But it wasn’t until I let go of needing more that more presented itself.

Later, I studied and sought to identify why others weren’t further along, achieving more, accomplishing more, experiencing more. I now realize as a result of my own struggle and struggle of others that you must first “let go” before you can receive.

When I say “let go” I mean…

• let go of the need – not the ambition,
• let go of identity validation through possessions and praise – not achievement,
• let go of the wants and desires – not the pursuit of magnificence,
• let go of the identity and the ego – not the higher values that make you who you really are,
• let go of the the form. As Bruce Lee once said, “Become formless.”

This knowledge, as profound as it is, is only knowledge. The practice, is the work of a lifetime. Its mastery, is all but impossible but well worth the pursuit.

It starts with identifying what you are holding onto… that may be holding you back from receiving.

Turn up your audio volume
A profound scene from the movie Peaceful Warrior illustrating the power of identity and how we will do almost anything to hold on to it including the taking of our own life… if it is threatened or taken away.

Tom

When and how you wake in the morning along with what you do can either set you up for success or a painful yawn fest the rest of the day.

We’ve all heard the old adage – “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Well, that may or may not be true depending on your DNA and nutrition style. But there are other morning rituals that are a lot more immutable.

1. UNNECESSARY DECISION MAKING: Rummaging through your closet trying to decide what to wear first thing in the morning is costing you 10% more bandwidth and time than it would the night before. In addition, standing in front of your open refrigerator trying to decide on what to have for breakfast or if you’re going to have it at all usually leads to bad results. Decide what to wear and what to eat the night before and have them prepared.

2. HITTING THE SNOOZE ALARM: By hitting the snooze button, you’re interfering with your body’s natural wake mechanisms, which actually sets you up for more exhaustion during the day ahead. When your alarm goes off for the 2nd or 3rd time, your body and brain are confused, resulting in that foggy feeling called sleep inertia. Sleep inertia can stay with you throughout the day, making you feel exhausted. Get into the habit of getting up at the same time every day and never hit the snooze.

3. IMMEDIATE COFFEE: I hate to tell you, but that coffee first thing in the morning, the pre-breakfast caffeine jolt has negative all day ramifications. Drinking coffee first thing in the morning can radically affect the levels of cortisol in your body, which will negatively impact your energy. High cortisol can lead to increased blood sugar and even weight gain. Coffee before breakfast can also create serious problems for your stomach and digestive system. The best time to sip your almond milk latte is after at least 8oz of water and a good healthy meal between 9:30 a.m. and noon.

There’s more… a lot more but start with these first. Breaking old habits is never easy nor is starting new ones.

Let’s be BIGGER than our challenges.

There is an abundance perspective rarely talked about by achievement coaches.

You may be focusing on your objective but from the wrong perspective. And it may be the very reason you’re not experiencing everything you want.

“Conscious FOCUS will determine your destination but your unconscious FOCUS will determine your outcome.”

Find out how…

Learn how to direct your unconscious energy, focus, and, attention. And add some much needed JUICE to achieving your most challenging goals and objectives.

I got close enough to experience the suffocating smoke that threatened to overtake COVID as an immediate health risk.

I was driving into the hills North West of Denver near Estes Park when I encountered an impenetrable wall of smoke. By the time I realized its density and magnitude I was fully engulfed.

The lack of visibility made it impossible to continue forward. And the risk of being hit by another car or truck, if I were to backup was extremely high.

The Real Smoke Screen

The only confident thing I could do was pull to the side, and wait for some semblance of visibility. It too was a risk.

While I sat in my car, hoping the dense smoke wasn’t immediately accompanied by that bright red and yellow hot stuff, I was listening to the local talk radio for some news.

But honestly, between the smoke and the talk radio fear and doomsday rhetoric, I would have thought the world was coming to an end and that the new Masia had just arrived.

Of course, neither one was or is true.

However, at that moment I began to experience an emotional smokescreen that had me blind to anything psychologically positive.

Nothing was making sense in that moment…

“Why is the world so f—ed up? “What’s going to happen to the economy?” “Why are so many people suffering?” “Why is there so much hate?”

“Am I going to make it the hell out of here…alive?”

These were the negative thoughts swirling around in my head.

After turning off the radio and slowly backing out of my predicament (I had no choice), shaking off this acute sense of foreboding required quite a bit of refocusing.

The Opportunity

The experience gave me an opportunity to recognize how easily outside influences and skewed perspectives can hijack and radically redirect our emotions, thoughts, and infect out attitude.

After-all, earlier that day, when I pulled out of the driveway, all was right with the world (well almost). By the time I had sat, engulfed in the smoke, listening to the doomsday talk for 20 minutes it was indeed the end of the world.

It’s Not All Bad…

“A negative attitude is more likely to yield bad results and a positive attitude supports good results. It’s easier to destroy something than it is to build it.”

If we removed ourselves from the smoke screen and stopped to notice, all the good going on around us, we would be compelled to contribute in some way.

Hungry, stray dogs are being rescued.

The Homeless are being fed.

IRAs are increasing in value.

Jobs are being created.

Every doorway has packages stacking up.

So much more…

There’s even some good in the struggle we all face right now. The fact that we are all in this together and not struggling alone is a really good thing.

Small Town Effect

I’m very fortunate to live in a small town-home community where my neighbors are close and I know almost all of them.

There was a time when I hated that. Too freaking close!

Now I’m grateful to have people around me I can support and can count on for support…even if we are wearing masks.

I would encourage you to not only look for the good around you – but also where you can do good.

It’s easier than you might think.

I’m sure you can come up with a much longer list but here’s five simple thing you can do starting today.

• Do you have an elderly neighbor that could use support? Stop by and see how they’re doing or ask if you can pick something up on your next trip to the grocer.

• Is there’s an old friend you haven’t spoken to in some time? Call to check-in.

• What about that kid down the street with no friends? Offer him a job racking your lawn or shoveling snow for a few bucks and create a connection.

• Stray dog or cat…don’t ignore it. Do what you can do to help. Call Animal Control or see if you can get it off the street yourself. (Don’t go chasing any Coyotes)

• Contribute a positive, uplifting, thought, experience or story as a post on social media. (here’s an idea…share this one)

Doing these things isn’t just about the old lady, long lost friend, lonely kid, or the stray animal – it is about you. When you do good, it resonates inside and around you on a very high level and attracts more of the same into your life.

You’ll begin to see more good stuff, experience more good stuff, and start to believe there is good stuff happening all over the world.

It might begin with recognizing the direction the prevailing winds are taking your thoughts and feelings. If you suspect they’re not moving you towards your true north – I suggest you put on your windbreaker and push back.

Now that’s GOOD STUFF.

Please connect with me on FB – https://www.facebook.com/tomterwilliger/

First you should know that during his formative body building years, Tom used a Ketogenic (Keto) diet approach for the last 4-5 weeks before a contest.

After eating super “clean” for 8-10 weeks, dropping 10-15 lbs and chiseling down to a single digit body fat percentage it always seemed to require a slightly more extreme and aggressive approach to really dial it in.

That’s where the Keto approach came in and it generally worked.

I share that with you so you understand that we’re coming from a place of personal experience not just hear say.

We did a quick comparison of the “Keto” diet to the “Clean Nutrient Rich” approach to eating we advocate in the Max Mind Lean Body Nutrition Guide.

Here are our Pros and Cons…

Ketogenic Diet:

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that can have dramatic positive changes to your metabolism. Unlike many fad diets that come and go with very limited rates of long-term success, the ketogenic diet (or keto diet) has been practiced for more than nine decades (since the 1920s) and is based upon a solid understanding of physiology and nutrition science.

It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.

Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits.

The standard Ketogenic Diet: It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs.

CONS:

• Protein levels are very low. For active over 40 men and women it may increasingly more challenging to maintain and/or build new lean muscle tissue.
• Ketosis can become dangerous when ketones build up in the body. High levels can lead to dehydration and change the chemical (acid) balance of your blood.
• Although we’re told otherwise – because of it extremely low carbohydrate intake the Ketogenic diet approach can be very difficult for most people.
• To get really proficient at balancing the diet it requires testing your urine for ketone levels daily.
• There has been little talk about the lack of dietary fiber in a Ketogenic approach. Too little fiber in our diets can have far reaching ramifications that can back the entire system up to a stand still.
• Because of it’s extremely low carbohydrate intake levels it can cause temporary dips in physical energy levels.
• Consumption of alcohol can completely negate the ketogenic benefit.

PROS:

• In addition to helping you burn fat, ketosis can make you feel less hungry.
• More and more research suggests that ketogenic diets might also help lower risk of heart disease, and Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s.
• Other studies show very-low-carb diets help people with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, leaky gut, depression, increase mental clarity, improve skin conditions, reduce auto-immunity and a decrease in overall inflammation throughout the body.

CLEAN – Nutrient Rich Eating:

“Clean Eating” simply means eating for health, fitness and longevity more than just taste, instant gratification, or comfort. This approach is similar to Paleo Diet in that you eliminate dairy and can enjoy fruits in minimal moderation while closely resembling the Keto Diet with the exception of the higher ratio of protein and just a tiny bit higher carb ratio. Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle. Let’s face it, as we age it becomes more challenging to keep muscle on our bodies especially for those of us who are very physically active. The primary guidelines around Clean Nutrient Rich Eating from Max Mind Lean Body perspective requires eliminating all grains (oatmeal, pasta, bread, rice, etc), all dairy, fried and processed foods, fast foods, all foods high with sugar and allows for minimal low sugar fruits.

Nutrient-Rich foods are foods that contain an abundance of (micronutrients) vitamins, minerals and complete amino acids but very few calories, additives, food coloring, or preservatives. A variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, lean meats and seafood can all be considered “nutrient rich”.

The Clean Nutrient Eating: The ratio is 55% fat, 35% protein and 10% carbs.

CONS:

• Works best when small meals are consumed every three hours. This calls for creating some new habits.
• Requires eliminating the addictive an unhealthy sugary foods including the regular consumption of deserts. Note: If you dive into desert on a regular basis you can stop wondering why the weight just won’t come off. It’s got to go.
• Also requires eliminating all the grain carbs (oatmeal, pasta, bread, rice, etc). Eliminating grains isn’t difficult but it does take commitment and planning and changing current habits.
• No “legitimate” excuse for over consuming unhealthy, greasy fried foods.

PROS:

• All the numerous health benefits of the Keto Diet.
• Preservation of muscle mass!
• You get to eat frequently. Eating every three hours stimulates your metabolism and keeps your appetite satiated.
• Clean Nutrient Rich eating has been shown to lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and even the symptoms of arthritis and balance blood glucose levels.
• It also lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
• Eating an abundance of healthy fruits and veggies helps your body spare protein for tissue repair and muscle building.
• Fruits and vegetables have been shown to boost Brain Power.

Both the Keto and Clean approaches work for rapid and reliable weight loss due to lowered insulin levels and the body being forced to burn stored body fat for energy. The main key difference between the two really comes down to the amount of protein consumed. It is vitally important that as we age to focus on reducing sugars in our diet and strive to keep muscle on our bodies so I would urge you to consider following a Keto diet with a higher ratio of protein, the Clean Nutrient Eating approach.

We invite your comments and thoughts. Please share and contribute.

Dawn

Dawn Terwilliger is a Kinesiologist, ACSM certified personal trainer and a successful fitness competitor, coach and model. She’s been featured in several fitness books, magazines and videos and is the co-creator of the Max Mind Lean Body Over-40 Solution and founder of High Achievers University.

Now ask yourself this: What is the basis of that belief? Where did it come from? How did it develop?  Why do you believe it to be true?

Is it a positive, empowering belief or a dis-empowering one? In other words, does it help you get sh*t done or does it inhibit action?

What are limiting beliefs?

It was once believed the world was flat and the sun orbited the earth. It was also believed that a human being was physically incapable of a running a sub-four minute mile. For countless years and millions of people, these beliefs formed the basis of actions, inactions and daily habits.

• No one dared to sail beyond the horizon for fear that they would plummet off the edge of the earth to their death. Those who dared challenge that belief were often never seen again.
• Men had been exiled, imprisoned, and even sentenced to death for challenging the doctrine that the earth and its inhabitants were at the center of the universe.
• The mere idea that the four-minute mile barrier could be broken by a human being was considered preposterous. Any belief to the contrary was met with laughter and even ridicule from the informed running community.

How limiting beliefs affect your growth

Your beliefs may be the very thing keeping you from sailing beyond the comfort of your self imposed horizon — either shattering your own four-minute mile barrier or taking the focus off yourself as the center of the universe.

The more deeply ingrained those beliefs are, the greater their unconscious influence on your actions, habits and, ultimately…

Read the rest of this article I wrote for Goalcast

First let’s see where you stand with your Omega 3 intake. Take the survey then read the post.

Create your own user feedback survey

• If you scored 90-100% you’re doing great – but there’s always room for improvement.

• If you scored under 75% you need to work on getting more essential fats into your diet.

• If you scored under 75% your way deficient in essential fats and probably experiencing some of the symptoms.

Omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil and krill oil are getting a lot of attention in the media as superfoods and healthy fats, and deservedly so.

EPA and DHA are necessary for proper functioning, particularly in your brain. DHA plays a very important role in your nervous system functioning, provides anti-inflammatory benefits, and is also associated with improved mood, insulin sensitivity, muscle growth, and better sleep.

And your body can actually turn EPA into DHA if your desaturase enzymes are working…

So which is better for you, krill oil or fish oil? 

Taking adequate amounts, around 1 gram a day, of krill oil or a high quality fish oil, can do wonders for keeping your brain performing at its highest levels.

Why Krill Over Other Omega 3 Oils?

Krill oil is a superior source of EPA and DHA because the polyunsaturated fats are packaged as phospholipids, which can be used immediately by your body. The EPA and DHA in fish oil, on the other hand, are typically packaged as triglycerides and have to undergo additional processing in order to make them bioavailable. Krill oil is also more stable because it includes astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant, that protects the fragile fats from oxidizing. I take extra astaxanthin every day!

Animal-based omega-3’s from krill and fish oils are both better sources than vegetable-based omega-3’s, such as the Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA) in flax oil. Only about 1-4% of ALA is converted into DHA, so getting those higher potency sources from krill and fish is more efficient. Vegetable-based sources also contain oxidized inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, which is another reason that they aren’t Bulletproof.

Taking too much EPA and DHA can be detrimental since they do cause blood thinning, they can suppress healthy levels of arachidonic acid (AA),  and delicate fish oils can be inflammatory since they break down so easily in light or heat or air.

The reason why the phospholipid form found in krill oil is easier for the body to use is that the majority of every cell membrane in the body is made of phospholipids. Cell biologists talk about all the other components in cell membranes floating in a sea of phospholipids. Omega-3s phospholipids make cell membranes more fluid and flexible. Meanwhile, triglycerides are how lipids are stored for later use and transport in the body, such as in adipocytes (fat cells), so it takes more steps to get fish oil omega-3s into cell membranes where they’re needed the most.

Your Dose of Omega-3 Knowledge For The Day

Omega-3s are one of the most popular health-related search terms ever – for good reason!  For an awesome explanation of the science behind healthy and high quality fats check out this science post on omega-3 versus omega-6 fats.

Taking adequate amounts, around 1 gram a day, of krill oil or a high quality fish oil, can do wonders for keeping your brain performing at its highest levels.

 Take small quantities of the highest-quality source possible (whole wild salmon or krill oil or whole wild salmon oil) and you’ll be a happy camper.

Here’s one great source for Krill Oil. OmegaKrill 5X

I appreciate you’re feedback and replies. Feel free to share your thoughts.

TT

You’re not alone in your effort.

Why is it than, that so many of us are willing to go the extra mile to make sure we’ve left no stone un-turned in the pursuit of self improvement while failing miserably at the most critical element of optimum health and performance.

The Ultimate REBOOT

Sleep is one of the greatest enhancers of cognitive and physical performance known to man, yet so many of us fail to get a good night’s sleep nearly every single day! Can you imagine never turning your computer off to rest, update, or reboot?

The next time you’re thinking about heading out for a night on the town en lieu of some much needed rest, and your commitment to being the best you can be not withstanding, please consider these facts about the importance of sleep and performance.

1.) Lack of Sleep Elevates Cortisol – Cortisol is often referred to as “the stress hormone”, but the truth is that having chronically high cortisol levels wreaks havoc on your system and can lead to insulin resistance, decreased immune response, elevated blood pressure, and can even cause connective tissue weakness which will lead to joint injuries that will piss your shit off in the future.

2.) Lack of Sleep Increases Inflammation – The body’s repair processes occur at night during sleep. According to a 2010 study people who sleep less than six hours per night have elevated levels of an inflammatory substance known as C-reactive protein. Failure to regularly get enough sleep will cause C-reactive protein levels to stay elevated, leading to a state of chronic inflammation, and is associated with conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and more freaking injuries.

3.) Sleep Improves Performance – A study conducted at Stanford University found that athletes who slept 10 hours per day had improved sprint time and increased stamina during exercise. Although you may not have the time to spend half the day in bed like back in your dorm room days, getting at least six hours of sleep per night can dramatically improve performance.

4.) Sleep Deprivation Impacts Learning – If you’ve been spending your nights burning the midnight oil in order to meet deadlines or stay ahead of the game you might be doing yourself a disservice and your competition a big favor. The brain reorganizes, or chunks, information acquired during the day while we sleep. Failure to get enough rest impairs the brains ability to store data long term and can actually lead to drops in performance despite your best efforts to squeeze the most out of your day.

5.) Lack of Sleep Slows Fat Loss – As we sleep the body experiences a hormonal cascade that impacts nearly all of our metabolic processes- including fat loss. In fact, studies show that not only does sleep deprivation impede fat loss, it also leads to increased cravings, decreased insulin sensitivity, and increased levels of abdominal fat!

So if you think you’re being a real warrior by burning the arrow at both ends you’re headed for a beat down. Getting enough sleep is absolutely critical for anyone looking to optimize both mental and physical health while maximizing performance. In order to allow our brain and body to function at the highest levels possible making sleep a priority isn’t an option. It’s mandatory for anyone who strives to achieve greatness.

There are countless people who are able to overcome the adversity of sexual abuse, daily violence, financial disaster and the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” with nothing more than a shrug and a smile. Then there are the majority who are taken completely our of the game by the smallest of road blocks.

The good news is that facing and even overcoming adversity (which we will all face at some point in our lives) doesn’t have to be overwhelming when you know what you’re dealing with.

“What defines us is how well we rise after falling”

Studies have shown that the lives of people who are able to overcome adversity hold clues for the rest of us.

Support

One of the biggest aids to overcoming adversity is having a support system in place. It is easier to get through personal problems if you have someone you trust to talk to and who can give you advice you trust. Support also comes in the form of groups like AA and MOMS Club and church groups.

A sense of community and belonging goes a long way in the battle against adversity.

CAUTION: If you are always playing the victim and looking to share your drama with your otherwise receptive support system they will soon begin to see you as the “boy/girl that cries wolf” and will not be there when you really need them.

Seek Help

It isn’t all about being tough, persevering or picking yourself up by the bootstraps without anyone’s help.  Quite often dealing with sicknesses, addictions and mental or emotional scars that, if left unaddressed, will shutdown the entire process of overcoming adversity and leading a productive life.

Don’t be like me… I will never stop for directions and instead drive around lost for hours until I figure it out myself… damn it!

Let Go

In order to move forward you must let go of the past. This sounds cliche and without a doubt a great deal more difficult than it sounds. Acknowledging the memories, emotions and experience and then letting them go is a huge part of the healing process.

Sometimes we don’t want to let go because we feel like we’ll also loose what we learned from the experience. “I will never trust a man again!” – is a dis-empowering if not paralyzing lesson to take forward. Re-frame the lesson “I am cautious when it comes to trusting men”  hold onto the learning but let go of the negative emotions attached to it.

It’s the emotions that are holding you back along with the wrong lesson.  You can’t move forward if you’re still tied to the past. Visualize a better future and move toward it.

Strengthen Your Core

It has been proven time and time again that our own inner strength can help us overcome just about any adversity.

Which is why you should exercise every opportunity to strengthen it. Going to the gym, saying NO to that pizza or scotch, reading instead of watching TV, doing what you say you will when you say you will do it all works towards strengthening the emotional muscle needed to overcome what ever life has to throw at you.

Greatness is defined by our action under adversity not when things are easy.

The truth is you are already stronger than you think you are but a little extra muscle sure couldn’t hurt.

Share with us something you’ve had to overcome and how.