Keith Ahrens

I’ve been to hell and back. Heart disease and obesity complications are not fun. The consequences of inaction are life threatening, if not worse. The rewards of action are exhilarating and enriching!

– Keith

When you go to the store, buy 2 new vegetables or fruits that you don’t normally eat, but have wanted to try.  Think outside the box. By adding a couple of foods to your heart healthy eating plan you’ll feel like you’re getting something instead of having something taken away.   – Keith

I found out that I actually didn’t lose over 200 pounds.  I realized I had an allergenic reaction to fast food.  It lasted for 23 years.  As soon as I stopped eating fast foods the swelling went down and I started to feel great. Do you have the same allergy?   – Keith

You can do it. It will not be easy and sometimes you’ll feel that there’s just no way. I can tell you that there is a way. A better life and better health is calling you. You just need to believe it’s calling you a little more than the bad habits that got us into this situation in the first place.

– Keith

It is so important that each of us participate in our own well-being every day. Schedule that checkup. Talk to your doctor. Start walking. Do something today that you didn’t do yesterday to promote your own physical fitness and health. If you do this, you will accomplish things and dreams you never knew existed.

excerpt: Outrunning MY Shadow

It’s recommended that we get at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week. If 30 minutes seem too much it’s OK.  Just start somewhere.  Our heart benefits from any type of activity and duration. Don’t give up. You can even break up your workout time into 5 or 10-minute sessions and still get benefits.  Remember that gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog count toward your total. You don’t have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you’ll see bigger benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your workouts.    – Keith

Make the smallest changes that improve your health that you can commit to. Make sure if you decide to make a change that you know you can do it. Create some “WINS” for yourself that will help get the momentum going. Remember, it’s your heart.

– Keith

I remember the heart attack and open heart surgery. Everything was taken from me in an instant. What is amazing is that as fast as everything was taken away, I was given so much just as fast… Life and a completely new outlook on the possibilities it had to offer.

– Keith

Do you ever feel like your world is out of control?  For instance, think about overeating or not exercising.  If you have a choice of weather to overeat, or not, or to exercise, or not, then you are in control of the situation. You may not make the right choice all the time, but you’re in control.   – Keith

Today was a fight to overcome heart disease and obesity. We built, sifted, dragged, lifted, shoveled, sweated, dug, moved, cut, hammered, and planted a large organic vegetable and fruit tree garden in the center of Las Vegas. My friend Roz has a grass roots organization that is going to aid needy families and teach the youth how to sustain a garden while teaching about healthy eating. I was so proud to help.

– Keith