On The Training Table

What’s In Your Microbiome? It is almost too “far-out-there” for many to believe or consider that what goes on in your gut or flora connects directly to whether we might suffer a heart attack, catch a cold, or, succumb to diabetes; but current research bears this out. The correlations are far more complex than what was commonly known when I was a young adult.

Energy Reboots : you don’t always need a pill or a gym Be a “forest-bather,” why it’s smart to send our students, workers, children, loved ones, and ourselves, outside for a quick stroll near trees and plants on a frequent and regular basis . The Japanese recognize the exceptionally healthful effects of the woodlands and park areas with a popular practice called   Shinrin-voku or “forest bathing” based on the therapeutic effects of being near nature parks, trees and plants.

Your Health-Over : dissolving bad habits --- 3 key steps to getting started For those readers who are looking to get started on a health-over, or healthier you- it is worth contemplating some of the falsehoods about succeeding in weight loss and fitness. Overcoming temptations is profoundly complex; positive, and permanent outcomes are sadly, somewhat rare. Let’s begin with the word “willpower” which is a complicated process. In my view, the broad term “will-power” is as outdated a concept as the word “diet.”   It’s not as simple as willing something or digging deep to find that thing called willpower.

VALUE OUR LIFE CYCLES I am still in the first few weeks of retirement. I feel a sense of liberating joy starting to flow through me in waves as I take in and begin to grasp what it means to retire and no longer follow protocols and regulations associated with my workplace.  I had an epiphany this morning as I was listening to music and taking my walk. It is during these walks when the flashes of insight seem to be taking place. It’s starting to feel like I’m turning 21, like the whole world is before me again. Granted, realistically there remain only about ten high quality years, but that seems like a long exciting spell of time to feel this way.   I’m lucky to be healthy and have that decade to look forward to and who knows, I could possibly have more than the decade. 

Training Table and Retirement: We have our turning points in life, a decisive moment and watershed events along our life-journey.   Learning to walk, learning to drive, turning 21, perhaps marriage, birth, funerals. Events that let us know we are embarking in a new and significantly different phase, or stage of our life.   I reached yet another such exact point in time, In March when I turned 65. As the marker birth year approached, torrents of Medicare information deluged my home. Our society let me know that a major turning point is approaching. Week 1 of retirement: Turning effect: You’re old, it’s now and it’s real. The Training Table philosophy uses milestones as a pause for reflection, celebration, and healthy growth. As an anti-ager, the 65 th birthday threshold is a time to reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. As of 7 days ago, I in fact retired from a 44-year teaching career and hence am at the threshold of a new phase. So how do I feel? I...

3 Repalcements Do you or family members use sandwiches as a lunch or snack staple? If the answer is yes, then today's entry will be of crucial value. Do you think about the nutritious option of sprouted grains and legumes in your sandwich bread?  This entry is dedicated to making a healthier daily lunch and contains 3 of the primary lunch food replacements that have made a big difference in my health and ultimately in my weight.