Murky waterIt was that Hippocrates dude that said it right when he made the eternal comment ‘let thy food be thy medicine’. So of course nutrition had to be one of the key pillars to optimum health. The thing is we all know it, but with the proliferation of the diet industry, media, an industry worth well over a trillion dollars (the US industry alone is about 1 trillion dollars), it is pretty hard to work out what the ‘real’ message is. So I am going to share with you some of my basic philosophies and the biggest tips I have taken away from following nutrition and researching it for the last 15 years. My views have definitely changed over the years too.
Category: Nutrition
The reasons why these are so transformative physically and psychologically is they are also acts of Self Love. And sorry dudes if the ‘L’ word makes you look over your shoulder to make sure no-one see’s you reading sensitive new age stuff, but in my experience, coaching numerous people from CEO’s to athletes and single mums, we could all do with some more self love in our lives. It is healthy on so many levels.
Daily Ritual Number 1: Shake that booty
Also known as ‘physical activity’. We all know it is great for us. But it is not just great. It is ESSENTIAL for our physical and mental health. We will never be our best if we don’t move our body. It impacts our ability to remove toxins from our body, and optimize the immune and circulatory systems. It gives us more energy. We will live longer. It reduces stress and builds up our resilience to stress. We recover more quickly from illness. That is just the body. At a mental level in increases cognitive functioning, the growth of new brain cells, improves our memory, positively affects our moods, and a whole lot more.I know you know a lot of this stuff.
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.
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):
by Mark Donovan
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?