Happy Birthday George!

Yesterday we celebrated the birthday of our first president, and today I would like to celebrate his health..... or did I?  I began to do a little research to see if I could find some successful health tips from the olden days -- I was shocked to find out how ill George Washington had been for most of his life.  Diphtheria, malaria, smallpox, tuberculosis, dysentery..... the list goes on!  From the age of 17 and on he was often sick, and along with his sicknesses came a severe sense of depression. 

I was, however, pleseantly surprised to find out that he was a magnificent athlete, towering over 6 feet tall -- quite impressive for the time period.  His face, hands and feet were tremendous and one author wrote that his, "masculine power frightened young women." 

How did such an athlete succumb to such illness?  My search pretty much ended there, so I figured I'd get a little more current -- I headed back to Washington to take a look at President Obama and his family. 

The Obama's personal trainer says that for this family, it's clearly a lifestyle.  They workout everyday, make healthy food choices, and keep up with things even when no one is looking (no sneaking cookies!)  He recommends:

1. Workout first thing in the morning, get it done and out of the way - no chance you'll change your mind
2. Drink water before eating to fill up ahead of time
3. Put food on a small plate - control your portions 
4. Have 90% of what you need, and 10% of what you want

So get fit like the Obama family and make your health a priority.  Get your ENTIRE family involved and support one another in the process. 

Happy Birthday George - you fantastic athlete with some bad luck!