Foods That Can Save Your Life

Recently I visited New York City, the place of my birth. NYC has gone nuts with tourists. I guess I'm one of them. My favorite activity up there is reading the tabloid newspapers. Gotham is the place for scandal, insult and injury. The New York Post and The Daily News capture that wild and crazy New York vibe better than any other print format. But get this-- I read an article in the Dec. 16, 2015 on "Foods That Can Save Your Life" by Reed Tucker and it made good sense.

Tucker attributed the nutritional concepts and recommended foods in his article to Dr. Michael Greger, author of "How Not To Die" and that's a pretty compelling title.

Here they are:

1) Beans-- Yay! I'm a major legume fan. If American knew about "legumes"-- black beans, lentils, garbanzos (key ingredient in humus), split peas-- we would have a healthier country.

2) Berries-- article recommends black berries and blueberries as great anti-oxidants.

3) Red cabbage-- anticancer properties, a "cruciferous" variety. Hope you learn 1-2 new nutritional vocabulary words from reading this blog entry-- legumes and cruciferous

4) Greens-- "eating an extra servings of greens a day correlates to a 20% risk reduction for heart attacks or strokes."-- Hey, we love our stats!

5) Mushrooms-- apparently mushrooms do have magical powers. They have "an amino acid called ergothioneine that may slow cell death." Erogthioneine will not be the quiz, but mushrooms will be.

6) Flaxseeds-- they have  more lignan than anything else on the planet. Lingnan is "a cancer-preventing compound." You have to ground the seeds. I have purchased flaxseed oil rom Whole Food Market. And I got milled flaxseed, a flour-like substance from Costco.

7) Nuts-- Walnuts are "high in omega-3 fatty acids." That's a good legal high especially because it reduces your risk of stroke by 50%!

8) Turmeric-- "The spice contains a pigment called curcumin that may play a role in preventing cancer, lung disease and brain disease." The article recommends you eat 1/4 teaspoon a day-- or maybe eat more Indian food and learn to cook Indian flavored dishes with turmeric.

9) Whole grains-- help you live longer and reduces risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and stroke. Brown rice is my go-to grain dish and been eating the dish for decades.

10) Tea-- green tea and white tea recommended for lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat. And Greger say "you should eat the tea leaves" for their nutritional value. Now that's a new one on me. Maybe you should read his book!

While in NYC-- I read a chalk message on the sidewalk-- Exercise empowers longevity-- and the same can be said for good nutrition.

Eating right empowers longevity... That's a tabloid headline we can all use.

Timothy Ferriss-- Master of the The "4-Hour" Universe

Timothy Ferriss seems strange to me-- a guy always in overdrive, like he's in an headlong rush to get somewhere, has to get there before everyone else, has to measure everything, brainstorm ad nauseam, chew an idea down to its microscopic essence and then spit it out for even more detailed evaluation. The guy is driven, he loves numbers. Timothy Ferriss wrote 4- Hour Workweek and the one I'm more interested in 4- Hour Body. He's a tango dancer, a martial artist, an entrepreneur, an Ivy Leaguer, a bestselling author, a guinea pig for his own ideas and experiments. Timothy doesn't just do something. He does it to death. He does it beyond it, and by it... I mean everything-- food, diet, exercise, sex to beyond saturation. The man is a true American-- doing to excess, measuring compulsively... I get exhausted just staying the name Timothy Ferriss. He's the self-help guru of the millennials, a generation short of time, by their way of thinking.

I have to admit I almost grew to like Timothy Ferriss as I combed through 4- Hour Body. You kind of have to admire a guy who studies the female orgasm and explores the clitoris with the relentless devotion of a dweeby kid learning a new computer game. 

My favorite Ferriss observation from 4-Hour Body  concerns his study of glucose readings. I check my glucose levels as I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I prick my finger a few times a day. Ferries implanted a glucometer beneath his skin! I've learned what kind of eating spikes my glucose, usually it is overeating, too much bread, too much carbs and sugar. And Timothy summed up a good approach in his numbers-driven, scientific approach "For Fastest Fat Loss, Minimize Your Blood Sugar Bumps Above 100 To No more Than Two Per Day." (p. 146)

Ferriss correctly observes that rapid fat loss is facilitated by lower glucose levels. He focuses on the number 100-- calls it "Beautiful Number 100"-- and that is a good glucose number to use as your benchline. Have to admit that I was impressed with how close Ferriss's recommendations correlate to what I have learned from checking my blood glucose for over a year now. If I keep my blood glucose number to near 100, or lower, for the greater part of the day, I lose body fat, and feel better and healthier. Got to hand it to that crazy man, his compulsive approach works on occasion-- and he hits the ball out of the park. And, by the way, he can teach you how to hit a baseball in another chapter of the book.

Walk the Prettiest Streets in Your Neighborhood

Choose a great place to walk. Find the prettiest  streets within easy reach of your neighborhood. Your goal, walking 10,000 steps or 5 miles a day, gets more manageable if you locate a healthy, inspiring place to walk. My hometown of Austin, Texas has Hike and Bike trails where there is no worry about traffic.

Think about your neighborhood. Most Americans, outside the major metropolitan areas, have a car.  Use your car to get to the most beautiful streets or trails in your area. Park the car. Get out and start walking. Have a pedometer. If not, wear a wristwatch. Try to walk for 1/2 hour to 1 hour. Depends on your conditioning and the free time available to you. The pedometer can tell you how far you've walked and provide other details. The added information can be very motivational.

Just by walking 20 minutes a day you separate yourself from the unfit masses of couch potatoes. Give yourself credit, psychologically speaking, when you reach the 20 minutes mark. Say "Way to go self!" I find the outdoors to be more fun than any gym.

I found an area about 4 miles from my house. It's hilly. The walk is more aerobic because of the hills. There are sidewalks. Very few cars use the streets because it is a residential area. The streets are free in America. It it's not a gated community, you can get in there. If there are trees and open spaces you can breath the clean air. Nobody has ever stopped me or asked whether I live in the area.

By moving a few miles away from my house for my walk, I actually feel richer.

Eating the Right Foods at the Right Time

"Hardwired for Fitness"
by Robert Portman PhD and John Ivy PhD

This material below is abridged from Hardwired for Fitness (p.121-122)

Breakfast (Restoration 7:00 AM- 9:00 AM)-- The Restoration Meal
You go without food while you sleep. Breakfast reduces the physiological stress of going without food while you sleep. The restoration meal also much recharge your energy in preparation for the mental and physical activities of the day. * Carbohydrate (the body's main source of rapid energy) is a key macronutrient to consume during this interval.

Lunch (Activity 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM)-- The Activity Interval
Your body will perform best by consuming high carbohydrate foods during this interval since your brain relies predominantly on carbohydrates for energy and muscle convert carbohydrates into energy more efficiently than protein or fat.

* Late Afternoon- There is a marked decline in energy expenditures in late afternoon. Thus, the latter stages of Activity Interval represent an ideal time to consume a nutritious supplement that is high in macronutrients, such a fat and protein. These macronutrients are more satiating than carbohydrates.

Dinner (Rebuilding 5:00 PM-- 8:00 PM)-- The Rebuilding Interval

The Rebuilding Interval is the time when the circuit responsible for rebuilding and restoring protein is most active. Foods high in protein are more easily converted into muscle protein. * Protein is the most efficient macronutrient to be consumed during the Rebuilding Interval.

(Late Eaters.... caution-- Overweight Individuals were two or three ties more likely to consume a higher proportion of their daily calories after their evening meal compared with normal weight individuals.

AARP'S 50 Ways to Stay Healthy (10 for the Men)-- Part 5

From AARP magazine, October 2015 (p. 46- 48)

by: Joe Kita (abridged by Blog editor)

41) Buy memories. Boys love toys, but doing stuff is better than buying stuff. Vacations with friends bring me lasting joy than money spent on material things such as cars. Reminiscing about the experience afterward achieves nearly the same level of happiness as the original event.

42) Squirrel away nuts. After age 50, a man's metabolism slows down. A weight-loss trick is to consume whole almonds. Almonds are low calorie (22 nuts have 169 calories) and satisfying and leave you feeling full.

43) Find a purpose. Men, more than women, define themselves by their careers. At retirement, they can lose self-worth, which can lead to depression, excessive drinking and other health problems. Are you at risk? Do you agree with these three statements:

1. I sometimes feel as if I've done all there is to do in life.
2. My daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant to me.
3. I used to set goals, but that now seems like a waste of time.

44) Get a grip. Having a firm handshake is a sign of vitality and long lie. But it's not just weak grip strength that puts you at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke and death. It's overall strength, so commit to  total-body-strength-training program.

45) Stamp out erection issues. Worry over impotency can cause... impotency. Here's a test to see if the problems are physical or psychological. Wrap a length of postage stamps around the base of your penis. Secure the ends together and go to sleep. Repeat for three consecutive nights. (See if your penis has been successfully mailed to Milwaukee-- joke, I'm joking, Blog editor.) If the stamps are torn along a perforation the next morning, you're still having good nocturnal erections, which means any get-it-up difficulties you're experiencing are probably due to emotional stress. (This is one case where snail mail works better than email! And we recommend "Forever" stamps for repeating this experiment for as many years as you like-- joke. I'm joking again!-- Blog editor)

46) Get your lucky 7. Research shows the less people sleep, the faster their brains age. One online brain-training program notes that those who sleep seven hours a night have the best score on its cognitive tests.

47) Build muscle. Between ages 50 and 70, sedentary people lose 30 percent of their muscle strength. You can counter this decline by strength training for just 30 minutes, two or more days a week. After only about 18 to 20 weeks of training, older adults can expect t add about two pounds of muscle and to increase strength by 25 to 30 percent, according to the American Journal of Medicine.

48) Follow the buddy system. Men, especially as they age, tend to become solitary beasts, much less likely to form deep, lasting friendships than women. Researchers say the lack of positive social relationships is comparable to smoking and alcohol consumption for increasing mortality risk. Make an effort to cultivate friends-- both new and old-- and spend more quality time with family.

49) Eat Indian. Most Indian food contains the yellow piece turmeric, with the active ingredient circumin, which may be one of the most powerful antioxidants for men. India, where turmeric is a dietary staple, has one of the lowest prostate cancer rates in the world. Plus, studies have shown that the spice may reduce inflammation as well as fight Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, Parkinson's disease and some cancers.

50) Bone up with a beer. A nice cold beer is not just refreshing, it may also help to strengthen bones. A 2013 report in the International Journal of Endicronology notes that the barley and hops in beer make it a good source of the mineral silicon, important for bone formation and health. Even better: The type of silicon in beer, orthosilicic acid, is extra easy for your bones to absorb.

AARP's 50 Ways to Stay Healthy (10 Ways to Outsmart Diabetes)-- Part 4

From AARP magazine, October 2015 (p. 42- 46)

(abridged by Blog editor)

Over 29 million Americans have diabetes. Another 86 million have pre diabetes. The resulting circulatory, heart and eye problems make life more difficult and sad. Here are 10 ways to prevent or manage the disease.

31) Sprinkle with cinnamon. One gram (just a pinch or light sprinkle) of cinnamon can lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Try it on your morning cereal, coffee, or dusted on yogurt.

32) Don't just sit there. If you spend two hours a day or more watching television your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases by 14%, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Run around the block between shows...

33) Have a cuppa. Drink more than two cups of coffee (16 ounces) per day.

34) Seek Greek. The famous Mediterranean diet-- vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish and red wine-- supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, can reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes by 30%.

35) Mind your meds. Be aware of the side effects of prescription and non-prescription drug. They may interfere with your blood glucose levels.

36) Stress less. Chronic worry and stress not only contribute to insulin resistance but also make it harder for your pancreas to move blood glucose out of your bloodstream. Relax with meditation and deep breathing.

37) Flex your muscles. A 2012 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that men who lifted weights for at least two and a half hours every week lowered their risk of diabetes by 34 percent.

38) Fix it with food. These foods eaten daily can help you manage your blood sugar.

1. Beans, peas and lentils-- protein rich legumes
2. Dark Chocolate
3. Oatmeal

39) Limit red meat. A study showed that eating an extra half-serving a day of red meat increases the risk of diabetes by 50 percent.

40) Squeeze some citrus. Eating oranges, grapefruits, lemons and other citrus fruits can slow glucose uptake, helping keep your blood sugar levels under control, a study in the journal Preventive Medicine concludes.

AARP's 50 Ways to Stay Healthy (10 Ways to Beat Obesity)-- Part 3

From AARP magazine, October 2015 (p, 36-46)

(abridged by Blog editor)

Being slightly overweight may reduce your risk of dying prematurely. But being obese (BMI of 30 or more) raises your risk of dying by 18 percent. Check out 10 ways to fight fat and win.

21) Consider a crash. A recent study shows that those who severely restrict calories are more likely to achieve their target weight and have the same chance of keeping the weight off as those who do this over time. Don't get too radical. Very low-calorie diets are associated with a variety of health risks, including the formation of gallstones.

22) Be naturally sweet. Stay away from diet drinks with artificial sweeteners. Try honey and maple syrup.

23) Trick your appetite. Eat off smaller plates, 10 inch plates rater than 12 inch plates. And go for the blue plate special... the blue-colored plate will make food appear unappetizing and you'll likely eat less. (Do you really want to make food unappetizing? Blog editor)

24) Make skinny friends. (Not a suggestion that you shun your chubby friends, or is it? Blog editor) If one person gains weight, his or her close friends are more likely to gain weight too.

25) Keep it uncomfortable. By keeping your home a bit colder in winter and warmer in the summer, you may force your body to burn more calories to adjust. That makes you body work harder and you burn more calories to adjust.

26) Watch your cravings. Depressed people with decreased levels of serotonin have a tendency to overeat. Overeating-- especially carbohydrates (simple and complex) may be an attempt to self-medicate to restore serotonin levels. A small portion of your favorite pasta can achieve the same effect.

27) Pick protein. A recent study found that people who ate eggs instead of a bagel for breakfast lost 65 percent more weight and had a 34 percent greater reduction in waist circumference.

28) Don't default to antibiotics. Dont' overuse antibiotics. May contribute to obesity. They have an adverse effect on digestive microbes that influence your metabolic rate.

29) Check you neck. If you're gaining weight for no discernible reason, it could be a faulty thyroid gland.

30) Cut back. Studies show that exercise alone has no effect on weight loss. A survey of American adults found that despite increase in physical activity between 2001 and 2009 the rise in exercise was matched by a jump in obesity. If you're really trying to lose weight, focus on your food intake and quality.

AARP's 50 Ways to Stay Healthy (10 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease)-- Part 2

From AARP magazine, October 2015 (p. 34-36)

(abridged by Blog editor)

What are the six easy steps for women to greatly reduce your chances of having a heart attack?
Don't smoke, have a normal body mass index (BMI), get at least 2 1/2 hours of exercise a week, watch an hour or less of TV a day, eat a healthy diet, and limit alcohol to a drink or less a day.

Prevent Heart Disease (11-20) (p.34-36)

11) Whittle your middle. If you're shaped more like an apple than a pear, you're at greater risk for a heart attack.
12) Floss. Studies point to a link between gum disease and higher rates of heart disease.
13) Sweat when you exercise. Experts advise pushing till you're modestly out of breath. That means you pumped up your heart rate.
14) Get enough Vitamin D. "Low levels of vitamin D can increase your risk of stroke and heart attack," says Steven Masley, M.D., author of The 30-Day Heart Tune-Up.
15) Cuddle more. Snuggling not only feels good-- it reduces stress and triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin, which ha been shown to help lower blood pressure. Puppies work too.
16) Think outside the pillbox. Be careful with your use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pills (NSAIDs) for chronic pain. They can increase chances of stroke and heart attack.
17) Keep it down. Reduce your exposure to roadway noise. Research shows that every 10 decibels of roadway traffic noise near your home increases risk of stroke by 10 percent.
18) Stick with your statins. A new study reports that statin use with people at medium risk of heart attack reduces death from heart disease.
19) LOL at those online cat videos. Laughing out loud helps improve blood flow, dilates blood vessels by 22 percent, and, in turn, lowers blood pressure.
20) Stop stewing. Forgiveness helps to reduce blood pressure and lower your heart rate, especially when it comes to betrayal and conflict. Submit your resignation to La Cosa Nostra even if they keep pulling your back.

AARP's 50 Ways to Stay Healthy (10 Ways to Cut Cancer Risk)-- Part 1

From AARP magazine, October 2015 (p. 32-34)

(abridged by Blog editor)

Cut Cancer Risk (1-10)

1) Cut the cola. Cutout sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
2) Grab some grapes. Resveratrol, found in grape skins, kills damaged cells before they replicate.
3) Dress in red and blue. Dark colors protect you from UV exposure.
4) Marinate your meat. Rosemary and thyme, anti-oxidant rich herbs, can cut the cancer risk posed by charring your meat.
5) Ban the bottle. Bottled water contains bacterial and chemical contaminants.
6) Watch for weird symptoms. (Voice sounds different, breasts are itchy, waistband is tight-- can be signs of lung caner, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer, respectively)
7) Get moving. Regular exercise reduces likelihood of breast cancer (by 10%) and colon cancer (by 40%).
8) Cut the BPA. Bisphenol A, a chemical in a lining that coats cans used for soup and vegetables, has been linked to cancer. Avoid BPA by going with fresh or frozen foods.
9) Go nuts. Brazil nuts are full of selenium, an antioxidant that lowers the risk of bladder cancer. Selenium boosts immunity and suppresses the formation of blood vessels that nourish tumors.
10) Schedule the following screenings-- especially past the age of 50 years.
* Colon cancer
* Breast cancer
* Lung cancer
* Prostate cancer
* stomach cancer

Walk, Don't Jog...

Why do people love to jog? Slow down... you're moving too fast.

Jogging makes you feel athletic. You move a little quicker jogging than you do walking. The jogger's face usually looks contorted. The jogger sweats and pounds the ground. Certainly jogging is an aerobic exercise.

But--
1) Is jogging any better than walking?
2) When does jogging cause more problems than its worth-- leading to injury or strain on the joints for the older runner?

Jogging may be a case of self-delusion!

You jog for 2-3 miles and I walk for 4 miles-- who exerts the most energy? You jog those 2-3 miles in 40-50 minutes. The 4 miles walk takes me 70 minutes. I have less stress on my joints. My face is not contorted by exhaustion. I enjoy the scenery and get an aerobic workout. The main difference-- my walk takes a bit longer and I don't look quite as macho in my athletic pursuit.

In "Beyond Pritikin"-- mainly a diet book-- by Louise Gittleman summarizes the advantages of "brisk walking." Here's the passage:


"Beyond Pritikin" (1988)-- p 110

Brisk, vigorous walking burns just as many calories per mile as does running. It may even provide better muscle toning than running because, when walking a mile, more steps are taken than when running a mile. When you walk, try to move your whole body vigorously. New research reports that exercise in which both the arms and legs are actively moving is a better fat burner than exercise in which only the legs are involved. This is why cross-country skiing is so highly rated for its calorie-burning benefits, as well as the NordicTrack and stationery rowing machines. So get into it and move all of your body.

White man jumping... Asher Price and the Year of the Dunk

Participated at the Texas Book Festival this weekend-- as a seller of my book, Funny Man: Love & Murder at Venice Beach, and as fan and reader of books.

Two sessions I attended and thoroughly enjoyed--
1) Hand Drawn Jokes for Smart, Attractive People-- by Matthew Diffee, New Yorker cartoonist
2) Year of the Dunk-- by Asher Price

Since this blog focuses on physical activity, I'll discuss Asher Price's book on his decision to devote a year of training towards dunking a basketball. Price, a sportswriter for our local Austin paper, the Austin-American Statesman, made this decision at age 34. He stands 6 ft 2 1/2 inches. He began the journey at about 200 pounds. In the process of getting into dunking shape he dropped to 170 lbs. and decreased his percentage of body fat from 20% to 8%. Did he achieve his goal? Asher didn't ruin the book's ending for his audience-- but it seems safe to assume he achieved his goal, an impressive achievement for a 34 year old guy!

Asher explained the story brings attention to our potential for achieving goals seemingly out-of-reach. He has a great sense of humor and nice modesty. His book highlights the importance many NBA superstars attached to dunking a basketball for the very first time. Charles Barkley felt liberated after dunking for the first time. Barkley gained confidence on his journey to move beyond the world of his hometown in Leeds, Alabama.

I identified more with Asher Price than a NBA superstar. I never got beyond touching the rim. I played guard on the high school basketball team on Long Island but never impressed anybody with my leaping ability. I have literally dreamed of dunking a basketball-- a skill Asher said involves both physical strength and good body flexibility.

Asher had to add flexibility to his body to achieve his goal. And added flexibility-- that's something that helps every stage of life, and brings better health of al kinds-- physical, mental and spiritual.

Walgreens 23 health tips

Walgreens 23 health tips--       Feel Good Every Day

23 ways to Boost Your Brainpower

If you want to boost your brain, you have to focus your attention on good self-case, says David Alter, Ph.D. co-author, with Henry Emmons, M.D., of Staying Sharp (Touchstone). Try these simple, science-based tips.

1)           Take a French class. Learning a second language can help your brain process information and help you focus more sharply to avoid distraction. It may even help delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in some people, according to exciting new research from Singapore Management University.

2)          Write in red ink. A fascinating new study from the University of Regensburg in Germany found that the color red “binds” into our memory better than other colors—making it ideal for recalling what’s on your to-do list.

3)         Play ping-pong. Table tennis has been lauded for its ability to improve attention and concentration. Japanese researchers also found that in players older than 50, ping-pong improved brain function by activating specific neurons, and showed promise in preventing dementia as well. (Plus, it’s lots of fun!)

4)          Close your eyes. Research from the University of Surrey in the U.K. found that closing your eyes while recalling an event could help you remember details 23 percent more accurately. How does it work? It’s thought that once visual distractions are removed, your brain focuses more efficiently.

5)         Brush your teeth with the other hand. Using your dominant side to tackle a daily task or two is a great way to challenge your cognitive function by spurring your brain cells to produce growth-stimulating molecules.

6)         Lower blood sugar. Diabetes is a known risk factor for dementia, so work with your doctor on was to minimize your risk factors. (A healthy blood sugar is less than 100 after fasting.) If you already have diabetes, controlling it will help prevent dementia.

7)         Do a Daily Meditation. In just eight weeks, a daily mindfulness break can improve connectivity throughout the brain network in 55-to-90 year olds, according to ongoing research from Wake Forest University. What’s more, meditation may slow Alzheimer’s progression and decrease production of the stress hormone cortisol within the brain.

8)         Eat Avocadoes. “It contains medium-chain fatty acids, which increase your brainpower by reducing inflammation,” says Emmons.

9)         Consider a Daily Low-Dose Aspirin. An ongoing National Institutes of Health clinical trial is testing the theory that taking an aspirin could lower the risk of dementia. Talk to your doctor about whether this could be right, and safe, for you.

10)    Fall-Proof Your House.

11)    Mind your Bs. B vitamins lower homocysteine (an amino acid), which is linked to dementia. You can find them in enriched read, pasta, rice and cereal, plus poultry, beans, dark leafy veggies, papayas, oranges and cantaloupe.

12)    Shake Your Booty. Aerobic exercise can actually increase the size of your hippocampus—the part of your brain which helps you learn and remember.

13)    Become a Tourist in Your Own Town. Seeing fresh sights can rewire your brain to use new parts of itself, therefore, helping it to work better than ever. “Once a month, sit down with the community calendar section of your newspaper and choose an activity you’ve never tried before—see a new play, or go to the local art museum if you’ve never visited it,” says Alter. “New experiences allow the brain to flex like a new muscle.”

14)    Color. Thought you outgrew your crayons? Adults everywhere are rediscovering their artistic sides and snapping up adult coloring books. This new trend can ease stress as well as put you in a meditative frame of mind. Both of these benefits are great for the brain. (Visit Parade.com/coloring for free downloadable coloring pages.)

15)    Go Fish. Eat your omega-3s found in salmon and other cold-water fish) or take a supplement. A new study from the University of Pittsburgh found eating any kind of baked or broiled fish once a week helped spur structural brain changes that boost memory.

16)    Enjoy a Glass of Red Wine. Fresh research from Texas A & M University found that resveratrol, an anti-oxidant found in red wine, improves memory, mood and learning capacity.

17)    Munch Peanuts. This yummy snack is also backed with cognition-boosting resveratrol.

18)    Find Your Sleep Sweet Spot. Getting good sleep is the best thing you can do for your brain long term,” Emmons stresses.

19)    Start a Pinterest Page. Pursuing new ideas that interest you is a powerful way to exercise your brain. Curious folks have lower rates of dementia, says Alter.

20)    Surf the Internet. Suring for into on the web actually improves the neural circuitry of your brain, keeping it healthy, according to research from UCLA.

21)    Don’t skip your Morning Coffee. A John Hopkins study found that regular consumption of 200 milligrams of caffeine—the amount in one strong cup of coffee—has a positive impact on how much you remember for a full 24 hours after drinking.

22)    Hang our with Friends and Family. Social connections benefit brain health, experts say. Have lunch with your friends, take you grandchildren trick-or-treating or go for a  long walk with your partner.

23)    Look on the Bright Side. Make a point to regularly ask yourself, “What if everything went right instead of wrong?” Positive thinking can actually activate your brain’s physical ability to adapt and change. Former President Jimmy Carter, 91, who responded to his recent cancer diagnosis with “optimism, vitality and determination,” is a great example of this, Emmons says.

Pick Your Passion: Fitbit or Omron Pedometer

Staying in shape, being healthy is an ongoing process. The key is stay involved. I have became more consistent about exercise since I learned I had diabetic tendencies-- a diagnosis of "pre-diabetic." Your body works better if you move it. Moving it 10,000 steps a day (5 miles) works for me as a bottom line goal.

Getting yourself to go the distance every day, or almost ever day, is key. How you do it-- well, that's a personal decision.

The Fibit Charge became a favorite of mine-- for these reasons.
1) Distance-- uses GPS to track your distance and that seems pretty cool.
2) Calories burned-- I like the way it keeps track of your calories too. You burn about 100 calories for every mile you walk. A mediocre day means you only burned 2000 calories. An active day means you moved 2500 calories.
3) Floors-- The Fitbit also tells you how many floors you've climbed. And climbing up and down hills really gets you in good cardio shape.
4) Active minutes-- my other favorite feature. It takes me about 17 minutes to walk a mile, and so active minutes helps.

Omron HJ-112 Pocket Pedometer-- why I returned
1) Distance-- measures your distance based on the length of your stride. The movement in your hip indicates how many steps you've taken.
2) Uses Kcal and Grams-- to tell you caloric burning. I'm not too good with these units.
3) Floors-- does not measure
4) Aerobic steps and aerobic minutes- give you the number of steps you took at a good aerobic pace and the number of minutes you stayed at the aerobic conditioning level. This works well for me and correlates directly to the "active minutes" of the Fitbit.

Why did I go back to the Omron pedometer?

I don't like being hooked up to an electronic device on my wrist. Full disclosure... Actually my Fitbit fell off a few weeks ago and I decided to go back to the analog technology. Just an old-fashioned guy... or is that old guy?

Now I just drop the Omron pedometer into my pocket and hit the road.

Takes Fat to Make Fat (the T-Factor Diet)

"The T-Factor Diet" written by Martin Katahn, Ph.D., came out in 1989. It is still very relevant to understanding how to lose weight. T-Factor means "Thin Factor" and Katahn urges us to reduce our intake of fat, rather than obsessing on total caloric intake.

I got this quote from page 3 in the Introduction:

A hundred calories of baked potatoes and 100 calories of french fries are not equal, except in the laboratory. They have a very different impact on the human body.

The human body extracts and accumulates much more usable energy from fat than from any other nutrient. In addition, the body sees far, FAR more efficient at converting dietary fat into body fat than it is at converting carbohydrate or protein into body fat. Indeed, the differences in the way your body metabolizes fat compared with protein and carbohydrate are so great that except for a small percentage of persons who suffer from some metabolic abnormality, YOU CAN'T GET FAT EXCEPT BY EATING FAT.

In Chapter 3, page 28- 29, Katahn states:

A gram of fat contains approximately 9 calories, compared with approximately 4 contained in a gram of carbohydrate. 

Our studies show that the average overweight woman is eating between 80 and 100 grams of fat each day.That, translated to calories, is between 720 and 900 calories in fat. The average man is taking in about 20 grams more, or  between 900 and 1080 calories in fat.

The T-Factor formula for weight loss is:

20 to 40 grams of fat per day for women
30 to 60 grams of fat per day for men

Dr. Katahn is on to something. The heir to Katahn's ideas  for reducing fat include firefighter Rip Esselstyn with his vegan E-2 diet. Not sure I am comfortable with the purist aspect of E-S. The Macrobiotic diet also encourages a low fat program. Check them out-- your health and wellbeing cannot help but take a big step forward.

What's in a blog? ... 7 soul-enhancing benefits of working out

Started to write a blog entry concerning my personal preferences for a healthy lifestyle. I sounded bitter, angry, self-righteous and a regular Mr. Know-it-all." So I deleted the post. Felt better immediately after deleting.

So how does one share their beliefs on health and exercise-- which is what I do on this particular blog-- without sounding preachy? Maybe get more positive.... I'll try it.

Four Things I Like to do--- 100% success rate
1) I always feel a sense of relaxation when I get outside.
2) Relaxation hits as soon as you breath the fresh air. You breath better. You think better.
3) Muscles feel good when I swim at Deep Eddy pool. (Austin, Texas)
4) Enter the water and you've entered a different medium.

Things I've tried to improve-- 50% success rate
5) I'm trying to develop some muscle in my skinny, underdeveloped calf muscles. My left calf, the not-dominant side, is really bad. Don't know if this is possible. Okay to fail.
6) I've become more comfortable in the water this summer and feel more buoyant!

Post-exercise 

7) I enjoy the sense of accomplishment when I get home after exerting myself.

Roving yourself... to good health

Merriman-Webster defines roving (adj)-- going to many different places

That dictionary adds the following definitions for roving -- a: not restricted as to location or area of concern. b: capable of being shifted from place to place: mobile. 2. inclined to ramble or stray <a roving fancy>

Roving is also a term used in a book entitled "Live Longer Now" co-authored by Nathan Pritikin, John Leonard, and J.L. Homer in 1974. The following ideas are taken from pages 181-197 of the book.

Roving for these authors is an exercise, a combination of running and walking.... "that gives you the most return for your investment."

"Roving is a combination of walking and running with you in the pilot's seat."

Think of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and los viejos of Vilcabamba, Ecuador who remain vigorous in old age thanks to the long walking regimen inherent to their lifestyle. Cholesterol levels remain low and their heart health exceeds the artery-clogging lifestyle of modern man. We have chosen four wheels and an internal combustion engine over the use of our two legs. We pay a physical price and suffer a spiritual loss-- missing out on the sense of relaxation that comes with extended walking.

Pritikin and his fellow authors point out that man is "the only animal that travels, both slow and fast, on two legs." They continue "He has a graceful striding, gait that will carry him equally well at a snail's pace or a sprinters."

And that is the key... I had a gym coach in my freshman year at college. He suggested that we run or job a lap around the track and alternate with a walking lap. This seemed a bit uncool to a macho college student. Soon I noticed how altering the pace increased my ability to spend more time on the track and cover greater distances. And therein lies the answer... "The central principle in roving is to cover a lot of ground, but do it in your own good time."

Select a roving distance for yourself, anywhere from a few blocks to 6-10 miles, based on your level of conditioning. "Rove that distance four to five times each week."

"One of the most important (benefits) is to increase the efficiency by which your body delivers oxygen to its various tissues. Oxygen delivery is improved in a number of ways.. Brand new circulation is actually developed due to roving, with the growth of new capillaries to carry more blood to the body's muscles. This new circulation, called collateral circulation, enable the heart to deliver more blood to the muscles with each beat of the heart."

You will be amazed at the results!

What's your (health) number?

"One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do..." Remember that line from the Three Dog Night song back in 1969.. Did you know that Harry Nilsson wrote the song? 

And then there's the TV ad that annoyingly asks "What's your number?" meaning how much money will you need for retirement.

I'm on a quest to find a number that leads to good health-- I think I've done it. 

My number is 5.

Today, Wednesday, July 15, 2015, I drove over to my favorite walking spot. I parked my car in a hilly, residential area located on the west side of Austin, Texas. That's when the numbers kicked in. The clock said 8:00 am. The temperature reading on my dashboard said 76 degrees. Remember-- middle of July, deep in the heart of Texas.

I got back to my starting place at 9:20 am and the temperature read 85 degrees. More numbers. I figured I did close to 4 miles,  a 20 minute mile pace, going up and down in the heat . I misplaced the charger on my Fitbit last week so these numbers were approximate.

For me the key walking number is now 5! I've been doing 5 mile walks almost every morning, a kind of health ritual. My wristwatch served as my monitoring device--a traditional method, but it works.

My Fitbit would vibrate at 10,000 steps-- the 5 mile mark. With the friendly little vibration, and without even looking, I knew I had reached my goal for the entire day. I smiled to myself. I have ordered a replacement charger for my Fitbit.

They say it takes 30 days to create a habit. Sounds reasonable. I've got a new habit, early morning walks-- and 5 is my number!

The Hills are Alive... With Footsteps!

About a year and a half ago I began looking for a baseline for good health. What can you do almost every day without getting injured? Walking... What will raise your pulse rate and lower your blood pressure? Walking... What is an activity that will not lead to burn out-- something you can do year around? Walking... And it becomes a meditation. You breath deeply. You hear the birds sing. You smell the flowers and plants.

The notion that 10,000 steps per day is the key to fitness-- proved to be true. I've been feeling better since I embarked on this plan. I don't always make 10,000 steps per day, but I get pretty close maybe five days per week. And here's the key-- do at least three of those miles in a brisk walk.

"Walk like you're headed for an appointment, but you're not running late," is a good mantra to follow.

So today I happened to walk 60 active minutes in my favorite hilly neighborhood of Austin-- called Northwest Hills. Northwest Hills is an upscale neighborhood just a little north of the center of town.

Wow-- the advantage of a 60 minute walk was that my Omron pedometer told me the distance I covered-- 3.68 miles per house. I also had the stat on my steps per minute-- 119 steps. So, if I can maintain that rate for sixty minutes I'm getting a good walk accomplished. And I recommend it for everybody!

Many people have a psychological attachment to jogging. They feel a real workout has been achieved if they jog, whereas walking feels kind of weak and pathetic, a sign that they're not able to run. But think about it.... if you cover 3-4 miles, what's the difference what form of locomotion you use! And if you walk briskly your chance of injury is much reduced.

Best wishes with you walk! Strive for 10,000 steps for the day-- that's five miles. And go for a brisk walk of at least thirty minutes per day.

Following a Rabbit

Wanted to get my 10,000 steps today. After leaving a friends house in South Austin I stopped at the Hike 'N Bike trail around Town Lake at the edge of downtown. I decided to do about a 3 1/2 mile loop-- from the Pedestrian Bridge under Mopac to the Pedestrian Bridge at Lamar Boulevard. I've done it before. Today the temp hovered around 35-40 degrees and had to be dressed more warmly. Nothing like a brisk walk to raise your body temps to comfortable levels on a cold day.

I went about halfway. I began on the north side of Town Lake, on the downtown Austin side of the river. My pace was falling off. The inevitable slacking off occurs after you've walked about a mile. But then suddenly I noticed an older woman, that is somebody about my age. I could see her blue jacket-- a thermal style jacket-- and detected she was moving at a brisk pace. This was my rabbit, the strong walker capable of pushing my pace to a good level. I got about 30 yards behind her and stayed there for the final 1 1/2 of my walk. She never faltered. She didn't move her arms very vigorously, not the power walking style I have adopted. So she generated that brisk pace, my guess is she goes about 4 MPH, mainly with her legs and by being in good shape. We both ended our walk at the same place-- and my final tally was 54 minutes to cover that approximately 3 1/2 miles.

She helped me out but being a strong walker and a role model. You can keep doing this stuff well into your older years. I got about 7-8,000 steps added to my tally.

Exercise, Diet and Blood Sugar

About 1 1/2 years ago, my physician called my house. That's reason for alarm right there. He told me my numbers were pretty good generally "but you're pre-diabetic."

"What?" I caught my breath. Apparently my A1C had moved past the recommended range and was around 6.6. I never thought of myself as diabetic. Didn't know what to attribute this situation to-- sure I like to eat alot, but I've always been fond of exercise and have pretty decent cholesterol numbers. "Give me a chance to get my numbers down, please," I requested.

My physician agreed to give me some time to lower my numbers and I think I got them down to an A1C reading of around 5.8. I felt like I had some control of the situation.

The next year I went in for the annual physical, not thinking overly much about A1C. Another call from the doctor with the results. "You're diabetic!"

"What the hell?" I thought-- but just kept my mouth shut.

"I'm recommending you take a diabetes class," he said. I heaved a sigh of relief. Any class sounded better than getting on meds. I went to a class afforded by Seton Hospital. But the other cool thing, I get a Glucometer from Blue Cross. They showed me how to use the deal at diabetes class. You stick your finger with a tiny lancelet and press the drop of blood to a test strip.

Miracle of miracles-- I got some insight into my dietary habits. I have fondness for carbs, bordering on addiction, and I like rich fatty foods-- like mayonnaise and ice cream and croissants. By checking my blood glucose on a daily basis all the culprits were revealed. I started moving away from foods, like bread, I thought I never could do without and got really focused on my pedometer and my Fitbit.

10,000 steps a day proved to be a great guideline for getting the blood sugar down. I went back to the doctor and my A1C was down to 5.9. He seemed happy with that and I was elated! And my friends have noticed I've lost weight.

Oklahoma City's example (read "Fit or Fat"-- by Covert Bailey)

Listened to the TED radio hour today and heard Mick Comett, the mayor of Oklahoma City, talk about his campaign to help the entire city lose weight. It's worth checking out:

• http://www.ted.com/talks/mick_cornett_how_an_obese_town_lost_a_million_pounds?language=en

Mr. Comett's speech is interesting. He talks the effort made to transform Oklahoma City from a city designed primarily for the automobile to a pedestrian-friendly environment. He realized human mobility, rather than car mobility, was the key to making a more fit city. And it worked! Oklahoma City has moved up the ranks of healthy cities. And young people are attracted to moving there. Maybe Kevin Durant should be the poster child for staying thin. Unfortunately, losing weight does not guarantee you will instantly gain Durant's basketball skill or annual salary. But it's a start.

If you are interested in a classic in the annals of fitness, exercise and good diet, I want to recommend Fit or Fat, a nifty book written by Covert Bailey in 1977. Bailey explains the interesting process whereby your body becomes a more efficient burner of fat.

Bailey asserts a good diet breaks down as follows:
1/8-- protein
2/8-- fat
5/8-- carbohydrates (these are good carbs, rich in dietary fiber)

A blogger named James Lupori wrote about Covert Bailey's book on April 5, 2012. 

Here is the link to Lupori's piece:

<http://jameslupori.com/?p=179>

 And Lupori summarized a few of Bailey's ideas (see below).

1) Exercise. If exercise were a pill, it would be the most widely prescribed medicine in the world.
2) Diets don't work. Exercise is the bottom line behavior for weight management.
3) When you exercise, remind yourself, "I'm building fat-burning enzymes."

One of the hallmark notions of Bailey’s “Fit or Fat” is that dietary fat is a real challenge in making people fat. In his PBS presentations, he was famous for saying things like: “The fat you eat is the fat you wear. ” But, in all seriousness, he spends a lot of time talking about the role of fats and carbohydrates in our bodies and how they are metabolized. Yes, indeed,  he believes that eating a lower-fat, balanced diet is the way to go; however, he NEVER says never to most foods. The main thing he emphasizes is doing aerobic exercise  several times a week which literally alters the capacity of your muscles to metabolize sugars and fats. In short, becoming “fit” takes some work.