Running: A Fever

http://RunningAFEVER.com In 2008 Dan Buettner published his first book on the Blue Zones, based on his research for National Geographic. He produced a second book, Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way, in 2010. The Blue Zones Solution: Eating an Living Like the World's Healthiest People, is the third in this series. The edition reviewed is the National Geographic hardback (2015, Washington DC, 319 pages). The Blue Zones Solution is divided in to four parts. In Part I, Buettner reviews the research, original and recent, concerning the blue zones, comunities in the world where more people live happy and healthy lives of one hundred years or more. In Part II, he tells the story of his team's attempts to create a blue zone in the United States. The third part summarizes what it takes to manufacture a blue zone. The final part is a collection of longevity-promoting recipes. This chapter in the Blue Zones series focuses on changing the world. It is a chronicle of efforts and a manual of methods Buettner is

http://RunningAFEVER.com Get the book: http://RunningAFEVER.com/BiggerLeanerStronger In the world of body-building, knowledge is power. Bigger, Leaner, Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body, by Michael Matthews is an attempt to provide a more-or-less complete reference for diet and exercise, specifically for men intent on becoming physically lean and muscular. The edition reviewed is the paperback second edition published by Oculus Publishers. Read the full review at http://RunningAFEVER.com/127

http://RunningAFEVER.com   In January of 2019 my employer asked me to participate in a wellness program to raise awareness of aspects of health such as hydration, nutrition, and fitness. I was specifically asked to be in a video about nutrition, and this episode is taken from that video. I set fitness as a priority in life because everything else in my life depends on it. Improving my health means I am a better worker, friend.... everything. Fad diets come and go. I once lost 60 pounds on a juice diet, for example. That's not something I could sustain though. So I had to find a diet that I liked and that was also healthy. I say "Become an expert in your own health." One helpful practice is making meals ahead of time. I don't necessarily plan every meal in advance, but I have options. I make enough on the weekend to last the week, freeze the meals and microwave them for each meal. Another trick is substitution. Eating brown rice instead of white rice. Use Smart Balance, which has a third of the calories of but

http://RunningAFEVER.com In the 1980's, Leonard Guarente began doing anti-aging research at MIT. He's a biologist, and his major discovery was finding a gene that controls aging by experimenting with yeast. Subsequent supporting research has been done on rats as well. In the 1980's, Leonard Guarente began doing anti-aging research at MIT. He's a biologist, and his major discovery was finding a gene that controls aging by experimenting with yeast. Subsequent supporting research has been done on rats as well. There are 2 important substances at work here. Sirtuins, a protein that regulates aging and other processes at a cellular level. We need them particularly to make nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a required material for conversion of food into energy and other cell functions. NAD supplies in the body deteriorate over time, though some can come can be gained from certain food substances like tryptophan, aspartic acid and niacin. From this comes the idea of supplementation. A couple of companies

http://RunningAFEVER.com I keep hearing from various sources on the importance of beans in our diets. Dan Buettner says they are one of the world's greatest longevity foods, and recommends eating a cup a day. What are beans? A bean is a seed of a group of plants called Fabaceae, though it also is applied to other things, for example, Jelly Beans! which are not seeds of any plant. What are the nutritional benefits? There are many. Beans are high in fiber, protein, antioxidants. They are also rich in vitamins, especially the B vitamins, such as Thiamine (B1), Roboflavin (B2), and Folate (B9). B vitamins are important in energy level, brain function (I could use all of that I can get), and preventing infections. Vitamin K, used in blood clotting, and vitamin E, which has numerous benefits including lowering cancer risk, are also common in beans.  Beans are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth. 1 serving is 123 calories. There are other health benefits as well. They can reduce cholesterol, decrease blo

http://RunningAFEVER.com There are little changes you can add to your everyday routine to be more active, both at home or at work, or wherever you would otherwise spend idle time. 1. Park farther away when you go to work, church, store, or apartment. 2. Cook your own meals, cooking a meal can burn as much as 300 calories. 3. Use fewer labor-saving devices, for example: use a spoon instead of a mixer; Wash dishes by hand; chop vegetables yourself instead of using a food processor; use a manual can opener; and for a non-kitchen example: use a push-lawnmower instead of a riding one. 4. If you sit at work, set an alarm and get up at least every hour and walk around. A fitness watch can help both by reminding you to move and by counting your steps to measure your activity. 5. Take the long way to the bathroom, breakroom, or parking lot when walking around your office. There are many more. Once you start looking, you'll become aware of ways you can be more active. Nano-calorie-burner department. I see some p

http://RunningAFEVER.com Pliability is the central concept of Tom Brady's physical training program. He spends 50% of his training time on pliability, the rest in resistance training (with bands, not weights) and cardio. The idea is to have long, soft, muscles that contract and relax through 100% of their range, rather than short, dense, stiff muscles with 50% range. It helps prevent injury and improve recovery from injuries when they happen. Pliability training should be done before and after every workout. The actions are intentional, rythmic trauma applied to 20 different muscles groups. These are esentially resistance exercises, but are different than weight training, stretching, or massage. There is also a very important neurological aspect to this program. -repeated activity trans our brains that this is the desired state. Have you ever noticed that when you do something a while, you don't have to think about it? Tom says it is imperative to train your brain to see long-soft primed muscles as the des

Get the book: http://RunningAFEVER.com/tb12book This week's episode is a continuation of my discussion of the diet outlined in Tom Brady's book "The TB12 Method". Tom Brady's diet is 80% alkalyzing foods and 20% acidifying foods. A pH of 7 is the goal, and it takes that combination to get there. In general, vegetables are alkalyzing, meat is acidifying, but here is Tom's short list of specific examples, and some of them are quite surprising. Alkalyzing: ------------- Artichokes Beets Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Chicory Cucumbers Dandelion greens Escarole or Endive Green beans Lettuce (except Iceberg) Potatoes Red cabbage Spinach Squash Sweet peppers Sweet potatoes Vegetable juice made in a juicer Yams Zucchini Acidifying: ------------- Beef Black currants Butter Cheese Chickpeas Cold Cuts Crayfish Hazelnuts Herring Kiwis Lobster Mackerel Mandarin oranges Millet Nectarines Oranges Peanuts Pecans Pineapples Pistachio nuts Pork Pumpkin seeds Raspberries Red currants Salmon Soybeans

http://RunningAFEVER.com Get the book: http://RunningAFEVER.com/tb12book This weekend is Superbowl 53. For those not in the United States, that's the championship game of American style football.  One of the quarterbacks is Tom Brady, who many consider to be the greatest of all time. He is 41, is in his 19th season with the New England Patriots. His stats in the post season are unmatched: He holds 13 super bowl records, this being his 9th appearance, the most of any NFL player in history. He holds 20 post season records and 9 regular season records. When a man is this successful, everyone wants to know his secret. Obviously, there is no one thing that anyone can do to be as successful as Tom Brady. But he has revealed his diet, which he calls TB12 (12 being the number he wears as a player), in a book by the same name. The book is actually called "The TB12 Method" and is more than just a diet book. It covers exercise, hydration, nutrition, training and recovery, and even mental fitness. We'll get into a lot

http://RunningAFEVER.com It's been a long day, starting at 5:30 A.M. with my first trip to the gym in 2-1/2 weeks, and continuing tonight with a Blue Zone dinner later. I'm doing a walk on the same day, and it's a good thing I'm getting all this activity in, because I am dealing with about 15 pounds of holiday weight gain. Last year I recorded an episode (#7) called "After the Turkey", in which I bemoaned my three days off for Thanksgiving. At the time I was walking every day. I claimed to feel weaker because of the off time, though perhaps it was merely psychological. This morning, I was definitely feeling reduced strength after a couple of weeks out. And the scale does not lie. During the holidays I was also dealing with a family illness, which meant I spent a lot of time in a hospital room. After I got back from this visit, I had to fight a respiratory infection which forced me to rest an additional few days. Events caused me additional stress recently, and I found myself succumbing to old habits: watching

http://RunningAFEVER.com Today's podcast episode is inspired by the Mercy Me song "Even If". In the song, the singer acknowleges that God can take away any troubles anyone may have. Often, He chooses not to rid us of our problems exactly when we want to be rid of them. But even then, the singer's hope is still in God. I can relate to Mercy Me singer Bart Millard's predicament. His purpose in life is to bring a positive message to the world through his music. Day to day he goes in front of people and sings his heart out. In good times, his strong faith carries him through with ease. But in bad times, when he's not feeling so hot, he might rather be singing the blues. My purpose in life is similar. I want to bring a positive message and inspire people to improve their health and well-being. But I have my ups and downs as well. But the essence of faith is keeping that hope regardless of circumstances. To continue when everything is going my way requires no faith at all. The real challenge comes when things are b

http://RunningAFEVER.com There's a sort of prankster at work who gave me a Christmas present that included "Blazin Rectum Rub", which I assume is a real spicy meat seasoning. It occurred to me that this product may have thermogenic qualities. What are thermogenics? These are substances which encourage the production of heat in the body. One natural example is cayenne pepper (pronounced CY-ANNE-PEPPAH in Cajun). This is actually sold in capsules, but it's just a spice really. I've used the capsules in the past -- don't take them on an empty stomach -- but i get plenty in the massive amounts of Tabasco sauce that I eat on just about everything. Cayenne has other benefits: it reduces hunger, and normalizes blood glucose, which we know is one of the keys to longevity (see episode #110 on the glycemic index). Much of my information comes from a great website DrAxe.com, specifically this page: https://draxe.com/thermogenic/ There are some dangerous thermogenics, says Dr. Axe, including bitter orange peel and hoodi

http://RunningAFEVER.com On a long trip, I stop at a rest area along my route and take a brief walk to get some fresh air and stretch my life. I emphasize the psychological as well as physical benefits of striving to get into nature whatever is going on in our lives. It is a short walk but a welcome break in a long day of driving. Always look to take care of your health, even on a long interstate journey. Recorded December 22, 2018. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 205 (-69) Workout time: 78 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 2.89 Miles (346.16) Steps: 6,888 Muscle Mass (change since Aug 2018): 156.10 (+13) Body Fat: 24% Daily Sleep Duration 7-day Avg: 7 hours 2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat

http://RunningAFEVER What impact did this major injury have on my overall journey to good health? What did I learn from it? In this episode I review what happened and the legacy of this important event. Today I am doing what helps me deal with stress -- walking in nature and conversing with you, the listener. This has become my therapy. You may have a different activity to help you deal with stress. These are life tools and are very important to overall health. On December 16, 2017 I sustained an injury while running and recording the podcast. This eventually had me out of action for six weeks, in which I felt quite a bit of fear that I would fall back into old bad habits. I had only been walking regularly for a little more than a month when I hurt my knee. I was also concerned about the fate of the podcast. What has changed? The tragic flaw may still be there, but I have more knowledge now. Knowledge about myself and my body, knowledge about the nature of injuries and how to manage them. I also have a confid

http://RunningAFEVER.com A little travel is good for the soul. Today Amy and I drive several hours to go hiking at Queen Wilhelmina State Park near Mena, Arkansas. It is a beautiful, mountainous area, and not crowded in the middle of December. The views are breathtaking, and the breathtaking is crisp. Several trails criss-cross the park which has a lodge at its center atop a mountain. There are a few tips I can offer on taking a road trip: Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/114 Recorded December 15, 2018. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 197 (-72) Workout time: 129 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 4.27 Miles (322.92) Steps: 11,123 Muscle Mass (change since Aug 2018): 145.44 (+2) Body Fat: 26.1% 2018 Goals: ACHIEVED (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18 (2) Lose 100lbs by 12/25/18 2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat

http://RunningAFEVER.com Bisphenol A, also known as BPA. What is it? BPA is one of the most common industrial chemicals on the planet. It is used to make clear, tough plastic, like you see in all manner of containers, CD's,DVD's and epoxy used to line food containers and water pipes. Why are we talking about this? Controversy -- BPA has hormone-like qualities. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones called them "Gender-Bending Plastic Chemicals". The FDA has repeatedly endorsed BPA's and their studies have failed to show any danger to consumers. Non-FDA studies have shown possible adverse effects. BPA's have been banned by Canada and the European Union for use in baby bottles. The FDA has withdrawn its authorization of bpa use in baby bottles, but not due to any perceived danger, but for market abandonment. The market has seen the taint on BPA's and now has non-BPA products, mainly for marketing purposes. The substitutes being used have health concerns as well, but they are far less known than BPAs. The bottom line? T

http://RunningAFEVER.com A "5K" is a five-kilometer race. There are many of these and they are very popular as they are accessible to a large number of people. Usually they cost about $20 to enter, proceeds usually benefit a charity, and you always get a t-shirt and usually some other giveaway items as well. It is a good way to commune with fellow humans (and sometimes canines) in a healthy way. This particular 5K was held at the Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale, Arkansas, which is not coincidentally the home of Running: A FEVER World Headquarters. The Phoenix Burner is the name of the school newspaper. A special aspect of this race was that it was held the weekend prior to Halloween, and accordingly children were invited to dress up in costumes. Small children ran a short section of the main course. Some of the costumes I saw were cheerleaders, princesses, Incredibles, and bunnies! This was also the first 5K I had run which used computer chips to record the finishing times. I highly recommend che

http://RunningAFEVER.com Today I went out on the trail right after work to just walk, like I used to do every day in the old days. I did it mostly because I enjoy it. But doing things you enjoy can also relieve stress, which is an important factor in health and longevity.  Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com Recorded December 11, 2018. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 198 (-76) Workout time: 168 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 7.56 Miles (305.75) Steps: 17,080 Muscle Mass (change since Aug 2018): 151.18 (+8) Body Fat: 23.8% 2018 Goals: ACHIEVED (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18 (2) Lose 100lbs by 12/25/18 2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat

http://RunningAFEVER.com Glycemic Index (GI) - A ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar (glucose) levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested, absorbed, and metabolized and result in marked fluctuations in glucose levels. A diet including low GI carbohydrates - the ones that produce smaller fluctuations in your blood glucose and insulin levels -- is one of the secrets to long-term health, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It is also one of the keys to maintaining weight loss. The glycemicindex.com site at the University of Sydney also presents evidence of this statements, and is worth checking out. ...Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com Recorded December 19, 2018. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 201 (-73) Workout time: 0 Minutes Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 0 Miles (275.95) Steps: 2,653 Muscle Mass (change since Aug 2018): 149.09 (+6) Body Fat: 25.9% 2018 Goals: ACH

http://RunningAFEVER.com Michael Zalewski lost a lot of weight on the keto diet, which he no longer uses after discovering the health detriment of it. Like myself, he lost weight rapidly in the beginning as part of a weight loss contest, and subsequently moved to a more healthy pace. The keto diet consists of a high-fat, low-carb, no-sugar diet. Like the atkins diet, the idea is that with no carbs to burn, the body must burn fat. But a high-fat diet has definite health risk. In Michael's case his cholesterol raced. After he discovered this, and at the advice of his wife, who is a nurse, Michael stopped keto and is now on a Mediterranean-style diet. Like many muscular men, Michael is, and, he feels, will probably always be overweight according to the National Institutes of Health BMI recommendations. But he uses his waist size (the same as in his high school days) as a main indicator of a healthy weight and body composition. Recorded November 26, 2018. Weight (change since Jan 2018): 195 (-79) Workout time: 0