So as I soar into Medicare age, people have been asking me lately, ” McCloskey- have you lost weight?” Others, who are not active friends, have said,” How do you keep yourself in shape” ” What are you doing?” ” Is it too late for me to get started?” My active friends know because we all do the same things together. We ride mountain bikes at least 4 days a week all year long and we ski. I am usually one of the oldest guys in the group but as Scot Nicol of Ibis Bikes once told me……” Pat- don’t think about it – just keep doing it.” So I do. But there are some things that have helped me along the way so that I don’t just wither away into old age. The grays are coming on strong, the face is starting to resemble a catcher’s mitt, but my purpose is always to encourage folks to be active and don’t let age be a factor. Let me share some pretty basic nuggets.

I was listening to the Rich Roll Podcast http://www.richroll.com and he always has the most interesting guests including Dr. Dean and Anne Hornish who were touting the benefits of replacing the NAD cellular component as we age. Apparently, NAD ( Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a component responsible for energy, cellular reconstruction and has sleep benefits. We lose this component as we age and there is a new supplement that is available called Tru Niagen which seems to work. I have been sleeping better and I do have a lot of energy. My wife Janet says taking this is like adding gasoline to a fire but for the most part I feel a difference. I can’t tell you much more about the research, but maybe listen to Rich Roll and the Doctors Hornish to find out more.

The second thing I have done for a while is take fish oil pills. Not a big secret as it has been known that taking a supplement with Omega 3 is good for your joints and can help lower cholesterol. I don’t have joint problems so maybe this is working too? Again, I will not go into the science because there is a lot of that out there.

Third- I use one tablespoon of MCT Oil in my coffee every morning. I have heard that if you combine this pure coconut oil which is a medium chain triglyceride along with the animal based fish oil at night, you maximize your energy output and can keep your weight in check. I get it from General Nutrition Centers and they have all the information. Again-it seems to work for me.

A fourth component is diet. I am basically back to a diet that I ascribed to 40 years ago while I was a runner. Chicken, fish, fruit and vegetables. I stopped eating junk. The muffins for breakfast, desserts, pies, cakes, cookies,ice cream, etc. I used to think I was invincible and that my body was a furnace with exercise. But as my cholesterol numbers started to trend in the wrong direction, I made up my mind that I needed to watch what I eat. I am not perfect. But amazingly I lost 10 pounds and that was not my purpose. I feel better eating cleaner and the lighter I am, the easier it has been for me to exercise.

Fifth- get a good doctor. My mountain bike pal, Syed Hyder, is also my doc. He is not only a good friend and fun to be with on rides and social outings, but he is a good doctor. But the best thing is that he knows me. He has said, ” Pat- you are the only patient that I have on Coumadin ( blood thinner) that skis and mountain bikes. But you have done it for years and I am comfortable with that.” The caveat is no blunt force trauma but I am careful on the slopes and the trails. Well sort of. I had an incident years ago with a DVT in my leg ( look it up) and also a pulmonary embolism in my lung( look that one up too- it will scare you.) But I have been taking Coumadin for 30 years without incident and I tell folks all the time that are new Coumadin users, that you can be active and still be on that drug. I am a living testament to that. There are caveats but I encourage folks to contact their doctor for the medical opinion and contact me for the layman opinion from someone who has been very active and used Coumadin for years. Glad to answer any questions with the disclaimer that I am not a doc.

A 6th component is products from Hammer Nutrition http://www.hammernutrition.com I use their energy gels and also their electrolyte replacement tablets( FIZZ) in my water bottle to keep me hydrated and to replace lost electrolytes during exercise. I would encourage the use of these products and to read their monthly publication that will come to your house in the mail. Tons of informative articles on health and exercise.

A final factor is Ray Vactor the Chiropractor. LOL!! I love that. Ray is an old friend and my chiropractor. But I have been a believer in the re-alignment of the spine for optimum performance due to a steady flow of energy in the nervous system. Ray has kept me healthy in this area of holistic health for over 30 years. I do the recommended stretches after my morning showers and with monthly adjustments, I have been pain free for a long time. Research your potential visits to a chiropractor, but I can tell you Ray Vactor the Chiropractor has helped me. http://www.wexfordchiropractic.com for those in the Pittsburgh area.

The fact of the matter is there really is no silver bullet that will let you drink from the Fountain of Youth. But there are some simple things that you can do as you age that help the process of feeling good for as long as the good Lord lets you feel at all. Positive attitude, healthy clean eating, some supplemental help along the way, and regular exercise can rocket you along in life and age is only a number. Again- just my opinions. Thanks for reading.

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