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