Ginger Herbal Medicine

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is widely used in the Philippines as a spice and also an herbal medicine.

Ginger has been revered in Indian and Chinese civilizations for over 5000 years for its powerful health imparting properties. In fact, Indian ginger is said to have the most potent medicinal properties.

Ginger plants can grow to about 1 meter tall. Ginger rhizomes are the most important part and most widely used for foods and medicine. Although they grow underground, they are swollen stems, not roots like what we are thought to believe. Ginger plants also have flowers which are purple with a cream blemish based. These flowers sprout directly from the rhizomes.

Fruits - red in color. Each has three chambers containing several small black seeds. Ginger plants that are cultivated in commercial plantations don't usually bear fruit.

When cooking, ginger gives an aromatic and exquisite taste to foods. Most Filipinos drink “salabat” or ginger tea, which has been known to stimulate digestion. It also has a good effect on the circulatory system as it makes the platelets less sticky. It can also be used as mouth freshener, or when you are in a voice lesson, or a singer, ginger can help you improve your golden voice.

Other health benefits of ginger:

• · Effective for reducing the severity of nausea even in cases of pregnancy.
• · Ginger tea can help relieve menstrual cramps.
• · It has anti-inflammatory properties that can lessen the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
• · Can be used to treat flu and colds

· Ginger is contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones as the herb promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder.

Most people thought that oregano is just a spice that adds tastes to their pasta, pizza and other foods to satisfy their delicate tastes. But for me, it’s the other way around. Here in the Philippines, oregano is well known for its herbal powers. It can cure colds, headaches and other illness. It’s just this year when I discovered that oregano can be a spice to some foods. In Europe, its most widely used as spice because Europeans love pasta and pizza.

Oregano as a spice

A number of species of Oregano are native to the Mediterranean, all of which are traded as spices. Fresh Mediterranean or European oregano is sometimes available in gourmet produce sections of supermarkets and in Italian or Greek markets. Choose bright-green, fresh-looking bunches with no sign of wilting or yellowing.

Here in the Philippines, you can buy dried oreganos on the supermarkets at their spices section.

Oregano as a medicinal herb

Oreganos come from a plant family of lamiaceae, a mint family with a scientific name of origanum vulgare. They have a very aromatic warm and slightly bitter quality. They have also been known as a herbal medicine for its strong anti-oxidant properties. They are also known for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiviral properties. They are also rich with vitamin A and vitamin C.

Oreganos can help prevent arthritis, heal wounds, insect bites, and insect stings. It can relieve upset stomach and can cure urinary tract problems. You can boil 1 cup of fresh oregano leaves in 3 cups of water for about 10 minutes. You can drink this concoction to cure colds. You can also drink the concoction daily for your arthritis.

Hunting Dog Training

There are forms of hunting which are now illegal in the UK but some forms of hunting are not. Bird hunting seems to be a popular hunting sport for dogs and handlers. Hunting dog training is a lengthy, time consuming process which at the end is very worth it! You have to be completely dedicated and willing to put in a good deal of time to get the desired effects.

There are 3 essential commands when teaching your dog to hunt. The commands are "whoa", "come" and "heel". Handlers believe that "whoa" is the most important of all 3 and is crucial when hunting birds, your dog needs to understand that when you say "whoa" you need to your dog to stop completely in its tracks, no matter where it is or what it is doing, this command is not only helpful in hunting but can also save your dog’s life in other situations such as traffic!

Hunting dog training is quite a specific training field and needs to be done by professional hunters. They have the best knowledge and information on how to optimize your dog's hunting potential. Many people think hunters use their dogs but they adore their dogs very much and treasure them as they would children, in fact most of them are like little spoiled kids!

Hunters believe that if you can "whoa" your dog you have the hardest part over and done with. You can make him stand still while you rush to him and congratulate him on a hard days work, that’s what it’s all about; making sure your dog knows he’s done good! Always take a lot of time praising him in a soft soothing voice, dogs are born to make their owners happy and when he knows what makes (he will know because you praise him when he does what makes you happy) you happy he will constantly get better and better at the task you're asking him to do.

Apparently even the best champion only ever has his dog command "whoa", "come" and "heel". His dog does it to perfection though. A lot of breeds of dog today are being interbred to produce a perfect hunting dog. All dogs have a great potential to become the greatest hunting dog in the world, you just need to give him some hunting dog training. Experts say that half an hour a day when the dog is under one year old, and when the dog is over the year mark one hour a day three days a week is all it takes to train your dog in the ways of a hunter!

Litter Cleaning For Cats

Almost everyone, adults and kids alike have a natural fondness for cats. They are loving, quiet, and very playful pets that can provide you with years of entertainment. Although most of us have a fondness for cats, that fondness can rapidly diminish when it comes to the litter box. Even the most hardened cat lover may get tired of litter box duty, especially when it comes down to scooping “you know what” from the litter box.

Cats are very intelligent, instinctively knowing how they should use the litter box. After the cat has finished using the litter box, someone in the family will need to scoop the waste from the litter box. This can be a very dirty and somewhat smelly job, one that is often overlooked during the day when the workload gets heavy. Cleaning up the litter box does not take but a few minutes, although most would prefer not to do it at all. Although the litter box will need to be scooped out daily, it will also need to be changed once a week as well, by throwing the current bag out and replacing the box with a new bag and fresh litter.

Those who do not like to scoop out the litter box should invest in one of the best inventions ever - the self cleaning litter box. These litter boxes are easy to use, and will keep the area clean. After the cat has used it, the self cleaning litter box will automatically clean the litter either by sifting or using a device that resembles a rake.

Self cleaning boxes that use shifting will often times have a round design. Once the cat leaves the covered box, the dome on top will revolve for the box to clean. The litter in the box will be shifted with the waste being put below the litter where it is discarded. Once the waste is properly disposed of, the litter will be returned to its normal position in the box for the cat to use again.

Boxes that have raking systems will often times sport a rectangular design. Once the cat leaves the box, the rake will automatically come out and clean the litter. The rake will clean all of the litter in the box, including the clumps of waste as well. Rakes are popular, although the shifting litter boxes are by far more popular and more common.

Those who are often times away from home could greatly benefit from a self cleaning litter box. They are great to have for cats that spend a lot of time by themselves, as they virtually eliminate any scooping of litter on your part. You can find them at your local pet or department store, even online as well. They are very affordable - and ideal for anyone who does not like scooping waste from their litter box.

Build Your Own Fitness Home Gym

If you are looking to build a home gym this year, there are some important criteria that should be taken into consideration. A good home gym offers versatility, the ability to have a few pieces of exercise equipment perform a wide variety of exercises. It must be durable and be able to handle the rigors of hard resistance training over a long period of time. Exercise equipment shouldn't take up a lot of space. There are many exercises you can do with your own body weight and a mat, so the home gym equipment shouldn't clutter up the workout space, nor be difficult to store. Finally it should be affordable. No one likes investing in a $1000 home gym just to use it as a coat rack or have it collecting dust in the corner within 3 months. This list of exercise equipment should offer solutions in each category listed above and it should provide a challenging and fun workout environment.

Exercise Ball

One of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment, the exercise ball can be used in place of a bench for any supine or seated exercise. The exercise ball comes in a variety of sizes and depending on brand, is made of varying material. Because of the stress placed on a ball during a workout, it is important to look for a ball that is burst proof and it will not pop under you during a workout. To obtain the right size, a ball that sits with your hips and knees at 90 degrees is most likely what you should use for a majority of the exercises. For most, a 55cm or 65cm ball is sufficient. An exercise ball can be purchased for around $25-$60.

The exercise ball will provide an element of instability that cannot be duplicated by a bench; therefore you can improve core stability, and strengthen the integrity of your joints including shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. The more stable you become, the stronger you will be and will drastically reduce the incidence of injury.

Dumbbells

A good home gym isn't complete without a few sets of dumbbells. 5-50lbs in increments of 5 will make a complete set for every type of exercise. Dumbbells are good for full body exercises that resist gravity. Exercises such as lunges, squats, shoulder press, bicep curl and chest press are just a few on the list of dumbbell exercises. They are durable, versatile, and a good set will last you a lifetime. A good set of dumbbells may cost $50-$100 for 3-4 sets of varying weight.

Foam Roll

A hard foam cylinder is used for self myfascial release, or self massage. A supplement to stretching, a foam roll can help to increase flexibility in a way that stretching cannot. In addition, it can help to relieve knots and adhesions within muscle tissue. If you don't like being sore after a workout, a foam roll can help to alleviate the soreness and therefore should be a staple item for your home gym. Invest $20 in a good foam roll that will take away your pain and soreness after a tough workout.

Xerdisc

The Xerdisc is an air filled rubber disc used for improving balance, and stability. The same exercises that you do while standing (ie..shoulder press, squat, bicep curl) can all be done while standing on an Exerdisc. Improving joint integrity and balance will allow you to become a more stable, stronger individual and the exercises are fun and challenging. It can also be used for ab exercises such as crunches, and anything you can do to make ab exercises harder has to be good! A quality Xerdisc may run about $40.

Xertube

Tubing comes in a variety of sizes based on the level of tension you want. Tubing can be used for most exercises in place of dumbbells and they will provide a variable tension. The plus side to using tubing is that you can gain resistance from a lateral position that dumbbells cannot provide. Exercises such as wood chops, torso twists, and pulling exercises like the bent row and lat pull are just a few that you can do with tubing that you can't get with other forms or resistance. Tubing is also safe for seniors looking to stay active as there is no risk of dropping the weight. Tubing is color coded in relation to the resistance it provides. I suggest 3-5 different tubes from thin to thick to give you opportunity to perform many exercises with small and large muscle groups. They are usually about $5-$8 a piece and can be used around doorknobs, in door jams and any other stationary post.

This exercise equipment should provide everyone from the novice to the advanced, a well rounded home gym that you can invest in for less than $200 total. The level of versatility, durability, and challenge that is provided by these pieces of equipment is unmatched by any single unit you can buy, and should give you years of workouts that can be changed and progressed as you continue to get into better and better shape. Consult with your personal trainer as to what exercise equipment may be best for your home gym.

Using Vitamin E to Improve Your Skin

Although there have been many reports on the effectiveness of using Vitamin E to improve the skin, there have been many that suggest the contrary. Its reported association in healing scars has not been scientifically verified but many users of the vitamin have found it to be extremely effective. When used externally in a liquid or oil, Vitamin E may have some benefits for healing wounds, scars and stretch marks but this is not scientifically proven. It is actually Vitamin E's antioxidant properties when used internally that help to maintain healthy skin and to improve the appearance of acne and scars. It is safe to say that the results may very from person to person.

Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is used to protect tissues against damage and is considered a highly effective antioxidant that destroys unstable molecules (free radicals) in the body that damage stable molecules. This is why the incorporation of antioxidants like vitamin E into skin care products is so important. Vitamin E skin care products are an essential part of a daily healthy skin regimen. The natural form of Vitamin E is called "Alpha Tocopherol” and is made from vegetable oil. Vitamin E is available in soft gels, tablets, capsules, and topical oils.

Vitamin E is not only the main ingredient in topical treatments and lotions, but also in the food we consume on a daily basis. It’s important to include many sources of Vitamin E in your diet and to pay attention to eating plenty of fresh produce, fruits and vegetables, healthy oils, low-fat foods. Eating healthy also helps to improve the skin. Some researchers suggest that applying Vitamin E to your skin at least twice a day can make a huge difference as it is reported to help reduce skin spots and wrinkles. Vitamin E is also good for dry skin. Some studies have proven that it is able to keep moisture in the skin, just puncture a hole into the Vitamin E capsule and apply directly to the scar.
In addition to skin treatment, Vitamin E is reported to help with the following:

Lowering blood pressure
Easing premenstrual discomfort, especially breast tenderness
Slowing the aging of cells and tissues
Protecting from frostbite and other cold-induced injuries
Improving acne
Replacing necessary nutrients in those with inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis
Avoiding miscarriage (also called spontaneous abortion), which may be associated with very low levels of this nutrient
Vitamin E also helps to gradually break down blood clots in the circulatory system, and helps prevent more from forming. Vitamin E encourages circulation in the smaller blood vessels of the body and helps to strengthen and regulate the heartbeat.

Ten Steps to Jumpstart Your Fitness Success…

If you are about to start a fitness program or you are currently involve in a fitness program, this article is for you. I have created ten steps that will assist you in your fitness program. Keep this article in a key location as a reminder on how to stay on track.

1. Believe in your success before it happens
In order to have success in your fitness program, you must believe that it will happen. Expectation and belief must resonate in a high level.

2. Discover why you want to be fit
Most people start out with good intentions but give them a few weeks and they quit. Discovering your why can become a motivational tool to keep you on the road to success.

3. Set Goals
Goals are only powerful when you place them on a piece of paper and make them visible. The other success clue is to write them down and tell your closest friend. But make sure your friend is positive and supportive.

4. Join a Fitness Center
By joining a fitness center or a health club, you are surrounded by motivated people in search of positive results. There is energy in a fitness center that you can tap into to help you get the results you desire.

5. Start off slow
One of the fastest ways to stop your fitness success before it starts is doing too much too fast. Spend sometime learning what exercises work each area of the body. When you start your exercises, spend your first week allowing your muscles to acclimate to the stress you are putting on them. Learn about the different cardio exercises that you can do. Spend time learning about proper exercise techniques. Don’t just look at the lady or man on the fancy piece of exercise equipment and say, I want to do that!

6. Hire a Personal Trainer
One of the best things you can do when setting out for fitness success is hire a fitness trainer to steer you in the right direction. Go over your goals and expectations with your trainer and create a two way accountability process. You will be accountable to your trainer to accomplish your workouts that he/she gives you. Your trainer will be accountable to you and will keep you motivated with safe, fun and effective workouts.

7. Find a Fitness Partner
Call one of your best friends who has always talked about getting fit. By obtaining a fitness partner
you create instant accountability toward each other. Your fitness partner can help motivate you when you are not motivated. Your fitness partner can share the experience with you. Having that special person to go through your journey with can help you stay on the right track for success.

8. Get your rest
During exercise, your body is transforming each and every minute. Even though you can’t see it initially, believe me, this is true. But in order for your body to regenerate to a healthier state it must get rest. When a body is at rest it heals, repairs and improves. Especially during strength training when the muscle fibers are literally tearing, it is very important to let them repair and become stronger. This only happens in a resting state.

9. Watch what you eat

There is a common misconception that you can eat whatever you want since you are participating in
an exercise program. This is not true! Nutrition is a vital piece when it comes to Fitness Success.
Concentrate on eating foods that are low in saturated fat, high in protein and does not have too many carbohydrates. One of the tips I tell my clients is to limit your carbs before bedtime.
One of the tools I used to track my daily nutritional intake is he website titled
www.nutritionaldata.com

10. Don’t Quit

I’m sure for some people this is easier said than done. Your success depends on you staying the course. Improving your level of fitness doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. As a matter of fact, I recommend using the above steps to assist you in making fitness part of your lifestyle. Remember this closing quote by yours truly. “If you take care of your body, your body will take care of you.”

Obese Children - Munching To The Morgue!

Columbus, OH - There is an alarming concern that we all should have due to the increasing numbers of obese children in our community. Its one matter when were discussing what used to be primarily and adult issue of obesity; however quite another when it comes to our youth. This is a very serious issue that we cannot afford to take lightly!

According to The American Obesity Association, 30% of kids ages 6-11 are overweight and 15% are obese, setting them up for increased risk for diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. To that end, they are saying sleep apnea in children in fact may be even more prevalent in African Americans because obesity, a strong risk factor, tends to be more common in this group.

This is disturbing because the numbers have increased by more than 120 percent among African Americans as compared to 50 percent among whites within a decade. So if they are suffering with these serious health challenges at age 11, will they be around to see 30, 40 or 20 even? Likely if this continues our very own youth will be the first in the nation’s history not to live longer than their parents.

What is at the root of the problem? There are several root causes. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have conducted studies showing increase in consumption of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages as one reason. They were able to determine its precise impact on children’s body weight. Their findings over the course of the study monitored soda, Hawaiian punch, lemonade, koolaid or other sweetened fruit drinks as well as iced tea; all of which are culprits of obesity.

Some other causes for such an explosion of childhood obesity is the lack of physical activity, lack of parental guidance in this area, changes in what the schools are offering our kids for lunch with easily accessible vending machines, and of course eating too much fast food. They are not active enough during the day because a lot of the required physical education programs are being cut out, thus decreasing the amount of activity.

Despite these facts, we are not powerless. What can we do?

1) We can make sure our children eat a nutritious breakfast before going to school so their bodies are not in starvation mode making them more prone to eat junk.

2) We can have them pack a lunch from home, opposed to buying lunch at school.

3) We can have them engage in at least 1 hour of physical activity daily such as walking or running.

4) Get them involved in a program. There are some wonderful national and local organizations that are on a mission to educate the parents in the community on how they can to do their part in reversing this trend. Body Sculpt of New York Inc. is one such non-profit organization whose purpose is to educate the family about obesity and to offer healthy lifestyle alternatives. They are particularly encouraging this through fitness and nutrition. This organization and others like these should be lauded and applauded for the work that they are doing for our community!

5) We can up the ante by being a role model for the children. Children do as we do, not as we say. So we teach them healthy eating habits by the way we eat and the way we live.

Very often, unhealthy eating habits are passed down generation to generation. However, this generation is in much more trouble than any of us could have predicted and thus cannot afford not to make changes. So our overall goal should be to help the whole family stop, think and really focus on making healthy changes to eating and activity habits that will last for a lifetime!

Vitamins

One day I realized: I don’t feel healthy and fit when I wake up in the morning. That day I decided to boost up my antibodies and refresh my immune system. The first step was obviously to google.

What I found left me with a dilemma. Two categories of articles engaged in tug of war. One category highlighted the benefits of vitamin pills; the other accused them of being ineffective and at times harmful.

Dr. Jane Armtiage from the University of Oxford’s clinical trial services unit said a 5-year study had produced disappointing results for vitamin use. The study said that millions of people taking daily doses of vitamins C&E and beta carotene are not protecting themselves from cancer, heart problems, strokes and other potentially fatal disease. The scientists said people would be better off eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

Contradicting that study, British Heart Protection Study followed 20,000 people aged 40 to 80 from 69 British Hospitals, looking at vitamins as well as the effect of cholesterol-lowering statins. They found that cholesterol-lowering drugs worked within a year and had major effects within 5 years.

According to the New Scientist, “vitamins knock the wind out of free radicals in a test tube. But once inside the human body they seem strangely powerless.”

Other information noted that a Vitamin D tablet called Asentar provides levels of vitamin D 50-100 times higher than normal and can be given to patients in the advanced stages of prostrate cancer along with chemotherapy drugs. Vitamins C, E and A prevent cancer, heart diseases, stroke and variety of other ailments associated with natural ageing.

If you are tempted to take action when you see “Vitamins reduces heart risk, vitamin D reduces risk of diabetes….”, sit back and think, research and then decide. Don’t put your body, health and “the feeling good factor” in danger.

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN VICIOUS WEIGHT LOSS CYCLE - PART I

Blacks are officially considered to be an endangered species due to obesity and terrifying related illness. Diets, surgeries, pills, exercise motions and potions; though easily and readily available have done little-to-nothing to help people lose weight long-term. If those options don’t completely suit your fancy, then you have high powered initiatives to get people moving into action; like the Bally’s fitness Challenge, Shaq’s Challenge, BET healthy challenge, and of course the 50 Million Pound Challenge. All of these are attempting to provide a solution to the obesity plague for our community.

Even with all of these mechanisms in place,

The 50 million pound question that lies before us is -

Why, is it that we as “Blacks” are STILL some of the most obese people on the planet? Previously, whites were the poster children for dieting to lose weight; were now doing our fair share too - but with no dent in this trend of disproportionate obesity coupled with chronic illness.
The facts are the facts! Prevalence of obesity among blacks has increased 35 percent in the past 10 years alone. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), we lead in the highest percentages in both sexes and even amongst children, as compared to other ethnicities when it comes to the contemptible “beast of burden”- obesity. So what is REALLY going on?
There have been huge technological advances made so that you can instantaneously access tons of information on how to lose weight. Also noteworthy is that there are thousands of books written, exercise videos on the latest, newest best diet, best fitness tips, best medical advice, on and on and on. Even with all this, something is not being done right. Why come to that conclusion? One obvious reason is that we should certainly see more significant results than what we have.

There are in fact an infinite number of theories, but here are a few thought provoking ideas that many don’t want to address, but that will definitely make you want to go, “hum”!

Too many of us are being brainwashed; covering ourselves up with benign ignorance instead of trying to find out the real truth about why blacks have been unsuccessful as a whole at getting/and or keeping the weight off.
All of these diets, various weight loss challenges and campaigns that are currently underway are nothing more than band-aid remedies that will bring us right back to the drawing board - if we don’t find out about pre-existing and current outside elements that stifle real results. That’s right, in this day and age mainstream society still suppresses corruption that adversely affects our lives, as a people; as a nation.
We may have to begin exposing some that are right within our own community that acts as wolves in sheep’s clothing – impeding progress. It’s been said that the “mean green” has caused stranger things to happen. Or perhaps, they are not wolves at all; rather it’s just a bad case of “blind leading the blind”.
Whatever the theory or rationale of the matter, one thing most can agree on is that the obesity pandemic for Blacks is unequivocally multi-factorial. People who can think for themselves can surmise that all on their own!

We all do well to open our minds, and eyes to the fact that if we don’t get proactive and put on our investigative hats - TODAY; we will be tottering upon a horrific human existence and will eventually land ourselves on the brink of extinction.
The final analysis: If we don’t “band together” and “stand together,” find out how our entire race of people will actually be (in a bad way) - the world’s biggest LOSERS, the next time on part II!

Interested ones can obtain the book through AuthorHouse.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or WhyBlackPeopleCantLoseWeight.com

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN VICIOUS WEIGHT LOSS CYCLE cont.

Tyler Perry’s movie, Why Did I Get Married, struck a cord of pain with our community for several reasons. However, there was one undeniable, universal appeal that of identification with the overweight character, played by Jill Scott. From the embarrassment that obesity caused the character when denied air travel, to the unrelenting ridicule from her mate, and even self-degrading comments was, “oh too familiar” for a lot of us.
According to New York Times Reviewers, Perry charters waters that other writers only dare to present on-screen without the shield of humor. Agreeably and proudly we applaud him for having the courage to highlight such a pervasive and painful issue, while maintaining dignity and integrity!

We need to have this issue out in the open for dialogue, in an up-close and personal fashion so that we may get at the crux of the problem – once for all time. With obesity stats for Blacks off the charts like Tyler Perry’s movie’s sales, we need to turn on the floodlights so that we all can see clearly what our path should really be to get healthy and lean.
In part I. ( African American weight loss cycle) it was eluded to that there may in fact be some conspiracies involved in keeping the Black population sick and overweight for possible financial gains. Naturally, we would be prompted to ask - WHY us? Here are two possibilities:

Some may be unaware that, based on recent studies conducted by Hunter Miller Group, research analysis, Blacks have powerful spending power, especially for certain things like “what we eat”. A lot of what we eat is unhealthy and ultimately makes us SICK and FAT. Various industries and entities know this and capitalize off of our spending habits; at great expense to our health and well being.
It is believed that due to a large portion of a less educated sector at the bottom of the food chain, we are absolutely “easy targets” for being recipients of marketing propaganda. It is also believed and widely accepted that Blacks only want to entertain and be entertained, instead of using our time to educate ourselves. You know the statement that has circulated for years that, “Blacks as a whole - don’t read”. If such has an iota of truth to it, we will not know what the rest of the world already knows about life saving health information!

Despite this, though, through just minimal research, some have come to the realization that what we are putting into our bodies and not putting into our bodies is ultimately keeping us FAT, sick, in pain, day in and day out. There are in fact many hidden obesity factors that we have every right to know about - if we so choose to be enlightened. The food industry, diet industry, medical industry and pharmaceutical industry are all respectively having their way with our men, women and children, in a similar fashion as was with our ancestors. Sadly though our ancestors at least knew exactly WHO and WHAT was oppressing them. Do we really know?
One guess would be that if we truly did - we certainly would not be disproportionately affected by obesity and related illness in respects to the rest of the world.
While we don’t need to be put down and ridiculed; we should not keep placating one another by blaming our weight issues all on genetics and being “big boned.” We also should stop blaming it ALL on laziness and lack of willpower. Some national health and body challenges have recently proved otherwise, as many Blacks have gotten off the

couch to get more physically active. The time is ripe to unveil the true causes for our health crisis and reveal to the African American people – the missing link.

Enjoy a “Long, Healthy, Happy Life”

"Those who fail to take the time to be healthy will ultimately have to take the time to be sick." ~ Dr. James Chappell

So you want to enjoy a long, healthy, happy life or should I say, you want to be the “exception to the rule.”

You should know from the start that the “odds” are stacked against you, but by accepting and tackling the challenge you will find it very worthwhile and rewarding, not to mention adding many years of happiness onto your lifespan.

Talking of “lifespan”, lets pause for a moment and think about that.

Its key to differentiate between living a “long life” (lifespan) and living a “long HEALTHY life” (healthspan), which then can translate into the ideal situation where you can enjoy a “LONG, HEALTHY, HAPPY LIFE”.

I know of many people, young and old who just exist from day to day with aches and pains, disease and suffering and with many bedridden for a number of years before they die prematurely from one of the modern lifestyle diseases like cancer or heart disease. One can hardly call that “living” or having had a great life.

Most people look forward to retiring after a long period of working and bringing up a family, with a vision of being able to relax, travel and enjoy a long, happy, healthy life with one’s family. The reality, unfortunately is very different for most people.

This dream unfortunately, invariably has a perverse ending in this day and age. Virtually every one of us living a modern lifestyle will be diagnosed with a fatal chronic disease in our lifetime. Most of us will land up having long term expensive drug treatment, causing misery, pain and suffering and eventually death without dignity. At least half of us will be diagnosed with cancer and will be treated by conventional medicine, resulting in a slow painful death after undergoing expensive poisonous chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. Those of us lucky enough to escape cancer will most probably succumb to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s or some other chronic degenerative lifestyle disease.

Supercentenarians

However there are people, who in their early years, were never exposed to the current modern lifestyles, toxic pollution, fast foods, processed foods and pharmaceutical drugs, who have proved that you can “LIVE” a long, healthy and happy life.

The Gerontology Research web site (http://www.grg.org) have a validated worldwide list of living “Supercentenarians”. ( people who are 110 years old or older). There are currently 69 women and 8 men on this list with 25 in the US, 24 in Japan, 26 from other countries and only 2 living in the UK.

So from this you can get a true understanding of “longevity”, but the million dollar question is why do these people live so long ?

Its all about “how we live” and “what we eat” which all boils down to “LIFESTYLE”.

Take Control of Your Lifestyle and Your Healthcare

The key challenge is to want to do this for yourself and your family. The starting point is to take control of your lifestyle and your healthcare by becoming aware and informed and then to take the appropriate actions.

Its hard to accept, but actually NOBODY out there is interested in you and your families healthcare or whether you live a “long, healthy and happy life” or not.

As a matter of fact you will be very surprised to know that there is a whole industry that want just the opposite.

I hear you say “But what about my GP, Gynie, Paede, Oncologist, Cardiologist, etc?, surely they are interested ?”

They should be, but remember each of these people make a living from the “Disease Business” astutely managed and controlled by the Pharmaceutical Industry.

This article, with additional information on the website

http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com