Mindfulness from a Millionaire

November 27, 2018 40 Comments

I am not getting paid for this post, I just really enjoyed this book and wanted to share.

Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire? All kidding aside, the title is meant to draw you in, but what is inside is so much more than any gimmicky sales pitch. This is one book you really can’t judge by its cover.

Millionaire Success Secrets by Dean Graziosi is a personal development guide, and is packed with open-ended questions, which lead to self-discovery through mindfulness exercises. Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you? By the time I got to the second chapter I had begun carrying this book and a notebook around with me, so I could work on the exercises wherever I was. Boring Wednesday morning meeting? Mindfulness exercise to the rescue, making a waste of time actually productive.

Dean starts off simply: “Where are you right now?” in all aspects of your life and “Where do you want to go?” in those same areas. Think about the power of those seemingly simple questions for a minute. Anyone who has done a “Level 10 Life chart” knows how important this is. A large majority – a staggering 92% – of people don’t achieve their yearly goals [1]. Almost 20% of the adult American population, an estimated 40 million people, are currently suffering from some sort of anxiety or depression [2]. According to a Gallup survey, eight in every 10 adults say they experience a moderate to high level of stress every day [3]. Why are we doing this to ourselves? If you’ve never taken the time to define your goals or what happiness means to you, how do you know if you are heading in the right direction? Do you know what your “why” is? This book helps guide you through the steps.

Daily mindfulness and taking the time to discover your “why” have been proven to have profound physiological effects. Mindfulness meditation, not only lowers stress, but has also been proven to increase telomerase, an enzyme which aids in cell regeneration and can slow aging and reduce cell damage [4]. In addition, research demonstrates that mindfulness bolsters our immune system, making us better able to fight off diseases, from the flu to cancer. Mindfulness also helps improve concentration and lower the stress which is so prevalent in our society [5].

Favorite part: In Chapter 9 – the Power of Happiness, Dean gives the reader 10 simple habits that you can start using today, which will help you reach higher levels of happiness in your life. After all, all the money in the world won’t buy you happiness, you have to get that from within. Why not start now?

Favorite quote: Winston Churchill said “The definition of success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

Where to get it: You can buy it on amazon, but on his website it is much cheaper and he gives the proceeds to charity. https://dgachieve.com/bl-book-opt Fair warning though, you will get a lot of upselling emails from his team, which you can quickly unsubscribe out of.

[1] https://www.wealthresearchgroup.com/why-98-of-people-die-without-fulfilling-their-dreams/

[2] https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics\

[3] http://www.gostress.com/stress-facts/

[4] http://www.freemeditations.com/benefits-of-meditation-increased-telomerase.html

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12883106

Having a Healthy Relationship with Food

September 20, 2018October 4, 2018 Leave a comment

For the first time in my life I have a good relationship with food. Food is fuel. Food is medicine. Food gives me and family the tools we need to best conquer life.

It took me DECADES to get here. I’m in my mid-30s and only now can I say that I no longer binge eat. I no longer starve myself. I no longer have a “bad weekend” and feel the need to punish myself in the gym for days to make up for it. I no longer have no “cheat” days.

This is not to say I eat healthy 100% of the time. There are life events that happen. I may eat a piece cake on my birthday. The difference is, you will no longer find me eating the leftovers of that cake in the dark when no one is watching. I also no longer will fall victim to peer pressure because its someone’s birthday at work. I can still attend the party, spend time with friends, have fun, but I no longer indulge just because it’s there.

Food is fuel, it is the building blocks for life and everything you need energy to do. The right food, the kind your body actually craves, will help you reach your goals, it will give you energy, and it will help you heal from injury and prevent illness.

When my 4-year-old asks for a piece of candy, I look past those pleading eyes and ringlets and I see the epic meltdown that will happen in an hour if I give in. And what’s worse for her, I explain it to her. About sugar, and how your body processes it, and how if you eat too much for your body to handle at once, your blood sugar will crash and a meltdown will happen. Knowledge is power. If you ask her why candy is unhealthy she will tell you (complete with eye roll and a heavy sigh) “candy makes me crazy.”

You realize that everything you put in your body will either help you or harm you. You want to give yourself the best. You want to be able to handle the world head on, all day, to the best of your abilities. Healthy habits, all day, every day. Healthy is the body’s natural state.

It’s no longer a decision. It’s no longer a choice. It’s no longer about will power. I don’t put things in my body that will make me sick, or weak. You wouldn’t ask someone with a peanut allergy to “only have a little bit”. You wouldn’t ask a devout Muslim to “just try a little pork, it’s so good!” It’s not a choice for me.

I just don’t eat things that are unhealthy.

There is power in that statement.

It’s very freeing.

Eat clean, whole food. Processed food-like products are not actually food. They are chemicals and your body can do nothing with them but store them as fat. Eat good real food, and you can have AS MUCH AS YOU WANT. Your body will tell you when you’ve had enough. You will feel full and satisfied and strong. You will be healthy, happy and have energy. You will recover from injury faster. You will get sick less often.

I don’t have time to eat unhealthy, I don’t have time to be sick. I have things to do. I want to eat healthy food all the time, because I feel better. I DESERVE to eat healthy food.

One HIIT Wonder

August 2, 2018October 4, 2018 Leave a comment

What is HIIT?

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. (You may have also heard of Tabata – this is just a type of HIIT.) Essentially, to perform a HIIT workout, you push yourself has hard as you can for a set amount of time, and then you rest for a lesser amount of time. Other than the small “rest” times, in between rounds, you perform the entire work out before taking a real break.

Why should I incorporate HIIT into my exercise program?

HIIT burns more fat than muscle

Long workouts of steady state cardio can actually result in muscle loss, but studies have shown that both heavy weight training and HIIT workouts preserve more muscles while using the body’s fat stores as a fuel. It has also been shown to increased mitochondria function in your cells.

It’s quick

Typically, HIIT routines can last anywhere from 10-30 minutes. That means you are burning a LOT more fat, in less time.

It’s efficient

Studies have shown that HIIT routines will burn more fat DURING the workout than more “traditional” steady-state cardio activities (like running, biking, etc.) What is especially interesting is that HIIT routines continue to burn more fat AFTER the workout is done also, for up to 24 hours.

No equipment required

Equipment is handy, but HIIT is really just about going 100% and getting that heart rate up by doing repetitive movements. Jumping jacks, burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers are examples of exercises that can all be done anywhere AND without any equipment.

So it’s better, quicker, and more effective than steady state cardio??? How do I start?

I’m a fan of simplicity, so I’ll make it easy for you. You can do the same exercise for the whole work out, or you can mix it up. During exercising moments, push as hard as you can.

Time intervals: 20 second on, 10 seconds rest (Beginners: start with 30 seconds on and 30 rest)
Duration: 10 – 30 minutes (if you can go longer than this, you may not be pushing hard enough)
How often: Beginners – once per week, Advanced – 2-3 times per week

Here are some examples of HIIT movements:

That require no equipment:
- Jumping Jacks
- Burpees
- Mountain Climbers
- Jump squats
- Jumping lunges
- Sit ups
- Push ups
Equipment required:
- Kettle Bell Swings
- Box Jumps
- Ball Jacks (jumping jacks holding a weighted ball)
- Jumping rope
- Step ups
- Cardio machine interval routine (treadmill, bike, row)

One Thing to start Heading Healthy!

June 28, 2018October 4, 2018 Leave a comment

A lot of people ask, “How do I get started?”

This is a great question, because there’s a lot of information out there, and it can be confusing and overwhelming. I recommend you check out the 5 Simple Rules to Losing Weight article, but you clicked on this post for that ONE THING!

No, it has nothing to do with eliminating sugar, processed foods or refined carbohydrates – although those will really help. It’s not even exercise or sleep or intermittent fasting – all of which are GREAT ways to lose weight and get healthy, by the way. So what is it?

Well, forget everything you think you know about weight loss. Ignore all the advertisements on TV that say, “Check with your doctor to see if these side effects are right for you.” Clear your brain. Close your eyes (well, not literally – ’cause then how else would you read this). Ask yourself, “Why do I want to get healthy?” Picture yourself in a dress size (or two or three) down from where you are right now. Imagine yourself playing with your kids or grandkids like you used to. Visualize yourself being happy and smiling and laughing. Your goals are possible! You are worth it! You will do it. You must believe it. You have to need it. You have to use all that pent up emotion (the anger, the embarrassment, the shame, the disappointment, the fear, the regret, the hopelessness, the exhaustion) and turn that into what drives you. Use it to fuel passion for getting healthy. For every moment of doubt you have in yourself, I want you to find that feeling inside of you. Maybe it’s in your head or your chest or your stomach. Dig it out of you (metaphorically speaking of course). Hold it in your hand. Feel the weight of it sinking into your palm. Now, squeeze as hard as you can – until your fingers hurt – and scream from the depths of your being! This is where you make a stand! THIS moment, is where you WIN! Feel that object of doubt crumble under your will to fight back. As you feel it break down like a clump of sand, slowly release your grasp, work your fingers back and forth and rub your hands together – washing away the remains of what was there. You are ready. Say to yourself, “I can do this.” Shout to yourself, “I can DO THIS!” Now, believe it.

What’s the number one thing you can do to start Heading Healthy? START.

Leave everything else behind. There are NO reasons not to get healthy. There are only excuses for why you’re scared to let go of something you don’t think you can do without. You must believe it’s possible. You must relearn, retrain and reorganize how you look at life – how you look at food – how you look at yourself.

See, I believe heading healthy starts from within. It’s that silent, conscious nod where you accept that only you have the power to make things better. No one else is going to do it for you. We will guide you through the basic principles, offer a few pointers here and there, even provide support when times get tough…but ultimately, you have to take ownership of your own destiny. The time is over for feeling self-pity or hopelessness. You can either cruise your way down the same path that’s led you here – OR – you can make a stand, lift your head up, take a deep breath of fresh air, and DO something about it.

We know you can do it. You know you can do it.

Now…

Do it.

Featured Photo by Michal Lomza on Unsplash

What do YOU want?

May 31, 2018October 4, 2018 Leave a comment

What do YOU want?

When you think of your health, what is it that you want for yourself?

No one can tell you want you want, it’s something you need to find out for yourself. But since you’re here, let’s see what we can do about it together.

Do you have a habit you are trying to quit?
Would you like to drink less alcohol or quit smoking?
Would you like to eat better?
Would you like to be happier with how you look?
Would you like to be able to find the motivation you need to be more active?
Would you like to get off your medications?
Are you sick of being diabetic or having high blood pressure or high cholesterol and want to go back to time when you didn’t need the medications to live normally?
Are you tired of getting colds and flues or infections all the time?
Have you been hospitalized recently because of a chronic health issue and now you are scared for your life?
Are you in pain? Do you have daily full-body pain from inflammation, or maybe gastro-intestinal pain every time you eat?
Do you have a new addition to your family, and you are having trouble keeping up or you are looking to the future and want to be around to be a part of it?

Whatever brought you here, I’m glad you are here. We can help you.

We know we can all do better. We know the things we need to do to be healthy, but we just need to find the motivation to do them. Maybe you’ve started a healthy lifestyle or a new diet before and you stuck with it for a few weeks until something happened and you fell off track. I’ve been there. Everyone has. Let’s see if this time we can do something different to have a longer lasting result.

I want you to think about what you want. What you truly want, for yourself in terms of your health. Write it all down. Make a picture mood board, if that helps. Dig deep down, and list out all parts of your objectives for yourself. Be as detailed as you can. No one is going to see this list but you if you choose.

I want to feel good again, have more energy
I want to look better naked
I want to not be sick all the time

Now next to each one of those parts of your goal that you wrote down, I want you to list out the “why”. Try to go as deep as you can. The real “why”. To give you an example from a friend of ours: “I no longer want to be diabetic because I don’t want to lose my limbs like my aunt did.”

That’s what I want from you right now. What is your why? Maybe it’s not as physically extreme as that. Maybe it’s you not wanting to feel sad anymore. If you are having trouble finding your why, do some research on your chronic issues and see what is in store for you if you don’t change now. What really happens to people who have diabetes after decades of taking insulin? Look to your family as a why, and wanting to be able to attend weddings or meet grandchildren. Not wanting to be left behind.

That is your homework. What do you want… and why?

Once you figure that out, we can move on to step 2.

What Is Your Goal?

April 16, 2018October 4, 2018 Leave a comment

Don’t say “to lose weight”. I want you to think deeper. How did I know that lose weight is your main goal right now? As of January 2018, 70% of Americans were considered overweight or obese. 2/3 of Americans are diabetic or pre-diabetic. “Lose weight” is the number one New Year’s Resolution every year, so we know a lot of people are worried about it.

When I ask a client, “What is your goal?” What I am really asking is for them to dig down. “Lose weight” isn’t specific enough. Even saying “Lose 40 pounds” isn’t much better. That number on the scale is a helpful tool in tracking progress, but it doesn’t really tell you much.

I’m looking for “I want a six-pack” or ”I want to fit into the clothes I wore when I was 18” or “I want to get off my medications” or “I want to no longer have diabetes/high blood pressure/high cholesterol” because those goals are simple trackable goals. But let’s take that at step further. All goals, without a timeline, are just dreams. Make all your goals SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound).

Don’t get me wrong, I weigh myself every morning, and I write it down. But I don’t put much stock in that daily number. I use it to keep myself accountable, and to monitor trends over time. But that number is based on so many things at once, it really won’t tell you anything on its own.

So find a celebrity you want to look like, or a fitness goal you want to be able to do. Do you a big event coming in your life, or maybe someone you want to get healthy for? Figure out what you see as your best self, and let that start to help you define your goal. For a timeline, it’s up to you, but set a date. Here, at Heading Healthy we only recommend that you lose weight safely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean slowly. Once you start feeding your body the right foods that it needs, and you commit to drinking more water every day, and moving as much as you can, you will forget all about that “lose weight” goal. The weight loss will be a side effect as you focus on something so much better. Feeling happy, healthy, and living without chronic issues and medications. All the while working towards that ever changing and growing goal. Are you ready?