TV & Movie Star Speaks Out About Diabetes

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/fall12/articles/fall12pg11.html

 

Television and movie star Anthony Anderson (center)—whose new television series, Guys with Kids, debuted in mid-September—is active in helping to educate the public about the dangers of diabetes. Anderson was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 11 years ago.

Photo:Robert Trachtenberg/NBC

Popular television and movie star Anthony Anderson is on a roll, with a new NBC situation comedy just under way and a host of movie and TV roles. And he's not about to let his type 2 diabetes spoil the success. Anderson has not only learned how to live a healthier life while managing his diabetes, but he is now involved in educating the public about the importance of understanding diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. He recently sat down with NIH MedlinePlus magazine to talk about his diabetes and his goal to help others get educated about the disease—before it's too late.

When were you diagnosed with diabetes?

I was diagnosed 11 years ago, when I was 31. I'd felt very tired for a couple of weeks but thought it was from working too hard —I'd done 14 cities in 16 days. So I took a week to decompress but got extreme "cotton mouth" for three days, alternating with extreme thirst and frequent urination. Then one night I drank five-and-a-half gallons of water in about two hours. I knew something was wrong; I knew about diabetes from my father, who had it. I was immediately diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

What did you do then?

I thought, "How can I turn this thing around?" I wasn't really in denial but wondered how I could I turn this negative into a positive. So I cut stuff out of my diet, got on a regimen. I thought I was doing well because I felt better than before. But that wasn't the case.

Why weren't you doing well with your type 2?

Well, about four years into my type 2, my father died. He had no idea he was diabetic until he was diagnosed in his 50s. He lived another 10 years, but his quality of life was not great. That's when I decided to really change my diet, go on a plant-based diet, and get in the gym and get going!

Did the change in diet and exercise help you?

Oh, yes! Although I was five feet eleven and weighed 269 pounds, I'd lie and tell myself I was "husky." I had two chins and no neck! I lost 45 pounds and have kept it off for the last four years. My goal is 189 pounds.

Have you been on any medications?

Yes, because I hit the trifecta when I was diagnosed: type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Now all three are much better, thanks to my diet, exercise, and the medicines I take.

What are your top tips for living with diabetes?

Diabetes is not a death sentence. The worst thing is to do nothing. First, get out and exercise. You don't have to join a gym. A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest. So start walking—around the yard, then around the block, then the neighborhood. Always try to improve.

Diabetes doesn't slow down Anthony Anderson, here performing recently with Freddie Prinze, Jr., (left) and Jimmy Fallon (right).
Photo:Robert Trachtenberg/NBC

Second, start eating healthier. It's taken a lifetime for you to get to this point, and you can't cold turkey out of your diet. Eat fresh vegetables. And don't drown your food in salt and butter.
Third, and most important, cut portions in half. At 269 pounds, I was consuming over 4,600 calories a day. Cutting that in half meant 2,300 calories a day. I had no choice but to lose weight. Take one baby step at a time, too, and try to incorporate new foods into your diet.

What about diabetes and African Americans?

African Americans have a higher percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes than non-African Americans. Hispanic youth are at greater risk, too. But young people, especially teenagers, think they don't have to worry about diabetes. Unfortunately, the people they see on TV speaking out about diabetes are mostly old, so they don't connect. The message doesn't get through.

How are you helping in the fight against diabetes?

I'm part of a national campaign to educate African Americans, especially, and others about how to live with diabetes, not die from it. I give testimonials and speak with groups around the country, sharing my own story. The key is to reach out directly to inner city kids now about diabetes.

NIH Medline Plus Fall 2012 Issue: Volume 7 Number 3 Page 11

Instead Of Surgery, Man Pedals Off The Pounds

by Sam Evans-Brown

Enlarge Courtesy of Ernest Gagnon Ernest Gagnon weighed 570 pounds before he decided to lose weight by taking up cyclocross racing. Forgoing surgery, Gagnon lost more than 200 pounds and recently competed in his first cyclocross race.

October 9, 2012 from NHPR

A lot of Americans are struggling to lose a whole lot of weight, and they try all kinds of crazy things.
Ernest Gagnon — a man from Billerica, Mass. — decided to shed pounds by getting into the often intense, high-adrenaline sport of cyclocross: racing road bikes on obstacle courses.
Two years ago, Gagnon tipped the scales at 570 pounds. He was depressed and embarrassed to leave the house.
"Being as big as I was, I really felt like I didn't belong anywhere," Gagnon says. "I was stuck in my house for almost 10 years, just going to my work and back."
Back then, Gagnon's diabetes was getting more serious. He was losing the circulation to his legs, and his doctors were talking about gastric bypass surgery.
Then, some sort of a switch flipped in his head and Gagnon decided he was going to race bikes, something he'd wanted to do since he was a kid.
Gagnon contacted Cosmo Catalano, a cyclist from Hartford, Conn., on Facebook, and asked if he wanted to go for a bike ride.
"He's like ... 'by the way, I ride kind of slow ... I'm 500 whatever pounds,' " Catalano says. "I [said] ... 'OK, I can deal with that.' "
This is how hundreds of New England cyclocross racers met Gagnon.
The First Race
Now, just two years after making that decision, Gagnon met up with his bike racer buddies in Lancaster, Mass., to do his very first race, called the Midnight Ride of Cyclocross.
These days, at age 33, Gagnon is 240 pounds slimmer. He is still very big by any standard, but a lot less so. Seeing him, surrounded by svelte, Lycra-clad athletes, squeezed into some spandex of his own, is a little bit jarring at first.

Enlarge Sam Evans-Brown/New Hampshire Public Radio Ernest Gagnon competes in his first cyclocross race, the Midnight Ride of Cyclocross, on Sept. 26, in Lancaster, Mass.

As you watch him, however, you start to get used to the big guy in bike shorts, especially when you realize that Gagnon himself is way past being self-conscious.
"You know, I'm riding in spandex in Boston with these guys. Never thought I could do that [and] it's liberating in a way," Gagnon says. "It really [forces] you to be honest with yourself, accept who you are; because if you can't accept who you are, you can't do anything."
Before the race, Gagnon goes for a ride around the course with his lieutenant, Catalano, who gives him tips about how to ride it. Gagnon rides along on a custom-built titanium bike that is reinforced to hold his weight.
After checking out the course, he lines up in at the start in a crowd of 60 other racers, and after a few nervous, final moments the race is off.
The racers hurtle along dirt paths, and through soccer fields on bikes designed for racing on pavement. There are obstacles in the course like barriers that they have to jump over, or steep hills they run up with the bikes on their shoulders.
The slender, athletic racers are panting and working hard. For Gagnon, however, it's actually physically dangerous. He has angina, and his doctor told him not to let his heart rate get too high during the race, or he could end up in the hospital; something that has happened before.
Everybody at the race knows about Gagnon, and throughout the race the announcer gives little updates on his progress.
"Two laps to go for Ernest Gagnon," the announcer says, "nicely done Ernest — hang in there!"
After 40 minutes, Gagnon finishes dead last. Catalano and friend Steve Lachance quickly join him near the finish line.
"I told you you could do it, I told you you could do it!" Lachance says.
A steady stream of folks Gagnon barely knows, some of the 5,500 Facebook friends who have sought him out after hearing about his story, come by to congratulate him.
Gagnon says there isn't a weight goal he's aiming for; he just wants to be healthy. He's already eying a couple more cyclocross races to do later this year.

The Ultimate Health Tool: Interpersonal Relationships

 When was the last time that you accomplished a health goal all by your lonesome? Are you sure there wasn't anyone who provided information to you, gave you encouragement, even accompanied you a little on your journey to achieve your goal? Chances are more likely than not that we accomplish our goals with the help of at least one other human being. In fact, more than a few of the Olympic medalists this year made a point to credit all those family members, teammates, coaches, and friends who helped them achieve this goal, saying that it wouldn't even have been possible to do so without them. Conversely, this reminds us of the importance of helping others in their journeys to health and happiness. Whether it's in the form of an encouraging word, an offer to join them in a workout, sharing a healthy recipe together or just being there to listen and support when times get tough, every little bit helps us grow closer, healthier, and happier together.

"Human brotherhood is likewise as clear and evident as the sun, for all are servants of one God, belong to one humankind, inhabit the same globe, are sheltered beneath the overshadowing dome of heaven and submerged in the sea of divine mercy. Human brotherhood and dependence exist because mutual helpfulness and cooperation are the two necessary principles underlying human welfare. This is the physical relationship of mankind. There is another brotherhood, the spiritual, which is higher, holier and superior to all others. It is heavenly; it emanates from the breaths of the Holy Spirit and the effulgence of merciful attributes; it is founded upon spiritual susceptibilities. This brotherhood is established by the Manifestations of the Holy One."

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 150)

"Likewise in this marvelous cycle the earth will be transformed, and the world of humanity arrayed in tranquility and beauty. Disputes, quarrels and murders will be replaced by peace, truth and concord; among the nations, peoples, races and countries, love and amity will appear. Cooperation and union will be established, and finally war will be entirely suppressed. When the laws of the Most Holy Book are enforced, contentions and disputes will find a final sentence of absolute justice before a general tribunal of the nations and kingdoms, and the difficulties that appear will be solved. The five continents of the world will form but one, the numerous nations will become one, the surface of the earth will become one land, and mankind will be a single community. The relations between the countries -- the mingling, union and friendship of the peoples and communities -- will reach to such a degree that the human race will be like one family and kindred. The light of heavenly love will shine, and the darkness of enmity and hatred will be dispelled from the world. Universal peace will raise its tent in the center of the earth, and the blessed Tree of Life will grow and spread to such an extent that it will overshadow the East and the West. Strong and weak, rich and poor, antagonistic sects and hostile nations -- which are like the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and kid, the lion and the calf -- will act toward each other with the most complete love, friendship, justice and equity. The world will be filled with science, with the knowledge of the reality of the mysteries of beings, and with the knowledge of God."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 62)

"For instance, when there is intercourse and cooperation between two villages, the advancement of each will be assured. Likewise, if intercommunication is established between two cities, both will benefit and progress. And if a reciprocal basis of agreement be reached between two countries, their individual and mutual interests will find great development. Therefore, in the unity of this radiant assemblage I behold the link between Orient and Occident.  Such unity is the means and instrument of cooperation between the various countries of the East and West. It is evident, then, that the outcomes from this basis of agreement and accord are numberless and unlimited."

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 35)

"The supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity. The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity. Without cooperation and reciprocal attitude the individual member of human society remains self-centered, uninspired by altruistic purposes, limited and solitary in development like the animal and plant organisms of the lower kingdoms. The lower creatures are not in need of cooperation and reciprocity. A tree can live solitary and alone, but this is impossible for man without retrogression. Therefore, every cooperative attitude and activity of human life is praiseworthy and foreintended by the will of God."

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 338)

"We should all visit the sick. When they are in sorrow and suffering, it is a real help and benefit to have a friend come. Happiness is a great healer to those who are ill. In the East it is the custom to call upon the patient often and meet him individually. The people in the East show the utmost kindness and compassion to the sick and suffering. This has greater effect than the remedy itself. You must always have this thought of love and affection when you visit the ailing and afflicted."

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 204)

"But 'Abdu'l-Bahá told them a story which made them laugh. He Himself laughed heartily, and again with them when they, encouraged by the lead He had given, also told amusing stories. 'Abdu'l-Bahá and his guests were full of mirth throughout that luncheon. It was 'good to laugh', He told them; 'laughter is a spiritual relaxation'. At this point He referred to His years in prison. Life was hard, He said, tribulations were never far away, and yet, at the end of the day, they would sit together and recall events that had been fantastic, and laugh over them. Funny situations could not be abundant, but still they probed and sought them, and laughed. Joy was not, He told them, a by-product of material comfort and affluence."

(H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant, p. 31)

Tools for Tracking Success

...and for increasing awareness/mindfulness ;)

Here are some free online tools to help improve daily awareness of your health and wellness, starting with my favorite so far:

Map My Run http://www.mapmyrun.com/

This is my favorite website for tracking my daily calorie intake, protein intake, workouts and for checking out how my friends on MapMyRun are doing as well. Their "My Nutrition" page is the most fun. It calculates how many calories you should be eating on a given day based off of your weight, age, gender and activity level. Then you just punch in what you've eaten and how many calories you've burned during the course of the day and it tells you how many more you should eat. And the best part: It's free!

Here are some more options:

Livestrong

http://www.livestrong.com/

Fat Secret

http://www.fatsecret.com/

CaloriCount

http://caloriecount.about.com/?utm_medium=redirect&utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=caloriecountcom

If you know of any others, post them as a comment or email them my way. :D

CNN Interview with Rich Roll, Ultraman
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/08/living/fat-dad-to-fit-dad/index.html


It's Not Too Late!
 The Story of One Man's Journey to Incredible Fitness

(CNN) -- The night before he turned 40, Rich Roll had what he calls a "moment of clarity." Overweight and out of shape, Roll had to stop to catch his breath while walking up the stairs of his Southern California home. Roll, now a father of four, feared he was close to a heart attack.

That low point prompted the entertainment attorney and former college swimmer to lose weight and get healthy. Roll not only followed through on his promise to himself and his family, he transformed his body and his life. He adopted a vegan or plant-based diet and six months later, with almost no experience, entered the extreme endurance event known as Ultraman.

Ultraman is like a super-size triathlon. It's a three-day race covering 320 miles on the big island of Hawaii, including a 10-kilometer ocean swim, more than 260 miles by bike and a double marathon run.

Not only did Roll finish the race, he placed 11th overall. He went on to compete in more endurance events, including EPIC5, finishing five Ironmans on five Hawaiian islands in less than a week. His accomplishments have attracted international attention and praise. In 2009, Men's Fitness magazine named Roll one of the "25 Fittest Men in the World."

Roll is telling his amazing and inspirational story in the new book "Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself." He's encouraging everyone, especially middle-aged fathers, to improve their diet, fitness and long-term health.

He took time out of his busy schedule to talk to CNN this week. The following is an edited transcript:

CNN: Just about five years ago, you turned yourself into one of the fittest men on the planet. How are you doing today at age 45?

Rich Roll: I feel fantastic and I continue to learn and refine and try to do it better. Like most people, my life is busy, and recently with the book I haven't been able to train as regularly as I've become accustomed to over the past several years. So when I'm not on my schedule the way I like to be, then I don't feel as good. But in the balance of things looking back from 5½ years ago to where I am now, it's nothing short of remarkable. If anything I am more a believer than I ever have been in the program that I talk about in the book and have every intention of continuing on this path. At the time, five years ago, all I wanted to do was lose a little weight and feel better. I had no idea it would lead to the life that I'm leading now. It's crazy.

CNN: Between your family, your job and training, what's a typical day like for you?

Roll: My schedule is different every day. Often it's dictated by what the kids have going on and what their activities happen to be so I take a tip from that. It's very fluid. I try not to be too strict every day because then I get frustrated when things don't work out the way I want them to. So I try to remain open.

Generally, I get up early, I take my kids to school; then I try to squeeze in a training session, then I get some work done, then I try to squeeze another training session in. I'll pick my kids up from school. I'll work for another couple of hours. I'll have dinner with my kids, and quite often I work late into the night.

See Dr. Sanjay Gupta interview Rich Roll in 2010

CNN: What does it take to make such a major lifestyle change? Is it a question of willpower?

Roll: I think it's a little bit more than that. I think the important thing to bear in mind, that's been incredibly helpful to me in many instances in my life, is to remember that mood follows action. I think it's very easy to say I'll get to that when I feel better or when I'm in the right mood, then I'll do that, or when the universe aligns and everything is perfect, then I'll dust off that dream, but it never happens. The action has to come first. You have to take the action before you know where it's going to lead you without knowing the outcome and irrespective of your mind-set or how you feel at the time.

That's key and the other thing is to emphasize the importance of those dreams we all have because life is short, and there's no time like the present to set them in motion. My hope is that people can see through the extreme endurance event aspect of the book and realize that's purely intended as metaphor. Not everyone who reads my book will want to do Ultraman or become 100% vegan, but I hope it serves as inspiration for whatever that thing is you've had in the back of your mind that you always wanted to do. There is a way and a means to breathe life into those things if you're willing to prioritize it in a way you haven't done before.

CNN: What advice would you give to those inspired after reading your book?

Roll: The biggest thing is to not overcomplicate it and just start. You don't have to have the whole thing mapped out. You don't have to know where it's going to lead you. You shouldn't get caught up in the results of it. You just need to begin and embrace the journey and be open to where it's going to lead you.

CNN: How do you maintain a balance and find time for it all?

Roll: Balance is very difficult. It's something I'm always chasing and pursuing. I'm always trying to get that recipe, that chemistry perfect, but the truth is you can't do everything every day so something's got to give.

I'm not a professional athlete; nobody's paying me to race. I don't make any money doing it. I've made a little bit of money writing the book but not enough to support my family, so I have to work just like everybody else. When I'm training then, I'm not earning so I have to be reasonable about the whole thing. I'm just like every other dad in that regard.

CNN: You've accomplished so much in the past five years, but what's your next goal?

Roll: Certainly I want to continue to push my body and see what it's capable of in an athletic concept. I love doing that, and I will continue to look for athletic challenges. That will be something I will always do, but I would say that my priorities have shifted a little bit. Now my focus and what's most important to me professionally is spreading a healthy message. I want to help inspire people through the book or get them to make healthier choices about their eating.

I'm hoping the book will create a platform for me to be able to go around the country and speak to groups and kids at schools or corporations and get people eating better. Being able to have a positive impact on somebody's health, there's nothing better than that. It's extremely gratifying. So my hope and my aspiration is to be able to play a small role in trying to create a healthier America.

The Power of Awareness

 

Is it possible to improve or maintain your health without awareness? Even if we have incorporated healthy habits into our daily lives and have learned as much as we can from the information available to us through scientific studies, when it comes down to it, only you are there to make sure that you make the right choices. That is, unless you are 5 years old and are lucky enough to have parents who teach you what those right choices are :) 

 

It may seem like an overwhelmingly large and complicated task to make sure that every day we incorporate healthy food and drinks into our diet, avoid the unhealthy food and drinks, make time for a 10-minute walk at least, and make sure that we get at least 8 hours of rest per night. OK, it is large and complicated but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. We can start by just being aware of what our daily patterns are right now, this week. Keeping a food journal or a workout journal is very helpful (I'll post some useful websites for that on a separate post) as is using a pedometer to find out how many steps you take during the day. If we take some time each day to think about how the day went, what we did well and what we'd like to change or improve on, then this task not only seems achievable but can also be very rewarding. The good news is that by bringing ourselves to account each day, we also have to give ourselves credit for the things that we do right!

 

Here are some of the quotes that were studied at the last Health Devotional on Saturday, June 30th. You might have seen one or two quotes before but the more I search for themes, the more I find them to be overlapping. Please feel free to send me your comments, suggestions, and questions! :)

O SON OF SPIRIT! I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

- Baha’u’llah, Hidden Words, Arabic #13

O MY FRIEND! Thou art the daystar of the heavens of My holiness, let not the defilement of the world eclipse thy splendor. Rend asunder the veil of heedlessness, that from behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resplendent and array all things with the apparel of life.

-  Baha’u’llah, Hidden Words, Persian # 73

 “…the mind and the spirit of man are cognizant of the conditions and states of the members and component parts of the body, and are aware of all the physical sensations; in the same way, they are aware of their power, of their feelings, and of their spiritual conditions. This is the knowledge of being which man realizes and perceives, for the spirit surrounds the body and is aware of its sensations and powers. This knowledge is not the outcome of effort and study. It is an existing thing; it is an absolute gift.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, pp.157

GLORY be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath existed before all things, Who will exist after all things and will last beyond all things. Thou art the God Who knoweth all things, and is supreme over all things. Thou art the God Who dealeth mercifully with all things, Who judgeth between all things and Whose vision embraceth all things. Thou art God my Lord, Thou art aware of my position, Thou dost witness my inner and outer being.

- The Bab  Selections from the Writings of the Bab, pp. 217

“O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.

O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  Bahai Prayers, pp. 152

“As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs to the former is felt by the latter. In reality that which takes delight in joy or is saddened by pain is the inner temple of the body, not the body itself. Since this physical body is the throne whereon the inner temple is established, God hath ordained that the body be preserved to the extent possible, so that nothing that causeth repugnance may be experienced. The inner temple beholdeth its physical frame, which is its throne. Thus, if the latter is accorded respect, it is as if the former is the recipient. The converse is likewise true.”

- The Bab  Selections from the Writings of the Bab, pp. 95

"You should not neglect your health, but consider it the means which enables you to serve. It - the body - is like a horse which carries the personality and spirit, and as such should be well cared for so it can do its work! You should certainly safeguard your nerves, and force yourself to take time, and not only for prayer and meditation, but for real rest and relaxation."

-       Shoghi Effendi  Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 23 November 1947

“ Look inwards and not at others, not others’ opposition nor what they did or failed to do,but in oneself should be sought things done, things left undone.”

-       Dhammapada, Verse 50 (Buddhist Teachings)

“Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday…. Guard against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind, whether young or old, whether high or low.”

-       Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah (LAWḤ-I-HIKMAT - Tablet of Wisdom) pp. 138

 

“Be calm, be strong, be grateful, and become a lamp full of light, that the darkness of sorrows be annihilated, and the sun of everlasting joy arise from the dawning place of heart and soul, shining brightly.”

-       ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha  11 pp. 405

 

“Let no one imagine that these words imply that man should not be thorough and careful in his undertakings. God has endowed man with intelligence so that he may safeguard and protect himself. Therefore, he must provide and surround himself with all that scientific skill can produce. He must deliberate, thoughtful and thorough in his purposes, build the best ship and provide the most experienced captain; yet, withal, let him rely upon God and consider God as the one Keeper.”

-       ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace  pp. 48

“Those who are beyond the dualities that arise from doubts, whose minds are engaged within, who are always busy working for the welfare of all living beings, and who are free from all sins achieve liberation in the Supreme. Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.”

-       Bhagavad Gita, Verses 5.25-5.26

Tapping Into Strength

So you've decided to improve your health. You've made goals and have made those goals a priority. Here comes the next part: finding the strength that it takes to make those little daily changes, to keep at it, to push through the difficulties and to crush that self-doubt. Well, here are some quotes that might help with that. Most of the health and wellness books out there will tell you that the strength that you need to accomplish this is within you. But when I started doing research for this posting I noticed something very interesting from the Writings of the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha'i Faith. They all stated in very clear language that the source of all power and strength was God.  

So if we find strength within ourselves, it is a sign that we are exercising the virtues that He has inherently endowed us with. That means that you already have perseverance, strength, courage, fortitude, patience, and all the other qualities needed to accomplish your goals and much much more, you just have to start exercising them. But you don't have to do it alone. Ask for help from God, your friends, family and, of course, your buddies at the Health Devotional! :D  

 

"O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny."

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, p. 195

"All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be manifested only as a result of your own volition. Your own acts testify to this truth."

- Baha'u'llah Gleanings, p. 149

“Humanity has emerged from its former state of limitation and preliminary training. Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities. New bounties, perfect bestowals, are awaiting and already descending upon him. The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now incapable of meeting the requirements of its maturity.”

- `Abdu'l-Bahá, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh

"A man that stands alone, having decided to obey the truth, may be weak and slip back into his old ways. Therefore, stand ye together, assist one another, and strengthen one another's efforts"

- The Sangha (Buddhist Teachings)

“Physical pain is a necessary accompaniment of all human existence, and as such is unavoidable. As long as there will be life on earth, there will be also suffering.... But suffering, although an inescapable reality, can nevertheless be utilized as a means for the attainment of happiness. This is the interpretation given to it by all the prophets and saints who, in the midst of severe tests and trials, felt happy and joyous and experienced what is best and holiest in life.... In every suffering, one can find a meaning and wisdom. But it is not always easy to find the secret of that wisdom. It is sometimes only when all our suffering has passed that we become aware of its usefulness....”

 - Shoghi Effendi: from letters to individual believers (1947, 1953)

 "Happy is the man whose strength is in Thee"
- The Bible, Psalms Chapter 84

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

-       The Bible, Mark 9:23

 

"O ye who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that ye may prosper."

- Qur'an (Surat 'Āli `Imrān 3:200)

“Be calm, be strong, be grateful, and become a lamp full of light, that the darkness of sorrows be annihilated, and the sun of everlasting joy arise from the dawning place of heart and soul, shining brightly.”

-       ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha  11 pp. 405

 

“Let no one imagine that these words imply that man should not be thorough and careful in his undertakings. God has endowed man with intelligence so that he may safeguard and protect himself. Therefore, he must provide and surround himself with all that scientific skill can produce. He must deliberate, thoughtful and thorough in his purposes, build the best ship and provide the most experienced captain; yet, withal, let him rely upon God and consider God as the one Keeper.”

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace  pp. 48

Original Washington post article here 

Gene Weingarten: Elliptical humor

By Gene Weingarten, Published: June 14

A few weeks ago, I played a thrilling game of Ping-Pong with my editor, Tom the Butcher. I lost 22-20 in overtime. Afterward, Tom said he was worried I might be a little out of shape.
“Why ... do … you ... say … that?” I wheezed.
This had not exactly been Ping-Pong as played by those wiry Asian guys in short pants who stand 15 feet away from the table and launch blurry shots that look like rounds from tracer bullets. That made Tom conclude I was inappropriately winded. An interrogation ensued.
Tom: Do you get any regular exercise?
Me: I walk the dog.
Tom: That’s it?
Me: Uh, yeah.
Tom: So, basically you’re saying you might get more exercise than a person who cannot walk.
Me: Well, not a Paralympian or anything.
Tom: So, basically you might get more exercise than a bedridden invalid?
Me: Yes.
That is when Tom suggested I seriously consider going to a gym.
The last time I had been to anything called a “gym” was in junior high school. Everyone was afraid of the gym teacher, Mr. Gluck, and not without reason. This was back before mandatory sensitivity training for teachers. One year, Mr. Gluck was in charge of administering color-blindness tests; when one of the seventh-graders timidly asked what would happen if you failed the test, Mr. Gluck said, “We take you out back and shoot you.”
So, my memories of gym were not entirely positive. But, of course, this was a completely different thing — an adult gym, a health club, which was comforting until I walked inside and felt a strange sense of panic. It turns out this particular gym is a converted junior high school.
The clerk at the front desk gave me a form to fill out, with an elaborate checklist about my medical history. In answer to a question about why I was there, I wrote, “Ping-Pong wheezing. Tom T. Butcher is concerned.” This was accepted without comment or question. It occurred to me the gym didn’t really care about my medical history or why I was there, so long as I flashed plastic, which I did. I was accepted for membership.
The first piece of equipment I encountered was a jungle gym, a big colorful fuzzy one. It looked easy! I figured I’d spend some serious time on it and call it a day, until I realized I’d wandered into the day-care center.
A guy named Dale took me on a tour of the real machines. The first one we stopped at was something called the hammer press, in which you lie on your back and lift a barbell. I assumed the position, grasped the crossbar, braced myself, took a deep breath, and lifted. My arms straightened above me and locked at the elbow. I held it for five full seconds like I’d seen in the Olympics — one Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc. — then brought it down again. Dale told me I had done real well, but I should have let him put some weights on the bar first. After he affixed 90 pounds, I tried again, but had to stop because I was turning red and making alarming little squeaky noises, like those automatic toilets before they flush.
Dale left me alone with the elliptical machines, in which you are forced into an unnatural motion that simulates riding a unicycle while punching people in the face, like Rambo the Clown. I decided I would do it for two minutes longer than the woman in front of me, who I guessed to be about 80 years old. She was wearing what looked like 1890s beachwear. When I gave up about six minutes later, she was still going strong.
My initial membership lasts two months after which, presumably, I will either be more toned and fit, or they will take me out back and shoot me.

Healthy Ways to Detox

The dangers of artificial sweeteners, fast food & skipping meals, the skinny on supplements & cleanses, the power of exercise, sleep & dark chocolate:  

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/plans/diets/healthy-detox-diets/?sssdmh=dm17.577256&esrc=nwfitdailytip012612&email=3156511178

The Deal about Nutrition & the Health Devotional

I bet most of you (ok, maybe just some of you) are wondering, "Hey, Shirin's been having this Health Devotional & Workout Group thing for over 4 months now and hasn't really talked much about nutrition - what's up with that?" So, to answer that question I thought I'd write a little on the blog about why I've tended to focus more on exercise and fitness than on nutrition. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Lack of Consensus in Scientific Research on Nutrition 

Sadly the scientific community has yet to reach a consensus on the finer points of nutrition. Of course, they are making strides on this topic every day, as is evidenced by our newfound appreciation of antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids, and lean protein but where we still fall short are the areas where the details come in. It seems that just when you thought you had mastered the most healthful diet there is, another book is published that says that you've been doing it all wrong. This can be very frustrating, especially when the scientific community can't produce a diet book of their own and have the FDA and USDA place a stamp of approval on it. This leaves the regular citizen with a lot of questions like, "Are all carbs bad? Is organic really better for you? Should I be buying gluten-free? Should I buy free range or antibiotic-free dairy and meat or go vegan completely? What are GMO's?" These are questions which the scientific community has yet to reach a consensus and help guide the population in their food choices. While there may be some scientific evidence to back up the organic movement, there isn't enough to establish their claims fully. The same can be said for vegetarianism, veganism, and many other trends and movements. Believe me, I sincerely wish there were more studies to answer these questions. However, there is a lot of science to debunk many trends and fad diets and I will do my best to provide that information to you as you try to navigate the bookstore and the supermarket aisles in search for healthy choices.

And even though the scientific community is coming out with more and more studies that isolate certain food groups as beneficial to health, and implicate others as bad for your health, you'll still find doctors and scientists arguing over what to do with this information and how much it factors into treatment of diseases, for instance. Even your family doctor can't be called an expert on nutrition, unfortunately. This they mostly leave to the registered dietitians and nutritionists. A pediatric oncologist that I work with rolled his eyes at me when I asked about turmeric - a spice that has been scientifically shown to have anti-tumor properties and is used in some clinical trials (http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/turmeric) (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17959521?print=true). I was talking about something that had been proven to be effective in curing some people's cancer but since there isn't a consensus about it, you'll find many scientists and cancer doctors balking at it. Instead the doctor told me that he just recommends that his patients eat a "healthy" diet. I asked him how many of his patients actually knew what a healthy diet was. He gave me a blank look. That made me wonder about how most people make nutritional choices, which leads me to my next reason:

2. Culture, Tradition, and Habit

 

In reading this blog posting you've probably felt a bit fired up in either passionate agreement or disagreement by some of the things that I've written. This is totally normal because nutrition, unlike most other elements of our daily life, is extremely intimate. Before you were even aware of the world around you, you were absorbing nutrients that your mother was taking in. You didn't even have a choice about this. Once you were born, her decision as to whether or not to breastfeed you directly affected your health today. This fact has finally been agreed on by the scientific community. But there was a time when it wasn't and my mother was called many unpleasant things by an army nurse in the late 70s who mocked her for choosing to breastfeed her newborn child. Now we know the importance of breastfeeding and are now supporting mothers who choose to do so. But what happens when the baby needs to be weaned? Walk down the baby isle in any supermarket and that question becomes a really overwhelming one. That goes for buying and preparing food for any member of your family now. And when humans are challenged to make such personal decisions they tend to go back to the familiar - the food that they were raised on, good or bad. It doesn't seem to matter whether or not your mom prepared the healthiest meal from scratch or whether your overtired mom took you to an all-you-can-eat buffet and let you eat as much pizza and cake as you wanted. You still associate that food with comfort and familiarity and will be hard pressed to part with it. One study done on rats and published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that pregnant rats that were fed a junk food diet gave birth to pups that had a significantly higher preference for sugary, fatty foods than their control counterparts (http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayFulltext?type=6&fid=1343308&jid=BJN&volumeId=98&issueId=04&aid=1343304&bodyId=&membershipNumber=&societyETOCSession=&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0007114507812037). So even what we eat during pregnancy may influence what our children have a taste for.

So that's family food culture and tradition, what about food culture in our larger society? That's a bigger issue. How many social functions have you gone to lately that didn't have any food? Were there drinks such as soda, diet soda, fruit juice, alcohol, water, or coffee or tea? Was the food kosher, halal, gluten free, processed, fresh, organic, local, homemade, store-bought? What about your religious functions? At some churches, constituents are given wine and a wafer-like cracker as a symbol of confirmation of their faith. At the Baha'i nineteen day Feast, at least bread and water must be served by the host during the social portion as an exercise of the virtue of hospitality. Almost every major world religion has either explicit dietary restriction, or traditional dietary habits, e.g. prohibition of alcoholic drinks in Islam and the Bahai Faith, kosher restrictions in Judaism, halal guidelines in Islam, the predominance of vegetarianism in Hindu communities. I found it to be highly amusing and socially telling when I went to an office party and the Orthodox Jewish intern could only drink his own kosher beer because he couldn't consume any of the non-kosher food and I, being a Baha'i, could eat and drink anything that didn't have alcohol in it. We both enjoyed the fact that we were adhering to our seemingly opposed dietary restrictions but both of us run the risk that anyone faces when they are a guest in someone else's home: offending the host by refusing the offered food. This is especially important when visiting other countries and experiencing cultures other than our own. Here we see themes of hospitality, religious adherence to laws, following religious and cultural traditions. Within the context of these profound themes food and drink no longer become nutrition choices alone. They become part of the deep human fabric that ties each one of us together and exhibits who we are, where we come from, what we believe, and how we feel about each other. These are not issues that people take lightly, nor should they. With the wonderful diversity of food cultures and traditions that we have in the world, it would be naive to assume that people will gladly change overnight even if presented with scientific evidence that tells them to do so. This is an area that we all need to tread lightly. To challenge the nutritional choices that individuals make is to challenge their expression of individuality. Even if you don't agree with someone's choices, it is not your place to lecture anyone. Here's what Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith says about how to offer advice to someone: 

"If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it fulfil its purpose, your object is attained. If any one should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him." 

- Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1983), CXXXII, pp. 287-289

3. Exercise

Unlike nutrition, the scientific community is in complete agreement about the absolute necessity of exercise in order to maintain health and stave off a barrage of diseases and ailments. New studies are coming out every day about the health benefits of even the most modest increase in physical activity on a regular basis. Making sure that you get a brisk 30 minute walk once a day will improve your sleep, digestion, your mood, lower stress and lower your chances of getting heart disease. No matter how your day went, you will no doubt feel a sense of accomplishment about making time to exercise - at least I know I do. We also know that if you exercise at a moderate to high level for over 20 minutes your body releases endorphins, those feel-good hormones, that make you feel happy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphin) so your body actually rewards you for working out. When you hear your friends say that they are "addicted" to working out, that is the rush that they're chasing (http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/05/07/151936266/wired-to-run-runners-high-may-have-been-evolutionary-advantage). 

There is a secret about working out that you find hard to believe until you experience it yourself: exercise is empowering. When you overcome that inertia, put on your gear start, you've already climbed a virtual mountain. If you do that on a regular basis, you start to see and feel the positive effects of that exercise. Sooner or later you realize that this is your own accomplishment; no one else did it for you. This realization increases your confidence and you start to see horizons open up. Your body starts to feel better and over time it just naturally looks better, too. When you strengthen your shoulders, back, and core muscles you find yourself standing with better posture. Aches and pains that used to bother you have disappeared and you have more energy throughout the day. The next thing you want to do is share that feeling with others, which leads me to the main reason that I've been focusing on exercise and letting nutrition trail behind in my Health Devotional and Workout Group: exercising together builds bonds of friendship!!

While all cultures have eating as a social activity down pat, they don't have anything in place for exercising together. This is because this generation is the first in the history of mankind that we have mechanized every single bit of activity out of our lives. Up until the 1990's you had to walk at least a little bit during the course of your day. Now, in the age of the internet, you can work from home, buy everything that you need online and drive anywhere that you need to go. Virtually every place you go will have chairs, elevators, escalators, automatic doors and some even have motorized chairs if you need them. This is the only time in history that you don't have to move at all unless you want to. This is why we can't rely on tradition, culture, and history to fill in the gaps. Unfortunately, we also live in a time where the average American has a job that requires him or her to sit for hours in front of a computer screen. This presents the greatest cultural challenge to our health as a nation.

My friend who works in IT just last week asked his supervisor if he could get a standing desk and was told that the chances were slim and only if he had an outstanding medical condition that required him to have a standing desk. So even with the scientific evidence showing without a doubt that a sedentary lifestyle is deadly, businesses are ignoring this and are directly putting the health of their employees at risk. (http://www.aicr.org/learn-more-about-cancer/make-time-break-time.html). In order to build a culture of exercise we have to start incorporating exercising into our social activities. We need to talk about exercise together, support and encourage each other, share stories, share your concerns, ask each other questions, and help each other find the answers. We can no longer see exercise as something that only athletes do if they want to be olympic medalists or professionals. We need to see exercise as something as normal as eating and sleeping, and just as necessary. Our parents didn't use to have to do this because they had to walk, stand, pick things up, carry things, and I promise you that their generation didn't have as much access to high calorie food as we do. High calorie foods were treats back then, and the serving sizes of all food was about a third what they are now.

We can help each other by building this new culture and by supporting our friends and relatives in their efforts to incorporate exercise into their daily habits. By supporting them, you're showing how much you love and cherish them. You're support says to them, "I love you, I'm proud of you, I want you around for many years to come and I wish for you the same happiness and energy that I've experienced". In times when food was scarce, offering more food was a way to show that you cherished someone. Now we can offer to help each other in their path to fitness. Listen to your friends and family and hear what they have to say about their personal challenges to incorporate exercise. If they don't have time, offer to help them in their daily chores or offer to work out with them. If a friend needs a babysitter in order to get 30 minutes to work out a day, help them find a regular sitter. The first thing that we all can do for each other is to be understanding about how incredibly difficult it is to accomplish even a little bit of time to work out regularly. Be caring and patient with each other and tell each other that together we can make it easier to get healthier. Don't worry if you're starting from a completely sedentary lifestyle. Don't worry if you're many pounds overweight. That just means that it will be that much more rewarding when you see how far you've come. When you're starting from zero, any improvement is just that: IMPROVEMENT. It might even be harder for athletes who get older and start having to deal with limitations being put on their bodies. Comparing yourself to the awesome, fit you that you used to be is just as counterproductive as comparing yourself to others. If you never had any glory days and you're only starting an exercise regimen now, I have good news for you: it will be very easy to get into the best shape of your entire life if you just keep going! :)

This brings me to the other reason that I've decided to focus first on fitness: the virtues that you are exercising when you are focusing on fitness are practically unlimited. You have to learn perseverance, patience, humility, detachment, strength, individual investigation of truth, prudence, moderation, overcoming and accepting pain, courage, fortitude, a positive attitude, honesty, purity, nobility, trust, hope, joyfulness, and even love. When we exercise together we even build unity, friendship, and show love, tolerance, patience, understanding, compassion, humility, sincerity, and trustworthiness to each other. Even if you're starting to exercise simply for aesthetic reasons, you'll soon find out that if you focus more on reaching health and strength-related goals you will achieve so much more than a good-looking outer image, you will learn to accept yourself as a strong individual that overcomes difficulties and achieves great things. Looking good is just the cherry on top. You'll learn to listen to your body and give it what it needs, which leads me to where food and nutrition fits beautifully into this schema.
 
Not only does exercising for less than an hour at a time actually suppress appetite, but you'll start to look at food as fuel, not as entertainment, an emotional crutch, or the enemy. That is what food is, primarily: fuel. If you find that you're eating just to entertain yourself, eating to satisfy an emotional hunger rather than a physical hunger, or eating to sabotage your own success, then discussing these things with a therapist or with groups like Food Addicts Anonymous (http://www.foodaddicts.org/) or Overeaters Anonymous (http://www.oa.org/) would probably be extremely helpful. This is more common that one would think. More and more people are turning to food to comfort themselves and fill the emotional holes and a sense of lack of purpose that burden so many people today. Here again is where we can show our love, understanding, compassion, and support. These are real issues and to disregard these and judge our fellow human beings for having unhealthy habits is to disregard the fact that all of us have unhealthy habits that we need to change. Just because someone is skinny doesn't necessarily mean that they are healthy and just because someone is overweight doesn't mean that they don't have anything to teach you about overcoming adversity.


4. Take it Day by Day

For those of you who are still asking questions like, "Should I go vegan? Is it really better to eat organic? Will I lose weight by juicing only? Should I buy local?" don't worry. I've been doing a lot of research into these questions and will be covering these topics periodically. As a general guideline though, I would not change your diet too drastically all at once. Start by adding more fresh greens into your diet and substituting processed foods with more whole foods. Try to eat more whole, fresh fruit rather than fruit juice bought from the store and try to drink water instead of soda. If you have to get fast food, try to buy the healthier options and if you're getting coffee, get skim milk and add your own sugar rather then getting a frappuccino with whipped cream. Becoming healthier is a process and it takes time. Changing one or two small things will be easier to sustain than changing a lot all at once.

Health Activities in Bethesda

   May, 2012

http://www.bethesda.org/events-calendar

May 4 - May 25 - Yoga Class

 

Drop-in yoga for all levels. Unity Woods Yoga Center, Unity Woods Yoga Center, 4853 Cordell Ave. Fri., 6-7pm. Ages 18+. $5. 301/656-8992.

May 5 - October 27 - Bethesda FRESHFARM Market
  Fresh fruits, vegetables, breads & more. Norfolk Ave. between Fairmont & St. Elmo Aves. Sat., 9am-1pm. FREE. 301/215-6660.

 

May 6 - Bethesda Central Farm Market  
Seafood, poultry, cheese & more. parking lot on Elm St. between Wisconsin & Woodmont Aves., Sun., 9am-1pm. FREE. 301/998-8395.

 

May 12 - June 16 - Meditation as Therapy Practicum

 

The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St., Suite 100. Sat., 12-1:30pm. Ages 18+. $450/6-sessions. 301/986-1090.

May 18 - Nia Jams

 

Enjoy Nia dance. The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St., Suite 100. 7:30-9pm. Ages 18+. FREE; $15 donation appreciated. 301/986-1090.

May 19 - Nia Experiential Workshop Learn & dance a Nia routine. The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm St., Suite 100. 1:30-3:30pm. Ages 18+. $45. 301/986-1090.

Upcoming Health Devotional & Workout Group at my place.

Health Activities in Bethesda

   April, 2012

www.bethesda.org

Drop-in Yoga Class for all levels

April 13, 20, 27  6-7pm.
Unity Woods Yoga Center, 4853 Cordell Ave.

Ages 18+   301-656-8992

$5 cash

Free Intro Yoga Class
April 1-10 
Unity Woods Yoga Center, 4853 Cordell Ave., 16th floor
Call for times. Ages 18+  301-656-8992
FREE!!

Ongoing - Mind-Body for Cancer Classes
April 5, 12, 17, 24  4-5:45pm

Supporting cancer patients & teaching methods to improve wellness. 
The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm st., Suite 100
Ages 18+
$449 for an 8-week series  

Healthy Cooking Class
April 18  6-8pm
Recipes for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. 
Suburban Hospital, 8600 Old Georgetown rd.  
Ages 18+   301-896-3939
$25


 Nia Jams & Workshop
April 27-28  Fri: 7:30-9pm,   Sat: 12:30-2:30pm
The Mindfulness Center, 4963 Elm st., Suite 100
Ages 18+  301-986-1090
$15 donation appreciated

YMCA Kid's Club
Games, crafts, pizza & occasional field trips.
April 6, 13, 20, 27  6:30-10pm
YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center, 5650 Oakmont Ave. 
Ages 3-11  301-530-8500
$35 first child, $25 each additional child
 
 YMCA Healthy Kids Day
Nutrition, fun foods, creative exercise, free food samples, games, crafts & more.
April 28  10am
YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase, 9401 Old Georgetown Rd. 
All ages     301-530-3725
FREE!!

Bethesda Central Farm Market
Seafood, poultry, cheese & more. 
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29  9am-1pm
Parking lot on Elm st. between Wisconsin & Woodmont
All ages     301-998-8395
FREE!

 Swim Event
Raise money to send kids to camp by swimming laps.
April 15  7-10am
YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase, 9401 Old Georgetown Rd. 
All ages   301-530-3725
$10

Pirates Dance Party
Come as your favorite character from the buccaneer days.
April 21   7:30pm
Dance Bethesda, 8227 Woodmont Ave.
Ages 18+   301-951-3660
$15 single, $25 couple