Why I Blog About The Dr. Oz Show

Why do I feature Dr. Mehmet Oz so much in my blogs and tweets? Because the man is worth it. He's intelligent, personable, and entertaining. The ladies like his looks. Me, yeah, he looks okay but I like the fact that he knows what he is talking about.

My first time seeing Dr. Oz was on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He was a well-spoken, intelligent man who was confidant and passionate about his topics. I am into improving my own health. I have a lifetime of poor habits to break. And Dr. Oz makes it easier to watch what could be very dry subject matter by being entertaining while being informative.

Borrowed from Pinterest

Dr. Oz uses humor, members of his audience, and featured guest experts to put on quite a show. His props are first rate. Some of his demonstrations use everyday, ordinary items while at other times he uses great videos and animations to make his point.

What really catches your eye though are some of the mock-ups Dr. Oz uses. The over-sized ones are fantastic. I wonder if he uses such props in teaching medical students? I can picture him being a very effective educator.

Have I mentioned Dr. Oz's manner of speach? His pronunciation is clear and his accent is very slight. Most may not even notice it but being a Southerner, I do detect it. Not a New England or New Yorker accent but almost. Sounds like a mid-west meets east coast kind of accent. Of course my accent is more than noticeable. Just pointing out he has a pleasant voice for presentations and television.

How Old Are You Actually? Check Your RealAge!

Is it possible to become younger? The folks at RealAge definitely think so. Their Real Age Test utilizes the latest medical research to provide you with the calculated "real age" of your body. In their words, "Your RealAge is a quick scientific calculation of how young or old your body thinks you really are".

The Real Age Test has been recently updated from the original version created by Michael F. Roizen, MD to reflect the latest research. If you have previously taken the Real Age Test but not lately, have another go at it and see how your numbers go. The Test has four main areas of concern including Health, Feelings, Diet, and Fitness. Each of these areas has a very thorough questionnaire  Of course, the accuracy of the results will be affected by how truthful you are in answering every question.

My Real Age

I found the Real Age Test to be very comprehensive but was still not sure how to answer some of the questions. I may have skewed some of the answers in my favor but I don't believe I was far off the mark. And upon further reflection and a view of the results I may have skewed the results in my disfavor. When asked about your Health "Interests", it might be best to only check those item that you have a legitimate personal interest in. In other words, check those items that pertain to you personally.

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm! Chicken Stir-Fry for Breakfast

Chicken Stir-Fry

A great way to handle left-overs is to make a breakfast stir-fry. The good thing about a stir-fry is there are no hard fast rules. Fresh vegetables, frozen, or leftover veggies are all a good start. Mix and match what you have. And whatever else you have on hand when added to the mix should work.

The important key I have been told is that your pan needs to be hot; very hot. If you put rice in and it tends to stick then your pan is not hot enough. Oil helps and is necessary for most fries. But be careful you do not use too much. Two, maybe three tablespoons is generally sufficient. Do not forget to stir. After all, this is a stir-fry.

Getting Started - Again!

Dan Carroll being the Intrepid IT Professional

Here's the deal. I will turn 52 this summer. I am not in the best of shape. I am at least 50 to 60 pounds (22 to 27 kilos) overweight, possibly even more. It depends on whose guidelines you follow. More on that later. I have high blood pressure. I like to think its not that high, something the doctors call hypertension. My joints creak, my feet hurt if I stand too much or walk to far, And I used to love to walk, take long hikes and go backpacking.

And to top it all off, I have glaucoma and cataracts. Had surgery in my left eye, now the right eye is developing cataracts. Oh, and I almost forgot about the sleep apnea. So anyway, it could be worse. No diabetes. Blood sugars are generally very good. But my triglycerides are out the roof. At least they are without medication and watching what I eat. I used to be a typical Southerner and eat almost everything fried.

So, the bottom line is, I have to lose weight. And to eat better. At least my body appears to be fairly resilient. I haven't shown any signs of heart disease or other weight related maladies. Except that my breathing and sleep apnea might improve, dramatically maybe, if I lose the excess baggage. So that is the plan, lose weight and get fit. My concentration though is going to be health.

I know weight is an issue, really I do. I am an American after all and the World knows we tend to be over weight, more than the average any way. But instead on concentrating on the wieght loss and dieting, I am going to work on becoming healthier. I will exercise more, eat better, concentrate on relationships, worry less, and put it all in God's hands. Yes, I am a believer, just not as devout as some.