Inevitably we start to feel aches and pains as we get older. What we were able to get away with when younger starts to catch up with us. For this reason, it's important to follow better habits before the aches become too debilitating. The habits I am referring to are around exercise and nutrition. Exercise is important because it it keeps the joints moving, keeps the tendons and ligaments in good shape and allows for muscle growth. That doesn't mean that you have to exercise to the extent of many professional athletes, although I must admit to feeling somewhat envious after watching the performers at a recent performance of Cirque de Soleil. It is important to put stress on the bones to provide bone growth and avoid osteoporosis. Based on my own physical structure, my chosen exercise is to take brisk walks. There are scenic paths along the Don Valley so beautiful that you might doubt you are still in a major city. I have also built a small home gym and combine cardio vascular with some weights. Nutrition is important because it is adding the right fuel that supports the body in the daily tasks to which it is subjected. I try to avoid white flour and white sugar and empty carbs. I eat a lot of whole foods or foods that are either not processed at all or are processed minimally. That would include whole grains, legumes, fresh food and vegetables. That way I don't have to decipher the meaning of a myriad of unpronounceable chemical additives that seem to be the trademark of the processed food industry. There's such an incredible number of labels for sugar. Paying attention to food and exercise can mitigate some of the worst medical problems. Massage therapy and shiatsu can also be effective in helping solve physical problems and create increased pain free (that's the operative word) range of motion. This is to remind you that I will be away in the UK from August 4th to September 7th. So make your appointment to see me before my departure.
