What to Do to Increase Your Life Span

This is the first in a series of tips for living a longer, healthier life. The follow posts and there are 8 more posts that will be easy to follow and will enrich your life.

The first is: Go outside and get more sun.

Life expectancy can be increased simply by going outside and getting some sun. Exposure to sunlight triggers cells in your skin to produce vitamin D.

Vitamin D is essential for many vital functions:

Bone growth

Bone remodeling (in which bones constantly rebuild themselves)

Involuntary muscle contractions (such as for heartbeat and digestion)

The conversion of blood glucose (sugar) into energy

Vitamin D deficiency can impair all of these functions and lead to an increased risk of fractures, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis (porous bones).

Research suggests that 50% of adults with low vitamin D levels simply don't get out into the sun enough. Getting sun for just 15 minutes a day is enough to maintain vitamin D levels in healthy people. Some doctors will advise you to get a bit more than 15 minutes, my doctor said 20 minutes. Always check with your doctor when you change your routine. 

Taking vitamin D supplements and eating foods rich in vitamin D are also effective ways to increase vitamin D levels.

Foods rich in vitamin D include:

Dairy and plant milk fortified with vitamin D

Orange juice fortified with vitamin D

Oily fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines

Beef liver

Egg yolks

Fortified cereals

Vitamin D Deficiency and Life Expectancy

A 2019 review of studies concluded that vitamin D deficiency is linked to a higher risk of all-cause mortality (death from all causes) compared to those with normal vitamin D levels. This includes a two-fold increased risk of death by cancer.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

  Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Increasing Flexibility Has a Range of Health Benefits

 Seniors need to read this post and for younger readers, talk to the seniors in your family. Stretching is a type of exercise, like yoga, that will increase your flexibility and balance. Yes, a brisk walk will get your heart pumping and everyone needs cardio to strengthen the heart and increase blood flow, but stretching will reduce the cramping you can often get from exercise. 

I am sure that any senior who see a doctor for their aches and pains knows what range of motion means. It's common that as you age you will lose some range of motion. Stretching can fix that. Losing range of motion is a result of tendons and ligaments not being stretched or exercised. If you're not familiar with those words, they attach the muscles to the bones and keep your joints moving properly. When Your joints start to stiffen up, stretching maybe the solution. 

If you don't exercise very often, you will start to have flexibility problems. You can lose range of motion or it may be painful to rotate joints like your wrist, elbows, knees and even your neck. We think of these as just a sign of aging. Actually, it's a sign of neglect. 

Stretching is something that any one at any age can do, even if you are sitting on a hard chair. You can learn these stretches at home watching TV. Cable TV has channels that show exercises for beginners. Other shows are for seniors and other show are more advanced like Yoga classes or Tai Chi.

My wife showed me an article today that talked about the war baby generation those born 1936 to 1946. World-wide 99% of war babies have died. If you are among the 1% you are one of the lucky ones. We have lived in the best of times. 

You probably have been doing several things already to keep your body in good shape. So, keep it up.

Follow me on Twitter or X @ray0369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

How to eat Less

 Looking for tips to eat less? There are ways to eat less at home, ways to eat less around friends and ways to eat less in restaurants. But there is no single set of rules that will help you eat less in every situation. So if you’re trying to stop overeating to slim down, you’ve got to learn different tips for different environments. This guide will help. You’ll learn to stop eating too much food and eat fewer calories everywhere you go.

It doesn’t matter if you dine solo or go to the restaurant with friends. Eating out is one of the quickest ways to derail your diet. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The seat you choose and even the outfit you choose to wear can make a difference in the calories you consume.

How Family and Friends Can Ruin Your Diet

A simple family dinner or a night out with friends might not seem like a big deal, but researchers have found that it can have a significant impact on your calorie intake. In one study, researchers looked at the way that we change our eating habits to match the eating habits of the people around us.

They found that our friends and family are especially influential. We tend to change the amount of food we eat and the type of food we eat to match the choices made by our closest companions.

Of course, that can have good or bad consequences if you’re a dieter. If you surround yourself with healthy moderate eaters, then they may influence you to eat a healthy moderate diet as well. But if you live in America, that may less likely to happen. One recent news report claims that Americans eat 3,770 calories per day on average, more than any other country. Recent data from the USDA puts the number closer to 2,700 per day, but that calorie count is still way too high for most dieters.

How to Eat Less Around Family and Friends

If you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t have to avoid all events with your family and friends in order to reach your goals.

The best way to eat less in social situations is to make a plan in advance. Use these tips to develop a strategy that meets your specific needs.

Always know your energy balance numbers. To lose weight successfully, you need to manage your energy balance every single day. So before you meet with friends or family, make sure you know how many calories you’ve consumed that day and how many you can afford to consume at the event. This way you can make informed choices as you socialize.

Use a mobile app for weight loss. The most convenient way for most people to manage their energy balance is with a mobile app for weight loss. These convenient smartphone tools go with you where ever you are, so you can always check in to see how your calorie balance looks in the moment.

Make better drink choices. You’ll probably eat less with family and friends if you learn how to drink less alcohol and drink more water. Your energy balance number and your weight loss goals tend to matter less when you get tipsy. Stay focused with better booze choices and less alcohol consumption overall.

Acknowledge and manage stress. Many people manage family stress with a glass of wine. But since that can interfere with good calorie control, find other ways to manage the stress that can come with social events. Take short breaks to go for a walk or simply to recharge. Sometimes you can just move to another part of the room and find someone else to talk to.

Be clear about your goals. Believe it or not, the way you set your weight loss goals can have an impact on whether or not you reach them. If you set a weight loss goal that is specific, relevant, and measurable it becomes easier to follow your plan during challenging moments. You can even set a short-term goal for the evening and post it in a place where you see it periodically to keep yourself motivated.

Don’t allow yourself to be pressured. There will be times when your well-intentioned family members may push food on you or say offensive things that compromise your weight loss commitment. Don’t give in to the pressure. Bolster your self-confidence by reminding yourself of your previous successes and staying committed to your plan.

Remember that it is normal to want to eat more in social situations. But if you can learn to eat less around family and friends, you’ll lose weight faster and keep the weight off for good.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Looking for tips to eat less? There are ways to eat less at home, ways to eat less around friends and ways to eat less in restaurants. But there is no single set of rules that will help you eat less in every situation. So if you’re trying to stop overeating to slim down, you’ve got to learn different tips for different environments. This guide will help. You’ll learn to stop eating too much food and eat fewer calories everywhere you go.

It doesn’t matter if you dine solo or go to the restaurant with friends. Eating out is one of the quickest ways to derail your diet. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The seat you choose and even the outfit you choose to wear can make a difference in the calories you consume.

How Family and Friends Can Ruin Your Diet

A simple family dinner or a night out with friends might not seem like a big deal, but researchers have found that it can have a significant impact on your calorie intake. In one study, researchers looked at the way that we change our eating habits to match the eating habits of the people around us.

They found that our friends and family are especially influential. We tend to change the amount of food we eat and the type of food we eat to match the choices made by our closest companions.

Of course, that can have good or bad consequences if you’re a dieter. If you surround yourself with healthy moderate eaters, then they may influence you to eat a healthy moderate diet as well. But if you live in America, that may less likely to happen. One recent news report claims that Americans eat 3,770 calories per day on average, more than any other country. Recent data from the USDA puts the number closer to 2,700 per day, but that calorie count is still way too high for most dieters.

How to Eat Less Around Family and Friends

If you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t have to avoid all events with your family and friends in order to reach your goals.

The best way to eat less in social situations is to make a plan in advance. Use these tips to develop a strategy that meets your specific needs.

Always know your energy balance numbers. To lose weight successfully, you need to manage your energy balance every single day. So before you meet with friends or family, make sure you know how many calories you’ve consumed that day and how many you can afford to consume at the event. This way you can make informed choices as you socialize.

Use a mobile app for weight loss. The most convenient way for most people to manage their energy balance is with a mobile app for weight loss. These convenient smartphone tools go with you where ever you are, so you can always check in to see how your calorie balance looks in the moment.

Make better drink choices. You’ll probably eat less with family and friends if you learn how to drink less alcohol and drink more water. Your energy balance number and your weight loss goals tend to matter less when you get tipsy. Stay focused with better booze choices and less alcohol consumption overall.

Acknowledge and manage stress. Many people manage family stress with a glass of wine. But since that can interfere with good calorie control, find other ways to manage the stress that can come with social events. Take short breaks to go for a walk or simply to recharge. Sometimes you can just move to another part of the room and find someone else to talk to.

Be clear about your goals. Believe it or not, the way you set your weight loss goals can have an impact on whether or not you reach them. If you set a weight loss goal that is specific, relevant, and measurable it becomes easier to follow your plan during challenging moments. You can even set a short-term goal for the evening and post it in a place where you see it periodically to keep yourself motivated.

Don’t allow yourself to be pressured. There will be times when your well-intentioned family members may push food on you or say offensive things that compromise your weight loss commitment. Don’t give in to the pressure. Bolster your self-confidence by reminding yourself of your previous successes and staying committed to your plan.

Remember that it is normal to want to eat more in social situations. But if you can learn to eat less around family and friends, you’ll lose weight faster and keep the weight off for good.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

                                     

You Asked About The Vegan Diet, Here It Is

 This is an articile from MEDICALNEWSDAILY an online site.

 A vegan diet involves eating only foods comprising plants. Those who follow this diet avoid all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. Some people also avoid eating honey. For some, being vegan is a dietary choice, while for others, it is a lifestyle choice.

People who choose to live a vegan lifestyle may also avoid clothes, soaps, and other products that use or contain parts of animals, such as leather and animal fur. Some adopt this lifestyle for its environmental benefits as a sustainable diet.

Vegan diets tend to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Eating a variety of these foods will provide a wide range of important vitamins, minerals, healthful fats, and protein.

People following this diet should, however, take care to get key nutrients that people usually consume in animal products. These nutrients include iron, protein, calcium, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D.

Vegan vs. vegetarian

The main difference between vegetarians and vegans is that although vegetarians do not eat meat (including cows, pigs, chicken, and fish), they consume dairy products, eggs, or both. The vegan diet excludes all products with animal-based ingredients.

The vegan diet is more restrictive, so people will need to think more about where their nutrients are coming from to ensure that they meet their daily dietary requirements.

Read more about vegan vs. vegetarian diets here.

Benefits

Vegan diets can provide all of the nutrients that a person needs, and they can eliminate some of the possible risks that research has associated with harmful animal fats. Research has linked the vegan diet with a range of health benefits, including those below.

Better heart health

Vegan diets can boost heart health in several ways.

A large scale 2019 studyTrusted Source has linked a higher intake of plant-based foods and lower intake of animal foods with a reduced risk of heart disease and death in adults.

Animal products — including meat, cheese, and butter — are the main dietary sources of saturated fats. According to the American Heart Association (AHA)Trusted Source, eating foods that contain these fats raises cholesterol levels. High levels of cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Plant foods are also high in fiber, which the AHATrusted Source link with better heart health. Animal products contain very little or no fiber, while plant-based vegetables and grains are the best sources.

In addition, people on a vegan diet often take in fewer calories than those on a standard Western diet. A moderate calorie intake can lead to a lower body mass index (BMI) and a reduced risk of obesity, a major risk factor for heart disease.

Lower cancer risk

According to a 2017 review, eating a vegan diet may reduce a person’s risk of cancer by 15%. This health benefit may be due to the fact that plant foods are high in fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals — biologically active compounds in plants — that protect against cancers.

Research into the effects of diet on the risk of specific cancers has produced mixed results.

However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer report that red meat is “probably carcinogenic,” noting that research has linked it primarily to colorectal cancer but also to prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer.

The agency also report that processed meat is carcinogenic and may cause colorectal cancer.

Eliminating red and processed meats from the diet removes these possible risks.

Weight loss

People on a vegan diet tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those following other diets.

The researchers behind a 2015 study reported that vegan diets were more effective for weight loss than omnivorous, semi-vegetarian, and pesco-vegetarian diets, as well as being better for providing macronutrients.

Many animal foods are high in fat and calories, so replacing these with low calorie plant-based foods can help people manage their weight.

It is important to note, though, that eating lots of processed or high fat plant-based foods — which some people refer to as a junk food vegan diet — can lead to unhealthful weight gain.

Read more about the vegan diet and weight loss here.

Lower risk of type 2 diabetes

According to a large 2019 reviewTrusted Source, following a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The research linked this effect with eating healthful plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

                                     

A New Diet Pill That's Works

 It's all over the news, a drug manufacturer has a weight loss pill that works and they have approval to market the tablets. It's prescription only now and the company is trying to get insurance companies to cover the cost to consumers. All of this has just happened recently, but already two other companies are making a similar pill that might be even better. 

The company is NOVO, talk to your doctor about this one. Ely Lily is the company making another version of the same pill and it's rumored to be better they have another one in the pipeline that may be better than both of the others. 

Can you imagine in the future if you gain some extra fat, you simply see your doctor who gives you a prescription, and in a couple weeks, the fat is gone. This can be life-changing for 100s of millions of people around the world. Does this mean I can eat anything I like? Not really. 

People will still have a responsibility to care for their own bodies. Something we do a poor job of now. The good thing is that what we eat is changing, There is a demand today for better quality foods and more of it. We are seeing prices in the grocery going up almost every day. It's not just inflation doing it. You see more expensive food items being packaged differently and costing more, and maybe that's because you are getting a better product and don't realize it. 

The Food and Drug Administration is making changes in the rules and seems to be enforcing them. Personally, I have been trying to eat healthier myself. I eat less beef, more chicken, fish, and vegetables. I look for more plant protein and eat more fruit. I avoid cookies, cake, and sweets of any kind. In the last few weeks, I lost one pants size. Small changes can make a difference.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

                                     

More About the New Diet Pills

 Yesterday I wrote about the new diet pills that we hear about and read about almost every day now. I will not be able to get a prescription for the pills to try it out. My body fat index is too low, and a doctor won't prescribe to people in my condition. I know that the FDA has tested the product, but their testing is only to see how many people any reaction to the drug and how many people have will benefit from the drug.

I still would be skeptical until I see real results. Is the drug safe for people with high blood pressure? Or people with heart problems. Only your doctor that is prescribing other drugs for you, can tell you if it's safe for you. I know it's popular for some people to go to a doctor who is out of their network to prescribe drugs that their doctor won't prescribe. This is never a good idea. The doctor who has all your drug history and your medical history should be the only one to prescribe any new drug. 

The pill is more than a diet pill, it's a drug that will do much more. This drug will certainly help millions of people, but it probably won't help everyone. No drugs help everyone with the same health problems. Some drugs on the market will only help about 33% of the people who are prescribed the drug. So why is it on the market? Because the drug will help some people and it doesn't harm or only harms a small percentage of people.

But the reason I want to wait, is that long-term side effects are not known for some time. I don't like the fact that you are putting more chemicals into your body. Chemicals you put in your body can't be process and will be stored in fat cells and will simply accumulate and after years of accumulation what does that do for your body. I have to think that medical research knows what causes cancer, but no one is talking about it. I have my own opinion on that subject. But that's for another post.

My finally word on these pills, Novo has this drug that has been approved, and it will lower your risk for heart problems. Medical professionals are predicting that in 10 years overweight will be treated like high-blood pressure. You see the doctor and he or she will prescribe a pill and you will lose fat in weeks. When you think about the possibilities this drug alone could reduce disease simply by reducing your body fat. A pill that could reduce body fat to a safe level could be the magic pill. But for now, I want to see more results. They claim it reduces the desire to eat or rather to crave food. Some people have even stopped drinking alcohol. Novo is trying to get insurance companies to cover the cost for patients. 

Later this year Ely Lilly has a weight loss drug coming to the market that may be better than Novo's.

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

                                     

Improving Our Health

 It all starts with what we eat. Every physical health problem you have starts with what you eat and what you do all day long. This is not when you through in the towel and just say. It's too late for me. 

Any thing you do at any point in your life can improve your health. Simple things like changing your diet will help you feel better. Walking more stimulates blood flow, so you feel better. These are very small changes you can make that will help you over time. Small changes will matter. 

Changing your diet is the best thing you can do for your health. So many of us just do what's easy. We don't think about nurishing the body. The body will heal it self, it will burn the excess fat and keep you fit. It all starts at an early age. Our parents feed us foods that we like to eat. That's not really the right thing to do. Parents worry that the child isn't eating enough food so they will feed you anything to get you to eat. May years ago when my chilren were small our family doctor told us not to worry, children will eat when they are hungry. When parents force a child to eat on their schedule they are probably overfeeding the child. 

Overfeeding a child is the beginning of overweight problems. Overfeeding will also cause food dependance. That is like an addiction to thing like sugar, that as parents we all have experienced that when raising a child. 

If you have a weight problem, think about your food habits and activity levels and you may discover how the problems began. That is the best way to solve your weight problem and get back to a health body. 

In my case the weight start to pile on when I was in my middle 30s. I didn't really pick up weight while I was working in the trades. But after a bad accident, I was on crouches for almost two years. I couldn't return to the same job. I bought a business and we moved. My activity level was all nothing. I made the mistake of not changing my diet. I was overeating and drinking more beer. I was packing on the pounds. At that age I was strong enough that the extra weight didn't bother me. I didn't realize how the extra 50 pounds was effecting my body. When I was in my 40s it became increasingly difficult to work. I would become tired in the afternoon. I know I had to lose some weight.

My wife and I joined a Health Club. This club had everything. A indoor track, indoor pool, weight room, all different types of machines to strengthen the body. And exercise classes for anyone in any condition. 

That lasted to a couple years but I wasn't seeing any results. I got discouraged and stopped going. I regret that now, we enjoyed playing racquet ball the most. But our lives became more complicated and we didn't have the time for the gym and finally stopped the membership.This is a typical story that I hear from many of my friends. The most common reason for quitting is that you don't see the results.

For overweight people losing body fat is a life long struggle. It's not easy to change your life. To admit that everything you know about taking care of your body is wrong. That your have actually been neglecting your body for years and the road back to good health will take the rest of your life.

Being fit and healthy is worth the effort. Being healthy will put a smile on your face and change you for the better. 

Follow me on X or Twitter @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.