So why go through all the effort?  Why put yourself through all the pain and agony?  Well, because exercise produces some “magic” effects.  Primarily:

Physical Strength and Conditioning

I shouldn’t even have to mention this one, right?  Of course, working your body develops your muscles, including your heart, so that they’re stronger and can work longer.  Your body becomes much more efficient at using oxygen and burning nutrients.

But the real benefit is more than just tighter abs – much more.  The more you exercise, the easier your everyday motions become and the more you can enjoy life.  Picking up your kids (or in my case, grandkids) becomes a joy instead of a literal pain in the lower back.  Being able to play chase without feeling like you’re having a heart attack is not only fun for your kids, it makes you feel like a kid as well.

Which brings me to the next “magic” benefit of exercise:

Mental Conditioning

Sure, the more I exercise, the better I feel physically.  But the better I feel physically, the better my mental outlook. gets as well  After a good workout, your brain is deluged with all the endorphins and extra blood flow generated by the physical activity.  It makes you think that anything’s possible – and you know what?  Anything IS possible!

Exercising on a regular basis also builds mental discipline and focus – two things that are basic “keys to success” in your work and career.  Working out in the morning (my favorite time) is the best way to start your day with a clear mind and sharp mental focus.  You’ll arrive at work ready to jump in and tackle the day’s workload while everybody else is still trying to shake out the cobwebs with large doses of Starbucks.  That kind of mental conditioning is sure to be noticed by the “higher ups.”

So Just Do It

Even the most basic exercise routine will quickly produce results, both physical as well as mental, that can only be described as life-changing.  Your entire outlook on life will change for the positive and your jeans will fit better too!  You can’t find a better deal.  So what does it cost?  Just 20-30 minutes of resistance and cardio training every other day or so.  That’s it.

There are all sorts of workout programs out there designed for the beginner to the advanced athlete.  The ALL work – but only if YOU work them.  So find one that you like and get started.  Don’t think about it, just do it.  The results you get will be simply magic!

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In this second, expanded edition of the best-selling The Brain Diet, Dr. Alan C. Logan incorporates the latest research on the connection between nutrition, mental health, and intelligence. Most people today know that good nutrition and good health are related and that poor nutrition frequently leads to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Unfortunately, few people realize that it also is an underlying factor in other medical conditions, such as depression, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, migraine headaches, ADHD, and much more. This is startling when one realizes that researchers have found that today more than 50 percent of the vegetables in most people’s diets consists of the trimmings on a hamburger a

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List Price: $ 22.95

Price: $ 9.26

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Therefore, I’m offering it for FREE! You can sign-up for the download link either on the Home Page, or by clicking on the “Page Curl” at the top right of any page.

This 40 page book is packed full of some of the best advice I’ve got.  It covers what I consider “the foundation” of good health:  building a strong body, mind, and spirit.

This is not an exercise routine or workout manual.  There are no “6-pack abs” or “butt-buster” routines.  It’s much more basic than that.  Besides, you’ll never get around to doing all those fancy exercise routines if you never seem to have the energy or just flat don’t feel good.  This book will help get you to a foundational level of health where you can start trying some of those advanced routines.

So don’t delay.  Get your free copy today — and then let me know what you think.  Be sure to leave a comment on the download page.

Hiram

Technorati Tags: balanced health, fitness, spiritual, spirit, exercise, health, mental, little things, improve

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It was only when Teri got home a couple of hours later that she noticed that the stove was still on.  Oh my God!  I had forgotten to turn the stove off when I made breakfast.  It had been on all day!  I looked over and sure enough, the circle on the glass top was glowing a bright cherry red.  I felt like a real idiot, especially since one of the informal “tests” for determining whether a person is still capable of taking care of themselves is whether or not they leave the stove on!

So why is it that we start to forget things as we get older?  Why is it that you can remember exactly what you were doing the day you graduated High School so many years ago but you can’t remember where you put your car keys?

Our brain basically needs two things in order to remember things.  First, it needs a clear image of the item we want to remember, like where the car keys are located, for example.  Second, it needs a way of cataloging and accessing that information.

Think of how a library works.  In order for a library to file a book, it needs the actual book itself, and then it needs a cataloging system that will allow us to find it and retrieve it again (the Dewey Decimal system).  If either of those two components are missing or corrupted, the information gets lost and we “forget.”

Another example is your computer.  Let’s say you’re looking for a particular Word document you wrote sometime last year.  You know the file is there.  You just can’t find it.  You’ve got the item stored but don’t have a good way to retrieve it.  The item is essentially “forgotten,” lost somewhere among the hundreds of other files on your hard drive.

There are a couple of things you can do to improve your chances of remembering things, whether it’s where you left your car keys or remembering to turn off the stove after you’ve cooked breakfast.  These include:

1.  The mind remembers specifics. Try to make sure you’ve got a clear picture of whatever you need to remember.  Take a “mental snapshot” by forming the fingers of both hands into a square like movie directors do and saying “click – got it.”  Going through the physical motions will actually help imprint the image in your mind.  Again, making it as clear as you can will really help you remember it later.

2.  Get out of “autopilot” mode. I think the biggest reason I simply forgot to turn off the stove was because I was on “automatic pilot.”  I simply wasn’t thinking about what I was doing.  While I was cooking, I was planning my day and thinking about who I was going to meet and what I was going to say.  In short, I was thinking about everything except turning off the stove.  I love the expression, “Where ever you are, be there.”  I was physically standing in front of the stove but my mind was somewhere else.  No wonder I forgot.

3.  Create links. You can significantly increase your chances of remembering something by creating as many links to it as you can.  “Links” are how your mind finds the information you’re looking for.  Think of it like a file drawer system.  If you want to file a copy of your tax return, where do you file it?  Under “Taxes?”  Under “2009?”  Under “IRS?”  All of those might be place where you might look for your tax return.  One thing you can do is to file the actual copy under “Taxes,” for example, and then drop a note that says “Tax Return Copy – see Taxes” in the other categories.  That way, no matter which one you look in first, you’ll have a process that ultimately guides you to what you’re looking for.  You can do the same thing with your memories.  Picture what you want to remember (ie: location of your car keys) and think about what else is usually associated the item (ie: your car, the garage, the metal key ring, your handbag or pocket, etc).  The more associations or “links’ you can create, the more pathways you’re building back to the information you’ll need to access later.

4.  Intend to remember. This is related to point # 2.  Tell yourself, “I need to remember this.”  That not only gets you out of autopilot mode, it creates intent and action.  Simply intending to remember significantly increases the chances that you will.

5.  Use repetition.  Use repetition. There’s a reason your first grade teacher made you repeat your lessons over and over again.  Repeating something over and over again helps create a clearer and clearer  picture of what you want to remember.

6.  Use it or lose it. This one should be pretty self-evident.  It’s like a book in a library.  You occasionally need to pick it up, dust it off, thumb through the pages in order to remind yourself what it’s about, and maybe reread some of the passages before putting it back in its assigned spot.  Your brain is like any other muscle – it needs to be exercised regularly.

Using these techniques will help assure that you’ll remember the information you need, when you need it.

Hiram

Technorati Tags: memory, brain, remember, forgetfulness, mental

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1. Boom Boxes. For some insane reason, some people just love to crank up their radios or boom boxes when they’re out camping.  I just don’t see the logic of leaving the noise of the city – and  then bringing it with you to the campground.  Inconsiderate people who play loud music is one reason to hate camping.
2. Loud People. You know the type.  Even when these people whisper, it sounds like a fog horn on a stormy night.  Apparently, these people don’t need much sleep because they’re always the last ones to go to bed keeping everyone else up with their loud jokes, comments, and laughter.
3. Door Slammers. I happened to be up before daybreak one morning and watched my “neighbor” in the campsite next to me crawl out of their tent, open a car door, not find what they were looking for, then slam the door shut, open another door, SlaM it closed, walk over to the other side of the car, open a third door, then SLAM it shut.  If the entire campground wasn’t already up, they were after this person opened and slammed 3 out of the 4 doors on their vehicle.
4. Car Alarms. Why some people deem it necessary to set their car alarms when they’re camping is beyond me.  Invariably, one of them goes off in the middle of the night when someone in their party opens a door looking for something (see item # 3).
5. People Who DRIVE to the Bathroom. In most state parks, the showers and bathrooms are usually within walking distance from the campsites.  However, there are some people who insist on driving the 40 or 50 yards.  Waking up in the middle of the night because someone is starting their car to go to the bathroom is no fun — especially since they usually set off the alarm (see item # 4), slam the car door (see item # 3), and then tell their spouse where they’re going (see item # 2).
6. Irresponsible Dog Owners. This one’s a pet peeve of mine.  I love dogs but would never take one camping.  Most of the time, the poor dog spends the entire weekend tied to the picnic table or barking at everything in their strange surroundings.  I especially hate people who don’t obey lease laws or those who leave their dogs at the campsite while they go off hiking or into town.  Irresponsible dog owners is a reason to hate camping.
7. Irresponsible Parents. For some reason, parents assume that they can let their kids run wild like they do at home.  I’ve seen kids get hurt running into briar vines and falling off of rocks.  The outdoors is not at all like a manicured back yard.  Kids need supervision, especially when outdoors.
8. People Who Bring All the Conveniences. One of reasons to go camping is to get away from all of the TV and radio chatter.  It’s difficult to relax when your neighbor is watching the game on his portable TV in the next campsite and has the sound cranked all the way up.  I’ve seen people set up satellite dishes in a campsite!  Geez!  These are people who just don’t understand the whole concept of camping in the first place – and a reason to hate going.
9. Mr. Fire Bug. One of my earliest camping memories was watching a bunch of fishermen trying to build a campfire.  One of them dosed a stack of wood with what must have been at least a gallon of gasoline.  It was kind of breezy so he struck a match and held it close to his body in order to shield it from the wind.  Then he slowly moved it towards the gasoline soaked wood.  The fireball literally blew the fishing cap off of his head – and I’m sure singed his eyebrows off as well.  Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to play with matches.
10. Alcohol. Why is it that some people think camping is a reason to drink?  They’ll stand around a campfire and chug beer after beer for most of the night.  Of course, there’s always a boom box, loud talking and laughing, car doors being slammed, and a barking dog or two!

Although I love being out doors, any or all of the above can really ruin a great weekend.  Most of these come down to a basic lack of consideration for others.  I was brought up to be considerate of others, to try to be quiet when we came in late so as not to bother people who might be trying to relax or sleep.  In this “me, me, me” world, I guess such things get left by the wayside.  It’s a real shame.

However, don’t let these things rob you of the joy of being outdoors.  Nothing will heal your mind and spirit like a weekend sleeping under the stars.  You’ll feel a strong spiritual connection to Nature that you just can’t get anywhere else … that is until someone slams a car door …

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: camping, outdoors, mental, balanced health, spirituality, nature, relaxation

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As shown on the diagram that’s part of this article, total health is made up of several areas or components, two of them are inside your body (internal) and two of them are outside (external). To learn how these components interact and affect your overall health, read on.

The areas that make up your total health include:

• Physical. This is what most of us think of when we think of things like health, fitness, diet, and so on. This is also the area that most fitness plans focus on.
• Mental and Spiritual. The “brain and soul” of our lives controlling what we think as well as our emotions.
• Relationships. The number and types of relationships you have with others can have a significant effect on your physical health.
• Environment. The type of environment where you spend most of your time – your home, your work setting, your classroom – all affect your body, mind, and spirit.

All of these components are interconnected, ether supporting or detracting from, the others. Keeping them in balance so that they support each other to achieve total wellness is what balanced health is all about.

Most health and fitness plans focus on only one part of the equation. For example, an exercise program only focuses on your physical body without taking into consideration the effect this is having on your mental and spiritual health, your relationships with others, or taking into account the health effects of your environment. By working so hard on just one part of your health, you’re actually pulling the other components further and further out of balance. The end result? Your overall health and wellness suffers.

So don’t fall for short term results that may actually cause long term health problems. Don’t get so focused on dieting or lifting weights that your family relationships suffer, for example. Make sure that your health and fitness program addresses (and balances) all the components that make up total wellness.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: balanced health, physical, mental, spiritual, relationships, environment, diet, health

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