Having been a cook and now a carpenter, I did get a tiny amount of exercise. But at the end of the day I have always been too mentally and physically exhausted to do serious exerecise. When I was young, my body literally craved exercise without end. But having been a couch potato on numerous medicatiions for years, my promptings greatly diminished. Do you know of any herbs, supplements or foods that will help jump start my body's urge to exercise again?



I eat meat once a day, usually red meat, around 6 oz at breakfast with a large salad and eggs. Also, is cow feta ok for O's? And ketchup, being listed as an avoid, can be made with cider vinnegar and sweetened with fruit juice, but is it then ok? Oh and you forgot to mention goose as an avoid for O Se's in one of your answers. David

David, I want to congratulate you on the accomplishment of your goals. More than that, I laud you for continuing to seek ways to implement Peter's suggestions in order to attain robust health.



Stressful jobs of a multitude of varieties can put us through a "mental work-out" leaving exhaustion in its wake, while the body's musculature has done little (if anything) other than key-up for fight-or-flight whilst keeping that smile on the face. :-E Many of us regularly come home at night feeling wrung out by a workday in which much was encountered, but nothing required (or allowed) in the way of physical response. That's precisely the time when we need our hour on the Nautilus machines, 10-mile cross-country run, yoga class, Qigong practice, or walk in the gardens most of all, and just when we are least inclined to do so.



The key? START. Just keep telling yourself you need to start, until you do. Give it a try once. Do a 15-minute run/walk. Do it again a couple of times that week, then add a minute onto your exercise sessions for the next week, and so on ~ and keep going. Remember to do thorough stretching before and afterwards, to prepare the body for activity and protect against injury. Stretching before bed can help with a morning workout, surprisingly. Think about other activities you might like -- team sports, one-on-one confrontations like tennis/raquetball/squash/2sies volleyball, or gym workouts, or skating, climbing, swimming, and mix it up. The great thing about this is, every day you exercise (including the first!) will feel in sharp contrast to those months or years when you didn't -- the psychological payoff is intense and lasting. It's just a glorious feeling. JUST DO IT, as stupid as that sounds! Just do it. :-}



Can I recommend herbs, supps or food to get you going? well ~~ I notice that I, at 130 pounds and 5'9", eat at least twice as much meat as you do. OK, I'm a nonsecretor.... Still, I hope you're using the Live Right recommendations on portions and frequency? :-) Second, I wonder if you are eating your largest meal at breakfast, which is a proven lose-weight strategem? If so, please add some nice fish or meat (very small & simple) at your last meal of the day, and include some olive or walnut oil, or homemade mayonnaise. It will put pep in your step for the next morning's exercise. Another thought: nutritional yeast (KAL is my favored brand) and some Methyl (B12) Plus (sold on this site) elevate mood, increase physical energy and contribute to a "warrior's attitude." ;-> Take them separately, and the yeast during the early part of the day. If taken at night, it may energize you just when you'd like to sleep instead.



Cow feta is fine for O's. Ketchup made with cider vinegar and fruit juice, is O-K for O secretors, too. And I've got good news for you: goose is Neutral for ya. Pork, quail and turtle are your only listed meat no-nos.



Vitality is not merely a quality of the mind. We are physical beings, and to engage in an appropriate exercise program is to honor the gift of the body. The concomitant rewards are physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.



David, I want to hear from you on your progress in getting those tootsies moving. Please keep me posted!