FUEL: September 30, 2013

Other Ways that Healthy Eating can have a Positive Impact

There are numerous reasons for wanting to eat a healthy and balanced diet.  Many folks we talk to state they are motivated to eat healthy to “lose weight” or “be healthier”, but the advantages to eating healthy go beyond that.

Consider the following 7 reasons that research indicates may be  other ways that healthy eating can have a positive impact on one’s life.

1.       Healthy eating can increase your energy levels.  You can become more productive and socially active if you can stick to healthy foods.  The more processed a food is, the less nutrients it will have. Whole foods are best because they are unrefined and unprocessed - your body will thank you by feeling good and energized throughout the day.

2.       Healthy eating can make you look younger and fresher.  Eating healthy foods and drinking water to stay hydrated combine to promote good cell growth and potential elimination of harmful free radicals and toxins in your body.  As a result, your skin will regain its natural glow and suppleness.

3.       Healthy eating can increase your productivity. An advantage to achieving and maintaining good health usually begins with a plan.  A good plan will include a diet that suits your needs and includes exercise and balanced nutrition.  Once you have mastered the day-to-day requirements of your regimen, you will notice that you are better able to get more things done.  Your job may also seem easier because you have more energy.  This will lead to increased productivity at work and home too.  It’s not that much of a stretch to say that this can lead to opportunities that a sedentary lifestyle and diet just don’t offer.

4.       Better eating means a longer, more fulfilled life. One of the other distinct advantages to a healthy diet and lifestyle is the fact that not only can you fit more into your day, you will also add years to your productive life.  Whereas someone with high blood pressure and diabetes may need to retire for health reasons, you can keep being productive for years to come.  Or you can enjoy retirement as a healthy and vibrant individual instead of sitting on the sidelines in your golden years.

5.       Eating healthy can turn you into a goal-setter. The key to this is the making of a list.  To begin, make a list of the things you need to do to get healthy.  Your list should include fixing balanced, healthy meals and a list of workouts that you need to conquer every week, and so on. Several positive aspects come with making a list and sticking to it.  As you cross things off your to-do list, you feel a sense of accomplishment that enhances your feeling of well-being.  This positive outlook will carry over into all aspects of your life. Rather than being “the downer,” you may turn into the person who confronts problems with an attitude of resolve.

6.       Eating healthy can reduce your health care costs. By improving your health, you are making a down payment on lower healthcare costs.  Getting in shape and eating correctly will improve your blood pressure and decrease the chances of life-altering illnesses in the future.  You will save money by not needing medication, and the further benefit is you won’t lose time at work due to illnesses that can beset those with bad diets.

7.       Healthy eating enables you to better handle stress. It’s a fact that stress can take its toll on your health.  By eating right and taking care of yourself, you can reduce that stress to a manageable level and increase your productivity and enjoyment of life.  Whether your goal is to play with your children, grandchildren or live the rest of your life traveling, the choices you make now will determine what comes later.  By making a list of healthy priorities and sticking to it, you can live better and longer.

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Footnotes:

1. http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/eating-to-boost-energy

2. http://idealbite.com/can-pizza-chocolate-really-make-you-live-longer-feel-awesome/

3. http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=502&action=detail&ref=134

4. http://www.today.com/id/42590802/ns/today-today_books/t/eat-simple-plan-healthy-happy-quality-life/#.UkTe9YaThfN`

5. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/healthy-eating-overview

6. http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=502&action=detail&ref=134

7. http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/balanced-living/stress-management-how-healthy-eating-helps.aspx

8. http://www.uwhealth.org/health/topic/special/healthy-eating-to-decrease-stress/ta4631.html

RECOVER: September 20, 2013

May the odds be ever in your favor.......

A week ago I was sitting in a meeting and I heard the phrase "do the right thing" more than a couple of times.  It was mostly related to people making the right choice in regards to safety, something which makes perfect sense, but it stuck with me some. It's so straight forward, and.......so spot on.  I started thinking about it some, and really, that's what so many issues related to safety, health, prevention, etc. are all about, aren't they? Making choices?  But what really got me thinking about the statement is the "do" part.  Doing the right thing is an action.....it's active......it's something in our control.  Of course no person can control ALL of the variables they're faced with, but when we control the ones we can (by "doing" the right thing), we certainly put the odds in our favor. 

In the wizardry of statistics they call this an "odds ratio" and it tells how "likely" something is to occur (or not occur)......and it is becoming the information that helps each and every one of us live a long and healthy life.......because when the odds get strong enough, a situation is generally predictable.....want to prevent heart disease?  Eat your fruits & veggies and move enough.  These choices don't guarantee anything, but they sure put the odds in your favor; the research clearly shows this. 

This ability is uniquely human - some call it the ability to reason, some call it the ability to do complex analysis, I like to think of it as the ability to predict the future......sometimes it helps us, sometimes it doesn't.  Don't think you can do it?  You can. Try it:  

Mary    had   a    little.....................................................................

What is the "right" next word? Why? How do you know?  Because you recognized the word pattern and filled in the gaps.....you went with the odds.......it was automatic.  But you didn't HAVE-TO.  You could've resisted and said "Mary had a little.....bean dip at the party" or some other equally odd-ball sounding response.......you had that choice......it would've taken mental energy to do so and probably not felt as natural rolling off your tongue......but you could've done it.  Most probably didn't do that work.....they probably simply said "lamb". 

Maybe health choices are the same way.  Maybe safety choices are too.  The ones that are easy and feel natural are the ones we're more likely to do.  The ones that require work and effort are still doable, but maybe less likely to happen.  So if we all know that we want to live long, healthy and safe lives......how can we all make it easier for each other to do the right thing?  How can we each help to create an environment at work and at home that makes the "right thing" the same as the "easy thing".  Hospitals that put hand sanitizer in every room near the door and tell people (staff and visitors alike) that it is the right thing to do upon entry and exit have shown impressive reductions in the spread of certain infections.   Workplaces that have made it "easier" to take the stairs (by making stairwells well lit and enjoyable) have increased activity......it's not always rocket science and statistical wizardry......sometimes it's about educating ourselves to know the right thing to do in the future......and then making it easy that we DO it......to put the odds in our favor.

Go ahead, try it and let me know how it goes......figure out a way to make one healthy or safe habit easier......I'd love to hear what you come up with. 

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.

CONNECT: September 13, 2013

We'll never forget.....

Although not a towering or menacing child, my twelve year old daughter is finally big enough to safely sit in the front seat of the car (a personal victory), which of course comes with lots of radio-fiddling.....even though every once in a while I absolutely MUST veto whatever "cool" song I'm being tortured with, I generally try to be tolerant and chalk it up to her keeping the ever-shrinking shred of "cool" alive in me.  As I drove her home from soccer practice tonight (Wed) I had one of those moments that hit you in the head, the gut and the heart all at the same time.  She landed on 95.5 WPLJ in NYC and they were playing "God Bless the USA" the patriotic Lee Greenwood song in remembrance of the 9/11 attack victims.  

As I listened for a second and expected her to change the channel from what sounded a lot like a country song to something more her style, it didn't happen.  She sat entranced, listening and we quietly shared a moment of remembrance.  Of course, she couldn't possibly remember.....she was only 1 week old and asleep in her mother's arms as the events unfolded, but clearly she understood how much of an impact those moments had on all of us who do remember, because she didn't say a word and didn't move a muscle until the song was over, completely absorbed in lyrics that includes phrases like "....and I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.....and I won't forget the men who died to give that right to me...."

For many the wounds have scarred and life continues on. The progress of a new tower overlooking lower Manhattan is a sign of our strength and resolve as a nation and a fitting tribute to the greatest city in the world.......and although there is no obvious tie to safety, health or prevention in this message, I wanted to say it anyway, because I know I'm not the only one thinking it.

Even though the last twelve years have flown by.....and not every moment along the way has been perfect......we have lots to remember and lots to be proud of.....may we never forget.

Have a great weekend, God bless the USA,

Mike E.

ENDURE: September 6, 2013

Amazing opposites - For the Love of the Game

Finding enjoyment in what you're doing may be one of the secrets of living a long and happy life.  Although intuitive, science seems to keep getting closer to proving exactly this; and although one recent study has reported a genetic link to happiness, it's equally intuitive that how we act and react to any given set of circumstances is initially a choice.  Can you picture the type of person who seems to always be on the bad end of that coin? You know, the person who seems to be followed by the black cloud.....he or she always has something negative to share, there's always some terrible luck that seems to get them down. Now, there are definitely people who seem like they go a while without catching a break, but then there are others who just drag.  If you have a Facebook account you likely can think of at least one person who seems to have this down to a science......a knack for seeing the dread in every conceivable situation.......an "energy vampire" as they are called in Jon Gordon's tale of The Energy Bus.  Despite the fact that I generally try to avoid these folks, every once in a while I truly appreciate them;  Without them I wouldn't know an "amazing opposite" when I see him or her......

Last week I was fortunate enough to arrive at the job site of an "amazing opposite".....in fact, it was a pair of them.  It was a beautiful morning and they were just getting back to work at a job that I was told would be a great one to observe because of its very challenging nature.  It's the kind of job filled with risks and challenges, an easy one to have something go wrong.  I walked up and said hello to one of the crew-members.....I should have known right then that this was a pair of amazing-opposites.  Instead of the "oh no.....you?" look that sometimes occurs, I got a friendly smile and a welcoming attitude......like he was happy to see me.  We chatted a bit and then they got to work......and it was real, hard work.  Heavy items, busy traffic, and beyond the weather, far from ideal circumstances.  The more veteran of the pair was in complete command of the job (and all the personnel there helping)....although it was clear he had been on the job the longest, it was far from a directing role for him.....he was right in the mix......and not one step slower than anyone else.

After the initial phase of the job I asked them a bit about the task and a little bit about themselves.  The amazing-opposites had been working together for several years.  They were a good fit and they worked to preserve their pairing because they enjoyed working together and took pride in both the quantity and the quality of their work.  The veteran of the two had been working for 41 years......that's FORTY-ONE, in a job that is about as physically demanding as they come....it blew my mind a little at first.  He was meticulous and exacting.....and by the look of it, hard to keep up with.  The younger of the two was a great match.....equally methodical about doing things right.......and very respectful of the knowledge and experience gained by "the vet" (after all, the vet had more years on the job than he had on the earth).  And, since my focus is on preventing injury, I asked them how they had done on that front over the years.  They each had a story of something that had gone wrong resulting in pain.....and both had some body areas that needed closer management than others because of the aches and pains of hard work....therefore each had their "bad days" here and there requiring the other to step up temporarily and carry a bit more of the load......but neither had experienced any major injuries.....in more than 50 combined years of high-risk work......NO serious injuries to speak of.  Impressive, but maybe not all that surprising for me. They saw what they were doing not as a chore, but as a challenge...each day with things that made it unique and interesting.....they respected what they were doing for the very real danger it presented and they each respected the other for the skills he brought to the job.....but most of all, they had clearly done it the "right" (and safe) way so many times it was now close to automatic........safe was the norm.  The injury-free years being nothing more than a predictable output of consistent, well-designed inputs.

When I see these amazing-opposites again I'll probably try to get them to share their approach with more than just me, but at the very least, I'll thank them.  They are the embodiment of what CAN be done when we love the game we find ourselves playing.  I'd be willing to bet that if you asked the amazing-opposites, they'd tell you time had flown by......it always does when you find enjoyment.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.

CONNECT: August 30, 2013

Two simple words......

Almost fifteen years ago our lives changed forever.  It wasn't such a huge moment really....there was no fanfare at the time......but looking back, it was a moment that has intertwined with every facet of our lives from that day forward.....it was the moment we decided to try to do something bigger than ourselves.  We realized at the time (and still do) that the only "riches" to be had by the moment would be the richness of experiences and the relationships we made along the way.  Of course we hoped (and continue to) that the decision would yield a "good life" for our families and children......but with many more secure options to make a living......this would be more about making a life. 

In September of 1998, with a very small "seed", we decided that starting a business was the best way for us to put our mark on the world.......and like any great roller-coaster, there have been exciting ups and downs, twists and turns, some moments of exhilaration and a few where we thought we might lose our lunch, but more than anything, it has been an opportunity, a gift given to us by you, our friends, families, clients and colleagues, to try and fulfill our mission.  We have been fortunate enough to share moments of joy and laughter with you - the kind where our sides hurt and we need to catch our breath.  We have been trusted to share in moments of pain - the kind where we want nothing more than to see you get to the other side.  We have been lucky enough to help you prepare for your triumphs - honored to have played a small part; and we have been challenged in moments of defeat, knowing that despite the very best preparation and planning, what felt like a belly-punch was simply how it feels when things do not go as planned.  For all of those moments and countless others - Thank You for allowing us to be a part of it with you. We hope you know that we don't take them lightly and never take them for granted. 

We know that in the grand scheme fifteen years is the blink of an eye......and looking back we wonder how it could have gone so fast.  There is so much still to do, there are so many experiences yet to be had before we can claim to have put our mark on the world.  It will undoubtedly be a wild ride with moments where we will be content just to hang-on (perhaps having an anniversary party with a mechanical bull is a more fitting metaphor than we initially realized?).....and probably a few where we wonder "how do you get off this thing?".  We know that despite how simple it may seem, it will be hard work to MOVE - FUEL - RECOVER - ENDURE and CONNECT over the long-term and that like in life, there are no guarantees in business.  Yet, beyond that reality, we know that when we look to our right and left and see who is on the journey with us, we rest assured that no matter the outcome, we are richer for the experience. 

We believe that there are no extraordinary people, only ordinary people who do extraordinary things; and when people do extraordinary things, the world changes. Thank you for being a part of our lives over the last fifteen years and a part of our story......we look forward to what the next fifteen will bring. 

Now go do something extraordinary, 

Mike Eisenhart, PT

Managing Partner - Pro-Activity Associates