Diligence and Discipline!

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??

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!

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!