Guest Blog Post!

This blog article is from David Haas-thanks so much for the submission David!

Elderly Cancer Patients Find Benefits with Exercise

Living a longer life with the help of modern medicine comes with more expense than the price tag associated with pharmaceuticals and surgeries. Getting older is associated with decreased physical function, and quality of life suffers from this in many ways. One of the ways is an increase in the risk of cancer, which is an especially prevalent chronic disease of the elderly. Treatment for cancer, whether active or palliative, will further damage quality of life. It doesn't have to be this way though.

Regular use of physical activity is strongly associated with better quality of life for the elderly. One reason is that exercise prompts the pituitary gland to manufacture more growth hormone, a natural substance that exists in nearly every cell of the body and decreases with age. Exercise also provides the body a prompt to produce more melatonin for a good night's sleep. Research on exercise during and after cancer treatment has found enormous benefits are possible for all cancer patients, including the elderly.

Is Exercise Safe for Elderly Cancer Patients?

A lot of research has been performed on the benefits of exercise to cancer patients, but none of these has investigated the efficacy or safety of exercise for elderly patients. Part of the reason is that elderly patients are often not subjected to active treatment options, such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. Palliative care is more common, especially for elderly patients with mesothelioma cancer or other types in advanced stages. There are other considerations as well.

Cancer treatment typically entails a list of damaging symptoms. Insomnia, rapid weight change, hormone imbalance, fatigue, digestive upset and emotional disorders are all common symptoms. Some types of treatment may further result in bone loss and increase the risk of other chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis. Elderly patients often experience some of these symptoms well before a cancer diagnosis.

The official recommendation of cancer and exercise experts is to avoid physical inactivity. It turns out that even the simplest types of no-impact, low-intensity exercises can reduce the experience of symptoms common to cancer treatment and aging. More exercise does produce stronger results, but any amount of physical activity regularly engaged in will be beneficial. Safety is important, however, no exercise is much more dangerous and costly to the quality of life.

Getting Started with Safe Exercises

The first step is in deciding to engage in regular workouts and talking to the doctor about appropriate choices. Patients in better health may be able to go at it alone, but most elderly patients will benefit from having a physical therapist or other fitness expert working in tandem with the cancer clinic.

The choice of exercise will be based on several factors. The current fitness status will suggest a starting place in terms of intensity. Certain types of treatment will benefit more from certain types of exercise, such as weight-bearing exercise for those using hormonal treatment or at risk of osteoporosis. Exercise is a unique and holistic intervention that can benefit all cancer patients.

Great Article from Grand Master Shi Deru

This is a fantastic article about what living in Chan (Zen) and Kung Fu are really about, written by my Shifu, Grandmaster Shi Deru, at the Shaolin Institute. To see the article as well as the rest of our school's newsletter this article was featured in please visit: http://news.shaolin-world.net/spring-2012-newsletter

Kungfu practice is not an extra curriculum in life; neither is it a pastime event, but the most serious path in life. Kungfu is a way of Chan, using meditation to recover our true-self and outgrow our ego.

Kungfu, when viewed as an extra curriculum, is often perceived as little more than some kicks and strikes; however, that view precisely misses the point. Kungfu is a way of Chan in practice, a step-by-step body and mind experience, along with a complete change of the accustomed lifestyle.

Kungfu is Chan practice in reality, like “boiling oil over a blazing fire”. If we wish to travel in a Kungfu life, to have enlightenment in Chan, we must go through scorching experience before the truth of Kungfu Chan smiles upon us.

That does not matter whether it is internal or external training. In-depth Kung Fu training is not an easy task. It demands high physical and mental endeavors: great attitude, high discipline and perseverance.

Through the expression of Kungfu reel, Chan is manifested with immeasurable motion of the microcosm of the universe. We see the infinite possibility in life and we discover the third eye we have all forgotten we have. We see our sub-consciousness filled with countless possible images; so as to provide us power to see into the nature of our own being that may lie hidden.

Through Kungfu meditation, we see Chan that awakens us, in our consciousness; that may be the third eye opening. By meditating on those utterances or actions that are directly poured out from the inner region undimmed by intellect, those mind-full actions in Kung Fu are calculated successfully to exterminate all the turmoil arising from ignorance and confusion.

Then we get an insight into the nature of our own being, and this insight finally puts a stop to all of the doubts and hankering that have upset our mental tranquility.

To live in true Kungfu or Gong Fu is to live in a freedom from restraint, accumulations of daily ceremonial restrictions, distress from customs, and burdens put upon us and make us miserable.
Each time we want to make a motion they fetter us, choke us and cast a heavy veil over our spiritual horizon.

It is paradox indeed. We are accustomed to live constantly under restraint though we long for naturalness and freedom. However, those who embrace Paradigm shift may discover True Kungfu Chan life that leads our way to that freedom.

With that mission in mind, we travel on the path of Chan and the path of enlightenment. That path is to find our self-nature and our true nature which is proactive; to seek self dependence and harmony within and without.

We look for solutions grounded on our feet without depending upon others or upon circumstance.

We cultivate ourselves in bodies and minds, and in our self-healing, and unveil the inner wisdom instead of relying on any outer means.

Kungfu leads us to work hard to pave our own life instead of waiting for opportunities or circumstances to come to us.

Kungfu teaches us that it is we who write our own stories of our lives instead of letting so called “fate” write us.

Shaolin Institute family is very special. This family endows us with a great opportunity to train with highly disciplined and highly dedicated individuals; striving to bring out not only the best of ourselves, but also others.

We, as a true Shaolin family, lead others by demonstrating the principles of Shaolin with superb level of discipline, self-control, loyalty, integrity, honesty, modesty, courtesy, perseverance, courage, and indomitable spirit.

We are at peace with ourselves and with the people around us.
In the process of completing our mission, we often face the challenges and vicissitudes of life. However, along that rough road of life experience like Kungfu training and testing. Wwe learn who we really are; what we are and what we can do. We learn and adapt to the ever changing world. We see how to live with various circumstances and surroundings harmoniously.

One of our important principles of Kung Fu life missions is to restore character and integrity. It is only with those Shaolin Kung Fu ethics of humanity, that we see the true freedom of our nature, the true nature of ourselves.

In true Kung Fu, we must be pro-active to develop the ability to respond to any situation, to see correctly to any happenings, disregarding any circumstances. Kung Fu lets us to see that freedom within, to choose effectively where our lives are heading.

Kung Fu Chan trains our inner eye to see much freedom beyond that cage and beyond that tunnel of darkness. To live peacefully and harmoniously in happiness, we must have a greater heart along with great ability to see light in any circumstance, see the light in everyone, and to forgive any ignorance.

In true Kung Fu training, we shall cultivate our ability to detach ourselves from daily social, cultural, and erroneous habits. To train us in pure Kungfu Chan, is to carry out the pure expression of the mind freedom, freedom of Qi, and of the universe in which we are part. We are after all, the microcosm of the Universe.

Shaolin Institute does not only carry out an expression of belief in a few words, but transmit wisdom of the orient, handed down to us from generations to generations of the Chinese great thinkers, educators, and philosophers.

It is that life intelligence, passed down to us that we apply to our lives and continue to pass on for the future generations to come.

We, the Life Intelligence University International (LIU) members are exactly working with that wisdom. Toward that endeavor, and that freedom for all, let’s start OUR FIRST STEP with healthy bodies, and healthy minds.

Shaolin Qi Retreat 2012

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend my Shaolin School's annual Qi retreat held in Pensacola Beach, Florida. I began studying Taiji and Qigong at the LIU International Shaolin Institute under my Shifu, Grand Master Shi Deru, Shaolin Temple Southern Yard 31st generation indoor disciple and teacher of martial arts, traditional medicine, health and wellness.

Shifu after morning meditation

The retreat is an annual event and offers two full days of instruction in Chan (Zen) meditation for cleansing the body and quieting the mind; Qigong and Qi guided exercises to improve mental and physical well-being and balance Qi flow; and Tai Gong to help increase muscle power and improve mental and physical well being to allow for the freedom from emotional and mental attachments.

Shifu feeding the seagulls

Various other forms of Qigong are instructed to learn how to breath and stretch in various postures to relax the muscles, tendons, and ligaments; and to cleanse the Qi channels to improve Qi flow and balance for self-healing and detoxification.

The following is the review I wrote of my experience at the retreat for Shifu:

-----------------------------------------

This past weekend's Qi Retreat was an extremely enlightening weekend that further enhanced my study of Qigong and internal Kung Fu. I feel that the best way to learn anything is through complete immersion and that is exactly what this retreat provided, a full weekend of meditation, Qi and Qigong practice with Shifu and my Shaolin Institute brothers and sisters.

While this weekend presented many different aspects pertaining to the study of Qi as well as the review of, and introduction to, various meditation, Qigong and Taigong exercises, I feel like I walked away with so much more-the understanding of what Kung Fu training is really about.

The importance of training, whether it is internal or external Kung Fu, is not solely in the practice of the movements for an hour or two a day. The real value is in adopting the Kung Fu lifestyle.

When we truly live in Kung Fu and combine that with our daily meditation and Qigong practice, we can then discover-or rather rediscover-our true nature, our true self. In doing so, this allows us to completely detach from our ego and thus detach from the external things we mistakenly believe will bring us happiness and freedom. It allows us to live in the present free from any regrets of the past and worries of the future.

True freedom and happiness is unique to each of us as individuals; however, for all of us it comes from looking deep within ourselves which allows for the rediscovery of our true nature. In doing so we become free to live in the world without worry, fear or stress.

The path to this self discovery is through a combination of meditation, training and living in Kung Fu. When this happens, as Shifu taught us, we travel the path of Chan and enlightenment.

If you are looking for an opportunity to enhance your Kung Fu practice, I highly recommend attending the Qi Retreat-you will be very happy that you did!

Shifu, thank you for the opportunity to learn from you and for sharing your wisdom with us!

With my sincerest appreciation and deepest gratitude,

Scott Shetler

Check out this great video compilation put together by Tom Kreutzer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpAJSuw_PHU&list=UUn5hBdli-Hk7lcFOUVTWfpw&index=1&feature=plcp

---------------

Stay Healthy AND Strong!

-Scott

Book Review - American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China

Lately, due to a hectic work / business schedule, most of my reading has been in the form of audiobooks - but I've had this hardcopy sitting on my shelf for quite some time now, American Shaolin by Matthew Polly.

My good friend Erik sent me this book as a gift a long time ago and I put it on the "I'll get to it one day shelf". That day came recently after joining a Shaolin training school near Duluth, GA - the town I currently call home. After a brief stint with Taiji when I was in college 150 years ago, I decided that I wanted to begin studying the art again as one of my long term goals has been to balance out my love of hoisting barbells and kettlebells overhead with the practice of internal martial arts - particularly Taiji and Qigong. When searching for a place in Atlanta to study Taiji, I actually found a traditional Shaolin school, LIU International Shaolin Institute, that teaches Kung Fu, Sanda and my beloved Taiji.

After a little bit of research I was extremely excited to find that the Shifu (teaching father) of this school was grand master Shi Deru (Shawn Liu) a 31st generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple. After beginning my Taiji practice I became more and more interested in all things Shaolin, so naturally I finally dusted off my copy of American Shaolin, and am sorry I didn't earlier!

American Shaolin is a story of Matthew Polly's journey from a 90 pound weakling studying religion at Princeton to being accepted as a student at, and training side by side the monks of the legendary Shaolin Temple.

I found the book to be an excellent blend of humor and excitement and had a very hard time putting it down. Polly's descriptions of the situations he encountered while living in China will pull you into the book and make you feel like you are right there through every grueling training session, challenge match and Sanda competition.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is how Polly worked the monks he trained with into the story giving the reader a behind the scenes look at the lifestyle of a Shaolin monk-particularly after the commercialization of the temple-as well as what daily life was like for those who lived in Shaolin.

While his journey lasted less than two years there is no doubt that this experience was one in a lifetime for Polly.

Whether you are a practicing martial artist or just a kung fu movie junkie, grab a copy of American Shaolin - NOW - I promise you will be glad you did!

Since reading this book I've learned of Polly's latest literary project detailing his journey into the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) - Tapped Out - a book I can't wait to get my hands on!

For more information check out Polly's website at: http://mattpolly.com/ and for a synopsis of American Shaolin click here: http://mattpolly.com/books/american-shaolin/synopsis/

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

-Scott

Durian Custard - my Favorite Raw "Dessert"!

I'm not a recipe guy by any means, but I came across this simple way to make an extremely healthy raw dessert when I read a great e-book by Markus Rothkranz titled "Heal Yourself 101".

Markus is a big fan of durian fruit. Durians are extremely nutritious and often called king of the fruits. They hail from southeast Asia and are readily available in your local Asian markets. I regularly find them at a couple different Asian supermarkets and one farmer's market all very close to where I live.

The durian is a little bigger than a football and has a hard spikey outer shell. It also has a pretty distinct odor which is why it is better to buy the frozen durian, the smell isn't as strong. You'll just need to let it thaw overnight then prepare it the next day.

Durian is a fruit you either like or don't like. Some people say it "tastes like heaven but smells like hell".

The part of the durian you eat is the custard-like pods located inside the pockets of the fruit. There is a fairly large seed inside each custard pod you'll want to remove.

You can eat the durian straight, or blend it with coconut meat and water from a young Thai coconut to boost it's nutritional value and flavor. This is my favorite way to eat it!

Durian Custard

You'll need one durian and two young Thai coconuts and this will make enough for one or two people for a few days.

-cut open each pocket of the durian and extract all of the custard pods

-remove the seeds from each custard pod (there should be one seed per pod)

-extract the water from two young thai coconuts and put into a high power blender (I use a Vitamix)

-next split the cocounts and scrape the meat out of the inside (I like the young Thai coconuts for this, the meat is much easier to extract than the other coconuts)

-next place the coconut meat and durian fruit in the blender with the coconut water and blend on high, in the Vitamix I let it blend for about 30-45 seconds

-you're done! Pour into a storage container and seal to keep in your refrigerator

Total prep time is about 15-20 minutes. This makes for an awesome meal or snack! For a fruit, durians are pretty high in protein and fat and has high amounts of tryptophan as well as potassium and vitamin c.

Some other things I like to do is add a little raw honey and eat this after a workout or sometimes mix in other fruits like blueberries or goji berries.

Hopefully you give it a shot and enjoy the benefits the durian has to offer!

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

-Scott

Should Fitness Hurt?

Scott & Dr. Ed Thomas at Scott's gym - one of the most enlightening training sessions I've ever had.

No pain, no gain. Feel the burn. My trainer is evil and tortures me every session. blah blah blah...

I seriously think alot of this is just false bravado that stems from wanting a pat on the back and recognition from others for how hard we "brought it" in the gym today.

Hell, there are some "systems" of exercise that give awards for puking after or during a particularly grueling workout. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to make someone puke during exericse, actually it's quite easy and in my opinion not a desireable training goal.

When did training become more about abuse, and less about becoming, stronger, healthier, and more fit?

Does your workout lead to progress or physical damage? Which is better? If you experience an injury it may sideline your training. Last time I checked, not training was a bad way to progress and get better.

I, along with three friends, had the very good fortune of learning from Dr. Ed Thomas in my gym for an afternoon a while back. If you don't know who he is you should fix that. Dr. Thomas has forgetten more about training and physical culture than most of us will ever learn.

One of the most simplistically brilliant things I've ever heard was when, after discussing the current state of the fitness industry, he told me, "Fitness shouldn't hurt."

Nuff' said...

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

-Scott

Gurus...

Wow. There are many bright minds in the strength & conditioning and health & fitness industry. Many people contribute many great things to help people. One thing I've learned is many of the concepts used today have been around for a very long time-that's the reason they last, they work! It's great that there are so many people learning and sharing info - one of the greatest things is when people learn they turn around and teach.

I have learned and continue to learn from great people, some of the brightest minds I've ever come across-one thing I've noticed about the "gurus" I tend to follow-they are all incredibly humble and have remained students themselves all the while teaching and inspiring people.

However, when you're "guru" starts referring to themselves as a guru, I'd suggest finding a new "guru"!

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

-Scott