This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
Whatever our aim may be, success in achieving it is driven by energy. So it is vital to keep our bodies ... our powerhouses of energy ... in good shape. That still applies even if our aim is mental (like studying for a qualification) or spiritual (like awakening a deeper level of consciousness). In any contest, at the end of the day the person with the highest energy wins. Whilst I prefer co-operation to competition, even that can fall apart when physical energy is lacking.
Einstein defined ENERGY as
For our purposes, I'm redefining it as
In a nutshell, my formula simply states that personal ENERGY depends on three "e's" ... EATING, EXERCISE and ENJOYMENT ... and each of those is coupled with another "e" that greatly raises its power. Here, I shall aim to explode some myths that stand in our way, and offer some pointers in the right direction
The first "e"
ENNOURISHED EATING
We all know what EATING is, but ENNOURISHMENT is a word I have just invented. It is not currently found in any English dictionary that I know of, which is a great shame because it highlights NOURISHMENT as the prime purpose of EATING.
The big myth surrounding eating is calorie counting. Of course, excess calories lead to excess weight and a host of serious health problems. But it's no fun at all to be constantly counting the devils (which violates our third "e"), and it is practically impossible to count calories accurately. But there is a far more effective way to control calorie intake.
Far more important than calories is the density of nutrients contained within them. Nature gives priority to the body's prime need for nutrients. To that end, the feeling of hunger is designed to persist ... until enough nutrition has been consumed, regardless of the number of calories it takes. You see where this is leading? If we eat "empty" calories from food devoid of nutrition, we will be driven to consume excess calories.
The body extracts more nutrition from food that is chewed properly. So there is the first habit to relearn: eat at leisure in a relaxed environment, and chew thoroughly. Mahatma Gandhi recommended "we should drink our foods". That's how thoroughly we should chew. Besides extracting more nutrition, it eases the rest of the digestive process, and it delivers the rewarding pleasure of far more flavour.
There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to what is best to eat. We all have different needs, depending on age, body type and condition, workload, lifestyle ... even climate. The best guide is to eat as close to Nature as possible: fresh, natural (organic), free range, seasonal, local whole foods. These are the foods most rich in both healthy nutrients and delicious flavour. That means you will be satisfied with less, and your body will be free to maintain your ideal weight instead of having to scavenge for nutrients from empty calories. Nature's foods (especially raw) also come complete with all the good bacteria and minerals that enable us to make the most of them.
On the other side of the coin, it is wise to avoid foods that are far away from Nature: processed foods.
Processed need not involve E-numbers, though their presence usually gives a strong hint. Many additives in food are only put there to ensure smooth passage through factory machinery, but are less kind when they pass through your guts.
Processed includes most things white: white bread, white pasta, white rice, white flour, white sugar. These are actually excellent foods ... but not for us; they feed (and invite) the parasites and bad bacteria that like to invade unhealthy bodies.
Processed also includes anything that comes from a factory rather than a farm: ready meals and snack foods (including many so-called "healthy" snacks). Many of these are little more than salt and sugar with just a few bits added.
And give some thought to your water intake. Nature makes the best foods rich in water content: fresh fruits and vegetables. Quite often, what we think is hunger is actually thirst. (A dry mouth is just one sign of a thirst that has reached an advanced stage.) So, if you are concerned about limiting calories, whenever you feel "hungry", take a drink of water first; it may be all you need.
There we have some simple yet far-reaching guidelines for ENNOURISHED EATING. How to implement them is explored below under our third "e". Before moving on, let me just gently remind anyone with a specific health issue, you should consult a qualified professional on what specific foods are best for your situation.
The second "e"
EFFECTIVE EXERCISE
Fifteen minutes most days (not even every day) of the type of exercise I mean can be more effective than many hours in the gym.
For prime examples of beautiful and healthy athletic bodies, we still turn to the Ancient Greeks. Yet, their gyms were the open fields; they needed no fancy equipment; nor did they depend upon "scientifically formulated" pills or supplements. We can do what they did ... develop and maintain naturally shapely, healthy bodies ... without spending huge amounts of either time or money. My friend Todd Sedelmeier shows you how in this ten-minute video clip. And you can see what he achieved himself in just a couple of months!
In this video, Todd demonstrates the simple exercises that you can learn to get fit and stay fit in just minutes a day:
The third "e"
ENTHUSIASTIC ENJOYMENT
This is perhaps the most important of our three "e's". The secret to success in anything is to make it enjoyable. Neither eating nor exercise should be a punishment.
Be sure to include "a little of what you fancy" in your eating, no matter how "bad" that thing is rated. An occasional cream cake does no harm in an otherwise healthy eating plan. If it puts a smile on your face, it will do a heap of good.
For the best exercise, search around for a sport or activity that you can learn to thoroughly enjoy. The friendships that you'll develop with other participants will be far better for your heart than hours spent on a boring machine at the gym.
The key to success is to sustain small changes over a long period, rather than having a blitz then collapsing in a heap and giving up. To achieve that, introduce changes gradually. Give new habits time to form, old ones time to fade away.
For example, with eating, start by making changes to just breakfast. Experiment and find something you like that meets the guidelines. Preferably, find several things you like so that you also enjoy variety.
Once breakfast is settled, apply the same process to lunch, and so on. As you experiment, you will discover that "likes" and "dislikes" are nothing but habits, and they can be changed. For example, I used to find it "impossible" to drink tea of coffee without six sugars ... now I much prefer none.
Likewise, introduce exercise slowly. Push yourself a little further each time, but only a little. You will find that the toughest part is right at the beginning. Persist, and you will be surprised by how quickly you gather momentum.
I could write all day about this ... but you don't want to be reading this all day. Get out there an play with these ideas. Above all, have fun!
At this point, I strongly urge you to re-run through this "A to Z" series so far. (The next post won't appear for at least a week, because I am moving home.)
At "A", if you have not done so already, add to your "wish list" something related to health and fitness. Remember to dig deep and discover your WHY as well as WHAT you would like to achieve.
At "B", use the methods suggested to root out old buried beliefs that now stand in your way: "I was never any good at sports ... I never have the time ... " Replace these with beliefs of your choice that will serve you better: "Sport is for everyone and it's fun just to take part ... effective exercise needs only a few minutes most days ..." and so on.
At "C", start making CHOICES that will lead you down your chosen path ... or rather, set up your choice-making mechanism to take you in that direction.
At "D", use the Dickens Technique to fire up your motivation, then begin boldly and just DO IT.
And please study this "E" post carefully. Each paragraph is packed with a book's worth of information, if you reflect on it.
This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
Enjoy!
Whatever our aim may be, success in achieving it is driven by energy. So it is vital to keep our bodies ... our powerhouses of energy ... in good shape. That still applies even if our aim is mental (like studying for a qualification) or spiritual (like awakening a deeper level of consciousness). In any contest, at the end of the day the person with the highest energy wins. Whilst I prefer co-operation to competition, even that can fall apart when physical energy is lacking.
Einstein defined ENERGY as
E=mc2
For our purposes, I'm redefining it as
E=3e2
In a nutshell, my formula simply states that personal ENERGY depends on three "e's" ... EATING, EXERCISE and ENJOYMENT ... and each of those is coupled with another "e" that greatly raises its power. Here, I shall aim to explode some myths that stand in our way, and offer some pointers in the right direction
*****
The first "e"
ENNOURISHED EATING
We all know what EATING is, but ENNOURISHMENT is a word I have just invented. It is not currently found in any English dictionary that I know of, which is a great shame because it highlights NOURISHMENT as the prime purpose of EATING.
The big myth surrounding eating is calorie counting. Of course, excess calories lead to excess weight and a host of serious health problems. But it's no fun at all to be constantly counting the devils (which violates our third "e"), and it is practically impossible to count calories accurately. But there is a far more effective way to control calorie intake.
Far more important than calories is the density of nutrients contained within them. Nature gives priority to the body's prime need for nutrients. To that end, the feeling of hunger is designed to persist ... until enough nutrition has been consumed, regardless of the number of calories it takes. You see where this is leading? If we eat "empty" calories from food devoid of nutrition, we will be driven to consume excess calories.
The body extracts more nutrition from food that is chewed properly. So there is the first habit to relearn: eat at leisure in a relaxed environment, and chew thoroughly. Mahatma Gandhi recommended "we should drink our foods". That's how thoroughly we should chew. Besides extracting more nutrition, it eases the rest of the digestive process, and it delivers the rewarding pleasure of far more flavour.
There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to what is best to eat. We all have different needs, depending on age, body type and condition, workload, lifestyle ... even climate. The best guide is to eat as close to Nature as possible: fresh, natural (organic), free range, seasonal, local whole foods. These are the foods most rich in both healthy nutrients and delicious flavour. That means you will be satisfied with less, and your body will be free to maintain your ideal weight instead of having to scavenge for nutrients from empty calories. Nature's foods (especially raw) also come complete with all the good bacteria and minerals that enable us to make the most of them.
On the other side of the coin, it is wise to avoid foods that are far away from Nature: processed foods.
Processed need not involve E-numbers, though their presence usually gives a strong hint. Many additives in food are only put there to ensure smooth passage through factory machinery, but are less kind when they pass through your guts.
Processed includes most things white: white bread, white pasta, white rice, white flour, white sugar. These are actually excellent foods ... but not for us; they feed (and invite) the parasites and bad bacteria that like to invade unhealthy bodies.
Processed also includes anything that comes from a factory rather than a farm: ready meals and snack foods (including many so-called "healthy" snacks). Many of these are little more than salt and sugar with just a few bits added.
And give some thought to your water intake. Nature makes the best foods rich in water content: fresh fruits and vegetables. Quite often, what we think is hunger is actually thirst. (A dry mouth is just one sign of a thirst that has reached an advanced stage.) So, if you are concerned about limiting calories, whenever you feel "hungry", take a drink of water first; it may be all you need.
There we have some simple yet far-reaching guidelines for ENNOURISHED EATING. How to implement them is explored below under our third "e". Before moving on, let me just gently remind anyone with a specific health issue, you should consult a qualified professional on what specific foods are best for your situation.
*****
The second "e"
EFFECTIVE EXERCISE
Fifteen minutes most days (not even every day) of the type of exercise I mean can be more effective than many hours in the gym.
For prime examples of beautiful and healthy athletic bodies, we still turn to the Ancient Greeks. Yet, their gyms were the open fields; they needed no fancy equipment; nor did they depend upon "scientifically formulated" pills or supplements. We can do what they did ... develop and maintain naturally shapely, healthy bodies ... without spending huge amounts of either time or money. My friend Todd Sedelmeier shows you how in this ten-minute video clip. And you can see what he achieved himself in just a couple of months!
In this video, Todd demonstrates the simple exercises that you can learn to get fit and stay fit in just minutes a day:
*****
The third "e"
ENTHUSIASTIC ENJOYMENT
This is perhaps the most important of our three "e's". The secret to success in anything is to make it enjoyable. Neither eating nor exercise should be a punishment.
Be sure to include "a little of what you fancy" in your eating, no matter how "bad" that thing is rated. An occasional cream cake does no harm in an otherwise healthy eating plan. If it puts a smile on your face, it will do a heap of good.
For the best exercise, search around for a sport or activity that you can learn to thoroughly enjoy. The friendships that you'll develop with other participants will be far better for your heart than hours spent on a boring machine at the gym.
The key to success is to sustain small changes over a long period, rather than having a blitz then collapsing in a heap and giving up. To achieve that, introduce changes gradually. Give new habits time to form, old ones time to fade away.
For example, with eating, start by making changes to just breakfast. Experiment and find something you like that meets the guidelines. Preferably, find several things you like so that you also enjoy variety.
Once breakfast is settled, apply the same process to lunch, and so on. As you experiment, you will discover that "likes" and "dislikes" are nothing but habits, and they can be changed. For example, I used to find it "impossible" to drink tea of coffee without six sugars ... now I much prefer none.
Likewise, introduce exercise slowly. Push yourself a little further each time, but only a little. You will find that the toughest part is right at the beginning. Persist, and you will be surprised by how quickly you gather momentum.
I could write all day about this ... but you don't want to be reading this all day. Get out there an play with these ideas. Above all, have fun!
*****
At this point, I strongly urge you to re-run through this "A to Z" series so far. (The next post won't appear for at least a week, because I am moving home.)
At "A", if you have not done so already, add to your "wish list" something related to health and fitness. Remember to dig deep and discover your WHY as well as WHAT you would like to achieve.
At "B", use the methods suggested to root out old buried beliefs that now stand in your way: "I was never any good at sports ... I never have the time ... " Replace these with beliefs of your choice that will serve you better: "Sport is for everyone and it's fun just to take part ... effective exercise needs only a few minutes most days ..." and so on.
At "C", start making CHOICES that will lead you down your chosen path ... or rather, set up your choice-making mechanism to take you in that direction.
At "D", use the Dickens Technique to fire up your motivation, then begin boldly and just DO IT.
And please study this "E" post carefully. Each paragraph is packed with a book's worth of information, if you reflect on it.
This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
Enjoy!