Universal Health and Well-being: Cool Paleo Website

 HEres a great way to live

Universal Health and Well-being: Cool Paleo Website

Here is some information on fasting that may interest some of you looking to get leaner and healthier:

http://blogs.menshealth.com/health-headlines/fast-to-burn-fat-not-so-fast/2011/04/18

Cool Paleo Website

Here's a link to a website supporting the Paleo way of life. This specific link was to the research articles they compiled in regards to the science behind Paleo eating. This is for those who would like a deeper understanding of this health approach.

Paleo For Life/research

Enjoy!

Fighting T-Killing Toxins

From blogger mandingeuiro~8: This is mainly geared for men, however, ladies can learn from this too. The overall message - there are countless toxins being dumped into our environment that prevent us (without us knowing it) from achieving optimal health. As the article points out - this goes beyond the tree hugger's fight to a direct effect on your personal body, mind, and soul. WE must stop this by educating ourselves and purchasing naturally made products.

The article:

When your dad was your age, it was probably easier for him to build muscle and burn body fat than it is for you. Does that annoy you? It should.
We've dumped 85,000 chemicals into our environment since World War II. Why should you care? All that environmental stuff is for tree-hugging hippies, right? Well, not quite. You see, certain chemicals and toxins act like a sledgehammer to the balls.
Your balls.

Toxins Lower Test

"Strength coaches around the world are finding that it's harder today for their athletes to pack on mass than it was 30 years ago," notes Coach Charles Poliquin.

The cause? Many point the finger of blame at environmental toxins. Anything that affects testosterone will affect your ability to build muscle, burn body fat, and get strong.
These toxins have a huge effect on the human endocrine system. The average sperm count fell from 113 million per millilitre in 1940 to 66 million in 1990. In addition, the definition of a "normal" sperm count fell from 60 million per millilitre to 20 million in the same period. (1)
A survey of 1,350 sperm donors in Paris found a decline in sperm counts by around 2% each year over the past 23 years, with younger men having the poorest quality semen. (2, 3, 4)
You don't have to look far to confirm this either. I bet you know someone who's having trouble conceiving. And have you noticed the increasing amount of infertility clinics around?

"Norms" Aren't So Normal

The normal level of testosterone has been reduced by the medical community as well. They simply decided to make a new norm since everyone's testosterone levels are lower than they were 50 years ago.

Take note here: They're not dropping the number because it was too high to begin with. Our numbers today are just consistently that much lower!

Know Your Enemies, Raise Your T

The most obvious thing you can do is avoid exposure to toxic chemicals in the first place, but you need to know where to look.
T-lowering toxins can show up where you least expect. For example, Bisphenol A (BPA) is in the receipts you get from a checkout register, and unfortunately, the skin does a great job of absorbing it.
Clearly, you're not going to be able to avoid all the toxins; there are just too many. But you can avoid a great deal of them.

Enemy #1: BPA

When talking about toxins or toxicity, you'll always hear someone say, "It's only harmful if it's excessive. Even water can be a toxic if it's used in lethal amounts!"
Regulating agencies around the world use the argument that only excess doses lead to toxicity. But when it comes to BPA, don't consider it a toxin. Consider it a hormone.
Any hormone can change the balance of the endocrine system. The hormone BPA best represents is a nasty form of estrogen. Dosing with smaller amounts just doesn't work for BPA.
According to Scientific American, BPA was first synthesised in 1891. It came into the use of synthetic estrogens in the 1930s. It wasn't until it was combined with phosgene (used during World War I as a toxic gas) and other compounds that BPA produced a shatter-proof plastic. (6)
Some suggest BPA was used as a replacement hormone for estrogen, but when the plastics and manufacturing industry found out about its ability to harden plastics, they bought the patent.
Scientists are now pointing out that the only studies which prove BPA's safety are the ones produced by the industry itself. It's also important to consider that the FDA accepts safety studies conducted by the industry. In other words, the fox is guarding the hen house.
Researchers estimate that BPA generates 100 million US dollars per hour, so you can understand why the industry is producing studies to protect BPA.

The Enemy's Worse than You Think

BPA acts as an estrogen, but with two differences:

1. It's foreign to the body.
2. It's more harmful than natural estrogens.

Xeno-estrogens do all the things that we don't want. Think of it as the complete opposite of injecting testosterone. Xeno-estrogens decrease testosterone and increase estrogens. Researchers have also linked it to insulin resistance. (7)

First Things First: Hydrate Smarter

You knew this was coming: Ditch the thin plastic water bottle right now.
You have a number of replacement options:

• Buy a good quality water filter for your home.
• Buy water in a carton.
• Use a BPA-free water bottle from now on.

If you decide to still use cheap plastic water bottles, follow these rules:

• Don't ever heat a plastic water bottle or leave it in the sun.
• Don't re-use it.

To know if BPA is in your bottle, look for a triangle with a 3 or a 7.
If you see a 3 or 7 in the triangle, buy a different product.

Enemy #2: Phthalates

Phthalates can be used in virtually anything from your girlfriend's sex toys to your sex toys.
Seriously, phthalates are used in everything: air-fresheners, cosmetics, shampoos, children's toys, and paints. Why the heck is a plasticiser used in air-fresheners and things that smell nice?

Phthalates hold aromas. So that car-freshener you use to hide the smell of your farts is also lowering your testosterone. (Maybe you should just lower the window from now on.)
Phthalates, like BPA, suppress testosterone, increase insulin resistance, and chelate magnesium and zinc. (10, 11) Their impact on zinc and magnesium can have a very negative compounding effect.
An interesting correlation I learned from Mark Schauss, author of Achieving Victory Over a Toxic World, is that the explosion of autism occurred simultaneously with the introduction of phthalates in 1970. Dr. Schauss would be the first person to point out that it's not only the phthalates, but also the negative synergetic effect from the mass amount of environmental toxins.

Protect Your Balls

It's not the end of the human race just yet. There are a few supplements that'll protect against environmental enemies:

1. Glycine: Glycine has been found to bind with certain toxins so they can be safely excreted. Luckily, glycine is cheap, and a gram a day would be enough for most people.
2. Vitamin C: Helps build glutathione and protects against phthalates. Take 3 grams a day. However, the best way to determine vitamin C dose is bowel tolerance.
3. Glutamine: Helps build the gut. The healthier the gut, the more it can protect you against incoming toxins. If you have leaky gut syndrome, you could take 5 to 10 grams with each meal or 60 to 80 grams a day. As for a maintenance dose, 20 to 30 grams should do the job.
4. Taurine: This is a calming amino acid but also has the ability to activate detoxification pathways. Take this either after a workout or before bed. One to three grams is best.
5. Zinc: A critical mineral for testosterone. In fact, 98% of zinc in males is stored in the prostate. Low zinc status can and will affect testosterone production. As for dosing, try 300 mgs per day. Some may benefit from more, especially if they have high copper.
6. Antioxidant supplements high in A, E, and D: My favourite way to hit this is to simply use organic butter.
7. Resveratrol: This simple polyphenol is anti-estrogenic. Including something like Rez-V™ in your supplement routine would definitely be a good move.

Sauna Therapy

Saunas can detox your system of phthalates. But when using a sauna for detoxification, make sure it's made with screws only, not glues, and the wood isn't from China.
Saunas made with glues leak toxins, which you breathe in. And wood from China is high in metal.

Buy Back Your T

Some of the most toxic chemicals we have today didn't exist 40 years ago, so building muscle is becoming harder because of the chemical soup in which we live.
Vote with your wallet and buy non-toxic chemicals, not because you're a tree-hugger, but because you're serious about getting as ripped as possible.
You can also check out the Environmental Working Group's website to find out which products lower T. The group has studied over 44,000 soaps, shampoos, and lotions.
The more we reject toxic products by not buying them, the stronger the message we send companies. Tell them it's not okay to make products that lower our T.
In the end, building muscle and losing fat is mostly about how you train and what you eat. But if decreasing environmental toxins will make the process faster and easier, then we're crazy for not arming ourselves with the knowledge to fight the testosterone killers.

References

1. The sperm count has been decreasing steadily for many years in Western industrialised countries: Is there an endocrine basis for this decrease? http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/iju/vol2n1/sperm.xml

2. R.M.Sharpe, Current Evidence- Another DDT Connection, Nature, vol. 375, 15th June 1995

3. R.M.Sharpe, J.S.Fisher, M.M.Millar, S.Jobling and J.P.Sumpter, Gestational and lactational exposure of rats to xeno-estrogens results in reduced testicular size and sperm production, Environmental health perspectives vol. 103, Number 12, Dec 95 p.1136-1143

4. L.Hunt, The oestrogen jigsaw, The Independent 22nd September 1994

5. Carlsen, E., A Giwercman, N Keiding, N Skakkebaek. 1992. Evidence for Decreasing Quality of Semen During Past 50 Years. British Medical Journal 305:609-613

6. Just How Harmful Are Bisphenol A Plastics? August 26, 2008 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=just-how-harmful-are-bisphenol-a-plastics

7. The Estrogenic Effect of Bisphenol A Disrupts Pancreatic Cell Function In Vivo and Induces Insulin Resistance

8. Secular Decline in Male Reproductive Function: Is Manliness Threatened? http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/1/196

9. A Population-Level Decline in Serum Testosterone Levels in American Men http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/92/1/44

10 Concentrations of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites Are Associated with Increased Waist Circumference and Insulin Resistance in Adult U.S. Males

11. The Plasticizer Diethylhexyl Phthalate Induces Malformations by Decreasing Fetal Testosterone Synthesis during Sexual Differentiation in the Male Rat

12. Achieving Victory Over a Toxic World, Mark Schauss

Tips for the average person...Gym style.

Having now worked as a personal trainer in a gym for about 5 weeks, I've really been elightened to a wide variety of what makes people out of shape and unhealthy.

There's a few major areas that people seem to fail at most.

The first major one is being sedentary. Not moving and taxing your body will surely get you nowhere. You have to constantly do things in your life to make sure you're maintaining a healthy body. I don't mean be anorexic or have 0% body fat...I mean the real definition of healthy!

People never know what to do. This should be a clear sign that you need a personal trainer! Find one who works more to your style. If you can't find one at your club, find one somewhere else. If you can't open yourself up to your trainers, they won't be able to cater the workout to your specific needs. People are sooo much different from one another, and communication is the key.

People think faster and heavier is better for you. This is a cliche beyond all belief. Heavier weights are more for specific needs. Trust me when I say this...toned bodies and truly fit folks don't need to be ripped. You want to perform, not to look like a magazine model. Looking good doesn't make you a better person. Feeling like you can do anything and everything will improve your life drastically. There's a way to achieve both performance and looks, but it takes a serious amount of discipline and effort to do so. Don't let that discourage you!

Boredom or a lack of progress is a huge killer for people. You need to change your routines to cause muscle confusion so plateaus never happen. Doing so will not only give you more fun in your workouts, from changing routines so much, but it will also make your muscles grow.

If you're ever thinking about ending your gym membership, just remember that fit bodies are earned and then maintained. You do NOT get fit and then just magically keep it. You have to constantly work at it to keep it there. Never give up on it unless you absolutely have to for other reasons...life is great, but it will always be better when you're at your healthiest.

Stress Reduction Tips

1. Learn to lighten you load. Simplify.
2. Live within your means.
3. Simplify and unclutter your life.Start with smaller irritants and progress.
4. Allow extra time to do things and get places.
5. Listen to relaxing music while driving, working, or thinking.
6. Do something for the kid in you every day. Set aside time to play and laugh.
7. Worry constructively and only about things you can control. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff.
8. Weed out triva. Write down important things and forget unimportant details. Don't overburden your memory.
9. Live in the present. Clear you mind of unpleasant experiences and emotions. Let it go!
10. Every night, think of one thing for which you are grateful for and record it in your journal. 

Some other, perhaps obvious stress relievers:

• EXERCISE! 
• Relaxation Techniques
• Meditation
• Imagery (imagination nation)
• Yoga
• Breathing 
• LIFESTYLE (biggest factor related to longevity)
• Healthy diet (to be avoided: sugar, caffeine, salt, and alcohol consumption)
• Time management
• ensure time for personal leisurely activities
• Plenty of restful sleep
• Develop relationships that promote healthy habits
• Learn to seek help and support from others when needed
• (we are all one - let go of your ego)

Author of article: Gwen Robbins et al. A wellness Way of Life

(mandingeuiro~8)

The Splits

http://howtostretch.com - The Splits

I just found this random guys website on working toward the splits. I will attach any other related sources to this post. Remember to always be humble when stretching to avoid tearing muscles.

Theories and Processes of Behavioral Change

·         Here are some related topics and tips regarding goal setting and behavior changes. Lifestyle is the biggest determinant of health and longevity. Remember the interconnectedness of the components of well-being (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, and career) and the factors that affect our well-being (awareness, assessment, knowledge, opportunity & support, motivation, and discipline). 

To start we must believe consciously (and unconsciously) that we are able to change and create healthy habits:

Self-efficacy: confidence in the self to actually be able to carry out desired behavior

o   Behavior specific (could be at a high level for one aspect and low for another)

o   Individual must initiate behavior change – must have self-efficacy to initiate.

·         

      Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change:

§  The key to successful behavior change is identifying current stage and applying the processes of change that fit that particular stage

1.      Precontemplation: no consideration of change (denial; uninformed or demoralized) 

2.        Contemplation: awareness of problematic behavior; intend to take action; no commitment to change, barriers > benefits

3.       Preparation: key transition from considering change to beginning plan of action, making a commitment, small steps to change

4.       Action: overt action to change; strategies against temptations, challenges and relapse. Self-efficacy is key; small attainable goals are important

5.      Maintenance: sustain change for > 6 months; new behaviors become automatic; ↑ self-efficacy; ↑ internal reward system. 

·         Elements of a well designed behavior change plan/contract

1.      Identify (SMART) goals

2.      List pros and cons

3.      Identify your stage of change

4.      Identify processes with accompanying behavioral strategies

§  Consciousness-raising (learn about it.)

§  Social liberation (Is there help out there?)

§  Emotional arousal (I don’t want that to happen to me!)

§  Self-reevaluation (Is change really worth it?)

§  Self-liberation (I can do it!)

§  Reward (How can I reward myself along the way?)

§  Countering (What can I do instead?)

§  Environment control (My surroundings make it easy.)

§  Helping relationships (Will you help me stick with this?)

5.      Create an action plan

6.      Prevent relapse (processes of change)

7.      Engage positive rewards

8.      Develop internal motivation

Top 3 contributors to relapses

Stressors

Temptations (social)

Cravings

Prevent or recover from relapse:

• Don’t beat yourself up – just get back on track
• Review your goals and plan
• Review pros for change
• Anticipate and plan for obstacles
• Look for role models
• For cravings: delay at least 10 minutes, distract yourself, distance yourself (countering)

Great Parkour Exercises

Here is the link for 80 body-weight and dumbell parkour exercises that will get you in shape quick.

http://www.americanparkour.com/train/exercises

The Paleo Diet in a Nutshell Part 1

For those who have not yet heard of this optimizing diet here's a good place to start. It has to do with our ancestral diets as high performing humans during our hunting and gathering days. A time before agriculture and pharmaceuticals. This means no grains, legumes, or dairy. I may seem extreme at first but it is worth it. I've been doing it for about 3 weeks now and I am already in the best health of my life. My performance levels have never been better. My physique is highly toned and solid - like our cave man ancestors ;-)

Robb Wolf's book "The Paleo Solution" helps to thoroughly explain this diet in clear terms. He has a 30 day challenge for us to do it strictly and completely. Then we may try our old ways once again to compare these 2 approaches. Contrary to common belief, our bodies are not meant to digest grains - especially in the quantities we consume them.

Ultimately I have so much to say about this, but my passion makes me biased. If you are at all interested in progressing to optimal health you will take time to do some personal research on this Paleo way of life. The effort has to come from your own accord. So do yourself a favor and watch the video on YouTube, check out RobbWolf.com, and/or buy "The Paleo Solution". 

Reviving the blog...

Wanna get in shape for swimsuit season? How about the next time you get IN shape, you STAY in shape. Stop letting yourself go during the colder months. The extra clothing isn't fooling anyone! You're going to feel better and have more energy throughout the day, also. I can safely say that the gym isn't some terrible place to be during the cold months. You'll really appreciate actually living the lifestyle of a healthy individual, rather than the roller coaster ride of someone who changes diets all the time and never has a regimen for working out.

Faith

Faith seems to come in many different forms these days. Whether it be through the religious teachings, the experiences in life, or some alternative motive - the power of faith remains a constant.

(The inspiration for this was the movie "Legion", which I just saw. Haha)

Having the ability to use faith for what it really is may be the single most important thing in a person's life. Even though I'm personally agnostic, I still have faith in that being a good person and having good intentions will allow me to further myself in life. The faith I withhold in my own being is a constant driving force for me within the gym and within day to day life. I can't explain how many times, in the gym, that I've wanted to stop. I've wanted to give up, let go, slow down, quit lifting. The only thing keeping me going was my faith that my body would survive the onslaught that I was putting it through.

So my challenge to everyone who reads this is as such:

Every time you feel like you can't. Believe.

Every time you feel like your body has had enough. Push.

Everyone and everything that may ever try to hold you back. Prove them wrong.

The power of faith will provide you with the will and strength to push yourself further in the direction you see fit.

Never give up. Never surrender. Never say "I can't" again.

Georges Hébert - Father of MovNat and Parkour

A wiki article on the father of Mouvment Naturel and Parkour

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_H%C3%A9bert

Here is Georges Hébert s work in English.

Practical Guide to Physical Education


I am stuck by the fact that these to new ways of exercise we have found - MovNat and Parkour - have the same origins. Somehow it is not surprising, I just didnt think I would be able to pinpoint the root with such precision. Just another example of the interconnectedness of all life!

Enjoy!

~mandingueiro

David Belle - Rush Hour Le Parkour(BBC)

A cool workout plan

Here's a good workout if you are trying to get seriously fit and strong

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_5_24/ai_n25471700/

6 Influential Factors of the 7 Components to Health

Here are a few diagrams I've been looking at as a part of my Kinesiology class at MSU titled "The Healthy Lifestyle". I will often be posting materials from this course to share with readers. It's also a great way for me to learn.

The Factors of Growth in Wellness

The core of a healthy lifestyle is self-responsibility. Given such wonderful opportunities in this world, we must treat life with great respect. Health and wellness go far beyond the state of one's body though this is often a good indicator of the state of a person's health beyond the physical aspects.  Above, the arrows so the factors that influence our growth in health. The circle represents the 7 components of wellbeing. Please assess the state of your health. Develop S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, achievable, rewardable, and time-based). If one area is lacking, all are lacking. In a more positive way - if we improve one aspect, we improve all aspects!

Dimensions of Health and Wellness Continuum  

Above is a different way of looking at the components of health. Here they are shown intertwined. It's like a rope, if one thread is corrupt the integrity and strength of the whole rope begins to fail. However, being that they are intertwined - they are much stronger than 7 separate strands.

One last thing for now I'd like to touch on is treatment and prevention. All too often we act without thinking about the long-run. We don't fully consider the consequences of what we do. So when things finally catch up to us we've got to treat some ailment. Being well has a lot to do with preventing these ailments. We don't need all the drugs doctors would have us take. We need apples. Lots of apples. Eat lots of (non-GMO) fruits and veggies to stay in health and out of the doc's office. 

A Story Not about GMOs, but Leading to a Link about GMOs

Read this brief story/account of the experience I had today which led to my renewed interest in genetically-modified foods (well, read if you're interested and/or bored and/or desirous for an image of simple, common life). Read it if you want to see the value I found in being a detached observer rather than a victim of a situation; the value I found in the calmness and good-nature of those around me (the effects of calm environments on us, the value of establishing them when we can, therefore).

Or, if you're not interested in that, skip to the link at the end and read about genetically-modified foods! If you think you don't care, you might come to care. If you do know and care already, a reminder may be nice. If you don't care and don't want to care and won't care, read it for basic education. Why not?

The account:

I went into Zerbo's Health Foods store today. I was buying Kombucha tea (try it!). The woman in front of me at the cash register first had to go back into the aisles to exchange one of her many items; then searched her wallet for her credit card; then, even though the cashier offered a store pen sitting on the counter, the woman said, "I have a pen, just one moment!" and started digging again into her purse; then she pulled out a comically-large green pen; then she signed her name for an abnormally long time; then she started "carefully reorganizing" the mayhem in her purse before acknowledging me by saying, "oh, I just need to put this stuff back in my purse--you go ahead!" The cashier then smiled and rang me up for my one item, the tea, took my money, and handed me change in a matter of one minute.

All while the woman was at the register checking out, I simply stood at a distance behind her and observed. I smiled a bit at certain points. The woman herself seemed very good-natured. Her demeanor was light and she held a slight upturn of the lips. She was slender, with plain clothing, a small backpack, and a winter hat. I liked her vibe when I first walked up behind her. I became less enthused when she fumbled and caused my delay, and for a moment I even moved to agitation. But as I stayed true to my plain observation of the scene, the sense of her innocence swelled back up and resonated in me, as it seemed to do in the cashier as well. So I regained my composure and felt the woman and cashier's calmness transfer into me.

My mom had done me a favor by driving me to the store for this tea. She wanted it to be quick, because now she would have to rush for her upcoming meeting. So this circumstance, too, raised the chances of my irritability at the woman's slowness; and thus also increased my delight when I felt calm instead.

After I had purchased the drink, I picked up some free magazines about health. Then I quickly walked out of the store so that my mom wouldn't have to wait any longer. But just outside the exit and with weak eye contact, a man on a cell phone looked at me and my magazines and asked if I had "that magazine."
"Are you talking to me?" I inquired, a bit startled, and confused because I saw the phone in his hand as well. I had almost just walked away, assuming he wasn't talking to me, or else using the potential misunderstanding as an excuse to ignore him and keep going swiftly to the car.
He proceeded after a brief pause (where again, I could have scurried off, but I didn't want to be rude, so I lingered a moment longer):
"Oh, yes, you have it. Page 21. You know about GMOs? Read it!"
I quickly replied, "Yeah, I do. I'm interested! Thank you, but I have to go. I'll read it."

It was a strange interaction that occurred with this man, and it happened at all because the woman in front of me was slow and disorganized, yet her attitude kept me receptive to people at this time.
So I got in the car and told my mom about the simple events. We drove home. I read the article on GMOs in the magazine. Page 21, just as he said.

The website link I'll leave a bit below came from the end of the magazine article.

Genetically-modified foods are frightening (of course tons of other food treatment and tampering is also frightening, but right now I'm only looking at GMOs), and they're even more alarming because they're hidden or disguised. So please do check them out.

Please check them out again even if you think you know. That's what I did, and it was an excellent reminder of how little control we can have over our food--what we literally and spiritually become through what we may carelessly eat.

I know there are biases, I know there is more research to be done. I'm not asking that you immediately (or ever) accept the information from this link (in fact, I ask that you question it and look further yourself, if you're interested, which I hope you are).

The fundamental hope is that you'll help humanity begin to regain control over the treatment our food, and help to send out waves of appreciation for the nourishing, honest goodness of the natural world, left alone, pure, simple, and observed.

Give your body and soul some love. Give your self some love.

The link: 

http://nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/fruits-and-vegetables.html

Thanks for reading, as always. 

Personal Experience

Clothing...

Since I've lost 65-70 pounds (My weight fluctuates between 260-265), my clothing has become a real focus for me. In the past, when I was extremely unhealthy and wanted to hide my body, I wore nothing but big and baggy clothing. Now that I'm healthy and really enjoying my healthy body, I've started to buy clothing that expresses that (Ironically, I shop at Express for clothing, haha).

This article I found actually explains my viewpoint on clothing and how it affects us as humans almost dead on.

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/03/14/clothes-psychology-what-your-clothing-tells-others-about-who-you-are-and-who-you-want-to-be.htm

The way we dress can make us feel great, terrible, embarrassed, ashamed, happy, slutty, sexy, sporty, etc. It's really amazing how much better I feel and how much more willing I am, personally, when wearing my dress shirts and ties. I exude such a different attitude. This is not to say that I'm a different person, but I definitely dislike my baggy clothing now-a-days. The better my clothing fits and the classier it makes me look, the more satisfied I feel about showing off the hard work I've put in to my body over the past 2 years.

Give it a try the next time you have spare time. Throw on a pair of clothing that you think you look poorly in. Reflect on how you feel in them, and then throw on your shnazzy outfit and notice how much different you feel.

Mood Boosters

Here is a link to an article that gives 18 ways or tips to boost your mood instantly.

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/mood_boosters/get_your_car_washed.php

10 Breaths

I just want to share a current and new practice of mine. I got the idea from what one of my friends said. I've found a few stretches that make me feel good, get the blood flowing, and give me energy. Personally, I focus on stretching my hips, shoulders, hamstrings, and spine. I hold the stretches for 10 breathes each and it feels great.

This particularly pertains to stretching of the body but certainly can be applied to other aspects of life such as loss of focus, in response to a stressor, or when feeling light-headed. It's quite remarkable how simple, controlled breathing can bring one back in alignment. 

Give it a try in the morning, at night, or whenever feels right!

Nutrition & Tips For Better Health

What's the best way to lose weight?

The best way that I've found is to start changing your life in small ways. If you try to change your diet too fast, you're greatly increasing your chances to fail. We're not on The Biggest Loser Ranch, where you have dietitians and health experts at your every whim. You have to be realistic.

Lets say you are a heavy soda drinker. You try to change your diet by not consuming soda at all. What you're going to experience is HUGE withdraws from the newly formed lack of caffein and sugar. You have to ween yourself off of terrible foods, just like a smoker or alcoholic would ween themselves off of their addiction. Food is just as severe of a problem, if not MORE serious than booze and smoking.

Here's what I would do to change my lifestyle, and how I did it for my own actual benefit.

1. Get educated, before you even start removing or adding anything to/from your life. There's no sense in going in blind. Knowledge is power...no joke.

2. Find out what in your life and diet is leading to your own destruction. Is it soda? Is it lack of exercise? What's causing you to be the way you are?

3. Now that you've identified your problem, and that you've at least done SOME sort of research on it all, you need to take action! Go get a gym membership and a personal trainer to show you how to exercise. There's more people in a gym doing things wrong and blind than there are people doing it right. Ever notice why you rarely see women doing anything but cardio & abs? Ever notice how men do nothing but lift heavy and take long rests?

4. Never let your body conquer your mind. The power of becoming healthy is telling your body, "We're going to change. This...all of this...it's gonna change. I'm not happy with how my body looks and feels. It's time to get what I've desired for so long.". Find a piece of paper and write down EVERY reason that you can think of as to why you want to change. When you're done, post in on your bathroom mirror or your fridge. You need to be reminded of what you're in this for, especially when you hit a bad week.

5. Once you start feeling better, through your changes and exercise, you NEED to pat yourself on the back. You have to appreciate every little change. Even going from feeling like crap, to feeling like you can do more in the gym, or even going through your daily chores without feeling groggy and tired. These are all things you have to celebrate, and I do NOT mean by purchasing poor foods and going back to your old habits.

6. You have to stay with things. Just because one type of exercise doesn't work for you, doesn't mean they all won't. I've gone through countless routines, countless diets, and countless exercise styles to figure out what works for me. You may have to do the same. Remember that we, as humans, weren't built to have a 9-5 job and a couch to sit on after work. We were built to constantly improve the survival rate of ourselves and our loved ones. We used to hunt for hours, stalking and chasing prey. We didn't go to our refrigerators.

7. Stick with your 90-10 rule. It's saved me from giving up SOOOOOOO many times. 90% of the time, you're right on with your diet and exercise. 10% of the time, you're chillin and enjoying a beer or a small treat.

--- I hope that my tips help folks out. There's no excuse for not being healthy in our daily lives. There's enough people eating bad foods and not exercising that you can choose to be the smart one. You can eat healthy and exercise to your heart's every desire.

Also, remember that the media has destroyed the image of what a healthy person should be. Do not think for one second that we are all meant to be straight up ripped and thin. We're not. You will look how you're intended to look. Always remember that FEELING great and PERFORMING great are what makes you healthy. Not what size your pants are!

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Are the videos that pop up in the video bar stuff you guys have posted somewhere?

What We Need for Health

Unconditional Compassion.

We need to love and accept each other and ourselves for what we are now. Obese, angry, gluttonous, self-scorning, self-hating, arrogant, bigots, ignorant, desirous, restless... Peaceful, kind, soft, humble, yielding... Confused, indifferent, apathetic, incredulous, skeptical, pained... Sorry, regretful, ashamed, humiliated... Neutral, everything, nothing...

Whatever we are, however we got here, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we love each other NOW, as we are, no requirements, no changes made. The life and beauty is there, in the mix of all of our histories and experiences and presence as we are.

Our mistakes are not mistakes. We live and we learn, so long as we are aware. Cultivate that awareness, and realize that we all have difficulties. Forgive yourself, forgive others, forgive ourselves as a whole.

Start there. No judgments.

Unconditional Compassion.

Food

So I was pondering and reflecting upon some of the recent visits to Costco, Sam's Club, and Kroger. I've come to realize that at the current rate of how people shop for shitty foods, we're going to see a massssssive increase in fatties around here. I can't even begin to explain how walking through food stores is for me now that I've lost the decrepit fat I once had. Almost every time I go through the stores, I see a parent buying absolutely horrible foods for what looks like children. It makes me absolutely siiiiiick to the stomach every time I see a kid holding on to a cart with an obese mother pushing a cart full of processed and nutrient null foods. It's like looking at a younger version of myself...thinking that nothing was wrong with eating all these delectable treats. Wanting...no...NEEDING these high sugar, high chemical, high SHIT foods to get through the day. Parents of this world need to wake the fuck up and realize what they're doing to not only themselves, but to their own children.

I feel tempted at times to walk up to that obese mother and ask her how she feels about being disgustingly obese. When she gives me an answer, I'd follow up with asking, "Now what would you think of your son/daughter going through life and ending up as fat as you? Do you even care? Does any part of your being even desire to give your child a real meal and lifestyle that'll yield a truly healthy body? Are you afraid of listening to him bitch about the lack of sweets and tasty treats? Really, mom? REALLY? What would you rather have...a kid who hates you for making him eat healthy? Or would you rather have a kid who has countless healthy issues in his future, an impending death before 50, and a SEVERE hatred for everything that he's become? Choose, mom...Choose."

Illness and Language

This strikes me as profound.

Think about the power packed in language--in a word, a phrase, a label.

It is thought--it is our minds, our egos, we allow it to create us on a daily basis. I allow it to shape the direction of my ideas now, as I write.

Language is diagnosis. Language is a physical form that nonphysical things are shoved into. Language is another type of body. In the same way our own physical human bodies hold our Life Force and consciousness, language holds in (limits, shapes, dictates, yet allows to exist in the material world at all... i.e., gives hope, chances at anything as we know it) the ideas that brew inside our souls.

I'm trying to say!!!!!!! That!!!!!!! Language is something to be watched. We must observe it, we must listen to it without being affected as it passes through our brains and bodies. We must detach ourselves from it while continuing to use it for positivity.

So with ILLNESS: If you feel yourself catching a cold; if you are injured playing a sport; if you have been labeled with a mental illness, an eating disorder, ADHD, depression; if you are labeled "overweight" or "chronically obese" or "underweight" because your body mass index is different from what the "chart" says it should be; if you have cancer, AIDS... If your body "malfunctions" in some way........ BE AWARE OF THE DIAGNOSIS. Watch the label, and watch how it then so easily can infect your perceptions. It weakens you the minute you believe it. You shove yourself into the sickness, to fit the label, to grasp it as part of your identity now.

Don't fall prey! Detach from the label. Your illness or body malfunction is nothing more than a new situation you find yourself in. Yes, there may be discomfort. Yes, you may see negative emotions creeping in. But you can still rise above it all. Things are not good or bad. Your illness is not a terrible situation. It is just one that requires certain actions and not others.

Please, please: You are NOT your illness. You are light that can shine on it, expose it for what it is--something separate from you in your essence--and you can take action.

This is not a magic cure, but it gives hope, gives peace, gives strength. Your physical body can fall ill, in that it will decay, it will end. But for You, the body is not the end. The body is time, is language, is thought and emotion, is sensory experience.
You are the animator. You are its Animator, its Creator. You guide your body--not the other way around where fear and blind belief carrel you into negativity, defeat by the physical. If you accept the diagnosis--the language, the labels--this means that you have now forced your Self again into another limiting physical body, and you trap yourself further. Come out of hiding....... See that you are the Commander. You are the Loving Commander, you are Your BEING. You are you. Not illness.

Be peaceful. There is no room for despair or panic. Someone diagnosed with cancer may feel to do this is beyond their control. Someone labeled depressed may feel that rejecting the label means all of their anguish and distance from life was illegitimate. Not true. The panic is real, the sorrow is real, the pain is real. Feel it fully, acknowledge it, but swiftly disengage before you are swirled into a cloud of blindness and turmoil.

Now, lastly for here, to note: All things physical are not to be scorned. They should not be given new labels now of "contemptible" or "dirty" or "disease-prone" or "alien." They are still beautiful, they are still part of you. To distance yourself from them does not mean to turn on them and make them enemies. It means, rather, to accept and love them for what they are. There is no fighting them, no resistance. Yes, they fall ill, yes they end. But they can be hopeful while we have them. They are vehicles, expressors of the inexpressible. Consciousnesses connect by way of them. Language and bodies are only scary if You aren't aware of how they function in your Being. If you let them push and pull you because you haven't distanced yourself from them, then they suck you dry and you get lost in them.

When you gain awareness, acceptance, and control over labels and your body, then you can use them for positive action and existence. You will have become enlightened. You will finally Be, with a captial B...not merely exist as blood and muscles and impulses. You bear yourself. You create yourself through awareness.

Hello...

I may need to return to clarify things. Posting now.

I love you all.

People...

There are a lot of people out there who seem to think that the body they've always wanted is completely unattainable. The truth behind that statement is how they're thinking. Our minds will tend to manifest exactly what we're thinking. If you think that the belly fat you have left on you is just stubborn and won't come off, then it won't. You have to constantly remind people to focus on where they wanna be. Positivity and motivation are what makes personal trainers valuable, but you've also gotta be able to keep people's minds at ease while they go through the process of losing weight!

4 Easy Tips to be Healthier

Here they are:

1) Drink 2 glasses of water waking up - it jump starts both the metabolism and the day.
2) Have carbohydrates and protein together- carbohydrates is the fuel for current existing muscles in need of recovery, while protein is the building blocks for new muscle growth. Eating one or the other alone diminishes gains.
3) Pack your own lunch- No matter how healthy you want to be at fast food restaurants, nothing can beat the nutritional value of meat and produce from stores that can be easily packed for lunch.
4) Get 7-8 hours of sleep- getting any less and your won't fully recover. Sleep any more, your body becomes sluggish and less efficient.

Courtesy of Men's Health Magazine
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/build-6-pack-abs

The bodyweight dynasty.

Since this blog is up and running, I figure I should lay down some of the really great things I've learned about fitness and anyone with a body type similar to my own. This may not be incredibly organized, but it'll do, donkey...it'll do.

There's a misconception, I believe, in the fitness industry that weight is the enemy. The simple fact of the matter is that only a certain demographic of people and body types can actually be told "This weight is what you should be, so lose XX pounds to achieve your ideal bodyweight". Being a 260-265 pound guy, I take the whole debate over healthy bodyweight very seriously! You would expect to see a 260 pound person not be able to run for the life of them. Well, I can tell you from my own training, that running is not only something we (we being dense and largely built folk) can do, but something we can thrive upon.

Running for a larger and more dense person, is an insane war at first. Your shins, ankles, quads, hams, and gluts all fight for you to stop - at first. After going through the hell of conditioning my body to accept the punishment of hardcore running, I'm finding that it's become increasingly easy to do. I may not be able to run distances like my 120-160 pound friends, but I can run faster, and harder than most of them.

The strength that we innately have built in to us is impressive when harnessed. I feel as if maintaining our natural strength, and adding agility and precision is more adequate for the way we're built. I enjoy my body a lot more now that I'm agile and capable of running my skinny friends down, rather than being the bulky and powerful person I used to be. I may not be able to do pull-ups or dips very well, but the power I have in my legs is incredible. Hell, back in high school when I was breaking leg press records, I still didn't even really have to try in order to do that. I knew almost nothing about how to build power, en yet I still destroyed those records.

The great thing about being so dense, is that our calorie expenditure is enormous during rigorous exertion. I can't tell you how many times I'll burn three times more calories than my 140 pound counterpart during sprints. He'd be running the entire time, which is sad...haha.

The best way for us larger bodied folk to put on solid muscle is through doing giant sets, with almost no rest. Giant sets being 4 or more exercises, one after another. 6 sets being the goal. 15 reps or more being the goal for each exercise in each set. I've heard through other professionals and friends that skinny, and more lanky folk put on muscle through lifting heavy, instead of the method that I've used on myself. It's extremely fascinating to me how we're all the same organism, en yet every machine is built to succeed in such a different fashion.

I've also found out through my own training that the human body really is more complex and ridiculous than any of us average americans could ever understand. There's soooo many things that I've done with my body that I really shouldn't have been able to do at the time. Just the other day, I put my body through a rigorous workout filled with jumping, push-ups, and variations of bodyweight cardio. The pace was absurd for my body's size and weight. Even though my body kept telling me to stop, through the lactic acid being built up, I told it to keep going. I was losing a small bit of control and precision with each exercise and set, but my body still kept on going. What was even more insane was that in my last set of jump roping, I absolutely SPED through the 100 jumps. I really had no idea how or why my body said "Go faster. Go harder", but I obliged and pushed on. That was just my way of expanding upon the thought of how amazing the human body really is. It's just capable of amazing things.

Something I've noticed throughout the general public and through tv programs is that people in this modern world, or the zoo syndrome as that french dude describes it, literally have no idea what their bodies are capable of. It's insane to think that we as humans have just trotted along with creating easier ways of doing things, when we really should be reverting back to the olden ways of how things used to be. Everything being carried by us, or even with help by family livestock and horses. It's insane to think that we as humans are better off than we were 100-200 years ago. Yes, our lives are extended and we live in a medicated society, where no condition is left solution-less...but at what cost? Are those years of being an elderly person...feeble, incapable of maintaining ones own life...incapable of even thinking for one's self...is it truly worth everything that we're giving up? I'd rather live a healthy and fruitful life where I live off the land at my disposal, dying at the age of 50-80...being entirely coherent and self-sustaining...rather than live trapped within this zoo-like environment where we cherish food and material goods over attributes, friends, family, and relationships in general.

If you've read to this point, then thanks for putting up with the randomness of my thinking process. Hopefully a discussion or burst of thought may have been created, haha.

Mouvement Naturel

So Garrett shed the light on this subject for me. It's some French guy that has spent much time training in the forests of Brazil with a supreme natural approach. Climbing trees, jumping across rocks, pushing logs down rivers, etc. There's potential to take a workshop or go on a trip with him. I personally am very interested but still have a lot to learn about this guy and what he's doing. Overall, I love his natural approach to diet and fitness.

Link to Mouvement Naturel website