"The Dynamic Grip" - An application for the mechanics of processes.

How you start a movement can dictate how you will end it.  From a physical perspective, I am learning this from my recent experience with a new regimen I started in August where form matters, and performing a movement incorrectly can lead to injury.  Much like a golf-swing and Olympic weight lifting, mechanics makes a difference when it comes to managing processes and the relationships that make them work.  The mental checklist we go through as we engage in these activities is something we can learn, but it takes instruction, practice, and an understanding of the process. 

When I think about processes, I think about some sort of order, a list, or an algorithms. I have warmed to the understanding that part of successfully navigating a process lies in not to hold onto it too tight, especially when some of the mechanics are new to you.  Maintaining a "dynamic grip", is important.  Hold onto a process too tight, and you may risk losing your ability to feel it move.  Being far from stable,  many processes need that wiggle room.

I was pulling a team together for a funding opportunity when the need for a "dynamic grip" became clear.  I found myself holding on too tight to one particular part of the scope of work.  In my mind, only a certain type of partner could do this work, and I was temporarily too rigid to see things otherwise.  I stepped away from the process for a minute to complete another task, and an email popped up on my phone reminding me of a meeting.  I saw the list of addressees, and found the perfect partner to provide the services we needed for the funding opportunity.  I made the call, and in minutes a collaboration was forged. Serendipity made me loosen my grip, and allowed me to open-up to the input from an unrelated inject in the form of that email.  

"The dynamic grip" may sound better suited to a sports tutorial, or even martial arts entertainment, but it is more than that.  It is an analogy for maintaining contact with any process - keeping close to the  people who inspire us.  It is also an analogy for staying open and nimble, which relates to rapidly (and strategically) placing ourselves in situations that may be foreign to us in order to experience growth and inspiration.  Lastly, it relates to being present in all we do, so we remain active, and never become numb to the processes in which we are engaged.  Try it, and let me know how it works for you. 

PV

Sustained Social Support (Healthy By Default)

It took me travelling to the Bay Area for a public health conference a couple weeks ago for me to gain a better understanding of some more of our food habits.  In a nut-shell, we love sugar, we're not that afraid of fat, and we really love bread.  Across the aisle from me, a woman ate every last morsel of a thick steak she had left-over from lunch.  I listened as she scraped deep into the crevices of that plastic container, and made sure she got every last bit of that fat from the corners which she licked off her little plastic knife.  Between her, the calzone and garlic bread guy, and the "election day in VA" length line at McDonald's, I got thinking about how hard it is to travel and eat well at the same time.  With Thanksgiving around the corner, and the rest stops teeming with turkey-bound travelers, I had an Arsenio Hall "things that make you go hmmm" moment.   

I love good food, and over the years I have managed to find a lot of food to be, well,  "good". My scientist / public health / physician brain may know better, but it definitely knows what tastes good. I have what I call “funny food moods”, and I do not make my best food decisions when I am hungry. This is a major problem when in the grocery store and when I am traveling, because even the "healthy" fridge looking stall at the airport is stacked with sandwiches, wraps, and parfaits.  Not all bad, but limited at best.  What if we had some better options to choose from? A "real nut stop", fruit stand, or a "bun-less burger bar" for example. Would people frequent them?  I think so.    

Having fought with food, weight, body-image, and self-confidence over the years, this food thing is personal for me.  It has taken small steps to keep my personal gains in place, and there have been all sorts of excuses for my occasional lapses.  I could (and have) blame my work schedule, my friends, and even my genes. At the end of the day, the desire to start my changes had to start within me, but I needed support. We all do. 

With our current preventable chronic disease statistics moving in the wrong direction, the support I am alluding to can no longer only come from caring families, social networks, and some media outlets.  Civic and corporate engagement in creating and sustaining commercial and environmental support mechanisms are also necessary.  The talk of meeting the "double bottom line"  (doing good, while doing well) needs to be more than rhetoric for end-of-year reports.  Accountability on health outcomes would do well to be woven into inter-departmental government and business strategic plans and operations.  I am not suggesting additional oversight, regulation, or crutch creation. I am simply suggesting more shared responsibility for that valuable intangible, sustained social support - the kind that helps you stay on track when you are on the road.  Healthy by default...hmmm.

PV

P.S. Congrats (& thanks) again, Mr. President!

Four more years...

...time to get back to work.

PV

#CardioSwag; The Maintenance Edition

"It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you,

Without a strong rhyme to step to,

Think of how many weak shows you slept through

Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you,

Thinking of this, you keep repeating you miss

The rhymes from the microphone soloist... "
(I Know You Got Soul - Eric B & Rakim, 1987)

 It has "been a long time" since my last "Health Remixed" blog entry. The summer got a bit nutty at the end of July with a couple trips, and before I knew it we were starting the Fall semester, and I was getting schooled by the trainers at Balance CrossFit in DC...more on that in another post.   

In about 4 weeks (2am on 11/4 to be precise), the clocks go back. Thanksgiving is a couple weeks after that, and then it's a countdown to Christmas. You may not be thinking about it, but it's all coming, fast.  Those long hot summer days are gone, it's getting cold, it will be dark when you get up, and dark before you leave the office. Sounds depressing, but it doesn't have to be. If you want to keep humming through the holidays, here's the #CardioSwag Fall 2012 hit list. Let's go!

1. Get out & get some!

Putting on extra layers of clothing doesn't mean it's time to put on extra layers of blubber. Layer-up and get outdoors for a couple of your workouts each week. It's a literal breath of fresh-air, and it's what cold-gear was made for.

2. Warm it up, Chuck!

(RIP Chuck Brown) Soups are always so soothing in the winter, but watch what you pour when you're at the soup counter. Look for soups with low salt, and low fat, preferably with a non-cream base. Chicken-noodle is great, but go heavier on the chicken than the noodle.

3. H2(the izz)O...

Just because it isn't hot outdoors doesn't mean your body doesn't need to stay well hydrated. Tank up on your water the same way you did in the summer. Approx. 1/2 an ounce per pound of your body weight. (32 ounces in a liter, about 4 liters in a gallon)...get some.

4. Made to fit.

So you are doing your best to keep things 100 on the #CardioSwag side, now do yourself a favor and buy clothes that fit (or get a tailor to take them in).  That is all.

5. Don't sleep on sleep.

The sleep you get makes a difference in how you feel and look.  It also helps you power through those #CardioSwag sessions. Try getting to bed early without the TV.  You can't catch-up on sleep, it's like time, once it's gone, it's gone.

The recognized, despised, (but still open wide) disparity gap

I took a fellow pub health doc and a patient to Anacostia today to look at the Healthy Corner Store initiative at work & to see the environment that constitutes some part of the city. Life expectancy in DC from NW to SE can vary by as much as 10 years. That variance is primarily based on income and race.   No matter where you live, the "disease approach" to improving health outcomes is not working. Placing the health of communities solely in the hands of a system designed to only care for you once you are sick is nonsensical. Creating more value for prevention, & funding the right combination of social justice (not all healthcare) partners can create the force needed to disrupt the current mode of operation. It's time to deviate from paths that perpetuate poor outcomes. The ACA's a start, but our health is well beyond the purview of health insurance & the healthcare system. 

Keep On Moving...

We are half-way through the year, and you have been unstoppable on this CardioSwag journey. I know the heat and the cook-outs threaten to take you off course, but I also know that you've got the strength to handle all that. Just remember to keep aligning actions with your intentions and you'll be fine. You've got a plan, you know what you need to do, and you've visualized the outcomes.

It might be a good time for you to take inventory of your space/environment. Your environment includes what's in your fridge. You have to get rid of all the temptations in your pantry that you know work against you. If you don't buy it, you can't eat it (at least not at home).  Next, you have to decide "who you with?" Friends don't let friends drive drunk, nor do they get in the way of your health goals, so neutralize the negative influencers in your circle, then do as Soul II Soul instructed in '89 and "keep on movin'"... don't stop.

Energy drink binge identified as cause of wardrobe malfunction.

There was no binge, and no wardrobe malfunction....I apologize if you thought you were going to catch up on the latest celebrity gossip. "A Frame of Reference" was not a sexy enough title. 

For health matters, unless it is part of our lifestyle, our work, in the news, or of particular importance to a specific individual or group that we follow, we do not pay it consistent attention.  There always seem to be other priorities that compete with it, and at the end of the day, as important as we all admit health is, it does stay front and center for us - at least not until we or a loved one gets sick.  Public health tries to make the case that waiting until that point (sickness) is not in our best approach. Using prevention as a way to reduce cost and improve the quality of life has not been uniformly promoted nor is it particularly valued in this country.  Perhaps this is why it has proven difficult for prevention to gain any traction in an environment where the public is educated by media that thrives on short-term memory and catchy celebrity-driven headlines (yes, like the one for this blog posting). The ongoing soda-bashing induced by last week's NYC department of health policy proposal, and the association of a neglected tropical disease with HIV, are evidence of public health's occasional willingness to use any means to get onto the stage and into the spotlight.  Smart marketing, or simply attention seeking behavior liable to yield distrust of future messages?  

For the sake of prevention we need to see news outlets put more substance into public health coverage.  It would be good to hear more about the people affected by the some of these studies and innovative practices.  Stories about the individual do not define public health in the same way that stories about individual companies do not generally define corporate social responsibility, but they gives us a frame of reference.  We want (and need) to know how lives have been changed by the interventions so we can use them as hooks on which to catch attention and place prevention.  Just as we use small studies to highlight potentially significant health breakthroughs, we can use the experiences of a few people to highlight the potential for a community economic development project, an innovative after-school program, or an effective public : private partnership.  

We cannot continue to wait for health crisis tipping points and policy debates to make the case for prevention, that would be oxymoronic.  There is substantive, timely work going on in a variety of spaces by a myriad of innovative collaborators, all worthy of more coverage than it currently recieves.  It may be my choice of influencers and media channels that has my feed lacking in the "public health impact story" department (I am open to suggestions). But, given the long lamented lack of such a department at any health or news agency I am aware of, I suspect we are still trailing issues of lesser import. Public health needs help "telling the story" on the same stage as major corporations.   That way it can show up in my media feed without me having to dig as if I am prospecting for precious stones.  For our health's sake, prevention is too important to have to go that deep to be found.   

Eat Right, Don't Count, Stress Less.

Some lifestyle change regimens incorporate a "cheat day" into each week. They suggest it helps make the healthy activity you do for the remainder of the week more tolerable.  While this may be true (and rest is a key component of any good wellness routine) I would rather not think of my cardio-swag mission as  inconvenient. Besides making it more stressful, it makes it less sustainable.  We all know that "honest cheating" is an oxymoron, and if you have the will-power to do that, you probably don't need a cheat-day. 

One problem with the "off day" is that we can end up undoing the hard work that we put in during the "on days".  Even if we are not habitual calorie-counters, we are probably under-estimate our caloric intake in the same way that we are not so good with the "eye-ball scale" for weight.  We may also under-estimate how many calories we burn during our work-outs, so what should you do? 

I like the advise in this article about "caloric theory" and it's impact on our health. 

1 - Quality over quantity

2 - Don't count the calories 

3 - Stress less  

Not counting the calories is the easy part. Portion control can be harder, but it's doable. Stress control may be the toughest of the trio, but the benefits are real, and you have nothing to lose.  A mid-morning workday walk, a sixty-second time out with your eyes-closed, a musical interlude.  Find what works for you, and make that count.   

The Health Remixed Guide to a Swagalicious Summer.

Earlier this year, I asked you to join me in a quest for "CardioSwag".  I know it sounds like a challenge for a street version of "Game of Thrones", but it's real life.  CardioSwag is the complete and confident composure that you experience and maintain after a good workout, and it feels so good, you'll want more of it. 

Spring will be over in just four weeks, and I am back with a couple tips to keep you "swagalicious" throughout the summer. 

1. Keep Eating Smart - you get a cheat day each week (just one), and do your very best to stay away from the "cook-out kryptonite", e.g. hot-dogs and creamy salads (macaroni, potato, etc.)  A burger without the bun and some grilled veggies are great substitutes.  You know what to do.

2. Mix Things Up - the class / program you signed up for this spring might be boring you, so switch it up. Get outside for a walk / run. Do some high-intensity interval training (short bursts of high activity) to spark your metabolism. Check these High Intensity Interval Training Tips from Fitness B&W  

3. Water - It's the best way to hydrate. The energy drinks are good when you need them, but most of us can do well on good old H2O. An ice-cold 500mls of water first thing in the morning will get your engine going.  

4. Stay Positive - Maintained effort gets results - never forget that, and keep things in perspective.  The company you keep can make a difference too.  Count on good friends to motivate you, and work on building your internal resolve.  I know you've got this.

It's time to hit that summer swag button. 

PV

CardioSwag Top 10 (11) - Part II

This is coming later than planned, but it's here. Flip back to my April 6th blog for the first five entries.  That list had the usual suspects on it; don't smoke, eat right, move more, drink more water, and see your doc.  I should add "sleep more" to the list as well making this the CardioSwag Top 11 Health Tips.  Sleep deprivation is a problem for 30% of the US workforce according to the CDC.  My advice, turn off the iPad and the TV before bedtime, (but after you read this...)

6.  Talk to people  - Social interaction via text is reasonable, but not nearly as effective as actually talking. Too much is lost in translation when using email or text, so pick up that smart-phone and make a call.  One MIT study (by Turkle) suggested that in teens excessive texting may stunt emotional development, and can make kids extra-needy.

7.    Volunteer – Giving is good.  I am a huge fan of giving away PlayStation games that the kids stopped playing after a month when the “latest and greatest” came out last month. There is someone out there with less than us, so we should share what we have when we can. Spending a bit of time doing something to help can make a difference, and put things in perspective for you.

8.    Relax –Easy to say, and easy to do when we know how and take the time to do it. Sometimes we have to steal the time, and try to do something we can get into regularly. Yoga, running, deep-breathing, take your pick, just make sure we rest, enjoy, and renew.  A Harvard study showed that people who routinely relaxed had better digestion, memory and immunity.

9.   Say "Ahh!" -  but only if you have seen your dentist recently (in the last year).  No one wants a bad smelling, crooked grill.  

10.    Love responsibly - Be it intimately or not, the partners we choose are important parts of our lives.  Interaction requires effort, and the more intimate we get the more protection we need, (at least until we are comfortable that the situation is safe). 


      Loving ourselves, our families, our communities, all take responsibility. Condoms and common-sense at one end, community empowerment & advocacy at the other.


Be well, 


PV

STRESS, Sugar, Sex

Life is full of stressors. No matter where they come from, the trick in dealing with stress is learning how to prevent and manage it. Learn what triggers your stress responses so you can be proactive about handling it. As readers of this blog, I know you are aware of a range of stress reduction techniques (some healthier than others). The good ones include; getting more sleep, being physically active everyday, maintaining a balanced diet, and regularly unplugging from social media. Talking with your personal support network can also help you sort things out - save texting for trivia. Here's something that can help you on short notice - Relax your body, close your eyes, and take take five slow deep breaths. Try to focus on listening only to the sound of your breathing, and eventually you will block out everything around you. You can do this anywhere, just don't do it while driving, no matter how stressful your commute. Well's > good.

SEX, Sugar, Stress

Putting the word "sex" in any sentence gets attention, and it should because it is an important part of our health. "Too much sex" may be a dream for some, but over time it can be risky. Sexually transmitted infections like syphilis and HIV do not discriminate based on age, race, income or gender - get tested. You can get them from having unsafe sex just once. By "sex" I mean any activity that involves contact between the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus and the accompanying exchange of body fluids. By "safe" I mean consensual and protected - get tested. "Safe" means we (men & women) share responsibility and treat each other respectfully. Negotiations about condom use should take place when sober and so should sex because doing it "twisted" is more likely to be risky. Know that you have the option not to have sex at all...there is power in that, and no shame at all. One more thing...get tested.

SUGAR, Sex, Stress

When it comes to sugar, less is better. For me that meant drinking less soda and eating less bread. Combined with exercise, some soul searching, the support of good friends, and the tools to make better decisions, it helped me lose 60 lbs. Too much sugar is toxic to our bodies, and puts us at risk for obesity and all that comes with it, eg, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, etc. The solution is to reduce your sugar intake, but start by writing down everything you eat and drink, for a week. Do it as soon after the meal as possible so you don't forget anything. You'll see where your weaknesses are so you can attack those problem areas. If you don't know what to do with your food diary, send it to me and I'll help you work it out.

Packing for TEDMED - Sugar, Sex, Stress + 2 Turntables

I am packing for TEDMED, and I am glad I do not have far to go because my bag is getting heavy. It has three major things in it; sugar, sex, and stress. Sugar comes in the form of cupcakes for seductive purposes only. Those dangerously delicious delights are plaguing waistlines nationwide, but they seem to get people's attention, so I'm bringing some.  Sex is packaged as condoms from the DC Department of Health's "Rubber Revolution". All I ask is that they are put to use for both barrier protection and conversation barrier elimination.  Stress is the heaviest item in my bag, mainly because it's so ubiquitous, but also because these copies of the President's budget are so figuratively heavy. Perhaps I should just bring the Public Health Trust Fund section, it seems to lose weight easily (a worm perhaps). 

I really need to practice my collaboration building skills, so I'm also bringing a pair of Technics SL1200 turntables. I want to connect them to the TEDMED mixing board so I can more effectively blend disciplines into a mixtape that moves the crowd (Rakim) to better health outcomes. Being a public health practice turntablist (and a member of the "Health Is Social" sound system), I use a vinyl record collection because it literally keeps me in direct contact with the music - my partners. Those partners are a diverse bunch, some a little bit country, some a little bit rock n roll, while others are more soul to soul (keep on moving). They share the same passion for improved health outcomes, and together they inspire a broad listening audience to move in that direction.  

I need to get going, we all do (literally).  It's time to make that mixtape...it must be time for TEDMED12.  See you there, come join me in the booth. 

 PV

PS - That's not me in the pic, that's the legendary Grandmaster Flash doing what we need to do, mixing so people move.  

CardioSwag Top 10 - Part I

We are at the end of Lent, which means that your 40 day journey of disciplined denial is almost up -  Congrats for making it this far!   You've done something meaningful and challenging which a lot of people don't do.  You committed to making and maintaining a change, and you should feel good about doing that. 

Over the next couple weeks I will give you what I call the "CardioSwag Top 10". Look at it as a list of things you can do to be better than good, and better than yesterday. Here's the first five:

1.    Don’t smoke – That goes for anything, tobacco, weed, crack, meth etc. Easier said than done for some, but definitely worth it. Tobacco is still the number one preventable cause of death.

2.    Eat right –  You’ve seen and heard this before. It’s still true. Cleaning up your diet can take pounds off and put years on - for example, as a cleaner source of carbs use sweet potato instead of "regular" potato (thanks for the reminder @UTEP27).  

3.    Move more  - Just like #2, I know you’ve heard it.  No need for spandex and a gym membership though if that is not your thing. Dancing, bowling, taking the stairs, it all counts, so get moving!

4.    Drink more water – We may love soda and juice, but all that sugar is a quiet killer. If you replace soda with water it will help you avoid empty calories, flush your kidneys, and even drop some weight, plus it’s better for your skin.

5.    See a doctor - This is big... Having a relationship with a primary care physician (and a dentist) is as important as knowing where to take your car for routine maintenance.  I know it can be intimidating, but it's worth it. Better to know your situation early so you can prevent a bad outcome. 


Next week, I will be attending TEDMED 2012, so follow me @Vigi06 (or via Linked-In) for the latest from what is sure to be a mind-blowing 3.5 days. I'll drop Part II of this CardioSwag mixtape during the week. 


     Have a great weekend, and Happy Easter!
     
    PV

Forks to Knives.

A recent article in the paper said that studies find stomach surgery more effective than medicine for diabetes. The piece caught my eye, tilted my head, and caused me to pensively utter the word, "interesting". Interesting is my word for a number of things, but I find it particularly useful when I am uncertain that I believe something.  I have no doubt the referenced studies are valid. My concern is that their findings might become the battle cry for surgical interventions to be touted over medical and social solutions for obesity and type two diabetes.  

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has a mixed history when it comes to giving sound advice related to nutrition. You may recall their "American Diabetes Association Deals" where they partnered with a couple corporations to provide discounts on pizza and ice-cream. Then there was the almost famous statement from within their ranks that, "you can't just eat your way to type-2 diabetes" during the "Paula Deen's got diabetes" dialogue. These things make the ADA "interesting" to me, and they remain far from my number one source for good health advice. However, I do appreciate the fact that they do not list surgery as part of the diabetes treatment regimen.

Getting people to modify their diet and exercise plans sounds great, and it works. I have maintained 60-70 lbs of weight loss for the last 10 years sans surgery, but it's not easy, I get that.  The article states only severe cases of type two diabetes will be eligible for the surgery, I get that too.  I also understand that surgeons, while they want to do their part, are not expected to mitigate the myriad of health determinants  that affect their patients every day. Issues such as access to food, stress management, economic development, education, etc. are not handled in the operating suite. We should not be surprised that they want to bring a knife to the food fight (even though mashed potatoes and cream-pies don't need cutting). We do what we know.

Perhaps for some it is time for the knife, and should policy-makers decide that this $20K procedure warrant mass adoption, the surgery will be more widely available.  When that day comes (and presuming we are still concerning ourselves with medical cost containment), I hope said policy-makers consider some balance to their approach.  Promote the surgical intervention and: promote policies to improve access to good food options so that post-operative patients (and their communities) can eat healthier meals. Ensure  the food options available in all communities are varied (like that color-block plate HHS launched last year). Push planners and developers to incorporate elements into their community design schemes that help sustain inhabitants as well as the environment, promoting activity by default by improving walk-ability for example. 

We have been on a slippery slope for a while with this health thing.  Its easy to slide, and hard to stop once you've started.  The right balance gets us to the bottom of the slope on both feet with the least damage done.  Clearing the way is what will cost us, and the political will to do that is yet to be seen.

 Studies find stomach surgery more effective than medicine for diabetes.

Cardio Swag Trainer Sessions, 1st Edition.

Working out can seem more like pain than pleasure, but we all want the results, physically and psychologically.  Having that edge that fitness gives you can reap major benefits for your health and wellness.  I like to call that edge, "CardioSwag", and here in the DMV we have some great "CardioSwag" Ambassadors, people like trainer Shawn Vass. 

Shawn is the founder of Xtreme Acceleration (a DC-based sports performance company). He's a sports management and marketing expert from the DMV, an internationally certified Speed Agility and Conditioning (SAC) coach, and a speed-demon in his own right taking his Twitter name @The_Veyron, from the Bugatti Veyron (the fastest street legal production car on the planet).

He's trained athletes at many levels and in many sports including the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and the EPL (English Premier League soccer).  Shawn's a great motivator, so I thought I'd ask him to share some of his wisdom with you. 

Remember to consult your physician before starting a work-out regimen or taking any nutrition supplements. 

Dr. V - Thanks for joining me this week.  I appreciate the energy and motivation you provide on Twitter and in person to me and all your clients. Why do you train people?

Vass - "I am addicted to seeing people do better.  Even if it's just a little bit, I thrive on helping people improve.  I love to motivate people, and every person is different.  The challenge of motivating people keeps me going every day."  

Dr. V -  What is the most common misperception people have about training with a trainer?

Vass - "Two things are common misperceptions about training with a trainer: First, that if you have a trainer, you will automatically get in shape.  Self-motivation is the key to getting in shape. A trainer can only do so much.

The second is that a trainer is too expensive.  But it's cheaper than a heart attack, diabetes and prescription drugs."  

Dr. V - Can you give us your top 3 health tips? 

Vass - "1.  apple cider vinegar: 19 of the 21 essential minerals that your body needs, it stimulates your metabolism, suppresses your appetite, and it helps rid the body of fat.  You can take it in pill form, or liquid form when diluted in water.  

2. tart cherry juice: fruit with the highest antioxidant score. take tablespoon diluted in water twice a day.  it helps in every facet of heart health, and is an ant-inflammatory.  

3.  Warm up before your stretch:  if you don't warm up first, you will create micro tears in the muscle fibers. "

Dr. V - If you could remove one obstacle for your clients when it comes to their health, what would it be?

  

Vass - "The biggest obstacle is time, or lack of time.  People always say they don't have the time to exercise, when in reality, if they worked out, they would have more energy every day and would make finding the time to work out a priority." 

That's it for this week. Remember to get motivated, make the time, put in the work, and you'll see the results.  There are no quick fixes for sustained weight loss and improved health.  Cardio Swag takes time and effort, and we are here to help you make it happen.

Peace,

Dr. V  

--
"A rich man is one with knowledge, happiness, and his health." C Lo & Common - Gaining One's Definition (G.O.D)

Cardio Swag Week Seven - The Fried Chicken Edition

I have been gone for a couple weeks grinding on a few projects.  My CardioSwag has fallen off a bit, but you keep me motivated, and I will be back on track in a minute.  For those of you that have made it through this week maintaining and growing in your swag, I salute you, and thank you for keeping it moving!

Tonight I am giving a talk to a group that routinely meets over steak dinner and drinks.  They asked me to talk to them about men’s health, and I agreed because I know how hard this health thing can be.  I was thinking about what would be a good jump-off point when this “Fried Chicken” track by Nas came to mind.  Here are some of the lyrics:

“ Hmm... Fried chicken, fly vixen

Give me heart disease but need you in my kitchen…

Created by southern black women to serve massa' guest

You gonna be a nigga death
Mrs. Fried Chicken you was my addiction

Dripping with hot cholest-…

Trapping me; You and your friend mac' and cheese

Candy yams collard greens but you knocking me to my knees

It's killing me when I'm inside...”

Excerpts from “Fried Chicken” by Nas.

Nas and Busta Rhymes pretty much nail it, but like so many lyrically-sound, message-heavy hip-hop cuts, this track did not get much play. Truth be told, it should be a health anthem.


So why am I talking about fried chicken as we hit CardioSwag Week #8? Simply put, it’s about resisting temptations and keeping your goals in mind.  Fried chicken, excessive alcohol, overloading on carbs, etc. all lead to us falling off the wagon.

Superbowl, Valentine’s Day, even it just being the weekend gives us the excuses to slack off our game.  I know because I do it sometimes too.   We don’t have to.  Stay the course, maintain your focus. You can do this. 

Cardio Swag Week 4 - (almost) 30 days & still going strong...

A special shout-out to all of you who have made it to this point of the year without slacking in your pursuit of Cardio Swag. How good does it feel to have come this far?  You should feel proud of yourselves! Whatever you have been doing, you should stay the course, and in February think about stepping it up.

By committing to personal changes, and getting to week 4 of 2012 with a few workouts under your belt, you have made a statement.  You are saying that you want something badly enough that you are willing to make some changes to achieve it.  You are making moves and watched the barriers to your success disappear.  With time, this workout thing will become second nature to you.  You'll want to do it, because it'll make you feel good...that's Cardio Swag, and it will spread like mustard into other parts of your life.

I understand that there are circumstances that make it hard to get over some hurdles, so what I am saying may not resonate with you right now. But if you are reading this, then you might be thinking about some changes.  That's the first step, and it's something to feel good about. Now make something good happen with what remains of this half-hour, or hour, or day.  Just make sure some of it is physical, and all of it's good.

Cardio Swag Week Three - Getting Grinchy on Girl Scout Cookies.

It's the end of week three, and you have made it through at least six workouts.  The end of January is coming, and you have not let up.  That's something to be proud of, so congrats!

This week's commentary is more a warning than a set of tips. It's a bit Grinchy, but given the topic,  and the "that just ain't right" pressure that was given to the likes of Burger King this week, it is both necessary and timely.

Late February marks the start of Girl Scout Cookie (GSC) season.  You know, those delectable treats that you can only buy from girl scouts or their close relatives.  It's like a special security clearance is required to be able to sell the things, and if you are not in the network, you search for someone who is.   After watching an SNL segment about the cookies and doing a little research, I was struck that besides being an exclusive, best-selling product, GSCs are like kryptonite for some people.  They are also like Paula Deen in that they are no good for you when you are trying to stay out of your local hospital's intensive care unit. (Please do not comment on her new pharma spokes-person role.)

For some of you, this post will be a reminder of your need to buy and store some GSCs.  You know who you are..."cookie freezers".  Telling me they are delicious will only get a single head-nod from me. Buying one box instead of three, will get you some dap, and not buying any will get you applause.  Here's what else it will get you:

1 - The same tax break that buying the cookies gets.  I know that's why you buy them in the first place, right?

2 - Knowledge that you have the discipline to resist annual temptations (particularly ones that promote non-family setting mindless eating).  This power can be applied to other things that make you drool. 

3 - The taste of those cookies will be long gone when you try to put that swim-suit on.

We all have our weaknesses, and I did say that you get a cheat day each week. You may be taking more than one, but that's your business.  If you can (and I know you can), treat delicacies like cookies with the utmost caution.  Almost as if they were a weaponized biological agent. Extreme? Perhaps, but you are reading this for your health, aren't you?

Stay positive and stay on course, Cardio Swag is on it's way, I promise.

Peace,

PV  

C-SPAN Live

Keep an eye out for me on C-SPAN's Washington Journal with Dr. Edward Sondik, Director of the National Center for Health Statistics to discuss, "How Americans Maintain Their Health". 9:15am, Friday, January 20th, 2012.

Cardio Swag rocks the bells.

I took my own advice and tried a new workout yesterday.  It was cool, I had a good time doing it, and most importantly, today, I am feeling it (in a good way), so I thought I'd share what I did.  

Kettle-bells I do not have, but I have dumbells, so this first time out, I used a single 30 lb weight.  If I keep this up I may invest in a real kettle-bell. Dead-lifts, high pull-ups, two handed swings, goblet squats, 8 reps each w/ push-ups (10-8-6-4) in-between. That's a set, and it took me about 3 minutes.  It was my first time trying this, so I sometimes had to slow down to maintain form. Even had to restart a couple exercises because I was just doing them wrong. On average I probably rested a minute between sets, and I admit to playing DJ a couple times while finding my motivation tracks. I managed to repeat this routine five times in the alloted time 20 minutes.  

I think that because you are not moving your feet much, the intensity of this workout does not hit you until you complete a set and take a breather. At one point I thought my heart was going to do something out of order, and when I looked at my heart-rate monitor I could see why, it read 180 bpm.  I had no pain or light-head though, so I didn't stop.  My heart rate averaged 157 bpm for the duration of the work-out (20 minutes). We'll see how that progresses. 

This set of four simple exercises (total 40 reps each for me) plus 150 push-ups in 20 minutes was a challenge, and I need to do it again. Over time, I will get quicker, cleaner, and then can add reps (see link), then add weight.  

I went for the intermediate level on this one, and it was a good place to start.  It will be a good compliment to the other things I do.  These are not challenging exercises on their own, the key seems to be in keeping the flow.  In a week I want to be at 6 sets in 20 minutes. I can get there. 

Now if I just need to do a better job cleaning-up my diet. The pursuit of Cardio Swag continues. 

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/lose-weight/the-20-minute-fat-burning-kettlebell-complex 

Uncommon Legacy.

"I believe in the light that shines and will never die
Oh I believe the fire burns, we stay alive
They will talk about us
Like they talked about the kings before us
They will talk about us


These are the words of a believer, achiever, leader of the globe
Feeding souls of those in need
I bleed the blood of the struggle
Walking over troubled puddles
Hustles in my chest, no hustle no progress"...

The opening lines of Common's track, Believer (from his 2011 release "The Dreamer, The Believer") ring true, especially on this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.  John Legend's powerful refrain - "They will talk about us", speaks to legacy.  Often we count that legacy in material terms. Sometimes we count it in terms of name recognition and honor.  But how will we be talked about by the communities that follow us, especially in light of the shape (literal and figurative) in which we leave them? 

We know the list of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, etc.  We all know someone afflicted with at least one of them.  We may even have a clear picture of our own health issues, but what do we do about them? Do we even speak to them honestly and confront them?    If we committed to making a single healthy change in our daily routine, over time, not only would we be better, but so too would our families, our neighbors, and our communities.  Multiply that out, and as Legend says, "...the fire burns, we stay alive".  

For that fire to burn it takes each of us to do a bit more than we are doing right now (if we can).  Common says, "Hustle's in my chest, no hustle no progress".  I hear a lot of people talking about their "hustle", and "going hard".  I know that my hustle is often not hard enough, and I suspect that the same is true for many people.  We really don't push as hard, as often, or for as long as we should.  The new year is a great time to change all that.  For that matter, every new day is a great time to do it.

I write this piece right after a short work-out that I did not want to do because of a nagging cough / cold. It was a combination of weights, calisthenics, and plyometrics. It got my heart rate up to 164 BPM (beats per minute).  I burned a few hundred calories, followed it with a sensible breakfast, flipped on the Common album, and sat down to write. I feel a bit better for it.  I cannot write about this without doing it, and I need to push myself to do it better.  I want that to be part of my legacy. 

Peace, be safe, and serve someone. 

PV

Cardio Swag, Week Two...Chilly? Check this...

Week 2 of your quest for more Cardio Swag has come to a close, and I tip my hat to you for making it through the first two weeks of the year with at least two work-outs under your belt. Nicely done! 

 It has been unseasonably warm, and in the DC area that is blessing for this time of year. Warm weather makes me want to be outside, and judging by the runners I see in the streets, I am not alone.  Soon enough (today) the temp will take a dip, and so will the number of people getting their outdoor Cardio Swag fix. Do you have a plan for what you are going to do? Here are a few tips. 

1. Commit to maintaining your efforts - You have done a great job so far, and if being outside is part of your plan, commit to keeping it going. 

Don't let the weather stop you! 

2. Invest in some cold-weather gear. Those New Year sales are good for a couple solid cold-gear mock turtle-necks, some leg coverage,  a light water-proof jacket, and a gator to cover your nose and mouth (helps keeps your face warm).  Even if you don't workout outdoors, you'll need them when it's time to shovel snow. 

3. Put your gear out the night before - If you get your dose of Cardio Swag in the morning, it can make life easier if you don't have to dig in your closet for your workout gear in the morning while you are wiping sleep from your eyes. 

No matter what you are doing, and where you do it, keep it Cardio-Swagalicious (...don't play me at Words w/ Friends). 

Peace!

PV

PS - Shout outs to the trainers and fellow fitness folks on Twitter who encourage us all to push a little harder.  Know that your encouragement helps. @Vigi06

Cardio Swag - Week One.

Congratulations!! If you got through the first week of the year with a couple workouts under your belt, I want to applaud you. Admit it, the "cardio-swag" you felt after that exercise was good to you, wasn't it? Well, you made it, and the first weekend of the year is here to tempt you. To keep your momentum I need you to do a couple things over the next two days.

1. Eat smart - you get a cheat day, but just one, and please don't go wild while watching football. You know what you need to do.
2. Keep moving - the class / program you signed up for may not be meeting this weekend, but you can take a walk, do some ab work, and get a good stretch.
3. Maintain a positive outlook - This is the start of something good. The road is long, but you've got this! I know you can handle it.

"Cardio swag" (#CardioSwag on Twitter) is the complete and confident composure that you experience and maintain after a good workout. If you didn't know, now you know!

Let's get it then!

PV

5 Steps To Change You Can Keep in 2012.

Happy New Year !  January just began and already I am tired of seeing and hearing the "R" word.  Just like Christmas music in the mall, it started coming out right after Thanksgiving.  This year, I am not using it.  Why? Because it's too much pressure, and I want you to succeed in meeting and exceeding your goals this year.  

Before any of us can even begin to make sustainable changes in our lives, we have to get our minds right.  Getting the right gear, the right job, the right partner, etc, is all good.  If your mind isn't in the right place though, none of that will not matter. Vijay Govindarajan penned a blog about long-term growth for HBR that struck a nerve for me.  I have applied his list to personal change.  

     1. Know what you are playing for. Why are you in the game? Are you trying to win the championship or content with second place? I know everyone doesn't feel like they need to win, but when it comes to your health, you do.  Conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes (sugar), and obesity are on the list of things you want to prevent or control. There are ways to do that.  First step, see your doctor for your annual physical as soon as possible. 

         2. Speak the same language.  Understanding is key.  Going to see a medical provider is one thing, understanding what they say to you is something else.  "What's that, Doc?” is not a bad question.  More on this, and speaking the same lingo as the people you take on this journey with you.  

         3. Imagine the future. Visualize your goals and how they will make you feel, look, and even act.   It doesn’t matter if the goal is physical, financial, or spiritual, or emotional, it’s yours, so imagine the future before you start the journey, then write it down, and check-in with your list regularly. 

      4. Align your actions with your intentions.  Sounds simple, and I suggest that you align two things in particular, regardless of your goals. Your friends and your fridge.  More on this later.  

         5. Just do it. Put it all together, and “make like a tennis shoe”. It's in your hands.  Nike could not have said it better. 

     Stay tuned for a three part series on the things you can treat yourself to once you reach your milestones.   

Peace, and again, Happy New Year,

Let's get it!

PV