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.
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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.
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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
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
A Holiday Thank You Dear Reader
heart with wings
In the spirit of the holiday season, I thank each of you for supporting my work and following my journey to wellness for us all.
This has been a busy year for me. Without your support, none of this year would have happened. However, you found my work and you have purchased my book and read my blogs. I thank you. Sincerely.
Each new reader who learns something new and useful about Reflexology for the Spirit and wellness is important to me. You inspire me to seek new ways to expand this learning. I’m currently blogging articles about longevity, a subject we can all be interested in. I Hope you find these posts interesting and practical! Thank you.
I hope you’ll continue reading to learn more about Reflexology for the Spirit and wellness. as well as my other projects. I’ve spent many hours on the second hunger book. “The Ketchup Sandwich Chronicles” should be completely finished by the end of 2019. I’m continuing to blog about hunger in “Hunger is not a Disease.”
That has mostly come to a conclusion so I plan to begin writing the second Healer’s Handbook soon. The books outline includes much more information than I put in the original handbook which is now in it’s second edition.
Thank you again!
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
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10 Easy Ways to Live a Longer Life
Living a longer life is a commitment to a specific lifestyle which promotes good health. Your first step to living a longer life is making this commitment to long-term good health and longevity.
You begin this path to live a longer life and have long term good health when you realize and understand you can’t just blame your genes for your health. Your continued good health depends on developing habits and practicing useful things regularly that support your commitment.
Develop your plan for a longer life now. Plan how your life will be when you are in your 80’s, 90’s, or even 100. Will you be alert and active with friends? Will you be living alone? Will you be mentally alert?
Imagine yourself as a healthy person living a longer life. Focus on this goal. Be ready to make changes in your lifestyle to achieve the results you want.
Make regular reflexology sessions a part of your life.
For starters, review your diet. Are you consuming generous servings of vegetables and fruits? Do you eat lean protein every day? Do you eat whole grain foods, brown rice, nuts, and legumes? (I’ll cover the diet portion of a longevity lifestyle in future posts.)
Meanwhile…
Take care to prevent overeating. If you eat a proper diet in the proper amounts, you should have energy, you will slow the aging process, and you will postpone or prevent chronic diseases.
If you can prevent overeating, your body will be able to handle more types of stress, something that’s important if you are concerned about living a long life.
Develop a daily walking routine. Walking 10,000 steps each day will increase blood flow to the brain resulting in an improved memory. How can you do this? Walk more. Walk during your lunch hour. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make it a goal to get off your seat and on your feet. Choose volunteer activities which require walking.
Take your vitamins! But, not just any vitamins. You don’t want to waste your money on nutrients you don’t need. Do some research. Make your knowledge current before you decide which vitamins to take. I’ll share more information about minerals and vitamins in future blog posts. For now, I suggest you look into vitamin D3. Find out for yourself if that’s a vitamin you need. When you take your vitamins, take them with food to promote absorption.
Take an aspirin a day…if your healthcare provider says it’s okay. I believe aspirin in moderation on a daily basis can help prevent diseases such as heart attack and some form of cancer. But, again, don’t take my word on this.
Hope you are enjoying this new series of posts on longevity! If so, please share them with your preferred social media network.
Thanks for reading!
Thurman Greco
10 Easy Wellness Tips for Your Self Care
Self care is all about realizing that we need to take care of ourselves to function optimally in our lives. For many, self care is being selfish. This is simply not so. Eating properly, resting, getting proper exercise, smelling the flowers…these things are not selfish.
Lower back pain? Try not to overdo the bed rest. One or two days seem to be the best amount of time. to be off your feet. Lower back pain is a spiritual situation. Try to get up and about asap. Self care is needed when your lower back hurts.
Are your cholesterol numbers less than ideal? Try to exercise regularly. Can you lose weight? That will help, too. Eating fish helps. And, finally, omega-3 fatty acids really help.
Get your annual flu shot. Every year, I encounter people who come down with the flu. Most of the time, these people neglected to get their shot. And, getting a flu shot does not immunize a person for life. A flu shot must be repeated annually. This can be a bore. However, I’ve gotten a flu shot annually for the last 20 years or so and, somehow, don’t seem to get the flu.
Worried about toenail fungus? Keep your feet clean and dry. Wear well fitting shoes and socks. Snug, poorly ventilated shoes and damp, sweaty socks are a breeding ground for athlete’s foot. Go barefoot if you can. If you do have toenail or foot fungus, and if it is painful, it’s time to see a dermatologist.
To keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy, brush your teeth often. Brush your teeth after you eat with a soft bristled brush. Tooth brushing is essential for good self care.
Do you have hay fever? Cut back on alcoholic beverages during pollen season.
Do you chew gum? Chew sugarless gum to fight tooth decay.
Concerned about carpel tunnel syndrome? Keep your wrists straight when working with your hands. When you work on a keyboard, make sure your fingers are lower than your wrists. Carpel tunnel doesn’t always require surgery. A good body worker or physical therapist can often help you.
Buy your shoes in the afternoon when you’ve been on your feet for a few hours, and always have your feet measured. Know which foot is larger and fit your shoes to that foot. That way, you’ll have a more accurate shoe size and fit.
Pinkeye and other eye infections can be extremely infectious. Use care.
Always first on your list for self care is regular reflexology.
Thank you for reading this article.
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Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
10 Wellness Tips to Improve your Fitness
Fitness is a journey. It is a way of thinking, moving, believing, acting. Fitness is forever.
The most important, bottom line, rule about fitness is to Be Active!. There are many, many different kinds of exercise and diet. But, whatever lifestyle you choose, the most important thing is to Move!.
Regular exercise fights physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual decline. Whatever you do, include several brisk walks each week. Over time, this regular brisk walk can improve your fitness and “add years to your life and life to your years”.
Concerned about your risk of stroke? Add a daily walk to your life.
Are you getting too many colds? Exercise regularly and moderately to boost your immunity and improve your fitness.
Whenever possible, take the stairs. You’ll use more calories and build muscles at the same time.
Drink water even if you don’t feel thirsty. When exercising, drink 4 to 6 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes.
Do you have osteoarthritis? The best thing you can do is exercise. Check with your physician or physical therapist. Contact the Arthritis Foundation. Then, exercise, exercise, exercise.
Worried about falling? Protect yourself by developing the strongest thigh muscles you can. Strong thigh muscles will reduce the injury you might experience from a fall.
Don’t have time for exercise? Turn your coffee break into 10-minute workouts. These short breaks can offer a lot of fitness for not a lot of work. You can climb stairs for 10 minutes. Or, you can jump rope or have a quick run. Park your car 10 minutes from the office and walk those 10 minutes.
Drink as much water in the cold as in the heat.
Replace worn exercise shoes. Your fitness shoes are worn out long before you see wear on the outer sole or upper shoe.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer this to your preferred social media network.
Thanks again!
Thurman Greco
10 Wellness Tips for Your Self
There are many, many things you can do to keep yourself healthy. Staying healthy will help you maintain your youth. Many of these wellness tips are so easy you won’t even realize you’re promoting your good health.
Have a cold? Skip the antibiotics. A cold is a viral infection. Antibiotics are only good for bacterial infections. So…save your money.
Looking for a cold medication? This wellness tip can also save you money. Avoid the medications that multi-task. Simple medications cost less and focus on the symptom bothering you most.
Hot tea is good for making your throat feel good when you have a cold. Saline nasal drops help your nose feel better, too.
Don’t spread your cold germs around. Wash your hands frequently and don’t share your eating and drinking utensils.
When you come down with colds and/or hay fever, take the evening off. Climb into bed early and sleep an extra hour.
Don’t store your meds in the bathroom. Bathrooms tend to be too humid and too hot. These two conditions encourage deterioration.
Now might be a good time to quit smoking. Have you tried to stop smoking several times, this time switch to a pipe for a while. But, think of this as only a step toward freedom because pipe smokers and cigar smokers not only suffer from lung cancer but also get throat and mouth cancer.
Don’t take acetaminophen for an extended period of time without consulting with your primary healthcare provider. Long term regular use of these pain relievers can damage kidneys and liver. Occasional use of these drugs are safe for most people.
Make sure your smoke detectors are in working order. Replace any smoke detector that’s more than ten years old. If your smoke detectors are younger than ten years old, get an aerosol spray tester at a hardware store that simulates smoke.
Avoid raking leaves if you have allergies.
Hopefully these wellness tips are interesting and useful to you and your household.
Please share them with your favorite social media network.
Thanks for reading this article.
Thurman Greco
Thanks again!
