A Simple Plan to Wellness

Earlier, I wrote you about my desire to bring you “digested” research that you could apply to your life, right now. Simple lifestyle modifications that current scientific data shows will make a difference in your life and health.

I will however today, recruit the help of a heavy weight in the health field, Dr Sanjay Gupta, who you may have seen in the role of Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN. Dr. Gupta is currently the most famous and most listened to doctor on the planet and holds the post of Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Emory University Hospital, where he practices.

Dr. Gupta has embarked on a quest to investigate new discoveries that refine our efforts to stay vital and active much longer than ever before. In his quest, he has interviewed scientists around the globe from Okinawa and Russia, to laboratories throughout the United States. His studies have resulted in a book called “Chasing Life” published by Warner Wellness.

I’ll be borrowing from an interview he had with the Life Extension Foundation http://www.lef.org/ as well as including my own insights and experiences in the mix. Dr. Gupta is very excited about the future of health and health care, citing such technologies as the use of stem cells and nano-particles to potentially eliminate cancer and heart disease, as well as other killers from the face of the earth, as we have done in the past with small pox and polio. Which means there will be much to appear on the horizon in the science of wellness over the next several decades. But for now, let’s focus on what you can apply today in your journey to be the best that you can be.

Heart Health - I am a heart attack survivor, but for many, the first symptom of heart disease is death. And up to a few years ago, the only means of evaluating the potential for a deadly heart attack was an invasive procedure called an angiogram. During the procedure, one is heavily sedated and a catheter is threaded up to the heart from an entry point in the groin and dye is injected directly into the heart. This dye can be seen with special imaging equipment as it makes its way around the various structures of the heart and if there is a blockage, it becomes evident right away.

Following an angiogram, that was positive for a blockage, cardiologists almost always would follow up with a balloon angioplasty and stent procedure, which would place a metal scaffold inside the diseased vessel to keep it open and restore blood flow. Fantastic technology, no doubt, but very invasive and not without risk. Recently, it has been shown that the micro-tears in the vessel wall created by the stent implantation, may actually cause a scar to form, re-blocking the vessel so completely that even more dangerous procedures must be undertaken to remove it or pass around it.

This is what happened to me, only several years ago and now, data is showing that these initial interventions not only do not work long term, but may be deadly to women. We do not yet know why, but perhaps it has to do with their smaller vessels and the increased risk of damage during the catheter procedure. Hormones might also be a factor.

But now, right now, there is a much more comprehensive, non-invasive procedure for called a CT Angiogram which not only looks for narrowing in the vessel, but can evaluate the health of the vessel wall. Something previous technologies didn’t even touch, and this is available today. Additionally-and I am going to go out on a limb on this one-I believe everyone should be evaluated for potential statin therapy. Statins are truly a miracle drug that can stop and actually reverse the formation of plaque in the coronary vessel., But what’s more, they seem to have a very positive effect on the brain as well, by limiting the formation of the characteristic plaques and tangles often associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Of course you should consult your physician before beginning any drug, but if there is a family history of brain or heart related disease in, I would seriously consider asking my physician about beginning this life saving therapy.

Hey, I’m not advocating the taking of drugs to solve every problem. For an example, I am against the culture of prescribing powerful medications for emotional problems or weight control, except in dire situations. Not only because of the side-effects but also because I believe we abdicate control of our lives when we seek solutions in a bottle before searching inside for the root cause of our feelings or behaviors. But I know that some things are not in our control. I am a fit, otherwise healthy man who was suddenly confronted with heart disease. My father was an intelligent robust figure throughout my life and slowly began to lose his faculties to the cruel progression of Alzheimer’s disease. These are illnesses that can strike even those who are careful and thoughtful about their diet and lifestyle and statins represent a safe, sensible, long term therapy that levels the playing field again. Bottom line -

Do you do this? Or are do you feel you are just a cog in the wheel of life, going through the motions, that your existence does not really matter in the overall scheme of things? I believe this does have in impact on your mental and ultimately physical health. When you feel that your existence has no meaning, you deliver a silent message to your cells that undercuts their vitality, reduces their robustness and makes them more vulnerable to disease. This is not namby pamby stuff, this is real. Difficult to measure perhaps but no less factual.

Dr. Gupta says now, every morning when he wakes up he reflects on his life, takes stock, sort of like a meditation. He can feel himself calming down and he feels that it may even help to regulate his blood pressure. He goes on to say that there is plenty of evidence to show that this type of behavior can make a huge difference in your overall cardiovascular health and ultimately your longevity. Additionally, he cites numerous studies that show this type of mental regimen can improve hormonal levels, including the alteration of the all important cortisol, which has been linked to weight gain especially around the waist.

So while you many may not be motivated to consider this type of daily ritual to improve cardiovascular health, maybe having a tool to control your weight will tip the scales (pun intended).

Exercise - Sorry folks, this is a critical part of the fitness equation. And there is no way to take a pill or hook yourself up to a machine to achieve the life saving results of an exercise regime. Your first challenge is to work it into your schedule and that can be much easier than you think. So let’s take a look at your day and find where you have extra time.

Morning - Do you wake up with just enough time to get to work? Okay, well that leaves you no time for exercise or a decent breakfast. Bad dog! Maybe you stay up late to watch Letterman or to have a drink with friends. Look, this is a matter of priorities and you have to decide how you want to look and feel in 10-20 years. Do you think your current lifestyle is going to get you there? Not likely! So, get to bed earlier. Wake up with time to take a 15 minute walk, or 5 minutes of jump rope, or to spend 30 minutes at the gym, if you’re lucky enough to afford one.

Make sure to add in some upper body strength training as well, either in the morning or after work. Building muscle mass has the following benefits.

1. Building mass in the large muscle groups like the pectoralis, deltoids and latissimus will increase your metabolism and burn more calories throughout the day, without any additional effort on your part.

2. Improvement in posture, to ward off back problems, especially if you have a sedentary job.

3. Studies show that load-bearing exercise, much more than aerobic exercise makes you less likely to develop osteoporosis.

4. Finally, if you do have to go into the hospital for some reason, those with upper body strength have better excursion and are much more likely to fight of pneumonia, a big killer in hospital settings.

Then, have a nutritious breakfast. Here is what I have had for breakfast for years and it has held me in good stead:

In a blender I make a smoothie consisting of 2 cups of OJ, 1 banana, one tablespoon of raw wheat germ, 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, a handful of organic blueberries and a handful of organic raspberries or blackberries, plus a scoop of Nature’s Way, Alive, Whole Food Energizer. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients that your body craves and it can be found at most supplement outlets or nutrition centers, like Whole Foods.

Blend to a creamy consistency and drink. Consider taking supplements with your smoothie, like CoEnzyme Q10, 1000 mg of Vitamin D, an 81 mg Aspirin, if you are over 35. Consider taking a strong B vitamin complex if you are a vegetarian. Vegetarians are often found to be deficient in Vitamin B-6 and B-12. Everyone should take fish oil supplements, which contain Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids, that have proven benefits for your heart, brain and vascular system.

This morning regime will get your day off to a powerful start and keep your system running at high efficiency with antioxidants, vitamins and the effects of the exercise you did earlier, accruing extended calorie burning benefits hours later.

Nutrition - We have all heard of the importance of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day to gain the benefits of all the various micronutrients contained in them. And unless, you completely abstain from TV, who hasn’t seen the V-8 commercial where people get bonked on the head for not getting their daily fare of Fs and Vs? Well, Dr. Gupta has devised a simple plan for getting your daily allowance of all that good stuff without taking along a spreadsheet with a breakdown of what food has what nutrient and so on. He says eat 7-different colored foods every day and you’re pretty much assured of covering all of your nutritional bases. How’s that for simple?

Weight Control - Ah yes, the ever-present problem of the expanding waist line. What to do, what to do? Yeah, it’s a complicated problem, and there may be genetic factors that make it more difficult for some to control weight than others, but here is a place to start.

Caloric restriction. Just like it sounds, cutting back on what you eat. Well duh. Right? If you could do that, you wouldn’t be getting fatter. Well, maybe you just need a benchmark to go by. Here is a little background.


There have been lots of studies done on animals showing that by cutting back on calories consumed, life can actually be extended by up to 30%. That is huge! 30% would be like extending the life of an 80 year old to 104. Can humans accomplish this? Well human trials are being planned and we will have the answer hopefully soon. But in the meantime, why not use the assumption of this as a reality and cut back on what you are eating. Not only might you be extending your life, but you get the additional benefit controlling weight.

But how do you know when to stop eating? Dr. Gupta says for himself, personally, he has never been a calorie counter, but he has decided to finish eating before he is satiated. Meaning, that he slows down and eats deliberately, keeping in mind that the stomach does not send the message to the brain about how full it is for at least 15 minutes after beginning a meal. If one eats until they feel full and finishes in 10 minutes, then chances are they have eaten too much. He also suggests eating more water dense foods at the beginning of a meal, such as soup. This alone may cause us to feel nearly full and as a result we will eat less. The Japanese practice a similar concept called harahachi bu, which means to stop eating when one feels 80% full. This is a good benchmark for all of us to use.

So to sum up:

Follow these tips and you’ll be keeping a check on heart health, attitude, strength and exercise, nutrition and weight control. If you can really create and follow a plan that incorporates all of these elements and stick to it, you will be so far ahead of most Americans, it’s not even funny.

Now you Europeans, Asians and Canadians are probably saying, what’s the big deal. Okay, we’ve got some catching up to do. But maybe not. Let me know if these ideas are helpful to you as well. With the exporting of Western foods and lifestyle all over the world, weight problems, diabetes and heart disease are showing up in all kinds of otherwise healthy cultures.

Who ever you are, if you find you’re drifting into some bad habits, get yourself organized with these life-extending, life-improving tips and get back to wellness once and for all.

Mark Reynolds