See it---believe it---do it---achieve it---your optimal health...

Monday, March 07, 2011

Thought is the seed of action.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yesterday I had a very rough day, emotional, moods you name it. And all becuase I encountered negativity that temporarily caused me stress and the loss of my vision. Today I have it back!

If I were to tell you that you would get one million dollars to follow instructions to the letter, you no doubt would do it effortlessly and wouldn't give it a second thought. Why? You would do it because you can clearly, see the dollar signs in your mind. you know what it is, you know what it can do for you, and you know things you want to do with it. Even without it physically in front of you, you can see it clearly and envision all the benefits. This vision is so crystal clear you are motivated into action.
However, when it comes to our health, we don't see the benefits quite so clearly. So we are not as motivated into action. Unless you can clearly see and understand in your mind what it means, to have the best health for your body, your actions towards health seems almost superficial. We have to understand the thoughts, and then action will come naturally.

Thoughts that lead to behaviour are imprinted by repetitive thought and action. Continuing to use money as an example, what money can do is ingrained in your thoughts all day as you use it and work for it. You have also spent time imagining what it does. You buy a lotto ticket and you can see in your mind what that winning money could do.

This repetitive thinking makes it so easy for money to act as a motivator to action. We now need to think seriously and realize that without health, money doesn't matter. Health, as Dr Carlos says, is worth more, and is vital to everything else. However, we might not feel bad today, or we can't imagine the benefits of feeling better. The result is we don't realize the importance of our everyday, small health decisions.
 
A cigarette smoker could not smoke if they could see clearly in their mind how each puff contributes to dying a slow painful death of cancer. We don't see it or feel it as we smoke and therefore it does not motivate us to stop. We do not see the food we eat as harmful, and we don't think about or envision the effect it has upon us. We get along ok without exercise and many other healthy choices we could be making.
Can you visual what it would feel like to be at your optimal health? You probably haven't given much thought about it because we all have so many other things going on in our lives we tend to let our personal health suffer the consequences.
The truth is most of us have no idea what it feels like to live in a state of optimal health. If you knew, you would be incredibly motivated, because it feels better than anything. If you knew in each moment what the choices you make towards your health will do to you long term, you would be motivated to make the better choices.

How can you be motivated if you can't see what your action will produce for you? Our behaviour is motivated by results that we see. We don't see negative health behaviour as having immediate effect and so we are not motivated to change our behaviours. First thing then, is to develop a vision of what your optimal health would be like.
 See your energy level, your body, your skin, your smile, your attitude, graceful movements, strength, walk, shiny hair. See it today and see it as you grow older. Play a movie in your head of your in optimal health throughout your life and really see what that looks like. Loop that picture in your mind to play over and over again as many times as you can throughout the day. Get that picture in your mind, and it will lead to action. If you can see the actions you take every day as part of the bigger picture then it means something. Then you will become motivated.
 As you go through your day making health-related choices, incorporate your vision to influence your decisions. Ask yourself if your actions have a positive influence over your health.
 See it---believe it---do it---achieve it---your optimal health...

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

BROWNIEISLANDER 3/8/2011 6:15PM

Good Blog!! Report Inappropriate Comment

NOMORESTALLING 3/7/2011 3:17PM

Exactly Ray An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Report Inappropriate Comment

JUKEBOX2 3/7/2011 2:27PM

Great Blog Marion... Through my research I've found just what you're saying... Correct the problem before there is a problem, get healthy before you knoe you're sick! Keep doing things the right way and stay well! Report Inappropriate Comment

COOLMAMA11 3/7/2011 11:35AM

I am sooo guilty of this..I knew cigs were harming me, but I continued to smoke till I ended up in hospital, and found out I have COPD, I continued to eat, and not exercise till I got diabetes, I Have a knee replacement and on a wait list for another..so I was in denial all along! When I try to tell friends,,they just scoff, and say nothing worse than a reformed smoker..so I don't bother anymore, like myself, they will learn the hard way! Great Blog Marion! Elaine Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYJ6942 3/7/2011 10:12AM

WOW, food for thought. Thank you for sharing and pointing this out. I do agree we dont necessarily take time to picture what effects our actions has on our body, health, mind, etc. Report Inappropriate Comment

F.E.A.R False Evidence Appearing Real

Monday, March 07, 2011

The Great Black Things that have loomed against the horizon of my life, threatening to devour me, simply loomed and nothing more.
-Elbert Hubbard

It is the bogeyman under the bed syndrome.

Fear of the unknown is a fear that you make bigger in your mind than the world itself. It is so big it can paralyse you. Fear keeps you out of the game. Fear steers you to bad decisions. Fear is the enemy! We are talking about Bogeyman fear. At the end of the day, the Bogeyman never did grab you with his long, bony, cold hands and pull you into that world of terror, did he? But the fear kept you panting, out of breath, under the covers.

We often create our own fear, and what we create stops us from success. Again, fear keeps you out of the game. .
And what is fear

F=False
E=Evidence
A=Appearing
R=Real

Many of you may know the story of Thomas Edison, When Thomas Edison was inventing the light bulb, he had documented five thousand experiments that failed. The scientific community at large regarded him as a man obsessed with his delusions.
At one point a young reporter went to interview the mad inventor. He asked, "Mr. Edison, when will you give up this useless pursuit of the light bulb? Is it not apparent to you that we will always use the lantern? After all, you have failed five thousand times." Mr. Edison replied, "Young man, I have not failed five thousand times. I have discovered and documented five thousand ways that don't work!"

Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown. -H. Ross Perot

Well, it took Edison ten thousand tries before he finally stopped discovering ways that did not work. Imagine where we would be if he had not.

I want you to turn on the lights in your life. Literally see a light bulb in your mind as you go for your opportunities and the pathways develop stronger connections. . Remind yourself that opportunities are not realized unless attempted.
Listen, nothing is as bad as you think. Nothing is as hard as you think. You have to face hard decisions and face whatever is under the bed. Most of the time, there really isn't anything to fear except what you've created in your own mind? the Bogeyman.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Put aside your fear. Live life in pursuit of your dreams. Cut the chains of assumptions, hearsay, the excuses, reasons, justifications, and fears that keep you from finding and getting to the other side of the doors to your opportunities. Finally make that first step, as Neil Armstrong said, ?One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.? You will find that you have made a giant leap in your life. You will step into the life you want! That doesn't mean you won?t encounter difficulties along the way. However, you will learn and grow and continue your forward motion. Difficulties; obstacles, are simply steps toward success. As Malcolm Forbes said, ?Failing is success if we learn from it.?

I find this so true. We can accomplish anything we believe in and want. So face your fears. You can?t be successful without facing your fears. Til then, BOO

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

BROWNIEISLANDER 3/8/2011 6:12PM

Beautiful post...Sentiments to remember...When things look Bleak!! Report Inappropriate Comment

COOLMAMA11 3/7/2011 7:14AM

Great blog Marion....enjoyed reading it..I just broke through a small fear I had, and that is being seen in public in a bathing suit..I gulped back that fear and went to the pool, I'm glad I did had a great morning! I discovered that no one really cares if your overweight, and have scars on your knees !! So try to tackle those fears no matter how big or small! Hugs Elaine (I also put this in comments by mistake lol) Report Inappropriate Comment

THISYEARSMODEL 3/7/2011 3:31AM

Years ago I took a workshop in which fear was described as False Evidence Against Reality. Thanks for the reminder! Report Inappropriate Comment

DOOBIE893 3/7/2011 3:21AM

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Report Inappropriate Comment

he Challenge of Change

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
~~Victor Frankl

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

RAYLINSTEPHENS 3/1/2011 8:24AM

Very true! Report Inappropriate Comment

COOLMAMA11 3/1/2011 8:01AM

Changing is one of the hadest things to do..we have become so comfortable with the way we are, that change seems so difficult..I learned that very rapidly here on Spark..If I want to remain overweight and unhealthy, just continue along as usual, if I want to lose weight and be healthy..GUESS WHAT...I have to change! Hugs Elaine Report Inappropriate Comment

DARKCHILD 3/1/2011 5:50AM

I like this quote very very much. It's perfect for what's going on in my life right now. Major changes! Report Inappropriate Comment

The Propaganda Wars! The Diet Confidential.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

I watched this documentary this morning; The Diet Confidential.
And here is what I gleened from it. Some of which is my personal opinion and feelings as well. It is rather lengthy so please persevere.

There is a propaganda war going on all around us. It is a battle for our bodies and our wallets A struggle between two very powerful modern forces.
The marketing pressure to eat more and the social pressure to weigh less.
We are battered by the conflicting messages; eat and be thin.
We worship the skinny the lean the disciplined and we are horrified by the slothful spectacle of the super fat.
The new year is peak dieting time and the networks all weigh in with their specials; part 21st century freak show part confessional with a pinch of reverberation
There is the constant of what you eat you become what you are so there is that intense pressure to eat the right thing to become the right person.
Welcome to a world of serial diets We think they are mainly about science but they are mostly about marketing.
It is the only business in the world really that succeeds by failure. And when people fail at diets they think it is the problem with the diet; the diet did not work. No they feel like I failed. In reality it is the diets that do not work. If anything they make you fatter. Hence the yo yo syndrome!
There are over 700 books out there in print on how to lose weight! Can you believe that over 700!
All with gobs of good intentions mind you, filled with simplicity, After all the diet authors are modern day evangelists leading others to salvation! Diet books have been money spinners for years The first diet book became a mega seller A Far back as the nineteen twenties! The diet doctor is typically the American tradition mixing science and fear of food.
The Scarsdale diet a very strict diet; no alcohol, no dressings on salad, etc no cooking with fats or oils.
Then there was Dr. Stewart Burger. His intention The immune power diet. Burger though diet at the mere age of 40 weigh in in at 360 pounds!
But where one diet fails there is always another diet guru arises Dr. Robert Atkins brought us the diet Revolution and became a household name around the world.
The diet market has fattened up to huge 50 billion dollars a year!!!!
The dieting success today..the right amount of marketing buzz!
The next one coming out is by a Dr Stewart Fisher; would be diet guru to the celebs!
It is only at the proposal stage He knows that this is going to take a team of savvy chefs. It is all about status! Nothing more . Status and green backs!
Scarsdale south Beach, It is like selling a piece of property';real estate.
This next on is ready for it....The Park Avenue Diet. Why because it represents a pinnacle of success a pinnacle of glamour, and he thinks it is because it epitomizes this across the country! Nothing to do with the peoples wellness and well being, self- worth, self esteem, health issues! Just his self esteem by the sounds and looks of things!
He even has the biggest backer in the business Howard Rubinstein. Whoop whoop so he has a big name! Lets just stoke the ego some more shall we.
He is suppose to be filling the void since Dr Atkins passed away! They are branding him the next leading diet doctor and position him as the next diet authority in the market! Today it is Media Strategy on the table for this diet A book that doesn't even exist yet!
You should hear the regalia of magazines he is to be featured in! All aimed at women, beauty fashion and entertainment and lifestyle publications. And what is that meant to do Nothing except to stoke his ego and make the sales; a buzz for the book and himself.
He is already making appearance as a nutritional expert on CNN to comment on the newest obesity study! (I am about to get sick!)
And what is he targeting the artificial sweeteners for one. We accept the fact that artificial sweeteners are a part of the main stream but are they a health product. Quote unquote.
It appears that this is a perfect entrance into starting that ego buzz! I will address this issue in the book i am writing called the Park Avenue Diet a much more comprehensive way of looking at weight. YA YA YADDA YADDA!
He calls it the meat and potatoes of dieting and the ultimate self help book. And his quotes have already started peppering the influential papers of the press.
Oh here it comes He has worked for Dr Atkins, the most famous diet doctor in history for almost 8 and a half years. So now he feels like there is a tremendous void at the heart of health care that needs to be filled.
Does anybody else feel this void?
I certainly do not. Apparently we are all looking for someone to follow? To me this is almost laughable.
You know what it is all just a continuous loop now where people understand the importance these messages are going to have on we the consumer. And so we are being hit at every touch point whether through book, magazine, TV programs; the almighty media in general and of course the product itself.

And then there is the calorie counting This has tormented us from the get go! The whole thing has become a witches brew of health nutrition and diet fadism.
Let's face it they're all getting on the band waggon. Susan Sommers has now got a sixth book out there. And the product Sommersizing. OK! Alrighty then!
And who could forget Charles Atlas! Power is what real men aspire to Men don't diet!
Their only worry was keeping their women thin! How that's changed! Now men are prime targets for weight loss worries! Oh yeah let's just reduce the carbs in their favourite brewskees; low fat beers, 97 calories and yet brewed full strength. And what's better than eating all the meat you want? And then there is the Six pack abs diet for men.

Let's face it well there is some common sense to each of these fad diets there is more confusion than anything over what to eat. And where there is so much confusion the diet industry thrives on what to eat, how to do it. Where to go It's a vicious circle to this whole thing. And the biggest place shoppers are most lost confused and dazed? At the supermarket! Isle after isle over zillions of acreage of supermarket floor is where the diet fad wars are fought.
Brand name diets promise to make it simpler. When a diet becomes a marketing tool food manufacturers gain a sales bonanza! How many of us have been caught up in that war?
It al started in 1959 when the tv screen was hit with the diet drink; once limited to medical journals, meal replacement. The first was SEGO short for See The Weight Go! The liquid food for weight control.

They are saying that the diet industry isn't really targeting the obese but instead those women who only need to lose ten twenty, thirty, pounds and will pay anything to do it Then came the diet sodas, Tab then Diet Pepsi came on the market. The guilt free go ahead to eat all you want. NOT!
If a diet product is going to make you fat the same product will make you thin So it's all abut selling selling selling whether its food or the diet it really doesn't matter.
First came the citrus diet so that the citrus manufacturers would benefit. The poeple that followed tha diet must have wearied of grapefruits.
After that it was the banana and skim milk diet so that the companies that sold/produced bananas would be out front. And boy did each of them gain financially. They realized just how much money they could make off of those that promoted their foods!
The diet production machine is ALWAYS in gear! Every year a diet book offers a one food diet solution to weight loss. Magic ingredient diets are the simplest out there and every last one of them are out there dispensing their own diet gospel. They all know exactly what audiences to pitch too.
They all have the usual parts of the package thrown in to hook people in. They all promise fast easy and a new secret.
In essence they are all saying you can be thin without really changing anything!
How profound!
In the murky stew of conflicting food messages separating what's in and what's out is really up to us the consumer. And now we are deciding what we want We are speaking out amongst ourselves and then we wait for the products that meet that demand or need So now it is very important that the food industry realize what that need is and what is on the horizon And they are picking up all this info by eavesdropping. Not by tapping phones but by electronic surveillance They call themselves Buzmetrics and they are monitoring the consumer unannounced to you and i And what are we saying; We are talking about well balanced diets! Whole grains, Wholewheat products, Fruits vegetables, complex carbs. This included the internet as well so guess what I'll bet a dime to a dollar we on Sparkpeople are actually being heard!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ONESTUBBORNTART 2/27/2011 4:37AM

Yes, I've become very cynical over the media and what they choose to ram down our throats every day. When we first moved to the UK more than 16 years ago, another guy in the Backpacker Hostel said, "Gosh all they seem to have on TV over here is Cooking Shows and Shows about Fat people!" Sure enough they did have an awful lot of those shows nd it's still true today. Even watching The Biggest Loser the other day made me curl my lip with cynicism when I saw the following ads were for The Biggest Loser branded "Meal replacement" bars and milkshakes. Oh and don't even get me started on how unhealthy I think that all is. Oh my. *fans self to cool down* Thank you for the very interesting blog. Report Inappropriate Comment

GRITS46 2/26/2011 11:42PM

Vanity and the desire to be "like everyone else who personifies the perfect image," no matter what, has made lots of money for lots of people. And this doesn't even cover the dollars made with the diet pill industry. It's a lifestyle change and until the populace doing the spending decides to make lifestyle changes, there will always be diets, diet books, diet gurus, diet products, diet pills. That's why I'm glad there's SparkPeople -- it's all about changing my lifestyle to a healthy one. And then it's up to me! You did a great job of summarizing a really info-filled topic! Thanks for a great blog. Sherrey Report Inappropriate Comment

RONAGAL 2/26/2011 8:18PM

*sigh* It's so discouraging...but thanks for sharing anyway. Report Inappropriate Comment

COOLMAMA11 2/26/2011 7:54PM

I wrote a blog on this quite some time ago..The diet industry..is just a money making racket, and of course a lot of poeple are looking for an easy fix for their weight problem..I know I was one of them, I bought potions, lotions, books & pills, would lose a few lbs, then gain it back! Took awhile, but then I wised up! The industry was getting richer, and me poorer, and still over-weight..stop and think about it folks! I have sinced learned, that all one needs to do is healthy eating, watch portions, drink water, and get in some exercise every day..one has to be consistent, and follow through each day...why is it so hard for people to understand this? I think people are looking for a miracle weight loss discovery, where they don't have to do anything..well people it just *aint* gonna happen lol! Your darn tootin Spark is being heard, this is how it is supposed to be done! Great blog Marion..I enjoyed reading it! Elaine Comment edited on: 2/26/2011 7:59:28 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

MARTY19 2/26/2011 7:47PM

Alot of information here. I don't believe in diets. People are not willing to simple change their way of eating. They are looking for the fast approach. Lost 15 pounds in 5 days. Bunk, I say. Marty Report Inappropriate Comment

KRYS210 2/26/2011 7:27PM

Vanity has kept those 'gurus' rich for a long time. We don't want to look healthy we want to be ultra thin. Twiggy was the rage in the 60's (yes, I know I'm dating myself) and just goes from bad to worse in my opinion. Thanks goodness for Spark and their common sense approach! Report Inappropriate Comment

JUKEBOX2 2/26/2011 5:01PM

The part that makes me crazy is the lack of consistency throughout the industry. What's good for one group is not necessarily good for another... Whats good for one doctor is not necessarily good for another... Nutritionists say different things... herbalist say something else!... In my research I just can't keep up with the changes! Ah Well.. That's the consumers life... Ray Report Inappropriate Comment

LOSING MY APPREHENSION ABOUT WEIGHT LIFTING

Friday, February 25, 2011

Just because I am not vying for 20-inch biceps or thunderously strong thighs like the muscle heads in the gym doesn't mean I should shun the weight room. Lifting weights will give me an edge over belly fat, stress, heart disease, and cancer—and it's also the single most effective way to look hot in a bikini. So apprehensive...
NOT ANY MORE! WHY BECAUSE

You'll Lose 40 Percent More Fat
If you think cardio is the key to blasting belly fat, keep reading: When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups—no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training—they all lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters shed six more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. Why? The lifters' loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle.

Other research on dieters who don't lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat, while 25 percent is from muscle. Muscle loss may drop your scale weight, but it doesn't improve your reflection in the mirror and it makes you more likely to gain back the flab you lost. However, if you weight train as you diet, you'll protect your hard-earned muscle and burn more fat.

Your Clothes Will Fit Better
Research shows that between the ages of 30 and 50, you'll likely lose 10 percent of your body's total muscle. Worse yet, it's likely to be replaced by fat over time, says a study. And that increases your waist size, because one pound of fat takes up 18 percent more space than one pound of muscle.

You'll Burn More Calories
Lifting increases the number of calories you burn while your butt is parked on the couch. That's because after each strength workout, your muscles need energy to repair their fibers. In fact, researchers found that when people did a total-body workout with just three big-muscle moves, their metabolisms were raised for 39 hours afterward. They also burned a greater percentage of calories from fat compared with those who didn't lift.

Lifting gives you a better burn during exercise too: Doing a circuit of eight moves (which takes about eight minutes) can expend 159 to 231 calories. That's about what you'd burn if you ran at a 10-mile-per-hour pace for the same duration.

Your Diet Will Improve
Exercise helps your brain stick to a diet plan. University of Pittsburgh researchers studied 169 overweight adults and found that those who didn't follow a three-hours-a-week training regimen ate more than their allotted 1,500 calories a day. The reverse was also true—sneaking snacks sabotaged their workouts. The study authors say both diet and exercise likely remind you to stay on track, aiding your weight-loss goals.


You'll Handle Stress Better
Break a sweat in the weight room and you'll stay cool under pressure. Scientists determined that the fittest people exhibited lower levels of stress hormones than those who were the least fit. Another study found that after a stressful situation, the blood pressure levels of people with the most muscle returned to normal faster than the levels of those with the least muscle.

You'll Be Happier
Yoga isn't the only Zen-inducing kind of exercise. Researchers found that people who performed three weight workouts a week for six months significantly improved their scores on measures of anger and overall mood.

You'll Build Stronger Bones
As you age, bone mass goes to pot, which increases your likelihood of one day suffering a debilitating fracture. The good news: A study found that 16 weeks of resistance training increased hip bone density and elevated blood levels of osteocalcin—a marker of bone growth—by 19 percent.


You'll Get into Shape Faster
The term cardio shouldn't describe only aerobic exercise: A study found that circuit training with weights raises your heart rate 15 beats per minute higher than if you ran at 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate. This approach strengthens muscles and provides cardiovascular benefits similar to those of aerobic exercise—so you save time without sacrificing results.

Your Heart Will Be Healthier
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that people who did three total-body weight workouts a week for two months decreased their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by an average of eight points. That's enough to reduce the risk of a stroke by 40 percent and the chance of a heart attack by 15 percent.

You'll Be Way More Productive
Lifting could result in a raise (or at least a pat on the back from your boss). Researchers found that workers were 15 percent more productive on days they exercised compared with days they didn't. So on days you work out, you can (theoretically) finish in eight hours what would normally take nine hours and 12 minutes. Or you'd still work for nine hours but get more done, leaving you feeling less stressed and happier with your job—another perk reported on days workers exercised.

You'll Live Longer
University of South Carolina researchers determined that total-body strength is linked to lower risks of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Similarly, other scientists found that being strong during middle age is associated with "exceptional survival," defined as living to the age of 85 without developing a major disease.

You'll Be Even Smarter
Muscles strengthen your body and mind: Brazilian researchers found that six months of resistance training enhanced lifters' cognitive function. In fact, the sweat sessions resulted in better short- and long-term memory, improved verbal reasoning, and a longer attention span.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

JUKEBOX2 2/26/2011 6:53AM

Great Blog Marion... I hope everyone has a chance to read it... Very Inspirational! Ray Report Inappropriate Comment

PROT358 2/26/2011 12:07AM

Great blog with great information. THANK YOU for sharing!! Report Inappropriate Comment

MOTIVATED@LAST 2/25/2011 11:33PM

Nice reminder of all the benefits of strength training. Report Inappropriate Comment

DJ4HEALTH 2/25/2011 10:47PM

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