I was recently on a Facebook page for Personal Fitness Trainers and the question came up “What are your REAL THOUGHTS about MILK?” and it turned into a slugging match, which eventually lead into name calling and character assassination. It is a very emotional subject as nutritional preferences are closely linked to core beliefs, personal identity, and group identity (which ‘group’ you belong to).

Back in 1999 my beliefs were challenged in relation to dairy food (and pretty much all nutrition) which sort of set me on a course of exploration. The dairy industry is a billion dollar industry globally, so there are not only beliefs caught up in it, but future bucket-loads of cash. So what follows are my thoughts and findings in relation to dairy (milk) based on what I have read, experienced and thought about over the years.

The ‘packaging’ is all-important

One of the greatest formula’s for health I have found in the last 10 years is Dr Joel Fuhrman’s which says H=N/C. Where H is health, N is Nutrients, and C is Calories. Essentially what he is saying is that our health is directly related to how many nutrients we get for the calories consumed. When choosing food, we want more nutrients (especially micro-nutrients) and less calories. I have also read a number of studies that suggest that calorie restriction (with adequate nutrient intake) can prolong life in both animals and humans.

So when we look at foods, we need to consider all the nutrients we will ingest, as opposed to just individual nutrients that we have been told are good for us. This is what I call the ‘packaging’. It is like having a raw organic nut in the middle of a cup of fat (lard) and calling the whole thing a health food – because of the nut. I don’t know about you, but I think I will definitely pass on that ‘treat’!

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

CHD is one of the top 3 causes of death in the western world (number 1 in the USA), and is generally caused by plaque building up on the insides of the coronary arteries. The plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol and calcium, plus other minor substances (according to the Dept of Health & Human Services, USA).

“It may be years before we understand each step and every nuance of the process by which dietary fat and cholesterol destroy coronary arteries. But we are well aware of the general outlines. Simply stated, just as you need stone to build a stone wall, you need a specific level of fat and cholesterol in your bloodstream to narrow and clog your arteries with atherosclerosis.” Caldwell B. Esselstyn, M.D.

Hmmm…where is this leading, you may ask?

Calcium

“Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. It is essential for the development and maintenance of strong bones and teeth, and that’s where about 99% of the body’s calcium is found. Calcium also helps the heart, nerves, muscles, and other body systems work properly.” As stated by the University of Maryland Medical Center. As stated by me – calcium is very important for the human body.

Sources of Calcium include: dairy products, tofu, almonds, sesame seeds, black beans, and green leafy vegetables (to name but a few). There is some conflicting information about the absorption ability of calcium from the various sources. I am not going down that rocky road in this article.

There are a number of foods that can ‘leach’ calcium from the body if consumed to excess. The main ones are caffeine, protein and salt (plus tobacco).

Protein

This is a pretty sticky subject as well. How much protein do we need? I have read references to Worlds Health Organization daily recommended allowance quoting anything from 6% to 9%. U.S. Food and Nutrition Board’s recommended daily
allowance is 6%. A typical western diet consumes about double the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).

All animal protein (that includes Dairy) are acidic. Milk has a pH of 6.5 to 6.7. which makes it acidic (less than a pH of 7, which is neutral). The ideal pH for the body (for survival) is 7.36. The body requires a predominately alkaline diet to maintain the correct internal pH, and to protect against disease.

Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing, compounds. Their role in plants is to protect plants from disease, injuries, insects, drought, excessive heat, ultraviolet rays, and poisons or pollutants in the air or soil. They form part of the plants immune system. Although they are not yet classified as nutrients (because science is still playing catch-up in figuring out the roles of the 10,000 or so variants), there is mounting evidence that they have disease prevention qualities for humans.

“On the cusp of the millennium, researchers are busily uncovering a host of beneficial compounds in plant foods. While these phytonutrients aren’t essential by traditional definitions, they apparently reduce risks of diseases of aging. For example, the isoflavones in soy products may reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and several types of cancer. Certain flavonoids in blueberries may actually reverse nerve cell aging. And a wide array of compounds in fruits and vegetables may protect cell components against oxidative damage as well as vitamins C or E.” USDA website.

Phytonutrients are believed to encourage disease prevention and are only contained in plants.

Back to ‘packaging’

It is clear that calcium is an important nutrient for the body. There are a number of sources of calcium. Saturated fat and cholesterol are principle players in the forming of plaque that can lead to CHD. So the ideal calcium (and protein) source for the body is one that has the most amount of micro nutrients and least amount of calories.

The packaging of milk:

1. Calcium
2. Protein
3. Saturated fats
4. Cholesterol
5. Vitamin D (added)
6. Acidic
7. Relatively high calories (125 – 200 calories per cup)

The packaging of an alternative source of calcium (and protein): Spinach (raw)

1. Calcium (less than milk)
2. Protein (30% protein)
3. No saturated fat
4. No cholesterol
5. Phytonutrients
6. Alkaline
7. Very low calories (7 calories per cup)

In Summary

When selecting any foods, it is important to look at the whole picture, which definitely includes the packaging around the nutrient or nutrients that you are focusing on. Milk tastes yummy. It is also very convenient. But does it come with the best, healthiest and nutrient rich packaging? Or, are there better sources of calcium and protein, that have less fat, cholesterol and have a lot more micronutrients?

I enjoy the taste of chocolates, cakes, cookies, tarts, yoghurt, and cheese. But I do not tell myself, nor do I feel at the time, that I am eating a ‘health’ product. Those feelings are reserved for when I am eating organic fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts & seeds and drinking my favourite drink – H2O!

Did you know that 2% milk is actually 35% fat (that is 35% of the calories are derived from fat)? Don’t get me started on food lying. Oops. I meant food labeling.

Bibliography:

‘Diet for a Small Planet‘ by Frances Moore Lappe (the first book that challenged my beliefs on food back in 1999)

‘The China Study‘ by Dr Colin T. Campbell

‘Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease‘ by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, M.D.

‘Healthy at 100‘ by John Robbins (son of Irvine Robbins from Baskin-Robbins)

‘Dare to be 100‘ by Walter M. Bortz II, M.D.

‘The Engine 2 Diet‘ by Rip Esselstyn (son of Dr Esselstyn)

‘The RAVE Diet‘ by Mike Anderson

‘Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes‘ by Dr. Neal Barnard

‘Clean‘ by Dr. Alejandro Junger

‘Eat to Live‘ by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

‘Why does calcium leave our Bones from drinking Calcium Rich Milk?’ by Robert Cohen - LINK

Great Happiness Strategy

Here’s the scenario. Through the course of a day you just can’t get into it. You labour through the day. You get a bit of stuff done but the feeling you have as you come towards the end of it is that life sucks a little bit. You are not all doom and gloom but you do feel pretty average, pretty overwhelmed and pretty much like you had a very uninspiring and unproductive day. Before you fall asleep, you just hope that tomorrow is going to be better. In fact, not just better, but bucket-loads better. And then tomorrow comes and…

So how does this scenario end? Is it another groundhog day of a bit of crappiness OR did you do something that set into motion a new chain of events?

Well I am here to say that it is up to you (and me) how that next day is most likely to play out. You can either leave it to chance, or divine intervention, or fate, or hope, or the winning Lotto ticket, OR you can do something that will REBOOT your emotional state right from the get-go. And from what I have come to understand, it is our emotional state and emotional energy that turns our inherent potential into action (or converting potential energy into kinetic energy for all you budding physicists out there).

So here is my DAILY REBOOT Ritual, which we teach in the 30-Day Happiness Challenge, and which I highly recommend as a way to start each and every new day. As Tony Robbins says: “The past does not equal the future”. It is irrelevant what yesterday was like. You can change the course of your life and future by the actions you take today. The DAILY REBOOT is also aligned with the idea that an Elite Athlete does certain things immediately before their event to put them in the best physiological and psychological state so they perform at their best, bring home the trophy and take home the belle of the ball.

The DAILY REBOOT is:

1. Wake up. Sit up in bed. Take a deep breath. Then set your intention for the day. Maybe it is to…have a great meeting, resolve that issue with your child, give a great presentation, seal the deal, meet your ideal partner at the local supermarket. This little ritual has you focusing on ‘what you WANT’. It is also great for the subconscious to know your master plan.
2. Do energization exercises. These take about 3-4 mins, and energise your body. Just like a ‘warm-up’ for that elite athlete. Check out this LINK for an example by yours truly doing it tough in Bali.
3. Do affirmations or incantations (these are affirmations + arms waving about like Merlin the magician). Now this is the ‘psych yourself up’ bit. Where you consciously plant and focus on the messages that empower and inspire you. Saying a mantra like “Life is my business partner in success” or “I love and approve of myself” or “I am the equal of all man”. These are the loop recordings we would most benefit playing in our minds as opposed to the “I am not good enough” one that takes up too much space. I also recommend finding a quiet and private spot to do these as people make think you have lost the plot when you start up your psych-up routine.
4. Gratitude exercise. Focus on at least 5 things that you are grateful for. I actually like to say these aloud as I rest my hand on my heart. It allows me to tap into the vibration of them and seems to make them resonate more through me. Psychologists have actually done tests that show that doing daily gratitude exercises for an extended period (30-days) increases a person’s emotional health and happiness. You cannot do feeling grateful and feeling depressed at the same time. Give it a try if you don’t believe me.
5. Meditation. Meditation. Meditation. There is SO MUCH positive research on the benefits of meditation. From its ability to change our brains, to lowering blood pressure, to managing stress and lots more. Now I suggest a min of 5 mins, with an aim for 15 mins. All it needs to be is to sit with your back straight, but not rigid. Eyes closed. Breathe in and breathe out; with the out-breath being longer than the in-breath. Then focus on your breathing. Mind wanders; then bring it back to the breath. And then it wanders again and bring it back to the breath and then it wanders again…etc. We recommend Blissitations.com as a great meditation resource.

So there you go. A DAILY REBOOT Ritual that I have been doing for years and has been essential for letting go of yesterday and starting a new day with a new frame of mind. Letting go of yesterday’s crappiness and replacing it with todays possibility. “The past does not equal the future.”

Have you ever been so far into a project and seemed to be knocked so many times that you just don’t think you’ll ever find it within yourself to get back up again? It is here, right here, that you MUST get up.

My business partner and I recently received many knocks whilst getting our business off the ground. Sometimes these knocks come in the form of minor technology issues. Sometimes they come in the form of budgets and money, or lack thereof. Sometimes, perhaps oftentimes, they come in the form of people.

Along the way to realising your dream and making your commitment to the path you really believe you’re supposed to follow on this Earth, there are always the naysayers. Naysayers are those who think they have good advice for you but in actual fact, carry with them such pessimistic views and the need to share those that you feel the life has actually been sucked out of you upon leaving them.

You know the ones.

The ones who are telling you, ‘You should do this instead… ‘ or ‘What are you doing that for?’ or ‘I don’t’ like that, do something else’ or, my favourite, ‘Are you sure about this?’

OR, what about the ones who don’t say a thing but take your action as a personal threat to what they’re not achieving or doing in their life and smile through gritted teeth.

The reality is, at the end of the day, naysayers are usually those who don’t like you to change OR they see fault in you when really, they find fault within themselves.

Naysayers are comfortable with the person that you are- not the person that you are becoming or wish to become. Instead of encouraging you, they will either tap gently or absolutely hammer any or all new projects on their heads. These people, your friends, colleagues, or complete strangers may have the best intentions. What they don’t realise is that they’ve got a funny way of showing it… and a deep seeded fear that you will succeed. And that in your new found success, striving for your achievements and your purpose and living your passion, you will inadvertently leave them behind.

There has been some scaremongering amongst my circle especially, that responsibilities like working 9 – 5 (or 8 – 6 as it stands these days) and taking care of the kids are far more important than following whimsical dreams.

Really? Really? Or are they their excuses?

Here, be compassionate. Open your heart. Raise their awareness by perhaps saying to them, “Thank you so much for caring this much about me to offer your advice. I will always remember this.”

You’ll do your job in getting them comfortable. The rest is up to them.

Secondly, seeing fault in others translates to fault in themselves; You may have heard this theory before- when you see something which you don’t like in others, it’s really triggering an emotional charge within yourself. There’s something bubbling and steaming below which you might not have quite gotten yourself comfortable with yet. Sometimes when people are saying these things to you, they’re really reacting to something they find uncomfortable within themselves. For example, I used to recognise arrogance in other people and absolutely seethe at it in the most passive aggressive of ways. Once I got comfortable with the fact that, hey, I can sometimes display a little of that quality myself, I didn’t seethe so much anymore. (Doesn’t everyone display a little arrogance from time to time? *wink*)

The trick here is to recognise that this is not for you or about you and merrily stick to your guns.

When all’s said and done, the naysayer is there to teach us some valuable lessons, whether we like it or not.

Here’s 6 steps to combat the Negative Nancy’s or Nigel’s of your world;

Listen – see beneath the lines of what they’re trying to tell you. Perhaps there’s a little piece of gold within their advice that you could possibly take on board? Take what you need and leave the rest.

Be graceful – have gratitude. If there’s no gold, be grateful that this person is taking enough interest in what you’re doing, whether it’s self-serving or genuine (misguided) support. It may not be the way you choose to operate, but hey, they give a sh*t.

Stop listening – if this has taught me something, it’s not to take things so personally. People don’t want to see you fail – they’re just worried that you will, which will save them embarrassment. But we all know that there is no such thing as failure, only a scuffing of the knees on the way to finding the best track forward. Little detours on the way to success, if you like. *smile*

Forge ahead – full steam! Keep going and get back up. (See second line!)

Have courage – Surround yourself with people who are where you want to be. Surround yourself with people who are only going to support you and offer you words of encouragement. This in itself takes courage. When you change, other people change. This could be a change for the better. This could be a negative change.

Have faith – Most importantly, believe in yourself. It is my personal belief that each and every soul is put on this Earth to serve in some way- to find their true purpose. Heidi and I personally believe that we are there to help others find their essence, their true passion and purpose to live in their everyday.

What happened to the Negative Nancy’s and Nigel’s of Heidi’s and my world? They’re still there. We love them. We embrace them. We sometimes smile and wave. We oftentimes poke our tongues out and have a bit of fun with them. And we mostly just keep going, comfortable in the knowledge and sheer determination that is us and what we’ve created is serving our purpose, passion and most of all, our souls.

Lynda Bayada is fellow soul searcher alongside her business partner and dear friend, Heidi Albertiri. Together they have created Sundari Soul- the search for something more- offering retreats, soul centred weddings and healings concentrated in capturing the essence of who you really are. For more information on their work, please visit www.sundarisoul.com. They’re latest project, ‘The Goddess Within’ retreat, is taking place in Bali, June 17^th – 23^rd. Bookings essential and places limited.

This month’s Goal & Goal Setting Tip is:

Willpower is similar to a muscle, in that it builds up with practice but also gets fatigued if overused and abused.

But first a quote: “The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time” by Richard Cech.

Given this characteristic of willpower, it means that you need to be aware of the times that you have more willpower and the times that you have less. And make sure the most important decisions or meetings or engagements you make, are when your willpower is at its highest. It also means you need to get adequate rest or take adequate breaks, so that your willpower can be replenished.

Now if you would like a much deeper dive on Willpower – a subject that I believe is ESSENTIAL to understand check out Strategic Happiness at iTunes and select the FREE MP3 Podcast which description starts with “This is a MUST listen to…” Find it here!

For the ELITE Goal Setter Course and a deeper dive on how to achieve your goals in life CLICK HERE.

I am not going to ask if you have ever been stressed before because I know the answer is a big yes. You are pretty much guaranteed of stress in your life when you start playing the game. The ‘game of life’ I mean.

I was sure as hell feeling it over the last month and that is why I skipped out on a February Happiness Tips Newsletter. I was too busy ducking and weaving and fretting and worrying and trying to get out of the washing machine that I had inadvertently decided to take up residence in. This is what I found out along the way.

There are many types and definitions of stress, but I am going to look at the one that is on the other side of ‘overload’. I will share with you the 7-Step Strategy that I use and have found effective, plus look at some of the preventative measures as well. Because let’s face it – there are definitely some parts of the stress game I would be happy to do without.

I was just about to write a list of effects from stress – like impaired immune system, reduced cognitive abilities, tiredness, etc. – but I figured that time is much better spent on ‘How to Deal with Stress‘ rather than covering something that most of us are all too familiar with. Before I do though, I want to make one point. Small amount of stress can be beneficial. In fact, we are unlikely to grow and actually find joy in our life without some stress; as it makes us grow and expand our consciousness. So some stress is good, too much is bad (so intellectually technical of me ;-)).

One of the main factors that contributes to, and is one of the major players in the game of stress is our sense of ‘CONTROL’. Not surprisingly, a feeling of no control leads to higher stress (and can lead to what psychologist call learned helplessness) and a feeling of total control leads to empowerment. So this is the first and probably main point. We either need to take back our control, find our control, ask for control, or let go of the things we can’t control (this last piont, as you can imagine, is a biggy).

So here is a 7-Step Strategy for ‘HOW’ to take back your control:

1. Stop. This is essential. At some point you need to stop. Push back. Step away. Refuse to take any more on. Stop physically first and then stop mentally. For me, it was to climb out of my figurative washing machine…which lead to an immediate feeling of, “Boy that feels much better!“
2. Get perspective. Jump into your imaginary helicopter and take it up to 500m and get a good look at the whole picture. What are all the parts that are making you feel overloaded? How do they fit together? Where are the bush fires? Where is the cavalry?
3. Write down (your perspective). This is a super way to really get clear of what is going on. Plus it reduces the emotional intensity. And you will find that a complete head full of ‘stuff’ only fills up about 2-pages of paper. You sort of feel ripped off when you write down everything that is stressing you out and instead of a book the size of ‘War and Peace‘ all your worries fit on one A4 page of paper. The truth is that we can fill our minds up to capacity with just a few issues. Getting perspective is SO LIBERATING!
4. Get clear about your objective or end result. This is essential. What is it that you most desire? Is it to be the best parent? Or be the best partner? Or earn enough money to take that world trip? Or provide enough money for your family to enjoy life more fully? Maybe you need to decide exactly when you need to achieve a particular goal – and maybe it does not need to be next week but can be just as useful to you, if you achieve it by next month. Once you know this…
5. Get rid of anything and everything that does not take you closer to your desired result. This is one of the greatest things with stopping and getting a birds eye view. You figure out what is most important and then you can ditch the rest. You say ‘no’ a lot more. You push back. You can put things on the shelf for next year. You can delete a whole bunch of emails in your in-box. You can cancel the stuff that is not important. You take back CONTROL by deciding what is most important to you.
6. Prioritize what you are left with and schedule them. Now you know what is most important; prioritize the remaining tasks and then schedule them for completion. Most important first and so on. Focus your energy on the number 1 task. Now since the brain does not like multi-tasking; focusing on one thing at a time makes you twice as effective and half as likely to make mistakes. Plus once a task is ‘scheduled’ it allows the brain to switch off that task and free up space in your working memory, because it considers that task ‘taken care of’.
7. Take action (on the things that matter most in the order of their importance). Now you can put your time and energy into the most important stuff and know that it is taking you towards your most important goals. You have removed the unessential distractions. You have taken back control because now you are working on your priorities, as determined by you, after looking at what the result is you are after and the priorities for achieving it.

This is what I did just last week and I realised that I had too much on at once. I also realised that I had set unrealistic target dates for some of my goals. I needed to change some dates. I also needed to get out a calendar for the month and schedule the most important tasks. Plus I needed to schedule in some down time and social time to allow for adequate (and highly essential) rest and mental ‘switch-off’.

Prevention is the best recipe. So…Be aware of when you are getting a little stressed out. At that point start to push back on additional tasks. Ask for assistance. Advise people that you are almost at capacity. Make sure you take extra care with your nutrition and hydration (lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of water) as this will give you more energy and fortify your immune system. Make sure you do physical activity and don’t let this slide; as being active can be a lifeline to increased energy, improved body functioning (at all levels) and increased mental clarity.

And on that note…it is time for me to go for a ride on my bicycle through the ricefields in Bali…

Adios!! And here’s to getting more strategic about stress management so that you don’t experience the overload, or when you do, you know exactly what actions you can take to wind it back in and get that happiness thing back online.

If you want to hear Carl Massy talk more about managing stress on his FREE iTunes Strategic Happiness Podcast Channel then just click on the link below or go to iTunes to download the (MP3) Podcast.

In the Strategic Happiness Podcast on ‘The Game of Life’ we talked about the best Daily Ritual that we know. If we were to choose just one Daily Ritual (that is easy to do and takes less than 5 mins) for preparing you for the day ahead and leading to your day and ultimately your Life being more successful, then this is it.

The Energisation Exercises are loosely based on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda who not only has a cool name, but is the author of the classic book ‘Autobiography of a Yogi‘ and one of the main teachers that brought Yoga to the west in a big way. He was all about energising the body and mind to get the very best results in life.

So we strongly encourage you to incorporate this 3-minute exercise into your morning routine – most preferably before you have that first cup of coffee! This un-drug-assisted goodness for your body, mind and soul.

ENJOY!! And change your life in the process.

For more information on this amazing Ritual and all the other best Daily Rituals available (to change you life) check out the 30-Day Happiness Challenge

Do you want to know the best information on nutrition I have seen in 12 years of looking? In fact I would have really liked to have seen it about 12 years ago, but apparently the student was not ready. I had to go through a bit of ‘borderline’ asthma, pneumonia, pleurisy, a few dizzy spells, low energy and a few other things that were all part of the figuring out and moulding of (me) the humble student. So in 2011, I was finally ready to hear what the best formula is for optimum health, optimum weight management, disease prevention and increased vitality.

The magic formula came from Dr Joel Fuhrman MD who specialises in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods (author of Eat To Live). His formula is so simple it leaves you wondering if that is all there is to it? Where is the rest of the equation that is designed to confuse the hell out of us? So the equation is (drum roll please):

H = N / C

Is that it?!? And in response to my own question, the answer is “Yes”. Rather than having you try and guess the letters and possibly get frustrated with me at this very pivotal moment, please let me explain:

• ‘H’ stands for ‘Health’
• ‘N’ stands for ‘Nutrients’
• ‘C’ stands for ‘Calories’

So in a sentence, our health is directly proportional to the nutrients that we get, for each calorie that we bring into our bodies. Now to help us on this journey I am going to introduce you to a few old friends from the Nutrient family, which play a major role in the game of health and vitality. They are:

1. Macronutrients. These are fat, protein and carbohydrates (and water); which I am sure you are all familiar with. They are the only foods that provide calories. Fat = 9 calories per gram. Protein & Carbohydrates = 4 calories per gram. All the macronutrients exist in both plants and animal products.
2. Next we have the Micronutrients. These include the vitamins and minerals. They all exist in both plants and animal products to varying degrees.
3. Then there are Phytonutrients. They are the chemicals that help plants defend against environmental challenges, such as damage from disease, injury, pollutants, pests or ultraviolet light. And who would not benefit from a little protection against pests in their life? These disease fighting nutrients do not exist in animal products.
4. The last one is Fibre, which is essential in maintaining healthy functioning elimination.

One thing that research and science is starting to discover is that just like the phytonutrients protect the plants, they produce very similar results for humans, such as protecting tissues and cells from free radicals and their harmful effects. From what I have read I believe that there are 1000’s of phytonutrients and they cannot be isolated because they work like a concert symphony in ways that science is a long way off figuring out. What a lot of studies do agree on is that phytonutrients are great for increased health and disease prevention (from heart disease, to cancer, to diabetes and high blood pressure). In a word they are ‘essential’ to optimum health and disease prevention (I love that word ‘prevention’).

The stuff that is not essential to good health, and can contribute to heart disease is cholesterol; in particular the LDL variety. Too much cholesterol in your blood, and it builds up in the walls of your arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis, which is a form of heart disease. The body actually needs cholesterol, but the liver produces all the body requires. The main sources of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) are from animal-based foods like milk, eggs, and meat. Cholesterol does not exist in plants.

Now back to our equation H = N / C. To recap, we want to have the highest nutrient value, per calorie. We have also seen that phytonutrients are starting to get a big name in the prevention and reversal of disease game. Plus we have seen that both plant-based and animal products have all the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate and protein). And finally we saw that cholesterol (LDL) exists in animal products. So now you are armed with a lot of great information let’s move to the next stage.

The next stage is simple. If you need to consume about 2000 calories of food (and drink) per day for your energy requirements, make sure that every calorie comes loaded with ample amounts of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. And since phytonutrients only come from plants, make the majority (80-90%) of your diet consist of unprocessed plant-based foods. Plus significantly reduce the amount of foods that have cholesterol and high fat (i.e. animal-based products).

What I will do now is provide some of the very best Tips I have learned over the years to show how you can use Dr Fuhrman’s formula. As an aside, I like Dr Fuhrman’s work because he has worked with about 10,000 patients, he has 90%+ of his patients that start with Type II diabetes off their medication within 30-days, he has reversed heart disease in his patients, his patients have lost huge amounts of weight, and he has caused his patients LDL levels to go down. Plus he is an athlete and generally a healthy dude. Unlike old Dr Atkins who suffered coronary problems as a result of following his own Atkins diet (doofus!). If you are a meat eater and you think I want you to go hug some trees, skip down to Tip 11 before you read the other 10 Tips.

1. The body will naturally shed weight when a diet high in nutrient dense foods is adopted.
2. It is not about restricting calories, it is about eating more food that is nutrient dense and crowding out the crap food in the diet.
3. Most highly processed or ‘refined’ carbohydrates (sweets, cakes, white bread, sugar, etc.) have high calories but practically no nutrient value.
4. Water has 0 calories, so it needs to be the drink of choice. “If you are serious about losing weight, don’t drink your fruit – eat it. Too much fibre and too many nutrients are removed during juicing, and many of the remaining nutrients are lost through processing, heat, and storage time.” Dr Fuhrman.
5. All animal products have high saturated fats and cholesterol, so they are best minimised. They also have no fibre or phytonutrients.
6. Dark green leafy vegetables are the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet! Eat lots of these. I highly recommend a green (vegetable) drink daily. I swear by it – for energy and vitality.
7. Milk (and dairy food in general) is not a health food. It is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. In April 2000 a Harvard study reported that having 2.5 servings of dairy each day boosted prostate cancer risk by more than 30%. That is just one study…
8. Dietary factors that induce calcium loss in the urine are animal protein, salt, caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol, nicotine, and aluminium-containing antacids drugs such as antibiotics, steroids, thyroid hormone and vitamin A supplements. So minimise these.
9. On average, 25% of the calories in vegetables are from protein. Just so that you know there is protein in plants and you won’t get ‘protein deficiency’ without lots of meat.
10. 100 calories of broccoli has more protein (11.1g) than 100 calories of steak (6.4g). Obviously the sizes of each are different, but what we are working on here is the best nutrients for our 2000 Calorie limit. The greens are king! Mum was right…”Eat your greens or you can’t leave the dinner table.”
11. “Following a strict vegetarian diet is not as important as eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. A vegetarian whose diet is mainly refined grains, cold breakfast cereals, processed health-food-store products, vegetarian fast foods, white rice, and pasta will be worse off than a person who eats a little chicken or eggs, for example, but consumes a large amount of fruits, vegetables, and beans.” Dr Fuhrman

The bottom line. A diet that is low in fruit and vegetables is not protecting your body from disease and future illness. Your aim should be to eat lots and lots of green leafy vegetables, a mix of coloured vegetables and fruits. Plus eat nuts, seeds and legumes. If a ‘diet’ rules out fruit, chances are it is a short-term diet and not focused on health and disease prevention.

So if you want to get the skinning on losing weight and dieting, regaining your health, or understanding the relationship even better between nutrition and health, I highly recommend Dr Fuhrman’s book ‘Eat to Live‘.

Don’t be scared to set goals, for fear that you might not achieve them. Or might not achieve them by a set date or to a desired standard. Don’t let any fears, real or imagined hold you back from getting more out of life.

My Goal Setting tip for this month is to actually set some Goals. Don’t blow it off because of the bad wrap that New Years Resolutions get. The chances of you achieving something that you write down are about 400% more likely to happen than if you don’t write it down, according to research gathered by Heidi Halvorson, in her informative book “Succeed”.

I remember sitting on a hill near the ocean on Christmas Day 2001 and writing out a goal to work overseas for 5 years and save at least $20,000 each year. Well 2002-2006 saw me living and Consulting in the USA, Greece, Italy and Qatar; whilst travelling all over the world and getting to the end of 2006 with $300,000 in the bank. I not only achieved my goal I exceeded it. I believe that getting clear on what I wanted and then writing it down was key to that result.

So do yourself a favour and get clear about your goals for 2012 (and the following 5 years) and then write them down. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

And if you want to make the whole goal setting super strategic than make sure you check out our very effective ELITE Goal Setter course.

Author: Carl Massy

Here are the WorldsBIGGESTGym 10 Tips to vastly improved relationships over Christmas Festive Season. Apply some or all of these Tips and you will not only totally enjoy the Christmas period but you will be setting up 2012 to be even more successful than your best year ever! So here goes…

1. Don’t make assumptions unless you like being stressed out. First of all I am not going to assume that you don’t like being totally stressed out. But just in case you (like me) prefer a little less stress in your life, than I strongly encourage you to avoid making any assumptions this festive season. The opposite of assumptionopolis (the home of assumptions) is a little place most commonly called ‘Reality’. As Byron Katie says: “When I argue with reality, I lose. But only 100% of the time.” So if you get a really bad present off a person you assume does not like you, consider this. Maybe they are just crap at selecting the presents you like. A great question to ask in most situations is: “What else could this mean?”
2. Don’t take things too personally. This sort of leads on from, and is closely connected to, the assumption thing. I have had enough experiences over the last few decades to realise that most often when someone has an issue with me, it is more about that persons own issues than mine (well in 93% of the cases anyway). If someone is anal about the way presents should be unwrapped, and makes a snide remark to you about you being disrespectful. It might be less about your blatant disregard for present unwrapping etiquette and more about their personal fears or insecurities; which makes them want to control everything that happens. Maybe they just need a big hug.
3. Speak the truth and not just when you are out of arms reach. I am a big fan of saying the truth, which has earned me my fair share of dagger stares, cheap shots and some contorted faces on the people I have said my piece too. But here is the thing. When we don’t speak our truth, we waste more energy trying to maintain the act, hold our story together, and mask our true feelings. When we come from a place of truth, even if it is harder at the time, the world (and your relationships) are better for it. Obviously doing 100% of the time is easier said than done. If you partner asks whether they “look ‘frumpy’ in their new dress”, or whether “you think their biceps are bigger than last month”, a slight case of tone deafness or subject change might be in order.
4. Ratio of using the heart to the head needs to be at least 5:1 (or better). Now I do not remember the reference, but I recall reading something last year that suggested the heart had a bigger Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) than the brain. To me that suggested if something ‘comes from the heart’, it has a lot more power than if it comes from the head. I like to think that ‘communicating’ comes from the head, but ‘connecting’ is the stuff that comes out of the mouth via the heart. A great exercise is to connect with you heart (either just notice it or put your hand on your heart) before you say what you want to say. This will definitely deepen your relationships.
5. Practice Aikido so you have less bruises. For those that know nothing about Aikido compared to say karate, let me explain. Karate is where someone hits you and you hit them back. The toughest person wins. However in Aikido it is more about moving out of the way and letting the other person wear themselves out, so you can lead them where you want. How does this relate to relationships? Instead of whacking back a poorly made comment at the sender, just let it slip you past. Maybe with a little “It is shame that you feel that way about X”. You don’t have to duke it out in the ring, to get a result, which most often is going to be both of you battered and bruised.
6. We only know what we know – so does that other person. I only know what I know through my experience, my teachers and my study. Which probably account for a small percentage of the available knowledge. I have also had poor teachers at times that have taught me the wrong formulas, and lead to some major mistakes. So I only know what I know. So to assume that someone is purposely trying to be a pain in the butt, might not be true. Maybe they sat in Life Class 101 and had the relief teacher from hell, who was taught by the relief teacher from hell, who was taught by…I am sure you get the message. The day you realise that people are the way they are to a large extent by what they were taught many, many years ago, the more you tend to give people a break. They only know what they know.
7. If you are too tired, request a ‘time out’. That Einstein guy said there was a relationship between energy and mass (or matter). So that means that pretty much everything is made up of energy. My point: energy is important stuff. In fact you could call it the main currency of life. So when we have low energy (this really important stuff), we are not likely to be operating at our best. Therefore if you have eaten 4 serves of Christmas Pudding and are feeling a wee bit flat, that may not the time to be the best time to deal with your more challenging relationships or conversations. Take a ‘time out’ and recharge the batteries (maybe a nana nap or a 15 min walk around the block). When you have the most amount of energy you will deliver your finest works and a Christmas Dinner speech to be remembered – for all the right reasons!
8. Breathe at least once before you speak. Breathing is pretty important too. In fact if you stop doing it for a few minutes your life takes a whole new direction. So breath is very closely related to life and living. Again, important stuff. Therefore if it is so important, perhaps having more of it is better for us. Especially when we are having a challenging time with someone. The strategy here is really simple. Before you say what you think you need to say, take at least one deep long breath, slowly expired, before you very consciously respond. Animals react; we on the other hand have the ability to respond – if we pause long enough to separate ourselves from the mammal within us. Breathe in-two-three, out-two-three, respond-two-three. And your results just got a whole lot better.
9. “No” is a 1 second word that can save 1000’s of seconds of pain. “No” is a very hard thing for a lot of people to say. Because they feel they might be judged, disliked, excluded in future, thought of poorly, yelled at, slapped, kicked in the shins, etc. But when an unsaid “no” leads to resentment on your behalf, the only one that will be most hurt will be yourself. And it will not be like the superficial wound the other person would have got if you said “no” to them. The resentment you feel for not saying “no” will actually affect you at a deeper level, plus it will probably end up giving the other person a wound at a much deeper level. So an honest “No” is worth approximately 43 dishonest “Yes”.
10. Focus on being present as opposed to just keeping your eye on the presents. Opening presents is a lot of fun. Something to do with the thrill of the unknown. Actually let me make a quick sidetrack comment on relationships. If you know everything about your partner (and what they will do every moment of the day) it might seem reassuring for awhile, but eventually it will get very boring. Passion lives in the realm of the unknown. Now back to presents. One of the greatest things you can do to improve every relationship in your life is to be 100% fully present with the person you are with. They will feel respected, cared for, heard, loved and like they matter. In fact, I read an article recently in SUCCESS Magazine that suggested that a feeling of being ‘disrespected’ was the major cause for every issue in a relationship. In the end; more presence = more presents.

There you go. 10 really important, easy to apply (mostly) Tips, for how to improve and even deepen your relationships this festive period. I like the Tony Robbins saying where he says “The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of your relationships.” The most important thing about Christmas, the festive season and the start of a New Year; really is about improving the quality and depth of the relationships that you have in your life.

At the end of our days we are hardly going to be lovingly supported by our mansion or sports car, or worry about them at all for that matter. What will be most important to us will be the quality of relationships we have had through our life and the quality of the relationships that surround us.

So here’s to connecting this year and making 2012 an even better life experience for us and those people nearest and dearest to us.

Take care,

Carl Massy

Read The China Study or don’t at your own peril, seriously. The evidence presented in this book appears as solid as any I have ever seen. Why hasn’t it led to more wide spread action? Why isn’t President Obama declaring a National State of Nutritional Emergency? The damage being done by the nutritional crisis facing the U.S. right now is an order of magnitude greater than any other threat the country has ever faced. Cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, depression, just to name a few, can all be rendered significantly less threatening by simply making dietary and fitness changes. Simple changes. Inexpensive changes. Meanwhile we are wasting hundreds of millions trying to repair a broken medical system, half or more of which wouldn’t be needed if people consumed an optimal diet. Please read the China Study with an open mind and then try to refute it honestly if you have doubts. But remember, one drop of doubt can be more powerful than an ocean full of evidence.

Based upon research and personal experience I know that the key to optimizing my health is a combination of good nutrition and regular fitness activity. Everyone knows this to be true. So many of us don’t take it seriously. Why? Why did it take me 43 years before I realized that a plant based diet is better for my body, reduces the risk of disease (see The China Study) and is good for the environment. Why did I not exercise regularly between my 20′s and my 40′s?

In May of 2011 as a result of the 30-Day Happiness Challenge that I took, I adopted a vegan diet for one month and since then have maintained a mainly plant based diet. I still eat a small amount of fish and cheese, however, I completely cut out all meat, coffee and most sweets. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke. I also started and have maintained a regular exercise routine that includes running, surfing, yoga and other toning exercises. Here are the results from my annual health screening from 2008 & 2010 (animal based diet / no exercise) vs. 2011 (plant based diet / regular exercise):

The major drop in Cholesterol LDL is amazing. I’ve had so much more energy and am feeling great!

In October of 2011 I did a 10-Day silent Vipassana meditation course (see Lean & Vipassana) and since have maintained a 1 hour morning meditation practice. It will be interesting to see the impact of this new element of my health plan on my next screening in 2012.

I am focussing much of my thinking these days on understanding resistance to change and why I do not take more of the simple steps that will result in dramatic improvements to my peace, prosperity, health and happiness. I see the same dynamics at play with health, lean, and vipassana.

Simple Things to Do Today:
1) Stay Hydrated
2) Reduce consumption of animal based foods
3) Reduce consumption of cow milk and other dairy products
4) Reduce caffeine intake
5) Exercise regularly