LegendaryLife Blog

Smoking and alcohol have NO ROLE in a healthy lifestyle.

I got a comment regarding my article about the benefits I was  having with muscle memory (Muscle memory is great… too bad it doesn’t last) and I got the following comment:

Hey man, I am wondering what brand of protein/ creatine supplement you use. I don’t want to end up buying lean body supplement which makes me lose weight. Also, what’re ur typical meals? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for your question and I have broken-up my answer for you below.

Supplements

My friend left me protein that had sit under his counter for a year in a clear plastic bag because he couldn’t stand the taste, wasn’t sure if it was still good so I tried it, no problems so I finished it up. It lasted me about a month taking a 5 tablespoons a day ration (protein powder is very hard to find here) mixed with water. There was no brand so your guess is as good as mine. I took it not to gain weight (at these doses it isn’t a weight gainer) but to make sure I got a good Amino Acid profile to supplement my diet. I haven’t been on creatine for about 3 years now. I just got a call from customs that they have allowed my supplements into the country now so I should have my favorite protein (4 bottles of EAS 100% Whey Protein Chocolate 5 lbs) and creatine (2 bottles of Prolab Creatine, 300g). Creatine is creatine so just get the cheapest stuff you can find – sure it’s like eating sand but it does work. I use EAS because they are relatively cheap, good quality and I don’t get tired of the taste. Other supplements I take daily are two multi-vitamins and glucosamine. That’s it supplement wise.

Diet

Breakfast

When I have oatmeal available, I eat plain oatmeal for breakfast with a table spoon of brown sugar thrown in. I down that with either a cup of green tea or coffee which I started drinking last week for the health benefits… still think coffee tastes like shoes but if it gives me another few weeks of life on this planet, I can live with it.

Meals

I don’t differentiate between lunch, diner etc… so here is my typical meal (I eat 3 solid meals a day)

• baked salmon with rice, potato, carrot, onion (all these together on one tray in the oven) and corn – I add extra virgin olive oil to everything and honey to the salmon, corn is boiled with butter.
• chunk of beef with potato, carrot, onion – I add extra virgin olive oil to everything
• tuna sandwich, two cans, add a bit of mayo and butter
• vegetable dumplings with rice
• mystery fish, same process as baked salmon
• pasta with fresh crushed tomatoes, sauce, ground beef, mushrooms, onions, carrots and beef chunks
• chicken pieces boiled in seaweed along with onions and carrots – soup

Snacks

I eat 2-3 solid “snack” meals a day, which bumps my total meals to 5-6. I alternate one “snack” with one solid meal. When I get my protein in the next few days, I will replace two of these with protein and add one more “snack” somewhere.

• dried squid (tastes great and is cheap yet is almost all protein)
• peanuts or cashews with a 67% cocoa chocolate bar or cheese
• seaweed slices, not sure what to call it but here, it’s all the rage so I eat it too

That’s it for food, nothing processed, I cook everything and at one time or another, it was actually alive. I rarely eat at restaurants because to be quite frank, my food tastes better and is cheaper than their offerings.

Drinks

I only drink water, green tea, coffee and a few other teas. In the summer I usually drink a shot of salt water in the morning as I lose a lot of it exercising and don’t add salt to any of my food. I also drink some 100% Welches grape juice 2x a week for the health benefits (wine is bad for you, grape juice is good). I maybe drink a beer every 6 months or so and any other alcoholic breverages I don’t touch. Alcohol is a diarretic and empty calories, it has no place in my lifestyle. The only thing I smoke is my competition

Exercise routine

After a few months of not really lifting much of anything, I began my workouts slow for the first two weeks to get my mind ready for what was to come then switched to lifting as much as I could using drop sets, pyramid sets and split sets. I gained weight because I forced my body to, not because it wanted to. I exercise for about 30-45 minutes, 4x a week alternating legs and lower back / chest and back / biceps and triceps. I workout instinctively, I don’t track anything nor do I plan anything out… if I feel up to it, after a thorough warm-up, I can jump into a power lifting routine one day and something different at another. None of my workouts are the same so the body never really adapts to any one lifting style or method. If I hit a plateau, I switch from high reps to low reps, change the sets… whatever it takes. I do close to two hours of brisk walking everyday and once the weather warms-up, hike up some mountains on the weekends.

Gaining weight

I am 32 years old now and I have been working out since I was 12-16 on/off then got seriously into it at around 16. As such, I have never been obese, never injured directly because of my workouts and know my body. If you are not gaining, it’s because you aren’t eating enough. I know you are tired of hearing this, so was I, but there is no supplement (other than steroids, slin or GH) that will allow you to gain weight on a bad / deficient diet. Eat clean, eat a lot and move around! There is NOTHING more anabolic than food. About 90% of your gains will come from the food you eat, that extra 10% will be the supplements which allow you to lift a bit more for a little longer than “normal”.

Mental

Having lifted weight and been very active most of my life, I can tell you with confidence that the amount of weight you can lift is more dependant on mental than physical ability. You have to become good at ignoring what your mind is telling you when your body is saying otherwise. For instance, if you are doing shoulder presses and your mind says “ENOUGH”, you got to ignore this and keep going… if my body physically starts to shake, then I know I am coming close to my physical limit. I have never been injured following this and it has given me great gains but if you don’t know your body, have proper form or don’t have a few years of solid weight training under your belt, don’t go to this extreme. When I am not happy, I am very happy so I don’t know depression which does affect workouts big time.

Disclaimer

All the above works great for me but every body is different, you can follow what I do and get great gains or get nothing or injured. Be sure to get a physical check-up by a doctor before starting any program or change in diet. I know personal trainers are a dime a dozen so ignore them unless they have qualifications beyond an online weekend course. If you are in the gym, find the oldest and biggest guy in the gym and ask him to just review your exercise and if he (it’s usually a he) sees any things you are doing wrong, to tell you.

Other articles that may be of interest to you as well

• Muscle memory is great… too bad it doesn’t last
• Why I decided not to take Anabolic Steroids
• Gaining Weight 101: Tips from a fellow Hard gainer
• LL Question: Even with bad genetics, can I become the world’s strongest man?
• Better Living Through Chemistry
• Taking Time Off and Muscle Memory

The stupid way to gain weight

I just saw this after writing the above article and all I got to stay is this is the stupidest thing I have ever seen! I would look like this guy if I didn’t workout at the gym and watched my diet. This guy doesn’t need steroids, he needs confidence and FOOD! If this guy thinks steroids will change his life, he will have a huge wake-up call when he gets off of them and loses ALL his gains and then some. This is pure exploitation for ratings and they make light of a very serious drug. If you want to take steroids, get to 200lbs relatively lean THEN start, not at 140lbs as it means you have your fundamentals down. If you want to take steroids, don’t do it to improve your self-esteem because you will cry like a little girl once you hit clomid. If you want to take steroids, make sure you have had your kids first as a major side-effect is possible infertility. If you want to take steroids, make sure you are supervised by a doctor and your growth plates have fused (ei: you aren’t growing anymore). This guy is a horrible example, he looks green at the gym, green diet wise and is nowhere near mentally able to cope with what is about to happen to him. THIS GUY IS HEADING INTO A DEAD-END OF SELF-PITY AND BIG TIME DEPRESSION.

The Bottom Line

Advice is free but implementation isn’t.

This is a great case study as to the power of muscle memory!

During the summer, I ran off to the Philippines for a few months were my diet consisted mostly of rice, bananas and water so I did the equivalent of an extreme diet while relaxing on the beaches and exploring the local area.

Taking a break from working out

I absolutely love working-out at the gym, the weight is always the same but depending on your diet, mental attittude and overall fitness, you can either lift more or less on any given day. It’s the ultimate in optimization as you can see the results quantified on a weekly basis as you tweek your lifestyle. It seems that every year, I end-up being somewhere for a few months were my diet (still healthy) gets severely limited, I sweat a lot and without a gym, lose some muscle mass and fat like I was on some sort of extreme diet. Stressing the body in this manner makes sure it’s constantly reminded and optmized and never gets use to any particular set of habits.

Results of an extended break

As expected, I loose about 30 pounds of weight over a few months time, my pants need belts, my shirts seem like they are a few sizes too big and my weight lifting ability (once I do return to the gym) would make a little girl feel strong!

…then muscle memory kicks in!

I started again at the gym two months ago, since then, I have gained back 25 pounds, almost doubled all my weights lifted since I began and my “old body” is coming back wonderfully! Two months ago, I had trouble lifting 14kg dumbbells, now I am lifting 25kg dumbells without must trouble and will probably hit the 30kg ones in a month or so the way I am gaining. My arms, chest, legs have all grown noticeably as well during this time and the fat gained has been extremely minimal due to my extremely clean diet. I have managed all these gains without the use of ANY supplements other than a little protein powder a friend left me, no GH, no steroids… not even creatine! This is muscle memory at it’s best.. I have been working out for more than half of my life so these gains are just getting back what I had, nothing “new” yet. A few guys at the gym who are still lifting what I use to lift two months ago are astonished by my gains, they come-up to me and say a few things in broken English but mostly “you’re strong!” hahahahhaha… I tell them this is nothing, wait a few more months once I hit the creatine and real protein powder! I am now just on the verge of hitting 180lbs and my goal is to be 200lbs by September with as little fat as possible.

My body type

My body is originally ectomorph which means I am a very hard gainer, naturally skinny and have a very lean build. Through years of hard work at the gym, I have transformed myself into more of a mesomorph while maintaining the traits of a ectomorph… meaning (once muscle memory is done), my gains are very hard to come by, I have to eat like crazy just to gain a little weight and the gains that I do make go away very fast once I stop. I am still gaining a lot overall thanks to muscle memory right now but that will soon taper off… too bad the 45 degree curve of progress doesn’t keep going huh? That would be amazing but as soon I approach about 190lbs, my natural limit, things get extremely tough for me at the gym, hence why this time around, that is when I will START taking the creatine and protein supplements.

The Bottom Line

Muscle memory creates steroid-like gains without the side effects.

Most peoples bodies look like this building by middle-age... it doesn't need to be this way!

I realize that the word “disease” is thrown around all to easily in this world, usually in order to give people a reason to take yet more pills and medication but I truly believe that aging is actually a disease that is acquired through lifestyle… let me explain.

What is aging and its cause?

Aging is slow, progressive process, caused by cellular degradation, DNA replication errors (mutations) and general “damage” however you wish to define it within a living organism. It cannot be stopped nor reversed but it can be slowed down with proper lifestyle choices. Let me repeat, aging CANNOT be stopped or reversed regardless of how many products out there state otherwise.

What are factors that increase the rate of aging?

There are a number of things one can do to avoid “getting old before your time” and here is a quick list, there are many more but this should give you an idea of what needs modifying in your life to prevent the acquisition of this aging disease.

Stress

Having a crazy, burn the candle at two ends lifestyle is one of the quickest manners to age yourself. Now, there is good stress and bad stress, worrying about your finances is BAD stress while putting stress on your body physically (within reason) is GOOD stress. I have seen numerous studies directly linking stress and aging… this is probably the biggest thing you need to get a handle on within your life… luckily, it’s also the easiest to change in your life. Other things you can do which stress your body include drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking (pick your poison), taking drugs (legal or otherwise within reason) and a host of other mental, physical choices we put ourselves through on a daily basis.

Food

A typical western diet heavy on meats and low on vegetables / fruits is a great way to not only increase your incidence of bowel related conditions but also a great way to stress all your internal organs (BAD stress) leading to pre-mature aging. You ARE what you eat, no if, ands or buts about it and the sooner you realize that every little piece of food you shove in your mouth plays a very active role in your bodies ability to fight disease, stay healthy and do as you tell it to, the better you will be.

Genetics

Genetics is the ONE factor you have relatively little control over, but as Dean Ornish has found, you can actually, through lifestyle, change to a certain extent, your genetic predispositions. Let me repeat, the genes you where born with aren’t necessarily the ones you end up dying with, thanks to lifestyle choices. This is a MAJOR discovery and one that really got me excited, the body renews itself completely every 7 years, take every opportunity to make sure that while this process is occurring that you are smarter, stronger and healthier than the day before.

(see previous article: TEDTalks: Dean Ornish – activity leads to longer, healthier life!)

Acquired Diseases, Viruses and Infections

A very quick way to age and possibly die way before your time is the acquisition of diseases, viruses and infections, no matter how benign, they will play a role in your lifespan. There are extreme virus like the Ebola Virus which has a very bad survival rate once acquired but viruses like AIDS (HIV-1, HIV-2), with proper medication and genetic profile, mean a shortened but not as dramatic “hitting of the brick wall”. You can get a (bacterial) staph infection which quickly goes away with proper antibiotics or get it on your joints (arthritis) which limit your mobility. Basically, acquiring any common or otherwise diseases, viruses or infections do play a role, so try to avoid them if you can.

So why is aging a disease that is acquired?

I think aging is a disease that is acquired through lifestyle choices in that there are two types of aging, natural and unnatural. Natural is the general process of aging, unnatural is doing such things as watching TV all day on the couch drinking beer and eating potato chips. There is nothing natural in eating artificial foods, our bodies are NOT made for it anymore than living a sedentary life is… these are completely unnatural things for us to do and this is how we acquire unnatural aging along with the diseases they play a very large role in developing. The only reason many people are able to live such a long time while abusing their bodies is due to the medical advances that have come with living in a modern civilization… otherwise, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of older folks keeled over on a more regular basis. Our bodies are made to run, hunt, seek and discover, not sit around waiting for our next meal to come out of microwave.

The Bottom Line

Aging is a disease if brought upon by bad lifestyle choices.

The Myth. The Legend. Servio "The Myth" Oliva showing-off his incredible 23 inch arms!

In the world of bodybuilding where legends such as Lou Ferrigno, Casey Viator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mohammed Makaway, Casey Viator, , Lee Labrada, Ron Coleman, Jay Cutler, , Lee Haney, Lee Priest, Dorian Yates, Weider, Mentzer and “Barbarian” Brothers, Mike Katz, Dexter Jackson, Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray still cast a dominating shadow over this sport, one man, still maintains the biggest of them all. He is called Sergio “The Myth” Oliva.

Sergio Oliva’s early years

Few people realize that Sergio was a Cuban born on July 4th, 1941 and got into bodybuilding rather by accident. He was a soldier in the war against communism but lost, so he headed for the beach where a few friends introduced him to weight lifting.

Sergio Oliva’s legend begins

After less than a year of training, he was able to perform clean & jerks in excess of 400lbs, which was more than double his weight at the time. Considering he was still a teenager at this time made it all the more impressive. He caught the eye of the Cuban government and in 1961, he represented Cuba in the Pan American Games. During these games, he sneaked-out and sought asylum in an American Consulate, which was granted.

Sergio Oliva enters the mainstream bodybuilding community

In 1963, after moving from Miami, Florida to Chicago Illinois to work at a foundry, his legend started to grow due to his shier power and strength at the local gym he exercised at. Apparently, he was lifting more weight than anybody thought was possible and word began spreading quickly in the bodybuilding circles. He decided to give a competition a try and a year later, became “Mr. Illinois”! After a few competitions, he gathered enough steam to compete in an IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding) sanctioned event in 1967, blowing away the competition! He won both the Mr. World Contest and Mr. Universe that year followed by winning Mr. Universe yet again three consecutive years later! He was so impressive at the time that he won the 1968 Mr. Olympia completely uncontested, nobody could even come close to the physique he had developed in only four years of being in the sport! He won an impressive number of contests during this years as a competitive, professional bodybuilder which is still talked about to this day!

Here is a listing of all the competitions he entered:

• 1963 Mr Chicago
• 1964 Mr Illinois
• 1964 Mr America – AAU, 7th
• 1965 Junior Mr America – AAU, 2nd
• 1965 Junior Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular
• 1965 Mr America – AAU, 4th
• 1965 Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular,
• 1966 Junior Mr America – AAU, Winner
• 1966 Junior Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular
• 1966 Mr America – AAU, 2nd
• 1966 Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular,
• 1966 Mr World – IFBB, Overall Winner
• 1966 Mr World – IFBB, Tall, 1st
• 1966 Mr Universe – IFBB Winner
• 1966 Olympia – IFBB, 4th
• 1967 Olympia – IFBB, Winner
• 1967 Universe – IFBB, Overall Winner
• 1968 Olympia – IFBB, Winner
• 1969 Olympia – IFBB, Winner
• 1970 Mr World – AAU, Pro Tall, 2nd
• 1970 Olympia – IFBB, 2nd
• 1971 Universe – Pro – NABBA, Tall, 2nd
• 1972 Olympia – IFBB, 2nd
• 1972 Mr. Galaxy – WBBG
• 1973 Mr International – IFBB, Professional, 1st
• 1974 Mr International, Professional, 1st
• 1975 Olympus – WBBG, Winner
• 1976 Olympus – WBBG, Winner
• 1977 World Championships – WABBA, Professional, 1st
• 1978 Olympus – WBBG, Winner
• 1980 World Championships – WABBA, Professional, 1st
• 1981 Pro World Cup – WABBA, Winner
• 1984 Olympia – IFBB, 8th
• 1984 Pro States Championships – WABBA
• 1985 Olympia – IFBB, 8th

Sergio’s physical achievements!

Sergio’s body was truly aspiring and the symmetry he achieved was at least 20 years ahead of his competitors at the time. Considering he was rather short at 5ft9 compared to the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger (6ft2) and Lou Ferrigno (6ft5), he still managed to more than hold his own against these monsters of the sport at the time. He was also about the same weight as far taller competitors and his body was so amazing that he even gave Arnold his first and only loss of his career! His arms measured an incredible 23 inches unflexed with impressive 20 inch forearms. His chest was almost as large as Arnold Schwarzeneggers at the time (58 inches) and yet, he still managed to maintain an incredibly slim waist of 28 inches! His legs where like massive tree trucks measuring an incredible 33 inches… again, he BLEW AWAY the competition in just about every category! His arms where so massive, considering his overall body size, that they where usually described as pythons, which is maybe where Hulk Hogan got his idea of describing his arms in the same manner.

Sergio Oliva later in life

Sergio entered the police force after many years of competition and became a family man at the age of 43. He, like many great legends, bowed-out of the sport, having earned the respect of fellow athletes for pushing the sport of competitive bodybuilding into a new era, that of the “genetic freaks” that would soon dominate the arena. He also wrote a book in 2007 which is difficult to get.

Sergio “The Myth” Oliva Videos

(great summary of an amazing man)

(Sergio posing at the 1984 Olympia)

(Sergio posing at the 1985 Olympia)

Like father like son?

It doesn’t end there, Sergio Oliva Jr. is really starting to make inroads within the bodybuilding community as well, here is one of his videos… impressive and given a few years, I am sure he will continue in the legacy of his father.

Sergio Oliva Trivia

• Sergio Oliva was shot by his x-wife 5 times!
• Sergio’s first job in America was that of a TV repairman
• Sergio is still the only bodybuilder to ever win and hold, the top standings in four competitive bodybuilding federations at the same time! (IFBB, AAU, NABBA, WBBG)
• Once Cuba’s weightlifting team got wind of his escape, the entire team followed suit
• Sergio’s competition weight was normally between 240lbs and 255lbs, which, even by today’s standards, is enormous considering the low body fat he maintained during these events

The Bottom Line

Legends come in all sizes and shapes, Sergio’s just happens to be among the largest!

Buzvia: Official Sergio Oliva Web Site and Sergio Oliva on Wikipedia

See also: LegendaryLife Profile: Bill Kazmaier and LegendaryLife Profile: Mariusz Pudzianowski

I was recently contacted by the Nursing Online Education Database to review an article they had written titled “50 Tiny Health Habits that Can Save You Big Money (And Add Years)” and I must say I agree with most of what I see. Just to clarify, I have no formal medical training, I am simply a person with many passions and one of them is spreading the word about the very big advantages of a healthy lifestyle!

Article Summary

It’s a known fact that people following a healthy lifestyle throughout your life, though you are never too old to start, save a fortune in medical expenses and lessen or even completely avoid a host of diseases that strike us mortals. Most importantly, a healthy lifestyle will add QUALITY YEARS to a limited lifespan.

Bad habits to avoid or stop immediately: Smoking, drinking, unhealthy snacking, promiscuity, tanning, nail bitting, drug abuse (including caffeine), leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating too fast.

Good habits to have: take vitamins, drink plenty of water, avoid sleep deprivation, exercise, avoid second-hand smoke, eat breakfast, eat your vegies, wear sunscreen, wear good shoes, stretch and floss regularly.

How to de-stress yourself: maintain a good posture, relax your jaw, get some sun, meditate, take your time when eating and most importantly, take a break!

Avoiding those evil diseases: wash your hands, drink green tea, eat fish, drink milk, scrape your tongue, eat a high fiber diet, wash your kids toys regularly, clean your sheets and towels and throw kitchen sponges away!

Invest in yourself: get tested for STDs, become best friends with your dentist, replenish your beauty products, get a flu shot, buy generic, don’t share (toothbrushes, shavers etc), save your money (in an account), avoid the junk food, go to the gym.

Personal habits that help: know your families medical history, accept your mortality, cook for yourself, find somebody to share your life with (no matter how brief) and push yourself to become more then you think you are capable.

My review of key items on this list

Overall, I think this is a great article, Laura knows what she is talking about! Some things I don’t completely agree with while others I believe need to be re-enforced.

Promiscuity

Here is a scary fact repeated many times but needs to be said again, a full 1/4 of Americans are walking around with an STD, whether they realize this or not, yes, that may include you (reading this now). This can range from HPV to AIDS and everything in between. Some are incredibly nasty while others are relatively benign, but an STD is an STD no matter how you describe it. Entering “morals” into the equation as to why promiscuity is “bad” is best left to religion, not the medical community in my opinion.

Drug Abuse

I have had first hand experience with the evils of drug abuse with both of my sisters, one of which died as a result. What I can tell you is that countries who behead drug pushers and traffickers are right on… people who make a profit off other peoples misery deserve no less a reward. The irrational and extreme mood swings, exponential aging and the breakdown that drugs cause within a family are incalculable. I am talking about hard drugs but I also saw my grandfather slowly die due to a life of smoking cigarettes. Drug abuse isn’t just the hard stuff, but any type of drug abuse, from smoking to prescription drugs can only spell problems in your later years.

Daily vitamins

So far, there have been NO studies out there supporting the use of vitamins or multi-vitamins, not one. If you eat a whole, balanced diet, multi-vitamins are not needed for a healthy life. That being said, I take a multi-vitamin twice a day, there may be no proof that it works, but I consider it an insurance policy as I can’t turn back the “health clock” within my body should such a study come out. There is A LOT of hype regarding the vitamin industry, buy the cheapest ones that have everything including the kitchen sink in them… multi-vitamins should be following this shot-gun approach for maximum effectiveness.

Exercise

Walking, running and climbing stairs has been shown to NOT BE ENOUGH. Any exercise regimen must include weight training. Why? Well, unlike running and general cardio-vascular exercises, which are great… weight training increases your muscle mass (promoting fat loss), keeps your body tones and stimulates your central nervous system including an optimization of your neuro-muscular pathways. Why is this important? Well, these all decline with age and lack of use, get them optimized when you are young and their degradation will happen at a slower rate.

Wear Sunscreen

I realize both sides of this argument but I do not wear sunscreen but when I go outside, I always have a hat, long sleeves (even in the summer) and avoid the sun during its peak hours, roughly 11am till 3pm. Sunscreens are effective but for me, they cannot replace common sense. If you go to a beach and spend a few hours in the sun, absolutely wear sunscreen but for daily activities like walking a dog… I consider this a waste of money and time.

Floss

I have to be honest, I don’t floss… what I do instead is put half a cup hot water, mix it with a heaping tablespoon of salt, a pinch of baking soda and wash my mouth with this at least once or twice a day. Why? Well, I believe it’s far more effective then flossing, not only does the salt get under the gum-line and between teeth but it also promotes blood flow. More importantly, this KILLS every bacteria and virus that may live in your mouth. I still brush my teeth of course, but since I have followed this regimen a few years ago, morning breath, tartar build-up and icky mouth feelings dissapeared! Kill them all and nothing is left to do you harm is my philosophy regarding oral care.

Drink Milk

You know what, I don’t agree with this what-so-ever. Where do cows get their calcium? Plant materials. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will give you far more calcium then any glass of milk could ever hope to do. I believe the marketing of milk has been detrimental to the healthy eating habits of most people, they assume wrongly that milk is the only or BEST source of calcium on the planet, which it is not. Most milk is mass-produced by boosted cows and guess what, this stuff leaches into your milk. I use milk for recipes and that is the extent of my use for this substance.

Wash your kids toys

Before you rush-out and buy some cleaning chemicals, get yourself a steamer, they cost almost nothing and are by far more friendly to your child’s body. Using steam will kill everything, doesn’t produce environmentally damaging chemicals and is a far cheaper method of cleaning.

Replenish your beauty supplies

I think women are at their most beautiful when they wear NO make-up. I believe that the entire fashion and cosmetics industry is a farce that essentially tells women that they are ugly unless they SPEND MONEY on their stuff to look great. Sorry, but a healthy lifestyle will do far more good then any of this garbage will ever do. Preying on self-esteem of woman in order to gain access to their pocket book is just plain evil in my opinion.

Accept your mortality (embrace your age)

Love the skin you’re in, age gracefully and embrace your age sound nice but I disagree. The moment you accept this, in my opinion, is the moment you accept the inevitable that you can do little to nothing to FIGHT aging. I work hard at the gym to extend my lifespan and slow the aging process (the eye candy is a bonus) but you won’t see me ever sitting around saying “wow… I have really aged… great!”. Aging is a battle that I realize I cannot win but that doesn’t mean I will stop trying!

The Bottom Line

Great article… hopefully this gets other to take their health seriously!

Buzvia: 50 Tiny Health Habits that Can Save You Big Money (And Add Years)