Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers

What kind of website it this, anyway?

If I were to say that livelife365 is a Health and Fitness site, most of those who are frequent readers would agree with that statement. I often write about health, diet, and nutrition.

Okay, so livelife365 is a Healthy Lifestyle site, then?

Yes. But I have also written about the importance of setting goals and maintaining balance in our lives.

Umm, so, this is a Self-Improvement blog?

You are correct. But—

There’s always a but with you!

Correct again. Given that I have written travel posts...

Okay…

And humorous slices of life.

I see, but…

And I’m all about inspirational topics.

Wow, I didn’t know.

Of course you didn’t.

Livelife365 is a site dedicated to Health, Personal Development, and Entertainment—it says so right at the top of the web page (at least it does on my video site.


Okay, so what you’re trying to say is…?

That livelife365, both this blog and my video site, is about…

LIFE!

…and life encompasses more than one category or genre. Life cannot be pigeonholed.

Interesting…but what does all this have to do with the title of this post?

I Miss My Hair

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

My point exactly!

While I enjoy sharing my thoughts and programs about health, motivation, personal development and how-to tips, what I really love to do is entertain. Making others laugh is a passion of mine—something I have been able to successfully do all my life. And music…I have always dabbled in songwriting, while fooling around with an assortment of musical instruments—starting way back when I was a kid and wanted to learn how to play the drums, but instead somehow got talked into dragging home a baritone horn to torture my parents with, up to my current passion: guitar.


Combine all those attributes and desires, along with a theatrical background (I majored in theatre while in college, a long, long time ago; back when I had long, flowing hair!), and you have the creative cocktail for my latest music video, I Miss My Hair.

Inspiration is a fickle mistress. If you constantly wait for it to come to you, you may be waiting a long time. But sometimes it happens just like that image, you know the one, with the light bulb over the guy’s head. Snap! Just like that!

This idea came to me while I was working on my political music video, Pick One, in the Electric Canyon studios with my buddy Dale. We somehow got on the topic of hair, or my lack thereof—I chuckled (which I usually do when reminded of my follicle-challenged dome), then sighed, and said, “Man, sometimes I miss my hair.” I paused, looked over at Dale, then added, “That sounds like it could be a song. I’m gonna work on it.” Dale looked at me the way sound guys in the music biz for decades have looked at guys like me—sure, whatever, call me when you’re ready to record.

The rest, as they say, is history. I went home and did that thing we songwriter's do, then visited Dale and laid down some tracks. Then Dale did that thing he does so well. Using his magic touch, he sweetened my voice and very-average acoustic guitar playing, and then created the Hungry & Poor Band (all Dale) by adding percussion, bass, and electric guitar.

I then pulled out my trusty video camera and went to work shooting hours of video, that Dale and I (again, mostly Dale), painstakingly edited down to this four minutes and forty-nine second music video:

I MISS MY HAIR

I have created nearly two hundred videos for my website, livelife365.com, and close to fifty blog posts for this blog, but can honestly say that I am most proud of this music video. From concept to finished product, it was one of those projects that not only brought me great personal satisfaction and artistic gratification, but was a pleasure to do.

Big kudos go out to Dale at ProSound for his amazing efforts and precision work (and for putting up with me), as well as his stellar performance in the video—he’s the little guy with the hungry & poor sign playing the drums, among other things. Thanks, Dale!

For those of you who have yet to watch I MISS MY HAIR, please enjoy!

And for those who have already seen this video, why not take another look? You may pick up something that you missed the first time through.

Lastly, please have a good laugh on me! Remember, laughter is a good thing. While it may not help you lose weight or flatten your belly, it is as important to your overall health and well-being as proper diet, adequate sleep, and everyday breathing. Hey, this is, after all, a Health blog, right?

Huh?

Never mind.

Until next time…


peace,
Mike

Greetings!

After a short jaunt across the Coastal Mountains to visit the ocean (the seaside community of Fort Bragg), I am back. Can’t say I’m thrilled to be sitting here in my living room, the suburban sounds of lawn mowers, delivery trucks, and screaming children replacing the serenity and seductive purr of the Pacific. I look out my window at my neighborhood—a nice place, don’t get me wrong—neatly stacked with row after row of similar looking houses and sun-swallowed foliage and feel a longing for the fresh, cool air and sandy scenery of the beach. A far (gull’s) cry from the spectacular views of whitecaps cresting multi-hued water that I espied from my hotel room window. Oh, well, life is not a vacation but a journey of understanding, searching for purpose and fulfillment, with most of what we get out of it dependant upon what we put into it.

But it was fun while it lasted. My lovely wife and I crammed a lot of life into a few days at the coast. Besides soaking in the stunning seascapes, we enjoyed leisurely long walks along the steep cliffs that separated us from the ocean below, strolled the quaint downtown shops and restaurants, and survived the twisty, rocky mountain pass that brought us to the foot of one of the tallest and oldest living things on this earth—the giant redwood Chandelier Tree. This colossus is 315 feet tall and 21 feet in diameter—so wide you can drive a car through it. In fact, we did just that, since someone was kind enough to hew a six-foot wide tunnel through this baby’s middle. These magnificent trees are thousands of years old! If you’re ever in this neck of the woods (pun intended), do yourself a favor and take the drive; it’s well worth it.

When I returned from my brief respite, I was not only greeted with mid-90 degree heat (the average summer high temperature in Fort Bragg is mid-60’s!), but over 1000 emails! I have managed to make a huge dent in the massive pile and, along with jumping back into those social networking chores, should be back to semi-normal soon. I appreciate your patience and interesting comments on my last post about blockages, especially writer’s block. The irony was not lost to me, having not posted in a week right after writing a post about how to avoid writer’s block. No, I have not been blocked (in any area, thank you!), just away.

While I was away, I was nominated for a Brillante Weblog Premio 2008 Award by Rebecca at Creating Wealth and Health. If you have not visited this site, I highly recommend you do. Rebecca offers many of the same healthy, positive methods that I advocate at livelife365.

Now, I don’t know much about this cool award, except that it is a wonderful honor to have anyone think my blog is worthy of any recognition—so, thanks, Rebecca. With this award there are some rules, and here they are:

l. The award may be displayed on a winner’s blog.
2. Add a link to the person who you received the award from.
3. Nominate up to seven other blogs.
4. Then add their links to your blog.
5. Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on to in the comments section of their blog.

Here are a few great blogs, from the hundreds that I visit every week, that I would like to nominate for a Brillante Weblog Premio 2008 Award:

The Junk Drawer

This is one of my favorite blogs to read. Kathy writes about ”anything that amuses me, confuses me, or makes me blow a gasket.”

Communication Exchange

This is one of the better written blogs you will find, exploring any topic worth discussing.

Monkey Fables and Tales

This blog makes me laugh just about every time I read it—and I read it all the time!

Daisy the Curly Cat

To be honest with you, I never in a million years thought that I would love reading a blog from a cat’s point of view, but this is one cool cat—and one good blog.

Confessions of a Fitness Diva

You know how I love healthy living and fitness—this is one healthy and fit diva! A blog worth reading!

Ruminations of a Small Town Mountain Boy

Eric is one of the nicest bloggers around, and his two blogs are great reads(visit his other blog, Chihuatude). Where else can you find the word “ruminations” in a blog title?

Miz Fit Online

Excellent fitness blog, told in a unique voice. Lots of videos and useful, informative posts.

Wow, seven already? I could easily add seven more—dozens more. It makes me wish that I win more awards so I can give kudos to all the other great blogs out there worthy of recognition.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Has this ever happened to you? One day, you’re doing your thing—whatever that thing may be—you know, taking care of business, tending to the daily details of your so-called life. It’s a breeze, a walk in the park, a nice, comfortable routine that you enjoy. Sure, it can mundane, at times, a bit of the same old/same old, but it’s a smooth, effortless ride. You’re getting stuff done. You’re productive. Happy. Living la dolce vida (and maybe even la vida loca, for you Ricky Martin fans out there). And then, out of nowhere, out of the blue, it all ends. Stops. Ceases to not only be fun, but to be at all. You are suddenly stuck. In a rut.

BLOCKED!

This sensation can apply to just about any situation in anyone’s life. As a writer, the first thing that comes to mind is: Writer’s Block. I can hear the moans and screams from my fellow writer’s out there—no, no, not that! Not writer’s block! Do not go there!

Okay, I won’t, not just yet. Instead, how about I go here: constipation.

Now we’re talking about some serious blockage.

Isn’t that a bit of a stretch, Mike? From writer’s block to constipation?

Not really. Here’s why: to avoid any kid of blockage in your life (let’s call this Life Blockage), you need to follow a few simple tips—plan ahead, practice good, healthy routines, balance your triad—mind, body, and spirit, and work hard at it. Every day.

Life blockage isn’t limited to writer’s block or your ability or inability to regulate your bowels. It can challenge your relationships or careers, appear as a mid-life crisis, and mess with your diet and health; just about anything in your life. The good news: working on these tips can help you manage most of what life, and life blockage, sends your way.

DO IT EVERY DAY

It is said that practice makes perfect. While seeking perfection can be a practice in futility, practicing is a good thing. To get better at anything, you need to work at it. Repetition is an important key on the road to improvement, but mistakes are bound to happen—another good thing. Making mistakes is encouraged, as long as you learn from them.

Let’s go back and take a look at writing again. I strongly suggest you write every day. Easy, right, you’re a writer. But it is easier said than done—at least for me it is. I mean, who has anything relevant to say every day? Not a lot of people. But you still need to write, all the time, if your desire is to become a good writer, and to improve your writing skills. So write. Every day. At times (lots of times) you will write bad prose and you will discard most of what you have toiled hours to create. If you want to write (and those who really want to write, will write—it’s almost an unstoppable compulsion) you will, and, if I may be so bold, you will enjoy the process.

Writing every day will keep the writer’s block away!

Using these methods will help you with most any challenges life tosses your way.

• Work at (_______) every day
• Understand that it is okay, encouraged even, to make mistakes
• Learn from those mistakes
• Work smart

Working smart is managing your time, balancing your tasks, and doing the little things that you learn and pick up along the way. One of the tips I picked up to help me combat the evils of writer’s block was writing every day. And on those days when your creative muse is your best friend, take a moment to jot down all those amazing ideas that seem to be overflowing from your brain. You will be grateful for them a few weeks later when your brain bogs down and is as productive as a wedge of Swiss cheese.

Another tip that is great for writers and writer’s block is to read, all the time, everything you can get your hands on. Diverse data, fiction and non-fiction, books and magazines, every day. READ.

The more you know, the more you can write.

So, what does any of this have to do with, you know, ahh, that other backed up situation you mentioned earlier?

Constipation?

Yup, that’s the one.

Apply the same tips.

• Work at it every day. This means eating the right foods and the right amounts, along with an exercise program
• Make mistakes and learn from them. Discover which foods make your plumbing happy and which ones do not. I can give you a one-word hint—FIBER! Lots of fruits and veggies. And stay away from cheese and processed foods.
• Work smart—see above





When I sat down to write this, I was blocked—just my mind, not anywhere else (if you are, this video will help). My life these days has been filled with more than my share of outside distractions and challenges that have upset my routines and balance, creating a blockage. A life blockage.

Whenever I am faced with these challenges, these life blockages, I always fall back on the common sense methods that have helped me overcome myriad difficulties in the past. Writing down a few of them in this post reminded, and reassured, me that they still are effective. Still work for me.

I hope they work for you too.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Whenever someone visits my home, one of the first things out of their mouth is, “Wow, read much?” Or something along those words. Why? Picture a library, with furniture—not library furniture (desks and chairs), but living room, bedroom, dining room furniture—and you have a snapshot of my house (“our” house—mine and my lovely wife’s, who besides being wonderful in countless ways, is a saint for allowing me to turn much of our home into a book lovers paradise).


I am a collector. Not just books, but a collector of many things collectible.

Is this a bad thing? A form of some obsessive/compulsive disorder?

Here is the Mayo Clinic description of Obsessions:

Obsessions are repeated, persistent, unwanted ideas, thoughts, images or impulses that you experience involuntarily and that appear to be senseless. These obsessions typically intrude when you're trying to think of or do other things.

And for compulsions:

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress related to your obsessions.

I can relate to my collecting the words—repeating, persistent and repetitive. But not “unwanted ideas or images”—I WANT to collect. Does my desire to visit bookstores intrude on my thoughts when trying to do other things? Sure, at times, but that’s not a BAD thing, is it? Do I feel driven to collect? Again, sure, at times. And, again, not a bad thing…is it? Does collecting help reduce anxiety or distress? Ahh, some good news: not when related to my obsessions, which are still debatable. Okay, now I’m not just concerned about the possibility of my having OCD, but bordering on confusion and bewilderment that may appear to be senseless. Let’s skip the psychological evaluation portion of the program and get back to collecting.

I was talking about books. Okay, maybe I exaggerated about our house looking like a library—my wife may be a saint, but she’s not stupid. She has magically managed to tastefully distribute over twenty bookcases throughout the house while still able to maintain…oh, heck, the place reeks with books, almost 3000 of them! What can I say? I can’t help myself—I’m a collector.

My love for reading began as a boy growing up watching my dad devour paperback after paperback with delightful ease. He was a paperback juggler, able to read a half-dozen at a time, leaving dog-eared, food-stained, abused and battered pulps strewn throughout every room of the house. Yes, I always enjoyed reading, but collecting? I used to be like my dad—read a paperback with nary a concern for its safety, then toss it aside like a candy bar wrapper. Then one day, about two decades ago, something clicked inside my skull. While visiting a book store, I noticed a queue of folks, brand-new hardbacks in hand, waiting to meet an author. I grabbed one of the books for myself and joined my fellow readers, met, chatted with, and enjoyed watching this writer (Robert McCammon) autograph my copy—and like that, I was hooked.

I started collecting signed first editions from all the writers I already liked, then expanded my tastes and collection from there. My hobby quickly became a passion; my passion a vocation—one that has yet to show any signs of slowing down. I still love nothing better than leisurely perusing the musty shelves of a used book store in search of buried treasure in the form of an elusive first edition needed to complete a collected set of one of my favorite author’s works. I’ll figure out where to put it (my book cases are overflowing) later. I just can’t help myself. Why? You guessed it—I’m a collector.


And I don’t just collect books. I have happily amassed turtles and frogs (not the real things!), guitars and magazines (I cannot throw them out), globes and tea. Yes, tea! I have over fifty varieties of organic teas, mostly green, rooibos, and yerba mattes. And, yes, I drink my collection every day. That’s another great thing about my collections—they, for the most part, are functional. I read the books I collect, drink the teas, play the guitars, read the magazines. Okay, I admit I—I like to talk to my fake turtles too.

Eliminate the massive quantities of these items and I am basically your every day normal person…save for a few idiosyncratic tendencies that shall remain nameless.


It is just me? This collecting thing? I don’t think so. Human beings are pack rats, they enjoy accumulating things—be it old newspapers, cabbage patch dolls (remember them?), hammers or Hummels. It could be worse— Jay Leno collects expensive automobiles . Besides being way out of my league cost-wise, imagine what his living room looks like. Oh, that’s right; he has a garage the size of ten of my houses. Makes sense—he also collects a much larger paycheck than I do.

How about you? Are you a collector?

I bet you are.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

One of my favorite things I like to do this time of year is visit the local farmer’s market and load up on my fresh fruits and vegetables for the week. This past Saturday, I was there—tasting apples and a variety of flavored nuts (almonds, in this town , it’s all about almonds!), while carefully selecting cucumbers, peppers, squash, and that market staple, tomatoes. Boy, do I love fresh, summer tomatoes!

Recently, tomatoes have been getting a bad rap, with all the salmonella scares. And don’t get me wrong—there are several crops infected with these serious bacteria. The good news: most of the tainted crops have been removed from the marketplace, and none have been traced back to any local area farms. I still suggest exercising caution (wash and rewash all of your produce, not just tomatoes), but do not stop eating these nutritious and tasty…um, vegetables? Fruits? Ah, let me get back to you on that.

To even suggest that tomatoes sold in your grocery store are of the same species as those bought fresh (some are picked that morning!) at your local farmer’s market, is to compare eating frozen pizza to a fresh-from-the-oven slice from your favorite pizzeria. There is no comparison. Same with tomatoes. Store- bought tomatoes are months-old, stored and refrigerated for who-knows-how-long before being placed in the produce section.

My suggestion—Don’t buy them!
My other suggestion—Grow your own!
My last suggestion—If you can’t grow your own, then support your local farmer’s market and load up on this wonderful…ahh, vegetable…I mean, fruit. Chew on that for a bit longer and I promise I will get back to you.

Why are tomatoes so good for you? Lycopene. This is the chemical that makes tomatoes red. A review of over 50 different studies showed consistently that the more tomatoes and tomato products people eat, the lower their risks of many different kinds of cancer. The evidence is stronger in the prostrate, lung, and stomach. The tomato is also an excellent source of vitamin C (one medium tomato provides 40% of the RDA) and a good source of vitamin A (20% of the RDA).

Okay, well and good, Mike, but the summer fresh tomato season is short, and you suggest we shy away from the grocery store tomatoes. What do we do for the other eight months?

Can it.

Beg your pardon?

The tomatoes. Can them.

Oh, I thought you meant…

Never mind that. For those months in between the too-short farm fresh tomato season, I suggest, especially if you grow your own, to eat as many as you can, freeze some, and then can, or jar, the rest. You’d be pleasantly surprised how fresh and tasty they remain months after you have plucked them from the vine. As for the rest of you who don’t grow your own—buy them canned. There are several excellent canned tomato products to choose from. I look for organic and watch the sodium levels. While these are not as tasty as the summer fresh fruit (veggie?), they still, in my opinion, are many times tastier that those sad excuses sitting forlornly in your grocer’s produce section. And here’s a bonus: processed tomatoes contain even more lysopene because the process helps release concentrated carotenoids. Even in ketchup!

What’s your favorite tomato dish? Growing up in an Italian household, where my mother made a tomato sauce once a week, I love pasta. I could drink marinara sauce! (I’m kidding…I use an i.v. drip). But summertime, I love nothing better than slicing up a fresh tomato (still warm from sitting on a window sill to ripen. Do not put fresh tomatoes in the fridge—it reduces flavor and texture, turning them into clones of their pathetic cousins from the grocery store) and eating it between slices of lightly toasted bread, a touch of mayonnaise, maybe a slice of cheese, and salt and pepper. My mouth is watering. Hope yours is too.

So, what’s the verdict?

Yeah, wow, tomatoes are good for you and taste great, especially in the summer. Gonna run out and—

No, not that. Fruit or vegetable?

Ummmm…

A: To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is: does it have seeds?

If the answer is yes, then technically, you have a fruit. This means that tomatoes are a fruit. It also makes cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts all fruits as well.

What does it all mean? Who knows? What I do know is this: call them what you want, but just go out there and eat summer fresh tomatoes every day while they last. They taste great, and may just save your life.

Until next time…

peace,
Mike

I didn’t want to write this post. Not because I don’t have a passion for the subject matter—I live for goals! I just didn’t feel like sitting here, pen in hand (yes, I write the old fashioned way, with pen and paper; I then transfer those scratched out words to a word document, and then I post it to my blog—it works for me) vexing my brain into coming up with today’s post. But here I am, writing about the necessity of goals in our lives, despite desiring to be elsewhere. Why? Because I have to—it’s one of my goals.

Recently, I decided that I would write three blog posts a week—on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I visit dozens of blogs each day, taking note of content, style, and frequency of posts, and based on that figured that three was just about right. That number also fit in with my wanting to write about the three main themes of livelife365.com--Health, Personal Development, and Entertainment—each week. After making this decision, I then made it a goal. Being serious about my goals, and today being Friday, I felt compelled, bound by self-promise, to keep my word to myself. Ah, goals!

I am a firm believer that to be successful in life one needs to have a plan. Now, I also understand the need for spontaneity and that I am unable to “control” a lot of situations, realize that life often tosses us curveballs of fate, both ominous and serendipitous, that my plans or goals make little dent in. For that I like to say, “Worry about the things you can control and not about what you cannot.” What I am getting at is the gist of this post, and that is: Take charge of your life by setting goals!

SHORT-RANGE GOALS

Let’s say you’re trying to lose weight—I strongly suggest setting a weekly goal to strive for. For me, when I lost 40 pounds in six months, I set a goal of losing two pounds a week as something to shoot for. My short-range goals also included weighing myself daily, keeping a diet journal of everything I put in my mouth, and counting calories consumed and burned. A lot of effort, but well worth it—it worked!

Set clearly defined goals, but make sure they are not too easy or too difficult to attain. If they are too easy, then raise the bar; find yourself something worthwhile to shoot for. But don’t raise that bar too high—if a goal appears unattainable, then you begin to lose faith, get frustrated, regress, and sometimes give up. It is a challenging balancing act, but if you put some thought and effort into it, you’d be surprised at how effective your results will be.

Speaking of effort—setting, maintaining, and reaching goals is all about effort. Hard work. You will get out of it only what you put into it. If you are serious about changing your life for the better—physically, intellectually, financially, spiritually, relationship-wise—and bringing more purpose and fulfillment into your days, it takes some work. Work well worth the effort. But you need a plan. You need goals.

MID-RANGE GOALS

Have you ever sat in a job interview, or maybe just a performance review with your boss, and heard this query: “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Big groan, right?

Most of us are just trying to survive today, or at least this week, month, maybe year. Think about five years for a moment—it seems like a long time, but, for me, at least, these last five years have flown by! If you are not where you want to be now, chances are you did not give enough attention to your goals five years ago—make sense? Put another way: If you see yourself five years from now in a better career, nicer home, married with children (or divorced, free, and consuming fruity beverages on a beach in the Caribbean), you will need to start planning NOW. Start setting goals.

• Make a list of your dreams and goals
• Make a plan of how to attain the above
• Set a doable timetable
• Put forth the effort
• Remember that there will be snags, forks in the road, challenges and adversity along the way, so…
• Don’t be afraid to reassess, tweak, and refresh your goals. As you evolve, so do your goals.
• Stay the course, never give up, dream, and live!

LONG-RANGE GOALS

When I think long-range, I think ten years or more, maybe longer. What I’m really trying to say is—when can I retire? And: how much money will I need? Also where?

A few years ago, I made a major commitment and decisions that would greatly determine when and how well my wife and I would retire and live. How did I go about doing this? I set goals. Sensing I was nearing the end of my prime earning years, I made a concerted effort to work more hours, earn more money, so we could save more. I set short- and mid-range goals for contributions in our 401k plans, upping the percentages each year until we eventually hit our maxes. I reworked our budget to help meet these goals (a good practice to do at least once a year), cutting spending here, sacrificing there (here’s a helpful video to get you started in the right direction), without compromising our other goal of enjoying our lives today.

These are just some of my goals. Your goals will be different, and they will need different strategies and planning. No matter what your dream life is, what goals you need to work on to achieve it, the more effort you put forth the better your results will be. Focus, plan, work hard, and you’re on your way.

Set goals and stick with them and your dream life, before you know it, will become reality.

Remember: A life without goals is a life unfulfilled.

Wow, for a guy who didn’t feel like writing, I sure wrote a lot. Why? Because it was a goal.

peace,

Mike

The other day, while reclining atop a hotel room bed, reading a magazine, I was attacked by a rogue pretzel. What, you may be asking yourself, was I doing eating pretzels on a hotel room bed? Well, I was attempting to embrace and enjoy a rare respite from the madness otherwise known as “my life,” that’s what. Happily trying to catch up on two month’s worth of magazines, giddily avoiding my laptop, while shamelessly engaging in a rare caloric activity—namely shoveling empty calories of fun into my normally dietary-rigid mouth.

Perhaps that had something to do with this recalcitrant pretzel’s sneak attack—my rustiness in the simple art of consuming snack foods. You see, I am a total health nut freak (recently I was slightly taken aback by a comment left on one of my posts that described me as a “health nut,” until I sat back and thought about that word and realized, without a doubt, that, hey, I am a health nut! And that’s a good thing). I rarely allow myself the pleasure of consuming snacks (like pretzels or potato chips—a HUGE snacking vice for me, by the way). But on occasion, and this was one of those (being on vacation), I cut myself a break and indulge in some salty treat…and it ended up not biting me in the backside, but stabbing me in the mouth.

Here’s what happened: I was methodically cramming pretzel after pretzel into my seemingly insatiable maw, stick pretzels (my favorites are Snyder’s), you know the kind I mean, when one snapped in half, flipped up on to one end, and impaled itself into the roof of my mouth. Okay, maybe not impaled, but definitely jabbed, gouged, stabbed, shived, bayoneted, knifed, poked—name your bloody word! Because there was blood, lots of blood!

Needless to say, the elation of my pretzel pig-out was immediately and sadly cut short—as if the God of Nutrition had decided that he had seen enough, and reached his hand into my masticating mouth and manipulated a half-chewed pretzel into attention and to use as a weapon, thus putting an end to this empty-caloric nonsense.

Tossing the offending junk food bag into the corner of the hotel room, I hurried to the bathroom sink and rinsed and relieved my mouth of blood and all starchy remnants. I probed and stuffed balls of moistened tissue into my throbbing mouth until, after almost an hour’s battle, the bleeding subsided, leaving me with a very sore palate, and zero desire to imbibe in any salty, crunchy foods for the rest of this decade.

This harrowing brush with death (okay, maybe not my death, but at least the death of desire for a pretzel, once one of my few remaining guilty pleasures), left me pondering my lot in life, and reminded me of a similar incident, years ago, that involved our infamous lame duck resident of the White House. You remember, right? While eating pretzels and watching football on TV, good old George W. fainted and fell face first into oval office carpeting. Left with a bruised cheek and ego, he joked about it later, saying, “If my mother is listening, mother, I should have listened to you: Always chew your pretzels before you swallow.”

Wow, me and the Prez. Some may be thinking: it couldn't have happened to two nicer guys…or something along those lines.

Better yet, the lesson I learned from all this is one I have been shouting from the rooftops for years and years, and that is:

JUNK FOOD KILLS!

…or at least attacks and maims.

As always, you can enjoy my variety of humor, music, self-help, how-to, inspirational, and personal development videos at my website, livelife365.com.

Here's a new, very short one that may tickle your funny bone. Enjoy!


Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Potatoes are a misunderstood vegetable. They are kind of like the Rodney Dangerfield of the veggie world—they don’t get any respect! Sure they are popular: they are the number one consumed vegetable (around 130 pounds per person, per year…man, that’s a lot of spuds!) in America. But they are never mentioned along with broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, or apples as one of the healthiest. One reason: their association with that deep-fried, fast-food staple, the French fry. But what if I told you that potatoes are loaded with all sorts of healthy goodness—even in their greasy French fried state? Why not grab a fry (not too many) and read on.

The first misconception about the potato is that is it high in calories. French fried potatoes are (over 500 calories per serving; plus high in saturated fats and sodium, though zero cholesterol). But a medium baked potato (before you smother it with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits—wow, my stomach just growled real loud!) has only 160 calories. I eat my baked potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, and they taste delicious. Try one with just a touch of your favorite butter or margarine (although I recommend trying the olive oil), and skip all those other toppings, and you will get the healthiest benefits. The potato’s bad rap comes from the fatty toppings most people add to them, as well as in how they are prepared in other ways (augrautin, mashed, for instance). I compare this to eating salads (trying to eat healthy), but then drowning your lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, and carrots with fattening dressings, high-in-calorie croutons, cheese, and the rest of those salad bar offerings. You have essentially taken a healthy eating choice and rendered it unhealthy. Please resist doing this. Instead, let’s focus on more of the potato’s good attributes—like fiber.

One potato has around 4.0 grams of fiber. I am a huge advocate of fiber, constantly looking for ways to get more than the recommended amounts of fiber into my daily diet. I recently lost of 40 pounds on a high-fiber diet, and have kept it off. I am always searching for healthy, fiber-rich foods, and the potato gets high marks.

Here’s a question for you: Which has more potassium, one banana or one potato? Most of us assume that the banana, with around 800 mgs, has the most. But a medium potato has just over 900 mgs. Did you know that the best way to get the most out of this tuber is to eat the skin, along with the potato? This helps retain the nutrients. So, always eat the skin when digging into a baked potato. Buy yourself a good potato scrubber and always give your spud’s a good cleaning before baking. That way you can enjoy the tasty skin without hesitation, while getting all that healthy potassium (and other nutrients) in the bargain.

Looking for a source of vegetable protein? I know I always am. Look no further than the potato. Eat one and get around 4.0 grams of protein—a good thing!

Potatoes are also loaded with more than 60 vitamins—including 45% or your daily value for vitamin C, also thiamin, niacin, iron, and magnesium—and phytochemicals, which along with flavonoids, are considered heart-healthy. Plus kukoamines, a plant chemical found in potatoes, which help lower blood pressure. Those are a bunch of big words that just mean—EAT POTATOES, THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU!

Wow, when you look at all those amazing healthy benefits, maybe potatoes aren’t the Rodney Dangerfield of the veggie world after all? I guess it’s all in how they are prepared. My mantra—keep it simple. The more toppings and extras you add (to any food, not just potatoes) that do not enhance the naturally good flavor and healthy benefits of that food, will ultimately detract from it…and add unnecessary and unwanted calories, fats, sodium, and carbs.

To help you get started on your way to appreciating (and eating) the amazingly healthy potato, here are a few excellent websites that are all about potatoes. They offer some great recipes and helpful tips in preparing these tasty spuds.

Potatoe Recipes

Potato Underground

Healthy Potato

Okay, wait, just one fry can’t hurt, can it? Man, those are good…
And good for you (in moderation)!

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

I recently received an email from someone who had visited my video site, livelife365.com. After viewing my video on how to beat addictions, she wanted to share with me her own recent success in overcoming her struggles with alcohol, and then ask me if I had any advice for helping her overcome her ongoing addiction to cigarettes. I offered several successful methods and programs that helped me quit smoking (years and years ago, thank goodness), and then added one of my favorite sayings:

TURN BAD HABITS INTO GOOD ONES!

While far from a cure-all, especially when attempting to quit smoking cigarettes (nicotine addiction is one of the most difficult battles to overcome), this advice has helped me change my life for the better time and time again.

Using smoking as an example, what I suggested to my email friend was to stop cold turkey. Actually, I suggested that she check with her medical professional first before making any drastic lifestyle change in diet, fitness or addictions. Once she stopped smoking she should then replace that nasty habit with a healthier one—like exercise. Start off slowly at first (a walking program is always my first choice for those just beginning to get back into an exercise routine), and then build from there. I then suggested eating healthier foods. Essentially, what this does is force you to stay away from the butts. By introducing healthy habits into your life, your mind and body (and don’t forget the other member of the triad of balance, the spirit) will rebel against such a negative intrusion—like inhaling burning tobacco leaves into your once pink lungs, introducing a toxic poison that will cut years off your precious life. After awhile, not only will your body reject tobacco (or alcohol or greasy fast-foods), but your mind and spirit will too.

I am a huge believer that diet and exercise, along with a positive mental approach, can cure just about anything. Most of the good habits I recommended to combat the struggle with quitting nicotine addiction can be applied to other bad habits that afflict us all—be it trying to stop the over-consumption of alcohol or attempting to cut down on fast-foods or soda.

I used to be a Diet Coke fiend. Let me give you some background about myself first. I was once a heavy drinker, from the age of sixteen to thirty-six. I figure I used up all of my booze tickets in twenty years, when they should have lasted me a lifetime. Using the bad habits/good habits method, along with other effective programs, I was able to quit drinking, and haven’t touched a drop in over fifteen years. But one habit I acquired, after giving up the vodka, was soda. Diet Coke, to be precise.

Figuring I had eliminated just about all other vices from my life, what harm could soda do me, right? Especially diet soda. I used to suck down five, six, seven or more bottles a day for years…until I started reading up on what was actually in diet soda. Along with the high sodium, which causes bloating, and various gastrointestinal side effects, overconsumption of diet soda is far from a healthy beverage option.

The solution: Turn that bad habit into a good one. My good one was: green tea. Never that much of a coffee drinker, I had read about the health benefits of drinking green tea, so I tried it—and have enjoyed it ever since.

This method can be applied to just about any bad habit. Watching too much bad TV? Shut off the set (there are some good shows on television, but it’s up to you to find them and then only watch the good ones) and pick up a good habit—like reading. Or a fun or interesting hobby. Relationship with your spouse getting dull? Spice it up or switch things around. Some of our routines, while necessary and comforting, can become ruts, if we allow them to. Turn that bad habit into a good one.

As I have said, this is not a cure-all for whatever ails you (some problems need bigger solutions), but give this method a try and see for yourself. The results may surprise you.

Good luck with whatever challenges you face. And I hope all your habits are good ones.

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

If someone were to ask me a few years ago what one of my favorite snacks was, I would have probably said: potato chips, or some other salty treat. Hummus would have been far down the list; in fact, it would not have even made the list. Back then, I didn’t even know what hummus was. Do you?

Well, today, most of us have at least heard of hummus. But how many of you have actually eaten it? Interested in learning more about this intriguing food? Read on.

Hummus is a dip, spread, or paste made from cooked and mashed chickpeas. It is then blended with tahini (crushed and soaked sesame seeds), olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. The best way for me to describe how this delicious spread is made is by letting someone else do the talking. Watch this informative video (after you finish reading this post) for one of the best hummus recipes out there.

Hummus is Middle Eastern in origin, and has been around forever. Chickpeas have been a food item for over 10,000 years. Wow, that’s a lot of hummus over the years, huh? Most people eat hummus with pita bread—tearing off pieces to use as a scoop. You can also use your favorite dipping chip or cracker. I like to eat it with soy chips. My favorites can be found at Glenny’s; and they are loaded with vegetable protein. A snack of soy chips and hummus, which I consume two or three times a week, gives me around 10.0 grams of healthy protein and 7.0 grams of fiber. And they taste amazing!

Besides being a wonderful source of vegetable protein and fiber, hummus is also high in vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

As for different types of hummus—shop around, there are dozens of flavors and styles and brands out there. And, as always, read the nutritional information—some are high in fat and calories (read the ingredients, see what you’re eating!). These days you can find hummus in most grocery stores. I love the eggplant hummus at Trader Joe’s. And this site has some excellent organic hummus and other products you may enjoy.

For all you lovers of hummus (like me!) out there, keep enjoying this flavorful food’s myriad tastes and healthy benefits. And for those of you who have yet to try hummus? Give it a shot; you may end up loving it and making it one of your favorite snacks.

For more about hummus, I suggest visiting these two great sites:
The Hummus Blog
Desert Candy

And, as always, you can enjoy self-help videos about health, personal development, entertainment and much more at my video site, livelife365.com.

Until next time...

peace,
Mike

My wife and I just returned from a 4th of July getaway across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to Reno. Why Reno? Well, it’s close (three hours), and the drive is relaxing and filled with enjoyable scenery—mountaintops still speckled with snow, rivers cutting rapids through rock-strewn ravines, waterfalls and forests, historical bridges and quaint towns. We also like to lose ourselves with the lure of gambling, fine dining, diverse shopping, and the occasional show. It’s always an easy escape whenever we feel the need to escape from the everyday.

But, if you are like me and have certain special dietary needs, you need to plan ahead. Here are a few tips that will help make your next getaway smoother and more rewarding:

BRING YOUR OWN

I seldom leave on a trip—short jaunt or long trek—without my trusty Bodum travel tea kettle. It’s compact and light enough to fit in any carryon bag or suitcase. I suggest you also pack your tea (or coffee) cup and spoon—that way you don’t have to worry about finding one in the morning, and this also reduces exposure to germs (never use those glasses they put in hotel bathrooms!). I also bring along all of my favorite green teas (as well as rooibos and yerba matte) in a Ziploc bag. If traveling by automobile, I toss in a case of mountain spring water—you can stuff six bottles at a time into your carryon or on your person and bring them up to your room. This allows you to have safe water (not all bottled waters are created equal) to drink and make tea with, as well as saving you a bunch of money. I never drink tap water, even at home—I always bring along my own spring water while dining out. And I bring it along, whenever possible, while on vacation. I enjoy Crystal Geyser or Arrowhead. It makes a difference which type you drink. Always opt for mountain spring versus purified.

For longer trips, or if traveling by air, I will pack the Bodum travel tea kettle and my own tea, but then buy a case of mountain spring water at either a grocery store or Wal-Mart, if one is convenient. The difference in cost per bottle when you buy it by the case (around 21 cents per bottle) versus purchasing a bottle in the lobby of that fancy hotel (anywhere from $2.00-$4.00 per bottle) is staggering. Spend your hard-earned cash on some fun, not bottled water. Plus, there’s no guarantee that the lobby gift shop carries mountain spring water—most of the time you’re paying for bottled tap water that has just been purified.

DON’T ASSUME

If you have special dietary needs (and being a pretty strict vegetarian, I sure do!), then never assume that the restaurants at the resort or city or area you are visiting will offer the same dining fare you are accustom to. The good news: most restaurants these days do offer a few vegetarian menu items to choose from—but often they lack adequate protein or fiber, or are just salads or vegetable plates.

The solution: Bring your own, if you can. I never leave on a road trip or getaway without a Trader Joe’s bag filled with healthy snacks that satisfy my vegetarian needs (okay, and some fun stuff that just taste good—hey, you’re on vacation, after all, right?).

But the best solution:

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Before leaving on any trip, go online and research the area you are visiting. Search for the restaurants or hotels that cater to your special needs (and not just vegetarian needs, but whatever your particular needs may be). Unless you’re vacationing in some obscure, faraway, remote island in the middle of nowhere, you should be able to find something that satisfies you.

Using the Internet (or magazines, newspaper articles, bolgs) for research before your trip is also invaluable for planning where to stay, what to do, how to get there, how much you should spend, and the best time to go.

HAVE FUN

Remember, you’re getting away from your routine, the everyday. If for some reason you can’t find exactly what you need to eat (I still have this challenge, at times, no matter how much planning I do), then just go with it. By that I don’t mean you should scarf down a cheeseburger if you’re a vegetarian. But if a burger joint is your only option, then ask if they can make you a veggie burger. If those aren’t on the menu, try asking them for something creative, like: a cheeseburger without the burger. Maybe a side salad instead of fries (oh, what the heck, have a few fries, Mike—you’re on vacation!). Or, do what I do when there is absolutely nothing that I can eat—order a salad, and then save room for dessert. I seldom eat dessert, but when I do I dive into it—banana split or slab of carrot cake. It is a getaway, after all, right?

I hope these tips help make your next getaway a happy and healthier one.

Oh, and one last thing. When gambling in Reno (or anywhere else), always set a high and a low. It’s simple: if you win a jackpot, don’t give it all back to the house (because the odds strongly favor this happening) by continuing to play. Set a high, and a low, dollar amount. When you hit either amount, cash in your winnings and live to gamble another day. Don’t let the house win when you have the opportunity to quit while you’re ahead.

On that note, think I will take my own advice.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike
livelife365.com

At some time in each of our lives, most of us want, or need, to lose some weight. Whether it’s dropping those last ten pounds that have been driving you nuts, or, like tens of millions overweight Americans, you need to drop a whole bunch. 20 pounds? 40? Over 50? Guess what? Do I have some great news for you!

If you can count, you can lose weight. Now, I know you’ve all probably heard a lot of this before—count calories, watch portion sizes, eat less, exercise more—but not all weight reduction programs are created equal. Still overweight? Still need some help? Read on…

3500

That’s the magic number of calories that makes up one pound of weight loss.

Huh?

Okay, I understand, no one said there was going to be math, right?

Let’s say you eat 2000 calories each day (which, depending on your body size, gender, or age, is a nice, average number to go by). Now multiply that by 7 days, and the result is that you will consume 14,000 calories per week. Here’s where that magic number—3500—comes into play.

If your goal is to lose one pound a week, you will need to burn 3500 calories more than you ingest, per week. Using the above example: if you consume 14,000 calories, you would need to burn 17,500 to lose one pound in a week. Now, take those 17,500 calories and divide by 7 (days). That’s 2500. That’s how many calories you would need to burn, on average, per day, to lose one pound.

Wow, sounds like a lot of math, and hard work.

Actually, it’s a lot easier than you could imagine.

Using this formula, and eating a high-fiber, low-fat diet, I lost over 40 pounds in only six months. And I have been able to keep all of the weight off for over two years. And here’s the best news—burning calories is not that difficult. We burn them while asleep! You are burning some right now just reading this post. I burned a bunch writing it!

One of the best ways to burn more calories, though, is to become more active. You don’t have to go crazy and start training for an Iron Man competition, you just need to get up and get going. Start a walking program, work in the yard landscaping or gardening, use the stairs instead of the elevator, clean the house (yup, burns lots of calories). Even going grocery shopping will burn a bunch. Here is a great tool that will help you keep track of all the calories you burn. The good news—burning 2500-3000 calories (or more!) per day is not that difficult to do. The challenge for most of us is consuming fewer calories. That’s why I titled this post: Make Your Calories Count.

If you are to limit caloric consumption (eat less), then you need to make sure everything you put in your mouth has value and nutritional purpose. This means—no empty calories. An empty calorie is something (a bag of chips, slice of cake, most fast foods) that fills your stomach, but gives little in return—no nutrition, few vitamins or minerals. They may even be high in saturated fats, sodium, and sugar. No value—so, don’t eat them.

Here’s the important thing to understand—if you seriously want to lose weight and decide to limit your caloric intake, you need to ensure that every calorie you consume has a purpose. Why? Because you only have so many in each day/week, to waste any could lead to your weight loss downfall. An example: one trip through that drive-thru window at your favorite (not anymore, I hope) burger joint could blow your calorie count for the entire day. A double cheeseburger, large fry, and soda or shake, depending on which grease house you are visiting, have anywhere from 1000-2000 calories. And watch their salads; most are high in sodium and calories. My advice: Don’t go there!

I talk in greater detail about all of these at my video website, livelife365.com.

If you are serious about dropping those last ten pounds or ready to take that first step toward losing fifty, or more, count your calories (magic number: 3500), and make your calories count.

Here are a few more tips that have helped me:

• Eat small mini-meals throughout the day, every 2-3 hours. Toss out the traditional thinking that you need to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• Chew gum in between meals. You’d be amazed at how effective this it.

• Eat lots of fiber and less animal protein. Fiber curbs your appetite, digests slowly, helps with regularity, and is good for you.

• Stop eating before you feel full. It can take ten minutes or more before the brain realizes that the stomach is full. We all too often continue to eat way longer than we need to.

• Keep a journal. Jot down everything you eat each day—and I mean everything! This includes “tastes” while cooking and “nibbles” from your kid’s or spouses’ plates. And don’t forget liquids; they count too. This is an excellent way to monitor what is working or not in your diet. I still have my journals!

• Walk. Walking is the easiest, least expensive exercise there is. Here is an informative walking video to get you started.

Remember—3500 calories equals one pound. Burn more than 3500 calories than you ingest and you will lose a pound of weight. Do this every week and, before you know it, you will be well on your way to a healthier, happier, better life. I hope these tips help. And, as always, you can find more healthy information, as well as personal development, how-to, and entertainment videos at my video site, livelife365.com.

peace,

Mike

When you get right down to it, life is a balancing act. We constantly strive to balance everything—Work and play. Self time and time spent with our significant others, children, other family members and friends. Serious, reflective moments (like this post) balanced against silly, goofy ones (see my previous post). Whether we are attempting to find the time to start or maintain an exercise program, or just steal an extra hour from our week to sink into a favorite chair and catch up on that novel we’ve been dying to read, the need for balance in our lives is a daily, often hourly, task.

But what about the need for balance inside each of us? What are you talking about, huh, Mike?

Triad of Balance.

Before we can find the time to balance our hectic lives, or begin to understand how to approach doing so, we need to balance our selves.

There are three parts of each of us that I feel need to be individually balanced—Mind. Body. Spirit. And then they need to be balanced together.

Let’s start with the Mind, because once we have our head on straight, the rest falls into place nicely. The brain needs to be fed. There are lots of things that our mind absorbs each second—this post, for instance. The good thing is: we can, most of the time, choose what we ingest mentally. I suggest we feed our mind nothing but the good stuff, by that I mean: read more, watch TV less—or watch TV programs that add interesting, informative, positive data to our brain. That goes for what we read too—read fiction, sure, but a variety of it. Also everything else that stretches our limitations, help to learn new things, or add more positive, thought provoking images to our brain. Focus on the good in the world, while acknowledging the not so good, but remaining positive throughout. The more positive, intelligent, happy, helpful, kind, intriguing, beautiful (add your own positive word here) thoughts we incorporate into our brain every day, the healthier, happier, and more balanced we will become.

We also need to exercise our Mind. Just like muscles that do not stay active, an inactive brain will become flabby, less sharp. Work both sides of the brain: do puzzles (I love crosswords; do one a day), challenge yourself by learning a musical instrument, or joining a group like Toastmasters or by enrolling in a night college course.

Let’s move from the Mind for now and focus on the Body. If we need to feed our brain with good, healthy data, you can probably guess what I’m going to say next, right? Remember that old expression? You are what you eat. What we eat and the amounts are vital in maintaining our body’s balance. Eat healthy, nutritious foods and our bodies will respond in kind. Keep portion size down, and our body will not only be the right size, but it will help reduce some of the risks of heart disease (the number one killer in America), cancer, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, and any number of other maladies. Add to that healthy diet a sensible exercise program (see Ten Reasons You Should Get Out and Walk Every Day ), and our body is going to love us. Speaking of love, let’s add that to the list of things the brain should focus on each day.

We also need to keep the Body (and Mind and Spirit) free from negative intruders—tobacco, excessive alcohol, and dangerous drugs.

Treat your Body like the temple it is and you will feel great, live longer, and get yourself that much closer to being balanced.

Now the Spirit. Spirituality means different things to different people, but with one common bond—the act of doing something positive that fulfills us. And just like with the Mind and Body, our Spirit needs to be fed and exercised daily.

Feed your soul with happy, healthy, helpful thoughts, daily, then expand outward—share a funny joke with friends, call your mother or father on the phone just to say hello, offer a random act of kindness to a stranger, (leave a nice comment on someone’s blog post). On a larger scale, we can do volunteer work, give to charity (money or time), join groups or forums with like-minded people practicing spiritual giving. And, of course, worship our higher power at our place of worship, or at home.

Now the hard part—balancing all three: Mind, Body, and Spirit.

There are times, too rare, when I have had my Triad of Balance in harmony, when I have felt mentally healthy and happy, physically strong and active, and spiritually fulfilled and content. But more often than not, one, or sometimes two, or the three need work. And when even one of the three is off, the result is: I am out of balance. Put another way: I am not complete, not the person I know I can be.

The ultimate goal, for me at least, is to have all three—Mind, Body, and Spirit—in balance all the time. While that is often a mighty challenge, it is one that, when attained, makes me the best person I can be, and well worth the effort.

Remember, all we, as flawed human beings, can do is try. Work at everything I’ve discussed in this post, each and every day, and good things are bound to happen.

Visit my website, livelife365.com, for videos about everything I talked about in this post…and lots more.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

I wasn’t always a vegetarian. Back in the day, I used to be seated right beside some of you, gnawing away on that rib bone, masticating that filet mignon, devouring a double double from my (former) favorite burger place, In-n-Out. I was an animal-eating carnivore most of my life—just like over 90% of the population. Then I had some blood work done and got a glimpse of my cholesterol levels. Yikes!

Here’s the thing: I was never what you would call a BIG meat eater. More often than not, I was just as interested in the vegetable and salad portion of my meal as the animal protein part. And once I’d done further research about the contributing factors of high cholesterol (mine, by the way, was closing in on 300) and unhealthy weight gain—namely: saturated fats—it made perfect sense to gradually cut down on the meats. Years before I became a full-time vegetarian, I often would go days without consuming any animal protein. My palette, as well as some deeper region of my subconscious, was changing, sounding an alarm: Reduce your saturated fats or die!

Okay, Mike, you can stop with the dramatics. But it was a wake-up call, and my unhealthy cholesterol and weight gain (I was up over 200 pounds—far too heavy for my barely 5’ 11’’ frame) forced me to do something else—discover healthier eating options. More to the point: I needed to reduced saturated fats, which meant limit the consumption of animal proteins. The answer:

VEGETABLE PROTEIN!

Here are some of the best sources of vegetable protein that I incorporate into my daily eating routine. Eat as much of this stuff as you can and you will not only get the necessary amount of protein into your diet, but tons of fiber (a good thing!). All without those harmful saturated fats; instead filling up with the good fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

NUTS
I eat nuts every day—mostly almonds, but all nuts have a decent amount of vegetable protein. In addition to almonds, eat walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, even peanuts. They have anywhere from 6-8 grams of protein and 3.0 grams of fiber. I also suggest trying some of the butters. Almond butter is delicious and has 8.0 gms of protein per serving.

BEANS
I love Mexican food, and eat it at least twice a week. I’ve found that you can replace just about any of the meat dishes with healthy black beans (7.0 gms protein/7.0 gms fiber) or refried beans (be sure to check if they are made with lard, in they are, opt out). There are dozens of varieties of beans (see one of my previous blog posts,You Don’t Know Beans…or Do You?); pinto, navy, garbanzo—add them to salads or eat as a side dish. Most have around 6-8 gms of protein and about the same amounts of fiber.

And don’t forget lentils. These tasty tidbits are loaded with vegetable protein—10.0 gms. And 9.0 gms of fiber.

WHOLE GRAINS
I eat a high-protein, whole grain cereal every other day. Kashi makes excellent products. Try their Go Lean. It has 13.0 gms of protein per serving, also 10.0 gms fiber. I mix mine with their Good Friends (5.0 gms protein/12.0 gms fiber) for a vegetarian protein and fiber blast (pun intended!) The days I don’t eat whole grain cereals, I have some toasted whole grain bread (4-6 gms protein; shop around and read labels, some have more protein than others. I recommend Milton's ) with almond butter. You can see how the vegetable protein is adding up, huh?

Pastas, especially whole grain pastas, are another great source of vegetable protein. Most have at least 6-8 gms, while some go as high as 12-15 gms. Again, read labels, and you will be pleasantly surprised by all of the healthy vegetable protein options available to you.

I also eat oatmeal (8.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) every day. And wild rice will get you around 5.0 gms of vegetable protein per serving.

VEGETABLES
Not all veggies are created equal. Some have more protein than others. Here are the ones you should look for when looking to increase your vegetable protein consumption:

SOY
I eat edamame, or soybeans, (11.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) several times a week. I like to mix in another vegetable, usually broccoli (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber), add a little olive oil, salt, pepper. How’s that for veggie protein? Also, soy chips are a wonderful source of protein: 6.0 gms--I like Glenny's and Gen soy. And Dr Soy makes a tasty soy bar (11 gms protein) that I devour most days.

ALSO:
Avocado: (4.0 gms protein/8.0 gms fiber)
Peas: (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber)
Corn: (4.5 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Lima beans: (6.0 gms protein/4.0 gms fiber)
Brussels sprouts: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Artichoke hearts: (4.0 gms protein/.4.0 gms fiber)
Asparagus: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)

This is by no means a complete list, and a lot of it is personal preference. But, as you can see, the variety of vegetable proteins available to you are endless. And the best part—they are low in saturated fats, high in good fats, loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that contribute to a longer, happier, skinnier, healthier life.

As always, you can watch me talk about all of these healthy topics at my video website,livelife365.com.

peace,

Mike

One of my daily rituals is reading the newspaper every morning, while sipping the first of several cups of green tea. I read each section, every page, mostly scanning headlines in search of an article or two that tweaks my interest. My local paper, the Sacramento Bee, lists celebrity birthdays on page 2. Today, I noticed, in between Carley Simon (63) and fallen rock idol, George Michael (45), was none other than Ricky Gervais. Happy 47th, Ricky!

Now, to me, Ricky Gervais is one of the handful of funnymen who always makes me laugh--John Stewart is another. Dave Chappelle ain't bad either. There are more, but let's focus on Ricky. Some of you may be saying to yourselves: Who the heck is Rickey Gervais? If I asked you if you have ever heard of a show called "The Office," I bet most of you would say you have. And that show's star? Steve Carell (another funny guy who makes me snort green tea out my nose!)? Most of you have probably heard of him--but, what about Ricky? Well, Ricky actually created "The Office"--the BBC version (he is a producer/creator on the NBC hit), a version some people swear is funnier than the very humorous one that is shown Thursdays on NBC.

My point is: while I'm sure millions of people do know who Ricky Gervais is, it is a shame that tens of millions MORE do not. The man is funny. Check out his work. Start with the BBC version of "The Office," then go out and rent the DVD for the first two seasons of his hilarious HBO series, "Extras." You won't be disappointed.

Speaking of funny...whenever I need a good laugh online, the one place I return to time after time is FunnyorDie.com. This is the best website around for humor. It was created by Will Ferrell and a few of his cohorts in comedy and is unique, in that you, the viewer, gets to vote on each video. FUNNY, if you like it and it makes you chuckle. Or DIE, if it fails to tickle your funnybone. Sort of like back in Roman Times, when the guys in the good seats at the Colosseum (Kings? Emperors? Pharaohs? Congressmen?) would vote either thumb's up or down, deciding if some poor schlub gladiator would fight another day or instantly become lion food. While having ones videos judged in similar fashion on a website is not life or death, it can be disconcerting when you get a bunch of die votes. My suggestion--vote FUNNY! I never vote DIE--it just doesn't seem right.

So, in celebration of one great funnyman, Ricky Gervais, and in memory of one of the greatest, George Carlin, I would like to share with you a few of my favorite links from my favorite funny website. Today's laughs are on me.

peace,

Mike
livelife365.com

In no particular order:

litho
Prez McBrayer
The Retributioners
Pnut Films
Channel 59
Ed Druckman
Bob Jake McManus
Ricky Shore Sings the Blues

I recently read an article about ways to stave off early dementia and Alzheimer's, and was thrilled to discover that I was practicing most of the methods already. All of the things I advocate at livelife365.com and this blog are great contributors in not only living longer, healthy, happy lives, but also quite helpful in ensuring that your mind is sharp and healthy for the duration. Here are some tips:

STAY ACTIVE

I am constantly going on about the importance of exercise, and there's a reason for it. It is so GOOD for you! One of the best things you can do now to help when you're older is start an exercise program. I recently wrote a post about walking that will help you get started. You will also benefit from lifting light weights (in the beginning) three times a week, and some form of cardiovascular exercise. Try riding a bike, either stationary or outside, treadmill, swimming, anything to get your heart rate up for 20-30 minutes, three days a week. As always, consult your medical professional before starting any new exercise program.

WORK YOUR MIND

We all use our brains in different ways, depending on what we need to accomplish. Most of that precious brain power is used to earn a living and maintain our households, relationships, or raise children. But to help keep dementia away, as well as improve your life now, you need to work your mind in other ways. Different ways than you work it during your normal routines. I do a crossword puzzle each day, that helps. Or try Sudoku or jigsaw puzzles. Anything that occupies your mind differently, works another part of the old gray matter, is beneficial. Reading is great for you. Toss out that TV and read, every day. Fiction, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, ahh, blogs? Yes, those too. Expand your knowledge, learn new things--you will enhance your life now, and really help yourself as you age.

Pick up a hobby or learn a musical instrument. Join clubs. Do volunteer work. Challenge yourself and your mind and you will not be as challenged down the road.

DON'T SMOKE

Not much more I need to say about that except: DON'T EVER SMOKE! EVER!! There is absolutely nothing positive that can happen to you by smoking, so, please, don't.

MANAGE YOUR STRESS

First you take away my smokes, now you tell me to manage my stress? Jeez! We all have stress in our lives, there's no getting around it. It's everywhere these days. The key is finding ways to manage it. Here are a few suggestions: Yoga, meditation, long walks, breathing techniques, good relationships, making love (hopefully with the same person from that good relationship), laughter, proper sleep. And proper diet (more on that soon).

I have videos at livelife365.com that talk about all of these methods.

DIET

Eating the proper foods and correct amounts of foods is something I talk and write about all the time. Why? Because I strongly feel that what we eat and their portions is the secret to life. Living healthy, happy lives now--and in our golden years. Diets rich in fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory foods will help you now and are being linked to helping keep Alzheimer's away.

Start with as many servings (at least 6, but 10-12 is better) of fruits and vegetables as you can humanly consume every day. The best way to accomplish this is to eliminate some other foods from your daily consumption. I have an idea--how about getting rid of saturated fats, unnecessary sugars and carbs, empty calories, and red meat? Replace them with: high-fiber foods like whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts, and those aforementioned fruits and veggies. And replace butter and other oils, whenever possible, with olive oil. It not only will help you age better, but it also reduces cholesterol and is loaded with healthy fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the good fats. Saturated and trans fats are the ones to keep away from. Read labels and avoid fast food whenever you can.

And drink tea, preferably green. As well as rooibos and yerba matte. These teas not only taste wonderful, but are loaded with antioxidants, which help slow the aging process of cells, thus helping fight cancer--and Alzheimer's. I drink at least five cups a day--you should too.


Here is a video (Brain Food) about this post that may interest you. And most of this information can also be found in video form at my website, livelife365.com.

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

If you are a serious blogger, or just a sociable sort who loves the Internet, then you probably know all about the large number of social networking sites out there. I am a member of dozens of them, and while some are better than others, depending on what it is you're looking for, I would like to show you a few that I visit often. Below is a list of only a handful of sites that I use regularly and highly recommend—there are lots more, and I will eventually make videos about some of them as well. Yes, videos. On my video site I have a section called Mike Recommends…, which I use to endorse products, blogs, and websites. In this post I would like to call attention to that section of my site, along with my favorite blogs and networking sites.

You see, I am a man torn between two worlds, that of the blogger and vlogger. I love my vid site and enjoy the process of creating videos to share with the masses. But, being a writer for years, I have discovered that writing a blog is also an incredibly satisfying experience. The solution: do both! Which I am attempting to do. But it's like being a parent with more than one child, trying to allot equal time to each—you must be careful to make sure one does not get more attention than the other. Or worse, one is not being treated better than the other. It's a juggling act of my time and creative energies, but one I thoroughly enjoy.

So, I hope while you enjoy this post, you also learn a bit more about what makes me and livelife365 tick. Just as I hope you take the time to click on the links below and enjoy a mere handful from the hundreds of videos available at livelife365.com. Also, please check out the new What's Happening box at the top of the site page.

These are some (and by no means all) of the social networking sites I use and highly recommend:

Iowa Avenue

I a member of this community, a wonderful site that shares lots of my ideals about health, fitness, and exercise. If you like livelife365, you will enjoy Iowa Avenue.

Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers

One site loaded with dozens of health and fitness bloggers? Yup, this is the place . I am a member and visit daily--you should too.

Good Reads

I love to read and talk about the books I have read, am reading, and want to read. You can do all that, and more, at this site.

Blog Catalog

A great site it you love blogs and blogging. As the site itself notes, "whether you are looking to search blogs, connect with bloggers, learn more about blogging, or promote your own blog, BlogCatalog is for you."

Digg

Check out this great news and entertainment sharing site. I use it just about every day. Digg it!

StumbleUpon

Another great social networking site that I visit all the time. If you enjoy websurfing and interacting with people, this is the place.

YouTube and Metacafe

Both are video sharing sites that I use extensively. One you've probably heard about, the other one is pretty good too.


Here are some websites and blogs that I recommend:

Health Nut Wannabee Mom

One of the many excellent blogs out there that focuses of healthy lifestyle and fitness. This one is one of the better ones.

Ecolive.tv

If you're looking for a great video site that is all about environmental issues, this is the place to visit.

WebXpertz

For web hosting, website development, and a great forum to answer all your coding, styling, scripting, and programming needs, this is the city to visit. Their specialty is JavaScript.

Multi Media Information

For Web design, digital Imagery, Research, Editing, Database management, and all other web-related services at reasonable rates, I rely on my good friend Eric at MMI. He can help you establish an online identity from the ground up, thoroughly copyedit an existing site with his exacting eye and strong language skills, add user-friendly and profit-generating functionality, or even completely overhaul your window on the world with a basic redesign.

1.INEXPENSIVE All you need to get started is a good pair of walking shoes. Now I'm not going to tell you these are cheap — good ones can run you more than $100. But compared to the cost of other sports or joining a fitness club, this is a relatively affordable. You should also get a pair of sunglasses that provide UV protection and have polarized lenses. Wear these not only while walking but whenever you venture outdoors. No other equipment is needed, except maybe a pedometer(about fifteen bucks). They count your steps and can help motivate you to walk more. Other than that: socks, shorts, a shirt — stuff you already have. And a hat to protect you from the sun. Oh, and bring your cell phone just in case. You never know when you may need it.

2.EASY We all learned how to walk a long time ago, unless there are some one-year-old's reading my blog. All you need to do, after getting the proper equipment, is properly stretch your legs (to avoid cramps or pulled muscles) and choose a good route. Stretching is important. I stretch every day before my two-mile walk and have, thus far (knock on wood), never had any leg problems. If you're just starting to exercise or have some ailment, please check with your doctor. Make sure you loosen up your hamstrings and calves, ankles, and knees. For more on stretching, visit my website and watch my video about walking. As for choosing a route, I like to take the same route each day so I don't have to think about where I'm going. This allows me to relax, let my mind run free, and enjoy the experience. Others may want more diversity and opt to have several different routes. Just be sure the route is safe, has plenty of shade, and is generally familiar.

3.VITAMIN D There is a fine line between getting too much sun and not enough. While you should always be aware and protective of melanoma by wearing a hat and long sleeves, the right amount of sun, and the vitamin D that comes with it, is vital to your wellbeing. The sun emits ultraviolet (UV) rays that produce vitamin D. 10-15 minutes of exposure to the sun is sufficient time to get your daily dosage of vitamin D without risking overexposure and skin cancer. It is a paradoxical challenge, but one worth looking into. Don't take my word for it—ask your doctor, especially if you have sensitive skin or a history of skin cancer. But you do need vitamin D. Among its many benefits is improved bone density and lowering the risk of colon and breast cancer. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with heart disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, hypertension, even obesity. So, walking is sounding better and better, isn't it?

4.SOCIABLE Walking is one of the best social exercises, one where you can actually hold a conversation with your walking budding without gasping for air, like in an aerobics class. Some people enjoy walking in groups, and those can help inspire and motivate. Or just an after dinner stroll with your significant other offers significant benefits. Me, I walk all by myself, but I don't mind—I'm usually holding a video camera and talking to myself.

5.SPIRITUAL Depending on where you are walking, and how serene or quiet it is, a nice walk can be good for the soul. My daily route takes me through winding paths with lots of trees and a scenic pond, away from traffic sounds—I tend to relax, commune with nature, and allow myself a time to reflect on things. Try it. If your are walking but remain uptight, you may need to rethink your route.

6.HEALTHY It's about time I talked about the myriad health benefits of walking. You burn calories, exercise your legs and lower torso. And if you take along a set of light dumbbells, you can even work your upper torso. Any form of exercise is good for you, but walking is easy on the body and still quite beneficial. Depending on your pace, you can get a decent cardio workout. And there's nothing wrong with breathing in good, clean air every day.

7.AGELESS As I already mentioned, most of us have been walking since we were toddlers. And unless you are hampered by injury or illness, walking has no age barrier. From one to one hundred. Just be sure to select an easy route if you are out of shape or up there in age. But no matter how old you are, get out there and walk.

8.SAFE As long as you stretch properly and avoid dangerous routes, walking is one of the safest forms of exercise there is. It is also, as previously mentioned, easy on the bones and muscles, compared to other forms of exercise—just make sure you buy a good pair of walking shoes. You can walk at your own pace, in a group, down a familiar path and improve your health and your life.

9.UNIVERSAL You can walk anywhere, anytime, indoors or out. Using a treadmill or walking up and down the stairs inside your office building. Speaking of offices—you can walk around the building during your lunch break. The only thing stopping you is you. So, walk anywhere, anytime, anyplace.

10.FUN Hey, walking is more fun that most exercises. And when you look at all of the healthy benefits I have shown you, it's also very good for you too. Get out and walk, every day, and you will be glad you did.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike