Fall into Fitness – Autumn Book Review
As the weather changes from hot, humid, and rainy to crisp and clear, getting outside to walk, jog, bike or rollerblade becomes more pleasant. However, autumn does bring its own set of fitness challenges with fewer daylight hours and approaching holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Hanukkah filled with excesses of food, drink and calories – and more time demands competing with time for healthy food preparation and exercise, and adding to the stress quotient. It is also the time of year that often begins the “yoyo” cycle of over-eating/under exercising/weight gain followed by New Year’s resolutions to get back on track. If you have any desire to prevent this cycle from happening and to significantly improve your health and well-being, I highly recommend reading Ultraprevention a recently published book written by two of the country’s leading authorities on preventative medicine, Mark Hyman, M.D. and Mark Liponis, M.D., Co-Medical Directors, Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires.
This reader-friendly book challenges the traditional medical model of thinking, describes the latest scientific approaches to disease prevention, and includes illustrative and inspiring personal stories. Both authors survived catastrophic illness and have experienced first hand the means to recovering a life of vibrant health and well-being. This book is not the usual fare of simply “eat less, exercise more, and get regular check ups”, but looks at modern myths about health and wellness; the “five forces of illness” and how to control them, and how to “remove, repair, and recharge” for optimal health and well-being. (ISBN 0-7432-2711-5)
Finally, if you are looking for easy-to use nutrition information, now is the time to subscribe to the Nutrition Action newsletter published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. (you can save money by getting a subscription for yourself and a friend.) This research-based, 10 issues a year newsletter is packed with helpful exposes of misleading food labels, restaurant guidelines, supermarket savvy, and the latest research on the connection between diet and disease prevention.
The bottom line is this ~ do whatever you can to stay accurately informed, healthy, and fit. Doing so will add years and zest to your life. You deserve nothing less. Go for it!