Questions, Questions Living with COVID 19

I ran into a line of argument concerning hype and loss of freedom is part of this outbreak? The impact of being confined for part of March and April some states like Illinois possibly going on into May will have many unintended negative consequences of loss of work, school, suicide, abuse. A strong argument for our mitigation actions is the millions of lives saved. The president and team projected 2,200,000 which I believe is a conservative estimate. My estimate was 1% of 350,000,000 or 3.5 million. The actual numbers so far are lower, thank God.
Decisions to save lives will be noble but as we move forward may not be appreciated as we recover to normal. Doctors will soon find lawyers pushing back in the weeks and months ahead. Hype and loss of freedom is part of this discussion. We rarely call the media into account as they move for ratings.  The media will sway with no moral base to wherever the wind may blow.
I want to see ballparks filled again and freedom restored. I am concerned we will lose freedom.
Will steps taken this time to restrict public gatherings be used next time to restrict gatherings those in power oppose? I believe the government acted in goodwill this time but we have to raise 1st amendment rights each time this takes place.  Martial law sometimes comes into place. Here we see it because of medical concerns. Will actions from this point further move in the direction COVID 19 reveals with solid data and knowledge or will it be used to broaden elitist control left or right? Hold to your political beliefs but I encourage thought concerning our basic rights. Mitigation seems most reasonable in regard to lives lost to fight this unseen enemy. It can not sustain us but it seemed wise to apply it. It is my hope we ask a lot of questions and maybe next time we can target our mitigation better.
Was this a created virus by humans? Will terrorists change weapons to bio-weapons after seeing how we reacted and worldwide? I ran into a line of argument concerning hype and loss of freedom is part of this outbreak? The impact of being confined for part of March and April some states like Illinois possibly going on into May will have many unintended negative consequences of loss of work, school, suicide, abuse. A strong argument for our mitigation actions is the millions of lives saved. The president and team projected 2,200,000 which I believe is a conservative estimate. My estimate was 1% of 350,000,000 or 3.5 million. The actual numbers so far are lower, thank God. Decisions to save lives will be noble but as we move forward may not be appreciated as we recover to normal. Doctors will soon find lawyers pushing back in the weeks and months ahead. Hype and loss of freedom is part of this discussion. We rarely call the media into account as they move for ratings.  The media will sway with no moral base to wherever the wind may blow.
I want to see ballparks filled again and freedom restored. I am concerned we will lose freedom. Will steps taken this time to restrict public gatherings be used next time to restrict gatherings those in power oppose? I believe the government acted in goodwill this time but we have to raise 1st amendment rights each time this takes place.  Martial law sometimes comes into place. Here we see it because of medical concerns. Will actions from this point further move in the direction COVID 19 reveals with solid data and knowledge or will it be used to broaden elitist control left or right? Hold to your political beliefs but I encourage thought concerning our basic rights. Mitigation seems most reasonable in regard to lives lost to fight this unseen enemy. It can not sustain us but it seemed wise to apply it. It is my hope we ask a lot of questions and maybe next time we can target our mitigation better.
Was this a created virus by humans? Will terrorists change weapons to bio-weapons after seeing how we reacted worldwide response? If we have the ability to create viruses what will be done in the name of science or defense in the future? Science can be used for good or bad. We have learned that right?
Did we do well regarding the most vulnerable, the aged and those whose health has been compromised?  Did we improve therapy for the people in the nursing home that could help some of these people survive? Were they so weak and aged that this fast-spreading and powerful virus overcome them? Are there times when we are helpless against death? This taps into our greatest fear. We may be so afraid we attack each other and follow unreasonable behavior.
My wife and I have been living with COVID 19. She contacted it helping disabled adults as an RN. After she came down with the virus she was tested with drive-in testing that wasn't even in our county. She tested positive. I came down with flu-like symptoms several days later. When her health improved, I called my doctor had a virtual check-up with him and he agreed I needed to be tested. Because I am not in health-care I was tested at a local hospital drive-in which sends a test to the lab. I am still waiting for the results. As soon as I hear, I will share the results. Questions. The delay in this disease is not good. That is a good question, Can we create lab connections that are faster?
In my next blog, I would like to explore improving elderly care? What are our limits? In a local nursing home, there have been 24 deaths out of 120 people in the home. That is 17% of those in the home. Scary, keep walking

When sick what helps you?

Wouldn't you know it, minutes after I finished writing the last blog, I became chilled, and noticed my bones were aching. Within a couple hours I became aware that I was fighting some kind of virus. For the next few days were miserable. It did not help that I was thinking I caught some bug from the hospital and other possible conspiracies. So with a prayer and the positive thought that I'll get through this. Sleep, fluids, music and various soups I was on he mend. 

Recovering I found my recumbent bike helpful to relieve muscle pain from too much resting. I put the resistance on the

lowest level and I just peddled for a 20 minute ride each day. No sweat just moving my legs to stimulate the blood flow. Listening to an audio book was perfect.

As I was getting better I found sleep to be easier. It seems like when we're sickest sleep is harder for me. While I was taking fluids I would practice my relaxation breathing. An audiobook, music or comedy would distract my thinking and keep me more relaxed to keep the fluids down. Relaxing helps the automatic nerve connections to the stomach and body less stressed. 

When I was at the sickest point, it was really cold outside. Thank God for our comforters and living space that allows us to be warm. 

It feels good to feel good. Yesterday I was really able to get a good workout biking. I really like the intensity training using various speeds and resistances.

How do you get through the bugs especially in winter? We know a lot more about keeping our immune system healthy which we really need number sick. But a virus can really run us down. But back to the basics, faith, sleep, fluids and easy to digest food that helps us mend. 

Good to keep walking 

Politics hides personal health

Health is in the news.

The top four candidates President were Ted Cruz 45, Bernie Sanders 75, Donald Trump 70, and Hillary Clinton 69. Trump and Clinton will beginning the age bracket as Ronald Reagan.

Through what many went think was a disappointing process to get us to this point, we have two candidates who are old. Part of it I think is our fault for only recognizing people that we have seen in media forever. Definitely I think the media is responsible for not making it easier for people who are qualified yet not as known. It seems like we have settled for the lowest common denominator in reality TV. We could say the fix was in. 

I was watching a PBS show on Churchill's second term in the 50s in which he went through a major stroke and recovered. At  that time people did not know about it. This is seems is that instinct in politics to never let on that there is health problems. I think it was in the program where Churchill said growing “old is not for cowards”. There is an heroic element older politicians struggle to do their job in declining health. They do make contributions. I also think it is remarkable that government can continue when a president or leader is hospitalized or recovering. 

If you get a chance look at the actual letters from doctors who have done the physicals you will notice age in the reports of both Donald and Hillary. Compare your own health numbers to the candidates and you may find similarities. Hillary has blood thinners, Trump statin drugs. Both could probably lose little weight. 

How does an aging president take care of their health? Does having an older president come with certain risks? I think we are of the mind set that life should be problem free? 

One of these two will be the next president of United States. The health problems that come to people in their 70s will be part of their story. Given the record of how we normally will hear optimistic reports. If it is bad we are likely not hear anything. Or if it's like reality TV maybe we'll we will get privy into the bathroom. God save the president.

Death and struggle does come to the Whitehouse

Reagan was shot and rec

We can learn from our past
FDR

overed at age 70 in assassination attempt. It can be argued that he battled with the effects from the assassination throughout his presidency. He was able to serve effectively into his second term. It appears he was able to manage the last two years with the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Pres. Eisenhower at the end of his office had a heart attack at 67. 

John Kennedy died at 46 by lethal gunshot.

Franklin Roosevelt died the age of 63 of cerebral hemorrhage. He and had long term battle with this health after he had polio. He was able to hide is paralysis with the cooperation of the press. 

Warren Hardy was 57 when he died of a heart attack. 

William McKinley died at the assassin's bullet at the age of 58.

James Garfield was 49 years old when he died from an assassin.  I found it very interesting to learn about his assassination and how poisonous the thinking can be in politics.

Abraham Lincoln was 56 when he was killed by and assassin.

Zachary Taylor died of "bilious diarrhea, or a bilious cholera” at age 65. Whatever it was sounds awful. Did his age contribute to his death?

William Harrison died of pneumonia he caught up from a cold from too long of a speech at his inauguration he was 68. There is something to learn about that. We tend to immortalize short speeches. 

Take a look yourself.

http://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/launch.aspx?pbid=3e7227b1-e3b7-4fac-aa07-5f943e58b4c5

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/16/us/politics/hillary-clinton-campaign.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&action=click&contentCollection=us&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-in-good-health-but-overweight-doctors-letter-shows-1473951876

http://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/DJT_Medical_Records_09152016.pdf

http://www.wsj.com/articles/campaign-releases-more-information-about-hillary-clintons-health-1473886020

http://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/HRC_physician_letter09142016.pdf

Home improvement's impact on health

We are having a winter that started late this year in one weather expert shared in an El Nino season winters come late but stay cold a little longer in the spring. I really have been enjoying my new windows and the energy savings they have given me this winter. Over the years we have insulated and remodeled the house. I am thankful for the many ways to make come home better. The quality of life experienced in an improved shelter fits into a healthy lifestyle. 

Therapist studies related to light and the ability to avoid seasonal mood changes. Using my bay window for green plants also plays into the health of the house. People have shared dealing with chemicals in the house and its effect upon health. Making a home livable it is well worth the investment. Our health has to improve with a better shelter. 

For those of you who have concern about a green planet my furnace is running less often. 

Consider instead of keeping up with the Jones's, Home improvement can be about improving the quality of your life. There is no guarantee on how long that life might last, but the days and years that we have can be a little better. 

When you have an old house there's always something to work on. There is also only so much you can do at a time. In this regard is much like our health, you can't do everything once but have to taking the day of a time. Recovering our health has its own timetable. If we ignored our problems they can lead to ruin. 

I think this is similar to an old house. If you ignore the repairs a house can go downhill very quickly. A house where you live you are personally interested in making in home. I think that's one of the problem is with rental property is in the responsibility of making it home. Often in those houses going to disrepair within a generation.

The impact of an insulated home on health has to improve the immune system to fight off diseases and sicknesses. If you lived in the tropics like my friend Moses having a home that has good screens on the windows what have to improve their fight against malaria. When I was in Africa I got malaria. My fever was higher then any fever I got from the flu here. If you battled malaria all your life it would have to break down your health against other things. 

Respiratory influenza actually survives very well in the cold Barb told me the other day. Other bugs the cold kills off. 

I've been good with my exercise bike lately. And if I didn't exercise that day I've been listening to audiobooks and cycling 20 to 30 minutes, what I call walking the dog. Dr. Cooper years ago recommended taking the dog out for a walk at night if you had no exercising in the day for a 20 minute walk. He was well aware exercise should be two hours before we go to bed, but doing a walk before we go to sleep is good for the heart and better than not doing nothing.

Doing nothing to improve the quality of our life in our home, like doing nothing to improve the quality of our life and our lifestyle maybe something that we have to work on. Keep walking

When it comes to health a good debate is cool.

Everybody writing about the health scene wants people to read their article. Many times when you look at Health articles you see sensational headlines. When you check out the article the information may even suggest otherwise. But if you made a headline about that nobody would read it.
I came across an article in the Chicago tribune, Health watchdog sets the record straight on which studies to believe.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-hlth-0916-evaluating-health-news-20150910-story.html
http://www.healthnewsreview.org
I went to the website and I clicked on an article Half of Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes? Really? What does that mean?
I read the study and I looked at the articles from the Los Angeles times, webMD and NBC news. The articles weren't wrong but looking at the health news review I had an opportunity to look at a critical analysis of the study. Not all medical authorities agree that half of Americans have diabetes or prediabetes. The study according to medical people who disagree with the study suggest the study has expanded the definition of diabetes and pre diabetes. This would naturally increase the numbers.
Diabetes is a big enough, and along with heart disease and cancer are the top three killers we face. There is no doubt about it as we age weight becomes a bigger factor in our health. For many years we can carry the weight and still be healthy, but as we age this becomes more difficult.
I appreciate it looking at the study from two points of view. Neither view plays down the problem of diabetes, but I think it helps to understand the best ways to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
For me, it encourages me to continue to work on losing weight and keep up exercising. To start with a heart healthy diet is the first beginning strategy.
On health news review there is a four minute interview with the doctor with mayo clinic. Nothing beats being aware of your health numbers and following a personal plan with your doctor. Too many times we blow this off and do not follow the recommendations. Remember our three enemies, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. We need to pay attention to the big picture and get a few more years of independent living in return. Keep walking

I failed a health test, cool - learned from it

I took a test well Weekly quiz

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/the-weekly-health-quiz-mosquitoes-walking-and-brain-health/#int-chad-ballot-wrapper-20150814-healthquiz

I failed

The questions I missed two of the answers. I could've made a better connection in my answer. But there were several questions that I miss because the material is new to me. 

#2 a study of older men and women found that walking briskly for this many minutes per week improve scores contest of thinking skills:

75 minutes

150 minutes

225 minutes

Cognitive scores improved with all levels of exercise

My brain shifted to a 150 minutes. That is recommended minutes of walking we should do every week. I did not really read the last choice, cognitive scores improved with all levels of exercise. Had I really read it I would've reason of course that's the right answer.

The good thing is the New York Times gives a reference to the article that supports the answer. So I clicked on and read the article.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/12/the-right-dose-of-exercise-for-the-aging-brain/?ref=health

The study was done with 101 people divided in four groups. One group doing the same that they have always done. One group walked 75 minutes, another 150 minutes, and still another at 225 minutes. They did this for 26 weeks. The more you walk the more fit you were, but all three groups improve their thinking.

The study is one more study that demonstrates walking may be able to delay dementia. It also helps a healthy brain that is aging to stay more engaged. Delay is good. Keep walking

Get Cooperized, basics

Last week I was hit with a virus and became increasingly weaker with inflamed pain throughout joints and muscles. We had to cut our weekend trip and seek medical advice. The doctor advised treatment and in a couple days health was restored.
Dr. Cooper shares 8 steps to get Cooperized. Back to exercise most days, eat heart healthy most of the time, continue to work on being mindful of late night eating where I can easily binge.
Each night I now plan a healthy alternative I will eat when on the prowl. This will be part of my overall diet that is healthy and on target with losing weight. I will eat it at the table and enjoy each bite. I will return to the bedroom with an activity to ready me for sleep and letting the urge to binge pass. Here right now looking at stress in eating disorders.
My friend, Dr. Jasinski knowing my negative thought patterns that can ruminate from post traumatic stress, suggest to develop a good experience before I go to sleep. He thought of music.
I have added Addiction and Grace by Dr. Gerald May in my personal therapy growth. It is always nice to be back in the walk, keep walking.

Surviving the beach and summer

Had sun screen, in my Caribbean
swimsuit

I am an old guy. Sometimes that is very liberating. Through the years I am spent easilyat least a year enjoying being in the sun by a body of water or on a tennis court. I did not always listen to mother Sarah who told me to be aware of the intensities of the sun by the ocean. But I did learn a few things. 

The Coppertone tan looks good when we are young. But that tan will show up when we are older like a bad tattoo. 

I read an article about want to do if you forget your sunscreen. The article was about caring for a burn. I'm sure many of you remember putting Noxzema on. Here is the old man's solution too when you forget your sunscreen.

I would rather prevent heart attack then have one. I'm down the road I may not have a choice but at least that's my working philosophy.

I would rather prevent sunburn then get sunburned. So if I forget my sunscreen which is only a partial solution and I I'm at the beach here are a few ideas to think about:

At the beach I usually bring my own sun shelter, an umbrella or one of the creative portable

Her suit looks better, but the burn is not
worth it, have options

shelters you can use. I also bring a towel which I can use for cover. A sun shirt,  a wide brim hat that I can even wear in the water. If you forget your sunscreen enjoy the day in a shirt, under an umbrella, hat and even light pants. If you are going to the water on hot day these sun items will dry out in no time. They will also keep you cool. When my shirt dries it is time for me to go back in the water.

Now I realize all these wonderful sun coverings keep everybody at the beach happy when I'm there. Nobody really wants to see a whale sunbathing anyway. Now you might look better in a swimsuit and I get it, it's all part of the beach. But a sunburn doesn't look good. And all layers of protection that I'm talking about still lets in the sunlight. Bringing covering gives you options. In the heat of the day, 10-4 you can use these coverings to help you enjoy the beach with no negative outcomes. The beach on the ocean is really a desert. Controlling the amount of sun that you have will help keep it healthy and when you're all like me your skin will be beautiful. I can't do nothing about that stupid tattoo, keep walking

Where we live can affect our DNA.

my kind of neighborhood

Where we live may make us old? We know that having stress makes us old. Having depression and anxiety ages us. We see these factors as we measure the ends of our DNA or telomere length, our TL. Each time ourselves reproduce our cells the TL gets shorter. It is one of the measures of aging and death.

I am primarily looked at lifestyle changes and battling cancer, diabetes in cardiovascular diseases which includes strokes. To have a balanced hea

lth perspective we have to keep growing mentally, spiritually, socially and physically basically having a heart health lifestyle. In our relationships with people and God when they are positive and good we are healthier. When we are mentally active we are directly impacting how we age. Stress related to mental illness,  work, and at home effects are health. So health is always more then diet and exercise. How we experience life emotionally is a very big factor.

I think this is the first time I am writing about where we live as a factor. 

The Netherlands study of depression and anxiety is a long-term study still going on. They wanted to look at neighborhood quality and how it affected our TL. This stated their hypothesis was “a poor neighborhood quality would be associated with shortened TL.” Their study factored in many stressors which we already know change our TL. Other studies will have to be done to verify their hypothesis. They cited a couple studies done in the United States that supported their conclusions.

Neighborhoods that experienced vandalism and where people felt unsafe walking aged in their DNA 8.7-11.9 years then people who have good neighborhoods with little vandalism and felt safe walking. Security and a place where you feel good is huge concerning the health. 

We are up to date in our battle for health and lifestyle changes. Many people if they are able move to favorable locations. But there are many people who either are unable or unaware of the impact a neighborhood on our health. Do you feel safe? Are there a lot of dangerous activity around you? How does this affect you?

When you're thinking about a healthy lifestyle you have to factor stress. Other studies that I've looked at suggest 25% of us experience depression that is severe enough to be hospitalized at the age 63. Proverbs 21:9 “Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,

than in a house shared with a contentious woman.” Stress of a mate can be draining regardless of the sex of the mate. Stress in relationships have been shown to shorten the TL in our DNA. If our neighborhood is causing stress then we must do what we can to address it. 

Noise apparently was not a factor. Be safe walking by walking the dog or with a friend. Walk in safe locations. If you don’t feel secure in your homethen do what you can to relocate. Write politicians about your concerns and the impact on your health. With health there is always something that we can work on. Keep walking

see: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/24/bad-neighborhoods-may-be-bad-for-your-dna/?ref=health&_r=0

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0128460

Whether it is more nobler to share or not to share that is the question?

Whether it is more nobler to share or not to share that is
the question?

The wall street journal published an article, When to Keep Fitness Goals a Secret By RACHEL BACHMAN June 15, 2015 11:03 a.m. ET.

A study done on the University of Michigan 165 obese people fool for 12 weeks more a fit bit pedometer. One group published their commitment on Facebook but not results. The second group publish their commitment on Facebook and the results. The third group made a commitment but kept it private. The study interested me because I've been at a long term posting  with my progress in the fatman blog. I think a longitude look would be a whole other study.

There have been several studies done that show just wearing a pedometer increases the number of steps a person does each day. All three groups improved the number of steps they did each day from 1407 to 957 steps a day. Publishing results showed the least effective strategy in this study. Making a private commitment seemed to be the most effective but all three groups we're pretty close to each other.

Sharing results is tough because we see in writing our struggle and that it harder to keep a commitment. I believe the overall success by all three groups was that their activities were reported to those who did the study. It is similar to the effort we make when we're going to see the doctor. I think most people for a few days attempt to be a little healthier. I know I do.

The study went for three months. If the study went for five months one of the things that would have occurred would be the length of time it takes to produce a good habit. Of the 165 people who participated in the study there would've been a better chance to produce a habit forming life of exercise. This of course would be another point of study.

When I look at Dr. Oz’ audience for the most part I see unfit people. I don't say that the discourage anybody but having an interest in improving our health and learning about it needs very practical steps to be effective. It is a lot more difficult to move from the obese life. There are too many factors that play into it. The reality is simple it is not.

My fitness goals are working through injuries and setbacks. I did reach a fitness level for over three years of being fit to walk aerobically for 3 miles 5x’s a week. I had to start over but I have kept a strength and rehab program.  Getting back to aerobic health is taking longer this time. As recently shared I need to work on the other 80% of the program with diet.

Making a commitment and wearing a pedometer can help get started. There are ups and down and give yourself a goal of 5 months to create a habit. 

To journal or report on social media is up to you. Be prepared for the up and down progress over time. 

Mental, spiritual, social health may have more to do with it. 

So there is always something to work on. Keep walking.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/when-to-keep-fitness-goals-a-secret-1434380621

Putting the puzzle together

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;” a wonderful line from Shakespeare's King Henry speech. I will close this blog with another wonderful line from that speech. If you are a Star Trek fan in Star Trek VI the Klingon general calls Capt. Kirk to

Putting the puzzle together

war again with that line.

One of the discoveries that I've made since writing the blog is how many times I have renewed my effort towards some health goal. It is humbling to report how difficult it is to put it altogether. There are many stories of people losing a lot of weight, reaching some fitness goal and making a real statement of success and how they did it. Their effort is validated and their credibility is substantial. And then there is me, whoa is me.

Was it John Lennon who said something like, “Life happens when you're planning something else.” My quest for being healthy started 8 years ago. Within the first two years I was able to lose close to 70 pounds. At that point I begin to write the blog to share what I've learned. But then a series of events occurred based on an insomnia that I have been facing which lead to an depression.

At this point, I was beginning to realize health has many layers. Living through my recovery has given me many insights. With retirement, came a couple injuries which took the walking out as I healed. Along the way it became apparent added it to equation was aging. Healing and recovery and making progress slows down a bit. Forrest Gump would tell us with great wisdom, “xxxx happens”. Which is in its own way has become a theme throughout the fat Man blog. I cannot tell you with great assurance that my route to health is no quick fix plan.

We have all had our favorinte shows like Monk which ran for eight years. The character lives on in novels and I hope will be returned with good stories for movies. For some successful shows like Monk they are able to resolve the story and have a good final season.

When does a blog end? For readers it can end anytime they choose. For the writer I think a blog can move along or when the writer is no longer interested. One of my goals with the blog is to become better writer. Another one is to encourage people when they're ready to look at their health. It can be pretty discouraging to be overweight, have a chronic health problem, and to look at health from an aging point of view.

From the start I have looked at our enemies, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In partnership with these diseases are many other issues like dementia, depression and anxiety which can put a gray dark view on aging. There is a goal of healthy aging and lifestyle changes that help us with our enemies. It is wonderful to have a blog that touches all of us regardless of our political, religious, philosophical points of view.

This brings me back to the opening on this blog, a personal call to myself to put the things together where there is a successful outcome. I realize it is a day by day personal decision to do things that are good for you like eating less, moving more, finding simple purpose each day. With God's help I want to take in the life that happens with both its blessings and trials. One thing that I like about the blog is that I'm still here.

From King Henry's speech comes another wonderful line. “The game's afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’” 

Keep walking

Enjoy a glass of ice tea to fight diabetes.

Nicholas Bakalar reporting for the New York Times writes 2 positive choices for reducing type II diabetes. Is not writing about those who already have diabetes but those who may be trying to prevent it.

“Substituting just one serving a day of water or unsweetened tea or coffee for one serving of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or dairy beverage can significantly reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, a new study has found.” 

“Drinking sweetened tea or coffee did not change the risk for diabetes, and consuming those beverages without sugar lowered the risk. After an adjustment for all the variables, fruit juice had no effect on the risk of diabetes.” 

When it comes to health ideas one study may contradict another. This particular study was large enough for an evaluation. There are health experts who would disagree with the conclusion of this study. The two recommendations cited here I think are good news and may help you make a simple adjustment that could prove beneficial.

As with all things concerning health follow your doctor's advice and your own personal awareness of the issues that you face.

Barb my wife, puts a lot of sugar in her coffee, but for most of us this study indicates sweet and coffee and tea is okay. Juices as well did not factor into raising the incidence of diabetes. Dairy beverages included milkshakes one of my many failures.

Can you find one opportunity to change a sugar drink with water, unsweetened tea or coffee? In so doing you can fight one of our three enemies diabetes. Overall it would probably help with the other two, cancer and heart disease. Keep walking

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/easing-diabetes-risk-one-beverage-at-a-time/?ref=health 

Beyond Special Olympics

Studies have shown that people who are fit in their 30’s do better in their health as they age. For many that fitness comes from playing sports they learned in their youth. In sports you may have to train with conditioning or strength training to improve performance. These practices develop life time habits that are good for us.

It is hard to mess with special olympics where every kid is a winner. There are team sports for special needs atheletes where kids can experience the sport. But is there a place for these kids to excel in the sport? Here they learn the how to (skills to play) and get the feeling of striving to do the best they can. Most kids will not develop skills in the olympic games. It is a fun day. I’m OK with that.

There are kids who have a talent. They can actually run. There may be something in their disability that hinders them from gettting all the steps needed to compete. 

If they love to play a sport can they learn how to train for that sport and work at the skills, endurance or strength it takes to make progress in the game. Can they get a coach who will know the game and how to make them better at it.

In a sport it is the training that is learned that can set up a life time behavior that can effect health. A special needs athelete who particapates in the sport to their late thirties may develop the practice and training habits that will translate into better health as they age.

As they transition into older life they could learn other sports like frisbee golf that can keep them on the move into their 50’s and 60’s. Being on a swim team or a cycling club could teach them how to do these things into their senior years. 

Can their be teams develop to do 5K’s or half marathon runs or walks? Can they learn to weight train, circut train for life? To learn these habits would take months to learn and not just a few days. With others they will have to take time to compensate to experience the activity. 

There is something to said for working at a goal and actually making progress towards it.

Consider for the moment the aging special needs person? Can bird watching activities be put in place where there is walking to do with the activity? 

Daily walking can be training to hike special places on vacation. Add learning to take pictures or movings fro a travel log can add extra motivation. Daily walking can also be good for the adult care givers as well.

Live by a zoo? Get a membership where you can make safaris to different exibits three times a week to take pictures of a particular animal. Walking skills and packed meal for a picnic, learning how to frame a shot can create a life time interest and improve health. Targeting the animal will keep the trip focused on the hunt and walk and keep the time small enough to repeat. They can look up the animal on line and learn one thing about the animal.

Bike trails can offer opportunities through out the year. Adding a camera can help give a focus. See if the pictures improve over time. 

A special needs student can assist a senior citizen pushing a chair to a site on a walk. Exercise is gained for the student and service to others to boot. Linking the activity with skills to be improved and reaching goals gives experiences of accomplishment and particapation in this wonderful thing we call life. Keep walking

Kids can actually learn a sport - http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/a-swim-team-for-teens-with-autism/?hpw&rref=health&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

We may not control health but we can make a new habit of exercise

Since the article brought up the subject of death; there is the possibility that our bodies are not healthy, we may find yourselves in decline earlier in our 60’s or 70’s. Medicine is invaluable in helping us when we are fighting diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. I take a little issue with the idea early decline is an issue of lifestyle. Some of these things are lifestyle problems but there are people with good lifestyles who are fighting these things. It's still remains that we can do the right things and bad things happen. 

It seems as if we develop the habit of exercise where we include 30 minutes of aerobics, a couple days of strength training, we increase our chances of living longer. And if we lived longer into our late 80s or 90s we tend to wear out and die with a brief decline to let us know to make a piece. According to Chicago Tribune article, An Active Lifestyle Makes Life and Death Better, by James Fell reports to us what Dr. Mike Joiner Mayo clinic and Dr. Jim Fries of Stanford University. Also weighing in is Dr. Spencer Nadolsky.

I have written similar data from Dr. Cooper from Dallas from his research. Regaining The Power Of Youth and Start Strong, Finish Strong.There is no doubt in my mind that exercise can be a habit that is good for us. Lifestyle dynamics in health give us something positive that we can participate in, in what is a very unpredictable aging process that we have little control of. 

I think their advise is sound “the quicker or earlier we start exercising the better as far as longevity is concerned. If we start exercising at 50 or later we definitely can help our quality-of-life.”

Both Dr. Cooper and Dr. Joyner believes aerobic exercise benefits younger people more and seniors who have more limitations “by musculoskeletal frailty”, need strength training to improve bone and strength health. Dr. Nadolsky adds, “My older patients who lift weights do a lot better at being independent.”

Exercise is good for our brain. Exercise increases oxygen to the brain and our brain is one of the biggest users of oxygen in our body. As we get older I believe that exercises are the best investments we can do for our selves and we know exercise improves the immune system which fights things that can hurt us. 

When we strength train as we get older we have to pay attention to proper form and safety. We may be starting at a point our life when we are weaker or we are battling some injury or disease. We also have to weigh in on what our Doctor advises. Recently I wrote about research that informs us it takes twice as long for us to see the benefits of exercise and we are younger. The positive side of that is we can see the positive effects.

Walking with the fat man excepts the inevitable problems with aging. Exercise can still be an option regardless of our limitations but we have to be realistic in our expectations and need patience if we are dealing with slow progress.

I think of two ideas we need to hold on to. One is our independence and the ability to carry-on our life. The other is exercise helps us to have the ability to help in our eventual care that we will need when we get older. Some walking and resistant training can go a long way in improving how we deal with getting older.

One more thought I like to share about strength training, If you're going to do it have a goal in mind to get stronger. Make a goal that eventually you will be lifting a little more weight or you are using a heavier band then when you started. Select fitness goals that you can get off the floor without holding on to something. That you can carry a bag of groceries or open jar. If you're more fit set a goal that she will do push-ups at a lower step. Push-ups can be done off-the-wall, leaning away from the wall, moving to counter doing the push-ups, moving to the stairs doing push-ups off to forced air, Then the third stair, then the second stair, etc. all away to the ground. Along the way you are getting stronger at each level resistance. 

No matter where you're at, your health as long as you have breath that there something that you can do. Keep walking

I can change my mind, sort of

In my search around the net today there were two articles that caught my attention. One article had to do with avocados. Sometime back I read several articles about the high cholesterol in the avocado. Since I didn't exactly like an avocado it was easy to rule out for me for a beneficial diet. But overtime we have had a chance to look at the avocado and besides antioxidant and in vitamins, the avocado is high in fiber. The avocado is also heart healthy in that it raises the good cholesterol and lowers the bad cholesterol. Fiber in the avocado like all natural occurring fiber is good for blood pressure. So I've had a change of mind about the avocado. Depending on what you put in the avocado it can be very healthy for you. Now if I could just learn to like it, which is probably at the heart of the matter for me.

From Cooper aerobics' health blog, Today I Will the writer shared a study that with just a little improvement in our lungs ability to process oxygen we can greatly improve our chances against sudden death. “Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is defined as the body’s maximal ability to transport and utilize oxygen at the tissue level.” 

Our best chances of doing this is starting to move a little more. The present guidelines are 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week. That would be five days of brisk walking for 30 minutes. The reality might be that we are not at that fitness level. So we follow our doctor’s guidelines and work at it. Age is also a factor. Because of our age any moderate movement or walking could have big benefits. So we always have to start from where were at and see if we can improve it. There is a chance that our efforts may move out of a poor (CRF) and double our chances to improve against sudden death. If you look at the article and the charts you they will help you see what I'm writing about. Check out the link to see if I got it right.

We know 30 minutes of walking every day is good for us. We know that walking or moving throughout day is very healthy for us. But the reality is we may be somewhere in the middle working on that, so come walk with the fat Man.

http://todayiwill.com/2015/03/good-news-for-very-low-fit-men-improving-fitness-just-a-little-bit-helps-decrease-risk-of-premature-death/#.VPjmbUKT38s

Developing awe and gratitude is good for health

Polett Villalta scuba diving off Key Largo, Fla., 
next to the statue Christ of the Abyss, left. 
PHOTO: VETERANS OCEAN ADVENTURES 
her story is awesome

Read three articles today that may improve our health and relationships to others. The Wall Street Journal Elizabeth Bernstein wrote an article of researchers studying “awe” and finding it is good for relationships. Awe improves our health as well. The feeling of awe makes us care about others. A Dr. Kelter Took 56 inner city kids on a rafting trip for a week and researchers found the kids were more curious and engaged about what was happening in the world.

Awe helps fight depression because it lowers inflammation which is a factor in depression. Awe attunes us to things bigger than ourselves. It actually increases kindness and compassion toward others. The evidence that supports the feeling of awe is still a little soft. Awe can be religious, nature (creation my word) a sports event or political rally Ms. Bernstein reports. We may be in awe or amazed at others things or people. What ever it is, it is good for us and others and in the fat man terms keep us walking. http://www.wsj.com/articles/researchers-study-awe-and-find-it-is-good-for-relationships-1424717882 

Pastor Rick Warren whose Church shares The Daniel Plan informs us the more grateful you are, the happier you are. Sometimes the longer we know somebody, the more we take them for granted. Replacing a negative thought with thanks can have an impact on how we feel. It also has a direct impact on the person we say things to. If you're not thankful don't fake it. Find something else to be thankful about. Apostle Paul could say concerning the Philippians, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (NLT). Philippians 1:3 http://danielplan.com/blogs/dp/the-more-grateful-you-are-the-happier-you-are-2/

A reporter recently died for the New York Times. Many people said kind things and thanks for the reporter. Greta Van Susteren laments "Wouldn’t it nice if we could say those things before a person dies." It reminds me to say things or write thanks in the land of the living. It is an easy way to make people feel better. 

From the Daniel plan Dee Eastman and Shelly Antol wrote an article about creating space for solitude. It seems to me if we have a place of silence we can create moments of awe and thanks more often. Since positive attitudes have a direct impact on our physical and mental health increasing good thinking would be a good idea. 

In the hustle and bustle of our life silence can be a little hard getting used to. The article quotes Henry Nouwen “without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life. Solitude begins with a time and a place for God, and him alone. If we really believe not only that God exists but also that he is actively present in their lives-healing, teaching and guiding-we need to set aside a time and space to give him individual attention.” Mother Teresa is quoted to have said, “silence is essential in a religious house… there is no life of prayer without silence… God is a friend of silence.” http://danielplan.com/blogs/dp/creating-space-for-solitude/

The other day I wrote about aloneness and I think this is part of it. Keep walking

Is it time to clean the closet?

When it comes to health, we all have challenges. Please challenges are something like having an out of control closet where you've stuffed everything into it. It is gotten so bad you don't even open the door. The space and everything in it has become unusable. The closet takes a life of it's own. You don't even want to go there, I'll just keep it closed. The problem is the closet keeps growing. Stuff will grow in there and it'll move throughout the house. Have you ever been inside a hoarders house. The smell is so bad you can’t stay in there. There is no room to live.

Our health can be like that. If we don't take care of the challenges they can do us in. Health challenges do not go away. Our fear of them will make them larger than they seem. So looking at health from the point of view of the fat-man as a way of looking at challenges we have to meet. There are plenty of stories of courage of people facing life threatening challenges. I know it's scary but take a look at what challenges you. Our personal stories can often be very different. What I have learned or experienced maybe different from what you have gone through. But the principle of the fat Man is to first recognize that a problem exist. Then the next principle is to find out the best things to do about it. Not only are we looking for knowledge but practical strategies and expert support to give us a fighting chance. The third principle of the fat Man is to follow through and put the plan in action. The fourth principle is to make the plan of action work for you. Words like adapting, adjusting, making changes all except the idea that we don't live in a perfect place. Life will continue to happen and we have to be as flexible as we can in facing it. 

We have to take it a day at a time. If we are on the right path, For example if we are taking the right medicine there should be a reasonable time to see improvement. It may take time where we continue to struggle. Sometimes this is unavoidable. When our strategies involve lifestyle changes, what we're looking for is a change of habit. Habits take about five months to develop. Can you be real enough to give something five months. We all are wanting the 30 minutes solution. Life's not a sitcom in change never happens overnight.

If I can give a word of encouragement - last October I did a reevaluation of where I was at. My legs were still healing from injuries from a fall. I knew I had to rethink how to move ahead. I had to find ways that I can exercise without falling. I had to rehab my legs and get a sensible time frame. No more walking on the sidewalk without the use of a walking stick. Learn how to walk with a walking stick. Since my injuries now included back pain it was harder just to dive into something. Quitting or giving up would mean further declining in my heart health. Now this I really rethought. My cardiac doctor told me to go for it. This was not the time to give up. 

So, I introduced biking to my walking schedule. In the last few weeks I posted my online adventures to do interval training and I'm starting to see progress. Adding a recumbent bike is putting my fourth principle in action. The technology they put into the bikes today are a big plus. Learning about interval training in walking and cycling is very encouraging. 

Is it time to clean out your health closet. What challenges do you face? Keep walking

"That was pretty good!" Can be better than perfect

Its me playing for Joliet Junior College, 1970

Are we ever satisfied with ourselves? There's something within us that really keeps trying to strive for more. 

A doctor learns a new medical treatment and seeks to perfect the procedure that helps save many patients. That Dr. may go ahead and share what he or she has learned with other doctors and multiply his success. There is a sense of the doctor should kickback and enjoy the roses of a job well done. 

It has to be similar for an athlete who wins a contest or even a championship. He or she should take a moment to enjoy the success and maybe later think about it and share it as the story grows over time. 

If you listen to any great baseball announcer they tell a story that ages gracefully. There isn't really a comparison between the game today and the game of yesteryear. No, the story teller is wiser than that. The old story has been retold and each time grows as the story itself takes on a life of its own. If you find yourself getting bored with the x’s and o’s where the analyst goes on and on. You will recognize the great broadcaster who masterfully weaves the story of the game from legend to history of the moment. Just in case that doesn't workout, the old story can be a great metaphor of life.

I can sit back and recall playing a five set tennis match at a beautiful park. I lost the first two sets and came back and won the last three. My opponent usually beats me. Two sets I won 9-7 and 7-5. We drank water out of the tennis can filled up at the park’s water fountain. My waist size was somewhere between 33-35 inches. Four sets I played without my shirt. The tennis shorts favored strong legs. That particular day was good to think about. The rackets were wood and the game was slower to favor a strong serve and volley style. If I could shorten the point, it was better for my game. 

Tad Davis racket had a sweet sound and had good
balance for the one handed player.

I worked on my game mainly because I wanted to be more competitive. I never won a personal championship in tennis but I was on two championship teams in college. I helped other players become better doubles players. Perfection is just about impossible when you have cerebral palsy. Every time you go to hit a ball, it can be a new experience. Perfection implies consistency, so by definition, difficult to achieve in this body. I came up with a workable goal. “That was pretty good!” It may or may not have been perfect but it was pretty good. If you watch me play back then, you'd probably notice I was in a constant conversation with myself. 

No, our Dr. will go back to the drawing room, our doctor discovered other problems and quite possibly with the same problem. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes still remain and caused havoc. 

Our tennis player ages and goes into coaching. The game is no longer played with the sweet sound of wood but with the woosh of new technology. Everybody hits the ball 20 to 30 miles an hour faster. Serve and volley has just about become history. Yet there's a lot of things to work on to help younger players reach a goal of “that was pretty good.” Someday when the coach is gone and for the most part forgotten, that young player will remember playing when his waist was small and he drank water from his then obsolete water filter. He never heard the sweet sound of wood, but he reflects on the sound of woosh of his old racket that nobody plays with anyone more. 

Not satisfied with how you look, weight, health, relationships, money, spiritual life? There are a lot of good goals we can think about that are worthwhile to pursue. So try this attitude, “that was pretty good”. Keep walking