Category: Digital Menu Boards
Moving on to a New World
Although we spend many years creating and developing a life we love, there comes a time when we need to move on and build a new life. After approximately 40 years in the menu board, marketing and display business I have decided it’s time for me to move on. I have been attempting to do this for almost a year, but I just now completed cleaning out and throwing away my last file from that business. There will be no grand retirement party or other special event so I used throwing out my last file as that special event.
When I look back over all those 40 years the thing I’m the most happy about and brings a large smile to my face is all the great friends I have made all over the U.S. and the world. I want to say to all of you (customers, suppliers and partners) thanks for being my friend. I will miss you.
I still enjoy walking into some of my many customers’ establishments and seeing the products still being used that I either developed or helped develop. As you can imagine I can tell you many stories about my career but I have decided to tell you about the event that made it easy for me to get out of the business and go on to something new, plus some information leading up to the event.
I developed the first drive-thru system for the QSR market and the product that was the most difficult and I spent the most time developing was the outdoor digital menu board. I started working on that way before anyone else because I needed a color outdoor LCD screen for the order confirmation product I developed, also for the drive-thru. At that time only the military was using outdoor color screens and they weren’t actually up to outdoor standards.
I developed and installed the first indoor digital menu boards in the restaurant market at several Arby’s restaurants using the old thick indoor TV screens. This product became much more practical when flat panel screens became available and when they switched from plasma to LCD technology. The indoor screens did not have to compete with direct sunlight and outdoor weather extremes.
Most of the major QSR chain top management told me they would never switch to digital menu boards until the outdoor screens became more practical to use and less costly. So, I went to the top management of most of the large QSR’s and asked what would have to be developed before they would switch to outdoor digital boards. They all gave me their honest opinion, and they were all surprisingly close on what it would take in cost and length of life. I took that information to the guy in charge of engineering at Samsung and asked if they could develop it. I worked with Samsung for about 3 months and they developed a great outdoor LCD screen within the required price range and sent me a prototype. I was very excited about that and I had meetings set up with several top QSR chains to show them my prototype and price. Just a day before my first meeting the Samsung engineer called to tell me his top management told him to cancel the project because the market was too small.
I would not give up on the product and did several consulting projects for a couple years helping other suppliers develop an outdoor digital menu board. Several, in addition to the companies I was working with, developed a satisfactory product a couple years after Samsung did. I also discovered that much of the high cost of digital menu boards was because of the many markups involved between the manufacturers and the end users. There were 3 and sometimes 4 markups in the process. That’s why I set up my alliance, START, which eliminated most of these markups.
Then my last major project came along from Burger King. I had a long and close relationship with them and was their only supplier of menu boards for many years. I had been working with them on switching to digital boards for years and had installed many prototypes and done lots of testing. However, when my testing was done Burger King called in just about every company in the business to test their boards. After several years they asked 5 of these companies to set up prototypes in the parking lot at the Burger King headquarters in Miami. They said their franchise committee and management would look at them and decide who they would use to roll out digital menu boards to all their system.
I had switched to a company named GDS for outdoor digital menu boards because they had the best overall product at the best overall cost. I also spoke to some of the management at RBI (Burger Kings parent company) and they assured me the decision on who to use was totally up to Burger King.
After about a week I received a call from Burger King telling me we were receiving the order, a total slightly over $400 million. But, we had included a lease package and since RBI had extra funds available they wanted to do the leasing. Because of that they would send the purchase order to RBI and we would receive the order from RBI.
When the order was received by RBI their top management met with the top management at Samsung. After some negotiating RBI added the same package to all of Burger King International, all of Tim Horton’s and Popeye’s which just about tripled the order to $1.2 billion. RBI gave the order directly to Samsung and cut everyone else out.
So, after 10 years of work on the Burger King project getting everything set up I was kicked aside because the order got so large. I would say to any reseller out there or anyone else involved be careful because if the project gets large enough contracts or word given won’t mean anything. You can be cut out also.
The sad thing is, all of the people cut out were necessary and after the franchisees have enough problems they will be added back in at a higher cost.
You can read on this website or geezersgetfit.com what I will be doing and why if you read my blog “How to life a long healthy life”
The Benefits of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
I posted something earlier on my Geezersgetfit.com website and Facebook page about HIIT training, but since I have been doing this training myself for a few months and really like the results, I would like to explain it to you in more detail. The primary difference between HIIT (High Intensive Interval Training) and a normal workout is that you go as hard as you can (all-out) at an exercise for 20 seconds then slow down enough to recover for 40 seconds. You do this 20 times or 20 minutes per session. The 20 minutes may be increased as you progress your fitness level. As with any workout, you should warm-up for about 10 minutes before starting.
An example of this is running as fast as you can for 20 seconds, then speed walk for 40 seconds. Do that 20 times in a row. What I like to do is run up steps as fast as I can for 20 seconds and walk back down the same steps for 40 seconds and do that at least 20 times. Because we need to hold on to the handrail so we don’t fall, it is easier for me to loosely hold on to the handrail and go up two steps with each step as quickly as I can. You can also do this weightlifting with heavy weights to accomplish the same thing by doing one set quickly for 20 seconds and a second set slowly for 40 seconds. I also like to do supersets (two or more sets in a row without stopping) using different muscle groups. You can also do more than one muscle group at a time such as arm curls while doing squats. Other exercise examples are biking, jump rope or other bodyweight exercises.
These workouts are anaerobic, which means your burn oxygen and energy already stored in the body (glycogen) VS oxygen breathed in, as you do in aerobic exercises. If anaerobic exercise sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. But the benefits that come with the intense fitness regime are enough to make you want to power through your next workout. Following are some of the major benefits of this type of training:
1. Increases bone strength and density
Anaerobic activity — like resistance training — can increase the strength and density of your bones. This can also decrease your risk of osteoporosis.
2. Promotes weight maintenance
In addition to helping your body handle lactic acid more effectively; anaerobic exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. One studyTrusted Source examining the effects of high-intensity training found that while the effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is small, HIIT training can result in modest reductions in stomach body fat. Additionally, one study found that people performing HIIT three times per week for 20 minutes per session lost 4.4 pounds, or 2 kgs, of body fat in 12 weeks — without any dietary changes (16Trusted Source).
SUMMARY: High-intensity intervals can produce similar fat loss to traditional endurance exercise, even with a much smaller time commitment. They can also reduce unhealthy visceral fat.
3. Increases power
It can increase your power. A 2008 study conducted on division 1A baseball players found that players who did eight 20- to 30-second wind sprints three days a week saw their power increase by an average of 15 percent throughout the season.
4. Boosts metabolism
Anaerobic exercise helps boost metabolism as it builds and maintains lean muscle. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn during your next sweat session. High-intensity exercise will increase your post-workout calorie burn and increase the calories you burn throughout the day.
5. Increases lactic threshold
By regularly training above your anaerobic threshold, the body can increase its ability to handle lactic acid, which increases your lactic thresholdTrusted Source, or the point at which you experience fatigue. That means you’ll be able to work out harder, for longer.
6. Fights depression
Need a pick-me-up? Studies show that anaerobic exercise, like strength training, can boost your moodTrusted Source and even fight depression.
7. Reduces the risk of disease
Gains in strength and bone density attained by high-intensity anaerobic training, like bodyweight squats and pushups, can reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease.
8. Protects joints
By building your muscle strength and muscle mass, your joints will be better protected, meaning you’ll have greater protection against injury.
9. Boosts energy
Consistent anaerobic exercise increases your body’s ability to store glycogen (what your body uses as energy), giving you more energy for your next bout of intense physical activity. This can improve your athletic ability.
10. It Can Reduce Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
A large amount of research indicates that it can reduce heart rate and blood pressure in overweight and obese individuals, who often have high blood pressure (20). One study found that eight weeks of HIIT on a stationary bike decreased blood pressure as much as traditional continuous endurance training in adults with high blood pressure (7Trusted Source). In this study, the endurance training group exercised four days per week for 30 minutes per day, but the HIIT group only exercised three times per week for 20 minutes per day.
Some researchers have found that HIIT may even reduce blood pressure more than the frequently recommended moderate-intensity exercise (29Trusted Source). However, it appears that high-intensity exercise does not typically change blood pressure in normal-weight individuals with normal blood pressure (20).
SUMMARY: HIIT can reduce blood pressure and heart rate, primarily in overweight or obese individuals with high blood pressure.
11. Blood Sugar Can Be Reduced by HIIT
Blood sugar can be reduced by HIIT programs lasting less than 12 weeks (20, 30Trusted Source). A summary of 50 different studies found that not only does HIIT reduce blood sugar, but it also improves insulin resistance more than traditional continuous exercise (31Trusted Source). Based on this information, it is possible that high-intensity exercise is particularly beneficial for those at risk for type 2 diabetes.
In fact, some experiments specifically in individuals with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated the effectiveness of HIIT for improving blood sugar (32Trusted Source). However, research in healthy individuals indicates that HIIT may be able to improve insulin resistance even more than traditional continuous exercise (27Trusted Source).
SUMMARY: High-intensity interval training may be especially beneficial for those needing to reduce blood sugar and insulin resistance. These improvements have been seen in both healthy and diabetic individuals.
Takeaway
Anaerobic exercises push your body and lungs to rely on energy sources stored in your muscles. The meaning of the term translates to “without oxygen.”
People may avoid anaerobic training because it is hard. Yet by practicing simple anaerobic exercises, like high-intensity interval training, sprints, and heavyweight training, you can reap the benefits of this powerful workout.
While most people know that physical activity is healthy, it’s estimated that about 30% of people worldwide don’t get enough (1Trusted Source). Unless you have a physically demanding job, a dedicated fitness routine is likely your best bet for getting active.
Unfortunately, many people feel that they don’t have enough time to exercise (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source). If this sounds like you, maybe it’s time to try high-intensity interval training (HIIT). One of the biggest advantages of HIIT is that you can get maximal health benefits in minimal time.
Unlock Your Fountain of Youth by Unlocking These Six Elements of Energy
1. Air: The most critical element for energy, or even life, is oxygen. Without Oxygen we would die in just a few minutes. Since it is just about everywhere and it’s free and easy to get you would think getting enough would never be a problem. However, in order to receive a good supply of oxygen we must breathe properly. Unfortunately, unless we are a long distance runner or athlete we get into the habit of taking shallow breaths through our mouths using only the chest muscles around our rib cage. To ensure we receive enough oxygen for good energy we need to breathe deeply using our diaphragm at the bottom of our lungs. Breathing through the nose helps filter and warm up the air before reaching the lungs. Breathing this way will deliver much more oxygen to our bodies for increased energy. Do the following exercise to increase your…
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Unlock Your Fountain of Youth by Unlocking These Six Elements of Energy
1. Air: The most critical element for energy, or even life, is oxygen. Without Oxygen we would die in just a few minutes. Since it is just about everywhere and it’s free and easy to get you would think getting enough would never be a problem. However, in order to receive a good supply of oxygen we must breathe properly. Unfortunately, unless we are a long distance runner or athlete we get into the habit of taking shallow breaths through our mouths using only the chest muscles around our rib cage. To ensure we receive enough oxygen for good energy we need to breathe deeply using our diaphragm at the bottom of our lungs. Breathing through the nose helps filter and warm up the air before reaching the lungs. Breathing this way will deliver much more oxygen to our bodies for increased energy. Do the following exercise to increase your oxygen supply and get into the habit of breathing correctly:
Take a full breath in, using your diaphragm and breathing through your nose. Count to 5 slowly(count thousand one, thousand two, etc) as you breath in. At the end of 5 counts do the same thing as you breathe out fully. Do this 5 times to complete the exercise. Complete this exercise 5 times each day until you get into the habit of breathing this way. You can tell this works because if you take in really large breaths too quickly you will get a little dizzy.
2. Water: The second most important element for life and energy is water. We can only live a few days without it. 60% of our bodies are made up of water and some parts an even higher percentage. Our bodies cannot function properly without an adequate supply. Some of the most critical uses is to digest our food and deliver fuel to our muscles (through blood) to burn for energy. It is also used to expel carbon dioxide and waste from our body. Again, since water is so easy to obtain in this country you would not expect the lack of water to be a problem, but it is with a large percentage of us. A good “rule of thumb” to ensure we consume an adequate supply is to consume at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day. You may need more at times if you are doing something that may cause you to perspire heavily. NO!! Coffee, beer, wine and many other liquids we love do not count due to their dehydrating properties.
3. Food: This is by far the most complicated of the six items I will discuss and it would take a long time to fully cover it so I will just make a few comments. Good food is critical to our bodies for energy, health and life. People have been known to live for months without food because of all the fat and other sources of energy stored in their bodies, so, in that sense, it is not as critical to life in the short term as the first two items. The type and amount of food we eat will determine our quality of health and weight as well as our energy levels. Since this element is much more costly and more difficult to obtain than the first two you would expect all people to suffer a lack of food. However, in this country we seem to consume too much, especially the bad foods.
One thing that makes this subject so complicated is that we hear so many different and often conflicting reports on which foods are healthy and which aren’t. One of many examples of that is; I heard since I was a child how important dairy products were to my good health, but now, after some research, I have read several reports stating how unhealthy dairy products are, especially for adults.
You would expect the FDA and our politicians to help us out on this important issue but they actually make it more difficult for us. They do more harm than good. We have to be very careful about what reports we believe. When we hear the results of a new research project that may find certain foods or drinks are good for us it’s always a good idea to check to see who funded the research and, if you can, find out if there are any political contributions involved that may sway the report one way or another.
It’s also very easy to get sucked in by great marketing. Skilled marketers can make just about any food seem much better and healthier than it is. A great example is some of the soft drink commercials. Watching their commercials make you believe you can’t live without their product when in most cases it is very unhealthy. Also, some foods are good for some of us and bad for others because we are all different.
Another major source of confusion is all the diets you hear about. In the long run most diets don’t work nearly as well as simply using your common sense and eat the way you know you should. If you need help seek a good registered dietician. There again, what works for some of us may not work for others.
4. Exercise: Our bodies are made to move, not sit in one spot all day. The old term “use it or lose it” definitely applies to our muscles and energy supply. Our bodies will adapt to the conditions we put it under, either good or bad. One great example I see of this is the ever increasing number of men I see with their heads tilted forward and their bodies slumped over. What do you think causes this? If you spend a large part of your day every day slumped over a computer or cell phone your body will retain that shape. However, there are simple things you can do to prevent or correct this problem. The longer you let it go the more difficult it is to correct.
Experts say we need a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise per week that elevates your heart rate(cardio) and keeps your muscles working properly. If we don’t do this it will gradually become more difficult to move and our energy supply will continue to decline and be stored as fat. There are many other bad things that will happen to our bodies if we don’t get an adequate amount of exercise. If you want to keep the fat off, you need to eat and drink the way you know you should and keep up your body’s metabolism. The calories you burn during the exercise are usually not as much as the extra calories you burn all day long with a higher metabolism.
I walk and run 2 and one quarter miles to my gym and back about four times per week and I work out at least 45 minutes each time. I can honestly say I like doing that so it is not difficult for me to do. When I walk or run I feel like I weigh 100 pounds when I actually weigh 200! That’s a great feeling! It makes me sad to think that many other people don’t or maybe never experienced that feeling.
Just like your muscles, it’s also very important to exercise your brain frequently. No! Watching TV or movies does not exercise your brain; however, there are certain games that will.
5. Rest: Your body, primarily your brain, needs a certain amount of rest in order to repair, rebuild and recharge itself. If we don’t receive the required amount of rest it will have a bad effect on our bodies and energy supply the next day. All our bodies are different so we all need different amounts of sound sleep. The most common amount we hear is 8 hours but for some people it could be a little less.
6. Attitude: Our attitude is extremely important, not only to our energy supply but our quality of life. The great news is this may be the easiest of the six items to adjust and control and likely the most important for you! It’s difficult for most people to comprehend just how much effect their attitude has on the quality of their lives. We all know people that seem to smile and be happy all the time and we know those that complain and seem to be in a bad mood all the time. This happens even if both people live under the exact same conditions. If you think you are tired you will be tired. If you think life is difficult it will be difficult. Do you remember the old quote “Whether you think you can or you can’t you are correct”? Just a simple change in your attitude will have a huge effect on your life, either good or bad.
How Can We Live a Long Healthy Life?
Our life span is increasing quickly because with new technology we are developing many exciting new medicines and treatments. However, at the same time, our health and quality of life is getting worse more quickly than ever. What is wrong and how can we fix it?
There is a huge health problem facing people in the United States and it is getting worse every day! I am determined to spend the remainder of my life doing whatever I can to help solve this problem. I’m hopeful after reading this some of you will join me in this endeavor. Following is the experience that brought me to this decision.
Fifteen years ago I woke up one morning and could not get out of bed. I could not sit up and had great difficulty moving my body. I could not figure out what was wrong with me. With a lot of effort I finally rolled over and fell out of bed onto the floor. When my wife, Becky Sharon, found me lying on the floor trying to move she wanted to call an ambulance but I convinced her not to. I told her I would be fine soon. I was just having a dizzy spell and lost my balance. After several minutes of this I realized I was not going to be able to stand up or “shake if off” so I agreed to let her and my son take me to the hospital.
The first doctor I saw at the emergency room told me to take an aspirin per day and was ready to send me home. Lucky for me Becky was with me because she insisted on a second opinion; all I wanted to do was get out of there and go home. Unfortunately, the next doctor we saw was not that great either, however, he did tell me I was suffering from a stroke. I spent the day there getting tests. The second doctor could not find the cause of my stroke and even after a third opinion still no cause was discovered.
Becky was determined to find a doctor that would find the cause of my stroke. Luckily, a family friend gave us a referral to a great doctor who found the cause of the stroke. It was caused by a perfect storm; a long airplane flight, a hole in my heart that did not close at adulthood as it should have and a blood clot that developed on the plane because of a genetic protein in my blood that made it clot too easily. The third doctor said we had to find out what caused the stroke ASAP or I could have another stroke with much worse results. He had some tests done and I was put on a blood thinner that night. Thank God I had Becky with me or who knows what would have happened.
I completed a few months of physical therapy and learned how to get around better but I could not walk without holding onto something. The hospital sent a walker home with me, but I refused to use it. I wanted it out of the house. My doctors told me it was very likely I would never walk again without assistance, most likely a wheelchair or maybe, if I was lucky, crutches. I refused to accept that. I did not want to live like that for the remainder of my life so I worked and pushed myself really hard. I eventually learned to walk again and even progressed to the point where I could run. Physically, I recovered 100% in less than a year. However, I did not know it at the time but my brain function did not fully recover. Part of my brain died from the stroke and other events in my life. It was also determined that I had two smaller strokes earlier in my life I knew nothing about.
Several months after my stroke I had a meeting scheduled in Miami with The Coca-Cola Company and Burger King to work out the details of a very large project I had been working on before the stroke. I went back to work about three weeks after the stroke, which in retrospect was way too early. I had to go to the meeting because it was my project and it was a huge deal for my company. No one else could do it. I assured everyone I was capable of attending the meeting. I flew to Miami early the morning of the meeting. When I got off the plane in Miami I could not remember where I was or why I was there. Later I asked someone and they told me I was in the Miami airport.
I remained in the airport several hours trying to figure out why I was there. I eventually found something in my briefcase with Becky’s name and number on it so I called her. She told me why I was there and then it all came back to me. I immediately called someone at Burger King and was told the meeting was over but everyone was going to meet later in a hotel for dinner and they wanted me there. The hotel was one I stayed in many times before, but I could not figure out where the hotel was or how to get there. With some help from a friend at Burger King I eventually found the hotel and made the meeting.
I thought the problems I was having were due to the shock of the stroke and it would eventually get better but it was worse than I thought. Often I would not remember where I was, what I was doing or where I needed to be. Many times I would have a conversation with a customer and not remember the conversation or what I was supposed to do the next day. I was not used to taking notes because before the stroke I had a great memory and never forgot anything. At times I would have problems finding my way to familiar places such as my office. Some of my memory problems improved but my sense of direction did not. It got to the point where I could not find the local grocery store we shopped in for years, just one mile from home, without GPS. I was very angry and frustrated most of the time. It seemed every time I drove somewhere I got lost. Becky and my family knew something was wrong but I would not admit it to myself, or them, and I hid it well from everyone.
A couple years after the stroke we moved to Naples and I got to know several highly recommended doctors there because I had to visit one every month to have my blood checked so I would not have another stroke. I eventually met Dr. Jacqueline Romero. She has been by far the best doctor I have ever had the privilege of knowing. During one of my first visits I was giving her some advice on marketing and she made the following statement I will never forget. “Scott, you are a very intelligent guy but something is wrong with you”. I was shocked but started asking her questions. I did not want to admit I still had problems with my brain.
My wife, Becky and Dr. Romero studied brain health, functional medicine, nutrition and several other forms of brain science which I found very interesting. Luckily I was fortunate enough to learn by also being a patient. They studied together and separately. They became certified in Dr. Daniel Amen’s brain health coaching course that focuses on brain functions, brain scanning and repairing. This certification led to all three of us going to one of Dr. Amen’s clinics in Atlanta where we all had our brains scanned.
My scan showed the part of my brain that was damaged from the stroke(s) and from several other events in my past. I had consumed many bad foods and drinks with lots of sugar and artificial sweeteners. I started boxing when I was ten and did a lot of it, all without protective headgear. I was knocked out the first time when I was twelve years old. I had several concussions from playing football in school. I had two bad falls and hit my head very hard while running. I also had damage from Agent Orange and PTSD from Vietnam. Also, I hate to admit it but I smoked at a very young age but quit at about age 15. Smoking causes stress on the brain and uses up reserve brain cells. I did not understand at the time that I had been depleting my brain cell reserves. Stress on our brain compounds and at some point, someday, it starts depleting reserves instead of building them to deal with stress. It does not matter if it is self-imposed or not.
When I saw the scan of my brain at Dr. Amen’s clinic I was shocked and extremely upset. So much of it was damaged or simply missing! However, Becky said I got the largest smile on my face she had ever seen when they told me my brain could be grown back with certain treatments and nutrients. That was a lifesaver!
The protocol Dr. Amen’s team gave me was to have 40 one hour sessions in a hyperbaric chamber and 20 sessions of neurofeedback. The hyperbaric chamber promotes the growth of new capillaries (small blood vessels) so the neurons in my brain could grow back. Neurofeedback will rewirethe brain so it will function properly again.
The hyperbaric chamber treatments were very expensive in Naples so in June of 2017 I went to Cincinnati where the sessions were much less expensive. I lived most of my life in the Cincinnati area and I knew how to get everywhere. When I arrived I could not find my son’s or daughter’s house without using GPS, even though I had been to both many times.I took two sessions per day in the chamber or ten per week for two weeks. Nothing happened the first week but I wasn’t worried because I expected it to be a very gradual process. After my 15th session I had a very dramatic experience. I felt as if I just woke up from a 15 year nap. A flood of memories rushed back, even memories from as far back as my Vietnam experience and
my childhood. It was so emotional I just sat there and cried with happiness for a few minutes. When that session was over I ran out to my car and drove around the remainder of the day to many of my favorite places and all the places I had lived. I had no trouble at all finding my way around without GPS.
I completed the remainder of those sessions in Cincinnati and came home. Becky and Dr. Romero purchased a hyperbaric chamber for use in their practice and I did the remaining 20 sessions in it. I continued to get better. My memory was fully restored. I also did more Neurofeedback in their Brain Health practice.
I may be biased but I believe Dr. Romero and Becky are brilliant. Dr. Romero is a great functional medicine doctor who sincerely cares about all her patients and is always searching and teaching me what I need to do to live my optimal life. I am amazed at all the things Becky has done and the people she has helped. She received a Master’s degree in mental health counseling and will soon have her Doctorate. She is now a trained Hypnotherapist and does RTT (Rapid Transformational Therapy). She’s also a certified functional medicine health coach and a neurofeedback clinician. She completed Dr. Amen’s course on his work and has studied with Dr. Romero on Functional Medicine. Her passion and ability to help so many people has been so gratifying it has motivated me to make a difference in people’s lives also.
One of my daughters has been traveling around the world for a year with a program called Remote year. She is traveling with a group of 33 other people, spending a month each in 12 different countries. One of her stops was in Vietnam and she asked me to join her there for 10 days. She asked me to visit the country and speak to her group about the differences between Vietnam today and what it was like when I was there in the war in 1968.
Vietnam was the last place in this world I wanted to be. I never even wanted to talk about my Vietnam experiences, let alone be there! When I was there in 1968 during the war I had many horrible experiences and I never wanted to go back. I did not want to hurt my daughter’s feelings so I came up with several excuses why I could not go. She resolved every issue I came up with so I finally agreed to go.
I flew into Hanoi in February of this year (2019). I was a little nervous but the trip was very easy. Vietnam was not anything like what I was expecting. The people were all happy, courteous and friendly. The food was great and I had some of the best coffee I’ve had in my life. I did something with my daughter and her group every day. We traveled around the country most of the ten days I was there. I gave a ninety-minute presentation (telling my story) to her group.
The things I saw in Vietnam made me realize how much trouble we are in here in the US. The things I mention may not accurately describe the whole country but it’s what I observed. I did not see any overweight people, old people or handicapped people. Everyone appeared happy, healthy and in good shape. In the cities people mostly rode motor bikes or bicycles and in the country, they walk. I spoke to the grandson of a lady I thought was in her 50”s, or maybe her 60’s. She was in a tree picking fruit and he told me she was in her 90’s.
All photos are © Barbara Cameron Pix
When I returned home in the Ft. Myers, FL, airport I looked around and what I saw made me very sad. I saw many old people in very bad shape. There were wheelchairs, crutches and canes everywhere. Many of the people were overweight, some were hugely overweight. Many had large stomachs and were hunched over. I could tell that many had brains that did not work properly. I couldn’t stop thinking “What have we done to ourselves in this country?” That’s when I decided I wanted to do my part to solve this problem and help as many people as I can.
I will also admit I have been a large contributor to this problem in the past 35 to 40 years. In my career I have helped many companies sell more of their unhealthy food and drinks. However, we can’t blame all these companies because they simply produce and sell what we as customers demand. For example, many years ago Taco Bell switched to a healthy menu and it really hurt them because it did not sell. They had to return to their popular but unhealthy food. Several other chains have tried the same thing with mostly the same results. All these chains can and will provide much healthier and good tasting food if we demand it. Even fried chicken can be healthier by simply using healthier fats.
Following are several major problems that need to be resolved quickly:
Food Supply: The fresh food we grow today is not nearly as healthy as it used to be. A great example is corn. It has been so genetically modified it is not close to what it used to be. What makes it worse is corn and its byproducts are used in a huge amount of our processed foods. It was healthy at one time but is no longer. As an example, about 55 years ago when I was a child on the farm we grew corn to feed our pigs, dairy and beef cattle. We also grew some in our garden for the family. Back then our yield per acre of corn was from 30 to 50 bushels. Today the average yield per acre is 170 bushels. Experts say 28 nutrients are taken from the soil when corn is grown. When farmers fertilize the soil they use over and over again to grow the corn, they only add back three of the ingredients that make it grow faster and larger. When the other 25 nutrients are depleted many of the healthy nutrients in the corn are missing. This is only one of many examples.
The Food Supply Industry: Most of the processed food we find in a grocery or convenient store is unhealthy. I just read something today that stated cereal is mostly sugar and that’s what many parents feed their children. No wonder so many children are obese! Another problem is many foods, such as fruits, are picked before they ripen so they will last longer on the shelves. If they don’t ripen on the tree or vine before they are picked many of the healthy nutrients our bodies need are missing.
Food labeling is such a mess it has become a huge joke! Most people have no idea what’s in the food they buy, even if they bother to read the labels. Although there is government control we have to understand the rules for what’s put on the labels in order to fully understand them. Many of the terms are simply marketing terms and very confusing.
Sugar: Sugar is a huge contributor to our poor health and it is put in an incredible number of processed foods, in one form or another. It’s even in such foods as French Fries. To combat the weight gain problem sugar substitutes were developed. However recent studies have found these sugar substitutes to be harmful to our bodies.
Fat: Our government and many other organizations have told us for years that fat is bad so we have gone through a long fat free or low fat diet craze. However, recent research has found many fats to be very healthy and needed by our bodies, especially from grass fed meat. Recently I have been hearing from some diet organizations such as the Keto diet that eating more fat may actually aid in loosing body fat.
Exercise: Today many adults and children do not get enough exercise. Many seem to be spending more time watching TV, playing games and reading messages on their cell phones or sitting behind a desk all day. We all need a minimum amount of exercise in order for our bodies to perform the way they should and stay healthy.
Alcohol Consumption: Drinking alcoholic beverages has become the primary way we socialize. Today most social events and meals include some form of alcohol. Research has found alcohol to be harmful, especially to the brain.
Drugs: “Big Pharma” has become a huge health problem in the United States. Even though they are developing more and more super drugs that are helpful to treat illnesses, many of these drugs are causing other serious health problems. Today the major motivation for developing a drug is much more for profit than for what it will do to help cure illnesses. Also, there is a growing financial pressure on doctors, if they want to earn an income, to stop the symptoms with drugs rather than cure the problem.
Our Government: Following is one example you can research but there are many more. I’m not saying every politician does this but many do. Our politicians require money to win elections. Some companies and wealthy individuals give them money but they usually expect favors in return. The politicians need for money continues if they stay in office so the favors have to continue.
One example you can research: Many of you may remember Donald Rumsfeld. He was a congressman and held several high government positions. He was the Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford in 1974-1975. Before he was in that position the artificial sweetener, NutraSweet, was not approved by the FDA because it is a very unhealthy product. While he was in that office NutraSweet was approved. In 1977 he became CEO of the company that made NutraSweet with a huge stock option. Many will say that does not prove anything but if you do your research you will find many examples of similar situations.
Just so this article is not all negative following are some good things to talk about:
Longevity: Because of developing science we are now adding 3 months to our average life span every year. By the year 2030 that number is predicted to go up to adding one year every year.
Treatments: Science has been developing new effective treatments for many illnesses and finding cures for many. This is predicted to continue at a faster rate.
Science: Science is developing many new and useful products at an ever increasing rate that will make our lives easier. New technology is being developed at an exponentially faster rate. These technologies are decreasing the amount of work we all have to do and making our lives easier.
I decided the best way I can start making a difference quickly is to become a certified personal trainer. I have lots of experience in that and it’s something I will enjoy. I will concentrate on people 65 and older because the need there is growing quickly. I will also continue working to be an example of brain health for Becky and Dr. Romero in Regain the Brain and The Plenary Mind Institute.
I have recently completed my training through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and have received a certification from them as a certified personal trainer. I will start training people in some of the local gyms and build a group for certain group exercises and special care. I have a passion for working with the aging population, teaching them they are not stuck with the life they have now. I want to help them live their best life.
If we continue to live longer and growing more unhealthy at the same time, while life gets easier, what will our lives be like when we reach 100 years of age and older? Will it be worth living? I keep getting this image of Jabba The Hut! It does not have to be that way!!!
How Can We Live a Long Healthy Life?
Our life span is increasing quickly, our technology is developing exciting new medicines and treatments, but our health is worse than it’s ever been and getting worse quickly. What is wrong and how can we fix it?
There is a huge problem facing people in the United States and it is getting worse quickly! I am now determined to spend the remainder of my life doing whatever I can to help solve this problem. I’m hopeful after reading this some of you will join me in this endeavor. Following is what happened that brought me to this decision.
Fifteen years ago I woke up one morning and could not get out of bed. I kept trying and eventually rolled over and fell out of bed onto the floor. When my wife, Becky Sharon, found me lying on the floor trying to move she wanted to call an ambulance but I convinced her not to. I told her I would be fine soon. I was just having a dizzy spell and lost my balance. When I finally realized I could not stand up or “shake if off”, I agreed to let her and my son take me to a local hospital.
The first doctor I saw at the emergency room told me to take an aspirin per day and was ready to send me home. Lucky for me Becky was with me because she insisted on a second opinion; all I wanted to do was get out of there and go home. Unfortunately, the next doctor we saw was not that great either, however, he did tell me I was suffering from a stroke. I spent the day there getting tests. The second doctor could not find the cause of my stroke and even after a third opinion still no cause was discovered.
Becky was determined to find a doctor that would find the cause of my stroke. Luckily, a family friend gave us a referral to a great doctor who found the cause of the stroke. It was caused by a perfect storm; a long airplane flight, a hole in my heart that did not close at adulthood as it should have and a blood clot that developed on the plane because of a genetic protein in my blood that made it clot too easily. The third doctor said we had to find out what caused the stroke ASAP or I could have another stroke with much worse results. He had some tests done and I was put on a blood thinner that night. Thank God I had Becky with me or who knows what would have happened.
I completed a few months of physical therapy and learned how to get around better but I could not walk without holding onto something. The hospital sent a walker home with me, but I refused to use it. I wanted it out of the house. My doctors told me it was very likely I would never walk again without assistance, most likely a wheelchair or maybe crutches. I refused to accept that. I did not want to live like that for the remainder of my life so I worked and pushed myself really hard. I eventually learned to walk again and even progressed to the point where I could run. Physically, I recovered 100% in less than a year. However, I did not know it at the time but my brain function did not fully recover. Part of my brain died from the stroke and other events in my life. It was also determined that I had two smaller strokes earlier in my life I knew nothing about.
Several months after my stroke I had a meeting scheduled in Miami with The Coca-Cola Company and Burger King to work out the details of a very large project I had been working on before the stroke. I went back to work about three weeks after my stroke, which in retrospect was way too early. I had to go to the meeting because it was my project and it was a huge deal for my company. I assured everyone I could do it. I flew to Miami early the morning of the meeting. When I got off the plane in Miami I could not remember where I was or why I was there. Later I asked someone and they told me I was in the Miami airport.
I remained in the airport several hours trying to figure out why I was there. I eventually found something in my briefcase with Becky’s name and number on it so I called her. She told me why I was there and then it all came back to me. I immediately called someone at Burger King and was told the meeting was over but everyone was going to meet later in a hotel for dinner and they wanted me there. The hotel was one I stayed in many times before, but I could not figure out where the hotel was or how to get there. With some help from a friend at Burger King I eventually found the hotel and made the meeting.
My brain was healing but I had no idea of the extent of damage to it until I was in the middle of a situation and became confused. Often I would not remember where I was, what I was doing or where I needed to be. Many times I would have a conversation with a customer and not remember the conversation or what I was supposed to do the next day. I was not used to taking notes because before the stroke I had a great memory and never forgot anything. At times I would have problems finding my way to familiar places such as my office. Some of my memory problems improved but my sense of direction did not. It got to the point where I could not find the local grocery store we shopped in for years, just one mile from home, without GPS. I was very angry and frustrated most of the time. It seemed every time I drove somewhere I got lost. Becky and my family knew something was wrong but I would not admit it to myself, or them, and I hid it well from everyone.
A couple years after the stroke we moved to Naples and I got to know several highly recommended doctors there because I had to visit one every month to have my blood checked so I would not have another stroke. I eventually met Dr. Jacqueline Romero. She has been by far the best doctor I have ever had the privilege of knowing. During one of my first visits I was giving her some advice on marketing and she made the following statement I will never forget. “Scott, you are a very intelligent guy but something is wrong with you”. I was shocked but started asking her questions. I did not want to admit I still had problems with my brain.
My wife, Becky and Dr. Romero studied brain health, functional medicine, nutrition and several other forms of brain science which I found very interesting. Luckily I was fortunate enough to learn by also being a patient. They studied together and separately. They became certified in Dr. Daniel Amen’s brain health coaching course that focuses on brain functions and brain scanning and repairing. This certification led to all three of us going to one of Dr. Amen’s clinics in Atlanta where we all had our brains scanned.
My scan showed the part of my brain that was damaged from the stroke(s) and from several other events in my past. I had consumed many bad foods and drinks with lots of sugar and artificial sweeteners. I started boxing when I was ten and did a lot of it, all without protective headgear. I was knocked out the first time when I was twelve years old. I had several concussions from playing football in school. I had two serious falls while running and hit my head very hard. I also had damage from Agent Orange and PTSD from Vietnam. Also, I hate to admit it but I smoked at a very young age but quit at about age 15. Smoking causes stress on the brain and uses up reserve brain cells. I did not understand that I had been depleting my brain cell reserves. Stress on our brain compounds and at some point, someday, it starts depleting reserves instead of building them to deal with stress. It does not matter if it is self-imposed or not.
When I saw the scan of my brain at Dr. Amen’s clinic I was shocked and extremely upset. So much of it was damaged or simply missing! However, Becky said I got the largest smile on my face she had ever seen when they told me my brain could be grown back with certain treatments and nutrients. To me that was a lifesaver!
The protocol Dr. Amen’s team gave me was to have 40 one hour sessions in a hyperbaric chamber and 20 sessions of neurofeedback. The hyperbaric chamber promotes the growth of new capillaries (small blood vessels) so the neurons in my brain could grow back. Neurofeedback will unstick neurons in the brain so it will function properly again.
The hyperbaric chamber treatments were very expensive in Naples so in June of 2017 I went to Cincinnati where the sessions were much less expensive. I lived most of my life in the Cincinnati area and I knew how to get everywhere there. When I arrived I could not find my son’s or daughter’s house without using GPS, even though I had been to both many times.
I took two sessions per day or ten per week for two weeks. Nothing happened the first week but I wasn’t worried because I expected it to be a very gradual process. After my 15th session I had a very dramatic experience. I felt as if I just woke up from a 15 year nap. A flood of memories rushed back, even memories from as far back as my Vietnam experience and my childhood. It was so emotional I just sat there and cried with happiness for a few minutes. When that session was over I ran out to my car and drove around the remainder of the day to many of my favorite places and all the places I had lived. I had no trouble at all finding my way around without GPS.
I completed the remainder of those sessions in Cincinnati and came home. Becky and Dr. Romero purchased a hyperbaric chamber for use in their practice and I did the remaining 20 sessions in it. I continued to get better. My memory did restore, and I now know where to turn into the grocery store. I also did more Neurofeedback in their Brain Health practice.
I may be biased but I believe Dr. Romero and Becky are brilliant. Dr. Romero is a great functional medicine doctor who sincerely cares about all her patients and is always searching and teaching me what I need to do to live my optimal life. I am amazed at all the things Becky has done and the people she has helped. She received a Master’s degree in mental health counseling and will soon have her Doctorate. She is now a trained Hypnotherapist and does RTT (Rapid Transformational Therapy). She’s a certified functional medicine health coach, trained neurofeedback clinician, completed Dr. Amen’s course on his work and has studied with Dr. Romero on Functional Medicine. Her passion and ability to help so many people is so gratifying it has made me want to make a difference in people’s lives also.
One of my daughters has been traveling around the world for a year with a program called Remote year. She is traveling with a group of 33 other people, spending a month each in 12 different countries. One of her stops was in Vietnam and she asked me to join her there for 10 days. She asked me to visit the country and speak to her group about the differences between Vietnam today and what it was like when I was there in the war in 1968.
Vietnam was the last place in this world I wanted to be. When I was there in 1968 during the war it was horrible and I never wanted to go back. I did not want to hurt my daughter’s feelings so I came up with several excuses why I could not go. She resolved every issue I came up with so I finally agreed to go. I never even wanted to talk about my Vietnam experiences, let alone be there! However, A few years before, I wrote a book about some of the unusual things I did in my life and I included several of my Vietnam experiences in it. Writing about some of my Vietnam experiences made me feel better about talking about it so I thought being there may make me feel even better.
I flew into Hanoi in February of this year (2019). I was a little nervous but the trip was very easy. The country was not anything like what I was expecting. The people were all happy, courteous and friendly. The food was great and I had some of the best coffee I’ve had in my life. I did something with my daughter and her group every day. We traveled around the country most of the ten days I was there. I gave a ninety-minute presentation (telling my story) to her group.
The things I saw in Vietnam made me realize how much trouble we are in here in the US. The things I mention may not accurately describe the whole country but it’s what I observed. I did not see any overweight people, old people or handicapped people. Everyone appeared happy, healthy and in good shape. In the cities people mostly rode motor bikes or bicycles and in the countryside, they walk. I spoke to the grandson of a lady I thought was in her 50”s, or maybe her 60’s. She was in a tree picking fruit and he told me she was in her 90’s.
All photos are © Barbara Cameron Pix
All the food I saw was freshly caught
or slaughtered meat and fresh fruit and vegetables. The people pick up their fresh food from a
market daily. I saw very little refrigeration. I did not see any grocery stores
or convenient stores where they sold processed food as we do here. At first I
did not want to eat any of the food because in the cities much of it was cooked
on the sidewalk, plus, I remembered how bad it was 51 years before. When I
tried it I loved it. We even took cooking lessons on how to prepare some of the
most popular dishes.
You will see by the following photographs the food did not look appetizing but it was great! The 10 days I was there I ate about 5 meals per day because I loved the food so much. However, I lost 5 pounds.
When I returned home at the Ft. Myers airport I looked around and what I saw made me very sad. I saw many old people in very bad shape. There were wheelchairs, crutches and canes everywhere. Many of the people were overweight, some were hugely overweight. Many had large stomachs and were hunched over. I could tell that many had brains that did not work properly. I kept thinking “What have we done to ourselves in this country?” That’s when I decided I wanted to do my part to solve this problem and help as many people as I could.
I also have
to admit I have been a large contributor to this problem in the past 35 to 40
years. In my career I have helped many companies sell more of their unhealthy
food and drinks. However, we can’t blame all these companies because they
simply produce and sell what we as customers demand. For example, many years
ago Taco Bell switched to a healthy menu and it really hurt them because it did
not sell. They had to return to their popular but unhealthy food. Several other
chains have tried the same thing with mostly the same results. All these chains
can and will provide much healthier and good tasting food if we demand it. Even
fried chicken can be healthier by simply using healthier fats.
Following are several major problems that should be resolved quickly:
Food Supply: The fresh food we grow today is not nearly as healthy as it used to be. A great example is corn. It has been so genetically modified it is not close to what it used to be. What makes it worse is corn and its byproducts are used in a huge amount of our processed foods. It was healthy at one time but is no longer. As an example, about 50-60 years ago when I was a child on the farm we grew corn to feed our pigs, dairy and beef cattle. We also grew some in our garden for the family. Back then our yield per acre of corn was from 30 to 50 bushels. Today the average yield per acre is 170 bushels. Experts say 28 nutrients are taken from the soil when corn is grown. When farmers fertilize the soil they use over and over again to grow the corn, they only add back three of the ingredients that make it grow faster and larger. When the other 25 nutrients are depleted many of the healthy nutrients in the corn are missing. This is only one of many examples.
The Food Supply Industry: Most of the processed food we find in a grocery or convenient store is unhealthy. I just read something today that stated cereal is mostly sugar and that’s what many parents feed their children. No wonder so many children are obese! Another problem is many foods, such as fruits, are picked before they ripen so they will last longer on the shelves. If they don’t ripen on the tree or vine before they are picked many of the healthy nutrients our bodies need will be missing.
Food labeling is such a mess it has become a huge joke! Most people have no idea what’s in the food they buy, even if they bother to read the labels. Although there is government control we have to understand the rules for what’s put on the labels in order to fully understand them. Many of the terms are simply marketing terms and very confusing.
Sugar: Sugar is a huge contributor to our poor health and it is put in an incredible number of processed foods, in one form or another. It’s even in such foods as French Fries. To combat the weight gain problem sugar substitutes were developed. However recent studies have found these sugar substitutes to be harmful to our bodies.
Fat: Our government and many other organizations have told us for years that fat is bad so we have gone through a long fat free or low fat diet craze. However, recent research has found many fats to be very healthy and needed by our bodies, especially from grass fed meat. Recently I have been hearing from some diet organizations such as the Keto diet that eating more fat may actually aid in loosing body fat.
Exercise: Today many adults and children do
not get enough exercise. Many seem to be spending more time watching TV,
playing games and reading messages on their cell phones or sitting behind a
desk all day. We all need a minimum amount of exercise in order for our bodies
to perform the way they should and stay healthy.
Alcohol Consumption: Drinking alcoholic beverages has become the primary way we socialize. Today most social events and meals include some form of alcohol. Research has found alcohol to be harmful, especially to the brain.
Drugs: “Big Pharma” has become a huge health problem in the United States. Even though they are developing more and more super drugs that are helpful to treat illnesses, many of these drugs are causing other serious health problems. Today the major motivation for developing a drug is much more for profit than for what it will do to help cure illnesses. Also, there is a growing financial pressure on doctors, if they want to earn an income, to stop the symptoms with drugs rather than cure the problem.
Just so this article is not all negative following are some good things to talk about:
Longevity: Because of developing science we are now adding 3 months to our average life span every year. By the year 2030 that number is predicted to go up to adding one year every year.
Treatments: Science has been developing new effective treatments for many illnesses and finding cures for many. This is predicted to continue at a faster rate.
Science: Science is developing many new and useful products at an ever increasing rate that will make our lives easier. New technology is being developed at an exponentially faster rate. These technologies are decreasing the amount of work we all have to do and making our lives easier.
I decided the best way I can start making a difference quickly is to become a certified personal trainer. I have lots of experience in that and it’s something I will enjoy. I will concentrate on people 65 and older because the need there is growing quickly. I will also continue working to be an example of brain health for Becky and Dr. Romero in Regain the Brain and The Plenary Mind Institute.
I am halfway through my NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) training and will soon be a certified personal trainer. I will start training people in some of the local gyms and build a group for certain group exercises and special care. I have a passion for working with the aging population, teaching them they are not stuck with the life they have now. I want to help them live their best life.
If we continue to live longer and growing more unhealthy at the same time, while life gets easier, what will our lives be like when we reach 100 years of age and older? Will it be worth living? I keep getting this image of Jabba The Hud! It does not have to be that way!!!
Be Careful What You Sign!
I want to warn everyone to be careful what you sign and don’t make the same stupid mistake I did.
I was having trouble with my back a few months ago so I went to an assisted stretching site here in Naples. It was owned by a company called Stretch Zone, Inc. They advertised a free session so I decided to try them. After I completed the free session the trainer asked me to join. He said it would cost me $320 per month for 8 sessions per month for their standard 3-month package. I told him I did not want to sign up for more than a month. He said he would let me sign up for one month or 8 sessions for $320 total so I agreed.
I gave him my credit card for payment. He asked me to sign the contract and it was on a small handheld device which I had to sign with my finger. He confirmed with me again that it would be only $320 total. I did not have my glasses and I could not read it on the small device. I know it was stupid of me but I signed it with my finger because he said he was emailing a copy to me right then. I planned to read it when I got home and I knew in Florida you have up to 3 days to cancel.
I did not receive a copy of the contract for at least 2 weeks after I signed it. A couple of weeks later I received a second $320 charge on my card. I called the trainer I signed up with and he told me he would have the manager give me a credit for the second $320 charge. While I was waiting for the credit I received a third $320 charge on my card. I refused the payment with Visa and cancelled my card but Visa paid it because I signed the contract.
After my first free session I scheduled a second session on Sunday. When I got there a few minutes early they were not open. Another person who was scheduled for a session following mine showed up and they still were not open. We both left. I did receive an apology and a credit for that session. I did the session a couple days later and it only lasted about half the time it was supposed to last. I did a third session with another trainer and it was the only one of the three that was worth paying anything for.
So, I have 22 remaining sessions, which I will not use and the manager said he was not allowed to give me any amount of a credit. I looked on the Internet for reviews on Stretch Zone and found one where the same thing happened to someone else. Please be careful if you use these guys for anything! You can’t trust them!
