Reducing conflict and maximizing your own efforts toward healthy living

We’ve learned that change can be hard, and changing others is harder. It can be challenging to know where to start. Take one of these concrete steps today to start reducing conflict and maximizing your own efforts toward healthy living.

1). Practice sacrificing a “win”. If you find yourself in a conflict with a loved one, check your instinct to want to be “right”. Ask yourself who you want to win: you, or the team that makes up you and your loved one(s). Sometimes we have to sacrifice personal “wins” for the sake of the greater good of the family/friend unit. Often that means loving and accepting our loved ones even when they disagree or aren’t compliant with what we believe we have a better way This takes practice, and it can be uncomfortable at first.

2). Use “approach” goals instead of “avoid” goals. To foster understanding among you and loved ones, play with the language you use to (gently) coach them. “Avoidance” goals — such as “stop eating junk food”, “don’t watch TV after dinner”, and “don’t overeat” — are more likely to make people feel restricted, rebellious, and resistant. "Approach goals", such as “try two new vegetables this week”, “eat three different colors of plants today”, and “do something that gets you out of breath for 20 minutes” — are more likely to make people feel expansive, creative, interested, and willing. Approach goals help make the process of change more harmonious, positive, and even fun for you and your family. Find objective support that’s just for you.

3). Having a support person that is detached from your social bubble can be tremendously helpful. A skilled fitness and nutrition coach can provide an objective perspective and functions as a sounding board, a voice of reason, and a resource for practical ideas and inspiration — a source of momentum. An experienced coach can also provide accountability, which is especially important if you are the lifestyle “trailblazer” in your social circle.

Check your motives. Each time you make a decision about food or exercise (or any other health factor you’re trying to improve, ask yourself: Am I doing this because everyone else is doing it, or because it matches my own internal intentions and values? Choose your behaviors consciously.

4). Involve your loved ones. Small moments of support can make a huge difference when you’re trying to move away from friction, toward momentum. Ask your spouse to help you stretch out after a workout, or to accompany you on a morning walk. Ask your partner and/or children to help you menu plan, choose vegetables at the grocery store, or even help prepare a meal. Ask your best friend for a hug when you’ve had a stressful week. Ask your friends and family to cheer you on at a race. Involve and integrate your social network, into your life. Accept them as they are, and be sure to tell them how much you appreciate them supporting your changes, & how much it means to you that they are there for you.

Social support works both ways

Social support works both ways. The people around you can influence you. And you can influence them back. This is where the good type of “going it alone” comes in: leadership. While it may be easier to wait until your immediate social circle comes around to prioritizing healthy choices, it’s also incredibly empowering and inspiring to be a leader for change, despite the forces against you. And in doing so, you’ll build your own small wave of momentum that, little by little, erodes the friction you encounter. But here’s an important tip: You don’t reduce friction by pushing back. A powerful healthy-lifestyle pioneer… is a peaceful one. In order to step into that role, try this gentle, sometimes counterintuitive, action plan.

3 crucial strategies for getting friends and family to support your healthy lifestyle.

1). Accept that your perspective is just that; your perspective. Even if you mean well, even if you are absolutely, 100% correct (yes, smoking is bad; yes, vegetables are good, junk food is unhealthy), know that all behaviors and choices (of others) have a reason. You might not know the reasons; you might not quite understand the reasons or even agree with the reasons. But whatever habits your loved ones are practicing, they are doing them for a reason. They may have a different or limited toolbox coping skills.

Understanding dissolves conflict, and when we practice understanding, we start to ask questions to invite connection and support:

“Why are they so different from me?” becomes “When have I dealt with something similar?”
“How do I get them to stop the bad habit?” becomes “What problem is the bad habit trying to solve?”
“What is wrong with them?” becomes “What might they really need?”

2). Be persistent, not pushy. Resistance more often comes from fear than from true philosophical opposition. Change can feel really scary, and for some it’s scarier than for others. It can bring up issues of control, security, and identity, and it can also bring up painful emotions like anxiety, panic, shame, or loss. When our loved ones resist change (in all the creative ways they can come up with — consciously and unconsciously, kindly and unkindly), what they might actually be feeling underneath it all… is fear.

Their fear can be the result of thoughts like: What if you become a different person? What if I don’t like the taste of the new foods? What if your healthy habits make me confront my unhealthy habits? What if people don’t accept me/us? What if you judge me or don’t love me anymore? What if I can’t keep up with you? What if life gets uncomfortable? What if I lose you?

While you must press forward with the changes you’re trying to make for your own well-being, you’ll more likely get support if you practice persistence. Persistence means continuously offering opportunities for your friends and family to join you on your quest for a healthier life, and yet remains open to a wide range of responses to any given invitation.

So be persistent: Keep offering healthy dishes at the dinner table. Keep inviting your friends and family to join you on runs, hikes, and exercise classes. Keep having conversations about nutrition, healthy body image, and what it means to have a truly good, capable, healthy life. Perhaps, when their fear subsides and they realize it’s safe to dip their toe in the land of green smoothies and push-ups, your loved ones will join you, and you’ll ride off into the sunset (on your recumbent bikes, drinking coconut water) together.

3). Just “do you”. Change can be difficult. In order to overcome the many bumps, blocks, and blusters inherent to significant lifestyle change, we need to be anchored to a deep, internal, personalized “why” that will pull us through. You can’t manufacture this type of motivation for someone else. No matter how hard you try to coerce your kids, spouse, parents, and friends to change, they may have none of it.

They may recognize that in order to make the kinds of changes you’re making, they have to want it too. We call this “intrinsic motivation” — a connection to one’s own, internal reasons for doing something. Research shows that intrinsic motivation leads to change that’s longer-lasting and more self-sustaining than extrinsic motivation, which is based on the desire to obtain external outcomes such as good grades or the approval of others. Intrinsic motivation requires deep thought and reflection, and may take longer to develop, so respect that your loved ones may take time to connect to their own reasons for eating and moving better.

Meanwhile, just “do you”. Focus on your own intrinsic motivations. Stay connected to what’s driving you, deep inside, to make these personal changes. Without ignoring your natural love and concern for loved ones, let your attention turn inward. Spend more energy on your own growth and development, which could lead to something else amazing…

By working toward and achieving a healthier, happier, more confident and capable version of yourself, you become the inspiration, the positive influence to your family and friends. And it all comes full circle when that little healthy-lifestyle wave you started attracts other riders, builds, and then become a huge tidal of momentum to carry you to your final objective — a fit, healthy you — and keep you there.

Influence happens in both directions, remember? Lead the way.

Hyperfocus: The other side of adult ADHD

Having lived with this all my life, I understand the challenges. I have collected a lifetime of coping skills, but I still must be vigilant to keep from slipping into old habits. More is known about this than there was even twenty years ago, but doctors and schools still haven't learned all they need to know. Drugs are not always necessary and have their own set of liabilities. Therefore, educate yourself, and learn to recognize and treat each case on its own individuality, but it's not all bad. In many cases, there are good things people can extract from having ADD. Find out what is special and use it to the best of your abilities. 

Hyperfocus: The other side of adult ADHD

Hillary in jail

The ark encounter: a less than grand opening

The state of Kentucky gave their blessing to a project to satisfy one person's ego, and this is the result. No one with any sense of reality and understanding of science believes the that whole story of the ark and the flood actually did happen... and the more we understand of the real world, we see that this whole fable about a boat built be a supposed 600 year old man was never meant to be anything but a metaphor.
In less than a year this thing will be in bankruptcy.

The ark encounter: a less than grand opening

Attorney General Lynch Dodges Question

I have never seen anyone dodge questions like this. If this does not disgust you nothing will. 


Attorney General Lynch Dodges Question

Rep. Trott to Attorney General Lynch: “You Refused to Answer 74 Times”

Jim Jordan questions Loretta Lynch 'Your lack of leadership is astonishing'

Trey Gowdy demoralizes Lying Loretta Lynch

Spare the Rod: Corporal Punishment in the Name of God

I don't know where you stand on this. I've certainly had my own experiences, as I'm sure you have. This is an excellent discussion on corporal punishment, and has some thought changing ideas.

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Proverbs 13:24 says, "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them."  Is this a healthy approach to child-rearing and the discipline of children?

We explore many religious rules for parenting, and we share the perspectives of listeners who have firsthand experience with corporal punishment, and the often lasting consequences.

Spare the Rod - Part 1

Spare the Rod - Part 2

Pomegranate key to anti-ageing: scientists

This is interesting news, but a little more personal research would prove useful.

The pomegranate contains a chemical that fights the ageing process which causes muscles to weaken, scientists have found.

It may not make you immortal, but a ruby red superfruit revered in ancient times as a "food of the gods" could hold the key to youthful ageing.

The pomegranate contains a chemical that combats a fundamental ageing process which causes muscles to weaken, scientists have discovered.

As in every legend involving a hidden secret to staying young, there is a catch, however.

To experience any anti-ageing benefit from the pomegranate compound you must first possess the "right" sort of gut bacteria.

The microbes are needed because they convert the fruit's raw ingredient into the molecule urolithin A, shown in laboratory experiments to maintain youthful muscles.

Old mice fed the magic molecule as part of their diet were stronger than animals given ordinary food and their running endurance was boosted by 45 per cent.

Excited scientists have already set up a company, Amazentis, to exploit the discovery.

Early clinical trials testing finely calibrated doses of the molecule in human patients are now under way in a number of European hospitals.

Lead researcher Professor Johan Auwerx, from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, said they believe this research is a milestone in current anti-ageing efforts.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, focused on mitochondria - tiny rod-like "power plants" in cells that play a vital role in turning food into energy.

Over time, mitochondria become worn out and damaged. A process called "mitophagy" allows the mitochondria to be recycled, clearing away those that are defective to make way for fresh replacements.

As we age, mitophagy becomes less efficient and cells end up cluttered with old, poorly functioning mitochondria. This harms the health of many organs and tissues, including muscles which weaken.

The build-up of dysfunctional mitochondria is associated with many conditions of ageing, such as Parkinson's disease.

But the Swiss team found that urolithin A stimulated mitophagy and re-established the ability of cells to recycle mitochondria.

Experiments involving mice demonstrated a similar anti-ageing effect in mammals

In one experiment, including urolithin A in the diet of two-year-old mice increased their running endurance by an average 42 per cent.

Amazentis co-founder Dr Patrick Aebischer, also from EPFL, said: "We believe our research, uncovering the health benefits of urolithin A, holds promise in reversing muscle ageing."

But the scientists pointed out that the amount of urolithin A produced naturally in the body, via gut microbes, varied greatly between different species and individuals.

Some people lacking the right gut bacteria may not obtain any of the molecule from their diet.

"If you're one of the unlucky ones, it's possible that pomegranate juice won't do you any good," said the researchers in a press release.

The Hillary Defense

Something tells me this only works for her.

Is It Possible to Build Muscle on a Vegetarian Diet

Focus on Plant Proteins Required 

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2016 | By Mike Russell

Photo Credit Matthew Leete/Getty Images


Overview

It’s possible to build muscle on a vegetarian diet, but it’s a little more difficult than doing so with a diet that includes meat, poultry, and fish.

I have always been a meat eater. My doctoral studies centered on feeding people beef and monitoring changes in cardiovascular disease risk factors. I admit that I’ve always been skeptical about the muscle-building effectiveness of vegetarian diets.

But after further examination of vegetarian diets and the people who build muscle while following them, I’ve discovered a couple of key points that you can take into consideration to maximize your chance of success.

Pumping Up the Protein

When you are on a weight lifting program the simplest way to get your body building muscle is to increase your food intake by 500 calories a day. An easy way to do this is by adding a protein-rich shake to your daily diet. Here’s a vegan shake I came up with that will give you 529 calories and 49 grams of protein:

Plant-Based Blender Bomb

• 40 grams pea, brown rice protein, or soy isolate protein

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• 2 handfuls baby spinach

• 1/2 cup blueberries

• 1/4 cup walnuts

• 2 to 3 cups water

• 3 to 4 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend thoroughly until smooth.

Eat Big to Get Big

When you’re trying to build muscle, it's essential that you eat a lot of calories. The level of caloric excess that you need varies from person to person, but you should start out adding 500 calories to your daily intake and go from there.

If you are naturally skinny, be prepared to pack in an additional 1,000 to 1,500 calories daily before your hypertrophic efforts truly ramp up. This is a lot of food, especially when you are eating only plants, which are naturally high in volume and low in calories.

My initial experience with building muscle on a vegetarian diet came when I spoke at a seminar with strength coaches Alwyn Cosgrove and Robert Dos Remedios. After the seminar, the three of us headed out for dinner.

“Wait until you see how much Robert eats,” Alwyn said. “He’ll shut the place down.”

Dos Remedios, known to most as “Coach Dos,” is the head strength coach for the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, and the author of two books published by Men’s Health magazine, "Power Training" and "Cardio Strength Training." At 6' 3" and 245 pounds, Dos Remedios is athletic and muscular, and he strictly adheres to a vegan diet.

Dos Remedios has been eating a vegan diet -- which is more restrictive than a vegetarian diet and more challenging for muscle-building -- since he finished his college football career with the University of California Golden Bears, when he tipped the scales at 290 pounds.

With more than 20 years of experience eating a vegan diet, Dos Remedios knows what it takes to eat a plant-based diet and still pack on the muscle.

After his third trip to the burrito bar, I understood how he could stay so big and muscular while eating a vegan diet: He's doing a lot of eating. “People don’t understand – you gotta eat,” he explained between bites. “When I say I’m having green beans, I don’t eat a cup of green beans. I eat a pound of them!”
“Vegetarian” Describes Several Ways to Eat

Vegetarians don’t eat meat, poultry or fish, but some eat eggs, others eat dairy products and still others eat both. Vegans eat neither eggs nor dairy.

Whether you eat dairy and/or eggs or neither in your diet is your personal choice. Choosing to consume one or both of these foods may make muscle-building easier as doing so will put more protein sources and a broader spectrum of nutrients (such as calcium, vitamin D, cholesterol, choline, lutein and zeaxanthin) in your diet.

If you're looking to build muscle, you need to keep in mind that there are certain biochemical and physiological requirements for muscle building in the body. Importantly, to build muscle anyone (vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters) will still need excess calories and adequate protein in their diet.

If you put the focus on protein, you can easily increase your protein intake and total calories while packing on the muscle you want.

There are many people on vegetarian diets who eat too many carbs and not enough protein. This is something to be careful to avoid, as eating too many fast-acting carbohydrates will shift the balance of your weight gain from muscle to fat.

Focus on Protein in Plants

If you’re trying to build muscle on a plant-based diet, you have options to make your efforts more successful.

Deciding to include eggs and/or dairy products in your diet automatically broadens your protein choices. Getting ample protein shouldn't be challenging if you bolster your protein intake with eggs, egg whites, whey or casein protein, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and milk.

If some of these foods are on your “don’t eat” list and/or if you are vegan, then what are your other options? One important supplement is vegan protein powder. Your best vegan powder choices are high quality brown rice protein, pea protein, or soy protein, all of which contain ample levels of muscle-building, branched-chain amino acids. They mix well and have a decent texture.

If you're opting for soy, be sure to choose soy protein isolate over other kinds (check the ingredient list) because the purification process that yields soy protein isolate removes excess isoflavones -- phytochemicals that can mess with your hormone levels.

Foods such as nuts, beans, and lentils also can help you meet your daily protein needs. Non-vegetarian muscle-heads scoff at these foods because they don’t contain complete proteins. Yes, it's true that these foods lack certain essential amino acids, such as methionine. Yes, it’s important for us to be aware the concept of "complete vs. incomplete protein" as it is an issue in areas of the developing world where people are experiencing hunger and food scarcity.

For these people living with less abundance and availability of fresh food, it can be difficult for them to get enough essential amino acids in the diet by simply eating the a diet of beans and lentils. That said, this particular issue of "complete vs. incomplete protein" is not likely to be as much of a concern if you are an average American vegetarian or vegan gym-goer.

The truth is, you don’t need a complete spectrum of essential amino acids at every single meal if you make sure take in adequate levels of each of these amino acids over the course of the entire day.

If you make a point to consume a high-calorie, high-protein vegetarian diet that includes brown rice protein, pea protein, or soy protein isolate shakes at some point during your day, this should negate any concerns about consuming "incomplete proteins" such as lentils.

It's also essential to be aware of the carbohydrates-to-protein ratio of the foods you are eating. Put an emphasis on eating high protein foods such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas and edamame beans.

In addition, try to eat rice, pasta, potatoes and breads less frequently -- and primarily after exercise. Eating more grains and starches will increase only carbohydrates and calories in your diet, which could mean your protein intake for the day (as an overall percentage of total calories) is lagging.

Fitness Over 50: Enhance Your Lifestyle & Enjoy More Freedom!

By Dr. David Ryan

Last updated: Mar 25, 2010

Over 50? One of the first things we need to do is look at the special concerns associated with training someone who is older. Enhance your lifestyle with the following tips...

Article Summary:

Loss of flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular conditioning are very common in seniors. The addition of protocols that can result in potential injury are abundantly important. Programs designed for seniors, should always implement a 10 minute warm-up time.

Over the years of working at the Arnold Sports Festival, a common trend has resulted with the demographics of the over 120,000 people attending that weekend. Originally, the 18 to 25-year-old male group represented the majority, but that number has slowly risen and is now being led by the 25-45-year-old male group. 

It is a simple trend that is reflected in many gyms across the country and reflective of the more mature adult beginning to train at the gym. Secondary to this shift is associated with the next fastest growing group of individuals who are over 50 years of age in our society.

Senior Fitness Has Become One Of The Quickest Growing Trends In Our Society.

Attracting And Maintaining The Mature Client

Now that the average life expectancy in the United States is at 77 years, quality of life in one's later years is increasingly important. As a gym owner, or a personal trainer, your marketability to attract and maintain the mature client is definitely reflective of the current needs seen in fitness today.

Understanding and conforming to the protocol necessary for individuals who are over the age of 50, and specifically those over the age of 65, can prove to be very lucrative for any fitness facility. 

A simple example of this can be seen based upon the peak times associated with many gyms. Most people with jobs workout early in the morning or late in the afternoon, but there is a definite drop-off in membership attendance between the hours of 10 am 'til 3 pm. This is typically the time that an elderly individual is available to train. 

One of the first things that we need to do is look at the special concerns associated with training someone who is older. Life takes its toll on the human body and causes many health deficits to form, which require changes in protocol for training. 

Quality Of Life In One's Later Years Is Increasingly Important.

Concerns For Those Over 50 Years Of Age

Let's take a look at some of the special concerns associated with individuals who are over 50 years of age, who want to exercise: 

• Loss of flexibility
• Loss of strength
• Loss of endurance
• Loss of stability/and balance
• Increased sensitivity to heat/cold/humidity
• Increased susceptibility to cuts/bruises/contact abrasions/skin ulcers associated with diabetes. 
• A decline in memory
• Vision changes
• Inability to exercise longer than 45 minutes due to unstable insulin levels 

These are all common factors associated with training someone who is older than 50 and certainly older than 65-70 years of age. When dealing with individuals who have special needs, it is always best to include those individuals into a group that is adapted and supportive of their own similar needs. 

A Loss Of Endurance Is Common For Seniors Over The Age Of 50.

Improving The Quality Of Life

The loss of flexibility as we age is very common. It is the most predominant lost factor associated with aging. The loss of strength is quite common in individuals and often results in the fact that they are unable to become independent for their daily task. 

Luckily, exercise routines, when properly performed, often result in an increase of flexibility and strength. It is very important to note these factors when you are doing a pre- and post-exercise program evaluation. This validates the need for additional exercise and justifies any possible cost associated with the program. 

Obviously there is a common loss of endurance that is associated with deconditioning of the cardiac and respiratory tissues (heart and lungs). The good news is that individuals who are elderly respond extremely fast to cardiovasculartraining. The gains associated with endurance are often exponentially higher than those associated with flexibility and strength gains. 

Coordination and core stability are often lost in individuals as they age. The integration of balance activities that are age-appropriate is beneficial to the elderly client. Many other small changes need to be made. 

Small Changes To Various Protocols

The addition of various protocols that can result in potential injury are also abundantly important. Wearing shoes to prevent injury from the equipment and floor. Large fonts on written workouts to provide easier visibility and larger numbers on weights. Trained personnel in CPR and other first aid protocols are required by many states. 

Many exercise programs need to adhere to the maximum time of 45 minutes. This is necessary since it is difficult for individuals over the age of 65 to maintain a blood sugar level that is adequate enough to sustain proper brain activity. 

Flexibility and core training are often not included in this total time factor since they often don't elevate the heart rate to a higher level than rest. The individual's general physical capabilities and other health conditions obviously are a factor involved in the final determination in total exercise time. 

Judy Ballenger is a beautiful and fit elderly-certified group fitness trainer associated with the SilverSneakers® program originally offered by Anthem, Humana Health care plans. She adds there are various exercises to avoid according to the specific elderly protocol she herself follows at 65+ years of age. 

Many Exercise Programs Need To Adhere To The Maximum Time Of 45 Minutes.

Exercises Not To Do For Clients Over The Age Of 65

• Raising more than one leg at a time (even when the client is seated)

• Forward flexion at the hip greater than 45 degrees (this has to do with blood pressure and balance issues) 

• Inversions requiring the head to go below the heart (reaching down from a standing position to pick up a water bottle/weights, etc.)

• Overuse of a joint or muscle group (group of upper body arm exercises all requiring sustained abduction of the shoulder joint coupled with more exercises requiring additional abduction/adduction shoulder work)

• Uncontrolled momentum as it relates to a full range of movement (following music faster than 124-128 bpm or cueing to swing hand-held weights in a large range of movement) 

• Excessive or forced hyperextension and hyperflexion of a joint/joints (neck, wrist and knees equals neck extension greater than 30 degrees, bending the wrist forward or back with the other hand, triceps dips using the chair as support, holding the knee (fully flexed) on the outside of the leg, quadriceps stretch with the foot held in place behind the body) 

• Double-arm overhead triceps extension with hand-held weights

• High impact aerobic moves (i.e. jumping or hopping) 

• Floor work exercises (with many it would be the "I've fallen and can't get up!" fear and reality) 

• Exercises with any height difference (i.e. step-boards, as balance issues and the potential for falling are the main concerns here) 

Helpful Tips For Seniors

Very sturdy chairs (straight-back, armless steel gauge) that are easy to grip help many individuals to add balance or stability for any standing exercise and offer a simple seated platform for which they can workout on. 

A chair should be provided for each participant in the class. Elastic tubing with handles, simple light dumbbells ranging from 1-8 pounds, and a 6-9" semi-soft rubber ball provide all the equipment that is necessary to provide a complete "anti-aging" exercise class. Participants should bring water to class, dress in comfortable clothing, and wear shoes with good lateral support and shock absorption qualities. 

Programs designed for individuals that are even over 40 years of age, should always implement a 10 minute warm-up time. Some stretching may be necessary prior to beginning any further exercises. This is necessary to provide ample time for increased circulation and proper mental preparation. 

Participants Should Bring Water To Class.

Reasons For Training

Statistically most of the individuals who begin an exercise program in the age range of 30-45 years are participating based upon a change of life status (i.e. divorce). Individuals who begin an exercise program 45-60 are primarily doing so based upon change of health status. 

Individuals who began an exercise program 60-85 are doing so based upon social activities and self maintenance. Exercise programs for the elderly are very beneficial at maintaining ones independent status. The research shows that if the exercise program is followed beginning at age 60, that individual is likely to not require aid living for the remainder of their life. 

Client compliance is very high with group training. Many older individuals can see their "buddies" and will make the trip to the gym in all kinds of weather just for the social aspects of training. 

The socialization aspect of discussing common aches and pains is very unifying during this type of activity. Many gyms can offer the space for the class to hold an old-fashioned potluck luncheon following the class to add some extra fun to the fitness. 

Many endearing relationships are formed from activities such as this and participants often bring more clients to the fitness classes increasing gym memberships. 

Most people over the age of 65 are often not involved in active full time employment and are often seeking workouts that are off peak times. Many are gearing towards morning or early afternoon as their primary choice for exercise. 

Insulin response is often the primary factor that provides this to be the best time for them to exercise. Night time and early morning driving are often avoided by many aging individuals due to the fact that they see halos while they are driving in the dark. 

Many Older Individuals Can See Their 'Buddies' And Will Make The Trip To The Gym Just For The Social Aspects Of Training.

Conclusion

The addition of specific programs relative to the aging exercise group offers a complete community awareness of fitness needs. Some special training is advised, but the results are very beneficial to both the gym and the community as a whole.

Stop Making Everything Perfect For Your Kid

There is no better lesson than one you learn the hard way. If you do it more than once, I hope each time you fail, you glean a little something from it. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.

Stop Making Everything Perfect For Your Kid

Constant Phone Notifications Are Ruining Your Productivity

Have you heard? Multitasking is so last year. New research has begun to suggest that becoming a GTD all star doesn’t necessarily mean doing it all, all at once. The new way to work is by dialing into one activity, also called monotasking. 

Admittedly, monotasking does not always come easy these days. You are constantly being bombarded with stimuli: social media that updates in real time, text messages, email alerts, Twitter mentions, Slack messages, Trello notifications (gulp). How are you supposed to focus with all this stimuli fighting for your attention?

There is only one answer: turn them off. That’s right, all of them.

Constant Phone Notifications Are Ruining Your Productivity

Heaven is Not for Real

BY SEBASTIAN DIEGUEZ

If they were aiming for success and popularity, the editors of The Myth of an Afterlife have obviously not been paying attention to current trends in publishing that have given us such books as Heaven is for Real, Proof of Heaven, Evidence of the Afterlife, and Consciousness Beyond Life. On the other hand, there was clearly a niche waiting to be filled for books skeptical of the immortality of the soul and the existence of the afterlife. But it turns out there are not so many of those. Perhaps this asymmetry between books favorable to a survivalist account and those defending a “mortalist” one, already reveals a peculiarity of the human mind: somehow, the hypothesis that we do survive bodily death is more appealing, commonsensical and widespread than the alternative.

Not ones to surrender to popular pressure, philosophers Keith Augustine and the late Michael Martin took it upon themselves to assemble a team of 29 valiant contributors to attack the afterlife “myth.” The result is an impressive volume composed of 30 essays, spanning 675 pages and organized in 4 parts.

Part 1 addresses “empirical arguments for annihilation,” i.e. “the position that persons permanently cease to exist at biological death”. As it turns out, these arguments really amount to the daily bread and butter of cognitive neuroscientists, and thus this portion of the book read like a crash-course in brain science. The “argument from brain damage,” for instance, uses neuropsychological evidence to show that “the destruction of the mind by the destruction of the brain is highly probable given the hypothesis that the mind depends entirely upon the functioning of the brain, but is highly improbable given the hypothesis that the mind can exist and operate independently of the brain.” If all brain functions have been turned off, “what’s left for a soul to do?”.

Read the full article here...

Strategies for getting loved ones to support your healthy lifestyle & ways to deal with negative peer pressure and sabotage.

By Alex Picot-Annand

Changing your eating and exercise habits is hard enough. Getting loved ones to support your healthy lifestyle changes? Prepare to grit your teeth. The company you keep can & does affect your progress toward healthier living. Here’s how to reduce negative peer pressure and get the social support you’d like to have.
Scenario: you beam as you gather your family ‘round the dining table, where you’ve lovingly assembled a colorful and nutritious meal. Everyone takes a seat. You serve the grilled chicken, the sautéed broccoli, the pumpkin seed-studded salad. You nervously watch for reactions.

It’s really delicious…You swear! Then, within moments: A floret of broccoli makes a perfect arc across the room after your toddler daughter catapults it from her fork. Your preteen son slumps so low that only his furrowed brow and the top of his phone peek above the table. Your partner, trying to be polite and supportive, has been chewing his first bite for a good two minutes. Without swallowing. Even the dog, usually hovering shamelessly, sniffs at a spinach leaf and then flops down in the corner with a sigh. You feel… alone. Now what?
To change your eating and exercise habits, do you have to convince your friends and family to change too? Would getting loved ones on board with your healthy lifestyle changes make the whole endeavor easier? And if so, how the (bleep) do you do that?

This really matters to you. You’re excited about your experiments with lifestyle changes. You’re eating more vegetables. You’re walking on your lunch breaks and seeing a trainer on the weekend. Your bod feeling, working and looking better. You feel sparks of inspiration and hope, and you want to keep going.

You desperately want loved ones with you. Why? Well, because you love them. You want your family and friends to be healthy and safe — to feel good. You want to protect them from the pain and ravages of poor health. You want the best for them. And frankly, you it helps to have support from the people closest to you. It seems hard, very challenging, to make these big changes alone.

If you’re feeling these things it’s important to know: The thoughts are really, really normal. It is hard to eat and move in ways that support your own health goals when, in your social circle Fridays mean beer and tacos, Saturdays mean a Jenga tower of bacon & fries at the greasy spoon, hanging out means meeting at the bar to shoot tequila instead of at the park to shoot hoops, etc. In some ways, you are the sum of your social circle. Habits can be contagious.

Research shows that we are affected by the body composition, habits, and lifestyles of those around us. The more people around us are doing something, or living a certain way, the more likely we are to do and live the same — whether that’s what we eat, how we eat, whether we move (or not), how we move, and so on. If your friends and family are fitter and healthier, you’re more likely to be fitter and healthier. And the reverse is true, too.
Research shows that:

The weight of those closest to you can factor into your own weight. According to one large-scale study, having a friend, an adult sibling, or a spouse who is obese increases your own obesity risk by 57 percent, 40 percent, and 37 percent respectively.

Even your friends’ friends matter. Two degrees of separation between you and someone who is obese increases your own chances of being obese by 20 percent. You don’t even have to have met them for this to be a factor in your own weight.

Your social network affects your obesity risk exponentially. Each obese person you know is correlated with a 0.5 percent increase in your risk of obesity, so having 5 obese social contacts more than doubles your risk of becoming obese.

Your weight is more influenced by people of your own gender. For women, this means that a girlfriend’s or same-sex partner’s weight may have a larger effect than a guy friend’s or opposite-gender partner’s; and vice versa for men.
Weight convergence likely happens subconsciously. Researchers believe that we change our habits to match those of our social group without talking or even thinking about it.

The amount you eat can depend on who you’re eating with. Dine with a big eater, and you’re liable to consume more; sit down with a light eater, and you’re likely to take in less. This effect has been observed even among strangers. When asked, the diners usually attribute the mirroring effect to taste and hunger as opposed to the behavior of others around them.

How much you eat can also depends on the size of the group you’re with. Eating with one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven or more other people is associated with a 33, 47, 58, 69, 70, 72, and 96 percent increase in energy consumed, respectively.

Your social network can also have a big impact on what you eat. People whose friends generally meet the guidelines for produce intake are more likely to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day.

Your impression of social norms help determine what you eat, how much you eat, and your physical activity level. If getting a light salad for lunch seems “normal”, that’s what you’re likely to do, even if no one’s going to see you eat it. Conversely, if eating a bag of Ruffles for lunch seems “normal”, you may do that, even if you know the salad is more aligned with your health goals. Those who report a high level of physical activity as the social norm are also more likely to be active themselves.

As you can see, much of this happens subconsciously. We often change our habits to match those of our social group without talking or even thinking about it. It’s not just how you eat and move, of course. Research indicates that you’re influenced by family and friends for other big-deal game-changers, like whether to get married or when to have a baby.

Of course, all of these findings are correlations — researchers are still working out the why of it all. Is it possible be a lone wolf or a unique individual? Of course! But, aloneness can be scary or may make you feel vulnerable, as though life is more difficult.

“Aloneness” take the form of a young woman who chooses to stay in to eat a healthy dinner and get a good night’s sleep when all her roommates have gone out for pizza and partying. “Aloneness” can also be a feeling, like the way a guy feels when all his buddies are drinking beer and he’s got a seltzer. If you’re the only one at happy hour ordering a side salad instead of fries, you might feel like you’re outside of the campfire circle of social safety, just waiting for the lions to attack. Swimming against the current can be challenging.

But, of course, it is possible to go it alone. (Terms like “pioneer” and “trailblazer” exist, after all.) But let’s face it: It’s easier to eat better and get more exercise when your social environment — the behavior of your family and friends — supports your goals. As with all things, the laws of physics come into play. When you’re trying to change, you may encounter either friction, or momentum. Friction can make you feel stuck.

Friction makes things harder to do. Eye-rolling coworkers, spinach-resistant kids, and chili nachos-loving friends — people who explicitly disagree with you or simply engage in opposing habits — create environmental and emotional barriers as you try to move toward your goals. When you’re dealing with friction, lifestyle change is like climbing a steep mountain with gravel moving underneath you — complete with cursing, tripping, and slow progress.

Momentum helps you keep rolling. Momentum boosts you and replenishes your energy. Willing and/or like-minded loved ones can help keep you accountable, connected, and supported, bolstering you as you work to change your eating and exercise routine.

You can have friction and momentum, together. In other words, even if you encounter resistance, you can still get support too. Even if your loved ones aren’t super-enthusiastic about your nutrition and fitness experiments, or will never love pea sprouts like you do, it doesn’t mean they don’t care, or won’t help. You can pursue your goals in the face of wavering, stingy, or even non-existent support.

The Difference Between True Love and Unhealthy Obsession

I don't know very many people with whom this relates, but unfortunately I do know a couple. I've experienced this myself at a couple points in my life, and I'm happy to say, I survived and got past what could have been a very unhealthy period. This is a good article on the subject. I hope it helps.

The Difference Between True Love and Unhealthy Obsession

Smartphone Use Hurts Language Development

This article comes from Korea, but it is not particular to them. Observations here and reading the kind of things coming from this country tells me this is a universal problem, and one I don't think the creators of this piece of technology ever considered. It doesn't take much on your part to come to the same conclusion, and actually I don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone.

Smartphone Use Hurts Language Development

When demanding high wages for low skilled jobs, it was only a matter of time before an alternative was created.

This robot-powered burger joint could put fast food workers out of a job

Why that last 10 pounds is so hard to lose

The ultimate answer to why you plateau, why that last 10 pounds is so hard to lose, and why it's hard to breakinto those single digit body fat levels is that you were in a calorie deficit before, but for all of the reasons previously mentioned, you're no longer in a deficit.
The way to break the plateau then is to:
1). Re-establish the deficit.
2). Re-stimulate metabolism and re-set fat-burning and starvation hormones (if necessary)
3). Keep after it! (persistence, persistence, persistence).

Before you think about what strategies you'll use to re-establish the calorie deficit, there's one thing you might want to do first. If you've been dieting a long time, give your body a short break from all the calorie restriction. Raise your calories to maintenance level (meaning: the amount of calories you need to maintain YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT) for at least one week and up as long as two weeks. During this break, you're obviously not going to lose fat, and you might even gain a little scale weight from water and glycogen. You have to be okay with that and think of it as one step back for two steps forward.

A week or two at maintenance calories has mental and physical benefits. It gives your body a physiological break from the challenges of maintaining the deficit. The break also resets the "starvation hormones" and stimulates your metabolism. Then, when you go back to the calorie deficit, your body starts responding again like it's supposed to and you can make that final push to a six-pack abs level of leanness.

Because so many people underestimate how much they eat, if you hit a plateau, you should start tracking your food intake. Note your meal plan on paper, with the calories and macronutrients subtotaled for each meal and totaled for the day. Then weigh or measure your food portions to be sure you are hitting your daily calorie and macro goals.

You may have been told many times by a lot of different experts that you don't have to count calories to lose weight and you may even know people who lost weight simply by cuttiing portion sizes. But if you're stuck at a plateau, I consider it mandatory to stop guessing and start getting serious about doing your nutrition by the numbers.

The Best Ways To Re-establish Your Calorie Deficit: Once you're tracking everything you're eating so you're sure about your compliance to correct calorie intake, you need to re-establish your calorie deficit.In other words, you need to eat less, burn more, or a little bit of both.
You can work on the nutrition side (calories in) by reducing your food portion sizes and choosing less calorie-dense food types. Or you can use the exercise side (calories out) by increasing training volume. You have many choices on the training side.
If your weight training has been low in volume or frequency, you can do more weight training. A 3 day a week program can be expanded to 4 or 5, increase sets and exercises, more metabolically-demanding exercises can be used and intensification techniques can be added.

You can increase your cardio duration (burn more calories by working out longer) or increase your cardio frequency (burn more calories by working out more often). You can also increase the intensity of your cardio so you burn more calories in the same time you're already spending (a good strategy for busy people). That's three different strategies for cardio alone (duration, frequency and intensity).

The whole idea is simply to expend more calories (and stimulate your metabolism) and pull back your calorie intake, which re-establishes or increases your calorie deficit.

You could make one change at a time, or make multiple changes all at once. Which strategies you choose depends on what makes the most sense given your current situation. Always remember that there are two sides to the energy balance equation (what you’re taking in & your expenditure), not one. There's also more than one way to break a fat loss plateau.

Accepting the Reality of Biological Evolution

BY JAMES RANDI

The well-established fact of biological evolution is being increasingly and frantically denied in the USA by creationists, and as I write this, a public opinion poll has announced that some 46% of the U.S. public identify themselves as creationists. According to a recent study carried out at Michigan State University, acceptance of evolution by Americans declined from 45% in 1985—already a shameful statistic— to 40% in 2005. It also found that only Turkey and the Vatican trail the U.S. in this denial of fact.

Not accepting the reality of biological evolution is equivalent to not accepting the stark fact of gravity. You can deny gravity, or claim that Earth is flat, but such simple denials do not in any way prove a point. Evolution is the single, unifying scientific explanation for the diversity of life on Earth, and the foundation upon which the biological sciences are built. The scientific theory of evolution is accepted by an overwhelming majority of scientists around the world as the cornerstone of biology. To deny the reality of evolution is to deny the foundation upon which modern medicine and related biological sciences are built.

I’ll present here the example of cephalopods—which include octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish—which have one central systemic heart and two branchial hearts. The dominant central heart supplies blood to the body, to the ten tentacles of squid, and to the eight tentacles of the octopus. If such redundancy is okay for sea creatures, how come we humans can’t get in on the plan?

I’ve used such examples of poor design many times, along with two of my own favorites—those delightful kidney stones, and cataracts—but I also have some derived from my personal and professional point of view. I celebrate the fact that scallywags like me— magicians—can produce some of our illusions because of the phenomenon known as persistence of vision, as well as the fact that the imaging part of the brain automatically switches off when the eye moves rapidly from one point to another, and that the mind—to better bridge gaps of information—can and does invent images that just aren’t there. While such illusions can serve a survival function as satisfying substitutes for the facts, and can assuage certain fears, the awkward facts often insist on emerging, and the resulting induced alarms are often useful indicators of very real dangers and threats. […]

Read the full article here