health

Think of life as a marathon for a moment. I bet you the people who make it to the finish line with a smile on their face have one thing in common: their priorities were in order.

One of their top priorities is their health. How well would you run a marathon if you’re in poor health? Not well. So the marathoners ate right, exercised, and rested to regain energy.

Another top priority is having the running gear. You don’t need fancy stuff to run, just proper clothing and shoes which aren’t worn out.

Knowing what’s likely ahead is important, both about the runner and the course. Knowing where there are hills and flat sections matters. Heck, just knowing there are hills matters. Also, each runner knows what will slow him down and wear him out. It will not be smooth sailing the entire time.Read more

Trying to hike 11 miles in one day over mountains is a great way to learn about how and when to rest.

For most of us Americans, rest is an option and not a luxury. Think about that for a moment.

Until I began descending the south rock slide after hiking over the middle and south peaks, I felt great. My knees were strong, my legs showed little sign of fatigue from the miles, and other than some blisters I had tended to before they developed into something nasty I was feeling great. I had enough food in me and I had enough water to get me all the way back.

Then I had to face the fact that I was going down a mountain, not up it or across it. Down.

I’m much better at hiking up them.Read more

Staying in shape is easy.

Getting in shape? Maybe not so easy.

There is a massive push to get in shape every January as people make New Year’s resolutions. Most will fail. Why? Because a New Year’s resolution is a weak reason to do anything worthwhile in life. It’s like saying “I have no purpose or reason to do this other than something tells me I should, so I’ll push it off until after the holidays and then make a change.”

Right. Make a change because it’s after the holidays and we have an odd tradition of making changes with the New Year. Do you think you’ll still feel the same in March when that is your big reason? Not a chance.Read more

Yesterday afternoon I had a moment where I could not think. Ever experience that? When our mind cannot focus, cannot grab onto thoughts and hold them. Everything is blank. Then my head started spinning. I had a headache. None of this made sense, because I woke up after a great night’s sleep with tons of energy and was flying through the first half of my day. I took a few headache pills and hoped it would go away. Within half an hour I felt better, though I did not feel as good as I had all day.Read more

If I told you I held the secret to reducing the risks of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and most major illnesses over your lifetime by more than 90%, to live a healthy and happy life, would you ask me what the secret was?

Better question: if I told you the secret and you did not do it, why did you want to know?Read more