A New Self-Image

ALL OF US tend to admire the physique of certain actresses, actors, models and athletes.

Yet few of us make a deter- mined commitment to create the same body for ourselves. For the past five generations, exercise has become an option for most of us in the developed world, but less than 5 percent of the European and North American population exercise adequately. All too often I hear people say, “I don’t have time.”

Our great-grandparents had no option but to exercise; it was called survival, and the vast majority achieved it via farming. These farms used rich soil to produce organic plants that were freshly harvested and consumed. Survival itself was the gym and health shop of the yonder years.

Today, we must put forth effort to leave our high-speed, frantic existence for at least some time each day and go back to the way our bodies evolved and were meant to function.

Now we know sitting is called the new smoking. We know factories spew disease-causing chemicals into our air and water, and intentionally created other chemicals to spray on our crops. We know that the way we are taught to eat sugar, meat and dairy is the very dietary culprit that precipitates obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more.

You’re probably thinking it’s too overwhelming. In fact, I think it’s insane. But it’s also pretty easy to change, once you create inner strength in the process of manifesting a strong, attractive and user-friendly anatomy.

One thing I can tell you for sure, after nearly half a century of working in the field of advanced health, is that no one who adopts the Hippocrates lifestyle suffers unwanted weight. Of course, there is no magic in the process; it takes time, commitment and effort to change your attitude, habits and patterns. Our flash-in-the pan culture wants everything fast and creates a short attention span so people forget their priorities 10 minutes after setting them.

DESPITE AN ARRAY OF IDEAS PROMOTED BY GIFTED SALES PEOPLE, NATURAL biology HAS ALWAYS SHOWN US WHAT IT TAKES TO REMAIN strong AND well.

Real commitment is necessary—not commitment to diet and exercise, but commitment to self. Now we have exposed the real demon that causes most people to carry excess baggage.

Not to name names, but years ago when I was on the lecture circuit, I often ran into a notable, 400-pound health authority. Although it was hard for me to understand why anyone would listen to him and seriously take his advice, he was quite popular. From that experience, I recognized that most people are so out of touch with their own instinct and common sense that reality doesn’t register when they are asking for truth.

After losing 120 pounds myself, and working with thousands of people who lost greater or lesser amounts, I discovered three rules in weight regulation that apply to all of us:

MAKE AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.

How you think and feel about yourself will manifest the resulting image. Work hard to recalibrate your self- worth and trust. Believe that you deserve a strong physique and healthy body.

EMBRACE VEGETABLES, SPROUTED NUTS, GRAINS, SEEDS AND BEANS.

Eliminate sugars (including the so-called natural varieties) and common cooked carbohydrates (breads, pastas, potatoes, etc.). Consume adequate amounts of healthy fluids (water, green drinks, wheat- grass, etc.). Chew when you eat until the food becomes liquid. When emotionally capable, eat less and eventually change breakfast from a time when you consume food to a time when you consume protein-rich supplements like algaes, pollens and plant-based protein powders. Attempt to eat dinner in early evening and do not consume food afterward.

AEROBIC, RESISTANCE & STRETCHING EXERCISES.

Aerobics must be a mini- mum of 35 minutes, five days per week. Weightlifting should be done 1.5 hours, three days per week. Stretch for 10 to 15 minutes every day. Approximately 82 percent of muscle comes from body fat. Weight-lifting is just as important as aerobics in weight adjustment.

Circulating the blood and raising the body core temperature via aerobics flushes impurities, including fat cells, and increases oxygen, which speeds the metabolism and breaks down unwanted weight. Stretching improves ligament, muscle, nerve and skeletal function. So when the body normalizes its anatomy, posture is greatly enhanced.

There is never doubt that any person, be they 700 pounds or 70 pounds, can manifest the perfect body for themselves. Those actresses and models and sports stars all happen to do exactly what I’ve just suggested. Despite an array of ideas promoted by gifted sales people, natural biology has al-ways shown us what it takes to remain strong and well. Short-cuts are exactly that: short and ineffective. The easiest way to the top of the mountain does not always let us enjoy the full vista and appreciation for the trek. Although it appears more difficult to do things the right way, in truth, it’s the only way to do things.

As a former weight-bearing man, I send my empathy and support to you knowing that the very first step is by far the most important. We are here to help you walk that path and give you the knowledge, desire and history to make your dream come to fruition.

BY | Brian Clement, PHD, LN