Christmas is a time for...moving...

      No matter who you are or what you do, there is always a way to get a little exercise.  The season is upon us now where cookies are baking and festive food and drink are starting to surround us at work and at home.  The key is moderation, balance and exercise.
     I am never going to give up the things I love like nut roll, kielbasi, ice cream and other goodies. I love to have a little Bacardi and Coke and when we go out I like to have a beer with my burger. However, during the week I eat a hard boiled egg for breakfast and for lunch I have a small bowl which consists of a protein, beans and a small bit of starch on the top... a little pasta or rice.  It balances out the days were I eat and drink a little more than I should.
       Walk, run, cycle, lift soup cans, wrap presents while dancing--just do a little something extra to keep your joints moving and to keep your weight from creeping up.  It is easy if you think about it.  Park away from the door when you go to the mall or to grocery store.  Walk up the steps, even up the escalator to move a little bit. Take the bag of potatoes, lift it up and down while walking around the kitchen table.  Small things, small steps but you can do this.


Keep moving at Christmas...

   

Positive Actions

     It is very easy to say "I'm going to start tomorrow" or "I can change".   I want to lose a few pounds so I tell myself I'm going to cut carbohydrates and exercise more.  My wife is always going to drop some weight and walk on the treadmill more often. Then life gets in the way.  With all of it's stress and demands, particularly at this time of year, we have a tendency to lose sight of the goals we wish to accomplish and we become complacent.
     We need to take the positive thinking and make it positive action.  When we think it, we need to set out a plan to do it, to make it happen, to accomplish our goals.  Make a game plan and stick with it.  My wife has decided that she is going to eat at least two of my famous "bean" lunches during the week.  Beans are said to be good for diabetics, controlling blood sugar while the fiber keeps you feeling full.  I eat them daily.  I miss running.  With the 12 hour work days, the papers that are due for class and the finals this week, I haven't been able to run much.  This week that will change, I will make the time for myself and my health.  You owe it to yourself to think through changes and then make the changes that will benefit your life.


Think it, then do it.

Happy Thanksgiving

     Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends.  I hope that you really enjoy your day. Thanksgiving is a time to take stock of everything in your life that you are grateful for.  It is also a time to think about all of the holidays, events, and things that you really want to be around for in the future.
     You can definitely eat all that you want, it's a day made for that.  But, while the turkey is in the oven, go outside and shovel or sweep a little snow.  Take a walk down the block, do some light aerobics while listening to Christmas music.  Make sure that you get some exercise in before you have the wonderful meal.  I'll get on the treadmill in the morning.  My wife will be frantically cooking, but even she will get on the treadmill in the morning too while she watches the parade.  It is important to take care of yourself so that you can enjoy your life.  Eat the turkey, eat the stuffing, eat the pie...but burn the calories.  You will thank yourself Friday morning.

Stay Strong

      I am sure as we go through our lives and deal with problems and things that come our way, we get stronger. We bounce back.  We learn to deal with or prepare for life differently.  For some reason, nothing seems to get easier, we just adjust our routines to meet daily challenges.                                            Our bodies, however, don't bounce back as easily from illness or injury as we get older.  Our bones aren't as strong, we don't use our muscles and flex our joints as much.  Arthritis and other disease processes take their toll on our bodies.  We begin to notice the aches and pains that advancing age brings.  We have to think about things a little longer, like where we parked the car, what we actually went to the store for or what is coming out of our checking account this week.                                                                           There are many things we can do to ease into our "Golden Years".  I take classes at Marywood University, not so much to get a piece of paper that documents the achievement, but to keep learning about things that interest me and to keep my brain sharp. I walk whenever and wherever I can.  I like to run, even if it is on the treadmill, as it keeps my joints moving and my muscles from becoming atrophied. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of aches and pains.  That comes from years of being in the military, from martial arts participation and instruction, from doing difficult things that I like to do.  It can't stop me though.  It will never stop me from moving, from jumping out of planes, from running through the streets of Scranton or at Nay Aug Park.                                              You can't let it stop you either.  Life keeps moving and so should you.  If you have to sit and do exercises, then sit and lift weights, or stretch in your chair.  If you can walk to your front gate or to the street, walk to the corner, walk to buy your coffee or walk from the back of the parking lot to the store, then you must do that. As I always say, anything you can do is better than doing nothing. Take a class, learn to cook, learn to work on the computer, do something not only for your mind, but to develop into a better person.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Life keeps going, you should too...

  

It's Not In the Finish, It's the Start

     It is true...you hear yourself saying things like "I'll do it tomorrow" or "Maybe later".   It's hard to get started when there is so much of life getting in the way.  But how do you want to live your life?
     I want to be able to be to move.  I want to be able, as I always say, to tie my own shoes until the day I die.  I want to go on vacation and visit new places and be able to walk around all of them.  I want to be mentally sharp until the day I die.  I take classes, do mental testing on the Internet and watch educational videos.  Read.  Read books, read articles, read the newspaper.  Life is moving really quickly.  The days seem to go by slowly, but the years are just flying.
     Get up and walk to your front porch ...go to the sidewalk or driveway...and keep walking.  When you feel tired, come home.  It's that simple.

Get started...

Do Something Fun...

     This is my granddaughter, Jules, bowling at her Birthday party.  All of the kids and adults are having a good time, laughing and getting exercise.   Bowling is great exercise.  It is great fun for young or old alike, as it doesn't require a certain "body type" or too much flexibility to get that ball down the alley.
      Of course, then we all had cake.  It is a must at a party to celebrate.  The fact that you are exercising though, makes the calories and carbohydrates in the cake not so bad.  It's really all a trade-off.  You need to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight, it's as simple as that.  You don't need the advanced liquid diets or the vegetarian diets or the diet where you can't eat anything at all that you like.  You need to balance your life with exercise and eating to where you at least burn the calories you take in to maintain your weight, or burn more calories than you take in to lose some weight.
      It was a beautiful fall day today.  My wife, her sister and her niece and friend went out to the pumpkin patch and cider mill.  They walked through the corn maze.  The flung apples with a slingshot at targets in a field.  They felt that exercise entitled them to an apple cider doughnut.  They are right.  Enjoying life while keeping moving is how you survive.
      It will be getting colder soon.  Don't fret.  Bowling, roller skating, walking on the treadmill, snowball fights are all great activities.  You don't have to shut down when the weather changes, you have to change with it.

Bowling and cake are awesome...

What Are You Eating?

   

     Most nations, including Australia, Japan and all of the countries in the European Union, do not consider GMOs, Genetically Modified Organisms, to be safe.   Genetically modified food, also known as genetically engineered food, are the crop plants that have been modified in the lab  to enhance desired traits, such as resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content.  

     Currently commercialized GM crops in the U.S. include soy (94%), cotton (90%), canola (90%), sugar beets (95%), corn (88%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (over 24,000 acres).  In the U.S., the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. There is a growing body of evidence that is now connecting GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and the violation of consumer rights.  The creation of GMOs is also leading to the development of stronger, more dangerous pesticides.  

     You should be aware of what you are eating and what you can do about it.  If what you are eating is dangerous, you need to know that.  You also need to contact your representatives and tell them that the new DOW pesticides should not be allowed.   My wife and I signed several petitions on Dr. Oz, calling for the labeling of GM foods and the ban of these super pesticides. 

     

     

You are what you eat...

Don't Sit

     You don't have to sit on the cactus.  As a matter of fact, you don't have to sit that much at all.  If your job requires you to sit, at least stand up every hour or so and stretch and touch your toes and walk to get a drink of water or to go to the bathroom.  On your break, on your lunch, get up and move around.  At home, walk around the house, walk outside, walk down the block.  I firmly believe the more mobile you are now, the more mobile you will stay into your later years.
      Also, I am reading more and more about food additives, artificial sweeteners, GMOs and I really think that we need to make more natural food choices.  We should make 2/3 of our plate vegetables and fruits, with protein making up the last third.   Stay away from the artificial sweeteners, the soy and the corn additives, the food so processed you don't even recognize that it is food anymore.  Get back to basics.

At this rate, it might be better to eat the cactus...

Time To Start

 
   

     Every step that you take forward is a step in the right direction.  It might be small and you might think it doesn't matter.  It matters.  If you walk, just walk for a minute you burn 6 calories.
    I really need to stay flexible and keep moving. I am so determined to keep tying my own shoes, keep getting myself dressed and to really stay active into the golden years of my life.
    Don't tip toe into the coming years of your life. Go out, move and live those years. Take the first step.


You need to take the first step now...

One Thing Leads To Another...

     
     Healthy living is really a cycle of positive behavior.  If you eat better and exercise regularly, you feel better.  If you feel better, your attitude changes and you look better.  Your attitude changes and you tend to think  more positively than negatively.  You live a better life.
      Jump into the cycle.  Make the choice in the morning to eat better and pack some healthy meals and snacks to take to work.  Take a ten minute walk around the building or around the parking lot at break.  The weather is changing now, it's not so hot and humid and it's a good time to enjoy it.
      I do think one of the most important things in this cycle is positive thinking.  Because if you think you can't do something you are right.  If you think your life can get better, if you think you can find the time to exercise, if you think you can eat more produce and fruits--you can.  Thinking is believing and believing is doing and it starts the whole cycle out.   Did you ever notice that being around negative people has a tendency to suck the life right out of you?  They are always complaining about how bad their lives are and no one really feels comfortable around them. Positive people will always feel better, do better at work, home and school and will always attract other people.


Jump Into The Life Cycle...

Just Like That.

      Have you ever decided that, starting tomorrow,  you are going to make a positive change in your life?  You are going to eat better, exercise more, think positive thoughts, stay away from negative people...just make better choices   Then, in your head, you talk yourself out of it.  You don't have time to make salad for lunch, you don't have time to exercise and do laundry, etc.
     Change happens when you realize that you can accomplish anything you want to.  If you want to feel better, than you have to actively work to pursue that.  That means evaluating your eating habits, your vitamin and mineral intake, your exercise habits...and you have to decide that you are worth that makeover.  Because you are.
      You can change...just like that.  You decide it's a nice day, so on your break or lunch at work you are going to walk out to your car, then back the long way around the parking lot, walk up and down the steps a few times, soaking up the sunshine and Vitamin D.  You make a salad for dinner,  and you make a little extra and put it in a bowl for lunch the next day so it is convenient and you can just grab it.  Throw a load of laundry in, then walk on the treadmill until it goes into the dryer.  If you have a favorite show, and you are going to watch it anyway,  walk the treadmill, touch your toes, lift some soup cans or do something while watching it. Instead of going to McDonald's, go to the Farmer's Market and buy some fruit and vegetables to eat all week long.  You can always get something good to eat at your local Farmer's Market.


Tomorrow can start today...
   

Get Out There Together

     As we get older, we do have a tendency to forget things.  Probably not on the scale as this couple in the picture, but I have walked into a store and thought...what did I come here for?
      One way to help prevent dementia and keep the brain working is to keep blood flowing to it.  Increasing blood flow by exercising is a good way to ensure that blood is flowing through your heart and to all of your important parts.  It is also a good idea to exercise the brain by reading, by learning, by playing games specifically meant to challenge the brain.  Some of those can be found on Lumosity.com  or by going to AARP's site, as they have some really decent "brain games".
      We all  know that exercise helps to keep our muscles, joints, tendons and all of our body parts moving and can help us avoid injury from simple falls or wrong turns.  If you do get injured, exercise and therapy can help you to recover quicker, with programs designed to restore function.  Being in shape helps to shorten recovery time from surgeries and other procedures that you may have to undergo as you get older.  Keeping your brain sharp may help you to function for a longer time on your own into your golden years.
     Remember, when thinking of exercise I am not saying you have to join a gym or spend a lot of money on a personal trainer.  If you can do that, and you would like to do that, that is great.  However, at any age, exercise can be as simple as taking a walk.  Bike riding is good exercise as well, but please, put your clothes on.  You may end up with brush burns or bruises in spots where you won't want them


Exercise, like nakedness, is more fun shared....

Small Changes

     I know that I sound like a broken record at times.  I just don't think some people get it.  You are never going to do a complete makeover overnight. You will get discouraged about the things you want to change and give up.  I hear well, starting tomorrow, I am going to eat better, get some or more exercise, lose weight, get more sleep, take a class or work on my hobbies more.  All of that tomorrow?
     First of all, if you start by exercising a little bit you will lose a little weight and get more sleep.  So, for a little while take a walk outside at break or lunch, or after dinner.  Don't want to go out?  Grab those soup cans and raise them over your head or try to touch your toes ten times.  You just have to start there.

     Eating better may require the biggest change.  If you give up eating the things you love all at once or vow to never have them again, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Small starts, big results.  How about, for one meal a day, you have no carbohydrates.  You shouldn't eliminate carbohydrates for the whole day, you need them for energy.  For one meal, you can do this. You make yourself a nice salad every day for lunch...mixing it up a little bit with tuna one day, chicken the next, leftover steak the third and so on.  Be careful with the dressing, yours  may be full of fat and sugar.  Low fat, low sugar.  See?  For one  meal a day you are making a significant change.  Plan it ahead and you can take that walk for five minutes after you eat it.  And it will only be a change for an hour a day.
     We are humans and we have stress and we fail.  When that happens, we get up every day with a different mindset.  We can make it, we can change it and we can do it.

Small steps, big results...

Believing Is Beginning

     It is really true--some basic fitness "problems" start in your mind. If you think you can't, without even trying, you are probably right.
    No one expects you to get up off of the couch and start running a marathon.  All you have to do is get up off of the couch.  Not feeling like getting up off of the couch?  Grab some bigger cans out of your food pantry and raise them up and down like hand weights.  Stand up and touch your toes. Or your knees.  Whatever you can reach. Walk out into your yard and pull some weeds.  Be a little more active every day.
      Sometimes, I don't feel like exercising at all.  I have to convince myself that I must do something, anything. Instead of running, I walk on the treadmill.  I try to mix it up a little bit and walk backwards on it.  You have to be careful when you do this, the treadmill has to go slower so you can get into a rhythm.  Or I just do some time on the bike.  I put my ear buds in and my You-Tube educational videos on and ride.       By the way, that is one thing that helps pass the time in any fitness activity.  If you find music you like, or an app that lets you run through the countryside or something fun on the TV that passes the time in front of the treadmill, it always makes exercising easier.  It doesn't matter what you believe you can do or what helps you do it better.  Just make sure you do it.


I think I can, I think I can...

Get Out and Be More Active!

 
     My wife and I attended the Blueberry Festival in Montrose yesterday.  Blueberries are very good for you, high in antioxidants and certain vitamins.  We parked at the bottom of the hill and walked up to the festival, then walked around for a little while.  We did treat ourselves to a little blueberry shortcake for our efforts.  We had a nice day.
     The point, really, of this story is that you should at least be fit enough to enjoy life.  To be able to get out, walk around, eat blueberries or even pick them, and have a pleasant day in the sunshine.  To be able to get out and make some memories.  Walking a little bit, a few times a week, is a good place to start.  Life isn't going to come to you, you need to go out and find it.
       Tuesday, we will be married one year.  Of course, we have been together now for ten.  I am looking forward to making memories, going on vacations, going to festivals or just for walks with her for the next ten years.  If she can put up with me, that is.

Life isn't black or white, you have to throw a little blueberry in there.

Keep On Trying

         

     I always say, healthy is not about the weight.  I truly feel the scale is the worst indicator of how fit a person really is. It's about feeling healthy.  It's about moving and trying. You need to be fit enough to walk a little bit or to be able to  tie your own shoes.
     You do make one healthy choice at a time, no one expects you to be perfect every day, every minute.  It is only expected that you try your best. You can choose to park in the top lot, the farthest parking space and walk into work a greater distance. You can park in the back of the store lot and walk a little further to the door. You can choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator. You can choose the side salad instead of the French Fries.  The decision is always yours.
       I was looking at the sayings that are posted in the picture attached to the blog.  I tried filling in the blanks. I'm happiest when I am running.  I'm happiest when I am with my wife, enjoying our life together.  Missteps are okay, because I'm not perfect.  It is about finding what works for you.  If walking  a block or two works for you, do it.  If stretching a little bit in the morning or riding the bike a little bit after dinner is your thing, that is fine.  If you like to swim, join a Y and swim a few laps during the week. Do what makes you happy, but ...just do it.

Here's To Healthy ...

Age Gracefully

     As I grow older, I realize how important remaining active is.  Exercise, taking small or large trips, hanging out with family and friends--all play a big role in how well we can live out our golden years.  As I mentioned before, you have to exercise your  mind too.  Read a book, read the newspaper, work some puzzles, take a class--any of these things can contribute to your cognitive well-being.
     Things happen in life that may make aging complex.  Health issues, divorce, financial woes, family problems all contribute to life becoming difficult.  How you face your problems, your attitude,your drive and your support system,  are all part of the battle to conquer those problems and live well.  Life keeps moving, you have to move with it.
     You really do need to keep moving.  A walk, a bike ride, some stretching, or just kicking some water on the beach are all positive steps toward aging gracefully.  Of course, you may need to take some ibuprofen for inflammation, that is natural.  Joints age, muscles ache and that is just a part of growing old.  Keep walking, keep laughing and keep being social.  You will age better for it, I promise.

Don't stop playing.

Take Your Brain For A Walk

     A little different twist this morning.  I like to help people believe that no matter what they do, it's better than doing nothing.  That is the truth.  Even if you walk a block, it's one block closer to feeling better.
     However, I do believe we need to stay mentally sharp too.  Night after night, TV bombards us with reality shows that just seem to be nothing but drama and problems.  We mindlessly watch one show after another, hoping to escape the day to day stresses that occur in our lives.  This is fine sometimes.
     My wife will tell you that I don't really watch much TV.  I play You Tube videos on various subjects in the universe, from GMOs to Physics to Music.  I try to learn Spanish or listen to debates on various topics.  Health and Wellness are my favorite videos, but I like to diversify.  When I really want to exercise my brain, I go out to Lumosity and try my skills at their site.  Now, I'm not saying to give TV up at all.  We love the Big Bang Theory, we watch Modern Family, we watch Jeopardy and try to answer what questions we can.  For fun we watch the Food Network, we like Chopped and the show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  Watch what you like.  Just don't forget, to exercise your mind a little.  Keeping it sharp may help to delay or deter the onset of dementia.  Or just help you remember where you parked your car.

Keep your body and your mind sharp.

Walls, Part Two

   

 We all put some kind of walls up.  We don't think we can do something, we don't want to get hurt, we have aches and pains, etc.
We build the walls to protect ourselves.  Are we really denying ourselves?
     Life is full of experiences.  Skydiving, rappelling, white water rafting, are things that might seem a little extreme to some.  Running up to the top of  "30 Rock", running with thousands of people at Peachtree in Georgia, striving to get my PhD, all accomplishments I am proud of, but may definitely be hard for some people to even consider.  Even though my hip gets achy, my back might get a little stiff, some days I don't want to study or write papers, I would not stop doing any of it.
      What wall do you have up?  Do you think you can't exercise, so you don't even try?  You don't have time?  You have some aches and pains?  You can't change your eating habits because you really can't plan ahead?  Time to start taking the walls down brick by brick and realizing that excuses are just that...excuses.  No one wants you to jump out of an airplane.  I just want you to live a little more.  If you have never done something, how do you know you can't?   I always say, a little is better than nothing.  Eating right at one meal a day is better than eating poorly or on the run at all three meals.  Taking a look ahead at your week when you go to the grocery store and making some healthier, more convenient choices will help you do better during the week.  One step can turn into 100.

All in all it's just another brick in the wall...

Change Your Attitude

    There are times that I am upset or angry and I know if I get out for a run, I can clear my head.  I can think things through and change my attitude about them.  I also know when I am feeling like I am overdoing it with eating or drinking, I can run every day and know that I am doing something about it.  My aches and pains aren't as bad.  My mood is better. 

     My wife struggles with her weight and her own aches and pains.  She knows if she gets on the treadmill, even for fifteen minutes, she feels more in control and more accomplished.  

     So, why don't we exercise?  Most of the time it's excuses.  Too much to do, too many places to go, too tired to do it.  We don't feel well, we don't feel like our joints are cooperating, etc.  The truth is, exercise helps our joints, helps us to feel better and helps our bodies to work properly.  Exercise makes us  more flexible and we have a tendency to eat better when we are exercising,   Begin with making fun choices like dancing or swimming, something you enjoy, then you might get out for a walk.  It's summer, so enjoy the weather and your time in the sunshine.  

     Also, Happy Father's Day to all of the Fathers out there.  Today is a good day to get outside and do something that you like to do while absorbing some Vitamin D.  Miniature golf or go-carts anyone?

Get out and do something for Father's Day!

Real Wealth

“It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.“ Mahatma Gandhi.

      Your health should be something that is most valuable to you.  You can work to gain money and valuables and possessions, but without your health, you cannot enjoy them. Of course, there are some things we cannot control.  There are genetic processes, accidents, cancers and illnesses that we have no power over.  Sometimes, even in some of these instances, it may be your lifestyle and your attitude that defines how you can heal and how you are able to live day to day.  
       It is a struggle to eat right daily and to get some exercise.  We are too tired, too busy and we don't have time in our routine.  You have to want to do it.  You have to face the day with an attitude that it is possible to eat better, to exercise a little.  Small changes can make big results. Give up the soda, choose water or unsweetened tea with lemon instead. Have the side salad instead of the fries.  Eat a few hard boiled eggs, instead of the cereal and the pancakes.  Start small and get results. Take a daily vitamin.  Park at the back of the parking lot and walk to the store, to the mall, etc.  You don't have to park next to the door. Walk up the steps for a floor or two.  You don't need the elevator for that, do you?
       Get outside a little bit. Vitamin D is very important to our every day health and we don't get enough of it without stepping out into the sunshine.  Eat fruit instead of chips. Yeah, I know it really isn't what you may want at the time, but when you have a big bowl of watermelon with some strawberries or cantaloupe, you will enjoy it and you will become satisfied.  And happier with your choice.  
         
Health is wealth.  

Be Proud of Yourself

     Are you proud of yourself?  Of your accomplishments in your lifetime? Of how you make it through every day?  We all did some things in our lives that maybe we weren't so proud of.   But usually, in the course of a lifetime, we have so much more that we can be proud of.
     Wellness is not about the destination, it is about the journey.  We take small steps and sometimes we stumble.  Marshall University is the home to the thundering herd.  When my wife and I go out for a walk or a fund raiser we call ourselves the "stumbling herd".  You have to be able to laugh at yourself  or you are taking life much too seriously.
     Often we fall.  That doesn't matter.  Success happens if we keep getting up.  We can't look ahead and say we are never going to be thin, or we are never going to be fit.  We have to celebrate what we have accomplished on our journey today.  Did you take a walk around the office building or parking lot at break time?  Did you pass up the office birthday cake?  Be proud of yourself.
     I had a few appointments today.  I ran for about 20 minutes on the treadmill, but when I came home, the outside was just calling me.  It was sunny and hot and I had to go to Nay Aug for a quick run to get some fresh air.  It's nice to get out, even if you just take a short walk to the store.  Don't buy the candy bar when you get there though.  Buy an apple.

It is all about the daily journey.

Walls

     Walls can keep people out or close people inside.  I guess it just depends on how you look at it.  Either way, people construct them for a reason.
     You can construct walls out of a lot of things.  They are not necessarily material.  You can use excuses and problems.  You can use time and the fact that you are busy as a wall against doing things.
Whatever you are using, you are closing yourself away from that which you do not wish to do.
      The sun is shining, the weather is getting nicer and you don't need to stand in the shadow of that wall anymore.  Convince yourself that life would be better with more exercise, with better food choices and with taking the first steps. Get some Vitamin D and check out all of the wonderful sites at Nay Aug or Lake Scranton or wherever you like to go where you live.   Life is too short to sit behind that wall.    



Time to get outside and get moving...

Don't Be So Negative

      Over and over again, I hear people say "I can't do it".  If you are saying that, you have already convinced yourself that no matter what it is, you are not going to even try to do it.  You have already lost.
     We need to change that phrase to "I'll try to do it".  Your body is an amazing, surprisingly strong vessel.  If you feed it the right fuel, it will feel better and you will look better.  If you move, a little bit at a time, you will develop stronger muscles and joints and become more flexible.  You just have to make a plan and start.
     A plan can be as simple as eating a salad today with your hot dog and walking to the store to buy the lettuce.  If you normally eat a hot dog on a bun, then you eat a hamburger on a bun, you might want to skip one bun and have some watermelon or sweet corn.  Or both.  Whatever your plan it is positive steps toward a positive life.
       In closing, please remember our veterans and active military today.  It's not about the picnic, the grill or the parties, it's about being grateful.

Make a positive plan.

Be Inspired

     I decided to run on the treadmill this morning.  We have a lot going on today and I didn't want to get aggravated by the people pulling forward into the crosswalks, the people not stopping at all, the not handicapped cars parked in the handicapped spaces and the cars parked all over the sidewalks.  These are some of the challenges I face when I go out for a run, when I go to the store, etc.
      I am hoping that I am inspired enough to do something about these issues.  They make me angry. You can't be angry and let them define you and eat you up inside without deciding to do something about them.  You need to act on things you are passionate about.
     I am hoping that challenges inspire you.  When you feel like you can't do something, you can.  You are defeated if you don't even try.  If you feel like you can never take a walk, you need to put one foot in front of the other and try.  Your journey begins with a single step.  Don't be discouraged by the fact that you don't feel like you can exercise.  It may be just that you need to be inspired.  Is there something you want to do or somewhere you want to go and you would like to look better?  Maybe you just want to move better and become more flexible.  Or there is something you want to wear, but you just can't fit in it.  If it inspires you to move, then move.  You will feel better about yourself and you will be inspired to continue.

Small Steps

     You may feel like you are in a rut and that you don't have the ability to change.  You get up, shower, go to work, come home, have dinner, etc. without ever thinking that things could be a little different.  Or you are just too tired to change them. You have no energy or positive outlook.
     With each new day, things can change.  If you make one little change, it can lead to bigger and better things for you.  Starting small by eating a little better can have large rewards.  Change your daily doughnut for a hard boiled egg.  Or two.  Loaded with protein they will keep you feeling full in the  morning.  Skipping lunch?  Don't.  A salad with some chicken or eating some soup will stop you from reaching for that candy bar an hour later.  Subs and fast food for dinner?  Put something on the grill and save hundreds of calories.  Snacking on apples with peanut butter may sound fattening to you, but the protein peanut butter packs along with healthy oils to keep your skin from drying out and your organs functioning properly is just what you need.  You don't need to make all of the changes at once.  One change here or there, will benefit you.
     
You are given a new day, don't waste it.

Two Minutes Is Better Than Nothing

     Like I always say, if you can run two minutes, run two minutes.  It is so much better than no minutes. Eventually two minutes becomes five, five becomes ten and so on until you are running or walking and feeling healthier.  Not everyone is a runner.  Walking is something most people can do for a few minutes. Take a brief walk at break or lunch at work, it clears your mind and strengthens your muscles.  It just makes you feel better.  When you feel better, you work more efficiently and you have more stamina.          The weather is not an excuse anymore.  The winter was long and I don't think any of us thought it would ever end. I like running outside at Nay Aug Park, at Lake Scranton or over to Green Ridge and back. I like getting fresh air and seeing people and things as the world unfolds.  Pick a route that appeals to you and just go. It doesn't matter how far you go or how long you go, just that you go.

Two minutes is two minutes...
   

What Step Are You On?

     It's all in the attitude to reach an altitude.  What step are you at?  You can say you can't do it, convince yourself you can't do it and explain that you don't know how to do it.  That gets you nowhere fast and it will frustrate you.  The steps you need to be on, to accomplish anything and move upward are "How do I do it?" and "I'll try to do it."
     You put one step in front of the other.  You don't have to try really hard to climb the stairs.  You don't even have to climb the stairs, you just have to walk.  Or bike or garden or mow the lawn.
     The weather is getting nicer now.  It is a good time to clear your head, to take deep breaths to feel better about your body and your life after a very, very long winter.  Shake off the winter clothes, pull some shorts out and get some sun.  Vitamin D.  We live like mushrooms for so long, we need to grow and come out from under the rock.  Then it all turns into I can and will do it. It's going to be 70 tomorrow and I think I am going to Nay Aug Park for my run.  Time to give the treadmill a little rest.  Meet me there, OK?

Just do it.

Looking Ahead

     Life keeps moving ahead.  We hope that things in our life continue along positively and that we are healthy.  We wish nothing but the best in life for our family and friends.
     There are some things we can't control in our life. Most of the things we can, even though we don't realize it or feel helpless about taking that control. Our health may be one of those things we think we can't do anything about and we kind of give up on.  Usually, it's because we don't like change and we don't know where to start.
     My wife says she needs to exercise more.  She gets on the treadmill on the weekend, but during the week she comes home from work tired and looking to make dinner, do dishes and  laundry and get on the computer to catch up with her family and friends.  Her idea to make a change, now that the weather is nicer, is to take a small walk at work everyday, on breaks, to help her feel better.
     That's all it takes.  A small positive change.  Take a walk at break or lunch.  Take a walk over to the convenient mart to get a lottery ticket after work.  If you only walk a few blocks, it's more than you have been walking.  What else can you do?  If you eat chips every day with your sandwich, maybe two or three days a week you can swap them out for crispy carrots or celery.  Instead of parking right next to the store, you can park in the last row of the lot and walk a little distance to the door.  Nothing has to be drastic or big to see change.

You will feel better, I promise....
     
   

Try It-You'll Like It!

     As they get ready in Boston to run the marathon, we remember the tragedy that destroyed so many lives last year.  When I hear all of the stories of courage and strength, it makes me more determined than ever to live every day the best way I can.
     Yesterday it was a beautiful day so I went for a run at Nay Aug Park.  They are doing some construction there, making the park nicer for people to enjoy.  It was a little cool, but very enjoyable.  I have a tendency to run on the treadmill and not go running outside.  I get aggravated by people parking on the sidewalks, people stopping and pulling up into the crosswalks so you can't get by them, people parking in all of the fire lanes and by the hydrants, etc.  I forget about how nice it is to be outside and to see people, to see trees and flowers now in bloom, to see fellow runners and walkers enjoying life.  I always say, it does not matter what you do toward becoming a little healthier, just do something.  Take a walk, buy a bike and go for a ride, go outside and rake your lawn and sweep your sidewalks. Put on some gloves and pick up some litter strolling over a block or two in your neighborhood.  Enjoy the spring weather that we are finally getting and make a promise to do a little something to get moving, even if it is only once or twice a week.

Try it--you'll like it!
Dan

Carbohydrates and You.

     I had the opportunity to go to a taping of the Dr. Oz show in NYC on Friday with my wife.  Not a great experience but I didn't mind it as much as she did.  The last segment taped was a segment on carbohydrates and how this physician/researcher claimed that they can cause dementia.  He suggested that you have no more than 11 grams of carbohydrates per day.  Yes, per day.  To put that into perspective, a half of a cup of grapes has 14.2 grams of carbohydrates.  As we head into Easter, a handful of jelly beans has around 30 grams of carbohydrates.  You can have one moderately large tangerine a day.  It has 11 grams.  Hallelujah.
     As you know, I am an "everything in moderation" kind of guy.  I believe if you exercise by doing what you can and eat less sugar and carbohydrates, you will live a healthier life.  If  you just take a walk- you are making an effort to lead a healthier life. We need a variety of things to live and be happy.  I like a variety of vegetables, beans, meat, fruit and snacks.  I like fresh fruit and vegetables and they are good for you.  A half a cup of carrots has 6 grams of carbohydrates.  Is this guy trying to tell me that I've overdone it by eating a cup of carrots every day?  How ridiculous.  You need to eat fat to keep your brain and organs functioning.  Carbohydrates give you energy to burn in your daily activities and your exercising.  You need lean protein as well..  Eggs, fish, poultry, meat are all necessary to keep the body moving, to keep the brain clear.  Everything in moderation.

Eat to live and be happier and healthier.
Dan

Growth in Scranton

Yesterday was a first for Scranton, the first 1/2 marathon was run here. It is nice to be part of a city that encourages health and wellness. Unfortunately there are still cars parked all over the sidewalks, keeping the car dealerships and car owners happy, but making people walk in the street as a consequence. The cars on the sidewalks are breaking the law and endangering the life and liberty of pedestrians (especially those going to and from school). To have a running city we need to be able to run through town. That means having clear sidewalks and a safe environment. It is important to be able to get around town for our wellness and to ensure quality of life as we age. I suggest anyone that sees a car parked on the sidewalk call the police, city council and the mayor. Call everyone and anyone that you can think of. The police are getting paid from OUR tax dollars to ensure our safety and well being. And they are NOT living u[ to that agreement.

Exercise your legs and your rights.

Start To Be Great

       I always say it doesn't matter what shape you are currently in, you can start doing something now. It doesn't matter what you choose to do. You can go out to get your mail and walk down the block and back.  You can sit on the floor and watch TV and do some leg lifts or stomach crunches.  You can buy a stationary bike and peddle for a few minutes while watching the travel channel, pretending you are on vacation.  You know what matters here?  What matters is that you have started to do something, which means that you have started to care about your own well-being.  
      Little changes in your diet can make a big difference.  Eating more protein, more dietary fiber, less processed foods can make a big impact on how you feel and the fuel you are able to burn throughout the day.  I always say, "everything in moderation".  You don't have to give up things that you love, you just have to eat a smaller portion of them.
     No  matter what changes you make, they are positive changes.  Little changes can lead to bigger ones and you can achieve better health.  You just have to start today.


Just start...Dan

Anything Is Better Than Nothing

       I was watching The Today Show this morning, when they aired a story about a 20 second workout.  While normally, I would have turned the channel,  I watched the segment.  The author of the piece, theorized that a 20 second, high intensity workout, done at least three times a week is beneficial to your body and can help you to lose weight.  On the program, they ran up the stairs full blast at 20 seconds, they rode an exercise bike for 20 seconds at a high rate of speed, they ran at full blast on a treadmill for 20 seconds. This workout increases cardiac output and they actually broke a sweat doing it.
     I was skeptical, but then I thought, why not?  If this is all you can do during the week, you should do it.  While I personally believe it's great if you could walk or run around the park, walk around your neighborhood, walk, run or bike for about 20 minutes a day, a few times a week --anything, any little bit, any contribution to your fitness would be helpful.       My wife cringes when I say that "I cried the blues 'cause I had no shoes, til I met a man who had no feet".  One of my favorite sayings.  You were given a body, no matter how perfect or imperfect, to take care of and to use.  I have seen people with serious disabilities, pushing their limits to the extreme, to keep in shape and to remind us to take care of ourselves.  You can do something, anything, and it will help.

Do what you can....

Get Ready For Spring!

      My wife and I decided to do a 5k walk/run for the Colitis and Crohns Foundation last year in Ocean City New Jersey.  The year before that found us in New York City for me to do the stair climb to the "Top of the Rock".  I look for 5k races and things so that I can contribute to good causes and get a t-shirt and have some fun running.  My wife accompanies me to the ones that are by the beach or somewhere interesting.  She doesn't necessarily do the races, or take part in the events, but did walk in the Colitis and Crohns Foundation event.   She likes to cheer me on though.
     Lately,  the winter has me exercising on the treadmill and the bike we have in our spare room.  Tomorrow, the first day of Spring, will hopefully bring some changes in the weather that will make me want to head outside to run around the city.  Running around the city aggravates me though, the city does not enforce any parking laws, so cars are parked all over the sidewalks on Moosic Street, Green Ridge Street, Wyoming Avenue, all the main venues.  This is truly a source of anger and aggravation for me, as I feel that it is a slap in the face to all walkers, runners, handicapped people, students, etc.  I am going to work on this with the city this year, a goal for me.
      Welcome the first day of Spring by exercising.  If you do it inside on the treadmill or just doing some sit-ups while watching TV, do something.  Stretch on your floor, touch your toes, walk around your block.  The first steps are the hardest, but the most important.

You don't have to plan to fly this year, and you don't have to make a resolution to make a BIG change. All you have to do is take "Baby Steps" to make yourself more fit throughout the year. Just do something small. Maybe 10 push ups everyday. Maybe a few sit ups or using the steps at work. Pretty much anything that allows you to move. You can park a little farther from the door at work, or walk around the block after work. What ever you choose to do, try to do it consistently.

In time: Maybe you can fly.