Archive for February, 2010
Retirement
Switching from working to retiring mode is not a black and white situation and the transition could take some time to get organized and get comfortable with this new life style. According to a poll by American Demographics, 41% of retired workers said they were having a difficult time adjusting to retirement. For a lot of individual it’s like being at the train station and have nowhere to go! How to think about retirement has to be reanalyzed, thinking of it like you finally can switch from going to work everyday to simply get-up when you please and hang out with other retirees, talking about the same old stuff over and over will get old very fast and suddenly you realize that there has to be more to life then that.
Retirement is a process that has to be well thought out and should begin already in our 50 by thinking about where and how we wish to live our golden years, how to create our nest egg to support that retirement life style.
In our 60 when we leave the work life behind we should have established plans on what to do next, before that day arrives. Having a life road map in our hands at that time is a crucial step in staying focused, happy and healthy, whether it’s traveling the world or simply enjoying time with the family, or finally dedicate our time to our favorite hobby. Getting up every morning and knowing that you have a plan will keep a smile on your face.
In our 70, if we are lucky enough to still be around and there are no major health concerns, we can slow down a bit and reflect on how wonderful life is and has been !!!!!
Right or Wrong
The fact is, we don’t know if everything the medical profession is telling us is really true or just another way to get our attention. We don’t know who is going to get cancer and who is not. We don’t know which cancer will respond to early detection and treatment and which will not. Understood that not smoking , watching what we eat or don’t eat, exercising and following some of the basic rules of clean living should help in the prevention of this nasty disease and that after decades of recherche science as made incredible progress in detecting some cancers at an early stage, and that we should listen to our body and getting screened regularly for certain types of cancer allows doctors to identify it , therefore preventing or slowing the development of it.
But on the same line of thoughts what is cancer, what do we truly understand of it, except that it can strike anybody at any time regardless of how an individual has chosen to live his or her life and the fear of somehow been affected by it is a constant scare.
Too many doctors routinely order tests, and the results are often misinterpreted and the outcome of our health depends on a right or wrong decision!
Eating Right
Every time i walk through a crowded place i am astonished by the number of individual of all ages who are overweight and are facing major health risks.Not everyone’s overweight problem is related to poor eating habit and lack of exercise, but as we all know in the U.S. 3 out of 4 adults are overweight or obese, which significantly increase the risk of developing heart disease as well as diabetes. One of the main reason for those extra pounds: Too many people out there are taking in more calories then they burn off.
Not only eating too many calories is a problem but if vegetables, fruit and whole grains would make up three-quarter of the food you eat and one quarter would be filled with poultry, lean-meat, fish or eggs you’ll automatically be on the right heart-healthy track.
I don’t mean to be pushy, but the foods you choose to eat contribute to your well-being, therefore to melt off pounds keep an eye on what you eat or don’t eat, exercise to burn-off those extra calories and save the treats and ice cream for special and unique occasions.
Choose your food wisely and exercise it will help you leave healthier and happier!!!
Cholesterol.
The older we get the greater are our risk of heart disease which could be avoided by understanding how to control our cholesterol levels.
While LDL and trygliceride levels should be low, HDL levels should be high so that circulating HDL can efficiently carry out its task of carrying cholesterol away from artery walls and back to the liver, where the body can dispose of it. Protecting our self against the effects of poor balance in our cholesterol levels is very simple. First shed some pounds until you reach a healthy weight by building physical activity into your daily routine by regularly exercising 30 to 40 minutes, don’t abuse alcohol and pay attention on what you eat.
Keep a healthy Heart, protect yourself !
Motivation.
Like million of people , lately i have been trying to catch as much as i can of the COVERAGE OF THE WINTER OLYMPIC on Tv. and it seems that everyday i am getting more and more excited. Take last night for instance, the women s Downhill ski race, the speed , the crashes and the outstanding victory run of Lindsey Vonn, overcoming her injury and putting together the run of her life to achieve gold. Nothing and no camera angle can really capture the risks , the speed, the steepness and the force that those speed demons are experiencing.
Only a willingness of change, training, and motivation can bring those athletes to reach their goals and overcome their fears ! The challenges of the competition and the physical aptitude is only overcome by the determination of becoming number one and an Olympian.
To some degree we are to take example from their efforts and motivate ourselves to achieve our goals of living a healthier and more productive life, regardless of what obstacles we are facing. We only live ounce, and this is not a dry run, we have to be the best we can be and do the best we can to enjoy our Golden Years.
ENJOY LIFE !!!!!
Super-food or Super-fruit .
Within the last few years it seems that the terms Super-food and Super-fruit have become as common as wheat bread ! Well, what is it that make’s them so different then regular food ?
Super-food is a term used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may confer health benefit as a result, for instance it is food with health properties offering value behind nutrition. As an example, wild Salmon, Barramundi fish also known as Asian Sea bass are rich in Omega3 .
Super-fruit is a term used in reference to an exotic fruit which combine exceptional nutrient richness and antioxidant, such as Mangosteen or Acai, well popular fruits like Blackcurrant, blueberries, concord grapes, strawberries, which are as rich in health properties are simply fruits…
I do believe that most everything we consume, has health benefits, some food have a higher content of specific vitamin or mineral and that the best way to benefit from it all is to follow a diversified diet.
I also believe that the terms Super-food and Super-fruit are mostly a business strategy from manufacturer to generate attention from the consumers since most of those items have been consumed elsewhere for century’s and are simply labeled as food .
News
Lately it seems that every where i look, whether in magazines or on television the focus is on living a healthier longer life,and the reason for it is directly pointing to the fact that there is millions of us out there who are, or getting in our golden years and that science is helping us increase our longevity.
For the first time in human history we have the ability to enjoy a healthy life, relatively free of disability and remain active way passed our middle age and in order for us to live to be a 100 we have to seriously take action.
We are saturated with suggestions on how to loose weight, follow a better diet, or how to get off the couch and stay active, well the decision on what to do obviously is an individual one and i know how hard it is to get the motivation to change our ways, but please, we have everything at our finger tips to help us stay and become healthier.
Not taking action now, only means you are a talker, not happy to be or feel the way you do and wait for things to improve simply by wishing they will!!!
Take action Now.
Building Muscle? You Need Protein
If you are looking to build muscle, protein is a must. During a weight training workout, you literally tear your muscles apart. While this may sound like it is detrimental, this tearing forces your muscles to repair themselves, and during this process, they add more muscle in an effort to not be torn apart again. In order for the process to take place, however, an ample amount of protein is needed.
Many people look to protein powders to get adequate amounts of protein, but there are many protein rich foods that provide that same quality. Egg whites, for instance, are essentially pure protein and don’t contain any fat or cholesterol. Powdered milk is quite similar to many protein powders, having a high concentration of whey, and is only a fraction of the cost.