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Smokey and the Bandit or Gumball Rally – Your Body Your Joy Ride
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Smokey and the Bandit or Gumball Rally - Your Body Your Joy Ride
Cross-Country Journeys and Your Vehicle Maintenance…
By:
King Hoover
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Is there ever an age where you won't need energy, strength, a powerful immune system, durable bones and a sharp functioning brain? No matter how old or how young you are now or will ever grow to be, I wouldn't want to do without any of these physical qualities . . . would you? If you lack any of the above, how do get them or if you have them, how will you keep them?
My personal quest to study medicine, nutrition and fitness began with a question, "How healthy can someone be?" For the past 28 years, I have applied the sum total of all my training and education to help moms and dads, sons and daughters, aunts, uncles, grandparents and a few great grandparents get or stay strong long into their current and later years. If you had to keep the car you're driving for the rest of your life, how would you take care of it? Just like you have been…? Or better?
Don't you love it when you see those old 70's era Musclecars; Classics from the 60's; huge, finned and chromed monsters from the 50's? Sometimes, you can even see some Model T's or magnificent Touring Cars from the 20's and 30's being driven around on the weekends. How does this happen? Did these guys just happen to buy the single vehicle in the entire production run that just-by-chance is the one that against all odds, lasts for decades? I think you know the answer; it's great maintenance that kept them rolling long after others produced the very same day fell to vehicle enemies like rust, engine failure, metal fatigue or lack of lubrication.
Getting your "vehicle" to go further or longer while still remaining excellent transportation seems like a very worthy goal, especially since you've got folks riding along with you…
These days, you'd think 'health' was all about vehicle upholstery, nip here, tuck there, remove some stuffing, etc. Plastic and cosmetic surgeries are far too popular when REAL health is what's happening 'under the hood,' so to speak. A reliable engine, tough transmission and a firm, stable rear end should be our focus when it comes to our vehicles. Whether you consider yourself a Work Truck, Sports Car, Minivan or Luxury Automobile these vital components warrant your maintenance now, or they'll certainly be demanding some attention later. So how should we care for our engine?
Well, if you're talking about your car, good fuel, the right fluid levels, fresh oil regularly and well-tensioned belts go a long way to helping you go a long way. What about the vehicle you drive 24/7, that incredible body of yours? The same applies: good fuel means excellent stuff to run on like vegetables and fruits, good lean proteins like beef, chicken and fish and whole grains for clean, slow burning carbohydrates for your 'carburetor.' The right fluid levels means lots of clean, highly-filtered water. Reverse osmosis is the best filtration, but multi-stage filters are pretty good too.
With all the news coverage about prescription drugs traces in the municipal water supplies, to keep from taking someone else's medication, drink water that is as clean as possible. Your tissues are 70% water. Make sure that what's flowing through your radiator is only H2O or Green Tea, nothing else works as well in there. How about fresh oil regularly? What we're talking about here would be healthy fats that, without attention to detail, your diet could easily lack.
When it comes to best sources for 'lubricating oils,' two must-haves come to mind. Almonds are the best of all nuts for its mix of fats, the balance of monounsaturated to polyunsaturated, plus its high protein content, vitamins and minerals make it essential in your personal Experiment of Vehicular Endurance.
For maximum lubrication of your internal parts, fish oil - especially cod liver oil- is back and better than ever in its researched benefits. Animal derived Omega 3 fats have extraordinary properties that even plant-based Omega 3's do not. Arthritic conditions and the amount of drugs they require can be improved by 30% according to a study released just this week. It actually helps switch off the COX-2 gene just like some expensive and risky medications. Another fantastic property is their ability to raise DHA levels in the brain, Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA), working as a mood stabilizer and antidepressant, and in muscle tissue it even helps to manage blood sugar and lower body fat.
If you have a job that requires a lot of neck-up work, rather than working from the neck-down, cod liver oil and its Omega 3 fats help your brain to create some of its most powerful chemistry for creativity and thinking. This class of chemicals called BDNF's or Brain Derived Neurotropic Factors turbo-charge your focus and thinking whereas deficiencies in Omega 3's like DHA are associated with deficits in learning ability.
Now when we talk about well-tensioned belts, I am not referring to the too-tight one around your waist. Well-tensioned belts on your engine transfer the power of one moving part to another sharing the work of keeping the vehicle going. Well-tensioned muscles perform the same function and work as the suspension for our physical vehicle and we move, stop, start even while 'parked.'
Your legs carry you around, but in just the same way that low tire pressure or weak struts wear down your suspension parts, weak thighs, hamstrings, hips and calves all contribute to knee and low-back trouble that could have you in 'the shop' for major repairs very soon. Weak upper back and shoulder muscles will have your 'front end' out of line causing the need for expensive and painful procedures before you know it.
If you want your personal vehicle to take you everywhere you will ever want to go, it could be time for some Scheduled Maintenance. If it's been a lot more than 3,000 miles since you may want to see a Personal Vehicle Mechanic as soon as possible. You may need help developing an overhaul plan that will improve your horsepower AND mileage. If you don't, a very rough ride and costly repairs could be just down the road.
About King Hoover
More articles by King Hoover and his contact info, go to about King Hoover.
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