The Apprentice Doctor’s Blog

Many years ago, before everyone had a cell phone, a friend of mine put a little sign next to her landline that read, “Stress is when your gut says no and your mouth says yes.” She did that because she had a hard time saying no to any request. The pressure of having too much to do created so much stress, she couldn’t sleep at night. She eventually learned to say no, but given life in contemporary society, we all have to cope with more and more stress which takes its toll on our heart health.

Think about a typical day in your life. Someone cuts you off on the highway. You drop your favorite mug, and it shatters on the floor. Your dog decides he needs to go out at 1:00 a.m., interrupting your sleep. Maybe you needed to get gas and are now running late for work. You forgot a password, your computer froze up, or your oil light comes on.

All of these can put us into fight or flight anxiety. But there is no one to really fight, and you can’t really run away. The result is stress. Do you react in a calm matter and brush off these awkward, sometimes irritating moments? Or do they frustrate you to the point where you almost hear your heart pounding in your ears?

Small events may feel minor, but depending upon your personality, they could take a more significant toll on your body than you think. Stress does have an impact on our hearts. Did you know that earthquakes and Mondays double the incidence of heart attacks? Are you aware that heart disease kills men three times more than usual in the year following a wife’s death?

While stress alone can impact your heart, feeling stress can lead to behaviors that increase your risk of heart disease. Examples are smoking, drinking, binge eating and skipping your regular exercise routine.

But stress is not the only condition that can hurt your heart.

What creates good heart health?

There are five steps you can take to improve your heart health which can reduce your risk of heart disease, all of which encompass lifestyle changes. A lot of people will try to make the changes one at a time, which is a valid approach. But by adopting them piecemeal, there’s a chance you won’t make all the changes. But if you immerse yourself in them all at once, you will find yourself energized and feeling better sooner.

Exercise
If you see the word “exercise” and shudder, you’re not alone. There are a lot of reasons people have for not exercising, yet it is one of the best ways to reduce stress and improve your heart health. You don’t have to spend hours in a gym. Thirty minutes a day of walking goes a long way to improving your cardio conditioning and muscle tone. If you can do it without looking at your phone the entire time, it’s even better.

Lose Weight
Losing weight is not about dieting. It’s about changing how, what, and sometimes when you eat. When your weight increases, so does your risk for plaque build-up in your arteries, which can lead to a heart attack, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Stop smoking
Even if you smoke, including pot, you probably know it’s not the best habit. Smoking puts you at risk for developing heart disease as well as many other conditions such as lung and kidney cancer. Think about what you’re doing when you smoke. You are intentionally breathing in smoke. Would you go into a burning building to do that? Of course not. So why take breaks during the day to do the same thing? Stop cold turkey or try any number of products on the market that can help you cut back and eventually eliminate this habit.

Reduce your blood pressure
To minimize your risk of a heart attack or congestive heart failure, lower your blood pressure. Your blood pressure may have been excellent in the past, but guidelines have changed. Check to be sure yours falls at or below 120/80.

Reduce cholesterol
I think almost everyone knows lowering cholesterol levels is one strategy to reducing your risk of heart disease. The first thing to do is to eat heart-healthy foods. Eating fewer saturated fats, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products is a good start. But by exercising, not smoking and losing weight, you can also lower your cholesterol.

Signs of heart disease

Although you can help yourself stay heart-healthy in many ways, genetics do play a part. As such, you can do everything right and still develop a heart problem. Your best defense is early detection.

Early heart disease is often asymptomatic but can be detected through routine check-ups with your healthcare professional.

However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, contact your physician right away. It doesn’t mean you have heart disease. It only indicates you should double check.

• Chest pain during physical activity but subsides when you rest.
• Cold sweats.
• Confusion.
• Dizziness.
• Headaches.
• Inability to engage in your usual activities.
• Nausea/vomiting.
• Pain, numbness, and/or tingling in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back.
• Reduced ability to exercise or be physically active.
• Shortness of breath when active, at rest, or while lying flat.
• Swelling in your extremities, stomach, and/or neck.
• Tiredness or fatigue.

Another sign of a heart problem is an arrhythmia, which is a serious condition needing immediate treatment. Symptoms of arrhythmia are:

• Dizziness.
• Fluttering in your chest.
• Heart skips a beat or beats too hard.
• Shortness of breath.
• Weakness.

If you experience any of symptoms or a combination of them it is vital you contact your physician right away.

Age may make you more susceptible to heart problems

The older you get, the more susceptible you are to heart problems. As you age, you undergo changes in the heart and blood vessels that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Your heart can be aging, but still be healthy. Nevertheless, it will experience changes like other areas of your body. For example, when you grow older, your skin becomes thinner and loses a certain amount of elasticity. Your eyes can be healthy, but not see as well once you turn 40. All of this is normal and natural, and many of us go to great lengths to minimize the effects of getting older.

Our understanding of how the aging, cardiovascular system leads to heart disease has advanced tremendously over the past 30 years. The medical community is now able to pinpoint risk factors that can contribute to cardiovascular disease. It can also determine how a healthy lifestyle can influence what is termed the “rate of aging.” In other words, while you cannot stop aging, you can slow down its effects.

The aging of other bodily systems, including the muscles, kidneys, and lungs, also contributes to heart disease. One system can possibly impact another and research is being conducted to determine how much. Findings could lead to new treatment methods.

Scientists are researching interventions that can slow the aging of the heart, thus preventing or delaying the onset of heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.

Women and heart disease

In the last 10 years, there has been a push to increase women’s awareness of heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25% of the women in the United States will die of heart disease, making it the number one cause of death in women.

Because women are at such high risk for suffering from heart disease, it’s best to control the factors that you can. In addition to taking the steps previously outlined, you can also make the following adjustments in your lifestyle. Even if you aren’t a female, these hold true for everyone.

• Eat foods that your body can absorb nutritionally.
• Manage diabetes.
• Minimize alcohol use.
• Sustain a healthy weight.

Signs of heart disease in women are not the same as in men and are often subtle, or silent. Sometimes the first symptom is a severe event such as a heart attack or stroke. The CDC recommends watching for the following:

• Back pain.
• Burning or other pain and discomfort in the chest.
• Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, or upper abdomen.

The most straightforward way to prevent heart disease is by staying informed about prevention and treatment. But the most immediate action you can is adopting a healthier lifestyle. The sooner you incorporate some of the practices designed to keep your heart healthy, the better you will feel.

How Robin Became a Veterinary Technician

When Robin was ten years old, her father bought her a thoroughbred colt whom she named Fox. She groomed him every day and sometimes even slept in the barn with him. The two were inseparable.

When Fox was old enough, she trained him, and he became a show horse. Even though he loved to ride the trails around their farm, and graze in the field, when he saw the trailer pull into the corral, he knew it was show day, and he almost trotted into it.

When Robin and Fox rode together, the trust between them was so strong it was almost as if they were a single unit. They could read each other’s movements with little if any, cues. They won show after show, prize after prize.

As Robin grew, she became one of those kids that brought home stray animals. They ranged from dogs and kittens to mice. Many of them were hurt or sick. So her father used one of the empty horse stalls and put a sign on it – Robin’s Animal Hospital.

When she was old enough, her father suggested she apply for a job as a veterinary assistant. He explained what it was and she was so excited, she applied to all the vet clinics in the area. A small, single-vet office called her and offered her a part-time position in the afternoons and on weekends. In that job, she walked dogs, bandaged legs and ears, and learned how to repair a broken wing in a finch. She was also responsible for less dynamic tasks like cleaning exam rooms and ordering supplies.

You’ve probably surmised that Robin went on to become a veterinary technician. Then she moved into the position of veterinary technologist and eventually applied for admission to and was accepted by a veterinarian program and earned her DVM license.

Forty years later Robin runs her own practice along with her husband, who is also a DVM. I asked her if she ever regretted her journey. She said, “No. There are times when surgery doesn’t go as planned, or a pet develops cancer and can’t be treated. Those moments are hard for me. But most of the time I’ve been able to help pets continue to lead full and healthy lives.”

Then I asked her, “Do you ever think about Fox?”

She points to a picture of him and her hanging in her clinic. “Every day.”

If you, like Robin, have a love of animals and want to contribute to their wellness, read on about becoming a veterinary technician. It is one of the fastest ways to enter the field of veterinary medicine.

Definition

A Veterinary Technician is an entry-level position which is a step up from veterinary assistant. Vet Techs work in a variety of veterinary settings including animal shelters, veterinary clinics and offices, and sometimes even animal daycare. In addition to general animal patient care, Vet Techs perform laboratory procedures and medical imaging. They may also administer and monitor anesthesia and assist with animal surgeries. Veterinary technicians are not the same as veterinary technologists, a job which requires additional education.

Typical duties

Veterinary technicians are critical members of veterinary care teams that ensure animal patients receive the best possible care.

Vet techs perform different duties depending upon where they work. In smaller veterinary practices, you will perform administrative tasks, like filing and staff scheduling as well as direct animal patient care. In larger practices these duties may be split between two people. Regardless, since you’re interacting with animals, the work is varied.

The following list is a snapshot of typical vet tech responsibilities.

• Administering medications, shots, or treatments.
• Maintaining patient records.
• Performing lab tests.
• Prepping animals for procedures.
• Providing first aid care.
• Taking and developing X-rays.
• Watching animals for changes in behavior.

Most vet techs work with small animals like dogs and cats, but also mice and birds. Large animal vet clinics will care for horses, cattle, pigs and sheep.

Characteristics

Nurses in hospitals and doctor’s offices care for human patients. As a veterinary technician, you are in a similar role. You are a nurse of sorts, but for for animals. And, like nurses, you must be able to communicate effectively and compassionately to animal owners. More importantly, you’ll learn ways to communicate with animals who can’t express their needs, where they hurt, or how they are feeling.

When you adopt a career working with animals, it can be very rewarding. But since animals aren’t always passive and accepting of your help, and don’t understand what kind of treatment, or exam they are undergoing, it can be stressful and frustrating. If you have trouble maintaining a high levels of patience, you may want to consider a different healthcare career.

Veterinary technicians should be. . .

• Calm.
• Communicative.
• Creative.
• Detail oriented.
• Ethical.
• Level headed.
• Organized.

Training/education

Becoming a veterinary technician starts with having a high school diploma. Your next step is to earn an associate degree in veterinary technology which takes about two years.

If you want to advance in the field, you can take the next step and earn a four-year bachelor’s degree to become a veterinary technologist. If you already have your associate degree, it will only take another two years, and you can continue working as a technician while you complete your education.

A program in veterinary technology includes general education courses like English, math and psychology. But concentration courses in animal care are at the heart of any animal training program. You will frequently take courses similar to those on the following list.

• Anatomy & Physiology for Animals.
• Anesthesia & Surgical Assistance.
• Introduction to Biological Chemistry.
• Introduction to Veterinary.
• Laboratory & Exotic Animals.
• Large Animal Medicine.
• Pharmacology.
• Small Animal Medicine.
• Veterinary Imaging.
• Veterinary Lab Procedures.

In addition to the theory courses, you will be required to earn least 500 hours in a variety of veterinary settings. This gives you plenty of hands-on practice working with animals and animal care teams. Even if you find a veterinary technology program that is offered on line, you will serve externship hours and be supervised by a qualified veterinarian.

Ensure any school or training program you attend is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Graduation from an AVMA-accredited institution is a prerequisite to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE).

Licenses, certifications, registrations

Most states and employers require that veterinary technicians pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) administered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. Certification means you are ready to assume the duties of an entry-level animal healthcare professional.

While you are in school, begin making arrangements to take the test four to six months before graduation. The exam is only offered three times and year and you want to take it as soon as possible after graduation so your knowledge of veterinary technology is fresh. Review courses and practice exams are available. Check the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) for further information.

Types of specialties

Any role in veterinary medicine enables you to work with animals. But just like in general healthcare for people, there are some specializations you may be drawn to more than others.

• Avian medicine.
• Biomedical research.
• Clinic supervision.
• Clinical pathology.
• Critical care.
• Dentistry.
• Emergency care.
• Exotics.
• Large animals.
• Surgery.
• Small animals.
• Veterinary internal medicine.
• Zookeeping.

You can choose to specialize, or be more of an animal generalist. As a vet tech you will work at labs, clinics, private offices and shelters.

Wages

People who become veterinary technologists do so because they love working with animals. It is a passion that drives everything they do. It would be remiss to say that you will make tons of money as a vet tech because it is not a lucrative position. So when considering or negotiating for compensation, review potential benefits packages. They could offset a lower hourly wage.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2017 the median pay for the combined roles of veterinary technicians and technologists is $33,400 per year. The average hourly wage was $16.06 per hour.

Job outlook

Employment opportunities for veterinary technicians and technologist is expected to increase 20%, which is much faster than average.

American Pet Products Association (APPA) states that consumer demand for enhanced pet care continues to grow. Pet spending overall has more than doubled to over $38 billion due to the special bond between owners and pets as best friends and companions. It is estimated that $9.4 billion will be spent for veterinary care alone.

Baby boomers are filling empty nests with pets and are contributing to the growth within the industry. Another factor is young couples waiting until later in life to have children and, meanwhile, spoiling the family pet. These families have more disposable income and are happy to shower their pets with special toys, comforts and even daycare and dog walkers.

Advancement

Veterinary technicians as well as technologists are considered entry-level trainees who work under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. As individuals gain experience, they take on more responsibility and carry out more assignments, but only under general veterinary supervision.

If you love animals and want to work with them everyday, entering the world of veterinary medicine may be perfect for you. Becoming a Veterinary Technician is one of the quickest way you can earn money while doing what you love.

The Story of Alan

Alan worked for Tasha, a colleague of mine and a contributor to our blog. Alan’s job was about 80% travel, and when he was in town, he spent most of his off-hours with his family. Although he was slightly overweight and didn’t eat right, he considered himself in good health.

One day Alan trotted into work clenching his fingers into and out of a fist. Tasha asked him what was wrong and he said, “I shut it in the car door.” They briefly discussed how much that would hurt, but then they both went on with the workday.

Later, Tasha noticed that Alan’s fingers had turned black – a raisin color that went beyond bruising. She said, “Your hand doesn’t look normal. Why don’t you take off and get to an urgent care?”

Alan was reluctant to go to any doctor but agreed that the color was odd. So he took her advice.

The following morning Tasha got a call from Alan’s brother. Doctors noted his black hand and know it was a symptom of serious underlying conditions. Tests revealed that Alan had diabetes. But since it had been left untreated for so long, they admitted him into the hospital for further testing.

Over the next thirty days, Alan lost his right foot and his left leg below the knee. Two months later he was on a breathing tube. Each time the medical professionals tried to remove it so he could resume breathing on his own, he was unable to do so. Alan’s condition continued to deteriorate.

Finally, exhausted with the struggle, Alan asked his brother to remove all life support and to let him go. Alan’s two adult children were grieved by the request and pleaded with him to fight on. But on his pad of paper Alan wrote, “It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it. I’m at peace. Please.”

They honored his request. Alan died peacefully, the victim of untreated diabetes, six short months after shutting his hand in the car door.

I don’t tell you this story to scare you. I share it because often we don’t know the symptoms of diabetes. Like any health condition, the earlier you know you have a problem, the better off you’ll be. And once you know, having a medical team to monitor the disease is the best way to lead a full, healthy life.

Symptoms of diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, the following are the most typical symptoms of diabetes. Some symptoms are so mild, you may not suspect you have the disease.

Type 2 diabetes can usually be controlled through diet and exercise. Type 1 requires insulin.

If you experience any of the listed symptoms, it doesn’t mean you have diabetes. But if you have concerns, it’s always a good idea to ask your healthcare professional.

Common symptoms of diabetes:

• Blurry vision.
• Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal.
• Extreme fatigue.
• Feeling very hungry – even though you are eating.
• Feeling very thirsty.
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2).
• Urinating often.
• Weight loss – even though you are eating more (type 1).

Doctors you need on your side if you learn you have diabetes

If your doctor diagnosed you with diabetes, the next thing you probably did was consult the Internet for information. Physicians know so much about the disease and are happy to share their knowledge. But if you consult the World Wide Web and read pages and pages, site after site, you can experience information overload. So it’s best to limit your intake and stay in regular communication with your doctor.

Treating and controlling diabetes has improved over the years. And, as you’ve learned through Alan’s story, early diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death. If you discover you have diabetes, the most effective way to manage it is enlisting the aid of a team of doctors. With an entire care team, you can control the condition and live the life you want.

Primary care physician

If you don’t currently have diabetes, but suspect you might, your primary care doctor can check for it at your annual physical. Depending upon any stated symptoms or genetic risk factors, your doctor may perform tests to rule out the disease. If you do have diabetes, your doctor might prescribe medication and make strong recommendations for changes in your diet and lifestyle. You may also be referred to a specialist to help monitor any treatment. It’s likely that your primary care doctor will be a member of the team of healthcare professionals who will work with you.

Endocrinologist

Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas gland. An endocrinologist specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing pancreatic diseases. People with type 1 diabetes see endocrinologists to help them maintain their treatment plan. Sometimes, people with type 2 diabetes have trouble controlling their blood glucose levels. When they do, they will also see an endocrinologist for assistance.

Eye doctor

Many individuals with diabetes experience ongoing vision difficulties. They can develop cataracts and glaucoma. They may also experience diabetic retinopathy, which refers to all retinal disorders caused by diabetes. Diabetic macular edema, which is blurry vision, is also a common side effect but can be treated.

To avoid or minimize eye problems, regularly visit an eye doctor, such an optometrist or ophthalmologist. According to guidelines from the American Diabetes Association, people with type 1 diabetes should have an annual dilated comprehensive eye exam beginning five years after diagnosis. People with type 2 diabetes should have the same exam annually from the point of diagnosis.

Nephrologist

A nephrologist is a doctor that specializes in treating kidney disease. If you have diabetes, your risk of kidney disease is higher than for someone without it. Symptoms you want to watch for include:

• Difficulty concentrating.
• Loss of sleep.
• Poor appetite.
• Upset stomach.
• Weakness.

Since these symptoms can also signal other conditions, like stress, or anxiety, your primary care physician may want to include a diagnostic test for kidney disease as part of your annual physical. If it comes back positive, you may be referred to a nephrologist.

Diabetes doesn’t automatically mean you will experience kidney disease. The better you keep your blood glucose and blood pressure under control, the lower your chance of getting kidney disease.
There are certain tests that should be performed annually if you have diabetes. A nephrologist will ensure those are done, so it’s important to include a one on your medical care team.

Podiatrist

People who develop diabetes can also suffer from a variety of foot problems. Most of them have to do with nerve damage or poor blood flow. These conditions can change the shape of your feet, limit your ability to feel pain, and reduce your body’s ability to heal blisters and cuts. It is essential to maintain proper foot care, which means making regular visits to a podiatrist. Make it a part of your annual healthcare routine.

Dietitian

Your diet plays a significant role in managing diabetes. Many people with diabetes say changing their eating habits is the hardest task for them to achieve. Sometimes it requires a complete overhaul of your diet such as eliminating sugar and alcohol. If you have trouble finding the right diet to help control your blood sugar, see a dietitian who can help you customize an eating plan that meets your needs.

Alan let his job get in the way of taking care of himself. It was clear he ignored any symptoms he had for a very long time and paid a great price. Regardless of your routine and schedule, always make time for an annual physical, including a visit to the dentist and an eye doctor. Like most diseases, prevention and early detection are the best ways to live a long and healthy life.

You may know Arnold Schwarzenegger better as The Terminator, but did you know that last spring he had open heart surgery? You can imagine how devastating it was for a former Mr. Universe to heal from major surgery before he could return to his healthy lifestyle and fitness routine. It took him six months of tough recovery, but he did it.

But this article isn’t about Mr. Schwarzenegger. It’s about whatever health resolution you’ve made, or are about to make, for 2019. But according to US News and World Report, 80% of us will abandon our New Year’s resolutions by February 2019.

It will come as no surprise to any of you that one of the top resolutions people make in the new year is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This can be anything from losing weight to something particular like eliminating gluten from your diet. And, if you pay attention to advertising, companies take advantage of this in January by selling diets, miracle pills, and fitness equipment, most of which promise everything and deliver very little.

It’s not uncommon for individuals to join a gym the first of every year. Membership at most fitness facilities undergoes an uptick in January. But by February many of these new members have given up on their best intentions which explains why only 67% of the 60 million Americans who are members of health clubs never use them.

What explains this cyclical phenomenon? It isn’t because we don’t know how to eat healthily, or how to go about some form of exercise. Most of know the nuts and bolts of those elements. So, why do we fail when we know a lot about how to achieve the goal of a healthy lifestyle?

Impatience is one explanation. It is one of two chief complaints of personal trainers I know. They all mention that many people planning a vacation, special event (including weddings) or other unique occasion want to lose ten pounds or more in the space of a few weeks. Naturally, they are very disappointed when they are told it isn’t possible.

The other complaint trainers have is the number of cancellations they get. People sign on with them and then don’t show up for reasons like it’s cold, rainy, or too dark. More frequently cancellations occur because the trainee believes they are too busy on any give day to work out. They want to look great and feel better but cannot seem to afford the hour they need to accomplish that.

A good friend of mine talks about a trainer she had when she was in her forties. He was ten years younger than her had undergone several kidney transplants throughout his life. Fitness meant everything to him. She says, “He was one of the toughest, yet most inspirational trainers I’ve ever had.” He would tell her, “I get one hour out of your day. You get the other 23. It’s a fair trade.” She says that even decades later that’s what she hears in her head when she doesn’t feel like getting up at 5:30 in the morning to work out. So she scrambles out from under her comforter and gets the job done.

The first thing to understand about any healthy lifestyle resolution is that the results you seek can happen; but not overnight. Miracle supplements or diets that promise quick results are tempting but don’t work. And, in the fine print, almost all of them include, “With a sensible diet and exercise plan.” Well, if you consistently implement a reasonable diet and exercise plan, you don’t need much else. But give it time to work.

Another thing to keep is mind is not letting your body shape trick you. Heavy people can be fit and healthy, and skinny people can be unhealthy and out of shape. I know a woman who is a size four, but never exercises and eats candy and salty foods all day long. Her dress size fools her into believing she’s perfectly healthy. She’s not. She’s just fortunate to have some good genetics. Get started with your change of lifestyle regardless of your weight or body type.

Then there is what my friend says used to be an unspoken rule. She told me, “When I was growing up in the early ’60s, there was this idea that if you were smart, you couldn’t be sporty, or athletic. If you were athletic, you couldn’t be smart. It was if the categories were mutually exclusive. I was considered a geek, and so wasn’t offered any athletic opportunities.”

“But today?” I asked her.

“I believed the fallacy until I was in my mid-twenties. But when I gained fifty pounds during my pregnancy and I knew I had to do something. That’s when I discovered aerobic exercise. The hour session was more like dancing. I enjoyed it, so I stayed with it even though I was embarrassed about my size. It took time to take the weight off, but I did.”

If your resolution is to lose weight, eat healthier, or both, set reasonable goals for yourself. For example, don’t go to the grocery and buy all fruits and vegetables. You probably won’t eat all of them, and then they’ll rot and be thrown away. Instead, buy one or two things and commit to trying them. And perhaps not buy that extra bag of chips. If you don’t like kale and would never eat kale, don’t succumb to the idea that you “should” eat it because some chef on television says you should. There are plenty of other good foods out there.

If you have never exercised, start with walking for 15 minutes, five days a week. Stick with that for a week or two, then bump it up to 20 minutes a day. Increase it incrementally until you are up to that magical 10,000 steps a day. Walking doesn’t cost any money or require special equipment. It will help you lose weight and also reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression.

If you go to a gym and have never worked out before, don’t go all out at first. Take it slow. Sign up for a free consultation with a trainer. Learn how to use the machines and how they can benefit you. Avoid targeting specific areas. That doesn’t work very well, either. An overall body workout is enough to start with. Use a few machines and add in 15-20 minutes of cardio. Even if you’re sore the next day, carry on. The soreness will go away.

The one piece of fitness advice that will help you the most is finding an exercise you enjoy. My friend started out with aerobics and stuck with it because it was like dancing. Today she combines aerobics with weight lifting. But she doesn’t like the idea of spending an hour lifting weights and then another hour on cardio. So she’s developed a workout that combines both, and she’s in and out in less and 90 minutes. She’s done it for over twenty years.

Everyone’s journey into health and wellness is unique. But one thing is true for everyone and I can’t say it enough – diets do not work in the long term. If you truly want to keep that new year’s resolution, what is required is a life-style change – one that alters your diet and exercising habits for the rest of your life. You may find people who live in blue zones of the world, such as Loma Linda, California, Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula and Okinawa, Japan, grow old healthy and age gracefully. There’s no big secret to it. There’s not a magical elixir. They eat fruits, vegetables and other items you already know are good for you. And they exercise every day.

Regardless of where you are in your lifestyle right now, you can change how you feel and improve your health. It won’t be easy, but it’s very doable. With commitment, patience, and perseverance, you can keep your healthy life-style resolution.

Join the Conversation

Have you made a health-related resolution for 2019? Share your thoughts or even ask a question. I’d love to hear from you.