I don’t mind the break from my own personal training routine at all ~because any time I get to spend with my beautiful wife is time well spent!

The both of us have found new inspiration for our diet and training in Tim Ferriss’ new book, The 4-Hour Body.

I’m a huge Tim Ferriss fan and as soon as I had the opportunity to purchase his new book, I jumped at the chance.

I originally purchased a dozen advance copies of Tim’s book to give away as Christmas gifts.

After receiving my purchase, I found myself reading the book not once, but several times over.

In fact, The 4-Hour Body is so fun, interesting and easy to read -that I still pick it up anytime I have an idle moment.

I just flip it open and scan through the pages.

Of course, I already have a few dozen pages tabbed with Post-it® 1-inch page tabs so I have quick access to everything that interests me.

The Post-it® tabs simplify things because I can use the different colored tabs to arrange the book’s content by subject matter, particular ideas or, in this case, my particular goals.

Now, I’ll admit, I’m not so OCD that I remember what each and every colored tab means -but by simply flipping open a tabbed page -I can then recognize what that colored tab represents -and then go from there.

Of all the well-detailed plans laid out in  The 4-Hour Body, there are three that the wife and I will stick to in reaching our goals.

1. Rapid Fat Loss (Losing 20 Pounds in 30 Days)
2. The Perfect Posterior (or How to Lose 100 + pounds)
3. From Geek to Freak -Gaining 34 lbs of Muscle in 28 Days

We’ll both use the principles in the rapid fat loss chapters to begin.

Keylea wants to build her ‘posterior’ (read: J-Lo beware!)
-so she’ll be focusing on the material in that particular chapter.

I, on the other hand, just want to be lean and buff -so I will be concentrating more on Tim’s advice to build muscle in the least amount of time and with the very least effort I need to expend to achieve the maximum results -a Tim Ferriss trademark!.

All in all, the material in The 4-Hour Body is very well thought out and extremely well researched.

I look forward to keeping you all updated with our progress over the next few months.

To Your Good Health!

This is gonna hurt...

You’ve slipped…..and now you’re hanging there –holding tight to a tiny sapling growing out of the craggy rock.

It’s a long way down….and it seems like an even longer way up to where you want to be.

You’re afraid and you’re tired and you don’t want to be here….but here you are.

Now what?

And as you hang there -holding on and afraid to move, two rats show up -a black rat and a white rat -and the rats begin gnawing at the tiny sapling you cling to.  It seems that if you don’t make a decision -and soon -a decision will be made for you and it’s not going to be good.

In fact, you’re going to end up right back where you started -only in much, much worse shape than when you began.

What am I talking about?

It’s an analogy for your life -your health -your career -your choices.

If you’re discontent, unhappy, unhealthy, not where you want to be ….then I’m talking to you.

Life is a struggle -a climb.
It’s our nature to want to improve. We want a better life, more money, more free time, more alone time, better relationships, better health, a better golf swing, better arms, a skinny waist, better hair, whatever…

You are the climber in the story -clinging to whatever you hold dear: your habits, your addictions, your beliefs, your comfort-zone, your group of friends ….whatever it is that you’re afraid to let go of -whatever it is that you are afraid to change. And you know what?

You have to let go!
Because if you don’t let go….you will never move beyond where you are…and you’re not completely happy where you are….are you?

And the rats?

The rats are indecision: -choices.

Willard here is not your friend!

The rats are “This” and “That”

“I should try This.  But what if That would be better?”

“I heard that That works. But I think I’m going to start doing This!”

“This just doesn’t seem to work for me.”

“Oh, I could never do That!”

“I wonder if So and So ever does That?”

“This is the one for me!”

“That looks good. I think I’ll try That -but wait…what’s This?”

And there you hang…undecided and unsure -while the Rats make all the choices for you.

If left up to the Rats –you’re going to fall -and it’s not going to be pretty.

The Rats are going to decide, if you don’t take the initiative and do something for yourself.

So, what’s it going to be?

This?

That?

Some Other thing?

It’s time to decide.

What do YOU want out of life?

Let go! -And get moving!

The mountain isn’t going anywhere….Are you?

While examining large cross sections of the population, researchers found that persons with higher circulating levels of vitamin D were 40% less likely to contract various forms of cancer (1).

According to EPIC coordinator Dr. Elio Riboli of Imperial College, London: “There is consistent scientific evidence that low circulating vitamin D concentration is a marker of increased risk for developing cancer.”

(1) SOURCE: British Medical Journal Online First, Jan 22, 2010

In addition to our dietary intake of vitamin D rich foods, such as Herring, Sardine, Catfish and Mackerel  -vitamin D is also synthesized in our skin as a result of our natural exposure to sunlight.

However, with our modern industrial, primarily indoor and sheltered lifestyles -and because very few of us rely upon fish as a staple in our daily diets …most of us are sadly deficient in this essential nutrient.

“Okay, so I’m deficient.  What can I expect to experience when I supplement with vitamin D?”

Well, my personal experience echoes the experience of my clients: Supplementing with vitamin D gives one a sense of increased energy, an improved mood and an overall feeling of well-being.  It’s not unlike spending a relaxing day in the sun, to be honest.

And that’s just the subjective experience.

Clinically, we know that adequate vitamin D levels improve immune system function, balance blood pressure, resist Alzheimer’s disease, prevent late-life dementia and help prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D also helps abate Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

So how much vitamin D do I need?

Coach Charles Poliquin suggests, that you should shoot for vitamin D levels between 80 and 100 ng/mL.

In order to accomplish this, you could supplement with 5,000 IU of quality vitamin D3 every day.  At this rate it’s likely that levels will be at least in the normal range within about three months.  However, you should expect to supplement for another couple of months to reach the high normal range.

Another approach, and the approach that Coach Poliquin and the most knowledgeable nutrition clinicians prefer, is to supplement twice per week with about 30,000 to 100,000 IU of D3. Based on research and clinical evidence, this method seems to accelerate the increase of D3 in blood levels at the fastest and most efficient rate.

The real ‘take-home’ message here is -unless you are eating your fill of fatty-D3 rich fish such as Herring, Sardine, Catfish and Mackerel -and getting at least 8 hours of bright, warm sunshine upon your skin on a daily basis….You really ought to consider improving your moods, your energy, your health and your immune system by supplementing your diet with twice weekly infusions of a quality vitamin D-3 nutritional supplement.

Your health is one of the few things you control….

Don’t leave it to chance.
Let me help you be your best.

Click Here to get started.

To Your Good Health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner

You gonna eat that?

Follow this tip for better health:

Do not eat anything from a box, a bag, a tube, a can or a wrapper.  Avoid eating anything processed, preserved and anything with ingredients label. Sound harsh?  Think again.

Take a look at a typical ingredient label. Would you eat each and every one of those ingredients all by themselves? Could you even get your hands on each one of those ingredients? Not likely, not unless you’re a chemist working in a lab.

Do you know what sodium benzoate is? It’s a food preservative. It’s an ingredient in countless food items at your local grocery or convenience store. –Just look on a label –you’ll see it. Sodium benzoate keeps prepackaged food from going rotten for a long…long….long…time.

Rocket Fuel in your Food?

Sodium benzoate is also an active ingredient used in the production of fireworks. It’s packed into the business-end of rockets to provide propulsion and as an added bonus it makes a whistling sound as it burns.  That’s in your food. How well do you think your immune system is handling that?

I’m sure you’ve seen sodium phosphate listed on ingredient labels too. Sodium phosphate is used to keep oils from separating in their packaging. Sodium phosphate keeps your canned soup looking like soup and your packaged cheese looking like cheese.  It’s also a cleaning agent, stain remover and an industrial de-greaser used for prepping surfaces prior to paint.

The point is, if your food has an ingredients label, you had better be willing to eat each and every ingredient on that label because like it or not –you are and it’s not doing your health a bit of good. In fact, it’s slowly killing you. Stay away from food in a box, bag, can, tube or wrapper. “Eat from a box, you’ll end up in a box –a big, fat, over-sized box.

Can the bags and pitch the box…. stick to fresh, whole foods.

Choose lean meats, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and be sure to drink plenty of fresh, clean water.

To your Good Health!

Fight cancer -deliciously

Eating more protein to boost my metabolism and maintain a positive nitrogen balanced blood profile   ~Got it!

Eating more fresh fruits to fortify my immune system against cancer and other degenerative diseases    ~You Bet!

Incorporating more fresh vegetables into my diet to stave off the ravages of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and late-life dementia   ~ Work’n on it!

But did you know….?

Gently steaming your crunchy, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower etc..) increases their available fiber content as well as their adaptogen (hormone balancing) properties?

Eat plenty of crunchy veggies!

But gently steam them for even more nutritional value!