Okay, got your head around that?

The world’s most powerful computers, called supercomputers, can perform the same amount of calculations in just one second. That’s an accomplishment that blows our minds, until we realise that it would take three of these supercomputers linked together to map the connections to just one single neuronet firing in the human brain!

And a piece of brain the size of a grain of salt contains approximately one hundred thousand neurons with a billion connections to other neurons. That is a lot of processing power!

The total number of permutations and combinations of brain connections, and hence potential, is almost infinite. As leading brain researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr Andrew Newburg says,

“We have astonishing potential to change the autopilot behaviours and patterns we have fallen into. Using the right
tools and intentions, the potential for change within our nervous system, within our entire physiology is tremendous.”

No bigger than a walnut and weighing less than a grape, each

of your two adrenal glands sits like a tiny pyramid on top of

a kidney. Don’t let their size fool you, these powerful little

glands manufacture and secrete hormones that are essential

for life, health and vitality. They modulate the functioning of

every tissue, organ and gland in your body to maintain balance

during stress and keep you alive. They also have

important effects on the way you think and feel.

The main purpose of your adrenals is to enable your body

to deal with stress from every possible source, ranging from

injury and disease to work and relationship problems. They

largely determine the energy of your body’s responses to every

change in your internal and external environment. Whether

they signal attack, retreat or surrender, every cell responds

accordingly, and you feel the results. It is through the actions

of the adrenal hormones that your body is able to mobilise its

resources to escape or fight off danger (stress) and survive.

In a more primitive society that would mean being able to

run away quickly, fight or pursue an enemy or game, endure

long periods of physical challenge and deprivation, and store

up physical reserves when they are available. In modern society,

these same responses are triggered by such circumstances

as work deadlines, air pollution, family quarrels, financial

problems, too little sleep, illness and overindulgence in or

sensitivities to food, alcohol or drugs. If your adrenal function

is low, as it is in adrenal fatigue, your body has difficulty

responding and adapting properly to these stresses. This

can lead to a variety of physical and psychological health

problems that are themselves a further source of stress.

Unfortunately adrenal fatigue is very common in today’s fast

paced world.

How do you know if your Adrenal Glands are

Overworked or Fatigued?

• Tired for no reason?

• Feel apathetic or lethargic frequently?

• Having trouble getting up in the morning?

• Need coffee, stimulants, salty or sweet snacks to

keep going?

• Feeling run down, worn out or stressed?

• Not recovering from colds and illness as quickly as

you used to?

• Feeling anxious or depressed?

• Having difficulty with your memory or concentration?

• Putting on fat especially around the belly?

• Low libido?

If you answered “yes” to two or more of these questions,

you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue.

I have coached many city executives who have driven their

body into a state of chronic fatigue by ‘burning out’ their

adrenals. Long working hours, poor nutrition and not resting

and renewing energy sufficiently is a sure fire way to create

adrenal fatigue.

Keeping your adrenals healthy is an absolute necessity to

every aspect of your overall well-being and vitality. It is

impossible to increase your energy and resilience when you

have fatigued adrenals.

Here are 10 ways to give your Adrenals a Boost:

1. Take a high quality adrenal support supplement. There are

many of these on the market available in health stores. I

personally use and highly recommend Dr Wilsons Adrenal

Rebuilder and Adrenal C Formula.

2.Don’t eat fast food or food with artificial sweeteners and

additives in it. Usually loaded with neurotoxins (neurotoxins

distort brain function) like monosodium glutamate

(MSG) and aspartame. Fast food can cause your body to

be in a constant state of stress after eating it, until the

chemicals are detoxified from your system. Depending on

the strength of your liver’s detoxification systems that can

be anywhere from a few hours to several days.

3. Reduce your caffeine intake. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal

glands only to cause an energy crash later on. Try herbal

teas instead. Peppermint tea is a natural pick-me-up that

doesn’t stimulate the adrenal glands.

4. Avoid sugar and refined wheat products. They cause your

blood sugar to fluctuate rapidly, which in turn causes your

adrenals to overreact.

5. Eat some protein at every meal to stabilise blood sugar

and prevent strain on the adrenals. That doesn’t necessarily

mean meat. Some good vegetarian sources of protein

include: legumes (beans), nuts, seeds, avocado, and quinoa

(a nutritious whole grain).

6. Reduce your stress. Use the Emotional Balance Technique

daily to eliminate psychological and emotional stressors

from your mind and body. Use the Optimal Brain

Technique Meditation daily.

7. Eat plentiful amounts of fresh vegetables and some fruits.

Chronic stress depletes nutrients. By eating a diet that is

rich in nutrients from fresh produce you will give your

body the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that help it

recover. Supplement your diet with chlorella. This whole

food supplement is a powerful detoxifier and helps boost

your immunity, energy, and focus, improves digestion,

relieves constipation, and may also help fight obesity, high

blood pressure and cholesterol.

8. Get at least 7 hours sleep at night. If possible, don’t wake

to a blaring alarm clock since the noise causes a flood of

stress hormones to be released.

9. Avoid alcohol for a while. Alcohol is another stimulant and

puts stress on the liver which in turns stresses the adrenals

and makes them even more fatigued.

10.Find some time every day to have a good laugh. Laughter

releases all the feel good, healing chemicals. Remember

your body is designed to heal. When you remove the stress

that is exactly what it does.

To find out more about adrenal fatigue and how to avoid

or recover from it, I highly recommend the easy to read and

definitive guide on the subject; Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century

Stress Syndrome by Dr James Wilson, available on Amazon.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn’t store it. We have to get what we need from food, including citrus fruits, broccoli, and tomatoes.

You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is needed for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, substances that damage DNA. The build-up of free radicals over time may contribute to the aging process and the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Vitamin C helps the body deal with physical stress such as the common cold and toxins, and now vitamin C recently added a new notch on its belt. The vitamin helps reduce both the physical and psychological effects of stress on people.

People who have high levels of vitamin C do not show the expected mental and physical signs of stress when subjected to acute psychological challenges. What’s more, they bounce back from stressful situations faster than people with low levels of vitamin C in their blood.

In one study German researchers subjected 120 people to a sure-fire stressor—a public speaking task combined with math problems. Half of those studied were given 1,000 mg of vitamin C. Such signs of stress as elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol and high blood pressure were significantly greater in those who did not get the vitamin supplement. Those who got vitamin C reported that they felt less stressed when they got the vitamin.

Take 2 grams a day and you will be in good health.

A probiotic is a bacterial organism that contributes to the health and balance of the intestinal tract.

Although recent medical studies have proven the therapeutic benefit of these good bacteria, their use dates back thousands of years. People in ancient Babylon, for example, used sour milk to alleviate gastrointestinal problems. Some of the more common health benefits include:

• Managing lactose intolerance
• Helps kill salmonella in the body
• Helps prevent colon cancer
• Lowers Cholesterol
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Reduces Inflammation
• Boosts Immune System, used as an anti-biotic
• Improves mineral absorption from other foods and vitamins
• Helps prevents Urinary Tract Infection and bacterial vaginosis
• Improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, candida

One of the biggest benefits of probiotics as a prevention mechanism is the tremendous impact it has on your immune system and overall health, with the absence of any serious side effects. There have been reports of gas or bloating with overuse, or as a result of a sudden, large introduction of probiotic to the system. However, following prescribed dosages and gradual intake seems to eradicate this problem completely.

Who Should Take Probiotics?

The simple answer is; everyone. Everyone should be taking these regularly and double the dose following a round of antibiotics.  Antibiotics don’t discriminate.  They kill off the bad as well as the good bacteria in our intestinal tract, making it necessary to repopulate the gut with good bacteria through the use of probiotics. Since a large portion of the immune system is related to the function of the gut, a healthy gut flora is extremely important to your overall health.

Hmmmmm if only hey. The reality is that today’s western diet is really low on vital nutrients; vitamins and minerals that our bodies need in order for proper function and health.

It would be nice to think we can get all our nutritional needs met from our diet but we hardly ever do – and because of this using supplements is a must for most of us.

The top 5 supplements for Optimal Health and Peak Performance:

1. A GOOD QUALITY multi-vitamin and mineral, use a plant based source and make sure it does not have lots of ‘fillers’  and bulking agents in it.

2. Take at least 2 grams of vitamin C per day.

3. Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids. At least 2 grams per day.

4. Probiotics are naturally occurring beneficial bacteria located in the intestines, whose job it is to help prevent the harmful bacteria from wreaking havoc. Healthy digestion is one of the keys to good health for the long term, and it plays an important role in keeping the metabolism and immune system in balance. Probiotics play a fundamental role in keeping the digestive system running at peak efficiency, and they may help you stay resistant to infections, disease or other illness. Stress, injury and other health conditions can take away from your body’s natural levels of healthy bacteria. This is where supplementing with probiotics can be especially important. Consider probiotics to be a natural antibiotic, your body’s inherent means of protecting you from illness and disease. Probiotics help your body to break down protein and fats from foods. When you metabolise food efficiently, you gain energy from what you’ve eaten and the nutrients can then be distributed properly to your cells. An imbalance in this process can quickly lower your body’s ability to generate new cells, build strength or resist or fight infection or disease. This is why probiotics are essential for healthy digestion; they increase the efficiency of metabolising food and ensure you get the most nutrients from your daily diet.

5. If you are over 30years of age take a digestive enzyme when you have a big meal.

Enzymes are one of the most essential elements in our body. They are responsible for constructing, synthesizing, carrying, dispensing, delivering, and eliminating the many ingredients and chemicals our body uses in its daily business of living. Digestive enzymes break down the food we eat, releasing nutrients for energy production and cell growth and repair. Raw food contains the enzymes needed to digest it. However, most of us don’t live on a raw food diet. When we cook our food, the enzymes in the food are destroyed and our body has to make them in order to digest our food. This puts stress on our system especially since people eat more processed foods and meals higher in calories and fat. Digestive enzyme supplements help you digest your meals more efficiently and deliver the nutrients from your food to your body. The more enzymes we have, the stronger our immune system will be.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are necessary fats that humans cannot synthesise, and therefore they must be obtained through your diet in order for the body to function properly.

There are two families of EFAs: Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega-9 is necessary yet “non-essential” because the body can manufacture a modest amount on its own, provided essential EFAs are present. Without EFA’s in your diet, you could not think, see, hear, reproduce, run or even move a muscle.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFA’s are the raw materials used to make all the special fats in the structure of your brain, eyes, ears, testes, ovaries, adrenals and the membranes that surround and protect every cell in your body. EFAs support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. The human body needs EFAs to manufacture and repair cell membranes, enabling the cells to obtain optimum nutrition and expel harmful waste products. A primary function of EFAs is the production of chemicals called prostaglandins, which regulate body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, fertility, conception, and play a role in immune function by regulating inflammation and encouraging the body to fight infection.

Essential Fatty Acids are also needed for proper growth in children, and are essential for optimal brain function; mental alertness and memory!

The ideal ratio of omega 6 and omega 3 is about 2:1. Unfortunately today’s Western diet has more like a ratio of 15:1. Our consumption of omega 3 rich fish and grass fed beef has declined; while our consumption of foods made with ingredients containing high levels of omega 6 has increased.

Omega-3 deficiencies are linked to decreased memory and mental abilities, tingling sensation of the nerves, poor vision, increased tendency to form blood clots, diminished immune function, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, learning disorders, menopausal discomfort, and growth retardation in infants, children, and pregnant women.

Omega-3 EFA’s are found in the body oils of cold-water ocean fish like cod, mackerel, halibut, herring and tuna. Other sources include flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and dark green veggies, such as kale, collards, chard, parsley, and cereal grasses (wheat & barley grasses), are also good sources.

It’s easy to find foods high in Omega-6 in our Western diet; Cooking Oils, egg yolks, meats, all manner of processed foods, seeds and nuts, and the oils extracted from them.

Supplementing with Omega 3’s is a good idea. I have coached many people who have transformed their mental alertness and memory just from increasing their Omega 3 intake to about 3 grams per day.

.

Breathing out I smile.

Dwelling in the present moment,

I know this is a wonderful moment!

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

If we were to become aware of our habits,
we would let go and relax.

If we were to let go and relax,
we would be aware of sensations.

If we were to be aware of sensations,
we would receive impressions.

If we were to receive impressions,
we would awaken to the moment.

If we were to awaken to the moment,
we would experience reality.

If we were to experience reality,
we would see that we are not our personality.

If we were to see that we are not our personality,
we would remember ourselves.

If we were to remember ourselves,
we would let go of our fear and attachments.

If we were to let go of our fear and attachments,
we would be touched by God.

If we were touched by God,
we would seek union with God.

If we were to seek union with God,
we would will what God wills.

If we were to will what God wills,
we would be transformed.

If we were transformed,
the world would be transformed.

If the world were transformed,
all would return to God.

At the start of study the men received a physical exam, a strength test and a cardiovascular test. Men with poor health or poor health history were removed from the study at the start.

Over the 19 years 503 men died. But here’s the kicker -

Overall there were 50% more deaths in the weakest third of the men, than in the middle or upper third. When the researchers looked at the deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer the weakest men died earliest.

Simply put strength training keeps you youthfull and not only prolongs your life but prolongs the quality of your life.

Dont think that you need hours and hours in the gym with drug fuelled bodybuilders. No No.

In my book ‘Incredible You’ I explain another study that shows 3 x 20 minute sessions of strength training a week for 6 months reduced biological ageing by 12 years ! Thats pretty impressive. The long and short of it is strength training keeps you youthfull!

Got an important decision to make? Try this:

Whilst thinking things through logically is obviously a good way to make important decisions, it is not the most effective way.

When you have an important decision to make go first to your GUT. What is your GUT feel? Do not analyse, do not overthink ? In fact do no think at all, just let your gut tell you what to do.Every human being knows what a gut feeling is and most of us know what the consequences are of going against our gut feelings.

I was fortunate enough to have Professor Kazadi Kalangu -  a Brain Surgeon for over 23 years write the forward to my book: Incredible You, and in conversation with Professor Kalangu he explained to me that the gut has over 100 million brain cells (neurons) in it and that it is constantly communicating to our brains all the time and way before we have chance to think things through. Our gut is a primal centre, our safety centre, our primal instinct; is this good for me or is this bad for me. In our fast paced western world we have forgotten to tune into this and have become way to ‘heady’.

But the gut isnt everything…

As I explain in Chapter 6 of Incredible You the heart is also communicating with the brain all the time and in fact the heart send more signals to the brain than the brain does to the heart. The heart has over 40,000 brain cells within it and has a memory all of its own. (More on memory in a future post) The heart is our wisdom centre. When we have a decision to make if we open up our heart by having feelings of gratitude and allowing the wisdom of our heart to give us information we often make better more informed decisions. We often hear the words “If only I had followed my heart and not my head”

But lets not forget the head…

When making decisions of course we need logic and reason. However we want to make sure the genuis centres of our brain – the frontal lobes, are active when making decisions and not the more primitive hind brain which is more designed to deal with stress situations. Interestingly the best way to ‘fire up’ the frontal lobes is by having sincere heart based feelings of joy and gratitude. This shuts down the activity of the stress centres and powers up the frontal lobes.

So keep it simple, the next time you have an important decision to make ask yourself these 3 simple questions;

1. What is my gut feel on this? (Remember, do not anaylse it – just go with what your gut feels about it).

2. If I went with my heart on this what would I do? Feel feelings of gratitude and joy and see what wisdom is there for you.

3. OK Brain – what is the logical, rational thought process here? Whats best for me to do?

Then make your decision and let go and enjoy the ride.