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Vegas Entertainer Danny Gans Dies at 52

By On · Add Comment · In breathing, Danny Gans, died, Entertainer of the Year, Las Vegas, sleep

Another tragedy in the entertainment world: legendary Las Vegas showman Danny Gans died in his home early this morning; he was found by his wife at 3:00 am, “having trouble breathing.” The cause of death, as of now, is unknown. Gans was reportedly in good health at the time of his death.

Gans, eleven-time Vegas Entertainer of the Year, was well-known for his rapid fire imitations of famous celebrities from Tony Bennett to Al Pacino to Sarah Vaughn. He also sang, proclaiming himself a “musical impressionist.” Gans started his career on Broadway doing a one man show in 1995, but then moved to Vegas in 1996 starting at the Stratosphere, then moving to the Rio, and eventually the Mirage, where he signed a $150 million-a-year contract in 2000. Gans won the prestigious Entertainer of the Year 11-times in a row–an impressive feat considering that his competition included the likes of Cher and Celine Dion. Gans changed venues again this year, moving to the Encore, a sister property of Wynn, Las Vegas.

Gans did not start out as an entertainer. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals out of high school, and played in the minor leagues. An injury ended his baseball career, but a small film roll in the hit movie Bull Durham gave him the entertainer bug. He started as a traveling performer working mostly corporate functions before moving on to Broadway.

Gans will be sorely missed both by his colleagues in the entertainment world and his adoring public. I find this especially sad because Danny Gans was in the prime of his life. He was in great shape, they say–a probability knowing how important one’s health is to performing day in and day out. Although the cause of death is currently unknown, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is yet another tragic drug overdose. If Gans wasn’t using recreational drugs, then my guess he is just another victim of pharmaceutical overload. I hope not, but healthy young people don’t just die in their sleep–something else must have happened.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the Gans family. Here’s to a great entertainer that will be for ever immortalized in Las Vegas and the world over.

Yoga, dude…

By On · Add Comment · In breathing, HDL cholesterol, mental conditioning, metabolic syndrome, The Sutras, well-being, yoga

What is 7,000 years old and promulgated in the Sutras? would be the Jeopardy question. Recent studies show that yoga has multiple benefits, some that go well beyond getting in shape. Things like a greater sense of well-being and reversing the biochemical changes associated with metabolic syndrome (a combination of obesity and diabetes) have been observed in people doing regular yoga.

What’s Dr. Campos’ hands down (and feet up) favorite form of exercise?

Yoga combines physical exertion with mental conditioning–the perfect challenge for mind and body. Many people go into yoga thinking that they’ll relax, they’ll go Zen. Uh, not. Yoga is grueling if you’re a newcomer, or haven’t done it in a while. True, some classes will go easy on you if you’re new to the practice; but the sheer act of doing asanas (postures) is a challenge to beginners and veterans alike. It’s supposed to be. It’s yoga, dude…

What reduces waist circumference; lowers blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides; and raises levels of “good” HDL cholesterol levels?

Yoga is not just the physical aspect of doing postures but also has a breathing component and a meditation component. When researchers looked at these two aspects of yoga, they found that people who practiced yoga for six weeks showed lowered stress levels, lowered feelings of anxiety and depression. Whoa! But we knew that, right?

Listen, try yoga. It’s incredible. Give it six weeks–no! six months. I guarantee that if you commit to it for this stretch of time, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Happy twisting.

Insomnia Helped by Visualization

By On · Add Comment · In behavioral insomnia, breathing, guided imagery, healing, insomnia, relaxation, sleep, visualization

Suffering from insomnia? Trouble falling asleep or getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night? Visualization might be just the thing for you.

About one in every eight persons suffers from some form of insomnia. Not being able to sleep stinks. I’ve been there and it’s miserable. If you don’t know beyond a rough idea how important sleep is to your body’s functioning, please read my eye opening article on the subject.

Insomnia can be caused by many things including stress, anxiety, drugs/medications, caffeine and other stimulants, jet lag and overeating. There’s even something called behavioral insomnia which is when a person worries too much about not being able to fall asleep (me when I have to be up especially early the next morning) and tries too hard to do so. For a great piece on insomnia with excellent tips, check out this great article.

A recent study has shown that by doing a practice called guided imagery – the use of mental visualization to promote physical healing or attitudinal or behavioral changes – insomniacs have been able to improve both the quantity and quality of their sleep. According to Dr. Yara Molen, of Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, subjects “listened to an audio CD right before bed that teaches breathing, relaxation and guided imagery that helps them get rid of their worries and imagine drifting off to sleep.”

I’m not all that surprised of these results, since I’m a huge advocate of visualization in general, and am certain that these techniques can move mountains, let alone get you sleeping restfully. The mind is a powerful thing, and when you think about it, it’s all in our heads anyway. In my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health, I discuss in detail the nature and function of sleep, insomnia and some of its many causes (particularly the behavioral aspect), and the power and practice of visualization. Check it out this August on the book’s release.

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