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Longevity
& Healthy Living
Secrets of Longevity
Healing Advice and a Fresh Change of Perspective, December
20, 2009
"It's been estimated that a third of all cancer patients
developed their disease as a result of insufficient whole plant
fiber in their diets." ~ pg. 15
"Secrets of Longevity" is an amazing book filled with
easy-to-follow tips on living a long and healthy life. While
reading this book I was constantly writing down ideas that I plan
to put into practice in my life like eating more seaweed (in
sushi) or staying 4-6 feet away from a microwave while running it.
I have the tendency to stand by the microwave waiting for food to
finish heating so that is something I will change after reading
this book!
I found myself agreeing with most of the advice but did have a
concern about a few things mentioned as healthy. One is the
comment that canola oil is a healthy fat and recently I learned it
can promote cancer. The second was the use of wormwood, which can
be a very dangerous herb and you shouldn't take it for an extended
period of time.
There are a few spiritual ideas and a little bit of feng shui in
this book. If you don't believe that God is nature or if you don't
want to say an invocation you can easily overlook these items and
concentrate on what you do believe in.
Some of the advice like taking cold showers will probably be
rejected by most comfort-loving individuals. In contrast an
hour-long walk will most likely be a goal of many people reading
this book.
While a lot of the advice was familiar to me I still needed to be
reminded of healthy choices and natural alternatives. I had
however never heard that copper cookware was dangerous. We all
know about the dangers of aluminum.
Some of the topics presented in this book deserve more attention.
Like a detailed description about pycnogenol would have been
helpful. Each topic takes up only one page and most pages are only
half full. This makes for easy reading but does whet the appetite
for more details.
After reading this book you may look into eating more papaya or
consider buying Fleur de Sel, a natural sea salt. Dr. Maoshing Ni
explains the benefits of eating more apples and explains why you
should consider taking royal jelly.
So overall I think this book is perfect for anyone considering
lifestyle changes. The section on natural remedies is quite good
and gave me a few new ideas.
~The Rebecca Review
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Andrew Weil, M.D. Breathing
Breathing Awareness, April 11, 2007
"If today you can be aware of breathing for ten seconds
more than you were yesterday, you will have taken a measurable
step toward expanded consciousness, deeper communication between
mind and body, and integration of your physical, mental and
spiritual functions." ~ Dr. Weil
Listening to Dr. Weil's voice instantly makes me feel calmer and
his wisdom is always refreshing. In "Breathing The Master
Key to Self Healing" he guides the listener through a
series of breathing exercises for improved health and peace.
A few of the exercises include:
Following Your Breath
Begin with Exhalation
Make Your Breathing Deep, Slow, Quiet and Regular
The Relaxing Breath
Observe Your Breath
Breathe Abdominally
Each exercise is easy to learn and you can use the information
instantly to encourage deeper sleep, more relaxation during the
day and a quick fix for stressful situations. Dr. Weil leads you
through each exercise with care and attention to detail so you
can take greater control of the breathing process. These
exercises will help you with anxiety disorders, encourage the
lowering of high blood pressure and help you to reprogram your
nervous system.
~The Rebecca Review
Mental Aerobics
Mental Aerobics, February 9, 2007
Dr. Andrew Weil introduces Dr. Gary Small's course in mental
aerobics. He discusses the importance of an anti-inflammatory
diet, why it might not be a good idea to sleep next to an alarm
radio and why lifestyle strategies may have a great influence on
brain health as we age.
Should you take up learning a new language or learn to play a
musical instrument? What will a daily walk five times a week do
for your brain? Dr. Andrew Weil explains the problems of
oxidative stress, trauma, toxic chemicals and stress hormones
and how they affect long-term aging.
Dr. Gary Small presents ideas for developing memory skills. His
fun brainteasers will help you remember "to do" lists
and names as well as giving you the empowering feeling when you
remember things you used to forget. Through visualizations he
guides you through a number of lessons to enhance memory and it
makes remembering things a breeze.
Since the brain does have some regenerative capacity and we are
capable of learning throughout the entire span of our lifetime,
all it takes is some effort in the area of learning, reading or
doing something challenging like learning dance steps.
2 CDs, a 52-page study guide booklet and a set of 35
brain-tuning cards to remind you to do the exercises presented.
The cards include information on learning to relax, learning
basic memory tricks to train the brain to remember facts and a
few cards for advanced memory training.
~The Rebecca Review
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Live Well Now
Plan to Live Longer, February 4, 2007
"By 2050, the global population over age 60 is projected to
expand to 2 billion. By then, 33 countries are expected to have
more than 10 million people over the age of 60, the United
States having 107 million." ~ pg. 8
Living longer is a real possibility if you have the information
you need to slow the aging process. By paying attention to the
physical, intellectual, nutritional and environmental areas of
aging, you can live a more fulfilling life and choose a higher
quality of life.
Dr. David Demko presents an interactive guide with health
related questions. Each chapter presents a T/F quiz for
consideration. Should you try to eat oatmeal every day? Will
reducing calories keep you younger? How do genetics and
lifestyle factors figure into the entire equation?
"Your chance of living for a hundred years has never been
better." ~ pg. 10
By taking proactive steps, you can take charge of your destiny.
As we all live longer, this means more time spent in retirement.
An entire section is dedicated to a discussion on retirement. If
you want to know how long you will live, you can take a test. I
thought the test was a little generous since it said I'd live to
102! Each question asks you to take away or add points to the
average age of 79.
"Exercise burns calories even after you stop." ~ pg.
40
An entire chapter is dedicated to "Head-to-Toe Miracle
Makeovers." Dr. David Demko presents the facts, the
negative and the positive aspects of various surgeries. If you
are considering plastic surgery, this is an essential chapter to
read. "Aging Intelligently" explores various types of
intelligence like Linguistic or Spatial intelligence. When you
are dancing or doing yoga, you are accessing Bodily-kinesthetic
intelligence. To keep your mind healthy you may want to learn to
play the piano, take up dancing, read more, change your routine,
try a new form of exercise, awaken a hidden talent or take up a
new hobby.
The topic of environmental factors is not overlooked, with lists
of chemicals that are hazardous to your health. Some of the most
interesting topics discussed include: Anti-Aging Supplements
(what works and what doesn't), Dental Care, DHEA, Target Heart
Rate, Spirituality, Humor and the idea of "My
Pyramid."
To end the book on a fun note, the author takes on "The
Life Expectancies of the Rich and Famous." Jennifer Garner,
Cindy Crawford, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer
Lopez are featured. Each chapter ends with a resource section
and there are numerous website options and books for further
research.
Overall, "Live Well now" takes on a number of
pertinent anti-aging topics for consideration and will be
helpful for anyone researching this topic. If you enjoy this
book, you may want to read:
Age-Proof Your Body by Elizabeth Somer
Recapture Your Health by Walt Stoll
Your Body Speaks Your Mind by Deb Shapiro
The 28-Day Cleansing Program by Scott Oligren
The Whole Grain Diet Miracle by Dr. Lisa Hark
The Metabolic Plan by Stephen Cherniske
The Healthy Brain Kit by Dr. Andrew Weil
~The Rebecca Review
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Dr. Weil CD Set
Returning to Your Center, February 15, 2006
"Your mind can elicit a healing response when even
conventional medicine has proven ineffective." ~Dr. Andrew
Weil
For months I've been listening to this CD set, trying to
integrate the principles of Dr. Weil's teachings into my life.
By increasing whole grains (I now eat a mixture of pumpkin
seeds, roasted corn and roasted soy), discovering new natural
remedies and exploring the ideas of how the body is always
seeking to regain balance, I have learned a great deal about
integrative medicine. Instead of just trying to solve problems
as they occur, Dr. Weil seeks to encourage a preventative
lifestyle that includes healthy choices and healing herbs.
Can we interact with allergens without having allergies?
Does our body truly want to be healthy and what are the
obstacles to healing?
Should you avoid fructose?
Is eating pasta better than bread?
What is disconnection syndrome?
How can you become more self-reliant in regards to your health?
Which is more healthy - olive oil or chocolate?
How does your skin react to emotions?
By reigning in the forces of nature, there is a huge potential
for healing. Cooking can become a healing meditation, buying
yourself flowers promotes healing and remembering to spend time
in nature can encourage positive emotional states.
Dr. Weil is very intuitive and is not held down by any single
system of belief. He fully explores all possibilities and takes
remedies from a wide variety of alternative medicine traditions.
I've learned so much by listening to these CDs. Simple ideas
like adding blueberries to pancakes or eating more fiber with
meals can increase your health.
In a world of confusing health advice, fad diets and doctors who
seem opposed to using natural remedies, Dr. Weil bring clarity
to the topic of integrative medicine. I am only left
contemplating why most doctors would so freely give me
medications with horrendous lists of side effects and fear
beautiful plants, herbal remedies and comforting solutions to
life's ever changing complexity.
Dr. Weil makes complete sense! I hope doctors everywhere will
start reading his work and listening to his CD sets. Also look
for Dr. Andrew Weil's Mindbody Tool Kit with breath work,
meditation, guided imagery and sound therapy.
There is so much to learn about health and Dr. Andrew Weil is
truly an enlightened teacher who can give you many of the keys
to your own healing process. Fascinating stories about
spontaneous healing are also included in this CD set.
~The Rebecca Review
Dr. Weil MindBody ToolKit
Increasing Awareness through Breath and Healing Music,
April 11, 2006
The mindbody tool kit is a perfect escape into relaxation.
Through this kit you have instant access to breathing
techniques, meditation, guided imagery and sound therapy.
"For more than forty years, evidence has been mounting that
states of mind can influence physical health and healing.
Instead of considering the mind as separate from the physical
body, research shows that interactions between the mind and body
can directly affect health and treatment of illness."
~Introduction
Dr. Andrew Weil's healing audio CDs are accompanied by 25
mind-training cards and a 52 page workbook. Each card includes
the CD information complete with the track you can listen to
while following the instructions during a guided exercise. There
is a place in the workbook to write your thoughts. A journal
might also be fun to write down your experiences and mindbody
journey.
The 9 breath work exercises help to completely focus the
attention on the breath as you breath abdominally or practice
various relaxing breathing techniques.
Mediation is also a focus in this tool kit and there are six
meditation exercises led by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. These cards
are not only for use when you are alone in a meditation session;
they also increase your awareness of your loving presence while
out in the world. One is called the "lovingkindness"
while waiting in line meditation. Mindful walking and mindful
eating are also ways to remain peaceful all while increasing
pleasure and happiness.
The five Guided Imagery sessions led by Martin L. Rossman, M.D.
also include ideas for using breath. You can use breath to
release a weight from your chest, address an illness or symptom
by focusing awareness on areas of the body that need healing or
enter an inner world of calming images to soothe your soul.
Sound Therapy is an intriguing section that includes 5
exercises. These include visual, physical and auditory
exercises. Ideas for taking a class to learn how to play a
musical instrument and ideas about moderating negative input
help to bring a sense of peace and adventure to your life.
Kimba Arem's music on the CDs is calming and heart healing. The
flute music invites you into the exercise sessions and the
melodies retune your soul. The sound healing journeys are works
of art and include:
Water Way
Spiral Ebb
Aqueous Air
Liquid Reverence
Angels of the Deep
Surfacing and Integration
After first being introduced to Sound Therapy through Dr. Andrew
Weil's Sound Body, Sound Mind CD (first listened back in April,
2000) I have been happy to then listen to his Guide to Optimum
Health CD set and now enjoy very practical solutions that lead
to greater stress reduction.
Dr. Andrew Weil's work is beautifully nurturing and healing.
Once you experience his teachings, you may find yourself much
healthier, on a path to better health and actually experiencing
life in a more positive way in general. I've been to many
doctors who have been unable to solve problems I struggled with
for years. Dr. Andrew Weil teaches you to care for yourself, he
knows what works and I have had great success with all his
natural remedies. His most important lesson is teaching us to
become more aware through relaxation and in that way we can
calmly seek healing solutions while maintaining emotional
equilibrium.
~The Rebecca Review
Celebrating six years of listening to Dr. Andrew Weil
Sound Body Sound Mind
Emotional Healing - Review from April, 2000, April 11,
2006
With pillows surrounding my body and my headphones on, I relaxed
as my body drifted into an incredibly deep sleep. Never have I
woken and felt quite so healed or refreshed. It was as if my
spirit was vibrating at a new level within my body. It is hard
to explain unless you have experienced this place of peace. I am
an avid promoter of massage and natural healing. This to me is
similar to a massage - but is a massage for the soul. As a child
my mother often played classical music for me and swears by its
calming effect. At college I often attended many concerts and
always enjoyed the classical music the most. I recommend the CD
version since Dr. Weil speaks for a few minutes and you may not
want to listen to this each time. It is easier to forward to the
music. Sometimes I do listen to his voice since it is so calming
and you cannot learn everything just listening once. I highly
recommend this CD if you need physical or emotional healing. He
is onto something and I know you will benefit from this relaxing
retreat.
~The Rebecca Review
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The Metabolic Plan
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= Grow Younger...
Reviewer: The Rebecca Review from Washington State
"To truly maintain a high
quality of life over a long period of time, you have to treat
the underlying cause of aging, which is metabolism."
~Stephen Cherniske
Are you frustrated with doctors who only treat your symptoms?
Do you want to take more control of your future health?
The Metabolic Plan is an
inspiring journey into the world of anti-aging solutions. I read
every word in a state of absolute wonder. By the time you finish
reading this book, you will understand how your body functions
on the cellular level. You will also know the details of
glycation and oxidation, understand why free-radical damage
contributes to nearly all disease states, and discover the
beauty of "clustered water."
Stephen Cherniske is an internationally renowned nutritional
biochemist who not only explains aging on the biochemical level,
he shows you how to slow and even reverse the process. He shows
how the body really works, then he explains anabolic power. Once
he has laid out his theory, he proves it with well-organized
chapters and convincing arguments. Highly intellectual concepts
have been made palatable. I really enjoyed his metaphors, humor,
analogies, and how he made the complex understandable.
Stephen Cherniske has not only unlocked the secrets of
longevity, he is a living example. He has learned how to stop
his body from going into a premature "shut down"
sequence. He was born in 1948 although medical testing shows his
biological age to be around 35 and he has the same muscle-to-fat
ration he did when he graduated from high school.
This is not a "diet" and the author says most diets
send your metabolism in the wrong direction. If you are
frustrated with diets, this is the healthy and logical
alternative. The Metabolic Plan is
really a lifestyle. You take stock of your current situation and
develop a battle plan to defeat aging. With this plan you can
improve your mood, sex drive, stamina, energy level, digestion,
muscle mass and skin tone. You will notice a more radiant you in
the mirror!
The Chapters Include:
1. Foundations
2. Restoring Your Anabolic Power
3. Putting the Brakes on Catabolic Metabolism
4. Stress and the Aging Process
5. How Good Do You Want to Look and Feel?
6. Illness, Immunity, and Metabolism
7. Energy, Exercise, and Metabolism
8. Optimal Nutrition: Building Blocks of the Metabolic Plan
9. Water: Lifespring of the Metabolic Plan
10. Metabolic Issues for Women and Men
11. Keeping Score, Staying Motivated, and Taking Action –
Action steps for ages 35-75 (tests, supplements, exercise, major
focus and major concerns)
12. Conclusion: A Question of Balance, the Nature of Time
Resources – lots of websites where you can do additional
research.
The Metabolic Plan has
been featured in the Oprah magazine, Body & Soul, Southwest
Airlines Spirit Magazine and Natural Health Magazine. Stephen's
articles have also appeared in USA Today, Newsweek and Time. He
has appeared on Dateline NBC, FOX News and 48 hours and is
widely recognized as a top expert in nutrition.
When I first heard Stephen Cherniske on a radio show, I was
instantly intrigued. I knew I wanted to read his book and
patiently waited for it to be published. What I didn't realize
was how life-changing this information would be.
"You are capable of replacing 300 billion cells every
day."
This book presents the most logical and convincing argument
for exercising I've ever read. My thought was: "You mean
I'm telling my brain I’m older than I am? Wait, I'm going to
change the signals I'm sending my brain! Today!" I then
went out and bought a pedometer and some suggested supplements
and healthy foods, not to mention green barley, aloe juice, milk
thistle and melons. There are some delicious foods you can add
to your grocery cart and in a few weeks you feel like a
different person. Even eating fresh fruits instead of drinking
fructose laden drinks helps! I like his ideas about buying whole
foods so you don't have to read so many labels!
Which DHEA?
7-Keto DHEA
Some of the questions Stephen
Cherniske answers:
Is it possible to enjoy "the prime of life stage"
until you are 65?
What is 7-Keto? Why should I not take DHEA before 35?
How can I get my doctor involved in my anti-aging journey?
How can I get my body to produce more DHEA and hGH naturally?
How can I enter a more restful level of sleep?
Why should I maintain optimal liver function?
Why is "just" taking a multivitamin similar to tossing
a cup of water on a forest fire?
Stephen Cherniske also provides information on tests you can
request to show you your biological age. There is also a nice
index so you can look up information when you need it fast.
If you have recently had a visceral awakening (Help! I'm
aging too fast!) and are nearing 40, "The Metabolic
Plan" will give you all the information you need to make
your life a more empowered experience. Suddenly, you will
realize how much you can do to stay younger longer!
The Metabolic Plan presents
a proactive approach. Stephen Cherniske shows how you can
restore anabolic metabolism and put the brakes on catabolic
activity. You may also want to read: The DHEA Breakthrough
and Caffeine Blues.
I'm convinced that this is one of the most important books
you will ever read! If you can read this book before you are 40,
you will be way ahead of the game! Recommended reading for men
and women between 35 and 75 years of age. I just turned 36 and
already I've noticed I have more energy in the first month after
starting this plan. I'm not even taking the DHEA yet! So, this
book is not just about DHEA, it is about healthy life choices
and supplements you can take to improve your quality of life.
The Metabolic Plan is the most enlightening book on
longevity I've read to date! This is cutting edge information.
Highly Recommended.
100 Stars!
Herbal Wellness Chart
Well-Organized Wellness Chart for Herbal Remedies, June
3, 2006
This chart is perfect as a quick reference guide to natural
remedies that address common ailments like depression, coughs,
asthma, ear infections, hives, insect bites, stress and
insomnia. By placing this chart up on your wall, you can quickly
learn which remedies are most effective and there are some
surprising items I had never considered.
Like, for insomnia, normally you might consider valerian, but
Rooibos tea also promotes sleep and eases inflammation. I was
just telling a friend about Hyssop and how it would be good for
asthma and here it is listed on this chart. Familiar teas like
chamomile have many uses as does goldenseal and olive leaf
extract. Catnip is not only for cats, this chart recommends you
drink the tea to help you relax.
Please consult with your health care practitioner before using
any herbal remedies, especially if you are taking prescription
medications or are pregnant. For pregnancy, please see the herbs
on the Pregnancy wall chart.
The pictures here don't really do this chart justice. It is a
beautiful chart filled with pictures of herbs and the writing is
clear, with bold cherry/red names and beautiful fonts and black
writing for the descriptions of healing results.
~The Rebecca Review
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