Winter Garden Magazine June 2018 | Page 31

torque to your engine that has missed several service dates. Everything that exists is a summation of the input from all the moments that have preceded the now, so it is necessary to keep this in mind as you decide lifestyle changes are in order to continue into the future with a better outlook for your current “clunker” of a body. Maybe it’s not a lemon yet, and you want to prevent that reality, so as you realize this is the conveyance for your future to come, and it is under your jurisdiction as to how the maintenance and upkeep are conducted. No ifs, ands, or buts, output and quality of life is directly dependent upon the caliber of product and care an individual places in their body. In other words, fueling your body with fast food and incomplete food items that have little nutrition isn’t the pillar of strength to build a healthy body. Maintenance of the body with a healthy weight as a result of diet and exercise is the key to staving off heart disease, cancer in several forms, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease, and improved health overall. Treat your body for the V-8 you see it as, and that means feeding it with foods high in fiber to keep the pipes clean and clear of congestion, as well as items low in saturated fat, lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole foods to maintain efficient energy output. Taking the steps to eating foods to support excellence in internal health is the fulcrum for prevention of several maladies. When you are eating judiciously to maintain internal health, it’s also well-advised to keep up on exercise. Not only are you stimulating joints and strengthening muscles, but you are burning off excess calories from treats or alcoholic beverages, and lowering your blood pressure – which continues to sustain an environment with a lower risk for cancer and disease. No matter what, the time and effort put in is what you reap, and the years built into what you have now will not be deconstructed overnight, so take it slowly. The best way to approach a lifestyle change that might seem radical and foreign to you now, is to take steps to achieve your distant goal, and ease in as you are able to uphold the changes you are making. You will find continued success as you pace yourself and make subtle changes like biking or hitting the weights in the gym, that become habits over time, and serve your corporeal vehicle well. While men can easily be seen as the mainstay and source of strength, going for a physical check-up isn’t likely to be on a guy’s docket, especially if he isn’t feeling sick, and definitely not if he’s feeling overly stressed, as most men are conditioned to tough it out. But, starting around 40 and each year subsequently, a visit to establish a baseline of health, including measures for vitals, along with a blood panel to establish health over time, is a keen idea. Keep in mind the handful of male afflictions which strike most frequently can be easily avoided through continued on pg. 43 JUNE 2018 | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE |   31