Last year I was finally brave enough to show Ainsley my annual resolutions.

I had 7 well crafted resolutions which I spent quite a time to develop at the beginning of 2007. Ainsley read them carefully, thought for a minute, gave me her beautiful smile and said cheerfully: “Great resolutions. They are all about your career and wealth”. Her wisdom words hit me like a giant wave. I was speechless.

Ainsley was absolutely right.

She enlightened me in her special way that I was living an imbalanced life. I was focusing too much on my physical world encompassed by my work and business, and too little on the more important things in life, like family, social life, spiritualism and health.

That was the minute I had no doubt I should marry my wise partner…and so I did, but this is another story I will share with you in the near future.

Do you also live a deficient life?

Does your  lifestyle create imbalance in your family and work commitments?

If you answer yes to one of the above questions, bear with me for 2 short minutes. You will find out an astonishing technique that has already made a big impact on my life and can do the same to you.

My unforgettable discussion with Ainsley led to entirely different 2008 resolutions.

First, I didn’t do it alone but I asked for imput from Ainsley. As a result, I included our Family Vision into my resolution statement.

Second, my resolutions don’t look anymore like a corporate mission statement. They balance my 4 Life Quadrilles:

Family & Social Happiness
Personal Development
Health
Wealth

Take right now a blank paper, divide it to the 4 Quadrilles and list no more than 2-3 resolutions in each one of them.

Family & Social Happiness:

• Are you happy with your social circle? Find a new friend and plan how to do it (Join social websites, clubs, etc.)
• Do you have enough quality time with your kids? Plan to read them (or with them) 30 minutes a day before bed time instead of watching TV
• Are you still looking for your significant one? If you don’t want to wait forever, join a credible online dating service.
• Do you have satisfying communication with your significant one? If not, plan to write him or her (or Google for) a love poem, buy her flowers, sms “I Love You” at least once a day, buy randomly attention gifts like books and CDs and awaken the romance within. You will be surprised how these small gestures can make a giant impact on your love life (not mentioning your sex life).

Personal Development

• Are you developing at least one core competency this year? Read a non-fiction book about your core competency or listen to an audio book in your car’s CD player.
• Do you have at least one hobby that enriches your life? Learn a new hobby or develop an old one. Join a gym, start a new fitness program, join an art class, join a martial art course, etc. I develop every year a new hobby or skill. In the last few years I learned inline skating, wind-surfing, board surfing, Kung Fu, Ice skating,
• website development, and more. You can do it if you write down and make a decision to start next Monday.

Health

• Do you love your body when you are naked in front of the mirror? Make an immediate decision to improve your eating and exercise habits.
• Are you bothered with pain which you have not had time to treat? Make a decision now when you are going to see you physician.

Wealth

• Have accumulated credit card debt or other negative debt (distinguished from positive debt for investments)? Write down all your expenses last month and decide what expenses were not necessary and cut them. Make a budget of your necessary expenses and stick to it.
• Awareness and follow up are 50% of getting out of debt.
• Are you saving enough money for your retirement? Pay yourself first! At the beginning of the month allocate first your target saving to a separate account.
• Are you paid what you worth at your job? Don’t be shy to ask for a raise. Document all your achievements last year and submit to your manager your goals and plans for this year even if you are not required to do it.

The good news is that Ainsley and I are completely devoted to share with you every week our secrets to happiness and self fulfillment. We have decided to gradually transform BodyForMind.com to help you reaching your full potential in your Family, Social Life, Health and Wealth dimensions.

In the coming year we are going to provide you a wealth of simple, straight forward and realistic wisdom of a real couple that face the same challenges as you do.

1. how to balance work and family
2. how to help our kids to become successful adults
3. how to look great, slow aging and turn heads
4. how to get out of the “rat race” and retire early
5. how to transform boredom life to a serious of enriching, exciting new hobbies, skills and achievements

Popularity: 1% [?]

The American Heart Association strives to educate people about how to stay well and keep their hearts in shape.  They challenge people to address general wellness factors and give them ideas on how to do it.  In general, they urge awareness of how to recognize heart problems and strokes, what to do if you have symptoms, how to assess personal risk factors, get regular medical check ups, regular exercise, healthy eating habits and no smoking.

Ok. We all know we should exercise, eat “right”, have regular medical checks and lower stress levels. Let’s look at some of the current dietary and exercise recommendations specifically aimed at maintaining a healthy heart.  After all, the more research the medical folks do, the more they change what the “right” things to do are!

Exercise is pretty simple:  at least 30 minutes of moderately rigorous exercise most or all days of the week.

Interestingly, the type of exercise makes little difference in terms of heart health.  Weight training has proven to be heart healthy as well as more aerobic activities.  No matter what you enjoy, just stay moving!!!

Nutrition is not so simple.  Some of the newer recommendations include:

• Eat LOTS of vegetables, some fruit, whole grains and lean protein.
• Add Omega-3 fats, which come from fish oil, nuts, seeds and some oils.
• Eat much less processed foods because they contain trans fats which are more harmful to the heart than saturated fats!
• Fry food much less often.  Frying food changes the structure of fat molecules (trans fats) and degrades protein.
• The heart needs B-vitamins to keep it healthy.  Processed grains (white flour, rice, etc) lose 60-90% of the vitamins in processing.  Eat brown and unprocessed where possible.
• Keep desserts and sweets to a minimum.
• Add a multivitamin, just to make sure to get necessary nutrients (especially B vitamins).

Wellness Issues:

• Learn to cope with stress, communicate better, manage anger etc.  Repressed emotions are terrible for the heart as well as overall health (and cause relationship problems too)
• Stop smoking
• Control alcohol intake
• Be aware of direct relatives who have had heart disease or Type 2 diabetes (a risk factor for heart attacks)
• If you have Type 2 diabetes, follow your physician’s instructions!
• Keep your body fat at normal levels.

So, this Valentine’s Day, when you are feeling your most romantic….show your partner how much you love him/her by making resolutions to become more heart healthy by the time the next Valentine’s Day comes around.  Taking care of your body so you will be around for your partner a long time is soooo romantic ….. and sexy!

Popularity: 1% [?]

What kind of New Year’s resolutions did you make this year?

Did they involve improving your health, fitness, nutrition or related health habits?

Every year, many of us start off with good intentions, only to find that “life” gets in the way. A couple of months along we find we are no closer to achieving what we started out to do.

It’s easy to justify or excuse these “failures” in a variety of ways.  Maybe it wasn’t a high enough priority or we are just too busy and so forth.  But there’s one element in all of this that might be overlooked – genuine support and understanding by the people we care about.  An important part of this relationship dynamic is that we feel the person or people closest to us have faith in our abilities to do what we set out to do.

Fitness trainers see this sort of thing a lot.  A person comes for training, gets going well and then starts missing sessions.  When the person is asked why, the answer is usually something like “I feel that I am taking too much time away from my family” or “my wife feels that we are not spending enough time together”.  I once had a spouse of a client tell me right in front of the client that the client has started to get fit many times and failed and that now he doesn’t believe she can do it!”  I felt the client’s hurt and self doubt with that comment.  Certainly, the comment does not encourage her success.  That’s really tough.

If you are having trouble keeping fitness resolutions (or any resolutions) year after year, take a look at your family and friends.  Do you feel that they are they enthusiastically supporting your efforts and believe in your ability to accomplish what you start?  If not, try to think of some ways to change this situation for the better.  Here are some ideas:

Recruit a support group of people who can support and mentor you to help offset some of the difficulties and self doubt you are experiencing.  Your supporters don’t have to be fitness enthusiasts (although your trainer is a good place to start).  They can be friends or colleagues whom you enjoy.  Even better: talk to people who are accomplishing goals while experiencing resistance or lack of support by their loved ones.

Communicate, communicate, communicate and communicate again!

It’s up to you to find a way to communicate the importance of your goals to your family and friends emphasizing your need for them to support you.

Tell your loved ones how difficult this change is for you and how past failures affect your self confidence in this area….and that you need them to help you!

Ask for their suggestions on how you can meet their needs and also accomplish what you want to do.

Try to find out how they feel about what you are doing – if there are fears or insecurities involved. Sometimes there can be hidden agendas such as a spouse’s fear that you getting fit will cause you to change in a negative way or a child who thinks you will spend less time with them. Then, with this knowledge, together, discuss ways to make sure everyone feels secure and happy with any changes in routines etc.

You will be amazed at how much cooperation and enthusiastic support you will receive, just by asking…

Have a wonderful year!

Popularity: 1% [?]

We live in a world where when someone wrongs us, often we are told “I’m sorry” and the reply is usually “never mind”, “forget about it” or “it’s nothing”.  This works 99.9% of the time.  But what about when someone has hurts us intentionally – obviously premeditated and/or repeated over a long period of time?

When things like this happen, well meaning people tell us that we have to forgive in order to heal.  This often leaves the “victim” wondering if there is something wrong with them because they can’t “forgive”.

Warning, the following is a bit disturbing – but has a happy ending.

John and Jane Anyman live in a neighborhood house with their 2 children Jim and Susie.  Their next door neighbors Cathy and Steve Goodneighbor have 2 children, Sarah, Charlie and a playful and friendly puppy named Rufus.  John is known in the neighborhood as a very nice guy.  The two families get together often.

Rufus has a bad habit of digging under the fence, getting out of the yard and chasing moving vehicles. The Goodneighbor family works very hard to keep Rufus inside.

One day Rufus he gets out and chases John who is riding his bike.  John is very annoyed at the dog and tells Jane that “something will have to be done about THAT dog. People shouldn’t be allowed to have dogs like that.”  His tone of voice is very odd and frightens Jane.

Time goes by…Rufus gets out and chases John again.  John, who has been carrying a stick,  brutally hits the dog over the head.  At dinner, he brags to Jane, Jim and Susie how he “took care of the obnoxious dog”.

Later, the Goodneighbor children found Rufus beaten and dead.  They were traumatized and very sad.  Another neighbor had seen John beat Rufus. He told the Goodneighbors.  Steve tells John that someone beat Rufus to death and asks him “Did you see anyone hit the dog?”

John has several choices here.  He can:

1. Deny any knowledge.
2. Blame the Goodneighbors for “making him do it”. Say “Sorry, but you should have kept the dog inside – he was a menace to everyone.”
3. Admit and Apologize.  Say he was terribly sorry to have acted so cruelly.  Say that he didn’t mean to cause the Goodneighbors so much pain and grief.  Ask if there is anything that he can do to help them feel better (and do it!).

Let’s consider the possible outcomes for each of John’s choices above…

1. Denial:

The Goodneighbors, John’s family and the rest of the neighborhood know that he did it.  They are likely to conclude that he is a cruel, abusive person.

2. Blaming the Victims:

The Goodneighbors will probably feel angry at John’s statement that they “made him” do it.  Again, they are likely to conclude that he is a cruel, abusive person – who feels entitled and justified in his abuse (no remorse).

3. Accepting Full Responsibility:

The Goodneighbors would feel he is remorseful.  In time, they may begin to believe John’s act was a mistake instead of deliberate malice.  If he follows through with restitution, they may be able to re-connect fully.

The Happy Ending:
Before Jim, Susie Goodneighbor was married to a verbally and emotionally abusive man.  She knew from her Abuse Survivor’s Group literature that John’s cruelty to animals was a big RED Flag of a potentially abusive person.  She talked to Jane who confirmed that John sometimes was verbally hostile and when drinking tended to get into fist fights.  The two ladies convinced John to seek counselling.

The Anyman’s are a happier family now. The neighborhood once again views John as a good guy who made a cruel mistake rather than someone to avoid.
AND… John recently bought a puppy for the Goodneighbors AND one for his own children!

Most of us, at one point in our lives, find ourselves struggling to either apologize for a serious wrong or struggling to forgive one. If you find yourself in this position and looking for answers, the following may help:

Forgiveness Is NOT:

1. Forgetting – if you were wounded enough to require forgiveness, you may always    have a memory of it.
2. Excusing or condoning – the wrong should not be denied, minimized, or justified.
3. Reconciling – forgiving does not necessarily mean reestablishing the relationship.
4. Weakness – forgiving does not make you oblivious to cruelty.

A Sincere and Complete Apology IS:

1. Quick after event – minimize suffering.
2. Specific -  “I am sorry I did X, Y, Z”.
3. Empathetic -  “I am sorry  X,Y,Z hurt/embarrassed/humiliated etc. you”.
4. Regretful (asks for forgiveness) -  “I truly regret that I caused you pain/trouble/money, etc. Please forgive me.”
5. Sincere -   “How can I make it up to you?” Or “I will change my behavior to avoid this again”.
6. Restorative -  Follow through with promises made.

This even works for something as simple as being late for a meeting.  Instead of saying “sorry”, try “I am sorry for being late and wasting your time. Next time I will leave home earlier.  May I buy you a cup or coffee to make it up to you?”  See how that makes the recipient feel like you care? That you empathize …

Both forgiveness and sincere apologies require EMPATHY.  Empathy is what makes us able to connect… to truly love one another!

Popularity: 2% [?]

A large well known fitness facility company has a “no grunting” policy. Last year, they made news in the U.S. when they called the police to escort a member out of the gym for grunting. What’s the deal with that?
Ok, ok. Aside from being drama queens and a bit annoying, what are these grunters really doing wrong? And how does the gym staff decide what is a grunt and what’s just normal exhalation of air upon exertion?

Do they hire “Grunt Monitors”?
I can see it now in Grunt Monitor Training: “Ok grunt monitors, a grunt is considered a legitimate grunt when it sounds like “uuuoooohhhgg” but is not a grunt when it sounds like “ugh”.” I mean, honestly – doesn’t this seem pretty silly?

Of course, there’s the deeper more philosophical question: is there a difference between a snort and a grunt?

What if you drop a weight on your toe and scream “ouch”. Do you get expelled for that?

And what are the exact procedures for expulsion from the gym for grunting? Is a member issued a grunt warning first? Maybe two grunt warnings? Three grunts – you are out?

Imagine what happens at the employees’ shift change: “Hi Jack, you see that guy over there in the red shirt? Watch him carefully. He’s had two grunt warnings already and I believe I heard the beginnings of a grunt earlier. His days are numbered…”

“Ok Susie, you can count on me…I never miss a grunter”.

What about the poor grunters? Don’t you think they feel discriminated against? Is this the beginning of gym apartheid?

Will people have to be grunt-tested before they can join the gym? If they grunt, will they be sent to the grunter’s gym?

New membership drives and advertisements will go something like this: “Are you a grunter? No problem! Come on down” Maybe more avant garde gyms could have tiered membership fees – as in, “Yes indeed sir, we do have a Gold
Membership just for grunters. Of course, it will cost you more.”

Most women when they workout make more of a moaning sound than a grunt. Do gyms need special rules for moaners?

Or is it like ladies night at a bar? Ladies attract men, so they are allowed to moan.

Here’s an idea: they could implement special hours for lady moaners. That would be good for business, don’t you think? Fit women sweating and making moaning sounds. Most guys I know would be there for sure – and not to workout either!

On a more serious note, what is the grunting and moaning all about? Does it really serve any purpose? Well, there’s not much evidence that it serves a physiological purpose. Psychological? My guess is that’s the reason people do it.

To lift heavy things properly, it’s important to breathe deeply. Holding one’s breath when lifting can drive blood pressure up.

There used to be a belief among trainers to teach people to exhale at exertion, but that idea is continuously challenged by new research. It’s more common now for trainers to explain to folks the importance of breathing well and continuously while working out.

Whether one inhales or exhales on the lift doesn’t really matter. Whatever is comfortable is best…so long as breathing occurs.

So here’s to all the grunters and moaners out there….happy lifting!

Popularity: 3% [?]

A win on the lottery is not the key to enduring happiness, according to researchers in the UK and US who study what makes people happy. Apparently, after the initial euphoria wears off, people return to the same level of happiness they had before the lottery win. There’s much speculation among the researchers as to why.

Have you ever heard the term “focusing illusion”? It basically boils down to the idea that when people think about or fantasize about a major life change, we tend to exaggerate the effect the change will have on our happiness. We imagine it will be either far better or far worse than what actually happens after the dust settles from the change. Has this happened to you?

Have you ever worked toward buying something, say a nice car? First you say to yourself, “boy, I would love to have that car”. After a while, you make a decision to save to buy the car. Your thoughts change to “when I have my new car…things will be great!” You save and the day comes to buy the car. It’s a wonderful day, you are elated to be behind the wheel of this amazing vehicle and you just know that everyone is envious of you and your flash car. Days and weeks go by. Life continues as usual. It begins to dawn on you that, although you are very happy
with the car itself, you are no more happy with life than before you had it.

See how this works?

What about bigger life changes like a new job, new spouse, location change, new baby, etc…?

For those of you who have teens in your home: How often have you heard this? “When I go to university and leave home, things are gonna be much better for me” or similar comments.  Well, we parents who went through it already know that while the freedom of growing up is really fun and exciting, there is responsibility associated with it. The initial euphoria of leaving home and being on your own wears off and becomes “normal” or even difficult.

Divorce is another example. If you have been through one (unfortunately, many of us have), you might remember reaching the decision in your mind that you had had “enough”. Even if you were not the one who wanted the divorce – you probably got there anyway. With that decision, your mind turns toward the future: how much better your life will be without the other person, how you will be free to find someone better for you, how you will be free of conflict and fighting and, of course, if you are divorcing because you feel you are in love with someone else, how much better your life will be with your new love. And so it goes…

What was the long term reality? My guess? After a few years in your new life, you were the same person as before your problems began. Am I right? Yes, you were unhappy with the SITUATION of your old life; but if you were generally happy within yourself, you remained so. If you were not, once the focusing illusion is gone, you were the same – unhappy.

There is a dark side to the focusing illusion. Do you know someone whose parent, spouse or boss is overly critical? Don’t you feel sad or worried for the person? What would you say to them if they asked? Run away – this relationship is not good for you. Yet, this person probably keeps a hold of the focusing illusion “if only I could
do this or have this, I would feel loved by my parent, spouse or be rewarded by my boss.” This dynamic occurs in many abusive relationships: verbal, emotional and physical. Not healthy. Yet many people propagate this, because of the optimism the focusing illusion provides.

While the focusing illusion can help us work toward a goal, wisdom helps distinguish the reality from the fantasy. Life experiences teach us that external forces (people, situations and material things) cannot “make” us happy or
unhappy. Blaming others for our unhappiness or depending on others to provide happiness only serves to alienate everyone close to us. In fact, by believing this we are giving away our personal power of self determination and our choice to be happy.

The moral of this story?

The focusing illusion serves to motivate people in many ways. It contributes to our ability to dream and remain optimistic in the face of adversity. Dreams drive us forward and give us the power to make our lives magnificent.

To put it in another way: it’s not the dreams or desires themselves that make us happy. It’s the accomplishments and connections that come with pursuing them with honesty and integrity that is the true root of our happiness.

It’s the process of getting there….

Popularity: 1% [?]

Here’s the scenario: you are on an elevator. The elevator stops and in walks someone with WAY too much cologne on and the smell overpowers you. Your sinuses start to hurt and you get a bit sick to your stomach. The smell of the cologne stays with you, in your hair, clothes and nose for quite a while after – hence the sick feeling does too.
Yuk. It’s hard not to think how inconsiderate this person is.

It’s not just the smell that is inconsiderate. Have you ever thought about the chemicals that are used in fragrances? Many of them are not good for you to breathe or to put on your body!

This week Time Magazine did an article on air fresheners and how many brands have been removed from the market due to high levels of phthalates. Phthalates are estrogenic in nature, which is believed to contribute to certain cancers. Phthalates are used to dissolve and carry fragrances and soften plastics, sealants and similar compounds. They are commonly found in cosmetics, paint, nail polish and plastics.

This peaked my interest on fragrances in general – so, as usual, I did some research.

Although fragrances have been used for centuries, they were made from plant and animal sources. Modern fragrances are primarily synthetic materials developed since World War II.

Did you know that 600 or more chemicals may be used in a single fragrance, and 95% of chemicals used in them are derived from petroleum? Why? Petro-chemicals in perfumes are less expensive and more easily available than the natural ingredients.

Many chemicals used in fragrances are considered hazardous waste disposal chemicals! Synthetic fragrance compounds accumulate in human tissue and are found in breast milk.

An EPA study in 1991 listed the 20 most common chemicals used in “fragrance products” which are used not only in perfumes but to scent shampoos, soaps, deodorants, lotions, creams and other beauty products. Here’s the list – it speaks volumes on its own:

1. Acetone
2. Benzaldehyde
3. Benzyl
4. Benzyl Alcohol
5. Camphor
6. Ethanol
7. Ethyl Acetate
8. Limonene
9. Linalool
10. Methylene Chloride
11. a-Pinene
12. g-Terpinene
13. a-Terpineol
14. 1,8-Cineole
15. b-Citronellol
16. b-Myrcene
17. Nerol
18. Ocimene
19. b-Phenethyl Alcohol
20. a-Terpinolene

There are relatively few studies available concerning the use and exposure to fragranced products. Testing by the cosmetics/fragrance industry focuses on skin effects without taking into account respiratory, neurological, or systemic effects. There is little regulation of fragrance by regulatory agencies.

Not only is too much perfume often offensive to many, more and more people consider it to be an indoor air pollutant. Some are quite vocal about their opposition to the use of perfumes. For years, I thought I was the only one who got headaches from strong perfume!

There is a movement afoot to curtail the use of fragrances in the work place. Many businesses, at the request of their employees, are creating fragrance-free policies. Given that many people are highly affected by allergies, this makes sense (pun intended, get it? … sense…scents…).

But seriously, given that we are bombarded by more and more hazardous chemicals and pollution, having less on our bodies, homes and in our workplaces must be better for ALL of us.

Breathe deeply and live well!

Popularity: 1% [?]

The other day, I got an email from an American guy who lives in Malaysia. He was saying that cooking with mono sodium glutamate (MSG) is a real health problem to Malaysians and that he “doesn’t allow it in his house”.

MSG, so what’s the big deal? It’s the stuff used in large quantities in Chinese/Southeast Asian food, right? Wrong. It’s everywhere in almost all processed foods! You see, it was derived from seaweed in Japan in the 1930s and very quickly became popular in United States as a food additive. As long ago as the 1970s, manufacturers promised to take it out of baby food because of suspected problems – no kidding.

Consumers long ago became savvy to MSG listed as an ingredient on food labels and stopped buying things with MSG. So guess what? Manufacturers just renamed the stuff. Here are some of the ingredient names in food that are “cover names” for MSG:

• Broth
• Casein or Caseinate
• Glutamate
• Hydrolyzed Yeast
• Autolyzed Yeast
• Yeast Extract
• Hydrolyzed Protein
• Natural Flavors

MSG is one of the most popular food additives in food in the US. Fast food chains and restaurants use a lot of it. McDonald’s use it to flavor French fries, the Grilled Chicken Fillet and the Sausage Patties. Pizza Hut uses it to flavor their Chicken Wings. In the supermarket, you can bet that if it’s a sauce, salad dressing, snack foods, potato, tortilla chips, soups, crackers, cookies it’s probably got MSG in it. It’s everywhere – even baby formula. If it’s a processed or “convenience” food, it’s likely to have MSG. Why?

Because people buy stuff that tastes good.

The science: Have you heard of glutamic acid or glutamate? It’s a naturally occurring amino acid in foods. MSG is the sodium salt extracted from glutamic acid. Originally, MSG was derived from protein rich foods, like seaweed; but now it’s made from starch, corn sugar, molasses or sugar beets. Well, glutamate naturally occurring in foods is a bound amino acid and the body is equipped to process it as other protein. But, when processed it becomes free and the body processes it differently.

Simply put, high levels of unbound glutamate causes free radical damage throughout the body. So, eating a lot of processed protein foods where the glutamic acid has been “unbound” results in free radical damage – which is host to all sorts of diseases, most notably cancer. MSG falls into this category. And since it tastes so good, people want more and more of it. Other processed protein foods which end up with free glutamic acids include: ultra pasteurized milk, (this is an unlikely one) the wax they put on vegetables and fruit contains hydrolyzed protein and ultra pasteurized soy milk.

Another side note:  MSG is an excitotoxin. When consumed, it excites brain neurons so much that they are damaged or even die! Aspartame, sold in the U.S. as NutraSweet and Europe as Candarel is also classified as an excitotoxin. Yuk.

What to do? Well, I suppose we as consumers have to vote with our purchases. Armed with the knowledge that food manufacturers and restaurants are using MSG and disguising it; we need to read labels, ask questions and stop buying products that will harm us.

Eat well, stay healthy!

Popularity: 1% [?]

One of the most known nutritional deficiencies is in omega-3 fats. This nutrient is far more important than any vitamin or mineral deficiency.

Studies show that optimal omega-3 levels can greatly improve your overall health, increase your energy, and help you retain mental function as you age. Omega-3s also reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease – and they can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, digestive disorders, and a host of other diseases.

Deficiencies in this important nutrient have also been tied to weight gain, memory problems and allergies.

The Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio

Along with omega-3, another essential fatty acid, omega-6, is also very important for your health. The difference is that while your food is probably lacking in omega-3, it is overloaded with omega-6.

While omega-6 fats are essential for life, when consumed in unnatural amounts they actually promote disease.

The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is 1:1. Today, though, our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 averages from 20:1 to 50:1!

The reason for this highly skewed ratio? The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower, and sunflower oils. All of these oils are overabundant in our foods. (If you don’t believe me, pick up just about any processed food and look at the label. One of these oils will be in the list of ingredients.)

Meanwhile, omega-3 is primarily found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and fish – items that are far less prevalent in most people’s diets. Combine an overload of omega-6 with hardly any omega-3, and you get the dangerous 20:1 or 50:1
ratio that we see today.

How to Increase Your Omega-3 Fats

By far, the best type of omega-3 fats are those found in fish. That’s because the omega-3 in fish is high in two fatty acids that are crucial to human health: DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases.

Your brain is also highly dependent on DHA. Low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

While you can get omega-3 from plant sources like flaxseeds, it exists in plants as the fatty acid ALA. Your body must convert the ALA into DHA and EPA – but the conversion rate is actually very small. You would have to eat large amounts of plant sources of omega-3 to get even close to the amounts of DHA and EPA that you can get with fish.

Most fish, though – even farm-raised fish – are polluted with mercury, PCBs, and other toxins. Sadly, these toxins make eating the fish more of a detriment than a benefit to your health. It would be better for you to supplement daily with a high-quality brand of fish oil or cod liver oil. (What’s the difference? Cod liver oil contains vitamins A and D; fish oil does not.) These oils are purified and therefore do not pose the health risks of polluted fish. It’s wise to be aware of the amount of vitamin A you are taking if you take cod liver oil or you can get too much.

Once you increase your omega-3 by taking a high-quality fish oil or cod liver oil, it’s essential that you cut back on your omega-6 intake. This means limiting the amount of vegetable oils in your diet, not only in their pure form but also in the many, many processed foods (potato chips, baked goods, salad dressings, margarine, shortening, etc.) that contain them. Acceptable healthy oils include high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Only then will your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio begin to balance out and approach the healthy 1:1 ratio of our ancestors.

Popularity: 2% [?]

According to the Center for Disease Control in the United States, the life expectancy for American men is 75 (74.5) and women is 80 (79.9). The top killers for men and top killers for women are pretty similar.    Here’s the list.  You may be surprised:

For American Men, the top 8 causes of death over a lifetime are:

• No. 1 — Heart disease
• No. 2 — Cancer
• No. 3 — Accidents (unintentional injuries)
• No. 4 — Stroke
• No. 5 — Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• No. 6 — Diabetes
• No. 7 — Pneumonia and influenza
• No. 8 — Suicide

For American Women, the top 8 causes of death over a lifetime are:

• No. 1 — Heart disease
• No. 2 — Cancer
• No. 3 — Stroke
• No. 4 — Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• No. 5 — Alzheimer’s disease
• No. 6 — Diabetes
• No. 7 — Accidents
• No. 8 — Pneumonia and influenza

It’s important to note that these “killers” are over a lifetime, and that the major causes of death shift within certain age groups.

If you are a woman in your 20s, accidents are your biggest risk factor for death. Likewise, from ages 35 to 64, your greatest risk is cancer. For men, from childhood until age 44, accidents are the most significant threat. From 55 to 64, cancer is the biggest cause of death.

Lung cancer is still by far the biggest cancer killer in both sexes.  90% of this cancer is caused by cigarettes. Prostate, colorectal and breast cancer, the other leading cancers have all been associated with high fat diets, overweight and lack of exercise.  Smoking is also a primary contributor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

More than twice as many men as women die each year in traffic accidents. Male drivers involved in such accidents are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated.

Surprisingly, men commit suicide four times as often as women do. Depression is estimated to affect 7 percent of men in any given year and is a risk factor for suicide. Substance abuse, more common in men, can mask depression.

More women than men have Alzheimer’s. In fact, women die of it at more than twice the rate that men do. One reason may be that women generally live longer, and the risk of Alzheimer’s increases with age.

Putting all this together, the lifestyle behaviors you can employ to lessen your chances of dying of the big killers or at least putting them off look like this:

1. Avoid smoking, using other tobacco products and exposure to passive smoke
2. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
3. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Control other health conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. .
6. Maintain a healthy weight.
7. Limit saturated fats.
8. Be aware of potential cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) in your home and workplace, and take steps to reduce your exposure to these substances.
9. Have regular preventive health screenings.
10. Know your family medical history and review it with your doctor.
11. Use your seat belt.
12. Keep your speed down when driving.
13. Don’t drive while sleepy or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
14. Limit your exposure to sun and use sunscreen.

Nothing really new or earth shattering, just common sense!

Popularity: 2% [?]