10 Reasons Why Women Need To Lose Weight - by Whitney Provost

10 Reasons Why Women Need to Lift Weights
By Whitney Provost
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Many women believe that the only way to lose weight is to do cardiovascular (aerobic exercise). So they jog or take aerobics classes five times a week. Eventually, though, they notice that while their bodies are a little smaller, there are still a lot of flabby and jiggly bits. Sound familiar? Aerobic exercise is important for good health, but it's only half of the equation. Keep reading for the other half.

For optimal fitness, longevity, and a lean body, weight training is essential. If you avoid pumping iron because you're afraid of getting "bulky," then you're missing out on one of the best fat-burning methods around.

When you're weight training, you shouldn't rely exclusively on the scale to gauge your progress. You can use a body fat tester or a tape measure to track how many inches you're losing. The size of your body will shrink as you shed fat and build muscle, but your weight may not change as dramatically as you expect. Besides, what's more important, the number on the scale or how you look in your skinny jeans?

If you're still not convinced that you need to lift weights, here are 10 reasons why you should reconsider.

    1. Burn more fat. Researchers at Tufts University found that when overweight women lifted heavy weights twice a week, they lost an average of 14.6 pounds of fat and gained 1.4 pounds of muscle. The control group, women who dieted but didn't lift weights, lost only 9.2 pounds of fat and gained no muscle. When you do an intense weight-training program such as ChaLEAN Extreme®, your metabolism stays elevated and you continue to burn fat for several hours afterward. During regular cardio exercise, you stop burning fat shortly after the workout.

    2. Change your body shape. You may think your genes determine how you look. That's not necessarily true. Weight training can slim you down, create new curves, and help avoid the "middle-age spread." Just look at the amazing body transformations of the women who've completed P90X®. Dropping only 3 percent of your body fat could translate into a total loss of 3 inches off your hips and thighs. And no, you won't bulk up—women don't have enough muscle-building hormones to gain a lot of mass like men do. If you keep your diet clean and create a calorie deficit, you'll burn fat.

    3. Boost your metabolism. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism will be. As women age, they lose muscle at increasing rates, especially after the age of 40. When you diet without doing resistance training, up to 25 percent of the weight loss may be muscle loss. Weight training while dieting can help you preserve and even rebuild muscle fibers. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories you'll burn all day long.

    4. Get stronger and more confident. Lifting weights increases functional fitness, which makes everyday tasks such as carrying children, lifting grocery bags, and picking up heavy suitcases much easier. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular weight training can make you 50 percent stronger in 6 months. Being strong is also empowering. Not only does it improve your physical activities, it builds emotional strength by boosting self-esteem and confidence.

    5. Build strong bones. It's been well documented that women need to do weight-bearing exercise to build and maintain bone mass, and prevent osteoporosis. Just as muscles get stronger and bigger with use, so do bones when they're made to bear weight. Stronger bones and increased muscle mass also lead to better flexibility and balance, which is especially important for women as they age.

    6. Fight depression. You've probably heard that cardio and low-impact exercises such as yoga help alleviate depression, and weight lifting has the same effect. The endorphins that are released during aerobic activities are also present during resistance training. Many women find that regular strength training, in conjunction with psychological treatment, helps lessen their depression symptoms substantially.

    7. Improve sports fitness. You don't have to be an athlete to get the sports benefit of weight training. Improved muscle mass and strength will help you in all physical activities, whether it's bicycling with the family, swimming, golfing, or skiing . . . whatever sport you enjoy.

    8. Reduce injuries and arthritis. Weight lifting improves joint stability and builds stronger ligaments and tendons. Training safely and with proper form can help decrease the likelihood of injuries in your daily life. It can also improve physical function in people with arthritis. A study conducted at the University of Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom, found that mildly disabled participants who lifted weights for 12 weeks increased the frequency and intensity at which they could work, with less pain and increased range of movement.

    9. Heart health. More than 480,000 women die from cardiovascular disease each year, making it the number-one killer of women over the age of 25. Most people don't realize that pumping iron can also keep your heart pumping. Lifting weights increases your "good" (HDL) cholesterol and decreases your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol. It also lowers your blood pressure. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that people who do 30 minutes of weight lifting each week have a 23 percent reduced risk of developing heart disease compared to those who don't lift weights.

    10. Defend against diabetes. In addition to keeping your ticker strong, weight training can improve glucose utilization (the way your body processes sugar) by as much as 23 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 weeks of strength training can improve glucose metabolism in a way that is comparable to taking diabetes medication. The more lean mass you have, the more efficient your body is at removing glucose from the blood, which can reduce complications from diabetes or even help prevent type 2 diabetes in the first place.

Faith and Action

God says to trust in Jesus for all things are possible through him. God also says you step closer to me and I step closer to you. You stand still and I stand still.

"Faith without action serves no real purpose." - Jim Rohn

From my own observation most religious people seem to have a huge mental gap between faith and action. They talk faith but give their faith some weak little meaning with some weak little actions creating weak little results in their lives. And it's not just religious people it's far to many non religious people to.

I'm a non denominational Christian with a very personal direct relationship with god and I do not go to church. Here is what I believe:

God gave us autonomous minds so we can have faith, philosophy, and ACT! You will NOT increase your health, your income, or your spiritual wellness unless YOU ACT.

You are exactly where you are suppose to be at in your life by the decisions you've made and actions you've taken. You're health, income, and spiritual problems will not be solved by faith alone. You must ACT!

Religious people take up the bulk of the obesity epidemic in America. The most common philosophy I hear from religious people who are not doing well is, "god will take care of me". I've got news for you. If all you have is faith and you aren't taking those actionable steps to give your faith any meaning then god is standing still for you giving you enormous opportunity to take those actionable steps and change your life. Take one step closer toward god and god takes one step toward you. Take one step closer toward wealth and wealth takes one step toward you. Take one step closer toward health and health takes one step closer toward you. You get the idea it's very simple stuff!

Point of truth.

If your faith isn't given any meaning with good actions then your faith is just silly and it's folly. Your commitments are only as strong as your actions and your faith without any works is just dead faith.

I'm personally not going to dishonor my god, the earth, the universe, myself, or nature with a folly faith and belief because I understand the consequences of inaction and I understand those consequences are inescapable. I hope you understand this to.

The challenges in your life are not there to keep you from where you want to be. They are not meant to invoke the foolish belief that I see all too often in the religious community of, "faith alone is enough I don't need to act." God gives us challenges to give us OPPORTUNITIES to seek the knowledge to get the things that we want. This is what I personally believe. My belief affects my daily ACTIONS. And my daily actions driven by my faith allows me to literally shape the life of my dreams and to pay it forward for other people.

And get this... It doesn't matter if you are religious or not. If you believe in god or not. These are natural laws of the earth that exist for you to harness and shape your life how ever you want. Most of us don't even seem to scrape the surface of our own personal potential because of our weak little belief systems. We die with more than 90% of our potential completely untapped! Even after all I've accomplished I know that my potential is so much greater than my accomplishments. My goal in life is to see how close I can come to tapping my full potential while I'm here on this planet earth. I hope you have that goal as well. And I hope you realize the only way to move closer to your own human potential is with ACTION fueled by Strong unshakable faith.

Bridge the gap between faith and action. Honor the god of your choosing and see what happens in your life over time. It's exciting!!!

Have faith, DO faith!

-Tom

Poverty to Wealth Empowerment

With all my HEART, You're broke not because of what happened to you.  It's because of you. I know poverty and wealth first hand on a very personal level.  Poverty is uncomfortable, degrading, and it's entirely reversible no matter how bad the circumstances.

I figured out how to go from being broke and poverty stricken from a few years ago to some awesome wealth and liberation from "Hard times" in a jerk face economy.  It wasn't my Team Beachbody opportunity.  My Team Beachbody opportunity was only the vehicle.

The true engine behind change, as well as every other person who changed their life, is in the mind.  It doesn't start with the economy.  It doesn't start with what happens to you or what's going on around you.  It starts in your mind.  If change doesn't begin in your mind FIRST then it's not going to occur in your life, period.

Two things happened that changed everything and I've found this to be true for EVERY rags to riches success story.  These two things are entirely duplicable by ANYONE especially YOU.  1.) I changed my belief in my self and my personal philosophies that drive my daily rituals for some new daily rituals that were more supportive of my dreams than my old daily rituals were.  2.) I changed how I respond to what happens to me. You shape your life by responding to the good and the bad things that happen to you whether you believe it or not.

If you're broke and poverty stricken I'm telling you this with all my heart to give you hope that drives you to new actions because hope alone is not a strategy or a solution to anything. I'm absolutely certain you can come out of hard ship and THRIVE with a simple change in your belief system. 

The popular and truly poisonous belief for most people is they believe the reason they are broke is because of the economy and fallen on hard times.  If this is your belief I empathize with your hard ships but it is not the economy. If you're over 18 there is nothing legislating a poverty or a wealth stricken life for you.  It's your belief, your personal philosophy, your daily rituals, and how you respond to what happens to you.  It's not the fact you might be a single mom getting help from the government because you can't make ends meet and a job that pays you less than the bare minimum to just get by.  It's your belief system, your personal philosophies that drive your daily action and how you respond to what happens to you.

This truly offends some people.  Welcome to your permanent house guest; poverty.  Don't be offended.  Feel EMPOWERED.  That's what this is about.  It's not to offend or make you feel scorn.  If it makes you angry that's not all together a bad thing.  Many times we don't change something until we are angry enough first so if anger leads to change leads to a better life for you then get angry. 

Complacency is another popular poison in our culture. Get mad and don't take it anymore!  You are a POWERFUL human being capable of shaping your life any which way you want if only you wouldn't be so damn complacent. This isn't some arbitrary positive affirmation I'm feeding you.  I'm saying it because I know with absolute certainty that it's true!  It's been validated time and time again by every person working in the same economy as you and I who went from rags to riches often times coming out of devastation greater than yours or mine.  It's the same economy.  The only difference is YOU.

The economy, politics, being a single parent, on disability, abusive child hood, fallen on hard times etc....  People who mean well fill our heads with this kind of poison as justification to not be doing well. "Oh johnny it's ok you're on hard times right now because of the economy."  Or, "Suzie your a single mom on disability there is nothing you could have done to avoid being broke and on assistance".  Friends who say these things mean well and I truly do empathize...but... That's how a friend who means well helps a friend to stay broke year after year.  It's poisonous.  It's pure head trash.  Cut it out your friends don't need your help to stay dirt poor head trash is everywhere stop contributing to the epidemic.  Try rebelling against that garbage with a greater will to succeed and see what happens.  There is nothing less empowering than to tell a person, no matter how bad it is, that they are broke because of environmental variables they have no control over.

And here is why...

All of us NEED difficulties and opportunities, good times and hard times, a bad economy a good economy and so on to give us a wide scope of good and bad things to respond to.  We NEED things to happen to us the good and the bad.  Most of what happens to us we have no control over.  But we control our response to what happens to us 100% of the time.  If you're reading this and your broke then BURN this into your mind as deep as you can it's how I got out of poverty it's the same opportunity for you to get out of poverty to...  You NEED to change how you respond to what happens to you. You NEED to ESPECIALLY change your response to the bad in your life.  Bad and Good events are ALL opportunities to shape your life any which way you'd like. Without the Good and the Bad that happens to you there is no opportunity to change anything that you need to change. 

Begin to see difficulties and bad events in your life for what they are.  They are all opportunities for you to respond.  It's your consistent response to what happens to you that shapes your life.  It's your consistent response to what happens to you that keeps you broke OR brings you into wealth OR takes you from wealth to poverty.  Are you beginning to see how powerful you can be just by changing how you respond to what happens to you?  God I hope so.

You might have it really tough right now.  But I promise you there is always going to be someone who had it tougher than you who changed how they respond to what happens to them and came out of it in a big way in the SAME economy that you're in.  Whats the only difference if the economy is the same for both the broke person who stays broke and the broke person who discovers personal wealth?  It's YOU.  Would you rather believe you can totally change everything by changing your mind first or would you rather hear a well intended friend tell you that there is nothing you can do because the economy is bad right now?  And if you're the well intended friend trying to help a friend which message would you rather have?  The one of empowerment or the one of hopelessness?

Compassion.

The emotion often lost in cyber translation.  When I say things like, "its not the economy it's you" it's coming from my heart because I believe it with absolute certainty.  It's all 100% compassion and understanding.  If you could hear my voice you'd know it.

You see I was there I know it very well.  When you come out of poverty and into wealth it's going to be because you changed your daily rituals and how you respond to what happens to you. You changed your mind first and then your life followed!  Once you have the validation from the results in your life to prove it works then you're going to be driven by that big heart of yours to pay it forward any which way you can.  It's exciting for me to be able to look a broke person over the age of 18 right in the cranium and say to them, "You messed up... But what you don't know yet is you are POWERFUL you can change all of it by changing how you respond to what happens to you and putting some more supportive daily rituals in motion in your life!  Others in the same economy you're working in discovered personal wealth.  They are no better than you.  You can do this." 

Heart.

It takes no guts and no heart whatsoever to tell a friend they are broke and in hard times because of the economy and some other things that happened to them that they have no control over. It takes guts, compassion, and a BIG heart to tell a friend, "I feel you... but you're exactly where you're at in your life because of the decisions you've made.  Whats exciting about that is if it makes you uncomfortable you have enormous power to change all that."

I want you to know that you're in the same economy, the same political landscape, the same planet, and bound by the same natural laws of the earth as every other person who discovered their own personal wealth, health, liberation, and happiness. The only difference is YOU.  If you're uncomfortable where your life is then change your mind first and your life will follow.  EVERY time.

Here is your challenge to help you live a healthier, happier, more full filling life. Start the challenge IMMEDIATELY because procrastination is the cornerstone of all poverty and action is the way to living better. 

1. Swap out some daily rituals not supportive of living better with some that are more supportive of living better.  2. Change how you respond to what happens to you.  3. If you're telling friends they are where they are at in their lives because of what's happened to them stop doing that and instead let them know they can change everything by changing their daily rituals and how they respond to what happens to them.  The latter is empowering for change.  The other is poisonous and incapable of empowering anyone for change unless they rebel against you.

I'd love to hear about your success.  Write / call me share with me what you've changed and how it's affected your life.  Truly I LOVE success stories and I'd love to hear yours.  Get started on that right away!

- Tom

Model it and LIVE it

More than anything I want to partner up with people who are sick and tired of seeing so much suffering that is so preventable and reversible if only more people would step up and be the model of a healthier life style our cultural problems with obesity and childhood type 2 diabetes would begin reversing.

Modeling it and actually LIVING IT is what inspires people to change not talking about it.  If you're only talking about it you're still part of the problem.  The talk and inaction has gotten so bad that now a days our kids are literally dying from this problem along with adults.

It's inexcusable to continue to be part of the problem. We live in an unsustainable existence when the majority of the population is over weight and modeling a "rot to death" life style that our kids are emulating.

Step up, hate apathy enough to kill it, and be part of the solution.  We have infinite powers to end the trend of obesity and diabetes.  Stop rotting and grow.  Our kids will model our behavior.  Don't let it be a behavior of cowardly talking a good game all the while taking no initiative.  Lets do this!

Tom

My "Hate apathy enough to kill it" video

Chocolate "O" Dark Chocolate Decadence Shakeology

This is easily the most DECADENT Dark Chocolate I've ever tasted.   The thing that is so incredible to me is that I get to intensely enjoy one or two of these tall glasses of chocolate awesomeness every day which takes care of my sweet tooth and does an enormous amount to help me feel my best every day.  Life is wonderful!
Dark Chocolate "O"  Decadence Shakeology
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology (usually for Breakfast)
1/5 cup frozen blueberries OR Strawberries (I go by site I don't actually measure this)
2 ice cubes (place in blender or beaker before water)
10 oz of cold water (You control how chocolaty you want it with the amount of water you add so play with that)
Optional: Shakeology Boost: The Fiber

Or Try 1/2 serving of Shakeology Twice a Day instead of 1 Full Serving once a Day and make Shakeology pay for itself twice! My users save between $200 and $500 a month in groceries while paying only $90 for Shakeology with the 25% discounts. (Ask me how if you're interested)

            Blend and Enjoy!  (If you'd rather a milk chocolate than a dark chocolate use milk instead of water)

My first thought at first taste was "mmmm VERY Refreshingly Delicious!  This is Chocolate "O"!!!.  The frozen blueberries OR strawberries and chocolate compliment each other so unbelievable well in a refreshing even invigorating way.  As with any Shakeology recipe you can optionally add Shakeology Boost to get even more fiber in your diet and you can optionally add Mills Ground Flaxseed to get more healthy fats in your diet.  If you don't already have shakeolgoy, either GreenBerry or Chocolate, you can get it at Heaven In A Glass.  Order Home Direct and get free shipping for life plus two free workouts, a recipe calendar, and a shaker cup.


Genuinely Enjoy :)
Tom

Live With Purpose - Part 4 - by Craig Holiday

Last week I talked about how our struggles are what make us true leaders. And I guess that was one of the things I understood years ago when I started my business. I understood that I had to do what didn't feel good. Because a lot of us in our lives we make poor decisions and we keep making the same decisions and we expect different results. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You have to change the decisions that you're making. And one of the greatest things I always talk about when I mentor people is that this business is a blessing because we CAN change ourselves.

 I'm not asking you to change anybody else's life, just change yours. And model the life you want others to have, and model the overcoming of challenges, and model that change and watch what happens around you.     
   
People will come to you, people will gather around you, people will be drawn to you because you have that attraction - because you are a fighter and you can win the battles you have had in your life. From that you give others the courage to do the same.

 What makes your life less than it should be? Fear. Lack of confidence. Not believing in yourself. Maybe your life has been one of abuse, maybe your life has been one where no one has ever believed in you. Well, I can tell you right now, I may not even know who you are but I believe in you. I believe in you because I've seen lives change. I have seen lives change when someone cares enough about somebody to be there for them, to love them when no one else does - to speak truth into their life, to create visions for their life, to create dreams for their life and then to buy into those dreams.

 So many of us dwell on our past failures. That causes us to shrink in our life because we look at what we haven't done instead of what we CAN do. That's that voice inside of you that's constantly trying to convince you that you don't deserve anything more than you are. But see, I believe for every single one of us, that accomplishment is already there, that mountain top is already won - we just need to go and claim that in our lives.

 We have the potential, we have the gifts, we've been given the ability but for a lot of us - we have to get over the idea that we are average. We say to ourselves, "I've never seen that kind of success, I've never been an impactful person." But if I were sitting across the table from you or sitting in your living room having a conversation with you, you would see that I know what you can become. And all you have to do is embrace that and believe it about yourself. And once you own that about your life, you can give it to someone else. And that is the greatest gift you can ever give to anybody. The greatest gift you can ever give to someone is the gift of believing in them.

 You must believe in yourself so that then you can believe in someone else and transform their lives. You have a responsibility to be true to your purpose so that you can lead others to their destiny. Then their purpose in life can be fulfilled because you took the time in their lives to say, I care, I love you, I believe in you. And that's really what our role is in this kind of a business.

 Fulfill your purpose in order to be significant in the lives of all the people who are just waiting for you to be the person that leads them to their purpose, their significance. With that kind of attitude, you will never know where your influence will end. I believe in you. Own your destiny.

 Someday is today!
 Craig
http://craigholiday.net/

Love your work not so much your job

GregDuBois summed it up beautifully. Greg loves the work he does at his job but not so much the JOB itself. Read what he has to share, "I have to say, I love the work that I do. Essentially I am a paid science guy, investigator, researcher, I help people and companies with environmental problems or issues or help them stay in compliance and in good stead. But I DON'T love my JOB. Having a job means someone else can decide my fate. So I am striving for my financial independence."

Gregs philosophy for emerging at a place down the road to own his destiny is spot on.  Most people who love their work don't differentiate between work and job and tragically don't see a problem with that.  Loving your work is a blessing because most people do not.  Love your work / hate your work it doesn't matter if you don't own your destiny and your income you can loose it all at no fault of your own.  That's the problem with ONLY having a job and doing nothing to build your wealth in your spare time.


If you LOVE your job re examine  exactly what it is you love and you may make a discovery that could change the course of the rest of your life in a VERY positive way.  You may discover that it's the work you love and probably the people you work with you love as well.   But the job itself, if you open your eyes, you will discover has never nor will it ever give you more control over your own life, your income, and your destiny.  It doesn't matter if you love your work or not.  If the job your work is attached to is suddenly gone at no fault of your own what's going to happen to you and your family if you suddenly have no income?  What kind of problems will stem from that?  How about the stress and toll it takes on your health and wellness?


You can build your wealth in your spare time so that a few years down the road you can keep your job or loose your job and either way you will be fine.  Either way you will still be able to provide for your family.  Either way your stress will be in check and you can more easily live a good life.  There is something very logically wrong and against your own self interest if all you have is a job and nothing else.  Putting all your eggs into one basket, a basket you have no control over, leaves you 100% vulnerable to loosing everything.  That kind of life style is for the biggest risk takers to ever walk the earth.  Isn't it ironic that the bulk of the individuals living the riskiest of all life styles live like that all the while citing their core values of a secure and a steady pay check?  That "safety" is a delusion and a dangerous one.

It doesn't matter if you love or hate your job or the work that you do in your job.  Either way if you keep your job or want to get rid of your job for the love of yourself take some initiative to start building up your wealth in your spare time if you have not started already.  If you have ONLY a job then one day TIME is likely to expose your daily slight error in judgment.  You can escape initiative but you cannot escape the consequences of inaction.  MILLIONS of Americans feel that right now who are out of a job after doing years of nothing to build their wealth in their spare time while they did have a job.   The moral here is if you loose all of your income and benefits it's not because you lost your job, it's because you did nothing in your spare time to build your wealth.

If you're one of the "lucky" ones who has a job start building up your wealth in your spare time TODAY it very well could save you down the road.  If you don't have a job start building your wealth anyway there isn't much else out there if you're still looking for a job.  Even if you're college educated the odds are not good in the JOB market.  Most college graduates are earning drastically less than what they are qualified for.  But in the larger scope of things nobody will ever earn what they are worth in a job it's the nature of the unfair beast.  Where ever you are, rich or poor, start building your wealth in your spare time and let it be a residual income of some kind so you can essentially emerge in a place a few years from now to spend your time how you want.

Check out what Greg is doing to build his wealth in his spare time: 
http://teambeachbody.com/worldtraining

What are you going to do?  Are you going to let time expose you or promote you?  My advice to you is to take initiative and put time on your side to promote you!  Time will pass either way so get involved in your own life and OWN IT.

Tom
p.s. If you loved this article you'll probably love this one to, "Money and False Altruistic Moral Egos"

Let your kids inspire you to DREAM again

A child of a friend of mine not yet old enough to have a job said this after watching a video I posted today, "he can have his hair long if he wants to, he can even have it pink it is a free country, nobody should tell him to cut his hair except for him." In the video I was talking about freedom being my core values. Years ago I was told to cut my hair short or face permanent lay off without pay so I quit. I didn't quit because I wanted to keep my long hair so much as I wanted to be a free and dignified human being.  The length of my hair was irrelevant to my job performance and I wasn't about let some arrogant corporate man involve me in a human domestication program and teach me how to be a good pet at my job :-) My friend Nikki Olson watched my video with her daughter Bryanna when Bryanna said those simple-powerful words reflecting her core values of freedom that almost all of us seem to loose with "maturity".

All of us start out with dreams reflecting our innate core values of freedom which are bestowed upon us by our creator. Oppression is something learned by our environment as we get older and "mature".  It's ironic that, "While our Constitution was set up to prevent political dictatorship in doing so we established a society where every ward boss is a dictator, every financier is a dictator, every private employer a dictator, all with the livelihood of the workers at there mercy" - George Bernard Shaw.

As children we dream big dreams but then tragedy slowly creeps in invoking something to take place that is worse than death itself. Most of us if not all of us begin to place our dreams in the "attic" .  We begin to trade our dreams for a life of oppression.  Most of us never pull them back out of the attic and die before giving our dreams life; making the tragedy irreversible. Some of us will ignite our passions all over again and pull our child hood dreams, along with some new dreams, back out of the attic and begin to take action to give those dreams life.

We should be listening to our kids more often. Maybe not about wisdom quite yet but when it comes to dreams they are far more wise than most adults. If you're a parent or guardian don't teach your kids to put those dreams into the attic to never see life again. Instead teach your kids to gain the wisdom to crystallize their dreams into reality.

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." Leon Suenens 1904 - 1996, Clergyman

I must confess I am not a parent myself but that doesn't stop me from learning from MANY others who are parents. In friends and in the incredible books I read it seems consistent that the children who don't let their dreams die, but rather develop the discipline and the wisdom to crystallize those dreams into reality, do just that and live happier much more fulfilled lives. It's the kids who are taught to put their dreams away and join the "real world" that more often than not grow into very unhappy adults because they traded their dreams for oppression.  If you're daily actions are not fueled by your passions then your daily actions are like a cancer that will eventually kill you unless you change. I don't need to be a parent to learn these fundamentals from others who are parents. Encourage your kids to dream but don't stop with encouraging them to dream.  Encourage them to develop the discipline and the wisdom to make their dreams come true otherwise those dreams will destroy their sense of self worth which could influence them to do something horrible like join the "real world".

The truly happy person is one who is not afraid to dream dreams and be willing to pay the price to make their dreams come true. THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD BE TEACHING YOUR KIDS AND LIVING BY EXAMPLE. Don't you think so?  Be the example parents and guardians it's not enough to talk it... Your commitments are only as strong as your actions don't turn your commitments into a joke through inactions in the eyes of your kids because they will see through you and unfortunately most likely model you as they grow.  Furthermore, mark my words, your kids will feel sad their mom or dad doesn't have a big enough self image to feel they are worth while to pay the price for their dreams.  You must not only preach it to your kids you must also LIVE IT or you will cause immeasurable pain for your kids.

Apathy is at an all time high and so is unhappiness. They correlate. Kill your apathy, pull your dreams back down from the attic, dream big dreams, and be willing to pay the price for your dreams to crystallize into reality. Let that be the wave of positive impact the world so desperately needs.  The victories you score over your struggles will give other people hope. It will inspire more people, including our kids, to dream dreams and pay the price for them to come true.  To let your struggles win in your life is purely selfish.  Don't be selfish...

DREAM BIG AND BE SIGNIFICANT!

Tom - Full time dreamer and Independent Team Beachbody Coach
http://beachbodycoach.com/metalpalace
p.s. The video young Bryanna commented on to inspire this blog :-) (click here)

Become Change

I know we live in an economy that is incredibly unkind and that the price of gas is way to high. I know we live in a market place that is largely exploiting people struggling just to get by.  I know in a market place so dominated by corporations it's all about cut throat and seniority which only exists in pyramids which corporations are; they are pyramid schemes. 

Knowing what you know you've got to ask yourself... Are those the perfect reasons for change or are they the perfect reasons not to change and go for the "even keel" which does not exist?  Of those two philosophies to live by which side of the fence of people are going to have more than the other side?  I know the answer is obvious but I'll say it anyway.  It's the side that sees the state of our economy as perfect reasons to CHANGE that has the real shot at winning and having much more than the side who sees the state of our economy as perfect reasons to not change and maybe keep waiting for "someday" that does not exist; that delusion of someday that most people subscribe to.

The change I'm talking about is the change that takes place inside yourself not the things going on around you that you have no control over.  You have no control over the economy, the price of gas, corporations etc... If you're waiting for those things to change before you change then you're in your own way of having more.  That's how you stay in "fight to survive" mode year after year in a vicious circle of no end unless YOU change first.   When you change first everything else changes for you.  Most people work against this natural law of the earth that's existed for thousands of years and the only possible outcome of fighting any natural law is you will loose.

If you are waiting for things around you to change first then YOU are your own biggest obstacle.  Not the economy, not family drama, not gas prices, not your job or your boss... YOU are your biggest obstacle.  Change your philosophy to one that supports you and ONLY THEN will you gain real power to change your life because you will finally be out of your own way.  There are enough obstacles in your path without you being one of them so cut it out and change.  Get out of your own way. 

Score some victories over your struggles and give hope to other people who could use some hope and encouragement to score some victories over their own struggles.  We are impact creatures like it or not.  CHANGE from the inside, pay the price to crystallize your dreams into reality, tell your story to anyone who will listen, and be part of a wave of change that people all around you so desperately need.  Let them know nothing else changed until YOU changed first.  You can do it because you are an impact creature.  Impact positively.  Go out there and do it but first start with YOU because there is no other way you can effectively change your life and positively impact others around you.

-Independent Team Beachbody Coach, Tom
http://beachbodycoach.com/metalpalace 

Sour on Milk? 5 Healthy Dairy Substitutes - By Jeanine Natale

So you've made the decision to go dairy free for health, diet, and/or allergy reasons. Maybe you're trying to avoid lactose. Maybe you just don't like the way the dairy industry tends to treat cows. But here's the rub: You love milk! So what are you going to do? Fear not, it's easy to avoid lactose and still get your fill of milk-like liquids. Soy, rice, coconut, almond, and even hemp "milks" have all found their way into the diets, hearts, and grocers' shelves of health-conscious people everywhere. Some, like coconut and rice milk, have been around for hundreds of years as dietary staples in many cultures around the world.

We're going to take a look at the five most widely available—and very diverse—milk substitutes, but before we start, let's quickly look at what you're leaving behind when you give up dairy. A 1-cup serving of regular skim milk has 90 calories, 125 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of protein, 30 percent of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium, 25 percent of your RDA of vitamin D, phosphorus, and riboflavin, and 16 percent of your RDA for vitamin B12. That same cup of skim milk also contains 12 grams of carbohydrates, 11 of which are sugar.

Now let's compare the rest. Keep in mind that these are all vegetarian/vegan-friendly, gluten-free alternatives.

1. Soy Milk. Soy milk is probably the best-known milk alternative in the Western world. It's easy to find it in a variety of flavors and options at just about any market. So how does soy milk stack up nutritionally compared to skim milk? A typical 1-cup serving has about 100 calories—slightly more than skim milk—with 7 grams of protein, 29 milligrams of sodium, 25 percent of your RDA of thiamin, 9 percent of your RDA of riboflavin, 8 percent of your RDA of iron, 15 percent of your RDA of copper, 20 percent of your RDA of manganese, and just about 35 percent of your RDA of calcium.

Despite soy milk's popularity, there is some controversy surrounding it. The trend toward foods that are or contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is currently a cause for great concern, and more than 90 percent of all soybeans sold in the U.S. are GMOs, making it pretty difficult to find truly natural, organic soybeans or soybean milk products.

Also, unfermented soy products like soy milk naturally contain what are known as phytoestrogens—chemicals that when introduced to the human body tend to act like estrogen. There are many studies on this subject, but unfortunately most of them tend to contradict each other: Do phytoestrogens cause or prevent cancer? Are there negative side effects to ingesting too much of the stuff if you're male? Should infants be given soy products at all? The best way to deal with the soy debate and its consequences, aside from doing a bunch of research yourself, is simply to remember the age-old adage, "All things in moderation." If you aren't going to be consuming gallons of soy milk per day, you should be just fine.

Bottom Line: You might want to explore other choices before settling for this somewhat controversial and overprocessed milk alternative.

2. Rice milk. If you've ever had the popular Mexican drink horchata, you've had rice milk. The popular commercial brands are enriched with calcium and other nutrients found in dairy milk, but they also (like commercial soy milk) have a variety of additives, sweeteners, and flavorings, many of which can't be considered either organic or natural.

So how does rice milk add up nutritionally? A 1-cup serving has approximately 80 to 90 calories, but they come mostly from sugar, which you probably already get plenty of, and which you're probably trying to avoid if you're trying to consume a healthy diet. If you're a rice milk or horchata fan, great—you can mix it with all kinds of things to make it a fun, refreshing treat. But realistically speaking, rice milk doesn't have much else going for it.

Bottom Line: Although it's relatively popular, I wouldn't settle on rice milk as a truly complete and healthy alternative to regular milk, unless I was mixing it with Shakeology®. Store-bought brands will be more nutritious, but will contain a lot of sugar.

3. Coconut milk. Thai food, anyone? How about a piña colada? If you're a fan of either, chances are, you've had plenty of coconut milk in your lifetime. Now, don't mistake coconut milk for the watery liquid found in the center of the coconut, which is known as coconut water (the stuff you hear sloshing around inside when you shake one). Rather, we're talking about the rich, creamy stuff that's extracted from the white coconut flesh nutmeat itself. Want to do it yourself at home? You're looking at some pretty intensive labor.

Until recently, a cup of coconut milk contained at least 500 calories, most of which was saturated fat, but now low-calorie coconut milk has begun finding its way onto grocers' shelves. A typical 1-cup serving has about 150 calories, most of which is still saturated fat. It has 3 grams of protein, 45 milligrams of sodium, 50 percent of the RDA of vitamin B12, 30 percent of the RDA of vitamin D, and 10 percent of the RDA of calcium and magnesium. If you're a vegan looking to get more vitamin D in your diet, this stuff might help, but keep in mind that you won't be getting any protein from it and you'll be getting a lot of fat.

Bottom Line: Regular coconut milk has traditionally been intended to be used in small amounts, mainly for cooking, not as a milk substitute for drinking a glass at a time. Although it's delicious and has lots of healthful benefits, it's way too rich to have as a drink by itself. And while light coconut milks may not pack the same caloric punch, they're still essentially just fat.

4. Almond milk. This is one I can live with. Nutritionally, a 1-cup serving will have anywhere from 50 to 80 calories, depending on how much water has been added. Although it has minimal protein, it does have 25 percent of the RDA of vitamin D, 50 percent of the RDA of vitamin E, and 150 milligrams of potassium, along with some manganese, selenium, and many other trace elements.

There are a wide variety of fortified store-bought brands that all taste pretty darn good—sweetened, unflavored, or otherwise. Along with the more mainstream commercial brands, it's also easy to find almond milk products that are raw and organic.

Almond milk is a personal favorite and quite versatile too, although keep in mind it's still low in protein. On a side note, it's fun to make from scratch. A 1-pound bag of raw almonds can get a little pricey at around $12.00, but the investment is worth it. Make your own—it's delicious!

5. Hemp milk. Places like Trader Joe's® or Whole Foods Market® are your best bet for hemp milk. There are a couple of different brands, again, all fortified and sweetened to taste more like regular milk. And no, it doesn't get you high. Interestingly though, the U.S. is pretty much the only country in the world that doesn't allow hempseed cultivation, even though there's no drug content in it. All hempseed in the U.S. is from Canada; it's guaranteed to be organic and pesticide-free.

Hemp milk could be a real find. Hempseeds are pretty much considered a superfood, meaning that even in very small amounts, like an ounce or two, they pack a wallop nutritionally. A 1-cup serving of hemp milk has approximately 110 calories and has 24 percent of the RDA of iron, 72 percent of the RDA of magnesium and phosphorus, 35 percent of the RDA of zinc, plus 11 grams of omega-6 fatty acids, 4.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, and 16 grams of protein. Wow.

Bottom Line: A milk alternative that's naturally packed with nutrients. Definitely worth checking out.

If or when you decide to go with one or more of these alternatives to milk, also know that you can use them in most recipes just like regular milk. There are literally hundreds of recipes available free online, and dozens of well-informed cookbooks on the market. So experiment a little, and find out which milk substitute works best for you.