Posted on Thursday, 8th December 2011 by

Print This Post Print This Post
Share

Whew! Last year our trip along the road to good health had a serious breakdown when my hard drive crashed. What a horrible experience that turned out to be. I found out, first hand, how not to back up your files. While I thought I was pretty good at saving all the important stuff, I found out just how inadequate my efforts were. I did manage to recover all my essential financial data, but most of everything else was in bits and pieces. So I did what needed to be done and went off to my friendly computer store and replaced my system and started all over with better, faster equipment. And, while I’ll never recover all of my research and other data, I did set up a much more reliable system to ensure my files are backed up so I don’t have a repeat performance at some point in the future. Now that I’m back and have finally stopped procrastinating and started writing the Forum again, It’s time to continue our Bus Ride to Great Health.

Since it’s been a while, let’s have a quick review of where we were headed when the “bus” broke down.

I asked the question, “Did we miss the bus?” Over this past decade, it seems that the only thing that grew more than the cost of health care was the size of our waistlines. While medical science has provided us with better treatment options, heart disease and cancer still top the list of what kills us. Amazingly, the proper usage of prescription medication has now become one of the leading causes of death. Cardiovascular diseases are being diagnosed in children, type II diabetes is still on the rise and numerous other indicators tell us that in spite of technological and treatment advancements which may help us live longer, we are not getting healthier.

I also noted that I’d highlight 10 stops along the way to help us all meet our wellness goals. While I’ll present them as #10 through #1 – ala Dave Letterman – the importance and significance of each will depend upon your own individual circumstances. I’d encourage each of you to keep this list handy and incorporate these suggestions into your daily routine as much as possible.

The first 3 stops were:

#10 – Plan Your Journey. Here we learned the acronym GETFIT which taught us to set Goals, ensure adequate Evaluation of our journey, have realistic Time frames, to get and stay Fit, to track and record the Information for our progress and to be Tenacious in our efforts.

#9 – Back To Basics. Here we focused on nutrition from the ground up and provided tips from the American Dietetic Association to help us eat right.

#8 – An Ounce of Prevention. The emphasis here was that it is far easier (and better!) to stay healthy rather than to try to get well.

I included the link to the first three to get back up to speed and ready for the rest of the ride. All of my articles are listed online in the archive.  Now it’s time for our next stop on the Bus to Great Health.

#7 – Everything is Replaceable. As I marveled at just how much better my new computer system was compared to the one it replaced, I thought about how many of us may feel that we can treat our bodies just like the electronic and mechanical devices we use. If a part fails, we’ll just go out and replace it with the newest model. More often than not, the new part is superior to the part it replaced. Is that same thing true for our bodies?

Transplant surgery is becoming more and more common and I am constantly amazed at the incredible advances in this field of medicine and of the skill levels of the medical professionals who perform these intricate, life-saving procedures. In fact, these procedures are becoming so common that we seem to take them for granted – so much so, that we may even forget that in order for one person to have transplant surgery, a suitable donor had to be available, and while more and more people are participating in the organ donor program, there are no guarantees here.

There is no way to ensure the availability of new parts when we need them, therefore, our focus must be on those things we can do to ensure that our parts are as good as they can be – today, and in the future.

Think of this, our bodies are comprised of between 60 and 100 trillion cells. That number makes the national debt seem small, doesn’t it? All of those cells do not live forever. Some live for a few days, others for a few weeks and some for a few years. Even our bone cells die off and are replaced. The reality is that about every 7 years all of our cells have been replaced and we are brand new…but, there is a catch. Adrian Monk, my favorite TV detective, might say, “It’s a blessing…and a curse!”

Our bodies manufacture these new cells from the foods that we eat. Protein is the primary ingredient in cell production. An adequate amount of biologically complete protein is essential. Couple the protein with all the essential, live vitamins and minerals and lots of pure water and we should be producing cells of the same quality as those they are replacing. But what happens if the raw materials we provide our bodies are of lesser quality? Well, quite simply, that’s what aging is all about. The new cells being produced are inferior, sometimes slightly and sometimes to a large extent, to the cells they replace.

OK, I can see the looks on your faces as you read that last line. You’re probably thinking I’m going to tell you that you don’t have to age any more. Well, chronologically speaking, you and I will continue to get older each and every day we are here. And, like all living organisms, we will all, eventually, die. However, as I have mentioned in previous articles, one of my key life goals is, “To die young, as late as possible,” and one way to do that is to improve our cellular health and ensure that those new cells are up to par.

In order to understand how to create healthy new cells, it is important to know what causes our cells to age in the first place. There are four (4) key mechanisms of cellular aging.

1) DNA damage – every day, every cell in your body is bombarded by up to a million DNA damaging assaults which can damage the cell’s genetic database, creating a “typo” that may compromise cell function and longevity.

2) Genetic Regulators – things such as stress, poor diet, environmental toxins and others contribute to age-related cellular deterioration.

3) Declining Cellular Energy Production – Mitochondria in our cells create energy we can’t live without. As mitochondrial efficiency decreases, cell function declines.

4) Accumulation of AGE proteins – Our cells burn glucose to create energy. This and other cellular functions create Advanced Glycation End (AGE) products which can cause cellular damage that can compromise cell integrity and longevity.

Resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in red wine, has been shown, in clinical studies, to positively impact all four of these aging processes. Dr. Stephen Chaney of the University of North Carolina has created an excellent CD on this issue and I’d strongly recommend you get your hands on a copy and give it a listen. You can find it on his web site at http://www.socialmarketingconnection.com.

Furthermore, recent clinical studies conducted at the University of Buffalo, have shown that resveratrol, when combined with a patented combination of polyphenols (antioxidants found in Muscadine grapes) is 10X more powerful than resveratrol alone.

What all this means is that simply by adding this combination of antioxidants to your daily regime, you can do your part to fight against cellular aging and enhance your chances to, as I said earlier, die young as late as possible.

OK, ok, I know you’re asking yourself, “Where can I get my hands on this mixture of antioxidants?” Well, all you have to do is go to my web site (www.shaklee.net/jumpeter) and research Vivix. Actually, you’ll even learn how you can get your first order of Vivix for free!

If you follow these simple guidelines and ensure you get adequate, quality protein, supplement with a high quality multivitamin-multimineral, drink plenty of pure water, and add a daily dose of Vivix, you’ll be on your way to ensuring all those cellular replacements are done biologically and not surgically. After all, everything is not replaceable…or is it?

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and a Prosperous New Year.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, just drop me a note at healthyone@gmail.com.

Cj

Learn more about your benefits,  employment, travel, and financial planning issues on our site and visit our Blog frequently at https://fedretire.net to read all forum articles.

Request a FREE Retirement Benefits Summary Analysis from a local adviser. Includes projected annuity payments, income verses expenses, FEGLI, and TSP projections. A sample analysis is available for your review. This service is not affiliated with www.federalretirement.net

While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in providing wellness and general health information, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this forum and Website, replies to site visitor questions, or prepared articles, and they specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Readers are strongly cautioned to consult with a physician or other health-care professional before using any information contained in this forum. No forum can substitute for professional care or advice. Extreme caution is urged when using the information and exercises contained in the articles that are posted on this site. The authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical services. If medical problems appear or persist, the reader should consult with a qualified physician or other health-care professional. Accordingly, the authors and publisher expressly disclaim any liability, loss, damage, or injury caused by the contents posted on this health care forum.

Visit our other informative sites

Helpful Retirement Planning Tools
Distribute these FREE tools to others that are planning their retirement

Last 5 posts by Chuck Jumpeter

Posted in RETIREMENT CONCERNS, UNCATEGORIZED, WELLNESS / HEALTH | Comments (0)


Print This Post Print This Post