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Build a Lean Machine

A truly lean body consists of firm, sculpted muscles, a tight core, strong limbs, and zero storage fat.  To get this type of body – and maintain it – apply the age-old combination of Diet and Exercise, with a little bit of Supplementation thrown in. In spite of all the hype out there, this is still the only way to achieve results!   Diet Just as every body is different, so is every metabolism, and hence everyone’s optimal diet. Nonetheless, the goal of your dietary focus should be to build lean muscle mass while eliminating fat deposits.  The best way to achieve this is by eating lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, while eliminating saturated and hydrogenated fats and simple carbohydrates such as refined sugar, white flour and processed foods. Lean protein effectively builds muscle mass while complex carbohydrates provide energy. Healthy fats such as those derived from olive oil, coconut, tree nuts, and avocado nourish healthy hair, nails, and skin, while lubricating the organs and stabilizing hormone levels to burn fat.   Supplements Supplementation should be specific to each individual body and supervised by a health professional after careful evaluation of your needs.  Supplements should also be rotated so the body does not grow dependent on them.  In many cases, proper supplementation may assist in losing weight and building muscle by supplying more nutrients to the body, making for quicker results. Amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fish oils provide anti-oxidant protection to protect against disease and aging, and also provide strength and fuel for your workout.   Exercise Your ideal exercise regimen should combine daily aerobics with one hour of strength training at least twice a week for best results. Once you experience how this will transform both your energy and your appearance, your own body will motivate you to continue!  

Maintaining Proper Posture and Balance

Your sense of balance functions through a dynamic process in which your brain and body assimilate and respond to physical information using your eyes, muscles and nervous system as a means of relating physically to the world.   Proper posture is an integral part of human balance. The way in which you hold up your body actually makes a huge difference in your ability to maintain proper balance. By improving your posture and thus your sense of balance, you improve your physical stability and increase your overall mobility, as well as preventing many injuries and pain in the back, neck and joints.  Overall, proper posture and a healthy sense of balance can mean the difference between feeling the years creeping up on you and maintaining your youthful energy and vigor.   Your sense of balance begins to deteriorate at around age 40. Poor posture and lack of balance is often associated with an increase in falls and injuries, such as wrist and hip fractures, even in younger adults.  To prevent this deterioration, it is important to practice proper posture and perform simple balancing exercises every day.   How can you improve your posture?  

• Book it. Walk around for five minutes each day with a book balanced on your head.

• Sit Up. Make sure that your computer monitor and chair are ergonomically arranged so that your back remains straight and relaxed, with elbows comfortably bent at a 45° angle and feet planted firmly on the ground while you are working on your computer.

• Stretch.  Remember to take frequent breaks during which you stretch your back and shoulders by gently bending from side to side with one arm extended over your head.

• Step in Line.  When walking, always shift your body weight from heel to toe, using the entire foot to support your weight.  Place one foot in front of the other and direct your body weight in a straight line.

• Stand on one leg.  Try this at first for 10 seconds, then close your eyes and continue for an additional 5 seconds.  Repeat with the alternate leg.  Practice this exercise at least once daily.  You may need to hold on to a table or wall for the first 3-4 seconds before letting go.  As you become accustomed to doing this exercise every day, your balance will improve drastically and you will be able to hold the position for longer periods.

• Balance Beam. Try walking on top of a straight and narrow surface, such as the curb of the sidewalk, a wall or a real balance beam.  This exercise strengthens the coordination between your eyes, muscles and nervous system, and will greatly improve your balance when practiced regularly.

• Walk backwards. Walk backwards for a stretch of 10-15 feet using a wall to guide yourself. Try not to turn around and look behind you, and maintain an even distance from the wall while walking.

• Get out in Nature. Nature is strategically designed to help humans improve all of our physical and psychological capabilities.  While walking along a dirt road or trail, your sense of balance naturally kicks in to keep you from stumbling over obstacles on the uneven ground, and from bumping into trees and branches in your path.  A weekly nature walk goes a long way toward improving your navigation skills in the physical world, and your sense of balance will be among the first to reap the benefits!

Morphe’s Simple Formula for Success

The difference between people who are living their dream life and those who are stuck in a rut waiting for change to just happen is very simple:  successful people set goals – and furthermore, they achieve them!   Why does this work out so well for some of us and not for others?  Do successful people know some kind of secret that helps them fulfill their life goals?  How can the rest of us get in on this act?   The secret lies in a simple formula:   PASSION + DISCIPLINE = RESULTS   Let’s look at the first variable in this equation:  Passion.  What exactly is passion?  We usually think of passion as that powerful, mysterious and magnetic force that makes people fall in love with other people.  But isn’t it also true that this same force can make people fall in love with things, places, projects, dreams and goals as well?   Passion is the force that propels everything in life, and that is why it’s so important to recognize your true Passion and use it as the seed from which to grow your dream life.  If you set goals that respond to your personal Passion and desires, your goals will inspire you to move forward.  If you set goals based on what you think others expect of you, it will become very difficult for you to muster up the Discipline required to achieve the goal.   What exactly is Discipline?  Dictionary.com defines Discipline as: activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training. So how do you remain motivated enough to stick to this activity or regimen long enough to successfully achieve your goal?   What’s really going to keep you disciplined is the Passion, or desire, to achieve your goal, but this Passion needs to be rekindled every so often, in order for you to really feel the excitement, energy and motivation to stick to the Discipline.  The secret to keeping this Passion alive is to constantly remind yourself of why you want to achieve this particular goal.   For example, let’s say your goal is to quit smoking.  It’s not enough to want to do it just because it will make you feel healthier.  You can fuel the Passion for quitting by taking the time to write down all the reasons why you want to quit, and posting them around your home or office as gentle reminders.  You may write:  Smoking makes my breath smell bad; I don’t want to support evil Tobacco companies; I don’t want my clothes to smell bad; Smoking makes my skin more wrinkled, etc.   With this kind of daily motivation, it’s much easier for you to stay focused on the Passion and in turn, to muster up daily Discipline.   Also, one slip doesn’t mean that your entire Passion is gone and that the goal is totally out of your reach.  Simple motivational messages will help you get back on track by reconnecting your thoughts with the original Passion that made you set your goal in the first place.  

Positive Thinking for Positive Results

I have a sign in my office that says:  “Your thoughts lead to your actions, your actions become your habits, and your habits become your character.”  This is why your thoughts, and the commitment to continuous positive thinking are so important. If you want to change what you’re attracting, change the way you think!  If you focus on what you don’t want, that’s exactly what you will get, because that is how the Law of Attraction works.  Your thoughts are controlling every detail of your life, so use them to get positive results! Thoughts are kind of like the weather.  They are there whether you pay attention to them or not.  And in fact, the ones that you don’t pay attention to, which are happening on a sub-conscious level, are the ones that are affecting you the most. Your thoughts attract and create your external reality, so they must always reflect the life you are aiming to have.  Make a commitment to turn every negative thought into a positive one, and remember that everything in life happens for a good reason. Instead of thinking “I am stuck here in this dead-end job forever,” replace the thought with “I am here preparing myself for my dream career.” Focus on what you DO want, and know that it’s coming! Listen carefully and consciously to your inner thoughts.  Are you putting yourself down, expressing fear or insecurity, harboring resentment, laying blame, or being just plain pessimistic?  The first step to improving your thinking patterns is to listen to your inner thoughts and discover exactly which of your repetitive thought patterns are attracting the negative energy in your life. Make a list of all of the negative thoughts that plague you on a regular basis (and believe me, unless you are living the life you’ve always dreamed of, you have these!) and write down a positive affirmation to replace each one.  Print the list out and carry it in your wallet.  Whenever a negative thought strikes, use your list of positive affirmations to beat down the negative energy! After only a few days of practicing this, you will notice that your life is heading in a much more positive direction, that you feel healthier and happier, and that suddenly your goals seem within reach.  The more you practice the Power of Positive Thinking, the more you will see Positive Results!  This is the beginning of getting everything you want in life.