Sunday, December 23, 2007

Sunday 23rd December - Try to Feed em - Don't fatten em !

Twas the days before Xmas and all through the world people frantically are buying enough food to feed armies although only their families will be in attendance. I guess my point for this Blog is to be mindful of excess.

When I was in the Military the cooks (highly qualified chefs) would use a mantra for dishing out food, that I came to understand when I asked them what was the theory behind meal times ? They used to say that their goal was to "feed them not fatten them".

In times of plenty it would seem that now this is a great way to consider the portion laden servings that we get nowadays and this excess consumption contributing to our waist lines.

We waste so little effort consuming excess calories that our waist lines grow by the day. I saw an alarming report this morning. With the problem of childhood obesity being an issue from too many calories from sugar and fat there is now a concern for a growing number of these at risk children growing to have health problems that just scare the heck out of me.

Look at the article I saw today in the news .......

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

IT USED to be a health concern of alcoholics.
Now medical experts are bracing for an explosion in the number of children with the potentially life-threatening fatty liver disease. Doctors say they are seeing children as young as nine with the condition, which develops when there is so much fat in the liver that it can't process it.

With more than 15 per cent of boys and 14 per cent of girls in Australia considered obese, health experts predict the problem will continue to grow.

"Too much fat causes some destruction of the liver cells and leads to swelling inside the liver and a kind of low-grade infection," said Avi Lemberg, a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick. "If you become obese during childhood there will be more build-up of fat in the liver over time so it increases the chance of getting fatty liver disease and of developing cirrhosis of the liver later on."

Dr Lemberg sees only a handful of young patients with fatty liver disease but predicts the problem will worsen in the next 10 to 15 years. "There's probably a significant proportion of the population out there with fatty liver disease and they don't know it," he said.

Staff specialist and pediatric hepatologist at the Children's Hospital at Westmead (Australia), Dr Michael Stormon, said he saw "the tip of the iceberg" in terms of the number of children with liver damage caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

In the US, fatty liver disease is predicted to become the leading cause of liver transplants in the next 20 years.

"You could draw the conclusion that as more children become obese in Australia it may become a problem down the track when they reach adulthood," said Dr Stormon. The doctors told parents not to panic if their child was overweight, saying a healthy diet and exercise could reverse the condition in most cases.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We need to start taking these issues seriously !

Tomorrow on Xmas Day I want you to think of excess calories and YOUR personal Human ECO System. Will it be overloaded or will be respected ?

Sure have some turkey, vegetables, pudding + ice cream - I will be but also don't then go crazy and eat like you won't be fed for the next week. This is the problem we need to address.

TIP - Between the first and second sittings of food intake why not go for a walk and take your relatives with you. Instead of sitting and talking, try walking and talking. You will enjoy the day more and improve your health too.

My blessings and best wishes go to you all (and your families) and I wish you a very merry Xmas Day !

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Wednesday 19th December - 24 hours on a Spin Bike ... OUCH !

As I mentioned in the last Blog I am going back to New York in 30 days to spend 24 hours (with a few breaks) to take part in a fundraising initiative for HealthCorps.

What is the event ?
24 hours. 100 spin bikes. 1 Guinness World Record for the most distance travelled. Get Ready Set - Go.

Did you ever think that one day you'd be riding a spin bike in Grand Central during rush hour? Or that you and your friends would be helping out a great cause, while trying to set a Guinness World Record at three in the morning? Well, now you can.

New York Sports Clubs and Snapple are proud to sponsor "Saints & Spinners" – a 24hour Spin Party and Benefit to help HealthCorps fight teen obesity.

We're looking for a few (thousand) good men and women.
Riders of all levels are welcome to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime event. Just picture Vanderbilt Hall (the entrance to Grand Central Terminal in the middle of New York City) packed with 100 spin bikes. Every hour a new set of riders, led by a top instructor from New York Sports Clubs, will spin for a fun, 55-minute workout.

Yes, there will be celebrities. Yes, this is a great cause.
So who's riding? Dr. Mehmet Oz, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, rap legend Grandmaster Mele Mel, members of the cast of The Apprentice...and that's just for starters.
You'll also ride with top athletes and people from the world of fitness, fashion and finance – everyone's welcome. I am raising the money to donate to the cause – all net proceeds go directly to HealthCorps. You might have seen HealthCorps founder Dr. Mehmet Oz on Oprah recently talking about the importance of fighting teen obesity.

As you can imagine this will be a huge event and a huge personal undertaking from me. From what I am told by the organizers there is a team of riders going for the Guiness Book of Records and some riders are doing 6-7 hours but only the Global Health Warrior is going to attempt to do the entire 24 on his own. What can I say - it is a personal challenge and a cause dear to my heart.

I fly out on the 17th for the event on the 18th. This again is a strategy so that I don't get jet-lag until the event is over. Having now done seven trips between Sydney and New York over the last three years I am pretty familiar with how my body adjusts and hey I am sitting down hahaha.

I am planning on filming segments of the next 30 days until the event and then during it I will get some footage so that you can see how exciting and "painful" the event is. Needless to say there are many hours of training that lay ahead leading up to this but I keep telling myself it is only one day in your life for a cause worth supporting !

So while you are sucking down your egg-nog and munching on Xmas festive treats spare a thought for my "glutes" pinned down to the seat of a Spin bike just cranking out minute by minute.


Stay tuned for updates and if you want to sponsor me let me know !

Wednesday 19th December - its beginning to look a lot like ...........

To all those that have been emailing and texting me as to why I haven't been writing my Blog I have to say sorry but I have been busy.

You are probably thinking that I am talking about Christmas which is rapidly upon us but no that has not been my main reason. I have been so engrossed in writing my movie script that I am losing days to the development of storylines and it has been a lot of FUN !

It is coming along really well - or that is what I am told from those that have seen early segments. See I told you there was an advantage to "being A.D.D. before it was trendy". It has allowed me to totally explore my creative side again from an aspect of pure entertainment and not one of helping anyone. This has been an incredibly liberating and refreshing time and feedback for the early drafts are very supportive.

So what can I tell you without giving too much away. It is a fun, action, adventure story about what happens when you arrive in a foreign country and how you need to get along with the locals and how they interact with you. Oh yeah and it's set in the Australian outback with lots of different scenarios with lots of interesting characters and ......... thats all I can say for the moment.


Then there is the imminent trip back to the United States in 30 days. Yes I am again travelling across the "pond" to New York City. I have volunteered to take part in a childhood obesity fundraising initiative for Dr Mehmet Oz and HealthCorps.

HealthCorps educates American youth about the workings and wonders of their bodies through in/after school seminars on diet, nutrition, exercise. HealthCorps empowers children to become educated consumers and to make shifts in behavior that can be measured by changes in rates of obesity and physical fitness as well as mental well-being and self esteem.

Dr. Mehmet Oz is the Professor and Vice Chairman of Surgery at Columbia University, Director of the Cardiovascular Institute, and Founder and Director for the Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

I first met him two years ago when I was in New York promoting my animated health heroes the Body Mechanics (www.bodymechanics.tv) which is aimed at children in the 5 to 9 years age group. HealthCorps works in High Schools so it seemed that our meeting was destiny. He wanted to get involved with Elementary School (Primary) but had no means to do this. He loved what I had created and has always been a supporter of our efforts.

This fundraising initiative is going to take place in Grand Central Station (New York City) with a 24 hour Spin Class with 100 participants but I will post a seperate blog about that.

So obviously I have been busy writing the movie script (FUN) and training my butt off (WORK). One compliments the other as when I need a break from the characters I just head for a workout which is currently 3-4 hours a day with the 24 hour class only 30 days away.

Now to the Xmas cheer. With the shops full of people spending more money than they can afford on people they don't like .......... wow that sounds a little too much like it's bar-humbugish so I will modify it to explain what I am getting at.

The fitness centres are under utilized at this time. Everyone is out partying and drinking "for the festive season" and getting in way too little sleep and then justifying it by saying hey Xmas only comes once a year. Yes it does but you then spend four weeks celebrating this one day.

Again I don't want to put a damper on your fun. However, be smart. Stay focussed on your health goals. Don't eat crappy food and drink lots of alcohol then feel bad because you are doing it.

Let's set some plans.
1. If you know you are going out after work, get in your training session before work or during your lunch break. DONT MISS IT.
2. If you are going to be drinking try to ensure that you don't overload the body with unnecessary calories from eating bad food.
3. There are 7 calories per gram of alcohol, which can add to a lot of additional calories in your system, especially if you are not exercising.
4. If you are having a big night then BEFORE you go out, do some cardiovascular training (20 mins with intensity) then do some circuit based resistance training using light to medium weight (10-20 mins with little rest between exercises) would be great. REMEMBER this is the basis for my AfterBurner workouts.

I am not going to get you to do anymore than this.
Try to think of all that excess calorie consumption as "toxic pollution for your Human ECO System". No one but you puts those calories in your body but YOU !

Be responsible - don't drink and drive. Have a wonderful safe and Merry Xmas. Enjoy your family and even when they drive you crazy remember they are family and that is what Xmas is really about.

Smile and tell them you love them - HEY it's Christmas.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Thursday 13th December - the gravity of the crisis

I had to go and visit someone in hospital today. The waiting area is adjacent to a clinic that is dealing with overweight / obese clients. I was astounded at how many people were going in and out of the clinic and the state that some of them were in.

Now for years Australia used to be called the "lucky country".
We had a reputation for being an outdoors style of population that leads an active life. Well that has long since changed. We are in the same boat as the rest of the world when it comes to dealing with the war on obesity.

If you want to see a real war on terror - go and watch the faces of people emerging from some of these "clinics". Many of them looked scared. After I got home I called up a former personal training client who is a Medical G.P. (General Practioner) after this visit and asked him what sort of ratio of health complaints his practice saw on a daily basis for conditions that were in fact lifestyle related.

He told me that it was well over 50% and that the number continued to grow each year. I then asked him if he was still exercising since he had become a father. He replied that he hadn't really done much. I asked him why and he said that when he took my call he knew I would ask him this question. He replied that LIFE was getting in the way but my call had served as a "wake up call".

I was shocked and scared if that is the kind of world we are living in now - how is it going to be in 5 or 10 years.

We are living longer not living stronger.
We are living longer not living healthier.

For those people that are suffering from health conditions that preclude them losing weight easily and I am talking about certain medications that cause your body to hold onto water (not fat) or you have a limiting condition for movement then you are less likely to be impacted by this.

For the rest of the population that has no reason other than they are too tired, too lazy or too busy YOU need a reality check AND A WAKE UP CALL !!

How about this ?
Instead of worrying about yourself (as it seems like you don't), then let's start to think of the implications of the loss YOUR death will have on your children. Trust me it will have an effect. YOU are responsible for their future happiness as well as your own.

Do you want to see them reach their teens ?
Do you want to see then grow up ?
Do you want to see them get married ?
Do you want to see their children ?

These are all the questions that you have to ask yourself when you are sitting there reading this Blog. It is a choice to be more active or eat better and the choice is yours !

Do something today. Take the kids for a walk. Take your partner for a walk. Take a friend for a walk. Just do something that will burn some calories and improve your health, your attitude and your life.

"the phone is ringing !!!"

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Tuesday 11th December - Berry Good News from the Wholefood Farmacy

You all know that I am a fanatic about the dangers of Free Radicals now and how we need to find as many ways as possible to combat this by increasing Anti-oxidant consumption. In fact I changed my whole book content and eating plan around that very concept to combat preventable disease.

Today I received this information below from my friends at the Wholefood Farmacy.
They not only have the best tasting snacks in the United States but they are also "very Berry conscious".

It is this consistency to increase knowledge and by creating awesome products (that taste out of this world) which is the reason that I would rate them so highly. Their Phi Plus and Fruitalicious products are outstanding. Oh and don't forget to give their Cornucopia product a try. I take this one when I am going to watch a movie as it is not only far more nutritious than the "fat filled bought product", it tastes better too.

These products contribute to my sanity breaks and they never fail to supply me with quality nutrition that is simply the best. Whenever I know that I am coming to the United States, I go online and order product to have it waiting for me at my hotel. It's that good !!!

Now I get news that not only are they producing great product but they are also looking to increase childrens education which as you know I strongly support. Another great initiative from a great company. Do yourself a favor and go online and check them out. I promise that this is not a sales pitch, it is a FLAVOR pitch !

They are even doing a "Cake of Dreams" until December 31st - someone has to try this and let me know how good it is. Just looking at the ingredients has my taste buds watering.

From their program 90 days of Wellness.
Anti-oxidants are natural substances found in plants, which are known to aid in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and stroke. Berries have an especially high level of antioxidants, according to a recent study published in the journal BioFactors (Vol. 23, pages 197-205).

The pigments that give berries their rich red to blue, black and purple colors are a type of phytochemical that has been shown to have significant disease-fighting, cell-protecting antioxidant capacity. In addition to boosting your immune system, these valuable compounds are also known to slow the effects of aging by improving things like memory, balance, coordination and motor skills.

The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC Value) of foods is a measurement of the Antioxidant levels. The higher the ORAC Value, the more Antioxidants a food has. It's believed that foods high in these powerful nutrients give the body its greatest protection.

Berries are some of the most delicious and powerful disease-fighting foods available. Blueberries are among fruits and vegetables with the highest Antioxidant levels with an ORAC Value of 5486. Right behind blueberries are blackberries with an ORAC Value of 4654; strawberries at 3520 and raspberries, 2789. Berry ORAC levels top that of many other fruits and vegetables such as oranges, grapefruit, cherries, plums, brussell sprouts, broccoli and spinach.

Single servings of fresh or freshly cooked fruits and vegetables supply an average of 600-800 ORAC units. Scientists believe that increasing intake of foods that provide 2000-5000 units per day may be needed to increase serum and tissue antioxidant activity sufficiently to improve health outcomes. This is why it's important to eat 5 to 9 servings daily of fruits and vegetables.


The Wholefood Farmacy makes it easy and convenient to get your 5 to 9 servings each day and to enjoy the very best that nature has to offer. You can find many different types of berries in your favorite Wholefood Farmacy foods including Phi Plus, Cranberry Phi, Coco Cherry Phi, Fruitalicious & Fruitalicious Plus.

Visit The Wholefood Farmacy Here: http://www.wholefoodfarmacy.com

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Saturday 8th December - Head over Heels ........

I was doing a Spin class today and many thoughts were racing around my head. You see I often go to workout to provide "clarity to my thoughts", strange huh but it sems to work like a distraction for any one thought which often helps to give me options and solutions.

So now to the title of this blog.
Head over heels doesn't refer to being in love. It also doesn't refer to anyone who wears heels either but it refers to how we "think" about ourselves.

Today I realized one thing and that is that I am definitely just like everyone else. I was having an average day. Just couldn't seem to get the jigsaw puzzle pieces of my LIFE to match up. I wasn't upset, distressed or depressed, it was just one of those days when the creative work that I had intended to do just wasn't happening.
So I did what I always do when I need clarity.

I hit the gym to blow off the cobwebs inside my head (note the clever tie in for the ECO environment .....)

I was assessing how my internal Human E.C.O. System is affected by my thought process. We have already (in a previous Blog) covered how there is a real issue of "thought pollution" and that can be detrimental to our Human E.C.O. environment just as any "form of pollution" is to our planet and it's environment. Yet we continue to "clog" up our lives with thoughts that can directly impact what is happening in our bodies.

So I wanted to get you "out of your heads" and start to get you "into your bodies". Not easy as there will be a lot of resistance. For us to overcome this resistance you have to want and be conscious of how to do this.

There are studies and research by people much smarter than I am, that believe we are able to assist our bodies to get healthier if we get that mind / body connection or "head over heels". There are many people that talk about the "connection" but I still don't think we get it.

Too often you will judge yourself (affecting self esteem) by the way you look. Yet you only assess your body because that is what you are looking at.

What about if you took in the whole package ?
What about if you then made a positive decision to change what you DON'T like ?

You are now using positive thoughts (your head) to impact your body (the heel part) to impact the physical outcome by "moving forward".

You are no longer inactive.
You are no longer procrastinating.
You are now using these positive thoughts for motivation.

This is the true meaning of being "head over heels". You see you are already letting what I call the "mind over matter" principle go into effect. You see what happens above your shoulders affects below your shoulders. Whether good or bad.

Remember the Human E.C.O. System is a wonderful thing. But like the planet unless you start to care about it - it will definitely affect YOUR future.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Friday 7th December - Thoughts from Chuan Tzu

I have been reading a book titled The Warrior of the Light (from the author of the Alchemist) and it is really page after page of his thoughts and beliefs in about three to four paragraphs per page. It is quite interesting and a very easy read.

One page got my attention.
It is a set of rules by "the warrior Chuan Tzu" from three thousand years ago. I have made comments underneath in brackets

Faith - before going into battle, you must believe in the reasons for the fight

(Now that is a great piece of advice. How many times have you heard people say I don't even know why we are fighting)

Companions - choose your allies and learn to fight in their company, for no one ever won a fight single handed

(Haven't things drastically changed in that regard. Who hasn't heard that we need to learn how to fight our own battles. However in today's modern life, we all too often try to deal with issues in our lives that would be better discussed or shared)

Time - a battle in winter is different from a battle in summer; a good warrior is careful to select the right moment to begin a fight

(A smarter warrior tries to avoid fights. If you are "fighting" in Summer make sure you wear sunscreen)

Space - one does not fight in the same way in a mountain pass as one would on a plain. Think about your surroundings and how best to move around in them.

(I'm a strong advocate of not fighting in planes ... oh it's a different plain :-)

Strategy - the best warrior is the one who plans his fight.

(With any battle a plan is essential. We are fighting a war on obesity so let's use strategic plans with a conscious thought for positive outcomes to win)

Now of course these original "scripts" were written three thousand years ago but even then there was always thought given to action.

If we can learn to apply "thoughts" to our actions and then invoke some personal responsibility I believe that we can get fitter, lose body fat and improve the quality of our lives.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Wednesday 5th December - We Failed Again !!!

I wanted the title of this Blog to be dramatic.
Sure I might be writing a light hearted family comedy currently but I am rooted in reality each time I think of our lives and how bad the obesity problem is.

Let me explain.
Today a lady was asking me about fitness and said "do you really think you can make a difference to the obesity issues ?"
"Of course" I replied with total conviction
"I don't doubt your passion but I doubt your ability to make it happen" she smiled
"What do you mean ?" I asked as my mind spun into justification mode seeking a witty response and failing
"There are millions of people who know they are fat, know it is a health risk, but don't do anything about it, often until it is too late, so what can you do about it?" she replied

I thought for a moment and understood her question now. In fact I totally had to agree with her comments. I personally can't make anyone get healthy. I personally am not there with any friend or client 24/7 which makes my quest and their goal hard to achieve if they don't follow my "recipe".

You see losing fat, getting fit, staying healthy are all PERSONAL.
There is only one person that can make sure that happen and this is YOU.

This conversation really had me thinking.
If she was right, and I was starting to consider her position - possible, that means that the fitness industry is built on a shaky platform that gets shakier with every year. Now before you trainers / instructors / gym owners all bomboard me with emails, read on and digest. Remember to chew before swallowing !

I have no doubt that there is no greater industry that is so totally committed and passionate about "doing the right thing" more so then the fitness industry. I have no doubt that everyone that joins the industry does so with the best intention of helping others change their lives.

However I think that it is our belief system that will fail us.
WE are not able to "make a promise to get someone healthy".

Contrary to popular belief - you don't get paid to workout but you actually get paid to help others achieve their goal by facilitating their workout. Sorry for the reality check - but read on.

YOU can be the greatest trainer in the world. It doesnt mean you can help everyone. There are TV shows, there are Video's and DVD's, there are fitness centers, there are personal trainers, yoga and pilates instructors, in fact there is an expert for every single form of getting fit and healthy possible. YET, we still can't deal with the every growing number of people getting unhealthy !

WHY is this ?
What is health ?
Who determines when you arrive at a "healthy status" ?
How can we stay at this great place and not have to leave ?

You see until we can convince other's to achieve this personal belief (and that is what we really have to do), not "sell", not "trick with great marketing offers" but create a personal belief in each person that we want to help, that this "getting healthy really is a good thing", and will work, then we are just playing a number's game.

This game is designed to ensure that there are "members" joining fitness centres so that they don't have to close their businesses as they are unable to pay their bills and the wages (of the passionate believers).

Wow could this lady's question have started a revolution ?
I hope so !

You see life is really about the checks and balances that are needed to keep us real so that our dreams can actually become reality. You see there is a difference between dreams and reality.

I'm sure that when as a young boy I told my mother that I wanted to be an astronaut to which she smiled and said "yes dear" knowing that her son probably in likelihood wouldn't actually become one (a dream).

However she never laughed out loud and said "YOU have got to be kidding. YOU will never be an astronaut and will probably end up digging ditches (no offence to the ditch diggers of the world - dig on guys) because that may have been too much for a young child's dreams (reality).

In fact I'm not an astronaut. From that dream I went on to want to become the following all with the loving support of my mother - a Superhero, a Jockey, a Policeman, a P.E. Teacher, again a SuperHero, and then finally I joined the Military (Navy) where I got infected with the "fitness and health bug".

Don't despair about being a dreamer but think how you can make your dream become a reality. You see the world is full of people who will want to crush your dream.

It is a sad but true part of human nature to knock down emotionally rather than build up and support one another's dreams. I am not sure why but it is so common that they have a name for it - "tall poppy syndrome" by which they imply that so you don't get too big for your boots (try working that one out physiologically ....) we are going to keep you grounded in reality.

You hear it all the time. Joe Average comes up with an idea that he thinks is great. He tells someone who says "that will never work" which puts doubt in Joe's mind that he may not be able to do it - so he doesn't.

However I am sure that there ARE some people who will push through this barrier to reach the next level and it is this belief that we should nurture. Not the actual dream but the willingness to foster belief and hope in someone else's ability to achieve a goal. Now how can we put that into our "health goals".

Just imagine if the Wright Brothers (they started us flying for those playing the game at home), had stopped inventing when their first plane didn't get off the ground and everyone said "I told you so" or any other of the great inventors of the past who failed at their first, second or even third attempt.

You see fitness is like that. It is like a dream or goal or quest that we need to keep nurturing in others who have been faced with the doubts of success in the past.
It begins as an intangible when you start the journey. You are not able to quantify what you want or how long it will take to get there when asked, but YOU know that it must be better than where you currently are - and it will be !

Fitness professionals MUST begin to not only support and help those that come to us but also we must start to instill in them that "self belief" in their individual ability to complete and succeed on this quest.

There will be some losses along the way but hopefully we can make the losses more about fat loss then numbers of people.

I have been part of this fitness industry for nearly 25 years and still get excited by the question "can you help me?"

Hey what can I say I am a DREAMER !!!

Monday, December 3, 2007

Monday 3rd December - Control Freak or Control Freq

Has anyone ever described you as a "control freak" and by that they mean that YOU have to be in charge of the situation. It can be seen as a personal attack if you are sensitive to the opinions of others.

It has happened to me. At the time while most of us would seek to defend or justify our position, I hope this Blog serves to provide a different perspective and comes from a place of non-judgement but one more of acceptance.

Clarity comes to me at different times for different things but writing this Blog each day has served as a form of "therapy" and I hope that I am honest enough to be truthful in all aspects of what I write.

This "therapy" has served to give me glimpses of not only the person that I am, but also I hope, the person I want to be. Whether this is observed by others is not as important to me as constantly trying to live up to the goals that I set.

For example - The Global Health Warrior credo is :
Strength of Mind
Compassion of Heart
Integrity of Soul

For those of you joining us late in the game allow me to describe my personality;
I have a strong competitive drive and that fuelled with both passion and experience wrapped up in an undiagnosed ADD state (I tell people proudly), makes for a pretty confident person. However, I always am cautious to try to temper that with humility.

In the past I have been labelled a "control freak" but as I gain more insight into myself, I have found that this is NOT QUITE correct. When I have created a project or have been tasked with completing a project, I do try to fulfill that task to the best of my ability to achieve a positive outcome.

At other times I am willing to "let go" of this responsibility and surrender it to others so they can also be involved. This "surrender" doesn't mean give up, but instead if means that at that particular time someone is more suited or qualified to fill the "drivers seat" position than I am.

This clarity came to me as I was spending much time in "downward dog" when the instructor would tell us all to relax and breathe. This takes some real focus for me to do but it is getting easier with practice. As I started to "surrender" to my breathe I realized that the "control" was being removed. It was then that I realized that I am more a "control freq".

When it is required, I just dial in on my frequency and then assume control again "and get behind the wheel". This ability to recognize the difference gave me a sense of ease as I then shifted back into the "passenger seat" and went along for the ride.

I think that at times in our lives we are all in "control of the drivers seat" but it is our ability to let others take a turn that will make us better "passengers" and also take some of the stress that a lot of people feel.

YOUR goal is to find your frequency and now how to turn down the dial to let others be either in control or involved in your relationships at home and at work.

Hope this helps to give you some perspective so that next time someone calls you a "control freak" you can smile knowing that your dial might need some adjustment and their comment will offend less.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Sunday 2nd December - Life in Flight - the Journey

I write this Blog in absolute delight at seeing a close personal friend achieve what has been the culmination of a full year's hard work and an awesome milestone in his life.

Andrew is the proud author of "Life In Flight" (www.lifeinflight.com.au) which is based on a narrative of his life through over 18 years as a flight attendant right through to his Management position or as he describes it :

See what 18 years service, 10 million kilometres, 30,000 colleagues, 5 million passengers and 15,000 hours on a plane can teach you about life.

Along the way he shares with us many LIFE lessons and is able to through each of the anecdotes and stories relate a way that YOU can take action in your own life. I just spent the weekend reading it and was of course impressed with the content and user friendly information but more impressed with the man.

He has a full time career, is the husband and partner to his gorgeous wife and father of two children AND still he made time to write this book. There were many times we would sit over coffee and he would try to explain a situation that he had been involved with but until you see it in context you don't truly appreciate the labour of love this book is and was for him.

While many (I along with them) doubted that it would be easy to relate the significance of the journey he took he has done it - and done it well.

I stand corrected about any misgivings that I had for his ability to relate LIFE in a plane to LIFE on the planet - guess I was just missing the poin"T".

If you are a Manager, have a Manager, want to be a Manager or know a Manager then I would recommend you buy this book and read it.

Great work mate !

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Saturday 1st December - SUMMER Fat Loss + Activity Strategies

I received a great question this morning via email about exercise and fat loss and how best to achieve it. So with the first day of Summer downunder upon us, I thought that I would answer that question right here so it will benefit everyone.

Q: Do you always make sure that your energy expenditure is greater than your energy intake? Is this the only way to lose weight & get lean?

A: Great question(s). I am going to "translate" the knowledge into user friendly form (I hope) because I want to give you everything you need to know to help you lose bodyfat forever.

Why am I doing this ?
My goal is simple. I don't want or need to sell you anything. In fact I want to give it away so YOU can use it for FREE. Why - because we are facing a crisis like no other when it comes to health.

I am going to continue to do my part to change that.
You have to do your part by getting involved in YOUR own life.


FAT LOSS KNOWLEDGE AND STRATEGIES FOR WORKING OUT - 1 0N 1 (ME to YOU)

This knowledge is designed to teach you about your Human E.C.O. System and the best way I have found and learned to access stored bodyfat for use as energy.

Maximum Fat Loss Objective - ensure the levels of available energy from sugar (glucose / glycogen) in your blood stream and also your stored glycogen levels in your liver are low when there is a required demand from you being active.

What is Glycogen ?
It is the stored form of glucose (sugar) in your body
Where is it stored ?
In your muscles with a reserve held in your liver.

Most of the Diets that are Low / No Carbohydrate often fail when they tell you to stop eating one nutrient (carbs) and load up on another (fat).

Think logic - does loading up one nutrient seem to make sense ? Answer = NO.

Strategy Tip = Eat the required amounts of good fat daily (about 30-40g) but don't abuse this (eating treats) just so you fill your body up with an energy overload of calories that will lead to another failure.

So if the original premise has a basis for doing good and helping us lose bodyfat can we improve the application of how to make that last for life ?
Answer = YES. Our goal is to get you to lower your intake of "non-essential processed carbohydrates" and focus on getting your body ECO-friendly.

Working with the expert nutrition team that I use, we came up with the RAINBOW NUTRIENT REFUELLING PLAN that is filled with nutrient dense foods that mainly are loaded up with anti-oxidant profiles and essential phyto-nutrients. The basic method of application to apply is to ensure that you have three (3) colours on your plate - see where the catchy title came from.

So now back to the lesson.
How do we take advantage of being active to help this.
Activity can be an added bonus for increasing fat loss to happen and thus get the advantage of improving your health too.

Throw in a cardiovascular use and it is HIGH on the positive side for health benefits.

When you are active, there is a rise in your body's energy demands (calorie use) by lowering your stored energy (muscle use) and to keep this happening there is a requirement to "burn" or use calories = POSITIVE BENEFIT.

The most common error for fat loss that I see is that people starve themselves thinking that this will lead to fat loss. It won't. In fact it only leads to the body being given the signal that you are doing this so it tells YOU that you are hungry or tired = NEGATIVE BENEFIT.

Your brain is very clever.
It will limit any use of stored fat (as it has the highest energy value at 9 calories per gram in comparison to carbohydrate or protein at 4 calories per gram).

The brain deems that your body is going into "starvation mode" and so in an effort to conserve this resource to protect itself and the important organs that may need energy later during the starvation period it stops the use of any release of stored bodyfat = NEGATIVE BENEFIT.

As a result, when you recognize the signal for being tired / hungry, you will probably eat something which will then likely "blunt any activity benefit" or alternatively you decide to rest and go to sleep which lowers your caloric demand and metabolism = NEGATIVE BENEFIT.

It's not all bad news. Now you know what NOT to do. What can you do to help ?

Instead of encountering these problems ABOVE and to attain maximum effect and increase the benefit of an "Afterburner" response - use this hydration mantra that I use with children - "Go Go Go with H20" (drink water !!!)

Try to limit soft drinks / sodas or these types of sugar laden drinks, plus also limit excessive fruit intake before AND during periods of activity to assist your fat loss goal = POSITIVE BENEFIT

NOTE - this is not relevant if you are doing an activity that is OVER 2 hours in duration when there will be a larger demand to prolong activity.

Okay, so what do you need to do to help get the most out of this activity benefit (calorie burning). Eating within certain time windows before and after activity can assist the benefit of calorie burning from exercise - for example :

BEFORE
- dont eat for about 2 hours before exercise but if you must limit the intake of excessive carbohydrates. One option is to have a boiled egg before exercising in the morning, eat a piece of lean ham with it and its quite tasty.

- caffeine is one of the only things that can assist with stored fat for use as energy. If your "available blood sugar levels" are low, which they will be if you havent eaten for 1.5-2 hours there is more chance this will happen.

NOTE - there are some stipulations for doing this. You need to have only one within the hour before. You CANT have any sugar in this drink and try to use skim milk and only a small amount.

AFTER
- eat within an hour after exercise and this is the time that you want BOTH protein and carbohyrates. A protein based energy drink with fruit after working out is perfect.

- Our goal at this time is to have a response with "insulin - the storage hormone" being active to take advantage of the available nutrients of both energy loaded carbohydrates and building focussed amino acids.


I can see you are already learning - Good Job !
My plan is to help you and yes it may seem a lot to digest but here is another tip to help you -

Chew (or read slowly)

Swallow (and Understand)

Bon Appetite !