Blog

In my and Phil Bishop’s book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write: One of our Cancer Prevention Recommendations is to limit consumption of sugar sweetened drinks, and drink mostly water or unsweetened drinks.Fit over 50, Eat Like a Greek, page 145 Order Fo50 Here The New York Times reported that research “suggests there may be a link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and fruit juices and the development of cancer.” The findings were published in The BMJ.  Bloomberg reported, “Increased daily consumption of about 3.4 ounces of soda – roughly a third of a can of Coke – was associated with an 18% greater risk of some cancers.” Meanwhile, “the likelihood of breast tumors alone rose even more, by 22%.” The study also found that “when people…

This is from the tenth chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

In my and Phil Bishop’s book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write: Research published in Circulation that included almost 500,000 adults ages 40 to 69 linked higher fitness levels to a lower likelihood of heart disease even for people with genetic variants that dramatically increased their cardiovascular risks. The study concluded, “Even if you have a genetic risk for heart disease, there’s a simple way to combat it: Exercise!” Among participants determined to have the highest genetic risk for cardiovascular disease, the highest level of cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a 49 percent lower risk for coronary heart disease!Fit over 50, Tip #1, MOVE!, page 150 Order Fo50 Here Now a new study in The BMJ reports, "Increases in physical activity among middle-age…

This is from the tenth chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

In my and Phil Bishop’s book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write: “If you’re plopped on a bed, couch, or chair right now,” write the editors of Reader’s Digest, “you might have what is arguably the most common health problem in America today—sitting disease.” That might sound silly. But prolonged sitting—sedentary living—has been shown by researchers to play a significant role in many of the most troublesome health issues of our time, from obesity and heart disease to diabetes and depression.Fit over 50, Tip #1, MOVE!, page 149 Order Fo50 Here Reuters tells us, "Phone applications that remind users to add more physical activity in their routine, such as walking a certain number of steps daily, have been found to be somewhat effective, according to…

Here are the contents of this month’s newsletter: Released in August, my newest book, “Fit over 50”Interview about “Fit over 50” with Dr. James DobsonEncouraging LetterAnswers to Last Month’s PrayersPrayer Requests for Upcoming EventsPast Issues 1) Released in August, my newest book – “Fit over 50” Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You released on August 6. You can learn more about the book and order it here. Feel free to share this information with family and friends. ORDER Fo50 HERE 2) Interview about “Fit over 50” with Dr. James Dobson I was interviewed by Dr. James Dobson for his national radio program, “Family Talk” about my latest book, “Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You.” You can still listen to or download…

This is from the ninth (and very most popular and famous) chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

In my and Phil Bishop's book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write: Research from Northwestern University and the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom suggests that self-described “night owls” have a 10 percent greater risk of death than “morning people” and that they have “higher risks for conditions such as diabetes or psychological disorders.” As was mentioned in tip 24, a 2019 British report concluded women who wake up early have up to a 48 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Benjamin Franklin recognized the health benefits of early rising and put this old proverb in the 1735 edition of his Poor Richard’s Almanack [sic]: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.Fit over 50, Tip #17, Sleep Sounder,…

This is from the ninth (and very most popular and famous) chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

Dr. Walt featured in September 2019 Christian Medical and Dental Associations Blog written by Al Weir, MD. “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them…He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me…’” (Mark 10:13-14, NIV 1984). It was 1984 and the occasion was our daughter‘s sixth birthday. My father had become very concerned I was working so hard. Up to 60 to 80 hours a week. It was good work. Comprehensive patient care including spiritual care.Teaching residents, students and fellows in our teaching practice. Performing nationally recognized peer-reviewed, community-based studies. Faculty appointments at 10 medical schools. All was good. But Daddy was concerned. He was concerned for me as a person, as a husband and as a father. He was concerned for my…

In my and Phil Bishop's book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write in Tip #12 -- Move!: Research, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, reported how the Cleveland Clinic studied more than 122,000 patients from 1991 to 2014, putting them under treadmill testing and later recording mortality rates. They reported a clear connection between exercise and a longer, healthier life. “Being unfit on an exercise stress test had a worse prognosis, as far as death, than being hypertensive, being diabetic, or being a current smoker,” Cleveland Clinic cardiologist and study author Wael Jaber told CNN. “We’ve never seen something as pronounced as this and as objective as this.” He added that lack of exercise “should be treated as a disease that has a prescription,…

This is from the eighth chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

This Q&A was adapted from my just-released-book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. It was adapted for the September issue of Today's Christian Living. If you don't have a subscription, I highly recommend it. ORDER HERE Dear Dr. Walt, My family doctor has encouraged me to begin strength training. What’s the best way to begin?  —Wanting Muscle in Missouri Dear Hesitant, Dear Toning-Up-One, A lot of choices are available. The most effective approach is to join a gym that can offer you a variety of training choices and a professional staff to educate and guide you. But at home or in a facility, here are options in the order I recommend them: Machines. Strength training machines use weights (most often) but also can use…

In my and Phil Bishop's book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write of the health benefits of avoiding "non-processed red meat (i.e., deli meats): A diet quality score based on the PURE study, which advocates eating more of seven key foods—fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, dairy, and non-processed red meat—has been linked to lower premature deaths and reduced cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in at least three large independent studies.Fit over 50, Essential 2 Preventive Care Order Fo50 Here CNN now reports that research “finds that changes in your red-meat-eating habits can be tied to your risk of early death.” The findings were published in the BMJ. NPR's “The Salt” blog reports that the “study, which included about 80,000 men and women,” found…

This is from the eighth chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

This Q&A was adapted from my just-released-book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. It was adapted for the September issue of Today's Christian Living. If you don't have a subscription, I highly recommend it. ORDER HERE Dear Dr. Walt, I’m looking into a gym membership. But, all of the brawny bodies there are intimidating to me. Any suggestions? —Unsure in Utah Dear Hesitant, Many folks are intimidated about going to the gym because of the muscular people they encounter. But older Americans stand to gain the most from weight lifting of any segment of our society. Researchers have found at least ten benefits to strength training as we age: Improved functional strength and flexibility, making us less vulnerable to falls or other injuries.Increased bone…

In my and Phil Bishop’s book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write: “If you’re plopped on a bed, couch, or chair right now,” write the editors of Reader’s Digest, “you might have what is arguably the most common health problem in America today—sitting disease.” That might sound silly. But prolonged sitting—sedentary living—has been shown by researchers to play a significant role in many of the most troublesome health issues of our time, from obesity and heart disease to diabetes and depression.Fit over 50, Chapter 12, MOVE! (page 149) Order Fo50 Here A new study adds to what we told you in our book … Researchers from the University of Cambridge report that sitting too much results in up to twice the likelihood of premature…

This is from the sixth chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

This Q&A was adapted from my just-released-book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. It was adapted for the September issue of Today's Christian Living. If you don't have a subscription, I highly recommend it. ORDER HERE Dear Dr. Walt, I’ve been told I need to stretch before exercise. Do you recommend any particular technique? —Stiff in South Dakota Dear Inelastic, It is true that one of the biggest issues for all of us as we age is the loss of flexibility, or range of motion (ROM). Reduced ROM can cause problems ranging from inconvenience to injuries. The accumulation, over the years, of injuries to our joints may keep us from doing things we could easily do when we were younger.  I recommend static stretchingas an…

Here are the contents of this month’s newsletter: Just released, my newest book, “Fit over 50”Interview about “Fit over 50” with Dr. James DobsonLast Month’s EventsNext Month’s EventsPast Issues 1) Just released, my newest book – “Fit over 50” Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You released on August 6. You can learn more about the book and order it here. Feel free to share this information with family and friends. ORDER HERE 2) Interview about “Fit over 50” with Dr. James Dobson I was interviewed by Dr. James Dobson for his national radio program, “Family Talk” about my just-released book, “Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You.” You can listen to or download either or both podcasts here: Thursday, September 19th: listen…

In my and Phil Bishop's book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we write (page XX): Tim Herrera, the Smarter Living editor for the New York Times, writes, “Imagine this: Someone walks up to you and pitches you on a brand new, magical pill. This pill can measurably improve your memory, overall cognitive performance, ability to learn new information, receptivity to facial cues, mood, ability to handle problems, metabolism, risk for heart disease and immune system. Would you buy it?” He answers, “Yeah, yeah, you saw this coming: That pill exists, but not in pill form. You can have all of those benefits for free, and all it takes is going to bed a little bit earlier. That’s it.” And he’s right! And, we explain why…

This is from the sixth chapter from my best-selling book, Bryson City Tales. I hope that you'll enjoy going back to Bryson City with me each week, and that if you do, you'll be sure to invite your friends to join us. (more…)

This Q&A was adapted from my just-released-book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. It was adapted for the September issue of Today's Christian Living. If you don't have a subscription, I highly recommend it. ORDER HERE Dear Dr. Walt, I know it’s important to keep up our strength as we grow older, but I saw a news report that said it was just as important to keep up our flexibility. Is that true? —Not Flexible in Florida Dear Unbendable, It is true that one of the biggest issues for all of us as we age is the loss of flexibility, or range of motion (ROM). Reduced ROM can cause problems ranging from inconvenience to injuries. The accumulation, over the years, of injuries to our…

In my and Phil Bishop's book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You, we have a chapter titled, "Five Habits to Live Ten Years Longer (or More)!" (page 137) and another, "You Need to Know Four Numbers" to live longer (page 141). Order Fo50 Here The American Heart Association has a similar approach it calls, "Life's Simple 7." Improving your scores has been shown to improve cardiovascular risks and outcomes. The score factors in smoking, diet, physical activity, body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels. You can improve your score with the lifestyle changes we recommend in our book and your quantity and quality of life is likely to improve. Unfortunately, as shown in a new study over an 18-year period that ended…

Family Talk radio said of their broadcasts this last Thursday and Friday: On these enlightening broadcasts, Dr. Dobson has two informative conversations with Dr. Walt Larimore. They examine the health tips covered in Dr. Larimore's new book, Fit Over 50. You can still listen to or download either or both broadcasts here: Thursday, September 19th: listen or download here.Friday, September 20th: listen or download here. You can order your own copy of "Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You" here. ORDER HERE

I was grateful to be with my friend, Dr. James Dobson, in his "Family Talk" studio recently discussing my and Phil Bishop's new book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. Dr. Dobson and I are recording today's program. We recorded two shows about the book. You can listen to today's program, PART TWO, Friday, September 20th, here. If you missed yesterday's program, PART ONE, on Thursday, September 19th, you can hear it here. You can also order a copy of the book by clicking the link below. ORDER HERE

I was grateful to be with my friend, Dr. James Dobson, in his "Family Talk" studio recently discussing my and Phil Bishop's new book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. We've been friends since 1995. I was one of his Vice Presidents at Focus on the Family from 2001 to 2004. We recorded two shows about the book. You can listen to the first one, PART ONE, today, Thursday, September 19th, here. I'll post the link to PART TWO in the blog tomorrow. But, you can order "Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You" here. ORDER HERE

This Q&A was adapted from my just-released-book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. It was adapted for the July issue of Today's Christian Living. If you don't have a subscription, I highly recommend it. ORDER HERE Dear Dr. Walt, I’d like younger looking skin. Is there an easy way to do this? —Young-in-Heart in California Dear Youthful, The basic answer is to avoid the UV light from the sun that both can harm and age your skin. Want proof? Look at your arm. The side on top looks older than the underside, correct? And, the upper side is one exposed the most to sunlight. Furthermore, your skin is exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays every single time you go outside, even on cloudy…

In my and Dr. Philip Bishop's book, "Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You," we have an entire tip (#6 -- Get Outdoors [page 121]) in which we reveal the amazing health benefits of getting outside. We tell our readers about Japanese researchers who are describing "shinrin-yoku," which means "tak ing in the forest atmosphere" or “forest bathing,” as “the practice of spending time in a forested area in an effort to reap wellness rewards. ORDER HERE But how much nature is enough? It turns out recent research says "120 minutes a week." According to a recent report in the New York Times, “The study examined data from nearly 20,000 people in England who took part in the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment…

This Q&A was adapted from my just-released-book, Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You. It was adapted for the July issue of Today's Christian Living. If you don't have a subscription, I highly recommend it. Order HERE. Dear Dr. Walt, How can I safely get a suntan? —Pale in New Mexico Dear Pallid, Simply put, and this may be a shock, but you cannot. The American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons says, “There is no such thing as a healthy suntan. Any change in your natural skin color (caused by UV light) is a sign of skin damage. Evidence suggests tanning greatly increases your risk of developing skin cancer.”  But, there is a safe and effective way to get a tanned appearance – and that is by using…