Doctor Kem's Health & Success Blog

Your Best Year Yet! Pt 2

2012-01-08T01:29:00.001Z

6. Practice genuine love.

Love everyone, whether you feel like it or not. Treat everyone
exactly how you’dlike to be treated.

As Og Mandino puts it in ‘The Greatest Salesman In The World’, when you meet or come across someone today, think to yourself ‘I love you’ – send everyone thoughts of love, whether or not you know them. Then relate to everyone with genuine love.

Not sure what that means? Real love means treating others with kindness, patience, respect, belief in the best, not envious, rejoicing when others do well, not self-seeking, and thinking only good thoughts towards others.

Treat everyone this way unconditionally and your ‘power positioning’
becomes the strongest it could possibly be.

7. Practice genuine detachment.

Add caption

Don’t be attached to anything or anyone. When you forgive and love people, don’t do it expecting them to treat you the same way in return. Do it because it’s in your best interest to do so. Do it
knowing that you will receive, though not necessarily from the ones you’ve given to.

Trust that God to do the rest.

If you’re a business owner for instance, you see how this principle alone takes away any fear or pressure you may feel when prospecting or
marketing your business.

As long as you're doing your best, let God be God and handle the rest.

If you’re an employee, think how much more fun your job will be when you give it your best shot, not for your boss to notice, but because you know that God will reward you (with ‘whatsoever you desire’), simply because of the good seed you’re sowing all around you.

8. Practice daily sowing – Take ACTION.

Taking the right action positions you to receive what you desire and believe you’ll receive.

That’s why it’s important to know what you desire in the first place. When you do, then you’ll know which steps to take to help you get there.

With your mind set the right way (see tips 1 to 7 above), you have a solid foundation to base your actions on. The right actions, that is.

Note that the right action means doing the things that move you closer to your goal, to the very best of your ability.

Even if it’s not apparent how something contributes to your goal (eg your current job
may not have any immediate bearing to your desired goal), do everything
the best way you know how. When all your actions are successful, they
add up to a successful life.

Positive thinking is all well and good but you can think positive until you get brain cramps or you turn blue, but if you don’t back your thoughts with the right words and the right ACTIONS, nothing happens.

9. Practice daily giving.

Give something of yourself everyday. Start each day determined to add value to someone’s life. Everything you give is a seed sown, and you will reap it in multiples. It’s a Universal Law – nothing you can do about it:).

If you desire financial abundance, be a regular giver to
those that are less fortunate, or to your church or other place of spiritual support.

Give, not because you expect back from the person
you’re giving to, but because you know that the supply is limitless and in giving you receive from God. And here’s a ’secret’: the very act of giving, sends a message to your subconscious mind that ‘I have’.

Remember, you attract what your subconscious mind dwells on.
So by being a habitual giver, your predominant subconscious mindset
is ‘I have’, and you attract more of that which you give. When you don’t
give because you’re afraid you won’t have enough, you send the message
to your subconscious mind that ‘I don’t have enough’, and you attract
more lack as a result of your fear.

Addendum: Giving goes hand in hand with good stewardship: you've got to be wise in your stewardship of what you've got (finances, etc), for only in that context will your giving bring about GREAT results for you! More on this in future editions of the 'Health & Success Newsletter', as well as the ladies 'Weekly Success Tips for Women' newsletter.

10. Practice Proactive Health Maintainance.

Your body is the only one you’ve got.

None of your goals matter if it’s in poor shape. Look after the temple you’ve been blessed with. One

remarkable thing about the human body is that anytime you treat it the way God intended, it rewards you with an amazing degree of health, energy, vitality (side effects: good body weight, incredible self-

esteem), and it displays the ability to heal itself as well.

So take care of your body. Treat it with respect.

First become health-conscious. Then follow that up with the right actions –healthy, balanced diet; cellular nutrition with quality supplementation; regular, moderate exercise and the rest of the Pillars described here: The 8 Pillars of A Healthy Life

Bonus tip:

Commit to lifelong learning.

Ever heard that ‘leaders are readers’ or ‘earners are learners’? Both statements are true. Study personal development material, study material about your chosen field of endeavour, study the Bible, study, study, study.

Spend quality time each day studying and meditating on what you learn. You can only become a better human
being by learning and applying what you learn.

Think you need discipline to achieve what you desire? You bet you will!

But consider this: which price would you rather pay? The ‘price’ of discipline, or the price of regret? Whatever ‘discipline’ you reqiure is short-term, with long-term benefits, unlike regret, which lasts long after the fact.

If you go through the above list again, you’ll realize that the area you need to discipline really is your thoughts. If you can control your thoughts and keep them on the right things, everything else will fall in place. So that’s what you need to work on more than anything else this year.

Go for it – you deserve it, and you can do it (refuse to think different).

Best wishes, and blessings to ya!

Make this your best year yet! Pt 1

2012-01-08T01:08:00.001Z

You’ve probably heard the saying that ‘if you keep doing the
same things you’ll keep getting the same results.’ So if you
desire different results this year, you’ve got to do things
differently. If not, you’d qualify to be called ‘insane’
according to Albert Einstein, who defined insanity as
‘doing the same things but expecting different outcomes’.

So take each day at a time with thanksgiving and praise
to the One who’s given it to you and then do what the rest
of this article says…

Here are 10 foundational principles you must be determiined to apply if you desire to see your resolutions or goals manifest this year, if you desire to
make this your best year YET!

1. Know who you are.

Quit focusing on outward things, which are really reflections of
what goes on inside your mind. You are not your body. You are not your possessions.

You are a spirit being made in God’s image.

Your body houses the real you. Your natural state is perfect health and abundance. If your current (outward) reality does not reflect this, it is because you have let your circumstances control your life.

Knowing and acknowledging who you really are, and the implications
of this Truth, and meditating on what it means, gives you a tremendously
powerful positive self-image (which determines your performance level) and
puts you in a position to cause your physical reality to reflect your true inner
reality: perfect health, joy and abundance.

2. Define clearly what you desire.

Do not limit yourself here. I have not asked you to decide what you think you can have or what you think you deserve or what your mama thinks you should have. I am suggesting here, that you should state what *you* would like to be, do and have, which you don’t have right now.

There is unlimited supply from God so do not hesitate to ask big. (You have not because you have not...)

Use your imagination – that’s what it’s there for. You
have an open cheque, so to speak. Fill it in with what you choose.

This is why you are told to ‘Ask for whatsoever you desire…’.
Let that desire be clear in your mind.

3. Believe that what you desire is *already here*.

Everything in this world is energy. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can be transformed from one form to another – if you took Physics classes you’ll be familiar with this statement.

Well here’s a real-life application of this law.

Everything you desire, everything you could ever possibly wish
for, already exists! It simply exists in intangible form, waiting for to do what you need to do in order to change it to its material version. You know how water can change from steam to
liquid to solid (ice)? Different forms, same substance.

Same thing applies to your desires. Believe this, and you’re fortifying your ‘power positioning’.

This is why you are told to ‘…believe that you receive what you ask for, and you shall have it…’

You will learn more about this and the other tips in this article in the FREE newsletters Weekly Success Tips For Women and The Health & Success Newsletter...

4. Practice daily gratitude for what you desire.

Being thankful for something before you receive it strengthens your faith, and keeps your mind focused on the object of your gratitude.

Benefit: what you focus on is what you get more of (or 'what you focus on expands').

An attitude of gratitude also puts into motion the Law of action and reaction – when you give thanks to God for already granting you what you’ve asked for, you trigger a response from Him towards you – ‘whatsoever you desire’.

5. Practice genuine forgiveness.

Here’s what we’re trying to do: cause the thing you desire to be attracted to you.

Unforgiveness, grudges, malice, hatred, doubts and
fear are examples of things that cause resistance and block the flow of that which you desire.

So if you’ve got a grudge against someone, or a feeling of resentment, even if they’ve wronged you, forgive them.

Think about how much God has forgiven you - who are you not to forgive another?

I'm not saying it's easy to do this, but it's a conscious decision you have to make, to forgive someone, even if that someone is YOU.

Do this for *you*. I love this saying “harbouring resentment or unforgiveness against someone is like you drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” So true. The only person to lose in this scenario is you. So just let go. Let them be. Let the blessings
have a free, unobstructed channel to flow to you.

Next post concludes this list of principles. Let me know your thoughts on them.

Please put them into ACTION. I so want you to excel this year - I am fully persuaded that you've come into this planet packed with purpose, potential and ABILITY to succeed.

My First GREEN Smoothie :)

2012-01-07T15:08:00.001Z

My first Green Smoothie! Yum!!
Packed full of nutrients and fiber as fresh as can be, and oh so filling!

Ingredients (all raw):

Broccoli
Celery
Cucumber
Apples
Ginger
Coconut milk

All you need is a good blender: chop the veggies and apples into small pieces (roughly the size of small ice cubes, put them all in the blender, add enough coconut milk to give the smoothie the degree of thickness you're comfortable with.

Play around with all sorts of raw veggie combinations, sweetening with some fruit, to make it more palatable.

Have fun with it, that's the main thing. Variety is also key, and keeps you from getting bored.

Now you have another way to pack in your '5-a day' in one glass! After this glass, any other veg or fruit you eat that day (eg the salad I had for lunch or the steamed veg i had with salmon for dinner) is just a bonus!

How about you? Have you tried any green smoothie combination? Do share your ideas below!

Just Do It! (Complete version)

2012-01-06T09:54:00.003Z

Just Do It! - Speech by Art Williams

2012-01-06T09:51:00.000Z

Audio Health: How To Stay Healthy During The Holiday Season!

2011-12-24T21:20:00.001Z

Listen to 3 tips that can help you stay in control of your health this holiday season!
Empower yourself to overcome the temptation to over-indulge yourself and be filled with regret afterwards.
Happy Holidays!

Diligence and Discipline!

2011-12-24T12:29:00.001Z

This success message was inspired by the study of the 24th Chapter of Proverbs.

Listen, be encouraged and most importantly, TAKE ACTION!

Have You Got Syndrome X??

2011-12-05T22:32:00.000Z

No, it's not the title of the latest sci-fi movie. 'Syndrome X', also known as 'The Metabolic Syndrome', is a collection of symptoms which, when they occur together in one person, indicate a predisposition to diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Experts estimate that about 25% of the population have the condition - not surprising when you consider the general trend towards unhealthy, inactive lifestyles today. That means that 1 in 4 people have this potentially fatal condition.

Scary, huh? It's true though, so you'd better be aware of it, because you or someone you know, may be at risk.

How do you know if you've got Syndrome X? The symptoms include:

-Excessive fat in and around your abdomen ('central obesity'): yup, those love handles are danger signals, baby!

-Blood fat disorders - low HDL ('good cholesterol') and high triglycerides.

-Raised blood pressure (130/85 or higher)

-Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (where your body can't properly use insulin or blood sugar): this right here is actually thought to be the underlying cause of the syndrome itself...it's also why the syndrome is called 'prediabetes'...

-Easy clotting of blood.

Because the syndrome is generally associated with insulin resistance, the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. When you are resistant to insulin, your body tends to store fat. When you're sensitive to insulin (the normal state), your body releases any excess fat available.

Two factors which lead to insulin resistance are excessive fat (overweight people are more likely to be resistant than others) and physical inactivity.

What can you do TODAY to reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and the other serious illnesses related to Syndrome X?

-Get active. Begin to walk every day. Briskly. Start with 15 minute walks each day, then gradually increase until you can walk for 30 minutes each day. Don't make excuses now: if it's too cold outside then walk inside your house, up the stairs, etc. You don't need a fancy gym membership to get active, just find something you enjoy doing and stick to it. Then incorporate strength training exercises every other day, such as the six simple ones described in this post...

-Start eating right. Eat at least 5 times a day, and make the portions small.

--Eat only when you're hungry and stop eating once you feel full.
--Cut out all grains and processed carbohydrates, eat lots of unprocessed foods esp vegetables and fruit (in the ration of 3 veg: 2 fruit. or 4veg:1 fruit per day if you are overweight...),
--Eat lean cuts of meat unless you're eating grass fed, free range organic animals free from hormones and pesticides and antibiotics.
--Get a decent supply of healthy fats (eg saturated fats from sources above, coconut oil for cooking, olive oil - raw, unheated; mono -unsaturated fats)
-- Drink lots of water.
--Take high quality nutritional supplements which are guaranteed to be potent and bioavailable (easily absorbed into your bloodstream), to round out/complete your healthy eating regimen.

-Bottom line here: if you're overweight, you need to lose the excess fat and get physically active in order to make your body sensitive to the insulin it makes. Doing this greatly reduces your risk of such life debilitating conditions as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Strokes and the like.

Even if you're not overweight, make sure you're physically active and eating the right type of food in the right amounts.

Don't put this off any longer.

Syndrome X is a real and present danger and you could be at risk.

Stop reading this right now, and go for your 15 minute walk. This minute. Go ahead - do it NOW.

How To Have Fun To Succeed!

2011-12-04T22:28:00.001Z

Life is an amazing trip. We all start out equal, with the same access to God (who some people refer to as the Universal Mind), with the same potential to manifest the outcomes we desire and bring them into reality, with the same potential to enjoy a life of abundance and joy.

We actually start out full of joy and anticipation - look at any healthy newborn baby and notice the fascination he has with the world around him. This fascination grows with every passing day. The simplest things make him happy, and when his first toothless smile appears, it's one of the best pictures of contentment you could ever imagine.

This baby grows into a toddler and young child with lots of dreams and imagination and visions of what could be.

As baby grows, he begins to receive input from all around him - his parents, siblings, relatives, school teachers and mates, the media - all bombard him with negative programming that distorts his view of the world. This same world, which he was most excited about earlier on, to the growing youngster now seems to be a bad place with nothing but hard times ahead.

Gone is the spontaneous joy and fascination with life.

Fast forward to today - where you are.

You've arrived at a place where you're asking whether this is all there is to life. You've lost your sense of wonder, your joy of simply being alive. You've definitely forgotten your dreams and are now skeptical of anyone who talks about them.

But your life doesn't have to be this way.

You can have an absolute blast every single day of your life, regardless of your circumstance or what's happening to you.

This is one of the greatest 'discoveries' of our generation - that you can literally create your own experience by changing your thoughts. Amazing, simple, but powerful and TRUE.

In 2006 successfully returned to medical practice after a 6 year break. My very first job fresh out of my long career break was in a busy Accident and Emergency department.

None of my colleagues had been out of medical practice, yet they were terrified of starting a new post in the Accident and Emergency department. They complained about the rota, complained about their allocated annual leave, had nothing good to say about the job.

I on the other hand, came to practice armed with a formidable mental attitude: I made a conscious, deliberate, decision that I was going to be happy and grateful every single day. I looked at the rota and saw that it was perfect and family friendly enough for me to continue home-schooling my son. I was (still am) constantly grateful to God for the opportunity to help so many people feel better on the inside *and* on the outside every day at 'work'.

The result?

Come my first day - busy day in the ER. I *knew* it was going to be a great day, because I had decided in advance to make it so. Nothing was going to take my joy from me. Not even the fact that (having been out of work for so long) I'd forgotten my stethoscope at home! I simply borrowed one off of a colleague and got on with the job.

I had such a fun time, other new colleagues were marvelling at the ease with which I had returned and dug right into the job. Obviously I still have a lot of memory refreshing to do, but with my fun and joyful attitude, it came back so easily to me. Before long I was at the top of my game once again, and have continued to soar at that level and above, since.

Same can be your daily story - decide today that you will have a fun day, and you will be very happy today no matter what. It's not what happens to you that determines or affects your joy - it's the way you interpret it that makes all the difference.

It's important for you to make this decision in advance.

When you do, then absolutely nothing can mess with your joy (unless you let it). Rather you become a source of joy for those around you.

Also, this attitude is most conducive for peak performance: you are better able to perform at your best in your job, business, studies, relationship, etc when you're in the right state of mind.

And here's the icing on the cake: a state of fun, ease and happiness/joy is the perfect (mental) environment for you to manifest your dreams. It is the most resourceful state for you to 'receive' instructions on what to do in order to make your dreams come true.

Easily, effortlessly, and fun!

Life *is* good if you desire it to be. Make it a great day!

Laughter instead of mourning! Your focus and results are your choice!!

2011-11-26T16:42:00.000Z

My dad passed away a few days ago.

He'd been unwell, and I'd been taking care of him until the day before when he got suddenly even more unwell and I had to take him to hospital via ambulance. He passed onto a better life on the 22nd of November 2011.

I wept on the 22nd but have felt increasingly happy since then.

Reason: I realize more and more each day, that passing on was the best thing for daddy at this time - he'd been suffering from his illness which also caused him a lot of pain on most days you see, so it was a mercy that God cut short his suffering and took him from his earthly body. The real daddy lives on - he was always a spirit anyway - the body was only a temporary vehicle for that spirit.

Knowing this, knowing that daddy is now truly free from pain, sickness, stress and all the rubbish that earthly life can throw at you sometimes, makes me truly happy that he's gone home to Jesus.

What's this got to do with your success?

Everything!

Your focus determines your emotions and your actions.

I have chosen to focus on the good life that daddy led, the fact that my brothers and I were able to spend time with him and keep him as comfortable as humanly possible while he was with us, and the even better life he is leading right now and for eternity, and that pleases me - dude's having a blast presently! This focus has empowered me to move on with life, to be full of joy, praise and thanksgiving to God, and also to console and comfort others touched by dad's passing.

I also know to choose my words carefully cos they also affect my focus. I refuse to say I've lost my dad - how can you lose someone when you know exactly where they are? Besides, 'loss' conjures sad images and emotions - not my cup of tea. No, I've not lost my dad. I know exactly where he is!

So I refer to his passing as just that. I don't even say he's dead anymore, cos I now realize that no, he's not! His body (earthly vehicle/container) may be, but he was never really his body anyway.

Dear reader, there are some profound revelations in the above paragraphs, if you are willing to see:

- You are not your body: your body is simply a vehicle that transports the real you, around on earth.
- You are a spirit. God made you in His image, and He's a spirit.
- This means that you, the real you, are perfect - no sickness, no weakness, no disease, no sadness or lack, no stress or grief etc; the real you is perfectly whole - abundantly wealthy, abundantly joyful, abundantly complete in every way!

The implication of this truth for you is tremendous:
- Your self esteem, your self image, gets a super turbo boost when this truth dawns on you. This is who you are, dear reader. A spirit made in God's image. This is why your thoughts are powerful, and become things. It's why your words are powerful, and come to pass. You're all of that, baby!

- Your self image determines the level of your performance in life. You can never perform above or beyond the image you have of yourself. Knowing that you've been made in God's image empowers you to know beyond a shadow of doubt that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, that you are above only, not beneath, the head and not the tail, etc, etc. You rock! You excel!

- Knowing who you really are, and focusing on this regardless of what the outside world looks like, empowers you to bring into physical reality, that which you are focusing on.

I'll let you chew on that for a while.

For now I'd like you to please think on these things, be thankful for who you are, and start acting like who you really are.

Your life, your success, depends entirely on it.

God bless ya!

How To Modify Your Genes!

2011-11-17T20:42:00.000Z

Common medical 'knowledge' says you inherit certain conditions from your ancestors, that you have certain 'genetic predispositions'.

The problem with conventional 'knowledge' is that the masses accept it without challenging or questioning it.

This is dangerous.

No matter what anyone says, you are ultimately responsible for the physical manifestations you experience. We each are.

Your thoughts directly *and* indirectly affect your health.

We've known for a long time that thoughts somehow indirectly affect our state of health - stories abound as to how people 'healed themselves' of life-threatening conditions by applying certain thought-processes (faith-based prayer included).

Way back in medical school I learnt about how the 'higher centers' of the central nervous system were controlled by 'external factors' such as stress.

We now know and can now prove scientifically, how thoughts directly affect our bodies at the cellular level. This is thanks to ground-breaking research in molecular biology and neuroimaging. Epigenetics is showing some pretty fascinating results.

The effects of your thoughts can now be seen by state-of-the art imaging techniques.

What's more, the Human Genome Project yielded some even more fascinating findings: they discovered that your genes do not just express themselves according to some ancestral 'programming'. Rather, what determines the way your genes are expressed, is your thoughts.

Specifically, your perception of things.

For instance, if your dad suffers from cardiovascular disease and his father died from the same condition, conventional thinking says 'it runs in your family'.

Current science now proves that 'it runs in your family' because your (affected) family family members have accepted it as their fate.

There goes that same theme again: you get what you believe. Your belief becomes your reality. You are what you think.

If your perception of a diagnosis of breast cancer is one of acceptance and resignation, you've effectively written your death sentence. If your perception of such a diagnosis is that 'I've already beat this thing' or 'My God is bigger than cancer so it's not a problem! I'm a victor in this situation, and those cancer cells need to 'be afraid, be very afraid!' '- then you've beat it and this will manifest in your body also. I can personally testify to the validity of this.

I bet you've heard of at least one person who 'had a fighting spirit' and so 'overcame' or 'conquered' the same malignancy.

The message in all of this is that you can literally modify the way your genes express themselves. You can choose your thoughts to reflect the physical reality you desire.

As a doctor, I can examine you and give you a diagnosis that I've been trained to give you. However, you have the option to accept my words as the final word on your condition, OR you can choose a better 'diagnosis' and prognosis for yourself.

Even if something 'runs in your family', you can decide *now* to end that trend by being the first person fr*e*e from that condition.

Now I'm the first one to tell you that this is much easier said than done, but it sure beats the alternative. Plus, if you persist in re-programming your mind and re-conditioning your thoughts, you will definitely see the results you desire.

This takes commitment and persistence, and a stubborn determination that no matter how things look on the outside, you will stick to your inner vision of perfect, true health until it manifests on the outside.

Can you do it? You bet!

Is it going to take work on your part? Absolutely, but isn't it worth the effort? Aren't you worth it? You deserve to be perfectly healthy, to function the way you were created to function. So take the first step today and decide to modify your genetic (and other) expressions.

This is the essence of The First Pillar of A Healthy Life, folks. It sets you up, puts you in a frame of mind to ACT on the remaining pillars of a truly healthy life.

Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about health & fitness, personal development, success principles and Women's issues.

Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

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Yes, YOU Can!

2011-11-17T18:50:00.000Z

If you could change one thing in your life today, what would it be? Why don't you have some of the things you'd like to have, and why do you have some? What's the reason for the inconsistency?

Do you find yourself wondering what people think of you? Has that line of thinking ever made you doubt your abilities and your potential?

Do you ever catch yourself thinking 'I can't do that, I'm not good enough' or 'that level of success and prosperity is for them, not for poor old me', or other similar thoughts?

One thing you must realize is that your success in any venture starts with your thoughts about it. If you think you can succeed (in losing weight, stopping smoking, securing a high-income- paying job, finding your ideal partner, etc, etc), you're already on your way to getting what you want.

If you think you can't succeed, if you doubt that you can, you've just set yourself up for failure and self sabotage.

Like Henry Ford said, ''if you think you can or if you think you can't, you're probably right'. It's up to you to make things happen in your life.

The way your mind works, it accepts whatever you feed it as reality. Your subconscious doesn't argue with you if you feed it with negative thoughts or positive thoughts - it just accepts it and goes about helping you making it manifest. So if you feed it with thoughts of success (eg 'I CAN lose weight healthily', 'I CAN stop smoking', 'I CAN find a high- income paying job, etc, etc), it will work to make it happen.'

You'll become alert to opportunities (and they are all around you if you'd only open your eyes and look) to move you towards your desired results.

Conversely, if you feed your mind with negative thoughts such as the ones above, your mind doesn't bother to find solutions to your problems. It closes up. You wouldn't recognize an opportunity to help you out if it slapped you in the face.

You know, it takes the same amount of effort to think positive thoughts as it takes to think negative thoughts. If positive thoughts help move you towards your goals while negative ones move you further away from them, it makes sense to dwell on the positive.

~*~SIDEBAR~*~

Positive thinking is but a step in the journey called 'success'. You need to back your thoughts with ACTION. You can think positive thoughts until your brain gets the cramps but if all you do is think and not act, you'd be wasting your time.

The good thing about positive thinking is that it puts you in the right frame of mind to take appropriate action.

~*~END of SIDEBAR~*~

Mark Twain (and later Napoleon Hill) said that 'What the human mind can conceive and believe, the human mind can achieve'.

The problem comes up after conceiving a potentially great idea. The little voice inside you starts saying things like 'that's a crazy idea' or 'nobody's ever done that before -who do you think you are?'. Your friends and family make fun of your idea. You begin to get discouraged and to think 'maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all'.

What should you do when this happens? Take control of your thoughts, that's what. Your mind has conceived it, remember, so your mind CAN achieve it. You just need to line up your thoughts and actions with what you want to do.

Tell all those naysayers (internal and external) that you will succeed in reaching your goal.

The next line of thinking after 'I CAN' is 'I WILL'.

Feed yourself with thoughts like that about yourself (and act accordingly) and you'll see your confidence, awareness and productivity soar. You'll find yourself attracting those things you want into your life.

Who says you can't make it? Tell them you CAN and you WILL. Then go out there and make it happen.

Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. A qualified professional Performance Coach, she specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.

How To Shrink Your Fibroids Naturally

2011-11-17T18:08:00.000Z

I get asked a lot to advice women on how to shrink their fibroids without surgery.

So here're my top tips. But first, a bit of background on the issue.

A fibroid is a benign tumour of the smooth muscle cells of your uterus (womb).

A woman can have just one or multiple fibroids, in various parts of the womb as you can see from the diagram below.

However the point of this article is not to tell you all about what a fibroid is - the focus is to tell you how to get rid of it without getting rid of your womb!

Symptoms of fibroid include these main ones: (if you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor to make sure there's no other cause for them)

- Heavy periods

- Painful periods

- Pelvic pain

- If large and pressing on your urinary bladder you may experience the feeling of going to pee often, and not emptying your bladder completely

NATURAL WAYS TO SHRINK FIBROIDS

The basis for this is controlling oestrogen levels in your body because one major factor in fibroids is excess oestrogens and oestrogen-like effects. This is why fibroids naturally shrink when a woman reaches the menopause - your level of estrogens decreases after the menopause.

Note that the reasons for fibroids in your case may be different for the reasons in another woman, as you will see below from the lists of causes of increased oestrogens. So you'd need to have a discussion with a Healthy Lifestyle Medicine practitioner to ascertain what is the cause in your case, if it's not clear to you after reading this post:

Causes of increased oestrogens

- Stress

- Overweight/obesity

- Contraceptive pills (the combined pill)

- Pregnancy

Causes of increased oestrogen effect

- Substances that mimic oestrogens in your body, such as pesticides used in non-organic foods, soy hormones used in non organic beef, poultry, etc.

How to Shrink your fibroids, naturally

(First make sure your doctor has assessed you to confirm there is no other gynaecological condition you're suffering from, apart from the fibroids).

The 8 Pillars of A Healthy Life will guarantee you to be free from symptoms of fibroid, because it takes care of these components:

a) Healthy Liver
This includes avoiding things which not only contain oestrogens, but also things which mimic oestrogens, such as certain toxins (such as the pesticides used in non-organic foods) and pollutants (which is why a healthy liver is essential to your total health: it helps your body get rid of these toxins, thus contributes to shrinking your fibroids if this is the cause in your case.)

Practising the 8 Pillars keeps your liver detoxified. In addition, if you suffer from fibroids, I would recommend that you take a high quality supplement that contains nutrients that support your liver function.

b) Healthy Weight
Excess oestrogens are stored in fat cells. Fibroids have been shown to occur more often in overweight women. If this is the cause for your fibroids, then when you lose weight, your fibroids will shrink.

An overweight body is an unhealthy body. The whole point of The 8 Pillars of a Healthy Life is to empower you to transform your body into a healthy body: weight loss is a pleasant 'side effect' of this process.

An 'aside' I have to throw in here: excess sugar gets stored as fat, thanks to the hormone insulin...so when you minimize your sugar intake, you help your body release excess fat. All helps win the battle against the 'broids.

For more on this, sign up for the FREE women's newsletter 'Success Tips for Women' over at www.totalsuccessforwomen.com .

c) Anti inflammatory state
If your fibroids are due to your being in a hyperinflammatory state (which can be the case if you're, among other things, eating the wrong types of food)…eating naturally anti-inflammatory foods may help, eg purified fish oil capsules, cumin, rosemary, hops, oats help reduce this.

Certain lifestyle habits keep your body in a hyperinflammatory state. For instance eating a lot of processed foods, eg refined carbohydrates, processed meats, etc contribute to this. Lack of physical activity also contributes to this because then your body is unable to produce the substances that protect you from this effect. So get moving, ladies - exercise is good for more than just weight loss!

d) Healthy Nutrition

In addition to the basic healthy nutrition guidelines you follow in The 8 Pillars of A Healthy Life, you need to :

Avoid food that has been injected with hormones eg meat, poultry.

Eat only (or mostly) organic foods as these are free from pesticides

Include non GM soy isoflavones (about 80mg/day) in your diet.

e) Stress Management

This is part of the 1st Pillar of A Healthy Life.

Stress leads to release of cortisol. Cortisol increases fatty tissues and fat cells. Fat cells store excess oestrogens. Stress management is a way to manage your weight also.

Stress is really your (chosen) response to an event. So empower yourself today: choose to respond to events in ways that promote health and healing for yourself, rather than ways that cause your stress hormone level to be sky high.

f) Sunshine!

The 6th Pillar of A Healthy Life.

Vitamin D has been shown to halt the growth of fibroid cells, which could explain why fibroids are commoner in black women - dark skinned people make less vitamin D and thus have insufficient levels in their bodies for it to do its protective work.

Vitamin D helps your immune system suppress tumour activity. Fibroids are tumours (benign ones)

So take a blood test with your doctor (ask for 'Serum (25,OH) Vitamin D levels) and if your levels are below normal, take a good vitamin D3 supplement at a dose of 2000IU per day.

g) Miscellaneous

Needless to say you must stop smoking and other such unhealthy habits, and keep your alcohol intake to the barest minimum, as these contribute to your worsening fibroids.

You CAN beat this, ladies!

You CAN shrink your fibroid!

You CAN avoid needless surgery!

Give your body a chance to do what it does best: heal and restore itself. However, it can't do this if it is receiving less than optimal treatment from you.

That's why I've written this overview on The 8 Pillars of a Healthy Life to stir you up to treating your body the right way - when you do, your body will reward you with health. No more fibroids!

Here's to your Total Health!

Dr Kem

www.doctorkem.com

The Difference Between Champions and Losers...

2011-11-17T15:28:00.000Z

Champions are champions because they do what they have to do to win, whether they feel like doing it or not.

This is one thing that differentiates winners from losers in this game of life.

It's a universal principle that applies across the board in every worthwhile endeavor. What are you looking to achieve this year? Have you sat down and counted the cost, do you know what price you have to pay to achieve it? Are you committed to paying that price?

You see, paying the price is not always fun, but because champions realize it's the only way to reach their goal, they go ahead and pay it anyway.

Those who lose in life avoid paying the price because it's too much of an inconvenience. It's not fun. These same people make excuses to justify their unwillingness to pay the price for success. For such people, the process is too much to ask.

Champions on the other hand, focus on the destination and consider the process as a temporary journey that's necessary to get them there.

You are a potential champion. You've got what it takes to do what Tiger Woods, Bill Gates and Oprah are doing, and even potentially more.

You've got to be willing to pay the price for your success though. Are you? Or do you just pay lip service to it? Ball's in your court. You can finish this year much stronger than when you started, if you get your act together, decide what you intend to achieve, count the cost of achieving it and then start now to pay the necessary price.

Remember, you're bound to pay a price one way or another. It's either the price of disciplining yourself to succeed, or it's the price of regret for failing to succeed. Why not choose the path of champions today? You're already one on the inside anyway. Let the champion in you out! Champions pay the price. Remember that.

Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about health & fitness, personal development and Women's issues. Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

How To Program Your Mind For Success

2011-10-26T22:14:00.000Z

One of my clients feels down.

She says she feels worthless, like she is 'a piece of doo doo' (her own words), that the world would be better off without her in it. (Now, after I asked her other questions to make sure she had no actual suicidal intents or plans, and got the 'depression' side of things out of the way, the conversation continued.)

'What makes you feel so bad about yourself?' I asked her.

'I've been told over and over that I'm rubbish: my mom told me I'd never amount to anything because I was rubbish; my first husband told me I was rubbish and beat me up because of it, my second husband called me a rubbish wife and mother and also beat me up til I got the police to get him out, and now my daughter, who I love to bits, tells me when we have an argument, that I'm a rubbish mom, and she hopes she never grows up to be like me. And when you hear the same thing over and over again you start to believe it.'

Wow.

This poor woman had come to believe the worst about herself because of what she'd been told all her life.

She'd been listening to the same tape being played over and over albeit in different players (by different people).

If only she knew then what I'm about to tell you now (I did share the following info with her though, and it made a big difference, but more on that later...for now, read on.).

What she did not realize was that within her own statement lay the key to her breakthrough.

The key sentence which hid the solution to her situation was: 'when you hear the same thing enough times/over and over, you start to believe it.'

That statement is not only true, but it has a sound scientific basis behind it, which I won't go into today.

The human mind is an amazing machine.

When you hear the same thing over and over again, you really do believe it to be true. Whether or not it really is true. Your mind doesn't distinguish between fact and reality. It just accepts whatever you feed it, and causes it to grow as you continue to think about that thing/hear the same thing repeatedly. And what you believe about yourself determines how you feel (your emotions), your actions (behaviour) and eventual results in life.

Do you begin to see how you can manipulate this fact to your own benefit?

The beauty of this is that your mind doesn't care who's saying it, as long as it hears it over and over again, it comes to take it as gospel truth.

In other words, it doesn't matter who's playing the tape, your mind accepts the programming anyway.

So the key to my client's breakthrough, and to yours, is to change the 'tape' you're listening to. Get proactive and become the player of the right type of tape, and refuse to listen to other, contrary tapes.

Be like Russell Crowe's character in 'A Beautiful Mind', who, by the end of the movie had learnt how to overcome his demons such that even though the hallucinations remained, they did not affect his life as they'd done earlier. Because the negative tape-players won't go away - they'll always be there, but when you've mastered the tapes you listen to, their nasty voices won't affect you at all. You'd be an overcomer.

So begin to listen to a different tape from today. Be the player of the tape, find other players who are playing the same tape and hang around them, read books which 'play the same tape', listen to audios and watch videos which 'play the same tape'.

This is called proactive, creative, bombardment. It doesn't matter who's playing the tape - what matters is the content of the tape. Make it empowering, self-esteem-building, content.

It's the only way to overcome the effects of negative programming which can have such devastating effects on your life.

I leave you this week with a thought.

The tape you listen to determines the calibre of people and circumstances you attract into your life. This woman had listened to the wrong tape all her life, and, having built a strong belief based on the content of that tape, she'd attracted men who had continued playing the same tape.

What calibre of relationships (friends, spouse or partner, etc) are you surrounded by right now? How do people at work/school relate to you?

What does your answer say about the sort of tape you've listened to all your life?

Isn't it time you changed tapes and started playing one that says only empowering, success-attracting, stuff? Isn't it time you listened to, surrounded yourself with, people who played the same sort of tape?

About The Author
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about health & fitness, personal development and Women's issues. Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Read Your Food Labels, people!!

2011-10-26T22:06:00.001Z

Every day, people are being deceived into thinking they are buying healthy foods when they buy things with such labels as 'fat free', or 'sugar free'. They faithfully buy these products but then notice no improvement in their health, rather they notice the weight stays on and perhaps piles on even more, and their cholesterol levels keep rising.

Take a look at the food ingredient label below, from a 'health food/cereal'. What do you think of it?

I tell you, the box that this product came in, is probably healthier than the product itself.

Most every week at the surgery, someone will moan to me that they don't understand why their health indices are not improving, seeing as they eat only low or no fat products and don't use sugar but use sweeteners.

So today let me explain to you once and for all what's what.

Whenever a food claims to be fat free or low fat, (check the ingredient label and you will find that...) sugar has been added to it to make it palatable for you. This is processed sugar. Guess what happens to it in your body: it wreaks havoc to your metabolism, and drives your hormones to cause you to store it as fat.

So your processed 'fat-free' foods are actually making you fatter and sicker.

Whenever a food claims to be sugar free, chances are it contains sweeteners like aspartame. Apart from the fact that aspartame is a known poison (a later article will deal with this very real, very serious issue), feeding your body with these 'low calorie sweeteners' also messes with the hormones that control hunger and satiety, causing you to have impaired controls such that you are unable to know when you are actually full - so you wind up eating more overall, leading to overall weight gain.

When a food contains sugar, it's processed sugar, which causes you to release the hormone insulin. Insulin being released more than normal due to high sugar intake (such as if you eat the product whose label is shown above ), causes your body to store the excess sugar as fat. The more fat you have the more insulin resistant you become, and this puts you at risk of a whole host of chronic deadly diseases, including diabetes mellitus and heart disease, not to mention overweight and obesity.

Note that 'sugar' on a food label ingredient list, includes anything that ends in '-ose' eg dextrose, fructose (with high fructose corn syrup being one of the worst out there...), sucrose, etc.

Folks, ignorance is NOT bliss.
What you don't know WILL hurt you.

Take control of your health today: read labels. Avoid processed foods. Avoid fat-free or sugar-free things. Avoid foods containing sugar.

Rather, seek out sources of food which are wholesome and healthful and have had minimal handling from origin.

If you eat meat, seek out the free range, grass-fed variety, which has not had any hormones or antibiotics injected into it (such chemicals get stored in the fat of such animals, so if you're not getting your meat from a farm that rears grass-fed , chemical-free animals, you should eat lean cuts of meat).

If you take dairy, seek out raw dairy that's from cows that have been reared as described above (grass fed, chemical-free). Unprocessed dairy is healthy if you're not allergic to dairy. It's the processed stuff (pasteurized, UHT ) that causes a lot of harm though.

Train yourself to enjoy the sweetness that comes from fresh fruit- but don't over eat these either as too much of a good thing can be bad...

But please do not be one of those people who gets deceived by smart, glossy marketing tactics.

Read your food labels and don't get suckered into unhealthy foods and drinks pretending to be healthy.

For an overview on what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, pop on over to www.doctorkem.com and read about
The 8 Pillars of A Healthy Lifestyle

About The Author
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about health & fitness, personal development and Women's issues. Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

How To Approach Every Challenge To Guarantee A Successful Outcome!

2011-10-19T09:43:00.003Z

The root source of pretty much every outcome in your life right now
is right between your ears.

Thoughts really are things.
They really do have the power to bring about the physical
manifestation of themselves, if you hold onto them long enough.

The sooner you accept this fact the sooner you will see your breakthrough.

What you think about, what you focus on, really does expand into reality.

What is your current challenge?
No money in the bank?
Poor health?
Unhappy relationship?

Name the challenge.
Acknowledge it.

But don't dwell on it.
If you focus your thoughts on your challenge, if you keep on rehashing the
current situation, you'll get more of the same. You'll stay stuck where you are.
You won't move ahead out of the situation. Worse still, when you focus on
the current challenge and how bad things are, you experience the emotions
of fear, panic, sometimes even depression.

This is because the more you think about a problem, the bigger it seems to
get, until you become overwhelmed and paralysed by the stress of it all.
What you focus on expands.

However, if you start thinking of ways to solve the challenge, you immediately
cause a shift in the atmosphere around you. If you continue thinking of ways
to solve it, you will find yourself becoming aware of possible solutions to the
challenge.

If you continue thinking of ways to solve the challenge, and you actually
act on the ideas you receive in this resourceful frame of mind, you will definitely
overcome that challenge.

The more you focus on the solution, the bigger the solution becomes and the
smaller the problem seems in comparison. This perspective empowers you
to go out there and do something about the challenge.

But first you must believe.

You must believe that you've got what it takes to overcome your specific challenge.
You must believe that God wants to help you overcome it.
You must believe that each challenge has within it the solution to it.
You must believe in yourself and your (God-given) abilities.
You must believe that your specific challenge is surmountable and you can surmount it.
You must believe that there is a way out and you can find it.

These types of thoughts take your mind off the problem and fix it on the solutions.

This way you are taking advantage of the fact that what you focus on expands.

You will find that by focusing on the solutions, your depression and negativity
lift and are replaced by hope and expectation.

But you must ACT though, on ideas that occur to you in this resourceful state.

Appropriate action is the bridge between your dreams and their achievement.
Discipline yourself to continue focusing on the solutions, even when things happen
to remind you of the problem eg you receive a message saying a payment has been
declined due to insufficient funds.

Acknowledge it, then shift your mind immediately to the solution you're working on.

And above all things be thankful.
Express gratitude for the challenge.
Be grateful for the solution that is available to you (even when it's not yet available
physiclally - thanking God for it anyway, brings about its transmutation from the
unseen to the seen realm, so be thankful anyway...).

You see, this is the underlying principle behind your situation.

Once you lay this groundwork on the inside of yourself, you're in a better position
to act on any ideas to solve the challenge that may be presented to you eg business
ideas, relationship-building ideas, health-maintaining ideas, etc, etc.

Trying to do the outward things without doing the inner work is a sure fire recipe
for disaster, even if you appear to experience short term, temporary, success.

So again I ask you:
What is your challenge?

But then I also ask you:
What are the possible solutions to this challenge?

The second question is what I want you to dwell on from now on, and related
questions (all to do with the solution, not the challenge), such as what do I need to
implement the solution I choose to work on?, etc.

Make this shift in your thinking right now and you will immediately cause
a change in direction of your future. Then commit to staying on course to
victory.

As you do this, the solution will not only become clear, it will become easy and
fun for you to implement.

You can do it!
Whatever you're going through, note that you're 'going through'.
It's temporary.
You're a winner in this game.

About the Author:
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.
Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

10 Low or No Cost Exercises You Can Start Today!

2011-10-19T09:40:00.002Z

Most everyone knows that exercise is good for you.

People mostly talk about it in terms of helping them lose weight.

Now, while it is true that regular physical activity accounts for 15-20% of the process of losing weight (a crucial 15-20% nonetheless) - the rest of the process, by far the most important aspect, is your nutrition - regular exercise has several other real health benefits.

So real are these health benefits, exercise has been called 'the miracle cure we've always had but neglected to use...'! Here are just a few of these benefits you get from regular exercise:

It increases insulin sensitivity - making it a very necessary part of your treatment if you've got Type 2 Diabetes
Improves your bone density and thus prevents osteoporosis; promotes supple joints and can prevent arthritis
Improves your brain function and potentially prevents Alzheimer's and other dementia
Has been shown to be more effective than antidepressants, in treating depression
Improves your sex life
Increases your 'good' (HDL) cholesterol level
Keeps your bowels functioning regularly
Helps protect against certain cancers
Improves your mood, helps you focus and concentrate more, thus enhances your performance and productivity.
Lengthens your life
Improves your blood pressure

The key is to find something you enjoy doing, and not to overdo anything. It's also important to ensure your exercise routine includes the three main elements:
- Aerobic/cardio
- Strength training/resistance training
- Flexibility training/stretching.

To get you started, here's a list of 10 fun exercises you can do and make part of your routine, but I suggest you pop into your local leisure centre and get free advice from a personal trainer on which of these to do, how often, etc.

I'll be posting more on these in due time, but if you're not sure of any exercise mentioned below you can youtube it and see some demonstrations.

Walking
Jump rope
Dumbbell exercises
Jumping Jacks
Push ups
Lunges
Burpees
Pull ups
Fitness Ball
Resistance Band stretches.

Where there is a will there's a way. Always.
Quit making excuses for not exercising: get going already!

What are your thoughts on this issue? Please comment below.

About the Author:
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.
Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

The Best Kept Success 'Secret'

2011-10-11T10:39:00.001Z

Listening to one of my favorite teachers, the late Jim Rohn, I got thinking. Mr Rohn had just 'revealed' a stunning 'discovery': the most successful people on the planet have 24 hours in a day! Er...so do the the rest of the people on Earth.

How come some people, given the same amount of time each day, earn £10,000 per month, while some earn £10,000 per year? What's the difference?

Since we've all got the same number of minutes each day, the difference in outcome must be in how we each use the time we've got.

Some people call it 'time management'. Not quite sure how we get off thinking we can control time, let alone manage it. Steven Covey in his classic 'The 7 habits of highly effective people' came up with a term which imho most accurately describes this concept of how we use our time: it's Personal Management. The only person you can (and should) control, is you. So you should control the way you spend your time.

What you spend your time doing sows the seeds for the results you experience in your life. You are 100% responsible for the way you spend your time, so it makes sense to spend it doing things that pull you towards your goal. Things that provide increased value to yourself and the marketplace. Things that improve your skill set.

Tips To Help You Use Your Time Wisely

List out your tasks - create a daily to-do list
Prioritise the tasks on your list based on your goals and values. Categorise things according to their importance, urgency or both, using this grid on the right (Thanks Dr Covey!)
Ensure that the majority of your activities fit into quadrant II (important but not urgent).
Create time for the things on your list, in order of priority. Be realistic with your expectations here so that you don't set up yourself for disappointment.
Learn to say 'No' and mean it.
Learn to delegate certain things so you can focus on more important ones.
Be in the 'now' - when you're at work, work. Give it your full attention: don't be surfing the net or facebooking when you are supposed to be working or studying. Refuse all distractions while working. When it's time to play, go all out by all means, but whatever you're doing, be fully present.
Shop online to save a trip to the grocery store.
Check your email maximum twice a day, then leave the net. Resist the urge to browse, surf, click links etc - save that for your dedicated 'surfing time'. Even your surfing should be purposeful, not aimless. Make every minute of every day count for something.

Every minute of every day you are planting a seed for your future. It's your choice what seed you sow, therefore the results you experience in your life are entirely your responsibility.

Be like wise old Moses who asked God to 'teach us to number our days so that we may spend our time wisely'.

What are your thoughts, experiences, challenges, etc, in the area of effective use of time? Share below.

About the Author:
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.
Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Beauty Sleep... not just a myth!

2011-10-11T10:07:00.001Z

A good night's sleep is a powerful 'drug'. If you fully understood what is accomplished when you sleep well at night, you will agree with me that nothing and nobody is worth your losing any sleep over.

Adequate sleep is one of the 8 Pillars of A Healthy Lifestyle.

So today I'll share with you the benefits of adequate sleep, then I'll give you some tips on 'sleep hygiene' - how to ensure you get the best possible sleep every night.

Benefits of A Good Night Sleep.

Reduced stress, greater ability to cope with daily stressors. Inadequate sleep causes you to secrete high levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. If you habitually don't sleep enough, this constantly elevated level of cortisol could put you at risk of several health problems including depression, decreased bone mass, brain degeneration, diabetes and more.
Weight loss. Inadequate sleep messes with the balance of other hormones as well, including the hormones that control satiety and appetite. Studies have shown that if you consistently get less than 7 hours of sleep each night, because the signals from these hormones are disrupted, you find your appetite is out of whack, and you're unable to tell when you're full so you eat more and...you got it - pile on the weight!
Lowers your 'bad' cholesterol. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is released during sleep, and one of its jobs is to lower the level of 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) in your body. Inadequate sleep disrupts this process and puts you at risk of accumulating LDL, which is bad because of the next point...
Protects your heart. Adequate sleep is good for your heart. Raised levels of LDL, put you at risk of having heart attacks and strokes. So make sure you inlcude adequate sleep in your health arsenal if you wish to avoid these baddies. Inadequate sleep also can contribute to raised blood pressure, which is also bad for your heart.
Makes you smarter. Adequate sleep promotes mental acuity and improves your memory for reasons researchers are not fully sure of. One thing we do know, however, is that while you sleep, your brain is hard at work processing information, creating links and memories, storing stuff for future use and so forth. Inadequate sleep messes with this process.
May prevent cancer. Especially breast and colon cancer. Studies suggest this may be due to the disruption in melatonin secretion which happens when you don't sleep in a dark enough environment. Melatonin secretion is reduced by exposure to light. Melatonin is your sleep hormone: it's released from about 9pm, and it makes you feel sleepy...it's secreted for the next 12 hours after that and by daytime its levels are barely detectable. Melatonin also plays a part in providing immunity, and is a powerful antioxidant (free radical destroyer). Some studies also suggest it inhibits cancer cell growth and can directly kill certain tumor types.
Anti-aging treatment. Disruption of the hormones secreted during sleep leads to an increase in oxidative damage caused by free radicals in the body. This oxidative damage is partly responsible for the visible signs of 'aging' you may be experiencing prematurely. So you see, beauty sleep does have scienctific merit!
Increased alertness. This is something you've probably experienced yourself, after a good nights sleep.
Body repair time. While you sleep, your body works to put your nutrients (hopefully you've provided it with healthy food during the day) to work, restoring and repairing tissues that have been damaged by ultraviolet exposure, stress, and other things that raise your free radical levels.
May reduce depression. Nuff said.

Tips For A Good Night Sleep

Go to bed early, say around 10pm and aim for the amount of sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed and recharged the next morning. Our system does most of its recharging between 10pm and 2am. Most adults need between 6 & 9hours of sleep each night for optimal health. This varies though, from person to person - some people function well on more or less than that, and your current state of health affects how much sleep you should have eg during illness or early pregnancy you'd need a lot of sleep.
Maintain regular sleep and waking times.
Make your sleeping area (bedroom) as dark as possible. Get rid of as many light sources as possible, because even the standby lights from your electronic equipment cause you to secrete less melatonin.
Don't drink caffeine or do exercise just before you sleep.
No TV right before bed. Ideally there should not be a TV in your bedroom.
Exercise regularly, but your workout, if done later in the day, should be more than 3hours before sleep.
Munch an apple about 30 minutes before you sleep: it helps promote deep sleep by encouraging tryptophan, the sleep-inducing protein, to get through your blood-brain barrier.
Have your last meal 2-3hours before you sleep though.
Avoid alcohol just before bed as it disrupts with the phases of deep sleep during which your body does its healing and repair work.
Relax: a soothing bath, some soothing music, thinking calm thoughts...these all help too!

Here's hoping you sleep tight tonight! Please leave your thoughts and comments on this topic below.

About the Author:
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.
Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Health Benefits of Vegetable Juicing!

2011-10-04T13:13:00.002Z

I just love me some veggie juice in the morning as part of my breakfast (which often has got to also contain some high-quality protein to be complete).

So I'm going to share with you some great reasons for you to consider developing this habit, by sharing with you what I had in my FRESH veggie juice this morning:

4 celery sticks
5-6 broccoli florets
Half a cucumber
Some ginger (for that 'kick'-it's awesome!)
Some turmeric (not the powder but the actual root)
A handful of kale
2 small apples for taste :)

Now I gotta admit, the concept of drinking vegetable juice took me a while to accept - but I knew I had to do this because the health benefits were just too many for me to ignore. The above juice gives me an instant energy boost that I don't know how else to explain. This is not to mention the goodness I'm ingesting by drinking it.

Here, let me break it down for you:

Broccoli:

Contains Vitamins including the following (benefits listed below by no means exhaustive, simply an overview):
A - for great vision, has been said to help prevent cataracts,
B - for proper functioning of most every body function,
C- powerful antioxidant and antihistamine,
E - powerful antioxidant,
K - bone health and healthy blood clotting when needed),
Minerals contained in broccoli include the following:
Calcium - bone health, preventing osteoporosis
Copper - beneficial for growth, repair, utilisation of iron, antioxidant action, etc,
Iron, - helps carry oxygen to your cells
Potassium - which helps reduce blood pressure, reduce risk of stroke, among others
Zinc - tissue repair, improved immunity, anti-inflammatory, improves blood sugar levels, etc
Anti-cancer chemicals: broccoli is loaded with these
Improved immunity
Lots more, stay tuned

Celery

Contains Vitamins B & C
Also Minerals Iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium
Helps with water retention as can be diuretic
Contains cancer-fighting coumarins
Anti-inflammatory esp joint pain
Boosts immunity
Lots more, stay tuned...

Cucumber

Vitamins A, C
MInerals Calcium, Iron, magnesium, Iodine, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, silicon
Great for healthy skin, nails and hair
Great for bone health also
Lots more, stay tuned...

Ginger

Anti-cancer (esp breast, ovarian and colon)
Anti-inflammatory
Helps ease menstrual cramps
Anti-emetic if you need one...
Helps with heartburn
Immune booster
Lots more

Turmeric

Powerful anticancer agent
Improves liver function
Improves digestive function
Supports joint health
Supports healthy skin
Supports blood health
Helps maintain cholesterol in normal range
Provides pain relief
Helps stabilise blood sugar
Lots, lots more, stay tuned.

Kale

Contains Vitamins A, B, C, E
Contains Minerals: Manganese, Iron, Copper, Calcium
Helps digestive health
Powerful antioxidant
Anti inflammatory
Anti-cancer properties
Lots more!

Apples

In addition to making the juice more palatable for me, these babies also have great health benefits in their own right:
Powerful antioxidant
Promote satiety so helps with weight management
Anticancer properties
Good for your heart
Quercetin in the apple promotes endurance during a workout
Lots more!

Need I say more? All this goodness packed in one cup of juice this morning! No wonder I feel so good after drinking a cup of fresh veggie juice!

There'll be more posts on veggie juicing so sign up now for the FREE Health & Success Newsletter (form on the right side of the page) to learn more!

About the Author:
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.
Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Tips To Help You End The Year With A BANG!!

2011-10-04T11:49:00.000Z

It's the last quarter of the year already! If you've not quite yet accomplished the goals you set at the start of the year, cheer up! 90 days are plenty of time for you to turn things around and make this your best year YET! Here are tips to get you on track:

1. Know who you are...and be true to yourself.Who do you think you are? What do you see yourself as? Your answers, your belief about the answers to these question influence your attitudes, behaviours and results in life, so you better have a sound paradigm to work from. You are a spirit being made in God's image. Your body houses the real you. Your natural state is perfect health and abundance (because that's God's natural state). If your current (outward) reality does not reflect this, it is because you have let your circumstances control your life. Knowing and acknowledging who you really are, and the implications of this Truth, and meditating on what it means, will put you in a position to cause your physical reality to reflect your true inner reality: perfect health, joy and abundance. Meditate on this til it sinks in.

2. Define clearly what you desire...then FOCUS on making it happen.Do not limit yourself here. I have not asked you to decide what you think you can have or what you think you deserve or what your mama thinks you should have. I am suggesting here, that you should state what *you* would like to be, do and have, which you don't have right now. Use your imagination - that's what it's there for. You have an open cheque, so to speak. Fill it in with what you choose. This is why you are told to 'Ask for whatsoever you desire...'. Let that desire be clear in your mind. Whether you like it or not, you're headed somewhere. I'm asking you to decide your destination so that you're arriving there by choice, not by chance. So get clear on what you really desire for your life.

3. Believe that what you desire is *already here*.Everything in this world is energy. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can be transformed from one form to another - if you took Physics classes you'll be familiar with this statement. Well here's a real-life application of this law.

Everything you desire, everything you could ever possibly wish for, already exists! It simply exists in intangible form, waiting for to do what you need to do in order to change it to its material version. You know how water can change from steam to liquid to solid (ice)? Different forms, same substance. Same thing applies to your desires. Believe this, and you're fortifying your 'power positioning'.

This is why you are told to '...believe that you receive what you ask for, and you shall have it...' Before you ever showed up on planet earth, God (who knows your end from your beginning), placed everything you could ever possibly need to live an abundant, joyful, peaceful life, in place. Now you've gotta learn how to bring it into the physical, where you can use it.

You will learn more about this and the other tips in this article in subsequent issues of the Health & Success newsletter (sign up FREE on the right side of this page).

4. Practice daily gratitude for what you desire.Being thankful for something before you receive it strengthens your faith, and keeps your mind focused on the object of your gratitude. Benefit: what you focus on is what you get (according to the so-called 'Law of Attraction' - which is actually based on Matthew 6:33, among other scripture passages....). An attitude of gratitude also puts into motion the Law of action and reaction - when you give thanks to God for already granting you what you've asked for, you trigger a response from Him towards you - 'whatsoever you desire'.

5. Practice genuine forgiveness.Here's what we're trying to do: cause the thing you desire to be attracted to you. Unforgiveness, grudges, malice, hatred, doubts and fear are examples of things that cause resistance and block the flow of that which you desire. So if you've got a grudge against someone, or a feeling of resentment, even if they've wronged you, forgive them. Let go of all the hurt, anger and other negative feelings their actions may cause you to have. Do this for *you*. I love this saying "harbouring resentment or unforgiveness against someone is like you drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." So true. The only person to lose in this scenario is you. So just let go. Let them be. Let the blessings have a f*r*E*E, unobstructed channel to flow to you. This is a sign of true self-mastery.

6. Practice genuine love.Love everyone, whether you feel like it or not. Treat everyone exactly how you'd like to be treated. This is a decision you make, and it's one of the most empowering ones you could ever act on.

As Og Mandino puts it in 'The Greatest Salesman In The World', when you meet or come across someone today, think to yourself 'I love you' - send everyone thoughts of love, whether or not you know them. Then relate to everyone with genuine love. Not sure what that means? Real love means treating others with kindness, patience, respect, belief in the best, not envious, rejoicing when others do well, not self-seeking, and thinking only good thoughts towards others. Treat everyone this way unconditionally and your 'power positioning' becomes the strongest it could possibly be. Remember that you don't live in isolation: whatever success you desire must involve other human beings. So treat everyone right, just as you'd like to be treated.

7. Practice genuine detachment.Don't be attached to anything or anyone. When you forgive and love people, don't do it expecting them to treat you the same way in return. Do it because it's in your best interest to do so. Do it knowing that you will receive, though not necessarily from the ones you've given to. Trust that God will see to it that you get well compensated for everything you give.

This principle alone takes away any fear of rejection or fear of failure you may otherwise feel in any circumstance.

Detach yourself from the outcome of your actions, and you will experience a tremendous amount of freedom and joy. You'll also be able to sleep well at night, knowing that in everything you've done today, you've given your best shot, and fussing over the outcomes won't change anything, so you can let go let the outcomes of your actions manifest.

8. Practice daily sowing - Take ACTION.
Taking the right action positions you to receive what you desire and believe you'll receive.

That's why it's important to know what you desire in the first place. When you do, then you'll know which steps to take to help you get there. You'll then be able to focus on the appropriate action steps that will bridge the gap from where you are now, to where you'd like to be.

With your mind set the right way (see tips 1 to 7 above), you have a solid foundation to base your actions on. The right actions, that is. Note that the right action means doing the things that move you closer to your goal, to the very best of your ability. Even if it's not apparent how something contributes to your goal (eg your current job may not have any immediate bearing to your desired goal), do everything the best way you know how. When all your actions are successful, they add up to a successful life.

9. Practice daily giving.Give something of yourself everyday. Start each day determined to add value to someone's life. Everything you give is a seed sown, and you will reap it in multiples. It's a Universal Law - nothing you can do about it:). If you desire financial abundance, be a regular giver to those that are less fortunate, in addition to your regular tithe to your church or other place of spiritual support. Give, not because you expect back from the person you're giving to, but because you know that the supply is limitless and in giving you receive from God, the all-abundant Source of all things. And here's a 'secret': the very act of giving, sends a message to your subconscious mind that 'I have'.

Remember, you attract what your subconscious mind dwells on. So by being a habitual giver, your predominant subconscious mindset is 'I have', and you attract more of that which you give. When you don't give because you're afraid you won't have enough, you send the message to your subconscious mind that 'I don't have enough', and you attract more lack and insufficiency as a result of your fear.

Super tip: start your 'giving' habit by sharing this post to at least one person you know - this information may be just what they need at this time.

10. Practice Proactive Health Maintenance.
Your body is the only one you've got. None of your goals matter if it's in poor shape. Look after the temple you've been blessed with. One remarkable thing about the human body is that anytime you treat it the way God intended, it rewards you with an amazing degree of health, energy, vitality (side effects: good body weight, incredible self- esteem), and it displays the ability to heal itself as well. So take care of your body. Treat it with respect. First become health-conscious. Then follow that up with the right actions - healthy, balanced diet; cellular nutrition with quality supplementation; regular, moderate exercise, and all the other pillars of a healthy life as described over here: 8 Pillars of Healthy Lifestyle

Bonus tip:

Commit to lifelong learning.

Ever heard that 'leaders are readers' or 'earners are learners'? Both statements are true. Study personal development material, study material about your chosen field of endeavour, study the Bible, study, study, study. Spend quality time each day studying and meditating on what you learn. You can only become a better human being by learning and applying what you learn.

Think you need discipline to achieve what you desire? You bet you will! If that word makes you groan, consider this: which price would you rather pay? The 'price' of discipline, or the price of regret? Whatever 'discipline' you require is short-term, with long-term benefits, unlike regret, which lasts long after the fact.

Most of the items on the list above involve disciplining your thoughts - this is the hardest thing anyone could ever ask you to do; once you've got your thoughts under control, your attitudes and behaviours naturally flow out of you, leading you to the outcomes you desire.

But your desires are worth the effort, surely?

About the Author:
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.
Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Kem_Thompson

Why You Do NOT Want To Lose Weight

2011-09-26T20:14:00.000Z

Losing weight is one of the commonest resolutions that people make every year. Yet obesity and overweight are on the increase.

Makes you wonder what is wrong with that picture.

What makes it such a difficult goal to accomplish or stick to?

Well there are several things, but for now let's talk about the most important reason.

It's the way you state the goal. In other words, it's the command you're giving to your subconscious mind. Your mind functions to attract and bring about the physical form of what you think about. It does this by steering you in the direction of actions that lead to the result of the command received by your subconscious.

You say, 'I want to lose weight'.

This implies 'I have excess weight' or 'I have weight'; Your subconscious mind thus reads that statement as 'I have excess weight', or 'I don't have weight loss' because that's what you're implying when you state your goal that way. That's the thought behind that statement. As far as your subconscious mind is concerned, the thought behind what you say, is what you really mean, and this is what it acts to bring about in your life.

There are 3 main problems with stating your desire this way.

- Since the predominant thought behind the statement is 'abundant weight' or 'excess weight', that is what you get. Remember, you get what you think about most of the time. You become what you think about - it's the way your mind works, whether you're aware of it or not.

- Since there is also a thought on 'losing weight', there is the danger of your subconscious finding creative ways to help you lose weight, for example you could have an accident and lose a limb or something. You'd weigh less then, for sure. Not quite what you had in mind I'll bet.

- Your mind is designed to bring about what's best for you. So it doesn't want you to 'lose' anything. If you talk about losing weight, your mind will do everything to help you find it.

You can see how stating your goal the wrong way can set you up to lose the battle right from the start.

Many 'weight loss' programs fail because they deal with external activities without paying attention to what's going on in your mind. Yet your mind is what decides the results you get. The programs that teach you the right way to think are the ones that will help you maintain any weight level you seek.

A program that focuses on 'weight loss' is inadvertently focusing on attracting weight because that's the predominant thought throughout the program.

How should you state your goal then?

First of all you need to understand that 'weight' in itself is not the issue. What the weighing scale reads, is not the threat you face. Your threat is excess fat. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you've got a lot of lean muscle, you'd probably weigh more than someone who has the same amount of fat, yet they're are the ones in greater danger, healthwise.

This is one of the flaws of the BMI measurements that are so popular. Body Mass Index measurements measure your weight against your height. They *are* useful indicators of weight- related health risks, but because they do not take account of the source of the weight (fat or muscle), the readings can sometimes be misleading.

If you desire to 'lose weight', a better way is to speak in terms of 'releasing fat'. The best way to state a goal is in the present tense.

So you could say 'I am releasing at least 500grams of excess fat every week' or you could say 'I weigh....(state your desired weight) of lean muscle and 10% body fat (if that's your desired body fat percentage level)'.

Those are examples - try them on for size. Better yet, come up with ones of your own.

Notice how you feel when you rephrase your weight goals that way. Notice the shift in energy behind those words.

Now here's a paradigm shift for you:

What if your goal statement had *nothing* to do with weight or fat. What if your goal statement focused on 'health'. Do you think you could achieve your ideal weight with that sort of goal statement?

Absolutely! This is, in my opinion, the best way to state a 'weight' goal.

Here's the thing: a perfectly healthy body is not over-weight. It's not under-weight either. When you are in perfect, true health, your body *naturally* releases excess fat and holds onto just what it needs to function perfectly.

So here's my challenge to you.

Don't join the masses who obsess about their body weight. A wise man once said that if you see the majority doing something, you'd better go the other way.

Be one of the few people who are truly 'health conscious'. What you are conscious of is what you attract. So state your goal as 'I am perfectly healthy now', and focus on that thought, for that is what you'll attract.

When you look in the mirror and what you see doesn't reflect your goal, remind yourself that your statement refers to the 'real' you, not the 'case' you move around in. The good thing about this is that your subconscious will latch onto your predominant thought which is 'I am perfectly healthy now', and guide you to do things that make it your physical reality.

It's amazing the way your mind works. Learn to make it work for you though, not against you.

Upgrade your 'weight' goal today. Focus on perfect health, for the 'ideal weight' is part of the 'perfect health' package.

Let me leave you with an excellent way to state your new and improved 'weight' goal. I learnt this (the 'I am so happy and thankful' bit) from Bob Proctor. Go ahead and say it out loud with me now:

"I am so happy and thankful that I am perfectly healthy now".

Make that your predominant thought and it will become your physical reality in good time. Always remember that your predominant thought determines your actions, which in turn determine your RESULTS.

PS: Note that this article focuses on what I call 'The First Pillar of A Healthy Lifestyle'. Read all about the rest of the Pillars here: Dr Kem's 8 Pillars of A Healthy Life (TM)

About The Author
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues. Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Kem_Thompson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/149226

Take ACTION Now!

2011-09-26T19:33:00.000Z

One difference between the 'haves' and the 'have nots', or the 'successful' and the 'unsuccessful' people of our world, is in what they've done or not done. Not what they say they will do or not do, but what they actually do or don't do.

Successful people are people of action. They act on ideas, instead of sitting and dreaming about them or talking about them.

Remember, every achievement or success story started as an idea in someone's mind. Everyone has ideas, some of them brilliant ones even, but not everyone acts on their ideas. Then when someone else gets a similar idea *and* acts on it, with good results you start to whinge, saying that you thought of it first.

Like that makes any difference!

I'm all for having ideas and I believe in positive thinking, affirmations and the other success principles more than anything, but in my opinion, they're all worthless until you back them up with ACTION. Even the Bible says that 'faith without works is dead.' Works means ACTION.

Many people remain broke because they did not act on a money-making idea they had. Perhaps that has happened to you or someone you know. You've had this great idea, but because you're concerned about what others will think of you when you act on it, you do nothing about it. Guess who loses in the end.

Fact is, the sooner you act on your ideas, the sooner you'll know for sure which ones work and which ones don't. And the sooner you can keep on trying different ideas until you get the results you want. Also, taking action speeds up the process of making mistakes and learning from them and moving on.

Here's something for you to chew on: if you want to do something, your very desire to do it is an indication that you CAN do it.

Read that statement again. I like the way it's put in the Bible: the One who gives you the desire to do something has also given you the ability to do it well (my paraphrase).

So be bold. Learn that new instrument. Start that business. Ask that guy or girl out . Make new friends. Buy that book. Take that course or get that degree. Write that story or novel. Hire that Success Coach ;)

Whatever you want to do, know that you can do it and do it now. Don't worry about what anyone else will think. It's your life after all, and trying out new things is part of what makes life exciting and interesting. Sure you'll make mistakes along the way but it's all part of the learning experience.

This week, pick one thing that you've always wanted to do but have been too afraid to do. Tell yourself that you can do it, and will do it.

Then go ahead and DO IT!

Remember, knowledge is only potential power until it's backed up with appropriate ACTION.

Permissions: You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. Please print the article in its entirety unchanged and notify the author by email when you use it ~*~

About The Author
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues. Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Kem_Thompson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/153998

Top Ten Health Benefits of Whole Body Vibration...

2011-09-21T09:12:00.000Z

Whole Body Vibration
When I first saw a Power Plate in the gym... I was skeptical and wondered what this new fangled gizmo was all about, didn't think it could do anything - mind you I had no idea what it was or what it did, I had not done any due diligence to find out about it...my initial opinion was based purely on ignorance! Even after having a few goes on it as encouraged by my Personal Trainer (who didn't explain what the heck it was supposed to be doing for me...perhaps also due to ignorance?), I wasn't convinced.

However since I pride myself on being open minded, I decided to read up on it, see if there was any basis for its existence.

What I found impressed me so much, the evidence was so thoroughly convincing I had to get one of my own to use as I pleased, at home, as part of my exercise routine. My aim in writing this post, is to give you an overview of this piece of equipment so you can decide whether or not you'd like to use it next time you're at the gym or leisure centre.

WBV takes advantage of Newton's second law: Force = Mass x Acceleration.
It does it in such a way that you can achieve significant amount of fitness working out for just minutes a day. So if one of your excuses for not exercising is 'I don't have the time to exercise', read on cos after reading this article, you've got no more excuses buddy!

In conventional exercise, when you do weight training in order to improve your strength (Force), you challenge yourself by increasing the amount of weights you lift (ie you increase the mass you apply.) According to Newton's Law, if you increase the mass being applied, you get an increase in Force (Strength).

So that's all good. Whole Body Vibration, however, (WBV from now on), takes advantage of the 'Acceleration' side of the equation. That's why it's also known as 'Acceleration Training'. The machine you do this on is known as a Vibration Plate or a Power Plate, as made popular by the Power Plate brand.

Before describing what this all means, here's how the machine looks:

My preferred brand (based on extensive research and comparison with other leading brands) is the JTX Pro-10, which looks like this:

WBV causes contraction of 95% or more of all your (individual) muscle fibres by vibrating at an accelerated rate. This is something you can't achieve by doing the regular strength training you'd do with weights. Having said this, I like to turbo charge my sessions by also doing weight training with weights while working on the plate (using the plate as the floor - this boosts each workout and gives me a much greater benefit per time...), however working out on the plate as is, gives you an enhanced and efficient workout, and you achieve in 10-20 minutes what you'd spend an hour in the gym (or on conventional exercise) trying to achieve.

There'll be more on how it works etc if you'd like me to write about it but for now let's cut to the chase and tell you what's in it for you - the true health benefits of WBV:

Increased bone density
Increased muscle mass and tone
Improved circulation - both blood and lymph
Weight management: you get to release excess fat as your metabolism is increased and more efficient...
Hormonal balance (decreases levels of stress hormone cortisol, increases levels of other hormones which help you look and feel good, fit and full of vitality (endorphins, serotonin, growth hormone, etc)
Decreases cellulite (likely due to its effect on improving circulation_
Improved physical performance
Reduced pain and faster recovery after workouts, as well as for rehabilitation and recovery post-op
Improved balance and stability
Gives you a great massage too if you wish!

There are many more benefits, I just picked out my top 10. You can achieve these benefits by working out for just 10-20 minutes per day on your plate.

I'm particularly glad I got one because now that I'm recovering from major surgery and am not allowed to do my regular exercise just yet, I still get the full benefit with less strain on my body, by using my JTX Pro 10 plate. Then I round up my session with a massage. It's fantastic! Always ask your doctor though, if it's okay for you to use this machine, and if you've had any surgery, make sure you get the all-clear from your surgeon that you can do this.

Warning: Don't use the power plate if any of the following applies to you:

pregnant
pacemaker
epilepsy
metal or other implant eg in joints
recent IUCD insertion
severe heart failure or heart disease
severe hypertension
blood clots
tumors which have chance of spreading
recent surgery (less than 6 weeks) or wounds.

Otherwise it's a good way to get a whole body workout in a short time.

Pop into your local leisure centre and ask to be shown how to use one, see for yourself if the benefits listed above are things you wish to invest the time working for.