With Dr. Robert Clark, DO
I had my six-month checkup on my birthday. I get blood work every six months. Since I tend to push my body pretty hard, I want to know how I’m doing not just how I feel. My blood pressure was 98/68. The cholesterol levels were all great. Everything else looked good.
I need to work on better sleep. My mind sometimes doesn’t want to shut off some nights. I’m working on it with some meditation, taking some Melatonin, ZMA, and
sometimes Valerian root helps as well. Dr. Clark is a DO. The reason I go to an osteopathic physician is that I take a lot of supplements, and he works with me to make sure that I have optimal levels because, at my age, I want to take every advantage I can. Supplements give you an advantage because your body doesn’t absorb nutrients as well as it did when we were younger. That’s why I help my clients reach their optimal levels.
We talked about my goal of putting on more muscle. Then we got sidetracked talking about older people that I wanted to help, even though I love training young athletes. My big concern is people over 40 and the health problems that they have or will have.
We talked about how many times a day that he is talking to people about their health and eating habits and their lack of balance and strength as they grow older. He shows them how to do simple things at home to help them with balance. When your ankles grow weak, you really start losing your balance. We talked about how most of his patients don’t think to do anything until something major happens to their health and wellbeing. I’ve also said many times that people seem to think it won’t happen to them. When you talk to them about eating and health issues.
Then he brought up the fact that it’s not genetics when it comes to a lot of health problems. Yes, there may be a few things that can be inherited, but the vast majority of health problems are caused by one’s environment. If it was always genetics, twins would have the same health issues, and studies show they don’t.
I know sometimes I’m pretty blunt. It’s because I truly care, plus to get through to some people that are stubborn and bullheaded and need a wake-up call before they wake up in the hospital.
My main goal is to help people over 40 increase your strength, build stability, and increase mobility to have a healthier, more active lifestyle as they get older. The ability is active until they are 100. Physical health combined with an optimistic attitude will make you happier and more vital.
There’s a huge difference in the way people feel when they change their nutritional habits. They have more energy, better sleep, fewer aches and pains and a clearer head. It just means people have to motivate themselves to do what they know they need to do already.
Dr. Clark and I both believe that people are slowly and needlessly shortening their own lives. The body is an amazing piece of biological equipment. The body can heal itself, rebuild and balance its own systems when given the right fuel, rest, and resources. Yet some use it as an amusement park. I remember a line by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones:
“My body was a laboratory. I put things in it (drugs) to see what would happen.”
We unknowingly do this with food, and you’re right, change is hard. No one ever said changing your nutritional plan and exercise would be easy. If they did, they were lying to you. I always tell people to start out slow. Don’t try to jump in with both feet as you will fail quickly. You’re better off doing slow increments at a time to reach your goal. When I first started training a client I always start them out relatively slow depending on their initial assessment and then gradually progress. The same is true when you do a nutritional plan to eliminate bad foods. Go slowly. Don’t try to do it all at once or the next thing you know you’ll binge and eat everything in sight.
As always, I’m always here to help answer questions about anything you need, and if you feel this information will help somebody else please share.
Here’s to having an awesome life when you’re 100 years old!
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