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by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Live a Long Healthy Life, Mindset, Wellness — No Comments ↓

I have to put this blog out there.

Aging is inevitable…The Hell you say! Can you beat it? Do you want to get old? Hell No!

No matter how hard I tried, the years caught up with me eventuality, but I told myself that it does not mean that I had to sit back and let it prematurely take my youth away. No, there are things I learned, that you NEED TO do, starting right now to beat the aging process, and maintain your youthful looks and vigor well into an age nobody will be able to guess! I did it and it really works.

The tips I am sharing are extremely simple- there is no magic pill here. Read my blog as I share the key tips you should be doing and then do not be a dumb ass and let anybody give you shit about them or talk you out of it…because they do work.

SLEEP MORE

I used to think…”hey man” I only need 4 or 5 hours of sleep. I was fooled, health wise. I discovered that sleeping is one of life’s simple pleasures, feels good and something that finally came naturally to me, and if you got your lover beside you, that warm body feels good, it’s like a bonus.

I found out through my reading and health research that more than half of the USA’s adult population is chronically sleep deprived, in the sense that they get less than the recommended 8-9 hours nightly, many days running. Sleep is the one thing that everyone has going for them, it is the hit reset button for your body.

Kick ass, I did and I got my sleep cycle changed. What a difference more sleep did for my health.

During sleep, repair takes place, so that proteins in skin are fixed, hormone production gets turned up, and the process of rebuilding in your body happens, you may even get horny again…it does work that way to.

Chronic sleep deficiency inhibits the ability of the body to fix structural defects, including your DNA, which can accelerate graying of hair, wrinkling of skin and deterioration of organs. Other words you look like hell, feel like hell, get crabby, depressed and say “oh hell” drink more beer or something and feel even worse.

There you are! Is that what you want? It is real easy to be an old, ugly fart!

EAT YOUR VEGGIES

I eat many vegetables and greens. Today, I still keep my lifestyle of eating. It does not matter which, but do include a variety of different veggies and greens, as each bring something different to the table. Most veggies or greens are extremely low calories, making them perfect for bulk at mealtimes, as you can eat a lot, and not get many calories. In addition, each are full of fiber, which keep intestinal and colon health on point, as well as tons of anti-oxidants, vitamin and minerals, which fend off free radicals and compounds that damage DNA and promote aging. They are good, they are close to the earth, no additives or processed.

SHED Pounds… KILL The Recreational Hobbies

Many things should be exposed here, I will only touch the surface on a few. Sure, drinking a six of beer while watching TV, on a bean bag, late into the night is a bad hobby, and it is damaging, but it is bad in the sense I am referring about. It relates to drinking, if you smoke, eat junk food, it compounds things even more. Then, more than likely, you feel like shit in the morning.

Excessive alcohol consumption places undue stress on the liver, the primary job of, is to remove toxins from the body, and in some cases drinking makes it unable to do its job. This accumulation of toxins is bad for health. It does kick-start the accelerator of aging into high gear. It’s a no brainer as far as I am concerned.

Smoking, on the other hand is worse in many aspects. With negative effects ranging from the lungs, to blood vessels and more, smoking can age you 25 years in just 5 years. Nutrient delivery suffers, so skin ages and wrinkles far sooner than it should, and you increase the risk of dying from complications of the lung.

Is it hard to quit? You bet, many of my friends have tried several times to kick that cig. If it does not work the first time, try it again; until it works…don’t let that “cig” control your life.

BE HAPPY

Here is a good one for the books, please don’t expect to be euphoric all day long, but being happy has proven benefits over being sad, or crabby. Happy produces endorphins, the feel good chemicals produced in the brain that boost mood, reduce heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce stress levels as well. Go for it, it works!!

Practicing mindfulness meditation is one of the best ways to develop your appreciation of the little things in life, and improve your happiness and outlook not to mention the fact that frowning just speeds up development of wrinkles and fine lines!

GET OFF YOUR ASS

A little jogging, cycling (3 wheeled trike) or walking is good during any point of life, but in order to diminish the effects of aging, weight training is a must. Not only does muscle help you fill out your clothing, but it can also help prevent skin from sagging, wrinkling, or your posture from stooping, keeps the back in shape.

Nothing screams “old” like a hunched back and sagging skin…but luckily, weight lifting can delay this for years to come, not only that, but your overall mobility will be kept in check, helps your balance and you will look great, so hit the weights! FYI, you do not have to bulk up, just work your muscles and limbs, it is movement, and your couch will last longer! YOU can find a way.

If you have been in-active for a long time, please check with your doctor first, it is important to do that if you do have some minor or major health concerns to deal with or if nothing to deal with…it is still a good idea. Thanks.

Personally, I empowered myself. I do a kettle bell routine, walk and use dumbbells. The combinations I do keeps my back in shape, muscles toned and most of all keeps my “belly” from becoming a major scenic part of my body. It works for me!!

Later                                                 John

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Uncategorized — No Comments ↓

Hi ya all…

I looked back into my blogs and decided that it is time to add some MEAT to my blogs. I hope you know I am not about always selling you a product, book or diet. I am about giving you information that not only requires you to stop increasing your Butt Size but also to Kick Ass those bad Lifestyles steps I had to do also.

YOU want to eat better, exercise more, wear horse blinders when grocery shopping, buy skinny clothes and MAKE any number of these positive changes to help you “look good” and be healthy.  These are about the same Lifestyle changes I started thinking about to make and made.

I will say this, “Welcome to the Wilderness” of steep cliff’s to climb, pothole paths to follow, and challenging friends who think it’s “stupid”…but the most hardest of all is especially when YOU want to change many things all at once. My struggle was exactly that…I wanted it all at once, but soon realized with all the setbacks, giving up at first became easier, but over time, by doing small things and adding to them it was easier.

I will not fluff it, it was tough, hard and so much easier to “not do it”. I had to make a “choice” and the choice I made is so rewarding, trust that!!

LIFESTYLE change is a process that will take time, requires support from YOU first!!  YOU have to make it fit you, commit to it and follow through because it is your lifestyle.

To start, these 4 tips will help you make lasting, positive changes that will effect your behavior and lifestyle, and it’s not a diet…YOU make it fit you and where you are at right now.

MAKE a plan that will stick…and help you change. Be specific and detailed. Write it out at first, post it on your frig. Examples…

  • I will walk Tuesday and Thursday for 30 minutes.
  • I will go meatless for one day each week.
  • I will read instead of watching the news.
  • Many other changes you may want, it’s limitless.

Write it down, plan, is it real for YOU…if you think it will not work, start with smaller or less steps, but start somewhere for changes and stick with them.

START small…after you have identified your changes. Set both short term and long term goals, stuff you can achieve. Losing one pound a week, eating healthier for 2 desserts, getting one walk in one time a week as examples.  At the  end of the week, you meet your goal or challenge. YOU have started!! Go to the next week and as YOU make your goals, change them up or add new ones, remember YOU are the boss, YOU own this…

CHANGE one behavior at a time…because good behaviors “take out” the bad ones. Keeping your eye balls on one goal or change at a time makes better good habits to keep for the overall change YOU are working towards, whether it’s a weight goal, less stress, relationships, getting in shape and so on.

INVOLVE a buddy…it could be a friend, co-worker, wife, lover or someone who will help you and or do it with you…going for walks, cooking healthy meals with or for each other, stop smoking, no TV time, and others.

My significant other and I helped each other keep on track with changes and what we wanted to strive for. Some of her goals were different than mine, but we worked together for the  same effect, better health!!

I have  to tell you here though…we both strived for better health. We both did fight and argue on some of the changes or ideas on what healthy meant.  Interesting enough also, it helped our relationship.  We became better partners, independent, supportive, had tons of fun doing it and became better lovers and it made for good hot sex of life, in the overall Lifestyle changes we both made.  It is good.

Making these Lifestyle changes YOU want will take time and commitment, but with wanting it…you can do it.  Just as important as these changes you want to make, also be kind to yourself.  When you eat a brownie or skip the walk or “junk food” it out for a day, it’s ok!! Tomorrow is another day, recover and get back on track. This is the beauty of Lifestyle changes and how they work.  Go for it my friend, kick some ass…on your changes that is!!

Later          John

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Eating Healthy, Mindset, Wellness — No Comments ↓

Think about this…REALY think about THIS !!

“THIS” is just one aspect of many issues with our Health Care System in America, so just think this out.

I totally believe we need to make our “voice” louder and louder!! WE, you and I need to speak out and up that our hard earned “monthly premiums” should be spent where it benefits us the most – on exceptional self-care, great quality food, prevention of and curing disease as a start. What do you think?

I do not like Health Care, I call it “Disease Care”. Just look around, your neighbor, your co-workers, people shopping,  your friends and maybe even yourself. You and they purchase health insurance, “ahhhh, I’m covered now“…guess what?   This industry fools you into the thought(s) that you are covered for that “disease” or whatever you may go in for, that’s it!! Other than that, they really do not care, seriously they do not!!!

Guess what? that health care insurance becomes a crutch, an early death sentence…statistically speaking, many, many people, including myself, at the time, consciously or unconsciously (I took it for granted) put my health and wellness last because “insurance had it covered”.

The next thought, the “disease-care” system will always keep us sick and unhealthy. You get sick, a prescribed pill, you pop the pill…it covers up or suppresses the symptoms, then we no longer have to address the root cause / listen to what our body is screaming at us. Life goes on, if there are no further  symptoms or other health issues life is good and you keep popping that pill.   So…with me…

It was back to the daily business for me, continue living exactly as previous, I did not make diet or lifestyle changes…except keep popping that pill. I did it for 20 years, dealing with my high blood pressure and “pills”. For 20 years, my blood pressure changed very little, just not as high and even stayed the same much of the time also.

I started thinking, my health, my lifestyle, food, blood pressure…it took me 20 years to get “SMART”   LOL on this one…so, I made an appointment with my doctor to ask questions…WELL doc, “What the hell” What’s going on?” I asked, his answer was “to start, let’s increase the med your on” “this may help decrease your blood pressure” he said. Let’s give it 6 months and then you come in for a check up, you may have to go on a different medication. We can decide that then…

REALLY!!!    Now that I was “SMARTER”  LOL again, I said “Kiss my ass”  With or without your blessing I am done taking meds that don’t work. I will lower my pressure on my own.    You know what? It took about a couple of weeks of not taking meds and my pressure dropped lower than when I was taking meds.  Of course in this time I was making lifestyle changes, eating better, got off my ass and started walking and running (moving). It took some time, some hard work, mindset attitudes, back and forth setbacks…but…it was working. I DID IT!!! Not my doctor, not my heath insurance,  ME!!!

I got a different doctor, I dropped my health insurance, still had physicals, but also had a doctor who at least listened at the time and presently also, I still hold my ground, now I only see a doc for my physicals, and still do not take meds for anything. I do not have high blood pressure or other health issues except maybe of being STUBBORN as my kids say.  I firmly believe my health today is because of the changes I made in eating, lifestyle and my mindset of taking control of my own HEALTH and WELLNESS.

Think about THIS…really think about THIS.  I took control of my health and wellness that fit me. I am an individual, you are an individual. What can you do that will make that difference for you? to make it fit you?  Ask yourself that or accept where you are at!!

PLEASE…be aware of where and what your health is. You may not be able to do what I did, but you still can make changes that make a difference in your present healthiness, and then, certainly educate yourself.    Thank you.

Later                                                             John

 

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Mindset, Wellness — No Comments ↓

What an OXYMORAN…

Life is Short, Ride Long in It…Let’s not mess around. I got on board the train ride that gives me the longest and highest healthy lifestyle. Life can be short and narrow and long at the same time as you pack on the years, the weight and gradual health issues that will spoil your best years.

Listen to your body as it whistles at you…while the “modern world” destroys your best scenic train ride through life.  Each year, it seems, that health issues strikes when you least expect it.

According to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association nearly half of all deaths from strokes, heart diseases and type 2 diabetes can be attributed to 7 killer foods and nutrients…either to much or too little of each.

So, figure it out, which is “to much” or “to little” of each of these 7 deadly killers:  1.High Sodium.  2.Low Nuts and Seeds.  3.High processed Meats.  4.Low Seafood Omega-3 Fats.  5.Low Veggies.  6.Low Fruits.  7.High Sugar-sweetened drinks.

The list above is only the tip of my iceberg and yours. How did you rate each item in your food chain?  Today, right now, if we focus on preventive measures to help our overall health we will not have to work so hard down the road fixing our bodies from disrepair and disease…the way to avoid this is to raise our level of wellness.

Break Free…get on the Train b4 the last car goes by, so you do not have to run to catch the Train!! It really is an amazing ride!!                                                                                                 Later  John

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Eating Healthy, Wellness — No Comments ↓

The Choice is Yours, and it is Really that Simple.

     What tastes so good today are all the Fast Foods that posses a label that really hides the unhealthy fats; the sugary snacks of refined sugars or tricked sugars; flours; the processed flares which create bio-chemical conditions of taking out the OLD vitamin and putting in the new better modified Vitamins…and it goes on and on in the front lines of the FOOD WAR…

Are you Tricked and Treated by the new flavors of food? Or the pretty box with eye candy HEALTH words? Or 100 calorie wholesome snacks? Or do you get off your ass, kick butt on a new lifestyle and eat closer to the earth and discover the real flavor of food, again it is really that simple…

I will tell you some of the new stuff out there may be ok…it is what it says it is…BUT, again there is that flare of “products” that give you a pretty box, eye candy health phases, and that is where it stops. Look & Read the label my friend, chemical warfare that hits your body!!

What am I really saying?

     Things changed…many things. New agricultural methods, industrial machinery, chemical science, and new manmade ingredients. We got extraordinary profusion of new, novel, highly flavored cheap processed-food, meats and processed-beverage stuff.

You add television and advertising…now you got social change, less prepared meals or eating together. A truly amazing lifestyle change to TV dinners, fast-food drive through, frozen pizzas, supersize servings, and of course all day “soda” drinking, all of which gives you more time…to do something else, in a lot of cases to just EAT MORE…

Bang “a” Boom…surprisingly, my ass got bigger, my gut was reaching a country mile, the weight gain, failing sex drive, heart stuff and I feared diabetes was not far off…

Suddenly, I got concerned about my health and got eager to know what was in the FOOD. The food industry, meanwhile, a step ahead was excited to make new and better HEALTH CLAIMS about their foods in order to keep a better “grip” and “appeal” for me and other folks.

As you may have read in my earlier blogs…I made the lifestyle change. I eat close to the earth. I made the change and took back my BODY, made it healthy again, got my “numbers” (blood work) back to normal…

The challenge today for me is to not “give-in” to the Food Industry’s “hype” about new and better food being developed. I continue to stay focused to eating close to the earth. Fresh organic veggies, fruits, organic meats, eggs, and  to buy local as much as I can. I EAT PLANTS…

I can say their are no fancy gimmicks, no-hype in eating close to the earth as I can. LESS labels to read when you buy fresh. That is my WELLNESS, my well being. It does not get much better than this.

I got BADASS HEALTH going for me…What’s your style?

John

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Mindset — No Comments ↓

GENE Editing…

CRISPR-Cas9) as it is called is, whether we like it or not, is here to stay. Every genetic lab across the country is already making use of it for laundry detergents, water treatment, and the development  of drought resistant and pest-resistant plants, and so much more…NOW ain’t that some shit!!!

Gene editing is very different from GMO modification. GMO transplants genes from one species into another. Gene editing is just making little TWEAKS to existing DNA.

Is gene-edited food safe? Is the Grand Canyon deep? Do all rivers flow South? Does the speed of light go around corners? Do you really care about Gene editing or not? Will gene-editing be used to tweak mankind in the future? Hmmmm!!!

Has a MONSTER been created? Or could this be HIGHLY valuable in many ways for our future? From what I read, no one knows for sure and no one can know for sure because it is too NEW…I will leave it at that for now…

I look at it this way…CLEAN Eating is the “soul” of consuming food the way Mother Nature delivered it, or as CLOSE to it as possible and ORGANIC.  For me, that means, ya don’t screw around with it by gene-editing, GMO, and Processed.

Right now today, for me, that means good healthy food and its not “mess’n” with good old Mother Nature. That is my lifestyle, it’s not a diet. It’s about me eating real food for a healthy, happy life.

That’s my Story and I’m stick’n to it!!!           Later…   John

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Mindset, Wellness — No Comments ↓

My apology…

I really got off track in my blogs…Life got busy, work is busy and most of all I got lazy, just that simple. I slipped into a “MODE” of just being content with where I was at.

I got tired of all the hype, all the non-believers, all the new “products” that promised this or that, it was all natural, organic and all the adjectives that got attached to these “products” which took away from the “bottom line” of being healthy, just eating “clean” and close to the earth as possible. So simple, yet amazingly complicated because our “food industry” keeps most folks tricked with their  “fake and bake” mind games for healthy living.

Eating “clean” and close to the earth in simple terms means staying away, as much as possible, from “processed stuff”. It means buying organic as much as you can afford it, buying fresh local veggies, fruits, eggs, and/or just buying fresh is good also. Cooking, instead of “NUKE’n” it or a “packaged” just add “meat” to it type of meal. Some of the best names in “Yogurt” come with 26 Grams of sugar in 6 oz’s, so read labels, that is just one example!!

Even though “BADASS Health” as been sit’n on the sideline bench of life, its creator “ME” has still continued with the “lifestyle” of healthy habits and the mindset of staying clean. I still get “shit” about how I eat. I can not go back.

I am also finding that more people than usual are asking, What can I do to be more mindful about what I eat? How do i get in touch with my health?

I have to take this to the next level, put my “blogs” back out there, give some information that make people think and react to “stuff” and reveal the intimate truth that can be like a “leaky gut” that becomes a low-grade of inflammation of information to change the future politics of your own health, make it BADASS Health!!                 Later…                                  John

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Eating Healthy, Mindset, Wellness — No Comments ↓

DID IT RAIN?

No, but, the other day, I did lay out my veggies out on the counter when I bought them…reds, green, oranges, yellows and a mixture of other colors that are like a “rainbow” on my counter.

Veggies are packed with natural pigments: red is lycopene; orange and yellow are bioflavonoids; green is chlorophyll; and blue is anthocyanidins.

Did you know that these pigmentations allow our veggies to become not only more complex but also protects them from radiation from the sun’s rays. So when we eat these colors we gain some of their prowess against radiation and other agents of cellular damage. Pretty cool huh…

So, did you do know that the Food industry in general stresses convenience over FRESH and HEALTHY.  Did you also know that when we buy food from the industrial agriculture system, we not only consume pesticide residues, we support a system that depends on the mistreatment of people….just one huge example is the toxicity of Roundup chemicals used by industrial agriculture system to grow food.

The Rainbow of foods should be a food choice. The impact on our health alone helps us manage some of the badass chronic health conditions we face.  You may think it costs more to eat organic, local…but, you know it really comes down to choices, laziness, money, effort and the bang for your buck or how much diet soda pop you can hang off your cart on the way to check out.

ME, I am a predator of good food.  I buy local whether it’s a farmer’s market or that grocery store that buys local and sells. Yes, sometimes it spoils, or the color is not right, or the apple gets a little brown when you slice it, or the shape is weird, but you know what?  It is still badass healthy for you!!

Lifestyle changes in your life are up to you, please do not wait till some chronic health issue slaps you in the gut, then expect magic from starting to eat healthy…it may not help like you want, then you trash talk “clean eating” to make you look good. Funny how that works huh!!

In finishing up here, eat the Rainbow of veggies for a while, feel the difference in how your body reacts, even weight loss, more energy, better sleep habits, a few things to tease you to think about it!!  Food is your medicine, Medicine is your food, so EAT to live instead of living to eat!!!

Be different.                John

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Mindset, Wellness — No Comments ↓

ENJOY…

More and more I am able to turn my mind off and believe what is in my heart. THINKING can drive me crazy when it comes to my Circle of Life. KNOWING what is in my heart is better, believing it…is wonderful and is a deeper happiness.

Getting out of my brain and more into my spirit is a  greater trust in me; my Circle of Life. I feed my spiritual self for a renewed happiness.

Getting out of my brain is one way I feed my happiness. Another way I boast my happiness is staying with my lifestyle changes. Food is still my medicine…Medicine is my food. In the lifestyle changes I have made I reach for a handful of grapes, or an apple, or a handful of pumpkin seeds…or a handful of cut up raw carrots, just something like that!!

Slicing that apple in into pieces and  dipping the slices into Sun Butter (Sunflower Seed version of Peanut butter) changes my brain rush to each junk food. Eating more fruits, veggies makes me happy, I get more satisfaction and I feel good stuff…

Thanksgiving is three days away. I can remember days of old when FOOD was first on my list in the Circle of Life. I would eat, eat and stuff myself…then eat some more. Totally all good, yummy food, no doubt, my plate needed sides on it just to hold what I dished up…I even went back for second’s on some of it!!

I still think of that, laugh a lot too, what a mindset of thinking…stuff myself for the holidays, then go on a diet after the first of the year. Guess what? I never made the “diet” part, ate a bunch of food though!!

I still enjoy Thanksgiving, still eat good, but clean food, and in proportion and balance. More important is MY happiness of family, friends, loved ones far and near…my greater happiness of spirit and love along with my good health  being fed WELL!!    I like that.

For those who read this, ENJOY!!       

My Love to all in the coming Holidays.        John

 

by jjohnsPosted on Posted in Wellness — No Comments ↓

WRITING…

What the hell does writing have to do with FOOD and how I eat?  Am I crazy to put this out there?  What do I do?  Eat the paper and suck the ink out of the pen and walk around with a blue tongue for a bit!!

HEY…It’s  art with a pen on paper or a  cursor on a computer screen.  I can remember my mom writing on a daily basis, pen in hand to jot down the best part of her day on those little daily squares on a calendar, each day, each month, year after year.  It was my mom’s way of bringing some order to her life, a relief for her, her notebook of life.

Often I pull out a calendar and  read the stuff she wrote. WOW!! At times tears flow with the memory, or I close my eyes and it was just like yesterday I saw her pull the calendar from the wall and jot down her thoughts, then hang it back up.  She always told me to write a book on what she wrote…I still want to do that before it’s to late!!

I realize my blogs are not just me kicking out a bunch of stuff for people to read about health…it REALLY is my way of keeping grounded in my experience, my lifestyles and my passion to keep on top of my game of “health”.

The blogs I do are like my best friends.  I can look back and re-read my own reality check on me. I feel close and face to face with my own truths about eating, about food and my own challenges that are thrown at me from friends and people who think it’s a losing battle with the FOOD we eat, health and illness and even getting old.

Bullshit I say!!  Getting old happens…but our health we can do something about, it’s that simple.

Watching the cursor or feeling my pen, write my words across the screen or on paper is soothing, meditative and  very much creative for me…like throwing a  recipe together from scratch and it’s GOOD.  I eat it (my cooking),  I like it.  I like what I write also.

The energy is good fresh medicine that flows from me to my writing / blogs, to the FOOD I cook and to the “health” I experience…a positive good energy.

This positive energy is the Primary FOOD I give myself.  That energy flows to the Secondary FOOD that I actually eat.  Remember me saying that I eat to live, not live to eat…my way of keeping that circle of positive energy flowing in my life.  I like it very much!!

I fully understand now why my mom wrote each day in that little square on the calendar. “Thanks mom”…a great lesson of life!!  MOM was a great cook too.  Us kids were raised on a farm, fresh eggs, fresh milk. butchered our own meat to eat and garden fresh veggies.  We ate pretty close to the  earth then, not like today!!

Write on I say!!  It’s my health!!  It’s my life!!

The best part, I get to share this through my blog.  I like that.

Later…                                         John