Tag: mood

Healthy Ageing, Uncategorized

EMBRACING WELLNESS

healthyat120
  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

Please follow my blog.

Uncategorized

Resolution Failure and Biogerontology

healthyat120

January opens with a personal brief evaluation and a resolution to improve. January ends with glossing over of that resolution or a justification so I can live with my failure, again this year. Why do we go through this kind of thinking? It is bad and does not reinforce good thinking or good health habits. I prefer goal setting; short and long-term goals which can grow and adjust with me. There is no failure.

December found me in the chill of Colorado with my family. A lucky flight in the middle of flight cancelations and a myriad of snafus put me in the Siberian weather front. It was -23 degrees before the wind chill was tagged on. It still was a joyful reunion.

Morning Walk

It was warm and homey inside with lots of fun and laughter and I was able to reinforce my personal energy. I finally finished reading, “Ageless. The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old” by Andrew Steele. This new field of studying the aging process is called Biogerontology. The book took a long time for me to read as it was at the edge of technical knowledge. Each of the medical breakthroughs that are on the horizon was discussed. My goal or task and yours is to live long enough to reap the benefits of this new and emerging medical study area. The science this there.

Chapter 10 of the book is Titled “How to Live Long Enough to Live Even Longer”. It is turning to the basic rules of good health to increase your health span to match your life expectancy until scientific breakthroughs can be made safe for everyone.

Here are Andrew Steele’s familiar suggestions.

  1. Don’t Smoke
  2. Don’t eat too much
  3. Get some exercise
  4. Get seven to eight hours of sleep
  5. Get vaccinated and wash your hands
  6. Take care of your teeth
  7. wear sunscreen
  8. Monitor your heart rate and blood pressure
  9. Don’t bother with supplements
  10. Don’t bother with longevity drugs-yet
  11. Be a Woman: this improves your life expectancy by about 5 years.

I found a good article in “Livestrong” titled, “7 Things Physical Therapists Do Every Day for Healthy Aging”

  1. Make Resistance Training a Regular Thing: this will reduce age-related muscle loss. 30 to 60 minutes per week.
  2. Put Protein First: every meal, every source, helps maintain muscle and avoid age-related weight gain.
  3. Keep Up With Cardio: aerobic exercise keeps your heart and lungs functioning. 150 minutes a week.
  4. Say Yes to Yoga: strong, flexible, balance to avoid falls.
  5. Take a walk after Dinner: improve digestion.
  6. Get Enough Sleep: benefits body and brain recovery.
  7. Find a Stress Reliever That Works: Walking, meditating, and yoga can all be helpful.

That is plenty of Back to Basics information here for you and me to move forward. There is no failure. Today is a new day.

Photo by Torsten Dettlaff on Pexels.com

I really liked this research: On January 4, a randomized study by the University of Colorado Boulder revealed that community gardening could bring great health results. By increasing fiber intake and physical activity, gardening can decrease cancer and chronic disease risk while also benefiting mental health by minimizing stress and anxiety.

Please click and watch this 13-minute YouTube. It is meaningful.

Be Healthy,

Coach Brown

Uncategorized

Fighting the Toxic World, What to do about life?

healthyat120

“ALL EXPERIENCES ARE Proceeded BY MIND, HAVING MIND AS THEIR MASTER, CREATED BY MIND” not from Science of Mind, not from New Thought…It is from THE BUDDHA.

  1. October in Red Rock Canyon.
  2. Too Big of a Topic and conflicting opinion.
  3. AHA: Life’s 7 Rules Plus 1.

  1. Nevada in October is a great hiking month.

It was hot, like 95 to 105 hot, until October 22nd. On that day at 2pm the wind can from the south east in 35 to 65 miles an hour. The daytime high temperature went from 95 to 65 degrees and stayed there. What that means to a hiker is either a change for clothing or a change of environments. I changed from hiking in the higher altitudes of Mt. Charleston and Spring Mountain to lower altitudes of Red Rock Canyon, Calico Basin and Lake Mead. All these places are great hikes.

Mt. Charleston hike

Red Rock Canyon Hike

2.Bad Blog Topic: Toxin.

This blog ended up mostly on the bedroom floor. We all have heard about external environmental toxins. We all have heard about food toxins. The combination is killing us. It was going to be all about the Toxins that we live with while breathing, eating, and just being. You know, all the crap we deal with every day. It turned out to be too big of a topic and surprisingly controversial. When you have a little time, check out “The Plastic Ocean Movie” and learn about Estrogenic plastics. We are hurting ourselves.

So after all my research, check this out.

Lots of data and Science.

3. American Heart Association Life Essential 8

As I read lots of other peoples blogs, I look for supported facts. The blog “Health Secrets of a SuperAger” got my attention with a title “Sleep as a new measure of cardiovascular health. The blog directed me to Aha life’s 7 rules plus 1on the American Heart Association Website. Here are their 8 Essential:

  1. Eat Better
  2. Be More Active
  3. Quit Tobacco
  4. Get Healthy Sleep
  5. Manage Weight
  6. Control Cholesterol
  7. Manage Blood Sugar
  8. Manage Blood Pressure

Each of these points has a link on their website. Any government stuff requires more investigation because every position is bought and paid for somehow. Here’s the link: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8.

That’s it for this month, Please get linked up with me to stay informed.

Be Healthy,

Coach Brown

Uncategorized

THERE IS A PLAN FOR YOU

healthyat120

The 2 Secrets to Successful Fitness 

There are 2 secrets to a successful exercise and fitness plan. The first secret is in the doing. No matter your mood you must get off the couch and get active. The second secret is in your food consumption. That’s it, mood and food. You and I have an exercise and workout plan. Mine has me walking, swimming, weight training, and bike riding on alternating days. I am including some type of High-intensity interval training (HIIT) in each workout. Your plan should include activities you enjoy, mixed with some activities that are needed to maintain your health and fitness. On the days that you don’t feel the motivation to get up and move, remember that mood follows activity, not the other way around.

From Michael Pollen

If I was forced to choose which is more important between diet or exercise, the answer is diet. I don’t mean a diet like, “I can’t eat that, I’m on a diet”. I mean a diet like a food plan for nutrition. A cow’s diet is primarily grass. A lion’s diet primarily meat. God’s creatures have a primary diet and secondary diet of items they eat as needed or as available. My diet has changed over time as I changed. My diet is now more plant based. I am not vegetarian or vegan, but it is “plant rich” as Dr. Mark Hyman of the Cleveland Clinic would say. I try to make 20% to 30% of my plate meat with the balance being vegetables and grain. There are plenty of debates about the best diet plan. Here are my starter rules.

Coach Brown’s Fitness Triangle Diet

DO’S

Eat Fruits or Vegetables with any meal or snack.

Eat Clean Whole Foods.

Eat Organic, in season, local when possible.

Eat Less Meat: grass-fed, free range, wild caught when possible. 

Use Olive Oil or Coconut oil 

Do keep to a calorie count appropriate for your goal. 

Ask yourself: is this product God made or man made? Pick God.

DON’Ts

No Fast Food.

No Soda, diet or other.

No or limited Processed Foods.

Limit Starches, breads, and wheat based products.

Limit Dairy.

Watch out for Sugar, Nitrates, Sodium, High fructose corn syrup.

Watch out for any product with more than 5 ingredients or ones that have ingredients with a really long name.

How to get started

Recently I found a simple and easy way to rebuild my diet. I needed to refresh what I was doing because the Pandemic quarantine has changed my life patterns. I am cooking more for the family and my son’s needs are different from mine. I started to gain weight. Dr. David Katz and a team of nutritionists not backed by big industrial food, has designed software to help. The free website helped pick a diet program and build a sample meal plan for me including a shopping list www.dietid.com.

Dr. Katz also has another website of importance called True Health Initiative https://www.truehealthinitiative.org/ where many health and food rumors and sales pitches are debunked. I recommend that you check out both of these sites.

The quote for this post is from Michael Pollan: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

Be Healthy,

Coach Brown