Health Aging and Nutrition - Dr. Weil

Tai Chi and Green Tea - Relaxation and Reduction of Stress - Circulation of Life Energy

Dave Hayden — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:06:00 GMT

Tai Chi is derived from the martial arts, but it is very much an exercise meant for relaxation and the reduction of stress. It is all about getting your life enery ( chi ) circulating throughout your body. Eastern cultures believe that most aches, pains, and ailments are caused by the blockage of your chi.

Tai chi, often referred to as moving meditation, consists of slow, focused, deliberate moves that awaken your chi and allows it to flow unblocked throughout your body, improving your healthy well-being.

Dr. Weil approves of Tai Chi for healthy aging as it can not only be enjoyed by people of all ages, but it also reduces stress and is a form of exercise that is easy on your body; it doesn't include any jumps, kicks, or pounding on your joints and bones.

If you are interested in a healthy form of exercise for 2006, tai chi is an excellent form of exercise that can be done in your home.

Healthy Green Tea

Healthy Aging and Exercise Information

Green Tea - Healthy Aging Requires Exercise - Walking Yoga Tai Chi

Dave Hayden — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:42:00 GMT

I have made a conscious decision to learn more about healthy aging and to make exercise a regular part of my daily activities. Dr. Weil, in his book Healthy Aging, mentions the importance of physical activity to live a healthier life as you age:

“It is probably possible to lean an inactive life and still experience healthy aging, but it isn't likely. Maintenance of physical activity throughout life and successful aging go hand in hand; this was one of the strongest correlations found in the MacArthur Foundation's Study of Aging. Almost all of the health seniors I know were physically active throughout life, and many of them still are. They walk, dance, play golf, swim, life weights, do yoga and tai chi. Some of them are more engaged in physical activity than their middle-aged counterparts.”

I whole heartedly believe that you need to exercise, stretch, and practice relaxation and breathing techniques on a daily basis for a number of reasons: reduce anxiety and stress, keep your joints and muscles healthy, improve circulation, strengthen your heart, and sleep better at night.

As Dr. Weil mentions, you don't want to over exercise as it could be detrimental to your health. A brisk walk and steady bike ride sound healthier than the rhythmic pounding on your joints when jogging. Stretching before exercise helps circulation and warms up the muscles before exercising, but stretching is important throughout the day just to release bound up energy ( chi ). As a developer who spends a lot of time on the computer, I need to take regular breaks of stretching and meditation to revieve myself and eliminate the negative effects of sitting in a single position for a majority of the day.

Dr. Weil also mentions drinking up to 4 cups of green tea a day as part of healthy aging. I drink 2 cups of green tea in the morning after stretching and tai chi, and then drink 2 cups of green tea in the evening after additional stretching and meditation. Not only does the green tea have numerous health benefits, but the process of making the green tea and sipping it is very relaxing in of itself.

For a healthier you in 2006, make a conscious decision everyday to improve your health by planning plenty of exercise ( like walking, yoga, and tai chi ) to improve circulation, strengthen your heart, sleep better, reduce the effects of stress, etc.

Healthy Green Tea

Healthy Aging and Exercise Information

Dr. Weil Recommends Green Tea - Healthy Aging and Antioxidants - Remove Caffeine from Tea

Dave Hayden — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 22:29:00 GMT

I am slowly reading Dr. Weil's book, Healthy Aging, and came across a paragraph on Dr. Weil's recommendation of drinking green tea:

“I recommend drinking tea, especially white, green, and oolong, regularly - up to four cups a day. If you don't want all that caffeine or are very sensitive to the stimulant effect of tea, here is a practical tip: caffeine is very soluble in water; tea polyphenols are not. You can remove most of the caffeine from tea leaves by steeping them in hot water for thirty seconds and draining off the water. Then steep the leaves as you would normally. This will not detract from the flavor or antioxidant activity of what you drink. Try to buy high quality teas from tea shops, Asian grocery stores, or Internet sites;...” - Healthy Aging

More on Dr. Andrew Weil's Wellness Diet and Green Tea

Healthy Green Tea

Green Tea Health Information

Drink Green Tea and Practice Relaxation and Breathing Techniques to Eliminate and Reduce Stress

Dave Hayden — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 19:45:00 GMT

Stress is all around us and will never be totally eliminated from our lives. Just as soon as you eliminate stress in one facet of your life it seems that stress pops up in another aspect of your life. Given the fact that stress will always be around, the best you can do is manage the stress during the day to minimize its impact on your health and wellbeing.

I manage my stress during the day by practicing some brief relaxation and breathing techniques to reduce the feeling of stress that I found in Dr. Weil's book, Healthy Aging. After completing the relaxation and breathing technique, I enjoy the moment by brewing and drinking a cup of green tea.

You can practice a very simple breathing technique during the day when you feel a lot of stress.

Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind and above your front teeth and keep it there through the whole exercise.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a “whoosh“ sound.
Inhale deeply and quietly through the nose to a count of 4 (with your mouth closed).
Hold your breath for a count of 7.
Exhale audibly through your mouth to a count of 8.
Repeat steps 3,4, and 5 for a total of four breaths.

According to Dr. Weil:

“With practice this will become a very powerful means of eliciting the relaxation response that gets more effective over time. It is a tonic for the nervous system, shifting energy from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic system, with many physiological benefits: lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased circulation to the extremities and skin, and improved digestion...”

Once I have calmed myself using the relaxation and breathing technique above, I brew a cup of healthy green tea, which also has anti-anxiety properties to help calm you. For me, however, the process of brewing, steeping, and drinking the green tea is the “medicine.” Often it is a cup of Gyokuro, Sencha, or Jasmine Pearls, which are rich in antioxidants and flavor.

Healthy Green Tea

Green Tea Health Information

Healthy Aging - Dr. Weil - Touch for Optimum Health - Green Tea

Dave Hayden — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 11:18:00 GMT

In Dr. Weil's Healthy Aging Book, he talks about the importance of touch for optimum health. I couldn't agree with him more.

So many times we try to find a magical cure for our stress, aches and pains, hair loss, wrinkles, acne, etc. in a pill, and often the cure ( in my humble opinion ) can be found in continuous applications of a loving hug, holding hands, massage, or snuggling while watching a movie or lying in bed.

I notice that the more I hug and snuggle with my wife and children the happier and relaxed I feel. Any stress or thoughts racing in my mind just seem to melt away. Because I think my emotional state of being impacts my physical state of being, feeling good inside makes me feel and look better on the outside.

In addition to eating right, exercising, sleeping well, etc. to be healthy, one has to make touching others and being touched a regular part of your healthy lifestyle for optimum health.

Health Aging and Nutrition - Dr. Weil

Tai Chi and Green Tea - Relaxation and Reduction of Stress - Circulation of Life Energy

Healthy Green Tea

Healthy Aging and Exercise Information

Green Tea - Healthy Aging Requires Exercise - Walking Yoga Tai Chi

Healthy Green Tea

Healthy Aging and Exercise Information

Dr. Weil Recommends Green Tea - Healthy Aging and Antioxidants - Remove Caffeine from Tea

Healthy Green Tea

Green Tea Health Information

Drink Green Tea and Practice Relaxation and Breathing Techniques to Eliminate and Reduce Stress

Healthy Green Tea

Green Tea Health Information

Healthy Aging - Dr. Weil - Touch for Optimum Health - Green Tea

Green Tea Information