WHAT'S IT WORTH TO YOU? Part 3 of 3

NON-CONSCIOUS SACRIFICE

What’s It Worth To You? Part III 

This is the last segment of ‘What’s It Worth To You?” Segment I brought to awareness there is a price to be ‘paid’, for anything one truly desires, and seeks to achieve. In Segment II, I covered Sacrifice, bringing to awareness that whether we desire something or not, we are sacrificing daily, regardless. I also spoke about conscious daily sacrifice, and non-conscious daily sacrifice. In this last segment, I’d like to expand on the non-conscious sacrifice(s) a person makes.

TIPPING THE SCALE

As we see in the visual above, the scale is definitely tipped. In today’s model, the plate that is tipped is not filled with a goal, a desire, or an idea one wishes to create, nor is anything placed in the opposite plate.

Today’s model is based on non-conscious sacrifice. Contained on the plate that is tipped, is an artificial reality, created solely by non-conscious sacrifice. Today’s lesson is a critical one to not only learn, but to be able to recognize as night, and day. By the end of this newsletter, I believe you will know why this lesson is so important.

Have you ever witnessed the gradual decline of an alcoholic? What starts off as a teenager (whether curious, tempted, or dared), taking their first sip of booze, ever so subtly turns their life upside-down. What gave them some good laughs the first time around, was non-consciously (sacrificed), repeated, for more laughs. As the individual began being confronted with the stresses of life, they continued to non-consciously drink, as a coping mechanism.

Yes, they were sacrificing their health, time, and resources to support this coping mechanism which turned into a habit after the first year. Next thing you know, the individual is drinking to cope with anything and everything. In fact, the only reality they choose to be in, is their false reality, they non-consciously created. As soon as they sober up, they have anxiety, fear going to work, and avoid relationships, and communicating with others, at all costs.

Now, the only reality they really experience is their false reality. Their false reality is their comfort zone, they can stay there for days, no need to eat for days, or even sleep for that matter. In other words, their non-conscious daily sacrifices are now costing them their health, time, money, vital resources, relationships, opportunities for growth, and life itself. This, my friends, is a mighty high price to pay for nothing!!!!! Absolutely, nothing!!!!

Let’s not stop there though, as there are many other false realities that are created through non-conscious daily sacrifice, and these are behind them:

• Drugs (prescription, street, or over the counter… they are all drugs)
• Pornography
• Sex
• Tobacco
• Gambling
• Food
• Soda
• Sugar
• Shopping
• Busyness (yes, busy, busy, busy…. doesn’t mean productive, just means paddling their rowboat with one oar, in circles, appearing to work hard, but going nowhere = unproductive = non-conscious sacrifice. 

The list can go on, but these are the obvious ones. Anything can become a non-conscious vice. For instance, growing up I watched my grandmother sit by the tube everyday to watch hours of soap operas!!!!!! I loved her dearly, but even at a young age, it made no sense to me why someone would watch a fake (false reality) show, with so much drama, when they could just as easily produce anything they wanted in life, for them self, for real. 

As you will find anything can turn into a vice, robbing one of their life, and opportunities. This leads us to where these false realities go, to addiction. No one likes to believe they are addicted to anything. Wake up. Are you addicted to training? To having a certain physique? What’s your drive behind your efforts, what’s your intent? Is it keeping you in a false reality? Just throwing this out there, because false realities are very real.

Question everything you do. Why do you choose to do it? Are you doing the  same thing for the same reasons that you were a year ago? Ten years ago? Don’t live life on auto-pilot my friends. Chart the course, take the wheel, and live life consciously.

BACK TO OUR SCALE

The tipped scale thus represents the false reality (addiction/sacrifice), one has created for them self. They have NO intention on placing anything in the opposite tray, as they are sure their false reality IS where it’s at for them. No one, absolutely no one, can convince them otherwise, however, when others look into the life of such an individual, it is evident they are in trouble.

UNIVERSAL LAW

Universal Law requires balance in ALL things. We can either make daily conscious sacrifices and objectively view our decisions and direction daily, or non-consciously sacrifice. Either way we are sacrificing daily.

When an individual is living such an unbalanced life, the Universe inevitably reaches a point where balance must come into play. This is generally when one experiences something tragic, traumatic, some type of life altering event: major illness, injury, they cause the death of another, overdose, etc. 

The event is of such magnitude, that the individual must come OUT of their false reality, period. There simply is no other option. They are tried, and sorely tested. All the lessons in life they thought they were able to avoid come to greet them, tenfold. This is when man wishes death upon himself, when he realizes he didn’t get away with anything, and must now cope with everything.

As the individual begins to get their bearings, they begin looking around them, at self, and their choices, and start to realize what they thought was insurmountable is now bearable. As time goes on, they look back and it is apparent to them how lost they really were, how much time, money, relationships, jobs, opportunities, and life itself they allowed to non-consciously slip by. The sacrifice becomes very real, apparent, and undeniable.

Once a person has experienced this, they generally make a firm resolve to change, and make up for lost time, money, relationships, and so on.

Now, be honest, have you ever had one of these wake-up calls? I sure have!!!! Each and every time, what began as a simple thing, even beneficial, slowly but surely became out of balance. Had I heeded the promptings I quickly silenced within, I could have avoided much pain and confusion. 

When something tragic happens, you have been warned many times, well ahead of the event, but you weren’t listening, didn’t want to listen, or perhaps, thought you knew better than what that gut feeling was telling you.

Learn to listen. Observe your life, relationships, interests, hobbies, how you spend your time, energy, and resources. 

I met with an associate today, a doctor who was struck by a full size truck while riding her bike. She was training for her first Ironman. She had completed several half events, but it’s been her goal to do a full Ironman. She is fortunate to be alive, the entire left side of her body was crushed, both lungs collapsed, and other significant injuries. In the hospital for a month. It happened nearly four months ago, and she was in a wheel chair today as we spoke. When events such as these happen, one generally has much time to contemplate life.

I talked to her about the Universe bringing things into balance, when one is not willing to do it on their own. She looked at me very matter-of-factly, and said, 

“Yes, that’s exactly what happened. I was so busy getting up early to train, saw patients all day, put miles on the bike after work, and juggled time with spouse, and kids, and other responsibilities.”

I asked her what she’s learned from the experience, she said, 

“I’ve discovered how much my kids have been missing me. They need their mom. They look forward to coming home and finding me there. They enjoy talking with me and sharing what’s on their mind.”

“This was my third attempt at doing a full Ironman. The first time (my apologies, I do not remember exactly what she said, but she encountered a severe injury), the second time, I hit a pitch of gravel while cycling and went airborne, and broke my pelvis. Now, this. I think someone is trying to tell me this isn’t as important to accomplish as I think it is.”

BOTTOM LINE:

This is a lesson to learn the easy way. Look, and analyze what you are doing, and why you are doing it, regularly. Be honest with yourself, and if you see someone in trouble, give them a heads up out of concern, it is up to them what they choose to do with it, but wouldn’t you want someone to do the same for you?

Choose those daily sacrifices consciously. 

Have a wonderful week!!!!!

Health!

PS-Ladies and Gents:

Keep your questions and requests coming in, as I will cover each and every one of them. I have not forgotten any of them, they are kept on my ‘Topics’ list. 

SACRIFICE: Part 2 of 3

Sacrifice

Everything Comes at a Price: Part II

This week I’d like to extend the topic of ‘WHAT’S IT WORTH TO YOU?’, specifically in the area of sacrifice.

Imagine, if you will, your life and what you desire in your life, be it better health, a fit physique, a more efficient cardiovascular system, to a new vehicle, job, home, business venture, or writing your first book, becoming a parent, and so forth, in the visual placed above….. the scale. 

When one ponders on what they would like to achieve, receive, or even believe, for that matter…. one can ponder day after day, week after week, year after year, and for some, spend an entire lifetime pondering and thinking about what ‘it’ would be like. Perhaps, they would also have a list of why ‘it’ just never seemed to happen. 

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND, THINKING AND PONDERING ALONE WILL NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT UPON THAT SCALE WHATSOEVER, UNLESS YOU ARE GIFTED WITH TELEKINESIS (WHICH, ACTUALLY, WE ALL ARE, WE JUST FORGOT HOW TO USE IT), AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

When one has a GOAL, a DESIRE, an IDEA they wish to CREATE, they must place it in the plate, either side of the scale. Now, obviously by looking at the scale, it is ‘out of balance’. Again, good luck moving it with your mind, as it will NOT balance it back out. 

YOU must place your SACRIFICE(S) in the opposite plate, until level once again. This is where it gets tricky: you may have a good idea what will bring it into balance, but you have no idea the duration, intensity, or obstacles which may enter the scene of life. Each of these: duration, intensity, and obstacles are all ever so subtly placed in the tray WITH your desired outcome, therefore, one must now adapt, and make further sacrifice to bring it into balance.

This continues for as long as you desire the ‘effects’ of your GOAL, DESIRE, or IDEA you wish to CREATE, for once it is not only reached, many desire to maintain the effects of reaching this goal. In other words, they want to store the treasure they worked so hard for in their back pocket for safe keeping. This will require further sacrifice, and constant adaptations. 

The bright side is this: 

The more you sacrifice with true (focused) intent, the greater the return. What started off as a sacrifice has slowly become the new ‘norm’, and is no longer considered a sacrifice, which allows one to continue adapting. This is growth. This is wisdom. This is the natural sequence of SUCCESS. There simply are no shortcuts. 

Now, this is where many folks will give up on their GOALS, DREAMS, IDEAS, and the CREATIVE  process. They simply planned their GOAL DREAM, IDEA, CREATION was going to happen on their time table, by their rules, and according to their, budget, and so on. They did not enter into their calculations the difficulties sprinkled about their path, relationships demanding attention, illness, injury, or so forth. 

There goes 50% of the masses wanting to achieve greatness. The next 47% planned on those things, but planned on only so many of them, once they reached their quota it was time to unload the scale, it wasn’t worth it to them anymore. These are often referred to as the ones where success was literally within the next year for them, but because they did not endure, nor continue planning into the future, and adapting they figured it was time to place something ‘new’ on the scale, and start all over again. Maybe this time, they would lower the bar, their expectations, and so forth. You get the idea, they simply settle for less, so the price isn’t as high, and they feel it improves their chances of what they deem success.

The last 3% has endured. Was it easy? Heck no. Was it convenient? No. Did their loved ones stand around cheering them on, giving them ‘pep’ talks when the chips were down? Perhaps, on rare occasions. 

The top 3% learn lessons that many others will not have the opportunity to learn until they desire to ‘push the envelope’, farther. They have learned true sacrifice. The giving up of what was good, for greater, and what was great, for outstanding, and outstanding for phenomenal. They suffered much along the way, and learned through the suffering. They also had amazing experiences and opportunities unfold as a direct result of their true intent. They literally, grew out of their old self, and into a new, and have much wisdom to offer the 97%, if they are interested.

Truth is, many are not interested in success, it’s just talk. Many enjoy the day to day pleasing of the senses, and would rather feed the senses then realize their dreams, their full potential, and true happiness. 

This is when non-conscious sacrifice takes place. What most people don’t realize is eating a ‘typical’ American diet, is a sacrifice of health in the long term, and now-a-days, it seems to be catching up with people faster.

Depending on prescription drugs for many health issues that are related to diet (which 99.9% of them are), instead of feeding the body what it needs, makes one dependent in that system, with no incentive to do otherwise. This is a sacrifice, as well.

Spending 2 hours a day on a (or several) social media platform, may get one a large following in the online community, but they sacrifice that time they could be spending with family, forming real face to face relationships. This is a sacrifice. 

Spending 2 hours a day watching television (which statistics show for many, it is much more than that), is a sacrifice of life itself.

Now, no one sits down with any of the aforementioned, with the intent to sabotage their life GOALS, DREAMS, IDEAS, and CREATIONS, they are simply looking to ‘relax’, or use them as a coping mechanism, a distraction to the stress in their life, and so on. 

I’m not saying eating, social media, and television are ‘bad’, I’m just saying what I’ve said many times before…… one just needs to be sure they are using them to their benefit, and not non-consciously allowing it to steal their GOALS, DREAMS, IDEAS, CREATIONS, and even MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS away from them.

CHALLENGE:

Each night this week before you fall to sleep, decide what TOP 3 things you want to accomplish the next day. 

• One of them must be towards a GOAL
• One towards a RELATIONSHIP
• One towards PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT

                        

                                                              then

Decide what you are going to sacrifice to allow each of those to be fulfilled.

It’s amazing what can be learned about focused intent, planning, and desire to improve upon life, in just one week, but conscious action must be taken.

BIG SHOUT OUT to TEAM TIGHT athlete’s who were willing to make sacrifices to be be in TIGHT’S fitness shoot yesterday!!!!!!

These are athletes who can testify to the sacrifice I have described throughout this newsletter. They range across the board: some were ready to throw in the towel at one point, others could not be paid to drop out. 

IT’S ALL GOOD!!!!!!

They ALL succeeded!!!!! They each shinned yesterday, and we had a great time doing it. Were they prepared for an extra hours work? Heck no!!!!!! None of us were, but they were patient, kind, happy, and it was a pleasure both working with, and shooting with them. Yes, they all have kids, work, and deal with many of the same stresses you and I do. Was it a sacrifice? Yes, and I hope each and every one has learned along the way, grown as an individual, and take what they’ve learned to gain even further success in the future. 

My apologies Team, I warned you anything goes when music is on, hahaha, sorry if any of you found my behavior offensive, but busting a move is healthy, too, lol. 

You can check out some of the athletes at: 

http://www.jillnix.com       

Go  to the Team TIGHT Gallery!!!

In fact, browse the entire site, as there were many changes and updates made over the last week. Think carefully how time is spent, who and what is important to you, and what you personally desire to achieve.

Live Life Mindfully.

Health!!!!

“The important thing is this: to be ready at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you could become.”   - Charles Dickens

WHAT'S IT WORTH TO YOU? Part 1 of 3

  WHAT’S IT WORTH TO YOU?

“What you pay attention to translates into what you get done. That’s why they call it paying attention. If you don’t “pay” the price – you won’t get the result. Anything you really want comes with a price. The question is: 

Are you willing to pay that price?”   -Mack

“If you are determined enough & willing to pay the price, you can get it done.”   -Mike Ditka

These are wise words. Mack is a friend of mine. He is a true Warrior. He is a former SEAL, one of my mentors, teachers, and his example has taught me much over the years. He is right….

Anything worth having, comes at a price. The greater it’s value, the steeper the price. Sometimes, that price comes in the form of sacrifice: 

Sacrifice of money, time, relationship(s), wants, and in some cases, even needs. If you ask them if it was worth it, some will say “YES!”, others will shake their heads in embarrassment. 

You see, ALL of us are ALWAYS sacrificing whether we realize it, or not. Many sacrifice unknowingly, and wonder why they never really achieve any worthwhile goal, endeavor, or project. 

Others, thoughtfully plan their daily sacrifices. For example: Say two people want to get fit for summer. 

Man ‘A’ talks a lot about reaching his fitness goals, but once the sun comes out, he’s at the lake each weekend. He loves to fish. 

Man ‘B’ has decided if it’s going to happen, he’ll have to set his alarm for 1.5 hours earlier each day, and forgo his Sunday afternoon 2 hour nap so he can prep his meals for the week. He decided he’ll pass on his nightly tv program to make up for the sleep he’ll lose by getting up early, and skipping his Sunday nap.

WHAT ARE YOU AFTER? 

WHAT PRICE ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY?

HOW LONG ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY IT FOR?

Mike Ditka was the coach of the Bears for years. He was an entrepreneur at heart, and had several businesses he was interested in starting up. I met him at his restaurant in Chicago, ‘Ditka’s’, he was kind enough to give me a  pink sweatshirt, and fed us well. 

He is right, too. If you are determined, and willing to pay the price, you can get ‘it’ done. Whatever ‘it’ may be.

Too often people will want something, until they realize the price they will have to pay to get it. Others, are willing to pay for the short-term, but not long-term. There is nothing wrong with that, as one must also be wise enough to recognize when that price is better spent elsewhere, life changes, or something of greater significance shows up.

One thing that I have learned through the years is this:

When there is something you want to achieve, that literally fills your thoughts each day, and you know it’s for the greater good, and you know it will go on to bless you the remainder of your days…..

then no price is too high. 

Have a wonderful week!

A shout-out to my Zumba girls!!!!! We had a GREAT time on Wednesday. Those who couldn’t make it missed out, but there will be more. 

Health!

BIOCHEMICAL ASSOCIATIONS

THE MAGNIFICENCE OF LIFE

I find myself having the same conversation with athlete’s over, and over, and over again. The Elite Performance athletes have learned to respect this topic. The Warrior abides by it daily, and fashions all aspects of life around it. The Heads of many Native Tribes have long known the wisdom their ancestors have passed down through ‘Oral Traditions’. 

Today, I desire to impart the beginning of this miracle called ‘transmutation’, ‘synergism’, and ‘nature’s alchemy’, with you.

Case Scenario #1:

Athlete: I’m hungry and cold when I ‘cut’. I’m tired, exhausted, and don’t sleep well. I’m crabby, irritable, and moody. I’m ______________, ______________, and so forth.

Trainer: You are ‘cutting’, hence, we call it ‘cutting’ for a reason. You are cutting calories, specifically: Carb’s, protein, and fats. You are cutting these items because you are desiring to achieve a ‘cut’ look. Perhaps, you are going to compete, do a photo shoot, want to look good naked on your anniversary cruise, rock that bikini, pair of board shorts while surfing, you name it, I’ve heard a lot of them!!!!


Case Scenario #2:

Athlete: Coach, my muscles are still aching from last week’s TIGHT WOD (no pun intended). Should I still do today’s challenge or sit it out? My muscles are tight all the time. I feel so stiff. Should I be eating more? Supplementing differently? Do I need to take a few days off?

Coach: Did you ever get the blood work done I requested three months ago? Have we gone over them together? Are you following your meal plans? As outlined? Supplementation? Training as done the day I trained with you for 3 hours, and you took notes? Oh.... you never trained with me to understand TIGHTS methodology? Are you keeping your weekly STATS appointments? Keeping me in the loop at STATS as to the basics? (Those who know/listen/do this tell me at least 7-10 specific things about them self at each weekly STATS.... without me asking.) Are you keeping me informed during the week if something odd pops up, you get injured, ill, or are otherwise out of sorts?

Case Scenario #3:

Athlete: I just don’t seem to be losing weight (body fat). I’m so discouraged. I thought I would have lost more by now. I follow the meal plan. Have you been following the plan, as outlined? I just swapped a protein bar for my shake yesterday. Anything else I should know? It was my birthday this week, I had a small piece of cake and some ice cream. No big deal. Friday I felt like eating a piece of bread, I figured my body probably needed it. How’s your cardio been this week? Oh, I haven't been able to do cardio in two weeks.

Trainer: I understand. Your blood work came back fine. You want to know why you’re not losing weight? You want to know when you will start seeing and feeling a difference? You’re wondering “What’s wrong with my body?” As politely as possible, I’m asking you to look in the mirror and ask yourself these same questions. You see, YOU are the master of this situation. YOU call the shots. YOU decide whether you will adhere to plans that lead to your success, or do your own thing.



Now, let’s work through these cases: 

CASE #1

Athlete: My body does this, that and the other thing. I’m hungry and cold when I ‘cut’. I’m tired, exhausted, and don’t sleep well. I’m crabby, irritable, and moody. I’m ______________, ______________, and so forth.

The athlete is ‘cutting’. Many of these ‘symptoms’ are considered to be expected when an athlete is cutting down. It’s always wise to know what to expect when cutting, however, each time an athlete ‘cuts’, there will be similarities, yet, it is sure to be a different experience each and every time. Employment may have changed, work hours, a baby born, a move,

divorce, marriage, etc. Life happens and our body responds according to our feelings, emotions, thoughts, attitude, and so forth.

First off: Some of these symptoms: Hungry, cold, tired, crabby, irritable, and moody, are considered rather normal from a biological standpoint. Body systems are being altered, and the body is responding. It’s my experience that the degree to which these reside depend largely upon two factors:



1) Mental strength, logic, and control 2) Biochemistry

MENTAL:
Many times, athletes have not gained enough experience (have not successfully cut down enough times to understand the process), to have built the mental aspects of cutting that’s required, and start to ‘fall apart’, go into panic mode, or quit, out of fear as to what’s taking place within their body. They lack knowledge and understanding, and ultimately lose control. The more one dwells mentally on the negative’s, the more readily they are fed, and they sic them self out. “Where our thoughts go, energy flows”.
More experienced athlete’s have learned through experience what baseline ‘symptoms’ to expect, literally, every cut. The more seasoned have learned how to mentally work through them. The Pro’s have learned to differentiate between what is considered ‘normal and expected’ for them, and what needs heeding to, and heed it. They stay calm, centered, and are open to the changes that may be expected of them.

Many people, athlete’s included, simply have not developed the mental toughness, control, and fortitude it takes to become successful in their field. This is what sets the true Pro apart from the Amateur.
Strong bodies cannot be made with weak minds.



BIOCHEMISTRY:

You’ve heard it before, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”.

Many people want to lose body fat, they desire it with all their might, but the flesh (control of bodily senses), is weak.

Man has lived for thousands of years hunting, eating, resting..... repeat. These men were strong, full of vigor, and they survived, and thrived. The weaker amongst them died.

For the past several hundred years man has not had obesity, this is a calculated ‘disease’, (yes, it’s now considered a disease), brought about by adding sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and the processing of ‘foods’, and so forth. It destroys the human body, but hey..... it makes those producing them A LOT of money!!!!!! And doctors, and the health ‘care’ industry.

So, what has happened to man that he has become obese? Why has he suddenly decided to eat more calories?

The obesity that has taken much of the population by surprise isn’t really all that surprising when you realize the importance of biochemistry.

Biochemistry is not spoken of in the realms of sports, extreme sports, Elite Performance, and Warrior-Hood, but I will tell you, this is where it’s at. Remember, I’m the first one who told you.

Biochemistry is the branch of science concerned with the chemical and physicochemical processes that occur within living organisms, that means you. Simply put, it is the chemistry and physics relating to the physical body. Biochemistry can be likened (in a very abstract way), to a successful pregnancy. When something has gone awry biochemically within the mother, or the developing fetus, many times a miscarriage occurs.

Necessary functions that many of us take for granted, are thrown off, mainly due to lack of ‘communication’, meaning, in biochemical language, a necessary element was lacking that caused a lack of communication at the cellular level, affecting cellular function. The next step of the life cycle could not be taken due to the missing element.

When this lack of communication occurs within the brain, we call it ‘dementia’, Alzheimers, ADD, ADHD, depression, and a host of other names. When this occurs within the body structure, doctors call it all kinds of names, from acne to cancer.

"IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO BIOCHEMISTRY, AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH IT HAS GONE AWRY." - Jill Nix

As I mentioned last week, studies have shown people tend to eat the same foods each day, week after week, year after year. I mentioned the importance of variety, as staying with the same foods for a long length of time that is not nutritionally sound, will inevitably bring negative consequences.

Hence, the symptoms of exhausted, and don’t sleep well, might be a sign of distress. Some of these signs are easily remedied, others, not, it depends on biochemistry, and how quickly it can be brought back into balance again.

It is a fact that ‘foods’ containing sugar, high fructose corn syrup, colors, dyes, emulsifiers (bleaching and deodorizing agents, yes, these ‘foods’ need to be bleached to strip, and deodorizers because people would not touch them, let alone eat them, without it), and

The processing of ‘foods’, etc.,

Have a direct effect on the brain, namely with hormones that communicate to you that you are full, satisfied (leptin), or that you are hungry (ghrelin). The more these concoctions are taken in, the more the body craves them (as they have been carefully formulated in a lab to do so), and the person keeps eating more. If that isn’t enough, these items go on to block the body signal (leptin, biochemistry), to the brain that it has had enough. This leaves a person feeling hungry, even after just eating!

That deal at 7-11 with a 60 oz. coke, snickers bar and bag of chips “All for just .99 cents!”, is bullshit. Now, you already knew this, right?

Are you aware of how many salad dressings, bbq sauces, yogurt (except for plain Greek), and a innumerable amount of shelved ‘food’ contain this stuff? In other words, one does not have to buy a candy bar to be eating something that will block leptin (although, after 3 weeks, any kind of food of this sort will block the signal), but one could also cut off the signal by eating the same yogurt and granola (because many people think this is ‘healthy’ food), each day, or the oversize muffin each morning from Costco, or, or, or.

Hence, I have athlete’s who don’t understand why each time they ‘cut’ it becomes more of a puzzle.

Even if they think they have been eating ‘clean’, everyone seems to have their own definition of what ‘clean’ means. They can be eating fruits, veggies, chicken, eggs, protein powder, and STILL develop biochemical problems if the produce is not organic, the meat hormone and anti-biotic free, the eggs, hormone, organic, and cage free, and everything non-GMO.

This is what really annoys me in today’s society. What used to be normal, ‘clean’, healthy food, has intentionally become adulterated. Now, ‘normal, clean, healthy’ food, of not so long ago, is a coveted prize. The prices are jacked up, harder to find, and depending on the season, less available.

As mentioned last week, pesticides, herbicides, GMO’s, antibiotics in the food supply, additives, colorings, preservatives, and so forth, wreak havoc with not only biological functions, but especially the endocrine system of both male and females. This is your hormonal system, and your hormonal system is one of the main keys to your vital health. Once the endocrine system has been disrupted, biochemical function looks to pull resources from other meridians. A meridian is an energy pathway. Our bodies are made of these meridians. A disrupted endocrine system very quickly starts disrupting the nervous system, and a domino effect begins throughout the body. Are you beginning to understand the importance of your biochemistry?

In other words, a person can really believe they are doing well (from all outward appearances), when in fact, their body is speaking otherwise.

Take an athlete who’s relatively new. She had a baby, and life and training goes on relatively as normal, after birth. Baby number two comes along. Mom didn’t get as much sleep with baby #2 because baby #1 kept her up a lot at night. She didn’t follow a meal plan, and ‘grazed’ on what seemed to be heathy food, much of the time. She found herself growing more tired but chalked it up to being pregnant. She noticed she wasn't handling stress as well, and blames it on the pregnancy, too. She found herself hungrier at night than usual. The human body is smart. When a woman is carrying, all vital nutrients will be taken to the fetus, it’s the mom who will be left depleted. When mom is severely depleted (even without realizing it), baby will also become deficient. This is the beginning of issues with baby before he/she is even born. Now, baby #2 is born, mom just can’t seem to keep up, feels good some days, irritable many others. Eating healthy and exercising gets done when she feels like it, but doesn't seem to be as enjoyable. Biochemistry, my friends. Please, take this seriously.

When I have an athlete who is experienced and can’t stick to their plans, I know they’ve got undetected biochemical processes that are in malfunction screaming to be heard. This is especially true when dealing with those who have, or had issues with anorexia, bingeing, bulimia, and addictions: alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sugar, and even porn and gambling (yes, these change the brain, as well). It matters not how long ago the athlete stopped the behavior, unless they understood the biochemistry, and remedied all the biochemical depletions, they will still be depleted. Karma, my friends. Sometimes it comes back to us as paradise, other times it bites us on the butt.

I note the importance of blood work on a regular basis, as in a designated outline I give to my athletes to take with them to their doctor, and discuss.

The truth is, by the time a number on a blood test shows ‘Low’ or ‘High’, and out of the ‘Normal’ zone, it has been a problem for at least a year, in my opinion, and based on tests I have run.

Even the ‘Normal’ is misleading. Understand, ‘Normal’ was based on a selected group of people to run the study on, and ‘Normal’ was based on such a group, and used to this day by the medical industry, as to what we believe to be ‘Normal’.

If a group of 25 random people were selected as a test group to decide what ‘Normal’ was for such and such, and 97% of them were your typical hot dog, french fries, and hot apple pies, sedentary, and perhaps, 41% of them smoked, and 50% drank alcohol regularly, would you find this ‘Normal’ for you? Of course not! Can you understand how ‘Normal’, could very well be NOT the 'normal zone' for you?

Take your test results with a grain of salt. Discuss the results with your physician, and hopefully a physician that’s honest enough to be frank about it. Keep in mind, physicians are taught drugs in medical school, not nutrition. They are conditioned to write prescriptions, so do not be surprised if they look at you confused when you want a deeper explanation, or ask questions that appear to be ‘out of the box’. Perhaps, consider changing physicians.

In short, blood work gives us information after the fact. Wouldn’t you rather have a heads up before?

One thing is certain, we live in ever changing times. The body adapts. The body has a Master Blueprint, it knows exactly what to do as long as we give it the necessary items (elements), it knows how to use them. Pharmafoods do not supply these elements (quite the opposite, they rob the body further of necessary elements). Produce drenched in chemicals do not provide these elements, stress affects these elements, insomnia, stinken’ think’n, polluted air, water, and in our time.... technology, interferes with these elements. Yes, what you don’t see can hurt you: Wifi, endless hours on the computer, iPad, and cellphone, all have negative effects upon the body, not one positive one. Choose wisely.

You have more control over your chemical biology than you may realize. I’m sure you’ve learned a few ways to enhance your internal factory in the last few minutes of reading this newsletter. Good. This takes us to...

CASE #2
Coach, my muscles are still aching from last week’s TIGHT WOD. Should I still do today’s challenge or sit it out? My muscles are tight all the time. I feel so stiff. Should I be eating more? Supplementing differently? Do I need to take a few days off?

   1. Bloodwork
   2. Stretching daily: Before and after training, and more, if 
       necessary.
   3.  Massage or foam roller 
   4.  Eatmore? Of what?
   5.  Howdoyouknowwhatyourbodyneeds? 
   6.  Supplement with what?
   7. Would you be supplementing to treat a symptom or    
        addressing the underlying issue? 
  8.  What would you do on a day off? Stay in bed? Watch 
       tv? Or would you be working on the underlying issue? 

Here again, we must look to the nutritional foundation. Then, we must look at habits:

- Proper warm-up and cool-down - Stretching
- Foam rolling
- Massage
- Ointments, or lack thereof - Sleep
- Stress
- Emotions, and so forth

Inexperienced athletes are quick to jump to a negative conclusion. There is NOTHING wrong with this, it is part of the learning curve when beginning. When an individual has not put their body in various circumstances before, they have NOTHING to go by, and judge on the side of safety, this is good.
I strongly encourage new athletes to start tuning into their body. Write down everything when first starting or it’s very easy to skip a proper warm-up, and stretch, and go straight into a heavy lift. Heck, I have some experienced athlete’s who complain to this day (five years or more), about stretching. They do it simply because they have seen firsthand what happens to their team mates who have not...... they get injured.

Next, supplementing will not make up for poor lifestyle and/or eating habits. I’ve had athlete’s who think they can party the night before training, and then text first thing in the morning asking what they can take (supplement with), to ease their hangover. I say, Karma baby, meet up and train. Suck it up. Ditto poor eating habits, sleep habits, etc. Caffeine will not replace lost sleep, it just overextends you, and depletes your vital resources that much more, all while you are feeling great (at the time).

Unless you know how to properly supplement, what you are supplementing for, and how long to supplement, don’t. Even unnecessary supplements can throw off biochemistry. More does not mean better, especially when it is manmade (supplements). Get the most you can from living, real, food.


CASE #3

Athlete: I just don’t seem to be losing weight. I’m so discouraged. I thought I would have lost more by now. I follow the meal plan. Have you been following the plan, as outlined? I just swapped a protein bar for my shake yesterday. Anything else I should know? It was my birthday this week, I had a small piece of cake and some ice cream. No big deal.... and on Friday I felt like eating a piece of bread. I figured my body probably needed it.

Anyone who knows me well enough knows I do not play this game. I call it the ‘Let’s pretend game.’ The athlete non-verbally says, “I just told you I substituted items on the meal plan on my own: protein bar, a piece of bread, and ice cream..... now let’s pretend like I don’t know why I’m not getting results..”

If an athlete isn’t following a meal plan, and instead doing ‘their own thing’ whenever they feel like it, then guess what? It’s not my meal plan anymore,it’s theirs. 

Weekly STATS are taken to determine how your body is responding to the specified meal plans, so I know what needs to be adjusted. I have no problem if athletes want to do their own thing and get STATS and learn on their own, I have a couple who do. The problem lies when one is not willing to take responsibility or accountability for their actions, and then look at me like , “What’s up? What’s wrong with me?” Or, or, or.

This is also a red flag to me that something could very well be off biochemically, especially if they just can’t seem to stay away from various carbs, hence, the leptin factor.

I ask and expect athletes to contact me when they feel something might be off, or their body is responding in an uncomfortable way. I’ve had athletes do an additional 2-3 hours of cardio a few days a week without letting me know, or decide they will climb Mt. Timp and then wonder why they feel like shiz the next day, and their body takes an extra 3 days to recover.

Everything is calculated. Doing something over the norm is usually not a big deal, however, if someone is already chemically compromised (as in years) this could prove to be a poor experience. When the above scenario takes place, vital elements are worn thin without proper replacement of electrolytes, carb timing, pre and post workout meal and so forth. At this point, everything matters: elevation, the cold air vs. hot air, direct sun, etc.

SO, WHAT’S THE POINT OF THESE CASES AND TOPIC?



BIOCHEMICAL ACTION = 

PRODUCTIVE CELLULAR FUNCTION

This, my friends is the key to health.

Cardiovascular, nervous system, endocrine, muscular..... all body systems including brain chemistry and function. No two people are the same, each of us is unique.

Many physicians are making people’s health worse, not better, as prescribing drugs limit and control natural biochemical function.

The best advice I an offer at this time is to eat a varied meal plan, change things up every week when not on a meal plan for a specific purpose:

- Competing
- Shoot
- Special occasion
- On ‘assignment’, mission, etc.

Be sure to eat the colors of the rainbow as often as possible, and teach your children to do this, as well. Colorful food dishes are appealing to both the eyes and tastebuds. Accentuate dark, green leafy vegetables.

Include trace minerals.

Supplement only when you know why you are supplementing, how long to supplement, and the proper dosage to be effective for your body’s constitution.

Plenty of good, pure, filtered water.

Let’s take the element of iron for instance:

Low iron sometimes is the result of fasting and dieting without proper supervision. It can result from “calorie counting”, from eating processed pharmafoods, or poor assimilation.

Oxygen demands iron, and iron is stored in every organ of the body, particularly, the liver. Alcohol destroys the liver. Oxygen and iron work together to burn up waste material. The liver aids in detoxification, so, if the ratio of iron to oxygen is off due to any of the aforementioned, then one is not burning waste material properly.

What then happens to this toxic waste? The liver stores it away. If it becomes to full of toxins (fatty liver, etc.), it will shuffle off toxins to other areas of the body. Which areas? To the weakest parts and organs of your body, where it is moist, dark, and warm. This is why some people end up with liver cancer, others, pancreatic, lymphoma’s, esophagus, and so forth. The smoker oft times ends up with a dirty liver and if not remedied fast enough, esophageal or lung cancer ensues.


WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

There is a HUGE difference between inorganic elements (manmade supplements), and organic elements (plant based, nature made foods).
The body can only utilize that which is organic. Do not be fooled.
Hence, the picture of my potted herbs at the start of this newsletter. These plants can only produce that from which they themselves have been grown in. Sure, I can grow some of the same herbs in the clay/dirt, and they will grow....... BUT, if I start them in a nutrient (naturally occurring base to

begin with), they will draw these nutrients up through the roots, and into the stems, leaves, fruit, or vegetable producing what the human body needs.


Lesson:

Soils lacking vital nutrients produce plants and produce which lack those vital nutrients, as well. If you are gardening this year, your greatest investment will be the preparation of your soil.

"We are all a part of a unique, diverse, whole. For every cause there is an equal, and opposite, effect. However, what few understand is that these CAUSES take place in the unseen world, and it is the EFFECT that one experiences though their senses, in the ‘visible’ world."
                                                       - Jill Nix - NHD., MH., TBM.

What each of us experiences physically, began long ago unseen to the human eye. Biochemical processes are such a thing. We take them for granted. We assume an orange contains what it’s ‘supposed’ to. We assume we digest and assimilate everything we consume (this is a myth), and we tend to take ‘good’ health for granted until we fall ill.

Well, this has certainly turned into a lengthy newsletter. I hope you have gained some valuable information, and understand the importance of your body’s chemistry.

Have a wonderful week!!!!!!

Rest. Reflect. Listen. Plan, and tomorrow ACT! Health!