Tag: Health

Healthy Ageing, Uncategorized

A Reason, A Season, A Lifetime

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I have been waiting for a day like this. It is the start of summer, but just about everywhere on the planet is too warm. This day is a little cool but I have finished a 2.5-mile walk in the countryside of my daughters’ Colorado home, I’m ready to share some adventures and information.

This is on my regular walk in Pierce, CO.

If you know why the country roads are labeled like some mystical place in a “Harry Potter” adventure, let me know. This road sign is on my regular route in Pierce, Colorado.

The week before school went out for summer break, I stepped into a hole on the field and tore my gastrocnemius (calf muscle). I called it an occupational hazard for a 76-year-old High School P.E. teacher. The problem was this was not a fast-healing injury. I did my research for healing and set a plan for the quickest I could get it ready for summer. I did the work needed and headed to Bonaire in the Caribbean for a snorkel trip with my son, Trever. My calf wasn’t healed fully but it got me through a fabulous adventure. We snorkeled twice a day every day. Bonaire is a waterman’s paradise.

These photos were taken by Trever with a waterproof case on my iPhone.

The week was a great adventure. We had a great time. I can not help but be grateful for the recent summers I’ve had. Four years ago was Lake Tahoe for granddaughter #1’s High school graduation, and Colorado the next year for granddaughter #2’s High school graduation. Then last year’s London trip to see daughter #2 and her town, this year’s Bonaire trip with #4, my son to cap off a cycle. Each trip was followed by time in Colorado with daughter #3’s hospitality. I have been able to do these things as a benefit to life and a healthy lifestyle.

Granddaughter #1 with Daughter #1

Grandaughter #2 with Daughter #3

Daughter #2 in London last summer.

#4 A selfie in Bonaire this summer.

Healthy Ageing: Rebuild and Repair

Now, I have time to repair my worn body parts. I am doing this physical repair with regular workouts which include distance walking and interval walking. Also included are stretching and strength training on alternate days. My diet continues to be Plant-based or Plant-forward (there is a lot of terminology new around this style of eating) with only the occasional supplement of meat. If you would like to know more about truly healthy eating. It seems to have morphed out of The Mediterranean Diet and that is a good place to begin to find healthy food habits. Here is a link to explain The Mediterranean diet: https://lavandamichelle.com/2024/06/30/what-is-the-mediterranean-diet/. This lady has done her research.

As for my spiritual practice, it seems to focus a longevity, that is to say, I must remember that this life is impermanent and finite but the spirit is infinite. Focusing my attention there is the key.

There is a lot of high-country activity in my daily plan to be completed before my return to my Las Vegas friends and another year of teaching. Those friends in my life are a key to longevity. Remember the Blue Zones Power 9: Lifestyle Habits of the World’s Healthiest, Longest-Lived People. Here is a link to review my past blog on this topic of looking into The Blue Zone research: https://healthyat120.com/2022/09/26/exercise-nutrition-and-spirit-opening-door-number-3/.

So where is Road 88 3/4? It is where I travel.

in the spirit, be healthy,

Coach Brown

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HOLIDAY CHEER

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I’m enjoying the holidays. My warmest wishes for you.

I am with the family, in a place of gratitude, Colorado.

View from the house

According to Forks over Knives, the average American gains 5 to 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Please remember to get your walk daily and eat vegetables first.

Goose on a moose

Live well, I am in the middle of 3 health topic books, and I will share science-based information with you In January.

In the spirit, be healthy,

Coach Brown

Healthy Ageing, Uncategorized

WHAT IS HEALTHY EATING?

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I asked ChatGPT the question, “What is healthy eating?”

The “AI” Answers: 8 tips for healthy eating

“Healthy eating refers to consuming a variety of foods that provide the nutrients your body needs to maintain overall health, feel good, and have energy. It involves making informed choices about what and how much you eat, with an emphasis on:

  1. Balanced Diet: a healthy diet includes a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It also includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of lean proteins and healthy fats.
  2. Portion Control: Being mindful of portion sizes helps prevent overeating and allows you to enjoy a variety of foods without consuming excess calories.
  3. Nutrient-Rich Foods: Choose foods that are rich in nutrients but lower in calories. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. There foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber without contributing to excessive caloric intake.
  4. Limiting Processed Foods: Processed foods, especially those high in sugars, salts and unhealthy fats, should be limited. These often contain calories and additives that are not beneficial for your health.
  5. Moderation in Sugars and Salt: Too much sugar and salt in the diet can lead to various health issues, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Try to limit the intake of sugary drinks, sweets, and high-sodium foods.
  6. Hydration: Drinking plenty of water is crucial for overall health. It helps in digestion, regulating body temperature, and transporting nutrients in the body.
  7. Variety: Eating a wide variety of foods ensures that you get different nutrients from different sources. This reduces the risk of deficiencies and promotes overall health.
  8. Mindful Eating: Pay attention to what you eat and savor each bite. Mindful eating helps you recognize when you’re hungry and when you’re full, preventing overeating.”

This sounds great but it does not tell you what to eat. “AI”, while correct, seems very generic with its answer. I’m not sharing a plan either because each person needs to go through the process of building an eating plan for themselves at each stage of life. In another blog I read, the author tells us that he eats 80 to 90 percent vegetables. Then he goes on to list his no-nos and his go-to’s. What are you eating and when are you eating it? What are your no-nos and go-tos? We know our nutrition needs change as we age, so our eating habits need to change with us.

October Fun Hiking

I didn’t get in any golf this month. I hiked 4 trails: Le Madre Springs Trail, Kraft Trail, Kyle Road Path, and White Owl Canyon. I saw the springs of Le Madre, it is beautiful this time of year. I saw the beautiful dry gulch of the Calico Basin area. On the Kyle Road Path, among the desert terrain, I saw wild burros. Traveling to White Owl Canyon with a friend, I saw a Big-horn sheep. This is outdoor time. Golf will be later, my friends are hard at it. Here are some pictures from the hikes:

There are 3 burros in the photo above. Enlarge to find them.

Kraft area

At the Springs

Enjoying White Owl Canyon

From “Aging as a Spiritual Practice”:

As each of us grows older, may we be kind to ourselves;

As each of us grows older, may we accept joy and sorrow;

As each of us grows older, may we be happy and at peace.

In the spirit, be healthy,

Coach Brown

Healthy Ageing, Uncategorized

EMBRACING WELLNESS

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  1. The Big Three and Embracing Wellness
  2. Colorado and Camping
  3. Benefits of Walking after Meals

1. The Big Three

As I chronicle my activities month by month, July is always busy. My goal is not to brag but to give the reader an example of what an aging adult is doing to stay fit and have a health span that matches his life span. Many people today grapple with chronic pain, inflammation, and post-operative recovery. As an older adult, I must deal with all this too. Hhow I deal with these not only effects my physical well-being but also my emotional health and therefore my quality of my life. You and I must Embrace Wellness.

Peter Attia M.D. details 3 things to work on. 1. exercise 2. nutrition 3. sleep. It is possible to get out of order, if I don’t get enough sleep, I make poor food choices. This is the plan if you are in order. Dr. Attia wants you to picture what you want to be able to do in your last decade of life; then set up a program to be able to do that. None of us have control over the future, but why not lay the foundation to get there.

18 minute interveiw with Dr. Attia:

This is Lewis Howes’ interview in-depth with Dr.Attia 1hr 29 min.

2. Colorado and Camping

The weather was bipolar this year. At my daughter’s house in Colorado and anywhere we went, the weather held on to its insanity. We had two camping trips. The first trip was to Taylor Lake. This reservoir is in a valley at 9300 feet. It was a 4-hour drive to southern Colorado to meet friends. The camping is on an alluvial plain with snow-covered mountains all around. The days were long and fun-filled in the 70-degree range; at night the temperature dipped into the low 20s. I felt the chill. One morning, as I was warming in the first light, a black cloud came in with rocket speed and dumped a brief snow flurry on me. I was not ready and I had to sit in the car to get warm. However, the beauty of the “high country” area provides a “free pass” for any discomfort. I was invited by friends to go with them in their off-road vehicle “RZR” to Mirror Lake. This is a classically beautiful place. They fished, and I hiked. It is over 10,400 feet and is the gateway to the Continental Divide.

More bipolar weather waited for us on our second trip. This was Family camping for a week at Lake Mccaugnhy. My son and a friend joined us. This was a three-hour trip to Ogallala, Nebraska in the heart of cowboy history. This reservoir is on the North Platte River. The camping is like at the beach with sand and some trees. Day-time temperatures to the 80 and 90s with a night dip in the 60’s. Perfect for camping, right? This place is some kind of weather funnel. The first night, after we set up, the wind came with high-powered gusts and made its’ own arrangement of everything and even buried some stuff in the sand. The next day was sunny and we had a boat to play with, great time. Then rain, then sun, then wind. We went to bed to not deal with the weather. In the morning, we again played. Then the text came, tornado warning. We anchored almost everything. I sat in my tent through the 60-mile-an-hour wind. When it was over sand was in everything, everywhere, all the time. In the Biplor spirit, it was followed by a double rainbow.

The wind and rain started to howl that night after our rainbow event. Early in the morning, I stuck my head out of the tent, like a turtle looking for a meal. The rest of the family was about packed and waiting for me. We enjoyed this place, but it was an adventure.

3. Benefits of Walking after Meals

This is from Healthline:Nutrition 6/22/23

MAIN COURSE
Is it worthwhile to walk after eating?
Walking after meals, especially after dinner, is a time-honored tradition that may offer many health benefits, including aiding digestion, building muscle, and enhancing circulation. It may even improve your mental well-being.
Now, a new review of research provides further support for this tradition.
The researchers found that exercising shortly after eating can lower postmeal blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar is linked to metabolic syndrome, which is thought to affect more than one-third of Americans. Here are some more key takeaways from this review:
 •Exercising within 30 minutes after a meal was found to be the most beneficial (and more effective than exercising before eating).
 •Multiple short bouts of exercise after eating may be more effective than one long session.
 •In addition to burning calories, postmeal movement can shift your body’s energy source toward using up glucose supplied by a meal.
✅ More benefits of postmeal exercise:
 •The study found a beneficial effect in people with type 2 diabetes, though it was not as strong as in people without the condition. However, another study found that a 2-minute walk after meals can help lower type 2 diabetes risk.
 •Regular postmeal activity may potentially reduce the risk of inflammation and cardiovascular disease in the long term.
Next step: After your next meal, consider lacing up your boots (or sneakers) and going for a stroll that’s at least 20 minutes long. It’s a simple, inexpensive, and effective way to energize your digestion and boost your overall health. As the authors of this review conclude, “After dinner walk a while, after supper walk again.”
Tell us: Do you like to go for a walk after eating? Is it something you do all the time, now and then, or never? Let us know at nutritionedition@healthline.com. (Please note that we may use your name and response in an upcoming newsletter!)

Thanks to everyone who hosted me this summer. I return to Las Vegas renewed for the start of school in August. The old understand the young, better than the other way around.

In the spirit, be healthy,

Coach Brown

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Community Requires Cooperation, A Trip to London

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London from the Train station on the Thames

This month’s adventures were amazing and educational. My middle daughter (yes, there are three) has lived worldwide. She settled in London 10 years ago. She travels back here to the States to visit, but this was my first trip to visit her and the U.K. I was joyously greeted by my daughter, who was to host me and act as my tour guide extraordinaire. My arrival in London was a week or so after the Coronation of King Charles III and the decorations were still in place. I saw and did almost everything. Palaces, parks, gardens, plays, and concerts. I have tons of pictures and keepsakes of all the events and places.

We took a side trip to the Yorkshire countryside to see the rural area and maybe find a DNA link or 2. We found no link but had fun on the hunt. We met lots of nice people. This is just a beautiful place.

York from the Wall.

Hiking The North English Moors

How does this fit into my Health and Fitness Blog? Every good vacation is going to have lots of activity. The U.K. is no exception. The people are very much Public Transportation oriented. Many people are using it to go everywhere. This also means they are walking, as we were, to each destinations. I averaged over 22,000 steps a day. This is more than double my recommended 10,000 steps per day. The unique thing is that almost everyone is walking. Old people and young people are all walking, a true nation in motion.

Veggie menu even here.

I wanted to eat planted based on this vacation, I thought it would be challenging. It was not. I had a planned exception for a traditional “fish and chips” meal and to try a “pasty”. To my revelation, every Diner, Hangout, and Food stand has a veggie or vegan option or both. The fish and chips were good and pasties come in veggie form everywhere. As we walked to catch a bus (double-decker, of course) in a Jamaican market area, I ask my daughter if we could get a Pasty. She said that those are good and pointed out a shop. A young lady came from the back and I ask if they have vegan or veggie pasties. She said, “Sure mon”, and pointed to a display case with several kinds. I ask which is best, and she pointed again. We bought 2 and ate the goodness on the bus to the inner part of London. Many restaurants specialize in vegetarian food. We ate at an Indian restaurant that was superior to anything that I have had before. They served dahl that had been simmered for 24 hours. That is a delicious and mouth-watering lintel dish. Everywhere had these types of choices. Even in the county, good restaurants had vegan and veggie options. Virgin Atlantic, the airline, had me set up ahead of time with vegan meals also.

Example of Veggie Restaurant

Example of choices at a food stand

Community Requires Cooperation

The English seem to be better at cooperation than we Americans. There are over 14 million people in London and they move and interact with very little conflict. The urban vs. rural issues do exist there, but they seem more committed to the common good than we do. There were transportation strikes while I was in London, and people had “workaround” plans. There were protests about world conditions, and the people were polite in allowing others to exercise free speech. We still have lessons to learn.

My daughter was a kind and generous host. I was able the stay healthy and have the best of vacations. I did return to the desert for a few days. Now I’m headed off to Colorada with my youngest daughter for the balance of my summer break.

My Hosts, I thank you.


Colorado cloud

In the spirit, be healthy,

Coach Brown