A real eye opener...

Hello again, I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. I had the great pleasure of joining 31 of my friends on a golf trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Apart from the weather, 50 degrees and rain everyday, it was a great trip. I have been going on this trip on and off for 15 years and it's something that I look forward to all year.

The one thing that I have noticed over the past few years is that not a lot has really changed over the past 15 years -- at least not for the better. My golf game certainly hasn't improved all that much; and our routine, although much quieter, has remained pretty much the same. There is one thing though that has changed in a big way. Now, I don't know if the game of golf attracts a certain type of person or if certain types of people are attracted to golf. Probably a little of both but let me get to the point.

The one thing that has changed is the shape of the average golfer. 15 years ago most of us on the trip were in reasonably good shape -- at least for golfers. Now? Well let's just say that waist sizes have dramatically increased while chests, arms and legs seem to have shrunk. Picture if you will, middle-aged men with skinny legs, sunken chests and big bellies. Not a pretty picture, I can assure you, especially when this group sits in the sauna after a round of golf. What happened???

Unfortunately, this question is all too easy to answer and this sunken chest - bloated belly condition doesn't just affect golfers. You see, as we age we lose about 1 to 2 per cent of our muscle every year. Live long enough and you could lose 50% of your muscle mass. This is bad enough but compound that with the addition of body fat, which is very, very easy to do and you have the picture I described above. Ugly, I know.

Coupled with the loss of muscle is a loss of strength, and flexibility and therefore the ability to complete everyday tasks with ease. Bone density also decreases as we age, so now we are weaker and more susceptible to injury. Our metabolisms slow, making it easier to gain fat; and some research suggests that the health of our organs is tied to the amount of muscle we have.

Next time you are out at the mall or at a restaurant take a look around. You will no doubt see too many examples of what I am talking about. That's the bad news. The good news is that you can avoid or if necessary reverse all of these conditions. Stay posted and next week we will begin exploring exactly what you need to do in order to avoid looking like pot-bellied stick with arms.

Peace
Coffee Black

It's time to talk about it...

It's time to walk about it...

This Sunday, at 11:00 am at River Park at West 83rd Street in NYC, The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is holding a walk in order to raise money and awareness about the potentially life threatening diseases of anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders. Did you know that nearly 10 million women and 1 million men have anorexia or bulimia: another 15 million people suffer from binge eating disorder?

Once you start talking about it, chances are you will discover that you have someone close to you who suffers from one of these illnesses. Neda is inviting you to join their cause and help fight these illnesses. You can register to walk at www.Myneda.org and you can donate at www.firstgiving.com/rebalance

Hope to see you Sunday.

Peace and Health
Coffee Black