The new normal - obesity I recently read an article in a dental magazine – yes, though retired I still read them – about seven “simple” steps to get in shape.
1. De-junk your house. Get rid of the junk food. A hundred extra calories per day can lead to an annual gain of 10 pounds. Yuck.
2. Count your steps. Walk. He recommends a goal of 10,000 steps per day. This is a good start. LifeNuts recommends six hours of intense aerobic exercise each week. Start slowly.
3. Eat slowly. OK but eating meat and dairy is a more important issue. And eating five small meals a day helps, too.
4. Water. Drink, drink, drink. Lots of this low calorie refreshment.
5. Sleep. Seven to eight is good. Less than seven leads to weight gain. Not tired, try working out on your lunch hour or before work.
6. Muscle. If we don’t do strength training, we’ll lose muscle mass gradually. This also burns calories.
7. Mind games. Luminosity is worth it.
Other important issues in staying healthy are maintaining close relationships with your friends and loved ones and managing stress well. Of course, with a good financial foundation, all this is difficult. Which leads me once again to the discussion of health and money.
In watching the CNBC early morning show, Squawk Box, I am amazed that over 90 percent of the guests are either overweight or obese. These guests are usually extremely financially successful and range in age from their 20s to their 80s. Since they can easily afford a personal trainer, why don’t they hire one? They know that their obesity is a problem, yet they choose that lifestyle. Perhaps they schedule themselves so tightly that there’s no time for exercise or healthy eating. You know, it’s nearly impossible to eat healthily at restaurants. Chefs and restaurateurs know that Americans love salt, sugar, and fat. That’s their key to making meals “taste” good.
I also read another magazine, Men’s Health, published by Rodale, a health and fitness publishing company. The article, What’s Really Making Us Fat? – in the March issue, implied that genetics may play a factor in obesity. Maybe. But, there’s no question that exercise and a plant-based diet can override any genetical code that leads to being overweight. Same thing for avoiding mental deterioration, as well documented in Dr. Barnard’s book, Power Foods for the Brain. I chuckled when I saw a column praising cheese next to the end of the “fat” article. Americans consume 33 pounds of cheese each year and most of it sticks to their belly, hips, or butt. And they love it. Well, why not? Cheese contains opiates, highly addictive drugs. Food manufacturers and most chefs understand this addiction. But few people are aware.
The bottom line, again this year, is that we Americans continue to expand at the waistline, despite being one of the most affluent countries in the world. An unhealthy lifestyle is hard to change but LifeNuts is trying. Talk to your mayor about it. You can make a difference.
1. De-junk your house. Get rid of the junk food. A hundred extra calories per day can lead to an annual gain of 10 pounds. Yuck.
2. Count your steps. Walk. He recommends a goal of 10,000 steps per day. This is a good start. LifeNuts recommends six hours of intense aerobic exercise each week. Start slowly.
3. Eat slowly. OK but eating meat and dairy is a more important issue. And eating five small meals a day helps, too.
4. Water. Drink, drink, drink. Lots of this low calorie refreshment.
5. Sleep. Seven to eight is good. Less than seven leads to weight gain. Not tired, try working out on your lunch hour or before work.
6. Muscle. If we don’t do strength training, we’ll lose muscle mass gradually. This also burns calories.
7. Mind games. Luminosity is worth it.
Other important issues in staying healthy are maintaining close relationships with your friends and loved ones and managing stress well. Of course, with a good financial foundation, all this is difficult. Which leads me once again to the discussion of health and money.
In watching the CNBC early morning show, Squawk Box, I am amazed that over 90 percent of the guests are either overweight or obese. These guests are usually extremely financially successful and range in age from their 20s to their 80s. Since they can easily afford a personal trainer, why don’t they hire one? They know that their obesity is a problem, yet they choose that lifestyle. Perhaps they schedule themselves so tightly that there’s no time for exercise or healthy eating. You know, it’s nearly impossible to eat healthily at restaurants. Chefs and restaurateurs know that Americans love salt, sugar, and fat. That’s their key to making meals “taste” good.
I also read another magazine, Men’s Health, published by Rodale, a health and fitness publishing company. The article, What’s Really Making Us Fat? – in the March issue, implied that genetics may play a factor in obesity. Maybe. But, there’s no question that exercise and a plant-based diet can override any genetical code that leads to being overweight. Same thing for avoiding mental deterioration, as well documented in Dr. Barnard’s book, Power Foods for the Brain. I chuckled when I saw a column praising cheese next to the end of the “fat” article. Americans consume 33 pounds of cheese each year and most of it sticks to their belly, hips, or butt. And they love it. Well, why not? Cheese contains opiates, highly addictive drugs. Food manufacturers and most chefs understand this addiction. But few people are aware.
The bottom line, again this year, is that we Americans continue to expand at the waistline, despite being one of the most affluent countries in the world. An unhealthy lifestyle is hard to change but LifeNuts is trying. Talk to your mayor about it. You can make a difference.
