Lifestyle – Vibrant Life

12 JAN

Overweight? Is Your Family the Cause?

The recent news about the number of overweight Americans is-to say the least-troubling. According to the National Institutes of Health, one half of all adult Americans are heavier than they should be, while 22 percent are obese (20 percent or more above one’s desirable weight) based on the latest government guidelines. Even worse is the fact that 25 percent of all children and adolescents are considered to be overweight or obese-a figure that’s doubled since the 1960s. What all this adds up to is that Americans are now “the fattest people on earth” according to Michael Fumento, author of the book The Fat of the Land.
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12 JAN

Volkssporting: A Whole New Kind of Walk

If last names had anything to do with predisposing one to a sport, I guess this would be mine. Although swimming, bicycling, snowshoeing, roller skating, ice skating, and cross-country skiing also fall under the “volkssport” heading, walking is the main event, and the majority of volkssporting events are organized walks (the walking segment is sometimes referred to as volksmarching).
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12 JAN

How to Get Motivated to Get Moving

I entered adulthood with an image of myself as someone who does not “do” sports. I figured there was a human divide and I was on the side with those who discussed books and foreign films, sipped frothy drinks, and had pale skin in the summer. In my mid-20s, after a few years at the computer, my body started to protest my lifestyle. Headaches and neck pain were frequent, and I sensed my metabolism slowing. I should mention that I wasn’t really inactive, but I was passive. I never grasped the idea that physical fitness was something I could take charge of for myself. As I got older, busier, and less active, I began to envision layers of fat overtaking me in the coming years, and yet I felt helpless to do anything about it.
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21 MAY

My Final Thought

So, this is It . . . my last week writing to you. It’s very hard for me to believe this time has come, and yet here it is. A whole year has gone by and in that year so much has changed. I think back to new health advances and technologies, the state of our country, and even the changes in my own life, and I’m overwhelmed. Life truly is a beautiful and precious thing.

A couple of weeks ago I have to admit I was feeling rather sorry for myself. It had just been one of those days where I wanted to pull my hair out! The kids tested my every last nerve, and I couldn’t keep on top of my blood sugars––let alone anything else. In fact, when I went to work that evening my co-worker (who also happens to be a very good friend) asked me if something was the matter. And of course I just unloaded! I think in one sentence I described it all. I said: “I’m emotionally and physically exhausted. All I really want to do is throw this insulin pump across the room and eat a meal without meticulously questioning every morsel of food that enters my mouth.” She replied “Well, honey, that’s not an option; so what else can you do?” I laughed out loud and thanked her for the reality check.

What's In Your Water?

Have you ever seen the commercial for the Capital One credit cards? If you watch T.V., I’m sure you have. Anyways, in the commercial the person getting ready to make a purchase pulls out their credit card, and all of a sudden there are people trying to attack the credit-card user. Just as everything is about to break loose, it shows the person using a Capital One credit card and the crowd gives a big sigh of relief. Then the ever catchy phrase is spouted out: “What’s in your wallet?”

I’ve decided that the EPA or FDA needs to make a commercial like this regarding our water supply. Maybe it could go something like this. . . . A young girl is about to turn on the faucet to get a refreshing drink of tap water when, all of a sudden she’s being attacked by chemicals and drugs in her water. Luckily she’s saved by bottled water, and then this catchy phrase would chime: “What’s in your water?”

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14 NOV

The Wizard of Oz

Any of you heard of Dr. Oz? Well, I’m pretty sure he’s the new craze for better health. My mom will often call me and say “Dr. Oz was on Oprah today. Did you see it?” and I always reply “No”. Which makes me a little irritated because I’ve been trying to catch a show […]