Success– The Key And The Fire
December 6, 2007
Success– The Key And The Fire
by: Dianne Ronnow
Self-discipline is a powerful tool that can help you accomplish about anything you can dream or imagine. Self-discipline is the act of controlling our emotions, actions, thoughts, words and personal direction. Some people seem to be naturally self-controlled and some seem to have no self-control at all. Others seem to constantly struggle with self-discipline.
Discipline is learning to say “no” to our primitive uncontrolled cravings and selfish destructive desires. We develop self-management when we begin to distinguish the difference between what is actually needed and what is truly unnecessary.
Because of the ease of modern society and our ability to get anything we want at a push of a button or the swipe of a card, it is far more difficult to exert self-control today than it has been in any other time in human history. Added to this is the brainwashing of advertising that tells us to crave things.
The first step to gaining self-control is to identify the areas where we are out of control. Work on self-denial in the areas you want to change. Deny your self a certain pleasure each day. Then begin to start small with little victories each day, like eating one less snack or watching one less television show.
Are You Making This Cardio Mistake?
December 6, 2007
Are you exercising for long periods of time to try to burn fat? If you’re like most people you probably are, but there is a better way. It’s called "high intensity interval training" (HIIT) and lately it has started to become pretty famous for its obvious health benefits.
–So What Exactly Are The Benefits?
1. Major Increase in Fat Loss. In a study done by Tremblay et al, two groups were assigned different training regimines. Group A performed the regular moderate intensity cardio (like jogging or bicycling) for 20 weeks and Group B performed a HIIT routine for 15 weeks. In the end the results of each group were recorded. Group B lost nine times more fat than Group A and in 5 weeks less (1)!
2. Increased Lactic Acid Threshold. Lactic acid is that burning sensation you feel when you work a muscle really hard. You’re lactic acid threshold is how fast your body can remove the lactic acid in your muscles. The higher the lactic acid threshold, the harder you can work your muscles before they get tired.
3. Increased peak power, or the maximum amount of energy available for a sustained period of time (2)(3)(4).
Mind Tricks - Six Easy Ones
December 5, 2007
Mind Tricks - Six Easy Ones
by: Steve Gillman
Many mind tricks are more than just tricks. They are creative techniques for tapping into the power of your mind. They entertain, but they also have more practical. A good example is the “pupil trick.”
Look in the mirror and watch your eyes as you vividly imagine something pleasurable. It can be a beautiful scene, your favorite naked body, or anything else that will create desire in you. You’ll notice your pupils getting larger almost immediately. If you practice a bit, you can make your pupils instantly larger at will.
Pupils enlarge when you are aroused, interested and receptive. When you are with someone and your pupils dilate, the person you are talking to subconsciously senses your interest in them or what they are saying, and they like that. This makes it easier for them to like you, and to listen to what you suggest. You don’t have to be a salesman to take advantage of this. Once you learn to control your pupil size, why not try this subliminal mind trick?
A Mental Math Trick
ADHD and Depression — More Common Than Thought
December 4, 2007
“Thanks for Noticin’ Me” says Eeyore. He walks slowly. He looks sad. He doesn’t accomplish much. He’s just glad to be noticed. This is Eeyore, the stuffed donkey who is so often in need of his tail being pinned back on.
Eeyore is a good picture of life is like for those who are impacted by the type of ADHD that includes sadness, or depression. It is estimated that as many as 25% of all those with ADHD have to battle depression as well. This type of ADHD is called “Limbic System ADHD” by Daniel Amen, and for good reason. SPECT scans show that when the brain is at rest, there is increased activity deep in the limbic system, in parts of the brain called the thalamus and hypothalamus. There is also a decreased level of activity in the underside of the pre-frontal cortex.
When the brain is placed under a work load, as during a homework assignment, we would expect the under-active pre-frontal cortex to increase activity and get to work. But instead, nothing changes. The over-active limbic system remains over-active, and the under-active pre-frontal cortex remains under-active.
Why Men Worship Lingerie, and The Qualms We Have With Lingerie Stores
December 3, 2007
I must first present the disclaimer: as only one man, I cannot, and will not, speak for the rest of my gender. I can only present my side of the story and the details and ideas I have personally acquired throughout my short yet informative and experienced mature life.
From a time I can barely recall, lingerie has been a dear part of my heart. At that certain point in a man’s premature teenage years, he begins to take notice of the opposite gender. Much of this takes place in anything he can get his hands on: department store catalogs, an uncle’s pornographic magazine collection, and most recently, I suppose the internet.
My memories take me back to a tree fort belonging to the boys of the neighborhood. We spent many long summers building and perfecting the gathering place where we would share the freshest contraband we could somehow acquire. Probably not too far a stretch from most ordinary boys and their neighborhood pals.
My college years were not too different. Living with male roommates, there was no shortage of adult magazines to flip through while watching another rerun of "The Simpsons." These porno mags seemed central to all bathroom reading material belonging to most male inhabited apartments or houses I had the pleasure of stepping into.
Ten Suggestions For The Overscheduled Child
December 2, 2007
Ever wonder what happened to the family dinner hour? Or for that matter the family dinner half hour? Monday is Soccer Practice, Tuesday is Piano lesson, Wednesday is Church Activities, Thursday is a Soccer Game, Friday a birthday party to attend. A number of events will fill up the weekend. Do you feel like a professional scheduler and taxi driver? Are you finding yourself increasingly irritable as you go from one activity to the next? Maybe you and your children are overscheduled.
As a coach and family therapist I see more and more people wanting to findbalance in their lives. In the past few years I have seen a marked increase in children with anxiety and depression. Children are now saying they are ’stressed out’. I remember one child in particular who just wanted to play a board game with his parents, the only family assignment was to play the board game. The family did not have ‘time’ to play the game. Children no longer seem to have time to goof off and just be children - goof off time is not on the schedule.
How Do I Begin A Fat Loss Plan?… Let Me Count The Ways!
December 1, 2007
Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat loss program. They have many questions about food choices, meal composition and exercise.
Getting yourself in good physical condition will require willpower and dedication and the desire to get results. It is not easy to lose body fat. It took a long time to accumulate the fat and it will take just as long to remove it.
Remember that you should aim to lose 1.5 to 2 lbs. per week. Lose any faster and you are probably losing water and muscle. Losing muscle is detrimental to any fat loss program because it is muscle that burns calories. THE MORE MUSCLE YOU HAVE THE MORE CALORIES YOUR BODY REQUIRES!
If you lose fat slowly while learning to adopt a healthy lifestyle, you are more likely to keep the weight off. And, if you ever falter, you’ll know exactly how to get back to your goal weight without returning to your old ways.
Here is how to start a good eating program.
1. Increase your water intake. If you are exercising, try to drink at least 100 oz. to 128 oz. per day.
Fitness the Goddess Way: Movement vs. Exercise
December 1, 2007
I was excited to hear the esteemed speakers at the Fall 2004 Omega Institute Conference. The "biggies" of the women’s movement such as Gloria Steinem, today’s best-selling authors and who’s who of empowering women doing inspiring work were. Lucky me!
During one of the panels on body-image, Jane Fonda, the American icon of fitness, who we all look at and wonder what it must be like to have such a "perfect" body, said it has taken her until age 61 to grow to love her body.
I was dumbfounded. "Good God, I don’t want to wait that long!" I thought. And hot damn! If SHE has body image issues, and her body is "perfect" by today’s standards, then this is really pointless.
(By the way, Ms. Fonda doesn’t look a day over 44 with a body of a 20 year old aerobics instructor)
Powerful and successful women of all ages shared the same thing; their complete lack of love and gentleness toward their body leads them to spend a large part of their lives in a constant struggle and battle with it.
