Health

Now let’s be honest, human health in this country is a huge problem. Even worse, it's affecting kids more and more. It's
not just obesity, or diabetes, or just plain being out of shape, it's the mental side of it that is WAY too often overlooked.
Being in shape can change your life - higher self esteem, positive outlook on life and the future… and it sure doesn't
hurt results at the track! So, what are we doing to correct this issue? Weight loss pills, starving ourselves, or just
ignoring it? These are some of the worst ideas a person could have. First off, weight loss drugs are a temporary fix,
some are even known to cause long term problems. Most medicines are designed to treat the symptoms, not the actual
problem. Denying your body of nutrients is a recipe for failure. We need food, good healthy food. Let’s cut out "fast"
food almost completely, let’s take the extra 15 minutes to cut up some veggies and cook some lean meats. Eating the
right amount of food is a simple equation of calories in and calories out. Ignoring this will lead you down the road you
haven't planned for. We all plan to live long, have fun and succeed. Success, whether it's in life or at the track,
will be dampened by poor health. Let's not forget about the physical side of being healthy. A good diet will keep your
weight in check (most times), but combined with exercise it can be the one two punch for good health and good results.
There are tons of things we can do for exercise; biking, running, swimming, hiking, rock climbing, football, track and
field, soccer.....the list goes on and on. My key to fitness is doing things that I love to do, and then it seems a lot less
like work and more like a fun activity. In our younger years is the best time to build a strong aerobic base. This is the
foundation for the rest of our lives. It is proven that the more active we are as kids, the easier it will be to stay fit
throughout our life. There is also the "fat cell theory" which states that as kids fat cells multiply while growing and stop
multiplying when we stop growing. Overweight kids grow more fat cells than "normal" kids and then they keep that same
number of fat cells throughout their life. So, once they get older they have a harder time losing weight and keeping it
off because they have an excessive number fat cells. When adults get overweight, the fat cells they already have grow,
they don't necessarily multiply they only swell and shrink depending on our lifestyle. Having a large number of fat cells
is not a prison sentence though. Studies show that with long term healthy living habits, fat cells that have been shrunk
will be eliminated by your body.
So what am I saying? Eat a balanced diet of the four food groups, take good vitamins, educate yourself by reading a
book or two on fitness, and exercise 3-4 times a week before it's too late. You'll find yourself happier and more
confident. Take the time to find a good doctor and a good chiropractor that are focused on PREVENTION and listen to
them. Prevention really is the best way to stay healthy. Once you’re behind, it's a lot harder to get back on top.

For more info on the fat cells check out the link below.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/4208-need-fat-cell-theory/
I'm not trying to sell anything here, just trying to inform my fellow racers and families. This sport has been great to me,
and I want to see others benefit from it in the same way I have.

Here are some facts my chiropractor (chirosport) put on a CD about our country’s approach to medicine