“My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 today and we don’t know where the hell she is.” ~Ellen Degeneres

My grandma, “Ama” turned 80 years old today. Having a new octogenarian in the family, I’ve studied her carefully, trying to figure out some of her secrets to life. I’m fascinated by people such as Jack LaLanne who continue to thrive well into their winter years.

Ama started walking a few miles each day in her 50s, and she’d say exercise has been her lifeblood. In a note I received today, she glowed: “I need to stay busy and I LOVE yard work.” (BTW, the “O” in “love” was a HEART).  She still walks, almost every day.  Four years ago, on her 76th, she hiked Angels Landing.

She drinks only beer, coffee, milk and water, and she doesn’t eat cheese. She takes niacin and a multivitamin but she’s not a supplement fan. And definitely not big on modern medicine.

I’ve learned so much in life from her that it’s difficult to describe. But the most striking things came into focus in the last year, (more…)

HEY SAM: My doctor recently told me that I’m at risk for high blood pressure and placed me on blood pressure medication. What’s the best way to augment my workout routine in this situation?

A: People who participated in a regular yoga program experienced a natural drop in blood pressure, according to new research from the Washington University School of Medicine. The study, published in HIV Medicine, followed 60 HIV-positive adults over the course of a supervised, 20 week yoga program. Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced more in the yoga group than in the control group, despite no greater reduction in body weight, fat, or overall quality of life.The best part? T4 levels were not adversely affected.

Practicing yoga is an intelligent idea for other reasons, too. (more…)

As a trainer, I’m often asked which alcoholic beverages are best from a healthy lifestyle perspective. Red wine (and especially pinot noir) tops the list of healthy alcoholic beverages.

Here’s why:

Drinking red wine may preserve memory and protect the central nervous system. It also prevents clots and blood vessel inflammation—both of which are linked to heart disease and decline of cognitive function.

Overall, red wine drinkers have overall lower body mass indices (BMI’s).  And moderate wine drinkers tend to have narrower waists and less abdominal fat than people who drink hard liquor. (Higher BMI is associated with greater risk for disease).

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I was recently diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. I still have feeling in my fingers, but I’ve lost most of the feeling in my toes. Do you have any advice on ways I can manage this condition through exercise or supplementation?
—Lee, Cheyenne, WY

Peripheral neuropathy causes pain (sometimes described as tingling or burning) and numbness in the hands and feet. While HIV is one cause of the condition, it’s certainly not the only one. Diabetes and cancer treatments (such as radiation or chemotherapy) are also common causes. Sometimes the condition improves with treatment of the underlying cause, sometimes it doesn’t. (more…)

These are B and my favorite, road-tested recipes of 2009. I hope you agree. Now, dig in!!

Fiery Sweet Potatoes from the New York Times
Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jinxiboo
Chili sin Carne al Mole from “Vegan with a Vengeance”
Turkey Meatloaf by Mike Hitt
Organic Almond Milk by my mom, Marcy Francis
Vegan Pot Pie by EarthVegan
Herbed Spaghetti Squash by Emeril Legasse (more…)

My interview with adult film legend Aiden Shaw is the cover story of the January/February 2010 issue of HIV Plus magazine. In the piece, Aiden talks about his newest book and second autobiography, Sordid Truths. Here’s a link to the story (after the jump)… (more…)

My husband Bronson and my cool grandmother indulged my fascination with polygamists this summer on an impromptu trip to Hilldale, Utah (where FLDS is headquartered).

The best part was standing in line at the grocery store with a few of the polygamist wives—their hair all doused in Aqua Net, donning the customary pastel dresses.

You don’t have to be a native to experience the polygamist lifestyle up close. Identity Tours is a Utah-based company started by two brothers, Heber and Richard, who were exiled from the FLDS in 2003 by now jailed church leader (and convicted rapist) Warren Jeffs. On the 4-hour bus tour, titled “The Polygamy Experience: A Guided Tour of Colorado City,” Richard Holm answers questions about the history and traditions of the legendary polygamist community. (more…)