Monday, December 31, 2007

I Resolve to Resolve

Like a lot of Americans, today is my last shot at gluttony, overindulgence and lethargy.

From now on, the newer, better me will emerge from the primordial ooze of 2007, rising from its depths like the Phoenix. A rebirth, if you will.

Yes, it is time for New Year’s Resolutions, words that induce terror in the weak-willed among us. It is a time of reckoning for the sins we’ve rendered upon ourselves, a time when egg nog and cookies, burgers and fries, creamy pasta dishes and foot-long subs long devoured return to haunt us like the Ghosts of Processed Foods Past.

Here then are my iron-clad health resolutions for 2008, which I swear on a block of tofu I will adhere to:

1. I will eat better (visual evidence at left). Goodbye, chicken wings. Hello, you glorious all-white meat chicken breast, baked, broiled or grilled. I swear I will appreciate your blandness and not dump tons of sodium-laden flavorings on you. And you there! Green vegetables and luscious multi-colored fruits! Get thee upon my plate! Apparently you are more than just a pizza topping.

2. I will exercise more. I will jump to conclusions! I will run off at the mouth! These are more than just irritating personal habits. I’m sure we can find studies that show these activities can burn excess calories, giving you those six-pack abs you’ve been dreaming of.

3. I will quit smoking. Technically I gave up smoking a dozen years ago. But it’s a popular resolution and, since it’s one I’ve already accomplished, the odds of me failing to achieve it are low. Unlike the others.

4. I will switch from coffee to green tea. Studies show there may be numerous health benefits of green tea. So why wouldn’t I drink it? I mean other than going through the coffee detoxification jitters and irritability.

5. I will reduce the harmful effects of stress. Countless studies indicate stress can lead to all kinds of health problems. My wife’s been trying to get me to do yoga and pilates, which apparently have all kinds of health benefits. I’m sure my stress levels will go down when I’m in bed for a month with yoga-related injuries.

So there you have it. Five new ways of making myself the best possible human being I can be. If you want to share your resolutions, click on the comments section below and we’ll compare notes in 2009.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Friday, December 28, 2007

Simple Strategy for Losing Holiday Pounds

It’s that time of year once again. Everyone is thinking about the holiday pounds, including me. As the holidays slide by, the thoughts turn to losing the extra “Lbs.” So what is the best way to drop those extra “cookies” and more importantly, how can you stay motivated to continue a healthy exercise and nutrition regimen?

The first thing to do is be realistic. What are your true goals and what is the best way to keep with it? Well, that is actually easy. Keep your goals short term. In other words, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you’ll need to come up with a reasonable time frame and a good strategy.

What is a “good strategy?” One to two pounds a week is the recommended pace. OK, so what do you need to do to lose these one to two pounds? You need to stick with it. Pick a time of the day when exercise is convenient for you. Perhaps that time is early in the morning, or perhaps at lunch time.

The next step is to figure out just what type of exercise and how much of it to do. Let me give you some numbers: 3,500 calories equals one pound. That’s right, look at that cheeseburger and think, “3,500 calories for just one pound.” Now, how much exercise will you need to do to burn those 3,500 calories? You would need to burn 250 calories a day through exercise which would be equivalent to a 2.5-mile brisk walk. OK, that’s a start.

So what else? You’ll need to skip the doughnut and the latte. If you can put together a 500 calorie a day deficit and keep this up for seven days then guess what? You’ll have lost one pound.

It won’t happen overnight. Have faith and stick with it. You’ll be amazed – and you can skip the fad diets. Lastly, don’t forget about all of the money you’ll save if you skip the latte and the doughnut once a day.

--Jane Reynolds
Health and Fitness Leader, certified personal trainer

Martin Memorial Hospital South Health and Fitness Center

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Don’t Want to Feel the Burn? Stretch!

Susan Hastings, co-owner of Fleet Feet Stuart running store, will be posting tips for the next several weeks to help you train for a 5K run. Her goal is to get you excited about running in the second-annual “Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart 5K.” The run takes place Feb. 9, 2008 and proceeds will benefit the Frances Langford Heart Center at Martin Memorial.

Okay, you’ve been training for two weeks now and if you’ve followed the schedule you are well on your way.

Several things can make your life easier as you continue on your quest to add running or walking to your lifestyle. I’ll talk about stretching on this blog, because it’s an important aspect of helping you remain injury free. I’ll explain a few basic stretches that will focus on the main muscles you use when running. Do each of these three stretches three times each and hold each stretch for 30 seconds – it’s as simple as that.

Calves: Stand facing a wall with your arms slightly bent in front of you on the wall, feet hip-width apart and toes pointing forward. Bring one leg forward with the knee slightly bent and lean into the wall a little. Hold the leg in back straight, with heel on the ground and knee straight, for 30 seconds. Then bend the knee slightly (you should feel the lower part of you calf stretching now) and hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat with this leg. Do this three times.

Quadriceps: Start where you can hold onto something with one hand and bend one leg behind you and grab your ankle. Your leg should be bent behind you with you holding it up as close to your rear end as possible. The most critical thing is to be sure your knees are even, the bent one is as far back as the one you’re standing on, and it is not flared out.

Hamstrings: Take one leg and raise it in front of you and place your heel on a raised object such as a bench or car bumper. Keep your knee straight as you bend forward, trying to get your forehead as close as you can to your knee. This is a very slow movement, so lean as far forward as you can and hold the stretch for 30 seconds.

Stretching should be done after the muscles have warmed up so it’s never good to jump out of bed and go straight to stretching. In a perfect world you should walk or slow jog for a little, stop and stretch, and then continue on, stretching again when you finish. In the real world you should at least stretch when you return from your run or walk. The least you should do is take an extra 15 minutes and stretch when you finish.

Now for the next two weeks of your training:

Week 3 – Alternately jog/walk, varying the segments between 200 and 400 yards, for a total of 1 1/2 miles. Same workout for all three days.
Week 4 – Alternately jog/walk, but walk only half the distance for each jog. Vary the segments between 1/4 and 1/2 mile for a total of 1 3/4 miles. Same workout for all three days.

Have fun with it!

--Susan Hastings

Monday, December 24, 2007

Flower Power

The hospital at night has a different feel to it than during the day. It’s quieter, people are settling in for the evening and the glow of televisions emanates from many of the rooms.

But last week, the nocturnal rhythm on the oncology floor at the Martin Memorial Medical Center was happily disrupted by a handful of most welcome visitors: members of the Daisy Girl Scout Troop from Palm City, dressed in their blue smocks, with candy canes jammed in the pockets and Santa hats pulled over their tousled hair.

There were four girls, between the ages of 5 and 6, with their mothers/troop leaders chaperoning them. Their destination was the oncology floor, where in-patients with cancer are treated.

Dinner was being served for some, while others received medications and some were already asleep. But as the Daisies pulled out folders that featured lyrics for carols and began serenading the nurses, the family of one patient put in a request to stop by their loved one’s room and sing a song for them.

One by one, the Daisies went to patients’ rooms, gathering around their beds and belting out “Frosty the Snowman” or “Jingle Bells” or “Deck the Halls.” Then one of the girls would hand the patient a candy cane, some wrapped with fuzzy brown pipe cleaners that resembled reindeer antlers.

The response was touching.

“Thank you for coming,” one woman said. Another interrupted a phone call, telling the caller she would have to call her back as the girls stood patiently by her bed. Smiles blossomed like daisies in the spring.

As the girls finished up another rendition of “Frosty the Snowman,” one of the Daisies turned to a patient and smiled.

“I hope you get better,” she said.

For that moment, the woman in the bed seemed to do just that. It was the best present anyone could give during the holiday season.

--Scott Samples

Friday, December 21, 2007

Hit the Road With These Eating Tips

Today we have become a very mobile society and the holidays are no different to be on the road and out of town. It’s great to visit those distant relatives but getting to our destination can mean whole days of sitting in a car, at the airport or on a plane. Plus, there will be high-calorie meals at each stop calling out to you and before you know it, your plan for eating healthy can go right out the door.

How can you eat smart and move more while traveling? Try these tips:

1. Pack some snacks. To avoid the fast-food stops, try packing snacks that are travel-friendly and healthy. Make sure you pack plenty of water as well.

2. When traveling with children, try to avoid the “Happy Meal Syndrome” and pack bite-sized, whole-grain cereal, cut-up veggies with low-fat dip, whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese, nuts and dried fruit (remember the portion is ¼ cup).

3. Let your host or hostess know you are trying to maintain your weight. They will more likely support your efforts and you can also volunteer to cook one night and make a healthy meal.

4. Plan ahead. If you are traveling by car, check your route to see if you can find restaurants that provide nutrition information. A good Website to find healthy restaurants where you will be traveling is: www.healthydiningfinder.com/site/diners/

When staring at a menu in a restaurant full of options, try to be mindful of the high-calorie and high-fat foods. Choose foods that are broiled, baked, roasted, poached, steamed or grilled. If a menu items says fried, sautéed, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, or pan fried—BEWARE!

Order water, unsweetened tea (then use Splenda to sweeten), or diet soda for your drink and use low-fat salad dressings or order it on the side to keep the calories down. Don’t settle for the french fries on the side, ask for a healthier option.

Since most restaurants serve large portions, you can split appetizers, entrees and desserts. The main thing is to listen to your body and make eating its own event. Pay attention to your food and don’t be distracted by TV, conversation or reading.

Your body will thank you Jan. 1!

--Lani Kee, MS
Manager, Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Freeze the Cold, Shoo the Flu for Kids

It happens every year. First comes a sniffle, then a cough, then a fever and pretty soon your child is in bed with a cold or the flu.

Children often are more susceptible to catching cold or flu because they haven’t had a lifetime of illness to build their immunity. Also, they often spend hours in institutions such as schools or daycares where there are a large number of children serving as incubators for germs. Additionally, children are less likely to have proper hygiene, which is one of the primary methods of preventing disease from occurring.

It’s been said before, but really the importance of hand-washing cannot be overstated. Whether it’s alcohol-based hand sanitizers or old-fashioned soap and water, the best way to prevent cold and flu – for you, your child and everyone else – is to wash those hands frequently and well.

There are some potential preventative alternatives as well. Vitamin C, as well as B complex vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids have shown some ability to boost immune systems in an effort to ward off illness. They are safe for children, but certainly provide no guarantee that your child will never get sick.

Flu vaccines can help. I recommend vaccinations for children between six months and five years of age, provided they have no contraindications for the vaccine. Children under five are at just as high a risk of hospitalization with influenza as the elderly. Additionally any child with a condition that makes them more susceptible to illness should receive the flu shot. The flu shot is very well tolerated by children and it is a rarity that any child gets sick from the vaccine itself.

If your child does get sick, I recommend using medications sparingly. Most cold medicines aren’t terribly effective and it should be emphasized that no medicine available over the counter will get your child better faster. Recently it was determined that children under the age of two should not use cold medicines. Those between the ages of two and six should use them as little as possible.

Finally, if your child does develop cold or flu, you can help prevent it from spreading to others by keeping them home until they are no longer contagious. My general rule of thumb is that if they haven’t had a fever within 24 hours, and if they have started to show signs of improvement, they should be ready to return to school or daycare.

--Michael Jampol, M.D.
Pediatrician


To hear Dr. Jampol discuss tips on how to prevent your child from getting the cold or flu, listen to Martin Memorial Healthcast. You can access the weekly podcast by visiting www.mmhs.com/content/healthcasts.htm.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Look Out! Stuff is Trying to Make You Sick!

You there! With the fluffy, dark eyelashes! Drop that mascara! It’s probably loaded with mercury and ready to give you some kind of neurological damage.

What’s more important, luscious eyelashes that make you look like a young Marilyn Monroe or a mercury-free body? And don’t you dare bring that health hazard to Minnesota – the state recently banned any mercury-laden cosmetics in the interest of public safety.

Hey! What in the name of General Tso’s chicken do you think you’re doing buying a toy made in China for the holidays? Have you not read a newspaper recently? Are you trying to kill little Jimmy with that Transformer?

Dozens of toys have been recalled because they contain lead, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is a well known health hazard. Everything from “The First Years 3-in-1 Flush and Sounds Potty Seats” to “Curious George Plush Dolls” have been recalled this year.

Oh, for the love of…you are not about to eat that double bacon cheeseburger are you? Didn’t you just have steak and eggs for breakfast and a Philly cheese steak for lunch? Did you not read the study that links a diet high in red and processed meats to every kind of cancer except fingernail cancer?

Apparently, the culprits – including all types of beef, pork and lamb, as well as bacon, sausage, lunch meats, cold cuts, ham and hot dogs – can cause your DNA to mutate and create cancer. DNA mutation is cool when it happens to the Incredible Hulk but less cool when it happens to you.

What’s that you say? You’re feeling fine, despite the fact your lashes are coated in mascara, you’ve been playing with toys slathered in lead and you just finished your second helping of baby back ribs?

Oh really? You think maybe I’ve been reading too many of the health studies and stories that flood the airwaves and the Internet and the papers? You think I may make myself sick worrying over getting sick?

What’s that? I should go to a Website like http://www.mediadoctor.org.au/, an Australian site that evaluates recent studies to determine their usefulness, or its American counterpart, http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?

Fine, fine. But did you read the study about how abdominal fat is a risk factor for heart disease? Hey, I’m just saying…those bacon cheeseburgers look like they’re going straight to your stomach.

--Scott Samples

Friday, December 14, 2007

Cold and Flu Prevention is in Your Hands

It’s cold and flu time again. Each year in the United States, on average 5 to 20 percent of the population will get influenza – commonly called “the flu.” More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications and about 36,000 people will die from flu.

Will you be one of the unlucky ones who will come down with the flu this season? Perhaps you’ll escape the flu but will suffer through one or more of the estimated 1 billion colds people catch every year in the U.S. While these numbers may put you in good company, they won’t offer much comfort while slogging through running noses, sore throats, fever and other symptoms of a cold or the flu.

So how can you tell the difference between a cold and the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses.

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder (lasting about one week) and people with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose.

Colds and the flu are highly contagious. They most often spread when droplets of fluid that contain a cold virus are transferred by touch (or inhaled). Similarly, the main way that flu viruses are spread is from person-to-person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes.

To a lesser extent, flu viruses can also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose before washing their hands.

Colds are extremely difficult to prevent entirely. The American Lung Association recommends the following:

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccination each year.

  • Avoid close contact with people who have a cold, especially during the first few days when they are most likely to spread the infection.
  • Wash your hands after touching someone who has a cold, after touching an object they have touched and after blowing your own nose.

Keep your fingers away from your nose and eyes to avoid infecting yourself with cold virus particles you may have picked up. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue away and wash your hands.

--Bonnie Hannon
Manager, Martin Memorial Hospital South Infection Control

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

How to Train for a 5K Run

Susan Hastings, co-owner of Fleet Feet Stuart running store, will be posting tips for the next several weeks to help you train for a 5K run. Her goal is to get you excited about running in the second-annual “Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart 5K.” The run takes place Feb. 9, 2008 and proceeds will benefit the Frances Langford Heart Center at Martin Memorial. In the photo below, Susan (second from left) and her husband Al present a check for $5,200 to Kelly DeGregorio and Rusty Brink of the Martin Memorial Foundation after last year's event.

Believe it or not, even if you’ve never run a step in your life without being chased, you can complete a 5K with this eight-week training program. I have to give credit where credit is due: Cliff Held, one of our friends/customers, created this for us and we have used it in our beginning running classes with great success. I’ll give you the steps to succeed, you just have to take them.

Over the next few weeks, in addition to giving you your training schedule, I’ll talk a little about stretching, eating right and hydrating – all things that help you start and continue a healthy running regimen. If you don’t start properly it can be difficult and discouraging.

You won’t necessarily love it the first time you run but stick with it – the sense of accomplishment makes it worth it and you’ll be surprised that you start looking forward to your next one. If you follow this program I’ll get you to the start and across the finish line in a healthy, positive and enjoyable way.

Believe it or not, the average ‘runner’ runs three miles, three times a week and that’s great for cardiovascular health. You don’t need to have a marathon in your future (although you could!), you just have to want to
hit the road.

Of course, being the owner of Fleet Feet Stuart, I do have to mention that it’s important as you start your training in the right way to have the proper footwear. If you don’t, you risk injuries such as shin splints, knee pain, plantar fasciitis (if you don’t know what it is consider yourself lucky), and many other aches and pains that could possibly be alleviated with the proper shoes.

Now let’s get to the training…and please email me at susan@fleetfeetstuart.com if you have any questions.

Week 1 – Alternately jog/walk (eight of each for a total of 16) 100-yard segments for a total of 1 mile. Do this same workout three times the first week.
Week 2 – Alternately jog/walk (five of each for a total of 10) 200-yard segments for a total of 1 ¼ miles. Same workout, three times the second week.

Get in your car, clock off your mile and get started. You can do a rough estimate of your 100- and 200-yard segments. The most important thing is to stick to your mileage for the designated week and don’t try to go too fast; just run at a pace that’s comfortable for you.

Get your friends, family, and co-workers to join you. Some people are morning runners, some prefer night. Whatever it is, put it on your calendar like any other appointment and show up on time!

Happy running!

--Susan Hastings

Monday, December 10, 2007

These Foods Are Made for Walkin'

The other day a co-worker sent a rather disturbing e-mail – a checklist of traditional holiday foods, along with their caloric content. As you go down the list, checking off one delectable goodie after another, the site adds up the grim total and provides your walking papers – an estimation of how many miles you’d have to walk to burn all those calories.

So being a curious sort, I figured I’d play along. Knowledge is power, they say, so it might help to know what exactly we’re getting ourselves into as we bounce to a party here, a gathering there.

I opened the Holiday Calorie Calculator and imagined I was at a festive party, the foods and beverages spread before me. I felt a little drool escape as visions of eggnog and stuffing, of turkey and cookies, of pies and green been casserole danced in my head.

So I began clicking down the list, checking off the most likely culinary culprits. Eggnog? You bet. Glass of wine? Sure, why not. Mixed raw vegetables? Probably not, but I’ll feel better if I say yes. Mixed nuts, chips, dips, crackers and cheese, a handful of Chex mix? You have to have appetizers, right? It’s rude not to, really.

I assumed I’d have a salad with dinner, just to balance everything out. Then came the main course: turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes (hold the gravy; I’m watching my calories, here), green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and a dinner roll.

Dessert? Well, I’m pretty full, but what the heck. So I took a piece of pecan pie, had a snickerdoodle cookie and cleansed my palate with a candy cane. Heck, I’m as sophisticated as the next guy.

The final damage was, to put it mildly, unsettling. I had consumed 3,436 virtual calories, which, according to the calculator, meant that I had to walk 34.36 miles to get them off. That means I’d have to walk from Stuart to Vero Beach just to burn those calories.

Should I care that much? I can always buy bigger pants, right? Besides, an article on msnbc.com cited a New England Journal of Medicine study that suggests we may not gain as much weight as we think during the six-week holiday stretch.

The problem is, according to the study, we often don’t take those pounds off which leads to further problems down the road. That’s why we’re better off trying to limit the damage now, rather than walking all the way to Maine later.

For some helpful tips on how to do just that, listen to Rosemarie Lembo James, clinical director of nutrition at Martin Memorial, on this week’s Martin Memorial Healthcast.

--Scott Samples

Friday, December 7, 2007

A Story Straight from the Heart

It was a beautiful sunny Florida afternoon and Tiffany, who enjoyed being outdoors, was in her garden.

On this particular day, however, something unusual happened. Tiffany developed a sudden onset of chest pain, accompanied by some shortness of breath. She had been working very hard to get her garden in order, not taking any breaks; without hesitation she decided to go inside and get a drink. Surely, she thought, rehydration would relieve what she felt to be heat exhaustion.

After several minutes, the chest pain increased. What she was feeling was nothing like she had ever experienced before, so Tiffany decided to look up her symptoms on the Internet. To her surprise the results came back “heart attack,” but she didn’t have a family history of heart disease, she exercised, wasn’t overweight and didn’t have all the symptoms listed.

As she made her way through the rest of the article she developed the remaining symptoms listed on the Web page. At that moment, aside from being in a near panic, she phoned several family members and a friend. All advised her to quickly call 911.

Paramedics arrived just in time. Tiffany went into cardiac arrest and was successfully resuscitated. She was transported to Martin Memorial Medical Center, where the medical team at the Frances Langford Heart Center was able to open the blocked artery and save her life.

This story has a happy ending: Tiffany is alive today and recently celebrated her 29th birthday.
Heart disease is known as the silent killer, especially in women. Listed below are some quick facts about heart disease:

· Only 13 percent of women view heart disease as a health threat, even though it’s women’s No. 1 killer.
· Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills more than 480,000 women a year, about one per minute.
· Coronary heart disease is the No. 1 single killer of women over age 25.
· Sixty-four percent of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.
· One in 2.6 female deaths are from CVD, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer.

To learn more about women and heart disease visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/.
Heart disease can be prevented, so take a moment to learn how to reduce your risk of heart disease and protect your health.

--Melissa Zinderman, RN
Cardiovascular Patient Educator/STS Data Collector

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The Simple Truth of Weight Control

The mystery of weight control is not really a mystery at all. That balance between calories in and calories out is as much a matter of math as anything else.

But you were never a math scholar, you say? Let’s make it simple. A pound equals 3,500 calories. To lose a pound a week you need a deficit of 500 calories per day. Try eating 250 calories less (do you really want that afternoon candy bar?) and burning 250 additional calories per day (30 minutes of brisk cardio, anyone?).

I know that does not sound glamorous, sexy or exciting, but the beauty of it is that it can be done. Along the way you want to be sure that you are eating foods that are low in fat (white meat such as poultry, fish, skim dairy products), high in fiber (whole-grain breads and cereals, fresh fruit, salads, grilled or steamed veggies), and also taste good (your spice rack is very valuable here).

Read food labels and watch your portions. Be sure to check the important, “servings per container” section of those food labels. Check out the magazines “Eating Well” and “Cooking Light” for some inspiration; those are my personal favorites. I know that it is not always easy to eat healthy and control your weight, but the principle is simple.

While you are getting to the nuts and bolts of weight loss and healthy eating, do yourself a big favor – stop referring to yourself as being “good” or “bad” depending on what you have eaten. It’s as though Santa is always standing over your shoulder saying, “Salad and grilled fish for dinner – what a good girl!” Worse yet, “Double cheeseburger? Bad boy! No presents for you!”

Healthy eating is something we do for ourselves. When we eat healthy foods we feel better, look better, and have more energy. When we eat unhealthy foods we’re not bad people, we’ve just made poor choices.

But the point is that it’s our choice. Our food choices don’t make us good or bad; they just help to make us healthy or not as healthy. So, this holiday season and all year long, remember that the choice is yours. Healthful eating and regular exercise make us healthy people; poor food choices and a sedentary lifestyle make us unhealthy people. Stop putting a value judgment on it.

Won’t it be great to have one less thing to feel stressed about?


-- Rosemarie Lembo James, RD, CNSD, LD/N
Clinical Director, Nutrition Services



Listen to Rosemarie talk about weight control on the Dec. 10 edition of Martin Memorial Healthcast, a weekly podcast created by Martin Memorial discussing topics that can help you improve your health. A new edition of Healthcast appears each Monday. To access Healthcast, visit www.mmhs.com.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Touched by Evel

When I was a kid in the 1970s, it was good to be Evel.

Evel Knievel, that is. The motorcycle daredevil defined cool by jumping over canyons and Greyhound buses and Caesar’s Palace fountains. Or trying to, at least. He broke more bones than Tony Soprano – except the bones Knievel broke were his own after failed jump attempts.

One of my first cherished toys was an Evel Knievel action figure, complete with red, white and blue jumpsuit. And no matter how many times I smashed him into the wall, or ran him over with my bike, or pounded on him with a hammer, the miniature version of Evel Knievel lived to see another day.

Much like the man himself.

Despite the fact he broke some 40 bones in his body over the course of his career, the man seemed indestructible. That might have been part of his appeal – if Evel Knievel could take these risks and live to tell the tale, maybe we should be unafraid to take risks in our own lives.

But last Friday, life caught up to him: Knievel died at the age of 69 in Clearwater. According to an obit in USA Today, Knievel was burdened with the same kinds of ailments and health issues that many of us mortals have to deal with. Knievel had been living with diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and had liver damage from hepatitis C that eventually led to a transplant.

It’s another reminder that no matter how tough we think we are, no matter how indestructible we consider ourselves to be, diseases can catch up to anyone. That’s why it’s so important to do everything possible to adopt a healthy lifestyle to ward off ailments that you often can try to prevent, such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

It’s unlikely the biggest health risk most of us are going to face is crashing into the side of a canyon. But taking care of your health now may help you prevent the kind of hard landing Evel Knievel faced later in his life.

-- Scott Samples