Posts Tagged ‘Healthy living’

photo by www.photobinphotograpy.com

It’s not Rocket Science. If you are under a great deal of stress (which most people are), then being under the care of a chiropractor has been shown to remove tension from your nervous system.

Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Roger Sperry says that the spine is the motor that drives the brain. According to his research “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine.” Only 10% of our brain’s energy into thinking, metabolism, immunity, and healing. Sperry demonstrated that 90% of brain energy goes into processing and maintaining the body’s relationship with gravity.

Why this relates to you.

It means that every day your body not only has to cope with the stresses of your hectic day and family and work issues, but it now has to deal with the arduous task of having to adapt to the postural habits of sitting improperly and being out of alignment.  This makes your body have to adapt to EVEN MORE stress.  It makes you miserable. It gives you headaches, back pain, stomach issues, problems with balancing hormones, anxiety, depression, and anything else that is a dis-ease.

So here’s the strategy with my patients and students in my workshops:

1) Teach ‘em what stress does to the body

2) Keep their nervous system functioning at maximal levels to cope with physical and emotional  and chemical stress through chiropractic care.

3) Give them lifestyle tools on proper exercise and how to gain control of their eating habits and food addictions

4) Teach them how to change their thoughts and perceptions about their life stories and situations so they can let go of their past, and overcome fears about the future and have lives filled with purpose, gratitude and unconditional love.

It’s a strategy that’s changing lives.  It gets people connected to their purpose.  It’s making our community healthier.  It’s taking people’s reliance off of medication.

Stay tuned for episode 3!  As always, we welcome feedback, suggestions, as well as re-tweets and facebook recommendations.  Feel free to drop a comment about your experience as well.

This is me every day. If I didn't have powerful tools at my disposal, I wouldn't survive.

Do you ever feel that instead of life getting easier, it seems to get more complicated?   Do you ever catch yourself thinking “remember when things used to be simple?”

This year, I made a commitment to step outside my comfort zone and expand my reach.  As I did, I noticed the challenges seemed to pile up.  Trying to juggle running one of the Greater Vancouver’s largest Multi-Disciplinary Healing Centres, while having a busy patient load,  all the while speaking, writing, and coaching—and trying to balance all that with my married life (Happy wife- happy life)—let me tell you it isn’t easy.  I know you are busy too–going through your own specific challenges… if you have kids you’re probably thinking “Nima, you think you’re stressed now….wait until you have children!”

Breakthrough moment

I remember a time back this summer where I felt like my back was up against a wall.  That the world was caving in.  I remember feeling overwhelmed with the stresses of life… it was affecting my sleep and my relationships and overall enjoyment of life.  I then had an “aha” moment.

In every moment, you are either in crisis/survival mode or you are in a growth/repair/creation state.  You can’t be in both at the same time.  I had been bogged down so much that I stopped practicing what I preach.  So as the saying goes… “those that can’t do… TEACH”… I decided to turn my “mess” into my “Message”.

I started writing about the stress I was going through.  I started researching what these uninspiring, repetitive, destructive thoughts were doing to my mind and body.  What I discovered changed my life.   I poured my thoughts onto paper.  I realized that I could turn all the knowledge I had in my brain, organize it into a simple format—and then teach it to others and help save some lives.  But first I had to practice what I preached.  Let me explain to you what I mean.

What is stress?

In an ever-changing environment, you’re either adapting to the changes, or you are resisting them.  Stress comes from an inability to ADAPT to a changing environment.  It’s really that simple.  Yet so difficult.

Stress can come from being married to a woman for 10 years and then one day discovering that her work as a grocery store attendant was really a cover up for the CIA.  Stress can come from discovering that a relative you have been on bad terms with has suddenly died, and you are now faced with the guilt of not mending things in a life that’s way too short.  Stress comes from all of a sudden being faced with a change in your life.  But pre-historically, we didn’t have to worry about work, marital issues, financial problems.  Our main challenges were about finding food, and avoiding becoming food, or attack by another tribe.  Either you adapt to the changes in the environment, or you die.  Period.

As a Chiropractor in Maple Ridge, I have to be keenly aware of this reality when a patient shows up in my office.  I can see it in their eyes, I can feel it in the tension in their spine on palpation… Most people are in a chronic fight or flight state.  For months to years at a time.  You don’t have to look to hard—if you examine the overall state of health in our society, we’re on a progressive downward spiral.  I can remember a few weeks this year where I layed in my bed in a state of fear and panic about the challenges I had to face every single day.  It got so overwhelming that I had to step back into the basics.

What’s in store for you in 2011

It was exactly what I needed.  In this 5-part series called “Stressbusters”, I show you specifically what tools and strategies I used.  It was so fulfilling, I had to share it with the world.  My goal is that you will participate with me over the next several weeks as each episode is launched, and give me feedback on how you’ve been progressing.

My mission is to share with the planet the truth—that chemical imbalances in the mind and body that produce illness are mostly under our control.  This can only happen if we first realize the power that lies in the choices we make in how we eat, move, and think—and the state of connection between our brain and the 70-100 trillion cells of our body.  Since Dr. means “teacher” it’s my intention to teach the world this truth.  I want to teach you to become a better adapter to the inevitable changes of your life.

I’m also going to be starting a new series of workshops at the end of each month at the Westgate Wellness Centre called “Stressbuster Workshops” where I will teach powerful tools that I’ve learned to help me overcome the adversities of life.  And I never run out of opportunities to use the tools with the setbacks I perceive every day.  Every great teacher I know has one thing in common: They are students—and so as I learn more tools, I expand my reach and teach more.  It’s been a fun ride so far, and I’m ready to help people take it to the next level in these fun and dynamic workshops.  January 29^th we begin with “Getting excited about your depression”.  We’ll be adding more workshops as the year unfolds, but some more topics will include

Overcoming grief, heartbreak and loss,

The dynamics of anxiety and depression and how to transcend it,

Finding your values and understanding the values of your loved ones,

Overcome relationship conflicts

Letting go of Past Trauma

How to not take things so personally

Stress, Food Addictions, and Weight Loss

I can’t wait to teach this stuff.  To be honest everything I teach is really for me.  I guess it’s true—those that can’t do—teach.  And selfishly, as I teach you to become a better adapter to the inevitable challenges of life– I heal and adapt to my challenges too.  Enjoy the first episode.  Many thanks to Nina from Oh Just Peachy Studios for her great work and guidance.

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.

This way to the beach?

Ok, I know I’m not obese, but I’m just like you in that there’s always room for improvement.  After my ChiroMission trip, where you pretty much ate what was put in front of you, and if you didn’t load up on the breads and pasta’s you would starve, I admit that sticking to a healthy diet has been a challenge.  Things have been extremely busy with my many roles—Chiropractor in Maple Ridge, health and wellness coach and speaker in the Greater Vancouver Area, husband, father to my dog Lucy—it can get pretty exhausting…

Now enter my buddy Paul.  Paul is…. well, there’s no other way to put it… Paul is fat.  He’s not obese, but we’re both the same height, and he outweighs me by quite a bit.  Paul is a professional blogger, and makes money online, so he spends a great deal of time sitting on his fat ass (don’t worry– he’s a worse trash talker than me).  He calls me up a couple weeks ago and asks me to do a weight loss challenge.  You see, for Paul, the only thing that would entice him to stop drinking his 45 cans of coke with his 12 pizza’s per day is a competition.  If you look at his blog , dedicated to making money online, along with geeky online gaming stuff, you’ll see he went through a weight-loss challenge several months ago with another buddy, and lost 15 pounds in 10 weeks.  He even posted gruesome before and after pics.  Here’s the problem… Now, 5 months after the end of his challenge, he’s gained it all back, and then some… he’s even 5 pounds heavier than when he began.  So basically, he’s using me to lose weight. http://www.paulymath.com

He’s been texting me and taunting me all week.  We went to lunch yesterday to do our last bit of trash talking in person before the competition.  This is what I ate:

My Meal... Cesar Salad with diced tomatoes and chicken... with water.

And this was Paul’s meal:

Soup, Chicken Sandwich smothered in Mayo, and a Coke with a Refill.

So, the challenge begins today– this morning.  Now, 8 weeks is not a significant amount of time, but it’s enough to make some noticeable change.  Since we’re both at 2 different starting points, our goal is to lose 6% body fat from first weigh in, using a scale that makes a quick measurement.

The wager?  We’re putting on a $500 bet.  Whoever loses the 6% body fat in 8 weeks gets to keep their money.  It’s that simple.  If I fail and Paul succeeds, I pay him, and vice versa.  If neither of us succeed, then we both lose, but get to keep the money.  So essentially, we’re betting against ourselves.  Which increases our chances of success, because neither of us like to lose our money.  Only way to lose is if the other succeeds if you don’t.  And I have to warn you… Paul is a trash talker.  I’m not much of one, but he could piss me off enough to become one.  I’ve usually kept my blog posts clean and nice but the gloves are coming off.

So why am I doing this?

First of all, I have wanted to get back in shape since my ChiroMission trip and my trip to New York where we indulged in every thing I wanted to because “I was on vacation”.  Sound familiar?   I’ve been slacking on my diet and exercise.  This would be the perfect opportunity.

Second, I’m now pushing 35, and even though I’m not considered as “fat” per se, I have always resented my love handles and belly fat and would like to get some control over it.  The older you get, the tougher it is to shape up. Instead of putting it off to later… why not now?   I have to laugh, because I was always the skinny kid in high school, even in university, and now I’m having to “battle my bulge” publicly.  To give me more of a reason, it’s a fact that high belly fat is a very reliable indicator for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes… a perfect recipe for early death.  If you are reading this and you got a huge gut, there’s a great chance that you’re going to die earlier than you have to.

Next, I have a confession to make.  I, like most people in the world, am addicted to carbs.  I teach people about healthy lifestyles for a living, so I understand the challenges that my patients and clients go through.  This is an opportunity for me to take charge of my addiction, and exercise my self-control, and make a radical improvement to my already active lifestyle.  I’m contemplating having a “cheat day” in the week, vs. cutting bad carbs completely.  I’ll make it up as I go along.  Any suggestions on what’s worked for you?  I’ve never really done this before.

This will also help me with my congruency with my patients.  Life is a struggle sometimes, and so is self improvement.  This will help me understand what my patients and clients are going through, and to help them see that I go through the same challenges they do.  Plus, it’s easier for me to look myself in the mirror in the mornings when I am living what I am teaching.

One of my biggest reasons for doing this is for the Average Joe who’s in the exact same boat as me.  I know that as you are reading this, many of you know me personally… you will say “heck if he can do it, I can do it too” and this might inspire you to make some changes in your life too.  I would encourage you to leave your comments and photos if you’re brave enough.  I want to show you that if the desire is there, and you simply add a few healthy habits, the bad habits will want to fall away.

So here are my gruesome “before” pics.  I realize I’m not going to be on the cover of men’s fitness magazine anytime soon, but we’ll see how much I can do in 8 weeks, and then again how well I do during the holiday season after the competition is over.  Warning.  These pictures are not for the faint of heart.

He is a loathsome, offensive brute, yet admit it... you can't look away.

Gotta look sad in the "Before" pics. For the "After", I might even tan and wax the persian rug off.

I plan on taking you with me during this journey, and teach you as much as I can, as I learn this process from a first-hand perspective.  My goal is to give you tips and strategies on getting healthy, losing body fat, controlling your cravings, and taking control of your health by mastering your own mind and your body.  Please feel free to share with others, enter your email to receive updates in your inbox, and of course “follow” me and “recommend” this blog on twitter and facebook. Results of Day 1 Weigh-in are in the video below.  Let’s get this show on the road.  Game time.  Your fat ass is mine, Paul.

Weight: 172.2 pounds

Body Fat: 21.9%

Let’s leave my previous Coca-Cola addiction behind– that was a dark time in my life when I look back on it.  You know how your teeth feel after you’ve downed a can?  That rough plaque that seems to form in seconds after you’re done… like you can literally feel your teeth rotting?  Still, I thought they were yummy.  I had to have at least 2 cokes a day.  Lunch and dinner.  Gotta drink my pop.  It wasn’t a real meal unless it was downed with soda.

Then I started to do my reading.  Wow.  This stuff is poison.  Only problem: It’s delicious.  What to do what to do… Well, I saw this video and it literally cured me.  I had posted it on a previous blog entry, but it’s worth checking out again.  Now, I only drink maybe 5-10 glasses of pop PER YEAR… still it’s too much to be honest, but at least it doesn’t have a hold on me anymore.

So what’s the solution?  I know… Diet soda!

I bug my family members all the time.  The research on Aspartame is nuts.  It’s on Dr. Mercola’s website– well worth it to sign up and read.

Some new information from a New Study on Diet soda drinks, and how the brain gets confused when it tastes the sweetness and doesn’t get the calories it expects.  Dr. Marie Savard says that if you are dependent on the stuff– consuming ONE DRINK OR MORE A DAY, you’re increasing your risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke, not to mention WEIGHT GAIN– the very thing most people who drink diet sodas are trying to avoid!   As she says, “if you are consuming one or more drinks per day, you should re-think what you’re doing.”

Watch this!

What’s the real solution?

How about some water please?

(I know– you feel like a soda, don’t you– shame on you.)