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smallsteps2health

smallsteps2health

Tag Archives: Longevity

Invest in Frienship

23 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by socalmark in Balance

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cope, coping, friends, friendship, happiness, happy, health, Life, live, Living, loneliness, lonely, Longer, Longevity, mental, network, social, structure, support

As we get older, it’s easy to begin to get into a groove where we do the same things each day, see the same people, and in essence begin “checking out”.  Often we make a lot of friends in high school, college and early in our careers, but as we enter the “family zone” we back off quite a bit, because we’re so busy.  Down the sleep-tight-cuddling-friends-kitten-puppy-sleepingline, it may feel a bit more difficult to make and nurture new friendships, so we begin to withdraw over time, and leave the door open to loneliness.  Research has shown that a solid foundation of social interaction contributes to longevity.

One of the best ways to increase your odds of a healthy, long life, is to engage in it completely, and a solid social network is a must.  As a blogger and fan of technology, I’m not against friendships via G+, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumbler, etc., as they provide a great avenue to keep in touch.  However, my personal rule on sites where I actually call someone a friend is that I actually know you and/or have experienced some aspect of life with you – – so my “friends” aren’t just a bunch of strangers providing me with updates of what they’re eating.

Make an effort to keep making new friends, and to build a solid social, support network, and you will continue to be engaged later in life.

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Small steps add up!!!

 

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Spoiler Alert: Sitting Isn’t Good For You

21 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by socalmark in Fitness Routine

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

age, aging, butt, fitness, health, Life, live, Longer, Longevity, on, sitting, steps, study, today, USA, your

Lazy_7fb32e_519640A friend and colleague forwarded on a great article from USA Today that at first glance may get the smallsteps2haelth “no duh” award.  The article is titled, “Don’t just sit there! It could be harmful later in life.”  However, a closer read of the article and you’ll see that they present some pretty specific findings from a recent study, making the reality of too much daily “sitting on my butt” time, a bit more alarming.

The study focused on those over 60, and showed that this group spend an average of 9 hours per day sitting…  what?  It goes on to state that for every additional hour adults over age 60 spend sitting, they increase their risk of being disabled (in some capacity) by 50%.  The article uses the term “sitting disease” and links too much sitting to a number of significant diseases and ailments.  It’s definitely worth a read and some thought.

The bottom line is not a new one.  It’s kind of a “use it or lose it” thing as you get older.  If you don’t remain active, engaged and healthy, you make it harder to do so and may start a spiral of poor health that is difficult to pull out of.  Sitting around doing nothing but watching TV, tinkering on the computer and planning your next meal isn’t healthy at any age, but the older you get, it presents an even more dangerous scenario.  Push yourself to be in motion more often, do those little things that force you to move more, and stay active.

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Small steps add up!!!!

20 Little Changes for A Healthier Life

11 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by socalmark in Diet & Nutrition, Fitness Routine

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Aspirin, banana, berries, berry, Blue, breakfast, brush, cherries, cherry, coffee, crunch, depression, diet, E, exercise, Fish, fitness, health, kur, Longevity, marriage, men's, nutrition, pasta, posture, sauce, small, steps, Super, teeth, tomato, vitamin, volunteer, women

***RE-BLOG***

small-steps

Just ready a brief snippet via slide-show called “20 Little Changes for a Healthier Life” provided by Men’s Health.  Clearly this piece was put together with smallsteps2health in mind, so I had to re-post it.  I’ll let you view the slideshow for yourself, but here’s a summary of the recommended changes:

  1. Go Fishing Once Per Week (aka at least 1 serving of fish 1/week)
  2. Dry Brush Your Teeth (or at minimum, brush and floss daily)
  3. Never Skip Breakfast
  4. Eat More Pasta (This one’s a trick.  The real advice centers around the health benefits of eating tomato sauce 2x/week… e.g. reduced risk of prostate cancer.  Here’s the deal, tomatoes are a super food, and strangely one of the only super-foods that’s better for you after it’s broken down.  Thus, you don’t really need to pasta to eat more tomatoes or tomato sauce.)
  5. Judge cholesterol with contact lenses (interesting)
  6. Decorate your plate (dark, rich colors tend to be better for you, particularly in the veggie category).
  7. Protect Your Erection With Blueberries (How much did the blueberry farmers pay to have this one added?)
  8. Request the Chilean Red
  9. Lend a Hand (purpose and happiness are correlated with longevity — give back and pay it forward).
  10. Crunch Away Back Pain (and if you’re up to it, go for super-crunches).
  11. Order Thin Crust Pizza (a simple, lower calorie substitution).
  12. Skip that Second Cup (of coffee – difficult one for me)
  13. Save Your Marriage (a noble cause that is good for you)
  14. Exercise Your Depression Away (Endorphins are great anti-depressants)
  15. Fall Asleep With Cherries (who knew?)
  16. Put a Shoe On Your Pillow (to test it’s support)
  17. Kur Your Fatigue (very interesting)
  18. Raise Your Rear View (Mirror – to help your posture)
  19. Take Vitamin E and Aspirin Dailyimages
  20. Have A Banana (Maybe the perfect food for the human body)

So a list of potential small steps to consider and all in the spirit of linking a number of good decisions daily, to achieve better health.  Hopefully, there are at least one or two here that you can add to your repertoire.

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Small steps add up!!!

Come on?!!!

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by socalmark in Diet & Nutrition

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

attack, diego, diet, disgusting, fair, fat, food, health, heart, joe, kreme, krispy, Living, Longevity, nutrition, obeisity, san, sloppy

Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joes Debut at San Diego Fair

krispykremesloppyjoe

I’ve blogged before about so called “Fair Food.”  This is the food that evolved from the sugary-preserves, powdered sugar and whipped cream topped funnel cake to all things deep fried (e.g. Tweenkies, Koolaid, butter, etc.)  I’ve had folks respond back to my former blog-posts on the topic with comments like “lighten up, it’s fair food”.  Given the fact that I can barely squeeze in between my seatmates on most domestic US flights, the size of many of the children at the local elementary school, the significant Compounding Annual Growth Rate of the average US waist band, and what seem to be catastrophic trends in obesity related illness, disease and death, I find these “fair foods” completely ludicrous.  The foodie equivalent of having a smoking booth with ways to smoke 100 cigarettes at once (“now laced with more tar and other tasty carcinogens).

My blog has never been about being preachy, nor saying what to give up “cold turkey”.  On the contrary, I believe in balance and linking small steps together to improve your health (and happiness).  However, I would ask that you weigh your options when it comes to the things you are willing to put into your body, and even what you would consume from time-to-time (e.g. ‘health vices’).  If you’re going to eat empty, fat-laden, salt-laden, calorie-laden food items, please make sure they are absolutely your favorite thing in the world, and that you don’t eat them often.  If for you that item is in the category of “Fair Food”, good luck and godspeed.

I think I’ll pass.

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Small steps add up!!!

Fasting For Health?

12 Sunday May 2013

Posted by socalmark in Diet & Nutrition

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

diet, fast, fasting, games, gandhi, health, hunger, intermittent, Life, Longevity, starving

50739570555869154322When I think of fasting, it congers up images of incredibly disciplined historical and/or religious leaders like Gandhi, or scary fad-diets that have you drinking nothing but broth for days on end, until you look like a zombie and have the emotional resilience of a two-year old that hasn’t slept in 24 hours.  I haven’t even fasted, nor have I every been interested enough in the potential health risks/benefits to investigate it thoroughly.  My mother recently read a book on the topic and pointed me to an article in Scientific American, titled “Intermittent Fasting Might Help You Live a Longer Healthier Life”, that weighs into the relatively polar debate on fasting, with some research containing some pretty intriguing findings.

The key findings of the research seem to support the general premise that “intermittent fasting may boost your cellular defenses and regeneration.”  Since fasting creates a stress on your body, perhaps triggering a “fortification/rebuilding” response (for survival purposes), the idea is that “triggering” this reaction from time-to time via intermittent fasting keeps the cellular defenses, rebuilding, and fortification “up” so that these things are optimized for the greatest health.  The research goes further stating that failing to fast intermittently, providing your body with all the protein it needs to build muscle, etc. (e.g. the typical recipe for a health nut) lulls your body (at the cellular level) into a place where it’s so “taken care of” it reduces the number of cellular defenses on hand, regeneration, etc., and in the spirit of “use-it-or-lose-it” you don’t regenerate as effectively or optimally.The-Hunger-Games

As with most research, there is a strong call for additional clinical research in the form of longitudinal studies, and there are a lot of potential risks that can come from fasting (we all know the challenges associated with stalling and/or messing with your metabolism from a weight management perspective).  Thus, I’m certainly not recommending anyone start up an ‘intermittent fasting’ regimen anytime soon – – I would view this as risky.  However, I would stand by all the research and some of my prior blog-posts that call out the need to reduce overall calories consumed, the goal of be a little bit hungry instead of being constantly “full”, and the ideal that food should be fuel and not simply a void-filling hobby or drug.  I really hope more work is done to clarify the risks and benefits of intermittent fasting, because from a face validity perspective the “boost your cellular regeneration” argument makes sense.  If you practice or have ever practiced fasting, I’d love to hear your experience if you’d be willing to share.

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Small steps add up!!!

9 Tips for a Longer Life that You Shouldn’t be Following [REBLOG]

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by socalmark in Balance, Diet & Nutrition, Fitness Routine

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

alcohol, be, coffee, following, Life, live, Longer, Longevity, milk, optimism, pessimism, shouldn't, sleep, Tips

***RE-BLOG***

I came upon a brief article Yahoo!Shine titled “9 Tips for a Longer Life that You Shouldn’t be Following”, and thought I would share it as a re-blog.  I can’t help myself, but in a world filled with tons of studies saying what you can’t do if you want to be healthy, I just love an article that basically says you can drink coffee, partake in alcoholic beverages from time-to-time, and lose a little sleep and still live a long, fruitful life.  I do reserve the right to remain optimistic however.

To read the article, simply click on the link (above) or the photo (below).

Enjoy!

MethuselahTVshow

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Small steps add up!!!

Small Steps 2 Live Longer

06 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by socalmark in Balance, Diet & Nutrition, Fitness Routine

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

analysis, harvard, health, live, Longer, Longevity, men's, research, Spiegelhalter, statistical, statistics

There’s been so much written on things that undermine and/or enhance your chances at longevity that I found Spiegelhalter’s statistical breakdown of some of these elements very interesting.  By breaking down the impact of drinking, coffee, exercise, etc. into daily increments, with a specific measurement (aka dose), you can see how these behaviors add or detract from your chances of living a long, healthy life.

Ways You Shorten and Lengthen Your Life Every Day | Yahoo! Health.

…Small steps add up!

Are You A Stress-O-Holic?

14 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by socalmark in Balance, Stress

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cope, coping, health, Longevity, management, minimalize, sleep, stress, stress-o-holic, sublimize, treat yourself

stressDo you have a lot on your plate at the moment, and you’re really not sure how you’re going to get it all done?  Do you say “yes” to every request, knowing that you can just sleep a little less until you weather the storm?  Do you feel a bit on edge and that you can’t quite catch your breath?  You just may be a stress-o-holic.

My grandfather lived well into his 90’s, and frankly being from the deep fried and gravy rich South he didn’t have the healthiest of diets.  He was always busy and kept himself physically and mentally active, but I personally think the key to his longevity was the fact that he had a very effective way of managing stress, keeping balance in his life, and not sweating the small stuff.

Stress is a normal, natural part of life, coming from the good and bad that define what it means to be human.  However, in today’s world it is very easy for us to adapt to very high, unhealthy levels of stress, and in a sense trick ourselves into thinking that it’s normal and “we’re controlling it.”  Wrong.  Studies have shown stress as a key contributor to everything from depression and heart disease to sexual dysfunction.  One platespinnerstudy showed that nearly 90% of doctor visits were triggered from symptoms that were merely the manifestation of stress (Elizabeth Scott, M.S.).

No matter how healthy your diet and effective your physical fitness routine, if you fail to effectively manage your stress, your overall health will be marginalized.

I was born with a hard-wired “type A” personality, so stress management has been something I’ve really had to work on.  I can’t say I’ve mastered it, but I do think I manage my stress much more effectively (and have come closer to my granfather’s mindset) over the past ten years.

Regardless of what you do for a living or your mental wiring, here are a few tips to help you manage stress.zen

  1. Get Some Sleep – It’s a proven fact that at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is needed for normal functioning.  Any less is unhealthy and adds to your stress.  Oh, and if you’re one of those who claims “I don’t need 7 hours,” research has proven that >96% of the population does need a minimum of 7 hours, and that there are millions of walking zombies who aren’t giving their bodies the recovery time necessary for proper maintenance at a cellular level.
  2. Sublimize with Exercise – Exercising not only keeps you active and fit, but gets the blood flowing and can help clear your head.  Think of it as physical catharsis, or one of Freud’s classic defense mechanisms with side-benefits.  Staying busy and moving your body is healthy, so channel your stress and energy here instead of bottling it up, or to another unhealthy diversion/addiction (e.g. drugs, alcohol, eating, etc.).
  3. Treat Yourself – Although I think this is always a good idea, when stress is at it’s highest, treat yourself in the same fashion that you would your child or someone you love.  Go shopping, go to a nice dinner, a movie, etc., and ensure that you “take care of yourself” with a bit more care.  You can’t control how others treat you, but you can step up and really take care of yourself during stressful periods.
  4. Minimize for a While – Prioritize the most important stuff and either delay or cancel as much of the rest as possible.  What “minimize” means will vary person-to-person, but in all cases you should have less going on (the most important stuff) and not more.  This means saying “not right now” or even “no” from time to time – – I know this is very difficult for some, but worth exploring and practicing.

These tips are meant to be simple, everyday things you can do to help cope with and manage stress.  Simply listening to your mind and body and realizing that you’re in the “stress zone” is actually step one, because many don’t realize they’re actually living there.  If these small steps aren’t enough for you and having a difficult time managing stress and coping, consider exploring meditation, or speak with a counselor who can help you put together a stress management program that will work for you.

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Small steps add up!!!

Simple Test Predicts Longevity

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by socalmark in General

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Collier, Cool, health, healthline, Line, Lisa, Longevity, mobility, Re-Blog, research, simple, sitting, standing, test

ws_Heather_sitting_down_1600x1200Re-Blog from “Day In Health” by Lisa Collier Cool. 

The research, which links one’s ability to “get up” from sitting on the floor to near-term life expectancy is pretty interesting.  Just another piece of evidence that the more you can keep your body healthy, mobile and flexible, the better.  Click on image below to review article, and note that Lisa Collier Cool’s final “small steps” focus on parking farther away from your destination, using the stairs and other simple things you can do to “get moving”!

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Small steps add up!

9 Secrets of Longevity

26 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by socalmark in General

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Tags

9, bangladesh, Blue, Buettner, china, health, hong kong, inida, lifestyle, Living, Longer, Longevity, pakistan, Secrets, singapore, thank you, Wellness, Zone

A recent post on Healthline titled “Blue Zones: Where People Forget to Die”, covers some research on those places in the world where people tend to live longer, and the thematic behaviors that also seem to underlie and support their longevity.   Rather than re-write their article, I thought I would post an excerpt of their 9 Secrets to Longevity below, and simply say… make as many good decisions as you can and take enough small steps to create your own, personal “Blue Zone” where ever you happen to live….

9 SECRETS OF LONGEVITY (From “The Blue Zones 2nd Edition”, Buettner)

  1. Move naturally.  “Do your own house and yard work, go up and down your stairs with your laundry, knead your own dough,” Buettner advises. “Incorporate more movement every hour.”
  2. Know your purpose. “Take time to recognize your values, strengths, talents, passions and gifts,” Buettner says. Reflect, and work on yourself.
  3. Down shift. Relieve chronic stress by finding time each day to nap, meditate or pray.
  4. The 80% rule. Cut 20 percent of your daily calories with proven healthy practices: eat a big breakfast, dine with your family, and begin each meal by expressing appreciation.
  5. Plant slant. Eat mostly plant-based foods, and small portions of meat no more than twice a week.
  6. Wine at 5. Drinkers live longer than non-drinkers. This longevity tip had one exception: those in the Loma Linda Blue Zone were Seventh Day Adventists, who abstain from alcohol.
  7. Family first. Living in a loving, thriving family can add up to six years to your life. Work on a positive, committed relationship and stay close to your aging parents and grandparents.
  8. Belong. “Those with the most social connectedness tend to live longer,” Buettner says. Be part of a group of healthy-minded, supportive people.
  9. Right tribe. Good friends have a positive effect on your longevity. Support them and adopt healthy behaviors together.

Movement, purpose, diet and a healthy, supportive social network; not a bad recipe for health and longevity.

Small steps add up!

_____

I appreciate all of my readers and those who comment, and want to offer a special thank you for all of the love from Asia Pacific and the Middle East.  It’s great to see views and comments from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Singapore and Hong Kong every day.  Xie xie!  M̀h’gōi!  dhonnobAd!  धन्यवाद! Bahut Bahut Shukriya!  Thank you!

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