Johnny's Health Blog 7-30-15

Hello everyone!  My blood sugar is on the way back down as today's reading was 155.  After today I won't always be listing my sugar count as I feel I need to cover other topics with this blog.  I will continue personal updates as I make a new stride or if something drastic changes either good or bad.  

Today's health tip is about mental health and how depression affects the brain. 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/07/30/depression-makes-brain-smaller.aspx?e_cid=20150730Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20150730Z1&et_cid=DM83397&et_rid=1056831053

As you can see the stress anxiety and depression can put on your mind, body and soul. 

That's all for today!  Stay tuned for the first "Live to Win NOW" radio program coming next week! 

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-29-15

Good afternoon everyone!  Today's blood sugar count was 164.  It's going back in the right direction which is down but it goes to show that it's easy to raise the number but tough to get it back down.  I fasted for the most part yesterday with a few modifications.  I had my protein shakes and veggie juice along with a lot of water.  I also had some nuts to snack on here and there but remember fasting to me is cutting caloric intake to about 600.  I will do this for one more day then move back into my normal routine.  

No health tips today as I didn't have the time to research a good article.  I will be back tomorrow and soon I'll add video!  

LIVE TO WIN NOW

Johnny

 Johnny's Health blog 7-28-15
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.*

Good morning everyone.  Last weekend was fun but in some ways it was horrid.  Yes last Thursday was an awesome day as it proved type 2 diabetes can be defeated without drugs.  Starting last weekend it was my and my wife's birthday.  You see I was born on the 26th and she the 27th.  Weird coincidence huh? Anyway before I started my lifestyle change I was addicted to sugar so indulging myself in a weekend filled with CAKE and ICE CREAM hey that should be fun right?  Strangely it wasn't near as much fun as I thought it would be.  In fact by yesterday afternoon I was ready to get back to my new lifestyle changes.  I will NOT be indulging myself no matter what next year as all it did was make my joints ache and make me feel tired.  With all of that being said my blood sugar count today was 170.  Yes that number is high and I was surprised it wasn't even higher.  We bought the cakes on Saturday (yes I said cakes, my wife decided that one wasn't enough) and the chaos went for 3 days.  I continued to at least supplement my diet and kept it to 170 but as I said that isn't happening next year!  So today it's back to basics and a it's time to get a little more extreme with things in order to not only get back to where I was at but to accelerate my weight loss.  How do I do that?  Fasting. 

Yes fasting is something I found that works especially for type 2 diabetics like myself.  Fasting isn't a bad thing or something that only poor people do because they're broke.  It's essential for total body health even if you don't have any type of disease.  Keep in mind that our ancestors didn't have access to the "foods" we have today in the age of mass production and processing (processing being a curse to us all).  I'm not talking about doing a long term "starvation diet" as all they do in the end is lower your metabolism, what I'm talking about is more of a cleanse to reset your body and restore normal levels.  Here are some of the benefits of fasting. 

• Normalizing your insulin and leptin sensitivity, and boosting mitochondrial energy efficiency: One of the primary mechanisms that makes intermittent fasting so beneficial for health is related to its impact on your insulin sensitivity.
While sugar is a source of energy for your body, it also promotes insulin resistance when consumed in the amounts found in our modern processed junk food diets. Insulin resistance, in turn, is a primary driver of chronic disease—from heart disease to cancer.
Intermittent fasting helps reset your body to use fat as its primary fuel, and mounting evidence confirms that when your body becomes adapted to burning FAT instead of sugar as its primary fuel, you dramatically reduce your risk of chronic disease


• Normalizing ghrelin levels, also known as "the hunger hormone" 
• Promoting human growth hormone (HGH) production: Research has shown fasting can raise HGH by as much as 1,300 percent in women, and 2,000 percent in men,² which plays an important part in health, fitness, and slowing the aging process. HGH is also a fat-burning hormone, which helps explain why fasting is so effective for weight loss
• Lowering triglyceride levels and improving other biomarkers of disease
• Reducing oxidative stress: Fasting decreases the accumulation of oxidative radicals in the cell, and thereby prevents oxidative damage to cellular proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids associated with aging and disease 

The rest of the article quoted above can be found here:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/14/intermittent-fasting-longevity.aspx

I've fasted before as kind of a self experiment just to see what it would do to my sugar levels and do you know what I found?  After only one day of fasting my sugar count dropped 20 points!  That got me over the hump of being stuck in the 170's and down below 150 back in early June.  So even before I wrote this blog today and read the article above I knew what I had to do in order to get back on track.  FAST!  So today started my "protein shake/juicing" regimen.  For the next two days I will only consume protein shakes and veggie/juice drinks.  With the proteins found in the juice and the shakes I will maintain my protein levels while eliminating carbs of all kinds.  I will continue taking my supplements during this two days as like my doctor said last week "don't change a thing that you're taking because it's working".  I fully expect my blood sugars to drop back down into the 120-130 range (possibly less) by Thursday morning.  I'm also turning up my exercise routine a few notches as my weight release was stagnated even before my big binge.  I will fill you all in on that as it goes along. 

Thanks for reading and remember LIVE TO WIN NOW!

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-23-15

F*&^ING A I DID IT!

Good morning everyone!  I said I'd do it and I did it, I kicked type 2 diabetes in the ass and it's NOT COMING BACK!  This is my reason for the f word above.  It's to emphasize the point of my celebration which is beating type 2 diabetes without drugs!  Today I had my 3 month check up for my condition and had an A1C test.  For those of you who don't know what that is it's a test to see what your blood sugar levels have been for the past 3 months.  Any reading of a 7 or above is a diabetic reading. My reading 3 months ago was 12.6 which isn't good.  My reading today was 6.4 which puts me in a "risk" category for diabetes but puts me OUT of the "diabetic" range!  The doctor came in the office and told me to stand up and give him a high 5!  He proceeded to tell me that he had NEVER seen anyone make such a dramatic change in so short of a time!  He was absolutely shocked but happy.  I've never seen a doctor so excited in my life and you know what?  It felt F"N great!  We went through my diet and exercise changes (which he approved of) and my supplements.  He also asked me the question I was waiting for which was "And you did this without the medication?"  I said YES, the meds have been on the shelf collecting dust.  After taking it for 3 days I put it away.  He was blown away by that fact as well.  He also said I LOOKED so much better.  He said that when he walked into the room he couldn't believe I was the same guy.  That also felt really good.  Now it's time to turn it up another notch and not only keep doing what I'm doing but take it to another level especially when it comes to weight release.  

There is one thing I was hoping would've been better and that's my weight loss/release. I prefer the word release instead of loss as a loss refers to something you can't do without and I don't need the extra pounds!  When this started I weighed in at 325lbs!  I couldn't believe I'd sunk that low and I was wearing a waist size 48!  My weight 3 months later was 272 (today's reading).  My current waist size is 42-44 depending on what shorts/pants I wear.  I guess I shouldn't complain as I have dropped 53 pounds and 5-6 inches off my waistline!  But I was hoping for something closer to 260. This means I have roughly 55-60 pounds to go as my ideal weight according to the USAF is 212.  That was when I was 22 years old so at 47 years old if I get back to 220 I'll be good to go and back in waist size 38.  Could I get to 200 and be a waist size 36 again?  Yes I'm sure I could but that weight wasn't healthy for me at 22 so why would I want to weigh that now?  In my senior year of high school I weighed in at 212 at the beginning of the football season and I was thin and in shape.  Well I'm a bigger guy so being "thin" is relative here.  The USAF said I should weight no more than 205 until we did a fat and bone density thing and they determined I could have a "waiver" to weigh 212-217 without being on the "fat boy" program.  In high school wrestling I had to stay at 185 or less or go heavyweight.  Staying at 185 was NOT healthy for me as I was weak and looked sickly.  Right now my goal is to be 220 which means I have 52 lbs to go.  I WILL get there so just keep reading this blog and watch the progress!  

See that picture?  This is the ONE THING I've been missing since I started and it's ICE CREAM!  While I may not have a bouquet of ice cream as in the picture I am going to have one damn cone for sure!  I fully expect my sugars to go up 15-20 points and that's ok as I know how to get it back down within a couple days.  I've learned a couple things since starting this lifestyle change and one is what to expect when I eat the wrong things like ice cream.  But to celebrate me moving back into "non diabetic" territory I'm going to have a nice home made ice cream cone!  In fact it's going to be what they call a "MEGA" cone and it's huge!  It actually fills you up and you can feel the sugars running through your veins lol.  The human body is an amazing thing seeing especially when you see how it can recover from a lifetime of abuse.

Keep in mind that all of this was done with NO DRUGS!  As I stated earlier the Metformin I was prescribed sits on the shelf collecting dust.  In closing today I must give "The Peoples Chemist" Shane Ellison another shout out!  While I can't prove his supplements made all the difference they definitely didn't hurt!  My blood pressure was also down to 132/90 (the lower number isn't great but that's not my usual 80 reading) from a level of 152/80.  So to Shane Ellison I say "thank you" for waking up (he used to be a chemist for big pharma) and for putting your books and supplements out there for those of us who don't want drugs, surgery or early death.  You can find Shane's books and supplements at www.thepeopleschemist.com.

Keep all of this in mind the next time you think of taking more and supposedly better drugs!  Think of this the next time you say to yourself "I can't do it, that pizza, cheeseburger or batch of onion rings is just too damn good".  You CAN do it and you WILL win if you commit to a LIFESTYLE change and don't look at it as a restricted diet.  Use this blog for inspiration and know that I myself used to think it was impossible until the dreaded diagnosis came in and kicked me in the ass hard!  If you've been told you're "border line" diabetic please DON'T WAIT, get yourself going on the lifestyle change NOW so you don't have to deal with the pain later.  Is it expensive to eat all organic and take good supplements?  Yes it is up front but ask yourself a question.  Is it more expensive to have a heart attack, lose a limb, go blind, early dementia or have a stroke or is it more expensive to eat right, exercise and take quality supplements?  I would guess I've spent close to $1500 total with doctor visits in 3 months time.  That's PEANUTS compared to having a heart attack and ending up in the hospital after surgery.

That's all for today and remember you CAN DO IT!  LIVE TO WIN NOW!!!!

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-22-15

Good morning everyone!  Today's blood sugar count was 134.  It's back on the downward trend which is great!  The target for me is to be 130 or less or at least that's what the instructions say is a good level.  My goal is 100 or less and being in the 90's would be just fine.  On the exercise front I'm back into the swing of things.  I'm back to doing my hindu squats and push ups and it's already producing results two weeks into it.  My posture is better, I have muscles in my legs I forgot I had and the squats help to stabilize my lower back.  I do three sets of each exercise while taking a 1-2 minute break between sets.  That workout takes about 15 minutes so there's no excuse of "I don't have the time" anymore.  

Today's health tip is about diabetes AGAIN.  It's the reason I made these life changes and it's the number one disease these days but it can be reversed!  No it's not easy and it requires a lifestyle change but it's worth it in the end.  This article touches on some things I didn't know before including early dementia being found in type 2 diabetics.  It also talks about the lifestyle changes you have to make in order to beat this disease without the drugs, which is why I write this blog! Speaking of drugs this is the one they gave me and it collects dust!

 

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/07/22/increasing-diabetes-rates.aspx?e_cid=20150722Z1_DNL_art_2&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20150722Z1&et_cid=DM80085&et_rid=1045611999

That's all for today!  Tomorrows blog will be delayed until evening as tomorrow is my 3 month check up day!  You all KNOW I'm looking forward to that appointment!  LIVE TO WIN NOW!

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-21-15

Good morning everyone!  Today's blood sugar count was at 154.  I don't know exactly what caused the 20 point rise except for maybe some grapes and mellon I had last night.  That's the only thing it could be as I didn't snack on anything bad yesterday.  Once again this shows how touchy my body is to any type of sugar including those from some fruits.  It's hard to resist some sweet grapes but resist I must at least for now.  

Today's health tip is for joint pain.  If you're at all like me you have some type of joint aches and pains.  Personally I have broken and sprained both ankles three times.  My first major ankle injury was back in high school football and it was a major sprain!  My ankle looked like someone cut open the skin and inserted a purple softball.  The other two were breaks with one needing 5 screws to put my tibia bone back together.  Couple those with my lower back issues and yep I've got some problems with joint pain.  So what's the answer?  

 

 

My answer is glucosamine sulfate (GS) (not the usual Glucosamine HCl).  Recent studies have shown it to actually start rebuilding cartilage between the joints and that has helped even my lower back making it possible for me to restart strength training.  The product I use is of course at The Peoples Chemist and it's called Joint FX.  The reason I use his products is because they work period.  You can find your own if you like and one other place I would recommend is vitacost.com.  They make quality products at a reasonable price or if you have something that works stick with it!  Once again look at the ingredients as the sulfate is what you're looking for when making your choices.  Be careful with mega store supplements as they're usually cheap imitation synthetic supplements made by the big pharma companies.  There are other active ingredients in this supplement that help with inflammation and pain but I'll leave that for you to discover.  If you want to find out more on the product I use (pictured above) and how it works follow this link.  http://thepeopleschemist.com/joint-fx/

Remember only you can make the changes and they have to be LIFESTYLE changes not just popping supplements.  LIVE TO WIN NOW! 

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-20-15

Good morning everyone!  My sugar was all over the place last weekend!  Saturday morning it was 115 which is great but by Sunday morning it was 154!  As of today it's back down to 134.  Why the big swings in blood sugar readings?  Friday night I ate well to include prime rib, veggies and salad.  But the decision to hang out with our friends after supper to listen to a good band, drink a few beers and dance is what led to my lower reading of 115.  Then the next day I didn't take all my supplements, I ate a late night snack to include a whole banana!  Why did I eat the banana?  Because my body needed potassium as my muscles were cramping from the workout I got dancing.  I danced about 6 songs which was fun but my body wasn't used to that and I was a little dehydrated from that and the beers I had.  This is why type 1 diabetics (those who inject insulin) don't drink or rather shouldn't drink because it can cause a severe drop in sugar count which can be dangerous!  I wasn't in any danger as my count of 115 is still a bit high but I knew it would lower my count so I wasn't that impressed with my 115 reading.  My real reading should've been at 125 to 130 without the beers and my reading this morning reflects that fact.  Oh no what am I to do?  What I always do I dust myself off and get right back into the fight that's what.  My 3 month check up is this Thursday and I'm looking forward to it but not if my levels are at 150 or better.  Once in awhile letting loose is fine but if a person drinks everyday it will eventually force your sugars higher as whatever the body can't process gets stored in fat and the excess sugar caused by alcohol will morph into higher blood counts.  Don't be fooled into thinking having a few beers everyday will cure anything because in the end it hurts more than it helps.  

I hope everyone reading today's blog learned something at my expense.  This is one of the main reasons why I write this blog and that's to inform you about mistakes I make and how I deal with them.  Nothing I did endangered me or anyone else but we always need to be vigilant!  Today's health tip is about alcohol and it's similarities to fructose, the sugar that leads to diabetes and something we all consume way too much of!  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/09/ethanol-alcohol-and-fructose.aspx

That's all for today!  Remember to LIVE TO WIN NOW!   

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-17-15

Good morning everyone.  Today the blood sugar was at 130.  That's a 14 point drop from yesterday!  I didn't really change anything but I did have my veggie juice.  I realize now that the nutrients I get from that have a positive effect on my blood sugar, more so than I thought.  If you want the recipe for what I call my "diabetic special" juice drink, check out earlier posts in this blog it's there somewhere ha ha.  UPDATE!  Here's the recipe I use for my "diabetic special".

Spinach, Celery and Parsley Juice

Ingredients:

2 Handfuls of spinach

1 stalk celery

1 Handful of parsley

3 carrots

1/2 green apple

First juice the celery and carrots.  Then juice the rest and enjoy!  

Today we're back to the subject of exercise.  I have a routine for strength training that really kicks my butt and it's called "Combat Conditioning" by Matt Furey.  What Matt has done is take old school body weight exercises and turn them into a routine.  Matt trains some celebrities and specializes in martial arts specifically Kung Fu.  He's the first American to win the championship in China and that's pretty bad ass.  The course focuses on core strength which equates to functional strength.  These exercises kick weight lifter's butts and they also give you flexibility which helps prevent injuries.  Speaking of injuries weight lifting especially after 30 years of age becomes dangerous and it doesn't give you flexibility.  In fact it has the opposite effect after time and big ballooned up weight lifters aren't very agile or flexible.  Today we'll focus on another of the core exercises and that's the push up.  Today's article will give you the tips you need to get the most out of your push ups.  

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/07/17/6-ways-to-maximize-push-ups.aspx?e_cid=20150717Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20150717Z1&et_cid=DM81958&et_rid=1038693835

There you go folks enjoy the day and the weekend.  Oh and remember to LIVE TO WIN NOW!

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-16-15

Good morning everyone.  Today my sugars were up 10 points from yesterday for a reading of 144.  I have no explanation for the slight rise other than some days it's up and others it's down.  I didn't have my veggie juice yesterday which is the only thing I did differently.  I've come to the realization that since I now have type 2 diabetes my sugars are more sensitive than they would've been if I had normal sugar levels.  I also didn't take as much cinnergy (my cinnamon and milk thistle supplement) yesterday as I have been.  I need to keep up that regimen as my sugars haven't fully stabilized yet and therefore I'm susceptible to more spikes until I get my sugars consistently down to 100 or below.  This is a lifelong fight for me and I had to get to that place of understanding in order to stick with my regimen.  To sum it all up I plan on kicking diabetes' ass on a daily basis!  

 

 

 

Today's health tip is about diet sodas.  Yes I know more stuff that can kill you right?  First they say it's good then they say it's bad.  Based on my experience in life I can truly say diet soda is bad.  I've seen what heavy consumption can do based on what a member of my family has experienced.  He consumed 12-15 diet sodas PER DAY for years and years.  He found out he was an alcoholic in his mid 30's and walked away from booze but he switched his addiction to diet soda.  Aspartame has been linked to diabetes, cancer, tumors and numerous other such diseases.  Studies also show that people who drink diet soda on a regular basis actually gain more weight than they ever lose and can also lead to sudden heart attacks etc.  Think about all of this the next time you think of grabbing a can out of your office vending machine.  While sugary sodas aren't much better at least you have a good grasp on what excess sugars can do to you.  The big soda companies don't care about your health and the sooner you realize that the better off you'll be.  Here is a good article with new studies on aspartame and what it can do long term.  

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/06/09/the-end-of-diet-soda-huge-study-links-aspartame-to-these-major-health-problems/

 

That's all for now, cya tomorrow!  

 LIVE TO WIN NOW!

 

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-15-15

Good morning everyone!  Today my blood sugars were back down to 134.  I stayed true to my new diet and presto things are back to normal.  Now it's time to get to the finish line of 100.  It appears as long as I don't cheat with french fries or sweet BBQ sauce I'm ok.  So no more of that unless its a special occasion like my birthday at which time I will proceed to have a small helping of cake and ice cream!  I'm sure that will cause me to spike again but now that I know fasting wipes it out quick I'll be ok.  I don't recommend that you do that unless it's very few and far between.  In fact when we went to refill my prescriptions for lancets and test strips the pharmacist said her husband had his diabetes under control the natural way as well.  Sadly she said he couldn't maintain the strict regimen for long and is now back on medication.  Sigh.  This is why my doctor said he had only seen 4 or 5 people in his career who had beaten diabetes the natural way.  This is a lifestyle change and unless you accept that and embrace it you won't succeed.  If you look at it as God punishing you or if you think it's too hard to stick to then you will fail.  I used my diagnosis as a tool to motivate me, a wake up call if you will and I've never looked back.  If I screw up I admit it and I make corrections and move forward.  It's not about will power which will fail you 90% of the time, it's about CONVICTION and knowing deep inside that you can defeat this disease without drugs.  

Today's health tip are three teas that help you lose weight, lower blood pressure and gives you a whole bunch of antioxidant benefits!  You can check out the article here.  

http://www.naturalnews.com/050394_weight_loss_herbal_teas_natural_health.html

That's all for today!  Remember to LIVE TO WIN NOW!

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-14-15

Good morning everyone.  This morning my blood sugar shot upward to 164!  That's a 30 point increase in 24 hours.  What made the difference?  Take out ribs is the only answer I can come up with as it's the only thing different in what I normally do.  The sauce was good but sweet and that is the culprit.  The source was Famous Dave's and while they serve great food it's obviously loaded with sugar and probably MSG as well (hence the great taste).  It's my fault and since I want to be held accountable by doing this blog I have to admit when I've fallen short of my goals.  Today I'm back to being super strict which will include no solid foods today and maybe tomorrow as well.  I also switched brands of protein shakes but I'm not sure if that contributed to the rise or not.  The sugars in the new brand is only 2 grams but it might've had an effect.  I'll use it again for the next two days and if the sugars don't drop then I'll have to send it back and go back to my old formula.  Obviously I will keep you all informed about what happens.  This is not a slam on Famous Daves as I don't have all the evidence I need to come to a final conclusion but rest assured I'm going to look up some ingredients and report back to you on what I found.  

 

Today's health tip is about fruit.  Last week I noticed that bing cherries seemed to cause spikes in my sugars.  It appears that tart cherries are fine and also berries of almost any kind are ok as well.  Blueberries are a "super food" full of good stuff like anti-oxidants and  other berries are awesome as well.  These include raspberries, blackberries, strawberries etc.  Here is a link to the article.  

 

 

http://www.everydayhealth.com/diabetes-pictures/best-fruits-for-diabetes.aspx#02

 

That's all I have for today!  LIVE TO WIN NOW!

 

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-13-15

Good morning everyone!  Today my blood sugar was 131 which is a tad higher than it has been.  Why did it go up 6 points?  Because I had a "cheat" day yesterday in which I consumed 3 good size slices of pizza!  Let's face it making a complete lifestyle change isn't easy and without a cheat day once in awhile is it worth it?  This is only the second time in 3 months I've done this so I won't beat myself up at all.  If I continued to do this even once a week it wouldn't be good at this point. You see once you have type 2 diabetes it's not a good idea to play with fire at all until you have it under control without drugs.  I've gotten to know my body quite well since I started this big change and I knew I could sneak a cheat day in yesterday.  Thankfully I was right as my blood sugar only went up 5 points from the day before.  If you're not afflicted with any health issues having a cheat day once a week is fine but if you're like me you need to really know your body before attempting this.  

Today's health tip will focus on exercise.  Hindu squats or thrust squats are an excellent way to build core strength, balance and burn major calories without hurting yourself like traditional squats with weights can.  Hindu squats are simply body weight squats and they will kick your butt!  I started using these 10 years ago and I only wish I would've been consistent with them.  Here is an article that describes them better than I can.  

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/05/25/darin-steen-demonstrates-the-perfect-squat.aspx

In the video the instructor uses weights but other experts say it's not necessary and I tend to agree with that statement.  Using just your body weight while keeping tabs on your breathing and form are just fine as they work wonders for me.  They're also easy on your joints and your back if you have those problems like I do.  Do as many as you can in a set then give yourself a 1 or 2 minute rest period then do 2 more sets (as many as you can) while keeping the same rest breaks.  As you can see in the article they work more than just your legs.  Your entire core gets involved so you can keep your balance.  Don't worry if you can only start with 5 or 10 it's not a race!  If you can't do any to start with do a wall chair exercise.  Put your back against the wall and get into a sitting position and hold it for as long as you can.  This will build up your strength so eventually you can do the squats.  

 

That's all for today!  I hope you LIVE TO WIN NOW everyday!  

 

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-11-15

Good morning everyone!  I missed blogging yesterday so I'm doing it on a Saturday instead.  My blood sugars are doing well, holding at 127 again.  Yesterday the count was up to 140 and I was wondering why.  I found out that it was because I ate two handfuls of cherries the night before as I didn't have any last night and my count was back down.  This sucks because I really like cherries!  I mean damn I gave up ice cream, chips and other things I like and now I have to give up cherries as well?  I realize now I shouldn't eat them as a late night snack but rather I should only have ONE handful with supper.  I'll try that tonight and see if it works.  If the count goes up then I'll know I can't eat cherries period.  I hope that's not the case but if it is so be it.  

I had a person ask me for some advice earlier this morning.  That felt good in fact I felt honored to share some things with him.  I'm glad to see the blog is getting some attention and even better people are paying attention and are looking for better ways to reduce weight and improve their health without medications.  I also caution them to keep taking their medications until their situation improves and the doctor says they're good to go.  So once again here's my FDA disclaimer:  This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Today's health tip is about emotional and spiritual health.  Stress, anxiety and depression are killers.  They all have been proven to cause premature aging, ulcers and weakened immune systems just to name a few physical side effects.  This is why I feel spiritual health is the most important factor in life because if your spiritual life isn't in order it can affect everything else in your life.  Do you want to be happy in your own skin?  You have to love yourself in order for that to happen.  I don't mean being arrogant about it but rather just being able to love who you are when you look into the mirror.  If you can't say to yourself "I'm proud of you" when you look into the mirror things are out of whack.  Spiritual and emotional health problems will manifest into physical ones as they can cause you to raid the fridge for comfort, drink too much and sometimes you can't sleep at night.   This will not only cause you to gain weight and lose health but it will crush your spirit.  There's also major side effects from taking the antidepressants doctors prescribe for you.  In my case I was given wellbutrin for quitting smoking.  While it did work to reduce cravings it actually made me very edgy when in fact it was supposed to have the opposite effect.  Here's one of the best articles I've found about those drugs and the fact they don't really work!  In the study you'll see that people who took a sugar pill were actually better off experiencing the "placebo" effect.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/10/why-antidepressants-dont-work.aspx#!

What's the solution? One solution at least for me is read some books to give you tips on how to deal with stress naturally.  For me the Holy Bible is a great source of spirit food.  Even if you don't believe as I do the book of Proverbs is a great book of advice!  The scriptures there hit home hard sometimes if you're sick in your spirit and they make you realize where you've gone wrong.  The book of Psalms is another good source of spirit food.  They give me reassurance that even in rough times God is always here to help pick me up and dust me off.  There's hundreds of other good books out there as well.  I love books by Brian Tracy, Grant Cardone and others that teach you exercises and techniques to get your goals in order and give you tips on how to reduce stress and manage your time.  The bottom line here is once you find what combination works for you stick with it.  If you feel that inner peace when you wake up for the day you'll know it.  Then you're on the right track and you just need to make it a habit.  There's also tons of free videos on youtube from the people I mentioned above and also by other speakers like Tony Robbins so you can't use the excuse "I can't afford it".  If you have internet access that's all you need, the rest is FREE!  Just go to youtube and type in what kind of video you're looking for and I'm 99% sure you'll find one.  

That's it for today!  Live to Win NOW!!!

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-9-15

Good morning everyone I have some victories to show off today!  First my blood sugar is holding at 123 which means I'm over another hurdle as I've been able to keep it down this past week.  I upped my cinnamon/milk thistle pills this week (called Cinnergy) to 3 times per day instead of two and I think that's been a key.  If you're per-diabetic or you don't have blood sugar issues twice per day is plenty but for me three times per day is what's required at least for now.  As I've stated before everyone's situation is different and what works for me may not work for you.  There's no one single solution to this mess I put myself in and I have to adhere to my diet/supplement regimen.  Also my weight release since mid April was 14lbs.  That's roughly about 5lbs per month.  I was hoping it would've been 20lbs but I've had to cut back on my exercise intensity and frequency due to my back issues so I'll take it!  So far I've released 50lbs with 60 more to go!  Let me tell you releasing this much weight isn't near as easy as it was back in 2000 when I dropped 50lbs in 3 months lol.  At age 47 my metabolism isn't what it was and back then I didn't have a back injury holding me back in the exercise arena.  If you're still in your 30's you better get busy!  If you wait too long you'll end up like me and it takes longer! Remember this is what's working for me and you may need a different approach.  I've spent hundreds of dollars on different supplements to find what would work for me and the stuff I get from the peoples chemist work best for me.  There are other great companies out there as well and if they work for you great don't change a thing!  I just thank God I found what works for me as it has saved me from being a big pharma zombie.  And of course I better put my FDA disclaimer up at this point so I don't go to a prison camp.  "*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."  

The health topic today is laughter and it's benefits to the body and soul!  The Bible's book of Proverbs says it like this:  "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."  You can find that in chapter 17 verse 22.  How true is that statement?  From a personal standpoint I feel it's crucial!  Anyone who knows me knows that I love to laugh and smile.  In fact during my first year in the car business my fellow salesmen called me "smiling Johnny".  Smiles are infectious!  They tell people that you're comfortable in your own skin and that you're the person to do business with!  Who wants a crabby depressed salesperson?  Not me!  That's all fine and dandy but where's the science?  The science can be found here in this article: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm.  

The article has a summary that says this:

Laughter is good for your health

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. 

Wow with all those benefits why wouldn't you want to laugh?  No I don't laugh all day everyday but I always seem to find humor even if things don't go right which is super important!  Also being able to laugh at yourself (like when you can't find your keys which are in your hand) is important.  We beat ourselves up on a daily basis and that needs to stop if you want to be successful in life.  You can get knocked down but don't stay out!  Laughter is the best healthiest way to alleviate stress, anger, frustration etc.  This doctor puts it this way: “Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”

~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

My advice for today is smile a lot and laugh when you're stressed out!  Think of the line of a movie you watched that made you crack up or something in your past you laugh about these days even if it wasn't funny then.  Love yourself, laugh at yourself and pass it on to others who need it (where appropriate).  God bless you all and remember to LIVE TO WIN NOW!

PS  Tomorrow I will talk about something millions need to hear about.  Natural heart health!  

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-8-15

Good morning everyone!  I've cut back on my postings because my business has been well busy.  I decided to update when I can and not beat myself up over it.  Life gets busy and finding a balance between work and down time is critical for health as well.  

My blood sugars are holding between the 120's and the 140's over the past week.  It varies depending on what I eat, the frequency of supplements I take and the amount taken and lack of exercise due to my spinal steno sis.  No I'm not making excuses as I still get some exercise in but the pain levels aren't allowing me to do other things like interval training.  So for now my weight loss has stagnated and I'm looking forward to the day I can get back into interval training.  Now for today's health tip!  

Tumeric has been shown in studies to have multiple health benefits from everything to arthritis, Alzheimer's and overall heart health.  It contains a compound called curcumin which is a powerful antioxidant.  You can read more about all the benefits in this article I found.  http://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric/

As you can see this spice/herb has many benefits and is included in my daily multi vitamin I take in the mornings!  Combined with my other supplements I can attest to the fact my blood pressure is lower and I have more energy throughout the day.  It also helps prevent what I call "brain fog" meaning I can focus better on the task at hand instead of being distracted.  

That's all I have for today!  LIVE TO WIN NOW!  

Johnny

Johnny's Health Blog 7-3-15

 

Good morning everyone!  Sorry I missed a couple days of this blog but I was hit by a cold virus and food poisoning in over a 2 day period.  Amazingly I recovered quickly due to my lifestyle changes and I healed without a doctors visit or drugs.  My blood sugars were up and down quite a bit during this period and were at their lowest yesterday at 129.  Today they were up to 150 due to my erratic schedule in eating, not eating and not being able to take my supplements due to extreme nausea.  Last night I was able to eat some toast and a fruit smoothie but due to the lateness of the hour my sugars went up.  No excuses here just stating facts and it shows how sensative my sugars are due to type 2 diabetes.  No worries however I just need to get back on track now that I'm healing up.  In fact next week I'm planning a 3 day fast by consuming only water and veggie/fruit juice drinks.  I'm not doing this to prove a point I'm doing it to flush my system out and I'm looking forward to it.  Today I'd like to share what I'm doing in regard to getting sick and what I do to recover from it.  

 

This is what I took when I started feeling ill and two and a half days later I'm doing great!  I should add that I also took garlic tablets (a great natural antibiotic) and here I am.  The next picture is of the ingredients label in case you want to buy them separately. 

These ingredients are more effective than others out there according to Shane Ellison's and others  research and I'm living proof that it works.  Go to www.thepeopleschemist.com for the details on this and his other supplements.  No I'm not getting paid any referral fees or anything else for recommending his products I use them because they work period.  No hype no bs they just work!  I must also say that my lifestyle changes including diet and exercise also helped my recovery as I'm not eating the GMO/processed foods/refined sugars which all suppress the immune system.  In the past it would've taken me a few extra days to feel this good after being whacked with the double whammy I was hit with this week.  Do you own research and think for yourself, don't take your doctors word as gospel.  Antibiotics have their place but they are way over prescribed these days and now we have super bugs that are antibiotic resistant. 

LIVE TO WIN NOW
Johnny