Now is the time to work on your fitness so you can get more enjoyment out of the outdoor experience next season. Lots of you know I'm a Beachbody Coach so if anyone wants help with their fitness message me. Best way to contact me is to email me thru my website at [email protected] If time is your main excuse...well we have 2 new programs that solve that, T25 that has workouts that are 25 minutes long and P90X3 that has 30 minute workouts.
Think of your fitness just as you do your safety harness when you're treestand hunting...If you're not going to do it for yourself do it for your loved ones.
Shoot straight and hunt farther! Ernie
Eliminate artificial sweeteners and Sugar in all forms except that found naturally in fruits. A small amount of Stevia or honey is ok on occasion. High fructose corn syrup should be banned forever. Say no to candy, cookies, sweetened drinks, etc. One of the biggest finds in the last years is that it isn't fat injestion that makes us fat, it's sugar. Sugar=fat. The low fat diets? Wrong, wrong, wrong... counterproductive. To make things palate pleasing after fats are removed, sugar and/or salt is added. Not good. Americans got fatter and sicker during the low fat/no fat craze and fad diets than ever before.
Eliminate or drastically reduce simple carbs that have little or no nutritional value.... bread, pasta, beer, potatoes, white rice, doughnuts, bagels, etc... these types turn to sugar when you eat them and only so much sugar can be burned as fuel or stored in the muscles and organs, the remainder is stored as fat.
Avoid bad fats, oils, fried foods, unhealthy salad dressings... Use extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar 4:1 ratio with some herbs and spices for salad dressing instead.... and cook in coconut oil or olive oil. A healthy ranch dressing can be made with olive oil... I'll post the recipe if anyone wants it.
Drink water. Just water. Not sweet tea (sugar). Not soda(sugar) Not juice (sugar). Not beer.(empty carbs/sugar).
Don't eat processed stuff... Eat real whole food that is fiber and nutrient dense, and low in calories and sugar... eat lots of vegetables, small amount of fruit, lean meat, fowl, wild caught fish and seafood, nuts (walnuts have the best omega 3 to 6 ratio) seeds, fresh herbs. But the bulk of the diet should consist of a wide variety of GOOD dark green and colored vegetables... not corn. Corn is sugar.
I could go on all day :^)
One more thing.... I think it's easier to succeed, and less psychologically hampering, to concentrate on what I CAN eat and enjoy.... rather than what I have to 'deny myself'.
The time of day you eat is very important.
Weight loss 101
Eliminate ALL liquid Calories. No booze, no soda, no juice, no adding sugar to coffee or tea. Skim Milk. Drink Water, enjoy water, Coffee with Skim Milk but NO sugar. Tea is fine but NO Sugar. Your body needs water!! Give it Water!!!
As Jeff said, eliminate as much Refined Sugar as possible. The only two box cereals I found that do not have Sugar as an added ingredient are Shredded Wheat and Grape Nuts. ALL other cereal I looked at, including ALL the HEALTHY LOOKING BOXES had Sugar as the 2nd or 3rd Ingerients. Old Style Oatmeal is good also.
YOU MUST EAT BREAKFAST- this will jump start your metablosim and get your body buring calories. If you skip Breakfast your body will go into starvation mode and metabolism will slow. Plus your will be so hungry by lunch you will most liley over eat at lunch.
Don't snack--drink water
For Lunch eat fruits and veggies. A salad with Vin. and Oil Dressing but really no Ranch or Thousand Island- No Croutons No sandwich with bread and lunch meat. Drink a big glass of water 10-20 min before you eat. Your will feel full faster and eat less.
For Dinner- Eat whatever your wife makes- Never Discourage your wife from cooking an incredible meal. Eat one portion of the meal tell your wife how awesome she is and appreciate her willingness to cook for you. Did I mention you should NEVER discourage your wife from cooking your dinner!!!
DON"T EAT AFTER DINNER!!!! Drink Tea, Drink Water- DO NOT SNACK.
It worked for me I was never hungry and lost 40 lbs. in two months nd probably about 4" off my waist. Oh yeah I also no longer have acid reflux. Most likely because I am not lying down with a full stomach.
Good luck getting fit...it can be fun!! THEN JUST LIKE BOW HUNTING IT GETS ADDICTING!!!!!
From the time I was a teen I had acid reflux, sometime to the tune of eating a roll of Tums a day. Like exsanguinator once I started eliminating carbs from my diet the reflux disappeared.
I have weak will power and love sweets but, as I get older, I am trying to do whatever I can to live a healthy long life. Today that means trying to eliminate gluten from my diet as well as most carbs. Gone are the days of a big sandwich for lunch. No more fast food, no more pasta and no more deserts. We have taken to paying through the nose for grass fed, grass finished beef, organic chicken and "happy pig" pork where the pig's feed does not contain additives, antibiotics or such.
I still eat vegetables, some fruits in moderation, nuts... For breakfast each day I have some smoked ham with no additives rolled up in slices of provolone cheese. Lunch is a salad with romaine, tomatoes, sliced pepperoni or chicken, kalamata olives and shredded parmesan cheese covered with an olive oil and vinegar dressing (including basil, parsley and oregano). Dinner is protein (fish, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, etc.) possibly a small salad and a vegetable. No starches. For snacks I'll have some cheese or nuts, sometimes with a little whipped creme and cinnamon on them.
It's difficult to be the only one in the household eating like this but I am becoming more certain that eating white starches, including all gluten, like breads and potatoes, along with any sugars will lead to heart disease, Type II diabetes or worse, including Alzheimers.
Google Dr. David Perlmutter or Dr. Joseph Mercola and you will find lots of good information.
DaleHajas's Link
I've used these same ideas as above and have moved away from diabetes and my cholesterol is way down along with my BP.
Now I'm using the diet for weight loss.
As for exercise, find a workout program that works all your muscle groups. I can't tell you how many times I have someone do one of our programs that thinks they're in great shape only to hear that they are now sore in places they didn't realize they had muscles. :^)
Seriously guys and gals, I'm here to help people. I don't pressure anyone to buy anything from me. I want to see people succeed. I'm 53 years old and since doing these programs and cleaning up my diet I'm in the best shape of my life. When I have a check up at the Dr they always comment after they take my BP and pulse. My resting heart rate is around 58 and my BP is usually about 116/72.
email me if you need help or have questions [email protected]
Dale, Mark's Daily Apple is good. He's the Primal Blueprint author, right? I have all of his books. The Primal/Paleo diet and lifestyle is the way to go :^) It's how we were genetically designed and evolved to eat and stay healthy. It makes the most sense of any nutritional plan I've seen. Congrats on your improvements so far, Dale.
Phil, I didn't know you were avoiding gluten. Through my Lyme doctor, who does very thorough testing, I tested positive for gluten intolerance. He suggested that I immediately switch to a 100% gluten free diet. He mentioned the Paleo diet, with which I'm very familiar. I put it off for a couple of months, cheating some on occaision, thinking my problems were all due to Lyme, because things had improved considerably with antibiotics to kill the Lyme and supplements to boost my immune system, but when the last of my symptoms simply refused to leave, I began reading in depth about gluten. Puzzle pieces started dropping into place left and right. I was only addressing part of the problem, wasn't properly addressing the final root causes of my immune dysfunction and its effects on me.
I remembered how awesome I felt on the Paleo diet when I did it previously 100%, mainly to lose weight. Back then, I just didn't know that I was 'fixing' my gluten intolerance issue by the Paleo diet's inherent elimination of gluten. The Paleo/Primal diet(better than Atkins, or any other, IMO) eliminates all gluten and dairy, among other things.
Many of those intolerant of gluten are also, or also eventually become, intolerant of the proteins in dairy. Reactions to gluten can make the small intestine permeable, allowing the gluten proteins through the intestinal barrier into the bloodstream, and then the dairy proteins can get through too... both can cause issues, but especially gluten, can cause immune responses and autoimmunity, which can lead to some of the nastiest diseases plaguing and killing folks today.
Anyhow, I went 100% gluten free(though not completely Paleo) and in less than 2 weeks I noticed improvement. Within 3-4 weeks I felt spectacular. Zero joint inflammation, pain, or stiffness and less fatigue. It felt like someone dropped me into a new body. A couple other things cleared up for me as well.... Inflammation of sinuses, respiratory and g.i. tracts, frequent and persistant headaches, etc. All symptoms gone... well, gone as far as what I can feel. They say it may take several months or even a few years for the gut to heal completely... and even after it's healed, we're never 'cured' of gluten intolerance. We'll always have it, and always have to avoid it. Other than being a little weak yet from my Lyme battle, which continues to improve daily with exercise, I feel 100% healthy and better than I can remember.
I've read there is an association between bacterial and viral infections and the showing or worsening of gluten intolerance symptoms, and I believe this could be why, while I may have been intolerant of gluten since birth, I felt, or recognized, almost no outward symptoms, UNTIL following the Lyme infection. I DID have headaches and heart palpitations for years, now gone. I also believe my gluten intolerance may have stressed/compromised my immune system(80% of which is based in the gut) which would have helped allow the Lyme bacteria to run rampant in the 'first' place. It's almost a 'chicken or the egg thing'.
I've found I must conform 100% to gluten free, or symptoms return within a few hours. I mistakenly ingested gluten down at work a couple weeks ago, and by the next morning my sinuses were swollen, I had diarrhea, and by the afternoon my right knee began getting achy. The next morning my other knee and shoulder joints were sore and stiff. It lasted about 6 days total, onset, peak, and decline, and now I feel great again. I can't have even a little bit of it. No more beer :^(
Oh yeah, my brother recently discovered wheat(gluten), and dairy, was making him sick. He's had some nasty gastrointestinal issues, and is in the process of getting his diet straightened around... on his own as far as I know... it was a process of elimination for him. I need to have a sit down with him one of these days, give him a good book to help him understand, adjust, and move forward.
Speaking of books... these posts have grown long enough :)
By the way, looking back, my father had gastric reflux bad, ate Tums like candy, and ended up with esophogeal cancer.... could it have been a life of undiagnosed gluten intolerance that kicked that all off? Hard to say now, but recall, it's genetic, and we all have it. Like I said, puzzle pieces...
Stay healthy.
Time to work out.
There is a lot of misinformation out there including our national food pyramid. A lot of the things we have been told and think are right are not. Carbs and sugars are not good for us. Fat - the right kinds of fat - are.
I am only about 25% primal meaning I adhere to the program about 25% of the time- to this point. Now I need to lose weight.
I like big breakfasts so I started by getting rid of sugar by substituting honey in my coffee instead and only 2 cups coffee per day. I eliminated virtually ALL refined sugars and high fructose corn syrups from my diet entirely. Bread for the most part consists of 2 pcs.
My breakfast 3-4 days a week is 3 eggs and 4 pcs of real bacon, 2 pcs of toast and 2 coffees. My cholesterol numbers went from 230 to 180 and my sugar dropped immensely. Bp was 130/60 Natural fats from bacon and red meat- GOOD red meat dissipate quicker than those of hybrid fats from sugars and processed foods.
I've only scratched the surface of this type of diet. Now I will move on to making it a bigger part of my life. It doesn't mean FOR ME that I can't have a Pepsi Every now and then or an order of wings. Just cut back on the junk and leave your body to nature-REAL NATURE!
I know a physician that found he had high blood glucose - not really high but pre-diabetic at 120. He was instructed to limit his carb intake to under 100 mg per day. 100mg is tough to maintain on a "normal" diet. One slice of bread has 36mg alone.
Overall you need to find foods that have a low glycemic index. There's so much information available about all this but it's difficult to know who to believe.
It's good to be having this discussion because there are so many folks that need to step back and look where they are headed health-wise.
My diet has seen radical changes in the last few years. Like many, breads and other 'white stuff' is beginning to scare me and that High Fructose Corn Syrup should be banned. I don't like "food police", but that garbage is killing people. Snacking is at a minimum these days and I quite the chewing tobacco at least a decade ago and as a result my digestive tract thanks me daily. :) We eat mostly all lean meat here and consume about a half dozen deer per year as a result. We buy a few steaks here and there in the summer, but that's about it in so far as beef goes. I quite drinking soda too many years ago to remember for certain, and am convinced that alone made positive changes in my overall health......We don't keep any in the house for our teenage kids either. They don't mind and actually prefer water anyway.
On the agenda this year is to reduce my cholesterol. It's at 210 and the doc's say "under 190" is better, especially since heart disease is prevalent on the paternal side of the family.
I've never really had weight issues and I attribute that to being incredibly active and never having been an over eater in my entire life. Don't know why that is and some say I'm weird that way because they can't imagine not *EVER* eating too much. Just have always figured that you should eat just as much as you need and move on to do something else......I just don't obsess over food.
Soooooo....., everyone's quiting beer, eh?! Now that could be a bummer as it's my only 'vice' in life really. :) I drink enough of it that it should make me heavier, but for whatever reason doesn't. Maybe it's just genetics, who knows. Any 'healthy beer' out there that anyone's knows of? Thinking something without preservatives like Straub, perhaps.....? I'll admit having not done any research there - maybe I'm afraid of what I'll find. LOL.
We just got back from grocery shopping, and holy cow did we load up on beautiful, colorful produce. Time to fire up the Nutribullet.
Phil, we got a tip that there was a store down in Cranberry, about 20 min from here that had a lot of gluten free food stuffs, and organics and such.... WOW, I found my new favorite store today. It's called McGinnis Sisters. The have gluten free food everywhere you look(no longer a needle in a hay stack)... as well as local produce, local homemade jams, sauces, dressings, without unneeded junk or bad oils in it, healthy, unique stuff everywhere, some better than others of course, name brands I've never seen or heard of. I didn't know such a store existed. Thank goodness.
They had a lot of gluten free stuff such as pasta, chips, pretzels, and flour for bread and pizza and stuff... so I had to keep in mind that just because it's gluten free doesn't mean it isn't empty calories, acidic, high glycemic stuff I don't need. But if ya wanted to treat yourself to something once in a blue moon, you could get it there without compromising your principals :^) We did good :^) Even got a couple veggies I havent tried before.
I think it's just a local store. There may be two of them. You have anything like it out your way?
My sister lives in Squirrel Hill and she's diagnosed celiac. I'll have to tell her about that store.
Wouldn't be too far from Squirrel Hill. This place is on 228, just a mile or so off of I-79.
Heres a note... My tryglycerides were very high. I started taking vit D. Even with 2 pills a day I started drinking whole milk again gaining more natural Vit D. No I don't drink a lot but even though there's more fat in the milk, it has helped me bring down my sugar. The gain in natural fat is the lesser of 2 evils here, with cholesterol down to 180 its not hurting me.
Now I'm looking at the almond milk. Who's drinking the almond milk??
Last week I just eclipsed 12 straight minutes of jogging at my aqua therapy using a bungee at full tension, I now only have one issue with my legs, albeit the worst one.
The best way to prevent this, and a number of other diseases like heart disease and diabetes, is to force your body to burn fat cells instead of glucose. This is called dietary ketosis. There's lots of information available on it. A ketogenic diet is similar to a paleo diet.
None of this is easy since we've been conditioned to eat all kinds of food that is bad for our bodies but the results are something to seriously consider.
Diet: very ugly word in my opinion. I never deprive myself of anything. I drink beer, eat pizza, icecream, and wings. I don't eat these foods daily but give myself a day or two a week where I indulge. The rest of the time my eating habits are basic. 6 meals a day, that consist of a Protein, Carb, and veggie. Portion sizes are the size of my fist or fit in the palm of my hand. I don't need any special shakes, to get me through the day. Just lots of chicken, salmon, eggs, brown rice, and veggies. MY blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose all remain in check.
Beat advice I can offer is set goals, decide what type of "fit" you want to be. Read, Read, Read! Seek advice from professionals. Have a open mind! Find a reason, or your motivation to be fit!
Check out this site: http://www.mtnathlete.com/. There is a lot stuff here that pertains to what most of us love to do!
I kind of like Flatlanders approach. I like pizza and wings and some of the other no-nos in the dieting world. Moderate!
I guess I just want to use a more common sense approach.
Dale, I have been using almond milk for over 4 years. I love it. I just can't figure out how they milk those little nuts. Can you imagine how small the milking stool must be? :^) I'd also love to send you a video about one of our programs called Tai Cheng. It's low impact and really helps with stretching and flexibility. Interested to see if you think the program might be able to help you.
For those of you who seem really into this nutrition stuff, I'd like to ask a favor. Check out my website at www.myultimatereset.com/73RR. This is a 21 day program that has supplements and a meal plan to rid your body of toxins. By the second week you are eating vegan. my wife did the ultimate reset and had great results. When we ate together I ate the same meals. lets just say I doubt I'll ever go vegan. :^)
Hope you heal quickly.
Someone stated: "NEVER EAT AFTER DINNER!" I don't understand the science behind this method? My first meal is at 6am and my last at 11pm. I am rarely hungry. I do consider what I eat but still stick to my food groups of carbs, veggies and protein. My favorite meal in the evening is non-fat cottage cheese, mixed with yogurt! No veggies at night! I eat an extremely large amount of the throughout the day!
I will say that I wouldn't recommend my method for everyone trying to lose weight. Level of activity needs to be a large consider when planning how you are go eat!
But weight Is only the visible part that you see. While exercise does do a lot to correct eating the wrong foods, there are still metabolic changes that happen and can catch up with you over time.
There are some that advocate mini-fasts during the day - 8 hour periods or more. Others advocate eating several small meals a day.
It is hard to tell the difference between someone that knows what they are saying and someone trying to sell a book or program.
Phil is right about sugar being cancer fertilizer. It loves sugar... THRIVES on it. That's why they put glucose in with the radioactive tracer in PET scans when they're testing for cancer. The cancer sucks up the glucose like a sponge and brings the radioactive element with it, when it collects there, it 'lights up' on the test, glows. Hello cancer.
Like Phil said, when there's more glucose in the body than it can burn, it's converted to fat to be burned later... a naturally evolved process to get us through the lean times when food wasn't available.... problem is, nowadays, it's ALWAYS available. If we get rid of the sugar (meaning everything that turns too quickly and easily to sugar in our bodies) our body doesn't have enough glucose to burn to keep us fueled, so it draws on fat reserves. i.e. we lose weight. Avoiding the sugar flips the switch.
Yep, eliminating, or nearly so, sugar in its many forms, including simple carbs and other high glycemic foods, and replacing them with nutrient dense, low glycemic foods is a good way to naturally head toward or maintain your optimum weight, arm your immune system, and balance bodily systems, without starving yourself.
The weight loss thing aside... we all know folks who seem to be able to eat as much junk as they want and not gain an ounce of weight. I used to envy them, but not any longer. They can get a false sense of security. Just because one is thin, or even appears physically fit, doesn't mean they're truly healthy.
I've been diagnosed with de-conditioning I have virtually no strength left in my thighs. I can walk but I cant get up from a chair without total loss of strength. After a few steps my legs start working again.
My therapist is great- he's a hunter BTW. And the water therapy has eliminated all the little issues in my lower legs and ankles/feet.
I don't want to be a body builder nor do I want to run 25 miles a days. I need to drop weight and exercise my legs to get them back to where I need to be- so I can walk up a flight of stairs or climb a ridge in the Wasatch Front of Utah for an elk- like I once did...
The primal diet has been very helpful in regaining some of my natural body chemistry back.
For me, it's tough to give up beer since I'm a homebrewer. I just try to keep it to only one a day. The good thing is I know exactly what is in it!
Dave
Dale, sorry to hear about that. I didn't realize. I hope you get your strength back. Losing weight should help your knees, aye?
I work with a guy that said he had no cartilage in his knees, was bone to bone, arthritis in there too, was in a lot of pain and not getting around too good at all. He was trying to wait until he was ready to retire to get them replaced. He was big, pushing 300 pounds I'd guess. He's now about 170 and walks several miles every day. He didn't do it in a healthy way in my opinion... starving himself, eating only supper each day... but I'm wondering how he can do all of that walking if his knees are/were so bad. I'll ask him next time I see him how his knees are doing, if they're bothering him when he walks, and what he did if anything to help them specifically.
Dave thanks for the info on those other good stores.
Mmmm, I just had a red grape, kale, parsley, cilantro, beet leaf, cucumber, pomegranate seed, and flax seed smoothly for lunch :^)
DaleHajas's Link
I up to 30# on a hip flexor machine lol Im dead tired and sore as hayl for 2 days after that. I'm looking at the c25K program.
C25k looks interesting.
I had to watch the sugar so I took it a bit further and just started eating better. I cut out salt and margerine, I switched to wheat bread, skim milk, clear salad dressings, I scrape off all the fried crap & skin, lite this and that, etc. My body was a temple, after all. :)
I still stick with my "healthy" eating but eat too much. My bloodwork is always good as well as my BP. After last years blood screen I decided I would cut out a few more things like ice cream, chips, and lunch meat. At the same time I went on a fruit kick. I eat A LOT of fruit and vegetables. In one year my results were even better across the board, and I lost some weight without really trying.
I do cheat a bit and can still dive into a chip bag if left unattended. And you can't fletch arrows without beer, can you?
My wife finally got her bloodwork done last year. She had a wake up call. In the last year she did nothing more than start eating like I do and lost 40lbs and her recent blood screen results were remarkably better! I'm really proud of her!
I'm one of those people who go on a diet every Monday morning. When you are feeling fine it's hard to stick with it. I really don't eat bad, I just eat too much of the good stuff. :)
Nowadays my exercise is mostly walking, hunting, and shooting my bow. The knees are a mess from HS football. If I behave, the knees are fair at best. The days of strenuous exercise are over.
This is a really good thread, it has given me some ideas. Thanks.
I've had blood work done every 3 months for over 2 years. At times, I've had over 20 vials of blood taken at a time. My doctor is an M.D. and Naturopath and treats the whole body, so we've tested a LOT of things. He listens and we've tested many things that were my idea too, not just his. He's expressed to me that patients don't usually take an interest in their health like I do. They just come to him and expect to get a pill to fix them up... unfortunately it's way more complicated than that. Most all of the vitimins and herbs I take were a result of my studies, and he helps me tweak things a little sometimes. I'm anxious to see him again on Monday and get the results of my blood work.
My Lyme doc told me that having the infection as bad as I did would end up being a good thing, that I would be more fortunate in the end because it forces one to know what it means, and takes to be truly healthy. I was fairly health conscious before but now I'm really in touch with my body, respect it more, if that makes any sense, and have absorbed a lot of info, with much more to come. I wouldn't mind taking some classes from
3825 Sawmill Run Blvd 412-882-6400
Art, glad that works for you. I tried apples , organic apple cider and a ton of other things that didn't help. My problem was reflux. Sometimes heartburn means different things to different people.
Bottom line is weather my way is right or wrong it works for me! I consider myself successful. I'm 44 and not on any medications. I have no limitations when it come to exercise. I haven't had any surgery to my back or knees yet, I've beat cancer and feel that my quality of life is better than most my age due to fitness and diet.
Two months ago however, I was at 222. I'm halfway back down now, and at 50 I'm feeling much better despite a few ailments. If I can gt back to 25yr old fighting weight I'll be happy. LOL
We did the gluten diet period to check. I'm good on that area. Not much bothers my stomach. Except dairy...but not bad.
I just got back from my Naturopath M.D. Our appointment lasted over an hour and a half. We went over my 'symptom journal' that I kept since our last visit, all of my bloodwork, discussed things like gluten intolerance, cholesterol vs. fibrinogen and homocysteine levels in the blood, the workings of, and importance of melatonin in cells, mitochondria, oxidation, reassessed my supplement regime, made some adjustments, discussed the Shakeology ingredients.... he was reasonably impressed with it, Ernie, but mentioned a couple of herbs they should have included :^) I'm currenttly at no risk of atherosclerosis, stroke, heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes, etc. He gave me some new book titles to peruse, and wasnt mad that I took myself off of the prescription meds when I explained why :^) He agreed that I should concentrate on staying 100% gluten free and allow my gut to heal, and my immune system to continue to improve... which could help some of my other 'more obscure' numbers. I think I have the chronic Lyme thing whooped for now, and the gluten thing under control, now I'm just trying to optimize my overall health and longevity.
He's a cool doctor. People come from all over the country to see him. There was a mother and daughter there from Alabama when I got there... both had Lyme and gluten intolerance. The last time I was there, a family from South Carolina was there to see him. A lady even came from Australia once.
Melatonin... anybody supplement with it? Usually it's used to induce sleep, but it offers so many other benefits. My doctor stressed its value yesterday by saying, "If your house is burning and you can only grab two things, grab your bow and your melatonin."
It is a great antioxidant, and unlike others, is both water and fat soluble, can repair inside and outside our cells, and cross the blood/brain barrier to repair damage there as well. It can help boost the immune system, fight aging and add years to our lives, and help avoid Parkinsons, Alzheimers, heart disease, diabetes, cataracts, and much more. I'm intrigued and ordered a book on it this morning :^)
It is generally advised to take 1-3 mg at bedtime to help induce sleep. He advised me to increase mine to 9mg for now and gradually increase. He takes 40mg.
I'll have to check out the melatonin, especially with Dale's comment. :^)
I'm with Flatlander on this one- everything in moderation and don;t deprive myself. Life is too short! I don;t want to over-analyze things. Keep it simple stupid(me ;-). Common sense. Cut down on processed and fast foods. Portion control. Eat more veggies and fruits. Get an avg of 30 min cardio and 15 min strength 4-5 days per week. Rest at least 1-2 days/wk. Get at least 7-8 hrs of sleep.
Studies show a 1-2 beers/glass wine a day is good. Even dark chocolate is good in moderation.
But the 'sense' it requires to optimize health and avoid disease isn't as 'common' as it should be... even in the medical community. America's "common sense" is failing us.
You guys do have me thinking though and will start to reduce the bad stuff. Gonna attempt to get up extra early and start an exercise program, I just can't seem to do it after a long day at work.
I'm bad with sugar, I cut back to one small sugar per cup of tea and add some Equal. Somewhere back in this thread someone said the sugar supps are bad too, is that correct ? and why?
Keep this going , this is a good thing.
Bill V
Rut, we're trackin. I've found that when I consume more calories than I burn....I get fat. :)
Ralph- LOL! But that is really the key, right there! Most people don't realize how simple it is! Calories in vs calories out. As far as maintaining a healthy weight, it doesn't matter what you are taking in- if you are taking in more than you are burning, you will gain. If the equation is balanced(cals in = cals out) then you will maintain. Doesn't matter what weight you are- 30 lbs over, at "ideal" weight, or 30 under.
I do not eat everything in sight, I rarely drink anything other than water well except beer, I try to eat little bread and fried foods. I do not like sweets, never have so i consume little sugar. I guess I'm a venison and potatoes kind of guy with a good amount of fruit and vegetables thrown in there. Seems to work for me. I have had no surgeries and am on no medications, I do not take any supliments besides the creatine and whey but am interested In researching what I may need as I get older.
Mike
But just because a person feels good or seems to be in good shape does not indicate that they are actually OK on the inside. In the same manner, just because a person takes a statin to lower their cholesterol does not mean they are eliminating or even reducing their risk of a heart attack.
treerat, one thing you can do is have your c-reactive protein checked. It is believed that hear disease is caused more by inflammation than by natural fats or cholesterol. You may find this article interesting -
http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease
Hey if that is hurting me then so be it. That is what I like and I consider myself lucky that I do not have to fight a craving for sweets and junck food. I am lucky that the foods I like are for the most part good for me.
Mike
My father-in-law was fit and active when his arteries finally clogged so badly that they took his leg, after over a dozen previous surgeries, and less than a year after his amputation, he had a massive stroke and died. He could have had 10-20 more years in him, IMO. His cholesterol wasn't overly high that I knew of, he wasn't on any statins or special diet for it, but he never had any other/better markers tested. Basically, he didn't know he had anything wrong inside until the damage was done... long done. After the amputation, his wife asked me, "What do you mean by good fats and bad fats?"
I'm not directing this at anyone here specifically, but it is strange to me is how we are almost entirely empathetic toward important needs and workings of our bodies and minds for a lifetime, and then when something bad invariably surfaces... it's a surprise, an accident, it was destiny, in our genes, we're a victim... etc. My family didn't eat right, nobody I knew did. My grandparents ate better, but not 'good'. The list of sicknesses and disease that likely were brought to bear by deficiencies and damage due to diet/nutrition as root causes would be a long one.
When you guys go get your cholesterol checked, have them check your fibrinogen and homocysteine. They are better indicators of cardio-athero health.
Mike
Diet will not stop a soldier from developing spine issues after patrolling with a ruck for 20yrs. It may “help”…as will exercise and strength training and to some extent genetics. But down the road, the tax man cometh. Or a painter or lineman from developing knee problems after 30yrs of ladders and poles. There is no magic dietary supplement that fixes above average wear-and-tear, which for many due to life’s challenges is inevitable. Just like your ball and universal joints on the truck. If all you ever do is drive around town on paved roads and keep it garaged, your truck will last forever. But not so if you live on country roads, hunt and fish, haul wood etc.
Pile on top of that the fender-benders of life. If you’re lucky enough to avoid ever needing surgery or repair for something broken or damaged, you either are very lucky, or lived a very safe & secluded life.
Ralph, I agree. Diet and supplements alone can repair and prevent a lot, but not everything. You've got to do your homework, and a little skepticism is helpful. It IS big business. Some supplements are a comolete waste, even counterproductive. Others can't be taken together or they inhibit the uptake of one another, etc.
I've abused my body with physical jobs and 'stupid human tricks' my whole life and while I don't expect the supplements I take each day to make me like new again, I believe they are helping to repair the damage, slow the aging process, prevent disease, as well as keep my immune system on top of it's game. I also take stuff to facilitate good organ function, kill and remove pathogenic bacteria and viruses, promote heart health, maintain hormone balance, mobilize, bind and remove toxins and heavy metals, and so on. I take over 50 supplement pills a day, plus a few powders and other extracts that I mix with drinks that are loaded with goodies too. Guess who's the only guy here at work who hasn't had a cold or flu yet :^)
Haha, a guy just offered me a chili dog :^)
The next thing is the concept of calories in/calories out. You can't look at nutrition that way either. If it were that simple someone could workout and then eat nothing but Oreos and be healthy. It's all about knowing where your needs are for your body and supplying it the correct ratio of good fats/good carbs/protein.
I also hate the word diet. Too many of my customers get hung up because of that word. Diet makes most people think that they are cutting back on the amount of food. I think the word nutrition is much better as when most people start eating healthy they find that they are actually eating more food rather than less.
If we want to stick with the "vehicle" analogy, what I promote is putting good fuel in the "vehicle" and lots of preventative maintenance. Too many people are treating their "vehicle" like they think it's indestructible. They're shoving whatever fuel they can find into it, not doing any maintenance, or the least amount possible. They are either headed for the junk yard or worse, driving towards the cliff! Good fuel, a maintenance plan, a wash and shine and I may not be able to make them all look showroom spotless but at least I can help them look and run better. :^)
Too funny. I almost spit out my coffee when you mentioned the chili dog. LOL
I take a Centrum Silver (past year), CoQ10 and eat 2 pieces of 12grain toast with pure honey and cinnamon each morning (About a tablespoon of honey and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon). Along with my parkinsons med. Not so much as a sniffle since the honey and cinnamon began 6 months ago. But the rest of the house has fought with everything. (knock on wood).
No, not everything can be cured by nutrition, but MUCH can be caused by a lack of it.
Ok, I have to comment on a couple of things. First of all, I think Rut stated that studies show 2 beer/day to be good for you. Me thinks that study was paid for by the beer company. I'm not saying all alcohol is bad but 2 beers/day adds up to a ton of calories not to mention the other stuff associated with alcohol.
Ernie- there have been many, many studies over the years that have shown alcohol in MODERATION is actually cardio-protective. They suggest that those that drink 1-2 glasses of wine, beer or even liquor, reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Of course that has to be taken in the context of caloric balance. You have to factor those into your daily intake. Can;t just add those to the calories you are already taking in, unless you want to run a lot more every day! ;-)
And you can;t abstain during the week and then binge on the weekends and expect the same result. Drinking 2 six-packs every weekend and nothing during the week wouild be counter-productive!
In general red wine is widely accepted for its health benefits because it contains reservatrol. Beer and other alcohols are not as widely studied or accepted but I think there is more evidence that a beer a day is not a bad thing. One beer is roughly the equivalent of a glass of wine and may offer some benefits but definitely is missing the key one - reservatrol. It seems the key benefits from beer are a result of its effect on our blood and improving circulation.
Gotta love it. :)
Things just keep getting better. :)
These things, for general health, antioxidants, immune system boosters, anti-inflammitories, etc I would continue taking even if I was sure my Lyme battle was over with.... Homocysteine Factors, melatonin, resveratrol, acai, siberian ginseng, curcumin w/bioperene, v-ester c, sublingual b12, b complex, v-d, v-e gamma, v-a, magnesium citrate, zinc, selenium, alpha lipoic acid, calcium, serrapeptase, nattokinnase, fish oil, flax oil....
These are geared more toward Lyme and other bacteria and viruses, gut healing, detoxing, liver function and health, etc... milk thistle, devil's claw, cat's claw, garlic extract, monolaurin, chlorella, spiralina, biofibrin, bio detox complex, digestive enzymes, probiotic capsules 50 billion cfu's, cytoprobiotic liquid, That's all I can remember right now.
I take seperate pills and don't do the multivitamin thing because I haven't found one that offers the best versions of all the vitamins I take... like magnesium citrate for instance. It's the most bioavailable version of magnesium, but they usually offer magnesium oxide... I'm guessing because it's cheaper... but it mostly passes right through ya.
I drink lots of different herbal teas too and try to use plenty of fresh herbs and mushrooms in my food. Mushrooms and onions are good at fending off cancer. Sheepshead is near the top of the list by the way :^)
Lots of good info here thanks guys.
Mike
Dale, looks like you over did it on the resistance days, We need o get you doing yoga now to work on your flexibility.
Jeff, Our Shakeology is loaded with most of what you listed. You probably can stop buying some of your supplements and save some money. If anyone want info on Shakeology message me or check out my website dedicated to Shakeology at www.myshakeology.com/73RR
Jeff, I also heard how we have basically engineered the good stuff out of our food. Amazing when you think about it.
I had a professor in college that was not big on supplements(other than a good multi-vitamin) who used to say "Americans have the richest urine in the world"- LOL! But it's true. Whatever we put in our bodies that is not used, we end up excreting thru our bladders/kidneys. I had friends that used to spend big bucks on Protein powders, energy shakes and mega vitamins. THey didn;t have any deficiencies, they just went by the "if some is good, more is better" philosphe. They flushed a lot of money down the toilet. ;-)
Now, I'm not saying some suplements are not needed. If you have a deficiency, then they can be helpful. But taking lots of vitamins and supplements can be counterproductive, and at the very least a waste of money.
Besides, if I don;t buy all these protein powders and supplements, then I have more money for Broadheads! (Rage ;-)
I don't eat a low fat diet. I eat a good fat diet. Avacados, olive oil, flax seeds, walnuts, grass fed beef, wild caught salmon, etc. The low fat diets of years past flat out failed and made americans even fatter and sicker.
http://pasreynolds.isagenix.com/
I try to eat about 50% carbs, 20 % protien and 30 % fat. Especially if you are working out alot, you need more carbs for energy. Complex carbs(fruit and veggies)
I stopped doing the longer workouts and went to doing a P90 weight training workout 5 days a week and only doing the short version insanity CD's. A guy at work who is very knowledgeable about detox and nutrition and supliments like Jeff suggested that I read a book called dead Atleast don't lie or something like that. He said I'm hurting myself by sweating all my minerals out of my body by working out the amount I do. Should I be concerned about loosing my minerals doing five 40 weight training sessions and six 40 minute cardio sessions? Is that to much? Most days I enjoy doing it but if I'm over doing it at my age 48 I am ok with cutting back some.
Thanks Mike
Additionally, like you, I'm concerned about joint injuries and wear(I have some arthritis in the hips) and am wondering about alternatives that are easier on bones.......You know, us guys in our 40's aren't in our 20's anymore. ;^)
Time to sweat :^)
Mike
As I have gotten older, I have tried to stay away from the high impact activities, payed more attention to warmup and stretching and alternated between hard and easiER workouts- given the body more recovery between hard workouts. And I don;t put as much emphasis on weight training. 20 min 4 times a week alternating upper, lower body 15-20 reps focusing on basics.
One thing the studies show is how much difference there is between doing nothing(being sedentary) and exercising 3-4 days per week 30 min per session at 70% max.(the improvement in health is HUGE!) BUT, once you get above 4-5 days per week, 45 min per session and 75% max, the improvement in health (VO2 max, BP, HR, Chol, blood sugar etc............is negligible, but the risk of injury goes WAY up!
Sorry I couldn't reply sooner. Lots of great advice here and as said, I'm not a Dr so I always tell people to consult with their Dr. As for the pain specifically with Insanity. IMO, Insanity is an intense high impact workout. In this workout the cardio you do includes lots of jumping. This high impact can affect different people different ways. if your knees were hurting you after some of the more intense workouts I'd say that your body was telling you something. Sometimes it's not worth pushing thru the pain. I also highly recommend a heart rate monitor for anyone that want's to do an extreme workout like Insanity and give it 100% That said all of these workouts have modified moves for even beginners.
As for the question can you over do it on cardio? sure. When someone gets to the point in their fitness that you might be at, you become more in tune with your body. Pay attention to what it is telling you. If you are eating healthy and doing some supplements I wouldn't worry about sweating away all you're minerals. I would definitely drink some form recovery drink right afterwards. I always drink my P90X Results and Recovery drink after my intense workouts as it helps replenish what I need and helps with muscle soreness. I do not think for your body to be performing at it's maximum you can get all your nutrition just from what you eat. Years ago that may have been the case but we've altered too much of what we eat that I'm a firm believer in some sort of supplements.
My comment to this is "pee'ing gold to me would indicate a sign of not enough hydration. If someone would tell me that I would suggest they drink more water. Properly hydrated your urine should be almost clear. IMO
Perry, talked about too may supplements and just "flushing money down the toilet" I totally agree with that especially when it comes to these stupid "energy drinks". Pick up one of these cans or bottles and look at what is in them! way more B vitamins than your body can absorb plus lots of caffeine. Drink a Red Bull or 2 and I bet you will be "pee'ing gold". It'll be all that extra B vitamins plus the money you spent. We have an energy drink called E&E because our customers demanded it. they told us as coaches that it is one of the healthiest on the market. I do not promote it at all because I do not use it. When there is an energy drink that isn't over loaded with B vitamins and caffeine then I'll start using it. I don't like the mass marketing of energy drinks, just in case you can't tell. :^)
Rut Nut's Link
It depends what you're trianing your body to do though. If you still want to "play hard", then you have to train hard to condition your joints and tendons to hold up.
Yeah Ralph, but I gave this stuff up when I turned 40! ;-)
Ernie, the "gold" I was talking about is vitamin urine. :)
Ernie
I'm not talking about you in particular Chuck. Just making a general statement.
Good luck getting all you need from the grocery store. Much of the produce has been genetically modified, is lacking nutrients and minerals that it should/could contain, most of the protein sources in the stores are full of antibiotics, growth hormones, saturated fat and terrible omega ratios, and If you're not buying 100% organic produce, you're introducing toxins into your system... stuff that can ultimately lead to your demise... stuff you can't sweat out :^)
Supplementing with herbs, extracts, vitamins, minerals, and more, in addition to diet and exercise can help us approach optimum health and immunity, ward off and cure disease, kill viruses and bacteria, promote detoxification, fight oxidation and aging, improve energy, stamina, maintain hormone levels as we age, keep arteries clear without the horrible side effects of prescription meds... including death in some instances.... I've had 2 relatives die within hours of having their blood thinner meds adjusted.
I do agree that the supplement market is a multimillion/billion dollar industry and we should be smart about what we buy, but I also know for a fact that many folks could live longer and healthier WITH some supplementation than they are without.
So let me ask you this Ernie and Jeff! Who and how do we decide who's healty and who isn't. If im fit, and my cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and overall general heart health is good am I considered healthy even though I slug down some beer and wings on Sat night???
Who and what are the deciding factors to being healthy?
Ernie I don't have a problem with exercise programs. I've done most of them and have considered trying some advanced stuff, but this stuff ain't rocket science, and with all the info on fitness at our fingertips its even easier.
I'm not saying you aren't healthy today or that you are doing anything to harm yourself. Only time will tell. I do beleive that you are in better health than likely the majority of folks that frequent this forum and probably in better health than 90% of all Americans.
Actually Chuck, you mentioned 'the basics'? I'm doing the same with my health, breaking it down to the basics, the bare bones if you will... but unfortunately the basics of the human body are a bit more complicated than the bow and arrow :^) I do grow some of my own veggies and herbs, eat wild edibles, game, fish, grass fed beef, etc. but not as much as I'd like.
How do we know if we’re as healthy as we should be, or could be? Well, odds are, in today's world, we're not... but favorable test results in regards to the things you mentioned is a start. And if you eat and exercise to optimize your health all week, but have beer and pizza on a Friday night once or twice a month, it probably won’t do you too much harm… relatively speaking... unless you’re intolerant of gluten like the majority of folks are purported to be. But I digress… if you find the right doctor, he’ll run and interpret tests above and beyond. Tests that can reveal problems we didn’t know we had, maybe until it's too late, because we had no outward symptoms, tests that predict our short and long term risks better than 'the basics' you mentioned... particularly when it comes to the big guns, heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes, various forms of cancer, autoimmune diseases, etc.
I like my M.D./Naturopath because he won’t simply stand back and throw meds at symptoms when they’re revealed like most docs do, but will seek root causes and work to correct/cure them or redirect them toward optimum health with diet/nutrition and less toxic, more natural supplements when appropriate... if possible. If needed though… out comes the prescription tablet :^) He didn’t just find and treat my Lyme, gluten intolerance and others, he continues to seek any/all issues no matter how small and treat my whole system. We work together him and I, wage war on several fronts at the same time, and proof that our efforts are not wasted is revealed in the lab reports as well as how I feel. I’ve been getting blood work and other testing done through him every 3 months for 2 years now. He is 80 years old and looks and acts like he’s hmmm, better than most 55 year olds maybe? BTW, he takes over 40 different supplements a day.
You mentioned Cholesterol… what most consider “the” risk marker for atherosclerosis, stroke, heart disease, etc… It may be an indicator, if it’s really high it could be a problem, but others like homocysteine and fibrinogen, also, and perhaps better reveal such risks. They can be easily tested and adjusted with supplements that are proven to work. My numbers are just slightly elevated and I now take Homocysteine factors, Serrapeptase, Nattokinase, Curcumin w/Bioperene, and BioFibrin each day. They also provide other excellent benefits beyond keeping the circulatory system squeaky clean. No bypass, no strokes, no stents, no amputations, no heart attack, no thanks!
That’s just one example. Other pertinent things can be tested regularly and tweaked as needed, things like… liver, kidney, thyroid health and function, gastrointestinal health, prostate specific antigens (PSA), progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, CBC - complete blood count, to let you know that white and red blood cells and hemoglobin are behavin', and whether you’re immune system is currently at war with something inside(my lymphocyte levels were elevated when I was battling Lyme)… you can check for antigens building against a wide range of invaders, check for heavy metal accumulations… all these things can add up and completely cripple the immune system and leave the door wide open for infections, cancer, autoimmune disease, or whatever else you’re genetically predisposed to. My doctor handed me “The Book” two weeks ago during our appointment… the book that lists all of the tests that the labs can do on us. It was impressive, and sizable :^) There’s no way we could test for everything. But, perhaps a good start would be to begin testing and monitoring whatever runs in our families... and whatever is related to any symptoms we may have. Just because we’re genetically predisposed for some illness or disease, does NOT mean we have to “catch it”. “Well, just my luck… runs in my family.” B.S.! We can often avoid them easy enough and I plan to be proof :^) ... or die tryin' :^)
I better quit typing before I write a danged book. Besides, almost time for my melatonin... which does a LOT more than just aid sleep. In fact, that's not at all why I take it.
Continued good health to you, sir... and Good Night.
Your Dr takes 55 supplements??? Must be nice to have be able to afford that! Wonder how much of that money he craps out everyday?? I'll save my money for a few pizzas and beer! Enjoy your tofu and celery!
My doctor takes over 40 supplements. Yep, they cost money. It costs more to buy fresh healthy food too. It requires that we shop more often because it doesn't keep like the processed and preserved stuff. Sometimes we have to travel farther to get it too.
We all make our own choices where we spend our money, time, and attention. There have been things he advised me to do, that I didn't, or didn't right away because of the cost, but I try to look at it as preventative maintenance and as a worthwhile investment in my future, so I do what I can...
No tofu here, bud.
I'm not big into supplements. I believe that I can get most of what I need from eating right. But I am cautious about things. My wife had a reaction to a medication that millions of people take and it damaged her nervous system. Over two years later she is slowly recovering. In digging deeper into her problem we uncovered so much that impacts our everyday life - how we age and how we contract diseases. We had our DNA mapped and know what our genetic markers are but genetics is only 20-30% of the final outcome. Just because I have no tendency to heart disease does not mean I can eat anything and not exercise. Likewise I can do things to improve any areas where I may have genetic traits that led to problems.
I can't stand tofu. Eat a lot of salads, olives, nuts, proteins, some vegetables and a few fruits. Bacon and other meats are just fine if they are grass-fed and finished. Free range chicken is good. Don't eat farmed fish, just wild-caught. I never go hungry and enjoy everything I eat. Just try very hard to avoid all sugars, starches and grains. There is overwhelming evidence that those three lead to illness and death. Haven't been able to lose dairy since I love some cheeses but only the hard ones.
I do some situps, pushups, Nordic Track and ride a stationary bike but only sporadically. If I could force myself to exercise more I'd live forever. :)
I'm doing P90x3 now.
Then for my diet, I ate the #@$&^%%#@* things, with a big glass of whole milk
Eating is one of life's great pleasures. If I had to eat like that and take pills, I'd sooner be dead.
Phil- you gotta MOVE along with those videos- just sittin' there watching won;t do much! ;-)
Fruit, vegetables, lean meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, seeds? That's not extreme, that's as simple, natural, and basic as it gets... what humans are SUPPOSED to eat.
Hey, by now you should know I'm not like most people anyway :^) Speaking of "most people"... most are brainwashed, and both physically and mentally addicted by the food industry, government, and medical/pharmaceutical industry to 'stuff' that is very profitable but detrimental to their well-being and longevity. "Most people" don't know or care enough about what they're doing to themselves until it's too late for them.... if even then.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
Actually, I was eating right and exercising prior to the Lyme, was in the best shape of my adult life... a lot better than I am now... I'm still coming back... but yes, many of the supplements and herbs I took were specifically to battle the bacteria, the inflammation, repair the damage to organs, joints, etc. I still take some of those same things, though I'm discontinuing a few of them as they are used up, but will continue with those I feel are beneficial in other ways.
ROFLMFAO:)
Gezze my other post got deleted:) Imagine that...
Geeze Jeff I didn't know your feeling were so shallow, or hurt so easy:) I think it's great that you are taking control of your health. As for your workout I guess someone gotta strive for mediocracy! Just kidding don't wanna get your man panties in a bunch!
All kidding aside! Jeff if I know you it won't be long before you put the store bought workouts aside and start thinking outside the box. you have abandoned modern archery for a reason. I suspect for something more challenging (not that p90x isn't challenging). Then you took that a step further by making your own bow. You are passionate about your fitness, and I think that your views of it will change over time.
Jan. = 85 miles run with 80 on the treadmill. Feb. will have me pushing 200 miles.
The industry-spouted cholesterol 'healthy limits' and cholesterol lowering meds are a money making farce. Do a search for 'cholesterol fraud', or 'cholesterol scam'... and read up. It could save or greatly enhance your life or those of your loved ones.
They will NEVER prescribe statin drugs to me... ever.
Doctors(most) suck :^)
Good health to you.
Treat Example: I love fresh apple pcs with a small dab of peanut butter. I never ate apples before. I also have a banana daily.
Spending almost 2 hrs a session, twice a week in the pool. Leg issues are going away. Cant wait to walk......
I think Spider got a better workout though................. it was only knee deep for me, but looked to be about mid-thigh on him! ;-)
Gluten intolerance is turning out to be a very prevalent affliction. If anyone is interested in testing for gluten intolerance, you can order a stool test kit and send it straight to the lab, and get the results there too. No need for doctors.
It costs $128 per test at Enterolab, in Texas. You can google that name for more info on gluten symptoms and testing... or ask and I'll give you the web address, phone #, etc.
With an estimated 70%, some say more, of the population affected to varying degrees, there are invariably folks here who would be better off knowing.
Feels good to get back to a regular routine. Have a biked a few days, hit the stairclimber and today the olympic rower.
Hardest part was making the committment. Been saying to myself for weeks: "next week is the week"! ;-)