health news

The last couple of weekends I have been spending my time at home getting as much rest as I can while I sort out some health issues.  Lately my arthritic knee (right) has been acting up and has as the Easter weekend was starting.  It still is.  Usually when it does and there is a storm system moving through, it stops after that system has moved on through.  Not this time.  So, while I get this under control (its rheumatoid arthritis and not age related, that's another one), I have plenty to do at home to keep me occupied.

So there's that and the high blood pressure issue going on but the bp is under control though it has risen slightly with the upper number between 160 and 170.  I plan to return to the naturopath though the MD doesn't like them and has little faith in them.  Its my health and I'll do what I can to bring that under control, with or without the MD's approval.

I hope things are better with you.  Meantime, I am back to work in the morning for a 5 day week.  The last two weeks were 4 day work weeks.  Take care of yourselves, guys!

~ Volker

reaction

I was hungry yesterday afternoon (Saturday) and decided to have some granola bars. Bad choice, especially three bars! I woke up this morning to a bad case of diarrhea most likely a reaction to the corn syrup and lactose in the bars. I had wanted to give them away since I'm somewhat allergic to corn (corn product of any kind) and I'm also lactose intolerant. Its amazing how little it takes to create a problem. Hence, this is one reason why I carefully read the label for the ingredients if I do purchase some prepared food items.

All this is why I prefer to prepare my own food. Then I know what's in it! If you've never had yourself tested for allergies or sensitivities, consider having it done. Ask your doctor to send you to an allergist. I did that in 2006 and knowing is forearmed! It saves us from a lot of issues later, well, most of the time! Enjoy your Sunday! - V

P.S. - Of course, I may have overdone the chai thing somewhat. I did some research this evening and found that some of the ingredients have anti-parasitic properties, such as gloves (I knew that), cinnamon (I knew that too), garlic and others. I'll ease up on drinking chai (I drank Bombay Chai this past week) and see what happens. Well, all that chai probably got rid of some of the beasties. Eating something I shouldn't have probably didn't help! Live and learn!!! - V

health update

I've completed two full weeks of work without issues of any kind. So far so good!

Thursday I was at the hospital for a test focusing on the kidney function. I'll be in the hospital in the near future for two more tests concerning the same issue. It is part of the progress the specialist is doing to find the cause for the high blood pressure which led to my mini-stroke with symptoms that were confused with vertigo and really it wasn't. Its a good thing that I went to the clinic and then the hospital!

Our health is most important. We can't be of help to others in our lives if we are in poor health. Take care of any issues that come up rather than leaving them. Later may be too late!

Enjoy life and what it has to offer! - V

back to work!

I'm heading back to work this morning. In fact, i'll be out the door in a few minuted and on my way to the bus stop and the train. This has been after a month of recovery after suffering a mini-stroke early in May. It does help to keep in shape! All this helps the recovery in the long run. Have a great day, guys! - V

return

Well, I have some good news. Yesterday I went to see my doctor and now have his permission to return to work now that my recovery from my mini-stroke last month is well advanced. I start back on Monday. Its been just over a month since the mini-stroke happened that put me in the hospital for four days. I've been recuperating since returning home. So, here we are back to work! Let the guy in the red underwear put us in the mood for the weekend!!! - V

timeless

I still enjoy this stuff, don't you? The recent mini-stroke hasn't dulled the senses, that's for sure! I wrote a long, detailed email to my cousin Carleen back east on what's happened and why. The same email went to other friends and family as well. Now I'm getting set to call it a night. Good night, guys! - V

reclining

I was in the hospital from Monday morning and finally released on Thursday afternoon once my blood pressure was stabilised after the mini-stroke I suffered which has affected my left side (a weakness). There are signs that this is not the first one..there have been others! My speech and thought processes are mostly unaffected though typing something long and detailed is a chore!

I spent days lying in bed but didn't see anything like the guy above. I was getting sore all over and wanted to go home as you could well imagine. Two doctors, neurologists, brought a steady entourage of medical students to see the subtle symptoms of a mini-stroke with the same tests and questions being routine! I hope you're all doing much better than me, guys! - V

update II

I heard from Brad on the weekend. There's no love lost between us and care about each other as we always have, just wish he was here but he'd like me there. For health reasons I can't follow through for the moment since I'm recovering from a mini-stroke.. another one may be involved. Some at work miss my presence..my smile and wit, etc. I just got out of the hospital yesterday afternoon after being there since Monday. More news later! - V

update

I heard from an old, dear friend yesterday (actually I consider him more family) which has helped perk me up and aid my recovery. I'm going to a clinic in Vancouver tomorrow after work. My bronchitis needs some assistance to get rid of it! Otherwise, I'm regaining strength but the vertigo is still with me. The antibiotics should help considerably. Then I'm off to the naturopath later in the month for more work. I hope all is better with you! Take care, guys!!! - V

gout is back

There was a storm front that moved through the area late Sunday into Monday which brought rain, lots of it, well certainly not as much as other parts of this country have suffered but more than we've had all summer.

Well, at the same time came gout symptoms but this time affecting my left foot rather than the right. There's little swelling at the moment (and I'd like to keep it that way), so it may just be arthritis something I also have in my right knee, and its been with me since my teens in case you think its all about old age! I'm taking some aspirin each day to dull the pain and I'll likely head over to the clinic to get a prescription for an anti-inflammatory. That's in case there is some swelling.

My supervisor at work is away on vacation next week, so its me that's holding the fort as the saying goes. Besides, if we don't work, we don't get paid. Not working creates its own set of issues. So, in the interim I'll do what I can to keep the pain and swelling away while this heals itself. I hope all is better for you. Besides, I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!!! - V

gout

Well, I've got a few blog posts in mind but a recent gout attack has postponed them until I get better. To make a long story short, a gout attack is set off by stress. I won't go into the details but this is not the worst one I've had within the last ten years but its bad enough when your foot is swollen and there is difficulty walking. I'm expecting to get a new prescription for anti-inflammatory medication on Saturday. The last prescription dates from October 2006, which is the last time I had a major attack. That time it was a medication my doctor was giving me that brought on the attacks. When that medication was no longer taken, the gout symptoms subsided. Currently I'm taking aspirin which only dulls the pain and does nothing for the swelling. The new posts should come along on the weekend. Hope all is much better with you, guys! - V

Scott Herman - a real fitness motivator

Recently I posed a few questions for my friend, Scott Herman, a model, fitness expert and budding actor, to answer. It goes without saying that visiting your physician and having an annual check-up would be the precursor to starting any exercise regime. This way you are not caught by surprise and can work around any difficulties health concerns might bring. So, here's the scoop from Scott himself and he's done an awesome job answering the questions in detail. - Volker


1) What's your family background? What challenges are there for you when considering the physical traits of your ancestors, if any?

My family background is your normal middle class family. We have always had to work extra hard for everything we have. There are no physical traits that posed a challenge for us. I’d say the only challenge was not having enough time in the day to get everything done. But who doesn’t have that problem, right?

2) What's your prime motivator in life? This can be a person, an ideal or what ever.

My prime motivator in my life is my family. My family has always pushed me to be the best that I can be. They were always participating in school field trips and came to all my sporting events growing up. As I got older, my family got bigger. I have three younger brothers and one little sister and when I look at them I remember all the hardships I went through to get to where I am today and I don’t want them to have to go through the same thing. Granted, those hardships made me the man that I am today, but I want to give them things I never had. I don’t want them to have to stay up till 5am changing crankshaft seals in the engine of their cars in three feet of snow just to make it to school the night day and learn to appreciate what they have. But it is bigger than that. I have a big brother and step sister who are about my age and I work hard and push myself to give them inspiration to shoot for their dreams. You don’t always have to talk to someone to inspire them. Actions speak louder than words and I must say my actions have proven to be very powerful. I constantly involve my family in everything I do, and I am never too busy to give mom and dad a call to catch up.

3) What did you do earlier in life that got you interested in fitness, helping yourself and others in the process?

What got me interested in fitness? Honestly, I was tired of getting picked on all the time at school and needed a way to vent my frustrations. I was very introverted as a kid and thus became an easy target for older kids to pick on; mainly my older brother and his friends. I know that a lot of kids turn to many things when they are angry but if I can inspire them to vent that anger in the gym; well the gym has a way of turning that negative energy into positive energy. At first it starts out as a way to vent but as you start to see results something happens. Now all of a sudden you are feeling better about yourself because you are starting to look fit. Then other goals start to be created such as. Oh, I want to have a bigger chest, or I want my abs to look even better. I remember when I finally got the veins to bulge in my biceps, you may laugh but I was pretty excited about it!

4) What are the prime factors to consider for someone wanting to get into shape and staying that way?

Basically it works like this, if you want to get into shape and stay that way, fitness needs to become your lifestyle. YOUR LIFESTYLE not your HOBBIE! If you practice proper eating habits and workout regularly, you will always be fit and healthy. Even if you have a bad month and don’t make it to the gym that much. As long as you keep eating properly you will not lose your shape. You are not going to lose all your muscle and gain fat because you don’t workout. You lose it when you don’t eat properly and therefore your body can’t maintain the muscle it has.

5) The role of food in our diet and the water we drink is very important. What role do these two have in fitness?

Your meal plan plays a huge role in fitness. In fact, it is 100%. Your body will not be able to grow, maintain, or lose fat unless you are feeding it properly. Your body is very smart and WILL adapt to your eating habits. For example, if you eat only once or twice a day you body is going to hold onto more fat because subconsciously it doesn’t want to die. When you are tired, a lot of the times you are dehydrated. Being tired is your body’s way of saying, HEY, I don’t have enough water to keep doing this so stop moving around! Again, your body doesn’t want to die so it does things to make you realize that. However, most of us do not listen to our bodies. If you went from eating twice a day to small meals six times a day, your body will realize that it is now being fed regularly and will start to shed the unwanted fat…for help with this, check out the meal plan on my website. www.scotthermanfitness.com

6) Does a particular body type have a greater challenge in keeping fit than another (i.e. endomorph, ectomorph, etc)? Is there something that works better for one type than another?

This depends on what you mean by fit. You can be super healthy, but not look like a body builder. I guess the best question would be is it easier to stay super lean as an ectomorph or mesomorph compared to an endomorph. The answer is yes.

7) Can you advise us on which exercises are best for each particular muscle group in the body?

I feel this question is more of what your preference is and I say this because if you REALLY like the exercise and have proper form, you will look forward to that exercise and push harder while doing it thus working the muscle harder.

8) Machines or free weights? What works best, or is there a place for both?

I believe that if you want to get the best workout you should use free weights. You activate more muscles resulting in burning more calories and a stronger body. However, when it comes to my leg workouts I feel that in order to really work them I need to use the machines. I enjoy training with heavy weights and I just can’t get the same burn from doing walking lunges that I would get from racking up the leg extension machine.

9) How did you get started in the fitness business?

As working out quickly became a staple in my life one of my close friends asked me to join him on a Saturday morning at Gold’s Gym Methuen in Massachusetts. I was 14, I wanted to work, and I needed a better place to workout than my basement. So I came in and started working three hours on a Saturday for a free membership. As time went on I started to work more hours, started to make some money, and then decided that fitness was not going to just play a huge role in my personal life, but in my career as well.

10) What is currently happening at Scott Herman Fitness?

Scott Herman Fitness is currently undergoing major updates. I spent a lot of time while on the Real World structuring the site to make it easy to use and a place where anyone could come for help whether it be a meal plan, workout routine, or a question about a condition such as diabetes. I have just launched my “Body Image” diagram which I know is going to be a staple for the site. I know that many of us are visual learners and to be honest going through lists and lists of exercises isn’t the most fun thing to do. So we created a feature that allows you to “click” on the muscle you want to workout and then all the exercises that work that muscle will pop up.
We also have a section on the site where you can talk to our exercise physiologist. The “Articles” section has articles written by both Brian (exercise physiologist) and myself. In this section you can also ask Brian a question and he will respond with an article for the masses to read. There is also a search bar that allows you to type in key words to find articles relating to them. For example, if you searched “diabetes” articles related to that subject would pop up.

11) What are your future plans? Anything new to expect?

A lot is in store for members of the ScottHermanFitness.com community. As a given, SHF will always be updating with new workout routines, more information about fitness related topics, and soon to come video demonstrations. We are also working to put the site in gyms to give members who can’t afford a trainer a way to still be able to see how to perform various exercises with proper form and how to train to hit their goals. We believe that having access to the site in gyms will give members the confidence they need to know they are not wasting their time and don’t have to feel like everyone is staring at them if they feel like they are not exercising with proper form.

I have some great future ideas for the site in that I would like to set up contests to win free sessions with me. I want to go out and meet the members of the SHF community and show them that I really care.

I want to go to high schools and colleges and preach the ways of fitness. Being a trainer I take great pride in being able to educate and motivate people to want to go to the gym. Also, I know that steroids are becoming more common in schools and I want to help educate the masses about why they don’t need them.

12) Aside from the fitness program you have started, what other interests do you have that motivate you in life?

Aside from fitness, my motivation comes from a deep drive within myself to want to succeed at everything I do. I am very interested in acting and modeling and have been pursuing this new career path vigorously. I tend to set extremely high goals for myself and then focus all my energy on reaching them. At times I am so competitive that I even compete with myself. Challenging myself to reach goals thought impossible by others. But it is the challenge of proving that I can do the impossible that really gets me going. I am a role model for friends and family and now with the show I have been able to influence the lives of people from all over. To be honest, even the feeling of knowing that I have the ability to be a role model and give inspiration to others is something the deeply moves me and motivates me to push harder at everything I do.

13) What sort of goals do you have in your life as far as the future goes?

My main goal is to one day have a family of my own. But before that happens, I have a lot of other things I want to accomplish. By the next year’s end I want to be an established professional actor. Captain America is going to be filmed soon and I want the lead role. I also want to keep building my site and redefine the fitness world. I will also one day own my own fitness facility, dance club, restaurant.... maybe a plaza. What can I say? I am an entrepreneur and have been given the opportunity of a life time. I see opportunities in everything I do and want to be able to enjoy the rest of my life with friends and my family.

14) What role do family and friends play in your career as a fitness instructor? Do you get any great insights from any of them useful in your field of interest? Any useful tips given to you by your fans at Scott Herman Fitness?

Looking back my brother and I laugh about it, but he takes the credit for starting my career in fitness. “You would have never started working out if my friends and I didn’t constant pick on you”. Haha.. But that is just how kids are and to be honest I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. My parents were very supportive of me with having a career in fitness. They always drove me to work. My first day of work my Dad told me to never take anything other than protein shakes. He said that in time I would grow and as I got older I would look better because I did it naturally. These are words that I took to heart and to be honest I have such respect for my parents that being told that at the age of fourteen was enough to turn away all the other “supplements” that could have propelled me to become stronger and bigger in high school.
As far as useful tips from fans, I read every email I get and do my best to cater to the needs of my members. This site was built for “you”. So I want to make sure I am giving the SHF community the things they need to reach their goals.

15) If you had to do it all over again, what sort of things would you have avoided in setting up SHF and what would you have included?

If I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing. The product that is now ScottHermanFitness.com is built upon past ideas. Things that didn’t work spawned new ideas to create the finished product that is online now. One of the best things about an online business is that I can always restructure the site to make it more user-friendly and informative. You can’t do that with your typical brick and mortar business.

16) Anything you would like to offer your young fans that would motivate them to get fit, if they aren't already, or to help them even better if they are and want to do even better?

Here is the thing. Fitness is something that belongs to you. You can work at it as hard as you want, when you want, and now with ScottHermanFitness.com you have the tools and knowledge to reach your goals if no other way of getting the information is available to you. Also, do not get discouraged if you can’t focus on fitness every day. You don’t need to in order to be healthy and look great. Remember that your results are directly related to your eating habits and guess what, you may not make it to the gym every day, but I know you have to eat at some point. So focus on making your meal plan a part of your life. Make conscious efforts to eat correctly and eat small meals every 2-3 hours. You can do it. The only person who can make up an excuse for yourself is you. YOU are the only person standing in the way of what you want to accomplish. No one else has control over your life. So realize that and take control and make fitness work for you. Find ways to have a snack every couple hours. Tell your friends that you need to spend an hour in the gym before you go out Saturday night or better yet, have them join you. Surround yourself with motivated people because that energy will then transfer to you. Fitness needs to be a part of your life, and I believe that anyone can make that happen.

17) How is your modeling career coming along? Any new shoots coming up? Any prospects for the future?

My modeling career is doing very well. I am going to be in the next two issues of Cosmopolitan Magazine. I will be the Man Manual for the month of March and have another spread in the April issue. Right now I have my sites focused on landing an underwear campaign with Calvin Klein. But I do not want to be just a body model. I love wearing suits and hope to book jobs for big companies such as GQ, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, etc.

18) Have you done any acting? What would you like to do in the future as far as an acting career is concerned?

I took acting classes in college and continue to take them now while living in New York. I love being able to be a different person and really explore my creative side. I see myself at first taking on a lot of action roles. I want my first major role to be Captain America. Growing up I idolized super heroes and to me, being able to take on the role of one wouldn’t be much different than my normal life. Except as Captain America I would have an awesome uniform and an indestructible shield!

19) Anything you would like to add that hasn't been covered so far?

I am also highly involved in some upcoming charity events. I am getting myself ready right now for an event called “Breaking The Cycle”. This event is a 300 mile charity bike race from Boston to New York to raise money for HIV/AIDs research and is going to take place from September 11th to September 13th. If you would like more information or would like to make a donation to the cause please send me an e-mail to scott@scotthermanfitness.com. I will also be posting updates for this event and other events to come on my website, www.scotthermanfitness.com.

Another reaction but different

There were great plans for Sunday which included a long walk in the sun taking me to Stanley Park in Vancouver (the photo above shows the autumn colour on a maple tree along West Georgia Street in Vancouver) or up to Burnaby Mountain just to the north of where I live. Well, my body had other ideas! By late morning I was passing blood, mucus and tiny stones with my urine, so it was good that this happened before I left for anywhere. Every five minutes or so I head over to the washroom to do what has to be done (ouch!). After an illness in early 2006 which wasn't resolved until the spring of 2007, the doctors were trying to control "scary" high blood pressure with medications. Once I went to a naturopathic doctor in late March 2007 things started to improve dramatically to where the pressure dropped to 130/80, the best it has been in years. When all this started, the upper number alone was at 260, hence the "scary high" diagnosis by one of the MDs, but as a result of all this I am left with a slight leak in one of the kidneys, the left one. All things considered, all turned out well because I could have had a heart attack or a stroke which would have ended quite differently. And to think a trip to the doctor with bronchitis would have him discover something quite more serious! This cycle was started by little critters called microscopic parasites. They're more or less harmless when the intestinal flora is normal but when the flora is not, look out. It didn't help that we were having a lot of rain during late winter and into the spring in 2006 which caused some issues with the water reservoirs (lakes) from which Vancouver draws its drinking water. I am however thankful for the way things turned out but it is necessary to be careful and proactive.

So, since I had to remain at home, I was busy at the computer between visits to the washroom. I was just puttering along and then made some soup from scatch late in the afternoon, nothing fancy, just a meatless stew with vegetables and broth only. After having three bowls of the stuff, I feel much better. Now I'm having some Jasmin White Tea to wash everything down. There'll be no beer tonight for obvious reasons, not even one!

There are letters to send out but those will have to wait until I'm better which will be tomorrow most likely. This takes 8 to 12 hours to pass (pardon the pun) but I should be well enough to go to work on Monday, knock on wood.

Ah, I had wanted to check out The National Archives (UK) website [ http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ ] today as well but that will have to wait till tomorrow as well. There is a lot of interesting material to check out, for me anyway. The three videos just give you a taste of what's out there but the bulk of what I find will be posted on Haliaeetus, the blog I started in early 2007.

I hope you all had a better weekend than I did. Have a great work week for those that do work and for those that are retired (I've got a ways to go yet) have a pleasant week also! More to come later. - Volker

Rearview

On a theme of physical fitness, it is important to keep active so we can enjoy what we do in life that much more and as important as pecs and abs are, so too is focusing on our other muscles such as the glutes and various arm, shoulder and leg muscles to keep a balanced look, in my opinion anyway.

I admire a great looking butt as much as awesome abs and pecs. Other well-developed, toned muscles are a great turn on as well. Just look at the photo below as an example. Everything works together to bring symetry to a hot physique. What do you thinks?

With that said, we are at the end of another work week and the start of a yet another weekend. Have a good one and do what you enjoy best! Walk the seawall, hike through parks, bike the trails for miles or climb a mountain! Do what excites you and keeps you fit! - Volker

Reaction

For months I was having a bad reaction after having some dried prepared soup for lunch at work. This is the soup to which hot water is added. Well, for the last week I ate sandwiches brought from home instead without reaction but today I tried the soup again which invited the same reaction as before: a series of visits to the washroom! After a very close examination of the ingredients on the packaging, I discovered that both lactose and corn syrup were listed. I am lactose intollerant and am sensitive to corn of any kind. Its a wonder I didn't discover this long ago and saved myself the torture. Well, you know what all this means; no more soup of this kind. I guess for a while it will be sandwiches brought from home or perhaps homemade soup without the nasty side effects. I hope you've had a better time.

Anyway, no pics of hot guys tonight because I plan to go to bed early to recover but perhaps such hot photos are possible on the weekend. Good night and take care! - Volker

Eye candy for late Thursday

Its been a while but here's another focus on abs and pecs in this series of pics. Check them out and if you like what you see, do a Google search to find blogs with other photos of your favourite model. You can start with Cisoto (see the sidebar for the link), le gay blog, and many others too numerous for me to list. My favourite, as always, is Edilson pictured above. What can I say? Then there are others such as Kerry Degman, Joseph Sayers and a number of Brazilian hotties.

Well, I hope these pics have excited you and given you inspiration to both admire the work that others have done to keep themselves toned and fit plus inspire you to improve your own physique. Nothing like the present to start and its something that benefits you today and throughout your life in all activities you undertake. It might even lengthen your lifespan and lessen the physical and mental impacts felt in old age. And regardless of your sexual persuasion, it might even spice things up in the bedroom, so here's to a long and prosperous life! - Volker