprise and please me to this day, in future blogs. In the meantime, take a look yourself at Dr. Hyman's Ultra Mind Solution.
March 25, 2009
HEALTHY BODY: HEALTHY MIND Food for Thought
In the past two postings, I have been extolling the virtues of a book by Dr. Mark Hymen entitled the Ultra Mind Solution in which he offers a plan that I have been following for about 10 weeks now. The process of regaining the brain health that each of us can benefit from starts with the nutrition that we feed our bodies. There is a raft of scientific evidence available that shows the direct relationship between what we use for nutrition and what is happening in our brains. This evidence is no longer circumstantial nor is it just anecdotal, but it is now being reported in respected medical journals world wide. A perusal of Dr. Hyman's website and reading his book will give the curious person interested in their own health, an overwhelming amount of substantiated evidence to show that the processed foods that have become dietary staples are killing us. The evidential links between diet and ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer's, dementia, anxiety and depression are overwhelming and yet, the medical/pharmaceutical industry continues to treat only the symptoms with addictive drugs with side effects that should scare the hell out of us.
One of the biggest processed food culprits is MSG and its many names and forms found in virtually every packaged food, sauce and restaurant meal. The incredible harm this addictive chemical is foisting upon an unsuspecting public is studiously avoided by the very institutions that are supposed to protect our food sources and ultimately, us. I haven't even mentioned the relationship between MSG and obesity that has been proven time and again and then of course, the link between that obesity and all the physical damage it is causing to our hearts, joints, organs and brains, but you might find this an interesting source:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/442155/monosodium_glutamate_msg_the_addiction.html?cat=5
I recently read somewhere that to be truly healthy, we should never eat anything that our grandmothers wouldn't recognize. Food labels are supposed to show us what is inside the package and then an uneducated public is somehow supposed to understand the various chemical names and what they are. In addition, the FDA and its Canadian equivalent, have an incredibly long list of substances that are not required to be revealed on the labels. Perhaps it is true that if our food has a label on it, maybe we shouldn't eat it. That's enough preaching by me for one day but as a student of life, I rely on the teachings of learned people who have used their training, intelligence, creativity and common sense to present us with information that makes a real difference in the lives of people everywhere - maybe even you and I. If you haven't checked out Dr. Hyman - try it now .
One of the biggest processed food culprits is MSG and its many names and forms found in virtually every packaged food, sauce and restaurant meal. The incredible harm this addictive chemical is foisting upon an unsuspecting public is studiously avoided by the very institutions that are supposed to protect our food sources and ultimately, us. I haven't even mentioned the relationship between MSG and obesity that has been proven time and again and then of course, the link between that obesity and all the physical damage it is causing to our hearts, joints, organs and brains, but you might find this an interesting source:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/442155/monosodium_glutamate_msg_the_addiction.html?cat=5
I recently read somewhere that to be truly healthy, we should never eat anything that our grandmothers wouldn't recognize. Food labels are supposed to show us what is inside the package and then an uneducated public is somehow supposed to understand the various chemical names and what they are. In addition, the FDA and its Canadian equivalent, have an incredibly long list of substances that are not required to be revealed on the labels. Perhaps it is true that if our food has a label on it, maybe we shouldn't eat it. That's enough preaching by me for one day but as a student of life, I rely on the teachings of learned people who have used their training, intelligence, creativity and common sense to present us with information that makes a real difference in the lives of people everywhere - maybe even you and I. If you haven't checked out Dr. Hyman - try it now .
March 23, 2009
HEALTHY BODY: HEALTHY MIND Introduction
Just after New Year's Day of this year, a trusted friend sent me an email outlining the virtues of a book he had just read called The Ultra Mind Solution. What he had to say about it was fascinating to me for several reasons, not the least of which was that following my 60th birthday, I had begun to buy into the line about certain symptoms of aging. On one level, I really didn't feel 60 but on several others I had begun to notice some things like despondency in areas of physical activity, a bit of an inability to remember some things (names, grocery lists, and so on) and more moodiness bordering on anger. In addition, I had begun to realize some limitations that were becomming more noticeable all of the time like my inability to read for any length of time without feeling tired, a serious dive in my energy level after eating and speaking of eating, I had spent the entire Christmas holiday season with my snout firmly buried in the trough of goodies.
I was none too pleased on Xmas day to open my wife's gift of workout clothes and a gym pass, nor was I pleased to overhear her comment to a family member about how we were both going to join weight watchers in January. Naturally, the contrarian in me became a little more active, even if the rest of me didn't. The truth of the matter was that I knew I was going to have to do something soon but I have a natural distaste for commercial diets that equate weight loss with health and whose marketing strategy is to keep you coming back as long as possible. That whole approach doesn't pass the common sense test as far as I am concerned. I had the notion that my weight had ballooned due to overeating and that once I cut my intake quantity, I would somehow glide back to my ideal weight without too much trouble. The "trouble" was, I had been thinking that way for decades and I was wondering if it was too late. The other truth is that I had never really made the connection between what was happening to my mind, or at least, in my brain with what I was shovelling into my mouth.
I had never really expressed these concerns to anyone, especially about "losing a step or two" in the brain department and in my arrogance, thought that I would magically find a pill that would return me to the physical specimen of my youth but the effort it took a year earlier to get into shape to learn to surf was a lot harder than I expected. One of the other motivators that began appearing on my horizon was the number of friends that had begun to show signs of premature aging and in some cases, die.
Over the next few blog postings I will offer some insights on health that you can put to the test right away. I will use the Ultra Mind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman as a base to tell you about the 7 step solution that you can use right now to "unleash your body's hidden ability to dramatically improve mood, memory and thinking speed," as observed by Mehment Oz, MD, who has endorsed the book. I will use my own experience over the past 9+ weeks to demonstrate and share the secrets to realizing a level of health, both physically and mentally, that most of us didn't know was possible. The best part of this entire process is that you can try it for just 6 short weeks and the results will astound you. We often hear about the Mind/Body connection and how we can think ourselves sick, but this turns that upside down and I promise that you will see the incredible difference available to you when you heal your body and heal your mind, as a result.
I was none too pleased on Xmas day to open my wife's gift of workout clothes and a gym pass, nor was I pleased to overhear her comment to a family member about how we were both going to join weight watchers in January. Naturally, the contrarian in me became a little more active, even if the rest of me didn't. The truth of the matter was that I knew I was going to have to do something soon but I have a natural distaste for commercial diets that equate weight loss with health and whose marketing strategy is to keep you coming back as long as possible. That whole approach doesn't pass the common sense test as far as I am concerned. I had the notion that my weight had ballooned due to overeating and that once I cut my intake quantity, I would somehow glide back to my ideal weight without too much trouble. The "trouble" was, I had been thinking that way for decades and I was wondering if it was too late. The other truth is that I had never really made the connection between what was happening to my mind, or at least, in my brain with what I was shovelling into my mouth.
I had never really expressed these concerns to anyone, especially about "losing a step or two" in the brain department and in my arrogance, thought that I would magically find a pill that would return me to the physical specimen of my youth but the effort it took a year earlier to get into shape to learn to surf was a lot harder than I expected. One of the other motivators that began appearing on my horizon was the number of friends that had begun to show signs of premature aging and in some cases, die.
Over the next few blog postings I will offer some insights on health that you can put to the test right away. I will use the Ultra Mind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman as a base to tell you about the 7 step solution that you can use right now to "unleash your body's hidden ability to dramatically improve mood, memory and thinking speed," as observed by Mehment Oz, MD, who has endorsed the book. I will use my own experience over the past 9+ weeks to demonstrate and share the secrets to realizing a level of health, both physically and mentally, that most of us didn't know was possible. The best part of this entire process is that you can try it for just 6 short weeks and the results will astound you. We often hear about the Mind/Body connection and how we can think ourselves sick, but this turns that upside down and I promise that you will see the incredible difference available to you when you heal your body and heal your mind, as a result.
March 20, 2009
HEALTHY BODY: HEALTHY MIND
I held it in my hands last night! I held the answer to something that has been puzzling me since the beginning of the year - what "project" am I going to undertake in 2009. I have the solution in hand and will reveal all when I have moved a little further towards its execution. In the past, I have undertaken some projects like gliding and surfing. I had a notion about learning more about internet marketing, website building and so on, which I have fully embraced but these things are not physical enough, so I needed something else - I found it in a moment of inspiration yesterday. All will be revealed in a few weeks.
Something else that held promise, but didn't quite fit the bill as an adventure project, was getting my body and mind into shape and that is coming along extremely well and I have decided to devote several editions of this blog, starting next week, to how that process is going. I will use myself and some of the changes I have noticed as an example of how this amazing program works. So, starting next week, there will be blogs available here with specific information, based on a program created by Doctor Mark Hyman. I will offer facts, proven by the doctor and witnessed by myself, links to more information, how-to's, exact excercise regimens and their results, enthusiastic encouragement sprinkled with some of my special brand of arrogant, militaristic shouting, recipes, eating tips for home and away and a lot of other stuff designed to arm you with the information to make life enhancing changes in your own life. A lot of the changes that I have noticed, frankly I didn't even recognize as issues, prior to this program. So, if you want more energy physically and mentally, more altertness, better sleeps, keener focus ability, a more positive outlook, less anxiety, better temperment and a bunch of other physical improvements that I will reveal - oh, did I mention that I have lost 32 lbs in 10 weeks - not to worry, it's just a side effect, but I may need a new picture, if only I knew a photographer....
If you, or someone you know, might benefit from the personal knowledge of an "ultra mind solution" then may I suggest that you go to "Google Reader" and create an automatic feed from this blog so that you, and they, can be automatically updated when I post this information - it starts next week. Please forward this to anyone you know that might be interested - I promise to keep it clean and sane - honest!
Something else that held promise, but didn't quite fit the bill as an adventure project, was getting my body and mind into shape and that is coming along extremely well and I have decided to devote several editions of this blog, starting next week, to how that process is going. I will use myself and some of the changes I have noticed as an example of how this amazing program works. So, starting next week, there will be blogs available here with specific information, based on a program created by Doctor Mark Hyman. I will offer facts, proven by the doctor and witnessed by myself, links to more information, how-to's, exact excercise regimens and their results, enthusiastic encouragement sprinkled with some of my special brand of arrogant, militaristic shouting, recipes, eating tips for home and away and a lot of other stuff designed to arm you with the information to make life enhancing changes in your own life. A lot of the changes that I have noticed, frankly I didn't even recognize as issues, prior to this program. So, if you want more energy physically and mentally, more altertness, better sleeps, keener focus ability, a more positive outlook, less anxiety, better temperment and a bunch of other physical improvements that I will reveal - oh, did I mention that I have lost 32 lbs in 10 weeks - not to worry, it's just a side effect, but I may need a new picture, if only I knew a photographer....
If you, or someone you know, might benefit from the personal knowledge of an "ultra mind solution" then may I suggest that you go to "Google Reader" and create an automatic feed from this blog so that you, and they, can be automatically updated when I post this information - it starts next week. Please forward this to anyone you know that might be interested - I promise to keep it clean and sane - honest!
March 5, 2009
HERE I SIT TRYING TO...
I know that recent converts to anything can be a pain in the a** and I am no exception. I recently found the life altering aspects of healthy eating and daily fitness and am now apparently using this pulpit to offer information that may be valuable to others....like you.
Sitting at the Office Desk All Day Creates a Big Fat Problem; Diabetes Research
The Press
03-04-09
Try not to panic, but the simple act of sitting has just become dangerous.
Not even 30 minutes at the gym can halt the bloating waistlines of sedentary office workers, new research shows.
The Australian study, which will appear in the April issue of Diabetes Care, says damage caused by prolonged sitting could increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
However, occasional standing, with a bit of pacing thrown in, will fight the fat.
The study measured the intensity of physical activity in 168 subjects over seven days.
It showed that, regardless of the amount of moderate-to- vigorous exercise, those who took more breaks from sitting had smaller waistlines, lower body mass indexes and lower levels of glucose in the blood.
Researchers said the results proved there were benefits in regularly interrupting sitting time.
Christchurch fitness instructor Bevan Eyles said workers who were chained to their desks should stand while making phone calls, sit on a swiss ball instead of a chair, or remind themselves to sit up straight.
He suggested putting a coloured dot on the computer as a reminder to improve posture or setting a timer to send you on a lap of the office every hour.
Ergostyle Ergonomic Solutions business manager Chris Andrew said office planners were increasingly installing "sit-to-stand" work stations which could be used as workers felt the need to move.
"Humans were never designed to sit for eight hours a day," Andrew said.
"It creates a risk of permanent discomfort. If you're stooping over a laptop, breathing can be laboured and it interrupts blood flow.
"Standing, which uses more of the skeletal system, means soft tissue will function in a normal fashion without the pressure points you might get from being seated or being seated inappropriately."
In 2006, The Mayo Clinic in America suggested chairless schools might help fight the obesity epidemic.
Researchers have applied for Australian Government funding for a two-year study into the impact on productivity and health from prolonged sitting.
reprinted from: Life Extension Magazine http://www.lef.org/magazine/index.htm
This would seem to give another explanation for that feeling of pain in the a**
Sitting at the Office Desk All Day Creates a Big Fat Problem; Diabetes Research
The Press
03-04-09
Try not to panic, but the simple act of sitting has just become dangerous.
Not even 30 minutes at the gym can halt the bloating waistlines of sedentary office workers, new research shows.
The Australian study, which will appear in the April issue of Diabetes Care, says damage caused by prolonged sitting could increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
However, occasional standing, with a bit of pacing thrown in, will fight the fat.
The study measured the intensity of physical activity in 168 subjects over seven days.
It showed that, regardless of the amount of moderate-to- vigorous exercise, those who took more breaks from sitting had smaller waistlines, lower body mass indexes and lower levels of glucose in the blood.
Researchers said the results proved there were benefits in regularly interrupting sitting time.
Christchurch fitness instructor Bevan Eyles said workers who were chained to their desks should stand while making phone calls, sit on a swiss ball instead of a chair, or remind themselves to sit up straight.
He suggested putting a coloured dot on the computer as a reminder to improve posture or setting a timer to send you on a lap of the office every hour.
Ergostyle Ergonomic Solutions business manager Chris Andrew said office planners were increasingly installing "sit-to-stand" work stations which could be used as workers felt the need to move.
"Humans were never designed to sit for eight hours a day," Andrew said.
"It creates a risk of permanent discomfort. If you're stooping over a laptop, breathing can be laboured and it interrupts blood flow.
"Standing, which uses more of the skeletal system, means soft tissue will function in a normal fashion without the pressure points you might get from being seated or being seated inappropriately."
In 2006, The Mayo Clinic in America suggested chairless schools might help fight the obesity epidemic.
Researchers have applied for Australian Government funding for a two-year study into the impact on productivity and health from prolonged sitting.
reprinted from: Life Extension Magazine http://www.lef.org/magazine/index.htm
This would seem to give another explanation for that feeling of pain in the a**
February 9, 2009
OLD DOG LEARNING NEW TRIX
better late than never
What a couple of weeks it has been. Some of you may have noticed the lack of blogs recently but I have been on a pretty steep learning curve regarding some internet marketing education that I will have more to say about in the future. In addition to this business oriented program, I have embarked on what I can only say is a life altering eating program. The results, mentally and physically have been incredible, to say the least. Most of us have heard about the body/mind connection - I can report graphic and measurable evidence of this. I knew my days of eating too many snacks, rich desserts and that extra glass of wine were coming to an end but I held out over the holidays and reached the decision to make some changes as part of my New Year's changes. I truly had no idea how amazing and how fast those changes would come.
Anyway, I will have much more to say on both topics in the coming days and weeks. Until then, as most of you know, I live in this dichotomy, happy to have Diana Krall tickets for her April concert and somewhat disappointed at not having tix for the Cheech and Chong concert this week - and no one to go with who would "get it" anyway.
March 27, 2008
EXCEPTIONAL HEALTH
exceptions may not prove the rule, they might just mean that the rule needs changing
There is an old saying about exceptions proving the rule and as a confirmed contrarian, I am always on the look out for things that don't fit, that don't belong and especially for rules that need a second look. This idea of looking to exceptions, in order to find out what is possible, may be most important, as well as visible, in health care and yet, it is most often overlooked by its practioners and their patients alike. For every fatal disease or illness, everyone is aware of someone who has succeeded in beating the odds. You and I know people who have achieved complete and total cancer cures after being given only weeks to live. We have all heard of miracles and perhaps even witnessed a few as someone, as if by magic, recovers from a fatal disease or overcomes a lifelong challenge. Exceptions to conventionally accepted wisdom abound, such as the person who lives to 110 and has smoked and drank all of their lives. Don't even think about how many times the scientists have created and retracted the coffee warnings. We all know people who never get sick no matter how often they are exposed to flu and cold bugs while others catch the grip by just thinking about it. Mass hysteria generally follows warnings about killer viruses, the disease du jour and whatever other nonsense the media likes to make into headlines. So, how come everybody exposed to SARS and the Avian Flu didn't die? Why is it that some people never get sick while others spend most of their time at the doctor's office. It's more than genetics because you can find these variances within families, within households and within lifetimes.
I suppose my point is that "science and medicine," who are both constantly changing their stories or opinions, might want to look at the people who don't get sick and find out why. Assuming of course, that science, medicine and pharmaceutical manufacturers have any interest in keeping people healthy. No one ever got a headache because they were aspirin deprived. I suspect that the power of suggestion is much stronger than the so called cure alls that are prescribed - and for heavens sakes, don't read the warning label on those drugs - no wonder you're sick!
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