Health-A Matter of DAILY Choice

I landed in Atlanta the other day and hopped on our MARTA train towards the suburbs where my family awaited. On the wall of the MARTA car there were two posters. One was pushing a Southern favorite--fast food chicken biscuits. The poster right next to it was pushing a family health and wellness program. How ironic I thought. This is daily life in America! We have daily choices to make. We choose behaviors that enable us to be healthy, or we choose chicken biscuits that literally poison our bodies with trans fats and preservatives along with excessive fat. Usually, we are inundated with the bad health messages vs. healthy messages. It's a battle to be healthy and fight the status quo of fatness and ILL culture--obesity abounds! It's worth it to resist the biscuits. Carry on the good fight. From a 92 degree HOTlanta today. See y'all in Midtown tonight. Say hi! We'll hit some one-arm push ups in da club! Ragin' RJ

Huntington Beach-Physical Culture

I was running at Huntington Beach last week. I did some grass body-weight strength after my sand run. A group of girl soccer players were there finishing warm-up drills. They went for a "two-mile" run to finish. I had to reflect...I can't remember the last time I saw or heard about a bunch of 10-12 year old girls running two miles. None of them were obese. They looked pretty healthy and happy--even when they finished! Think there is a coorelation? Probably.

Hanging in HB is a "Physical Culture" because people are moving! I saw many 70+ men riding bikes, people running, walking, surfing, etc. And of course, as usual when I'm in Surf City, I went to my favorite yoga studio and got my ass kicked again by the surfer chicks! Ahhh...but it's a good pain! People are alive in well in HB...it was refreshing to see some fitness instead of fatness for a change. From surf and sand...Ragin' RJ!

Memorial Day Rememberance

On this solemn day, I remember those that have fallen so I may be free to live my life with my family and friends. I don't take freedom for granted. I take the lost lives of veterans seriously--it was and is the ultimate sacrifice. I love Memorial Day. It's a chance to show even more respect and patriotism. It's a reminder to appreciate. As I sliced my Z car through the mountains of northern LA County last night cranking some Van Halen, I didn't forget. As I told my wife to put up the flag at home in Atlanta and explain to our three year old twins we are remembering soldiers that died for our freedom, I didn't forget. Thank you departed American veterans. I won't forget your sacrifices or waste your efforts. I'm doing everything I can to help my country through performance-driven wellness. God speed...enjoying the SoCal sun in freedom this weekend...Ragin' RJ!

Fit & Strong vs. Fat & Feeble

On this Memorial Day weekend, let us reflect on the power of being Fit, Strong, and being able to defend and survive. It's obvious at this point that the USA can't win wars just by pressing buttons and sitting down on our slothful asses. It's survival of the FITTEST. It always has been and always will be. I'm doing my part to be part of the solution by Getting Fit and Being Strong and taking as many people as possible with me. The answer is NOT being fat and feeble and taking more pills and getting more surgeries. I'm continually amazed at how many people get ripped off by the system that takes their money, shoves them pills, cuts them up, and never really fixes much of anything far too much of the time...it's bogus. So this weekend, RISE UP. Get Fit. Be Strong. We are free to hike, run, jump, and throw. People have earned that with their lives. Don't waste it. Get it on. From the front...Ragin' RJ!

Mic Check...1,2,1,2

YO! Back from the computer dead AGAIN! Don't even get me started on computers! Trying to get up to chi speed over Memorial Day. God Speed to those that died so we can be free to hike, run, jump, and throw! Don't waste their lives...get off your ass and do something to make American Fit and Strong instead of Feeble and FAT! Life is redline...get up to race pace with the High-Performance of Wellness. Starting to rip again in my workouts. Getting ready to train college football players all summer...must get the proper chi recalibration prior to June 11th. Got some great stuff coming out soon. Took my corporate group up to Yosemite Falls Summit last weekend--they rocked! A "magical" day of peaceful nature and sweat...ain't nothin' better baby! Mi hermano and tribal racing Bro Steve Ilg made the June issue of Outside Magazine this month. Ilg is the real deal man...no friggin' foo foo! That guy can kick your ass on a bike, the gym, or in yoga and do it with a friendly smile and da love--I love my Ilgbro! Check him out at www.wholisticfitness.com or in Outside Magazine. From the "Left Coast" of SoCal on a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend. Ragin' RJ!

Diffusion of Responsibility

I'm appalled by the video today about the 91 year old WWII Vet being beaten by a car jacker while no one helped. This is related to what I wrote about yesterday--the "ME" generation where one's personal agenda is put above the community. I stopped yesterday at a horrible accident scene to help. I was able to secure the safety of the scene by placing road flares to redirect traffic through the intersection and then stayed to direct traffic until authorities were in place to take over. It took 15 minutes of my busy day. There were people and mayhem scattered all over the intersection...the least I could do was to direct some traffic so more people weren't hurt or killed. If you live without making the world a better place, then it's a waste of life and time in my book. It's not just about money and bling bull crap--how shallow if that's all it is. Be well today. Ragin' RJ!

"Me" Generation

I've had a number of conservations with friends over this emerging narcissism of today's American culture. I have even been accused of feeding my own ego by talking about my press coverage for wellness and athletics. Let's get something straight--anyone that knows me well knows that my life, career, and passion is about making the world a better place by helping people through wellness. My ego doesn't mean squat compared to helping my fellow Americans. If it spills over to other countries, then great. I've helped people in numerous countries beyond the USA. Why do I market "me" and my logo, website, brand marketing image? To market wellness!!! Why? Because Jack LaLanne told me in a personal interview to do more to market health and wellness. LaLanne did very public feats of fitness endurance and strength for years. People that don't know him would say it was about his "ego", but that is BS! He told me himself it was about creating awareness for the cause of health and wellness. LaLanne is my master teacher--I take my cues from him and not others too busy to find out who I really am. From the front...Ragin' RJ!

Computer Hell!

OHG! I've been in computer and techno hell the last two weeks! Both my PC and laptop crashed. My Toshiba Satellite Laptop is part of a class action lawsuit. That thing has been a pain in my ass for nearly two years! The PC was sent to be repaired by the Geek Squad that basically had it a week and didn't fix hardly anything. After another week and a lot of hassles, the Geeks finally got everything to work again. What an ordeal. I'm way behind on just about everything...oh well. Hoping to get my laptop back by early next week and start finishing many unfinished webpage updates, etc. From a non-techno friendly world, Ragin' RJ!

Kids, Culture, & Violence

As many, I'm stunned following the Virginia Tech shootings. My humble way of judging whether or not one's life was worth living is did the person make the world a better place when their life was over? At the root level, we just have to teach our children to make the world a better place. My 3-year old daughter Ronnie told me last week, "Daddy--eating fruit is healthy!" Learning how to be healthy and fit seems to make the world a better place in my values. I can't imagine my three children killing anyone based on their upbringings. Last night, I had a flashback to 9-11. My oldest daughter was a student at Barnard College in NYC on 9-11. I suffered in horror for hours not knowing if she was safe following the terrorist attacks. I'm thankful she wasn't near the towers that day. Yesterday, I was getting gas and a family was next to me. The young boy had a cap on with a big $ sign on it. It's the whole gangsta "my money" is more important than anything else in life bullshit. My kids talk about health. Other parents teach their kids lifestyles of violence through stupid video games, rap music, and gangs. That doesn't make the world a better place. I don't even own a video game! We have NO plans to let the twins learn violent behaviors by hypnotizing themselves with that brain junk food...my thoughts and prayers to everyone in the VT family in the difficult days to come...change the world...make it better. Ragin' RJ!

Dreading My Workout!

Today, I dreaded my daily workout. I put if off as long as possible. I did NOT want to do it! I forced myself to do it! It's been VERY cold in Atlanta the last week. I am burrowed in my heated workstation this week updating all my corporate presentations for 2007. You get in a mode working on the computer--basically hypnotized. It's definitely not good for your health--my back hurt today! Too much sitting! On my run, my neck started hurting. Too much sitting! After the run, my neck was fine...go figure. It warmed up outside this afternoon too, so it wasn't all that bad once I got going. If you want to move well--then MOVE! Sitting on y'all's ass won't cut it--myself included! So, I was once again reminded of Jack LaLanne who admits he doesn't even like exercise--he does it because he likes the results. I wanted to stay at my computer. I ran for 45 minutes down to the park and back because my back hurt and I needed to fix myself. Mission accomplished, and I kept my perfect record for 2007 of not missing a single day of exercise...time for bed...a rejuvenated Ragin' RJ!

Easter Southern Comfort

Today we went to Mary Mac's Tea Room for Easter dinner in Atlanta--an A-town tradition for decades if y'all appreciate Southern cooking. The food is okay--as you might gather I'm not a big fan of anything fried. I don't really go for the food--I go with my family for the culture. People are friendly in the South and especially in Atlanta. I feel mellow when I'm at Mary Mac's. What the food doesn't do for my health the friendly atmosphere probably more than equals. It would be near impossible to feel anything but relaxed in a place like Mary Mac's...well...as relaxed as we can be with "the twins" in tow that is...a good day in the South albeit a bit cold for this time of year. The sun was out. The air was clean. The host was waiting at the door of Mary Mac's welcoming us inside. Hope y'all had a nice Easter weekend like we did...chillin' in Hotlanta...Ragin RJ!

Too Smart

We went to the Mall of Georgia last night--a cavernous place for sure. Walking through the food court at a big mall is quite the experience for someone like me. I'm amazed at what people shove into their bodies without ever THINKING about the effects of that crap. The food they serve there is so damn toxic and unhealthy--it's sickening. There were tons (literally) of fat people at the food court eating "food" (crap) that they had no business eating. I decided that I'm too smart to be fooled by fast food marketing. When you stop and actually "think" about what they are telling you, it's complete bullshit! They tell you how happy you will be eating crap. They show healthy people eating crap and feeling great--bullshit! Why don't they show the truth? Fat people with diabetes that can barely move. Fat people that feel like crap. Fat kids that won't live as long as their parents. People that can't take a dump more than 1-2 times a freakin' week because they only eat processed junk food and virtually no fruits and veggies! That is the harsh truth baby! I'm too smart to buy into their schemes. I'm doing the best I can to get others smart about the marketing of illness vs. health. It's high time we start pushing health and marketing wellness instead of fast food crap and illness!...calling it straight up...Ragin' RJ

Tech Stress

Our house flooded before Xmas. We are finally having all the repairs done this week. I unhooked the TV then couldn't get the damn thing to work in the other room. My 3 year old daughter was upset because she had no morning "doggie" movie! I've got a lot of work going on, so told everyone to forget about the damn TV for a couple of weeks until the work is done. THEN-my PC crashed yesterday! Off to the Geek Squad pronto! I'm convinced that technology has NOT been good for health. People are too plugged in and turned on today. Steve Ilg (wholisticfitness.com) really got me thinking about this issue in one of his High-Performance Yoga classes last year...he started by challenging us to turn OFF and told how easy is was to keep turning ON in today's frantic society--how true! When is the last time you turned off? People are talking on the cell phone or doing a Blackberry message while taking a crap now! It's crazy! NOT good! So...after the TV and PC problems, I went out and mowed the lawn. I enjoyed the "old school" physical labor! There is something therapeutic to just mowing grass and sweeping the driveway and gutter...Keepin' it simple in A-Town this week with less tech...Ragin' RJ!

Joy of Rain!

Last night I took the family to our favorite recreation spot in Atlanta-Stone Mtn. State Park. The clouds were edging in with faint sounds of thunder, but we went anyway. The increasing sounds of thunder for 45 minutes during my powerwalk with the twins in the jogger provided great opportunity to teach the twins about nature, rain, green trees drinking water, forest ecology, and how increasing loudness of thunder means increasing chances of RAIN! We made it about 45 minutes into the 60 minute loop then my wife pulled the plug and told me to go after the car--too much lightning for her comfort zone--a wise choice! Five minutes into my jog after the car, the classic Southern thunder storm erupted. God I love Atlanta! One of my biggest fitness pleasures in life is running in a warm Southern rain. I was soaking wet by the time I got to the car--along with everyone else walking and jogging last night. It was okay though...a small family adventure. We had fun. You can't always have perfect comfort in life with workouts--you just have to get it done rain or shine! From the glorious South today thankful for the simple joy of rain...Ragin' RJ!

Mood & Movement

We headed up to North Georgia for a hike on the Appalachian Trail the other day with 3-year old twins in tow Ronnie & Cade. For some reason, Ronnie was in a bad mood, or as she described was "grumpy." Once we started hiking, her mood dramatically improved. I was reminded of a quote that has been flying around wellness coaching and positive psych circles lately by David Tal Ben-Shahar, Harvard University Psychology Professor, that states, " “Not exercising is a depressant.” To be honest, there are a lot of times I don't feel like exercising. I force myself, or as Jack LaLanne prefers to put it, "I kick myself in the butt and make it happen!" The hard part is deciding to do it then starting. Once you roll 5 minutes, it's all good. I've got to tell you that after a decade of being a health pro, I think I've heard almost every excuse to NOT exercise. There is always a reason not to exercise. Something will always come up. However, unless you have a major incident or disease issue, most of the excuses are bull crap and not good enough. Even Jack LaLanne says he hates exercise! He does it because he likes the results. So...I have yet to miss a single day of exercise all year. I kick myself in the butt, improve my mood, and do something for at least 30 minutes a day. You should join me--you might like it! Beats being grumpy...if y'all ain't movin' then y'all ain't groovin'...From the ATL today...Ragin' RJ!

Am I FAT?!

I think I must be getting fat! I keep getting these e-mails "from the office" saying people are talking about my recent weight gain and how the pounds are inching up, and of course, that I need to respond by going to this website for the solution! Yesterday, I walked out the door and there was a card saying I could lose a LOT of weight with NO exercise. I checked out the website, sure enough, the answer is in a pill! For only $12.95, I can get a week's supply of nutritional power, literature, AND my own personal weight loss coach! What a deal! But...I'm not fat and too smart to fall for these scams. You get what you pay for and get out of life what you put into it--especially with health. If all you want to do is take a pill and be well, it won't work. If you want to lose weight and never exercise, it won't work. If you want to hire a professional coach that can actually kick ass, you can't do it for $12.95! I wonder how many people do this stuff? Probably a lot considering how many scams there are today--they are NOT doing them to lose money that is for sure! I don't like people like this--they take people's money and break their spirits. That's bullshit. That's not making the world a better place...God help them in the next life because they'll need it. I love what I do. I help people be healthy--for LIFE! That my friends is the best "work" of all in my book...Keep moving...Ragin' RJ!

The Business of WELLness

I was stressed today. The business side of wellness is actually very intense. The country is entering a firestorm--a complete shift from the doctor taking care of you to YOU figuring out how to take care of yourself. The system has failed to make us healthier. We are fatter and more out of shape than ever. Companies are scrambling to incorporate wellness processes into their daily business--which is where I fit in today. Responsibility is finally shifting towards personal responsibility for one's own health--as it should be. It's incredible to me how hard I have to work to get people to be WELL! I mean really--how many things in life can you NOT find any problems with? How can you say anything bad about being healthy? There are NO side effects! It should be easy to get people on board right? WRONG! It defies logic to me. People are so damn stubborn about refusing to be healthy! By God, I am NOT going to be healthy, NOT going to exercise, NOT going to eat well. Result? Spending a whole lot of time in pain at the doctor's office constipated. That's right constipated! :o( People that eat like crap don't crap! Many people don't crap for 3-5 days in America--no wonder we are so jacked up! Don't even get me started! To "cure myself" from all this today, I headed straight for the yoga studio after work. Interestingly, I felt like a different person after the class. Like my go(o)d friend Steve Ilg says of wholisticfitness.com, "It's all yoga." He says first--it's breath and posture. If nothing else, breathe and stand up straight! That got me into the front door of the yoga studio tonight...more breath and posture got me home...Keep the chi baby! Ragin' RJ!

Stents & Thugs

Breaking news yesterday about how heart stints basically don't work with exception to emergency situations. The bad thing was that the "solution" was more drug therapy! LA News only briefly mentioned "life style" changes as "part" of the solution--how about nearly ALL of the solution! A bowl of daily oatmeal and a walk can go a long ways! My God--we are a country of absolute idiots! Millions being spent on stents when getting off your fat ass and eating some natural foods would be the real fix...Americans cease to amaze me...in their quest for the "easy way," they make it the hard way. Hell, it is easier to hit the gym and eat well everyday--get a clue!

Yet another pro "athlete" (and I hate to really call these kind of jerks athletes) is in legal troubles from being a thug. Pacman Jones--NO relation!, is now in trouble over the Vegas shootings that injured three people. They flashed his arrest record last night--it's shameful! It seems like every week some dumb-assed pro jock is being arrested or shooting someone. What bullshit! Millions of dollars in salary, and they are still gangsta thugs. To me, being a true "athlete" is a position of honor in the Greek sense. You strive for excellence at all times--the Greeks called this Arete'. These guys are role models for millions of kids--they don't give a damn about anything but their now narcissistic wants--classic examples of hubris which is "perverted pride." They are shameful. I wouldn't walk across the street to talk to one of these idiots. The NFL and other sanctioning organizations need to start banning their lame asses. I for one have chosen to not spend my money supporting their behaviors. It's not okay. People should speak out and FORCE these kind of people completely out of the game. Pro sports are there to make money--that is their model objective, so if people stop "buying" into these thugs and their destructive and negative behaviors, then maybe the organizations would listen. Ragin' RJ!

"Peace Through Strength"

Yesterday, I went to the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA for inspiration. Say what you will about RR, but he had vision to do the right thing. I once again realized that my country is worth fighting for even if it is not always the most popular thing to do. His naval vessel bears the slogan "Peace Through Strength." I could not agree more. Being fat and out of shape isn't going to do a damn thing to help America in the coming century. Yesterday was emotional...my second visit to the RR Library and just as awe-inspiring. Another thing about Ronald Reagan was that he was NOT fat! He was fit throughout his life. Ultimately, we all have to die from something in the later years...even when we live with fitness and health, but I have to believe that he accomplished more and enjoyed a different kind of life through decades of physical fitness and health. Stay the course for American wellness! Fight the GOOD fight--I WILL! Ragin' RJ

Critics vs. Truth

The last decade I've taken a lot of heat for my direct stance against obesity and sloth. The usual labels for me are "health nut, unreasonable, or zealot." When I interviewed Jack LaLanne for my master's thesis a few years ago, he told me he'd be six inches taller if he had not been beaten down so much throughout his career! He told me for over 50 years he's been labeled a zealot, crackpot, dangerous, along with others. So, I guess when you consider that I'm drawing the same kind of fire, I'm on the right path! He also told me to tell people the truth--the truth was his #1 recommendation to me as I launched my career into health and wellness. Since LaLanne is "THE" most successful person in the history of American health and fitness, I'm taking that recommendation to heart! My reality check is this--what would Jack do? And I'm not talking about that dumb ass Jack in the Box! It is not pleasant or PC to face American obesity head on--but we must. Ask yourself two questions.

1. Will our increasing obesity make America healthier in this new century?
2. Will our decreasing fitness enable us to efficiently defend our country?

To someone like me, it really about national security. My family raised me to believe in a strong national defense. I did not serve in the military, so this is my form of serving my country--to get America Fit and Strong. If you are justifying obesity and sloth for America and still saying Jack and I are unreasonable, I have one more question for you...how reasonable will it be for many of our children today developing diabetes because of their parents feeding them crap for food when their lower extremities get amputated because of diabetes?! Look over end results of diabetes--then do the right thing to save our country before it's too late...Ragin' RJ

"Any stupid ass can die. You have to work at living!"
--Jack LaLanne

Warrior Welcome!

Noble Warriors! WELL-come to my humble blogspot where I use many swords of wellness--and all of them are sharp! At times it is necessary to release my frustration over America's ILLness or to just rage about whatever is going on in the wellness battles. NO PC--just SR (Social Responsibility) to do the right thing for promotoing kick-ass health!...Ragin' RJ