Physical fitness requires you to move.
You can work out, play sports, or any form of gyrating.
And doing it with friends is a great fitness activity for social bonding too.
My co-worker with a history in personal training asked me how often I go to the gym. The reality is that I’m only at the gym twice a week and that the majority of my fitness results come from eating well.
Focus 90% of your efforts on Nutrition for real Weight Loss
Cutting calories isn’t really the only answer.
Actually, caloric needs are different for everyone at any given moment. For example, after an intense workout, you may actually need 1,000 calories of pure nutrition. But before bed, you might only need 200 calories from lean proteins and greens.
The secret to eating healthy is to learn more about your food
Most people have no idea what their food is actually doing for them.
They don’t know the macro-nutrient ratios, vitamin, mineral, phytonutrient, or other micronutrient content in their foods.
It takes effort to learn this information, but it is freely available online and in other resources.
However, once you have a grasp on the truth behind your food, then eating healthy becomes easier.
You can mix and match superfoods to produce the ultimate in health, while still tasting delicious.
For example, my guacamole is an absolute powerhouse of nutrition
- Avocado (healthy unsaturated fat, fiber, protein, fat-soluble vitamins, phytonutrients, and one of the body’s most preferred antioxidant called glutathione.)
- Lemons (vitamin c, trace minerals, potassium, and pH balancing)
- Onions (minerals, fiber, and the potent cancer-fighting bioflavanoid, quercetin)
- Garlic (a pungent and delicious way to boost immunity)
- Miso paste (live Probiotics to restore and maintain intestinal balance, healing properties)
- Pico de Gallo (tomatoes containing the powerful phytonutrient called lycopene)
- Sea salt (minerals)
- Cayenne powder (phytonutrients and metabolism stimulator)
- Olive oil (monounsaturated fat, and loaded with antioxidants)
In addition to those health properties, the guac is almost entirely made of Raw Foods. This is important because it preserves the enzymes and improves digestibility.
You can’t eat healthy if you don’t know what healthy is
If an obese person says, “I eat healthy” but they aren’t getting results, then they aren’t eating healthy.
Eating healthy means something different for everybody. Most people have underlying nutritional deficiencies that they are not even aware of.
It’s almost guaranteed that you have some sort of nutrient that is not at optimal levels. (could it be Selenium? Eat one brazil nut everyday)
You NEED to equip yourself with this information, otherwise you risk the standard American diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Food companies are trying to make a huge profit by processing foods and making it easier to consume. The danger becomes real every time a food leeches more from our vitality than it provides.
Focus on nutrients for Real Results
I challenge you to learn about nutrients and consider which foods you are not eating enough of.
Focus on eating whole foods that contain these nutrients. Do it for a month.
Then see how much better you feel, and how much leaner you are.
It’s all about the nutrition.
Resilient Plants for a Healthy Society
The healthiest foods are the hardiest foods.
Think back to your days in P.E. class. There was a team game, and each captain was picking teams.
Who got picked first?
It was usually the strongest, fastest, most agile, and most socially popular student.
He is resilient, he is an asset, and his power contributes to your wellbeing.
Partnerships with resilient forms of life makes you stronger as a person.
Every day, we have the choice of what things we want on our team. In fact, our team is responsible for our entire livelihood.
Food is probably the second most important aspect of our humanity — the first is our genetics. Our genes encode the information that controls how our bodies respond to the stressors of life.
Wild Cabbage
Resilient plants, like Cabbage and Kale, have the ability to protect our DNA from damage.
Cabbage can handle all sorts of weather
Of course, the resiliency of cabbage in the real world seems to be directly related to how resilient cabbage makes us.
Is it any wonder that cabbage is one of the most widely consumed vegetables on the entire planet? Humans have cultivated cabbage before history — Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and everyone else who values a healthy colon!
Lets pause and compare cabbage to a less resilient food.
While cabbage has a plethora of healing properties, other foods like fast-food hamburgers do more damage than good.
Cabbage
- Contains significant vitamins
- Contains significant minerals
- Live enzymes when raw
- High in antioxidants that protect cells from free radicals and oxidation
- Phytonutrients such as indoles that have proven cancer-protection
- High fiber for colon health
Fast Food Hamburger
If they don't eat grass, they need chemicals in their grains to grow big.
- Insignificant vitamins
- Some minerals, such as iron
- High in saturated fat, very low in the good polyunsaturated fats
- Cooked in oxidized oils, therefore produces free radicals that may cause DNA damage (unless you ate a big serving of cabbage!)
- Low fiber
- The bun is full of carbohydrates, which cause an insulin spike
- Starchy carbs + unhealthy fat will produce an even greater insulin spike, blood sugar at dangerous levels.
- Uses body’s limited storage of enzymes for digestion
Fast Food Hamburgers are WEAK!
The cows are loaded with drugs like antibiotics, otherwise they probably wouldn’t even survive.
I don’t want to eat a weak food. Resilience is key.
Cabbage is the cure.
….And so are broccoli and oranges, kale and tomatoes, beans and brown rice, avocado and spices, herbs and lovin‘.
Partner up with the good, the strong, and the healing.
It will make you feel good, strong, and healthy.
Success is Two Steps Forward, One step Back
How failure can equal your success.
A favorite presupposition of mine helps me cope with life and thrive in all respects.
It assumes that, “There is no failure, only feedback.”
Whether this is a true statement or not doesn’t really matter. The important aspect is that you gain valuable insight from every situation, even if it doesn’t seem to go in your favor.
In other words, you grow stronger at every corner because your thoughts become your best ally instead of your worst enemy.
Taking two steps forward and one step back is a means of sustainable progress.
Sustainable progress.
You continually move forward. You recognize that there will be drawbacks, and there will be barriers.
Taking one step back allows to you recognize that which you might not have seen before.
My favorite exercise could seriously injure me.
I want strength, I crave it.
My name translates to “man, warrior, strong.” Is this my destiny?
Okay, I’ll stop BS’ing. But the reality is that my passion is of movement. Being able to physically exert a force beyond what I previously thought possible.
I can’t always save face, I can’t always succeed in the ways I want.
But I know that each step back is an experience that can take me forward.
Forward…to a reality of everlasting growth and success.
At least, that is the goal.
And this is the progress.
Don’t beat yourself up when you eat too much junk. Understand the take home message, listen to your body, and move forward.
How do Digestive Enzymes promote Health and Fitness?
Enzymes equal life.
These are the workers of the living world. They make movement, growth, thought, emotion, healing, disease, virus, life, sex, and everything else possible.
Lock and key theory of enzymes. Each enzyme can do this at a spectacular rate. For some, millions of times per hour!
Enzymes are workers, acting constantly as catalysts throughout the entire body. Enzymes cause important events to happen — each individual enzyme induces thousands of reactions per hour.
Pause for a second and flex your forearm.
Enzymes made that possible.
How fast he strokes, his enzymes work even faster.
As you can imagine, the quantity and quality of enzymes in your body is directly related to your current state of health and vitality.
Zero enzymes = death.
Supplemental enzymes Save You Energy.
The digestive process uses LOTS of energy so that you can have that energy.
It’s like the Greenpeace canvassers who go door to door asking you for money. Most of the money they raise goes towards their paycheck. Same thing in the body — most of the energy from food goes towards powering the digestive system.
"Hi, will you donate money so I can keep asking people to donate money, a small portion helps whales."
When you use supplemental enzymes, it therefore saves your body a significant amount of energy so that your body can focus on promoting vitality instead of living in a weakened state.
Basically, supplemental enzymes are FREE workers.
Overly Cooked and Processed food creates Disease in America
Processed foods are dangerous.
Future of America: This is why Junk-Food companies invest millions $ into insurance and "health-care" companies.
For example, Soda is highly processed, full of high fructose corn syrup, and completely lacking in enzymes. You feel a burst of energy from the carbohydrates that that your body is able to extract from the Soda, until 20 minutes later you feel down again.
Why?
One reason is because after 20 minutes, the undigested soda has gone through the digestive system too fast and inefficiently to even be utilized.
Why does my stomach bulge after eating this?
Undigested food becomes toxic to the body in multiple ways ways.
- First, it can feed the harmful bacteria and yeast in your intestines which can create dysbiosis in the gut (unbalanced microbial environment), which is a huge cause of disease and yeast infections.
- Second, undigested food in the bloodstream induces an immune response by your body. This takes more energy and resources that are not being spent on giving you vitality.
- Since the energy cannot be readily used by the body, it is converted into triglycerides that flow freely in the bloodstream.
- Excess triglycerides (fats) will clog veins and arteries, causing circulatory issues and even worse: cardiovascular disease!
Moreover, since processed food contains no actual enzymes, it requires your body to produce significant enzymes from its limited enzyme capacity. The more enzymes you use now, the less you have later. The less enzymes you have later, the quicker you age, and the more susceptible to pain, disease, inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and so much more…
Eat only Raw Foods…in an ideal world.
Apples, oranges, broccoli, and all other fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and plants contain active enzymes. These enzymes aid in assimilation of the nutrients available.
If you had the time, energy, and ability to prepare raw foods like this...I might just marry you.
But Heat KILLS enzymes. Cooking at or above just 118 degrees Fahrenheit will deactivate and destroy the enzymes. You therefore lose nutrients and enzyme potential.
Cooked food often sucks more life from you than it actually gives you.
Raw foods save your body energy and promote HEALTH by…
- Providing you with enzymes to absorb nutrients
- Allow you to fully digest the food so that your body does not have to mount an immune response
- Beneficial phytochemicals from raw foods promote hormone balance, anti-cancer properties, and cellular rejuvenation.
But…eating raw foods 100% of the time is not realistic for most of us.
Supplemental Digestive Enzymes should be used with meals.
In order to fully assimilate nutrients and to promote vitality, Digestive Enzymes are one of the best supplements to make part of a healthy lifestyle.
Hire more workers, pay them nothing, and they'll still be happy to do their job!
Benefits of Digestive Enzyme supplements include:
- Fully assimilate nutrients (for example: taking digestive enzymes with protein is proven to provide the body with significantly more life-building amino acids)
- Reduce/Elimate…gas, bloating, acid reflux.
- Support immune system by fully digesting food and not allowing rotten foot particles into bloodstream.
- Ease the load on your natural enzyme storage.
- Weight Management
- Feeling good after meals.
Simply put, using digestive enzymes has been shown to improve quality of life in many different ways.
If you want to lose weight now, but your digestive system is broken, then you need extra help. People who are bloated do not lose fat. In fact, people who are bloated just feel bad about everything. Thats because the most essential process in the body (digestion) is not functioning properly.
Proper digestion is important for you AND your friends.
Gas is bad, if you release stinky bombs, you need digestive enzymes with those meals. Stink bombs mean you literally have rotten, toxic food in your system and your body hates you for it. (Your friends hate you for the stink bombs too).
One capsule with meals is all it takes.
Choose a quality brand, and take the enzyme with meals.
You will feel the difference. You will know the difference. You will LOVE the difference.
The best (and most expensive) digestive enzyme. If you are relatively healthy, you might not need such a powerful product.
Digestive enzymes can help you gain lean muscle, boost the immune system, and most of all IMPROVE Quality of Life.
Thats what I’m talkin’ about, baby!
Eat well.
And…my friends,
Live well.
A healthy summer WITHOUT sunscreen?
The experts say sunscreen is a necessity for healthy summer.
I am not a skin expert.
But I sure do enjoy 5 feet 6 inches of healthy skin, so whats up?
Burn is bad, but Vitamin D is good.
Here’s the deal: Sunscreens containing Zinc Oxide block the UV radiation required for your skin to synthesize Vitamin D.
So if you lather your skin with sunscreen, you lose out on this essential sunshine vitamin.
Why you Need Vitamin D:
- Immune system
- Healthy hormones
- Absorption and uptake of calcium (bone density)
- Strength, coordination, balance
- Blood sugar control
Since Vitamin D is so important, it’s a GREAT idea to take off your clothes and get some sun exposure this summer.
Keep in mind that BURNED SKIN is dangerous, so you definitely want to avoid a sunburn.
Sun protection through natural health
There are two ways to protect your skin without using chemicals.
- Natural, herbal, and plant based lotions which heal the skin
- Food and nutrition that provide your body with natural SPF protection and maintain cellular integrity.
Lets give some examples of each…
Natural Skin Lotions
1. Aloe Vera
Everything about Aloe Vera is soothing, even the name itself! Alooooe verraa…yea I am feeling zen now. 
Aloe Vera contains bioactive compounds that are beneficial to humans. For example, when applied to the skin, wounds will heal faster. When ingested orally, the stomach lining is soothed and can reduce or eliminate heartburn completely. Anti-inflammation is key here.
Aloe Vera on the skin can reduce the damage from sun exposure. Use it, sooth it, love it.
2. Neem
One of my favorite trees in existence. In India, the Neem tree is sometimes referred to as the “Village Pharmacy” due to the wide range of HEALING benefits. 
Neem is soothing, cooling, and astringent. It tightens skin and leaves it feeling fresh. Neem may or may not reduce the chance of sunburn, but it will protect the skin from damage.
Another benefit of Neem is its natural bug-away abilities. The bioactive compounds in Neem are proven to disrupt activity of over 100 insects and bugs. In fact, Neem kills some bugs, destroys the ability of other bugs to feed, and it prevents the ability of other bugs to reproduce (by screwing up the insects hormonal system).
Neem has helped people avoid chemical skin therapy for parasites by soothing the skin and preventing ecto-parasites from reproducing. Think of some parasites on humans…body lice, head lice, pubic lice, and scabies. Use Neem lotion for a week and the problem is solved. No chemicals, and no damage whatsoever to your own skin.
Skin care AND mosquito repellent. After your day in the summer sun, you use Neem lotion to soothe and heal your skin. And a nice side effect is that once the mosquitoes come out, you will maintain protection from potential disease carrying bites thanks to the amazing natural powers of NEEM!
Nutrition and Food for natural SPF sun protection
1. Tomatoes
Fresh and delicious
Tomatoes contain high levels of Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that protects skin and internal organs.
How much: One serving of salsa, V8, tomato paste, or spaghetti sauce.
2. Brazil Nuts
Harvested solely in the Amazon
Brazil Nuts are the highest natural source of the trace element Selenium. Our bodies require selenium to create selenoproteins, which have at least 30 different functions in the human body relating to cell function and immune system. An extremely important function of selenium is its role in one of our bodies most important antioxidant called Glutathione. Moreover, selenium also rejuvenates Vitamin E and Vitamin C stores, and these vitamins are well established for immune function to protect skin and everything else.
Thanks to all of the contributions of Selenium, research has established selenium as an ANTI-CANCER nutrient — especially prostate cancer.
Because soil in the Pacific Northwest is largely void of Selenium, many of us may not be at optimal levels. Fortunately, Brazil nuts are SO high in selenium, that you only need to eat one Brazil nut per day for optimal selenium and glutathione activity.
3. Carrots
Don't let the carrot benefits go straight to your head
Whats up doc? Carrots contain high levels of Beta-Carotene, which is beneficial for two reasons. First, Beta-Carotene alone is a fantastic antioxidant that protects cells from damage. Moreover, Beta-Carotene can be converted into Vitamin A by the body, for even more immune system benefits.
Go to the juice bar and get some fresh carrot juice. I will even join you for stimulating conversation about health and vitality!
4. Beets
Beets are therapeutic
They are purple and love to stain your kitchen counter. However, the purple pigment is responsible for some of the most powerful detoxification known to man. The beet is purple because of Betacyanin, which may or may not make you pee red. Either way, beet juice has been known to literally shrink and eliminate tumors.
If you want to avoid skin cancer, add a beet to your carrot juice.
5. Omega-3 enriched Eggs
Healthy Eggs from Healthy Hens!
I love eggs. I love eggs so much that I eat eggs raw in front of my co-workers.
Whole Eggs (including the yolk) contain so many vital nutrients that they should be a part of nearly any healthy diet. Aside from the complete bio-available protein content, eggs also contain B-family vitamins such as Choline, which (along with Folic Acid) helps to normalize brain function. Moreover, choline is a vital component of cell membranes and you definitely need healthy cells if you want to keep your skin safe.
6. Salmon
Dinner for healthy skin AND heart.
Similar to eggs, salmon is an amazing source of essential amino acids, but it is an even greater source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Salmon contains Omega-3s in higher forms than plant-based foods. The Omega-3′s in Salmon are EPA and DHA, which have a multitude of functions in the body, but also contribute to healthy moisturized, and tight skin.
7. Broccoli
"Broccoli drink KO'ed my cancer!"
Eat your broccoli, André says. Broccoli is green, therefore it contains Chlorophyll, another detoxifying compound (why do you think Iron Man drinks chlorophyll?) There are lots of beneficial elements in broccoli, but there are two that I will touch on here.
First, broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables) contain Diindolylmethane (DIM), which is a beneficial plant indole. Basically, DIM promotes healthy estrogen metabolism by converting estrogen in the body into non-toxic forms. I’m sure all breast cancer survivors are familiar with the importance of healthy estrogen metabolism, but let me reinforce how important this is for EVERYONE, not just women. Estrogen can be dangerous — but broccoli makes estrogen safe.
Second, broccoli (and again…other cruciferous vegetables) contain the precurser to Indole-3-Carbinol, which has proven anti-cancer effects on the immune system.
For maximum benefits, consume both raw and cooked broccoli every week.
Why? Because temperatures above 114 degrees inactivate the enzyme that converts broccoli into Indole-3-Carbinol and therefore you lose some of the anti-cancer benefits completely.
8. Kimchi
I'll admit, I DO talk to the Korean girls when I shop at the Asian market. Then I go purchase my Kimchi.
Kimchi prevents colon cancer. There, I said it.
By providing your body with beneficial lactic acid bacteria, Kimchi cleanses the colon and kills bad bacteria. Moreover, Kimchi is attributed to the radiance of Korean skin through other nutrients like Vitamin C, garlic, red pepper, and a healthy digestive system.
9. Pumpkin Seeds
Expensive? Check. Powerful flavor? Check. Makes you horny? Thats for another blog post...
I think an essential part of a fun summer is having a healthy reproductive system. Pumpkin Seeds contain good levels of the essential mineral Zinc, which plays a vital role in both human sexual organs, but also the entire immune system. Zinc is required in over 100 enzyme functions and will protect your body for years to come (hehehe…)
Give your body the nutrients it needs, and cancer doesn’t have a CHANCE.
If your body has optimal nutrients, cancer won’t take over. It won’t take over on your skin, in your brain, or on your boobs.
Do you really need sunscreen?
Look, if I’m going to be out in the sun for 3 hours straight, then yes I’m going to use it. But when I take my 45 minute shirtless jog around the neighborhood, you better bet I’ll be soaking up the Vitamin D.
You should always strive for a balanced and complete diet. Our bodies are only as strong as the nutrients we provide it.
Now go forth and DOMINATE the summer-time fun.
Lets have some juicy watermelon and just chill by the lake.
May the healthy skin be with you!
