Are you your own priority?
I attended a meeting about the state of the U.S. economy last night, and what we can do about it.
One of the ideas discussed was that our culture has adopted the idea that doing things for other people is the ultimate virtue, but doing things to help yourself (such as making lots of money) is frowned upon- and this is causing a lot of our problems. Bill Gates wasn’t considered a virtuous person on his way to becoming the richest man in the world, but now that he is donating lots of his money, he is viewed as a good person. This doesn’t make much sense, how would he be able to donate this money if he never became rich to this extent?
So this can be trouble when it comes to nutrition and fitness. I know of parents who do everything they can to give their kids healthy food, but their own diets consist of lots of junk food. They ignore their own needs and put their own health aside, making their kids the priority. This doesn’t make any sense at all either. One, the kids are going to see their role model making bad choices, and wonder why they don’t practice what they preach. And two, what would be the point of not taking care of yourself if you love your kids? Surely, you want to live as long as you can- and be able to spend time with your children and maybe grandchildren into old age!
The other-driven mentality leads to a dead end. Be grateful, give back, and help others- but for great health, to achieve your peak potential in all areas, and to maximize your contribution to the people around you (and to the world), the best thing you can do is to be your own priority- and yes, put your own needs above everyone else.
After all, if you don’t think highly of yourself, how can you have great influence on anyone else?
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30 – The practice of self-assertiveness
(duration 20:32)
In this episode we explore the fourth pillar of self-esteem, which essentially means saying “yes” when you want to say “yes” and saying “no” when you want to say “no”
The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden http://www.nathanielbranden.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_23&products_id=35
Being assertive means respectfully honoring yourself; it doesn’t mean being aggressive or belligerent
There’s the “take-away” and then there’s the “follow-through,” which requires acts of self-assertiveness
Self-assertiveness means actualizing your values and goals, bringing them into reality
To assert your healthy desires in the midst of a group (or family) environment requires potentially bold acts of self-assertiveness
You are not here on Earth to live up to someone else’s expectations
Curiosity goes hand in hand with assertiveness
On the nutrition side of athletics, it’s helpful to train lower and race higher in terms of carb consumption; keep fat as your main energy source while training
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bumper music “All In My Head” (Remix) – http://www.kosheen.com
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What kind of meat do you eat?
I was listening to an interview on the Jimmy Moore show with Jonny Bowden. Bowden was discussing this idea that some studies will say they show that meat is bad for you, when in fact they are leaving out some important facts.
You will hear things like “Americans consume too much meat. That’s why they have a high rate of heart disease and obesity.”
The problem with this assumption is that lots of studies don’t take into consideration a few things:
1. What type of meat is being consumed? Is it the junk you will find at most fast food restaurants, or is it healthy, omega-3 rich grass feed beef? Usually it’s the former.
2. What is the level of carbohydrate consumption? Of course if you eat a high carb diet, whether or not it’s combined with meat, this is bad for your health.
3. Are they eating a lot of vegetables and fruits?
Persons who consume a fast food diet are typically not getting enough in the way of fruits and veggies, nor are they too worried about their sugar intake. So, even though it’s not a good idea to eat low quality meats, saying “meat is bad” does not tell the whole story.
Being that there are different levels of quality in meat, it is important to always shoot for the highest quality you can, but also to realize that the extra carbs are going to be worse for you in the long run than lower quality meats here and there. Protein, after all, is vital for your health (as is the fat in protein sources). The same can’t be said of carbohydrates, even though many in the nutrition community recommend it as the staple—hence, the poor state of health for most of those who follow their “guidelines.”
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29 – The practice of self-responsibility
(duration 21:34)
Warm-ups are not for wimps! It’s always wise to ease into a series of sprints, for instance
Microwave oven cooking is quick and easy, and healthy
Try to avoid eating foods cooked at high heat; lower temp cooking lessons potential carcinogens and free radicals
Self-responsibility is the third pillar of self-esteem
The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden http://www.nathanielbranden.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_23&products_id=35
It’s important to shift from saying “I have to…” to “I choose to…”; taking responsibility for your choices is key
It’s unfortunately easy to accept the status quo, even though you can alter it; so, a self-responsible action plan is vital
Being happier is a main outcome of living more responsibly
No one is coming to our rescue; we must thrive as independent and healthy beings
Kids do well with low-carb, paleolithic style eating, rather than with all the junk foods that Americans are used to
Take advantage of the Spring Sale of our complete HMFB package! Details here: http://www.healthymindfitbody.com/hmfb.html
bumper music “All In My Head” (Remix) – http://www.kosheen.com
Feel free to rate and/or review our show on iTunes!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=332309038
Also, please sign up – upper right corner of http://healthymindfitbody.com – to get the free bonus audio on the 3 Pillars Of Achieving Your Perfect Weight Using The Mind/Body Connection, as well as the newsletter
Podcast: Download
The challenge of going for what you want
Conventional wisdom tells people that in order to be healthy & fit, you must first focus on exercise. 
And often, the most healthy people in society are often thought of as the marathon runners and triathletes. So naturally, the prevailing thought about fitness is that you must crank out cardio workouts to lose weight or keep the weight off.
The pressure is on! Go for a run or you will get fat. Thinking about skipping a workout? Tsk, tsk! You are overcome with guilt!
Lately, I have been making some changes to my exercise program, based on my new found knowledge about what is most healthy. I have traditionally stuck with a weekly schedule of:
-2-3 1 hour swim workouts
-2-3 runs of 4-10 miles each
-2 strength workouts in the gym of 30 minutes each
-1 yoga session of 1 hour 15 minutes
I had thought this was optimizing my health. But sometimes, being as busy as I am, it is difficult to squeeze all of this in. What was happening was if I missed just 1 of these workouts I would feel guilty!
So I reassessed what I was doing and contemplated 2 things:
1. What do I enjoy exercise-wise?
2. What is actually necessary to maintain or improve my fitness level?
The answers have changed my approach to fitness in a positive way. So here’s what I have changed and what I plan to do in the future:
1. I really like the feeling swimming gives me. So I’m sticking with the swim workouts- but I’m not going to mind if I only get 30 minutes instead of 1 hour, and I’m perfectly okay with doing 1-2 a week.
2. Strength training is very important, but I’m bored with my routine. I’m going to be mixing it up. I will try out CrossFit, indoor rock climbing, and maybe some of the ideas from Marks Daily Apple.
3. I’ve changed my running schedule. Sprinting, as I have learned, is healthy and good to do once in a while. So I’m down to 2 runs per week, one is a series of sprints on the beach, and the other around 5 miles with a group.
4. I’m adding in fun workouts whenever possible. Some days I don’t feel like running or swimming. I love stand up paddling, and with the weather warming up, it’s a perfect time to do more of that.
Enjoyment is the name of the game when it comes to exercise. It’s easy to fall into a rut of thinking of all the things you “have to” do, and taking the fun out of them in the process. And making matters worse, you will no doubt have lots of people around you trying to pressure you into doing endurance races or training events “for your health”.
So going for what you want in exercise can be a challenge in itself, but shaking off conventional wisdom and using your own volition can not only keep you on track with your fitness, but can allow you to feel more free and excited about each time you go out and move you body!
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