Posts Tagged ‘Healthy Eating’

Have you ever repeated a story so much you believed it as fact– only later to realize that the story was not true?  Remember how shocked you were?

It’s disturbing because you start to become aware that you may have other beliefs that are complete bullshit.  Imagine the surprise when we realized the earth wasn’t flat.  I don’t know the story—but I bet you they thought the guy who proved it was a sphere was labeled a heretic.

When I was in school, we were taught to ask our patients about Family History.  I’m sure you’ve been to the doctor and have been asked about the history of illness of your family.  Reason being—if your parents have an illness—then it’s in your genes and your probability will be high as well.

Because of these beliefs, some people have gone so far as to have surgeries without any illness—just as a precaution—like removing their breasts because breast cancer “runs in the family”.

What if I told you we’re discovering these old-school beliefs about cancer and other chronic illnesses caused by “faulty genes” are today’s version of “flat earth”?

The truth is—we are now discovering this paradigm is not true.  Your genes are not your destiny.  Read time magazine’s article “Why your DNA is not your Destiny”. (Jan 2010).

The “Central Dogma Theory” taught in medical schools.

The “Central Dogma” – that is taught in schools (simply stated) is that your DNA gets transcribed to create proteins, which are the foundation of all the physiological functions of your life– and this process is irreversible.   In other words, your DNA controls your life, and there is little to nothing you can do to change that.

The funny thing is that it’s actually called “The Central Dogma” of Biology.  Funny that in a paradigm that prides itself on being scientific, we have a “Dogma” which can be defined as “a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof.”

I have some earth shattering news for you.  New research is now challenging the belief of “it runs in the family so I have a higher chance of getting it”.

I’m also going to explain why this old belief is not only outdated—but it can be hazardous to your health to believe it to be true– in 2 parts.

3 paradigm-changing studies that have been published about Genetics and susceptibility to illness.

1)  The first study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was from Denmark, a country where they for some reason keep an extremely detailed register of genetic origin for their citizens.  Researchers looked at 960 families—more than a thousand children who were adopted—meaning they had NO GENETIC CONNECTION between parent and child, and they evaluated causes of death.

What they found was that when one of those adoptive parents died of cancer before the age of 50, the risk of the child of these parents dying of cancer increased by 500 percent.

But how can that be? You might ask.  There’s no genetic connection!

I’m glad you asked—because the answer is that family environment plays a huge role in your health, regardless of your “strong” or “weak” genes.  The authors conclude

…death from cancer, and possibly also from vascular causes, appears to be influenced by the family environment. (N Engl J Med 1988; 318:727–32.)”

My brother (left) and me (right) on November 22nd, 1975. Not genetically identical-- but we're still twins.

2)  The Second study, again from the New England Journal of Medicine, conducted at a prestigious institute in Sweden where they select Nobel Prize candidates looked at (genetically) identical twins.  They studied whether or not these twins got the same illnesses because they shared IDENTICAL GENES.

Can you take a wild guess what the results were?

The authors state

Inherited genetic factors make a minor contribution to susceptibility to most types of neoplasms (cancers)….We conclude that the overwhelming contributor to the causation of cancer in the populations of twins that we studied was the environment”.

Then they put these cancer-ridden mice in different groups with different environments and in a nutshell–found that the groups in healthier environments (mice that got nurturing, socialization, opportunity for normal exercise, mental stimulation) actually SHRUNK THE CANCER TUMORS.

I says PARDON?

“Dr. Nima, you mean to tell me that even if I have cancer, I can shrink cancer by changing my lifestyle?”

You tell me.  This is what the researchers say:

“We show here that an enriched environment leads to a remarkable suppression of cancer proliferation in all three models tested, even when delayed until the tumor was well established”. (Cao et al. Environmental and Genetic Activation of a brain-Adipocyte BDNF/Leptin Axis Causes Cancer Remission and Inhibition.  Cell 2010 July 9, 142(1):52-64.

Even though it’s controversial for me to say— THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I’M SAYING.  Chronic illness is multi-factoral.  Reductionistic Medicine is concerned with isolating the genes and coming up with an outside-in “cure”.  Unfortunately most clinicians are too busy to keep up with the latest research.  Just because your doctor doesn’t know doesn’t mean it’s not true.

There are many campaigns, runs, walks, fundraisers that we all get behind for this noble purpose of getting healthier.

I’m not saying that those are bad things.

I’m saying we’re spending our energy and money in the wrong place.  I’m saying that the runs, walks, support, being part of a team with a mission, sense of family, community, and placing a high value on yourself IS the cure—not the stuff we are spending our time researching.  I’m saying we can avoid most cancer and disease if we had all those elements in there in the first place.

And maybe I might be so bold as to say that the disease can then be looked at as a gift, a wake-up call, or all of the above to get you to put yourself in the right environment.  And by “environment” I mean proper food intake, sufficient exercise, and sufficient gratitude, self esteem and social interaction in your life.  Oh, and a spine that can move properly.

At least that is what the research is starting to point out.

On my next post, we will discuss what these research findings actually mean in terms of your life and your health.  If you really get what I’m saying and am about to share with you—it’s really a game changer.  We can’t approach our life in the same manner, and not only that—it’s dangerous to think otherwise.

I have an insulin-dependent type-2 diabetic patient who came in for a visit and told me of his problems with blood sugar the night before, and how he had to eat French fries and coke to bring up his sugar after he took too much insulin.

I asked him “ever considered changing your lifestyle?  Ever considered exercise and eating raw, whole foods?”

“No, it doesn’t matter—the doc says it’s genetic.”

Sigh.

And so I continue to write and teach.  For my own sanity.  It might take some work… but the world is starting to catch on.  Are you still worried about your family history of disease now?  Next post we’ll discuss what we TRULY inherit from our parents.

I’ve been frustrated at work lately.

“Doc, it hurts, please fix my________ and make it go away.” (enter Pain, Anxiety, Depression, Cancer, Diabetes, or whatever symptom or disease).

Old Model: Doc assesses with expensive tests, gives diagnosis, and provides some sort of medical therapy (drugs or surgery or “nothing cuz we don’t know what to do for you”).

New Model: I’m not concerned only with your pain/condition. I’m concerned with teaching you first what you need in order to be healthy in the body and mind, and fulfilled in life.
Now I admit, I’ve been beating my head against a wall lately. Imagine trying to practice this “new model” method in an “old model” world.

Imagine people are so used to McDonalds cheeseburgers, it’s no longer satisfying anymore— and it’s making them sick…. So they come to a steakhouse… asking for the same cheeseburger bullshit and expecting a different result. Welcome to my life lately.

I used to call myself a Chiropractor, but the negative connotation associated with it can be a challenge.  I don’t label myself anything anymore. I’m a Wellness/Lifestyle Doctor (becoming an expert). If you’re in any state of less than 100% well-being, REGARDLESS OF YOUR DIAGNOSIS and whatever toxins they are having you take…. You can’t live at 100% if you don’t follow these simple rules:

1) Innate Body—Sufficient Movement, Sufficient Nutrition and Spinal Balance and 100% function. Any imbalances, toxicities or deficiencies with the body must be corrected if the person’s goal is to get healthier.

My biggest challenge? Knowing that patients are coming in to see me for physical complaints, and they happen to be on anti-depressant or anxiety meds not knowing the truth: That in order to start to bring the mind/mental/emotional aspect into balance, you’re wasting your time and energy, effort, money, and compromising your health in a very serious manner— if you haven’t started with #1 described above. They’ve been fed lies about why they need meds.  Without a healthy functioning body, spine and nervous system, sufficiencies in movement and nutrition, and removing the toxicities— your mind will not function in a normal, healthy manner. PERIOD.

2)Innate Mind—Once the body has been sufficiently nurtured (through lifestyle and chiropractic care), most mental/emotional conditions tend to become lessened. You start feeling better emotionally. You handle stress more resiliently. But if there are still “incomplete stories” from the past or present—it makes sense to start working on them now that your body is moving towards balance. Getting help with your social or family network, classes, books, seminars, coaching, or guidance from a therapist or counselor who doesn’t promote your story of victimhood is the way to go. I happen to love this aspect of my job. I’m noticing that I have been looking more and more forward to the classes and workshops I teach at my office more than seeing new patients walk in off the street.

Why is this critical? Because nowhere in school do we learn how to properly deal with adversity. Nowhere in school do we learn how to have a healthy relationship with ourselves and our money, or proper expectations in a relationship. Nowhere in our school do we learn the importance of having a healthy level of self esteem and connection with a community. It’s mentioned, but never really taught. Where did YOU learn these things? Who are YOUR role models?

Wayne Dyer: One of the teachers I would recommend learning from on how to deal with adversity and "emotional subluxation".

WHAT IS AN “EMOTIONAL SUBLUXATION?”

One of my biggest Aha moments was that an emotional subluxation can exist. It is any thought or perception you may have that creates a state of ingratitude. Emotional subluxations are epidemic. I get them every day.  I’m actually going through a big one right now as we speak.  They need adjusting exactly the same way that spinal subluxations do.

An adjustment of an emotional subluxation is as simple as looking at your situation in a completely different way.
Yesterday a patient of mine came in for her regular adjustment. Mind and body she is 180 degrees from where she was 6 months ago… but she came to me with an emotional crisis. After her spinal adjustment (nurturing body)… I started adjusting her emotional subluxations (Mind).  It’s way easier than you think.

Gratitude Deficiency and your emotional well-being.

Over the past year, she has been battling a long term disability claim from some work incidents that created a state of “Post Traumatic Stress” in her life. She was off work, tumbled into worsening anxiety attacks and depression and it was impacting her life enjoyment and her marriage. She was looking for compensation, and naturally, the company she was working for was covering their ass by telling their own version of the story.
After reading their reports this past week, she was almost in a fit of rage inside, which we know creates all sorts of chemical changes that produce states of dis-ease in the mind and body. We had been working diligently with her over the past few months to the point that she was almost pain free, and her anxiety and depression had completely vanished. This last letter she received with those reports were almost enough to bring her back to that state after the main incident.

Emotional subluxations are not cleared by doing something magical or waving some wand or taking some pills.  They are cleared by asking a different set of questions.

The questions I asked her:
How has this incident at work helped you heal emotionally and physically? Were things just perfect with your life, health and marriage, and social network before it all happened? How has this helped your all of those things?

She responded with no—things were definitely not perfect before. Then she started telling me about how this incident made her see who her TRUE friends are, had got her introduced to chiropractic care (she met me at a community screening) which has her neck moving normally and pain free for the first time in ages, and by coming to my classes she has learned more about herself, her mind/body health and the way we respond to stress, how to cope with anxiety and depression, and in her marriage, she saw how her husband was sitting by her side until 2 in the morning to help type out the legal stuff despite being tired from work.

Because she is of Christian Faith, I asked her if she’s aware that God has truly given her everything she has ever wanted, but done it in “mysterious ways”—working the way He is infamous for?

Pause.

She never really thought of it that way.

I believe that gratitude is the ultimate healer, accessible to all of us if we ask the right questions. I was lucky enough to be taught the right questions to clear out an emotional subluxation (disconnection). It only took a matter of minutes for the subluxation to clear. How do you know it’s clear? Tears of gratitude were streaming down her face.

And mine.

And when the body is alignment innately, the lifestyle is in alignment innately, and you’re in a state of gratitude for things just as they are…. Your life starts moving in a flow which can be best described by watching an expert surfer stand effortlessly riding a wave.  That’s the starting point many never reach and they go looking for the perfect doctor to give it to them from the outside-in……When it’s been inside the whole time.

It’s true. My adjustments are changing. My vision is expanding. I’m riding one massive wave here. Where it will go—I really couldn’t give a flying hoot. I’m deeply connected and finding that time stands still when I help people see and feel their truth in their lives.

Thank you for reading and being a part of my journey.

I’m not ashamed to admit it– I love being theatrical and acting.  I’m a repressed actor.  So every time an opportunity comes up for me to explore that kind of fun creativity, I jump on the chance.

I’m constantly re-defining myself.  I get bored way too easily.  At work, if I only have to be seeing those with Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, and Headaches all day– I’d shoot myself out of boredom.

Lately the thing that’s been inspiring me the most is teaching about changing lifestyle, particularly in terms of stress and overcoming “stories of suffering”.  I’ve been helping more and more people change their thoughts and perceptions about their own current life and showing them the magnificence that’s already there, if they can only learn to ask themselves the right questions.

The toughest, most stressful part of my job is having patients come to see me with physical ailments, and from the look on their faces they are in a state of crisis about the challenges going on in their lives, and when we start talking about it– they tell me that their GP is sending them to a Psychiatrist, and they are already on 2-4 different psychotropic medications, along with a slew of others that are given for stress-related stuff… and they are looking for “what’s wrong with them” and trying to come up with a “diagnosis”.  Most people have NO CLUE they already have everything within them to be healthy and emotionally balanced.  If they only took the time to empower themselves and take responsibility, and to ONLY USE MEDICINE FOR EMERGENCY CASES, and not rely on their doctor to rescue them.  This may sound cocky, but I know that there is a better way.  My goal is to reach those people who are willing to take their health in their own hands and to learn the tools to help THEMSELVES get there– mentally, emotionally, and physically.

So we’ve come back with a fresh look and a new fun video to show the world that what we do is unique and different.

I want to thank Tobin at http://www.photobinphotography.com for his great work and guidance, Eric Lee Harper for his musical talents, and all the dancers and volunteers involved in making this.  I had a blast with the process.

So here it is.  Feel free to share, retweet, and enjoy!

"Sorry Dr. Nima... I completely disagree with what you say"

I just received an email from an angry reader/viewer of my blog. I’ll address it at the end of this post.

As with any person who has a strong point of view and is on a mission to change a prevailing system–I have my fair share of critics.  In fact, I know I’ve done a really good job in my lectures and seminars, and blog only when I see people jumping up in support of what I teach– inspired and empowered, and some who stand up and disagree– sometimes quite passionately.  If everyone agreed with what I said, then I know that I’m not making enough of an impact.  Those lectures are quite boring for me.  But let me tell you– I’ve been a part of some really fun and let’s call them “spirited debates” as well.

I speak about controversial topics.  I talk about health, stress, diseases, it’s causes and it’s solutions.  Telling someone they are responsible for their health is a no-no in some circles who promote the idea that we are a victim to our genes and our lifestyle choices don’t matter.  I’ve never been accused of being politically correct.

I recently spoke to a group from the British Columbia Medical Association– a room filled with people responsible for turning Medical Offices in our province to high tech, paperless offices.  The topic was about Stress, and in the talk, I connected the dots between our stressful states of mind and the specific chemical changes that happen in our bodies in response to our “fight and flight” stress response.  Why?  Because it’s the most fascinating thing to me, and my audiences are simply BLOWN AWAY when they realize that their disorders that they might be taking medications for are actually examples of their body working properly– it’s the environment they put their body in that’s causing the problem.

I promised myself I would be good, political, on my best behavior, and resist the urge to be too vocal about the way the system is set up is actually doing more harm than good for chronic illnesses.

For the most part, I was quite diplomatic.  I praised the system and it’s dealing with crisis care and management.  But I couldn’t resist to take it further and tell them my truth– that chronic illness rates are on the rise, medication and surgery use is increasing at alarming rates, and we continue to get sicker, and the answer is NOT MORE DOCTORS AND NURSES AND HOSPITALS.  Throughout my entire talk, I could see this one woman (who turned out to be a nurse) sit quite uncomfortably, fidgeting, looking down, avoiding eye contact… She waited until I was done my talk and spoke up and said that my talk was quite polarizing, and that many doctors ARE teaching what I have been talking about and that she “doesn’t use chiropractors,” and that all in all, she wasn’t impressed with what I had to say.  Her face was beet red the whole time.  She was pretty stressed!   She had some supporters who agreed and didn’t like many aspects of my talk.

At the same time, I had a majority of the room say they were right behind what I was saying.

Mission accomplished.  Here are the facts:

Chronic Illness (Lifestyle related) are on the rise.

Despite the fact that as she said there are many doctors who are talking about lifestyle first, medication prescriptions for these illnesses have increased by 50 times since the 1950′s in the name of science.  Doctors are being marketed by Pharmaceutical Reps to prescribe these drugs in unethical fashion.  Not only that, but Doctors are now being approached by the patients themselves requesting drugs that they have been marketed directly to by the drug company.  There are people in suits and ties right now strategizing on how to get more drugs into more people.  I just want to shed light on these facts.  So even though there are a few who are doing it right– THERE’S NOT ENOUGH OF THEM DOING IT RIGHT.

Correct me if I’m wrong– even if we disagree on the appropriate course of action for a particular patient with a specific condition– you may say painkillers and I may want to correct the cause with chiropractic adjustments– we can not disagree on the fact that drugs and surgeries, especially in North America are HIGHLY over used, and many cases unnecessary, and are killing hundreds of thousands each and every year.

So, pardon me, but in order to change this unconscious insanity, DON’T WE NEED TO STIR THE POT A LITTLE?  Shake things up, ruffle a few feathers and wake people up?  If I offended you– then GOOD.  At least someone is speaking up and saying we can’t keep going on this way.  If I don’t do it– then who will?  My intention is to create a healthier society.  Doesn’t positive change always start out with someone challenging a current system that is crumbling at it’s foundation?

One person in the audience got up and asked why there aren’t more doctors saying what I’m saying.  The answer is this:  Any Medical Doctor in the history of medicine who has stood up to challenge the current prevailing system has been burned at the stake.  It means being ridiculed by your peers.  They won’t let them “join in any reindeer games”.   Who wants that?  Unless the doctor is on a healing mission, most of them just bow down their heads and carry on, and collect their paychecks.  I can’t blame them, that’s why I’m not criticizing doctors per se.  Most of them do great work that can save lives.  I’m talking about the system of fighting disease rather than understanding why it’s there in the first place and correcting the cause.

Some of these doctors have quit medicine and gone and written books about what they have observed to be the sources of TRUE healing.  Can you guess what conclusions they came up with?  You guessed it:  Proper exercise, proper diet, and becoming free of disempowering emotional states of mind.  (And a clear nervous system.)  These doctors are my teachers and it’s their work I use as my inspiration.

Back to the email I got:

“Dr. Nima, I agree with most of what you say, but why is it that at the end of your stressbusters videos you say that I should ‘be careful for what I wish for because when I get it, it will present a whole new series of challenges in my life that will also suck’?.  That’s negative thinking, and if you think negatively, you will have negativity in your life… I disagree completely and think it’s rude.”

The intention is not to be negative.  It’s to be realistic.  Most of us live in this fantasy world that “if only I could____” or “I’ll be happy when_____” only to reach their goal and discover that it’s got it’s drawbacks too.  I’ve hit my head against a wall over and over again with that one.  We seek pleasure and avoid pain, and we assume that somewhere else is where this illusive “happiness” is going to be.  The unattainable promised land.  I’m here to break your illusion.  Wake up from your fantasy, people.  Life won’t be any better than it is in the Now.  Making more money means more responsibility.  A bigger home means more expenses.  A fancier car means more probability of break-ins and expensive repairs (I lived that one many times).  The promotion means higher expectations and pressures on you.  Does that mean we shouldn’t desire or set lofty goals or go after these things?  No.  It means that no matter what, you will have benefits and drawbacks.  Wisdom is recognizing this duality and not getting so emotional about it– high or low.  And be grateful for what you have now.  That will increase your probability of getting more anyway– as a bi-product of gratitude.  This would be cool for a disclaimer for a new drug called “Gratitude:”  Side effects include the attainment of more things to be grateful for.

That’s why I’m so grateful for my critics.  And as my supporters increase in numbers– so do my critics.

Thank you!

Make sure you catch the “outtakes” at the end.  Enjoy– may this video help guide you to balancing out your blood sugar and insulin levels and move you in the direction of a healthy diet.

Confession:  I had my first slip-up since starting this challenge.  This is probably one of the most difficult things for me to admit.   I’m not that comfortable with failure.  Just ask anyone who knows me well.

I went to Los Angeles to visit with friends and have a getaway, as well as speak to the students at the Los Angeles Chiropractic College to give them some words of wisdom in the transition they are about to face between student and health care practitioner.  More on this later….  This trip was business and pleasure.

Why it’s so difficult for you to stick to your food plan on your trips

Your success in your day and often depends on routine and rhythm.  When I’m at home, I have all my fruits and veggies ready for the next day.  Meals are planned in advance, and everyone who’s made a lifestyle change knows that healthy eating is all about planning.  If you don’t plan your meals, you are at the mercy of your cravings and there’s an over-abundance of fast food options to screw you all up.  For me, it’s all about starting strong—I usually make myself a green smoothie with a table spoon of almond butter.  Yummy, filling, nutritious.  It controls my cravings, and the day goes a lot smoother with it.

When you’re on holidays, you don’t have a kitchen, you don’t have your VitaMix blender, and especially if you’re in the good ol’ US and A…(As Borat likes to say), there aren’t too many easy-to-find raw food options.  I admit, California is good that way—lots of Raw food restaurant choices, one which we went to—we were good the first night—but in retrospect, we didn’t think this through enough and plan accordingly.

In a nutshell, we ate too much.  One of my favorite Persian restaurants is in L.A—called Darya… I promised myself I wouldn’t, but I had rice with my meal.  And a bite of dessert.

That night, it felt like I had rocks in my stomach.  Amazing how much carbs weigh you down.  Do you know what I mean?  It immediately gives your tummy that “beer belly” look.  Waking up with a tummy ache and heartburn I knew too well, but hadn’t experienced in a couple weeks. If you haven’t seen it before, on my last trip to New York, I documented what happens to me when I have a world famous Frozen Hot Chocolate.  850 calories!  Too much Sugar! (for those that didn’t see it)

The next day, I was with my friends in Beverly Hills at Jack and Jill Café and Bakery, and this was placed in front of me.  Banana cream pudding.  Would you be able to resist taking a bite?  I just had a bite of this one, that’s all…. I promise.

Louisiana Banana cream pudding.

Quickly I felt the carb cravings that were subsiding start to come back.  I finished the trip off with a visit to PinkBerry, a frozen yogurt joint where you can get all the toppings you need to give your Pancreas a crazy workout.  My diabetic buddy gave himself a shot of insulin just before we went in.  He bragged about how great his blood sugar levels were.  He’s had diabetes for over 20 years, so he’s gotten good at knowing how much insulin he’s got to shoot himself with.  He made me so grateful to have a properly working pancreas, and I made a vow to be a better man to it.

So I had a few moments I gave to myself to beat myself up for re-gaining about 5 pounds back over the weekend.  Wow.  Almost 2 weeks of work almost blown to smithereens in one weekend.  Easy go, easy come back.

The Pleasure/Pain Cycle

The funny thing is that there is just as much pain in gaining the weight back as there is in losing it.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’re avoiding pain by stuffing your face.  It’s painful—the guilt, and then the physical suffering after the fact.  Your stomach feels distended, heartburn starts to kick in, indigestion, tired, lethargic, then the worst part—you get fat.  Very quickly.  That’s painful.  It’s unhealthy, and it’s unsightly.  Extreme pain.

The pain of self control and discipline is much better than the pain of regret.  One evolves you, the other keeps you miserable.  One pain could set you free and increase self esteem, the other keeps you in bondage and lowers your self esteem.

I’m pleased to say I had a great time, but I’m back to my routine and eating healthy again.  I’m not too worried—I appreciate I’m human too, and gave myself permission to learn from the experience.

Why diets don’t work, and who’s really going to capitalize on it

Capitalizing on the fact that you aren't going to want to get to the root cause of your obesity

On my way to LAX airport, I must have seen 75 billboards on the side of the road and bus stops that looked exactly like this one.

This billboard is wrong on so many levels:

Level #1

The fact that it’s offering a quick fix for a problem that is possible for anyone to change if their “why” is big enough.  This is a surgery that has a long list of side effects and complications.  Plus, if you don’t change your lifestyle, the surgery doesn’t work!  I know people who’ve had the surgery and after losing the weight, are slowly starting to gain it back because the lifestyle (food addictions) DIDN’T CHANGE.

Level #2

The affirmation that you are going to fail in your diet.  They’re capitalizing on the fact that most people try to change their food intake without changing who they are, how they think, and their environment and deal with the root cause of their food addiction.

Level #3

The American Flag in front of the photo is a priceless illustration that this is what America has become.  Overspending, overindulging, overdrugging, over-the-top surgeries.   This gluttonous approach to life is what is causing the fall of the United states—in their economy and their health.

It’s my mission to take people, one and many–whoever wants to learn– to where they deserve to be… living their God-given right to a healthy and fulfilling life.  I intend on doing this FIRST by living one myself.

Today, I had an official body scan done in downtown Vancouver with a machine that provides almost pinpoint accuracy what your body fat % is.  It was bad news.  It seems that my scale that uses bioelectrical impedance is grossly incorrect, and it’s not good.  Will post about it later.

I wanted to end off sharing what I was telling the students at LACC.  The principle applies to you as well.  Everyone has their insecurities, their anxieties, their depressions, their challenges, their pain.  Just remember that the more you can appreciate that people will be counting on you to be the solution to all of those issues for them, the more successful you become.  And my job as a Chiropractor in Maple Ridge and a Life Coach and Teacher throughout the world is the same.  And the only way I can be a solution to the challenges of others is to start by clearing up my own challenges, blazing the path, learning from those giants who have gone before me, and teaching with an open heart to those who wish to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

For those of you who are struggling with your weight—just remember one thing for you to draw strength in the moment you are craving that is helping me tonight:

The pain of regret is far worse than the pain of discipline.  You can’t avoid pain, either way.  Just make your choice where you want to feel it.  Is your “why” big enough to make the healthier choice?  Why not?

See how you feel about an hour and a half after you finish some of this stuff. But damn, it looks good.

Mid afternoon…  You start to feel fatigue, cranky… You stare at your watch, wishing time would travel faster so you can get home to have dinner.  Only 3pm!  You don’t think you can make it.  You start to feel jittery, can’t focus or concentrate on your work, irritable… Gotta go to Starbucks or Tim Horton’s.  You get your latte or coffee with something to sweeten the bitter taste… and maybe a muffin (or my old favorite—Oat Fudge Bar from Starbucks, Boston Cream donut from Tim Horton’s, even McDonaldland cookies would do).

In the summer, I would take a break and have an ice cream cone from Baskin Robbins each day.  I would go months to years without it… But it just took one simple Gold Medal Ribbon cone, and it was over.  I needed it daily or I’d get cranky—classic example of an addiction. My cousin Ben makes fun of me all the time.  He says I like sweets so much that he was certain I had a vagina.  (FYI, Burt Baskin weighed over 240 pounds at his death, linked in part with a high consumption of ice cream over his lifetime, according to those who were close to him.  He died at the age of 54.  Irv Robbins was apparently more moderate with the ice cream and died at 90.)

Insulin and Blood Sugar Cycles….

Back to our lazy afternoon…. After you reload on the carbs that had crashed prior to that—only a couple hours after you finish lunch—you suddenly feel high and happy again.  Just in time for your insulin to kick in and bring the blood sugar levels back down to beneath comfortable levels.  And the unconscious desire to bring them back up becomes so strong, we aren’t even aware of it.  That’s the danger.  And add on a stressful day—an argument with your boss (or staff), run of the mill marital issues, and you are powerless over the yearning. No offence, but if you are fat, there’s a really good chance that you fall into this trap every day.  Do this over months to years and you’ve gained weight.  Make this your lifestyle for years and you have high chances of obesity.  If you’ve seen someone you haven’t seen in a long time and they’ve gained a significant amount of weight– chances are they are stressed if an injury hasn’t incapacitated them or they’re aren’t pregnant.  If the stress isn’t conscious, then chances are they have something buried deep inside and are using their fat to “cushion” themselves from the world.  This is not a conscious decision but can manifest itself as a food addiction or obesity.

This is how most North Americans live.  I lived this way for years and got away with it because I never gained weight.  I would only suffer mentally/ emotionally and have mood swings… a small price to pay for the wicked rush.

Now that the evidence is there (although I can hide it well most times), and thanks to Paul and his fatness, it’s time to make a change.

I’ve been getting emails and messages from people asking for my “diet” because they want to do it too.  I still have a hard time calling this a diet.  I eat everything I used to—I just stopped refined, processed and white carbs.  I eat salads all the time, make spinach and banana/blueberry smoothies, I have spoonfuls of yummy almond butter, I eat traditional Persian stews that Maria or my relatives make, and I just don’t eat it with the rice anymore.  By the way– I suggest all of you try a Persian meal with Persian people, and DON’T eat rice or bread with the meal.  And watch their reaction.  They look at you like you’re committing heresy.  They get uncomfortable and try to talk you out of it… Half of them out of concern that you’re not getting enough food and you’ll grow hungry.  This is the point of view of my cute little grandparents.  Rice and bread is a staple for them.  The other half of the critics know they should be staying away from the carbs, and they feel guilty—but they want to drag you down with them so they push it on you.  That’s pretty much the way it works.  Has this ever happened to anyone… Or is it just me?

The problem with that is that even though it tastes good– creating an environment whereby insulin has to be secreted to bring blood sugar down is causing excess insulin in our bloodstream  (hyperinsulinemia).  And high insulin levels have been associated with advanced aging, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, among a variety of other things.  It’s bad news.   Sugar fits relatively well on the receptors for opioid in the body.  That’s why it’s insanely addictive.  That’s why heavy drug users are frequently sugar maniacs too.

The path to becoming more consciously aware– everyone’s journey.

Now that I just simply refrain from buying and consuming refined carbs and can sit and observe my cravings, I’m feeling how much writing about them helps me.  It’s like I’m looking inside at them and staring them in the face.  And the more I look the cravings in the eyes and say “so what?” I feel them fade away, and I go to bed, and the gut just keeps getting flatter.  I guess this is what Eckhart Tolle means when he says to use your suffering as an access point for the Now.  And I’m also enjoying this process– how I self reflect each day.  It makes the day become more of a spiritual experience.  Just being more present because I know I will have to be writing about it.  I think most of us suffer in general because we’ve lost the ability to pay attention to our lives and become observers.  Our lives are on autopilot and we don’t live in the moment.  It’s all unconscious. Imagine you lived every day like you were acutely aware of everything that was happening to you.  How much more conscious would you be?

“Do you look any different?”

The love handles you ask?  Still just chilling a bit.  They still wanna hang out and aren’t in any hurry.  Even still…Today, I weighed in at 166 pounds and 20.4% body fat.  6 pounds lost and 1.5% body fat loss, and it’s now only my fifth day.

I was hungry for quite a large part of the day.  I think I’m going to start snacking on veggies throughout the day—maybe an “elevate me” bar.  That should help.  Unless anyone else has any other suggestions that won’t wake up my sleeping pancreas?

Seeing that the holidays are fast approaching, I figure I’ll give you a tool for understanding your cravings throughout the day.  If you haven’t yet seen the video on my last blog post, please do so.  I can’t watch that video without my mouth watering.  If you want to cut on your carbs, then watch this following video and try to get connected with yourself and ask yourself where you think you are at with reference to this video.  Then, as you are aware, if your “why” is big enough, your resistance will go up.  You start to regain control of your own body.  “No, thank you” becomes way easier.  And you start to look better, feel better (I’m sure that eventually this carb monster will go away—will keep you updated on it).  Watch this video carefully.  It’s awesome.

Since I missed my flight to San Fran, I took it as a sign that I have to stay in town and be productive in other ways.  Will keep you posted.  Hope you like the video.

Please don’t hesitate to re-tweet, share, and recommend.  Will any more of you be joining in to make a change to the man/woman in the mirror?

So it’s now Thursday night… Day 4 almost over—and I’ve lost 4 pounds and one percentage of body fat.  On Paul’s Blog he’s been saying I’ve been secretive with my progress… Not at all… I just have never weighed myself so much, and I never realized how much your weight and body fat% can fluctuate in one day.  So we decided to count it first thing in the morning.  All week, I’ve been teased by my patients and staff who say I’m crazy for trying to lose weight… people who think “I look just fine”.

Allow me to explain:  I’m not trying to lose weight.  That’s not my goal.  In fact I’m choked I lost 4 pounds.  I am trying to lose the spare tire in my gut, love handles and butt and turn it into the lean, muscular Adonis that is yearning to get out.  Again—I’m no stranger to doing exercise…. Heck I can keep up with anyone–I’ve just been more disciplined, and I’m doing a form of burst training which is ideal for fat burn.  And again… I AM NOT ON A DIET.  I have exactly the same amazing diet as I’ve always had… only one very simple difference.   I’m overcoming my carb and sugar cravings.  I’m doing it.  I’m taking the plunge and virtually eliminating almost everything white in my diet. I’m not trying to be racist here—but if it’s white, it ain’t right.

My hunter-gatherer lunch. Chicken salad and wild salmon sashimi.

Only one small problem:  You can’t eat anything outside of your home that doesn’t contain sugar and carbs in it.  I’m not even talking about desserts and fries…It’s everywhere.  Look at the salad dressing, look at the tempura batter, look at the macchiato, even your sushi is rolled in it (rice).   You can hardly eat anything.  I went to breakfast after my workout, I ordered eggs and bacon… I wanted some veggies and fruit.  I didn’t want the pancakes, hashbrowns, or toast.  The waitress looked at me like I was from another planet.  They didn’t even have it in the restaurant.

The problem with our collective health in society is mainly due to raised insulin levels in our bloodstream (hyperinsulinemia) due to the carbs and sugar.  Never before in our hunter-gatherer days have our bodies had to adapt to so much of it—because it didn’t exist.  Our diets consisted of organic meats from grass-fed animals, plants, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds.  That’s it.  Period.  No dairy, wheat, potatoes, or processed foods.  We used to die of infections (mainly due to poor sanitation and no refrigeration for food) or traumas.

The agricultural revolution changed everything for us, and now we’re fat, sick, and dying fast.

There’s a carbohydrate dispensary at every corner.  Look around your vicinity right now.  Starbucks, Tim Horton’s (in Canada,) ice cream shops, convenience stores, vending machines…  It’s tough to miss.  Why are they there?  Simple.  Because we’re all addicted.

What? No carbs?

Can you imagine if the Health Gods snapped their fingers and instantly removed anything carb?  All processed sugars, sodas, all desserts, everything that wasn’t available 100,000 years ago is now gone in a snap?  Every human in North America would be found on the floor in the fetal position within 72 hours.

It all started out nice….but…

Today I woke up to the sunrise.  Instead of a workout, I opted for a meditation.  I felt like I needed it.  Running a busy practice with a lot of responsibility, if you don’t take the time to check in and reconnect to your higher self and your soul purpose, you will burn out.  I’ve been there.  It gets ugly.  This was the view I was awoke to this morning.  Amazing.  Meditation becomes easy when you are surrounded by beauty.View from my balcony this morning taken with my Iphone. Mount Baker in the distance.  Too bad this picture doesn’t do it justice..

I’m glad I did—because today was one of those days…

When I was 13 years old I had my first chiropractic adjustment that changed my life.  I knew then and there that’s what I wanted to do.  I would always be amazed at how I felt after my adjustments.  I would talk to the other patients at my Chiropractor’s office and they would tell me about the life-changing results they had.

There are some days where it seems that every one of my patients have miraculous results… and egotistically, I would take credit for the results.  Today was the opposite.  It seemed from my perception that every patient was progressing extremely slowly, or going backwards– and I took the blame.

The conscious, awakened Life Coach in me would say “Nima, where there is challenge, look for support”, but I didn’t want to look at it that way.  I wanted to see the glass as being half empty today.  As far as I was concerned, nobody was doing well, lots of no-shows, and one challenge after another—Calgon, take me away.  Must have been the carb- detox?

Funny cuz it's true.

On my way home, I felt the most insane sugar cravings I’ve felt in a long time.  All I wanted to do was to go to McDonald’s or get cookies… just something.  I needed a fix.  I believe this is what any addiction is like… could be cigarettes, could be alcohol, could be crystal meth, lapdances and a trip to the casino.  In my case—I needed sugar.

When you are stressed, Adrenaline and Cortisol (stress hormones) are being pumped into your bloodstream to prepare your body for an attack.  These changes are for your survival.  What are the building blocks of adrenaline and cortisol?  FAT and SUGAR. What do we crave when we’re in our “fight or flight” state?   Did you say fat and sugar?  Very good!  You’re so clever.

As I was driving home, I became acutely aware of my cravings.  Because my “Why” happens to be big enough ($500 is just the sting I need), I can make healthier choices.  Most people don’t have a big enough why.  In fact, when you sit and talk to them and pay attention, they reveal that they actually have a “why the hell not?”.

I had another chicken salad for dinner, and as I sit here and write, I’m still aware of my cravings, and it’s satisfying knowing I am much more powerful than my addictions if I can simply create a reason why I have to be.

It’s so simple yet difficult:  It all ties back to purpose.  If you don’t have a reason or purpose behind doing what you do every day, you fall victim to your addictions, you live unconsciously, and all sorts of anxieties and depressions will kick in.  Your health deteriorates.

I’m realizing this process is a lot more than shedding some body fat around my gut.

At this point, I really don’t care about losing the money anymore.  Even if I don’t reach my target, the amount I’ve grown in these 4 days is worth the $500 bucks.  But then again, I do want to beat Paul into the ground  :)

I’m looking forward to this weekend.  I’m going to San Francisco for a seminar with my buddy.  Oh Great.  I’m expecting it’s going to be harder because I’m not in my element, I don’t have my supportive wife to prepare a salad for me when I’m working, I’ll be inactive sitting in a seminar all weekend long, and in the United States, no offence my American friends… It’s damn near impossible to find something that ISN’T processed, or carb loaded.  Another challenge to overcome.

For your entertainment purposes I’m going to explore this Sugar Craving thing more on my next blog (stay tuned), because I know chances are if you are reading this, you have a carbohydrate addiction as well.  For your entertainment purposes as well, on my recent trip to New York, I happened to stop by Serendipity’s to have the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate and did an experiment.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Once again, thanks to Maria for putting the video together. Muah!

And by the way.  I gotta tell you guys…. I am humbled by the fact that so many of you have emailed and commented, put in your 2 cents (funny how everyone’s an expert), and most humbling for me—that you’ve let me know that you are inspired by my journey and have made a decision to change your lifestyle with me.  I love and appreciate you for it.  I thank you so much for spreading the word about this Challenge too.  My goal is to inspire even more people.

My legs feel like Jello.  Shane of Gymnos Evolution did a number on us today.  Like I said before, I’m no stranger to exercise, but this style of callisthenic (Nazi) military burst training—I haven’t done before.  It’s intense.  And worst of all—did I mention I have to wake up at 5:30?  Are you kidding me?  I’m turning in to someone I used to resent (but secretly admire because I was jealous).

Stretching has never been so grueling.

No I'm not a hip hop dancer here. This is an actual exercise.

This TACFIT business is something neat… the principles are simple:  Bursts of intense activity, focusing on form rather than numbers, followed by short periods of rest before we go on to the next exercise.  Repeat.  Over and over again until you are about to puke.

Both a stretch and an exercise at the same time. It's as uncomfortable as it looks.

Tobin from PhoTobin Photography brought his camera to snap some photos… From the pics you can see that the sun is just about to peek out.  There’s something very soothing about watching the sun rise.  I highly recommend it.  I don’t quite know how to put the experience into words.  Stressbuster tip:  Just try it.

I’m getting emails and facebook messages… “What are you eating?”  Basically, everything I used to eat before… minus anything with sugar in it… or any other carb.  That means no rice, no potatoes, no cookies, no, caramel macciato’s, no chocolate bars, no popcorn.  It’s not rocket science, people.  We all know what’s good and not good for us.  Carbs and grains like rice and corn– not really good for us.  ”Whole Grain” is not a health food.  Grains turn into sugar and raise insulin levels.  We eat way too much of them.

Now I realize there are many delicious raw food desserts that are sugar free, but I don’t have the time to go all the way downtown every day to Vancouver’s only raw food restaurant—Organic Lives.

I’ve never had a problem with exercise and eating healthy… I just really like carbs, and I am aware that evenings are tough for me with those damn cravings.

But oddly enough, as I’m aware they are still going strong, I’m not compelled to eat carbs.  And it’s quite simple why I’m so certain I’m going to be successful.  I’m not being cocky here—I’m just certain — it’s simply because my “Why” is big enough.

I sit here writing this blog and my wife is watching “Friends” and “Sex in the City”… her favorite shows… (even though they’re all re-runs).  I’m watching Courtney Cox, and Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker among all the other actors on the screen and I acknowledge something:  They all are in great shape, but it’s not because they’re anything more special than the rest of us… It’s just that their “Why” is much bigger.  Like… would 1 million dollars per episode entice you to say no to the cheesecake?  Hell ya, it would.

I happen to know that these actors are militant with portion control and eat extremely well 99% of the time.  Why?  It’s their JOB.  They lose their job if they don’t.  So I guess a $500 penalty and risking public humiliation is a big enough “Why” for me.  If you can’t come up with a reason big enough for you, then you won’t do it.  You’ve lost the weight– when you had to look good for your wedding… for your high school reunion, for a beach vacation.  That’s the importance of having goals that you can think about each and every day.  Every moment you make decisions to help you reach it.  My suggestion to all of you guys who’ve emailed me and told me you’re joining in the “program” (even though it’s not a specific program) is to create a “Why” that’s big enough.  Then the “How’s” will take care of themselves.

This morning after my workout, I was invited as a guest lecturer to the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine’s 4^th year class.  My job was to talk to the students about things they should keep in mind during their transition from student to Doctor.  It’s a scary time for any 4^th year of any professional school because at that time, you have so much information crammed in your head, but you don’t have the experience transferring that information to a real live human who’s coming to you with problems.

My message was simple, and it’s the same message I’m working at living up to every single day, which I think is the secret to being a successful Doctor of any sorts:  Be present and aware with every moment.  Be grateful for what you got, because this moment is as good as it gets.  Commit yourself to increasing your self-awareness and your healing consciousness.  Take every opportunity to grow.  Don’t stop learning.  Save your money.

And most importantly, become a role model to your patients.  They’re coming to you mostly because they are not living a healthy lifestyle.  Live one yourself, and be a teacher to them first.

Still working at it.  I’ll let you know when I get there.

This text message I received from Paul today after I posted my first blog early this morning:

“Oh ya, thanks for making me puke in my mouth when I saw that semi-nude pic on your blog.  I’m still nauseated now just thinking about it.  Jeezus it burns my eyes!”

Here is a picture of Paul in 6 months if he didn't BEG me to do this challenge with him.

The gloves are officially off.  Paul, the worst part of my day was looking at your pics on your blog and realizing that I’m only around 6-7% less body fat than THAT.  If that’s not an inspiration to change, I don’t really know what is.

All kidding aside, we both commented on how liberating it is to just make your privates public on those pics and come face to face and share your own imperfections.  I’ve had lots of messages from you guys saying that you’re going to make some changes within your own lives too.  Hey, that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, because it’s my mission to help others heal on different levels and become more self-aware, and self-actualized.  If I’m on this journey, and I can see a little further than a few, it’s because I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants, and want to help point the way.  This journey requires that I get a few “giants” on my team.

If you want to achieve anything great, it’s wise that you understand that you won’t get there nearly as fast if you did it alone.

My first “giant” I’ve hired is Shane Heins of Gymnos Evolution.  His mission is to help transform lives with a specific, unique form of exercises called “TACFIT” and “Circular Strength Training”.  My morning started at 5:30am when I woke up.  Uuuugh.  It was dark out, it was cold, but as I drove from my apartment towards downtown Vancouver, I noticed how peaceful and serene it was.  We met under the Cambie Street Bridge at 6:15 and began the most unique workout I’ve ever had.

I’ve done so many different workouts, with weights, without weights, yoga, pilates, P90X, etc… but I’ve never been pushed to move in these unorthodox ways before.  It was like learning a new dance.  I’ll report more about it as I learn what the heck he’s doing with me, but all I know is that this evening, every joint in my body is sore in the sense that it’s been pushed beyond it’s usual limit– in a good way.  But the exercise isn’t going to be my greatest challenge—I’m not a stranger to regular exercise at all.  There’s something way deeper here.

A Journey to Clear my own “Crap” surrounding my Carb Addiction

This Challenge has also made me become a more present, alert self-observer.  I listen to the cravings of my body from a 3^rd person-perspective, which is the only thing that has been helping me overcome them.  After our workout, I took my photographer buddy Tobin Smith out for breakfast.  I sat there, eating my fruit, bacon and eggs (no toast), watching Tobin down a stack of the most delicious looking pancakes I’ve ever seen.  Slathered with butter, drenched with syrup, he offered me a bite, and it took every single last bit of power out of me not to take one.

My lunch today: Spinach, romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, raw beets, red pepper, cucumber, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. To wash it all down? A spinach/banana/blueberry smoothie.

An interesting thing happens when you step out of your cravings and become and observer to them.  You realize that you are not your cravings.  They don’t have any power over you than the power you give them.  Most of us are so uncomfortable being uncomfortable, we go for the first thing we can reach for to fill the emptiness.  For some, it’s gambling.  For others, it’s a relationship.  For most, it’s coffee, alcohol, and carbohydrates.  Why?  Because these addictions are the quickest way to get the reward centers in our brain firing to cover up the emptiness and suffering.  Once we temporarily get our “fix”… it’s only a matter of time before we’re suffering again, and we spend our entire day/ life following this mostly unconscious pattern.  Does this sound familiar?

I made the decision to become conscious and aware of my suffering.  Then I realized that I’m not the one with the cravings.  Only when we are unconscious of them do our addictions run us to the point we can’t stop them.  When we have food addictions, our ego can become so unaware that it defends it’s right to be addicted.

“I deserve to eat this, I just worked out like crazy this morning, I’ll work out harder tomorrow, I’ll start tomorrow, I’ve already cheated today—I’ll just keep going” is what the ego says to justify succumbing to the craving.  I caught myself several times falling into that trap.  This challenge has been extremely enlightening for me.  When I awaken to the presence of the moment and become aware of my self and my body, I realize that I can overcome my cravings not by trying to make them go away, but by simply becoming aware of them.  I can feel them right now as I type, but again… that’s not me.  Who I actually am is the observer of the cravings, therefore I can be more powerful than them.  Interesting how you can use your greatest flaws as an access point for the magnificent present.  Some of you will know exactly what I’m talking about… others won’t have a freakin’ clue.

You just have to come up with a reason for yourself.  $500 is enough for me.  Do YOU have a “why” that’s big enough to make you healthy?  If you don’t, the day will come when you will be FORCED to have a why… and you can pray it won’t be too late.  As always, looking forward to your comments, retweets, share’s and recommends.  Let’s start a health revolution.  As I learn more about myself each day, I realize what someone has to go through to break the habit of being themselves. It’s quite challenging, and it’s quite liberating.