there is no finish line...enjoy the ride...

What Are You Made Of?

My regular guest blogger, Dr Les Davidson and I align on most health related topics and this week is no exception.  Of the people that actually monitor their body weight, I wonder how many understand what makes up the number on their scale, and why is it important.  That’s the topic of today’s post by Dr Les.

Besides our nation being just lazy, the obesity epidemic gripping North America may be in part due to what I call, “health illiteracy”.  So many people have preconceived ideas of what “healthy” is, but in actual fact they score very low on the health literacy scale when it comes to nutrition, diet, body weight, fitness, sleep, stress, etc., and even lower on execution.

Specifically related to Dr Les’ topic of weight, I’m experiencing this “illiteracy” first hand as I train for the hardest amateur bike race in the world this August - Haute Route.   This 7 day stage race starts in Geneva and finishes in Nice France and covers 860km through the beautiful French Alps.  But it's not the distance that makes this race so grueling; it’s the 21,000 meters (68,000 feet) of climbing over the Alps that makes is so hard.  Below is the profile of the 7 days of racing facing the 600 participants of Haute Route. 

 

Given the amount and severity of climbing involved, special attention to a rider's body weight and its composition is of primary concern to every participant.  There’s a reason why cyclists pay more attention to their weight than international super models, and it has little to do with vanity.  In fact, it has everything to do with how much power a rider can produce for every kilogram of body weight.  And the relationship between power output and weight has greater sagnificance when long, steep mountain climbs are involved.

At the beginning of January, I weighed 171lbs, but to race Haute Route, I would have to shed between 15lbs to 20lbs to increase my “power-to-weight” ratio to over 4 watts/kg.  Losing weight is just half the battle, as one must also be mindful of what type of weight that's lost.  In my case, I want to lose body fat, while maintaining or even increasing lean muscle mass. 

There’s an old saying in business, “If you can measure it, you can manage it”.  So, at the beginning of February I started measuring my body fat using skin fold calipers.  By focusing on the quality and even more importantly, the quatity of food I consumed, I now weight 156lbs.  During this time I also gained 4lbs of lean muscle, so effectively I’ve lost 19lbs of body fat since January.  Since fat occupies more volume than muscle, I’ve also lost an inch from my chest, waist and hips, so I actually appear much thinner.  Below is my progression of weight loss and muscle gain since I started recording this information in February.

And here in lies the “health illiteracy” issue.

It seems in North America you can be overweight, or even obese, and no one will ever mention that you have a serious and potentially life threatening health issue.  In fact, a recent study found that over 60% of parents with overweight children considered them to be of normal weight.  But if you’re thin, as in healthy thin, people take it upon themselves to point out that you’re too thin and don’t look healthy.  Can you imagine the reaction you would receive if you told a friend that she was overweight and didn't look healthy?  The duel standard is because of three reasons:

1. Given there are so many overweight and obese people in North America, our mental model of what constitutes a healthy weight and size has been skewed over the decades.  People of a healthy thin composition are now in the minority and look different to the majority of overweight North Americans.
2. Most people are illiterate when it comes to what a healthy size and weight should be.  Just like the majority of people no longer know what represents a healthy food portion.  As a result, the bigger is better attitude prevails.
3. Finally, weight loss is generally associated with serious illnesses such as AIDS, Cancer or Eating Disorders.  My good friend Pierre LeClair who I coach was once 250lbs.  After losing 80lbs last year, he tells me people that haven’t seen him for a while ask him if he’s sick because he looks too thin, even though he’s the healthiest he’s been in decades.

This is obviously frustrating to a guy like myself that’s uber aware of my health and fitness, but more importantly, it draws attention to the fact that so many people are “health illiterate” which has negative consequences at both individual and national levels. 

Dr Les, has done a great job of framing the issue, why it’s important to understand what you’re made of, monitoring techniques, and how to bring yourself back to a healthy and well proportioned size. 

As always with much of what I share, “knowledge is power, but action flicks the switch”. 

Enjoy the ride….Rob

 

What Are You Made Of?

by: Dr Les Davidson

What are you made of? Or stated more technically, what is your body composition? Are you a lean, mean athletic machine, or are you getting a little soft?  Every year billions (with a “b”) of dollars are spent on weight-loss endeavors in North America. Beyond the obvious — looking good at the beach — is there any reason to be concerned about the composition of your body.

As a competitive wrestler throughout high school and university, the scale was a constant companion because we were grouped according to our weight classes for competition.  I learned quickly that the quality of my weight was crucial; reducing extraneous fat became an important objective. Forty years later the challenge to maintain an optimum fat to muscle ratio is still there but my motivation is less about competing and more about remaining healthy and active. In order to do that, I need to pay close attention to my body composition.

Body composition is simply a measurement of lean body mass (bones, muscles, ligaments and organs) compared to fat mass which is referred to as adipose tissue. Technology allows us to accurately measure the amount of lean mass versus fat mass. These measurements are expressed as percentages of overall weight and knowing these percentages and what they indicate is important to your health.

A certain amount of body fat is essential to insulate our body, protect our organs from trauma, provide energy, and to assist hormone production necessary for reproduction. The amount of essential fat will vary dependent on sex and age but there are recommendations for ideal body fat percentages. The table below from the American Council on Exercise is typical fat percentages.

	Male	Female
Essential fat	3-5%	10-16%
Competitive Athletes	6-13%	14-20%
Recreational Athletes	14-18%	21-24%
Average	19-20%	25-31%
Obese	25+%	32+%

 

An equally important variable is where the fat is located; excess fat found at the waist (also known as central obesity) is associated with increased risk to our health. Our waists are thickened not just by the fat we can feel but also because excess fat accumulates around the organs (visceral adipose tissue).

Historically, we believed this fat to be an inert storage of extra energy. Medical science has now come to understand that adipose tissue is a major endocrine organ that produces hormones associated with insulin resistance and general body inflammation. The conditions associated with excess fat are often discussed as separate syndromes but in reality, they are a group of interrelated issues that cascade into ill health. Insulin resistance and inflammation leads to Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X — conditions associated with an elevated risk of Type Two diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. There is also strong evidence that Metabolic Syndrome increases risk for certain Cancers. Then there is the impact that excess adipose tissue has on the musculoskeletal system with increased back pain and damage to the weight-bearing joints of the lower extremities. In my office each day I see patients impacted by being overweight. It may not cause their back, hip or knee pain but it aggravates their symptoms and limits their ability to be as active as needed to regain good health.

Determining your risk:

Body weight alone is a poor indicator of body composition as it does not differentiate between lean tissue (bones, muscles, connective tissue and organs) and body fat. There is no single ideal percentage of body fat for everyone. Estimating body composition is attempted with the body mass index using the variables of weight and height (weight divided by height squared). More accurate methods using DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) or hydrostatic weighing (calculating what sinks (lean mass) versus what floats (fat) when the client is submerged under water) are often difficult for most individuals to access. Using calipers to measure skin folds or employing Bioimpedance are affected by the skill of the person measuring and the formulas applied, but can be easily mastered with a little practice. At our office we employ the bioimpedance method. With careful attention to patient hydration and selection of the optimum formula, we have had results that match closely to results of the DEXA scan.

Another method to stratify those who have high levels of body fat ignores the percentage of lean mass and body fat and focuses instead on the amount of belly fat. Measuring your waist circumference may be a more sensitive test because, as I mentioned, Intra-abdominal or visceral fat (regardless of overall body fat) has a particularly strong correlation with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers and other life shortening diseases. There are three ways that this measurement is used to quantify risk:

1. Waist circumference, Absolute waist circumference (>102 cm in men and >88 cm in women)
2. Waist–hip ratio (the circumference of the waist divided by that of the hips of >0.9 for men and >0.85 for women)[19]
3. Waist circumference divided into height. This has been described as the index of central obesity. (0 .5 or greater is suggested as a sign of increased risk. More specifically the range for women was suggested to .47-.54 and for men as .51-.58).

Reducing the risk:

1. Diet: You cannot exercise at the same pace you can eat so it is critical to moderate your calories regardless of the protein, fat or carbohydrate content of your food or the amount you exercise. Look for food in a natural state with no “improvements” by the food industry (such as partially hydrogenated fat, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup).
2. Exercise: Just remember we are designed to move and not doing so compromises our health. Vary the intensity and duration and include resistance activity. This challenge becomes greater as we age because hormonal shifts make building lean mass harder and layering on fat easier
3. Sleep: Sleeping too little or of a poor interrupted quality increases insulin resistance and raises cortisol the stress hormone. (See Rob’s blog, The Sleep Mistake Many of Us Make)
4. Stress reduction: Being overwhelmed or on heightened alert increases the sympathetic nervous system activity. This releases cortisol and directly increases belly fat. Moderating our moods by eating or drinking too much is often seen in response to stressful situations.

The body has tremendous recuperative powers if it is provided with the right inputs. March is Nutrition month and I would like to encourage you to think of the importance of quantity as well as quality of your food! Exercise is critical for good health but it can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet! Don’t pursue some unrealistic and media-hyped expectation for your body.  People come in all shapes and sizes but no shape is improved by an expanding layer of belly fat.

Pay more attention to what you’re made of. This will be good for your health and you just might look better on the beach this summer!

Calories are NOT Created Equally

I’d like to share with you an article I recently read in Bicycle Magazine that’s excellent “food for thought” (pardon the pun).  And not just for cyclists, but for anyone that’s interested in maintaining a healthy weight.  It's often suggested that it doesn't matter if the calories you eat comes from a donut, or an apple, because a calorie is a calorie and the body doesn’t know the difference.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Let’s start with some basics.  There are 3,500 calories in every pound of body weight and when you exercise you burn a varying amount of calories depending on your activity and intensity. For example, I zap around 9 to 10 calories every minute when I’m riding my bike, which means a guy weighing 159 pounds like myself will burn between 500 and 600 calories on a typical one hour bike ride—roughly the calories in a 6-inch Spicy Italian Subway sub. (If you're heavier, you shed more calories; if you're lighter, you lose less.)

Most people that exercise generally overestimate how many calories they’re burning up during their workout.  And if they eat an energy bar and drink a sports drink, they’ve effectively cancelled any calorie burn.  According to Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director of sports nutrition at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, “Surveys show that many exercisers overestimate the calories they burn by nearly double and unless every morsel has a food label, it's difficult to know how many calories are consumed and even harder to know how much you're burning."  And it goes without saying that your average couch potato has no clue what they’re consuming and unfortunately they couldn’t care less.  In fact, the only time they take an interest is when they’re told they have heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.

As mentioned above, a calorie is a measurement of the energy in food. And for years we've been told a calorie is a calorie. According to Bonci, "Foods close to their natural state, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean, whole cuts of meat, require energy from your body to chew and digest them. They create a thermic response, which means you burn calories just processing them."

Bonci and other experts partly blame the preponderance of "lazy calories" for the current obesity epidemic. "Our food is so heavily processed, it's practically predigested," she says. "That fast-food burger you eat from McDonalds has gone through so much pulverization, you barely have to chew. We're losing the ability to burn calories as we naturally would during the eating and digestive process." And many of these same foods are calorie-dense, so there's more for your body to store.

Neither Bonci nor I suggest counting calories as it takes the joy out of eating and ends up a futile venture. Instead, fill your plate with active calories, like those found in fruits and vegetables. Such foods possess more fiber and water, which means you digest them slowly, feel satisfied longer with longer-lasting energy.  Consider them as, "free foods" and eat as many as you want.

By simply changing the composition of your plate, you will lose weight without worrying about hunger pangs, counting calories, or bonking episodes if you’re a cyclist like me. Below shows what a "high performance plate" should look like. Structuring your meals this way will allow you to fill up without filling out.

The Performance Plate

• One-quarter to one-third of your meal should consist of active and semiactive calories from protein such as lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy.
• One-half should be active calories from fruits and vegetables (for the fill-and-chew factor).
• One-quarter should be active and semiactive calories from whole-grain starches: brown rice, whole-wheat pasta.
• Couch Potato calories should be consumed sparingly; and if you are overweight (BMI greater than 24.8) try your best to avoid them completely.

Active Calories

• Lean meat, fish, poultry
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Leafy greens
• Whole grains
• Beans and legumes

Semiactive Calories

• Fiber-rich cereal
• Whole-grain bread
• Low-fat dairy
• Soups

Couch Potato Calories

• Pastries, cookies, pies, cakes
• Fatty processed meats
• Chips, pretzels, snack foods
• Fast food

So being mindful of foods that are not only nutritious, but require energy to digest, you won’t have to starve yourself on one of those crazy diet programs that force you to count every calorie while depriving yourself the enjoyment of eating for pleasure as well as nourishment. 

Enjoy the Ride....Rob

Lance Armstrong...he is the best and worst of all of us

I’m not sure if it’s my last name or that I’m a cyclist, or both that makes me a target for opinion on this whole Lance Armstrong thing and I, like so many others couldn’t resist watching the Oprah interview to see what he said.  I struggle every time someone asks me the question, “so what do you think of Lance Armstrong”?

Externally my answer is pretty clear, although internally I have mixed opinions. 

You see, the integrity part of me hates the bastard for all the bullying, cheating, and lying over these many years.  I watched him race and speak directly into the camera that he didn’t cheat and he would attack anyone that challenged his word.  He ruined the lives of many people whose only fault was telling the truth.  He represents everything I despise in a person, so of course I hold him in great distain.

I’m also a competitive cyclist and I respect his drive, dedication, discipline, athletic capabilities (without the drugs), and his all out, never say die attitude that’s required in all high performing champions. I wish I had more of that.  So I respect the guy.

Wait a minute; a second ago you said you hated the guy.  Come on Rob, you can’t suck and blow at the same time, you either hate him or you respect him, you have to pick a side. But in the case of Lance Armstrong, you can suck and blow at the same time.

Lance has this polarizing effect on the public.  He contains the personality traits we respect and hate, all embodied in the same individual. It's why some will respect him, while others hate him passionately.  It just depends on the dominating characteristics each of us possesses whether you're a "Hater" or "Believer".  He is the best and worst in all of us. 

The next time you get into a heated debate over the details of why you feel the exact opposite to someone else about Lance, remember that your personality traits are different to theirs and they may respect and value certain aspects of Lance's character and overlook the traits that you passionately distain. There’s no right or wrong answer, only shades of grey.

So here’s my new answer that I’m borrowing from my friend Matt Young as it summarizes him best.

Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor, legend, icon, son of a single parent, father to 4, boyfriend, ex husband, womanizer,  white, American, overachiever, athlete, role model, spokesperson, Olympian, team mate, captain, charismatic leader, businessman, above average hypocrite, me-centric, ego centric, ass-hole who’s now a scorned product of a society that loves to feed off his great story and then revel in the downfall, skinny, dork, really fast cyclist who cheated to reach a level of infamy we all dream of – but could only get to if we cheated and had his natural ability.

So basically in many ways, he’s like you and I.....only on steroids.

Enjoy the Ride….Rob

I'm Not the Man I Was...I'm Healthy Now

I usually write a blog that coincides with the 1^st of January when people set their New Year’s Resolutions.  The number one Resolution people announce has something to do with their health. I generally explain the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and describe in detail the risks associated with the unhealthy alternative. This year is different.  I intentionally held off writing the same old message. 

First, I decided to write a post mid way through January, because according to statistics, 70% of all people that make New Year’s Resolutions have already abandoned their commitment to a new lifestyle and retreated back to their favorite couch in front of the TV while eating unhealthy food and washing it down with soda, beer or a glass of wine. 

Second, instead of “preaching” the benefits and risks associate with lifestyle choices, I decided to share a story written by Peter Leclaire.  I coached Peter last year and he finishing one of the hardest single day cycling races in the world.  What’s most impressive is when I started coaching Peter he weighed around 245lbs, and after 10 months of committing himself to a healthy lifestyle, Peter dropped his weight by 80lbs, to 165lbs and has become a lean, mean cycling machine.

It’s my hope that by reading Peter’s transformational story, you too will be inspired by what’s possible when you take action and make this Year’s Resolution the one that sticks for the rest of your life. 

Enjoy the Ride....Rob

 

My Journey to Health - by Peter LeClaire

Ever since Robert (AKA: Coach) asked me to write my story describing my transformational journey soon after racing Etape du Tour back in July of 2012, I’ve been struggling how to best write this. I had many ideas floating in my head where to start my story, how to fill in the middle and provide an ending with a call to action for those who like me were sitting on the sidelines.  Below is my story and I hope it inspires you to make the lifestyle changes I embraced, regardless of your age, your gender or starting weight.

My life, like many of yours, is fairly ordinary. I’m a 50+ year old guy that has time commitments of work, family, friends, etc.  I’m not an overachieving “AAA” personality with a strong take-charge mentality, but I am a passionate individual who generally loves what he does and sticks to it once started. This is especially true when people support and believe in me. This is where my story starts.

About 5 years ago I registered for my first charity bike ride, a back to back metric century (100km) in support of the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, one of the largest charity rides in Canada.  At this point I had never thought of a bike ride in terms of distance, only in terms of time. I was excited about being part of something bigger than myself and raising money for a great cause in addition to joining over 4000 cyclists with the same goal. What I didn’t realize was how hard it was to get my fat behind (and I mean fat) out the door and actually do some training. I had no real game plan except to put some time on the saddle. I was quite overweight and considered obese even though I was reasonably active in other sports, but it didn’t take me long to realize just how out of shape I was when I began climbing hills I found myself gasping for each breath by the time I reached the summit feeling the negative effects a poor cardiovascular system and carrying so much extra body fat. I’m happy to report that I can laugh at those days now, but at the time it was not only painful, but provided a view into my general fitness level.

I completed that first charity ride that spanned over a weekend and besides having fun, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment I immediately signed up for the next year’s event. This is when I realized the importance of setting a major goal for myself each year and cycling was the “vehicle” for me. Although I was still overweight, I participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer four years in a row with the last two events being back to back 160km rides.  I erroneously felt that since I was doing all this riding I could reward myself with over abundant meals that were for the most part, unhealthy.

I think I can say that my real transformation started two years ago when I was in France on vacation and had the opportunity to ride with Coach’s step brother Gerry Patterson who has been blogging about his cycling adventures and guided tours throughout the South of France. I contacted Gerry through his blog and we scheduled a guided day ride. The only thing I knew about our outing was that we were going for an 80km ride in the hills behind Nimes. I mean really, how tough could it be. I had a vision of a pleasant cycle through the rolling French countryside, but the reality was a far cry from what I had imagined in my head.  How naive was I? As much as I struggled that day, and I mean struggled as it was probably the hardest physical thing I had done in my life up until that point, it was an epiphany. Gerry was telling me about completing his first Etape de Tour race, or riding up the famous Mont Ventoux and it dawned on me that I would love to do a big mountain climb like that one day. I couldn’t believe I was actually thinking this because I’m the same guy that hated climbing any hill and used to ride out of my way just to avoid them.

The biggest part of my transformation was to set a big goal, and after listening to Gerry talk about his riding and racing adventures I proceeded to sign up for what would become the biggest physical challenge of my life, the L’Etape du Tour 2012 – Act 2. For those who don’t know, this was an actual Tour de France stage, but for amateurs. This particular race was 202km and located in the high Pyrenees Mountains.  It was the hardest stage of that year’s Tour de France.

It would be an understatement of colossal proportion to say this was a huge undertaking and probably something in my physical condition that bordered on impossible.  In fact, there were many times I thought to myself that I must be nuts to attempt such a physically demanding event. I knew I couldn’t do this alone and needed some guidance and structure to my training if I was going to accomplish this monumental task, and I had no idea how I was going to get it. Talk about setting an audacious goal.

It was at this time that I was introduced to Robert Armstrong by Gerry. Robert was looking for someone to train as he often does from time to time.  Gerry mentioned that I had signed up for the Etape du Tour race and recommend I contact his step brother for some training tips, as he coached him to his first Etape de Race.  Well be careful what you wish for, because I received more than a few coaching tips.  I think it was when I mentioned my weight to Rob that he realized I needed more than just a few coaching tips.  In fact, my challenge was a total life makeover.  Rob didn’t want to kill my dream of participating in this great race, but he said there was no way I could finish in my current condition and he was genuinely concerned for my long term health.  Rob didn’t charge me for his services, so he spent a long time qualifying my interest and personal commitment to the transformation plan and it wasn’t an easy process.  He told me that most people fail because they embark on these journeys for all the wrong reasons.  I basically had to convince him that I was worth his time, and I must have done a good job, because he took me on.  So as I said above, be careful what you wish for, because although Coach was supportive, he showed me no mercy.

Even though his training program was communicated via email, because he lives in Calgary and I’m in the Toronto area, I felt his encouragement every day. If this was to work he said, there has to be complete honesty between the two of us. Coach sent me new dietary principals that I had to follow without question and he expected I follow it to the letter before we even started on the cycling training program.  He told me things about myself that were hard to hear, but it was the wake-up call I needed.  Commitment to my general health, given I was obese was far more important than riding a bike in some race in France.  But cycling was also the catalyst to get me to the end point. He explained the many health reasons why getting my size under control from my current weight of 245lbs back to my senior high school weight of 170 lbs was important.  I just thought he was nuts when he suggested I could lose 80lbs in 9 months.

Changing my diet was difficult at first because it was based on the healthy foods I rarely ate, like Vegetables, Fruits, Salads, and a healthy balance of Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat.  He also said no alcohol until I was back to a healthy weight.   These were tough choices indeed.  Changing from a lifetime of self abuse based on bad food choices and avoiding sugars like soda pop & concentrated fruit juices, processed convenient foods, as well as simple carbohydrates was very difficult. These were all the foods that contributed to my weight gain and provided me with the comfort I desired.  This was a significant change, but after his big speech about commitment to each other, it was tough to let him down, but more important, I wasn’t about to let myself down.

The next step was making exercise a daily priority. Coach set up my program in 4 week periods. It started with approximately 7 hours of structured training per week, which progressively got harder and longer as the winter season wore on.  This was not to say that I didn’t grumble to myself more than a few times and that I was exhausted and tried to convince myself that couldn’t do this.  Every time that happened I focussed my thoughts knowing the big picture goal: a new me with a new healthy body with a newer outlook on life. Many of my friends witnessed my transformation right in front of their eyes as the excess fat started to melt away. As much as I was seeing and feeling the positive effects of Coach’s training program and dietary principles, I still remained focused on the big goal ahead, which was getting scarier by the minute as the Etape de Tour got closer and closer.

Since reducing a significant amount of body fat by the time the outdoor season arrived (by March/April I was weighing around 180), my overall riding significantly improved and my ability to climb hills was easier than I ever experienced. In addition to my new found energy, my wife was tossing out all my oversized clothes.  I had gone from a size extra large in everything I owned, to a size medium. I couldn’t remember the last time I wore a medium in anything, but there I was wearing a new skin tight cycling kit 2 to 3 sizes smaller than I did a short 6 months before. I finally started to look like a real cyclist.  That being said, the other challenge I had to get used to was accepting my own self identity.  Every time I pasted a mirror or caught my reflection in a window, I didn’t recognize the skinny guy looking back at me.  And it wasn’t just me, many of my long time friends that I hadn’t seen for months didn’t recognize this new person that remotely looked like the fat guy they once knew. 

I found it strange that when I was obese, no one ever told me I was too fat, but now that I’m a very healthy size, with a BMI of 24, people will tell me all the time that I’m too thin.  I think we have so many overweight people in our country that used to look like me, we’ve lost track of what a healthy person should look like, because having a healthy weight is no longer “normal” in this country and people feel it’s ok to point out that you don’t look like the rest of the fat population.

2012 was a big year for me. In late 2011 I finally met the woman of my dreams whom I was to marry in July prior to going to France for Etape. It wasn’t a bad way to spend a honeymoon and do some cycling at the same time. My wife got to proudly watch me complete my goal of competing in Etape de Tour and only 3 days later climb the epic mountain of Mont Ventoux with a new friend John who was gracious enough to open his home to us for a few days. Thanks to Gerry for taking me out on that ride a couple years ago for without that single act of generosity, who knows who I would be today. You never know where that turn in the road takes you.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s imperative to set goals to keep yourself motivated. I love my new life of opportunities and I plan to stay this way.  I continue to train under the guidance of Coach Rob and have already seen further improvements in my fitness levels.

So what’s on my agenda for 2013?

I’ve signed up for another stage race in France which takes place in Lac Annecy on July 7th. I’m going to climb the epic mountain of Alpe D’huez (13.7km, 8.1% grade, 21 switchbacks, 1071 meters of climbing).  And if that isn’t enough, I plan to ride the famous mountain in the heart of Provence, Mt Ventoux, not once, but three times in the same day from the three different start towns. And finally back home I’ll do a couple 160km+ races. 

I share the list above not to brag, but to highlight the opportunities that are available to me now that I’ve taken control of my health and made it a priority in my life. I can truly enjoy my passion for cycling. I’ll never go back to my unhealthy self.  Take it from a guy that was obese and take control of your life, set a goal that scares you to hell, build a plan that includes someone to support and motivate you and most importantly, take action.  As the Nike slogan goes, “Just do It”.  Coach would often say to me,“Knowledge is power, but action flicks the switch”.  Well, I think by now most everyone knows what’s required to live a healthy lifestyle, it’s not rocket science.  Flick your switch and you too can enjoy an exciting life that isn’t held back by any physical limitations. 

Best of health.....Peter LeClaire.

Don't "Live a Little"...learn to "Live a Lot"

Most people would be happy just to say they made it to 100 years of age and still be able to walk and remember their name. Not Frenchman, Robert Marchand. No, just making it to 100 is for pussies. This guy is setting world records on his bike. First he set the one hour cycling record in Switzerland by covering over 24 kilometres in one hour, a record that was sanctioned by cycling’s international governing body, the UCI. Now he set a second official record for a person over 100 years of age by covering 100km in a time of 4:17:27. 

I’m writing this blog post from my second home in Arizona, where I have ridden over 1500kms in the past 15 days as I begin my preparation for the next year's Haute Route race from Geneva, Switzerland to Nice France. Every time I come down here from my home in Canada, I’m always shocked at the poor health of so many Americans, by evidence of the number of obese people. Given the alarming condition of the majority North American’s (Canadian’s included), just completing a 100km ride would be a near impossibility for most, but to ride it in Mr. Marchand’s time of a little over 4 hours is only a dream.  And it's such a mystery why we have out of control healthcare costs!

As much as racing in next year’s Haute Route is a lofty goal to be sure, it’s only a small step in a much larger target and Mr. Marchand is making my ultimate goal a whole lot more difficult, because instead of going after one record when I turn 100, I now have to break two. He has set the bar higher because now in addition to breaking the one hour record, I also have to beat his 100km record.

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about Mr. Marchand accomplishments and we were identifying the many things you have to get right in your life to accomplish what he’s doing at his age. First, he has some good genetics at work here, but good genes will only get you so far, so what are the other things, let me list just a few:

• You have to remain active all your life to be able to ride 100km at 100 years of age.
• You have to eat a nutritious diet throughout your life that consists of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, high quality protein, healthy carbohydrates, while avoiding the foods we know are bad for us.
• Drink a healthy amount of water every day.
• Don’t smoke (that's obvious) and don’t drink an unhealthy amount of alcohol (1 drink a day for women and 2 for men)
• Get enough sleep and rest
• De-stress your life
• Keep your mind active, for without a sharp mind, you'll never be able to manage even the simple things like keeping your balance, or structure a training program to accomplish the kind of physical activities Mr Marchand is capable of.
• And finally, have a passion in your life that keeps you young. Clearly, Mr. Marchand’s passion is cycling and it’s giving him purpose, and probably one of the main reasons he’s still so active.

This represents a partial list of the most important elements necessary for a long and healthy life that many will consider somewhat restrictive or even boring. In fact, I’ve been told on a number of occasions that I should “live a little”, especially when I’m at a party and I refuse to drink the same volume of alcohol as others. My goal isn’t to “live a little”, but to “live a lot”! I’m only 56, so I have another 44 years to train and prepare for my attempt at Mr. Marchand’s records. Racing next year’s Haute Route race is considered the world’s toughest cycling sportive and is what I equate to as, "living a lot".  I certainly don't want age to be the thing that prevents me from being like Mr. Marchand.

The important thing to consider about long term health is that what you do today will affect you 20, 30, or even 40 years from now.  Most people that reach their 60's, 70's and 80's in poor health, generally achieve this state as the result of poor lifestyle choices that manifest into one of the many degenerative diseases. 

The purpose of this post is to share an inspirational story of a 100 year old man that’s “living a lot” and it proves that it’s not by accident that’s he’s capable of these amazing accomplishments. For sure, you can’t do much about your genetics, and some people are just luckier than others. I may be one of those people (I hope); given my father at the age of 87 is still very active and does his daily 10km run/walk. But there are so many more variables that you have total control over if you apply discipline and dedication to make it happen.

Remember, you don’t stop exercising because you’re old; you get old because you stop exercising.

Enjoy the ride....Rob

 

Haute Route....You must be crazy! Seek the “Freak”

Over the past 33 years, I’ve riding enough miles to go from the earth to more than 2/3 the way to the moon, competed in 7 Ironman Triathlons, run enough miles to circumnavigate the planet twice and swim the equivalent distance from LA California to Hawaii.  Believe me when I say I’ve been called “crazy” more than a few times about my commitment (some will call it an obsession) to athletics.  And I wouldn’t want it any other way.   

One of my biggest fears is to be categorized as “normal” by today’s standards.  I could provide you with the health risks of being considered part of the majority, or normal, but that’s for another day. 

In my last blog post I described the six (6) rules that will increase the quality of your life, and rule #6 was to find your passion and keep it fuelled.  I love listening and seeing someone that’s totally passionate about something in their life.  Check out this video of my good friend Bob Willet’s son Nolan, doing some basketball drills.  This is what passion looks like.

  

To get to this level of proficiency (he’s now 14 and even better) he has to practice every day until his fingers bleed; push through that pain and then do some more.  A normal person without this kind of passion will never understand his level of commitment.  If it hasn’t already happened, someday, somewhere, someone will call Nolan “crazy” to dedicate this amount of time and effort to his sport, but what they will never understand is this is Nolan’s passion and the pain associated with the volume of training to become this good is what he considers fun.  

Let me illustrate how I’ve fuelled my passion for athletics for over the past 30 years.  A passion which honours me the coveted title of being a “nut case”.  In my early days of running, when I thought 10km was a pretty good distance, I used to think marathons were reserved for those crazy freaks that were borderline masochists, but after racing a number of them myself, these “crazy freaks” began to look pretty normal....Time to refuel my passion.

When I read about this bike race called the “Race Across America”; whereby the cyclists rode non-stop across the USA taking only brief stops for sleep.  I thought to myself, “Now those guys are definitely crazy”.  So I decided to ride my bike from Toronto to Ft Lauderdale, Florida, and raised money for Leukemia Research (a disease that took the life of my mother at the age of 56).  When co-workers, friends and even family heard what I was planning to do, many called me “crazy”, and I liked the fact that I wasn’t “normal”.  But after doing the ride which saw us average over 160km every day for 16 days in a row, it too seemed normal....Time to refuel my passion.

I happened to be turning the channels on my TV in the fall of 1982 a year after my bike trip to Florida when I witnessed Julie Moss crawl across the Ironman Triathlon finish line on ABC Wide World of Sports.  I thought to myself, what kind of passion and determination does a person require to force themself to crawl across the finish line when every cell in their body is telling them to stop.  Clearly Ms. Moss was a certified “crazy freak”.... and I knew right there I wanted whatever it was that made her go.   

 

After a while, I was curious to learn how crazy someone had to be to train for and race an Ironman.  So I taught myself how to swim and placed 10^th overall in my first Ironman attempt.   I was thought my place as a crazy Ironman was secure.   And I did 6 more just to be safe.  Now that so many people have done the Ironman, my “crazy” status is once again in jeopardy, not to mention my need for a new goal to refuel my passion.  

So after riding my bike across the USA (north to south) two more times in an effort to raise money for cancer survivors, I was once again looking for something to refuel my passion.  Last year my stepbrother Gerry Patterson who lives in the south of France, emailed me a link to an event that makes the Ironman look like a warm up (if that’s even possible).  It’s called Haute Route (“High Road” in English) and it’s as close as I will ever get to sport’s ultimate sufferfest Nirvana, the Tour de France. 

 

Haute Route is considered the toughest and highest amateur Cyclosportive in the world. It is a seven (7) day bike stage race from Geneva to Nice through the highest roads of the French Alps; the very same roads that have been made famous by the professional cyclists of the Tour de France for the past 100 years.  Haute Route covers 780km and the cyclists climb an unthinkable 21,000 meters (or the equivalent of 2.5 times the height of Mt Everest).  Talk about refuelling the passion.  Doing something like Haute Route is clearly CRAZY, even by my standards, that's why I LOVE IT!

There’s an old saying that, “Pain welcomes company”.  Well the kind of pain and suffering being served up by Haute Route welcomes a whole team of crazy people.  So my step brother Gerry and I have formed a team of 9 riders that are every bit as crazy as he and I to join us. Follow this link to Gerry’s Blog to meet the other members of our team, who will join 600 other people that have the same passion for the sport of cycling in next year’s race.

The point of this blog is not to encourage you to sign up for next year’s Haute Route, or play basketball like Nolan Willett.  No, it’s to encourage you to find your passion like Nolan, or my step brother Gerry, or the other countless number of people that started with a small passion and over time gave it fuel.  Never stop seeking that freak within you, while feeding your passion with bigger goals and objectives that makes you feel alive.  And when someone asks you why you do it, or calls you crazy, you know you’ve arrived; you’re no longer normal, which means you’ve finally found the “freak” within. 

Enjoy the Ride..... Rob

6 Rules that will Increase the Quality of your Life

Over the weekend I participated in the Gran Fondo Rockies 170km cycling “race”.  Well, they say it’s not a race, but hey, they give you a number, a time and the top 5 male and female finishers were awarded prize money.  So as far as I can tell, it had all the characteristics of a race. 

Training for a 170km bike race, or just trying to increase the basic quality of your life requires 6 key criteria. If you follow these 6 basic rules, you will enjoy increased energy levels (at any age). 

1. Eat Healthy, (Most of the Time):  I have to admit, I have a sweet tooth and I love French Fries and Onion Rings.  That said, I rarely eat this stuff because over the years, I’ve made small changes to my diet whereby I don’t crave it.  When grocery shopping, stick to the outside aisles, because that’s where you’ll find the healthy whole food and avoid the inside aisles where they stock the processed foods that are accountable for the health crisis in North America.  Over time, increase your fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains and lean meats, to the point where this becomes the majority of your calories consumed and junk food is the exception.  Finally, watch your portions.  North Americans eat way too much and generally have no idea what a healthy portion looks like.
2. Keep Moving & Move More:  I’m often asked how many times a week should one exercise for optimal health.  The answer is 7 days a week for a minimum of an hour.  If you live a sedentary life, start walking.  Instead of plopping your butt in front of the TV with a bag of chips and a beer, or wine and cheese.  Get moving and go for a brisk walk.  It’s easy, free of cost and you will feel better when you’re done.  If you’re already active, try switching up your routine, or increase the training intensity.  As the ad goes, “Just Do It”.
3. Sleep:  This is one of my areas where I can certainly improve.  Sleep is critical for the body to recover, especially for those of us that are active.  I’ve written on this topic before and I have two suggestions, 1) go to bed this week 30 to 60 minutes earlier, and 2) get into a pre-bed routine that reduces the exposure to TV, Computers, and work e-mails.  Making these two changes will increase the quantity and quality of your sleep, thereby increasing your body’s ability to recover and be energized for the next day.
4. De-stress Your Life:  I look at stress as being both negative and positive.  The stress that you place upon yourself to improve and drive yourself to new levels is positive.  By its very nature, healthy stress is a motivator.  It makes us better people.  Having just watched the Olympics for the past 17 days, we witnessed incredible performances that were the result of positive stress.  While at the same time these very same athletes do everything in their power to eliminate all negative stress from their lives.  If you have issues at work, or within your family that are causing internal turmoil, deal with it, because the stress is unhealthy and will affect your ability to sleep, exercise and eat properly.  The good thing about negative stress, it’s usually within your power to control, or eliminate.  But like most things pertaining to health, it requires action on your part to make it happen. 
5. Drink H2O:  With all the exotic drinks that are available these days, there’s still nothing better than good old fashion water (even our tap water).  Water is the ultimate energy drink and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.  If you eat a healthy diet, there’s no need for vitamin water, energy drinks, sports drink, electrolyte replacement drinks, etc, etc.  And if there’s just one thing you take away from this post that will make a huge change in your energy levels, stop drinking soda pop.  Just remember, the majority of the human body is water and it needs approximately 2 litres (67 oz) every day, and more depending on the intensity of your exercise.  If you want to turn you water into a more exotic drink, slice up a lemon, lime or orange for some flavour.  Finally a word on alcohol; if you’re female, more than 1 drink a day is considered unhealthy and 2 drinks a day for men.  Many of our chronic diseases are directly attributed to the increase in social drinking habits, especially amongst women.
6. Find and Fuel Your Passion:  Anyone that's met me for more than 5 minutes will know my passion is cycling.  Living your passion fuels your spirit.  Finding and living your passion is a key criterion for living a quality life.   If you don’t know what your passion is, list the things you used to love doing and start doing them again until one emerges.  People often lose their way when they live without something they love to do that defines who they are.  If you know what your passion is, but aren’t doing it, now’s the time to stop procrastinating and make it happen.  You’re body and soul will thank you.

I placed 2^nd overall in that Gran Fondo and after 170km of hard racing, it came down to a sprint finish between three of us and I was edged out by a wheel at the line by the guy in the front of this picture.  This picture was taken after 160km of racing with only 10km to go and by this point, we were all sufferring. 

After we finished the other two guys I sprinted with were surprised that a 56 year old guy could compete with guys that were 15 to 25 years younger.  The answer was simple and contained in the 6 points listed above. 

For the most part, I eat well (most of the time), I train every day (a day off is the exception), maybe if I got a little more sleep, I could have beaten the other guy to the line (note to self, go to bed 30 minutes earlier, starting this week), I drink approximately 4 litres of water every day to fuel my body, I deal with all stressors in my life and eliminate the negative ones that affect my wellness and finally, I know my passion and enjoy doing it every day.

Implementing these 6 basic rules will certainly increase the quality of your life.

Enjoy the Ride...Rob

Action Flicks the Switch - an inspirational story

I’ve often said the intent of writing my blog is to provide people with information that when put into action will improve the quality of their life.  Except for the number comments and emails I receive from time to time, I really don’t know the personal impact I have on the thousands of people that tune in from time to time....that is until this past year!

The saying, “Knowledge is Power, but Action Flicks the Switch” is epitomized by Peter LeClair.   Let me introduce you to Peter.  Last summer, Peter weighed an unhealthy 245lbs (a BMI of 33.5 or considered obese) and at the age of 53, this kind of weight carries all kinds of health risks that I’ve discussed in numerous posts. 

Even at this weight, Peter is an avid cyclist and through a chance guided bike ride through the South of France with my step-brother (Gerry Patterson), I was introduced to Peter.  You see, Peter had a dream of competing in a bike race held every year in conjunction with the Tour de France.  The race is called Etape du Tour  and there are two events; Act 1 - held in the French Alps and Act 2 - held in the French Pyrenees.  Peter elected to participate in Act 2, the longer and more difficult of the two races.  Act 2 is a grueling 201km trek over four monster mountain passes unlike anything we see on this side of the North American side of the ocean and will be ridden by the pro riders in the Tour de France a few days after he rides it.  Every year, the Etape du Tour attracts approximately 9000 cyclists participate and this year was no exception.

When I first spoke to Peter, he told me about this dream and was looking for a little training advice, while at the same time telling me he was a “little” overweight.   You could imagine my reaction when his actual weight was revealed, because Etape du Tour is for the most seriously fit cyclists and although Peter was motivated, he wasn’t in any condition to attempt such a ride.  In fact, I told him his first order of business was to focus on his health. 

Every few years, I personally coach a few people; sometimes it’s an athlete wanting to improve their athletic performance; other times it’s to assist someone determined to transform their lifestyle.  With Peter, I did both. 

Since I don’t charge fees for my services, my only reward is to see someone like Peter transform their life while watching their physical and psychological changes.  I only have four criteria before working with someone, because if I’m going to invest my time I need to know they are equally motivated and driven by a larger purpose than just vanity.  These include:

1. 100% support from their significant other (it's almost impossible to make this kind of lifestyle transformation if the other people in the home aren't on the same page)
2. Committed to a long term (as in decades) purpose to why they’re making this change (short term goals like just losing weight won’t get you through the tough days)
3. Commitment to my suggested dietary and exercise changes (it took years to become unhealthy, it’s tough to replace bad habits with new healthy ones)
4. Take responsibility and agree that you alone are responsible for your health (good or bad)

Peter met my criteria in spades and we started working together in early October last year (10 months ago). 

Peter was initially focussed on wanting to weigh less than 200lbs in preparation for Etape, while I just wanted him to focus on his health.  To set the appropriate weight expectation, I asked Peter what he weighed in his final year of High School, and he said around 170lbs.  I said, “Well that’s the weight you will be next summer”.  Peter thought I was nuts, as a 75lb weight loss seemed unrealistic. I simply said, “Stop worrying about weight, because if you live a healthy lifestyle, your weight will take care of itself.”  There’s no reason why anyone should gain weight throughout their life if they eat properly, limit alcohol consumption and exercise regularly.  Most excuses I hear why someone gains weight throughout their life are simply that, excuses for a lazy and unhealthy lifestyle.

I won’t take you through the detail of Peter’s transformation program, other than to say, I provided him with a daily workout schedule and a dietary plan with general concepts and rules and Peter followed the program to the letter.  Again, knowledge may be key, but more important was Peter's dedication to turn this knowledge into action.

Peter’s journey just to get him to the Etape de Tour starting line is a great success story, as he had to lose approximately 1/3 of his body weight in addition to train hard enough to be sufficiently prepared to endure over 200km of the toughest cycling conditions that would make the most seasoned pro cyclist lose sleep with anxiety.  Peter not only met his goal, but surpassed it, as he transformed his lifestyle and attitude towards his personal health and as a side benefit he ultimately weighed in at a healthy 165lbs on race day.  A loss of 80lbs in 10 months.

Below is the transformed Peter, sporting his great riding form in his size MEDIUM cycling kit.

Providing Peter the information to make his transformation possible was important, but as the saying goes, “Information is Power, but Action Flicks the Switch.  And Peter flicked that switch.  He switched his dietary practices and for the most part followed my guidelines and rules.

And when it came to training, Peter rarely missed a scheuled workout (many in his basement as pictured above during the cold Canadian winter months), even when he felt like taking a day off.  And believe me it was a tough program, which had to be proportional to the event he was perparing for.  Peter demonstrated the kind of determination, commitment and never ending positive attitude that’s usually reserved for Olympic champions.  

The day before Peter competed in Etape, I emailed and told him regardless of how he performed in the race, he was already and winner.  Below, Peter standing in front of a motivational poster the day before the big race. 

Race day was this past Saturday (July 14) and I’m delighted to report that both Peter and my step-brother Gerry (who also raced Etape du Tour - Act 1 the previous weekend) completed the Etape du Tour - Act 2 in what were horrific wet and cold conditions.  I’m hoping Peter will provide a guest blog describing his journey back to health as his story is one of inspiration, determination and what it's like to live in the world of the possibility. 

Peter in full flight living his dream of health and competing in 2012 Etape du Tour. 

Enjoy the Ride ... Rob

Ride to Conquer Cancer

A week ago I participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer with seven of my work colleagues.   We joined over 1800 cyclists from across the province of Alberta as they rode over 230km over a weekend.  Collectively our team raised over $43,000, adding to the over $8,000,000 this single event raised in the fight against cancer. 

It’s said a picture is worth a thousand words, than I guess a video must be worth a million words.  Below is a short 10 minute video I produced to capture the event’s highlights.  Enjoy. 

  

My Observations:

The majority of the people riding in this event were your everyday person and I couldn’t find a single person that hasn’t somehow been personally affected by cancer, either personally or through a close friend or relative. 

I write this blog with the intent to increase the quality of life through providing readers information about diet, exercise and general healthy lifestyle choices.  During the weekend, I listened to the many stories about people that had cancer and lost the fight, and those that won the fight.  But as I listened, I found myself making a mental tally how many cases were the result of “bad cards” vs how many were because of “bad habits”.  It didn’t take long to realize the majority were the result of poor lifestyle choices.  Obviously, this is not a scientific study, but the point I’m trying to make, is that many people contract cancer because they have adopted unhealthy habits from their parents, or friends and without even knowing it they find themselves running directly towards a serious cancer event. 

Too many of these cases is simply a lack of education regarding the risk factors beyond genetics.  For example, eating a diet that’s high in acid, is a breeding ground for cancer (the typical North American diet, especially soft drinks and alcohol are very acidic), or not eating foods that are high in antioxidants, that remove free radicals that cause oxidative stress, which may lead to cancer.  In the absence of information, people will do what others do with little consideration to the consequences.

The other comment I heard over and over again during the weekend was how cancer caught the person by surprise.  Cancer is generally a disease that takes years or decades to develop to the point of crisis.  Except for the people that were given “bad cards”, cancer should never come as a surprise.  If you are overweight (BMI greater than 24.8, which is now over 55% of all Canadians), or you smoke (21% of Canadians), or you drink more than the safe limit of alcohol (one drink a day for women, two for men), or if you don’t exercise daily, etc. etc. then don’t be surprised if one day cancer knocks on your door.  The decisions you make today about your health will affect you decades from now.

Regardless of how or why a person contracts cancer, this disease affects more than that individual, and events such as the Ride to Conquer Cancer raise much needed awareness in addition to the funding needed for scientific research that hopeful brings a day when we live in a cancer free world.  Until that time comes, take it upon yourself and make healthy lifestyle choices for you and your loved ones.

Enjoy the Ride.....Rob

Prevention Is Thy Cure

I don’t talk much about my day job, but let me start off by saying, I love what I do.  I get to work in an area that aligns with my passion for health by marketing solutions that improve the quality of life by leveraging technology.  Whether it’s Personal Health Records that enable citizens to monitor their own health and wellness, and that of their loved ones, or Remote Patient Monitoring thereby empowering individuals to self monitor their condition(s) and become more aware of their own health recovery.  All the solutions I sell to government and health institutions are designed to increase health quality, while reducing overall costs. 

I’m always surprised where I get the inspiration for my blog content.  The great thing about blogging is there is no preselected topic or a schedule to maintain.  I just write when something catches my attention and aligns with the purpose and theme of my site that I think you may be interested in reading.  And today, my inspiration came while meeting a healthcare executive that’s about to embark on an impressive transformational initiative that reminded me of an article I read in the Globe and Mail at the beginning of the year.  The title of the article was “Wellness Model Emphasizes Illness Prevention”.   (I’ve also copied the article below for your convenience)

I’ve often said the majority of North Americans don’t care about their health until they’re faced with a health crisis that forces them to care.  I’m often challenge when I say this, but how can you argue the fact that 50% of Canadian’s don’t meet the minimum physical activity and healthy eating recommendations, or 55% of Canadians and over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese.  Approximately 20% of Canadians still smoke (and amazingly, male smoking is back on the rise) and alcohol consumption has increased to the point that many no longer know or choose to care what is consider unhealthy.  The Heart and Stroke Foundation published a study conducted in 2010 that an amazing 9 out of 10 Canadians are jeopardizing the quality and length of their lives by ignoring these and other risk factors that they’re in complete control of.

In Canada, over 40% of your tax dollars feed an ever ravenous healthcare system, but did you know that the use of the system you pay into is wildly disproportionate.  People with one or more of the five major chronic illnesses consume over 66% of our health services.  If Canadian’s attitudes towards their personal health and illness prevention continue, the statistics above will surely worsen (and take note, the situation in the USA is even worse).  Healthcare institutions throughout North America and around the world are continually exploring options and solutions to keep up with the demand for health services, while at the same time the people that complain most about the quality of care are the same people that take little or no interest in their lifestyle choices that directly affect their health.   

Besides being a health advocate that is concerned about the quality of health of individuals and the greater population, I’m also a businessman that is witness to a healthcare system that has the potential of either bankrupting our country if current spending trends continue, or my larger concern is that the quality of life for so many will be compromised when governments and health institutions have the difficult decision of selecting which programs are to receive funding and which ones will not because of a lack of funding. 

So the day of waiting for the crisis has arrived at our door step.  The question is what can you do about it?  The answer has been under our noises for decades.  The cure to prevent many chronic illnesses and recover our critically ill healthcare system is one in the same....PREVENTION through healthy lifestyle choices. 

I’m not sure if we’re actually seeing more marketing and media push in the area of illness prevention, or if it’s just that I have a heightened sense of awareness given my passion for the topic and the career I’ve chosen.  Regardless, there seems to be more and more information available and the article below from the Globe and Mail is just one of many examples I’ve read or seen on television. 

I’ve often said, “If you don’t take time for your health today, you will have lots of time to be sick in the future”.  I’m not so sure this statement is entirely  true, because if things go unchanged and the health of North Americans continues to deteriorate at its current rate, we will run out of money to treat the volume of people with chronic illnesses and the expanding services they demand, and you may not have as much time to be sick in the future as you once thought. 

Make your health and the health of others a lifelong priority so you can “Enjoy the Ride”....Rob

CHRONIC DISEASE

Wellness model emphasizes illness prevention

The Globe and Mail

Published Thursday, Nov. 24 2011, 2:28 PM EST

Dr. John Haggie is a strong proponent of the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

As a surgeon practising in Gander, Nfld., he has first-hand experience with serious medical conditions that could be prevented with early intervention.

Among his examples, Dr. Haggie points to a patient who is about to lose her leg due to complications of type 2 diabetes. “This outcome could have been avoided at any number of points,” he says. “Better childhood nutrition and fitness could have prevented the obesity that led to the development of this woman’s diabetes. Better drug coverage could have improved her blood glucose management. Even something as simple as having her feet checked by a nurse, which costs about $20, could have saved this woman’s leg and tens of thousands of dollars to the health care system.”

As president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Haggie is promoting a transformation of the health care system that will focus on illness prevention and health promotion. “The current acute disease model of health care is 20 years out of date. Today, the biggest burden on the system comes from largely preventable chronic diseases and their complications,” he says, noting part of the challenge in promoting health is that many highly effective interventions are based in the community, not in hospital or doctors’ offices (for example, programs to encourage youth fitness and smoking cessation initiatives). As a result, they are not funded by medicare.

“We have to convince the government to invest in primary and secondary prevention initiatives. The evidence shows that an upfront investment more than pays for itself down the road,” says Michael Cloutier, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Diabetes Association. He notes that just a two per cent reduction in diabetes prevalence rates would result in a nine per cent reduction in direct health care costs.

Unfortunately, the tools and medications that promote health are not accessible to all Canadians. Almost two-thirds of people with diabetes report that they cannot afford to comply with their prescribed therapy to effectively manage their disease. “A lot of people have to choose between paying for their rent or for their medications. Many more – especially those in remote and lower income communities – cannot afford healthy food. The result is more diabetes-related complications, poorer quality of life for these individuals and an increasing strain on our health care system,” says Mr. Cloutier. “We need to create a standard of care for chronic disease management across Canada.”

The Canadian Medical Association is advocating for co-ordinated investments in health promotion and disease prevention that will eliminate these gaps.

“Our goal is to ensure that by the end of the end of the next Health Care Accord, Canadians will have the best health in the world,” says Dr. Haggie.

“There is no reason why we can’t do that. By emphasizing health promotion now, we will see results by 2020.”