Thoughts: I read something interesing on MSN Money today, an article by Forbes magazine entitled “How Billionaires Die.”

Well, spectacular private plane crashes aside, they seem to die of the same old things that get the rest of us normal mortals: cancer, heart disease, and other natural causes. The difference is that on average, they hang on for 3.5 years longer.

I found it interesting that the author didn’t think that the difference in income was at the heart of the discrepancy. They wrote:

“Some studies contend that rich live longer because of intellectual Darwinism. “Social status,” Seligman writes, “correlates strongly and positively with IQ and other measures of intelligence, and intelligence correlates strongly with health literacy — the ability to understand and follow a prescription for disease prevention and treatment.” This theory is not without evidence: Seligman cites a 2003 study by psychologist Ian Deary of the University of Edinburgh that found mortality rates to be 17% higher for each 15-point falloff in IQ. “

So longevity–or health in general–seems to be rooted in intelligence, or at least in knowledge and education.

With health care theoretically available to almost all Americans, does it all really boil down to the fact that those who are better educated about health–medical issues and treatments, nutrition, and fitness included–are better armed with the tools to keep themselves hale and hearty longer?

If this is the case, we really need to put more emphasis on educating both children and adults about the benefits of healthy eating and an active lifestyle. There is so much knowledge out there at our fingertips now, but the average man on the street is probably more aware of what’s going on on “24″ or “Lost” than he is about the workings of his own body.

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Nutrition: SGX Non-Training Day eating pattern
(Details omitted by request)

Regular (Non-SGX) Daily Supplements: multivitamin with iron, calcium 500 + D, flax seed oil
Water for yesterday: 16 cups

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Workout:
12:30 PM Yoga break (20 minutes), 200 crunches, 200 squats, 100 push-ups
10:00 PM Steady-state treadmill (4 mph / 10% incline / 20 minutes)
10:45 PM BFL Women Challenge (200 push-ups!, 200 jumping jacks)

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The Awful Truth:
1. Ran a bit high in calories and carbs yesterday, but still stayed below maintenance.
2. Cut yoga session down to 20 minutes due to inability to stop yawning.

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Brownie Points:
1. Got to bed before midnight.
2. Made appointments for dental exam (me) and annual shots (the tabby twins).
3. Had no cavities this morning at the dentist office! Whee!

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Short-term Goals:
1. Do cardio after work.
2. Prep something with the marinated chicken breast in the fridge.
3. Scan and load some inspirational fitness chick pics to my PDA for motivation.
4. Load some fluffy “before” pics of myself on my PDA for MORE motivation.
5. Ask co-worker if I can borrow extra cat carrier for vet appointment at the end of the month.