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Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com
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What Age Will You Live To Be?

By Marc Wiltse

What was the first number that came to mind?  Why?  Now that
we've got you thinking I'd like to tell you a story.

This past weekend I saw something very interesting...
something that flies in the face of typical thinking and
says, "Na, na, na, na, na, na, you can't catch me," and then
proceeds to stick out a tongue for good measure.  :oP

Kalamazoo, Michigan had their annual "Do-dah" parade which is
basically a free-for-all parade anyone can participate in.
It's not held for any particular reason except to have fun...
which is reason enough in my book.

First came the standard banner carriers which announced the
beginning of the parade, and behind them Lester Weis, the
Grand Marshall.  The big deal is, Lester is 100 years
young (he looks more like a healthy 75) and he's not sitting
on top of a float but riding a competition bicycle.  He's
wearing shorts and his legs are in better shape than most 25
year olds.  Even more amazing is Lester's sense of balance,
as he's crawling along at snail-like parade speeds which
would cause more than a few people to fall over.

So how could a 100 year old man do this?  The answer is right
in front of us.  He does it, and he does it often.  At least
from appearances it's obvious Lester takes his health
seriously.

The first clue are his legs.  No one, especially a 100 year
"old" man has strong legs like he does unless they're using
them...a lot (my legs didn't even look that muscular
when I was riding 70-100 miles per week with 5% body fat!).

The second clue is his balance.  Riding a bicycle is a
serious test of one's balance.  After working with and
observing hundreds and possibly thousands of elderly people,
one of the things you notice is that balance and especially
falling can be a big concern.  Even young people in their
70's (after working with the elderly for 12 years, my idea of
"old" has changed ;o) ) can have difficulty with their
balance.

The third clue Lester takes his health seriously is the
quality of his equipment.  Most people who aren't serious
don't invest in the quality of bike he had.

What can we learn from this?  Living to 100 isn't a fluke, we
all make choices every day that determine our quality of life
and how long our life will be.  Sure there are things like
genetics and our environment that come into play, but we have
far more control than most people would like to believe.

If we think others are "lucky" we're giving up the control we
have in our lives to do something about our health and
happiness.  Each of us make our own "luck" as we go, there's
no doubt about it.  The more we do something in-line with our
goals of being healthy, the "luckier" we'll get.

99% of people do what they want, not what they need to do.
People eat processed food because it's quick and easy.  They
avoid exercise because "it's too much work" or because they
don't like to sweat.  They eat junk food that's high in
calories but has little if any nutritional value.

Nobody's perfect, me included, I usually try to eat healthy
but once in a while I've got to have some chocolate or some
ice cream.  The funny thing is I can tell right away when
I've had it, because I feel like I get tired more easily.

The total opposite happens when I eat plenty of fresh fruits,
vegetables, healthy food, and take *quality* supplements.
When I eat healthy like this I don't want junk food at all.
It doesn't even sound good.

We all have our weak moments now and then.  The key is to
make sure those weak moments don't become life-long habits.
After all I'd like to see you riding your bike in a parade
when you're 100 too.  :o)

Marc Wiltse
marc@awesomehealth.com

Send Marc an email and let him know what you thought about this article!

Copyright © 2000 All rights reserved.  Marc Wiltse

Kathy Sly and Marc Wiltse write Awesome Health's Tutorial. 
Check out their website:
http://www.awesomehealth.com

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Thought For The Day:

"The secret to being tiresome is to tell everything."
(Voltaire)

Verse for the Day:

"Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise."

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Sometimes it's the littlest kid who fights hardest."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"I taught my child the value of a dollar. This week he wants his allowance in yen." (Milton Berle)

Coach's Thought For The Day

"A coach has succeeded when he is no longer needed."

Deep Thought For The Day:

"As you make your way through this hectic world of ours, set aside a few
 minutes each day.  At the end of the year, you'll have a couple of days
 saved up."

  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    THUNDER27@aol.com  
/_/  \    "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \   Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body I live for the Son
   \_\/   of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  Galatians 2:20 

Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business.)

"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video we gave them. They loved it, to say the least!  Within thirty seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too.  They said it was the best Christmas gift we could have given them!!  You did such a beautiful job!  They were so surprised and so touched---they really, really, really loved it.  Thanks for helping to make it so special to us all.  My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for the video too!  Thanks again!"
        
Kelli  (RKaGe@aol.com)    College Station, TX

Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies!
Check out the web page for Michael's video production business!
 Video Imagery
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html

Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?
 The Four Spiritual Laws
http://www.ccci.org/laws/index.html

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