Longevity Breathing – an Easy Step to Better Health
I often go through a good bit of my day without even thinking about how I’m breathing, forgetting completely that the easiest and most powerful way to stay healthy and promote good longevity is breathing right.
When we’re faced with traffic snarls, an unhappy coworker, a missed deadline at work, lack of exercise, or children with stuffy noses, automatic stress responses are all too common. Our breathing becomes shallow, rapid.
Heart rates speed up, neck muscles tighten, teeth grind, and on and on.
There is something you can do.
You can learn – and practice – proper longevity breathing techniques.
There are many different breathing techniques. I use one, in particular, a the moment I realize that stress is staring me in the face.
I always use it when I’m in a doctor’s office and I know I’m going to get my blood pressure checked. I don’t have White Coat Syndrome, but my blood pressure definitely rises when the cuff is put on my arm. Sometimes, my blood pressure even rises when I walk into the doctor’s office.
So, I just cut this increase off at the pass. I use this longevity breathing technique anytime I need to calm myself and control my emotions. Here is what I do. And, you can do it too.
I breathe in deeply through my nose while mentally telling myself it’s time to be calm and lower my blood pressure.
When you breathe in deeply through your nose, focus the origin of this inhale deep in your abdomen. Hold this deep breath for a few seconds.
Then, exhale slowly as you breathe out. Remind yourself that you are breathing out stress. Let your inner self know that you are lowering your blood pressure when you exhale this deep breath.
This deep inhale and exhale pattern works in traffic, in the doctor’s office, at work. It works anywhere you see stress running straight toward you.
Take about four inhale-exhales and mentally check in with your body. Observe how your body is calming itself.
Take about four more inhale-exhales if you need. The goal here is to be calm, grounded, solid, alert.
You can train these inhale-exhales to work for you. Practice them when you aren’t super stressed. Practice them several times daily at randomly selected moments. The goal is to become comfortable with the results of this breathing pattern.
Thank you for reading this article. Please share it with your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Walking to Stay Youthful – Longevity Tips You Can Use
Walking is my favorite fitness and longevity activity. I like it because I can enjoy it almost anywhere. I ‘ve adapted my walking pace to my changing age, abilities, health and lifestyle.
Walking served me well during my young mother years. Pushing a stroller was a good excuse to air out the babies and myself.
Later, through my jobs, walking was an important lunchtime activity. Lunchtime walks gave me energy to make it through the afternoon at a desk.
As a senior, walking keeps me moving – an extremely important benefit. As seniors everywhere will tell you, we use it or we lose it. Walking keeps me going.
Walking can cost little to nothing. No fancy memberships are needed. No expensive outfits are necessary. It’s adaptable to indoors as well as out.
And, best of all, it doesn’t take special skills, training, talent, or money. Walking works for me because baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf, ballroom dancing, never did. All walking takes is a little time, enthusiasm, and interest.
I’m sharing a few tips with you so your walking exercise will be more fun and beneficial.
For starters, a pair of WALKING SHOES and socks will help you move farther and faster with fewer problems.
Dress in layers. As you walk, you’ll warm up. Wear COMFORTABLE CLOTHING in layers so you can stay comfortable and keep from overheating.
Walking doesn’t require a lot of fancy warm ups. BEGIN EACH WALK SLOWLY, calmly. Then, if you plan to increase your pace, you can take a warm up break.
When you walk, think about your abdominal muscles and your posture. They define your WALKING STYLE. Open shoulders, a straight spine, and stable abdominal muscles will give you strength and confidence to move.
When the time is right on your walk, give yourself a SPEED BURST of about a minute or so.
Finally, give yourself some LONG, LUSCIOUS STRETCHES after walking.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network and share it with your friends.
Thanks again
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Your Longevity – And a Healthy Living Attitude
The first step toward achieving your longevity goals is a healthy living attitude.
Healthy living is much easier when you feel what you’re doing is important and when you feel like you’re going to succeed when you develop your new healthy habits. Optimism is the necessary ingredient in a healthy living attitude.
Healthy living is a journey toward a goal. You can travel on the healthy living attitude express every day if you know in your heart that you’re going to be successful.
One of the hardest things to do in life is lose weight. The only thing harder is keeping it off. And, really, the most important ingredient in this whole lifestyle change is your healthy living attitude.
I know you can do it. I know you can adopt whatever habits you need to achieve your longevity goals. I know you can do it because I did it. And, the one thing that made the difference was my healthy living attitude.
I tried many times throughout the years to lose weight – to no avail. Diets were depressing. Blah. Blah. Blah.
This last try was different. Why? I experienced an attitude adjustment which worked! I’m not sure what happened. I was just ready to be free of all the extra pounds. It was just time. I was ready to let go of all the excuses that I’d been clinging to for years: my bum thyroid, my menopause, a business which sapped my strength every day and took over 80 hours a week on a slow week.
I woke up one day and realized I wanted to be free. I faced up to the fact that I was both the problem and the solution.
At that moment, my diet unfolded in front of me. And, I was off and running… away from failure, extra pounds, doubt. The healthy living attitude took control.
I began cutting out carbs and started talking to my thyroid. I also spoke to my body. I knew the extra weight surrounding my body was no longer a necessary part of my self. My new authenticity simply didn’t require so much protection.
My healthy living attitude was all I needed to protect me.
I dieted for seemingly ever. I didn’t buy a single new outfit for at least six months. And, it was all okay. Walking around in roomy clothing was fine for me. I was free! I was proud of the pounds I lost.
No one can do this for you. When you have the right attitude about your family, your work, and your health, you can do just about anything. You will see that all the parts of your life are connected and you can succeed at anything you care about doing.
When the time is right , your path will reveal itself to you. Your job will then be to show up as your authentic self and do the work. When this happens, know that your success is already making its way to you.
You will learn to access your energy system for direction, energy, motivation. You will be inspired to follow the directions. If something surfaces which doesn’t resonate with you, leave it be. Work with those things which touch your authentic self as you become comfortable with your healthy living attitude.
Through trial and error, your inner authentic self will guide you to your success. You will achieve your goals and you will learn that you are not broken. You are, instead, finding yourself.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Thank you for reading this article! Please refer it to your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Longevity and the Fountain of Youth
In 1513, Ponce de Leon discovered the fountain of youth in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. Fortunately for us all, the fountain of youth still exists and there is a branch of it in your neighborhood. It is the sidewalk where you can walk daily as you exercise. It can also be found at your nearest fitness class.
The truth is that the best thing you can do to assure that you live a long and healthy life is move, move, move. Exercise is where it’s at!
A good exercise class or activity is one that you enjoy, can practice at least three times a week, and is one which strikes the right balance between enthusiasm and safety. You are doing yourself no favors if you experience sports injuries. The fountain of youth is one where you move, move, and move.
Everybody has excuses to not be physically fit through regular exercise.
Teens are distracted from exercise by schoolwork and the powerful pull of a social life.
Young adults in their 20’s seem to be physically fit more by accident than anything else. After all, young people are busy with careers and social activities.
Careers and family relationships are the major pulls of adults in their 30’s and 40’s. People exercising in this age group are often motivated by vanity. For some, health and longevity concerns become important as muscle strength declines. Issues surface such as slower reaction time, shortening ligaments, loss of elasticity. People in their 30’s and 40’s need to use warm ups, stretching more often.
If a person in the 50-to-60 age category continues to ignore the fountain of youth, daily life becomes more difficult when the time comes to get out of a chair, lift and carry objects. The quality of life improves when people rely on regular exercise routines. Regular exercise improves the life of a retiree! Go Fountain of Youth!
Exercise which supports physical fitness makes the difference between independent living and an assisted living facility for a person in the 70-to-80 age group.
The good news is that we are never too old to enjoy the benefits of the fountain of youth. Exercise is always there for us – no matter what our age! It ‘s never too late to discover the fountain of youth for yourself.
Whatever your age category, get off the sofa and move for just 30 minutes a day.
Thanks for reading this article. Please share it with your preferred social media network!
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Positive Longevity: 10 Tips You Can Use
Positive longevity habits always help us if we use them.
GET YOUR SHOTS – Shots can be a royal bore but they can save lives and much disease. These are positive longevity habits. The problem is that we have a tendency to make sure the children and the pets get everything but we skip our own vaccinations. These things should just be added into our schedules.
Vaccines and booster shots can help us avoid things like whooping cough, shingles, hepatitus.
Some people are afraid to vaccinate and immunize themselves and their children. I am not in that camp.
I lived in both Mexico and Venezuela for several years. I am a great grandparent. My life experiences have permitted me to both experience and see other people I know experience some of the planet’s dread diseases. I have seen dengue fever first hand. A friend of mine had typhoid. And on and on and on. I lived through a polio epidemic. Fortunately, no one in our family was struck. But still.
There are some diseases I do not want to have. There are some diseases I do not want anyone I know to have.
My friend who had typhoid was extremely ill. When he finally got over the disease, he was a tragedy to behold. He looked like he was a prison camp survivor.
I have a friend with shingles now. Shingles is a terrible disease I definitely never want to experience.
Vaccinations only take a few moments. They save lives.
Join the prevention club. Get vaccinated.
SCREENINGS ARE A GOOD WAY TO PREPARE FOR A LONG LIFE – Plan for the screenings now. Screenings are positive longevity habits in action. Know what screenings are good in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, …..70’s? In future posts, I’ll list the screenings needed by agecategory. For now, just know that you need to get these screenings periodically.
An easy beginning is an annual trip to your health care provider.
Plan to get your screenings every decade. They are important longevity goals in action.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH – If you are interested in a long healthy life, your teeth are important in your life. Positive longevity habits include attention to every tooth.
When your teeth deteriorate, so does your life. Without teeth, there are a lot of foods you cannot eat because you can’t chew them. This directly impacts your health because you won’t be receiving the nutrients you need. A visit to a dentist at least once a year is important. Learn to brush your teeth properly. Learn about which toothpaste is good for you.
DON’T FORGET YOUR FEET – Your feet move you forward in life so they are important too. For one thing, 25% of the bones in your body are in your feet. Neglected feet may result in painful bunions, corns, warts, and other problems which make walking painful to impossible. Comfortable, well fitting shoes are important.
Regular foot reflexology sessions promote homeostasis, the balance of all body systems. If you are interested in feeling your best, include these sessions regularly.
-DIET IS IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE TO LIVE LONG AND WELL – Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. When you eat lots of veggies and fruits, you can help prevent chronic diseases and…prevent obesity! Select as many colors of produce as you can and go for the leafy greens. These are positive longevity habits in action!
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE SOAP AND WATER IN BATHROOMS. Washing your hands five times a day is a good minimum goal. When you wash your hands often, you’ll be less likely to catch colds and other germy diseases.
STRETCH! Stretching regularly makes sure your daily life is easier as you get in and out of cars, buses, elevators. Stretching regularly will help prevent falls because you’ll have better coordination and balance. Your joints will love you for it. You’ll love your joints because your life will be easier.
KEEP A TO-DO LIST. This will make your life easier day after day after day. Year after year after year. If you keep postponing your to-do list until you need it, it’ll be much harder to include in your life.
Besides, nobody wants someone to tell you that you need to keep a to-do list because you forgot an appointment and stood up some important friends or co-workers.
DO WHAT THE DOCTOR DAYS – As we go through life, it’s a given that we’re going to come down with something. Who knows what? Diabetes, bifocals, a broken bone, high blood pressure, whatever.
When the time comes to take medicine, get glasses, exercise regularly, eat properly, it’s important to do what should be done.
Unless you don’t really care whether you live a long, healthy life or not.
GET A DOG! The happiest people I know are dog owners. Your pet gives you unconditioned love, something you can’t get anywhere else. Dogs also need to be fed at certain times of the day and they need to be walked, communicated with, and enjoyed. These are all activities that have positive outcomes. Go for it!
WHAT DOES YOUR GOOD HEALTH MEAN TO YOU? I hope you’ll take a few moments to define your health care goals and what you hope to get out of longevity.
This is one of the last posts in the longevity articles. It is my sincere hope that you found a few things that resonated for you. I hope you will be a healthier person because of these posts. Thank you for reading this blog.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Winter Solstice Meditation – December 21, 2018
On December 21st, the date of the annual Winter Solstice, please take a moment wherever you are to join in with all mankind to focus on a vision of peace and healing for all beings on Planet Earth.
December 21st is the day when all beings on Planet Earth begin again with annual re-birth. All beings on Planet Earth honor the turning point of the year. We use our new energy for peace and healing throughout the planet.
In celebration of this annual Winter Solstice Meditation, find a quiet place where you feel safe and can focus on the annual renewal of all beings on Planet Earth.
As you get calm, focus on the re-birth happening all around us all.
May the collective energy of all living beings join together in love and gratitude and use our newly reborn energy for peace and harmony in all lives on the Planet Earth.
With the celebration of this year’s Winter Solstice, may all beings on Planet Earth know we are connected and may we all work together with mutual respect and harmony.
May all beings focus on the continuing deepening and understanding offered by the re-birth of the Planet Earth through the Winter Solstice.
With the Winter Solstice, may all beings on Planet Earth join together in focusing on spiritual healing for all living things.
Encourage your breathing to become centered and grounded. Breathe in a breath composed of positive healing, love, understanding, and respect for all beings on Planet Earth.
As you exhale, let go of all things negative. Release all feelings of negativity which may possibly impact your life and that of your loved ones in the coming year.
As you inhale, focus on positive aspects of your life which you can improve during the coming year.
Exhale to release all feelings of negativity which may not support the rebirth offered by the Winter Solstice.
With this meditation, breathe in centering and grounding feelings which will benefit all living beings on earth.
Visualize a healed planet. Visualize a clean, uplifting environment for all beings on our earth. See a glorious sphere . There is radiant blue water. The lands have no borders. All beings traveling do so in perfect harmony on a perfect path.
When it is time for you to leave this place of perfection and serenity, you may choose to bring this feeling of peace back with you to the outer world.
Return to your surroundings now. Be awake, alert, and feel wonderful…in perfect peace where you are.
Thank you. Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Please share this article with everyone you know.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Easy Wellness: 10 Tips for a Longer Life
Easy wellness is real and is even easier than you think.
JOB STRESS IS A FACT OF LIFE. There is a correlation between workplace stress and obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, gastrointestinal problems, asthma. It’s no surprise that people are more likely to suffer a heart attack on Monday than on the other days of the week.
So, what can you do to ease the pressure and experience easy wellness? Easy wellness techniques you can adopt are easier than you might think.
Go for a walk on your lunch hour.
Take your phone calls while standing up and moving around.
Play relaxing music.
Skip happy hour and go to the gym instead.
Wash your hands at least five times each day with soap and warm water.
Keep your bedroom clutter and electronics free.
Change your sheets weekly.
EASY WELLNESS EQUALS HEALTHY WEIGHT. Being overweight increases your risk for all illnesses and chronic conditions. Being underweight prevents the body from functioning at peak performance.
GET YOUR ANNUAL FLU SHOT. AND, AS YOU AGE, GET YOUR ANNUAL PNEUMONIA SHOT AND SHINGLES SHOT. It’s estimated that over 40,000 people die annually from the flu. An annual shot can prevent at least some of these deaths.
GET NAKED! Occasionally, inspect your body from head to toe. Look for blemishes, lesions, rashes, and other body oddities that are new on the scene. Your skin reflects the state of your entire body. If you will pay attention to your skin, you can catch the signs of underlying internal disease. Your body will tell you how well you are aging through skin tone, wrinkles, and color.
Expand the skin care routine you devote to your face and neck to include a skin care routine for your entire body.
GET OFF YOUR SEAT AND ON YOUR FEET. Easy wellness can go beyond the gym. Is your job physically intense? Or do you spend most of your time at a desk? Find ways to keep yourself moving throughout your day. Your body will love you for this!
DISCONNECT! At least twice a week give yourself a time out. It needn’t be too long. Try for 20 minutes at a time. Cut off your phone, your computer, your TV, your radio, your doorbell. Spend a few minutes enjoying your surroundings without interruptions. Your body, your mind, your spirit will thank you!
QUIT SMOKING – Okay, this may not be easy to do but, once you’ve done it, you’ll be healthier, more alert, richer, live longer. If you can get yourself down to 5 cigarettes a day, it’s easier to quit the habit completely.
GET YOUR HEART RATE UP FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES A DAY. This can be real easy wellness. One way to do this is to move your body and force your lungs and heart to work harder for 20 minutes every day. Your entire body will appreciate this effort – including your brain!
COFFEE CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU. Coffee goes in and out of fashion. I recommend a reasonable amount of coffee, especially in the morning. Both coffee and tea have antioxidants which we all need. Your coffee does not need to include the modern energy concoctions which are overloaded with too much coffee and sugar. Nor does it need to include any of the fashionable flavors being added these days.
GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF A DNA TEST. This is easy wellness in action. You’ll be fascinated by the information and you’ll also know yourself better. Results of your DNA test can point you in the right direction for wellness habits.
Results of your DNA test can also point you in a right direction for good nutritional habits. Through your DNA test, you’ll discover where you came from. Eating food in the style of your ancestors can help you nutritionally. I’ll give you an example. One of my clients wanted to know what to eat. He had a DNA test which confirmed that most of his heritage was Jewish. He had his answer right there!
Another client wanted to know what to eat. His DNA test confirmed that most of his heritage was Mediterranean. Well, the Mediterranean diet was a good direction for him to follow. Sticking with the Mediterranean diet food and cutting out all the other food clutter eliminated a few pounds which he needed to lose.
Thank you for reading this easy wellness article! Please share it with your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Practical Wellness: 10 Tips You Can Use
With this article , you and I move into part two of practical wellness tips in the longevity series. The focus shifts to information less disease focused. My hope is that you’ll adopt a few, or maybe more than a few, healthy habits and avoid or discard the habits in your life which lead to illness.
The best way to have a long and healthy life is to prevent disease and promote homeostasis while you adopt practical wellness tips which resonate with you.
As you adopt new wellness habits, you empower yourself and take control of your body and your health. You’ll be in charge of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self. Practical wellness tips offered in these articles are often easy to adapt to your daily life.
Seeking a long and healthy life is an everyday proposition made easier when you adapt practical wellness tips which may change through time. You can always make improvements as new theories and practices become the norm.
As you adopt new habits, I hope you’ll consider the long term effects of the new directions you’re taking in your life.
Your body constantly moves and shifts which means you are different every single day from your cellular level on up. These new tips you adopt can change your life in small or large ways as your body self regulates toward wellness.
Adapt these practical wellness tips and changes to your age.
As a reflexologist and Reiki practitioner, this ability to change, move, develop means much to me. That is the heart of healing with the modalities I’ve been studying my whole adult life.
All of this points toward homeostasis – the balance of all body systems.
CHOOSE YOUR FATS WISELY – One of the most challenging things I’ve done with this wellness blog is tackle oils. If you go to the early blog posts, you’ll find articles reflecting how complicated life can get as you stand in front of the grocery shelf and choose a cooking oil.
The bottom line in cooking : Go with organic oils. Stay away from saturated fats whenever possible.
That means I buy organic olive oil.
I avoid saturated fats . Whipping cream is not a staple in my diet and I don’t eat much red meat.
Beyond that, things get a bit dicey. I don’t eat margarine because of the chemicals. I do eat butter.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids can be consumed by pills or by the spoonful. Choose your Omega 3 Fatty Acids carefully because they can be contaminated. I buy mine at the Village Apothecary here in Woodstock at 79 Tinker Street. I rely on my pharmacist, Neal Smoller, to educate me about which and how many supplements I should take.
How you deal with fats and oils in your diet is up to you, your health, and how comfortable you are with manufactured foods.
Personally, I’m not comfortable with manufactured foods so there’s not a lot of oil variety in my kitchen pantry.
WHAT ABOUT MINERALS? – The body uses many minerals and they don’t get near the attention that vitamins receive. Four minerals to concentrate on right now include Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Selenium.
Calcium is found in broccoli, dairy products, pinto beans, and spinach. If you’re concerned about osteoporosis, this mineral is for you. Eating foods high in calcium is important.
Magnesium is not found in our diets often. Unless you eat apples, bananas, beans, brown rice, leafy green vegetables, and nuts, you should take a supplement.
Magnesium holds off heart problems, strokes, and lack of energy.
Selenium boosts the immune system. Any mineral boosting the immune system is a friend of mine.
Potassium is extremely important and is found in bananas. I eat a banana twice a week. Potassium combats hypertension, depression, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
BEWARE OF THE HOSPITAL! – We are all probably going to be in a hospital once or twice (or even more) before it’s all over. Lots of things can go wrong in a hospital. It’s your job as the patient to know as much as you can about the hospital you are going to be in, the doctor who is going to treat you there, and the condition you are trying to get treated.
I have reflexology clients who visit my table regularly because they feel it’s important for their overall wellness. They don’t ever plan to be in a hospital.
Regular reflexology sessions definitely promote homeostasis which is good for disease prevention. But, for a person to categorically plan to never be a hospital patient can be an unwise move. You never know when an accident can put you in an emergency room.
It’s important to know about hospitals and to be insured . It’s important to have a health care professional that you visit at least annually so you don’t get caught in a situation where you don’t know who can help you or how to communicate with the professionals there.
Hospital is its own language. If you don’t do these things to know the language, you may not have the vocabulary or understanding to make the best decision for your own health’s sake.
A healthcare advocate is important if you have a major encounter in a hospital setting. When you are injured in an accident, or are ill, you may not be alert enough to protect yourself. And, if you haven’t kept up with modern medicine, you may not be strong enough to protect your self.
INJURIES, FALLS, AND CAR ACCIDENTS – For every person who dies in an accident, fifty or so are injured and live. These fifty or so people may sustain minor injuries or multiple injuries or major injuries. A few of them will be disabled and/or have their lives shortened by the injuries received during the accident.
If you are interested in a long and healthy life, you do not want to be a part of those statistics. Because most injuries are preventable, accident awareness can be important to you.
Are you interested in avoiding accidents? If so, think back on the things your family and teachers cautioned you about when you were young.
Never drive buzzed.
Always wear your seat belt.
Never swim alone.
Keep stairways free of clutter.
Put non-skid strips in your bathtub.
I think you get the drift here.
DON’T BLAME YOUR GENES! – They count but the choices you make in your daily life count more. You are in charge of you. Your longevity is all about knowing that the things you do today affect your future.
If you read about something which everyone says is good for you and you disagree, follow up on your feelings. Ask questions. Get to the heart of the matter.
GET TO KNOW YOURSELF. – Spend a couple of months getting to know yourself and your body better. Ask yourself some questions and pay attention to the answers you share. Take some notes. The goal is to get a close look at your body. It is unique, the only one like it in the world.
How do you feel in general?
How well are you sleeping?
Do you have any aches and pains? If so, where are they?
Do you feel healthy?
Is it hard for you to get out of bed in the morning?
How bad is your stress level?
Are you happy?
What do you want to change in your life?
Ask your own questions. based on your individual age, physiology, values, beliefs, and your own personal circumstances.
TAKE SOME MEASUREMENTS! – This should be fun if you are into apps. Or, if you’re into a fitness watch. Mine keeps me active throughout the day as it reminds me when I’ve been sitting too long.
With a Fitbit or a Garmin, you can track everything you do throughout the day. This may not be such a bad thing. The point is that you become more aware of your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual self.
Once you track your body’s clocks, you can control your homeostasis patterns. Your can track your waking/sleeping cycles, eating times, physical activity patterns, and medication schedules.
When you do this, your body will function much more efficiently. It will have the opportunity to become finely tuned.
EAT REAL FOOD – If you can’t understand the words on the ingredients list, the product you are holding in your hand is probably not food. Most likely, it is a selection of chemicals that have been manufactured and blended for human consumption.
Stay away from these manufactured products if you are interested in health and longevity.
Ideally, the food you eat will be just that: food. Select foods that are fresh or flash frozen.This means you will shop mostly from the produce aisle or frozen food aisle.
MAKE THE PRODUCE MANAGER, THE BUTCHER, AND THE WOMAN BEHIND THE FISH COUNTER YOUR BEST FRIENDS – They will tell you where the food came from, which selections are the best buys. They know the farmers and ranchers who supply the supermarket with the food you are buying.
When you go to the farmer’s market, get to know the people selling the food in the stalls. These are the people who are supplying you with the best available, locally grown foods.
You just can’t get better than this.
EAT THE FOOD THAT WORKS FOR YOU – Every time I go into my local book store, I see a new selection of cookbooks promoting another new diet/eating lifestyle. Their practical wellness tips may or may not be included in these cook books. It all depends on the ingredients that the author suggests in the recipes. The truth is that I support the diets that depend on fresh, locally grown food.
Important for any diet you adopt: You must enjoy what you eat. Traditional diets will outrank any diet that relies on manufactured ingredients. Processed food is not good for anyone.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it. And, I hope you’ll share it with your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
.
Wellness: 10 Tips for a Longer Life
Longevity depends a lot on wellness throughout your life. So, working to prevent disease helps promote a longer life. There are many things you can do to promote wellness in your life. It goes without saying that including Reflexology for the Spirit and Reiki Therapy sessions regularly are important.
PREVENTING COLON CANCER has a dietary component. Dietary calcium, selenium and vitamin D are important for your overall wellness.
Another thing that may can help prevent colon cancer is the regular use of aspirin.
So, beyond vitamins, and aspirin, what can a person do? Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables !
And, finally, getting the dreaded colonoscopy regularly is important. Colonoscopies are good for early detection and polyp removal both of which are crucial. Some people simply don’t want to get a colonoscopy. I’ve been getting colonoscopies since I was in my 40’s. The physician, over time, has removed several polyps and that was important. Wellness testing is high on the list if you’re interested in living a long, active life.
Colonoscopies have gotten easier through the years. And, the prep has actually gotten to be less dreaded because my Dr. lets me drink vanilla milkshakes on the day before! Go Colonoscopies! I was actually a little tiny bit disappointed when my physician told me I don’t have to have another one for years. I’m not scheduled for another one until I’m 85.
Not wanting to wait until I’m 85 for a yummy, thick milkshake, I’ve decided I can get a milkshake whenever I have to get a medical test or procedure. I love that new rule! Medical testing is much, much easier when followed by a delicious, thick milkshake.
PROSTATE CANCER – If a man lives long enough, he’ll either die with prostate cancer or because of it. So, prostate cancer is in the future for many men. Prostate cancer is a lifestyle disease, not a genetic one.
So, what can you do? Vitamins are important prevention habits – especially selenium. Seafood instead of beef is a good choice. Fruits and vegetables are important. To summarize this, a good diet is necessary for longevity wellness.
NEVER WORK BEFORE BREAKFAST – A good breakfast, eaten every morning can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity. If you’re interested in wellness, breakfast is on the menu – every day. First thing.
This is your chance to load up on high-fiber grains, antioxidant-laden fruits, and whole grain cereals.
A favored breakfast is the world-famous Muesli breakfast. This will stay with you for hours until it is time for lunch. And, it’s yummy, too!
BREAST CANCER – This is a challenge for many women. Breast cancer has a definite spiritual component.
Reduced to its lowest common denominator, this means you should do everything possible to keep from running on empty. I wrote more about this in my book “A Healer’s Handbook”.
A good thing to do is go with early diagnosis and every medical treatment offered whether allopathic, complimentary, or integrative. Fight breast cancer with every tool offered to you.
Early diagnosis means getting mammograms and breast exams regularly. No cancelling. Early detection and treatment is important to your continued wellness.
Keep up with research on cancer preventing diets and exercise. This means, at the very least, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and exercising regularly.
STRONG LEGS are your best insurance policy for a long, active life. Two of the best exercises are pedaling the stationary bike and using the leg press machine.
Climb stairs for five minutes every daily.
Balance yourself on one leg daily: Stand on one leg for fifteen seconds, then alternate legs.
And, finally, stand up and sit down twenty times in succession.
LOAD UP – on vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains every day. Go for as much variety in texture, and color, possible. Avoid processed foods as much as possible.
Try not to eat any foods loaded with chemicals and artificial anything. Chemical laden foods are not good for wellness.
TAKE THE RISK – Eat cold water fish one to three times a month. This means you should eat about one serving of salmon, trout, herring, or sardines per week. Unfortunately, the accumulated heavy metals make eating the fish more often a health risk. However, on the plus side, eating the cold water fish once a week can offer real wellness health benefits.
Avoid farmed fish if you can. No doubt some farms are clean but many are not and you have no way of knowing without visiting.
AVOID ALZHEIMER’S – Alzheimer’s is one disease which we all want to avoid at all costs. There are some things you can do to prevent the onset of this disease.
Reduce your intake of saturated fats.
Make physical activity a part of every day.
Spinach and other dark leaf vegetables are said to help prevent the onset of the disease.
Antioxidant rich foods are important.
Turmeric is an important spice to add to your arsenal.
Maintain an active social life .
Learn new things .
WATCH YOUR BACK – Statistics tell us that most of us will experience back pain at some point in life. This can be a problem for you if you’re not focused on your wellness.
Back pain has a spiritual component which you can’t ignore. Stress is often involved in back pain. I wrote about this in “A Healer’s Handbook”.
Back pain impacts on your wellness and longevity expectations when it brings on depression, immobility, and disability.
One thing you can do is work to maintain strong core muscles. Strong muscles in the stomach and back will go a long way to a better recovery if you do experience back injury and pain.
Posture is important. Take yoga classes with a teacher interested in your posture.
Maintain a good weight. Obesity is a strain on your back which you don’t need.
Drink plenty of water to maintain joint hydration. This may seem like a silly suggestion but your joints use a lot of water and need you to continually replenish it throughout the day – everyday.
The bottom line here is this: Your longevity wellness depends on a strong, healthy spine.
EAT LESS MEAT – I’m certainly not telling you that you have to become a vegetarian, although that may be something that works for you. However, eating less meat is important if you are interested in longevity and wellness.
Eating large amounts of meat regularly plays a part in contributing to diseases you probably want to avoid if your goal is longevity and wellness. Meat is implicated in most of the lifestyle diseases found in our culture: cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia.
THANK YOU for being interested in your good health for the long term. Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for seeking a healthier life. For sure, a healthier life should make your longevity and wellness plans a real option.
Please share this article with your favorite social media network.
Thanks!
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
10 Tips Offering You a Longer and Healthier Life.
When you seek a longer and healthier life, you develop spiritual attitudes and habits which resonate with you. A longevity focused life is a lifestyle.
Before it’s all over, the lists in this blog may seem endlessly overloaded with things to do. But, that’s not the object of this series. My goal is to offer you information you can use to enjoy a longer, healthier life. Pick and choose from the choices, as you select the habits that resonate with your body, mind, emotions and your spirit.
EXCESS WEIGHT CAN RUIN YOUR LONGEVITY PLANS – So, what can you do about it?
For starters, realize that obesity triggers arthritis, asthma, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. These health conditions conspire to rob you of your longer and healthier life.
Getting the weight off and keeping it off is important. And, getting it off the sooner the better is what its all about. When I give my library talks about my wellness book “A Healer’s Handbook”, I spend a lot of time talking about all the things you can do.
Begin by eating fruits, soups, and vegetables, Eat as much of these foods as you want and eat smaller amounts of meats and breads as you work toward a longer and healthier life.
Skip chemical laden products that have been manufactured for you to eat. This means reading the labels. If you can’t pronounce the words on the ingredient list, then you don’t need to eat even one bite of that product.
USE A SMALLER PLATE – Pile it high with fresh salad greens or vegetables.
For a longer and healthier life, always begin your meal with a soup.
Plate up your food in the kitchen and don’t put serving dishes on the table with your food.
DON’T TRY TO LIVE WITH A SLEEP DEFICIT. – A longer and healthier life depends on a rested body. This is really the heart of the matter. I’ve written post after post after post about the importance of sleep for you and your life. And, after this longevity series, I plan to return to a few more blog posts about getting enough sleep.
It all comes down to this: If you get enough sleep, you are going to have fewer health problems. With fewer health problems, you are on a path to a longer, healthier life.
JOIN A CONGREGATION. – Statistics show us that attending regular religious services has a strong, positive health effect resulting in a longer and healthier life.
Congregations offer a community of acceptance to members, an atmosphere which encourages good mental health, a stable social circle, and good immune function.
What this says to me is that our spiritual health is positively affected by a community atmosphere supporting our mental, and emotional beings.
LIVE WITH PURPOSE – Living with purpose influences mental, spiritual, and physical health positively. The way you live with purpose depends on you and your interests. The way you choose to give meaning to your life is completely up to you. Your choices are endless.
Before you get overwhelmed by this, begin by asking yourself some questions.
Does my plant need watering?
Does my dog need walking?
Am I concerned about my environment?
Have I always wanted to……………….?
This amounts to developing a sense of purpose in life by giving of yourself in some way for the benefit of others as you seek a longer and healthier life.
GET REGULAR REFLEXOLOGY SESSIONS – Well, of course I would believe this. I’m a reflexologist. However, if you are reading this article and you’ve never received a reflexology session, you can still achieve your longevity and wellness goals without receiving even one session.
The important thing here is to receive body work sessions regularly. And, in all honesty, there are hundreds of kinds of body work being practiced on our planet today. What’s important is that you receive some form of beneficial body work regularly.
If you don’t feel like you have the money for this bodywork, barter the sessions. I receive a Reiki therapy session every Monday afternoon. I exchange this session with a student. I feel like this is one of the most important things I do every week.
And, one of the most wonderful barters I did in my whole life was when I exchanged a reflexology session with an esthetician every week. What a fabulous time that was! Alas, she moved out of the state.
The bottom line is that we all need doses of the right touch for a longer and healthier life. Touch is important to our spiritual development.
MEDITATION IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND YOUR LONGEVITY PLANS. Do you meditate? Do you meditate regularly? If the answer to these two questions was “no” then begin by taking yoga classes. Yoga and meditation work together very well.
Have trouble scheduling meditation time? Join a meditation circle or form one where you meditate together weekly.
Meditation is grounding and offers major stress reduction. The positive health benefits of meditation ripple out to everyone and everything around you.
Make meditation a part of your life.
BRING NATURE CLOSER TO YOUR LIFE – How?
Walks in the park tend to lower your blood pressure.
Plants in your office or home bring their own calm.
Wilderness walks can be restorative.
Add wilderness pictures to office and home decor.
Nature sounds can be soothing as you listen to waterfalls, bird songs or ocean waves. My absolute favorite music is a CD entitled “Dolphin Music” by Ken Davis. It’s ancient as CD’s go, but I don’t want to be caught without it.
When you do these things, you protect yourself from stress.
BE OPTIMISTIC – You’ll live longer and feel better about your life when you look on the bright side of situations.
Build good relationships.
Refuse to see a crisis as insurmountable.
Accept change as a part of life.
Seek opportunities.
Maintain a positive view of yourself.
Finally, try to see things in perspective.
Thanks for reading this article. Please forward this blog post to your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
