This is personal. Nonetheless, sharing my story with you may make a difference in your life, your friends and family.

My father died at the age of 46. He weighed 25 pounds too much. He didn't exercise. He ate bacon, eggs and sausage for breakfast. He ate Spam and cheese sandwiches for lunch. He devoured pork ribs, spare ribs, pork chops, greasy onions, buttered potatoes and buttered bread for dinner. He suffered high blood pressure and angina by age 40. Back in 1964, no one knew why a person died of a heart attack. Today, we do!

My brother John died at age 50 one year ago. He weighed 65 pounds too much. He ate pizzas for his main food group. He loved grilled cheese sandwiches and diet Coke. He never listened to me when I told him he was on a fast track to an early death. He never exercised. He watched hours of TV. He died of a heart attack while watching television after snow-blowing the driveway with a power-driven snow-blower after a snow storm. His students where he taught were shocked and crestfallen. I was reduced to tears, but wasn't surprised at all.

No less than a half dozen of my friends have died of cancer at ages 46 through 65. Cancer remains the number one killer in the United States and heart attacks, at around 1.4 million annually, kill off 900,000 men and women every year. Most of them could be prevented by change of nutrition and exercise.

Yet, on my latest bicycle adventure across America this summer, I witnessed enormous obesity from New Port Beach, Oregon to Washington DC. You may read my blogs about the trip at my new website: www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com

Why would my father and my brother die so early in life? Why am I still thriving like a 21 year old at the ripe old age of 65? How could I ride 3,400 miles this summer on a bicycle across America? (Loaded with 70 pounds of camping gear) This video of my cross continent bicycle finish showed all over Washington DC: http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=209032

Why am I climbing mountains, racing in triathlons, bicycling across this country and skiing like a wild man during the winter? Why do my wife and I dance for two straight hours every Saturday night at the Electric Cowboy in Denver?

Answer: vegetarian cuisine and regular exercise.

I get a kick out of life. I love living. I find this unique experience a profound one-time opportunity in this immense universe to experience everything I can for my 80 years of breathing. As Jack London said, "I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather my spark burn out in a brilliant blaze than be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom in magnificent glow-than a sleepy, comfortable planet. The proper function of men and women is to live, not merely exist. I shall use my time."

I read that quote daily. Instead of watching the average of four hours of TV that most Americans watch daily, I get up early and swim a half mile, cycle 20 minutes, run a mile and lift weights a total two hours exercise six days a week. I complete 100 sit-ups six days a week. Instead of wasting my time and my mind watching TV, I invest in my body, mind and spirit.

As I pedaled gleefully over mountains, streams, rivers and deserts-I stopped at diners, restaurants and grocery stores. Seven out of ten Americans suffer overweight bodies and about 100 million Americans qualify for gross obesity. As a civilization, we are so fat; it's sickening to the eye and worse to our health. I watched 18 year old high school girls and boys at Subway Sandwich shops with bodies 50, 60 and 100 pounds overweight. What are they thinking? It's killing us. I watched endless over-40 Americans so fat; they could hardly exit their cars much less walk. They drive fantastically sleek cars, but get out with grossly obese bodies. Go figure! It's costing us billions in "sick care" and we are not doing anything to change it.

I watched endless lines at McDonald's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Arby's, Burger King's-junk food joints that cause the heart attacks, diabetes and other obesity related problems. They feature Big Gulp cups of Coke, Mountain Dew, Pepsi and other soft drinks that exacerbate heart disease as shown by Brian Williams on NBC News. Drink a Dr. Pepper and poison your body! One look at the TV show "Biggest Losers" would sober anyone to our national dilemma. Yet our adults sport millions of pot bellies and saddle bags, and our kids think it's normal so they follow in their parents' footsteps.

I saw mothers feeding their babies Coke through bottles. I watched obese persons hit a Western Sizzlin' and Country Kitchen, where you can eat all you want, race toward the meat and gravy bar while I hit the salad bar. Walking into a Wal-Mart brings a whole new meaning to the word "obese beyond measure."

Why did I become a vegetarian 41 years ago? What did I discover? I will explain that in Part 2 of this series. It's easy to become lean and clean!

Do you want you and your mate and family to live to a healthy and vibrant old age? Do you want to enjoy your life because you are slim and trim? Do you want to keep dancing? Do you want to walk up to the doorstep of death or do you want to limp, be wheeled, senile or ravaged by cancer?

Of course, nothing is guaranteed. You could die or suffer an accident, or even a disease of some kind no matter how careful you might eat and exercise. However, you give yourself a greater chance to live a vibrant life by how you eat, exercise and maintain passion and purpose.

In this three part series, I will offer vegetarian eating, organic foods, exercise and other tips as a new way to improve your health, slim your body and bring you youthful energy.

Part 2: Cardiac catheterization medical tech and how it changed my life. Exercise and how it creates energy and youthful lives. Organic foods to avoid cancer.

Part 3: If you're in trouble, I suggest two books that will change your health picture like no others. This information will change your life toward a healthy long one. Avoid waiting for doctors to prescribe synthetic chemical pills to alleviate your pain or problem. How to take charge of your body temple.

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the Arctic to the South Pole - as well as eight times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. In 2012, he bicycled coast to coast across America. His latest book is: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, copies at 1 888 280 7715/ Motivational program: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, click:

www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com