Herbal Medicines

When it comes to traveling the first thing that I think of is the safety of the travel….and I am not one for traveling let alone going on an airplane. Which is why I would want to go on a Wing Aviation Charter Services as opposed to a commercial airline. It is [...]

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Here is a great way to clean your toothbrush - just put them in a 1/2 cup of baking soda mixed with 1/2 cup of water. Do this once a week and your toothbrush will be nice and clean. Be sure to rinse your toothbrush a lot though before you actually use it. [...]

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When it comes to losing your hair some people will accept it, others will embrace it and the rest will try everything that they can do in order to prevent it and cover up the fact that they are losing their hair especially if you are a female. Losing you hair is a very [...]

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Here is my advice when it comes to taking what other people have to say to heart….don’t. Unless you ask for criticism or someone elses advice then just either ignore it or really don’t read too much into it. I personally can not stand people that just butt in to someone elses...

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There are many dating services out there and dating today is just so very different from even just 20 years ago with now the Internet being such a big influence on how you date and how you meet people today. In some ways it helps people connect that may have never connected otherwise. [...]

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It is just so important to make sure that you do your research and read up on reviews of hospice care providers. These are the people and the providers that you will be relying on to take care or your loved ones or perhaps even you. So you really want to make sure that [...]

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There is Light at the End of the Steps

Perhaps you’ve been reading MDA for some time now, finding yourself intrigued, maybe even testing the waters a bit. The Primal Blueprint sounds good to you. It speaks to you. It makes sense. The mind is clearly motivated, but the heart is, well, a bit trepidatious. Maybe the “Act As If” challenge interested you, inspired you, but you’re not quite there yet:

“Compared to my lifestyle now, I don’t know if I could make this big of a change.”

“Do I trust that I could stick to this kind of life?”

“Maybe this is just for diehards. Do I really have it in me to be part of something like this?”

It’s not uncommon to question our motivation, our ability, even our core confidence at significant turning points. There’s nothing like a big change to make us examine what we’re really made of. But far too many of us derail ourselves before we’re even out of the starting gate. Instead of guessing what we’d do, predicting where we’d stumble, anticipating how we’d eventually fail, how about throwing “foresight” to the wind and taking a bold leap of faith? Eh? Just so you know, we’re with you on this one.

It’s important to keep in mind that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your Primal lifestyle doesn’t need to be either. Especially if you’re more of a “slowly slip your way into the pool” type of person, perhaps these steps will make your transition a bit more manageable – and more inviting.

1. Accept that your process will be unique

Low carb living, for instance, initially takes a different toll on everyone. You might be starting from a standard American diet of 300-400 grams of carbs a day, or you might be cutting back from a lower carb diet of around 200. Either way, you know the direction you want to go, and that’s the key. You may be a diehard endurance athlete or accomplished weightlifter who feels the need for a new direction, a new focus in his/her health.

2. Allow yourself to ease into it

Not everyone needs or wants to take this approach, but there’s nothing wrong with allowing yourself this option. If you’re up for a “dive in,” particularly if you’re facing major health complication like diabetes or obesity, a fast and furious beginning can reap major health benefits quickly. (And for some, it’s like the band-aid conundrum: they’d rather do the brief, intense rip that gets them where they want to be.) However, there’s plenty of reason to take your time if that’s your way. You’ll allow yourself to gradually but genuinely incorporate the news aspects of diet, exercise, and stress reduction without feeling overwhelmed. And for some aspects of the Primal Blueprint, slow and steady may have definite benefits. Some people respond differently to the reduction in carbohydrates than others (particularly at the ketosis level). Initially, you might feel sluggish or foggy. Take time cutting down. Hold steady at 150 grams a day if needed, and use the time in the holding pattern to ramp up your efforts in other lifestyle changes. When you’re ready, coming down 10 grams at a time may be a better approach for you.

3. Divide and conquer

Sometimes it’s easier to tackle one aspect of a project (or a lifestyle) than to attend to all of them at once. If you’re trying to cut carbs and kick a nasty caffeine habit, it might behoove you to take on one at a time or at least take one slowly and focus on the other. Although all the elements of the Primal Blueprint work together (and actually make other efforts easier), there’s nothing wrong with honing in on a few select areas. Make a commitment to total health, put yourself in the center, but take on only what you feel is manageable for now. If you keep the rest in sight, chances are you’ll begin gravitating toward those other changes anyway. Healthy choices have a way of begetting other healthy choices.

4. Track your day-to-day practices (and progress)

It’s easy to sometimes get wrapped up in the “vastness” of a goal: the long-term nature of your plan. Allow yourself to focus on each day, but give yourself the opportunity to concretely view your ongoing commitment. Keep a kind of food/exercise/stress management journal. In addition to the actual foods and exercises themselves, make some observational notes on how you feel, what you are able to accomplish, where you feel challenged. Looking back on your notes will give you a sense of how far you’ve come. It can also serve as a reminder of how you made it through challenges in the past.

We wholeheartedly recommend using a tool like FitDay or The Daily Plate to this end.

5. Ease up if you hit rough road

Back off a bit on the intensity of exercise, for example, if you find you’re having a hard time adequately recovering from strength training or “sprinting” bouts. If you’re hitting the wall with carb reduction, hold steady or bump up your intake by 10-15 grams to see if it makes a difference over a week or two. Progress is rarely a smooth, uninterrupted trajectory for anyone. The point is to do what’s necessary to keep your general momentum and motivation going.

6. Give it time

The Primal Blueprint isn’t about temporary fixes or fad gimmicks. It’s an overarching design with suggestions to help you live your healthiest, most productive life. This kind of change takes time, care and ever evolving commitment to create a new and genuine lifestyle.

What are your thoughts on making the transition? What was/has been the most challenging aspect that had you perhaps accepting a “two steps forward, one step back” approach? What finally got you over the hump, so to speak? Do you have advice for new “apples” just beginning the transition?

extranoise Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

30 Day Primal Health Challenge

Health Challenge Update

Have You Decided to Be Healthy?

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June was a momentous month. We began with the Definitive Guide to the Primal Blueprint and ended with the 30-Day Primal Health Challenge. In between we had great conversations on everything from cold water therapy, carb binging and grains to managing stress, ketosis and nightshades. Revisit your faves or catch an article you missed… this is the best of June ‘08:

Dear Mark: Primal Personal Products? - June 2

10 Ways to Forage in a Fast Food Nation - June 3

The Definitive Guide to the Primal Blueprint - June 4

Drink Less Water? - June 9

10 Ways to Forage in the Modern World - June 10

What Happens to Your Body When… You CARB BINGE? - June 11

Nightshades - June 12

10 Ways to De-Stress - June 17

The Definitive Guide to Grains - June 18

Cold Water Therapy - Jun 19

Health Suicide in 10 Easy Steps - June 24

What Happens to Your Body When… You Haven’t Properly Trained for Your Marathon? - June 25

Act “As If” - 30-Day Primal Health Challenge - June 27

Dear Mark: Ketosis - June 30

What you would like us to write about? Though we never have a tough time finding something to voice our opinion about we are always interested in what our readers want, so drop us a line in the comment boards. And as per our “Dear Mark” series of posts we began this year, the topic can be personal. So what are you waiting for? You’ve just been offered free personalized health advice! Hit us up with a comment.

Sometimes you just have this one flaw or maybe more that has always bothered you. And it is really affecting your life. You are self conscious and always think that people are looking at your imperfections. It can really upset your overall lifestyle even inhibiting you not to do things, talk or...

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Editor’s Note: There are many benefits to creating a social atmosphere at your work place, such as setting a friendlier tone, getting to know each other, and finding out inside information from drunk co-workers.  Andrew Rondeau writes about his experience at this years mid-year Christmas Party.

Last night we had our office Christmas party.

Now that’s a strange time to have a Christmas party, I hear you saying.

Well yes, I agree but it doesn’t matter does it?

We all enjoyed ourselves. It was unique. I think more Christmas parties should be held mid-year. It breaks up the years work.

But do you know what the real role of the Christmas party is?

Fun?

Having a great time?
Letting you hair down and making a fool of yourself?

Maybe even a bit of flirting.
Well, yes - all of that but…
…let me explain the real role of the Christmas party.

The Christmas party is an important part of the 360 degree feedback process for managers and staff.
Normally the formal feedback process is in the shape of an appraisal or performance review and usually takes place in December each year, but can sometimes happen in January or even February. You know the sort of thing. Fifty-seven minutes chat about how you are going to improve and three minutes on what you have achieved.

It is then typed-up and shoved in a draw somewhere, only to see daylight again, in a years time.

But informally, during the Christmas party everyone in the department learns something. Often this is something about another member of the team. It could be a personal passion or pastime. This is useful to help team building.

In some cases, long-term or short-term relationships are enriched.

The agenda for these events is structured to allow a progression from initial fairly formal interchange:
“It’s funny how I’ve never spoken to you before… when we sit just three desks apart”
or

“I went to that school, as well”
through increasingly informal feedback:
“What you need to know is…”
or

“See him, over there, you know what he does…”

to an open and honest exchange of views and collaborative problem solving:

“You are sho unreashonable…Your problem ish you’re outoftouchwith whatsh happening in the front line…”
(that is my impression via typing of someone who has had too much to drink and is slurring).
For a senior manager the party is also a useful opportunity to catch up on gossip.
Often this gives managers access to information that has been widely known by everyone else for months (”Are they?!” or “Really, I didn’t know”).

A side effect of the party is that the senior managers can unwittingly create opportunities for further gossip.

Some parties have a theme.
This is a facilitation tool to allow the normally shy and retiring office worker to reveal suppressed personality traits.

Last night our theme was “pink”.

I wore a simple pink shirt.
Colin, the IT techie dyed his hair pink.

Just to let you know Colin doesn’t normally speak to anyone. Some would say that is good. Colin sits in the corner and gets on with his work. He doesn’t say ‘hello’ in the morning or ‘good-bye’ when he leaves. He gets his own drinks from the vending machine and always says “no” when someone else goes.

One shortcoming of the Christmas party process is that much of the useful information gathered can decay rapidly and only the most embarrassing details can be recalled by the following morning…

…Fortunately some people take photographs to help preserve the corporate memory.

Unfortunately I didn’t have a camera.
So, next time you attend your Christmas party ensure you know what you are saying and to whom!
Otherwise it may end up affecting your career and pay-rise.

Oh and if you are a Manager stay sober and don’t embarrass yourself.

About the author

Andrew Rondeau transformed himself from a $4 an-hour petrol-pump attendant to a highly successful Senior Manager earning $500k every year. Discover How to Maximize Your Income and Minimize Your Effort by receiving Andrew’s free e-Course and report: http://www.greatmanagement.org/

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