From the monthly archives: "October 2007"
Did you see 60 Minutes last night. Wow! They did a incredible piece on the mysterious dwindling of our region’s bee populations. What a fascinating, yet baffling, conundrum. Apparently, 90% of the beehives kept by professional beekeepers are dying out, or the bees are leaving, never to return, a rarity among honeybees, which are a eusocial community (specialized workers labor for and protect the reproductive queen). The bee’s labors are primarily gathering nectar and in turn pollinating the earth’s plants species. They don’t often leave their own.

According to the report, one third of our entire food source comes from produce dependent on bee pollination, so, naturally, it presents quite a problem that so many bees seem to be disappearing. Although it is as of yet unknown what is causing the diminishment of the bee population, experts believe that it has to do with pesticide use, viruses, and plain old bee stress that’s leading to the rapid demise of our most crucial allies.

As I point out in my upcoming book–The Six Keys To Optimal Healthpesticides are not only poisonous to man, they are toxic to many other useful species, including bees. Limiting our use of poisonous pesticides would certainly decrease our own health risks, but it might also help preserve some of the other precious lifeforms on this planet. Obviously, completely abandoning the practice of crop spraying is not practical–not economically, and not from the standpoint of providing food for the entire country. However, we can try to purchase more locally grown, organically farmed produce. That, at least, would lessen the need for massive crop spraying a little, you know?

What I found most interesting in the piece was that leading experts pointed out that bee populations are dwindling due to major stress. Honeybees are overworked–transported across country in trucks (I swear; check out the piece here) to pollinate a bevy of crops–usually feeding on a sole food source, and subjected to serious toxic exposure. Their weakened immune systems lead to their susceptibility to viral infections, and indeed, that’s what autopsies of dead bees has shown, major viral infestations. But as scientists point out, viruses are unlikely to be the primary cause of illness; more likely, bees are succumbing to opportunistic parasites which are able to thrive due to the bee’s weakened compositions.

Sound familiar? Yes, it’s exactly what happens to us when our bodies become weak due to the stresses of our lifestyles; we also become susceptible to illness under these conditions. It’s a universal theme. Dr. Marla Spivak, the foremost authority on honeybees in this country, confirms that stress plays a major part in the lives of honeybees. According to Dr. Spivak, “They mirror us. We have a really close association with bees. They reflect what we are doing.” In other words, their stressors are some of the same things we expose ourselves to on a daily basis.

So there you have it–watch the bees. What they’re experiencing is what we’re also going through, just on a larger scale. The extensive disappearance of bees is a good sign that it’s time to change. Let’s hope that we can start making the necessary changes before something drastic happens.

There’s an old Yiddish saying, “A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat.” How true that is. Garlic, that sweet, succulent spice–also known as Allium sativum–just melts in your mouth and makes every dish delicious. Yes, in some people it can cause malodor; but the benefits of eating garlic far outweigh its pungent effects.

This miracle herb has been the subject of folklore and legend, and it’s home remedy uses are very well known. But new research shows exactly why garlic is so beneficial–it boosts the body’s production of a compound that relaxes blood vessels, increases blood flow, and prevents blood clots and oxidative damage. The compound, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), is produced by blood vessels and red blood cells when they come into contact with the chemical constituents of garlic. The exact compound causing the release of H2S is as of yet unknown.

The fact that we do not yet know which chemical component causes this incredible health benefit illustrates a very important point–one which I very adamantly stress in my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health–and that is: It’s always better to eat whole, natural foods than rely on man’s synthetic versions. And the reason I give is precisely because we don’t always know which constituents do what. Moreover, we don’t know if compounds must work in conjunction with one another or if several work within the same biochemical pathway. Therefore, you gotta eat the real deal.

Saying that, we do know the effects of some of garlic’s constituents. For example, Allicin, which gives garlic its hot, burning flavor, has powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It also helps fight arteriosclerosis, dissolves fat, and is a mild antioxidant. Another compound, Beta-sitosterol, lowers blood cholesterol and may be useful in fighting benign prostatic hypertrophy (BNP). Garlic also contains calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, and zinc. And to top it off, garlic is rich in vitamins B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), and Vitamin C.

Wow! Now tha-sa powerful.

When it comes to cognitive function, what’s more advantageous to the aging brain, mental or physical exercise? The answer is–BOTH!

That’s right, physical exercise is just as important as mental exercise when it comes to keeping mentally fit. So say researchers who have been studying brain function and aging.

According to experts, memory improved in 72-year olds when they took up a regular walking routine as little as three times per week. The brains of these seniors resembled those of younger people when scanned by sophisticated equipment measuring mental activity. No surprises here as exercise increases blood flow, which is absolutely essential for keeping the brain healthy. Blood brings nutrients and oxygen to a hard working brain keeping it nourished and healthy. Exercise also stimulates hormone production and keeps the central nervous system firing in a rhythmic pattern, which is necessary to keep the machinery running smoothly. You know, just like firing up the ol’ jalopy in the garage every now and again, just to make sure all the parts stay lubricated.

But, of course, mental activity must also take place regularly. As I’ve said in my last podcast (Episode 4), it also pays to keep learning new things. The process of learning developes dendrites–the nerve cell extensions that form neurological pathways. As the researchers of this latest study point out, people who are more mentally active, and especially those who have higher education, have bushier brains. That is, people who keep learning have more dendrites, and thus more neural pathways. The prescence of abundant dendrites causes a bushy appearance of the brain. No wonder my 6th grade math teacher had bushy ears. He was smart! And don’t forget–continued education also prevents Alzheimer’s disease.

So take heed–exercise regularly, and pick up a copy of Dante’s Inferno. That’ll help keep you functioning beautifully for years to come.

Eeeewww. It’s like a creepy movie. Staphylococcus invasion from outer space. Lock up your kids. Lock up your pets. Lock up your livestock. Yecccch!

More staph infections popping up all over the country. One kid dead in Virginia. Eight in New Jersey infected with a Methicillin-resistant strain. See what happens when antibiotics are over-prescribed?

Oh, don’t even try to push the blame on somebody else, Medicos. No, no, no. It was you who gave antibiotics for every single ailment no matter how minor. You gave them to patients that you had diagnosed as having viral infections, despite the fact that antibiotics only work on bacteria.

“But the patient expects to be given something.”

Yeah, and now we have an antibiotic resistant epidemic on our hands. I’m so excited to see the BS fly when public health officials try to explain this one.

Wait! This just in: Five more high school kids infected with Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA). Whew!–they’re spraying the showers and locker rooms. Hmmm…What took so long? Really, really frightening stuff. Just check out this Google page to have your head spin. The number of infections around the country are staggering.

Here is the take home lesson: Antibiotics should be taken only periodically–that is, only when absolutely necessary. When antibiotics are taken for every little cold or flu, bacteria respond by mutating and developing resistance. Every year, I talk to a good dozen people who say, “I wasn’t feeling well, so I just went to my doctor and got antibiotics.” WTF! You really can’t ride out that cold?

So I always respond, “Oh yeah, which bacterial infection are you treating?” Here are the two most common answers in order of frequency:

  1. “Uh, I don’t know.”
  2. “It’s a viral infection.”

“Great, feeling better?”
“Oh yeah. Definitely.”
Yeah. BS. Listen, antibiotics do nothing against viral infections (probably 90% of colds and flu) and now they don’t do nuttin’ against Staph aureus. I sure hope we learn our lesson on this one. But somehow, I doubt it.

You probably think from the title of this piece that I’m going to push the same old “salt is bad for you” junk. Well I’m not, cuz it just ain’t a fact. As much as we are being brainwashed into believing this myth, the science isn’t there to support it yet. So put this one right up there with “fat is bad for you” and “masturbation will give you hairy palms”.

Unfortunately, the powers that be keep jumping into the act. According to recent reports, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering tightening regulations on salt labeling, especially in processed foods. I’ve got no problem with this except that it doesn’t mean dink. It isn’t the salt in processed foods that’s bad for you, but the processing–that is, the chemicals and sythetic foods (MSG, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, hydrolysed soy bean product, and the like) and the all around poor quality of the food.
These regulations are based on the rationale that lowering salt intake decreases blood pressure in hypertensivesthat’s true; it does. However, there is no conclusive evidence that lowered salt intake has beneficial effects in healthy people. This public health fallacy came about when researchers found that some people are salt sensitive. Salt sensitive people do have a dangerous increase in blood pressure when they eat too much salt (i.e. too much for them). Interestingly, public health officials found that it would be a lot easier, and less costly, to recommend salt reduction for all people rather than test the entire population for salt sensitivity. And thus the birth of the low dietary salt fallacy.
Now here’s what I want to get across to you: I couldn’t care less about whether people eat less salt or the government decides to tighten labelling. What I’ve got an issue with is the dissemination of false information. Why should we all direct our lives based on a non-truth? And why should I (or any other salt lover) be forced to eat bland food because of the uninformed public’s desire to be healthy? Get my point? I’m the first one to cheer healthiness…when it’s based on truth. But when somebody tries to feed me bullshot and tells me it’s caviar, I’m sorry, but that shot don’t fly. I’m happy to curb my habits when sound science shows them to be dangerous, but I just don’t like the taste of bland caviar. Now put that in you salt shaker and sprinkle it.
For more on the fallacies of lowered salt intake and lowered blood pressure, please read this great article from Scientific America.

So I’m staying true to my commitment. I’ve been working out regularly but not overdoing it. I always try to be cautious of overtraining syndrome–a real and dangerous situation where pushing yourself too hard, too often, really takes its toll–therefore it has been 3-4 times per week only.

I have added a new component to my physical regimen, though. Having committed to doing one yoga class per week, in addition to my already daily practice, I was starting to feel a bit slacker-like, since I hadn’t yet gotten the ball rolling. But as good fortune has it (or perhaps an energetic force of attraction), I retouched base with an old friend–yoga therapist, Arun Deva. I have since started working with this phenomenal practitioner, really focusing on my specific dysfunctions (tight hip flexors, tight quads, tight shoulders, and some postural stuff). So far, so good–can’t say enough about it. My low back and pelvis are opening up and it feels like we’re taking it to the next level. I have greater range of motion in my gait, and I just feel looser all around. Nice way to walk through life, I’d say.

I’ve been going to the gym every week–usual weights and cardio. And I’ve been practicing my handstands; however, my yoga therapist says right now it’s a practice in futility, at least until I open up my quads and hip flexors, and thus gain more control of my pelvis.

“No!” I said, “I want to do them regardless.”

“Keep dreaming,” he said. For now, I’ll just have to put this goal to the side–all things in due time.

Nutritionally, I’ve been taking my vitamins every day. Vitamins B and C, essential fatty acids, and calcium/magnesium. I’ve also started taking acidophilus to replenish my good bacteria (especially since I realized what I had lost along with my appendix). I take it about 3-4 times per week. Sometimes I forget; it hasn’t yet been lodged into my consciousness and made a habit. I’ve also finished one bottle of chlorophyll and did one five day round of apple cider vinegar with baking soda. Mmmmmm. Delicious. Not.

Ah yes, one last thought. Last week while lifting, I jumped in to an exercise too quickly, without sufficiently warming up and I tweaked my pec (chest muscle). Good reminder that warming up is essential. Also, build-up to your heavier weights, even if with just one preliminary set done at a lighter weight. Anyway, I think I prevented a more serious injury by 1) icing immediately and doing it several times the next day, 2) light stretching and 3) light massage. So if you feel a tweak, ice right away and get it treated as soon as you can get in to see your chiropractor. Till next time.

Anti-aging? Anti-aging? What’s all this about anti-aging?

Don’t you know? I’m just trying to make a billion dollars. Can’t you feel your wrinkles whisking away as you read this? That’s because this is an anti-aging blog–fully endorsed by the Anti-Aging Millionaire Bloggers Association of South America. Just deposit $1,000 into my Swiss PayPal account. Hey, I think I’m on to something here.
No seriously…doesn’t it seem like every health product being sold to us has some anti-aging connection? You’re not imagining it. Anti-aging is HUGE business. Check out the latest episode of the Dr. Nick Show to see where they’re trying to get you.
Listen, you can’t stop aging, but you can certainly slow down the effects. How, Doc, how? What’s the secret? Is it plastic surgery? Hmmm, it does something; but there are risks. Check out some here (Some doctors who specialize in fixing bad cosmetic surgery estimate that approximately 25 percent of their practice involves fixing the mistakes and errors of other surgeons). More danger here. And can you believe that some people are leaving the country to get a bargain nip and tuck.
And how about hormone injections? Well, you’ll probably need a bigger hat–just ask Barry.
Cosmetics? You know when dermatologists jump in, the game has gotten lucrative. Unfortunately, the science behind cosmeceuticals is thin, and danger looms.
Supplements? Log on to the Dr. Nick Show to find out natural ways to slow down the aging process.
What happened to the good ol‘ fashioned anti-aging methods of yesterday? That is, simply lying about your age. Interesting how, as some things change, the more they stay the same.

Oy vey! Disturbing reports are flying out of our nation’s high schools–staph infections are on the rise. Infections are occurring primarily among student athletes and are being contracted in gyms and weight rooms. Yeccch!

C’mon school superintendents–you’ve got to step up the public hygiene. Staphylococcus aureus in our high schools is just NOT acceptable. What it requires is regular and multiple cleanings every day, and signs posted requiring all people using the facilities to wash their hands before and after using the equipment. Period. This goes for all private gyms too. Every health club needs to provide Sani Wipes at every workout area so people can wipe off their machines. And there needs to be health department regulations requiring proper sanitary conditions in all workout facilities in the same way they do in restaurants.

This story just creeps me out. It’s so gross. What ever happened to proper hygiene? It’s one major facet that separates modern, industrialized countries from the third world–we have the knowledge and the ability to practice good hygiene! I swear, some of the stuff I see happening in men’s locker rooms makes my skin crawl (never thought I’d see so many creative uses for electric hair dryers). My book would be titled The Seven Keys to Optimal Health if I didn’t take proper hygiene in this country for granted, but maybe I should have devoted some time to this crucial habit; maybe people just don’t know.

It’s not like this information about weight room hazards has just come out of the blue. It’s been happening for over four years. I speak about it in detail in my upcoming book. And the massive danger goes well beyond the vile–some strains of Staph which are showing up are antibiotic resistant, so they’re seriously hard to treat. These organisms were once confined to hospitals but they’ve shown up in NFL training facilities and now at high schools across the country.

So I’m going to say this loud and clear: Wash your hands, folks! Use the locker room blow dryer for the hair on your head only. And cover up your cuts, especially if you’re sharing workout equipment. Nuff said.

Would you feel better about your chocolate addiction if I told you that it might be related to the make up of your gut bacteria? Well this is the word from scientists who have found different bacterial colonies in the digestive systems of people who crave chocolate. And you thought it was a lack of discipline.

Researchers at the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland (yes, the makers of Quick and Crunch) found that the men who ate chocolate regularly and the weirdos who didn’t (no, really, they were labelled “weird” in the study) had different metabolic byproducts show up in their blood and urine, and these were related to the different bacteria in their intestines. We all have a vast array of bacteria in our digestive systems–called “good” bacteria–some necessary for the digestive process itself and some to prevent the overgrowth of opportunistic organisms, like fungi and other “bad” bacteria (see my post on the appendix’s role in all of this).

What scientist conclude from this study is that our particular gut bacterial make up determines our food cravings. I find this study and its conclusions interesting because I am fully convinced that most everyone has foods that they are sensitive to. This is the principle in Ayurveda; and many other healing systems have been studying these links too. I, in fact, have been treated by a fabulous acupuncturist who gave me a decent guide to my particular food sensitivities by evaluating me and categorizing me into a “body type.” I have to say–he was pretty right on.

In any case, I think this is definitely an area worth studying. For the researchers of this recent work, they felt it might be a way to manipulate the digestive system’s bacterial make-up and help reduce obesity by decreasing food cravings. I don’t know about that, but if they can find a connection between bacterial composition and food sensitivities, I think it can help people stay away from those foods that bother them. Who knows, maybe the endemic proportions of heart burn (acid reflux), gas and bloating could be relieved by such information. We’ll see where they take this one.

Have you heard? Kids who see doctors regularly get the proper care less than half the time. Huh?! That’s right–a new study conducted by the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the nonprofit research group, the Rand Corp., found that children received the right care only 47% of the time. As the first comprehensive test of its kind, this study looked at the health care quality for American children. What was especially disturbing was that every one of the 1,536 children in the nationwide study had medical insurance, dealing a serious blow to the notion that a lack of health insurance is what’s leading to diminished health for our nation’s youth. All this on the heels of governmental debate on expanding children’s health insurance.

Although the study did find children’s doctors to fare moderately well in the assessment and treatment of acute medical problems–they got these right 68% of the time–they did poorly when it came to evaluating and treating chronic conditions (53%), and abysmally when it came to recommending preventative care (41%). According to Dr. Joeseph Hagan, a Vermont pediatrician, “They got an ‘F’.” “It’s sad,” he went on to say, “but I think it reflects some unpleasant realities about our current health care system or, I might say, non-system.”

Basically, what the study found was that there was such a wide variance in how doctors treated some of the most common illnesses, and especially how they “promoted health”. Who would think it to be otherwise? Haven’t you heard me say over and over again that our current medical system is based on a paradigm of fighting illness and saving lives, not promoting health and wellness? There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, except that when one industry pretty much monopolizes the entire health care arena, it’s pretty hard to understand the game (health) outside of what that industry tells us it’s supposed to be. And they aren’t yet focusing on the basics of health and wellness, which is all too apparent from this particular study.

My feeling is that it would be wise for American society to restructure the health care system and put everything in its proper place. The medical industry should focus on treating disease and saving lives–it’s what it does best. The task of teaching and directing the public’s health and wellness, though, should come from where it’s has been coming from over the last several decades: chiropractors, acupuncturists, fitness experts, nutritionists, massage therapists, yogis, hypnotherapists, meditation experts, and every other profession that focuses on health and well being. These professionals are in the best position, and have the expertise, to teach our children the aspects of good health. Leave the medical doctors to do what they do best; and open the doors for the new wave of health experts–real health experts. Kill the monopoly. It’ll be OK–form governing boards and create doctorate programs. You’ve got it!–yogic doctors, doctors of exercise physiology, doctors of nutrition, and such–why the heck not? It’ll guarantee competency and weed out the scheisters. That’s the government initiative I’d like to see debated real soon.

Being conscientious and focused can prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s later in life, current research shows. According to a study started in 1994 and involving Catholic nuns, priests and brothers (read about it in detail in The Six Keys To Optimal Health, coming soon), people who are conscientious–that is, those who are governed by or conform to the dictates of conscience, are self-disciplined, and scrupulous –are half as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as they age.

According to Robert S. Wilson, professor of neuropsychology at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and lead author of a report in the October Archives of General Psychiatry, conscientiousness is “a broad-based trait that is particularly about impulse control, self-discipline and delayed gratification.” The study’s findings seemed to hold up even when the researchers controlled for other personality traits and risk factors such as physical, cognitive and social activity, among others.

I’m really not surprised by these findings. One of the major premises in my upcoming book is the importance of keeping mentally sharp. Mental sharpness includes cognitive ability which depends on continuous education, focus and discipline which depend on consciousness, or better yet–mindfulness, and keeping one’s perspective balanced (more on this later–really, read my book–it’s all in there). All of these activities stimulate dendritic growth; that is the formation of new nerve pathways that keep the central nervous system functioning at optimal levels.

Hey, we’ve all got a choice to live a life of consciousness or one without. No judgements here, but a conscious life–to me–just seems fuller . It’s not easy and definitely not always a joy. Dammit, a conscious life is painful. But isn’t life about every side? Good, bad; easy, tough; cake, dung? Experiencing all sides is what life is truly about. And sticking to your guns, that is, staying true to who you are (not giving in) during trying times is precisely what determines conscientiousness. It’s not just about how you act but how you see things. What’s really important is not avoiding life’s drudgeries, but instead embracing them and carrying them out–that is the secret to conscientiousness.

We’ve all heard that meditation reduces stress. And who doesn’t know about meditation’s ability to clear the mind? But a new study out of the University of Oregon has found that as little as 20 minutes of meditation over 5 days shows greater improvement in attention and overall mood, as well as lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue.

The study looked at 40 Chinese students, half getting instructed in integrative meditation, while the other half taken through relaxation training only. The meditation group showed greater increases when tested for attention, and they also showed improvements in mood, and lower reactions to mental stressors as measured by “stress-related cortisol levels”. According to the authors of the study, integrative meditation incorporates “several key components body and mind techniques including body relaxation, breathing adjustment, mental imagery, and mindfulness training.

Definitely thumbs up to this one, mostly because I’m pleased to see our nation’s universities giving this vital health practice some time and research money. And hats off to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which published the study–it’s high time we look deeper into the incredible power of the mind and investigate what other cultures have simply taken for granted. I speak at length about meditation in my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health. I am convinced that everybody should be doing it. And as I tell my patients: even ten minutes a day will have profound effects on your life.

That reminds me…have you heard the one about the Buddhist who went into a Burger King? He said, “Make me one with everything.”

Ommmmmmmmm……

Here are some meditation resources if you’re interested:

The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh (a personal favorite)

Meditations for Manifesting by Dyer, Wayne W.(August 1, 1995) Audio CD by Wayne Dyer (good CD for beginners)

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain (the first book of this kind I’d ever read)

Seeking The Self Through Meditation (E-book) by Moi (good book for beginners)

Well, well, well. Tsk, tsk. Medical science has to eat yet another mistake–the idea that the appendix is just a rudimentary appendage. The conventional wisdom for years has been that the appendix was nothing more than a remnant of a bygone developmental stage. As a result, doctors have been quick to remove it; a routine surgery they call it–an appendectomy. But this news just in: Scientists now believe that the appendix produces and protects good germs for your gut.

I knew it, I knew it. There’s just no way, through millions of years of evolution, that we would continue to form a “useless” appendage. Evolution does not work that way. Anybody remember the so-called uselessness of the tonsils ? Mm hm, I lost mine back in 1972. They were also considered unnecessary–that is, until medical science realized their importance in immune function. Duh. Can I have my tonsils back please?
I also lost my useless appendix last year, one month following the birth of my daughter (I couldn’t let my wife get all the attention, now could I?). I never felt real easy about the situation. I mean, it is attached to my colon; it must do something. But we didn’t know what. Now we do. It provides the normal flora of our gastrointestinal tract–the same stuff that helps prevent the overgrowth of opportunistic organisms like fungi or other bacterial species. If the normal flora die or get purged–like through amoebic dysentery, cholera, or the overuse of antibiotics today–then the appendix simply reboots the system. Nice. Isn’t the human body amazing?
For me the take home lesson is this. Man is not smarter than Mother Nature (please read my article on Innate Intelligence). Just because we can’t figure something out does not mean it doesn’t exist; or in the case of the appendix–doesn’t have a function. Isn’t it wiser to assume that there is a function to every body part and that we should try to save them until we figure it out?
Well, medical science is making sure to cover their bases. The authors of the paper on the role of the appendix have made sure to point out that the function of producing good bacteria is “not needed in a modern industrialized society”. According to Duke surgery professor Bill Parker, a study co-author, “If a person’s gut flora dies, they can usually repopulate it easily with germs they pick up from other people. But before dense populations in modern times and during epidemics of cholera that affected a whole region, it wasn’t as easy to grow back that bacteria and the appendix came in handy.” Yeah, I’d say that too if I was teaching people the finer points of yanking organs.
In any case, there’s no doubt that an inflamed appendix (appendicitis) can be deadly. So I’m not too upset about losing mine. However, I still think that working to find an alternative solution to treating appendicitis should be studied. Until then, conventional wisdom will continue to see the appendix as extra baggage.

OK, I’m baa-aaack. Vacation and illness out of the way–it’s Hammer Time…

Back to the gym tonight for the first time in two weeks. While in New York, stretching was the limit to my regimen. I did it every day, though. When I returned home, I got sick immediately, and I pretty much just focused on work and rest.

It’s cool–no problem. I don’t stress out in these moments because I know I’ll be back, so no need to guilt trip myself. I just go into it knowing that my first session back will have to be scheduled, and then I’ll have to stick to it no matter what. No “playing it by ear” crap.

And get this: I lost a pound of weight. How do you like that? I got to rest, and I didn’t gain any weight–I actually lost weight! Chuckle. That’s what happens when you work out regularly. You can get by for a week or two without having to worry about slowing down your metabolism. However, when it gets to be three or four weeks…or a month! you better not count on maintaining your metabolism. Anyway, when you make exercise a lifestyle habit, you won’t have to trip if you miss some time because–you’ll be back–it’s what you do.

Not much more to report. Ready for the soreness.

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