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You’re Never Too Old!

June 30, 2011 by 44 Comments

While scanning my inbox this morning, deciding which health and wellness research reports to read, a simple article caught my attention.  It wasn’t some “block-buster” clinical trial, promising hope for the masses in the form of the “newest” must-have supplement.  Rather than the sensational health miracle du jour, the article answered this question: which age group has the highest feeling of well-being?

After surveying over 1 million Americans since 2008, the Gallup-Healthways Index found that people over 65 have the highest sense of well-being.  Yes, I’ll repeat, people over 65!  Guess which age group consistently came in last?  Folks age 45-64, aka Baby Boomers, the age group in which I proudly claim membership.  What a letdown my fellow boomers.  We’re supposed to have it all!

The survey suggests that Americans over 65, have the best attitudes and behaviors toward their health.  What does wellness look like to seniors? According to Gallup-Healthways, wellness comes down to doing two things:

  • Get active; and
  • Give back.

How’s that for a simple prescription for wellness!

Ben Leedle, president of Healthways, summarized the survey findings by saying:

“Improve well-being, and productivity goes up and health care costs come down… we want to learn from the older generation’s patterns and make those patterns important parts of all our lives, regardless of the age group.”

Hmm…it seems some of us still have quite a bit to learn from our elders.

Take a look at the article and video on the USA Today site.  For more information concerning Healthways’ U.S. Well-being Index, check out the link here.

The Bottom Line:  I’m a firm believer of a total approach to wellness, including physical activity, nutrition, and proper weight for starters.  But, it’s wonderful to see seniors taking control of their wellness with healthy attitudes and behaviors.  It shows that you’re never too old, to live your best life.

Are you going to invest more emotional energy in your wellness?

It’s your life, live well.

 

twitt Youre Never Too Old!

Related posts:

  1. What’s The No.1 Health Problem For Boomers?
  2. Have You Walked 10,000 Steps Today?
  3. Can 20 Minutes Of Exercise Save Your Heart?
  4. Are You Powerless To Change Your Health?
Filed Under: Anti-aging, Exercise/Fitness, Mens Health, New Research, Weight Loss, Weight Management, Womens Health Tagged With: , ,

Neglecting Your Health Will Cost You Plenty!

June 28, 2011 by 47 Comments

If you have any doubts about the cost of poor health, I suggest you keep reading.  The popular WebMD site has a grim slide show entitled Top 11 Medical Expenses. I call it grim because not only will neglecting your health lead you to an early grave, it will takeaway everything you’ve accomplished in life.

It’s no secret, that personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are fueled by medical expenses.  A Harvard study found medical expenses as the main cause of 62% of all bankruptcies in America.  Even more startling, 78% of these bankruptcy filers had health insurance.  These are sobering statistics to ponder.

I suggest you take a generous amount of time reviewing the slide show on the WebMD.com site.  You’ll see the real tragedy of this information, isn’t the staggering amount of money consumed treating these illnesses, it’s the poor lifestyle choices contributing to the health problems.  The “usual suspects” leading to poor health are well represented, and you should already know them.  See if you can find the recurring “bad choices” found in each slide.  Ignore these lifestyle choices at your own risk.

The Bottom Line:  The third book in the Pogo series by Walt Kelly, famously stated, “we have met the enemy and he is us”.  If you don’t care about doing little things which can keep you healthier for a longer period of time, reducing your medical expenses in the process, I’ll wish you well.  But, think about your family and the other people you love.  Do you really want them to go broke taking care of you?

What choice are you going to make?

It’s your life, live well.

twitt Neglecting Your Health Will Cost You Plenty!

Related posts:

  1. Do You Make These Mistakes with Food?
  2. The Unexpected Health Benefits Of Water!
  3. What’s The No.1 Health Problem For Boomers?
  4. How To Eat Fish!
Filed Under: Exercise/Fitness, Mens Health, Weight Loss, Weight Management, Womens Health Tagged With: , ,

What Can Arginine Do For Your Heart?

June 27, 2011 by 42 Comments

I’m being followed!  Everyday while I’m on the Internet, I’m being followed.  No, it isn’t another person, it’s a banner ad featuring a supplement containing arginine.  The ad touts the supplement’s ability to fight bad things like high cholesterol and heart attacks.  Since my curiosity was aroused, I decided to dig deeper.  Can arginine protect you from heart disease?

Arginine (also called L-arginine) is considered an essential amino acid, or building block of protein, produced in your body.  Additionally, many of the foods you eat are rich in protein, such as dairy products and meats.  Arginine is known for its role in producing an important chemical messenger in your body called nitric oxide, which is vital to the proper function of your cardiovascular system.  Nitric oxide keeps blood vessels flexible and helps boost blood flow, both of which benefit your heart.

The latest preliminary research indicates arginine as benefiting:

  • lower blood pressure;
  • improved function in blood vessels; and
  • better coronary blood flow.

On the flip side, two studies found concerns about arginine supplements and their effectiveness on heart health.  A 2006 study at John Hopkins Hospital was halted by researchers, leading them to warn against using arginine in heart attack patients.  A 2007 Stanford University study, concluded that arginine supplements were “not useful” in people suffering from peripheral artery disease.

The uncertain performance of arginine for heart health, hasn’t stopped some marketers from claiming it helps with low sex drive, muscle building, and diabetes.  However, research has found little or no evidence supporting the effectiveness of arginine supplements for these issues.

You can find a great article on arginine at WebMD.com.

The Bottom Line:  Human studies have found no evidence that arginine supplements prevent heart disease.  Arginine shows some promise, but only preliminary hope for now.  I’ll probably have more interest in them, when research conclusively shows significant health benefits.

What’s your take on arginine?

It’s your life, live well.

 

 

twitt What Can Arginine Do For Your Heart?

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Filed Under: Dietary Supplements, Mens Health, Womens Health Tagged With:

What’s In Your Multivitamin?

June 26, 2011 by 122 Comments

You’re trying your best to eat right and get some walking in every day.  The cigarettes are past history in your life.  The last thing you should worry about is your daily multivitamin.  Or may be, you should worry?

ConsumerLab.com recently tested a select group of multivitamin brands, and found problems with 34% of the products.  The company tested 60 different brands of multivitamins and found:

  • 8 brands didn’t contain the amount of ingredients promised on their labels;
  • 2 brands contained excessive amounts of vitamin A, which can cause health problems; and
  • many of the least expensive brands passed every test performed.

What’s troubling about this report is that out of thousands of multivitamin brands available in America, the testing sample consisted of only 60 brands. When viewed in the broader context of the marketplace, it suggests that greater efforts to improve quality and safety of these products must be demanded by consumers.  Also, it appears to be little correlation between higher price and higher quality, in the brands tested.

You should check out a summary of the test report, found on the Rodale.com site.

The Bottom Line:  Don’t use price as the sole indicator of multivitamin quality and performance.  Also, it appears that supplement makers must be held to greater accountability, for meeting the ingredient amounts stated on their labels.  Consumers deserve better than a slipshod approach by some supplement makers, to product quality and safety.

It’s your life, live well.

 

 

 

twitt Whats In Your Multivitamin?

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  2. Is Vitamin Water Good For You?
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Filed Under: Dietary Supplements, Mens Health, Quality & Safety, Vitamins, Womens Health Tagged With: , ,

Men, Save Your Sex Appeal!

June 22, 2011 by 27 Comments

You’ve already heard about the bad things that happen when you’re fat and out of shape. The list is long, including such favorites as increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, just for starters.  Yet obesity, is poised to become the leading cause of preventable death in America.  It’s estimated that 1,000 Americans die from obesity related health problems each day.  Could this possibly be any worse?

For a man, obesity can also take away your manhood.  How does lower testosterone levels (Low-T), greater likelihood of prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction appeal to you?

A 2008 study, found that a four-inch increase in waist size, increased the odds of a man having a low testosterone level by 75%.

Another study done by Harvard, found that a man with a 42 inch waist is twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction, as a man having a 32 inch waist.

Also, an American Cancer Society study showed that being obese increased a man’s risk of prostate cancer by 20%.  Additionally, a man’s obesity increased the probability of cancer spreading beyond the prostate, into other areas of his body.

Make sure you read the March 2011 article from Harvard Men’s Health Watch here.

The Bottom Line:  If any man, after considering this information, still lacks the motivation to lose some excess pounds, I wish you well.  It’s never too late to change your ways, but once you’ve lost your health, it’s hard to get it back.  The choice you make, may jeopardize your enjoyment of life.

What are you going to do?

It’s your life, live well.

twitt Men, Save Your Sex Appeal!

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  2. Who Else Wants Coffee?
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Filed Under: Exercise/Fitness, Mens Health, New Research, Sexual Wellness, Weight Loss Tagged With: , , ,
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