Organic Lifestyle = Health ..Not Necessarily

One of the allures of the organic lifestyle is that we can be lulled into the false belief that you can just eat naturally and clean, eliminate all the pesticides and chemical additives etc. and you’ll be remarkably healthy. Well..not really. The simple fact is that you have to exercise, stretch, manage stress and get your proper rest. Sorry folks, but the allure of the magic bullet that something consumed will make everything alright… is not right. Let’s talk exercise. Our body needs it to be at it’s best. It seems that we physically (and you can argue mentally) adapt ourselves to our lifestyles. Either up to a higher level or down to a lower one. If you decide to live like a slug then your body will adapt to a slug-like level. It will do you fine day in and day out when all you need to do is go to the kitchen for the next slice of organic pizza. But don’t ask it for the higher energy level required to take a brisk walk around San Francisco. Slugs don’t do this well, be reasonable here.

 So the organic lifestyle is one important component of radiant health and living the good life (the good life not necessarily being about money..it’s about .. a good life). According to the Mayo Clinic:

“1. Exercise improves your mood.
Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.

Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Exercise even reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.
Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Regular exercise might be the ticket.

Regular exercise can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular exercise boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol while decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.

And there’s more. Regular exercise can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.
Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.

This one’s a no-brainer. When you exercise, you burn calories. The more intensely you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don’t even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories, too.

4. Exercise strengthens your heart and lungs.
Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don’t throw in the towel. Regular exercise can leave you breathing easier.

Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular exercise helps your entire cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently. Big deal? You bet! When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.
Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your physical activity during the day.

A good night’s sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. And, you guessed it, exercise is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. The timing is up to you — but if you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to try late afternoon workouts. The natural dip in body temperature five to six hours after you exercise might help you fall asleep.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.
Are you too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Exercise to the rescue.

Regular exercise can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there’s more to it than that. Exercise improves your circulation, which can lead to more satisfying sex. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don’t exercise, especially as they get older.

7. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!
Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical!

Exercise doesn’t have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find an activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you’re moving, it counts!”

 Reference for the above is Mayo Clinic .com’s Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. They also have good reference information regarding the reasons to exercise, disease control and prevention and balance, stretching and strength training. Outside of the mayoclinic.com is a provocative book “Cancer Fitness” by Anna Schwartz who challenges the “myth of rest” with some stunning statistics regarding cancer survival rates for those patients who persist in exercising.

 The evidence is too strong not to take advantage of the real benefits of regular exercise. And forget the laboratory, just start moving and notice the difference for yourself. The key when starting is to do less not more. The number one reason why people drop out of exercise programs is that they overdo it and soon get discouraged. We’re not talking about loosing 10 pounds for the holidays here. We’re talking about the best life sentence in the world. This is about lifestyle change folks, not a quickie goal.

 Now we’ve all heard, that before starting any exercise program you should consult with your doctor…Well, this is actually a critical thing to do. I use to be a certified personal trainer and will never forget when I had to set up a training program for this 6?2? guy of about 24. He probably needed to drop about ten pounds but other than that looked in terrific shape. As standard procedure we would always measure the client’s blood pressure before starting them on a workout routine….and this guy’s pressure was through the roof. I had another trainer come over to confirm it and she did. We had to tell this guy to go home and schedule an appointment with his doctor. There’s no way he was going to be trained…the last thing he needed was a stroke or heart attack. ..But outwardly you’d never know. And blood pressure is only one consideration….Talk to a doctor, ok.?

 So, that being said, start moving… park your car so you’ll have to walk, take the stairs, join the gym…Just do it. Now if you combine exercise with an organic lifestyle…Amazing…that’s all that there is to say.

 You know it’s natural to eat organically and to move. So let’s stop the conventional food and the conventional sloth. Being healthy involves more than just food. Let’s do it all and reap the benefits of the best that life has to offer. Enjoy your life, your body, your vitality and live naturally.