Are you on the road to Blobville or Heart Health City?

Although the legendary Yankees catcher/manager Yogi Berra had an outstanding career in baseball he is no doubt better known for his colorful quotes. One of Yogi's famous sayings that never fails to make me chuckle is "When you come to a fork in the road take it."

Maybe it's because it describes my approach to life more often than I'd care to admit. Choosing the wrong fork in the road often leads to dodging potholes and ending up at an unexpected destination. As usual Yogi said best, "If you don't know where you're going, you will wind up somewhere else."

I seriously considered making some New Year's resolutions to help me mend my ways because that seems to be the "in" thing to do. Historians tell us that this ritual has been going on since Babylonian times some 4,000 years ago. Resolutions must work for a lot of people or the custom would have died out by now.

According to people who keep track of such things, two of the most often made resolutions are to exercise more and eat less. We know that these are admirable traits that would improve our heart health but "It ain't easy." If these items were reversed I'm sure that most of us would have more success at keeping them.

Why don't we achieve our health and fitness goals? We are smart enough and usually know what to do…but don't do what we know. We have good intentions but "busyness", procrastination and lack of discipline take control of our lives.

And there's one more thing to add to the mix of resolution busters. All human beings have deep-seated natural tendencies, which go back to prehistoric times. It is in our genes to conserve our energy and avoid unnecessary activity unless there is an immediate compelling need... such as fleeing from a charging tiger that is looking for a quick lunch. It is also natural to choose pleasure over pain. If we understand how these instincts work we can devise strategies to cope with them.

So how do we outwit Mother Nature? It "ain't" easy but it can be done. Be patient and work for gradual change. We didn't get this way over night. It took years of traveling down the wrong road.

Set achievable short-range positive goals. They will help you to stick with it when you are tempted to slide.

Visualize your success…how good you will feel and look as you move down the path toward excellent health and well being.

Don't let a setback throw you. If you slip, don't quit! As Yogi once said, "it ain't over till it's over"

One of the things to keep foremost in your mind is that fitness is a journey…not a destination. It has to become a part of your lifestyle. Lifestyle is defined by Webster's dictionary as, "Way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person." You must be convinced in your mind that the changes you have been putting off making are really important or you probably won't stick with it.

Are you are approaching a fork in the road? Why not take Yogi's advice?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The cardiologist looked up from the treadmill report and grimly stated, "You are a walking time bomb. You need to go to the hospital immediately." Two days later a heart surgeon sawed open Gene Millen's chest and stitched in bypasses to six clogged arteries.

"A six way heart bypass isn't a record" said Gene, "but it's not bad for a skinny 59 year old with normal cholesterol and blood pressure. The villains and heroes in the heart attack melodrama may surprise you as they have me."

Gene Millen reviews new research on heart attack risks that are more dangerous than high cholesterol... and how natural supplements and heart vitamins can send them packing! Check out The Heart Health website at http://www.heart-health-for-life.com

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