In my personal coaching I often concentrate on sharing tips with clients that will have the most immediate and profound impact on their life. I do this because I find that most people have little patience for long-term goals. They want results quickly. And most clients also have considerable knowledge of health and nutrition. So their issue is not lack of knowledge but rather sifting through the plethora of information to find what works best for them. So over the past 2 years I have kept a log of what works on everybody, quickly and surely.
Here is the FIRST tip.
Get more sunlight. Vitamin D is the most common deficiency among people in the Western World. It has been linked with increased risk of cancer, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, depression and fatigue. It is also the easiest deficiency to fix. All you need to do is get more sunlight directly onto your skin (preferably the morning sun up to 1pm when the spectrum is most beneficial and least harmful). So strip down and exp
ose yourself 🙂 back/front, arms/legs and even the face (but wear sunglasses). If you have light skin then all you need is about 20 mins of sunlight. If you are dark, then you need up to double that time. Within 7 days of this extra vitamin D you will experience an amazing amount of new energy.
Most people avoid the sun for two reasons. Firstly, they are scared to get skin cancer. Secondly, they don’t have the time.
As for the first reason, research has shown that it’s not the sun that gives you skin cancer, but rather it is sunburn. Research also shows that people who burn easily are antioxidant deficient. In other words, the lack of nutrients in their system makes their cells susceptible to sunburn. So the answer is not to avoid the sun, the answer is to get more antioxidants in your body. (Super foods with the most antioxidants are beans and berries.) Pharmaceutical companies know this but it is easier for them to sell you sunscreen with dangerous chemicals than to tell you to change your lifestyle.
As for the second reason, well it’s really up to you. If you value your health, then you would do everything you can to gets some sun. Even if you are at work, you can aside time during morning tea and lunch to get out into the sun. Thankfully the parts of the body that absorb the most Vitamin D are the hands, arms, face and feet. If you work in a job that does not allow you the time to get out into the sun, then I suggest you quit. Your health is everything. Don’t take it for granted. And the sun is the single most important nutrient for your body. Don’t take it for granted either. It supports all life on this fragile planet of ours.
In my next blog post I will share with you the 2nd most important tip that will unleash your energy levels. And remember that energy is everything. If you have high energy everything else in life tends to fall into place nicely. You are more confident, positive, attractive and your performance at work and at play will sky rocket!
In the past most businesses have focused on time management as the key to work performance. In today’s business environment, however, time management is secondary. We have many time saving devices. We are also more conscious of time wasting. The bigger issue has become our ‘attention bandwidth’. That is, how much of our attention is broken throughout the day. Here are 5 things I do to protect my attention bandwidth.
Protecting my Attention Bandwidth
1. DON’T CHECK YOUR EMAIL FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. Emails are time vampires. You will get reeled into reading or doing stuff that is not important. Before you know it you will have wasted an hour of your day before you even get started. And you would have wasted your most valuable morning energy and focus on the least important stuff.
2. TURN OFF ALL TECHNOLOGY for 60 minutes a day and focus on doing your most important work. The best time is when you first start working.
3. TURN ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATIONS OFF. That is, rings and vibrations telling you have mail or SMS.
You could be analyzing something or talking to a colleague or client and suddenly you get a message. Now your focusing not on what you are doing or on what the person is saying. But rather on whom that message could be from? That break in concentration will lead to poor service or mistakes.
The other dangerous thing about notifications is that it constantly trains our mind to focus on what else we should be doing next? Instead of what is happening now. It takes us out of the moment.
Turn off notifications and check emails and SMS when you want to.
4. BRAIN DUMP in your diary at the end of each day. Write your ‘to do’ for the next day. It gets things out of your mind so you can switch off and focus on your family when you get home.
5. TURN YOUR PHONE OFF WHEN YOU GET HOME. A lot of people in sales fall into this trap. They feel that they have to be at call 24 hours. They don’t want to miss a call. But customers do not expect that. They expect to deal with someone real; someone with a life! So turn off your phone as soon as you get into your driveway. Go inside and connect with your family.
There is no doubt that medicine makes this goal even more achievable. But if you look closely at the statistics you will notice that whilst people are living longer, they are not living a quality life. In fact if you visit nursing homes you will see that some are living a miserable existence of their dire circumstances.
Living 'till 100
My father’s recent stroke has been a wake up call for everyone in my extended family. On one particular evening around the dinner table the discussion centred around longevity and what the secrets are. I started recounting everything I had learned over the years about health and nutrition (it has been a personal study of mine since I was 17 years of age). Someone then asked me if I could email a list. So what started, as an email became a mini project. I began to compile a list of lifestyle tips that have the most impact on our wellbeing. I believe these 20 tips will sharpen your mind, keep your body strong, resistant to disease and help you live a long happy life.
Here they are:
1. Have long-term goals. Having something to wake up to every morning is the strongest of motivations for living with vitality. There are a cocktail of healthy chemicals that give life to our creativity, our energy and our zest for living. Having a purpose in life releases these chemicals daily. It is the difference between waking up with an energetic burst or waking up with lethargy and a headache.
2. Socialise more with friends.Research shows that people who have a wide circle of friends and who socialise often are much healthier than people who are isolated and lonely.
3. Stay in a good relationship. Research has shown that people who are in a loving long-term relationship are much happier and healthier than their single counterparts.
4. Travel regularly.Humans are nomadic by nature. When we stay in one location we stagnate. When we roam our five senses are stimulated. We feel most alive when we experience adventure. Travelling does not have to be overseas. In fact it’s healthier to travel locally. Get out and explore your own part of the world. I make a habit of going for weekend trips with my family and friends. We may drive to the mountains, visit apple orchards in autumn or go to the beach in summer. The main thing is to get out of the house.
5. Wake at sunrise and sleep within 3 hours of sunset. Research shows that every hour of sleep before midnight is the equivalent of two hours after midnight. Research also shows that waking at sunrise reduces our blood pressure, which is the single most dangerous factor leading to heart disease and stroke.
6. Follow a diet that’s true to your heritage.Before air travel we did not travel long distances within hours. This meant that our bodies evolved over many years by eating essentially the same food. That’s why I think it is overly simplistic to claim that some diets followed by certain cultures are best for everyone. If you are Japanese then eat Japanese food, if you are Italian, eat Italian food. It is in your DNA.
7. Read often. Reading not only sharpens your mind, but if you read the right material it can enlighten your view of the world and this keeps you inspired. I would also add, doing crossword puzzles and other brainteasers. Check out Lumosity
8. Mix it up – by using your opposite hand and foot. I try and use my left hand whenever I can, especially before I have to do some creative thinking. Using the opposite hand/foot sharpens the mind and keeps both sides of your brain working. If you have a stroke in older age you have greater chance of recovery.
9. Have an afternoon nap. The siesta was made famous in Spain, which had one of the lowest rates of depression in the world. It is a modern tragedy that the cities in Spain that have abolished the siesta now experience the highest rates of Prozac prescriptions. Having a nap may be difficult because most of us work Monday to Friday but even a 20-minute lie down in the park after lunch is sufficient.
10. Watch comedies and hang out with friends who are funny.We are often told to adopt the “don’t worry be happy” mantra. The easiest way to do that is to have more reasons to laugh in life. Laughter releases so many feel-good hormones that replenish our cells.
11. Move your body – naturally. Exercising in a mechanical way on expensive equipment in gyms is not what primes your body for natural strength. Walking, running, swimming, and moving your body in natural movements does. Squatting while doing gardening is natural. Bending to clean your home is natural. Push-ups, chin-ups, squats and sit-ups are also natural movements. In fact I think the best form of exercise you can do is to join a martial arts club. You can be 8 or 80 years of age and still get the benefits. The best form I have come across is Wing Chun.
12. Drink filtered or spring water.One of the best investments you can make is the installation of a reverse-osmosis water filter. It gets rid of the most harmful chemicals in our water supply. In particular, fluoride in water is the cause of many ailments, which lead to premature aging.
13. Never eat when you’re stressed or upset.Go for a long walk or cardio the stress right out of your system. If you are going through a period of emotional stress it is better to eat very small meals. Or better still, drink vegetable juices instead.
14. Keep your bowels clean. Nobody likes to talk about this subject but the fact is that stagnant food in the colon is the cause of much toxicity. And this is easily preventable. There are two easy lifestyle tips to follow: First, consuming lots of fruit and vegetables. Second, schedule “no. 2” toilet breaks as part of your morning and nightly ritual. A lot of people are so busy being busy that they neglect this routine. They don’t realise how much harm they are doing to their body.
15. Brush your gums and tongue.The link between gum disease, heart disease and stroke. Poor periodontal health causes certain oral bacteria to make the arteries sticky and inflamed. Excluding this risk factor is easy. All you have to do is floss and brush your teeth regularly – but at least at night.
16. Do your pelvic floor exercises. Also known as Kegel exercises. This assists in preventing prostate cancer in men and avoids incontinence in older age, which is listed as the single most demoralising thing for old people in nursing homes.
17. Listen carefully to your body.Whilst you may not experience obvious signs of intolerance to food and situations, it may be affecting you in a subtle way that undermines your energy. Often we are too distracted with life to really notice what is going on in our body. Paying attention to what drains us and what lifts us is the single most important thing that we should bring our self-awareness to. It can be the food we eat, the company we keep and our surroundings – like noise or air pollution. Just because the body gets used to something, it doesn’t mean that it’s not affected by it in a negative way.
18. Meditate – most people do not meditate because they think it is a complex eastern philosophy. The truth is sitting quietly in a warm and comfortable spot can be meditation. Listening to the sounds of nature can be meditation (sitting at a beach or natural reserve). So to is having a warm bath or having a nap.
Most people give up on the idea of doing nothing. Too many things go round in their head that they cant sit still. I know this because I used to be one of them. For those people I say, go for a long walk. This is meditation, especially if you know how to control your thinking during this time. The magic happens around the 45-minute mark. Your mind will switch off and your thinking will slow down. I follow the Circle of Positive Thinking (COPT) during my walks and that totally transforms my attitude. (Please email me if you would like the details of COPT)
19. Give yourself to charity.Why do celebrities go to Africa and put their time and energy into helping others? Because when you have all the money in the world you will realise that giving to others is the single most important way we can connect with other people. Do not underestimate the power of good wishes bestowed upon you by the people you are helping.
In my next blog I will share with you one particular secret to long life that is backed by scientific evidence and many years of research. This was recently shared to me by a GP friend of mine. I was surprised by the information and will share it with you after I have a chance to read the material.
Here are eight agreements you should make with yourself to help you build discipline and willpower in 2012. I do this exercise every year. Whenever I get complacent or fall into a rut I go back to these agreements and remind myself not to break them.
See something bigger in yourself!
Health – Cherish your body. Nothing else matters more. Focus on the energy you have. Eat well, exercise and relax daily. Fill your daily life with purposeful activities that give your body a reason to manifest energy.
Love – Love yourself by looking after your health and guarding your mind against negative images, negative thinking and negative associations. Look your best by wearing clothes that make you feel attractive. Have the courage to show and give love to your life partner, whether or not they give it back. Tell your partner daily what you love about them – words are powerful. Work just as much on your love life as you do on your work.
Family – Support your family at all times. Give them the confidence to pursue their goals and dreams. Help them overcome obstacles. Focus on their strengths and their good qualities. Remind them daily of that. Tell them you love them no matter what happens – whether they succeed or fail at anything. Spend time developing a relationship with all family members.
Work – Choose to love your work. Always do your best. Focus on the difference that your product or service is making to society. Have empathy for your customers. Value the privilege of serving them from the heart. Be grateful that you live in a society where there is the opportunity to work. At all times be honest in the execution of your work. Master your job by constantly learning and evolving. Always ask yourself, ‘can I do this job better?’ Be impeccable in your conduct at work. Be fearless in your execution.
Friendship – Let your words, laughter and charm bring a smile to others. Help your friends see the lighter side of life and not take themselves too seriously. Act with integrity and hold true to your standards and beliefs. Never compromise them to be popular. Never pre-judge others. Be open to new friendships. Always greet people with a smile and a friendly hello. How others respond is their own reality and has nothing to do with you.
Learning – Commit to 45 minutes of learning daily about every aspect of your life and not just your work and wealth. Limit watching TV and other popular media. Watch uplifting talks by great thinkers on TED.com. Read books from pioneering minds. Attend courses and seminars organised by people who care and have something unique to share. Listen twice as much you talk. Discover your talents by having self-awareness for your thoughts and feelings. Live a conscious life where you decide what you want to listen to, read and watch.
Wealth – Invest in yourself first before you invest your money. If you have a business invest in your own field of dreams first before investing with others on the stock market. Live a frugal lifestyle and reduce your dependence on money. Spend less, save more. Say no to consumerism and your addiction to buying more and more things that end up collecting dust in the attic. But don’t skimp on things that improve your life.
Charity – Learn about the plight of others in need. Don’t shut yourself out to other people’s suffering. Help others by giving your time and/or money. Charity does not have to be grand. A simple kind word of support is sometimes all that someone needs. Help a team member at work. Share an idea that can help a friend live a better life.
The most precious asset we have is not time. It’s not even money. It’s ENERGY! Energy is the foundation of everything we do. We may wake up with great intentions to improve our performance in all areas (work, family etc…) BUT it all comes crashing down if our energy dips throughout the day.
High Energy!
Most of us know what to do when it comes to eating well, exercising and relaxing BUT sometimes these three pillars of good health are not enough and we still feel low on energy. Why? The answer lies in the fact that sometimes our bodies are burdened by other factors. I have compiled a list of the most effective energy-building lifestyle changes for 2012. The results will surprise you.
1. STAY AWAY FROM ELECTRO-MAGNETIC POLUTION. All the latest research shows that the two major environmental causes of cancer are pesticides and electro-magnetic pollution. People have cottoned on to organic foods but most still don’t know how to protect themselves against the lesser-known invisible ‘electro’ pollution. Here are some tips:
a. Make sure your WiFi is away from your sleeping areas or better still, turn it off at night.
b. Get rid of cordless phones in the house.
c. Make sure your electrical meter box is away from your bedrooms.
d. Turn off your wireless devices such as laptops, smart phones and iPads, when not in use. Put them in ‘airplane’ mode.
For more information check out this great website:www.livspace.com.au??
2. GET MORE SUNLIGHT – the sun is the reason for our existence. It sustains life and perpetuates energy. Avoid it at your peril. I have read a lot of research on the subject of skin cancer and I am convinced that the sun alone does not cause skin cancer. In fact a lot of research shows that sunlight and vitamin D helps prevent 4 out of 5 types of cancers. The real cause of skin cancer is poor nutrition, which then makes the skin cells more susceptible to sunburn. And there is no disputing that sunburn can indeed lead to skin cancer.
My tip therefore is to eat foods rich in anti-oxidants to strengthen your DNA. My other tip is to get enough sun everyday – 10 minutes to 2 hours depending on your pigmentation. The darker your skin the more sunlight you need to produce vitamin D. Conversely for lighter skin. The best time to get sun is in the first 3 hours of sunrise and the last two hours before sunset. Sunlight will lift your energy levels, your mood and improve the quality of your sleep.
3. AVOID SILENT INFLAMMATION. Research suggests that foods that have an inflammatory effect on our body is the major cause of low energy and ultimately, illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Here are a few tips to eliminate silent inflammation in your body.
a. Avoid fried food. We are consuming far too much Omega 6 oils. They clog our system and are the major cause of silent inflammation. If you do fry occasionally use canola or rice bran oil. They have a balanced ratio between Omega 6 and Omega 3’s
b. Take fish oil supplements to boost your Omega 3’s. I swear by this. It is the only supplement I take.
c. Eat as much greens as you can – especially lettuce, broccoli, celery, spinach, kale and parsley.
d. Limit the use of grains in your diet. They should be the smallest portions on your plate. The best grains to eat are brown rice, barley, quinoa, and oats. Alternatively get your carbs from sweet potato, pumpkin and parsnip.
e. Drink freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices as often as you can – especially ones with beetroot and celery.
4. DON’T EAT WITHIN TWO HOURS OF SLEEP. Two things can happen when you eat late. One: your digestion will kick in and keep you from falling asleep. OR Two: you will fall sleep with a stomach full of undigested food. In both cases it is toxic for your body and you WILL wake up lethargic.
5. DRINK WATER EARLY IN THE DAY. When you wake in the morning your body is dehydrated. So you must drink the most water in the first few hours of the day. It is best to drink at least 3 liters of water in summer and at least 2 liters in winter. Energy is released by your cells when they are well hydrated. (Try and drink water filtered by reverse-osmosis or drink bottled spring water – The dangers of fluoride in the water supply is well documented)
6. STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR, SALT, and FLOUR. Sugar spikes insulin levels. Flour slows down your metabolism. A deadly combination. Salt increases your blood pressure (which is the highest risk factor for heart disease – much higher than high cholesterol and even smoking). When you eliminate these three ‘white evils’ you will unclog your system and free-up your energy levels.
7. EAT LESS but EAT OFTEN. When we eat there comes a tipping point where we eat too much and the energy we derive from the food is cancelled out by the effort required to digest it. Therefore it is best to eat less. But to do that we must also eat often to maintain our energy on a plateau. It is best to eat every three to four hours.?Lance Armstrong once said in an interview. “When I get hungry it’s too late. When I get thirsty it’s too late. My energy has already dipped. It’s about avoiding peaks and troughs.”
8. EAT LIVE FOODS. What do I mean by that? An apple is a live food. Apple pie is a dead food. When we eat, our body has to sift through the dead part of the food to find the living part with the most enzymes. It’s simple arithmetic. The more live food we eat the more energy we will earn. The more processed or ‘dead’ it is, the more we will burn.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I have prepared the above tips in good faith and to get you thinking. Please do not rely on it solely. Everyone’s circumstances are different. So please get your own professional advice. If you would like more information on any of the above tips, please email me at info@sammakhoul.com
