Alternative Foods

How many times a year do you say, "I'm gonna get into shape and eat right!" From there you go to your favorite supermarket and spend twice as much time reading labels in order to reduce your carbohydrate, fat, or sodium intake. Do you actually know what you are looking for? Do you understand what the tongue twister words listed in the ingredients mean, let alone pronounce them.

Let's take butter for example. Butter is known to be high in saturated fat and is loaded with cholesterol so by hearing this we immediately decide to look for an alternative. The butter alternative is margarine. Even some brands of margarine will claim to be heart healthy, low fat and contain no trans fats. Some brands actually print this on the label then they also print in the ingredients something which totally contradicts their claim: "monoglycerites." Since this is a word not normally used in my vocabulary I initiated a little research to find out what it meant: "trans fats!" Trans fats are the worst type of fat to feed our body. Trans fats will coat your arteries with so much plaque it will eventually cause a heart attack from a clog or even stroke if some of this plaque decides to start moving. Sticking moderately to real butter is far better.

My thing is cream for my coffee. For years I've been buying fat free creamer. Now that I think of it, I should have been savvy to lie from the beginning by reading, "fat free creamer." That's like saying, "wet-less water." Just recently I decided to pull out my glasses and read what actually is in the ingredients of my fat free creamer: mono and dyglycerides which are other words for "trans fats." Kind of ridiculous don't you think? A little hint to stick to moderation of the real stuff maybe?

What's happening here is these brands are capitalizing on our fears and manufacturing fat and legally calling it something else. The government does nothing about it because not enough evidence is there to prove their manufactured fats are killing people and or they have not been sued by a good lawyer forcing them to actually call it fat within their ingredients.

It goes back to moderation of the real stuff. Us being a fast food nation has cause us to believe the alternatives are better. And the manufacturers of these alternatives are profiting on our stupidity. They are betting we never read or research their ingredients and up to now, they are winning that bet.

Sugar

One of the most unavoidable foods in our diets is sugar. It's found in most fruits and is a usually an ingredient used to enhance flavor to many of our favorite dishes and or treats. In fact, most often it is commonly associated as the main ingredient in most of our treats whether it be cake, pie, candy or even the healthy alternative being fruit. But how much is enough or too much?

There are many side effects of consuming too much sugar in the short and long term. In the short term you're capable of experiencing symptoms of hyper/hypoglycemia such as shakiness, nervousness, sweating, dizziness or light-headedness, restlessness, confusion, decreased verbal ability, and anxiety. In the long term there is Tooth decay, gum disease, obesity, diabetes and heart disease, a weakened immune system, stress, accelerated aging and reduced cognition. Moderation plays a healthy part in avoiding these type of symptoms and is surely to be a topic for this blog in the very near future.

One of my best rules for consuming moderate amounts of sugar is to try and avoid table sugar or refined white table sugar. The best way to do this is to only ingest fruits as your primary source of sugar. Refined sugars are easy to overdose because they are high doses in small quantity, where fruits tend to contain small doses of sugar in large quantities thus making it hard for you to reach that overdose level because you are too full from consumption. But once again, moderation is key. The holiday treat is unavoidable unless you have superhuman power to resist.

Another important aspect as well as a personal one for me consuming less sugar is the fact that cancer tends to thrive off of sugar. Since I am a cancer survivor, one of the test needed to monitor my remission is called a PET scan. This test consists of injecting a radioactive substance into the bloodstream and passing the body through MRI/CAT scan type of device. This radioactive substance attracts sugar and sugar attracts cancer causing the scan to identify cancer cells if they are present. Keep in mind ingesting sugar is not to be mistaken as a cause of cancer. The fact is, cancer tends to bind and feed on sugar in laboratory tests.

So stop eating sugar? Of course not. Monitor and reduce consumption perhaps. But having knowledge of the many by-products caused by too much sugar is helpful towards reducing your excessive intake of this wonderful ingredient we all love so much.

Cataracts

Every year my employer offers an annual benefits enrollment. This is when all employees make their elections on what type of coverage they are going to have the proceeding year. Our choices are from a wide array of categories such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, your spouses life insurance, as well as flexible spending - an excellent pre-tax benefit - which is used for out of pocket medical expenses or medical dilemma's not covered by your normal coverage. When we are young, electing insurances other than medical seemed less important. But as we age, certain insurances will be cost saving considerations. One very important insurance is vision when you consider the most performed surgery in the United States is cataract surgery.

The condition of cataracts effects 3,000,000 Americans annually. This is a condition where abnormal proteins form within the lens of the eye. The cause of cataracts is still very unclear, but few studies point toward lead poisoning among many other culprits such as people working in high altitudes making them more susceptible to a higher exposure of ultraviolet radiation.

As a flight attendant I work in an environment where my risk of developing cataracts is a strong possibility. It is important for me to choose a vision plan, thus protect my pocket book, and provide a means to determine whether I have certain conditions which are detrimental to my vision.

Some eye care professional believe we can reduce our risk by eating foods high in antioxidants and by reducing our sodium intake. Wearing sunglasses can also reduce the amount of ultraviolet exposure to our eyes. Along with causing many other health problems, smoking and high alcohol consumption are considered to be risk factors for developing cataracts.

Treatment for cataracts can range from wearing a more magnified pair of glasses to surgery when it appears the use of glasses is not effective. 9 out of 10 people regain normal vision after this relatively fast and painless surgery while if not normal vision, better vision is a satisfactory result nevertheless.

Fiber

Are you getting enough? Lack of fiber in our diets can lead to many medical complications as we grow older and become less active. As a result of our western culture it's a nutrient which may be hard to adequately maintain without the use of supplements which goes completely against my theory regarding the very topic, "Supplements," when I suggested the use of them as not necessary. This is my only exception to that theory. Most of our westernized fast food restaurants do not offer many foods high in fiber.

Appendicitis, Breast and Colon cancer, Constipation leading to diverticular disease and hemorrhoids, symptoms from diabetes and hypoglycemia, gallstones cause by elevated blood cholesterol levels leading to heart disease, irritable bowl syndrome, obesity, and on a personal level, varicose veins should all be enough reason for us to be aware of our daily intake of fiber. These symptoms and diseases are linked to the lack of fiber in our diets. It's recommended we include 25 - 45 grams of fiber in our dietary intake each day to help ward off some of these diseases and or symptoms.

Some common supplements to achieve an adequate fiber level are: Fiber One, Metamucil, Benefiber, to name a few.

Besides supplements there are still many high fiber foods - avocado's are my favorite high fiber food - if you are willing to take the time to prepare and shop differently from your usual routine:

Grain and Whole Wheat Products
Bagels, Bran Buds, Brown Rice, Buds, Cereals, Granola, Muffins, Pasta.

Fruits
Dried fruits (apricots, dates, prunes, raisins) Apples, Avocado, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Mango,Oranges, Peach, Pears, Raspberries, Strawberries

Vegetables
Broccoli, Beans, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Green Beans, Green Peas, Greens, Legumes, Peas, Potato with Skin,

Nuts
Almonds, Peanuts

Beans
Black, Chick, Kidney, Lentils, Lima, Pinto, Soy

Stress

So many factors are involved in our daily lives which have the potential to create stress. It may be impossible to live life without some sort of stress since it is subconscious reactionary process. Part of our lives and like anything else which has a positive or negative, a yes and a no, stress is an opposite force to something else. Stress is good or bad depending on what's its catalyst. Stress we want to avoid is when it becomes a precursor to some sort of boiling point which causes a negative response mentally or physically.

The negative factors of stress are caused from your physical environment and eventually transcend toward how your internal factors respond. How you mentally process elements in your daily life will very likely determine your stress level. Chores aren't done? You can be mad about the fact and think of reasons why it is not done and force yourself to be more upset, or you can move on and consider the chore will be done eventually. Being mad or thinking it has to be done "right now" is pointing you in the direction of negative stress. People who strive for perfection tend to be a vortex for stress - this I know this because I'm one of those people.

Not addressing these negative factors will only lead to a bigger problem over time. Some easy road blocks to stress are diet and exercise. As we enter the second half of our lives our changing physiology plays a big part in contributing toward our stress levels because we are constantly learning different ways to cope with the aging process. Diet and exercise are crucial when it comes to coping with so many of our physical changes. There are also other tools which can help with coping with stress and can be accessed through your doctor with medication or through self help books at your local library. Not addressing the issue or being in denial will only send you into depression or ultimately, to your grave.

Pace Yourself

When it comes to your personal life, excluding your job duties, is there a rule which says your need to get things done now? This is when I most often heard my father use the term, "Rome was not built in a day," in order to complete a task without actually loathing the process. It was also his way of saying I was working too hard. Even today, years later, I find myself needing to remind myself of my fathers indirect advice. Not doing so will most likely create stress upon myself physically as well as mentally.

As we grow older it's important to pace ourselves. We need to be aware of certain aspects of our health which require us to be keen about how our body's perform while completing out of the ordinary tasks. Think of the last project you completed. Were certain muscles sore, or were you weak for the next few days? These are signs you are working too hard. These after effects also have the potential to mask or in some cases indicate a bigger more serious medical problem caused by your overexertion.

Recently while visiting my 95 year old grandmother, I was amazed at how well she takes care of herself. She lives in a 3 level, 4 bedroom home alone. Her house appears to be one ready for "open house" and it's always clean with nothing out of place. The amazing thing about this is she completes her chores by herself. One day I asked her, "Grandmommy, don't you need help with all this housework?" and her reply was, "Why, then I would be bored." But she she also told me she paces herself. She says it is not important when the job is finished, just take your time and make sure it eventually does get finished. Pretty good advice from a wise woman.

Your Legacy

At some point of our lives the one question we may all eventually ask ourselves is why are we here and what's our purpose? Our lives might be a more fulfilling if we knew there were a moment where we had contributed to a better future for others. For myself not being a parent or having ever had offspring of my own, I believe a more promising future lies in the hands of our children. The question for myself is - might there be something I can do to enhance the performance of this worthy task at the hands of our children? Whatever it is I do or can contribute, big or small, to help provide a better life for others shall ultimately be my legacy.

Legacy is a strong word is this day and age when we have heroes, superstars, or public officials who leave strong legacy's comprised by things they had excelled or causes they believed were worthwhile. But as common people, we never so much think we leave a legacy - but we do. Our legacy can be something we have control over or if we don't, our loved ones will create one from their memories. The question is, do they have good memories or negative ones?

As I now enter the second half of my life, my thought is, a head stone or burial plot is not suffice for me. In fact, in order for me to reach the moment we all live for, an optimistic end, I truly believe my creator is going to hold out and wait for me to offer something wonderful for future generations to carry on. My task is to convey a selfless act which defy's my selfishness. I know I have it in me and it feels good to admit this might be the first step to creating my legacy. What will be yours?

Dental Hygiene

Ever been around the elderly or less frequently, a middle aged person who emits a mothball odor? It's that smell we all recognize yet we are unaware of its cause. In recent years, scientists have been able to identify this smell as 2- Nonenal. We know the source since it's usually sitting next to us or slowly passes us by during our everyday life. It's not an odor which is completely unbearable since some of our sweet humble relatives emit this odor and for that reason it's non-threatening. Non the less, if we think about it, we would take all measures to avoid ever emitting such an odor ourselves.

One of the main culprits to this smell begin with, if not poor, relaxed dental hygiene. As the effects from being too efficient with our oral hygiene practices begin to do damage to our teeth and gums, certain odors begin to emit initially in our mouths. Over time, most likely many years, this odor tends to evolve into the one in this topic. Since our mouths are the initial point we receive any source which has the potential to cause odor it's also the initial point to combat odors caused by the foods we eat. Not addressing our mouths may lead to decay. Decay may be passed through the bloodstream causing issues in other areas of the body such as our lungs. This decay in the lungs may cause other pungent odors we exhale.

Many of us view our dental health secondary to our overall physical health. This might be because how our society ranks the need between the two. If you can only afford one or the other, the one being medical over dental intelligently. Also when oral decay has begun, we tend to have less coverage from the insurance perspective in order to fix the problem. Wouldn't it be easier if we combined the two into one category since both play an intricate part in our overall health?

The bottom line is, we have the ability to avoid many odors caused by aging. Flossing and brushing 3 times a day ought to do the trick. Being lazy will most likely give you the end result you don't want. Good oral hygiene will not only prevent decay and disease but will also encourage you to smile more which also has positive benefits to your overall health.

Embracing Your Age

If there is anything we can all count on it is the simple fact we are going to get older. This is not something we can postpone or a situation we try to deal with when we are mentally ready. Getting older is inevitable and permanent until our life's end. Fighting this process will only accelerate it's effects through stress, worry, and the tiresome search for a means to slow it down. Embracing our age will not stop it from happening but it will allow us to savor the moment we've arrived, in many cases, against all odds.

We all have a good reason to enjoy this moment in our lives. Aging is not only a physical process, but mental one as well. It's a time to reflect on how we got here and also a time to project where we are going. If we dwell on what we once were able to achieve when we were younger may have a negative effect on our aspirations for the future. The day we say we are too old to participate in anything is the day we might as well succumb to our nonexistence.

Embracing our age is a state of mind. If you have not done so already, it may take some time for you to feel its beneficial effects. To believe we are without limits is one of the most immediate and motivating reasons to be in this state of mind.

Wasting Your Breath

Ever had a relative, friend or neighbor who never seemed to have anything interesting to tell you. Regardless the topic of your conversation, they always seemed to bring up the same boring crap you've heard time and time again? My late father put it best when he said, "They talk about nothing!" These are the type of people you often avoid by plotting strategies how not to engage in any sort of conversation other than a friendly wave or cordial hello. Heaven forbid you ask them how they are doing or else imagine hanging yourself from the nearest tree.

As much as you recognize these annoying situations and you swear up and down you'll never display the same dull/boring characteristics, beware of yourself. This type of behavior will creep up on you without warning. The best way to avoid becoming a rambler who wastes their breath is to attempt to be a good listener as well as know your audience. Come to the realization some people just don't care to hear your story. By all means, never tell the same story. The only time somebody wants to know about your accomplishments is if they asked you and even at best, keep it simple.

If you ever want to know how it feels to be a rambler do what I did - albeit I did not do this on purpose: After a stormy night and the power at home was knocked out, I decided to go out for breakfast. When the waitress came over I asked her if the power went off where she lived. Then I proceeded to tell her the only reason I was there for breakfast was - she interrupts mid sentence - "More coffee?" Before I could finish my story she cut me off. My partner looked at me and we both laughed because we realized I was displaying the characteristics of someone wasting their breath. I did not find the waitress rude, but rather cunning with her ability to not take part in my boring story. Non the less it was embarrassing.

An Eye for Success

Since I'm not a parent or hold a psychology degree to substantiate my view, this topic will be a shot in the dark. However my experience as a child coupled with common sense may be a helpful insight for those raising children. I envy most parents ability to sacrifice and having patience. These are traits which don't apply to me. While my ultimate destiny may have been curbed, it wasn't because my parents lacked the ability to sacrifice or be patient, but rather inexperience.

In a previous topic contained in this blog, "Positive Influence," I touched briefly on how the course of my future was redirected. This unintentionally happened out of my parents fear of me becoming gay. In the end, my ultimate dreams were not achieved and instead were redirected. Regardless of my parents efforts to discourage me from being a homosexual, I'm a gay man today. Resentment would describe my feelings if I ever found these efforts were to only benefit their social standing and not mine. To their defense, they've always believed my life would be much harder as a gay man. To my defense, I don't live a lie.

If your child appears to show mannerisms or characteristics which displease you, or you think these attributes would lead to something you believe to be misguided, think before you act. Trying to steer a child away from something they are naturally drawn will most likely delay or quite possibly change the course of their ultimate achievement and possibly a very successful future. Your instinctive actions are not always the wise choice for a child. Consider observing them and take a chance by giving them the right tools to express themselves.

This approach does not just apply to a child showing gay characteristics. In many cases a child may seem introverted. It's quite possible they have the mindset or thought process way beyond our comprehension. We should never assume the child is weird, unstable or stupid as an instinctive reaction. Never underestimate their possibilities. The answer may simply be to consider the child a prodigy and point them into the right direction to eventually become a genius, or at the least, successful.

Big decision? It should be. The question is whether you want your offspring to achieve their full potential or do you want them to be your pawn? If you choose for them to be your pawn, they quite possibly may end up resenting you. Take the time to research how you should rear your child. Don't be discouraged by their special needs.

Vision

If you found a way to this blog page you are most likely in or past your 40s and wearing contact lenses or glasses to read this topic. Quite a few people in our age group did not need the assistance of spectacles until just a few years ago. This is one of the true signs of our deteriorating and aging body's. Face it, if it has not happened now, give it a few more years. The hard part about losing our vision now is the simple fact we tend to read more as we get older and the need for our eyesight is never been more important.

Recently I learned there's a new type of bifocal called Progressive Lenses. These are glasses which have a bifocal without the engraved line in the center of the lens which basically tells people you are old. They take a day or two to get use to, but once you do, you have no idea how easy your world will become. If you were glasses to correct your vision due to farsightedness or nearsightedness, these are wonderful because you never need to take them off in order to don another pair for reading. If you do not need corrective glasses, I suggest you visit your local supermarket and get some readers.

These glasses made my life so much easier because I forgot how often I was looking for a pair of readers before having the progressive lenses. When we're young, our eyes are more adaptable to different situations, light, dark, vision from afar, or close. As we get older, this adaptability becomes less reliable. The Progressive Lenses actually gives me back that adaptability - at least from a reading standpoint. My memory of the hassle of looking for readers was well forgotten until Lucy, my new puppy, decided she needed to chew on something and it was my new glasses.

Updated 09-16-09

This paragraph is an update in response to a comment made by "Bob" as I concur when he says he wishes his reader portion were stronger. My reader portion is not strong enough either. This is an important consideration while in eye doctors' office. Don't be too hasty to leave the office without being perfectly comfortable with your magnification of the reading portion because if you do, it will cost your a fortune to change it. You will most likely need to reschedule an appointment in order to change the prescription, thus paying more for office visit as well as new lenses.

Until my budget allows me to afford a new pair, the aggravation of not having my glasses haunts me on a daily basis. In order for me to read, I need to dig into my bag and find my readers once again. If you never had a pair of these glasses, you do not know my pain. Without naming names, the loved one who does not think it's a big deal, guess again.

A Smile

Ever wake up and wonder what kind of day is before you? Or is it most likely after the day is over when you do your critique? You know, when you use some adjective to describe what kind of day it actually was: Great, terrific, nice, special, memorable, lousy, crappy or shitty. What preludes these descriptive choices? The situation is different for everyone. Sometimes you do not realize your mood until somebody points it out. If you are having a not so great day someone may joke around and say, "You got up on the wrong side of the bed." Or "Somebody's having a bad case of the Mondays."

Does the attitude you project, not so much how you actually feel, play an intricate part or have an influence rather, in the course of your day? In other words, can a simple smile change everything? I believe it may. There are health benefits to smiling. Something bothering you - smile. For me, it's not clear what psychological effect this has, but it helps me generate a different way to address my primary aggravation. Sure, sometimes I forget but will surely regret not using this simple technique later in my day. Not only will smiling adjust your attitude, it also makes you look more attractive. If you want a person or people to notice you, just smile.

Anything can trigger the beginning of a shitty day. In my case, sometimes the simple fact we are out of creamer for my coffee will have this trigger a sour beginning. If this happen it means I need to get out of my pajamas, get completely dressed in order to run to store and buy more. A big wrench is thrown into my day if I'm unable to drink my coffee the way I like it. This jot to the store first thing in the morning sucks. This is the precise time I need to smile. At the store I smile at the person stocking the shelves or the person ringing me up. This easy facial gesture really helps with how I process the fact I am doing something which is not in my original plan.

Beware of the ones who are miserable, or more so the ones determined to stay that way. They can't stand to see someone appear happy let alone actually be happy. Recently I was in a great mood and it was all influenced from having a receptive smile. Someone asked me why I was smiling so much. This hurt my feelings a little, but I drove on and felt the better person for continuing to be happy. For a person to ask this kind of question is a pretty good indication they are miserable or generally displeased with their current situation. Do not let people like this discourage you from using a smile as a tool to make your day brighter.

Who are you more apt to approach, the person with the scowl on their face or the one smiling? The smile works the same way as body language. Are you going to approach the person with their arms naturally at their sides or the one with their arms crossed? The person with their arms crossed has the body language of someone who wants to be left alone. So keep smiling.

Moderation

A few topics back, specifically, "The Workout," I made multiple uses of the word "adequate." My emphasis on the meaning of this word is key. In terms of exercise, we never want to overdo anything or else suffer the consequences of possible pain or injury. As children, we were sort of taught this with the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Never too much of anything, but just right. Though the author most likely was emphasizing the negatives of either greed or trespassing - my take was "just right" or in other words, "adequate." Yet there's another very important word to think about in all aspects of our lives and that being "moderation." Moderation puts too much of a good thing into perspective.

About 4 years ago I suffered a heart attack. When released from the hospital, the medical staff handed me a leaflet of things to avoid or else increase my risk to experience another cardiac episode. Stop smoking, reduce intake of fried food, red meat, foods high in sodium, foods high in fat, foods with trans fats and the list continued. Since I was guilty of all these pleasures as well as a few other pleasures not listed, it meant reinventing my entire way I live my life. In my situation, drastic changes were necessary. For the proceeding two years I was adamant about consuming a strict heart healthy diet.

Within the last couple of years this emphasis to maintain a specific rule of what foods to eat began to wear me thin. Almost to the point of stressing me out, and its no rumor stress is just as detrimental to the heart. Using moderation has allowed me to enjoy some of those pleasures again, but with caution. Thinking moderation allowed me to realize it's not necessary to eat the entire container of Hagen Daas or eat red meat as my primary source of protein. If I use moderation I can enjoy these wonderful treats and not be such a stick in the mud when it comes to sharing meals with friends since I do try to blend with society. Keep in mind there's a few things moderation will not work and one being smoking - quit now!

Home Improvements

To me, there's no better feeling than having an idea and then, voila, it's a reality. Or perhaps there is, and that's if "voila" really worked to make it happen. No, in most cases, when it comes to home improvements, its a back breaker. Unless of course, you have gazillions of dollars to pay someone to do it for you. In that case, you may likely only be satisfied with your idea and not so much the feeling you get from the "hands on" experience. The ability to look at what you yourself accomplished is such a reward. As the saying goes, "There's no better satisfaction than a job well done'"

We bought our house almost 10 years ago. We were in our mid 30s and were very ambitious as well as had the energy to update every aspect of our home to conform to one in the 21st century rather than a home you would see in a 1960s sitcom. Only one problem, our bank account was not as ambitious as we were. Little by little we did one project after another. It's taken 10 years, and we've come full circle from where we started, but we are finally about to complete the transformation and we've basically did it on our own - blood, sweat and tears.

Our final project has always been the back yard. We may have never completed it had it not been for our new family member, our dog Lucy. We have two other dogs, Bugsy and Roscoe, and they've never been a nuisance in any way. Lucy on the other hand has all the problematic characteristics of a dog. One of her favorite things to do is to find dirt or mud and dig, then track it everywhere. Me being a clean freak am at my wits end.

Solution: Have approximately 15 cubic yards, or roughly 40,000 pounds of river cobble to cover up all the dirt, at the same time giving the lawn a more manicured appearance, since it will be the only thing we will need to maintain once the project is done. Physically we knew we could do this since we did the front yard 9 years earlier. Since our home was built on a ridge, the end result is the look of a mountain high meadow complete with pine trees and a tranquil atmosphere. May I also point out that your body does a lot of changes in 9 years and despite all the sore muscles, the reward of doing it yourself is like nothing else. As of right now, the project is only two thirds done. Sore as I am from moving rock, I'm energized to complete the job. that will be done with my next paycheck where I seriously consider hiring a couple of migrant workers to assist. Final thought: Poor Lucy, there's no place for you to dig.

Positive Influences

There comes a time when we realize our days, months, years or even the lifespan we have to accomplish short and long term goals is limited. Negative influences have the potential to slow or stop our efforts. Unfortunately, this is a time when we may need to "clean house," so to speak, and begin to eliminate all negative influences which may slow the progression of our self growth or our ability to achieve goals. This quite possibly might involve disassociating ourselves, or participating less frequently in family events. Not in terms of divorce, though some cases may warrant a divorce as part of our agenda in eliminating the negative. More so in terms of the ones we love who've reluctantly encouraged us to excel, and if we did, they begrudgingly congratulated us. The kind of congratulations which seems to reward them for their false sense they were personally responsible for our achievement. I speak passionately about this because this is an snapshot of my epic experience.

In order to flush these negative influences aside, courage and strength are vital. The epitome of this situation is it's taken years, even decades for some to realize they can rise above by accepting and congratulating themselves for believing in their capacity to do great things in life. It is not easy to turn away from ones we love, but if they are not our main source of encouragement, move on.

During my childhood my vision of what my future may hold, like many children do, was my desire to sing, dance and perform or even be a movie star like my favorite actor, Superman's Christopher Reeve. In my household, had I displayed any hint of interest for the performing arts, it was considered gay or odd. This was not a good career choice because of the lifestyle it may eventually lead. There were hints of my affection for the same sex even back then and efforts were enacted to sway me to the opposite by handing me a football or baseball mitt. Basically ignoring my destiny was the result of those who tried to sway me. In turn the beginning of my dissatisfaction with my own self image was replaced.

Today I am happy, healthy, wise - and gay. I surround myself with many things which are characterized as gay. I'm married to a man, I work as a flight attendant, I take care of my health by eating right and abiding to a fitness regimen. Performing arts are still very interesting to me and I'm able to identify true works of art. Nobody is going to convince me the way I live my life is wrong or the wrong direction - I know better. I'm now taking applications for more positive influences.

Complex Being

As young men we tend to seek the secrets of the universe, our sanity and compassion, a potential soul mate and possibly our state of nirvana. As we approach our midlife years we shift our search for spiritual growth, sometimes through the destruction of our previous beliefs, and anything that could lead to interesting dialogue. Sound deep? This is my perspective as a man. The female verbiage should be the same when describing what men seek rather than her primitive thought of our search for only food, sex and sleep. I point this out because we are taught to believe, even in this day of political correctness, women are more complex human beings than men. This is partly because women are known to have many states of consciousness at any given moment, overshadowing the complexity of men. From my perspective men are just as, if not more, complex than women. Women wear their thoughts and feelings as if it were high fashion, while men in the same respect show more self-restraint. for men this by far shows more power, stability, as well as complexity. - just a thought.

Fitness On the Go

Since my job is being a crew member for a commercial airline, people often wonder where I find time or resources to maintain my exercise regimen during my travels. What they do not know, most hotels today have conformed to the needs of the fitness enthusiast. These hotels actually contain, if not a full service athletic club, at the least, a dedicated exercise room with new, state of the art, equipment. Growing ever popular are the cardiovascular machines, complete with it's own fan and HDTV built into it's console. Quite frequently there are also popular gyms near the hotel. The hotel's front desk staff may furnish you with a day pass to these facilities. In many cases, your hotel may be situated near running trails or parks. Recently while in Minneapolis I took advantage of a natural reserve near my hotel and went for a peaceful wilderness run. My point being, there's no excuse for me to skip a workout unless to just relax and take a break - and that's OK once in a while. On the occasion I'm able to find a popular gym like Golds, 24 hour, Balley's or YMCA near my hotel, I put more effort into a full workout so when back home I have plenty of time for more important things in life - like laundry, dust or vacuum. :-)

Hydration

Recently I read the human body contains every element in our galaxy. In other words, we are living, moving, and breathing fingerprints of where we come from in terms of in our galactic neighborhood. Water is the one element throughout space exploration found only here, on planet Earth, and our body's are comprised of approximately 60 percent of the H2O. The amazing thing about this, aside from other living organisms, we are physically responsible to maintain this level throughout our lives or else die from dehydration. Another amazing thing, through technology, we are able to adapt to different climates because we know how to move and or bring water where it normally does not belong.

When working out or working in the yard, it seems like I cannot hold on to water. This is a process of exertion, and the body will sweat in order to cool itself down. A power walk will expel approximately a pound of water. Dehydration can occur rapidly with people who have been burned, experience frequent urination, fever, and diarrhea. Some of the initial signs of dehydration are thirst, and lack of urination, or your urine is very yellow. A more advanced level of dehydration would show signs of dry mouth, lack of sweat, muscle cramps and nauseousness.

This will lead to the question of how much water do I need? This all depends on your health, energy level, and your climate. Our medical community suggests we use the 8 by 8 rule. This is eight, eight ounce glasses of water a d day. Some of us require more, but rarely less, in order for our metabolism to work properly. As a flight attendant working in a very arid atmosphere I must constantly remind myself to drink water.

Supplements

If you eat the right foods as recommended by the food guide pyramid, why add supplements? You hear of people adding creatine or protein powders as part of the daily intake in addition to meals. Being in good physical condition, I'm often asked, "Dude, what are you taking or what do you eat?" My response is, "I eat right and I do not take supplements." Sure, years ago I used to dabble with supplements, but they did nothing for me. My theory is this:

Our creator gave us a finely tuned body, designed to process food we eat into fuel needed to function properly. Whatever the body does not require will be flushed as waste. We should, for the most part, trust our medical professionals telling us to adhere to the recommended food guide pyramid. Why? Medical research is put forth to its validity. Using unnecessary supplements may throw off the body's natural ability to process properly. Most supplements have not been proven to work as supplements manufacturer's claim, potentially causing our body to overwork in order to compensate for too much of a good thing.

Fitness enthusiast are well known for standing behind the use of creatine as a common supplement. Creatine is scientifically proven to enhance the performance of the skeletal muscles, though the amounts recommended by the companies who process the supplement form is not substantiated by research. Creatine is a derivative of meat. Not just the red kind. Any animal protein contains creatine, however some in larger quantities, like red meat. Consuming a balanced amount of animal proteins will supply the body with the adequate amount of creatine it requires. Unless you are vegan or a vegetarian, there's really no need for this particular supplement. If you do not eat animal proteins, are doing so by choice, yet you are an omnivore, your body is not designed to function properly without some form of animal protein derivative and you most likely require supplements.

Crotchety

One of the traits of getting older my least favorite is potentially becoming or being accused of becoming crotchety. Years ago I imagined what to look forward to in terms of growing older and jokingly telling friends, "The ability to sit in a rocking chair on a large porch, drink beer with my hound dog at my side, slingshot on hand targeting the little punks in the neighborhood." This partially was my true aspiration for retirement life... until recently.

While talking on phone with a friend I witnessed children climbing a fence in order to pick fruit from my neighbor's tree. I yelled at them for trespassing. My friend over-heard me yelling and accused me of being crotchety. Never hearing the word before, I knew immediately it was not a compliment and was quite miffed over him using such a word to describe me. I told him to eat shit. After finding word in the dictionary, by definition I was being crotchety to the children as well as with my response to my friend.

It's important for me to take steps to avoid exposing this trait in the future. It's my belief by not recognizing such traits now, I become oblivious to them in the future and will appear to be a mean old man. My goal is to blend with society for as long as possible.

My suggestion to avoid falling into the category of crotchety is to always keep an open mind. These children were from less fortunate upbringings and I should have assisted them in the event they might hurt themselves since it was easier for me to pick the fruit off the neighbors tree. My frame of mind then did not allow me to think these children might be hungry. Sadly my original actions may be embedded into these children's minds forever. They might even use the same tactic later in life because I taught them how.

Cardio

There are many ways to reach an adequate (aerobic) level to maintain healthy cardiovascular conditioning, and I choose to run. In my 20s, running was the only way to clear my mind of all thoughts allowing an end result of a more balanced way of processing my daily intake of information as well as conditioning my heart. In my 30s somehow I forgot this concept and felt if I looked healthy on the outside then it must be a reflection of my overall health, and running was no longer a priority it was years earlier. In my 40s the lack of cardiovascular exercise combined with years of bad habits inherited me a heart attack.

Finding an activity to get the blood moving and the heart pumping on a regular basis is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our health. The idea is not to over exert yourself but to try to keep an adequate and moderate type of energy level while performing this type of exercise. There are many ways we can achieve this aerobic level. Swimming, running,walking, hiking, running and even riding a bike are some great examples. The best way to gauge whether you are at an "adequate" level of activity is your ability to have a conversation while performing that activity. If you cannot, you are at a level called anaerobic. This is not a good level for the beginner or novice. As with any exercise, always consult with your physician about what kind of aerobic activity is right for you.

Smoking

Many of us in our 40s grew up before the risk factors of smoking were grilled into our heads through magazines, newspapers, or even television. I remember being in car with my parents while they puffed away with the windows closed and us kids sat in the back seat choking. We did not know the damage was already being done. We did know we hated it yet these were our parents and we just thought it was part of the parent thing to do. In fact, as we grew up, we felt more like an adult if we did smoke. Recently I joined a "Ban Smoking" group on a popular social networking site. One of my friends, a nurse, felt it necessary to tell me she was against this type of group because smokers keep her employed as a respiratory therapist. Evidently some of the taxes on cigarettes are used to fund clinics needed to treat diseases caused by smoking. I asked her if it would be better if I lived my life as unhealthy as possible in order to keep our medical professionals employed? Pretty strong argument for National Health Care don't you think?

Smoking causes heart disease, cancer, neurological complications, respiratory issues, forest fires, house fires, waist of our tax dollars, and death to name a few. Is that not enough to ban the filthy habit? Evidently not. Does the simple fact smokers are hurting others around them give them cause to at least consider quitting? If they are unselfish and compassionate, maybe.

I was a smoker for 25 years. I own up to being a selfish, stupid, and non-compassionate smoker. Ignorant to the fact whether or not spraying deodorant, chewing gum, or washing my hands after smoking, people could still smell it. Guess what? I had a heart attack, cancer, and still do not know what other damage will surprise me from my history of smoking. Am I bitter there are people who still smoke? You bet! But not because I want one, it's because they are not listening.

The Workout

For about 12 years I've been very religious about fitness. In the beginning my workouts were intense since my goal was to be bigger and stronger than the guy next to me at the gym. Normally this is good competitive nature. What was not normal, as a result of my not so well planned ambition, were injuries. Shortly after entering my 40s this desire to be big and strong seemed less appealing. Living a long and healthy life is not my main agenda and exercise is the part of the process.

A good routine is important in any exercise program. In order for us to actually see results we need to change up the order we workout our sets each month. "Sets" is a word to describe the number of times you do a particular exercise whether it be a machine, dumbbell or a floor exercise. Try breaking body down into components. Example: Day 1 - Back and shoulders; Day 2 - Legs; Day 3 - Chest; Day 4 - Arms. You might consider three sets of 10 -15 reps with a weight providing, not heavy, but adequate resistance. Abdominal, lower back and obliques may be worked with the same, adequate, resistance and doubling the number of reps with each gym visit. Note: Using heavy weights on the abdominal region will build the muscle and is counterproductive because it will increase the waistline. Always remember, if we are able to rise up from our beds each day, we already have abdominal muscles. However, if we want to see them, proper nutrition and a cardiovascular program must be included with each workout.

Sleep

Just in: USA TODAY 8-27-09

It seems like I rarely achieve a full nights sleep. They say 8 hours is adequate, yet I only get 6-7 of this peaceful experience. I do feel rested after my typical shorter than suggested amount, but I wish I could just roll over and sleep more. It amazes me when my significant other has the ability to doze until almost noon on occasion.

Eating well, exercising mind and body are key to a healthy life, yet nothing is more important than rest or even more to the point, sleep. The body does not repair or rejuvenate without going into a rem-cycle. A lot of medical professionals who prescribe sleep aids do not tell you some drugs block your body's ability to enter the rem-cycle. Most recently in our news we hear about Pop Superstar, Michael Jackson's battle with sleep deprivation. Though this is an extreme measure, it may bring to light the importance of getting proper rest without the assistance of medication. Eating well, and exercise will give way to a good nights sleep.

The Change of Life

When I was a kid, I remember my grandmother complaining about the temperature being too hot, when I was wearing a jacket. She would tell me it was all about the change in life. She said this happens to women as they get older and it was difficult at times for her to adjust to climate change. Additionally, I work as a flight attendant and I always notice when I work with more mature woman, the temperature on the plane is much colder.

Men and women together experience signs of aging. Our difference in physiology present us both with different types of physical changes. While men tend to slow down and notice their units become less reliable, woman have a process where their ability to be fertile stops. This is a condition called either peri menopause or menopause. Peri is the Latin/medical term for "around" or in the "vicinity" of the object or condition you attach it to and in this case, it's used to describe the beginning of menopause. These are phases in life where women have a tough time adjusting to climate, their moods, as well as physical change. Many women are assisted with these changes with medications or hormones prescribed by their doctors. This is a time in life where women need to be really in-tune with themselves and make the decisions which will project the outcome of the menopause phase. There are many conflicting studies regarding the use of hormones during this time in a woman's life.

Daily Rituals

Some of us have some sort of routine we follow on a daily basis. Whether is be brushing before bed or stretching upon waking, it keeps us sane and on a balanced frame of mind. Some of us who don't, seem to never complete goals or accomplish the ones we aspired in the beginning. Perhaps we have our routines because tasks within our routine are to be completed so we can make time for what we enjoy most during the day. Sort of a reward at the end of the task. Then there are those who just go right to the reward and the rest of the world could go to piss as far as they are concerned. Most will identify with these two concepts because most of us have significant others. We often get into relationships with people who are the polar opposite of ourselves. The Yin and the Yang. Daily rituals can be tweaked from time to time to either make them less boring or to help you achieve efficiency. At this stage of your life, it is very helpful to have some sort of plan.

The Empty Nest

Many drastic changes happen as we get older. Not being a father myself, I can only imagine one of the hardest transitions would be when your offspring leave for college or move out on their own. What stage in life this happens varies for everyone and which stage it happens will have a profound effect on how one deals with this change. For the young parents, (my assumption) this can be an adventurous beginning while the more mature parents find it to be a great loss. I'm sure as I look for links for this Topic I'm bound to be enlightened as I do every time I blog. For me, I have dogs. As they age, and it seems to be happening quite fast these days, you see their disposition begin to change. Their physical appearance changes and you do think, what's it gonna be like when they are not around. I guess the only difference for me aside from parents with offspring is my kids to no grow up and go to college. My dogs however do eventually leave the nest.

The Male Ego

As a man, do you ever notice, like myself, how you feel inclined to open doors, or walk on the dangerous side of the street for the opposite sex? Did our parents teach us this courtesy? Or are like me when you are at the gym, and try to out-perform your male counterparts? What causes us to either sustain what we've been taught as manners, or in many cases, be naturally competitive? Most likely this is a trait of our male ego.

One of the most difficult and complex obstacles men face during this life changing period is our ego. They say women are a complex machine and very hard to figure out because they are comprised of many levels of consciousness. Yet men are just as complex although our emotional levels are not as sensitive as our female counterparts. As men we are born and bred, mentally, to be the provider, the enforcer, and the backbone of most situations. This translates to the physical as well. We do man things, we play ball, wrestle, lift weights and are very competitive. As we get older, we start to see the younger, more evolved male generation tackle the same issues, but with more ease. At times we are jealous of this when actually we should be more observant and learn from our younger generation. They are figuring it out for the better. The younger generation is less conservative and are allowing themselves to grow beyond the masculine mold - The Metro Sexual. This makes life less stressful. Seeing and implementing their way of thinking will simplify our lives and be less damaging to our egos in the future.

Causes of Impotence

A very touchy and embarrassing subject for most men. Many factors can be the cause of this potentially ego destructive dysfunction. Medical insurance does not cover the fairly expensive drugs which can help with inadequacy, nor does your physician ever feel it's feasible for them to take a closer examination to find out what could be the culprit. When was the last time your doctor asked you, how is your sex life? Are we to believe at some point of our lives we need to just give up on a very important aspect of our maleness? Whatever your particular issue is, it's important to find out the root of your problem. There are many benefits to having an active sex life. To name a few: Stress reduction, improves your immunity, burns calories, better cardiovascular health, self esteem boost, less prostate cancer risk and the most important for us all, better sleep.

What is the Crisis?

One of the best ways to deal with Midlife Crisis is to actually identify the characteristics of this unavoidable period in our lives. This period is part of our physiology and it's not a matter of if, but rather, when and to what degree. These characteristics can be divided into two categories, unavoidable and the avoidable. The unavoidable characteristics are the actual physical symptoms of the aging process. The avoidable are the behavior symptoms. Both men and woman experience this period in life and each have common traits when going through the midlife process. Just for example, here are a few:

Male Midlife Traits:

Known as "The Manther" will borrow from life saving to buy the "Special Edition" convertible sports car in order to drive himself to the nearest tattoo parlor to decorate the painstakingly accentuated bicep with a tribal band. From there proceed to the nearest jewelery counter at the mall to have his ear pierced with a large diamond stud which will look groovy with his newly dawned pony tail. Not to forget he will clad himself with age inappropriate $300 pair of designer jeans worn with very shiny dress shoes - without socks.

Female Midlife Traits:

Found at the nearest Cougar Den (Any casual dining restaurant chain, with bar) and will be suffering later in the evening with a sore back due to sitting with her boobs erect, in the right light, facing entry door, waiting for "any" hot young buck, who is legally blind, to walk through the door and sweep her off her feet.

These are two small examples of what I've observed in my everyday life. A good suggestion is to be a people watcher and learn what to avoid during this almost careless period in your life. Observing others will most likely teach you not to look entirely like an ass, really.

Defying the Effects of Aging through Strength Training

While being a heart disease survivor, cardiovascular exercise is essential to my health. However along with cardio, which at times takes a lot of motivation, there is also strength training, otherwise known as "Lifting Weights." The entire concept or motivation of lifting weights as a teen or in our 20s was mainly to look hot for our partner. While this may be a poor excuse to develop the habit of strength training, anything our minds do to create a desire to do positive things for our health is not so bad in the long run. As we get older and out of shape, also known as the aging process, the desire to do healthy things for ourselves becomes less a focus because life happens. However, never forget, no matter how healthy you are, life is short, and your chances for making it even shorter are greatly reduced by taking care of yourself. Will strength training increase your life expectancy? Probably not. Will the combination of strength training, cardio, eating right and feeling good about yourself because you made the effort to be healthy increase your life expectancy? I guarantee it!

7 Day Dietary Challenge.

It's important for me to to convey a common sense approach to any ones dietary needs. Unless you've been living in a cave for the last 30 years, you know through the media what different foods cause diseases - particularly heart disease and obesity. We could go to the extremes and say if you are gonna begin to eat right, go all the way and go organic. If your budget allows you to go this route, by all means. There's plenty of literature to educate us on the benefits of organic foods. In order to feel the immediate effects of eating smart using common sense are these simple rules on foods to avoid:

1. No fried foods (be very careful when ordering Asian foods as they have vastly fried menus).

2. Cut out fast foods chains entirely (Main source of fried food and red meat for most).

3. For a while, cut out red meat until you learn other ways to achieve you protein needs.

4. Avoid table or processed sugars, and only use fruit as your sweet fix.

Seems easy enough? It's really not when you think about how you feed yourself on a daily basis. Non the less, give it a 7 day trial period. In the beginning I was religious about these rules, honestly, I've indulged from time to time since. It's important to get your body use to being fed correctly. The by-product is you will feel better. Combine eating right with an exercise regimen will deliver you some amazing results. People have asked me whether I compete in bodybuilding and what supplements I take. While this is a major ego boost, my answer is no and none to both and also tell them I look the way I do is because I follow my own set of rules using common sense. But first things first, do the 7 Day Nutritional Challenge.

What age is Midlife?

Some will argue whether 40 is the benchmark to midlife. According to CDC.gov the average life expectancy for a white American male at age 40 in 2004 is 77.9 years. Given this data, my calculation on when actual midlife begins for the same subject would be age 38.9. These numbers are not meant to make you feel old nor are they the purpose for this blog, but rather to help you put into perspective what stage of life you are in today.