Sunday Story…No More Resolutions

Every year about this time the media is filled with talk about New Year’s Resolutions. Every year about now many of us start talking about how we are going “lose weight” or “get in shape”, or “eat better”, or “go to the gym”, or, or. STOP doing this now. Resolutions are weak. Most of us never get close to completing our resolutions. We might get a few weeks or even a month or two but we rarely complete those resolutions. Then about this time of year we look back and realize all those things we wanted to accomplish but never did. And we start the cycle all over again.

Stop making resolutions and start setting goals. A resolution is a vague conceptual idea of something you want to have happen (if it isn’t too hard or it doesn’t take too long). A goal is S.M.A.R.T….Specific, Motivational, Accountable, Realistic and responsible, Timely.

Last year I decided it was finally time for me to get fluent in Spanish. I have taken first year Spanish about 6 times and still can barely hold a rudimentary conversation. 2012 was going to be my year to finally get real with Spanish. I got my hands on the Pimsleur course and got through about 18 ½ hour lessons. This is not even the whole 1st lesson set. The 3rd and 4th boxes have never been opened. What happened? It was a resolution, not a goal. Although it was specific---become fluent in Spanish, it did not have a time limit, it did not have the motivation---the why of doing it, it was realistic and responsible.

So here is the S.M.A.R.T. goal: On or before September 1st 2013 I am fluent in Spanish (notice the goal is stated in present tense like it has already happened)…I will finish unit 1 by February 28th, unit 2 by April 30th, unit 3 by June 30th and Unit 4 by August 30th. I will do this by doing one lesson (or more) every other day. During this process I will start a conversation with a Spanish speaking person once in January, twice in Feb. and increase by one every month until September when I have at least 9 conversations during the month with different people. Obviously by announcing this in this forum I am accountable to each of you as well. I will also place this goal on my project board in my office so I can see it every day and be reminded of the goal. This is a doable goal; it doesn’t over reach my time restrictions or ability. It has a set time for beginning and ending.

I have talked with many of you about doing the “dare” or the “double dog dare” starting on January 2nd. That goal might look or sound like this: On January 30th I completed a 30 day course of eating no grain, no dairy, no sugar, and no legumes. I did this by eliminating all banned food from my pantry and refrigerator by Jan. 2. I will prepare my food on the weekend for the coming week and I will avoid temptation by not eating out or allowing myself to be caught without healthy food choices nearby (this is the specific and small breakdown of the goal). At the end of the 30 days I will feel healthier, my clothes will fit better, my immune system and my digestive system will work better, my skin will be clearer, and my sleep will be more restful (this is the motivation part!) I will let my friends and family know about this shift I am doing in my eating lifestyle. I will ask for their help and understanding in my journey. I will post my new eating lifestyle on my refrigerator so I can see it every day (this is the accountability part). I will read the books and the articles about eating this way so I can be properly informed. I will follow the recipes and the menus. I will be responsible and ask for support from my fellow challenge participants (responsible and realistic). I will do this for 30 days (the month of January and at the end I will be happier and healthier and I will meet all the challenge participants for a potluck meal on Saturday Feb. 2nd.

Make all your goals SMART and see your results skyrocket. Specific, measurable, motivating, attainable, accountable, responsible, realistic, timely and touchable goals are goals you will achieve.

I hope to see all of you on Tuesday for the kick off of the Food and Fitness Challenge at either noon or 6PM. If you can’t make those times, let me know I will make sure you get a packet of all the information.

Oh and Happy New Year…I hope 2013 will be your best year ever!

Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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Sunday Story…Taking the Dare?

If you are up to taking the Double Dog Dare I issued last week you should be getting prepared right now. But maybe you just want to take a single dare? Or maybe just a double dare?

I am going to let you in on a little secret…there are three levels of commitment for this dare.

First and most committed (double dog dare):
Clean out your pantry and your refrigerator of any and all food that does not fit into this description…meat, vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts. Get rid of all processed food…all of it. This includes most condiments, by the way, as most of them have added sugars and chemicals that are forbidden on this dare. Throw away all dairy products except pastured butter…all of them, yogurt and cheese included. Keep all your herbs and spices. Keep your olive oil and other healthy oils (walnut, avocado, coconut).

Next get to the store and buy more of the food on the allowed list: meat, vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts. Try to buy organic if you can but if you can’t you can’t. try to buy grass fed beef if you can, sustainably raised chicken and pork, pastured eggs and butter but if you can’t you can’t. Don’t sweat it and don’t not pay the mortgage in order to eat.

Last get to www.thefoodee.com for recipes and ideas for cooking all this food. Spend an afternoon cooking food for the week if you can…I like chicken drumsticks…cheap and simple to cook just put them in a baking dish and dust with paprika, garlic powder and pepper…cook uncovered in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees…easy to eat, easy to transport, and healthy.


Second and the mid-level commitment (double dare):
Get into the pantry and refrigerator and throw out all the worst offenders…the cookies, the sugary desserts, the BREAD and all WHEAT products. Wheat is probably the worst offender in your kitchen…stop the wheat madness now! Segregate or put in storage all the food you just can’t get rid of…out of sight out of mind (we hope!). Eliminate all white, brown, powdered sugars and if you must sweeten try stevia, (best), local honey, maple syrup (real not the fake crap most stores sell), or agave syrup.

Next get to the store and buy more of the food on the allowed list: meat, vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts. Try to buy organic if you can but if you can’t you can’t. try to buy grass fed beef if you can, sustainably raised chicken and pork, pastured eggs and butter but if you can’t you can’t. Don’t sweat it and don’t not pay the mortgage in order to eat.

Last get to www.thefoodee.com for recipes and ideas for cooking all this food. There are lots of ways to prepare the food that are tasty and fun. Boil a dozen eggs to take in your lunch…3 eggs on a salad (filled with lots of different veggies) with olive oil and vinegar and its lunch!


Third and the simplest level of commitment (single dare):
Dump the bread! All of it…the bagels, the croissants, the muffins, the cereal, anything made with any form of wheat flour. If you want to take it a step further and I highly suggest this…get rid of all wheat products in your house. Two weeks after this change…Dump the Sugar. Anything made with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey any kind of sweetener at all has to go. These two changes will give you the biggest bang for your buck and although the shock to your system will still be great it shouldn’t be horrible.

Next get to the store and buy more of the food on the allowed list: meat, vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts. Try to buy organic if you can but if you can’t you can’t. try to buy grass fed beef if you can, sustainably raised chicken and pork, pastured eggs and butter but if you can’t you can’t. Don’t sweat it and don’t not pay the mortgage in order to eat.

Last get to www.thefoodee.com for recipes and ideas for cooking all this food. If you can’t cook at all…learn! It is not rocket science and you can do it. Start simple with ingredients you can understand and methods that are clear. With no bread you may wonder…what’s for lunch? Soup and salad are always good choices…or wrapping a burger in lettuce…or a chicken drumstick or two along with some asparagus or broccoli (raw or cooked).


No matter what your level of commitment…this is your life and your health you are doing this for. Cutting out the wheat will make you feel better, look younger and have more vitality. Cutting out the sugar will increase and level out your energy throughout the day. You won’t feel the need to suck down a pot of coffee to stay awake. Your brain will clear of the fog it normally sets in and your joints may stop aching.


I want to be clear about this…I am on a mission to achieve OPTIMUM health and fitness for myself and everyone I can influence to start thinking the same way. Notice the word OPTIMUM. I define OPTIMUM as the absolute best, the top, and the pinnacle the it doesn’t get any better than this point in the journey. Then we are going to stay right there or get even better. This is a journey not a destination and honestly it has been one I have been on for a very long time.


You can do this. I will help, including coming to your house and cleaning out the food, going shopping with you, giving you recipes and menus and being your cheerleader. Your life is at stake. Everyone I know who has taken the plunge and stayed with this way of eating has lost weight without trying or feeling deprived, started thinking clearer, felt more energetic and started enjoying eating and the process of nourishment more than ever before.


January 2nd…Your day of liberation from the addiction to sugar, wheat, and processed edible non-food products. Call me, write me, or show up here and we will start you on the path to Optimum Health!


Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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Sunday Story...A Double Dog Dare

I have to admit I have no idea what a “double dog dare” really is. It is something I remember my children saying and doing. But it is a really big dare and one you just can’t walk away from without a huge bit of shaming and ridicule. At least if what I have seen people do after being double dog dared to do something is any indication.

So here is your double dog dare: Starting on January 2nd 2013 go 30 days with no grain, no sugar, no dairy, no legumes, no alcohol, and no processed food (yes this includes all forms of soda and other beverages with processed ingredients). None, nada, zip, zero. There. It is that simple. Its only 30 days. Start on the 2nd and finish on the 31st. No excuses, no reasons why it won’t work for you, no cheat days, and no whining.

Here is what will happen:
Depending on your level of addiction the first 3 to 14 days will be hard, very hard. You may feel tired, cranky, out of sorts, hungry, craving sugar and your body might hurt. You might have low energy, feel like something the cat drug in, and you digestive tract may be off in some way.

You may not know what to eat (especially for breakfast).

You will start rationalizing your way out of the activity…just one won’t hurt, this is stupid, no-one really eats this way, blah, blah, blah.

Remember you took a double dog dare…it is as serious as the pinky shake and we all know how sacred that is!
After about 2 weeks your energy level will increase into an area you didn’t know existed.

Your digestion will become more and more regular.

Your blood sugar (if you are tracking that one) will become more constant.

Your sleep will become more consistent and deeper and more restful.

Some of your auto-immune system symptoms may decrease or disappear.


Here is what you do:
Spend the next 2 weeks getting ready. Go here: http://www.thepaleosecret.com/resources/getting-started/ and learn more, then follow the directions.

Here is the basis of this dare:
http://www.thepaleosecret.com/2012/08/20/the-paleo-secret-30-day-challenge-2/
This is not some fad thing (unless 2 million years of evolution is a fad).

Over the next 2 weeks get to the right stores:
The Great Basin Food Co-Op (Flint and court streets off Arlington south of the river… http://www.greatbasinfood.coop/)
Trader Joes
Whole Foods Market
168 Asian Market (on So. Virginia north of Moana a few blocks). There are some other Asian markets (one off Prater and Rock)
Farmer’s Market near the House of Bread on select Saturdays during the winter

Go to:
www.theFoodee.com (the Foodee Project) for recipe ideas you can find lots of links to other recipe sites that utilize the same real food ingredients

Read:
The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain… http://thepaleodiet.com/
The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf… http://robbwolf.com/ (a personal friend of mine by the way.)

On January 2nd, hit the ground running.

This is not complicated so don’t over analyze and try to figure it all out. Eat real food. Stop eating processed edible non-food products. Eat more fat…by the way fat does not make you fat. If you don’t believe me just look around you at all the people eating low fat diets and ask yourself why they are all over weight. It also turns out that cholesterol and saturated fats don’t give you heart disease…check with Dr. Oz if you want and his interview with Dr. Davis the author of “Wheat Belly “ (another book I recommend) here: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-you-addicted-wheat?video=15896 and watch all 3 of the episodes.


We are going to do this 30 day challenge here at the studio. We will provide support, recipes and menu plans. We will have a little contest involving daily workouts, eating clean and there may even be a prize for all our finishers.

I have been eating this way for more than 2 years and can tell you I have never been healthier or felt better. I never feel under nourished or deprived. I am a huge believer in the lifestyle that eats this way. I want you to join me…go ahead I double dog dare you!

Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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Sunday Story...You Got to Move It

Sunday Story…You Got to Move It

You got out of bed and sat down at the breakfast table, maybe slumping over a bit as you read the paper, watching the news or read the back of the cereal box (the same one you read yesterday by the way). Then into your car for the commute to work…which might be 30, 40, 50, minutes or more. Entering your office you proceed to spend the next few hours sitting in a chair, bent over looking at reports, staring at a computer screen or making notes from the boring and meaningless meeting you are required to attend. Then it’s back in your car for the commute home, sitting at the table for dinner, then over to the couch for some T.V. time or maybe your home office chair for some home-work or recreational computer time. Do you notice a pattern here?

Maybe somewhere in there you went to the gym for some “cardio” on the bike or the stair stepper or the treadmill where you also slumped over reading this week’s People or Time magazine. 30 or 40 minutes 3 times a week is what all the “experts” say you need to do to be healthy and fit. And yet…
You hurt. All the time you hurt and you hurt all over. Maybe you had a trauma, an accident some injury that was unpreventable but more likely you are victim of your own ennui. There you are…a new syndrome…”ennui-itis” or injury caused by lack of movement and more specifically lack of proper movement. There are thousands (if not millions) of people suffering the devastating effects from this horrible condition. And you don’t have to take my word for it, all you have to do is go down to your local senior center or nursing home and you will see people unable to walk with a straight spine or unable to look up. This is not the normal state of the human condition.

You were made to move. Look at your body…from your feet to your head all your joints articulate and move in several directions. They are made to bear weight. They are made to extend and contract, your muscles are there under whatever you have covered them in; your nervous system is conditioned from birth to handle the stress of movement. Yet we have spent the last few hundred years devising ways that will allow us to move less. True, we can move longer distances faster and more efficiently but our bodies no longer participate in the getting us from point A to point B and beyond. Instead we hop on a plane and go thousands of miles to arrive and just sit around more.
Maybe you are one of the lucky ones…the ones aware enough to know you need to move more and better but you just aren’t sure what that is going to look like. So we do crunches and sit ups and bench presses…all exercises designed to improve your “front”…the parts you can see in the mirror. But what you really should be concerned with is the part you can’t see...your posterior chain from your mid back down to your knees. Remember back when you were a kid and someone was always saying “sit up straight” or “stand up straight”, “fix your posture” and things like that?

The fix for your pain is simple. Start moving and start moving properly. Lift heavy things once in a while. Run really fast (or swim or bike or row) occasionally. Walk more, a lot more. Stretch and work on your flexibility and your mobility regularly (like every day or so.) Make it fun and enjoyable...this should not be tedious and it certainly shouldn’t show as work. Hire someone to help you (I am available!) The penalty for not moving is also very simple…more pain which will have you move less, which will give you more pain which will give you more pain and on and on and on until you need a handful of drugs every day just to get out of bed and another handful to go to sleep at night. All of which will contribute to not wanting to move, stand up straight, or walk to the mailbox.

The only real question you should want to answer at this point is this: Why aren’t you taking steps to live in less pain and more health?

Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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Sunday Story…the Only 3 Reasons You Really Need to Improve Your Diet

Sometime this whole food thing can appear really complicated. It isn’t unless you choose to make it that way. You can go down the road that says only eat this or that or the one that espouses some weird ”franken-food” processed thing that you shake up twice a day, or count all your calories or count all your carb grams or your fat grams or fiber grams. But it does not need to be that onerous.

Food is simple. Eating food is simple. We seem to be filling some strange need to make it more than that. That science can make food better than nature. I think not.

You can rationalize any food choice you make by the way. Recently I heard this one…”well wine is from grapes and grapes are paleo so wine is OK, right?” Sorry, no dice. But if that reasoning works for you go right ahead and use it. Just understand you are not being completely compliant. I made a raw chocolate banana pie for dessert on Thanksgiving and it was delicious and I enjoyed every bite but because it had honey in it, it was not 100% compliant with the no sugar part of my eating plan. But I did enjoy it. And that is O.K., as long as I don’t make a habit of it.

Just to iterate this simple and easy and cheap way of eating:
Eat meat
Eat vegetables
Eat seeds and nuts
Eat healthy fats
Eat fruit occasionally
Don’t eat sugar
Don’t eat grains
Don’t eat legumes
Don’t eat dairy
Don’t eat processed edible food-like substances

Simple, easy and cheap if you do it right. But if all you do is substitute processed crap for processed gluten-free crap then no it isn’t cheap.

Here are the 3 reasons to do this:

You will feel better
You have no idea how much your body is struggling to process the junk you are putting in it. Grains create an inflammatory response in your digestive system…this, in turn, creates inflammation in your body which is considered the source of most illness and all chronic diseases. The same problem exists for dairy…your body is trying so hard to extract the poor nutritive quality of dairy that it begins to fail miserably at doing the things it should be doing. Sugar acts on the same receptors in your body as the opiate class drugs do. When you do this diet you will have a week or two of withdrawals…just like any other addiction. But this will pass.

You will perform better
When you fuel your body with the nutrients it was made to receive your performance will improve. Whether that performance is on the playing field or just chasing kids around the house you body will start operating the way it was meant to operate instead of spending all of its time trying to get rid of toxins or process crap food into something salvageable for energy. You don’t have to be an elite level athlete to appreciate this. It is not normal for all your joints to hurt when you get out of bed or out of the chair. It is not normal to be tired all the time, it is not normal to sleep poorly and it is not normal to get sick all the time.

You will think better
Your brain function is closely related to how well your digestive system is working. Your brain needs fat to survive…if you could stop all fat ingestion your brain would begin to fail. As it is your brain (if you are burning sugar for fuel) is burning the wrong fuel for proper performance. It is not normal to go through life in a fog of unclear thinking. It is not normal to need caffeine to stay awake. It is not normal to forget simple things. All of these things are symptoms of poor eating choices. Today I was going through Costco and sampled some dark chocolate almond cherry clusters…I had a gut ache in moment and almost immediately felt like my brain was in mud. It passed after about 30 minutes but it was not worth the few seconds of fleeting taste sensation I enjoyed…the chocolate pie on the other hand…

Here is the bottom line:
Eat real food.
Stop making excuses for not eating real food.


Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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