My Approach

My approach is geared toward what’s stacked against me. Generally, family history, age, sex, lifestyle, and ethnicity can increase your risk for certain health conditions; they are considered risk factors. Some you can influence; some, like family history, you can’t.

Family History

My History

Personally, in 2023, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis of the spine and osteopenia of the hip. I also have scoliosis of the spine and notalgia paresthetica (a nerve disorder causing a persistent itch around my right shoulder blade), which I believe was caused by poor posture. Due to a couple of jobs in the past where I was continuously forced into a forward-leaning position, my posture is not the greatest.

Taking Action

What is important to know when it comes to osteoporosis is that it is not a death sentence to physical activity. Ultimately, your fracture risk will determine what you can do. The worst you can do is nothing. My fracture risk is currently minimal; therefore, after my diagnosis, I immediately adjusted my workout, among other things, to address bone strength.

The scoliosis causes lower back pain if I don’t keep my core muscles strong. One more reason why I work out. Correcting my posture is a work in progress; working in a desk job for the first time ever makes this more challenging since slouching is a constant temptation.

There is nothing I can do about the type 1 diabetes risk (not to be confused with type 2 diabetes caused by lifestyle). It is usually diagnosed before the age of 20 (there are exceptions), so I hope, I am past that risk window.

According to the doctor, my thrombosis risk is low. I still take measures to hopefully keep it from catching up with me.

High blood pressure is a lifestyle disease, and thanks to being proactive, my blood pressure is great. Now, let’s take a look at what I do:

What I do Daily

• 4:30 am: rise
• 5:30 am: work out according to schedule, stretch
• 6:45 am-ish: shower, get ready for the day
• 7:30 am: breakfast
• 8:00 am: work
• 9:45 am: 15-minute break – snack & exercises to get the blood flowing, stretches
• 11:30 cardio/lunch
• 12:30 pm: work
• 2:15 pm: 15-minute break – snack & exercises to get the blood flowing, stretches
• 5:30 pm: start dinner
• 6:30 pm-ish: things humans do when they don’t work
• 9:30 pm-ish: bedtime – positive (subliminal) affirmations

This schedule is not carved in stone; it is more of a baseline that gets tweaked daily as needed. Having it written out helps to keep my inner voice from sabotaging me, and sticking to this schedule as closely as possible when all hell breaks loose keeps me from getting overwhelmed. This outline is the center my pendulum can swing back to.

Of course, this schedule won’t work for everyone. Not all of us are morning people. Having a spouse, children still at home, pets, and work could all be things you have to mold your schedule around. I had to adjust mine numerous times over the years due to different jobs, having a family, and moving repeatedly.

It is important to schedule your workout for a time that feels right, though. I tried working out later in the day, but I could immediately hear whispers inside my head telling me what I could be doing instead, namely lying on the couch watching TV or reading. After working all day, those whispers can be very convincing. In the morning I have no excuse. Not only do I have the energy for a workout, but once I do it, it is out of the way and I can get on with my day and feel good about myself for having done it.

What I do Weekly

• Monday: strength training – upper body, stretch
• Tuesday: strength training – lower body, stretch
• Wednesday: stability/mobility training, balance training, abs
• Thursday: strength training – upper body, stretch
• Friday: strength training – lower body, stretch
• Saturday: stability/mobility training, balance training, abs
• Sunday: walk/jog or hike or bike

Again, this schedule is fluid. Life happens and adjustments become necessary. Other times, I switch things up and do something like a three-month workout program with a specific focus, like endurance, strength, or core.

Nutrition in a Day

• Upon rising I drink water with some apple cider vinegar. I find that keeping my 21-oz Hydroflask next to the sink helps me drink more water throughout the day.
• I don’t eat before my workout, but I have a cup of tea I sip on in addition to water. Typically, I make my own ginger tea, but if I need that extra pick-me-up, I will have a cup of green tea. Very occasionally I have some coffee.
• About thirty minutes after my workout I have breakfast. Breakfast consists of either a bacon-and-egg meal or a smoothie. If I have bacon and eggs, I will also have almond milk with grass-fed collagen, protein powder, and creatine for bone strength. If I have a smoothie, I add those to the smoothie.
• Mid-morning, I have a light snack. A boiled egg, half an apple with almond butter, or some veggies with dip hold me over until lunch.
• After my cardio session, I have my lunch, which consists of either leftovers from dinner the night before or some type of salad. Quick to make and one of my favorites is a tomato-onion-avocado-tuna salad with some Pepitos or sunflower seeds. I grew up on vinegar and olive oil dressing and that is what I still mainly use today.
• Mid-afternoon, I have another light snack (same type as the morning snack)
• For dinner, several times a week, I have a mixed salad. I like adding steak, tuna, bacon, salmon, chicken, or eggs for protein. When I cook a bigger meal, it is usually a protein source and a low-carb side like cauliflower mash. If I plan a long hike or intense workout, I sometimes eat more carbs the night before and the morning of.

More on Nutrition

• I eat organic as much as my wallet allows
• I eat mostly low-carb, high-fat, adequate-protein, rarely anything processed
• I mostly avoid sugar, grains and dairy
• I eat a small helping of sauerkraut each day, often adding it to stews, soups, even my scrambled eggs
• I add a bit of blackstrap molasses to my second cup of tea (high in iron, potassium, minerals)
• I drink electrolytes made with lemon juice, adding chia seeds and a splash of cranberry juice
• I take vitamin D, K2, and magnesium
• I don’t drink alcohol, and, naturally, I don’t smoke

This may sound restrictive and like a lot of new habits to someone who eats the Standard American Diet (SAD). Although my diet was never extremely bad, it took time to implement the changes. They didn’t happen overnight. Each time I learned something, I made a small change. Over time, my taste changed and so did my recipe collection. I will dive deeper into the changes and the reasoning behind them in future posts.

Yes, there was a bit of effort involved. It would have been, of course, much easier to keep eating the way I was eating, but at what cost? My older brother’s excuse – and I have heard this one from others – is that he’d rather die young and enjoy life by eating whatever he wants, drinking, and smoking. He ignores the fact that just because he doesn’t take care of his body to allow it to function optimally, does not mean he will automatically keel over and die at a certain point to avoid the consequences of his careless lifestyle. It may catch up with him in the form of years-long pain and agony and being dependent on others. Will taking care of your body spare you this fate? Life doesn’t make any promises, but I can say this much…it will certainly improve your odds.

Also, to counter his argument of wanting to eat whatever he wants, I do eat what I want. I enjoy the foods I eat. Eating this way is not restrictive to me. It is just different.

With that said, sometimes when I spy the ice cream sign near one of the gift shops in Glacier National Park, I say, “Screw it! I am having a waffle cone with a scoop of huckleberry ice cream and a scoop of vanilla with chocolate moose tracks.” Will I pay for it the next day? Probably. Usually, it manifests as brain fog, low energy, and sometimes a dash to the bathroom. But when that tiny moose track melted in my mouth, I chose to ignore the possible consequences. So, to sum it up, I eat well most of the time not only because it is better for me and makes me feel better but also because I enjoy it. But occasionally, I want to be a little kid in a candy store.

Also Part of my Approach

Besides being physically active and watching what I eat, I also try to incorporate other healthy choices:

• safer laundry detergent and household cleaners
• safer cosmetics and self-care items
• not using antiseptic mouthwash, which kills good bacteria needed for blood pressure control
• not using air fresheners and using safer candles
• using air and water filters
• using a standup desk
• wearing support stockings while working/standing for a long time
• dry brushing my skin to help with circulation
• using affirmations and subliminal/positive messages

We are living in a toxic world and expensive times. Both of these factors can limit what we can do. I am lucky to live in an area where the air and water aren’t too bad. For the most part, I just do the best I can with the resources I have. I am fully aware that I can’t avoid everything. But, if I can possibly improve my quality and length of life, why wouldn’t I at least try?

So, until someone proves to me that I will get reincarnated, I will live like I have one life to live, and I will try and make the most of it by taking care of the one body I have.