New Year's resolutions for health

It’s time to consolidate New Year’s resolutions for 2019. What is most important for the year ahead, amid escalating climate change, political turmoil in Washington, D.C., economic uncertainty across the globe and big questions about the future of health care?

Start with a checkup

Find a primary care provider. If you have one, go in for your annual visit. January is a good time to check in and check up for a year of optimal health. Manakai o Malama typically has an influx of new patients in January and expands staffing.

With joints and tendons, we can typically trust our bodies if pain-free and functioning well. In contrast, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, early cancers and heart, liver and kidney disease are detectable only with a good examination and proper screening. Make that appointment now.

Create a lifestyle plan

>> Tips for success: Set goals that are achievable. Does it fit in the schedule? How far away? Goals should be enjoyable, not humbug. Solid support, whether it is a weight-loss challenge among co-workers, a workout partner or a good coach, is key.

>> Watch the mouth: Remember, no amount of exercise will make up for a consistently unhealthy diet, especially without portion control. Green vegetables are key, but if unaccustomed to raw greens, steam them lightly. Consume lean protein regularly and limit the simple carbs. Go for local, organic and non-GMO. Enjoy the farmers market and make eye contact with the person who grew the food you will eat. Pick a vice and cut back. Give up some sodas, smokes or a scoop of rice.

Tune in to what comes out of the mouth as well. Negative chatter is so habitual. It affects mental health and human relationships and has no upside in business. People who practice not talking stink seem to live in a better place. Still, we need courage for straight talk and for sharing what we truly feel. Yup, suppression also breeds illness. And laugh.

Remember, the mouth and nose are also for breathing. When angry or fearful, we don’t exhale fully. When emotionally down, inhalation is shallow. Try to take five minutes daily to sit and reflect on the breath. Just notice the pattern.

>> Move the body: When Americans think exercise we think “cardio” and “resistance” training. For cardio it’s best to get the heart rate up with a good sweat six days per week. Twenty minutes three times per week is the minimum. If overweight or over 40 and out of shape, first get medical clearance to avoid a heart attack or stroke. For resistance training, weights work if the technique is solid. Swimming is terrific, especially if limited to low-impact activity.

Appreciate the value of flexibility training. It deserves equal time. Yoga is hard to beat if taught by a good instructor, and can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Be cautious with the big yoga chains that have commoditized the ancient art. Yoga is especially important for those who do sports that use one arm or that require the body to twist in the same direction each time such as golf, tennis or baseball. Manakai o Malama continuously sees joint injuries and sprains among those who have omitted a routine of flexibility training.

The determined streak to keep breaking our personal fitness records is a rush, but there comes a point in the life when the priority shifts to staying healthy and pain-free for the long term.

Cultivate the mind

Perspective is everything. I like to fish. It struck me once after pulling a big bull mahi on board that for one person catching a fish is just a trophy, while the next person is harvesting a sacred life to feed the ohana. The point is that perspective is everything, but there is a tendency to be so habituated, so close to it that we fail to recognize what really drives our actions. Take a few minutes each day to reflect, observe and reaffirm those New Year’s resolutions.

--- Ira Zunin is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Serv­ices Inc.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow continue their battle

The holiday season is shaping up to be a real treat for comic book lovers and superhero fans. This month alone we will see "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "Once Upon a Deadpool" and DC Comics' "Aquaman" hit the big screen. While Spidey and others dominate the cineplexes, relax, catch up with your favorite small screen heroes and enjoy some out-of-this-world action as they continue their battle against the most dangerous criminals in the universe in an episode of "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," airing Monday, Dec. 17, on CW.

For years entertainment pundits have predicted that the superhero bubble would burst. It's just a matter of time, they'd say, as with all entertainment trends, before people eventually tire of these types of stories and move on to something else (see the western). It seems, however, that the general public is quite content with the numerous superhero tales found on the big and small screen these days, and is not quite ready to move on.

We are living in a golden age of television, and that extends to the superhero genre as well. Taking full advantage of the medium's potential, CW and DC have created a rich universe to showcase some of their best and most interesting characters and storylines. Since the debut of "Arrow" in 2012, the series has served as a launching pad for numerous new characters who have gone on to star in their own series, and in turn launch other characters such as The Flash. The Arrow verse is made up of the aforementioned "Arrow" and "The Flash," as well as "Supergirl," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" and two web series.

In "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," we follow a rag-tag team of dysfunctional time-traveling superheroes assembled by Rip Hunter, the Time Master (Arthur Darvill, "Broadchurch") as they battle havoc-wreaking villains.

The ever-growing Legends team is primarily comprised of Ray Palmer/Atom (Brandon Routh, "Chuck"); Sara Lance/ White Canary (Caity Lotz, "Mad Men"); Martin Stein (Victor Garber, "Alias") and Jefferson "Jax" Jackson (Franz Drameh, "Edge of Tomorrow," 2014), who make up Firestorm; Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Ciara Renée, "Master of None"); Carter Hall/Hawkman (Falk Hentschel, "The Alienist"); Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break"); and Mick Rory/Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell, "Prison Break").

Over the course of three seasons, the Legends have fought many battles against Vandal Savage (Casper Crump, "The Legend of Tarzan," 2016), Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough, "Desperate Housewives") and other dastardly foes, but it seems that they have finally met their match.

Last season ended on a triumphant note as the team celebrated the defeat of the demon Mallus, but unfortunately things aren't as easy as they'd hoped. By defeating the season's big bad, the team created more problems. Bigger problems. The barrier between worlds has softened and magical creatures are penetrating our heroes' world like never before.

This season, the team, along with John Constantine (Matt Ryan, "Constantine"), must contend with magical creatures from myths, fairy tales and legends. These "fugitives," as our heroes refer to them, are extremely dangerous and have only death and destruction on their minds. Will our heroes be able to fend off these monsters? And how will the disintegrating barrier between worlds impact the rest of the Arrow verse? Only time will tell, but what is certain is that it will be a wild ride.

Due in large part to the massive success of the Marvel films, we live in a time of shared universes. Nowadays, everything from "JohnWick" (2014) to "The Conjuring" (2013) is trying to get in on the action by creating series destined to spawn spinoffs, sequels, prequels and even the rare sidequel. Most of these cinematic universes have failed to take off (see the Dark Universe) or have been underwhelming both critically and commercially, but the Arrowverse and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" have succeeded where most have failed. This success can be attributed to interesting characters, compelling plots and solid villains, among many other factors.

Over the years, DC has earned a reputation for its dark, grim and ultra-serious films such as the recent blockbusters "Man of Steel" (2013) and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016). Yet the company has taken a completely different approach for its television properties. Unlike Ben Affleck's brooding (and extremely violent) Batman, the heroes seen in the Arrow verse, and especially in "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," are fun, quippy, flashy and absolutely over the top.

Week after week, the time traveling misfits visit new and fascinating places like Victorian London and 17th-century feudal Japan where they take on often ridiculous villains. The way Firestorm and the gang defeat these villains is equally ridiculous. Case in point: last season ended with an epic battle between a stuffed toy (think of a Tickle Me Elmo) and a dragon demon. In short, the series is a unique breath of fresh air that does not take itself too seriously.

On Monday, Dec. 17, recover from the stunning events of the "Elseworlds" crossover and reacquaint yourself with "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" as they take on magical creatures from myths, fairy tales and legends on CW.

-- Francis Babin 12/16/18