"but there are no guarantees. I have a cousin in her early 40s who is a vegetarian and a runner, but recently was diagnosed with breast cancer that has metastasized."

First, let me say I am sorry to hear that, I don't know about you but for me my cousins are like adopted to sisters to me, we are very close.

I think a great deal of health is genetic. We can improve the quality of life with lifestyle changes but I doubt we can do much to change the issue of cancers, heart issues and other genetic based problems with diet and exercise.

I have gone completely off sugar and reduced portions of everything else, especially white flour, and moved to a more vegetable based diet (I love veggies anyway). I have gone from 169 pounds down to 142 and lost 6 inches around the waist (hopefully giving an old guy some appeal with opposite gender ;-) putting my self near the bottom of the suggested wieght table for a guy my height. However I must say that it has had no effect on blood pressure or the way I feel, except perhaps a bit more confident in my clothes! Now if I could just find some way to make myself taller...

One thing I am trying to do: Reduce stress. In all honest, I have tried to reduce my visits to TOD, because I feel many folks are trying to "carry the world on their shoulders". There is much in the world about which the individual can do nothing, and the U.S. is becoming a smaller factor in the world anyway, what we do as a nation has less and less of an effect. I am trying to do things that I needed to do anyway, cut debt, cut waste, save more, etc. At 49 years old however I realize that I am closer to the finish that to the beginning...if there is anything I wanted to do, now is the time to do it, and allowing myself to be worried into ill health won't help me.

RC