Some would say I should have been committed long ago! Commitment is a word that I think too few pay attention to anymore. We jump from job to job, relationship to relationship, fad to fad etc. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes change is needed, but in this day and age, we go into things half-heartedly so often that the chances of success are fairly poor from the start. I am thinking on this concept today as I celebrate 20 years of marriage to a woman who probably should be committed for marrying me, and for putting up with me for the past 2 decades haha.
When it comes to our health, we have a habit of looking for the quick result with the least effort. When you think of commitment, the terms "quick result" and "least effort" don't go hand in and with that word, do they? Of course not. So often we look for health in a capsule, the fad diet, the 20 second ab workout, or the electrical stimulation unit that will gives us a 6 pack. I can see the attraction, and I understand the desire to find the "secret remedy" to optimum health, but it doesn't exist.
All things that are worthwhile take an investment of time, and to consistently invest your time requires commitment to a goal. The goal has to be so great as to keep us focused on it and running toward it, and this time of year is a great time to start looking at your 2011 goals.
Don't wait until 1/1/11 to start setting goals, start now. Start writing them down, reworking them as you get clearer about what you want. Set goals for yourself in multiple areas of your life including physical, mental, social, financial, and spiritual. Ask yourself, "What would I like my life to look like in those areas at the end of 2011?". Then create a plan that will get you there. It's easy to say I'd like to get to Alaska, but if you don't have a map, you may never get there. It's easy to set goals, but without a plan (map) we probably won't get there. Without a plan, goals are just pie in the sky wishes. Plan your work, and then work your plan.
To keep committed to your goals, have them written down where you can see them regularly. You might find that you need to have them in multiple places: on your laptop, in your PDA/phone, on a tablet in your bedroom by the bed, taped to your bathroom mirror (not your rear view mirror please!). Read your goals every day and see yourself achieving them, see what your life will be like when you achieve them, experience in your mind what it will feel like to be successful with each specific goal. I find that reading them on Sunday nights, before I start my week, causes me to make daily/weekly plans to get me closer to my goal, so maybe give that a try.
Anyway, to live a really wellness oriented lifestyle, it means more than watching one's weight. It encompasses being the best you can be, being what you were created for, pursuing your purpose in life. To do that, we have to stay committed!
I hope you find these ideas help you in your goals to live a wellness oriented life!
Until next time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Art Of Being Grateful
It's Thanksgiving, and a time when we are supposed to give thanks. But do we? Or do we look at this holiday only as a time to stuff our faces, sit around and watch football, and hang out with family? There's nothing wrong with that, and I'll probably do a little of each. But, are we thankful? Really Thankful?
You'd be surprised at the benefits of living a life of gratefulness. It changes your whole physiology (your insides). Studies have shown that practicing gratefulness has a whole myriad of health benefits. It can literally add years to your life, and life to your years.
There are several ways to start living this style of life. I teach my patients these when they are having issues with depression or with anxiety. One would be to buy a small notebook that you keep with you. You can use this as your gratefulness journal. You can either carry it with you and write in it as the day goes by about what your grateful for, or you can have a specific time every day that you sit down to use it. Every day, your task is to write down 5 things you are grateful for. Now, the goal is not just to create a list of things you are thankful for, but to experience exactly why you are thankful. How do we do that?
When you pick something you are thankful for, don't just write it down. Instead, write it down, then write a brief sentence or two as to WHY you are grateful. For instance, if I were to write down I am grateful for my wife, I'd might say the following: "I am grateful for my wife because she is beautiful inside and out, and I could not ask for a better mom for my kids. I enjoyed sitting with her by the fire pit and just shooting the breeze last night". That is a real example that I used recently.
You can do that once a day and list 5 things, or you can go through the day and write things down as they come to you or you experience them. Or you can do a combination of the two where you spend 5 minutes writing in your journal daily, but you also keep it with you so you can write down other things that you might experience throughout the day. If you're ever feeling down, stressed, depressed or frustrated, take it out and read through some of the entries.
Lastly, every night before you fall asleep, think on those things again. The bible tells us in Phillipians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." So every night review your day and focus on those things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable etc and be thankful for them. It's a great way to drift off to sleep.
Until next time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
You'd be surprised at the benefits of living a life of gratefulness. It changes your whole physiology (your insides). Studies have shown that practicing gratefulness has a whole myriad of health benefits. It can literally add years to your life, and life to your years.
There are several ways to start living this style of life. I teach my patients these when they are having issues with depression or with anxiety. One would be to buy a small notebook that you keep with you. You can use this as your gratefulness journal. You can either carry it with you and write in it as the day goes by about what your grateful for, or you can have a specific time every day that you sit down to use it. Every day, your task is to write down 5 things you are grateful for. Now, the goal is not just to create a list of things you are thankful for, but to experience exactly why you are thankful. How do we do that?
When you pick something you are thankful for, don't just write it down. Instead, write it down, then write a brief sentence or two as to WHY you are grateful. For instance, if I were to write down I am grateful for my wife, I'd might say the following: "I am grateful for my wife because she is beautiful inside and out, and I could not ask for a better mom for my kids. I enjoyed sitting with her by the fire pit and just shooting the breeze last night". That is a real example that I used recently.
You can do that once a day and list 5 things, or you can go through the day and write things down as they come to you or you experience them. Or you can do a combination of the two where you spend 5 minutes writing in your journal daily, but you also keep it with you so you can write down other things that you might experience throughout the day. If you're ever feeling down, stressed, depressed or frustrated, take it out and read through some of the entries.
Lastly, every night before you fall asleep, think on those things again. The bible tells us in Phillipians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." So every night review your day and focus on those things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable etc and be thankful for them. It's a great way to drift off to sleep.
Until next time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Friday, November 5, 2010
Beating The "Holiday 5"
Yes the holidays are upon us. In just a few short weeks, turkey with stuffing, apple pie, pumpkin pie, candied yams and more will be available to us, along with many alcoholic libations. Tasty and enjoyable stuff for sure. I look forward to my first taste of pumpkin pie in almost a year.
However, when left unchecked, the holiday celebrations lead to the dreaded "Holiday 5", or in some cases the "Holiday 10". We are talking about the extra pounds put on because of the excess calories, and the poor quality of foods that we have available to us more commonly.
Over the last 2 years, I've worked hard on limiting the holiday poundage with some quality wins. Here's what I do now and recommend.
1. Understand that plenty of opportunities to splurge will occur. Accept that fact and be prepared for it.
2. Before going to a situation where you know you'll have sweet foods, alcohol, or high quantities of calories, have a snack. Yes, eat a snack. But, make it a healthy snack. Some pumpkin seed and a piece of fruit for example. Eat this about 30 minutes before the party so you don't arrive famished and ready to consume the first pretty looking food that appears (and most food looks much prettier when we're starving). Have your snack and 8oz of water.
3. Indulge in your favorite recipe. Don't completely ignore the pie or candy you love so much. You'll not enjoy yourself. But, limit the quantity. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. Plan ahead to only have "x" amount.
4. Don't fill your plate. This is a good rule all the time, but especially at holiday time. There's so much to choose from as you go down the line at Thanksgiving or Christmas. So put food on your plate, eat it and enjoy it, and then see how you feel. Again, take your time so you stomach starts to feel full.
5. If you know you want to taste everything, just take smaller quantities as you go through the line. Often we fill our plates with large servings and feel bad that we don't have room for something else we like, so we go back and get round two of the rest of everything.
6. Keep up with your exercise. Plan it out weekly so that you're getting the calorie burn you need. It's more vital than ever to do this now, especially since you know things will come up to get in the way of your exercise plan.
7. Finally, EVERY chance you get to eat healthy, DO IT! The next opportunity to indulge in sweets is just around the corner for you, so behave every second that you can!
Mainly, it's important to be prepared and to think about what you're doing. I want you to enjoy the holidays and the tasty foods, but not to the point of regretting it on January 2nd. I enjoy the challenge though. I weigh myself on Thanksgiving morning and monitor it all throughout the holidays, then have a final check on January 2. Last year it was only 1.5 pounds heavier, and I did enjoy my holiday. I hope you can find a way to enjoy and not regret it as well. Have a great holiday season!
Until next time...BE WELL!!
Dr. Bruce
However, when left unchecked, the holiday celebrations lead to the dreaded "Holiday 5", or in some cases the "Holiday 10". We are talking about the extra pounds put on because of the excess calories, and the poor quality of foods that we have available to us more commonly.
Over the last 2 years, I've worked hard on limiting the holiday poundage with some quality wins. Here's what I do now and recommend.
1. Understand that plenty of opportunities to splurge will occur. Accept that fact and be prepared for it.
2. Before going to a situation where you know you'll have sweet foods, alcohol, or high quantities of calories, have a snack. Yes, eat a snack. But, make it a healthy snack. Some pumpkin seed and a piece of fruit for example. Eat this about 30 minutes before the party so you don't arrive famished and ready to consume the first pretty looking food that appears (and most food looks much prettier when we're starving). Have your snack and 8oz of water.
3. Indulge in your favorite recipe. Don't completely ignore the pie or candy you love so much. You'll not enjoy yourself. But, limit the quantity. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. Plan ahead to only have "x" amount.
4. Don't fill your plate. This is a good rule all the time, but especially at holiday time. There's so much to choose from as you go down the line at Thanksgiving or Christmas. So put food on your plate, eat it and enjoy it, and then see how you feel. Again, take your time so you stomach starts to feel full.
5. If you know you want to taste everything, just take smaller quantities as you go through the line. Often we fill our plates with large servings and feel bad that we don't have room for something else we like, so we go back and get round two of the rest of everything.
6. Keep up with your exercise. Plan it out weekly so that you're getting the calorie burn you need. It's more vital than ever to do this now, especially since you know things will come up to get in the way of your exercise plan.
7. Finally, EVERY chance you get to eat healthy, DO IT! The next opportunity to indulge in sweets is just around the corner for you, so behave every second that you can!
Mainly, it's important to be prepared and to think about what you're doing. I want you to enjoy the holidays and the tasty foods, but not to the point of regretting it on January 2nd. I enjoy the challenge though. I weigh myself on Thanksgiving morning and monitor it all throughout the holidays, then have a final check on January 2. Last year it was only 1.5 pounds heavier, and I did enjoy my holiday. I hope you can find a way to enjoy and not regret it as well. Have a great holiday season!
Until next time...BE WELL!!
Dr. Bruce
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sleep vs. Rest
What's the difference? Is there a difference?
Yes there's a difference. Rest means to have had rejuvenation. One can sleep without being rejuvenated. Ever hear of someone drinking a ton one night and sleeping til the afternoon the next day? They usually feel really tired, because they didn't rest. Rest occurs when you reach REM sleep and alcohol (as well as caffeine) inhibit the body's ability to reach REM sleep.
Develop some good sleep hygiene to ensure your "sleep" is "rest".
Yes there's a difference. Rest means to have had rejuvenation. One can sleep without being rejuvenated. Ever hear of someone drinking a ton one night and sleeping til the afternoon the next day? They usually feel really tired, because they didn't rest. Rest occurs when you reach REM sleep and alcohol (as well as caffeine) inhibit the body's ability to reach REM sleep.
Develop some good sleep hygiene to ensure your "sleep" is "rest".
Friday, October 22, 2010
Weekend Wellness Warriors
It's Friday, and the weekend is here. I don't know about you but the weekend offers plenty of opportunity to do great things and not so great things. Does that sound familiar to you?
Often we don't cook as much, we might go out a bit more. We might have a bit more wine, or a margarita or beer. We might sit all afternoon watching football Saturday AND Sunday.
The weekend is an easy time for us to get off base with our wellness plans. But, it also offers opportunities to do MORE wellness activities. From the simple things like going to a festival (walking a lot) to family bike rides, grilling healthy meats and veggies and more.......these opportunities are there for the taking. I like the idea of doing something with family, especially if you have kids. This helps them learn the value of a wellness lifestyle, and sets a good example for them, which can affect the generations to come.
I love the phrase, "People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan". It's so true in every aspect of life, and wellness is no exception. Plan out your weekend in a wellness way.
Until next time...BE WELL
Dr. Bruce
Often we don't cook as much, we might go out a bit more. We might have a bit more wine, or a margarita or beer. We might sit all afternoon watching football Saturday AND Sunday.
The weekend is an easy time for us to get off base with our wellness plans. But, it also offers opportunities to do MORE wellness activities. From the simple things like going to a festival (walking a lot) to family bike rides, grilling healthy meats and veggies and more.......these opportunities are there for the taking. I like the idea of doing something with family, especially if you have kids. This helps them learn the value of a wellness lifestyle, and sets a good example for them, which can affect the generations to come.
I love the phrase, "People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan". It's so true in every aspect of life, and wellness is no exception. Plan out your weekend in a wellness way.
Until next time...BE WELL
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A Wellness Oriented Schedule
It's Sunday evening, the week starts tomorrow. Do you know if you're going to be more or less well by the end of the week? You probably should.
If we don't plan it, chances are it's not going to happen. When are we doing to exercise? What challenges do we see in the schedule to eating well this week and what can we do to minimize those affects? Where do we have some downtime scheduled to really rest and de-stress? What plans do we have for improving our sleep hygiene?
All of those questions can lead us to planning out our week. It's what I am about to do now at 9:57 pm Sunday night. Plan out your week as best as possible to improve your chances of being more well when you end the week than we you started. It can be done!
Until next time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
If we don't plan it, chances are it's not going to happen. When are we doing to exercise? What challenges do we see in the schedule to eating well this week and what can we do to minimize those affects? Where do we have some downtime scheduled to really rest and de-stress? What plans do we have for improving our sleep hygiene?
All of those questions can lead us to planning out our week. It's what I am about to do now at 9:57 pm Sunday night. Plan out your week as best as possible to improve your chances of being more well when you end the week than we you started. It can be done!
Until next time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Monday, October 11, 2010
3 Anti-Fitness Habits
The following 3 habits will result in weight gain faster than you can say ‘anti-fitness habits.’ Break these habits quickly.
1. Drinking Calories. Soda pop, coffee drinks, smoothies and fruit juices are filled with calories. Since liquids won’t give you a ‘full’ feeling, these drinks slide by without notice of how many extra calories you’re getting. Stick with water to avoid extra calories. You have no benefit from eating these calories (empty calories) and you have all the bad stuff that goes along with it. It's a lose/lose arrangement.
2. Not Exercising. Skipping the gym day after day, week after week, and month after month will lead to muscle loss and a reduced metabolism. Exercise 3-5 days per week to keep your muscles strong and metabolism high. It's amazing to me how much more coordinated my patients that are over 35 if they've been exercising regularly. It helps significantly with balance too which is very important as we age.
3. Eating a Heavy Dinner. Eating a large heavy dinner sets you up for weight gain. Instead of eating the majority of your calories late in the day, spread it out over the entire day. Eat a large healthy breakfast, snack mid morning, a good sized lunch, a mid afternoon snack and a small dinner for optimum health. A small healthy snack can be had after dinner before bedtime if you eat light enough and early enough at dinner.
Until Next Time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
1. Drinking Calories. Soda pop, coffee drinks, smoothies and fruit juices are filled with calories. Since liquids won’t give you a ‘full’ feeling, these drinks slide by without notice of how many extra calories you’re getting. Stick with water to avoid extra calories. You have no benefit from eating these calories (empty calories) and you have all the bad stuff that goes along with it. It's a lose/lose arrangement.
2. Not Exercising. Skipping the gym day after day, week after week, and month after month will lead to muscle loss and a reduced metabolism. Exercise 3-5 days per week to keep your muscles strong and metabolism high. It's amazing to me how much more coordinated my patients that are over 35 if they've been exercising regularly. It helps significantly with balance too which is very important as we age.
3. Eating a Heavy Dinner. Eating a large heavy dinner sets you up for weight gain. Instead of eating the majority of your calories late in the day, spread it out over the entire day. Eat a large healthy breakfast, snack mid morning, a good sized lunch, a mid afternoon snack and a small dinner for optimum health. A small healthy snack can be had after dinner before bedtime if you eat light enough and early enough at dinner.
Until Next Time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, October 10, 2010
One Step At A Time
If you are in poor shape or health, how did you get there? Answer: 1 step at a time. Most of us weren't born unhealthy, weak, obese and sickly. In truth, we were designed to be super healthy! We got into the condition we are in one step at a time. One bad habit started, one good habit dropped, and that's all it takes to start us down the pathway to illness.
How do we get into good health? Answer: 1 step at a time. Yes, to reverse the trend, all it takes is to start one new health habit that is good for you. Tomorrow start walking, or take some time to de-stress, or maybe eat one healthy meal each day for the next week. You are now on the path to wellness. But we can't stop there, we have to add in more new habits.
Once we get a new habit ingrained in our life, then we need to try another one. If every month, or every week we add in one new habit that is healthy for us, think where we could be in 12 months? 24 months? 5 years? The possibilities are endless.
They key is just a little at a time. And, I prefer to focus on ADDING in new GOOD habits rather than trying to cut out bad habits. As we increase the good habits, they bad habits will start to fall off.
Remember, one step at a time!
Until Next Time.....BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
How do we get into good health? Answer: 1 step at a time. Yes, to reverse the trend, all it takes is to start one new health habit that is good for you. Tomorrow start walking, or take some time to de-stress, or maybe eat one healthy meal each day for the next week. You are now on the path to wellness. But we can't stop there, we have to add in more new habits.
Once we get a new habit ingrained in our life, then we need to try another one. If every month, or every week we add in one new habit that is healthy for us, think where we could be in 12 months? 24 months? 5 years? The possibilities are endless.
They key is just a little at a time. And, I prefer to focus on ADDING in new GOOD habits rather than trying to cut out bad habits. As we increase the good habits, they bad habits will start to fall off.
Remember, one step at a time!
Until Next Time.....BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Thursday, October 7, 2010
If You Take Preventive Medication, Is That Wellness Care?
Nope. No Sir. No Way. Absolutely Not. Emphatically NO!!!!!
You are sick if you are taking drugs to stay well. WHAT?? Does that even make sense? It does if you think about it, or even if you don't.
It's really pretty simple. If you have been put on medications, there is apparently something amiss in your body that you and your health care provider have decided to treat by using chemicals. You are therefore being treated....for something. And, if you are being treated for something, you are sick, and thus not well.
Wellness comes from within, not from the outside. It is not created chemically. Chemicals may hide issues, but that doesn't make one well. Hey, if my check engine light comes on, maybe I should just cut the wires to it so that it goes off, that way my car would be "well" again. NOT! It's only a matter of time before your car blows up on you. We wouldn't do something that silly would we? Of course we would. We have the "for every ill there is a pill" mentality in our culture, and it causes plenty of blowups in our bodies.
Wellness comes from the inside of our bodies when we eat, move, think and rest in a wellness manner. Pretty much every condition that we get treated medically for can be controlled, diminished, or even eradicated by living a wellness lifestyle. It doesn't mean you won't ever get sick, or have a health challenge, but it does mean that if your body is in crisis, you have a much better chance of winning the battle when needed.
Remember, if you're on medications, you're sick.
Until next time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
You are sick if you are taking drugs to stay well. WHAT?? Does that even make sense? It does if you think about it, or even if you don't.
It's really pretty simple. If you have been put on medications, there is apparently something amiss in your body that you and your health care provider have decided to treat by using chemicals. You are therefore being treated....for something. And, if you are being treated for something, you are sick, and thus not well.
Wellness comes from within, not from the outside. It is not created chemically. Chemicals may hide issues, but that doesn't make one well. Hey, if my check engine light comes on, maybe I should just cut the wires to it so that it goes off, that way my car would be "well" again. NOT! It's only a matter of time before your car blows up on you. We wouldn't do something that silly would we? Of course we would. We have the "for every ill there is a pill" mentality in our culture, and it causes plenty of blowups in our bodies.
Wellness comes from the inside of our bodies when we eat, move, think and rest in a wellness manner. Pretty much every condition that we get treated medically for can be controlled, diminished, or even eradicated by living a wellness lifestyle. It doesn't mean you won't ever get sick, or have a health challenge, but it does mean that if your body is in crisis, you have a much better chance of winning the battle when needed.
Remember, if you're on medications, you're sick.
Until next time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
7 Habits For Achieving Your Wellness Goals
1. Rethink your drink.
Lose the sugar and drop the weight. You can still get flavor in water/tea while skipping the sugar. Try adding citrus wedges, chopped mint, sliced cucumber or frozen berries to tea or water. My tea and my water almost always get a couple of slices of lemon in them. You'll also be getting the added health benefits of the fruit that you put in the drink.
2. Slow Down to Lose the Pounds
In a study in which female participants were instructed to wolf down their meal, they ate, on average 70 additional calories and felt less satisfied than the group that was instructed to eat slowly and enjoy their meal. It is important to eat slowly, take small bites, chew thoroughly and put your fork down between bites. Take your time and enjoy your food.
3. Know Your Serving Size.
The palm of your hand is approximately 3 oz. serving of meat. Your fist is a good measurement for ½ cup, which would be the serving of pasta. Thumb is about 1 ounce and the tip of the thumb measure about 1 teaspoon. Also, eating a small healthy snack (a 1/4 cup of almonds or walnuts for example) 30 minutes prior to your meal will help you feel fuller sooner and you'll back down on what you eat at the meal.
4. Aspire to Perspire.
When it comes to working out, there are more options than there are shades of green. When creating your workouts focus on transforming your body as well as tuning your mind. Try it all and find the activities you enjoy the most. Remember 45 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week and 45 minutes of weight training at least 3 times per week is optimum.
5. Scale Down
As the number on the scale goes down so should the number of calories you are eating. To figure out your BMR – divide your current weight by 2.2 pounds then multiplying this number by 0.9 and then by 24. Now multiple your BMR by 1.2 and you have arrived at the number of calories your body burns per day when you factor in your physical activity. (300 – 500 calories per hour of intermediate exercise) Once you have your final number- shave off 500 calories to find how many calories you need to eat to lose a pound per week.
6. Mix It Up.
Have you been doing the same workout day in day out? If so, your body has more than likely become just familiar with the physiological conditions and this is no longer a challenge. To grow no more and to increase your body’s metabolism, you must change your workouts on a regular basis to continue the challenge. Increase your flexibility, strengthen your core, improve your agility and work on your speed. Constantly mixing it up will keep your body guessing, changing and improving.
7. Make a Promise. And keep it.
It is very difficult to blow off a commitment that you have made public to people that are important to you. Tell your family, your friends, your trainer and anyone else you think will be supportive of your new aspirations. A workout partner is always good for keeping you committed to your wellness goals.
Until Next Time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Lose the sugar and drop the weight. You can still get flavor in water/tea while skipping the sugar. Try adding citrus wedges, chopped mint, sliced cucumber or frozen berries to tea or water. My tea and my water almost always get a couple of slices of lemon in them. You'll also be getting the added health benefits of the fruit that you put in the drink.
2. Slow Down to Lose the Pounds
In a study in which female participants were instructed to wolf down their meal, they ate, on average 70 additional calories and felt less satisfied than the group that was instructed to eat slowly and enjoy their meal. It is important to eat slowly, take small bites, chew thoroughly and put your fork down between bites. Take your time and enjoy your food.
3. Know Your Serving Size.
The palm of your hand is approximately 3 oz. serving of meat. Your fist is a good measurement for ½ cup, which would be the serving of pasta. Thumb is about 1 ounce and the tip of the thumb measure about 1 teaspoon. Also, eating a small healthy snack (a 1/4 cup of almonds or walnuts for example) 30 minutes prior to your meal will help you feel fuller sooner and you'll back down on what you eat at the meal.
4. Aspire to Perspire.
When it comes to working out, there are more options than there are shades of green. When creating your workouts focus on transforming your body as well as tuning your mind. Try it all and find the activities you enjoy the most. Remember 45 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week and 45 minutes of weight training at least 3 times per week is optimum.
5. Scale Down
As the number on the scale goes down so should the number of calories you are eating. To figure out your BMR – divide your current weight by 2.2 pounds then multiplying this number by 0.9 and then by 24. Now multiple your BMR by 1.2 and you have arrived at the number of calories your body burns per day when you factor in your physical activity. (300 – 500 calories per hour of intermediate exercise) Once you have your final number- shave off 500 calories to find how many calories you need to eat to lose a pound per week.
6. Mix It Up.
Have you been doing the same workout day in day out? If so, your body has more than likely become just familiar with the physiological conditions and this is no longer a challenge. To grow no more and to increase your body’s metabolism, you must change your workouts on a regular basis to continue the challenge. Increase your flexibility, strengthen your core, improve your agility and work on your speed. Constantly mixing it up will keep your body guessing, changing and improving.
7. Make a Promise. And keep it.
It is very difficult to blow off a commitment that you have made public to people that are important to you. Tell your family, your friends, your trainer and anyone else you think will be supportive of your new aspirations. A workout partner is always good for keeping you committed to your wellness goals.
Until Next Time...BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Prize vs. The Price
Really, this is what it all comes down to: The Prize vs. The Price. There it is, the secret of the universe. I could stop now and never write another thing (and some might be thankful for that) and you'd have all you need to make the lifestyle changes you know you need to make. The Prize vs. The Price. So simple. Who knew?
If we're not moving forward in our desire to be more healthy, then we're focused on the price. Sometimes the price can seem so overwhelming. I know, I have those moments, days, weeks or seasons. It seems the mountain is so high, and with my little steps it will take me so long to get to the top. What's the point? Gosh, I took 10 steps yesterday, and then I slid down the mountain on some loose shale, and ended up 15 steps back. And I skinned my knees and hands in the process and bruised up my backside. Now I feel achy, stiff, frustrated and don't know if it's worth it anymore.
Sound familiar? It probably should for most of us. It's those times where the price seems so huge, so monumental, so unconquerable, that it feels better to just give in, ie turn over and go back to bed instead of getting up to exercise, go to Wendys for a single combo with cheese instead of going to the store and making something fresh and healthy, ignore the need to de-stress and just keep plodding along, not take the time to truly rest, but rather stay out late partying regularly. It just seems so much easier to turn around, and walk DOWN the hill instead. Besides, that's what most people are doing, why not just go along with the crowd?
Here's why. Step back and look, REALLY look at the crowd. Do they have the life you really want? Most are over worked, over stressed, over weight, and over eating. Do you REALLY only want what the rest of the world has? Or do you want to be better than average?
Those who enjoy their lives, and live very balanced in their eating, moving, thinking and resting don't look at the price as much. They keep their eyes on the prize, even in the midst of the days where they're slipping down the slope and banging up their knees, elbows and backsides. And if they do start thinking about a price, it's the price they'll have to pay if they DON'T eat, move, think and rest well. They keep that in mind along with the prize of the life they want to live, the legacy they want to leave behind, and the memories they'll make of overcoming the challenges they've had to overcome.
I saw this on the face of many of the 1st time 5k runners at the recent 1st annual Lake Houston Area 10k/5k and Wellness Fest in our area. My wife was one of them. I was standing at the area where the 5k-ers turned in toward the finish line, and the look on her face as she could see the mountain top was priceless (get that? PRICE-less....think on that one). I remember high 5-ing some of the other 1st time runners as they finished up and seeing their proud looks. That was a perfect example to me of people focused on the prize.
That's what keeps me going personally. We all need to focus on the results, and overcoming challenges so that we can become the person we want to be. Get your reason, your prize, clearly in your mind and stay focused on it. And when you slip (and you will), don't look down, keep focused upward and get right back off your rusty dusty backsides and take that next step. Remember the prize, not the price!
Ok, cue the Rocky Theme Music now :-)
If we're not moving forward in our desire to be more healthy, then we're focused on the price. Sometimes the price can seem so overwhelming. I know, I have those moments, days, weeks or seasons. It seems the mountain is so high, and with my little steps it will take me so long to get to the top. What's the point? Gosh, I took 10 steps yesterday, and then I slid down the mountain on some loose shale, and ended up 15 steps back. And I skinned my knees and hands in the process and bruised up my backside. Now I feel achy, stiff, frustrated and don't know if it's worth it anymore.
Sound familiar? It probably should for most of us. It's those times where the price seems so huge, so monumental, so unconquerable, that it feels better to just give in, ie turn over and go back to bed instead of getting up to exercise, go to Wendys for a single combo with cheese instead of going to the store and making something fresh and healthy, ignore the need to de-stress and just keep plodding along, not take the time to truly rest, but rather stay out late partying regularly. It just seems so much easier to turn around, and walk DOWN the hill instead. Besides, that's what most people are doing, why not just go along with the crowd?
Here's why. Step back and look, REALLY look at the crowd. Do they have the life you really want? Most are over worked, over stressed, over weight, and over eating. Do you REALLY only want what the rest of the world has? Or do you want to be better than average?
Those who enjoy their lives, and live very balanced in their eating, moving, thinking and resting don't look at the price as much. They keep their eyes on the prize, even in the midst of the days where they're slipping down the slope and banging up their knees, elbows and backsides. And if they do start thinking about a price, it's the price they'll have to pay if they DON'T eat, move, think and rest well. They keep that in mind along with the prize of the life they want to live, the legacy they want to leave behind, and the memories they'll make of overcoming the challenges they've had to overcome.
I saw this on the face of many of the 1st time 5k runners at the recent 1st annual Lake Houston Area 10k/5k and Wellness Fest in our area. My wife was one of them. I was standing at the area where the 5k-ers turned in toward the finish line, and the look on her face as she could see the mountain top was priceless (get that? PRICE-less....think on that one). I remember high 5-ing some of the other 1st time runners as they finished up and seeing their proud looks. That was a perfect example to me of people focused on the prize.
That's what keeps me going personally. We all need to focus on the results, and overcoming challenges so that we can become the person we want to be. Get your reason, your prize, clearly in your mind and stay focused on it. And when you slip (and you will), don't look down, keep focused upward and get right back off your rusty dusty backsides and take that next step. Remember the prize, not the price!
Ok, cue the Rocky Theme Music now :-)
Monday, September 13, 2010
Getting Started
One reader of this blog was asking "How do you get committed to starting your day off with exercise?". It's not easy, especially the older we are because habits are more ingrained as we age. That means two things: 1. The older I am, the more commitment it will take to change and 2. It's easier to change NOW rather than later when I have more years of bad habit behind me!
But, as I've said before in this blog, nothing happens without a "why". The "why" has to be big enough to make someone change and to keep the new change in effect long enough for it to become a habit, because it is one of nature's laws that only a habit can subdue another habit.
So, what are your reasons? If they're big enough, nothing will stop you. If I tell you to run into a burning house to see if someone is in there, you might question my reasoning. If however, I told you your most cherished loved one was in there, the "why" just got big enough in most cases to create action.
In our office we teach an exercise on how to create the why, and how to use it to force change, and to make the new change become the new habit. Call us to schedule a time to learn how to create and use your own "why"!
But, as I've said before in this blog, nothing happens without a "why". The "why" has to be big enough to make someone change and to keep the new change in effect long enough for it to become a habit, because it is one of nature's laws that only a habit can subdue another habit.
So, what are your reasons? If they're big enough, nothing will stop you. If I tell you to run into a burning house to see if someone is in there, you might question my reasoning. If however, I told you your most cherished loved one was in there, the "why" just got big enough in most cases to create action.
In our office we teach an exercise on how to create the why, and how to use it to force change, and to make the new change become the new habit. Call us to schedule a time to learn how to create and use your own "why"!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
So Let's Get A Bit More Specific
Ok, this topic of starting the day off right has been on my mind a lot lately (obviously). Someone in a previous post on this even asked "how does one start the habit of getting the day going right".
So......I am doing some researching and will post some ideas for starting your day off in the best way possible, stay tuned.
So......I am doing some researching and will post some ideas for starting your day off in the best way possible, stay tuned.
Speaking Of Starting Up.........
How well do you start your day up with regards to re-fueling? By the time you wake, it's most likely been well over 7-8 hours since you last had the chance to re-fuel. Your body at this point is now almost slipping into the "starvation" mode, meaning it is close to beginning to feel as though more fuel is not coming soon. This is one of the reasons that breakfast is SO important. Your blood sugar levels have dropped, and the next thing you put in your body may be the most important.
Too much in the way of bad carbs, sugar, refined foods will send your blood sugar levels skyrocketing, setting the foundation for ill health in the form of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases. We often complicate matters more by SKIPPING breakfast entirely (and I hear a lot of excuses as to why people skip) and not eating til lunchtime, when we again often give in to our cravings because we are "starving".
Needless to say, Mom was always right when she said "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day"!
Too much in the way of bad carbs, sugar, refined foods will send your blood sugar levels skyrocketing, setting the foundation for ill health in the form of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases. We often complicate matters more by SKIPPING breakfast entirely (and I hear a lot of excuses as to why people skip) and not eating til lunchtime, when we again often give in to our cravings because we are "starving".
Needless to say, Mom was always right when she said "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day"!
Friday, September 10, 2010
If You Start Me Up...
I was thinking of that line from an old Rolling Stones song this morning as I was in a cycle class at 5:15 this morning. It seems like even though getting rolling that early in the a.m. is tough sometimes, once I complete the class, I am energized and ready to take on the day. I come out of that class wired up and fired up and feeling good about myself. What a great way to start my day, and bring an end to the week!
So my question to myself and to everyone is, what are we doing to get started up right daily? Do you have to be insane and burn 800 calories at 5 in the morning to start up right? Thankfully the answer to that is no for most people.
However, it IS important to find some way to get your day started off right..some way to set the tone for the day. I don't know what that will look like for you, it may look like a brisk walk, it may just be a healthy breakfast habit, maybe you need to have some focus time, or maybe some time connecting with God.
If your day seems to start with a countdown to 5 o'clock, or the next day off, then maybe it's time to start a new morning habit. Try a few different things to see what works best for you. In an ideal world, you might have some exercise time on some mornings, some quiet time others, or maybe some good quality time with your spouse or kids over breakfast.
I really don't know what it will be for you, I just know that you need to find what it is so that you do start your days off in the best way possible.
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce.
So my question to myself and to everyone is, what are we doing to get started up right daily? Do you have to be insane and burn 800 calories at 5 in the morning to start up right? Thankfully the answer to that is no for most people.
However, it IS important to find some way to get your day started off right..some way to set the tone for the day. I don't know what that will look like for you, it may look like a brisk walk, it may just be a healthy breakfast habit, maybe you need to have some focus time, or maybe some time connecting with God.
If your day seems to start with a countdown to 5 o'clock, or the next day off, then maybe it's time to start a new morning habit. Try a few different things to see what works best for you. In an ideal world, you might have some exercise time on some mornings, some quiet time others, or maybe some good quality time with your spouse or kids over breakfast.
I really don't know what it will be for you, I just know that you need to find what it is so that you do start your days off in the best way possible.
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
The Innate Diet Of Grass.....a few random thoughts
Living in the Houston area for 44, almost 45 years, I've seen the summer weather pattern a more than a few times and am quite familiar with it. Typically, June is the wettest of the summer months here, and if it's dry in June, we're likely in for a hot dry summer.
It started out that way here this summer, June was dry. But thanks to our friend Alex (hurricane) we've endured 3 days of heavy rains in the area, and as I type this it is raining hard again. This type of pattern, dry, then wet, makes me think of grass, keeping it alive, figuring out how to make it thrive, watering it etc.
What does that have to do with wellness? Good question of course! Have you ever noticed that when it's dry outside, when we water our grass, it does liven up a bit, and won't die off. However, when a good rain comes through, it seems the grass does even better than an equal amount of watering from our sprinklers. Why would that be? Let's look at that.
First, the innate diet of grass if you will, is rainwater. Rain, from the sky. Not water from a faucet or sprinkler. Plain old water from the clouds. The water in the pipes that feeds our grass is a bit "processed" so to speak. It contains things like chlorine among other possible contaminants (look up water contents and see what you find). So while it does feed our grass and keep it alive, it doesn't do as good of a job as the innate diet of grass. It keeps it alive, but it doesn't thrive.
So what does that have to do with us? We can choose to eat our innate diet or not. If we choose to not eat innately, then we may be choosing to stay alive, and not thrive. If we DO eat innately, then we have a better chance of thriving, and being as healthy as possible ie, living well.
The same goes for all of our lifestyle choices. How well we eat, move, think and rest affects whether or not we'll thrive or just stay alive. Which do you want?
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
PS, sorry I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted on here!!!!
It started out that way here this summer, June was dry. But thanks to our friend Alex (hurricane) we've endured 3 days of heavy rains in the area, and as I type this it is raining hard again. This type of pattern, dry, then wet, makes me think of grass, keeping it alive, figuring out how to make it thrive, watering it etc.
What does that have to do with wellness? Good question of course! Have you ever noticed that when it's dry outside, when we water our grass, it does liven up a bit, and won't die off. However, when a good rain comes through, it seems the grass does even better than an equal amount of watering from our sprinklers. Why would that be? Let's look at that.
First, the innate diet of grass if you will, is rainwater. Rain, from the sky. Not water from a faucet or sprinkler. Plain old water from the clouds. The water in the pipes that feeds our grass is a bit "processed" so to speak. It contains things like chlorine among other possible contaminants (look up water contents and see what you find). So while it does feed our grass and keep it alive, it doesn't do as good of a job as the innate diet of grass. It keeps it alive, but it doesn't thrive.
So what does that have to do with us? We can choose to eat our innate diet or not. If we choose to not eat innately, then we may be choosing to stay alive, and not thrive. If we DO eat innately, then we have a better chance of thriving, and being as healthy as possible ie, living well.
The same goes for all of our lifestyle choices. How well we eat, move, think and rest affects whether or not we'll thrive or just stay alive. Which do you want?
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
PS, sorry I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted on here!!!!
Friday, April 2, 2010
"You Time".......or "Me Time"
Whatever you want to call it, we all need a little bit of it. What is "it" you say? I call it "Me Time", or if I am telling you to take it, it would be called "You Time".
Today is good Friday, it's 6:55 in the morning. I slept until I felt done. No one is up around here except the cat, who is happy I just fed her, and now I am enjoying the quiet. I am having "Me Time" today. Time to do things I really want to do (even if some of them need to be done). I'll be going to a track in a couple of hours with my entire family to walk/jog for about an hour. I'll be watching my son and one of the catchers on his team practice pitching/catching (My son pitches, the other will catch).
I'll take some time to plant a few things in my front flower beds today. I'll have lunch AND dinner with my family. I'll help clean the house since we are entertaining a few families tomorrow night.
Oh, some of you are saying that sounds like a lot of work for a "Me Time" kinda day. But, the point is, the things I am doing, I really WANT to do, and actually enjoy doing (yes even cleaning, I know, I am a bit weird). Having "Me Time" doesn't mean doing nothing but sitting around vegging, though that can be part of a "Me Time" day. Hey, I might take a nap today. My pastor says sometimes the most spiritual thing one can do is take a nap, and I agree!
The real point is to do what Stephen Covey says when he talks about the 7th habit of highly effective people: Take time to sharpen the saw. Take time to rejuvenate yourself. If all we do is continue cutting down trees, without taking time to sharpen our saw, soon the work becomes harder and harder, and we have to take more and more effort to bring down a tree. Soon, even the smallest saplings that need to come down become a real chore. Our arms become fatigued, our backs, our legs, everything will begin to hurt, we might even injure ourselves because we become mentally fatigued as well and make a mistake with a dangerous tool like a saw.
That's how life is too. We must take time to rejuvenate, we must take "Me Time" regularly, not just when we feel the symptoms of fatigue and burnout, it has to be part of our regular lifestyle plan. If we don't, we'll fatigue, we'll feel like it's a chore to get through event he most mundane of activities. We might hurt ourselves, or others around us because we haven't taken time to rejuvenate, and we don't react to life the way we should.
What would your ideal "Me Day" look like? It doesn't have to look like mine. It has to be what rejuvenates YOU.
Take some time for you, this weekend and regularly.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Today is good Friday, it's 6:55 in the morning. I slept until I felt done. No one is up around here except the cat, who is happy I just fed her, and now I am enjoying the quiet. I am having "Me Time" today. Time to do things I really want to do (even if some of them need to be done). I'll be going to a track in a couple of hours with my entire family to walk/jog for about an hour. I'll be watching my son and one of the catchers on his team practice pitching/catching (My son pitches, the other will catch).
I'll take some time to plant a few things in my front flower beds today. I'll have lunch AND dinner with my family. I'll help clean the house since we are entertaining a few families tomorrow night.
Oh, some of you are saying that sounds like a lot of work for a "Me Time" kinda day. But, the point is, the things I am doing, I really WANT to do, and actually enjoy doing (yes even cleaning, I know, I am a bit weird). Having "Me Time" doesn't mean doing nothing but sitting around vegging, though that can be part of a "Me Time" day. Hey, I might take a nap today. My pastor says sometimes the most spiritual thing one can do is take a nap, and I agree!
The real point is to do what Stephen Covey says when he talks about the 7th habit of highly effective people: Take time to sharpen the saw. Take time to rejuvenate yourself. If all we do is continue cutting down trees, without taking time to sharpen our saw, soon the work becomes harder and harder, and we have to take more and more effort to bring down a tree. Soon, even the smallest saplings that need to come down become a real chore. Our arms become fatigued, our backs, our legs, everything will begin to hurt, we might even injure ourselves because we become mentally fatigued as well and make a mistake with a dangerous tool like a saw.
That's how life is too. We must take time to rejuvenate, we must take "Me Time" regularly, not just when we feel the symptoms of fatigue and burnout, it has to be part of our regular lifestyle plan. If we don't, we'll fatigue, we'll feel like it's a chore to get through event he most mundane of activities. We might hurt ourselves, or others around us because we haven't taken time to rejuvenate, and we don't react to life the way we should.
What would your ideal "Me Day" look like? It doesn't have to look like mine. It has to be what rejuvenates YOU.
Take some time for you, this weekend and regularly.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Health Care Is Not Expensive
Got your attention? I bet I did. I know everyone of us are thinking about health care these days, one way or another. My goal today is to tell you how you can be less concerned about what changes are really coming down, and show you how you can have less costs with regards to your health, and, how if we all did this, it would save the country hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe even billions.
First, let’s clarify a couple of things. For starters, when you go to your doctor for an illness, (are you ready for this?) you are NOT receiving health care. That’s right, you heard it here first, it is NOT health care. It is SICK care. It is DISEASE care. You are going there because you are sick, or have a disease. You are there because for some reason, your body has broken down and is not doing what it’s supposed to have done, you body’s function has decreased enough to where an illness has temporarily (hopefully temporarily) won the fight for who is in charge inside you. This is true for the flu, a sinus infection, pneumonia, and diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, cancer etc. So, you have chosen to go and get some help via medications to suppress said sickness/disease/symptom in the hopes that either your body will kick in again and knock down the issue, or you can at least keep it down to a dull roar.
Please hear me, I am not condemning going to get treated for your disease. It is necessary sometimes. Otherwise, the results could be severe, even fatal. I am reminded of a patient I had a few years ago that didn’t seek care fast enough, and lost the lower ½ of his leg to a diabetic neuropathy. (More on this guy later). I am only trying to get us to think differently about health care vs. sick care or disease management. Remember, the type of thinking that we’ve developed so far in our country with regards to health and wellness has gotten us to where we are now, which is a very sick nation, with rampant obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other diseases of lifestyle. That same type of thinking will not get us out of this rut, and will keep us reliant on medications, surgeries, and, of course, insurance plans.
Do you realize that much of our illness/disease in this country is caused by lifestyle decisions? What if we started thinking radically differently about our lifestyles? Obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease are things that cost us directly when we have to deal with it, and indirectly when they reach epidemic levels as they have here in our country. What if we changed that?
Do you realize how much cheaper it would be for us if we only learned how to take better care of ourselves? If our thinking was so radically changed that we no longer tolerated putting toxins in our bodies that are disguised as food, we would chart a totally different course for ourselves, our families and our country regarding health. If we sought out health care providers that focused primarily on lifestyle changes, and supporting us in those endeavors, what would that do for us? If we joined a gym and actually used the membership, or started a walking group, how different could our lives be? It would cost us personally so much less for starters. And it would cost the nation much less too! Follow me here: The sicker we are as a nation, the more we have to use health insurance. The more we have to use health insurance, the less the insurance companies profit. They tend to not like that much, so our premiums go up. When our employers have to pay more in premiums, it cuts into their profits. That loss of profit is usually offset by the company charging the consumer more for their product or service. Do you see how every time one more of us gets sick and has to seek out sick care, it has an impact on the entire country? This doesn’t even count lost productivity because of absent workers! When you look at it in this way, the concept is staggering!!
This is supposed to be a time of “change”, so how can we change this situation? Seek out wellness oriented healthcare providers. Let them work with you in making lifestyle changes that will help you step closer to wellness. This is what we do at our office every day. We teach people what it means to eat better, move better, rest better and think better daily. We set goals for them, we support them as they work through changing 20, 30, 40 years or more of thinking in the old paradigm. It’s fun to see them lose 40 pounds under our supervision and feel “better than ever” as one 60+ year patient told us. It’s exciting to see people’s cholesterol levels normalize. It’s rewarding to hear how a person has learned to deal with stress so much better that they finally feel rested when they wake in the mornings. It IS possible. It IS happening right now. It CAN happen for you, and it would benefit not only you and your family, but our great nation as a whole!
So, back to my diabetic patient with the prosthetic leg. He chose NOT to learn to eat, move, think and rest better, he chose NOT to pursue true health care. I saw him a while back. He’s now in a wheelchair, with BOTH of his legs now removed from the knee down. A very sad story for a young man. A very costly process for him. A huge lesson for us all.
“Health Care” is NOT expensive, “Sick Care” is.
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
First, let’s clarify a couple of things. For starters, when you go to your doctor for an illness, (are you ready for this?) you are NOT receiving health care. That’s right, you heard it here first, it is NOT health care. It is SICK care. It is DISEASE care. You are going there because you are sick, or have a disease. You are there because for some reason, your body has broken down and is not doing what it’s supposed to have done, you body’s function has decreased enough to where an illness has temporarily (hopefully temporarily) won the fight for who is in charge inside you. This is true for the flu, a sinus infection, pneumonia, and diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, cancer etc. So, you have chosen to go and get some help via medications to suppress said sickness/disease/symptom in the hopes that either your body will kick in again and knock down the issue, or you can at least keep it down to a dull roar.
Please hear me, I am not condemning going to get treated for your disease. It is necessary sometimes. Otherwise, the results could be severe, even fatal. I am reminded of a patient I had a few years ago that didn’t seek care fast enough, and lost the lower ½ of his leg to a diabetic neuropathy. (More on this guy later). I am only trying to get us to think differently about health care vs. sick care or disease management. Remember, the type of thinking that we’ve developed so far in our country with regards to health and wellness has gotten us to where we are now, which is a very sick nation, with rampant obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other diseases of lifestyle. That same type of thinking will not get us out of this rut, and will keep us reliant on medications, surgeries, and, of course, insurance plans.
Do you realize that much of our illness/disease in this country is caused by lifestyle decisions? What if we started thinking radically differently about our lifestyles? Obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease are things that cost us directly when we have to deal with it, and indirectly when they reach epidemic levels as they have here in our country. What if we changed that?
Do you realize how much cheaper it would be for us if we only learned how to take better care of ourselves? If our thinking was so radically changed that we no longer tolerated putting toxins in our bodies that are disguised as food, we would chart a totally different course for ourselves, our families and our country regarding health. If we sought out health care providers that focused primarily on lifestyle changes, and supporting us in those endeavors, what would that do for us? If we joined a gym and actually used the membership, or started a walking group, how different could our lives be? It would cost us personally so much less for starters. And it would cost the nation much less too! Follow me here: The sicker we are as a nation, the more we have to use health insurance. The more we have to use health insurance, the less the insurance companies profit. They tend to not like that much, so our premiums go up. When our employers have to pay more in premiums, it cuts into their profits. That loss of profit is usually offset by the company charging the consumer more for their product or service. Do you see how every time one more of us gets sick and has to seek out sick care, it has an impact on the entire country? This doesn’t even count lost productivity because of absent workers! When you look at it in this way, the concept is staggering!!
This is supposed to be a time of “change”, so how can we change this situation? Seek out wellness oriented healthcare providers. Let them work with you in making lifestyle changes that will help you step closer to wellness. This is what we do at our office every day. We teach people what it means to eat better, move better, rest better and think better daily. We set goals for them, we support them as they work through changing 20, 30, 40 years or more of thinking in the old paradigm. It’s fun to see them lose 40 pounds under our supervision and feel “better than ever” as one 60+ year patient told us. It’s exciting to see people’s cholesterol levels normalize. It’s rewarding to hear how a person has learned to deal with stress so much better that they finally feel rested when they wake in the mornings. It IS possible. It IS happening right now. It CAN happen for you, and it would benefit not only you and your family, but our great nation as a whole!
So, back to my diabetic patient with the prosthetic leg. He chose NOT to learn to eat, move, think and rest better, he chose NOT to pursue true health care. I saw him a while back. He’s now in a wheelchair, with BOTH of his legs now removed from the knee down. A very sad story for a young man. A very costly process for him. A huge lesson for us all.
“Health Care” is NOT expensive, “Sick Care” is.
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Friday, March 12, 2010
Real Food vs. Edible Food Like Substances
Here's a GREAT article about real food, I LOVE IT!!
« Natural Cures Blog Carnival, A Little Chocolate Love
Wisconsin Raw Milk Hearings »
Real Food Challenge Attracts CNN Spotlight
By Kimberly Hartke | Published: March 10, 2010
Vicky @ CNN Headquarters Atlanta GA.
Creative Commons License photo credit: Morales Photo
My Real Food Challenge
by Guest blogger, Jenny McGruther, Nourished Kitchen blog
There’s something revolutionary about real food, something subversive about traditional foods. There shouldn’t be.
Real food, traditional food, is nothing extraordinary. There should be no cultural shock to enjoying fruits and vegetables, grains and beans, milk and meat grown, raised and prepared through the time-honored practices and traditions that nourished human health for millennia. But there is.
Raising animals with true, holistic care and respect to their natural diets and proclivities has been lost to confinement operations. Nurturing and cherishing the soil to optimize the production of heirloom fruits and vegetables has been lost to massive farming operations and mono-cropping. Farm fresh milk, drunk greedily the morning the cow or goat was milked, has been lost to the denaturing effects of ultra-high temperature pasteurization and homogenization. After all it’s to protect our health, isn’t it?
Moreover, we’ve not only lost the art of farming, but also of preparing food with care, attention and appreciation. Where we would have learned time-honored traditions of preparing nourishing foods as we tugged at our grandmother’s aprons, we’ve been taught instead to microwave our suppers and that freshly baked “from scratch” pastries and breads come from a box.
As a result, not only has our health as a nation suffered, but so has our culture. We’ve lost our heritage.
As the traditional foods movement has grown, many of us our muddling our ways through our journeys into real food – rediscovering the lost arts, but it’s a tricky road with no grandmother to hold your hand and show you how to mash the sauerkraut just so, or how to soak flour in buttermilk to make the lightest biscuits.
In early February, I challenged my readers at Nourished Kitchen to clean up their cupboards and reinvigorate their passion for real and traditional foods; moreover, my goal was to introduce the practices and fundamental aspects of traditional foods to an audience who so desperately wanted to learn what modern agriculture and food processing forgot.
So we made it happen – over 950 of us. I made the claim that real health comes from real food and that real food never comes from a box as I brazenly suggested that participants rid their pantries of processed foods: white flour, white sugar, refined vegetable oils and – gasp! – even agave nectar. I asked participants to make meals of vegetables and grass-fed meats and properly prepared whole grain. Every day there was a new assignment, new learning and a new goal.
We learned to sprout, sour and soak our way through phytic acid with the best of them. We lovingly tended to and babied our sourdough starters – celebrated when they rose high and wept when they failed. We made cheese – some the easy way with fresh yogurt and others were more adventurous. We ate our carrots and peas with butter, real butter, and we ate our fresh greens with plenty of olive oil. We relished our meat, eggs , fish, broth and even liver. And we washed it all down with sour, sweet and effervescent draughts of home-brewed kombucha.
Most importantly, we learned to give back to our communities: our farmers markets had more volunteers; our food banks found fresh, real foods, at their steps. A non-profit or two may have even found new members and donations to support their good work protecting farmers rights and supporting nutrition advocacy and education.
Eventually, what we were doing – over 900 of us on the challenge – caught the ear of a CNN reporter who covered the 28-day Real Food Challenge and Nourished Kitchen on CNN Health. And that is how liver and lard landed on the homepage of CNN.com.
It shocked many of CNN’s readers. After all, how could lard be good for you?!? How could someone, in this day and age, seriously advocate eating meat!?! My goodness, you’ll have to pry the Cheetohs from my cold, dead hands.
A nutritionist, who may well have benefited from taking the challenge herself, even touted the benefits of processed foods like low-fat milk and canned green beans, while those tried-and-true challenge participants scoffed.
Sure, the challenge wasn’t without its … well … challenges as addressed by the article on CNN. For many families, especially those previously unfamiliar with traditional foods and the Weston A Price Foundation, the challenge was struggle. Some families had never prepared a meal without the aid of a package or a box before embarking on the challenge. Others found the expense of real food a shock – though it can be easily mitigate through proper kitchen management. Yet everyone, no matter where they succeeded or where they struggled, learned.
Now that the challenge has ended, it still effects its goal. Participants found their passion for all-natural, real foods and many of them are still choosing to continue on the path of traditional foods. Moreover, others have emailed me to let me know their migraine headaches disappeared, that their ever constant gastrointestinal distress has ended and still others have expressed that after months or years without a menstrual cycle, their cycles have returned.
Real food truly brings health, not only for our bodies but for our culture and for our nation’s foodsheds.
Jennifer McGruther, a mother and farmers market manager in Crested Butte, Colorado, blogs about real food and the value of growing your foodshed at Nourished Kitchen where she features many nourishing recipes, publishes monthly recipe cards and feature articles on the real and traditional foods movement. If you’re interested you can also sign up for the next round of the 28-day Real Food Challenge or get involved at Nourished Kitchen.
« Natural Cures Blog Carnival, A Little Chocolate Love
Wisconsin Raw Milk Hearings »
Real Food Challenge Attracts CNN Spotlight
By Kimberly Hartke | Published: March 10, 2010
Vicky @ CNN Headquarters Atlanta GA.
Creative Commons License photo credit: Morales Photo
My Real Food Challenge
by Guest blogger, Jenny McGruther, Nourished Kitchen blog
There’s something revolutionary about real food, something subversive about traditional foods. There shouldn’t be.
Real food, traditional food, is nothing extraordinary. There should be no cultural shock to enjoying fruits and vegetables, grains and beans, milk and meat grown, raised and prepared through the time-honored practices and traditions that nourished human health for millennia. But there is.
Raising animals with true, holistic care and respect to their natural diets and proclivities has been lost to confinement operations. Nurturing and cherishing the soil to optimize the production of heirloom fruits and vegetables has been lost to massive farming operations and mono-cropping. Farm fresh milk, drunk greedily the morning the cow or goat was milked, has been lost to the denaturing effects of ultra-high temperature pasteurization and homogenization. After all it’s to protect our health, isn’t it?
Moreover, we’ve not only lost the art of farming, but also of preparing food with care, attention and appreciation. Where we would have learned time-honored traditions of preparing nourishing foods as we tugged at our grandmother’s aprons, we’ve been taught instead to microwave our suppers and that freshly baked “from scratch” pastries and breads come from a box.
As a result, not only has our health as a nation suffered, but so has our culture. We’ve lost our heritage.
As the traditional foods movement has grown, many of us our muddling our ways through our journeys into real food – rediscovering the lost arts, but it’s a tricky road with no grandmother to hold your hand and show you how to mash the sauerkraut just so, or how to soak flour in buttermilk to make the lightest biscuits.
In early February, I challenged my readers at Nourished Kitchen to clean up their cupboards and reinvigorate their passion for real and traditional foods; moreover, my goal was to introduce the practices and fundamental aspects of traditional foods to an audience who so desperately wanted to learn what modern agriculture and food processing forgot.
So we made it happen – over 950 of us. I made the claim that real health comes from real food and that real food never comes from a box as I brazenly suggested that participants rid their pantries of processed foods: white flour, white sugar, refined vegetable oils and – gasp! – even agave nectar. I asked participants to make meals of vegetables and grass-fed meats and properly prepared whole grain. Every day there was a new assignment, new learning and a new goal.
We learned to sprout, sour and soak our way through phytic acid with the best of them. We lovingly tended to and babied our sourdough starters – celebrated when they rose high and wept when they failed. We made cheese – some the easy way with fresh yogurt and others were more adventurous. We ate our carrots and peas with butter, real butter, and we ate our fresh greens with plenty of olive oil. We relished our meat, eggs , fish, broth and even liver. And we washed it all down with sour, sweet and effervescent draughts of home-brewed kombucha.
Most importantly, we learned to give back to our communities: our farmers markets had more volunteers; our food banks found fresh, real foods, at their steps. A non-profit or two may have even found new members and donations to support their good work protecting farmers rights and supporting nutrition advocacy and education.
Eventually, what we were doing – over 900 of us on the challenge – caught the ear of a CNN reporter who covered the 28-day Real Food Challenge and Nourished Kitchen on CNN Health. And that is how liver and lard landed on the homepage of CNN.com.
It shocked many of CNN’s readers. After all, how could lard be good for you?!? How could someone, in this day and age, seriously advocate eating meat!?! My goodness, you’ll have to pry the Cheetohs from my cold, dead hands.
A nutritionist, who may well have benefited from taking the challenge herself, even touted the benefits of processed foods like low-fat milk and canned green beans, while those tried-and-true challenge participants scoffed.
Sure, the challenge wasn’t without its … well … challenges as addressed by the article on CNN. For many families, especially those previously unfamiliar with traditional foods and the Weston A Price Foundation, the challenge was struggle. Some families had never prepared a meal without the aid of a package or a box before embarking on the challenge. Others found the expense of real food a shock – though it can be easily mitigate through proper kitchen management. Yet everyone, no matter where they succeeded or where they struggled, learned.
Now that the challenge has ended, it still effects its goal. Participants found their passion for all-natural, real foods and many of them are still choosing to continue on the path of traditional foods. Moreover, others have emailed me to let me know their migraine headaches disappeared, that their ever constant gastrointestinal distress has ended and still others have expressed that after months or years without a menstrual cycle, their cycles have returned.
Real food truly brings health, not only for our bodies but for our culture and for our nation’s foodsheds.
Jennifer McGruther, a mother and farmers market manager in Crested Butte, Colorado, blogs about real food and the value of growing your foodshed at Nourished Kitchen where she features many nourishing recipes, publishes monthly recipe cards and feature articles on the real and traditional foods movement. If you’re interested you can also sign up for the next round of the 28-day Real Food Challenge or get involved at Nourished Kitchen.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Mercury In High Fructose Corn Syrup?
Yes, still another reason to avoid the toxic HFCS. Just read this article from January last year in the Washington Post. Here are a few quotes from it:
MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.
HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.
"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.
MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.
HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.
"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.
Go Green Day
I have been getting a lot of interest in our NanoGreens products, we will be putting our own testimonials together soon, but here are some from around the country at this link: (The link won't post????) http://www.biopharmasci.com/hp/sng/testimonials.asp (copy and paste to your browser)
Join us for our "Go Green" day on March 17 to get sample tastes of all of our Nano products (NanoGreens, NanoReds, NanoPro, NanOmega3), fruit smoothies and my special concoction of juiced apple/carrot/kale and ginger!
Come see how easy it can be to start "Being Well"!!
Until next time....Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Join us for our "Go Green" day on March 17 to get sample tastes of all of our Nano products (NanoGreens, NanoReds, NanoPro, NanOmega3), fruit smoothies and my special concoction of juiced apple/carrot/kale and ginger!
Come see how easy it can be to start "Being Well"!!
Until next time....Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Why A Fruit and Vegetable Supplement?
Why should someone start taking a fruit/vegetable supplement? That's a fair question. Just what is up with the recommendations of servings of fruits and vegetables? Why are there minimum standards, and why are there optimum recommendations that are different? Let's take a look at this whole idea here.
First, 100 years ago, at the turn of the 20th century, our grandparents, great grandparents etc had a certain lifestyle. That lifestyle had more deaths from what we now consider treatable diseases such as infections from cuts and other illnesses. Now however, the death tolls for the current generation have more to do with diseases of lifestyle, meaning diseases that we bring on ourselves due to our way of living (this includes eating, resting, mental health and exercise). Now our health issues with things such as heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and many cancers are significantly higher than 100 years ago. Is that because suddenly, in the span of 2 generations our genes have changed that much? I am sure you would agree that the reason is probably not found in sudden DNA changes in that short period of time.
What is different in how the older generation ate, compared to how we eat now? Well one of the easiest answers would be fast food, but let's not spend time jumping on the mega doses of McD's that we take in these days. Instead, let's look at what's missing. The former generation in general did NOT have the amount of pre-packaged foods that we have. Almost all they ate was fresh food. Recently killed meats, recently picked fruits and recently picked vegetables were the order of the day. Prepackaged dinners? Never heard of them at that point. Foods that would keep forever on our shelves? Not even a thought in their lives. Today though, those are the order of the day in our generation. How much nutritional punch do those types of foods have? None, at least none in the positive sense of the word. The nutritional punch they DO have is unhealthy, filled with preservatives (read chemicals) and the like. How many things on an ingredients list of the prepackaged foods can you no pronounce? Probably quite a few! That's a good indication that it's not a healthy substance, not real food, and quite toxic over the long haul in your life.
So that's part of the equation, we've replaced too many of the fresh, real foods in our lives with non nutritional, toxic junk, that eventually poisons our systems enough to cause early death (the current generation of children is the first expected to NOT outlive their parents in age). Fruits and vegetables are the foods filled with substances that are amazingly powerful. There are too many to name, but understand that they do things such as lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, fight off infections, fight off cancers, fight obesity and more. Doesn't that sound like the perfect remedy for all of the diseases of lifestyle we are suffering from? Doesn't it sound better than turning to a plethora of medications (chemicals) to try to get healthy after we've begun to get ill? Wouldn't THAT be considered real HEALTH CARE vs. Sick Care?
That is what we have in the power of fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, it is too easy to eat the other junk. It's cheaper too, but ONLY in the short run. In reality it is cheaper to stay healthy than it is to pay for sickness care, and it's cheaper for the whole nation if we are a healthier nation not depending on drugs and surgery to stay alive. Keep that in mind when comparing a frozen pizza to the ingredients you need to bake chicken, make a salad and cook up some veggies.
But even if we know it's better, it's hard to eat 5 or more fruits and veggies a day. And even so, much of the fruit and vegetables consumed may be have toxins involved due to fertilizing and pesticide spraying in the growing of them. Organic would obviously be the best choice, but that can be even more expensive (farmers markets are the best place to get locally grown organic fruits and veggies for the price). Studies show that for OPTIMUM health, to deal with all the toxins that get in our body regularly in our western culture, we need more like 8-10 multi colored and varied fruits and vegetables a day. Jeeez, the good news keeps getting harder and harder doesn't it?
That's where a fruit and vegetable supplement comes in such as the NanoGreens and NanoReds we carry at our office. In one scoop, the equivalent of 8-10 servings of ORGANIC fruits and veggies are consumed, for less than $2.00 per scoop. Double blind studies in two different colleges (the most recent at the University of Miami) show that Nanogreens produce enough healthy punch to lower the blood pressure in those with hypertension enough to be equal with a person having been put on a anti-hypertensive medication. Again, is it better to get lower your blood pressure artificially with chemicals, or would it be better to do it more naturally? I think you know the answer. Food is the best medicine we can take.
We'll have a "Go Green Day" on the greenest day of the year, St. Patricks Day (March 17) this year. Free taste testing samples will be given out that day, and all the Nano products will be discounted that day. Door prizes will be drawn for at the end of the day too. If you're in our area, make plans to stop by between 9-noon or 3-7 pm that day and experience Nanogreens or NanoReds and our Superfood Solution Shake!
www.superfoodsolution.com
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
First, 100 years ago, at the turn of the 20th century, our grandparents, great grandparents etc had a certain lifestyle. That lifestyle had more deaths from what we now consider treatable diseases such as infections from cuts and other illnesses. Now however, the death tolls for the current generation have more to do with diseases of lifestyle, meaning diseases that we bring on ourselves due to our way of living (this includes eating, resting, mental health and exercise). Now our health issues with things such as heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and many cancers are significantly higher than 100 years ago. Is that because suddenly, in the span of 2 generations our genes have changed that much? I am sure you would agree that the reason is probably not found in sudden DNA changes in that short period of time.
What is different in how the older generation ate, compared to how we eat now? Well one of the easiest answers would be fast food, but let's not spend time jumping on the mega doses of McD's that we take in these days. Instead, let's look at what's missing. The former generation in general did NOT have the amount of pre-packaged foods that we have. Almost all they ate was fresh food. Recently killed meats, recently picked fruits and recently picked vegetables were the order of the day. Prepackaged dinners? Never heard of them at that point. Foods that would keep forever on our shelves? Not even a thought in their lives. Today though, those are the order of the day in our generation. How much nutritional punch do those types of foods have? None, at least none in the positive sense of the word. The nutritional punch they DO have is unhealthy, filled with preservatives (read chemicals) and the like. How many things on an ingredients list of the prepackaged foods can you no pronounce? Probably quite a few! That's a good indication that it's not a healthy substance, not real food, and quite toxic over the long haul in your life.
So that's part of the equation, we've replaced too many of the fresh, real foods in our lives with non nutritional, toxic junk, that eventually poisons our systems enough to cause early death (the current generation of children is the first expected to NOT outlive their parents in age). Fruits and vegetables are the foods filled with substances that are amazingly powerful. There are too many to name, but understand that they do things such as lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, fight off infections, fight off cancers, fight obesity and more. Doesn't that sound like the perfect remedy for all of the diseases of lifestyle we are suffering from? Doesn't it sound better than turning to a plethora of medications (chemicals) to try to get healthy after we've begun to get ill? Wouldn't THAT be considered real HEALTH CARE vs. Sick Care?
That is what we have in the power of fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, it is too easy to eat the other junk. It's cheaper too, but ONLY in the short run. In reality it is cheaper to stay healthy than it is to pay for sickness care, and it's cheaper for the whole nation if we are a healthier nation not depending on drugs and surgery to stay alive. Keep that in mind when comparing a frozen pizza to the ingredients you need to bake chicken, make a salad and cook up some veggies.
But even if we know it's better, it's hard to eat 5 or more fruits and veggies a day. And even so, much of the fruit and vegetables consumed may be have toxins involved due to fertilizing and pesticide spraying in the growing of them. Organic would obviously be the best choice, but that can be even more expensive (farmers markets are the best place to get locally grown organic fruits and veggies for the price). Studies show that for OPTIMUM health, to deal with all the toxins that get in our body regularly in our western culture, we need more like 8-10 multi colored and varied fruits and vegetables a day. Jeeez, the good news keeps getting harder and harder doesn't it?
That's where a fruit and vegetable supplement comes in such as the NanoGreens and NanoReds we carry at our office. In one scoop, the equivalent of 8-10 servings of ORGANIC fruits and veggies are consumed, for less than $2.00 per scoop. Double blind studies in two different colleges (the most recent at the University of Miami) show that Nanogreens produce enough healthy punch to lower the blood pressure in those with hypertension enough to be equal with a person having been put on a anti-hypertensive medication. Again, is it better to get lower your blood pressure artificially with chemicals, or would it be better to do it more naturally? I think you know the answer. Food is the best medicine we can take.
We'll have a "Go Green Day" on the greenest day of the year, St. Patricks Day (March 17) this year. Free taste testing samples will be given out that day, and all the Nano products will be discounted that day. Door prizes will be drawn for at the end of the day too. If you're in our area, make plans to stop by between 9-noon or 3-7 pm that day and experience Nanogreens or NanoReds and our Superfood Solution Shake!
www.superfoodsolution.com
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Getting Enough Fruits and Vegetables?
Who wouldn't be healthier if we ate more fruits and vegetables, particularly organic ones? The minimum requirement for daily intake is 5-6 servings of various colors of fruits and veggies. For optimum health it is recommended that we consume 8-10 servings. In my opinion, when we consider the amount of junk that we either put in our body, or gets into our body through the environment (city living, toxins on foods we take in, 2nd hand smoke) and toxins that are created in our body from stress, it is important to go for more than the minimum. We should be shooting for the higher amounts for optimum health, and preferably organically grown. If you read my stuff regularly, you know how I preach eating well, moving well, thinking well and resting well. The fruits and vegetables are a major part of eating well.
So, you say to me, how in the world can we get 8-10 servings of organic fruits and vegetables a day? Good question. On my best days, I can only get about 4-5 and they are usually not organic. Years ago, I began investigating ways to consume more. I found many supplements that either tasted horrible, or were attached to a multi-level marketing program. (OK, so that I don't get any rants, I have nothing against MLM's in general, I just don't want to carry their products in my office, to avoid the appearance of selling products for reasons other than optimum health). I checked out two different ones particularly. One was called Greens First, and the other was called NanoGreens 10. Both products were palatable, and both had a good track record, but one showed better absorption rates than the other. That was the product we've chosen to carry in our office.
NanoGreens10 won out. Since beginning to use it personally, I've been sick much less, and felt my energy levels increased drastically. Patients have enjoyed similar results in our office and many are continuing to use the NanoGreens and it's associated products (more on the other products later). Other testimonials include improved bloodwork, decreased blood pressure, better digestion and more. Their website can be viewed at www.superfoodsolution.com
This is NOT a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables, it is a SUPPLEMENT. Please don't use this to replace your intake of fruits and veggies. It is always best to go with the real thing.
In addition to the NanoGreens, there is also NanoPro (a great protein supplement), NanOmega 3 (a vegan source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids) and now NanoReds which is similar to NanoGreens but with a focus on red fruits such as pomegranate. The greens and reds drink when used daily (1 scoop in water or juice) is the equivalent 8-10 servings of ORGANIC fruits and vegetables daily, in addition to other great ingredients for your health.
The questions I want you to ponder are "Are you getting the optimum level of fruits and vegetables daily?", "Do you think you would be healthier if you did?", "How tough is it for you to consume enough?" and "Would you like to consume the equivalent of 8-10 servings daily?". If so, the NanoGreens and NanoReds products may be for you. You can add in some of the other products for a very healthy "Superfood Solution Shake" that can act as a meal replacement for you to help in healthy weight maintenance.
All of these products are very affordable. If you use one scoop of NanoGreens, it costs about $1.66 providing the equivalent of 8-10 servings of organic fruits and veggies. For a healthy shake, the combination of 3 of the products would run a approximately $4.50. Where else can you get that kind of nutrition for that kind of price?
Go to their website and read the study on High Blood Pressure, a study that was duplicated and found substantial reductions in blood pressure by just using the NanoGreens. Also on there are multiple testimonials that you can read through that are very compelling. Check out the entire site and learn about the company, it's worth the time investment.
We are excited about how this product can affect people's health and move them a HUGE step forward toward total wellness! If you have questions about these products you'd like to ask, view the website or or give us a call or email!
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
So, you say to me, how in the world can we get 8-10 servings of organic fruits and vegetables a day? Good question. On my best days, I can only get about 4-5 and they are usually not organic. Years ago, I began investigating ways to consume more. I found many supplements that either tasted horrible, or were attached to a multi-level marketing program. (OK, so that I don't get any rants, I have nothing against MLM's in general, I just don't want to carry their products in my office, to avoid the appearance of selling products for reasons other than optimum health). I checked out two different ones particularly. One was called Greens First, and the other was called NanoGreens 10. Both products were palatable, and both had a good track record, but one showed better absorption rates than the other. That was the product we've chosen to carry in our office.
NanoGreens10 won out. Since beginning to use it personally, I've been sick much less, and felt my energy levels increased drastically. Patients have enjoyed similar results in our office and many are continuing to use the NanoGreens and it's associated products (more on the other products later). Other testimonials include improved bloodwork, decreased blood pressure, better digestion and more. Their website can be viewed at www.superfoodsolution.com
This is NOT a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables, it is a SUPPLEMENT. Please don't use this to replace your intake of fruits and veggies. It is always best to go with the real thing.
In addition to the NanoGreens, there is also NanoPro (a great protein supplement), NanOmega 3 (a vegan source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids) and now NanoReds which is similar to NanoGreens but with a focus on red fruits such as pomegranate. The greens and reds drink when used daily (1 scoop in water or juice) is the equivalent 8-10 servings of ORGANIC fruits and vegetables daily, in addition to other great ingredients for your health.
The questions I want you to ponder are "Are you getting the optimum level of fruits and vegetables daily?", "Do you think you would be healthier if you did?", "How tough is it for you to consume enough?" and "Would you like to consume the equivalent of 8-10 servings daily?". If so, the NanoGreens and NanoReds products may be for you. You can add in some of the other products for a very healthy "Superfood Solution Shake" that can act as a meal replacement for you to help in healthy weight maintenance.
All of these products are very affordable. If you use one scoop of NanoGreens, it costs about $1.66 providing the equivalent of 8-10 servings of organic fruits and veggies. For a healthy shake, the combination of 3 of the products would run a approximately $4.50. Where else can you get that kind of nutrition for that kind of price?
Go to their website and read the study on High Blood Pressure, a study that was duplicated and found substantial reductions in blood pressure by just using the NanoGreens. Also on there are multiple testimonials that you can read through that are very compelling. Check out the entire site and learn about the company, it's worth the time investment.
We are excited about how this product can affect people's health and move them a HUGE step forward toward total wellness! If you have questions about these products you'd like to ask, view the website or or give us a call or email!
Until next time, BE WELL!
Dr. Bruce
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sleeping Problems, Chronic Inflammation, And Our Kids
I just read an article on sleep issues and inflammation. Our bodies react poorly to a lack of sleep, and I see in our children significant issues with sleep. Many are allowed to stay up late playing games, some are on their phones texting late at night, often unknown to their parents of course. This bodes poorly for their health: cognitive issues, high blood pressure, obesity and general lack of well being. Combine this with their diet that is high in things such as High Fructose Corn Syrup (anytime you read this, think "worst toxin we regularly put in our body), and we have the recipe for disaster. It's no wonder hypertension and high cholesterol are being found in our kids. It's no wonder we have such an obesity issue with our kids, and that diabetes is becoming much more rampant in our kids.
We have to create good sleep habits with our kids, we have to teach them how to deal with anxiety, both of which we do in our office with great results. We as parents have to be responsible for helping them get good rest, which means we have to have them on a schedule.
Here's a brief excerpt from the article I was reading by Byron Richards, Certified Clinical Nutritionist:
Inflammation, Oxidative Damage, and Poor Cognitive Ability
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have shown that even one bad night of sleep turns on the core inflammatory gene signal (NF-kappaB) within cells of your body. This is not good. Once the NF-kappaB gene signal turns on, and starts overheating (as in a number of bad night’s sleep), then massive numbers of antioxidants will be required to offset the damage.
What if your child doesn’t have enough antioxidants? Answer: brain damage to a greater or lesser degree. Such inflammation and lack of antioxidants underlies depression and poor mood. But even on a lesser scale it reduces intelligence and cognitive potential. How can a child learn well under such circumstances?
Data coming from the Cleveland Children’s Sleep and Health Study is showing that even in perfectly healthy teens who do not have sleep disordered breathing (snoring/sleep apnea) a lack of sleep is adequate to begin the process of adverse changes in their cardiovascular system.
Of course this is only one way it can affect our health. Proper rest is important to undo all the damage that occurs in our body from daily living. When we don't rest well, our body deteriorates a bit, we become more susceptible to illness and disease, we are less clear brained and make poorer decisions (which can create a vicious cycle if our poor decisions lead to poor eating, which in turn further affects our health).
Remember our "Be Well" formula includes eating well, thinking well, moving well and RESTING well.
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
We have to create good sleep habits with our kids, we have to teach them how to deal with anxiety, both of which we do in our office with great results. We as parents have to be responsible for helping them get good rest, which means we have to have them on a schedule.
Here's a brief excerpt from the article I was reading by Byron Richards, Certified Clinical Nutritionist:
Inflammation, Oxidative Damage, and Poor Cognitive Ability
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have shown that even one bad night of sleep turns on the core inflammatory gene signal (NF-kappaB) within cells of your body. This is not good. Once the NF-kappaB gene signal turns on, and starts overheating (as in a number of bad night’s sleep), then massive numbers of antioxidants will be required to offset the damage.
What if your child doesn’t have enough antioxidants? Answer: brain damage to a greater or lesser degree. Such inflammation and lack of antioxidants underlies depression and poor mood. But even on a lesser scale it reduces intelligence and cognitive potential. How can a child learn well under such circumstances?
Data coming from the Cleveland Children’s Sleep and Health Study is showing that even in perfectly healthy teens who do not have sleep disordered breathing (snoring/sleep apnea) a lack of sleep is adequate to begin the process of adverse changes in their cardiovascular system.
Of course this is only one way it can affect our health. Proper rest is important to undo all the damage that occurs in our body from daily living. When we don't rest well, our body deteriorates a bit, we become more susceptible to illness and disease, we are less clear brained and make poorer decisions (which can create a vicious cycle if our poor decisions lead to poor eating, which in turn further affects our health).
Remember our "Be Well" formula includes eating well, thinking well, moving well and RESTING well.
Until next time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Friday, February 5, 2010
When The Facts Don't Count
I had a conversation last night with some people from our LIFE group at our house. One person was talking about disciplined people, and what that looked like. He said he was jealous of several people in the group that were disciplined in how well they took care of themselves physically. He wishes he could do the same. It got me to thinking.
One of the things we do in our office is lifestyle counseling. We help people learn to integrate our Be Well formula into their lives. There is a saying that goes "Nothing happens without a dream". It's a true statement. In lifestyle counseling, I like to say, "Nothing happens without a 'Why'". In other words, no changes occur on a permanent basis without a big enough reason. And, when the "why" is big enough, the facts don't count. When the "why" is big enough, nothing will stand in our way of making changes. That is so true, that you can call it an undeniable truth. It's like gravity, it always works (well some would say gravity might have not been in full effect for some in the 1960's, but that's another story).
Here's how I know it's true: If I told you that you were going to die in 6 months if you didn't start walking 45 minutes/day 5 days a week, what would you be doing tomorrow? Answer: Walking. And the next day? Answer: Walking. Now that is an exaggeration to a certain degree of course, but you can obviously see that when the "why" is big enough, we'll do whatever it takes to make change.
We help people develop their "why" in our office with some simple, yet profound and effective exercises. It works every time, and if it isn't working, then they aren't focusing on their "why" enough, or they haven't made their "why" big enough. If you need help with developing your own personal "why", please contact us. It can mean the difference between a life with an abundance of energy and vitality and health, or one were you just exist, where your "get up and go" get's up and leaves you behind, and you're left wondering what happened, instead of making things happen.
Until next time, Be Well.
Dr. Bruce
One of the things we do in our office is lifestyle counseling. We help people learn to integrate our Be Well formula into their lives. There is a saying that goes "Nothing happens without a dream". It's a true statement. In lifestyle counseling, I like to say, "Nothing happens without a 'Why'". In other words, no changes occur on a permanent basis without a big enough reason. And, when the "why" is big enough, the facts don't count. When the "why" is big enough, nothing will stand in our way of making changes. That is so true, that you can call it an undeniable truth. It's like gravity, it always works (well some would say gravity might have not been in full effect for some in the 1960's, but that's another story).
Here's how I know it's true: If I told you that you were going to die in 6 months if you didn't start walking 45 minutes/day 5 days a week, what would you be doing tomorrow? Answer: Walking. And the next day? Answer: Walking. Now that is an exaggeration to a certain degree of course, but you can obviously see that when the "why" is big enough, we'll do whatever it takes to make change.
We help people develop their "why" in our office with some simple, yet profound and effective exercises. It works every time, and if it isn't working, then they aren't focusing on their "why" enough, or they haven't made their "why" big enough. If you need help with developing your own personal "why", please contact us. It can mean the difference between a life with an abundance of energy and vitality and health, or one were you just exist, where your "get up and go" get's up and leaves you behind, and you're left wondering what happened, instead of making things happen.
Until next time, Be Well.
Dr. Bruce
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
How Are Y ou Doing?
30 days into the new year, how are you doing on those resolutions? Chances are, you've at least fallen down a bit on some of them. Guess what? Me too.
The way we stay on track, or get back on track, is to have a big enough "why". I like to say that if the "why" is big enough, the facts don't count.
Think about it: If I told you that you were going to die next week if you don't start walking, or stop smoking, or eat better etc, what would you do? You'd make that change I am sure.
The key is to create a big enough why, using both positives and negatives and make it so real that you have no choice but to make whatever change it is you wish to make.
Get in touch with us if you want to learn just how to make a "why"!
Until then... Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
The way we stay on track, or get back on track, is to have a big enough "why". I like to say that if the "why" is big enough, the facts don't count.
Think about it: If I told you that you were going to die next week if you don't start walking, or stop smoking, or eat better etc, what would you do? You'd make that change I am sure.
The key is to create a big enough why, using both positives and negatives and make it so real that you have no choice but to make whatever change it is you wish to make.
Get in touch with us if you want to learn just how to make a "why"!
Until then... Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!!!
I have a brief message to send this day, I hope to read this every day this year. I cannot take credit for it, I used it years ago when speaking and looked it up again this early New Years Day. I hope you find it encouraging and inspiring too:
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another.
Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough
and we'll be more content when they are.
After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.
If not now ... when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza ...
"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time ... and remember that time waits for no one ...
So stop waiting until you finish school ... until you go back to school ... until you lose ten pounds ... until you gain ten pounds ... until you have kids ... until your kids leave the house ... until you start work ... until you retire ... until you get married ... until you get divorced ... until Friday night ... until Sunday morning ... until you get a new car or home ... until your car or home is paid off ... until spring, until summer ... until fall ... until winter ... until you are off welfare ... until the first or fifteenth ... until your song comes on ... until you've had a drink ... until you've sobered up ... until you die ... until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy ...
Happiness is a journey ... not a destination!!
Thought for the day:
"Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching."
Until Next Time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another.
Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough
and we'll be more content when they are.
After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.
If not now ... when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza ...
"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time ... and remember that time waits for no one ...
So stop waiting until you finish school ... until you go back to school ... until you lose ten pounds ... until you gain ten pounds ... until you have kids ... until your kids leave the house ... until you start work ... until you retire ... until you get married ... until you get divorced ... until Friday night ... until Sunday morning ... until you get a new car or home ... until your car or home is paid off ... until spring, until summer ... until fall ... until winter ... until you are off welfare ... until the first or fifteenth ... until your song comes on ... until you've had a drink ... until you've sobered up ... until you die ... until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy ...
Happiness is a journey ... not a destination!!
Thought for the day:
"Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching."
Until Next Time, Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
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