Easy Ways to Save over $500 a Month and Get Fit & Healthy

Count Your Pennies While The Bankers Count Their Billions!

With everyone being concerned over the economy – people are starting to find ways to save money. One way people are turning to more and more is being healthy. Sounds crazy but its true – vitamin sales are up sharply this year as people find prevention saves more money in the long run than expensive doctor’s visits and drugs. Plus it just feels better!

Health care (insurance) is a twisted system – it’s like an all you can eat buffet – it tends to incentivize sloth and gluttony! Plus it may not be there for you when you need it – in case you didn’t hear – the financial cancer has metastasized! So why not invest in the best asset you have: yourself?

Now more than ever is a great time to step up to your health and fitness to the next level. It often takes a crisis for people to wake up! Unfortunately it’s often too late.

Here are some easy ways to save money and get fit and healthy:
1) Save $500/month – Quit your gym:
Gyms can be expensive. And the truth is you don’t need all that equipment. I have clients who are now saving over $500/month by training at my home gym. Do the math:

Option A: Gym membership: $150/month
Personal training sessions: 3/week= 12/month at $95 = $1140
TOTAL: $1290

Option B: 12 PT sessions with in home personal trainer: $65 x 12 = $780
(They do cardio as I show them on their off days outside in the fresh air)

Total Savings: $510/month – or $6120 a year!

Note: Even at 2 sessions per week you still save $400/month or $4800/yr.

Even if you cannot afford personal training there are many other ways to exercise that do not require a gym.

2) Save $200/month – Stop Eating So Much:
While billions of people don’t have enough to eat, most in the US have too much to eat. Many of the poor in the world die from malnutrition while many here die from eating too much toxic food that comprises the typical American diet.

Fasting is a great way to lose weight and save money – skipping one meal a day could reduce your food bill by 33%. I’ve discussed it before, the easiest type of fast is IF (Intermittent Fasting) where you simply skip a meal – like breakfast. Try to get at least 12-16 hrs of fasting to reap the benefits.

3) $500+/month –Stop Getting Sick!
Actually this one is priceless – after all, how much is your health worth to you? Start by eating healthy with judicious use of nutritional supplements. I used to get sick 2-3 times a year, a cold, the flu and then allergies in the spring.

When I cut out the top allergens from my diet and began to aggressively take safe, non-toxic nutrients my life completely changed. A 100% turnaround. I stopped feeling congested; I didn’t get sick for over 12 years. In fact, even now when I do catch something, I can feel it ‘coming on’ for a few hours and then it goes away. I think I was actually sick, where I was stuffed up and congested – once in the last 4 yrs, mostly due, I think, because I began to eat dairy and wheat again.

The NY Times recently ran an article that people are buying vitamins and herbs more this year to try and avoid doctor and drug expenses. People know being healthy is the way to go – it’s just when they have enough money – they feel they can afford to be lazy. You have to love human nature!

Bottom line: If you want to be healthier and fit you need to exercise. You don’t need the gym. You need to eat healthy (50-75% raw, 50-75% organic). You don’t need to starve. However, if you aren’t eating like this – my research indicates you can compensate for this by adding liberal use of nutritional supplements.

Hidden Toxins Affecting You & Your Childs Health!

What a coincidence that the day after our “Everything in Moderation?” lecture the news is about mercury contamination being found in many products sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Now HFCS is bad enough on its own, but many common foods you and your children might consume were found to have mercury in them. Mercury is a dangerous metal and is unsafe in any amount.

“Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,” the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.”

Mercury is found in vaccines, in dental fillings, in foods like fish and HFCS, and in case you didn’t hear, even snow has unusually high levels of mercury. And that’s only one toxin.

Mercury is a factor in allergies, hypersensitivity and all the associated disorders of this, and immune system dysfunction. It can make one more sensitive to dairy and wheat allergies – 2 items I have long advocated people avoid. Worse – doctors are not trained nor aware of chemical toxins affecting our health. Most also do not even know the basics about processed dairy and wheat being issues as well.

Tell me what bothers you? No matter what it is, from weight loss to depression, you name it, there are good chances several toxins are affecting whatever problems you have.

What can we do to counter this? Avoid the known risks like tuna & HFCS, buy organic as much as possible, and consume lots of cilantro! I have become a whiz at using cilantro in many of my recipes!
🙂

Everything in Moderation? A New Look

If caffeine is toxic - whats moderation?

A common phrase I often hear from my clients when asked about their health is ‘everything in moderation.’ But what exactly defines moderation? How do we know that our moderation is really balanced? Are there hidden factors we are unaware of that skew our idea of moderation? Is moderate exposure to toxins a safe and healthy choice?

In this era of increasing health risks such as cancer, infertility, emotional issues like depression and anxiety, and the epidemic of childhood issues like ADD/ADHD and autism – can we afford to wait until after the fact to realize we did not do our best to prepare ourselves and our family?

Dr. Eunice Stagliola, MyHealthExperts resident toxicologist, is going to speak on such issues in the first of her lecture series on ‘Living Toxic’. This lecture is going to be this Wednesday, January 28 at 7 pm at Tommy K’s in Stamford. Seating is limited so RSVP ASAP!

Tommy K’s is at 54 Research Drive, Stamford. Call (203) 325-9544 for directions. Please feel free to share this invitation with others you think may be interested.

Green tea helps lose stubborn belly fat!

Green Tea Burns Fat, Inhibits Cancer, and more!

Not only does green tea help reduce the risk of breast cancer according to another new study, it can even help people to lose stubborn belly fat!

Researchers randomized 132 overweight or obese adults to receive a beverage containing approximately 625 milligrams green tea catechins (including gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin, epicatechin, EGCG, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate and catechin gallate) and 39 milligrams caffeine, or a beverage containing the same amount of caffeine without catechins daily for twelve weeks. Participants were requested to maintain the same amount of caloric intake and to engage in at least 180 minutes per week of exercise, including at least three supervised sessions each week. Body composition, serum lipids, and other factors were assessed at the beginning and end of the study.

Both groups lost weight by the end of the study, yet participants who received catechins experienced a greater amount of weight loss than those who consumed the control beverage. When fat mass was considered, the percentage lost was greater in the catechin group, although the amount was not considered significant. However, total abdominal fat area, subcutaneous abdominal fat and serum triglycerides were significantly lower in subjects who received green tea catechins.

As my clients know, I have been big on green tea for a long time (organic is better to avoid risk of fluoride exposure). I had a tea party for my clients once to honor the Zen tradition of the tea ceremony. In essence, you are just making serving tea a ritual, a meditation – another way to be present and relax. So here is yet another reason to drink several cups of green tea daily!

Say A Prayer: The Power Of One

A lot of my clients have a hard time falling asleep. Or they all too often wake up, wrought with thoughts – never able to fully let go of the day and sink fully into the a deep, dark night of sleep. Who ever said black (the darkness) was evil? I love a good sleep! I suppose if we were nocturnal creatures we’d say the light (the sun) was evil.

What helps me fall asleep is to pray. Not because I’m religious, but because it works. I once wrote a poem:
” I don’t believe in God, but I feel comfort when I pray.
I don’t believe in time, but I watch it take each day.
I don’t believe in love, but it moves my heart to cry
I don’t believe the answers, yes still I question, why?“*

The truth is next to simply doing slow breathing, nothing helps me to focus and let go better at night than a prayer. Now prayer is just a religious word for meditation. Doing one thing – from focusing on the breath, to saying the Rosary, can work wonders for the mind bogged down in stress, anxiety and depression.

As a child I was wired by family and church to pray – a lot. So my neurons strongly associate prayer with a comforting feeling. Prayer is after all, a focus of the mind. The mind focused on one thing is a powerful tool. This is why we all seek the One in most everything we do – think about it – gardening, fishing, sports, washing the dishes; you name it – when we are present and doing the ‘one’ we are more at peace then when our minds are racing around with endless ‘to do’ lists.

I often tell clients who ask me in troubled times – do one thing right now that can make you feel better. Sometimes instead of doing one thing trying to solve the problem – the best thing we can do is nothing. Yes, even better than 1, is 0 (zero) – do nothing and watch the problem dissolve. Why solve when you can dissolve! Look at how soft and yielding water is – yet it dissolved the rock to form the Grand Canyon!

There may be more reasons these days than insomnia to pray. Obama was inaugurated today. Many hope that he is the one to help us rise up to meet the challenge ahead. The economy is about to fall of the cliff. Bernie Madoff made off with countless billions of false prophets (oops I mean profits). He is the poster boy for the profit party of 2008. No we all have to suffer the hangover!

As a NY Times financial reporter noted, Bernie was really no different than what most other prophets on Wall street were doing. As he said, Madoff just cut out the middleman!

The year ahead will be extremely challenging, more than you may imagine. We need new tools to help us change and cope. Meditation (prayer in effect) is one such tool. It has changed my life. I realize that when I am alone in the dark woods at night, the words that break the silence are some of the strongest prayers possible.

The Power of One: one prayer, one leader, one moment, one person (you) being at one with all of creation. Pray long and hard for that!

Next: The Power of Zero!

Are Toxins Making You Fat (& Sick)?

Hidden Toxins Can Make You Fat!

Could be. Read this:

“Ask why diabetes is epidemic in the 21st century and most people will point the finger at bad diet, laziness and obesity. According to a small but growing group of scientists, though, the real culprit is a family of toxic chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants, or POPs. If these researchers are right, POPs – which include some of the most reviled chemicals ever created, including dioxins, DDT and PCBs – may be key players in the web of events that lead people to develop the disease. “ (NewScientist.com 09/15/08)

Diabetes is right there with obesity. And of course in the holistic model we acknowledge that everything is connected – so if POPs can facilitate obesity and diabetes, these in turn can lead to hormone dysfunction, which can effect brain chemistry, leading to emotional problems like depression, anxiety, etc.

Detox is going to be a key focus of mine in 2009 since its become clear its a critical but often overlooked factor in our lives. Once again, more greens and enzyme rich unheated foods are key. Also consider a properly designed detox program. I have a real toxicologist, Eunice Stagliola, PhD, working on creating one for us right now. Stay tuned!

The Biggest Loser (In More Ways Than One)

Who is The Biggest Loser?

The hit TV show ‘The Biggest Loser” teams up people and has them in a boot camp style program of exercise and diet to lose weight. Once again in this matrix of deceit we’re not told the truth; that participants exercise for 3 to 4 hours a day and eat ridiculuosly low calorie diets. Plus they also have them losing water weight, often by dehydration. This is very unhealthy. The show is a real sham, read for yourself of the crazy antics done to lose weight, and how many of the participants gained weight back after the show. But thats what most people want – the quick fix.

I do love the title, as you may come to realize, this is a year of paradigm shifts. Losers will be the winners (ever hear of the ‘Sermon on the Mount? lol), people will do more by doing less, and some open minded individuals may even gain everything by giving everything up. The ‘in’ thing will be the ‘nothing’. Or maybe I am just surfing the zeitgeist too much again!

Back to losing. As in the TV show, one of the biggest thing people want to lose is fat. Its an interesting thing to think about; all the images that fat symbolizes. Unhealthy, unattractive, lazy, sloth (one of the 7 deadly sins), emotionally challenged (everyone knows over-eating is often an emotional issue), the list goes on and on. Bouncing from one cause and effect to the next, we’re like ping pong balls in an endless game. Feeling empty, we overeat (or over-work, drink, etc), then we feel fat or sick, so most reach for the quick fix – like a diet drug, or even a diet. Then the diet drug has side effects, so we take something else to deal with that. But then we realize one of the effects of all this was more weight gain – so we are back to square one. Its the same circle with any issue if you look deep enough.

Did you ever walk into the gym or somewhere else and feel fat (or unattractive)? Or feel that someone would judge or look at you and see how fat you were? What I find so funny is that at that very moment, someone WAS doing just that. They are your worst enemy. And who might that be? Why, YOU of course! Talk about sleeping with the enemy. More on that later.

Here are some practical tips on losing weight for the new year:
1) Eat Less. Exercise More. Sounds easy. But few can actually do it. Diet is really the key for losing weight, not exercise. For most people that means whole foods, lower carb (NO SUGAR), and healthy fats and proteins. Eat some protein with every meal.
2) Don’t skip meals: people who skip meals often lower their metabolism
3) Go back to 3 meals a day: All that 6 meal a day stuff I think is not good for our health. The GI tract needs time to be empty for us to detox. The only exception is post workout – have a recovery shake to build muscle.
4) Try Intermittent Fasting: This works wonders for many people. Ask me more and I will tell you how to do this.
5) Eat Organic: Researchers report that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experience a greater than normal dip in metabolism as they lose weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning process. Other research hints that pesticides can trigger weight gain. Always choose organic when buying peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, and pears; non-organic versions tend to have the highest levels of pesticides.
6) Sleep and Stress: Get a handle on these – sleep 8 hrs and get stress levels under control. Critical for weight loss.
7) Lift weights: Intense exercise like weightlifting increases insulin sensitivity, and this will help with long term weight loss.
8.) Exercise in a fasted state can increase fat burning.
9) Stay well hydrated.
10) Stop beating yourself up: The same self that got you into this problem is now beating you up for being there. Stop trusting your thoughts!

That little ‘you’ is the biggest loser – so lose it! Discover the bigger ‘YOU’ that is your source, your true self, and the key to happiness!

Red Meat: Good or Bad?

Does red meat deserve its bad name?

There have been numerous studies strongly linking the daily/frequent consumption of red meat to esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer and though tenuously, breast cancer in women in addition to health issues such as Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. When you actually look at the reasons why red meat is bad, most of them can be sidestepped and we can still all enjoy our slabs of beef now and then without the guilt.
1. Eat Grass Fed Only:
a) Conventional cattle are fed dead animals and chicken feces in a process called rendering. This is how BSE (‘Mad Cow Disease’) is spread and how meat can infect humans with the BSE prion. This alone would turn most people off eating regular meat. Rendering is still practiced in the US on a large scale and some critics have pointed out the increasing number of Alzheimers disease as misdiagnosed mad cow disease.
b) Commercially bred cattle are also fed grain, so they usually have a higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6s are the unhealthy kind and high levels have been linked to cardiovascular issues. You could sidestep this by eating grass fed beef that has been found to contain a higher amount of healthy nutrients like zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamins B-6 and B-12. You could also go for the leaner cuts of meat and reduce the fat consumed per piece of meat.
2. Eat Smaller Portions:
a) New data suggests that we only need about 20 grams of protein to stimulate muscle growth. This means we can eat smaller portions of meat which are less costly.
b) More importantly, red meat also contains a high amount of iron in a form that is more readily absorbed by the body compared to iron you would get in spinach which will only get absorbed if your body needs it. Iron, as much as we need it, is not healthy at high levels, especially for men. It accelerates membrane damage by free radicals (reactive oxygen species) as well as damage to other large molecules in the cell like DNA, RNA and proteins. DNA damage will increase the risk of getting cancer. High iron levels in the gut decrease the absorption of calcium. While your body can buffer against calcium deficiencies to a point, I could spend all day telling you what terrible things could happen if calcium levels were too low for an extended period of time. You could consider eating red meat as a treat and not as a staple. That way, your body only has to deal with sporadic increases in iron. For those that have a deficiency in iron, this may not be a major problem.
3. Eat It Rare:
a) Cooking beef at high temperatures – grilling, broiling, high temperature pan frying etc can results in formation of known carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). You could cook at slower temperatures, and if you must add oil to a steak, try the healthy oils like coconut that are more stable when heated.
b) Buying grass fed beef and cooking on low temperature keeps the proteins in a more natural state and may enhance bioavailability. So once again, better utilization of the food – we get the benefits with smaller portions (and less calories!).

Whole Foods and Tommy K’s in Stamford, Ct sell grass fed beef, and of the two, I prefer Tommy K’s meat selection. Rob, the owner of Tommy K, actually met with the farmers that raise the cattle!

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Even a Tiny Bit of Flab Raises Heart Failure Risk

Once again, we see that for men especially, bodyfat is no friend. Not only does excess bodyfat increase inflammation, increase female hormones like estrogen, decrease testosterone, increase the risk of diabetes and increase the risk that our significant other will not find us attractive – a new study shows that even a small increase can increase the risk of heart failure.

“…researchers who tracked the health of 21,094 U.S. male doctors for two decades found that even those who were only modestly overweight had a higher risk — and it grew along with the amount of extra weight.”

“The benefit of exercise in cutting heart failure risk was seen in lean, overweight and obese men, the researchers found. But regardless of the level of activity, higher body mass index also meant higher heart failure risk.”

Fat is a chemical factory – spewing out estrogen and inflammatory cytokines. Women need healthy estrogen to function properly so fat on a woman is better tolerated than in men. Men need only a little estrogen, and excess fat tends to shift the ratio of testosterone with estrogen unfavorably. This leads to all types of maladies, heart failure only one of them.

Bottom line: Women – keep bodyfat levels in check, do not exceed 25% tops. Men need to stay leaner – we are the hunters after all and often would spend days hunting with no food to show for it. Our bodies are adapted to survive in that environment. Not one where food is ample and we sit around all day. Get up and exercise! Eat less, exercise more! Simple enough right?

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28355232/

Why I Believe in Santa Claus (And Why You Should Too!)

Ho, Ho, Ho?

After watching Dennis Leary’s “Merry F#@&* Christmas” Special I realized that I am not the only one burned out on the ‘season to be jolly’. There is a lot to be turned off by; the crowds, the gross and flagrant consumerism, the stress over the whole gift thing. Its a time when people are literally trampling over others in their attempts to get the next best deal. It’s not just the high and mighty on Wall Street who are trampling over their fellow man. Shoppers at Wal Mart trampled a man to death in a buying frenzy. I’m sure most of us have experienced the insanity – from the parking lot jostling to the long check out lines. From buying madness to Bernie Madoff the world often seems to spin out of control.

Then you have the secular issues, from scholars that deconstruct the myth of Jesus, to others who claim the overdone Christmas holiday undermines the celebration of their religious holiday. And with the economy heading further and further south, its hard for anyone, let alone an anarchistic atheist like myself to have Christmas Spirit. Until I was saved by Santa!

Sure, Santa, like Jesus (God) are conformity enforcers, “He knows if you’ve been bad or good…” where kids get presents for being good and adults get heaven. But lets not throw the baby out with the bath water, Santa, like Jesus, offers the open mind an invaluable insight on life that most never get.

So this is how I found my way back to believing in Santa:

Reason #1: Faith In Santa:
Forget about Jesus, lets look at an even more difficult guy to believe in: Santa Claus. Every adult knows Santa does not exist. And yet Santa Claus has in some small way made parents all over the world more compassionate and generous with their children. Even the gift giving among adults is in some way nurtured by the story of Santa.

Think about it – Santa is the symbol of compassionate giving. A man who flies around the entire world giving children gifts as a reward for them being good. In our hearts all humans yearn to be good, to do whats right, to act Noble. Children in particular want to be good, since often they have not yet been scarred by traumatic events that can twist their developing psyches. And Santa adds a measure of accountability to their self-awareness of being good. Children, like adults, often do better when they feel they are held accountable.

Santa does not just give his children gifts, he gives all children gifts. He is a compassionate giver – with no prejudice. He has an open heart, and his love flows freely. This is the real symbolism of Santa that everyone seems to forget. But the hope and possibility for all of us to wake up and realize the hidden power in these stories is given to us year after year.

I have faith in the Power Of Santa and his open heart. This is one reason why I believe in Santa.

Reason #2: ‘Santa’ Does Exist- Really!

The story of Santa is real, no matter whether a real man called Santa (or Kris Kringle) ever existed. And the story of Santa, we can all agree, is what we call an idea or “information”.

If the idea of Santa does exist, that’s as good as him really existing. Think about it for a second – all reality is what we call information. You are made of genes, units of biological information. Our brains and computers share and store information as well – ideas, facts, theories, etc. This entire world manifests from the ‘formless’ to ‘in form’ – hence the word information. Good ideas, like good genes, tend to get spread around. Santa, like God, seems to have been a good idea. Hence their popularity.

We store good ideas, facts, memories, stories, etc – in our minds. All reality is a story my mind creates for me. So Santa, like Jesus, and Einstein, all exist only in my mind. I never met Martin Luther King but he and his speech (“I have a dream…”) live in my mind and still continue to inspire me today. So Santa, like Einstein, does exist, where everything else exists – in our minds.

In Mel Gibsons “The Passion of the Christ” Jesus said “I am the Word” meaning of course, that it is the words (information) that are what matters, not the flesh.

Reason #3: Reality Is An Illusion We All Agree To:
“After all, what is reality anyway? Nothin’ but a collective hunch” Lily Tomlin

My friend Howard Bloom devotes an entire chapter of his book, ‘Global Brain’ to explaining in detail that reality is a shared hallucination. Whats the difference between the information of Santa and his story, and Einstein and his story? My choice of whether I believe in them. And my choice is deterimed in large part by the collective choice of society. My reality tells me to say ‘No’ to Santa and ‘Yes’ to Einstein. But they are all information. The only thing separating good (yes) information from bad (no) information is how our minds choose to process them.

Information always comes from one place: energy. Energy is still a mystery to science. But its the fabric of reality – a reality that all great teachers from Jesus to Buddha to Einstein have said is an illusion. For example, when you touch someone, the energy from the atoms of their skin triggers energy in your body to travel up to your brain where you perceive touch. Its all just energy acting in both positive (attractive) and negative (repulsive) ways.

If I saw the “real” Santa, energy in the form of photons would hit my eye and send energy to my brain where the software program in the brain (a horribly outdated program I might add. You think Microsoft sucks?) would translate the information to me: “Flying Fat man on Sleigh, Red Outfit, White Beard – must be Santa Claus.” I then believe the story of Santa.

If I read a book on Santa, the photons send me the same message as above. If I am told the story of Santa by someone else – the energy in the sound waves hit my ears where a pulse of energy from my eardrum goes to my brain and once again, my software translates the information to me.

In the end its all information and if the information inspires us we act from it. From Santa and Jesus, to Einstein and MLK, it’s the information of each of these that inspires me to act. And after all, all information ends in it’s ability to inspire where you begin. Ultimately the choice to act from information is a personal one.

And I choose to act from the inspiration of Santa. Christmas is one of a million reminders to me that I can wake up to the real story of Santa and Jesus, and act from that awareness.

So Have a Merry Christmas All!
Love;
Brian

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“The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on Fire!”

Yes, the roof is indeed on fire on all levels. The planets roof is heating up, the roof of Pax Americana is also burning, and the roof of your body – your immune system is also heating up! But we don’t need no water, let the cooling effects of living in harmony with our body and collective bodies (society) put out the flames!

There is an order to the world around us that is astounding – from the micro to the macro the same truths apply. Just as we run cooler (aka stay & look healthier) by getting clean energy from organic, natural foods the way nature intended, the planet runs cooler (& healthier) if we get clean energy from sources like solar, wind and geothermal. This short video shows part of the connectedness with you and your world!

“If man lives, earth dies. If man dies, earth lives. This is one of the only planets in the universe where life can survive. We can’t afford to have this planet die...” Keanu Reeves as the Alien in “The Day The Earth Stood Still”

In the end of the movie, the god like aliens give mankind another chance. Lets hope the real gods give us another chance as well! In the meantime, think of creative ways to reduce your carbon footprint. If you can walk, walk. Its’ healthier for you. You’ll save energy and reduce emissions. In years to come our children’s children will wonder how we could use 4000 lb vehicles to move 150 lbs of human around. It takes a lot of energy to move 4000 lb of steel!

Buying more organic sends a message of support for sustainable agriculture and helps turn the tide toward ecologically sound practices on farms.

The bottom line is most people do not really care about the planet – its an abstract word, an ethereal concept that brings no immediate pleasure. So bring it back to yourself – after all it is all about you! Walking more, eating healthier – is good for you. You get to look and feel healthier! And you might decrease the chance of getting some painful disease like cancer or a paralyzing stroke. Simple enough!

Why I Stopped Working Out

Relaxed, Centered, Being

Tense, Forward, Thinking

I’ve taken the last two months off training at the gym. Not because I lost my motivation, but because I no longer wanted to act from motivation. Instead I wanted to act from inspiration. There is a big difference. As one of my clients admitted stress (and fear) is what gets him out of bed in the morning. He needs it to stay motivated.’. Motivation is a fear based action. Now, there is nothing wrong with this, I’m merely sharing my own personal insights. God knows many people may not relate to how I think about life, but that does not make them wrong.

Inspiration on the other hand is different. It comes from a mind free of fear and mental chatter. It desires nothing other than to simply express the passion inherent in the existence of being! Inspiration literally means ‘in spirit’ – to breathe in the Divine and act from this Presence, in the present.

I must confess, a large part of my motivation for the gym was to maintain a certain image I had of myself. I wanted to be seen a certain way; athletic, fit and looking like a ‘personal trainer’. Muscle was my friend, fat was my enemy. I was at war…with myself. One of my female clients on this topic noted ‘I’m in here for a similar reason: resale value. I feel the need to keep looking fit and trim so my husband is still attracted to me. Or, God forbid, if I am ever single again, which is always a possibility. I need to be seen a certain way…’

Long ago my kung-fu teacher taught me the essence of martial arts. “When you relax and let go, and have no fear, just being present, the art will flow from you naturally. Think of the Buddha, as opposed to Rodin’s ‘Thinking Man’ who symbolizes the Western mind – he is tense, leaning forward, and heavy in thought,” he said. The two images above depict this contrast.

Men are motivated to conquer the world, to think of clever ways to make a ‘killing’ on Wall Street. Inspired, they seek to be at one with the world, to exist in peaceful harmony. Someone once said ‘its easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than to enter the kingdom of heaven’ referring to the different lives people of motivation live versus those who live from inspiration.

Now moving from inspiration, I go hiking most weekends. I chop and stack wood, or go out in the forest for my walking meditations. If I feel like it – I will do some pull-ups on a tree branch, or some push-ups on a rock. When you are in the flow of life, you will want to move, to exercise, to play! For me this natural inspiration happens easier in the natural world, not in the concrete jungle of the gym.

Now that winter is here, I’m returning back to the gym, but my workouts have changed. I am now making it a priority to do whatever feels good – I am experienced enough to know how to train myself intuitively and make my workouts productive but fun.

I know for me committing to inspiration over motivation has made all the difference in the world!

Healthy Granola Recipe

Healthy Granola Here!

In a recent post I listed 5 healthy breakfast ideas. One of them involved granola. Truth be told I am not a big fan of commercial granola formulas. Most all of them have some type of vegetable oil, which may be adulterated and/or high in inflammatory Omega-6 fats. Plus they often have too much sugar. Worse – if they add fruits or nuts, chances are those items were heated and as such have lost most of their nutrient value. Not good.

So I set out to make a healthier granola. I went to Tommy K’s to get the best prices on my ingredients. I was shocked – a pound of organic cinnamon was $6.95! I am a big fan of herbs and spices and buy in bulk to save money – so $6.95 for organic (high potency) cinnamon is a deal. In case you do not know, cinnamon is great for normalizing blood sugar levels and this can decrease AGE (advanced glycation end-products). So if you want to lose weight or slow the formation of wrinkles (glycation of proteins), or have a family history of diabetes, cinnamon is great to help regulate blood sugar.

(Note: If you live out of town or want items shipped to you, call Tommy K’s at (203) 325-9544)

Here is how I made my granola:
– 2 cups of whole oats (not instant)
– 2 tablespoons of Quinoa (a grain) to add more crunch (not required)
– 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
– 1 table spoon vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 4 tablespoons coconut oil

– Preheat oven to 300 degrees
– Put all solids in a bowl (so whatever you add, nuts or seeds as well, go in the solids bowl)
– Heat coconut oil on pan to liquify
– Add all liquids in separate bowl (oil, vanilla, syrup)
– Mix liquids and then pour in solids bowl.
– Mix all together
– Place mix in glass or metal baking tray.
– Heat mix in oven for 25 minutes (stir occasionally)
– Allow to cool so oats become dry and crispy

Thats is! Then I add my blueberries, ground flax seeds, yogurt, coconut milk, cacao chips and if needed, some stevia to sweeten. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils to cook with, very stable at high temperatures (no adulteration), and it takes great!

Enjoy!

Functional Training: Who Needs The Gym?

I stopped working out in the gym for about two months now, for reasons I explain in another post. However, I’ve still been active, and as this video shows – using house chores to get a workout in. There is no excuse not to exercise – everyone has plenty of house chores to do and why not squeeze the most out of them (Kill 2 birds with one stone) and make them a mini-workout! Talk about upping your productivity!

And of course it is functional – after all, training in the gym is designed to make you more functional in real life. So picking up groceries is not a roll of the dice on when you throw your back out, but instead, a chance to practice your deadlift technique!

Other ways to get more out of your day:
– Use stairs instead of elevator
– get up from your desk (set an alarm) every hour and stretch, do a few sets of push-ups, a few sets of body squats. In 5 minutes you can do a good invigorating workout!
– Park far away so you have to walk to the store.
– Carry more objects rather than use equipment designed to make it easy.

In essence – do more work yourself! You will reap the rewards for NOT being lazy!

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Give Thanks on ThanksGiving!

Hugh Hefners Turkey

“Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu, Tao De Ching

Rejoice (give thanks) for the way things are – exactly as they are now! Its a great honor to be down here on earth living the great adventure called life! It’s a game our spirits play that we all take too seriously! How often are we on automatic pilot – going to eat with the family without truly reflecting on the significance of the day? Of every day? So on Thanksgiving, appreciate even the simplest of things – your breath, the sunrise, food, etc. We all have so much to be thankful for.

Hit The Gym Before You Pig on Turkey!

“Everything You Know is Wrong” is the name of an interesting book that shows the truth behind much of what we collectively think of as truth. I have to laugh at just how stone-age we humans still are. I mean, when I was a boy it was still illegal in several states for a black person to marry a white person, gay people could not openly ‘come out’, and I was taught in school that Colombus discovered America.

After spending the last 20 years unwrapping the brain-washing we all are programmed with in order to become members of our collective tribe, you either go insane or realize that ‘humanity IS insanity’!

 I, as you guessed, did both!

First off, relating to the gym – Everything you know is wrong: On Thanksgiving I observed hordes of people hitting the cardio machines in the gym. Huffing and puffing so that after they could earn the right to indulge and not have that little voice of guilt go off inside their head!

But they have it wrong! Research indicates the most calories burned come from lifting weights – not cardio! The key is here whats called “Afterburn”. Technically its called EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) and it refers to an increase in fat burning after intense exercise.

After you lift weights you will continue to burn extra calories for up to 24 hours. That extra hourly caloric expenditure is more than you would burn doing an hour of cardio. Thats the magic of weight training! The key with the weights is to make it hard on the muscles and on your cardiovascular system – so keep rest periods short and do what I do with all my clients – supersets!

Supersets are hitting two or more exercises in succession with little to no rest. For example – do a bench press set and immediately do a Squat-Row on the cable pulley machine.

So when you want to indulge, hit the weights hard!

This does not mean cardio is not valuable. Cardio works with weight training to facilitate your best fitness program results. But on the holidays – hit the weights.

Turkey Time:

Ghandi once said “drink your food, chew your water”, meaning in a
figurative sense to be conscious (wake up) to what you consume. The
deliberate focus on your actions will serve you well in this hedonistic
festival of potentially gluttonous consumption. In a literal sense
chewing food (mastication) until it is a liquid before you swallow is
the healthiest way to eat. This takes time and allows the satiety signal
(that youve eaten enough) to reach your brain before you are too full!

Mind Your Mind:

So much of overeating and weight gain is ’emotional’. In fact it all is – we’re all emotional eaters and/or drinkers. Health to me has such an emotional and spiritual component it is without a doubt
more important than any exercise program you’re on. With this in mind, I encourage you all to spend as much time on this as you do on the physical aspects of health. I found a great speaker who cuts the crap and gets right into the heart of things, his insights are searing! His name is Guy Finley, check him out here: http://guyfinley.com/

I usually listen to all the free audio programs on the site, but he has a lot of free material to read also. One of my clients commented that he was not a Christian (my client was a devout Catholic). To this I say if you can’t see the Truth (or God) in all, you can’t see the Truth (or God) AT ALL!

Happy Thanksgiving!