HAHPN - November #7 2010 - Recipe Sector

• Quick Note
• Movement Recipe
• The Doctor's Note

Quick Note: Bare with me as I give you all two e-newsletters in a row. I had intended on giving you the 7th November email last week and the 8th one this week, but I had an unexpected loss. So, things changed just a little bit. You were supposed to get a video, but December will bring more videos instead.

Movement Recipe
What is it? A movement recipe is simply another way to move better. It may involve re/organizing your office, house, room, or desk space in a manner that makes you move more. For example, let's say you sit at your desk for hours. The phone is conveniently placed in arms length. The printer is just a backwards push of your chair away. For starters, you can place your printer further away; so you have rise up from your chair and walk to the printer, which could lessen muscle stiffening.

But, do not think to have pity on yourself just because you know or may find out that you may not move as fluidly as you did 5, 10, 15, or even 30 years ago. Before that happens, this season or even this week visit someone who is sick. They're either in the hospital, in a nursing home, a family member, a friend, or a stranger. We're all involved in this wellness plan!

The Doctor's Note
Just because the doc says all vitals are fine does not mean everything is absolutely perfect. Sure, 120mm Hg/80mm Hg is normal blood pressure and total cholesterol below 200mg/dL decreases your risk of heart disease, especially among men. You may walk out of the doc's office svelte and happy. That is good by the way. But, look down and you see a tire. Or, look up and you may feel a lot of tightness in your neck. Better yet, look to the side and you may realize that you're limited in your range of motion.

Ah yes, the doctor did not give you the lab values for these movements. These are the small intangibles that escape the doctor's good vitals news. A normal blood pressure reading could mean that you cannot ambulate up a flight of stairs quickly without breathing hard. It's a smoke screen with an elephant in the room (no pun intended).

Sometimes, the good health news we receive is only good; but it's not great or excellent. It sounds good to our ears (hey, you have a normal heart rate and blood pressure), but is it truly good for what we do or how we feel after exiting el doctoro?

Be well,

Derek