I am coming to see an individual’s life as a trajectory. Over time what you think, choose and do is what you become. It is possible to see where you are headed years and even decades before you arrive there by looking closely at what you are doing today. In particular, the path your health follows is determined much less by your genes than your daily habits. Mundane as it seems, your day-to-day routine largely determines how healthy and happy you will be, how quickly you will age, what diseases you will or won’t get, and how long you will live. Here are 13 rituals to change the trajectory in your life.
I am coming to see an individual’s life as a trajectory. Over time what you think, choose and do is what you become. It is possible to see where you are headed years and even decades before you arrive there by looking closely at what you are doing today. In particular, the path your health follows is determined much less by your genes than your daily habits. Mundane as it seems, your day-to-day routine largely determines how healthy and happy you will be, how quickly you will age, what diseases you will or won’t get, and how long you will live. Here are 13 rituals to change the trajectory in your life:
1. Smile. Think positive. Be optimistic and enthusiastic. You will discover that if you love life, life will love you back.
2. Eat until you are only 80 percent full and then stop. This is a tradition of the people of Okinawa, the society with the best longevity in the world.
3. Know your numbers. Keep your blood pressure (under 130/85), cholesterol (under 180), weight (BMI 25 or less), and sugar (less than 100) levels in the optimal ranges. Find a doctor you can relate to and trust and see him or her once a year.
4. Try to sleep 6 to 8.5 hours nightly.
5. Practice good oral hygiene: brush twice and floss once daily.
6. Exercise 30 to 60 minutes most or ideally all days of the week.
7. Limit television viewing to not more than two hours daily. Choose shows that make you laugh, make you happy or enrich your life. Watch TV only after you have gotten your exercise for the day. Or kill two birds with one stone by lifting weights, working out on the treadmill, or doing yoga while viewing television. Even making a meal, or folding laundry while you are watching is better than just sitting on the couch.
8. Get out for at least 15 to 30 minutes of fresh air daily.
9. Try to spend at least a few minutes daily in quiet reflection, whether in the form of prayer, meditation, yoga, or relaxation breathing, etc.
10. It’s not all about you. Connect with your community and your world. Feel the energy flow into your existence when you make a positive difference in the network of life around you. The universal law of life is that you will only get what you give. If you want a long, vigorous life full of health, love and happiness, it helps to have a generous, caring attitude.
11. Eat fresh natural foods. Avoid processed foods, especially anything with hydrogenated polyunsaturated fats (trans fats), or high fructose corn syrup. Include lean protein in your diet three times a day. Consider adding whey protein powder, one scoop in water or skim milk for your morning protein source.
12. Each day take three omega-3 (fish oil) capsules (okay to take them all at one meal) and a multivitamin.
13. Give up tobacco permanently. Nothing else has the power to improve your health and longevity like stopping smoking for good. Quit making excuses. It's only the nicotine addiction that is brainwashing your mind. Once you have beaten this deadly habit, you will look back and wonder why it took so long to break free of this ball and chain.
Heart Institute Research Reveals Risks for Athletes
You might think that highly trained athletes would be the least likely to be at risk for sudden cardiac death, but research conducted at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute shows that may not be the case. And to some degree, race can influence the likelihood of cardiac abnormalities.
Physicians Strive to Prevent Sudden Death in Athletes
As the father of four active, healthy children, I can only imagine how devastating it would be for one of them to die suddenly from a heart ailment. And yet, a little more than a year ago, my good friend and mentor Bob Conn, went through just such a tragedy when his 22-year-old grandson, Jordan Mann, died suddenly.
10 Tips for Staying Lean Through the Holiday Season
The holiday season may be hazardous to your health.Studies show that Americans typically gain about seven pounds over the holiday season each year, and some of it stays on permanently despite the New Year's resolutions to get it off. Even more worrisome are reports showing increased risks of heart attack, dangerous cardiac rhythms, and even death during the holidays. Emotional stress, depression, over-eating, not enough exercise, and too much salt and alcohol are all likely to be playing a role. Make sure you and your family stay healthy and happy this year by following these 10 rules for safely navigating the holiday hazards.
