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Within the Armor

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Within my armor lives brokenness

Character faults, weaknesses and frailty, all part of my soul

Within the armor lives the dark hole of my addiction, the fear, the loneliness

All of the vulnerabilities and shame live deep in my soul.

Within my armor lives my faith, drive optimism, passion, purpose and character attributes,

The good and the bad lives in my soul.

Within my armor lives a miner, searching for a heart of gold, redemption and hope

Within the armor lives my choices

To love myself and my people, to feel compassion and empathy, to assist others in their journey.

Within my armor lives meaning.

Within my Armor

Risk Being Seen

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In every relationship, whether with lovers, friends, family, professional peers, and strangers alike, we are offered the opportunity to be seen. The risks that are taken and the worthiness that is cultivated every time that we allow ourselves to be vulnerable are writing our story of victory or victim! My thoughts go to many of the books that I have read on the subject of vulnerability and the lack of it that exists in our culture today.  My question is do you feel that space within that longs to be felt, and constantly asks to be seen, and do you allow it to come forth? In my humble opinion, I believe that our mental, physical and spiritual health depend on it. The gift is not just our own, but everyone that we come in contact with gets the best that we can be, the truth of who we are, and this will create a life that feels aligned and purposeful. Relationships change, confidence rises, and courage roars! 

 

The pressures of this culture and the mass marketing message is that we are not enough, we are too this or not enough that, and this message alone can keep us dimmed and stuck in self doubt. If you look deeply, and spend a few moments  connecting to your inner voice, it is likely that the chatter is less then empowering and loving.  Working with clients over the years to shift their current experiences, we often sit looking at each other as they come to realize that their greatest enemy is themselves.  That inner critic that keeps saying that you are not ______enough, fill in the blank (pretty, skinny, smart, successful, wealthy, deserving, etc.) .  I am here, right now, to tell you that it is not real and that you can begin to show up and heal this issue, with honesty and courage.  As I began to grow my own awareness to my own fears of beings seen, I had many moments of terror! That terror was there to teach me that I was scared of being seen, being criticized and being ridiculed. It taught me that I was being brave and that this new way of expressing my truth was courageous. It was there to show me that my fear was suffocating me. It was there to remind me that no matter what anyone else thought of me, I had to trust myself and show up.  My whole life depends on it now, as I could not accept anything less with this understanding. My inner critic will show up, but no longer does it have any power over me.  I have learned that it’s an old voice of irrational fear.  The realest fear I have now, which motivates me daily, is that I would ever stop risking being seen. 

 We can be honest, courageous, and vulnerable with others when we are able to practice this with ourselves. The willingness to accept that vulnerability and being seen is in fact our path to solid, strong, and valuable relationships is one key. The willingness to know that we are worthy and that we matter is the second key awareness in being truly seen.  The willingness to look at our lives and know that if we are feeling exhaustion, anxiety, fear, unworthy, worry or even feeling physically ill, we do have the capacity to change these experience, one moment at a time.  Every room you walk into, every conversation you enter, every letter you write, every person you encounter, is the perfect space to practice showing up, being authentic, being seen and stepping into the courageous active energy of being loved, or disliked for who you are.  What we choose to do in our moments is what matters the most.  What we choose to express in this world is up to us, and when you look at statistics, the most positive, inspiring, and influential people are those that have dared to showed up, courageously, and have walked their talk, and shared their journeys, because they knew it mattered! 

Take a moment today to look in the mirror and really look at the eyes looking back at you.  This person that is staring at you is dependent on your bravery and your courage.  This person deserves for you to get real about what matters and what doesn’t. This person matters. This person wants you to show up and be seen.  Breathe.

Angela N Jospeh

Wellness & Lifestyle Coach

www.angelanjoseph.com

Angela’s Good Vibe- ’30 Seconds of Love’

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Food to Energy

 Balance & WellBeing

Today more than ever, we are bombarded with marketing, opinions, statistics and labeling that are confusing the simple truth of food nutrition. We are one of the wealthiest nations, and yet we have the highest levels of chronic disease and obesity. People are mislead, confused, and addicted to the chemical arsenal in the grocery aisle. It is so simple that it can become maddening as we attempting to filter the lies from truth.

I am a promoter of an 85/15 diet. These numbers are meant to be a guide, making it easy to establish a relationship with the food on your plate. The 85% represents the amount of whole food nutritional content ingested, while the 15% is the allowance for coffee, occasional alcohol, desert, or otherwise. When working with clients, I do not force huge change. In my opinion, its a set up for failure. We begin with looking at a 60/40 or 70/30 and work our way to the better. If you come from an 30/70, this 60/40 will make an undeniable change for the better and will naturally motivate you to take it further for your own personal wellbeing. That is the way it works, momentum builds. We want to leave room for play!  What is life without freedom to roam?

The way that this will look is easy when you consider your plate like a pie. Half to three quarters of your pie should be organic, fresh vegetable produce. Focus on adding healthy portions of your protein source and carbs. As this way of eating becomes more habitual, you will begin to fill more of your plate with this living, highly nutritional food. Steadily, you will push out more of the highly processed foods that make up the SAD (Standard American Diet). You will be increasing whole, living, and healthy fleshed foods, while decreasing dead food, or processed sugar, refined starches and grains, high saturated animal fats, and added stimulants lacing processed foods. Your body will shift from an acidic and inflamed stated to an alkaline and thriving state.

The beauty of adopting an 85/15 diet, is that your body remembers what health feels like and it will be miraculous to your body. You do not have to be extreme. Aim or 60/40, 70/30 and just begin the process. Your body and your mind will thank you! Eating whole foods and living a healthy lifestyle is the greatest investment you can make in your life. You are worth it, your family is worth it, and when you are ready, you will do it!!!

 

Angela N Joseph , LMT, CHC, CN

Wellness & Lifestyle Coach

Intuitive Bodyworker

Changing Bodies Changing Minds

                  Changing Lives

The Social Conditioning of Growing Older

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icaa_6

Recently on the radio program I interviewed Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council of Active Aging, and I threw this new idea I had to him as he has been a great influencer, friend, contributor and guest for quite some time now.  I said, “Colin, I have this new idea about changing the term ‘getting older’ and turning it into ‘growing older’, it is a whole lot less negative.  I get tired of people blaming a sore back or knee or whatever else on the mindset and accepting all of this because I am ‘getting old’”.    Colin liked it, asked if he could use it and of course I said yes.AgeismAnother guest on the radio program, author Ashton Applewhite of ‘This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism’(great book) shares that the worst offenders of the perpetuation/proliferation of an ageist mentality and culture are, drum roll please, OLDER PEOPLE!

this_chair_rocks_1

Who would have thunk it?

This culpability belongs to a phenomenon I describe as the ‘Social Conditioning of Growing Older’.   All of these ageist activities are a product of limited mindsets, beliefs and  bigoted  short-sighted acceptances of the 21st century.  We are living longer, so there are a lot more older people to continue to think this way.

Hmmmm,

The time has come to redefine our cultural principles.

From the ‘MiddleLiving Economy’ and the ‘Mama Bear Mentality’, to the ‘Mindset of Exceptionalism-ness and of course the ‘Vuja de Effect of MiddleLiving’ I have written many blogs and shared over 1,000 one hour radio talk shows sharing the love for growing older and the compelling ‘HOW’.

It is up to each of us to figure out our own compelling ‘WHY’!

Think about this-

When we admit that our judgment is clouded, believing  older adults are able to ‘still’ drive, or ‘still’ work out, or ‘still’ go to school, or ‘still’ make love this creates and perpetuates an ageist cultural mentality.  Acceptance of such norms are an impediment to our societal and personal growth and  progress, young and old.   Understanding how this is a limiting belief  we can redefine the old school social conditioning that ‘getting older’ is much different than ‘growing older’.

Every time the ‘still’ mindset is used it diminishes the societal worth of all older adults!

positive_aging

Accepting that a mindset of an older person being able to ‘still’, for example, attend a granddaughters basketball game or ‘still’ attend grandsons dance recital is a positive attribute is frankly insulting.

Dr. Bill Thomas, an author and geriatrician whose book, ‘Second Wind’ (totally badass) describes how the world can redefine aging.  He writes that the word ‘still’ describes the subculture of what he calls “Realists”.

second-wind-book

Dr. Thomas thinks baby boomers (I use the term MiddleLiving and SuperiorSeniors) fall into one of three categories:

  1. Denialists, who loudly reject changes that come with age.  (I am not old)
  2. Realists, who view aging as bad and actively resist aging changes. (I am getting old, oh well)
  3. Enthusiasts, who find aging interesting and they can’t wait to explore it. (I am free, lets rock!)

Dr. Thomas believes that ‘still’ fits Realists because they cannot see the value of life beyond earlier stage adulthood.  It is a conundrum which traps them in a distressed and eventually hopeless effort to continue living as they did when they were younger.

Realists hold the belief that older people are worthy only for what they offered in their earlier life.  They accept ‘still’ as a positive attribute.  Which is total bullcrap!bullshit34

A Denialist just does not accept the notion of getting older at all.   Another steaming pile of horse manure!

An Enthusiast will embrace ‘growing older’ as an opportunity to do just that, grow!  Now we are ready to party!deadlift

As we all are living longer the statistics across the board point to all of us discovering that living healthy can be a turning point.  Ponder these-

  • In the next ten years, U.S. baby boomers will increase their annual spending on wellness-based services from approximately $200M to $1 trillion (Paul Zane Pilzer, The Next Trillion).
  • Americans 55+ are the fastest-growing age group among gym members, up more than 266% since 1987 (IBISWorld).
  • 82% of adults aged 50+ who use the Internet research health and wellness information online (Pew and American Life Project)
  • Some estimate that the rise in entrepreneurship for those 55 and over could increase yet another 20% in the next 10-15 years.
  • “The 55+ age group controls more than three-fourths of America’s wealth (ICSC).
  • Fifty-plus American women are the healthiest, wealthiest and most active generation of women in history.

Limitations are only as deep as an individual may perceive.   It is the cultural conditioning and said acceptance of those limits that determine the depth of the pool.

I like to think that an individual’s halo is as bright and strong as they choose.  If your personal WHY is strong then your HOW will become second nature, I promise.   The social conditioning of growing older can be a rocket (enthusiast), a Packard (realist) or a stagecoach (denialist), what’s your preference!

Inspiration + Inclination= Motivation

and

Choice + Challenge= Change

The serendipitous law of attraction (I love this term), can be a strong halo, use it to bring awesome people and activities into your life.  You can than leverage your life’s experience’s to  give back to those less fortunate and watch and live the magic, it can and will be some kind of road trip!

I like it.

peace

 

The ‘Mama-Bear’ Mentality

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You need a primer for your resolution or life change?

One thing you never want to do if you are hiking through the woods and come upon a cave is startle a mama bear and her cubs.  It could end very badly!

bear_1

 

Using this thought as a launching pad for self-improvement (which is my thing as everyone knows) I hereby Christen the New Year and everyone’s resolutions and accomplishing those goals-  “The Mama-Bear Mentality”.

First lets define the characteristics of a mother bear and substitute cubs (babies) with self-improvement, goals, dreams and desires.

self_improvement_5

 

To start, she has babies (Goals). She keeps them in quiet places and is always close to her cubs (dreams). She is wary of all animals and is incredibly protective of her cubs (negative influences). She will generally always attack any animal that she believes is a danger to her young babies (staying focused on the end game). Beyond that she teaches her cubs (Life-Long learning) how to survive on their own; how to hunt, fish, and prepares(physical fitness, mental clarity, nutrition) them to leave her and hopefully reach adulthood.

What are the characteristics of a mother bear?

What is she like? What does she do?

While this is a true description I thought it would be worthwhile to explore the attributes of the real grizzly bear mom.
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Mother bears are affectionate, protective, devoted, strict, sensitive and attentive with their young. Not unlike people, bears can be empathetic, fearful, joyful, playful, social and even altruistic.

Sounds a lot like humans huh!

We are all (bears and humans) individuals and have unique personalities.  And we all desire feeling positive and a contributor to society, not some giant narcissistic taker right (unless you are a Grizzly and then you are allowed narcissism because no one is going to mess with you or change that bad ass personality)!

Much like humans mother bears have many very solid qualities and then some, did you know that Bears are fast; (as are human mothers when you mess with her kids),  they can run more than 60 kilometers an hour (37 mph) – that’s twice as fast as an Olympic sprinter, (you ever seen a really pissed off mom?).   In fact, a bear can outrun a race horse over short distances, but has little endurance (kinda like me, quick for about 10 meters).  To put their speed in perspective, bears can run 15 meters per second (50 feet per second). To understand that speed Usain Bolt can cover 12.2 meters per second.

Don’t mess with ‘Mama-Bear’ unless you are looking for trouble!

I want to develop my own ‘Mama-Bear’ mentality.  Since self-improvement is the daily objective I have decided to protect my personal objectives.  You could also apply this mentality to your new you, whatever you have decided do.

In my ‘Mama-Bear’ mentality being a staunch protector and advocate for my cubs (self-improvement) if any part of my life does not benefit the goal, to the curb with you!  Of course everything in moderation and small steps but I think you catch my drift here right.  The ‘Mama-Bear’ mentality is all about  helping facilitate growth, independence and self-sustaining behaviors that will help in my quality of life and happiness.self_improvement_7

How I cope with change and deal with controversy in my life is all on me, and with my new ‘Mama-Bear’ mindset nothing will interfere with my mission.  You  mess with my cubs (life) and you are in for a big ass whoopin!

As one of my favorite bands (get some on your gym playlist) ‘The Beastie Boys’ sang “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party”!

Life can be one huge and fun party, you just gotta have the right players on your team!  That’s why ‘free-agency’ came to be!  Players, yes they can be traded and or released!

So from the ‘Mama-Bear‘ perspective everyone I gotta protect myself, my goals, my dreams, my self-improvement, and I hope you will as well!

(For more hilarity from my boys the “Beastie Boys” here you go!)

Happy New Year

peace

ps-

Remember this one?  Tone loc, “Funky Cold Medina”

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

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Today it is all about crushing it, and I know you have your dreams and vision, when your faith catches up to those look the frick out world.
Here is today’s inspiration.never_quit

​
One of my favorite books, and one I have on audio as well is Jim Collins ‘Good to Great’, which is a classic of humongous proportions.
In that book many of the companies and people that are listed have similar qualities, Jim identified several and I live by them.  The first and foremost is our societies conditioning of being average (I paraphrase but the essence is the message).  People are just on this boring ass track of doing ‘just’ enough to get by, we are satisfied with average.  Funny how in the book he talked about just being ‘good’ and how that that is the mindset, that ‘great’ is not on the plate so to speak, it is all bullcrap!
Being just good enough lowers the bar to average which lowers the bar to parasite.  We got plenty of those around.
Being just good is crap, being average is double dip crap, and those who decide to put their heads down and stop crying about oh poor me will rule, have great lives, and find their destinies.  I know, I am one of those people!  The former consummate liar, taker, user and abuser I was the king of not owning my own shit, those days are long gone thank god.  The point being you gotta own your own mission, take the lemons that are thrown at you and smile and make build a lemonade stand and make a fortune and show everyone how good the lemonade is!
You have got to fight for whats right!  No one will do it for you, and really only a handful of your team will care.  It is what it is!
Ok so now to bring some levity to the situation I found this website and this link, remember when I talked about being in touch with your feminine side (follow that link,  for a fee I could do this!)
I think everyone will like this site, this gal has the right attitude and I love creativity, this ‘Miss Angie’ has it going on.
and here is this ‘Miss Angies’ Twitter page-
Make Lemonade!
​How about that!
Have a fab day everyone!
peace,
t

PE Principal-Community Commando

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Meet David Hornak

Acknowledge Your Community Commando’s

The definition of a commando is ‘a soldier specially trained to carry out raids’.  The synonym to soldier is a serviceman or servicewoman.  community_1

We need more aggressive, proactive members of our communities to build a sense of urgency to overcome the national despair and outrage that continues to proliferate in our great country.

A mindset is needed that takes a desperate situation and makes it better.  I like the term Community Commando to lead the charge!

This Community Commando will exhibit a tenacious attitude to help the tribe, our community, lead and  teach.  To lead by example, to lead by hard work, to lead by an undying love for others and community.  A leader of unparalleled integrity, a person who exhibits the effort and obstinate attitude of giving to our children by teaching the correct way to grow up and to respect others, their property and families.

The Community Commando does not care about his or her own pain, because they know that through pain, growth can occur.  Walking the proverbial walk is not enough.  Talking the proverbial talk is just the beginning to lasting self-improvement.  The love to teach and give back permeates their soul, an unquestionable and unquenchable thirst that drives them to the brink of quitting, but they never do.  Instead they persevere, they learn new strategies, they work the system to benefit their personal body of work, gaining valuable hard earned knowledge.community_4

A Community Commando knows that no one is perfect, that we all need to live each day to its fullest and to live for  incremental self-improvement.  That by waking each day with a sense of purpose you can improve, you can gain traction and control of your life.  And through this positivity you can change others perceptions and beliefs.  By small acts of kindness and a service mindset you can have a major impact on your neighborhood, your city, your state and your nation.

A Community Commando builds a synergistic team, one that covers for each other even in the darkest of moments and times.  A symbiotic relationship, deeper than a sister or brother where words are not needed to energize and uplift. Actions speak volumes, actions solve issues, actions of pristine leadership are the Community Commando’s rule book.

A Community Commando understands that the comfort zone must be stretched, that growth will only occur with an attitude of gratitude.  The most successful people posses learning agility and the willingness and ability to learn new and difficult community_3competencies in order to perform at an even higher level.  In situations of difficult even impossible situations, where many would give up, the Community Commando never quits until the job is complete, and the job has new challenges every day, so the job is fuel that fires the engine, and the job is the reward.

David Hornak is a Community Commando, his love for his community, students, family and job is unparalleled, and I am blessed to know him and call him a friend.

We need more people like David, he is a caring and driven educator who has never quit learning and continues to give to our schools, we are lucky to have him and his talent and heart.

We all can learn from David’s tireless efforts to help our children, and if you ever have a chance to talk to him, thank him for all of his positivity, it is infectious!

peacedavid_hornak_1

Lovin Oatmeal

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Fiber is as Fiber Does

Getting both types of fiber is a big win for your body, and there’s another benefit: fiber can also aid weight loss. It helps you feel full and satisfied.

Oatmeal is a good breakfast whether you make it simple or dress it up with lots of fruit and nut toppings. But here’s the other beautiful thing about oatmeal. If you eat one and one-half cups of it each day, you can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8 percent.

It contains soluable and insoluable fiber, two types that your body needs. Insoluable fiber, which is also found in the skins of many fruits, helps keep us regular. Soluable fiber, which is also found in beans, oranges and pears, helps prevent disease and lower cholesterol.

Oatmeal: How Much You Need to Lower Cholesterol

Knee Surgery and Recovery, Take Two

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It has been exactly one month today that I had my meniscus surgically repaired, and tomorrow I can go back to work.

Working, ahhh that great escape from being a limited invalid, so liberating!

The first week was not bad at all, until I took a fall in our living room when my crutches got tangled up in the blanket that had become my ever present companion.  That tumble did not affect the knee whatsoever, I was smart enough, or nimble enough to gracefully hit the floor.  It was my now sore back that would be my nemesis.

Gotta love recovery time!

The key to the successful first week, other than the above boneheadedness, was that skill I have been accused of not possessing, listening.bonehead_01

I listened to my doctors, my nurses, and most importantly Sandy.  All of this added to staying situated in my chair for three days straight, taking my medication, which the nurses were very clear about, take your meds don’t be a hero!

Not being a fan of medication, toughing it out was definitely on my agenda.  Good thing I now have great listening  skills.  The medication is prescribed for a reason, do what they say and all will be good!

Perhaps you are like me, who have never really been injured before you lack that wisdom and knowledge.   Be advised, stir-craziness starts to set in about the second and third week.

Being a pretty active fellow leads us to the I want to get up and get around phase.   Thank goodness strategic planning on my surgeons part.  I was back to see him ten days into the whole round two of the process helping a soon to be crazy person see the light.

Liberation was clearly right around the corner, or so I thought.

Stiches removed, doctors next round of advice, take it really slow and get into my physical therapy.

Cool, physical therapy will be just like working out, right?

Wrong!

Physical therapy is another round of slowly building back your strength, without damaging yourself and wrecking everything you have been working toward.  My guy was Robbie Williams, of Orthopedic Rehab Specialists, excellent facility, and my man Robbie very knowledgeable and smart.

When you think you know everything, which sometimes I lead myself to believe I do and really don’t, having a new face and coach, trainer, motivator is awesome.  For the next two weeks I would see Robbie six times, and he would evaluate my knee twice in amongst those visits.

Tip for you if you find yourself in this situation.

Schedule your appointments as early as possible, most of mine were 6:30am.  This will get you back into some kind of semblance of normalcy with your sleep and this is really important.  It is very easy to fall into crazy sleep patterns, and when your circadian rhythm gets messed up it sucks.  I have never had a problem sleeping, going to sleep has been easy for me.  When you lose that ease with something you take for granted, like sleep habits, it’s terrible.

I found myself unable to fall asleep, having never experiencing this makes you really appreciate something you just took for granted.

Robbie had me doing some really simple, yet somewhat difficult movements.  Balance stuff, one footed heel tap squats, band work, BOSU etc. He had my number and I was sweating!

By the time we finished I looked at this as my workout of the day, as Cross Fitters would say.  In the end I may not have been 100%, but I was feeling pretty darned good.  Nice job Robbie!

Man that listening stuff, it really does work!

Oh and did I mention watched the entire five seasons of Board Walk Empire? boardwalk_empire_1

Bless the person who invented On-Demand.  Man am I glad to be going back to work

Peace,

T

ps-

Also, never forget you can  email me anytime, questions comments radio show topics.  And please sign up for this website so you never miss a podcast or any of my amazing life altering achievements.  Have you seen the free stuff, sign up and go get my books!

Boomers Rock Archived Podcasts

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Our Library of Content-

We at Boomers Rock Media have always understood that Quality of Life (QOL) is comprised of many different components. We are here to share the love of life and knowledge.  Everyone deserves to have the best chance, and the best odds so our topics are listed below and separated  for easy and quick access.

With hundreds of experts there is a lot of information to help you!

With 345 recorded and archived podcasts to choose from we want to make finding your specific topic as easy as possible.  Following the bulleted list will lead you to the category you are searching for-

Season four is going strong and our momentum is growing.  It is our plan to build a platform so helpful, so easy to navigate and so full of great information that you will become part of our collective family.  If you like our site please share with your closest friends.  Please sign up for our newsletter and our email list so you never miss anything new and exciting in 2015.

I look forward to hearing from you, make this your one stop site for Middle-Living and Superior-Seniors.

Peace,

tom

Finding Work and Loving Your Body with Kerry Hannon and Sandy Parker

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Season 4 Episode 6 — November 29, 2014Matt-show-description

Hosted by Tom Matt

Episode Description

This week’s combination of topics will include Kerry Hannon and her always fun and informative topics of finding those ‘Great Jobs for everyone over 50’. Kerry Hannon has spent more than 25 years covering personal finance for Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report and USA Today.

And our Grand Haven ‘Boomers Rock Local’ guest is the owner of On the Path Yoga Sandy Parker. With a Bachelors of Science in Health Education and a lengthy career spanning over 25 years, both of our guests bring expertise to the talk show.great_jobs_01

Kerry Hannon is always informative and fun! Sandy Parker shares her passion for ‘restorative exercise’ and instructs us all on the fact that “we do not have to hurt” and how ‘inflammation’ is tied to ‘pain’.

Broadcasted Saturday November 29th, on WGHN 1370 AM, Grand Haven, mornings 9-10, airing throughout the western shore cities of Lake Michigan, inspiration and education begin here.

In this weeks episode we discuss-

  • Great jobs
  • Soul searching
  • Second career
  • Nimbleness
  • How to get paid
  • Osteoporosis
  • Pain
  • Inflammation
  • Overcoming being sedentary
  • Restorative exercise

Listen to Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show Season 4 Episode 6 below…

https://www.boomersrock.us/podcast/interview-with-kerry-hannon-and-sandy-parker/

Peace,

Tom Matt

Host and Founder of Boomers Rock Media

 

Your SUPPLEMENTal Guide

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I often get a multitude of questions about what supplements I use or recommend from friends, family, and clients.  There is so much false information and Broscience on the Internet about supplements that people have no idea where to start!  Below is a list of what I feel are the top supplements to use on a daily basis to help you become your best.

  • Cod Liver Oil/Fish Oil:  Cod liver oil is very high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EPA &  DHA) and contributes greatly to a healthy heart.  It also can help to decrease inflammation and improve cellular health!

~ 1-2 Tablespoons daily

  • Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are found in many grocery stores across the country and are also very high in Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber.  A very inexpensive supplement that helps to lower cholesterol and tastes fantastic sprinkled on salads or in your yogurt.  Don’t forget to grind them into flax meal before consuming, as the seeds are not digestible.

~ 2 Tablespoons daily.

  • Extra Virgin Coconut Oil:  another miraculous healthy fat, extra virgin coconut oil extracted from the kernel of meat of a matured coconut.  EVCO is very high in lauric acid, which is found in breast milk.  Use this to sauté foods and in baking.

~ 1-2 Tablespoons daily.

  • Hemp Protein:  Hemp protein contains all 8 of the life essential amino acids that our bodies require but cannot make on their own.  It contains almost a perfect balance of essential fatty acids (Omega 3 & 6) and a high content of fiber.  Hemp protein is made by milling the seed of the plant and is free of THC.

~ 2-4 Tablespoons daily.

  • Whey Protein:  Whey is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production.  Whey is an abundant source of amino acids and is absorbed and utilized very quickly once consumed.  Although it’s somewhat acidic in nature, whey protein in moderation can help to build lean muscle mass and repair tissue after strength training.

~ 2-4 Tablespoons daily.

  • L-Glutamine:  An amino acid that is not considered essential but can be very useful during intensive athletic training.  Glutamine has been shown to help improve immune system function and when used as a post workout supplement can help to rebuild tissue and decrease muscle soreness.

~5-10 grams daily post workout.

  • Branch Chain Amino Acids:  BCAA’s are among the nine essential amino acids for humans and supplements often contain Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.  BCAA’s can be critical in not only keeping but also gaining lean muscle mass when calories are restricted during competition prep.  Utilize pre and post workout.

~ 3-20 grams daily.

  • Creatine:  Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscle by increasing the formation of ATP (essentially energy).  Some research indicates that people with kidney disease should avoid the use of this supplement so please consult with your physician before consuming this product.  Creatine has been shown to cause modest increases in strength and maximum energy output during intense training sessions.  Some dosages recommend a “loading” stage, which I would avoid while utilizing this supplement in an 8 week on, 4 week off cycle.

~ 5 Grams daily.

These are the main supplements that I consume on a daily basis.  Some of these are somewhat expensive and also reflective of the amount of strength training and cardio exercise I perform on a weekly basis.  There are also a few other food supplements I consume like Wheatgrass and Spirulina/Chlorella that I will devote a post to in the coming weeks.  Start to do your research and take this list to help provoke some thought on what supplements may help you reach your peak performance levels.  Feel free to e-mail me at Regie@GRTFitness.com with any questions you may have!

 

Here’s to a fitter and healthier tomorrow…….-> R’s

 

Boomers Rock _7-16-2011 the week in review

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How did this whole thing start, from the dream to start a business with my wife and best friend, that’s how, and now, well it’s Boomers recap time.  Pretty crazy, use it as an example that anything can happen if you just dream big dreams, let’s start this week-

Monday lucky 7/11

My buddy David Lorenz was back as usual, Mr. Consistent, that’s why we are blessed to have such a great leadoff hitter, Mr. Clutch.  We chatted it up on the Michigan Festival scene, and more specifically David talked about doing a brew tour of our state.  Well kind of anyway, we talked about the ever growing micro-brew craft and the 80 or so breweries that are now scattered all over Michigan.

The micro-brew craze started over 25 years ago, actually in 1985 by a gentlemen named Larry Bell .  Did you know that we have guided brew tours in Detroit?  I mean David always brings in the coolest ideas and fun adventures.

So check this out-

A Sip of Michigan – Birthday Bash Friday, July 15 8:00p at Rattlesnake Club, Detroit, MI

Put this one on your calendar for next year- 

We also talked tall ships and Bay city, don’t forget to check out the doubletree hotel, another summer spot to explore and see, renovated and reborn, Bay city has it going on.

Next week we talk about the Pure Michigan 400, that’s Monday at 6:22pm est on of course the world’s first all fitness radio FTNS.

Next up on a very busy Monday was our friend Jo-Anne Lema, the very busy lady who is the founder of After Fifty Living made a visit to the show.  Great topic as we discussed Betty Ford and her immense impact on people’s lives as a influencer and leader.  Her honesty about addiction and breast cancer has pioneered the openness that we now enjoy in society, she was a wonderful lady.

Jo-Anne told me that 4 million boomers suffer from addiction issues, and that by 2020 that number will double.  We need to stick together boomers, that is a lot of people who will be suffering, we all need to step up and figure out some way to be involved and help.

Addiction is a lonely and insidious issue, life is tough enough, let’s try and make this problem better in some small way.

 Thanks to both David and Jo-Anne for stopping in and sharing-

 “Hi Daisy”! 🙂

Wednesday 7/13

Newbie, first timer Meghan Merchant came on the show, and her energy and knowledge was outstanding.  I really do enjoy everyone of our guests, it is what is making the “Boomers Rock” phenomenon work, it is all about the collective, the knowledge base.  That and I feel that if all of these nice, very knowledgeable peeps want to share their time we must be doing something right, right?

Meghan gave her background, Bachelors and Masters degrees, trainer, dancer wife and mom to two daughters, yes she is a busy lady.  Meghan had a really interesting take on this interview, tools to make your measuring your exercise more clear cut.  Specifically, pedometers, how knowing your output daily utilizing such a tool can actually relieve stress.

We also chatted about how Meghan had Thyroid cancer when she was 19, how it was very treatable and how the thyroid is an energy regulator in your body, that even if you have had a condition such as hers life goes on, normally and happily, if you take care of yourself.  Meghan will be back to expand on her expertise, take the time to read this New Mexico moms journal on her website where she shares a ton of good info.

Tim Kissman made a journey into the land of “Boomers Rock, you know Tim, the editor and founder of “Healthy and Fit” magazine.  Great to have Tim, as we like to discuss this month’s issue of the magazine which included articles on-

  • Hip to Clip-and saving money while being healthy
  • Travel softball- (Tim’s got firsthand knowledge of this one, being the coach and all)
  • Food allergies-Recognizing allergens, and how symptoms can possible save your life (good stuff)!
  • and Geocatching- (I had no idea what this was, interesting stuff,) even Meghan mentioned how she thought this was cool stuff.  Come to find out it’s like a state of the art scavenger hunt.  Just another idea on getting some movement in your life and having fun while doing it.

Tim and I discussed the pitfalls of living vicariously through your children’s athletic accomplishments.  Being a former coach, and Tim still coaching, and being athletes growing up we discussed how important it is to remember the one key component to youth athletics, let them have fun, and understand they must have the desire to play.

Tim’s magazine is growing, and if you are interested in reading and or advertising with him visit their website or email Tim directly- tim@healthyandfitmagazine.com.

Friday 7/15

This was by far the most emotional show for me so far, dealing with addiction and substance abuse is a very sincerely difficult topic and one that I take very seriously, being very close to the subject through my own experience.

  I have Teri Murgia’s permission to print her letter here, I think this sums it up-

This question was asked to a member of Addict’s Mom, Teri Murgia. She is a recovering prescription drug addict and the mother of an addict who now dedicates her life to helping others who are suffering.  It is a powerful lesson she shared about enabling, and how her mother’s decision to walk away changed her life.

 Question:    When your Mother found the courage to stop the enabling process by walking out on you when you were facing uncertain death how did that make you feel in your heart? 

 The day my Mother found the courage to walk out of my hospital room was the day I had made another personal attempt to end my life. She just couldn’t do it anymore.

 My Mother had already lost two children by this time, her heart was broken into a million pieces and all she could do was fall to her knees and cry out to GOD!  My first thought when she walked out of the room that day was, it confirmed what I was feeling, even my own Mother couldn’t love me.

Then all the feelings of anger, bitterness and sometimes even a bit of hatred flooded my thoughts. What kind of Mother could walk away from their only daughter, how could someone be so cold and unfeeling? 

 Her last words to me that day were,  “ I AM NOT GOING TO SIT BACK AND WATCH YOU KILL YOURSELF ANYMORE, IF YOU WANT TO DIE THAT’S YOUR CHOICE , BUT I WON’T BE HERE TO WATCH IT!!” And she left.

 It was that day when my long and difficult journey towards recovery began. You see my Mother made the ultimate choice that day, she chose her life. She knew her life was worth something and she was no longer going to allow my addiction to destroy it!

 She was no longer going to be a victim of my destructive behavior. Today I live my life grateful she had the courage to walk away, as it was the very thing I needed to begin my recovery.

Thank you MOM, I love you!   

Teri Murgia

 In families where addiction effects multiple members of the immediate family, and none of them are willing to seek professional treatment, how is it possible to maintain those family relationships? What process for recovery do they use? Do they believe in the “disease” model of addiction? What supports do they provide/suggest for the family members?

This interview was awesome, and I plan on continuing with this topic, bringing great people like Barbara and Teri on as guests just reaffirms in my mind how important this show and these words are.

A Virus Free Life

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Are you stressed out?  Is sleep, rest, recovery, and white space few and far between in your life?  All too often we sacrifice the sanity in our lives to accommodate all the other tasks we have that drive us to the brink of exhaustion on a daily basis.

In technical terms, a virus is an ultramicroscopic inert, infectious agent that replicates only within the cells of living hosts, mainly bacteria, plants, and animals.  This would be the medical definition of what brings our lives to a crashing halt and interrupts everything that is on our to do list.  For the sake of this article I want to talk about the type of virus that infects our progress and outlook on the way we move through our lives.

The second definition listed for a virus is “a corrupting influence on morals or intellect; poison.”  Very interesting…that description reminds me of a lot of people and situations in life that completely inhibit the positive progress we could be attempting to make in our life.

Are the examples of your friends, family, or co-workers I’m describing beginning to pop into your head?  Are you thinking about the drama and unnecessary trouble that people associate with continuously?  These types of viruses in our lives bring us down in ways we just don’t seem to comprehend.  We all know the person that makes us cringe every time we see their name on the caller ID.  Before we even answer the phone we are well aware of the negativity that will be dripping from the earpiece as we end our conversation.  The people in our lives that constantly involve themselves in negative situations and project that negativity on everyone they come in contact with are the virus’ that are robbing us from reaching our potential.

Please don’t mistake my metaphor here as a call to arms to end all of your relationships with people you love that may be hindering your progress.  My goal with this post is to make us all aware that although a virus can be fatal to reaching your goals, you can become efficient at healing your life to make these relationships better.

The first thing that we all need to do is begin to generate an awareness within your group of people that you simply can’t be involved in behavior or activities that collectively bring you down.  Communication can be key in ultimately changing the behavior of that “virus” or turn around a bad situation into a learning experience.

Be the leader in your family or group of friends to start shifting the focus of social interaction from gossip or negativity to recognition and positive affirmations.  Take the initiative to discuss what everyone is thankful for and the great accomplishments that everyone is working towards.

Make the commitment today to be the best in everything you do.  By choosing to avoid or stray away from people and environments that bring you down we can start believing in the inspiring actions we witness daily.  Be a living breathing vaccine for everyone you love and care about.

Here’s to a fitter tomorrow!——-> R’s

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.” ~ Ghandi

Boomers Rock the week in review-7/09/2011

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“Boomers Rock”- The week in review

Happy belated Fourth of July everybody, we took Monday off due to the holiday so everyone had a long weekend, hurrah baby.  So let’s jump into the week starting on Wednesday.
Wednesday July 6th

Started the pre-broadcast with Nirvana and Kurt Cobain (just wanted to throw my tune selection out there as a matter of reference),  it’s pump up Trainer T before each show and I always have a different artist.

Man do I always digress, um yep,  so sorry.

We had a fantastic Wednesday started early, ( I don’t normally have a guest right out of the shoot at 6:05),  however today in honor of my first guest,  Joan Pagano the newest member to our ever growing family I had to get her in early,  boy am I glad I did,  can you say WOW!

Joan has been a trainer for over 20 years,  and she has had several very high profile clients, however that is not what made the interview compelling, not in the least,  Joan’s life is so similar to mine I found it simply amazing.

She is a strong strength training proponent and core strength advocate and functional fitness believer.

She was an athlete growing up,  lost her edge post college,  got sick and tired of being out of shape in her 30’s and decided to do something about it,  sound familiar?

Her reemergence launched her into her next life,  that as a fitness professional, and a lover of strength training,  a re-energized adviser and author.

Her books include  “Strength Training for Women” and “Strength Training Deck”, in addition to others and exercise DVD’s,  again my length of blog prevents me from writing a complete story on Joan,  which I easily could have,  just Google her and check out her body of work,  impressive.

To give you a quote from Joan tells her belief and passion, check this out.  “As a whole,  we’re in denial about aging and stigmatize it.  We push ‘anti-aging’ strategies to defend against the aging process instead of embracing it with an attitude of aging well or ‘pro-aging'”.

Can I say DING-DING!

Now that’s what I am talking about, attitude and love of life,  that’s my new friend Joan Pagano.  I certainly hope she decides to come back, because she was fantastic.

Also on Monday we had our first truly international guest,  Cliff Kovacs of Cairns,  Australia,  yes sir that Australia!

Cliff found the network and Boomers Rock by chance and he loved the format so he contacted us and just like that,  a new contributor and family.

Cliff brings a unique perspective and of course having family down-under is just so cool.  Not only that but he knows his stuff,  is prepping for his first all natural body-building show,  has a fitness expo coming and wants to share his knowledge.

He is a boot camp specialist among many things,  trains all types, including Boomers,  and MMA athletes triathletes, soccer athlete and ski-boat people,  (huh, right off Cliff’s bio,  I will ask him to clarify that one next time), and  is working with local schools helping students develop a love of fitness and a desire to become great coaches.

Plus he is a dad with two really cute kids,  (saw them on Skype during our pre-production call).

Cliff also has his boot camp model set up as a franchise opportunity,  so anyone needing a boot camp franchise in Australia,  now you have the hook up.
Friday July 8th

Got started with Run DMC and I know Shawn will bust my balls, but truth,  Lady Gaga.  I mean what can I say I think their upbeat pop stuff is catchy and I can jump rope like a madman listening to it,  so sue me 🙂

I have been efforting to develop a segment on financial health,  and then low and behold Sandy and I bump into a really old friend  David “Hutch” Hutchins,  and we struck up the conversation about his being involved with the health insurance business.

Now understand Hutch is a real bad-ass,  I mean stud in shape guy,  so the fit,  (as in he fits the profile),  to bring him into the show as our financial/insurance expert and boomer who gets it done in the gym is perfect.

We talked about his history,  back surgery 6 years ago that almost took him out of commission,  getting back into shape,  (have you heard this before?),  like many of us.

David will have a unique perspective,  is a great guy who is very honest and will be able to share his knowledge in the healthcare insurance genre.  That and we have known each other since junior high and played ball together,  I know this cat pretty well.

This in my opinion is a critical issue and I am blessed to have him as a new contributor.

That’s it for this week,  bigger and better each week, my thanks and deep appreciation to all of our guests, our staff and listeners.

Thanks so much for listening and reading.

Instead of my usual quote I thought a new link to a great site would work-
Trust for America’s Health: http://healthyamericans.org

Holidays are not Lazy Days

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Was Independence Day a day of rest, recovery, and rejuvenation from the stress of your everyday life?  As you know from some of my previous posts I believe that rest and recovery is paramount in achieving a healthy life of balance and limitless energy.

However, even though the 4th of July is typically a day off from our jobs it does not mean we have the excuse to sit around and consume loads of sweets, BBQ, and booze!  For me the 4th of July was a day to celebrate but also a day of exercise as my family was spending the weekend with some close friends at Torch Lake.

As beautiful as the beach and Torch Lake’s surroundings are I wanted to get a jump on the day and decided to take my good friend Tim Holmes through 60 minutes of fun and challenging exercises that would give us a chance to build our bodies before enjoying the endless sunshine.  I’m currently in the process of training Tim for his upcoming role in the new Disney movie “Oz” that he will begin filming in a couple weeks.  As an actor, business owner, father, and husband Tim understands the importance of never resting on his laurels as progress is achieved through dedication, determination, and consistency.

Tim and I had limited time on our hands as our wives and children wanted to get out and enjoy the lake so we had to have a workout that packed some punch.  I set up 6 stations in a circuit with resistance bands, 20 lb. dumbells, and the perfect push-up handles.  The exercises were performed back to back in super-sets and a 60-120 second rest period before beginning the circuit again. The exercises were as follows:

  • Alternating Bicep Curls: 4 sets x 15 repetitions per arm
  • Shoulder Wide Pull: 4 sets x 10-15 repetitions
  • Band Squat to Military Press: 4 sets x 15 repetitions
  • Band Alternating Front Deltoid Raise: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
  • Dumbell Plank Row: 4 sets x 20 lbs. x 10-15 reps per arm
  • Perfect Push-Ups: 4 sets x 15-25 repetitions

After completing four rounds through the circuit which took about 35 minutes, Tim and I performed a slow pace jog while keeping an eye on my heart rate monitor.  I wanted to keep a pace that raised our heart rate to about 150 bpm and then stop to perform sets of 25 push ups followed by lateral tube walking.  This lasted for the remaining 25 minutes of our workout.

In total, our duration was just under 60 minutes with a total calorie burn of around 900 k/cals.  My max heart rate was 165 bpm that occurred during the circuit portion of the workout and my average heart rate was 125 bpm.

Tim and I had a great time and felt amazing (as you can see from the video below) getting this workout in right after breakfast and before our daily activities.  What a way to start a beautiful day with friends and family while enjoying the beauty that our great state has to offer.  Don’t ever fall victim to a lazy mentality and work hard to continue living a healthy lifestyle on Holidays or while your on Vacation.  You will feel accomplished when it’s completed and continue to make healthy choices throughout the rest of your holiday.

Here’s to a fitter Independence Day for every American!——> R’s

“Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body.” ~ Cicero