Each day you can listen to KOY’s Healthy Living Tip on the Danny Davis Show. Apply these tips to your own life and watch as you start to look and feel better! Try it you’ll like it!!

Healthy Living = A Balanced Diet and a Preventive Health and Exercise Program

A balanced diet and effective exercise program are an important part of healthy living, but they're not the only considerations. Our bodies need adequate rest in order to recharge. Stress reduction is very important. Problems in one area can affect the other areas. Stress can make it hard to get adequate rest, which can make us too tired to exercise, which denies us the chance to burn off some stress, and so on. It's a vicious circle.

Exercise!!! You're never too old to Start

It's never too late to improve your health through exercise. No matter if you're 17 or 70, exercise helps with flexibility, strength, and balance. It also does wonders for your mood. To become active - or to stay active - find activities that you enjoy and make them a part of your day. Your goal should be 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days of the week.

Staying independent is a great incentive to maintain strength as you age. There are other good reasons. Having more muscle makes it easier to avoid weight gain since muscle burns more calories than fat. Building strength also builds strong bones, which helps prevent the bone-thinning disease called osteoporosis. And toned muscles look better than flabby fat.

After age 20, most adults lose about a half pound of muscle a year. By the time you're 65, you lose 25 percent of your peak strength.

But you're not destined to grow softer and weaker just because you're getting older. Experts say most of this muscle loss comes from not using your muscles enough as you age, rather than aging itself. If you use your muscles regularly, they'll stay strong and firm, regardless of age. That's why it's especially important for older adults to strength train.

Studies have shown that men in their 60s and 70s who strength train regularly have muscles that look and perform as well as inactive men in their 20s and 30s.

Yet most people age 65 and older don't do enough strength training to stay strong, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A January 2004 CDC study found that only 11 percent of adults age 65 and older strength trained two or more days a week, the amount experts recommend.

You can start building and regaining strength at any age. So if it has been a while since you've worked on your strength, don't worry. Research shows that even people who begin strength training in their 90s can gain muscle and strength in as few as eight weeks.

How Much?
To increase your strength, you should do strengthening exercises two or three times a week, working all your different muscles. That includes your arms, legs, chest, shoulders, stomach, and back. Repeat each exercise 10 to 15 times (a set) and do one or two sets of each exercise.

Strengthening exercises involve working against resistance from your body or some other source, such as weight machines, free weights or barbells, a body bar, resistance bands, stability ball, or water.

While the weight room remains a popular place to strength train, there are many other things you can do besides weight lifting to build strength.

Old-fashioned calisthenics, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups — now the foundation for the popular "boot camp" classes — is one example. And some aerobic activities that build endurance, such as cycling, running, and certain martial arts and dance classes, are also good leg-strengthening exercises.

Other options include:

• Water aerobics
• Ballet
• Yoga
• Pilates, which focuses on building "core" strength in your stomach and back muscles
• Walking

Choose activities you enjoy so you stick with it. Mixing up your workouts every now and then will keep you from getting bored. If your fitness routine consists mostly of exercises that strengthen the lower body, such as biking or walking, be sure to balance out your upper body with a workout too.

For example, if you walk three or four times a week, do an upper body workout on alternate days. Try hand weights, a rowing machine, or push-ups. Daily stretching, even for 10 minutes, will keep you limber and reduce your risk of pulling a muscle or some other injury. You also can work strength training into your regular aerobics or flexibility routines.

Even though you're likely to see results quickly at first, that might change after several weeks of working out. This is normal. Don't get discouraged. Stick with your program even though your improvements are not as obvious. After several months of resistance training, most men and women will increase their muscular strength by 20 percent to 40 percent, according to the American Council on Exercise ( ACE ).

If you can't repeat eight weight exercises in a row, the weight is too heavy — get a lighter one. If you can lift a weight more than 15 times in a row, the weight is too light — get one slightly heavier. Don't increase the weight you lift by more than 10 percent at any time. And remember to warm up with slow movement, such as marching in place, and cool down (stretch) your muscles each time you work out.

A good video, a book from the library, a group-class or a health club instructor can show you how to lift weights correctly if you haven't done it before. Controlling your movements and having proper posture and form will also keep you from getting hurt. You can check your form by working out in front of a mirror.

You don't have to lose your strength or muscle tone just because you're getting older. As long as you continue working your muscles, they'll continue working for you, by keeping you strong, fit, and independent.

Sources: American Council on Exercise, U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute On Aging

Healthy Living and Stress
Stress has sabotaged many an attempt at healthy living. It's hard to get adequate rest, exercise, or even find the time to prepare a balanced diet when stress levels skyrocket. Taken on a daily basis, certain dietary supplements have proven to bolster our ability to deal with stress. They include:

• calcium
• magnesium
• zinc
• ginseng

Dietary supplements can help our bodies maintain adequate levels of vitamins and minerals during those times when we can't give our full attention to healthy living and eating a balanced diet.

Dietary Supplements for Preventive Health
Taking certain supplements on a regular basis may reduce your chance of developing a variety of diseases, including heart disease, high cholesterol, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer. While adequate nutrient intake through a balanced diet and supplementation certainly plays a major role in promoting healthy living, it may also play a role in preventing and treating mental fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Getting Rid of Toxins from our Body
The onslaught of toxins that we come in contact with each day has caused numerous intractable symptoms that are beyond the reach of conventional medical therapies. Our bodies are on toxic overload and our exposure to toxins increase daily as new chemical substances are introduced into the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Total Body Cleansing from Vitality Health Spa, combines a number of recently developed technologies which in combination with supporting food supplements, greatly increase the body's ability to release toxins. The results are oft-times miraculous as long-standing symptoms abate.

Minimizing Lactic Acid Build
It is important to understand how and why lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. When glucose is burned for fuel during exercise, it is broken down to a chemical called pyruvate. If you are working at a low enough intensity, sufficient oxygen will be available to easily convert pyruvate to carbon dioxide and water, which are removed by the lungs. When you are working at a very high intensity, however, there is not enough oxygen to convert all the pyruvate to carbon dioxide and water. The result is that some of the pyruvate is converted to lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles and overflows into the bloodstream. Lactic acid causes the "burning" sensation felt in muscles during high intensity exercise and also prevents muscles from working their best.

First and foremost, you must stay well-hydrated at all times. This includes before, during, and after training sessions as well as throughout day-to-day activities. During the training sessions and directly afterward, try to consume foods that are easily absorbed and digested. This can include sports replacement drinks. In addition, make sure that you eat soon after each training session -- within the first fifteen minutes if at all possible -- to help replenish your depleted glycogen stores. Your post-exercise snack should include a carbohydrate-protein combination.

Mental Fatigue
Mental fatigue can be caused by continual mental effort and attention on a particular task, as well as high levels of stress or emotion. Basically, any mental process that goes into overload can result in this disorder.

Many people begin to show signs of mental fatigue later in the working day … tasks seem much more complicated, concentration is low, and mistakes are made. Likewise, late nights spent working or studying can cause mental fatigue, making information difficult to recollect and resulting in mistakes and clumsiness.

Although there is no actual cure for mental fatigue, you will find many elixirs and herbal remedies on the market that claim to help with this condition. They are usually little ‘pick-me-ups’ and can work very temporarily, but have no long-term effect on continuous mental fatigue.

However, there are several ways in which sufferers can help themselves. The first is through exercise, as this will improve oxygen levels in the bloodstream and will improve cognitive processes as a result. The second is to take a good look at your diet. It is not necessarily weight that is an issue here, but nutritional values. In this day and age, it is not uncommon for breakfast to consist of a sugary snack, a cup of coffee and a swiftly smoked cigarette. Because of the craving that the sugary snack causes, more sugary snacks may be consumed throughout the morning, whilst sitting at your desk at work. Although this sugar may provide you with an energy boost it is very short-lived, and as a result many people are flagging by the afternoon.

The key to improving this condition is to focus on a well-balanced, nutritious diet that will provide a constant and gradual release of energy throughout the day. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables is ideal, but it is important to seek proper nutritional advice before embarking upon a diet. Any food allergies or sensitivities need to be identified and eliminated from your eating plan to ensure that your eating plan works effectively towards improving this condition.

Blood pressure: what you don't know CAN hurt you!

What is a blood pressure?
Usually displayed as one number over another number - example: 116/74.

The upper number is the systolic pressure; it indicates the pressure of the blood inside the blood vessels when the heart muscle is contracted (beating).

The lower number is the diastolic pressure; this number indicates the pressure of the blood inside the blood vessels when the heart muscle is relaxed (between beats).

Normal blood pressure is any reading below 120/80. High blood pressure happens when either one of these numbers is too high.

Do you know what your blood pressure is?
If you don't know it -- get your blood pressure checked. If you have numbers of 120/80 or higher, talk to your doctor about what is acceptable for you.

Keep a record of your blood pressures and take it along to show your doctor the next time you see him or her.

Feel Better: Quit Smoking

" Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."
—Fletcher Knebel

Fletcher was right. Most smokers have at least one well-meaning soul lurking in the shadows (a suitable distance from that naughty secondhand smoke) who has in hand all the available National Cancer Institute statistics on lung cancer, emphysema, and the evils of tobacco. Pull out a lighter and he or she's all over you, informing you of the latest study proving that smoking leads to a whole bunch of things you already know.

It didn't work. You know all about lung cancer, nicotine, and additives. You also know about weight gain, irritability, cravings, and all those other lovely side effects of quitting. Funny how they rarely get mentioned in the statistics, huh?

Things You May or May Not Know
Someone probably told you what happens when you quit smoking, but did you know that the benefits begin almost immediately?

The Difficulties of Quitting Smoking
Sure you'd like to quit, but so would a majority of other smokers. It's not as easy as it may seem, otherwise everyone would be quitting. Nicotine is addictive, and like any other drug, once it sinks its claws into you, getting them out is going to be an uphill battle.

Smokers seem to be in a lose-lose situation. If they continue to smoke, they're at higher risk for a number of lung and heart diseases. If they try to quit, they experience a series of withdrawal symptoms (which are extremely unpleasant) such as weight gain, poor concentration, depression, irritability, and nicotine cravings. And it's not that many smokers don't try to quit. The problem is that quitting is so difficult. Statistics show that only about 2.5 percent of smokers successfully quit each year.

If you truly want to stop smoking, you'll have to deal with the withdrawal symptoms. You must believe that not smoking outweighs all the difficulties you will encounter, or you're not in the right frame of mind to stop. This is a tough decision, and if you're having trouble deciding, a few options can help.

What Are My Options for Quitting?
There's no foolproof way to stop smoking, but you knew that already. You'll probably have to experiment with several different techniques before you stumble across one that works for you.

Nicotine patches: The patch has a fairly decent track record—about twenty percent of people who use it have quit and remained smoke-free after six months. It has the convenience of being over-the-counter, but it's wise to consult a doctor before you start anyway, especially if you're pregnant. Possible side effects include skin rashes, nausea, headaches and stomach problems, and children should not come into contact with the patch at all. Most importantly, don't smoke while using the patch! Doing so can rocket your body's nicotine level up to toxic levels, which sort of defeats the purpose if you're quitting for health reasons!

Nicotine gum: Like patches, nicotine gum is available over-the-counter. Some people prefer it to the patch because chewing gum provides the oral stimulation that also comes from smoking. The goal is to have quit by the end of six months, but some ex-smokers chew it for longer periods. The taste may turn off some people.

Medication: Certain antidepressants curb nicotine cravings. Obviously, choosing to explore this route requires the involvement and consent of your doctor, who can explain the advantages and disadvantages of using medication to combat smoking.

Hypnosis: One of the biggest advantages of hypnosis is its non-medicinal approach—it can be combined with patches or medication without fear of unwanted physical side effects. It may prove to be what you need to quit, or it may give you enough of a push to let the more physical methods work.

Cold Turkey: Ah, the macho way to quit! Just say no! Unfortunately, only about three percent of smokers who use this method succeed. Your chances of success rise if you have a good support group, however. Using a scheduled reduction plan, where you slowly reduce cigarette consumption, has also proven itself more effective than just quitting "cold turkey."

After You Quit Smoking
If it's not one thing, it's another. With smoking, you've either got the health problems of smoking or the withdrawal symptoms of quitting. If you've decided to quit smoking, good for you! Here's what you can look forward to.

• Weight gain: Smoking is an oral fixation. People who quit usually find something else to do with their restless mouth, such as eating. This can lead to weight gain (and water retention), but don't worry. The average weight gain is about 6 to 8 pounds, but don't let that weigh you down. A few trips to the gym and you'll be back to your smoking weight!
• Cravings: Nicotine is a drug. You're going to crave it for a long time (years). Try and find something to fight your cravings…like caffeine! Just kidding, try something like sugar-free gum, instead.
• Other withdrawal symptoms: The first week is most likely the worst. When the nicotine is completely eliminated from your system (about 2 to 3 days after your last cigarette), you're going to find out what "a kick in the head" feels like.

Will you ever feel better? Let's just say you won't feel worse…that is unless you find breathing through a tracheostoma a step up.