The Blog
Choose your meat wisely
For hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution, our ancestors have subsisted on a diet that included, and for the most part actually centred around, wild meat. In recent times there has been a lot of media attention about whether meat causes cancer and heart disease and whether we should actually be eating it at all. So is meat healthy and if so what type of meat is best?
Is meat healthy?
Back in the early 1900′s a scientist, named Dr Weston Price, travelled around the world studying the dental health and nutrition of primitive isolated cultures that were long renowned for their excellent physical health (Price, 1939 ). In this unique era when air travel had only just begun, Dr Price was able to reach primitive and traditional societies that had been thriving in ways in which they had for hundreds, thousands and even tens of thousands of years. It was a window of opportunity unlike any other in history and Dr Price seized it to travel over 100,000 miles and study numerous traditional societies including Swiss villagers in remote mountain valleys, South Pacific Islanders, Aborigines, people’s of remote Celtic isles, African tribes, American Indians, Inuit and many others.
Although the diets of the people he studied varied dramatically depending on where they lived in the world, what was interesting was that there was not one single vegetarian primitive society anywhere in the world – much to Dr Price’s disappointment. It appeared that the amount of meat that was consumed basically depended on how much was available in the environment and how easy it was to catch. At one end of the spectrum Alaskan Inuit consumed diets that were very high in fat and protein from animal sources. At the other end of the spectrum, the Quetchus Indians of South America ate a small amount of meat and mainly plant-based foods. What was consistent however was that all of these groups had excellent health and suffered almost none of the lifestyle diseases that were then already plaguing the western world.
It is apparent therefore that from an evolutionary perspective meat naturally forms part of a healthy human diet. Studies of our ancestors by medical anthropologists have supported this conclusion and according to Gedgaudas (2009 ) we are all biologically, genetically and physiologically, without exception hunter-gatherers and designed to eat meat. According to Sisson (2011 ) good quality meat and animal products are a great source of complete protein, healthy fats, nutrients and vitamins that support all facets of health, energy, weight control and peak performance.
The problem today however is that much of the meat consumed is very different to that that was consumed in the past. Our ancestors would have hunted wild animals that were free to graze on pastures, drinking clean water, exercising, getting fresh air and living natural lives. Today commercial pressures to maximise profits and survive in an increasingly competitive world mean that the quality of farmed meat has suffered to keep costs down.
In many modern countries, animals are no longer free to graze on pastures, eating their natural diet but instead are raised in confined spaces and fed unnatural diets of soy, corn and other grains to fatten them up. Even in countries like Australia where there is abundant land to graze animals on, the majority of animals are still grain fed for the last portion of their lives to increase the size of the animals for sale. This causes real health issues. Many animals consumed by humans have a difficult time digesting grains as their physiology is designed more for grass (Mercola, 2006 ). According to Mercola, commercially raised animals often get sick due to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the stomach that results from the grain that they were never designed to eat. Farmers therefore widely administer antibiotics to prevent this. Long term over use of antibiotic use contributes to the formation of disease-resistant bacteria. The grains they are fed with are also laced with pesticides and herbicides and are genetically modified, causing further health issues.
Another problem with this grain fed diet for animals is the fat composition of the meat that is produced (Servan-Schreiber, 2009 ). Grass is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids – these fatty acids are therefore naturally concentrated in grass-fed animal meat and also products of grass-fed animals e.g. milk, butter, yoghurt and cream. Eggs from free-range chickens that forage naturally are also high in omega-3′s. Corn, soy and wheat have now become the principle diet of commercially raised animals and these are high in omega-6 and lack omega-3’s. This means that commercially raised meat is generally stripped of its omega-3 value and is high in omega-6’s. It is also low in conjugated linolenic acid that you require to fight cancer and other diseases.
Omega-3′s and omega-6′s are called “essential” because the human body cannot make them. As a result the quantity of these fats in our body stem directly from the food that we eat. What does this mean for us? Omega-3′s and omega-6′s in our bodies constantly compete for control of our body functions. According to Servan-Schreiber (2009), omega-6′s help stock fats and promote rigidity in cells as well as coagulation and inflammation in response to outside aggression. They stimulate the production of fatty cells from birth onward. Omega-3′s are involved in developing nervous system, making cell membranes more flexible and reducing inflammation. They also limit the production of adipose cells.
Our physiological balance therefore depends very much on the balance of omega-3′s to omega-6′s in our body and therefore in our diet. In turn the amount of omega-3′s and omega-6′s in our food depend on what the animals we eat have consumed in their feed. If they eat grass then the meat, dairy and eggs that they produce are perfectly balanced in omega-3′s to omega-6′s (around 1:1). If they eat corn and soy the imbalance in our bodies is as much as 1:15, even 1:40. We ultimately pay the price of this imbalance with our health.
In some countries such as the United States, animals are also fed with steroids to fatten them up (Servan-Schreiber, 2009). These hormones build up in fatty tissues and in cows are excreted in milk. An example of a widely used steroid in the United States is recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) that has been introduced to cattle to increase milk production. Although this is banned in many countries, including Australia, because of trade agreements this hormone is likely to find its way onto dinner plates anywhere in the world through imported ingredients derived from American milk.
The health of meat is further compromised when it is cooked and processed. Have you ever read the ingredients listed on the labels of cured meats such as bacon, ham, beef jerky, salami or packaged luncheon meats? You will find a whole list of ingredients that are incredibly hard to pronounce. According to Chek (2004 ), two commonly used ingredients are nitrites and nitrates that are designed primarily as a colour fixative, to convey a tangy effect to the palate and to prohibit the development of clostridium botulinum spores. Both additives have been found to cause cancer and tumours in test animals. Germany banned nitrites and nitrates in meat products in 1997 due to health concerns however they are still widely used in the United States and in Australia.
Healthy Animal Sources
It is clear then that although humans are genetically designed to eat animals and animal products, there are some real concerns about the quality of those sources that are generally available today. Here are a number of tips on healthy animal product consumption that will help you to maximise your health:
The best sources of animal products are lean, high omega-3 wild animals hunted from pure wilderness areas. In Australia, kangaroo meat is a great example of this and it is available from all the major supermarkets at a much better price than farmed animals.
The next best choice is to purchase certified organic, free-range products. They are far more nutritious than conventionally raised animals as well as free of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics.
If organic free-range animal products are not available, the next best choice is grass fed, free-range meats. At least they were free to roam, got exercise and ate what they were designed to eat. It is important to note though that just because an animal product is organic, does not meant that it is grass fed. Even if an animal is fed organic grains, it is still not ideal and a non-organic, grass fed animal product would actually be preferable (Chek, 2004).
Take care not to over-sear meat when cooking as there are carcinogens present in blackened meat (Sisson, 2011).
Read all labels, eliminating, or at least minimising the consumption of processed meats.
If you only have conventional animal products available then make sure that you trim off the excess fat as this is unhealthy in its composition and stores toxins (Sisson, 2011).
Following these simple tips will ensure that you are eating highly nutritious, natural foods that will contribute to your overall wellbeing.
i Price, W. Nutrition and physical degeneration: a comparison of primitive and modern diets and their effects. Paul B. Hoeber, Inc; Medical Book Department of Harper & Brothers.1939
ii Gedgaudas, N. Primal body primal mind: empower your total health the way evolution intended (…and didn’t). Primal Body Primal Mind Publishing: Portland. 2009
iii Sisson, M. The primal blueprint 21-day total body transformation. Primal Nutrition, Inc: Malibu. 2011
iv Mercola, J. Dr Mercola’s total health program: the proven plan to prevent disease and premature aging, optimise weight and live longer! Mercola.com: Schaumburg. 2006
v Servan-Schreiber, D. Anti cancer: a new way of life. Editions Robert Laffont, S.A.: Paris. 2007
vi Chek, P. How to eat, move and be healthy! CHEK Institute: San Diego. 2004
Is meat healthy?
Back in the early 1900′s a scientist, named Dr Weston Price, travelled around the world studying the dental health and nutrition of primitive isolated cultures that were long renowned for their excellent physical health (Price, 1939 ). In this unique era when air travel had only just begun, Dr Price was able to reach primitive and traditional societies that had been thriving in ways in which they had for hundreds, thousands and even tens of thousands of years. It was a window of opportunity unlike any other in history and Dr Price seized it to travel over 100,000 miles and study numerous traditional societies including Swiss villagers in remote mountain valleys, South Pacific Islanders, Aborigines, people’s of remote Celtic isles, African tribes, American Indians, Inuit and many others.
Although the diets of the people he studied varied dramatically depending on where they lived in the world, what was interesting was that there was not one single vegetarian primitive society anywhere in the world – much to Dr Price’s disappointment. It appeared that the amount of meat that was consumed basically depended on how much was available in the environment and how easy it was to catch. At one end of the spectrum Alaskan Inuit consumed diets that were very high in fat and protein from animal sources. At the other end of the spectrum, the Quetchus Indians of South America ate a small amount of meat and mainly plant-based foods. What was consistent however was that all of these groups had excellent health and suffered almost none of the lifestyle diseases that were then already plaguing the western world. It is apparent therefore that from an evolutionary perspective meat naturally forms part of a healthy human diet. Studies of our ancestors by medical anthropologists have supported this conclusion and according to Gedgaudas (2009 ) we are all biologically, genetically and physiologically, without exception hunter-gatherers and designed to eat meat. According to Sisson (2011 ) good quality meat and animal products are a great source of complete protein, healthy fats, nutrients and vitamins that support all facets of health, energy, weight control and peak performance.
The problem today however is that much of the meat consumed is very different to that that was consumed in the past. Our ancestors would have hunted wild animals that were free to graze on pastures, drinking clean water, exercising, getting fresh air and living natural lives. Today commercial pressures to maximise profits and survive in an increasingly competitive world mean that the quality of farmed meat has suffered to keep costs down.In many modern countries, animals are no longer free to graze on pastures, eating their natural diet but instead are raised in confined spaces and fed unnatural diets of soy, corn and other grains to fatten them up. Even in countries like Australia where there is abundant land to graze animals on, the majority of animals are still grain fed for the last portion of their lives to increase the size of the animals for sale. This causes real health issues. Many animals consumed by humans have a difficult time digesting grains as their physiology is designed more for grass (Mercola, 2006 ). According to Mercola, commercially raised animals often get sick due to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the stomach that results from the grain that they were never designed to eat. Farmers therefore widely administer antibiotics to prevent this. Long term over use of antibiotic use contributes to the formation of disease-resistant bacteria. The grains they are fed with are also laced with pesticides and herbicides and are genetically modified, causing further health issues.
Another problem with this grain fed diet for animals is the fat composition of the meat that is produced (Servan-Schreiber, 2009 ). Grass is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids – these fatty acids are therefore naturally concentrated in grass-fed animal meat and also products of grass-fed animals e.g. milk, butter, yoghurt and cream. Eggs from free-range chickens that forage naturally are also high in omega-3′s. Corn, soy and wheat have now become the principle diet of commercially raised animals and these are high in omega-6 and lack omega-3’s. This means that commercially raised meat is generally stripped of its omega-3 value and is high in omega-6’s. It is also low in conjugated linolenic acid that you require to fight cancer and other diseases. Omega-3′s and omega-6′s are called “essential” because the human body cannot make them. As a result the quantity of these fats in our body stem directly from the food that we eat. What does this mean for us? Omega-3′s and omega-6′s in our bodies constantly compete for control of our body functions. According to Servan-Schreiber (2009), omega-6′s help stock fats and promote rigidity in cells as well as coagulation and inflammation in response to outside aggression. They stimulate the production of fatty cells from birth onward. Omega-3′s are involved in developing nervous system, making cell membranes more flexible and reducing inflammation. They also limit the production of adipose cells.
Our physiological balance therefore depends very much on the balance of omega-3′s to omega-6′s in our body and therefore in our diet. In turn the amount of omega-3′s and omega-6′s in our food depend on what the animals we eat have consumed in their feed. If they eat grass then the meat, dairy and eggs that they produce are perfectly balanced in omega-3′s to omega-6′s (around 1:1). If they eat corn and soy the imbalance in our bodies is as much as 1:15, even 1:40. We ultimately pay the price of this imbalance with our health.
In some countries such as the United States, animals are also fed with steroids to fatten them up (Servan-Schreiber, 2009). These hormones build up in fatty tissues and in cows are excreted in milk. An example of a widely used steroid in the United States is recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) that has been introduced to cattle to increase milk production. Although this is banned in many countries, including Australia, because of trade agreements this hormone is likely to find its way onto dinner plates anywhere in the world through imported ingredients derived from American milk.
The health of meat is further compromised when it is cooked and processed. Have you ever read the ingredients listed on the labels of cured meats such as bacon, ham, beef jerky, salami or packaged luncheon meats? You will find a whole list of ingredients that are incredibly hard to pronounce. According to Chek (2004 ), two commonly used ingredients are nitrites and nitrates that are designed primarily as a colour fixative, to convey a tangy effect to the palate and to prohibit the development of clostridium botulinum spores. Both additives have been found to cause cancer and tumours in test animals. Germany banned nitrites and nitrates in meat products in 1997 due to health concerns however they are still widely used in the United States and in Australia. Healthy Animal Sources
It is clear then that although humans are genetically designed to eat animals and animal products, there are some real concerns about the quality of those sources that are generally available today. Here are a number of tips on healthy animal product consumption that will help you to maximise your health:
Following these simple tips will ensure that you are eating highly nutritious, natural foods that will contribute to your overall wellbeing.
i Price, W. Nutrition and physical degeneration: a comparison of primitive and modern diets and their effects. Paul B. Hoeber, Inc; Medical Book Department of Harper & Brothers.1939
ii Gedgaudas, N. Primal body primal mind: empower your total health the way evolution intended (…and didn’t). Primal Body Primal Mind Publishing: Portland. 2009
iii Sisson, M. The primal blueprint 21-day total body transformation. Primal Nutrition, Inc: Malibu. 2011
iv Mercola, J. Dr Mercola’s total health program: the proven plan to prevent disease and premature aging, optimise weight and live longer! Mercola.com: Schaumburg. 2006
v Servan-Schreiber, D. Anti cancer: a new way of life. Editions Robert Laffont, S.A.: Paris. 2007
vi Chek, P. How to eat, move and be healthy! CHEK Institute: San Diego. 2004
How to Drink and Avoid a Hangover
With Christmas Party Season fast approaching there’s going to be lots of opportunities for some great nights out. It’s easy to let this put an end to your training regime and for things to go to pot but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a few simple steps to take that will ensure that you enjoy the festivities and also allow you to feel okay the next day so that you can still train and stay in great shape!
1. Eat something. Before and during your party, eat some healthy fats to line your stomach and slow down the rate of alcohol absorption. A Mediterranean trick is to eat a spoonful of olive oil before you go out but you could also try high quality cheese, hummus or avocado.
2. Drink stacks of water. Alcoholic drinks act as a diuretic and for every drink you have your body can expel up to four times as much liquid. Being dehydrated is one major factor in a hangover so drink a glass of water in between every alcoholic drink and down some water before going to bed.
3. Stick with one type of alcohol. Mixing lots of different types appears to cause worse hangovers – so keep clear of cocktails. If you start by drinking beer then make it a “beer night” and if you start with wine, make it a “wine night”.
4. Choose your alcohol carefully. During fermentation and distillation, congeners are produced and these tend to exacerbate a hangover. As a general rule, darker liquors contain higher levels of congeners, with brandy and whisky ranking the highest. Red wine tends to be high in tannins which is another hangover inducer. Preservatives can also cause problems especially if you are allergic to sulphur, so go for preservative free drinks. Champagne and sparkling wine can literally go straight to your head as the bubbles in the alcohol increases the delivery speed through your system.
5. Relax and enjoy the night!. Research suggests that guilt about alcohol consumption, a neurotic personality, becoming angry or depressed while drinking alcohol and having suffered “negative life events” in the past 12 months are better predictors of hangovers than how much or what alcohol you consume during the night! So have a good time and enjoy the party!
If you really want to avoid a hangover, the most important factor is to know your limit – you have to know how much booze your body can take and to stop before you cross that line. This is often easier said than done however so here are some tips to help you deal with the hangover the next day!
Best ways to improve your hangover
1. Drink a coffee – this can actually reduce the swelling in your head and its good for fatigue (its reputation as a diuretic is also exaggerated).
2. Drink something with electrolytes – the most natural form to take is coconut water.
3. Exercise. Although you may not feel like it, a healthy bout of sweaty exercise will help flush out the toxins (this has definitely worked for me in the past!)
4. Eat eggs. These are high in cysteine which may help the hangover (go for free-range and preferably organic!).
5. Get plenty of sleep. Your body repairs itself when you’re resting so get plenty of rest!
I trust these will help you survive and even thrive during the party season and give you a better chance of making it to your training sessions!
To your health
Alex
Tasty Salad Recipes
With summer approaching, it’s a great time to start eating more salads so that you get a real range of rich nutrients with minimal calories. Eating more salad is a fantastic way to improve your health, waistline and energy levels!
Rocket and Blueberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Comments – super simple, bursting with flavour and combines healthy antioxidants and omega oils
Time in kitchen: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
You will need:
1 cup blueberries
4 handfuls of rocket
1 cup walnuts
1-2 avocados, cut into chunks
1/4 cup walnut oil (or olive oil)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup raspberries
pinch of salt
In a large bowl, mix together blueberries, rocket, walnuts, and avocado.
In a blender, combine walnut oil, vinegar, honey and raspberries until well-blended and smooth. Add some salt to taste
Drizzle raspberry dressing over salad, toss and serve.
Recipe from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals (2011) by Mark Sisson
Mexican Corn and Tomato Salad
Comments – Simple salad that children will also love!
Time in kitchen: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
You will need:
1 corn cob, cooked (or 420g can corn kernels)
1 green capsicum, seeded and sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 spring onions, sliced
1 Lebanese cucumber, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Natural yoghurt – 2 tsp per serve
Combine all ingredients except yoghurt. Mix well and spoon into a serving bowl. Top with yoghurt.
Recipe from Healthy Food Fast (2008) by State of Western Australia
Mixed Greens with Roasted Beetroot and Avocado Tossed with Orange-Shallot Vinaigrette
Comments – Takes a bit more time but great for a special dinner. You can also just use the tasty vinaigrette on other salads…
Time in kitchen: 45 mins to 1 hour
Servings: 6-8
You will need:
3 medium or 5 small beets, trimmed and washed
2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp diced shallot
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp maple syrup
1/3 cup chopped pistachios or other nuts, toasted (optional)
1 hass avocado, thinly sliced
6 to 8 cups of mixed salad greens, rinsed and spun dry
150-200 grams of goats cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Wrap the beets in parchment paper, then in foil and roast for 30 mins to 1 hour (depending on size) until tender and fragrant. Remove from the oven, cool, and peel. Cut into small cubes or thin slices.
While the beets are roasting, make the dressing – bring the orange juice and shallots to a boil over a high heat in a saute pan. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half (about 20 mins but could happen faster!). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Slowly whisk the oil, lemon juice, and sea salt into the orange juice. Taste the dressing – you may need a bit more lemon, a pinch of salt or a few drops of maple syrup.
Toss the avocado slices with the lemon juice to prevent them from browning. In a large bowl combine greens, avocado and beets. Coat lightly with dressing. Arrange the salad on a plate and top with goats cheese and toasted pistachios.
Recipe from One Bite at a Time (2008) by Rebecca Katz
If you enjoyed these recipes then you’ll love our Equilibrium Program – our 8-week lifestyle program to give you all the nutrition, exercise and mindset tools you need to get the body and health you deserve with less effort and less frustration. If you currently train with PrimalFit then this program is complimentary as part of your program – please email us to enrol on the program.
Rocket and Blueberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Comments – super simple, bursting with flavour and combines healthy antioxidants and omega oils
Time in kitchen: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
You will need:
1 cup blueberries
4 handfuls of rocket
1 cup walnuts
1-2 avocados, cut into chunks
1/4 cup walnut oil (or olive oil)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup raspberries
pinch of salt
In a large bowl, mix together blueberries, rocket, walnuts, and avocado.
In a blender, combine walnut oil, vinegar, honey and raspberries until well-blended and smooth. Add some salt to taste
Drizzle raspberry dressing over salad, toss and serve.
Recipe from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals (2011) by Mark Sisson
Mexican Corn and Tomato Salad
Comments – Simple salad that children will also love!
Time in kitchen: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
You will need:
1 corn cob, cooked (or 420g can corn kernels)
1 green capsicum, seeded and sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 spring onions, sliced
1 Lebanese cucumber, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Natural yoghurt – 2 tsp per serve
Combine all ingredients except yoghurt. Mix well and spoon into a serving bowl. Top with yoghurt.
Recipe from Healthy Food Fast (2008) by State of Western Australia
Mixed Greens with Roasted Beetroot and Avocado Tossed with Orange-Shallot Vinaigrette
Comments – Takes a bit more time but great for a special dinner. You can also just use the tasty vinaigrette on other salads…
Time in kitchen: 45 mins to 1 hour
Servings: 6-8
You will need:
3 medium or 5 small beets, trimmed and washed
2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp diced shallot
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp maple syrup
1/3 cup chopped pistachios or other nuts, toasted (optional)
1 hass avocado, thinly sliced
6 to 8 cups of mixed salad greens, rinsed and spun dry
150-200 grams of goats cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Wrap the beets in parchment paper, then in foil and roast for 30 mins to 1 hour (depending on size) until tender and fragrant. Remove from the oven, cool, and peel. Cut into small cubes or thin slices.
While the beets are roasting, make the dressing – bring the orange juice and shallots to a boil over a high heat in a saute pan. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half (about 20 mins but could happen faster!). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Slowly whisk the oil, lemon juice, and sea salt into the orange juice. Taste the dressing – you may need a bit more lemon, a pinch of salt or a few drops of maple syrup.
Toss the avocado slices with the lemon juice to prevent them from browning. In a large bowl combine greens, avocado and beets. Coat lightly with dressing. Arrange the salad on a plate and top with goats cheese and toasted pistachios.
Recipe from One Bite at a Time (2008) by Rebecca Katz
If you enjoyed these recipes then you’ll love our Equilibrium Program – our 8-week lifestyle program to give you all the nutrition, exercise and mindset tools you need to get the body and health you deserve with less effort and less frustration. If you currently train with PrimalFit then this program is complimentary as part of your program – please email us to enrol on the program.
The Recipe for Success – 5 simple steps to whatever you want!
I remember when I first learnt about these principles that I’m going to share with you.
It was early in my coaching and business journey and I was desperately looking for a blueprint for success – something that I could use as a GPS to navigate my way through an intense period of excitement, uncertainty, enthusiasm and overwhelm.
To learn that there was a ‘recipe for success’, tried and tested was such a relief, although my comfort and curiosity was somewhat reduced when I found that the keys to success numbered only 5 and were apparently extremely simple.
It seemed too good to be true – I was expecting something complicated, time-consuming, arduous to learn and even more protracted to put into action. Many months, trainings, experiences, clients and observations later I can say, with hand on heart, that these principles are all you need to know.
Do them, and you’re set for success in whatever area in which you apply them – health, weightloss, career, relationships, wealth, business, parenting, people management and more! Doubt them, question them, do nothing… then you’ll continue to either get the results you’re getting (and that may be working for you in any case), or you’ll spend lots of time, effort and possibly money getting to these principles anyway!
So here they are – your 5 Principles of Success:
1. Know Your Outcome: Often people just go about their lives without having any goals or direction in mind – they spend more time and mind-power planning their next holiday than they do planning their lives! If you’ve been reading and taking action as a result of my past 3 blogs then you’ll pretty much have this one nailed.
‘A goal is only worth having if it improves your life TODAY.’ Steve Pavlina
The thing to remember is that with anything, start with the end in mind, whether it’s a conversation, a project, a health or business goal, or even a day with a friend. Right from the outset, get clear about what you want to achieve, and what you want to experience as a result. Create goals that make you smile, that make you feel energised and build desire and forward motion!
2. Take action: As fabulous (or frustrating) it would be if we could just make great things happen by enthusiastic visualisation and positive thinking, there is no substitute for action. The great thing about the success principles is that once you know your outcome, making decisions about what actions to take becomes so much more effortless, because you know what direction you’re moving in and can therefore choose the actions that are going to move you towards your outcome, rather than in another direction.
‘Even if you are sitting on the right track, you are going to get run over if you just sit there.’ Will Rogers
Your goals will remain dreams if you don’t move yourself! Do the ‘do’, whether it’s making the phone call, or starting the exercise regime, or planning the process, or booking the event. Whatever action you take, whether it’s baby steps or massive leaps, just do it.
3. Have sensory acuity: Taking massive action is all very well, however, if you’re not putting your head up once in a while to check that your actions are taking you in the right direction then it’s a waste of your time and effort. Whatever you’re doing, be aware of whether you’re actually moving towards your desired outcome – how effective are your actions? Sensory acuity is all about having awareness, using your senses, and being attentive to the results that you’re getting.
‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ Albert Einstein
4. Have Behavioural Flexibility. And so if you’re not getting the results you intended, or you’re not moving closer to your goal, it’s essential to have behavioural flexibility – the ability to choose to do something different and take different actions. How many times? As many times as it takes to achieve your outcomes! This might mean changing your communication style, or altering your exercise regime, or the way you usually respond to your partner’s moments of stress – it could mean anything, and that’s a good thing, because it means that there are a myriad of ways for you to achieve your outcomes and it’s only a matter of finding actions that move you towards rather than away from your goal.
‘The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn.’ Anonymous
What result are you looking for? What actions are you taking? What results are you noticing? If they are not the results you want then what do you need to do differently? What do you need to choose to believe is possible? Go back to principle 2. and keep checking in with 3. and 4. – it’s all part of that recipe for success!
5. Operate from a physiology and a psychology of excellence: This is about walking your talk, literally. If your physiology i.e. your posture, breathing, gestures and anything else you do with your body, and your attitude towards your desired outcome is indifferent then very little is going to happen.
Think about the last time you felt flat and uninspired, or sad, and notice as you go back to that time right now what you were feeling, seeing and hearing. Notice how you’re holding yourself, how you’re breathing and where you’re looking. I’m pretty sure that your eyes are down, your shoulders are shrugging, you’re slumped in your seat and your breathing is shallow. I’m also certain that if you’ve done what I’ve suggested then you’re feeling flat, uninspired or sad again… not much fun I know. So this is what I don’t mean about having a physiology and a psychology of excellence.
‘Don’t ask for a light load, but rather ask for a strong back.’ Anonymous
I want you to conspire for your own success and take on the physiology that’s going to really work for you and get yourself excited about what you’re going to achieve! Shoulders back, breathing deeply, smiling, fists clenched in determination or hands clasped in joyful exuberance, even when the going gets rough, and you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, because that’s when it will become even more powerful.
Notice your self-talk too – if it’s disempowering and all about how hard it is then that’s what you’ll feel and experience – shift yourself to getting excited about the challenge, or about what you’ll experience as a result of achieving your goal!
So, in conclusion, it’s a recipe for success, and as with a great cake, every element of the recipe needs to be included for baking success! Believe me, I speak from baking experience (as those who were at the birthday of ‘the infamous cake’ will attest! Friends actually mimed the heimlich…), and it is just that, a recipe that anyone can follow, to get great results!
Isn’t it time you got more of the results you really wanted?
It was early in my coaching and business journey and I was desperately looking for a blueprint for success – something that I could use as a GPS to navigate my way through an intense period of excitement, uncertainty, enthusiasm and overwhelm.
To learn that there was a ‘recipe for success’, tried and tested was such a relief, although my comfort and curiosity was somewhat reduced when I found that the keys to success numbered only 5 and were apparently extremely simple.
It seemed too good to be true – I was expecting something complicated, time-consuming, arduous to learn and even more protracted to put into action. Many months, trainings, experiences, clients and observations later I can say, with hand on heart, that these principles are all you need to know.
Do them, and you’re set for success in whatever area in which you apply them – health, weightloss, career, relationships, wealth, business, parenting, people management and more! Doubt them, question them, do nothing… then you’ll continue to either get the results you’re getting (and that may be working for you in any case), or you’ll spend lots of time, effort and possibly money getting to these principles anyway!
So here they are – your 5 Principles of Success:
1. Know Your Outcome: Often people just go about their lives without having any goals or direction in mind – they spend more time and mind-power planning their next holiday than they do planning their lives! If you’ve been reading and taking action as a result of my past 3 blogs then you’ll pretty much have this one nailed.
‘A goal is only worth having if it improves your life TODAY.’ Steve Pavlina
The thing to remember is that with anything, start with the end in mind, whether it’s a conversation, a project, a health or business goal, or even a day with a friend. Right from the outset, get clear about what you want to achieve, and what you want to experience as a result. Create goals that make you smile, that make you feel energised and build desire and forward motion!
2. Take action: As fabulous (or frustrating) it would be if we could just make great things happen by enthusiastic visualisation and positive thinking, there is no substitute for action. The great thing about the success principles is that once you know your outcome, making decisions about what actions to take becomes so much more effortless, because you know what direction you’re moving in and can therefore choose the actions that are going to move you towards your outcome, rather than in another direction.
‘Even if you are sitting on the right track, you are going to get run over if you just sit there.’ Will Rogers
Your goals will remain dreams if you don’t move yourself! Do the ‘do’, whether it’s making the phone call, or starting the exercise regime, or planning the process, or booking the event. Whatever action you take, whether it’s baby steps or massive leaps, just do it.
3. Have sensory acuity: Taking massive action is all very well, however, if you’re not putting your head up once in a while to check that your actions are taking you in the right direction then it’s a waste of your time and effort. Whatever you’re doing, be aware of whether you’re actually moving towards your desired outcome – how effective are your actions? Sensory acuity is all about having awareness, using your senses, and being attentive to the results that you’re getting.
‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ Albert Einstein
4. Have Behavioural Flexibility. And so if you’re not getting the results you intended, or you’re not moving closer to your goal, it’s essential to have behavioural flexibility – the ability to choose to do something different and take different actions. How many times? As many times as it takes to achieve your outcomes! This might mean changing your communication style, or altering your exercise regime, or the way you usually respond to your partner’s moments of stress – it could mean anything, and that’s a good thing, because it means that there are a myriad of ways for you to achieve your outcomes and it’s only a matter of finding actions that move you towards rather than away from your goal.
‘The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn.’ Anonymous
What result are you looking for? What actions are you taking? What results are you noticing? If they are not the results you want then what do you need to do differently? What do you need to choose to believe is possible? Go back to principle 2. and keep checking in with 3. and 4. – it’s all part of that recipe for success!
5. Operate from a physiology and a psychology of excellence: This is about walking your talk, literally. If your physiology i.e. your posture, breathing, gestures and anything else you do with your body, and your attitude towards your desired outcome is indifferent then very little is going to happen.
Think about the last time you felt flat and uninspired, or sad, and notice as you go back to that time right now what you were feeling, seeing and hearing. Notice how you’re holding yourself, how you’re breathing and where you’re looking. I’m pretty sure that your eyes are down, your shoulders are shrugging, you’re slumped in your seat and your breathing is shallow. I’m also certain that if you’ve done what I’ve suggested then you’re feeling flat, uninspired or sad again… not much fun I know. So this is what I don’t mean about having a physiology and a psychology of excellence.
‘Don’t ask for a light load, but rather ask for a strong back.’ Anonymous
I want you to conspire for your own success and take on the physiology that’s going to really work for you and get yourself excited about what you’re going to achieve! Shoulders back, breathing deeply, smiling, fists clenched in determination or hands clasped in joyful exuberance, even when the going gets rough, and you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, because that’s when it will become even more powerful.
Notice your self-talk too – if it’s disempowering and all about how hard it is then that’s what you’ll feel and experience – shift yourself to getting excited about the challenge, or about what you’ll experience as a result of achieving your goal!
So, in conclusion, it’s a recipe for success, and as with a great cake, every element of the recipe needs to be included for baking success! Believe me, I speak from baking experience (as those who were at the birthday of ‘the infamous cake’ will attest! Friends actually mimed the heimlich…), and it is just that, a recipe that anyone can follow, to get great results!
Isn’t it time you got more of the results you really wanted?
Goal Setting 3: Failing to plan, is planning to fail… (a.k.a. ‘Elephant Eating’)
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
And what does that have to do with planning and goals?
Well… you’ve got your vision, you’ve got your goals, you know where you’re heading and what it will look like when you get there, and you also know when you want to achieve your goal…
Now it’s about getting clear on the journey!
If you think about it in terms of a map, your starting point is right here, right now, and your goal is your destination, and there are potentially an unlimited number of routes and modes of travel and various combinations of those available for getting to your destination.
However you want to get there when you’ve planned to, so you need the most effective route.
You’ll also most likely want to reach various points along the route by specific times or dates in order to stay on course and arrive when you’re intending (because you don’t want to be late for your celebration do you?).
“Failing to plan is planning to fail” is a classic quote usually attributed to 1970′s time-management guru Alan Lakein, and he’s not wrong, especially when it comes to goals.
Without a plan your goal cannot become realised – you have to take the steps and do the things that will incrementally result in the achievement of your goal. It’s time to eat your elephant!
The great thing is that once you have your plan, choosing what to do each day or week becomes effortless, because you’ve already mapped it out! It’s worth putting some effort into this part, because this is what’s going to get you to your goal achievement and keep you on track and on time. Here are the steps:
1. Work backwards: So if it’s a 12-month goal, think about where you need to be at the 9-month, 6-month, 3-month and 1-month marks in order to be on track. If your goal is longer term, 5 or 10 years for example, then break this down into yearly goals and then break the first year down into the sections listed earlier. Each of these smaller goals should be based on the larger overall goal;
2. Plan the month ahead: Create weekly goals and then a daily to-do list for the month ahead of actions that will get you to your 1-month goal and schedule these actions into your calendar or diary so that they have their own time slots and are locked in;
3. Complete a weekly review: Review your goal actions on a weekly basis to ensure you are on track and adjust accordingly if you are noticing that you’re not sticking to your plan for some reason – it may be that you were too ambitious (or not enough!) with what you thought you could achieve each day or week, or you may find that different results mean that you need to rethink your plan overall.
Repeat this planning process every month to make the necessary tweaks and stay on track and review your goals regularly. Be open to shifting possibilities and priorities that may require you to alter your goals, and to experiencing more than you expected and to surprising yourself – you may find that you are more capable than you thought!
Next time I’ll share the 5 Powerful principles of Success that are easy to implement (and to ignore at your peril!)…
To your health,
Amber
Disclaimer: No elephants were harmed in the writing of this blog, nor do we condone or recommend the eating of elephants!
And what does that have to do with planning and goals?
Well… you’ve got your vision, you’ve got your goals, you know where you’re heading and what it will look like when you get there, and you also know when you want to achieve your goal…
Now it’s about getting clear on the journey!
If you think about it in terms of a map, your starting point is right here, right now, and your goal is your destination, and there are potentially an unlimited number of routes and modes of travel and various combinations of those available for getting to your destination.
However you want to get there when you’ve planned to, so you need the most effective route.
You’ll also most likely want to reach various points along the route by specific times or dates in order to stay on course and arrive when you’re intending (because you don’t want to be late for your celebration do you?).
“Failing to plan is planning to fail” is a classic quote usually attributed to 1970′s time-management guru Alan Lakein, and he’s not wrong, especially when it comes to goals.
Without a plan your goal cannot become realised – you have to take the steps and do the things that will incrementally result in the achievement of your goal. It’s time to eat your elephant!
The great thing is that once you have your plan, choosing what to do each day or week becomes effortless, because you’ve already mapped it out! It’s worth putting some effort into this part, because this is what’s going to get you to your goal achievement and keep you on track and on time. Here are the steps:
1. Work backwards: So if it’s a 12-month goal, think about where you need to be at the 9-month, 6-month, 3-month and 1-month marks in order to be on track. If your goal is longer term, 5 or 10 years for example, then break this down into yearly goals and then break the first year down into the sections listed earlier. Each of these smaller goals should be based on the larger overall goal;
2. Plan the month ahead: Create weekly goals and then a daily to-do list for the month ahead of actions that will get you to your 1-month goal and schedule these actions into your calendar or diary so that they have their own time slots and are locked in;
3. Complete a weekly review: Review your goal actions on a weekly basis to ensure you are on track and adjust accordingly if you are noticing that you’re not sticking to your plan for some reason – it may be that you were too ambitious (or not enough!) with what you thought you could achieve each day or week, or you may find that different results mean that you need to rethink your plan overall.
Repeat this planning process every month to make the necessary tweaks and stay on track and review your goals regularly. Be open to shifting possibilities and priorities that may require you to alter your goals, and to experiencing more than you expected and to surprising yourself – you may find that you are more capable than you thought!
Next time I’ll share the 5 Powerful principles of Success that are easy to implement (and to ignore at your peril!)…
To your health,
Amber
Disclaimer: No elephants were harmed in the writing of this blog, nor do we condone or recommend the eating of elephants!
Goal Setting 2: Calling All The Heroes… (a.k.a. Goal Setting That WORKS)
So in my last blog I wrote about how to figure out what you truly want, even when you feel you’re totally lost. This blog is therefore the next step – how to turn those dreams into reality by making them into GOALS.
One of my very wise mentors once said (thanks SP!) “It’s better to take a shot and miss, because if you don’t ever take a shot then you miss every time.”
In my work and social exchanges I often connect with people who are wishing, waiting and hoping for a change of sorts in their life – they’re pretty much sitting there and letting their lives happen around them all the while hoping that someone or something else will fix things for them. Or they’re wishing, waiting and hoping for something to turn up in them, whether it’s enough time, courage, motivation or something else, before they will make a move. Oh and there’s usually some blame, denial and excuses thrown in there too. Haven’t we all been there at some time in our lives?
The trouble is, that day never comes. And rarely does the knight in shining armour arrive with a well-timed rescue. Life gets distracting too… especially when we’re supposed to be working towards something we really want… And so we miss out on experiencing what we truly want, because we’re not taking a shot.
So, if you can relate to any of the above, in any area of your life, or with anything that you know you really want but it’s just not happening, then isn’t it time to stop waiting, wishing, hoping, blaming, denying, procrastinating, avoiding, and whatever else you’ve been doing? Isn’t it time to be your own hero?
YES!! So, where to start with being your own hero? Well, it’s about stepping up and embracing the process, on committing to making yourself and what you want a priority.
Now, because you’re still reading this I know you’re committed already, so let’s get started! First of all, you have to tweak your outcome so that you know it will work for you, not against you – the following steps will assist so go through them right now:
1. State your goal positively – Express it in terms of what you want, not what you don’t want, so that you’re focusing your mind on what will move you towards your goal, not away from it e.g. ‘I want to weigh 60 kg’, not ‘I don’t want to be fat.’;
2. Make sure it’s initiated and maintained by yourself – This means that it’s not dependent on anyone else achieving it for you (because you have no control over them or indeed anything else in the world, except yourself) e.g. ‘I want to earn $x by ….’, not ‘I want win the lottery’;
3. Make it specific – Get really clear on what achieving your goal looks, sounds, feels (and tastes and smells!) like, and take yourself forward in your mind’s eye to that moment as often as you possibly can because in doing so you’re not only going to get yourself excited, you’re also telling your mind what your new standards are, and what opportunities you want to filter into your awareness!
4. Make it measurable – Make sure you are clear on the evidence that will prove you’ve achieved your goal – how will it be measured? By dollars? Kilos? Locations? Belongings? People? Experiences? e.g. ‘I want to have paid $x off my loan’, not ‘I want to reduce my loan.’;
5. Make it timebound – Give yourself a date whereby you will have achieved your goal on or before that date is reached so that your conscious and unconscious mind knows exactly what you’re aiming for. Here’s a tip – ‘next year’ could be any year, and ‘in 6 months’ could be any time at all so be really specific – a day, month, year and even a time if possible!
6. Plan – Failing to plan is planning to fail, no doubt about it. That goal isn’t going to become anything more than a distant dream if you don’t take any steps towards it. So right now think of three things that you can do on a weekly or daily basis that will move you closer towards your goal… and commit to doing them. Get out your diary or your iphone calendar and schedule them in and make them happen. So, it might be to meditate for 10 minutes, walk for 30 minutes and drink at least 2 litres of water each day (notice the specifics), or to do 30 squats, 30 lunges and 30 push-ups every other day, or to make 10 calls to clients, transfer 10% of your earnings to a savings account and attend 1 networking event and connect with at least 3 people there every week – you get the idea.
Now, put your goal into the following format “It is on or before (enter goal achievement date) and I am / have (enter measurable evidence) and I’m feeling / seeing / hearing (go wild here – all the sensations you identified in step 3.)”.
I reckon if you’ve done all the steps then you’ll be feeling pretty excited and motivated about your goal right about now
In my next blog I’ll share even more gold on planning and taking action worthy of a hero like yourself!
To your health,
Amber
**Bonus Tip** To make your goal really sing, write it out (add pictures if possible!) and put it in as many places as you can think of – your wallet, your car dash board, on the fridge, by your desk, on your bathroom mirror, by your bed and so on – so that you’re seeing and connecting with it everywhere and often and really taking yourself forward to that time when you’ve achieved it! Enjoy…
One of my very wise mentors once said (thanks SP!) “It’s better to take a shot and miss, because if you don’t ever take a shot then you miss every time.”
In my work and social exchanges I often connect with people who are wishing, waiting and hoping for a change of sorts in their life – they’re pretty much sitting there and letting their lives happen around them all the while hoping that someone or something else will fix things for them. Or they’re wishing, waiting and hoping for something to turn up in them, whether it’s enough time, courage, motivation or something else, before they will make a move. Oh and there’s usually some blame, denial and excuses thrown in there too. Haven’t we all been there at some time in our lives?
The trouble is, that day never comes. And rarely does the knight in shining armour arrive with a well-timed rescue. Life gets distracting too… especially when we’re supposed to be working towards something we really want… And so we miss out on experiencing what we truly want, because we’re not taking a shot.
So, if you can relate to any of the above, in any area of your life, or with anything that you know you really want but it’s just not happening, then isn’t it time to stop waiting, wishing, hoping, blaming, denying, procrastinating, avoiding, and whatever else you’ve been doing? Isn’t it time to be your own hero?
YES!! So, where to start with being your own hero? Well, it’s about stepping up and embracing the process, on committing to making yourself and what you want a priority.
Now, because you’re still reading this I know you’re committed already, so let’s get started! First of all, you have to tweak your outcome so that you know it will work for you, not against you – the following steps will assist so go through them right now:
1. State your goal positively – Express it in terms of what you want, not what you don’t want, so that you’re focusing your mind on what will move you towards your goal, not away from it e.g. ‘I want to weigh 60 kg’, not ‘I don’t want to be fat.’;
2. Make sure it’s initiated and maintained by yourself – This means that it’s not dependent on anyone else achieving it for you (because you have no control over them or indeed anything else in the world, except yourself) e.g. ‘I want to earn $x by ….’, not ‘I want win the lottery’;
3. Make it specific – Get really clear on what achieving your goal looks, sounds, feels (and tastes and smells!) like, and take yourself forward in your mind’s eye to that moment as often as you possibly can because in doing so you’re not only going to get yourself excited, you’re also telling your mind what your new standards are, and what opportunities you want to filter into your awareness!
4. Make it measurable – Make sure you are clear on the evidence that will prove you’ve achieved your goal – how will it be measured? By dollars? Kilos? Locations? Belongings? People? Experiences? e.g. ‘I want to have paid $x off my loan’, not ‘I want to reduce my loan.’;
5. Make it timebound – Give yourself a date whereby you will have achieved your goal on or before that date is reached so that your conscious and unconscious mind knows exactly what you’re aiming for. Here’s a tip – ‘next year’ could be any year, and ‘in 6 months’ could be any time at all so be really specific – a day, month, year and even a time if possible!
6. Plan – Failing to plan is planning to fail, no doubt about it. That goal isn’t going to become anything more than a distant dream if you don’t take any steps towards it. So right now think of three things that you can do on a weekly or daily basis that will move you closer towards your goal… and commit to doing them. Get out your diary or your iphone calendar and schedule them in and make them happen. So, it might be to meditate for 10 minutes, walk for 30 minutes and drink at least 2 litres of water each day (notice the specifics), or to do 30 squats, 30 lunges and 30 push-ups every other day, or to make 10 calls to clients, transfer 10% of your earnings to a savings account and attend 1 networking event and connect with at least 3 people there every week – you get the idea.
Now, put your goal into the following format “It is on or before (enter goal achievement date) and I am / have (enter measurable evidence) and I’m feeling / seeing / hearing (go wild here – all the sensations you identified in step 3.)”.
I reckon if you’ve done all the steps then you’ll be feeling pretty excited and motivated about your goal right about now
In my next blog I’ll share even more gold on planning and taking action worthy of a hero like yourself!
To your health,
Amber
**Bonus Tip** To make your goal really sing, write it out (add pictures if possible!) and put it in as many places as you can think of – your wallet, your car dash board, on the fridge, by your desk, on your bathroom mirror, by your bed and so on – so that you’re seeing and connecting with it everywhere and often and really taking yourself forward to that time when you’ve achieved it! Enjoy…
Goal Setting 1: What to do when you don’t know what to do…
Fed up of feeling stuck and really want results? Have a read and make the shift…
If you’re anything like me, you had a little (or a lot) of Olympics withdrawal last week… I LOVE the Olympics. For two weeks I was glued to my TV every evening, drinking in the pure emotion and intense visual experience of such a culmination of years of preparation, focus, determination, training, sacrifice, challenge, teamwork, learning and more…
Such a human experience on such a large scale, shared on so many different levels! And It really got me thinking about how every one of those athletes got there, whether their goal was simply (!) to get to the Olympics, or to get onto the podium, or to win a gold medal, and what we can learn from them.
Fitzhugh Dodson quoted “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”
There is no denying that those athletes have known their desired destination for years, and have kept their sights absolutely fixed… and that’s why they gave themselves the absolute best possible chance of achieving their goal.
But what about the rest of us? What if we just don’t know what we want?
This confusion or lack of clarity can affect anyone, and often more than once in life. We usually know what we don’t want and we’re great at articulating that because we don’t want to be stressed, or unhealthy, or poor, or alone, or unhappy in our career and so on… but what we do want doesn’t always form the opposite of what we don’t want.
Not knowing what we want also has some strong disadvantages, because every time we may make a decision to do something that moves us away from what we don’t want, we’ll invariably lose momentum and focus, because we don’t know what we’re aiming for, only what we want to escape from… which leads to more confusion and stuck feelings.
It’s like driving a car by only looking in the rear view mirror – which sooner or later ends up with you in a ditch somewhere.
So, the alternative is to START with the END in mind! Specifically, you start by getting absolutely crystal clear on your desired outcome or goal – it’s exactly like starting a journey, because unless you know your destination, you won’t know if you’re moving closer towards it, or when you’ve arrived! And the best way to do this is to learn from some of the best at turning their dreams into reality!
There are obviously quite a few differences between Olympic athletes and us ordinary mortals but we have exactly the same ability to achieve success and our desired goals as they do, because all they are doing is applying specific techniques to successful goal setting and goal achievement that we can all use and experience success with, whatever area of life we apply them to.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing these techniques with you so that you can, if you choose, transform those dreams and wishes into actual goals, and then achieve them… and then perhaps inspire others to do the same… Now wouldn’t that be pretty cool?
For now, let’s get clear on what you truly want. Here are three actions for getting fantastic clarity (take your time with these – they’re gold!):
1. Take yourself forward to the end of your life, where you’re sitting in a comfortable armchair, enjoying a beautiful view and reflecting on all the wonderful things you experienced in your life… and without thinking about the how, or what’s possible, simply allow yourself to dream about what experiences would make for the most outstanding life you could possibly have lived. Have a think also about what you would regret not doing or experiencing. Write everything down (we can turn them into goals later);
2. Next, take all of the experiences that the future elderly you did and didn’t do in their life and have a think about what those experiences did or would have given you. So for example, starting your own business may be one experience, so what would that have given you (think in terms of feelings and emotions) e.g. Freedom? Achievement? Contribution? Or you may want to start a charity, climb mountains, take your children travelling all over the world, be a more involved parent, become an opera singer, start a band… whatever it is for you! Write all of these down too and reflect on what kind of a purpose is emerging from your reflections and who you want to be at the end of your life;
3. Reflect on all of the emotions you’ve listed and think about all of the different ways that you can experience these emotions right now. For example, you could experience Freedom and Adventure possibly by organising an active experience for later this year. You could experience Connection by starting an evening class or booking some regular catch-ups with friends.
You’ll now be focusing on what you want, in terms of experiences in your life, with clarity about the WHY… and with a strong enough ‘why’ the ‘how’ often takes care of itself (plus you have us to help you with that!). In addition, the more you focus on what you want, the more you’ll notice it turning up in your life, because you’re no longer filtering out evidence and opportunities to create it for yourself, so you can start living the life you’ve designed… right now.
In my next blog I’ll share how to take each of your desired experiences and turn them into smart and powerful goals, so until then feel free to get excited about the upcoming Paralympics where we’ll see even more people living their dreams!
To your health,
Amber
If you’re anything like me, you had a little (or a lot) of Olympics withdrawal last week… I LOVE the Olympics. For two weeks I was glued to my TV every evening, drinking in the pure emotion and intense visual experience of such a culmination of years of preparation, focus, determination, training, sacrifice, challenge, teamwork, learning and more…
Such a human experience on such a large scale, shared on so many different levels! And It really got me thinking about how every one of those athletes got there, whether their goal was simply (!) to get to the Olympics, or to get onto the podium, or to win a gold medal, and what we can learn from them.
Fitzhugh Dodson quoted “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”
There is no denying that those athletes have known their desired destination for years, and have kept their sights absolutely fixed… and that’s why they gave themselves the absolute best possible chance of achieving their goal.
But what about the rest of us? What if we just don’t know what we want?
This confusion or lack of clarity can affect anyone, and often more than once in life. We usually know what we don’t want and we’re great at articulating that because we don’t want to be stressed, or unhealthy, or poor, or alone, or unhappy in our career and so on… but what we do want doesn’t always form the opposite of what we don’t want.
Not knowing what we want also has some strong disadvantages, because every time we may make a decision to do something that moves us away from what we don’t want, we’ll invariably lose momentum and focus, because we don’t know what we’re aiming for, only what we want to escape from… which leads to more confusion and stuck feelings.
It’s like driving a car by only looking in the rear view mirror – which sooner or later ends up with you in a ditch somewhere.
So, the alternative is to START with the END in mind! Specifically, you start by getting absolutely crystal clear on your desired outcome or goal – it’s exactly like starting a journey, because unless you know your destination, you won’t know if you’re moving closer towards it, or when you’ve arrived! And the best way to do this is to learn from some of the best at turning their dreams into reality!
There are obviously quite a few differences between Olympic athletes and us ordinary mortals
but we have exactly the same ability to achieve success and our desired goals as they do, because all they are doing is applying specific techniques to successful goal setting and goal achievement that we can all use and experience success with, whatever area of life we apply them to.Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing these techniques with you so that you can, if you choose, transform those dreams and wishes into actual goals, and then achieve them… and then perhaps inspire others to do the same… Now wouldn’t that be pretty cool?
For now, let’s get clear on what you truly want. Here are three actions for getting fantastic clarity (take your time with these – they’re gold!):
1. Take yourself forward to the end of your life, where you’re sitting in a comfortable armchair, enjoying a beautiful view and reflecting on all the wonderful things you experienced in your life… and without thinking about the how, or what’s possible, simply allow yourself to dream about what experiences would make for the most outstanding life you could possibly have lived. Have a think also about what you would regret not doing or experiencing. Write everything down (we can turn them into goals later);
2. Next, take all of the experiences that the future elderly you did and didn’t do in their life and have a think about what those experiences did or would have given you. So for example, starting your own business may be one experience, so what would that have given you (think in terms of feelings and emotions) e.g. Freedom? Achievement? Contribution? Or you may want to start a charity, climb mountains, take your children travelling all over the world, be a more involved parent, become an opera singer, start a band… whatever it is for you! Write all of these down too and reflect on what kind of a purpose is emerging from your reflections and who you want to be at the end of your life;
3. Reflect on all of the emotions you’ve listed and think about all of the different ways that you can experience these emotions right now. For example, you could experience Freedom and Adventure possibly by organising an active experience for later this year. You could experience Connection by starting an evening class or booking some regular catch-ups with friends.
You’ll now be focusing on what you want, in terms of experiences in your life, with clarity about the WHY… and with a strong enough ‘why’ the ‘how’ often takes care of itself (plus you have us to help you with that!). In addition, the more you focus on what you want, the more you’ll notice it turning up in your life, because you’re no longer filtering out evidence and opportunities to create it for yourself, so you can start living the life you’ve designed… right now.
In my next blog I’ll share how to take each of your desired experiences and turn them into smart and powerful goals, so until then feel free to get excited about the upcoming Paralympics where we’ll see even more people living their dreams!
To your health,
Amber
Avoid the “Dirty Dozen”!
This week we want to encourage you to eat organic food and to go out of your way to avoid the “Dirty Dozen”! Eating organic Food is a great way to ensure that you are minimising your consumption of harmful chemicals and also maximising the nutritional content of your food. This will improve your energy levels, promote long-term health and help you to avoid many of the lifestyle diseases that are prevalent today.
What’s the issue?
Commercially produced foods today contain many unseen herbicide and pesticide residues. One study in New Zealand (i) tested a typical school lunch of a primary school student – in one meal which consisted of a sausage, a tomato and a white bread roll with butter and an apple, they found 19 toxic chemicals and 3 of these were over 10 times the recommended limits for adults! The chemicals included known endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, reproductive disruptors and genetic and immune system disruptors.
If pesticides and herbicides are not a problem today then why do studies show consistently that farmers have a higher risk of developing lymphomas, leukemias, and cancers of the stomach, prostate, brain and skin? This is despite the fact that a farmer’s lifestyle is generally much healthier than that of someone who lives in the city – they have access to fresh food, breathe cleaner air and are much more physically active.
Organic foods also generally contain higher levels of nutrition than commercially produced foods. You often read of conflicting studies in the media as to whether organic food is in fact nutritionally superior however the British Soil Association analysed 109 studies comparing organic and commercial food and found that there were only 27 valid comparisons, and all of these found organic significantly better (ii). This argument was settled once and for all in 2007 when a European Union funded, 4-year study (costing US$25 million) found conclusively that organic food is healthier (iii). It found that fruit and vegetables contained 40% more antioxidants and milk from cows raised on organic pastures contained 90% more antioxidants. Antioxidants are plant chemicals that slow down the ageing process and help fight cancer and prevent disease.
It should be noted that even if a food is organic, it can still be processed and detrimental to your health – organic sugar may not have harmful pesticide residues, but it is still sugar and very damaging to the body! So it’s really important to buy organic whole food and not refined and processed foods. What’s the difference between a whole food and refined and processed foods? Evelyn Roehl in her book “Whole Food Facts” (iv) defines a whole food as being “as close to its whole, natural state as possible” i.e. they have been gathered from the earth and are in their intact form. Examples of a whole food include an apple, a potato, fish and meat.
Refined foods are reduced versions of the original whole food and they have been mechanically or chemically altered by removing some of their structure. The end product generally has less nutritional value than the original whole food. Examples of popular refined foods include white flour, breakfast cereals, potato chips and sugary drinks. These foods are severely lacking in nutrition and incredibly high in ‘empty calories’ and damaging additives.
How do you decrease your exposure to toxic chemicals in your food?
(i) Schafer, Kristin. Nowhere to Hide: Persistent Toxic Chemicals in the U.S. Food Supply. San Francisco, CA: Pesticide Action Network, 2001
(ii) Heaton, Shane. Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health Report. British Soil Association, 2001
(iii) Niggli, Urs; Leifert, Carlo; Alföldi, Thomas; Lück, Lorna and Willer, Helga. Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems. Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of the European Integrated Project Quality Low Input Food (QLIF). University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20 – 23, 2007. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick, 2007.
(iv) Roehl, Evelyn. Whole food facts. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts, 1996
(v) Curl, C.L., R.A. Fenske, and K. Elgethun. “Organophophorus Pesticide Exposure of Urban and Suburban Preschool Children with Organic and Conventional Diets”. Environmental Health Perspectives 111, no 3 (2003): 377-82
(vi) Dellorto, D. Dirty dozen’ produce carries more pesticide residue, group says http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/dirty.dozen.produce.pesticide/index.html June 1, 2010
What’s the issue?
Commercially produced foods today contain many unseen herbicide and pesticide residues. One study in New Zealand (i) tested a typical school lunch of a primary school student – in one meal which consisted of a sausage, a tomato and a white bread roll with butter and an apple, they found 19 toxic chemicals and 3 of these were over 10 times the recommended limits for adults! The chemicals included known endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, reproductive disruptors and genetic and immune system disruptors.
If pesticides and herbicides are not a problem today then why do studies show consistently that farmers have a higher risk of developing lymphomas, leukemias, and cancers of the stomach, prostate, brain and skin? This is despite the fact that a farmer’s lifestyle is generally much healthier than that of someone who lives in the city – they have access to fresh food, breathe cleaner air and are much more physically active.
Organic foods also generally contain higher levels of nutrition than commercially produced foods. You often read of conflicting studies in the media as to whether organic food is in fact nutritionally superior however the British Soil Association analysed 109 studies comparing organic and commercial food and found that there were only 27 valid comparisons, and all of these found organic significantly better (ii). This argument was settled once and for all in 2007 when a European Union funded, 4-year study (costing US$25 million) found conclusively that organic food is healthier (iii). It found that fruit and vegetables contained 40% more antioxidants and milk from cows raised on organic pastures contained 90% more antioxidants. Antioxidants are plant chemicals that slow down the ageing process and help fight cancer and prevent disease.
It should be noted that even if a food is organic, it can still be processed and detrimental to your health – organic sugar may not have harmful pesticide residues, but it is still sugar and very damaging to the body! So it’s really important to buy organic whole food and not refined and processed foods. What’s the difference between a whole food and refined and processed foods? Evelyn Roehl in her book “Whole Food Facts” (iv) defines a whole food as being “as close to its whole, natural state as possible” i.e. they have been gathered from the earth and are in their intact form. Examples of a whole food include an apple, a potato, fish and meat.
Refined foods are reduced versions of the original whole food and they have been mechanically or chemically altered by removing some of their structure. The end product generally has less nutritional value than the original whole food. Examples of popular refined foods include white flour, breakfast cereals, potato chips and sugary drinks. These foods are severely lacking in nutrition and incredibly high in ‘empty calories’ and damaging additives.
How do you decrease your exposure to toxic chemicals in your food?
- Where possible buy certified organic foods which are grown in the absence of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers – a recent study by the University of Washington (v) that analysed levels of organophosphorus pesticides (a class of insecticides that disrupt the nervous system) in the urine of 39 suburban children 2 to 4 years of age found that concentrations of pesticide residues were one sixth as high in children who ate organic fruits and vegetables as in those eating conventional produce!
- If you can’t afford to get all organic then avoid the “Dirty Dozen”. This is a list of foods which are considered to have the heaviest chemical exposure (according to the Environmental Working Group (vi)) with 47 to 67 pesticides per serving – peaches, apples, capsicum, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes. Many of these are thin-skinned items that we frequently eat unpeeled.
- Some non-organic fruits and vegetables have been found to have little or no pesticides (dubbed the “Clean 15″) – onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, sweet onions.
- For great deals on fresh, organic food, visit your local organic farmer’s market. To find a market near you, simply google “farmer’s market” and your location. If you live in Sydney then you then you can also visit www.organicfoodmarkets.com.au/
(i) Schafer, Kristin. Nowhere to Hide: Persistent Toxic Chemicals in the U.S. Food Supply. San Francisco, CA: Pesticide Action Network, 2001
(ii) Heaton, Shane. Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health Report. British Soil Association, 2001
(iii) Niggli, Urs; Leifert, Carlo; Alföldi, Thomas; Lück, Lorna and Willer, Helga. Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems. Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of the European Integrated Project Quality Low Input Food (QLIF). University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20 – 23, 2007. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick, 2007.
(iv) Roehl, Evelyn. Whole food facts. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts, 1996
(v) Curl, C.L., R.A. Fenske, and K. Elgethun. “Organophophorus Pesticide Exposure of Urban and Suburban Preschool Children with Organic and Conventional Diets”. Environmental Health Perspectives 111, no 3 (2003): 377-82
(vi) Dellorto, D. Dirty dozen’ produce carries more pesticide residue, group says http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/dirty.dozen.produce.pesticide/index.html June 1, 2010
Feeling sick or run-down? Try this nourishing recipe…
We’re heading into the colder months and it seems like people are falling down all around to colds, coughs and flu! I recently discovered this Magic Mineral Broth recipe (from One Bite at a Time by Rebecca Katz, The Inner Cook) and wanted to share it with you. It’s high in potassium and numerous trace minerals and will give you the perfect antidote to feeling rough and run-down! Although the ingredient list looks slightly daunting at first-glance, its a very quick, simple recipe that will provide you with a tasty, nutrient-rich vegetable stock. You can drink it like tea when you’re feeling ill or use it as a base for all your favourite soups and rice dishes.
The Ingredients:
All of the ingredients can be purchased from a supermarket or an organic store – with the exception of the Kombu. You can find this in most Asian Supermarkets and its also referred to as “Kelp”.
The Process
Rinse the ingredients and place them (apart from the salt) in a large stockpot. Fill the stockpot with filtered water until it’s about 4cm from the rim. Cover this and bring it to the boil. Once boiling, remove the lid and put the heat on low and simmer for 2 hours until you can taste the fullness of the vegetables. Then add the salt and stir it in.
Next strain the stock using a large coarse-mesh strainer into a heat-resistant container. Allow this to cool to room temperature before freezing in small containers. The broth can be frozen for up to 6 months in small airtight containers for every use.
Enjoy! To your health,
Alex
Mother knows best… (Mother nature that is).
Have you walked down an aisle of your supermarket recently and taken a good hard look at the ingredients found on the back of most packaged items on the shelves?
There are so many ingredients that our ancestors (and probably most people today!) wouldn’t recognise… Even so called ‘health products’ like muesli bars and cereals are full of artificial ingredients and products like milk (which is considered by many to be a whole food), which have been highly processed by pasteurisation and homogenisation, processes which damage the structure, reduce the nutrition content and increase problems for digestive health.
Some might see these processes as signs of progress that give us an abundance of foods that are ready to eat but when you consider that the average American eats approximately his or her own body weight in food additives each year or about 70kg (which is about the same for most English speaking countries), we need to seriously question current food practices. Most of these processes are about shelf life, appearance and storage to maximise profits and have nothing at all to do with nutritional value or improving your health!
What’s the long-term impact of these processes on our health? Let’s look at just one commonly used preservative that’s found in processed foods – sulphur dioxide – to highlight the problems we face. Sulphur dioxide (220) is used in dried fruit, soft drinks, cordials, fruit drinks, beer, wine, sausages, other processed meats, hot chips, instant mash potato and prawns. It’s been shown to provoke asthma and skin rashes, especially in young children, destroys Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and folic acid in the body and has been associated with an estimated 15 asthma deaths in the US between 1983 and 1985. This is just one ingredient – what other long-term effects do we not know about? And how do artificial ingredients react in combination and when they’re heated in cooking?
The problem gets compounded when you consider that foods today also contain many unseen herbicides and pesticide residues. One study in New Zealand tested a typical school lunch of a primary school student – in one meal which consisted of a sausage, a tomato and a white bread roll with butter and an apple, they found 19 toxic chemicals and 3 of these were over 10 times the recommended limits for adults! The chemicals included known endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, reproductive disruptors and genetic and immune system disruptors.
If pesticides and herbicides are not a problem today then why do studies show consistently that farmers have a higher risk of developing lymphomas, leukemias, and cancers of the stomach, prostate, brain and skin?This is despite the fact that a farmer’s lifestyle is generally much healthier than that of someone who lives in the city – they have access to fresh food, breather cleaner air and are much more physically active.
So how do I shop to maximise health and nutrition and to avoid processed foods, additives and pesticides?
Here are some simple tips:Use the 10,000-year rule – if it wasn’t around 10,000 years ago then don’t eat it. Vegetables, wild fish, grass fed meat, nuts, seeds and fruit were around 10,000 years ago, a typical store bought cereal which will sit on the shelf for months was not!
Look at the labels on everything that you buy (you only have to do this for a short while before you get accustomed to knowing the foods that you’re certain are good for you!) – if you can pronounce it then you can generally eat it, if you can’t pronounce it then your liver probably won’t recognise it and it will do you harm. It’s easy to say ‘chicken’, ‘broccoli’ and ‘tomato’ but difficult to say ‘methyl cinnamate’ or ‘isobutyl anthranilate’!
Beware of the term ‘natural’ on packages. A natural flavour is probably a flavour that’s been derived with an out-of-date technology and mercury is also ‘natural’!
Where possible buy certified organic foods which are grown in the absence of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers – a recent study by the University of Washington that analysed levels of organophosphorus pesticides (a class of insecticides that disrupt the nervous system) in the urine of 39 suburban children 2 to 4 years of age found that concentrations of pesticide residues were one sixth as high in children who ate organic fruits and vegetables as in those eating conventional produce!
If you’re on a budget then see organic foods as an investment in your health (and studies also show you get more good nutrition from them). If you can’t afford to get all organic then consider the following list of foods which are considered to have heaviest chemical exposure – apples, cheese, grapes, green beans, meat, milk, mushrooms, peaches, peanuts, potatoes, raisins, raspberries, spinach, strawberries and squash.
Cutting right back on processed foods and choosing organics where possible will really make the difference to your health, and you will feel and look fantastic when you stick to the foods that nature intended you to have!
To your health,
Alex
There are so many ingredients that our ancestors (and probably most people today!) wouldn’t recognise… Even so called ‘health products’ like muesli bars and cereals are full of artificial ingredients and products like milk (which is considered by many to be a whole food), which have been highly processed by pasteurisation and homogenisation, processes which damage the structure, reduce the nutrition content and increase problems for digestive health.
Some might see these processes as signs of progress that give us an abundance of foods that are ready to eat but when you consider that the average American eats approximately his or her own body weight in food additives each year or about 70kg (which is about the same for most English speaking countries), we need to seriously question current food practices. Most of these processes are about shelf life, appearance and storage to maximise profits and have nothing at all to do with nutritional value or improving your health!
What’s the long-term impact of these processes on our health? Let’s look at just one commonly used preservative that’s found in processed foods – sulphur dioxide – to highlight the problems we face. Sulphur dioxide (220) is used in dried fruit, soft drinks, cordials, fruit drinks, beer, wine, sausages, other processed meats, hot chips, instant mash potato and prawns. It’s been shown to provoke asthma and skin rashes, especially in young children, destroys Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and folic acid in the body and has been associated with an estimated 15 asthma deaths in the US between 1983 and 1985. This is just one ingredient – what other long-term effects do we not know about? And how do artificial ingredients react in combination and when they’re heated in cooking?
The problem gets compounded when you consider that foods today also contain many unseen herbicides and pesticide residues. One study in New Zealand tested a typical school lunch of a primary school student – in one meal which consisted of a sausage, a tomato and a white bread roll with butter and an apple, they found 19 toxic chemicals and 3 of these were over 10 times the recommended limits for adults! The chemicals included known endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, reproductive disruptors and genetic and immune system disruptors.
If pesticides and herbicides are not a problem today then why do studies show consistently that farmers have a higher risk of developing lymphomas, leukemias, and cancers of the stomach, prostate, brain and skin?This is despite the fact that a farmer’s lifestyle is generally much healthier than that of someone who lives in the city – they have access to fresh food, breather cleaner air and are much more physically active.
So how do I shop to maximise health and nutrition and to avoid processed foods, additives and pesticides?
Here are some simple tips:
Cutting right back on processed foods and choosing organics where possible will really make the difference to your health, and you will feel and look fantastic when you stick to the foods that nature intended you to have!
To your health,
Alex