Are you in control of technology or does technology control you?

Love it or hate it, technology is going to keep moving forward faster than you or I can comprehend. And with the passing of another Christmas and the onset of Christmas sales electrical gadgets and goods will be big on the agenda. Computers, TVs, Blackberries, Ipods, Nintendo and X-box are just a few that will be snapped up at the sales around this time of the year. My question is how are they going to benefit you and your lifestyle?

It is great to have the latest stuff but do you stop and think how this affects you? Is it helping you to advance in the game of life or is it holding you back. I would never dare tell anyone that they shouldn't have that video game or the latest in Television technology. But I would definitely question how their latest acquisition will benefit them. Lifestyle experts and commentators are commonly quoted as saying the obesity crisis is due to our reliance on technology and its constant advancements causing our lives to become more sedentary. But I disagree as gadgets, cars and computers are simply emotionally void tools. How we decide to use these tools is the key.

If you decide to use the newest TV for quality relaxation time then it is a good acquisition. However if you use it as your major source of entertainment it won't serve your lifestyle well. Same goes for all of these mobile phones and gadgets that allow you to check your emails anywhere, anytime. Great tool if you are in control of it and it isn't in control of you. The problem arises when you allow yourself to be controlled by technology.

My simple advise to all and sundry is only use technology to make you more efficient not just for entertainment and happiness. Because it will be hollow and the regular updating of it will mean you are never satisfied. Yet if the technology utilised in your life is making your life more efficient and productive then it is worth every cent. Here's a guide to use when thinking of updating or buying new technologically advanced goods or gadgets.

1. Why am I getting it?: Will this acquisition improve the quality of your existence or decrease it? Will your health creation efforts be affected because of it? Will having the latest in technology remove or create more stress for me? Would I be better off spending the money on something more beneficial for my development or health. Will it unbalance my health creation efforts. Such as sleep, activity levels, time I have completely to myself.
2. Am I in control?: Is my subconscious mind ritualised adequately to stop this new acquisition from negatively affecting my health creation efforts? If not maybe you would be better off investing in bringing your lifestyle habits up to speed.
3. Sleep on it?: Is the reason for wanting this new gadget or piece of equipment to keep up with everyone else, to be trendy and for show. Or is it to improve your lifestyle by allowing you more freedom to stay in control of your health and harmony creation. Don't think you have to have it today unless you have ticked all of the right boxes and you are sure this is right for you. Price should not be a reason to buy, your wellbeing should be.

Being set in your ways has its good points

Following on from the the last article on the creation of rituals I am going to reinforce what I think is an added bonus of creating positive rituals. Whilst it is all fine and dandy for me to rave on about how you should be doing all of these things, I am sure you know this already. Whether you do it or not is another thing. But I want to explore the setting of positive rituals even further because I feel this is such an important issue. If this turns a few lights on and really highlights the benefits of this type of action for you then I will be a happy man.

High achievers all adhere to positive rituals, principles or guidelines whatever you want to call them. But why? Because it saves mental and emotional energy and enhances spiritual energy naturally. It also leaves you energised with more energy to burn when you want to spend time with the family, partner or what ever other hobbies or interests you may have. Even better you don't even have to think about doing them because they are already committed to habit.

The reality is if you don't follow guidelines or rituals at the moment they will sound like hard work, time consuming and inflexible. To follow them you will have to consciously make the effort to implement them into your lifestyle. Conscious efforts take lots of energy to maintain. That is why if you don't view a ritual as positive because your perception of it is, it isn't enjoyable or it's hard work and will take lots of discipline and will power. There is a fair chance you won't maintain it because you will view the effort to be too great and subsequently won't keep at it long enough to commit it to memory. How many times have you heard of a fitness regime dropped after 2, 3 or 4 weeks. Because it wasn't committed to their subconscious mind (habit) to become part of their daily ritual or routine. The energy used in the effort was too great to maintain because it wasn't a habit yet and the effort outweighed the reward at the time.

I'll leave it there for this one as I want you to ponder this for a while. I would even encourage you to investigate people you view as successful and see whether there was a ritual or pattern they followed religiously. Fair chance there is. Positive rituals can come in any shape or form from dietary habits to exercise routines to complete daily work routines. There is no limit and the more positive ones you commit to habit the more joy you will have in your chosen field and the less restrictions you will have to hold you back.

To set goals or create positive rituals.

Do you set yourself goals? And if so do you write them down? If you answered yes to both questions you are in the top 3 percent of the population. It would be great if after reading this information you were to take the time to write down your goals. But will that do you any good? It will be better than not writing your goals down, but for the majority it will be a token gesture that will have a short lived effect. The passion won't be there and within a couple of weeks you probably won't even feel motivated enough to even read the goals you have written down.

The solution is to get some passion in your life. Visualising a desired outcome will start this off. Once you know what outcome you really want to produce work your way back from that outcome and create a regular positive ritual that will take you towards your special place. By employing a positive ritual you are creating an empowering reason to follow certain processes on a regular basis that will take you to successful and fulfilling outcomes.

So you are still setting goals but by creating a positive ritual and including them as part of your daily routine you will be motivating yourself internally and pretty much guaranteeing self development and progression. Say losing 10 kilograms was your goal. Sounds fine but to most it sounds like hard work so the motivation level may be lacking. Where as visualising yourself in a bikini or bathers looking slim and tanned would have more appeal to most and by describing that in words will motivate you more when reading the goal. Then creating a positive daily ritual to assist achieving that goal will ensure you lose those 10 kilos. In your daily ritual may be eating at certain times, exercising at a certain time and drinking so much water. Associating this ritual to your success will motivate you to achieve your goal.

Follow these steps when you find a goal or desired outcome you really would like to achieve.

1. Dream of your desired outcome: Find a result that you really want to achieve and aligns with your value system and would give you a real sense pride and happiness.
2. Create a regular positive ritual: Factor in a daily process that will take you towards your outcome and associate this with your end result. This will give you the intrinsic motivation that is desired because you are completing a ritual that you associate with a positive result.
3. Measure your progress: Having this measure will allow you to adjust your routine or carry on as you are. It will ensure progress and success.
4. Reward yourself: When you have achieved part of or half of your outcome and your end result then celebrate this fact. You will quickly associate achieving goals with rewards and happiness.

So do both set goals and create positive rituals then you are destined for more positive outcomes.

Investigate energy management instead of time management.

Energy management may sound a little broad but I feel time management is even broader. And frankly, the more I witness and learn from mentors and influencing figures in my life, time management is a floored concept. What's more it seems to create a society fitting more and more into a day, a week, a month and a year but getting less done and more unbalanced in a lifestyle sense. We are loosing direction in the quest for time management but all we are succeeding in doing is creating a condition I have termed Lifestytis.

I feel we need to focus on energy management to obtain better performance, increased productivity and lifestyle balance. Look at top level athletes be it Aussie rules football, Hockey, Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Netball or Athletics they all manage their energy levels. If resting pulse rates are too high steps are taken to rejuvenate the athlete. Off seasons must be taken otherwise injury, burnout and motivation will occur without doubt. So why do we as the general population work 40, 50 or 60 hours a week consistently and expect to stay motivated and productive. One great description that describes this type of living is flatlining. Work from 7 till 7 then go home eat, check emails, watch TV and then fit in some sleep. Get up and do it again.

Try this for a suggestion to increase the enjoyment, productivity, motivation, health and well being you experience. Start living your life like you are on a roller coaster ride. Say you work for 8 hours, let the first 90 - 120 minutes be the downward descent - go hard and fast. Then take 15 -20 minutes to go slow and replenish your energy levels. Stretch, walk up and down stairs, play cards, juggle or have a power snack. But it must be fun. Then get back to work because the downhill descent is coming up again. Go hard, get urgent for the next 90 minutes or so and capitalise on the downhill momentum. Keep this up all day and see how much more work you get done, how much extra energy you have left over and how much more enjoyable your work becomes.

See how focusing on energy level usage and replenishment can assist rather than focusing on managing time. We are only human and if we focus on time management we naturally focus on fitting more in to that time. Something has to give and our health usually draws the short straw because it is immeasurable until you lose it. So to manage energy try this and see how you go.

1. Stress energy levels - work, exercise, learn or whatever it is you do to a point where it is stressing you and you are out of your comfort zone. But do it relatively quickly.
2. Replenish energy levels - Stop the activity causing stress and do something totally enjoyable yet relaxing. Clear your mind totally.
3. Repeat, repeat and grow - Listen to your body and when you are tired, mentally, emotionally or physically, your energy is all used up so you need to replenish it. Sleep, eat, massage or whatever works for you. But rest and recovery will not only replenish energy levels but make you stronger, fitter, more productive and more motivated because you will adapt to the stresses you continually place on yourself (get out of your comfort zone)

Let me know how you go but most importantly enjoy yourself.

Nutrition vital for brain health

All the trend in brain health lately has been to do with what's going on up top. Crosswords, jigsaw puzzles and everything possible that stretches your brain capacity was being touted as brain training that would potentially keep you cognitively sound.

One recent UK study has shown what appears to be a strong link between the intake of certain vitamins and the improvement and prevention of illnesses such as ADHD, depression and bipolar disorders, prompting the medical profession to reassess the importance of diet in mental health.
The great thing about these sort of studies is that all of these vitamins can be found in good old natural foods. Beef is a superb source of B12, wholegrain cereal, pulses, fruit and vegetables are great for upping your B1 intake, and naturally, fish is a fantastic source of Omega 3’. ‘Omega 3 – a fatty acid found in fish oil – has been clinically shown to reduce the risk and severity of depression, including bipolar disorders.

So I've compiled a tip list that will allow you to keep your brain healthy through your stomach while you do your crosswords. They are as follows.

1. Balance your intake of nutrients. Eat a wide range of natural, wholefood options that will allow the intake of essential vitamins for your brain to stay healthy.
2. Regularly spaced out meals to keep the energy constantly flowing to the brain. By eating sporadically you flood with the brain with energy and then starve it for the next 6 or 7 hours causing it to stress and not perform optimally. This sort of behaviour is what causes irritability and mood swings which is undesirable for good brain health.
3. Resist the temptation to stuff hydrogenated, fried, cheap and nasty processed foods into your body. This will tip the balance of Omega's in your body in favour of Omega 6's which will only succeed in producing inflammation at the cellular level which will increase the chances of artery and brain damage.

The studies and processes undertaken to find out these very beneficial conclusions are carried out by scientists but the way you can stop your brain deteriorating isn't rocket science. As you can see the tips mapped out above are simple enough to follow it's just a matter of getting accountable and following through.

What is it that people love about Easter and Christmas?

Just recently I was thinking about the Christmas and New Year period coming up. It is no secret I and many others look forward to this time of the year. But it really hit home to me recently why the holiday season is so widely anticipated. In fact people actually do some pretty silly things over this period.

While I'm not here to rant about what you eat, drink and how much activity you carry out over the festive season holiday period or Easter it will all tie in nicely together. See I was discussing the holiday plans with a mate over Christmas and he was so excited he could hardly contain himself. So I tried it with a few other friends and the same response was noted. And they all came up with the same reason for this excitement. They didn't have to do anything, be anywhere or answer to anyone. In other words totally switch off. This may not sound like anything new to you but answer me this. Why do you wait till the end of the year to switch off completely.

If it is so enjoyable as everyone reports wouldn't more regular short breaks/timeouts be beneficial. I know they are but the majority of us don't do it. Here's a great way for you in 2009 to ensure your whole year is littered with complete switch off periods on top of Christmas and Easter.

1. Plan your 2009 breaks now and record them in a diary or on the calender. Commit to them and let someone know so you will be held accountable. There should be 2 0r 3 on top of Easter and Christmas. Book the time off now and more importantly book your accommodation so you have no excuse to get out of it
2. Go hard and work to achieve outcomes in these time frames. Have a plan so you are totally focused on achieving outcomes in this period and will use the break as a celebration for your success. Get that must do attitude that will ensure you fulfill your desired outcomes or goals so you will learn that achievement is followed by a reward, so you start to become an achiever not just a plodder.
3. Have fun. No work, personal development or anything related to work should be contemplated in this 2, 3 or 4 day period. This is a total switch off period where you do whatever you like but it must excite you in a way that encourages you to keep having these mini breaks.

Not that I have this mastered yet either but I keep coming back to this time and time again. It's not the quantity it's the quality. Your lifestyle needs to be top quality with intense ups (switched ons) and more intense downs (switched offs). Again quality not quantity.

Don't let anyone take your breath away this festive season.

Oxygen is so abundant we never worry about where it's coming from do we? Like anything you truly appreciate it when you are in danger of losing it. This is why I felt it very relevant to put out the warning about lung disease just before the festive or as I like to call it, the silly season. The time when we let down our guard and put whatever we can whenever we like into our bodies just because it's the party time of the year. We drink more, smoke more and conduct ourselves in reckless behaviour.

Back to oxygen and our lungs. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) affects 2.1 million and is predicted to reach levels of 4.5 million by the year 2050 if we don't take action now to start controlling this escalating problem. The scary part of this equation is past evidence indicates that one in three Australians with COPD were not aware that they even had the disease which means they are not taking the important steps to manage and keep the condition in check.

It is all fine and dandy for me to go quoting these figures and expecting everyone to take matters into their own hands and ensure they are lung disease proofed. My advice along with every other lifestyle influenced condition is to keep living a natural and unprocessed existence as much as you possibly can. It is the more hands on option but if hands on means healthier long term, that will be the option I will choose every time. And if this is your philosophy then I salute you wholeheartedly. If you want to start directing your life in this direction follow this simple, formula.

1. Slow down. this alleviates the need to cut every corner and utilise harmful health sapping options to assist you on your quest to save a minute here and there. At sometime in your life you will have to slow down, why not do it on your terms? Stop and smell the roses!!!
2. Move more. Live by this mantra and you won't go wrong. In every task we do there is a more time efficient way of doing it. Mowing lawn, going to the shop, sending messages, getting upstairs, socialising, preparing food, losing weight and the list could go on for ever. That's why the more time consuming option when feasible will be a healthy option.
3. Go natural. Food, shampoo, deodorant, fly repellent, toothpaste and so on are all examples of products that can be produced naturally or severely processed or chemicalised. Especially the chemical options are not only damaging to you and your lungs but in general your health and the environment. Options are out there if you are prepared to look for them.

Stay in control of your body and what it does and what goes into it. Become the gatekeeper from hell and only allow beneficial lifestyle choices into your life.

How should you approach the festive season?

It's a very mixed message that I hear every festive season. Some are looking forward to it. Some are not looking forward to the over eating (but they will still do it!!!). And some are looking forward to time off from work more than anything. So how should you approach the festive season this year.

You know as well as I do there is never a one size fits all answer to a question like this. But I feel there can be a definite successful approach to the way you attack and go about enjoying the festive season period. I think a dangerous way to approach Christmas and New Year is thinking life is suddenly going to be all bells and whistles and for two weeks all of life's hassles are going to just drift away with the over indulgent mist that this period produces. I suggest you start preparing for the last two weeks of the year and the first week of the new year now. If nothing else it will make the transition back into the next year smoother and not such a big bump.

Here's how to attack it.

• Tie up all loose ends. Realise that the business world goes into hibernation over this period so loans, insurances and all of those evil necessities if not all fully organised will be a hassle to sort out over this period. Have all of these able to look after themselves for the next month. This action is a proactive way to reduce stress in advance.
• Keep active and watered. Just move and don't be a sloth. It is so common to see people go from being flat out and getting as much done as possible to stopping everything and parking themselves in one spot and stuffing everything and anything in their mouths that is available. Moving and drinking enough water if nothing else is going to keep your focus off the choices that will be in front of you and not mistake thirst for hunger which is a common occurrence.
• Keep your rhythm. Dancing is good for the activity levels but it's not what I mean here. I am talking about your circadian rhythms. Do this by going to bed and getting up the same time as normal. By going to bed later and getting up later you are throwing your bodies natural rhythms into chaos and you end up feeling even more lethargic and unmotivated. If you must, have an afternoon kip for an hour.

These three actions will keep you stress free, active and normal. How many people do you know possess those traits over the festive season?

Hopefully this is the effect this years Victoria Derby horse race will have on all women

To introduce you to the world of horse racing and the Victoria Derby it is a very prestigious race run right in the middle of the Melbourne Cup spring racing cup carnival. It has been run for something like 153 years and today was the first time in the races history a female jockey piloted the winner over the finish line. A truly historic event that will etch Clare Lindop's name in the history books.

It is very rare for female jockeys to compete at the top level of competitive horse racing. It is a very cut throat industry where money isn't scarce. Jockeys have the opportunity to earn the sort of money that can guarantee a life of abundance for them and their families. On the other side of the coin one mistake can be fatal for them and for their counterparts.

Clare Lindop's historic win is significant for women in more than one way. Firstly it proves that the girls can mix it with the boys. What I predict is the increased prevalence of winning female jockeys in big Group races. Efforts like the one from Clare breaks the ice and shows other females that they can achieve these types of successes. It was the same as when the one minute mile was achieved, the 10 second 100m and so on. Women now have evidence that winning top group 1 horse races can be done. Women no longer have to manufacture vision that the feat is achievable, they will read about it and watch it everywhere.

Take away point of all this is how powerful our minds are. Removing restrictions can come in all forms. It isn't the fact that it is too hard for women to ride horses as well as the men but it is the fact that their mindsets and the racing population tells them this is so. The top owners only use the girls at last resort and punters don't make women driven race horses favourites do they? Hopefully women start winning more and more big horse races and show us all that we can do anything if our minds believe it so. If you can't concieve you'll never achieve. If you have dreams and passion mix persistence with it and you will have a winning formula.

Investing isn't for the faint hearted.

A while back I wrote about value and how once you have started to change your mindset and start removing restrictions from your life you would be well served to realise your true value first. Now that you place a greater value on yourself and are more aware of what is most important to you and your world. I reckon it's time to start initiating some investment action. Not the financial type but the mindset type. It will be more valuable than any other investment you've ever had.

For example a mate of mine was looking at becoming a better businessman and was tired of making do with what he had. So he changed his mindset as much as he could but he needed to invest in himself. In terms of time, money, effort and persistence to name just a few. We chatted and it was easy to see from an outsider looking in he needed help to raise the level of his own self valuation. He read and took courses and sucked up all of the information he could possibly find. Then he took a giant leap and contacted a business coach. After chatting briefly he was told to book in for two workshops and he would get a free hour with this guru coach. The catch was it was in Sydney and on a Friday we are on the other side of Australia). Instantly he replied that he couldn't lose a days income as Friday was an alright day for him monetary wise. Expecting to hear sympathy and understanding he was met by a short but sharp reply of, 'do you want to stay where you are, earning what you earn for the rest of your life'? Needless to say he went to Sydney but was almost physically sick that night as he had been pushed way out of his comfort zone mentally, financially and routine wise.

Getting to the point he initiated some investment in himself. Although forced he did it. He is now doing well and looks destined for good things. Most importantly he's loving the new him. If you want betterment in any area of your life, not just business, try these 3 simple steps to set you on your way.

1. Question yourself and if you are happy with who you are and where you are headed in your area of concern. If not move on, if you are happy stop here.
2. Ask for assistance from an expert. Save yourself time and effort because your time is valuable right? The quicker you initiate and conquer this investment the quicker you can move on to another restriction busting investment.
3. Trade something you are currently doing for something you feel you need to do and will help you get what you desire. It may be trading sitting on the couch after work for going for a walk or a run. You won't feel entirely comfortable about it but that's the trade off. Your trustworthy expert will guide you, you will have to follow through.

What are you waiting for get investing in you. If you won't invest in yourself you are a bad investment right?

You have the choice - responsibility or excuses.

We all have these really bad days or really bad weeks where everything goes pear shaped. Stress takes over and before you know it your mind is a bubbling inferno of anger, resentment and bitterness. Loved ones who come in contact with you are on edge because your body language tells them to beware. Not to mention all of the other big rocks that are important to you in your life get neglected if not forgotten completely. You are living in what I call a stress halo. Because you are the angel who is never wrong but is always stressed!!!

What is even worst, when these times are with us we look for excuses or someone to blame. It's human nature as we are never wrong. Someone else must have made the mistake that caused my dilemma. I am here to tell you everything that happens to you in life is a direct result of your actions. This may be hard to take but the more I grow and develop I am finding this to be a real truism. Don't judge me as Mr Perfect either because I am far from it. The difference is when things go wrong for me excuses aren't sought. Responsibility is taken as hard as it is sometimes.

Only this week my families life was thrown into turmoil and although not directly responsible My wife and I took responsibility and remedied the stressful circumstance. We didn't get to go grocery shopping, have a day off together as a family, work on my business enough, keep our cool with the kids and there was even the thought of missing out on a training session because of this turmoil. Luckily the exercise was done, the kids were fed and we are now making it up to them in the attention stakes and shopping will be done as soon as this is finished.

My point is we have choices in our lives and we can take responsibility for any negative outcomes that will come our way or we can make an excuse and justify to others why it wasn't our fault. To become a creature of choice and take the weight yourself you need to follow these simple but powerful guidelines.

1. Identify the stressful stimulant and take responsibility for it. What didn't I do that put me in this position. Even if it wasn't your fault you have been affected, do you want it to happen again?
2. Learn from the mistake or the occurrence and take steps to ensure it won't happen again. Remember the definition of a slow learner is someone who doesn't learn from their mistakes.
3. Choose to live your life this way from now on. Vow never to make another excuse again in your life and go the extra step and get a loved one or a significant other to hold you accountable. Whenever you make an excuse ask them to politely inform you. They will be helping you become aware of this stress building restrictive practice of making excuses and helping you improve your health and well being as you will be managing stress not stress managing you.

Now it's up to you; choose to change and take full responsibility for your life or make excuses why life is conspiring against you.

When is Back Pain More Than Just Back Pain

As previously reported back pain is a very serious issue that we have somewhat become immune to. I'm sure the attitude to many is, 'back pain won't kill me'. You're right to a degree but there can be more to just what seems to be a sore back.

Firstly before we go on if you are experiencing back pain the problems that caused it have been building for a fair period of time. Micro trauma after micro trauma have been building up and eventually your abused spine has had enough. Now when is back pain more than just back pain? When other issues become a problem in conjunction with your back pain. Such as psychosocial issues related to their constant chronic lower back pain. This can turn your life into a state of disharmony and poor self esteem. There is also the issue of oxygenation. As a consequence of your constant back ache your posture suffers and your breathing technique can become floored. Leading to poor oxygenation reducing cell metabolism and your bodies natural healing powers.

These are just two of the many problems that can be associated with back pain. It is one of the most common and prevalent lifestyle restrictors around. A 2001 Australian study puts the cost of back pain at $9.1 billion dollars of which $8.1 billion dollars comes from lost productivity at work. Whilst it may not be a life threatening disease; if your life is of any value to you, take these steps to prevent it and if too late alleviate back related disability.

1. Glute up: Learn to activate your butt muscles. Imagine you have a hundred dollar bill between your butt cheeks and you aint letting it out for anyone.
2. Trap up: Learn to activate your mid to lower trapezium muscles so these muscles found between the shoulder blades get stronger and take the weight of anything you lift.
3. Rest up: Turn your lower back muscles off. They shouldn't be used at all when bending or lifting.

Life is too short to have a sore back.

How Will Climate Change Affect Your Health?

Unless you have been in a coma for the last 6 months to a year you would have heard all of the climate change commentary. We can't escape it and what is becoming more evident is it will affect you directly. It will place restrictions on your lifestyle and the generations to follow. It is alright to talk about it but how can you do your bit to help?

That is up to you and I'm not going to rant about how you should be helping. But I am going to illustrate the consequences of yours and my actions in relation to climate change. Firstly if you don't think climate change has already done much damage look at these major occurrences.

• European heat wave, 2003: Estimates suggest that approximately 70 000 more people died in that summer than would have been expected.
  Rift Valley fever in Africa: Major outbreaks are usually associated with rains, which are expected to become more frequent as the climate changes.
• Hurricane Katrina, 2005: More than 1 800 people died and thousands more were displaced. Additionally, health facilities throughout the region were destroyed critically affecting health infrastructure.
• Malaria in the East African highlands: In the last 30 years, warmer temperatures have also created more favourable conditions for mosquito populations in the region and therefore for transmission of malaria.
• Epidemics of cholera in Bangladesh: They are closely linked to flooding and unsafe water

Although not solely attributed to climate change the World Health Org predicts that these types of changes and occurrences are expected to occur more frequently due to climatic changes and pressures.

For us here in Australia the Doctors for the Environment Australia have released a Climate Change Health Check 2020 that states by 2020 doctors will be seeing increased cases of heat stress, infectious and allergic diseases, respiratory problems and mental illness associated with prolonged drought and other natural disasters. So next time you hear someone say climate change won't affect them; explain it to them will you - please!!

Eggs are Back!!

Does anyone really know what is good for us or what isn't good for us? I say that because now new research and finding are telling us eggs are good for us. I'm not saying I told you so but if you were sticking to our guidelines that we put out on nutrition you would have been eating eggs anyway. It's food provided by nature in an unprocessed state, something I feel really passionate about. Nature has unbridled forces that we should be utilising more.

These couple of studies erase the info that medico's have been scaring the general population with for years. They cause high cholesterol and they are fattening!!! The reality is most foods fall into this category. Eat too much of something and it's fattening. Anyway here's one of the studies from the Journal of Nutrition. Dr. Robert Nicolosi at the University of Massachusetts said, "Our data show that eating an egg a day isn't a factor for raising cholesterol." And here's another study from San Francisco. A study reported in 2006 that when people ate three or more eggs per day, the amount of low density lipoprotein (LDL) in their bloodstream did in fact increase as previously reported. However they also found that the subjects actually made bigger LDL particles which were less likely to enter artery walls and build up as artery-clogging plaque.
Head researcher Christine Green said that a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that eggs shouldn't be considered a "dietary evil."

So in concluding this egg round up, if you like eggs and enjoy them for breakfast or in omelette's get into them because they are not going to harm you. In fact they will be good for you. They are one of natures best little snacks already packed in a protective wrapping waiting for you to crack them open.

Emabracing Nature Isn't Just for Tree Hugging Hippies

If you are truly serious about losing restrictive practices to improve the quality of your existence, you must embrace nature. That doesn't mean growing dreadlocks, stop showering and move into the forest to live. I'm talking along the lines of aligning yourself and your functioning to take advantage of the natural forces we all possess. To be truly healthy and restriction free nature has to be left to it's own devices. Unfortunately in today's society we have to plan to be natural. Our ancestors would probably laugh at that comment if they were to hear this.

Just think; we have technology to keep us up all night when the natural rejuvenatory and recovery agent sleep should be occurring. Preservatives, colours and who knows what else are put into our food to make it appealing, tastier and last longer!! Activity is undertaken on machines and equipment designed to keep us safe and injury free. Cars take us every where because we don't have time to walk anywhere. And we must utilise every waking hour effectively or you are labeled as a bludger, lazy or an under achiever. High fat content natural foods are seen as a sure fire way to bring on heart disease and other lifestyle related conditions. Now sit back and see how we are travelling in the lifestyle stakes.

We are up sized, depressionalised, chemicalised, heart diseased, diabetisised, cancerised, Maccatized, coca colarised, caffeineitised, materialised and recently creditised and unclimatised. How well are we going? All of the value nature offers us is going to waste. Sunshine, fresh air, natural wholefoods, water to drink, 8 -10 hours of sleep, face to face communication and relationship building, physical activity as a way of life - (transport, gathering food, stress relief and socialising) and using your body as a functional unit not as a shell as most people are doing today.

It is never too late to get natural forces back into your mindset and in turn rejuvenate your whole existence. But it has reached the stage where you have to plan to be natural. Plan to increase more simplicity into your life. Don't fight it, plan it. The beauty of our society now is the abundance of options available to you. In fact if you plan it correctly and you may need assistance initially life can become so much more rewarding because happiness and wellness becomes a constant in your world not just a fantasy. You then start to view all of the superficial forces in our universe as a treat or a bonus.

Building Foundations by a process of Removal

It has always been a dream of mine to find the missing piece in the puzzle that connects actions to the desired outcomes. So in my field of influence it would be how to encourage people to act on their wishes to lead healthier and more rewarding lifestyles. Take you for example, you know that you would like to be better in some aspects of your life. What stops you from simply going out and doing it? I'm going to look at obstacles today and two different types that stop us all from tackling certain tasks.

Psychological and logistical obstacles are the two types on the radar. To me if you don't eradicate your psychological obstacles then the logistical obstacles will definitely never be tackled. As an example a recent member has committed to an exercise regime to lose weight in a bid to increase motivation to stay active. But this member's activity levels had been nil for two years. Knowing the history behind the case I know that certain psychological obstacles were being worked through and when light was visible at the end of the tunnel the lifestyle then became an issue to be addressed. I was then called in to help with finishing off the psychological obstacles and then taking care of the logistical obstacles. The member in question then had to take care of the logistics at his end to allow him to fit in with the program. Now we have a totally committed individual that is totally embracing the principles and guidelines of the program and the results are far better than was expected I'm sure.

Breaking this down simply I am going to give you something concrete to work with so you can actually start the process of removing obstacles from your life and experience the growth and development you desire. There are 4 steps and they are as follows:
1. Identify Limiting Thoughts: And write them down so you are clear as to what they are.
2. Dispute Limiting Thoughts: Think of motivating thoughts that will highlight how your initial thoughts are floored or wrong and write them next to your limiting thoughts.
3. Identify Logistical Problems: Again write them down so you are under no illusion what is stopping you.
4. Remove Logistical Problems: Now create a strategy that will help you overcome any logistical barriers and write them next to your identified problems.
Now you have something visual that you can work through to remove any obstacles that will restrict you from achieving personal goals.

My point is once the time has been taken to remove obstacles you are free to develop and grow rapidly as an individual. Rushing in and not taking time on this process will bring you unstuck time and time again. You only have to look at how many diets there are out there and how many actually work long term. How many times people just go out and buy a gym membership and stop using it after a short period of time. The obstacles haven't been removed they were just overlooked temporarily.

3 Reasons Why Skipping Meals is Dangerous

All of the experts agree, fat loss basically boils down to the negative balance between energy in versus energy out. So to cut out meals especially dinner in theory seems like it has merit. After all the energy in has been cut by a fair amount so the scales should balance up more in favour of energy expenditure. I don't like the concept of missing meals and I don't think it's beneficial to long term health let alone losing body fat which is why most people skip meals.

Firstly we struggle to get enough nutrients in our diets as it is, so skipping meals is a sure way to ensure we become more nutrient deficient. In turn this will cause hunger pangs and sugar cravings leading to eventual food and sugar binges. Secondly by not constantly feeding your metabolism it will start to slow down. The slower your metabolism the less excess body fat your body will eat as a fuel source. In fact the slower your metabolism the more body fat will get stored as an emergency fuel source. And thirdly if you are skipping meals and especially dinners your body is going to be without fuel for anything up to 12 to 14 hours. The body will start to feed on itself as it is storing body fat for emergencies. What is getting eaten is your lean muscle stores which is your greatest weapon in the fat loss fight and for maintaining a healthy metabolism, vital for homeostasis (the internal systems maintain internal health by itself).

So as you can see by supposedly doing what is in theory correct you may be doing some pretty serious damage to your system. To summarise the damage you could be doing in my sought of language - simple. You will be restricting your intake of minerals and vitamins, storing body fat and destroying your most valuable asset in your quest for longevity; your muscle. You are virtually telling your body to start shutting down the system. We don't need to make so much energy any more. Please don't follow the pack and if you need advice ask, it could add years to your life and greatly increase the quality of it.

I'll be Back, But I Can Only Take so Much.

Becoming more aware of your general posture while sitting, standing and even driving must occur first. Once you have developed an awareness you can then start the process of addressing poor posture. Bending is an every day occurrence however it is rarely done properly. To think you can hurt your back when simply bending over to pick up a piece of paper to most is not possible. Yet it's common to hear of this happening. The reason has nothing to do with weight but more to do with the spine having enough of the abuse you are handing out to it; unconsciously of course.

Changing the way you think about bending will go along way to helping you change the actual way you bend. In all the positions we put ourselves into, the spine should always stay neutral or in it's natural position. By rounding your back to get down and pick up a piece of paper is putting a lot of load on your spine. Due to the fact the spine is out of it's natural position which is it's strongest. If you think of your hip region as a hinge and not just a part of your body that differentiates upper from lower this will help.

Not Ideal, yet common practice

Ideal Hip Hinge / Neutral Spine

By maintaining neutral spine as highlighted above you save your spine from excessive loading which you may get away with for years. But as we get older and if we increase our body fat content and allow our muscle strength to decrease those supposed incidental activities such as picking up a weightless object from the floor exert huge loads on your spine. Keeping your spine in neutral alignment takes practice and effort but the effort invested now will save you a life marred by back pain and restriction later on in life. All of our programs ensure you are aware of the correct back positioning and assisted to correct deficiencies if desired.

Under Arms Out of Mind

Have you ever been in a social situation and someone was a bit on the nose. They had a body odour issue and not many people wanted to get too close. We all have our own unique odour and anti-perspirants is the normal way to mask our BO. But is it the only way to stop BO? Most anti-perspirants contain aluminium and with conditions such as Alzheimer's on the rise we need to reduce the amount we put in or on our bodies. Aluminium is also unhealthy for our bones.

Not to mention that by using anti-perspirants you stop the natural process of toxin removal from the armpit via sweat. I know sweating from the armpit feels wet and uncomfortable but just remember it's a natural process and it's healthy. For your healths sake you would be better off wiping your armpit with a damp cloth or rag and then drying the area. Not ideal but that is your choice. Changing shirts is another option also if you are worried about people seeing your wet spots!! There is also evidence that support anti-perspirants are influencing breast cancers supposedly through the lack of toxin removal from the armpit.

The best advice I can give for keeping the BO at bay, reducing you aluminium exposure and allowing your sweat glands to work naturally. Use organic deodorants, natural crystals (similar to roll on anti-perspirant minus the aluminium and perfume) and I have even heard of bicarb soda being used(not for me). This is another example of how changing small parts of your lifestyle incrementally will increase your long term health and well being, this is another example of how Lifestyle coaching can increase the quality of your life.

Get in the Game

If you have been around sport or even watched a little bit of sport in your time you would be very familiar with the saying, 'get in the game'. If you aren't familiar with the saying just think of it as prompting you to get involved; do something or in true Aussie slang, have a go mate. I'm going to use the term a little differently but with the end result hopefully being that you start getting involved in your own game of life. Now life can be serious and we can take life pretty serious at times but I think to achieve more from our efforts we need to lighten up.

If you are having difficulty getting into the exercise/activity thing well don't fret you're not alone. But it doesn't mean it's OK, you need activity I'm sorry. Without it you play Russian roulette with your health and well being. What I suggest is, make up games or scenarios that juice you to take action. Create a game that compels you to try and win. This will motivate you to take consistent action to win the game. It may be a few of you having a distance running comp. It may be a weight loss game. It could be a race or a competitive shoot out at a certain date. It doesn't matter what it is just as long as you are keen to win or at least have a damn good shot at it.

A recent conversation with a body builder highlighted this point to me. He has a body fat percentage of 8% which is phenomenal. But for his competitions he gets down to a body fat percentage level of 2 or 3%. But he even admits he could never ever possibly get down that low except for competitions. That is his game, his motivating force. That is an extreme example of motivation but the principle stays the same.

To get in the game I've put together these four steps to guide you.
1. Create - Find something that captures you and you would love to commit to for 8 or 12 weeks. It must excite you and set a reward or a prize at the end of the game for you to strive for.
2. Enjoy - Have fun doing it. If it isn't fun your enthusiasm and motivation will not be high enough.
3. Want - You must want success. Be hungry and desperate to succeed or win. Bring your competitive side out. Again this will keep you motivated.
4. Reward - Claim the prize and reward yourself for the great effort you have put in. We move towards pleasure and away from pain so it is important to feel the pleasure of the reward.

Don't be Scared, Just get Uncomfortable

Not knowing what to do. Not knowing how many sets and reps you need to do. Where I need to keep my heart rate. When should I eat? What should I eat? Do some of these questions or all of them stop you from partaking in a structured exercise program? If the answer is yes then follow on and see if this will assist. If you have other questions than the ones quoted and they are restricting your motivation via lack of perceived knowledge this also applies to you; hopefully.

It isn't necessarily your lack of drive or willpower that is holding you back from activity, nor is it your fear of perceived hot, sweaty and stinky aftermath. It is your mindset. You aren't happy to get out of a comfortable place and enter an uncomfortable area. Because certain questions appear and you aren't sure of the answer, your immediate response is;'I don't know', 'It's too hard, or simply 'not for me'. In other words get back to your comfort zone. Life is easier there and I am prepared to under achieve as long as I don't have to feel so uncomfortable. Sorry if I seem to be picking on you, but sometimes the truth needs to be told.

I should know more than anyone. I haven't had so much fun in my life as I have done for the last two years, give or take a few months. But I would be lying if I told you it was plain sailing. I have never been more challenged by mentors and myself, sometimes to the point where I have really had to gather up all of my internal belongings and check myself in again. A couple of times I felt like I was a stranger in my own body and needed to get to know myself again. I disputed myself and my mindset's beliefs. It was hard but it was revolutionary because I survived the ordeal and grew from the experiences.

Getting back to the activity or exercise theme, the principle is the same. Think abundant and not scared. What can I do or who can help me. People like to help and all you have to do is ask. After the initial setback and ego denting activity of asking for help you begin to realise it is the only way you are going to prosper. You and me both only know what we know until we discover something different. My advice is get out into the unknown and make sure you abundafy your attitude to capitalise on all of the opportunities to learn from what's always around us. Start with your activity levels first. The rest will be history.

Employing a Mental Gatekeeper Makes Good Sense

In carrying out my work as a restrictionator I need to introduce to you how hard it should be for your thoughts to qualify. This is timely with the Olympics starting as I put this piece together. I recently wrote on how you would be well served to investigate the kind of thoughts we allow into our heads which you can read here. Progressing on from playing investigator or gatekeeper you now need to transform your mind into the official selector. Focusing on qualifying the right kind of messages your brain needs to hear for you to grow and develop as an individual.

Take our Olympic athletes for example. These individuals have to go through a rigorous qualification process to get in to the Aussie squad. However for years leading up to that selection or qualification process they are visualising themselves successfully competing in the games. Do you think they would even get to Olympic trials if there thoughts were restrictive in any way. These aspiring Olympians train their minds to be their most valuable tool and if they aren't aware of the quality of their thoughts and only qualifying the beneficial ones they will fail in their quest for optimal performance. This is foundational not something they pick up along the way. Without this quality they are wasting their time even training physically to get to the selection trials.

Although you probably aren't aspiring to be a competing Olympic athlete it doesn't mean your mind doesn't have to qualify your thoughts for you to succeed in achieving outcomes. To aspire to a richly rewarding relationship with your wife, to get the promotion you want, to lose a certain amount of kilos or to just keep your bedroom tidy; (don't laugh I set this goal for myself years ago) you still need to qualify the right messages to have success. So my parting advice for all you budding successful restrictionees, make it hard for your messages to qualify before allowing them in. It may mean saying no more than you say yes to your thoughts. You still have to think so why not train yourself to do it for your benefit. Think qualification not damnation to get progression and stop stagnation.

Don't Leave It for Another Year

After chatting with a mate recently who for the record is a highly regarded keynote speaker over east. I discovered another reason why Winter is a great time to hibernate. The winter social calender drops off for obvious reasons. But also two of our main energy paths (called meridians in traditional chinese medicine) are very active in winter. And they are responsible for governing body temp, motivation, nervous system and sexual energy.

So with all of the above in mind it makes sense to tap into this inner energy and start relating what you want to do in the next 6 months to what you are currently focussing on. Because I can guarantee once the warmer, sunny weather appears in another month or so your social calender rises and if you aren't organised not a lot of personal development, achievement or whatever you want to call it will happen. You must have your actions and plans already mapped out to guide you through summer to allow progress whilst making the most of this fun and festive period.

Putting these four steps into play now will ensure you get the most out of the warmer months this year otherwise you may miss the boat so to speak for another year.
1. Think. Think about your direction and focus, not so hard that you start worrying or panicking about it and procrastinate.
2. Plan. Put your thinking into a plan so you now have a map of where you are going when summer hits. Visualise the end result first and then fit the steps in along the way that will get you there.
3. Act. Time to convert your plan into action. Getting motivation comes from working on the things you like and gives you the most reward. Don't forget to review your progress.
4. Identify. Identify and evaluate what is stressing you and how you are handling them. Are you reactive, inactive or proactive to these 'stressors'?

In a nutshell you only have a month or so left to make sure you get yourself planned on track and acting before spring and summer take hold. Wherever you would like to direct your energy, follow the above steps and go for it. Follow the map and you will find the destination. If it's health, career, hobbies or relationships get onto it now. After the chat with my mate I now know why New Year's resolutiuons are hugely unsuccesful. Beat the crowd and plan your resolutions now, you will probably have achieved them by the time others attempt to plan theirs!

Keep It Simple to See the Benefits

Today I am letting you in on something that manifested in my thoughts whilst taking my two youngest kids for a walk yesterday. I had to wait for today because yesterday was my day solely dedicated to being with them. The message is solely about how much we over emphasise exercise for fat loss. This probably sounds wrong coming from a restrictionator that prescribes exercise as a part of a healthy holistic lifestyle to increase well being.

My point being reducing fat loss is achieved by using up more energy than you take in. So what I emphasise to all and sundry that cross my path and wants to lose weight - get more physical activity in your life. Walk, run, skip, hop or whatever tickles your fancy but just move. What this will do is use up more energy obviously but it then enhances any other efforts you are utilising to drop some excess fat stores. You are setting yourself up for failure if you are doing 2 or 3 hours a week of specifically designed fat loss training and not much else. You simply aren't using up enough energy. Add another 6 or more hours physical activity in the mix and the scales will definitely head in your favour.

The physical activity doesn't have to be anything other than walking or it could be something more demanding like skateboarding or running. To add your specific fat loss efforts on top of an already enjoyably active lifestyle you should see much better results plus you will receive a lot more health benefits. Don't get me wrong I will always encourage resistance type of training in any holistic lifestyle especially if losing weight is a desired outcome. But to rely on weight training or resistance type of training solely may be not enough.

Just like you hear finance experts telling you to spread your risk factors and don't put all of your eggs in one basket use the same principle with your lifestyle and fat loss efforts. Have multiple energy using sources to help guarantee success.

Show Yourself Some Identification

Remember way back when (for some of us) when you were asked for identification to prove your age before you entered a licenced premises. It is also standard practice to have to show ID to open a bank account or get a credit card. Society takes this for granted and whilst it can be a pain in the butt at times, the masses recognise the importance of all of these identification processes.

However something goes a miss when it comes to ourselves. In my chosen role as a restrictionator (terminator of restrictions) the first plan of attack should be to change your mindset. Simply because we all possess conditioning's from our upbringings that will feel almost tattooed permanently into our psyches. I am the first to own up to having them and I'll also admit not all of those conditioning's are bad for me. But if you aren't aware of them then there is definitely no way you will erase the damaging thought processes that keep restricting your personal development. Whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual or mental restrictions you place on yourself it has the potential to stop your development in its tracks.

Without trying to address and then fix everything all at once your first point of call is your thoughts. Start identifying what it is you are actually thinking. Are your thoughts regularly negative and restrictive. For example, "I would never be able to do that" or "When I do that I will be a better person ....". Although the examples are vague I hope you get the point. Once you know what you are putting into your head space you can identify what it is that will be holding you back in some capacity. Without revealing your thought patterns there is no way known you can ID the destructive ones that will be holding up your development.

I liken it to creating a building base or foundation that is solid enough to take the massive weight that will be placed upon it. Any weakness that is left unattended could lead to potential destruction and disaster. Your mind is the same. If you have weaknesses that are left unattended they will most definitely surface in some shape or form. Get on the case and become a Sherlock Holmes in your mind, any clues you find will be vital.

Elite Athletes do it Why Shouldn't We?

I'm talking about taking a break, having an off season to recover and rejuvenate. I think we can learn a lot from elite athletes just by seeing how they constantly attempt to get the best out of themselves. In doing this they also have regular natural health intervention such as physio, chiropractic care and massage to name a few plus medicos on hand to assist. Because they are attempting to keep themselves free of injury and sickness in order to carry out their trade optimally. Isn't that what you should be doing?

If you look at the way you live at present in general terms there is no comparison to an elite athlete. Fair enough I realise you aren't an athlete with elite status but you can still invest in yourself to enable you to run on all cylinders. After all if you go down who pays you? My generalised view of our lives goes something like this; work 8.30am till 5.00pm if your lucky, get dinner ready and try and fit in activity, social interaction, hobbies oh and get some sleep as well. Repeat, repeat and repeat again. This goes on all year rain hail or shine with little if any thought to recovery, rejuvenation or preventing sickness. Just keep going, it's the way it is. When you do go on holidays or take your annual leave you are usually to tired and run down to enjoy it.

Point being you need to periodise your lives other wise there is no way you will operate any where near your peak. I wrote about the winter blues recently and how they affect energy, motivation and even our mental state. So it makes sense that winter should be the time when you purposefully slow down. You are now aware this is the time we slow down anyway so why not make it your off season. And while you are there factor in regular you time during your year for recovery and rejuvenation. There is a great book out called "Flip the Switch" by Andrew May who goes into greater detail about all of this stuff if you are interested in taking this further. Just remember you are the only one who will truly look after yourself and spend time, money and energy ensuring you are firing on all cylinders and preventing illness and disease. Everyone else is thinking about themselves to. Time you started isn't it.

Here is Your Wake Up Call

Undernourished, disease, dehydration and malnutrition are all words we associate with third world countries. Well I hate to tell you but undernourished and dehydrated apply to us in the developed world also. A vast majority of individuals don't drink enough water leaving us chronically dehydrated. Big problem. And a massive proportion of us don't get enough micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in our diet. In fact judging by the study we dredged up none of us are getting enough nutrients in our diets.

The purpose of this study was to determine if food intake alone provided the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) requirements for 10 vitamins and 7 minerals. The ten vitamins analyzed were Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B-1, Vitamin B-2, Vitamin B-3, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, and Folate. The seven minerals analyzed were Iodine, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, and Selenium. 20 people were analysed comprising of 6 sedentary individuals and 14 athletes. Pro cyclists and amateur cyclists, athletes and triathletes were in the mix.

There is so much info I could stuff into this post but you would switch off before you finished it all so I will leave the address at the bottom of the article if you wish to check it out yourself. Very briefly 10 diets were calorie deficient and 10 were calorie excessive but the real problem is that none of the participants met the minimum recommended daily allowance for their micro nutrient intake. You may have already suspected this already, but I found this alarming and highlighted how our vitamin and mineral deficiencies reduces our ability to prevent nutrient deficiency diseases and disorders. For the record Iodine, Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin E, Vitamin E and Calcium was lacking in all of the diets monitored.

To wrap this up let me reiterate that this study was only conducted on 20 people. So hopefully more widespread research can be carried out in this area. However I am quite confident in predicting most intakes would fall short of the mark nutritionally. Now is the time to make changes if you wish to increase the quality of your diet and your health. The longer you wait, the more open you leave yourself to nutrient deficiency problems. Even small incremental changes will make a massive difference. Take matters into your own hands and take action today.

The address of this study can be found at jissn.com/content/3/1/51

Changes, What Changes?

Do you get concerned, anxious and uneasy when you know things are going to change. Or do you do just avoid change like the plague? If routine is vital for you and change is frowned upon then perhaps you need to think about changing your mindset.

Your still with me; good. The basis for my change topic is that we only know what we know and as far as we are concerned that is all that counts. Have you ever been told or asked to do something different to the way you normally do things? Even if it's just mentally you resisted initially didn't you? Even more so if you were ordered or rudely told to do it. See we believe as fact the first thing we learn or are told on a subject. Research carried out by the University of Michigan states whatever information individuals first hear is what is believed. It is taken and embedded in your brain as fact. This illustrates why we must be careful not to carry around the old and out of date conditioning's that are mostly ineffective and often incorrect. As is normally the case with ideas carried around in the minds of most people.

If you are existing with restriction in your life at the moment then you need change. Be aware of your thoughts and see if they are restrictive. Do you often repeat the phrases like, 'when I' and 'if only I could'. Even phrases starting with 'I should' are restrictive. Are you exercising the same way you did 5 years ago and wondering why you aren't seeing the results you desire? Is your diet the same as it was in your childhood? Do you carry around beliefs you have had instilled in you from parents, grandparents or old coaches? If you answered yes to any of theses questions then why not dissect your actions and see if they are beneficial or restrictive. And if you screwed up your face in angst at my suggestions, I hope the wind doesn't change because if it does you will stay like that forever!!! Change; a life with less restriction is dependent upon it.

Are You Aware of Your Value in the Grand Scheme Of Things

This post has been inspired by a collection of experiences that my wife and I have been through very recently. My wife runs her own business and has recently refurbished her hair salon. She has dealt with suppliers, contractors and her own staff majorly in the last two to three weeks. because of her tales and tribulations I have seen from a outsiders view how our values and actions can impact on so many.

An example was where a small furniture company's owner was on holidays. All dealings were with a younger employee. Everything was a drama and was really drawn out. There was no passion for her job and doing the best for everyone she came into contact with. My first thoughts were she doesn't care and she is slacking off because the boss is away. Then my mind started flipping things around to see it from her point of view. Hypothetically of course.

She isn't aware of the importance she plays in the general community. Her inaction and unprofessional manner upset harmony between two individuals initially. Due to this other associated professions were disrupted creating a snowball effect of setbacks and hold ups. All of them reflected badly on the company, not her as she is representing that company. The people affected will all speak badly of the company to their associates, the company loses credibility and in turn business and if this keeps going unchecked, her job will go and she will hate her boss for sacking her. All in all her perceived lack of value has been reinforced by the end result, but she will have no idea of the scale of destruction in the lead up to that point.

Maybe as a boss he should be making her aware of her value to the company and reinforcing that value in some way. Instead she isn't learning her true value, he isn't capitalising on it and the community suffers also through general inefficient and inharmonious practices and the company not reaching it's true potential and employing more staff. If this girl never has her true value highlighted to her and how her actions affect so many others she will go through life absolutely clueless of her self worth. Reinforcing how important it is for you and me to keep striving to realise our true value first and our circle of influence will benefit from that realisation much more.

SAD; Nature Recognises it But us Humans Just Don't Get it

The winter months have more darkness, are colder and in general can be down right gloomy. We struggle getting out of bed and motivation can be found wanting even in the highest achievers in the world. We can experience more mood swings, energy loss, food cravings, weight gain and general depressive emotions in winter. SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a real issue and I have heard quotes of as many as 1 person in 300 being affected by the condition in Australia. I prefer to call it the winter blues because from my understanding SAD is a very hard disorder to diagnose. Purely because of the overlap between sleeping problems and depression.

Nature is a great measuring tool from my perspective and on this issue I can actually compare how nature works and how wrong we as humans are getting it. Looking at nature you will see animals going into hibernation over winter. You will see caterpillars wrapping themselves into cocoons for the colder months. Birds either nesting down or flying the coup to warmer lands. Yet we carry on as normal and push ourselves even harder. The fact of the matter is we haven't much control over the winter blues because our circadian rhythms become confused due to less light to regulate our melatonin levels.

I have put together 3 steps that can help get through this period smoother but the last step I have highlighted is vital for the transition into this period from the summer months. They are as follows.
1. Get natural light and keep active - Although it may not be sunny you can still gain great value from getting outdoors and soaking up the natural light. While you are outside you may as well go for a walk, ride or run; this can be testing due to rain, work and temperature but it will help regulate sleep patterns and help boost energy.
2. Balanced Diet - Mood swings may be controlled with a balanced diet and regular meals. This will help control sugar cravings.
3. Plan for winter - If you are aware that the winter blues are a possibility then alter your lifestyle accordingly. Don't push when energy and moods are low. Listen to your body but don't play on it too much. Activity is still important. Take a mini break maybe.

It may be a good time when inside activities are favoured over outside activities to focus on ways to improve any physical restrictions that you may have. Or better still any mindset restrictions that may be holding you back from improving your health and well being. After all you want to be at your peak for summer don't you?

Don't Blame Your Health on Your Genetics

Some magnificent findings have surfaced from a study conducted by Dean Ormish,MD and a few associates in California revealing you can change the way your genes work by improving your lifestyle. The trial was performed on men with prostate cancer who decided to forgo treatment until their condition got worse. Instead they agreed to undergo a lifestyle overhaul to see if this made any impact on their condition. More than 500 genes changed the way they worked after a genetic analysis. They can't say yet if the cancer was controlled but the changes did manage to change the genetic make up of non cancerous cells in the prostate. Cancer promoting genes were switched off and cancer suppressing genes became more active.

The lifestyle changes involved a more natural and unprocessed diet containing lots of plant foods and whole grains. Walking for half an hour 6 days a week and 1 hour on 3 days a week as well as an hour a day of stretching, breathing and meditation that were derivatives from yoga techniques. They also became involved in a support group for social support and to give them a sense of closeness and belonging.

This may seem like a lot of extra time required on your already full schedule but remember these fellas are coming from a cancer diagnosis. If you are disease and sickness free then wholesale changes aren't called for. The inclusion of lifestyle improving measures bit by bit will be very beneficial. The genetic changes shown in the participants was achieved in only 3 months, imagine how a life committed to incremental lifestyle improvements could benefit your genes.

So using the gene excuse doesn't cut it any more. It is great to have studies like this to prove and encourage you to keep looking for improvements in lifestyles constantly. This doesn't mean everything you hear you do, but you can develop a greater awareness of ways to create interventions to your lifestyle for the better. Diet and nutrition, physical activity and even the way you think can be very beneficial for your lifestyle.

You can find the findings in the June 17 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Physical Activity the Ultimate Anti-Aging Poly Pill

After reading an article and viewing associated power points on the topic of viewing physical activity (PA) as a medicine. This topic is going to keep growing momentum and with the ever increasing reliance and acceptance of technology and societal factors us and the Gen 'Y's are going to have to make PA an absolute priority in our lives. Messages such as increasing fish oil consumption and green tea intake are great and getting through to more and more people. The PA message is just as important. The key figure delivering this message was Dr Karim Kahn an Aussie trained sports physician now an associate at The Uni of British Columbia in Vancouver.

What must be highlighted is PA is anything. There is an abundance of ways to increase physical activity. If you are a sales person you could get 60 minutes of increased activity a day by scheduling in an extra 10 minutes per appointment and parking 5 minutes walk away and trekking to and from 6 appointments. Very simplistic example from a very simple man I know (me). Dr Karim states in his message that PA could even be more beneficial to the brain than the heart. He also goes on to say cell function, cancer prevention, type II diabetes prevention, bone strength and health are all benefits of this PA poly-pill. And adding a bit of sarcastic humour to the equation he also states if those benefits don't interest you then how about a 60% reduced risk of erectile disfunction.

What really interested me was the fact that the find 30 minutes a day message bandied around these days is well short of the mark. Something I will be addressing personally in my own life is that 7 days a week we should be incorporating 60 minutes of PA. Because the complete genetic makeup of a cell evolved with a high componet of PA so the benefits of increasing PA would be
evolutionary. The US only introduced the 30 minutes a day message because they thought finding 60 would be too daunting!!! The truth hurts sometimes don't it.

To finish with Dr Kahn quoted a conclusion from a study conducted by Frank Booth in the Journal of Applied Physiology, 2002 titled,'Waging War on Physical Inactivity' that says, "with the possible exception of diet modification, we know of no single intervention with such great promise than physical exercise to reduce the risk of all chronic diseases simultaneously". I don't think I need to add much more to this except pass this message on to all of your friends, family and loved ones. Any assistance needed to help you integrate PA into your tight schedule I would love to help.

If you feel the need to read the power points from Dr Kahn's presentation go to the apaconferenceweek07.asn.au/ website and the link is:
website_pdfs/presentations/MPA/Fri%20AM/Khan-K.pdf

Optionate to Increase Natural Energy

You read it right, optionate. It haven't spelt it incorrectly, I just manufactured another word. It is just my way of quickening the way I explain to people, you need to think options if you want to create a natural energy flow that influences long lasting positive changes. Even more so if you are a person of influence or want to be and would like to influence outcomes positively.

Let me illustrate my point by highlighting something I witnessed today. It is so common that we all would of heard something similar if not on a daily basis very regularly. I took my three children to a fast food outlet and let them play on the playground on their premises. For the record I took fruit and water for the kids and I bought a coffee just to satisfy the staff that we were paying customers.

There was another family there who were there to have lunch. I heard the following instructions being delivered to a young girl who would of been no older than 5 or 6 years old. The father or grandfather ordered her to stop blowing bubbles in her drink as it was splashing everywhere. Fine in theory but think of it from the little girls position. She was happy and enjoying herself and the instruction stopped the fun. To get a win win scenario for all parties involved would of been to approach it as follows. Mary (made up name) if you want to blow bubbles in your drink that's fine but I will be forced to take the drink off you because you are wasting the drink and are making a mess with something you are supposed to be drinking. Or you can stop blowing bubbles and I won't take the drink of you. It's your choice, which one would you prefer.

So the onus is back on the little girl to make a decision for herself that stops her blowing bubbles either way, so the father wins and she will not want to lose her drink so she would take the second option. So she perceives a win out of the situation also. Then there is no dummy spitting and tantrums thrown or worse still resentment towards the father for restricting her enjoyment.

Point being that any decision you take doesn't have to be restrictive. Such as cutting out certain foods completely because you want to lose weight or cutting calories ridiculously. Optionating the process so you are nudging yourself towards making the choice in order to achieve a desired outcome is far better than restricting yourself from doing something to achieve an outcome. More reasons why restrictive actions are not the best option to create natural energy flows. By taking an option that really empowers you to take action rather than restrict practices creates a force far greater and motivating than any action taken out of perceived necessity. Clear as mud?

Adaptation Should Be Your Enemy

Adaptation is defined as a form or structure modified to fit a changed environment. To many adaptation is what is desired. Mainly because it's comfortable and the feeling of being in control is important. I'm here to tell you adaptation shouldn't be tolerated unless you would like to stay exactly as you are right now. Can you see yourself doing exactly as you are doing now for the rest of your life and being happy doing it?

This applies especially for people trying to change their physical appearance by either toning up, losing weight or increasing muscle size. If these outcomes are desired then doing the same thing over and over again is only going to waste your time. Any change must be bought about by an increase or a change in the stimulus to evoke the desired end result. I have seen it myself in a gym I was once a member of. Walking back in their recently I saw familiar faces and familiar bodies. Don't get me wrong I applaude them for sticking to their exercise regime but if they are hoping to elicit a change, it aint going to happen. Same applies with running, riding or weights training. No increase in intensity, distance or format will allow the body to adapt and won't gain any benefit out of the activity after a while.

Same goes with personal development, education or anything for that matter; if you adapt and then don't change you aren't growing. I have heard some people state that if you aren't growing then you are dying!!!

So if growth and development is important for you then don't get comfortable for too long. Find new challenges, attempt new tasks. Bump up the weights in the gym and make your session shorter. Read a self development book and implement the changes. Just keep pushing the boundaries a little so you aren't ever in total control. A common theme I hear with succesful people is that their lives are like organised chaos. Never in control totally but not out of control either. Don't go with the mob get on the outer and see where it takes you. Make adaptation your enemy and if you aren't sure how to do this seek assistance.

Sammy is a Genius

I was introduced to Sammy on the weekend and he reinforced to me how to get a positive reaction from a perceived negative situation. See Sammy isn't human, he has only one leg and can't float. I was introduced to him by my son Tyrone who met Sammy at his swimming lesson on Saturday. For the record Tyrone is 3 years old.

Sammy's was introduced to Tyrone to encourage him to put his head under water. This is very frightening for Tyrone as it is for all of the other boys in his group. But Sammy was funny and captured the attention of the kids big time. Although the thought of dipping his head under the water wasn't any more inviting than before Sammy arrived; getting Sammy off the bottom of the pool was number one priority now. The priority had shifted from worrying about putting his head under water to getting Sammy off the bottom of the pool.

My point is some things don't seem very inviting. Such as eating fruit and vegetables over cakes or deep fried fast foods. Getting up in the morning to participate in exercise sometimes isn't as attractive as staying in bed for an extra half an hour. To get you to move forward and participate in the perceived not so attractive options you need to find a motivating factor that juices you to do anything needed to get it. I can't tell you what your end result should be, but if you look deep within it is inside and it will motivate you to greater heights.

Exercise Minus Healthy Nutrition = Unhealthy Lifestyle

On reading the headline you are probably saying to yourself,"I know this already, it's not rocket science". But the underlying message I am going to try and unearth for you isn't as simple as the title suggests. If it is then great you should be on the way to creating an existence rich in Lifesperity.

It isn't unheard of to hear of individuals making the sacrifice to exercise and attend to part of their lifestyle in a bid to increase their health and well being however nutrition and diet are not even addressed. They think because they are exercising they are automatically healthier. Nothing couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact if exercise is undertaken that is vigorous and of high intensity, without adequate nutritional habits you can actually increase the percentages of lifestyle conditions occurring.

Again I am probably going to sound like a broken record here but if one aspect of your lifestyle efforts is adhered to and others aren't then the likelihood of overcompensating in that area is greatly increased. As is commonly reported, exercise is carried out daily to cover for poor nutritional habits. Stress of exercise plus the stress of incorrect food options has no option but to equal double stress. They can't equal each other out. The sad fact is exercise is usually then carried out for longer to use up more calories in a bid to counteract poor nutrition; more stress!!!

As a lifestyle coach seeing these two common imbalances in a lifestyle means that emotional and spiritual health isn't optimal either. This is adding more stress to the equation just compounding the invisible and silent problem of an unhealthy lifestyle which are often realised only when you are diagnosed with some condition, relationships end or depression and associated problems present. Get holistic it is the way ahead, don't keep over compensating and kidding yourself that because you are exercising you are healthy.

Getting Back On My High Horse In Regard To Restrictive Practices.

As you have probably guessed by the title I am going to rant about how restrictive practices aren't the right way to go about achieving a long term positive outcome. The reason I get so passionate about this is I have learnt from my experiences. I have stopped positive outcomes in my life by restricting my actions. By not taking risks, by not questioning mainstream thinking. Just going with the mob and following the flow.

I am in the process of putting together a book about why fat loss and its associated thinking and practices need to lose their identity in the world of health and fitness. Because the mere sound of fat loss sparks thoughts of restriction and reduction. I was so happy to hear the thoughts of a high profile American nutritionist about how people should go about keeping their weight in check. Dr Chris Mohr was asked what are the three things he thinks are most important in keeping your weight in check. Here's his summary of what he said, "I never said cut your calories in half. I never said decrease your calories. I never said reduce your fat intake, reduce your carb intake or anything like that. The three things I said two of them were increase or eat more and one of was write down what you eat.

Hearing this from a high profile high flyer in the health and fitness world has given me great motivation to keep spreading the non-restrictive practices message and I hope it encourages you to stop restricting yourself and start taking actions that take you towards your outcomes. And more importantly don't believe and trust the first thing you hear because the person you heard it from is probably coming from a mindset of scarcity and not abundance. To see if some of the things you have heard are true or myths why not check out this myth busting resource to get you started.

How's Your Filter Working?

Recently our household experienced a leaking pipe from the sink which left water in our cupboard. Much to our disgust, as the house we live in is only three and a half years old. Consequently we were inundated with midges (small flying insects). As we don't use fly sprays in the house we can't seem to get rid of them. So Adriana googled midges and found out goldfish eat them and by getting a fish tank these little critters get attracted to the water and light, leaving them to become fish tucker. Of course with the fish comes the responsibility of feeding and keeping the tank clean. A filter is a necessity and vital for their survival.

Our filter should be viewed with the same degree of importance. Although not life threatening immediately like the goldfish's. If left unattended and even turned off it may become a life threatening hazard for us to. Whether you agree with it or not, we have control over our thoughts and our actions. However if you don't filter the thoughts entering your head space you relinquish that control. With dire consequences.

Your thoughts will be mixed and varied, that is a given. But the way we filter them isn't. If you choose to stay unaware of your thoughts you will automatically manifest your most dominant thoughts. So if a very negative outcome or fearful outcome is played out in your mind and you aren't filtering the way you react to that thought, there is a fair chance you will be moved towards that dominant thought. So in actual fact your dominant thought will be manifested by you if you leave them there to build momentum. Leading to actions congruent to your thoughts. Flip the scenario and ensure your filter is ramped up and working efficiently your dominant thoughts and emotions will be those of harmony, positivity, fun and ultimately favourable outcomes. Leading to actions also congruent with your thoughts.

Both of these thoughts require the same amount of energy so why not maintain your filter and see what the difference is. You have the choice and if you are totally honest with yourself you are responsible for every outcome that comes your way. Start immediately by analysing your lifestyle to see what sort of shape it is in. Once you are aware of any weaknesses in your lifestyle
filtering out any destructive emotions will allow you to get into positive lifestyle territory and build an extremely positive Lifesperity portfolio.

Start Asking Harder Questions

Do you like such and such? What do you think of him/her? You hear these questions asked a lot don't you? On reflection you probably ask these questions to don't you? I don't want to know why you ask these questions, that is for another time.

What I don't think happens enough is we don't ask ourselves that same question!!! That's right talk to yourself. We have over 50000 thoughts in a day, so we do talk to ourselves regularly. A healthy lifestyle consists of a healthy spiritual and emotional well being. So if your emotions that you allow into your head space are negative and you aren't aware of them. If your mind filter isn't working, this aspect of your lifestyle won't be as healthy as it should be. It is also known that what emotions you think or feel manifest into actions. If someone thinks angry and violently!!!!! Keep away from them. If someone is self doubting and unsure of their potential their actions become consistent with those thoughts.

So ask yourself do I like myself? If you don't why not? Then you can fix what part of yourself you don't like and move on to start liking yourself and accepting yourself for who you are and not for who society dictates who you should be. This should be a key step in starting long term lifestyle adherence and improving your health, happiness and well being. I call it Lifesperity.

The Silent Omega Will Catch up With You.

Shopping at my local supermarket this week I couldn't help but be amazed at the amount of oils are being produced and sold. There is a whole isle virtually selling oil. What's more alarming is they are predominately cheaply priced vegetable oils. They contain predominately omega 6 fatty acids which we do need but not too much of. Hence the inspiration to warn you of a very big problem in the developed world today. Omega 6 overload.

If the intake of omega-6 fats gets to high it will cause the bodies metabolic system of balancing and checking itself and functioning optimally to malfunction. The abundance of processed foods have caused a huge in flux of omega 6 fatty acid into the western world's diet and in so doing has sparked a huge imbalance in the ratio of omega 6 fats to omega 3 fats. The omega 6/omega 3 in most people would be completely out of control. Instead of the ration being around the recommended level of 4:1 omega 6/omega 3 the current American diet is averaging out at 20:1. That means Australia is going that way to.

The effects of an overload of omega 6s means we are increasing inflammation and dangerous blood clotting within the body. Increasing thrombosis, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, coronary heart disease and tumour formation. This can be attributed to the wide usage of plant oils such as canola oils, sunflower, grape seed and safflower oils. Cooking with these oils will also push up omega 6 intake. Not to mention the amount of prepacked and take away foods that our society consumes. We already get a sufficient amount of essential omega 6 in our grain fed meats and nuts so it would do you well to stay away from vegetable oils and a lot of packaged and take away meals.

The solution is start eating a more natural and unprocessed diet that contains grass fed meats, coconut oils, organic and grass fed dairy and stay away from heavily marketed vegetable oils. These changes will make a huge difference to your life, guaranteed. If you find you are constantly aching and tired there is a fair chance your omega 6 levels are way too high. Get help if you don't want to keep overloading your system.