bj penn

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check out his videos. He has a stand up 101 video.

Drink More Spring or Filtered Water to Improve Every Facet of Your Health

You’ve heard it repeatedly: make sure you drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. The key words are “at least,” because, unless you are a child or the size of a child, you need more water than that. The rule of thumb is, for every 50 pounds of body weight you carry, drink one quart of bottled spring or filtered water per day. The average person weighs 150lbs, so they should drink three quarts per day. A 200lb person should drink a full gallon per day. Athletes should drink even more than that. Follow these guidelines and you’ve adopted one of the most crucial health habits.

Our bodies are mostly water, and so this ongoing intake of water is essential to our every function. Drink the appropriate amounts, and everything is much more likely to function at optimal levels. Don’t drink enough water, and over the short term you will experience routine fatigue, dry skin, headaches and constipation; over the longer term, every body function will degrade more quickly. It really is as simple as that.

Things get a bit more complicated in what type of water to drink. Bottled spring water and filtered water are both good options. Do not drink tap water or distilled water.

The spring (not “drinking”) water should be bottled in clear polyethylene or glass containers, not the one-gallon plastic (PVC) containers that transfer far too many chemicals into the water. Filtered water can be obtained through low-cost filters, such as those provided by Brita or PUR brands. Another recommendation of mine is the GE Smart Water, which was top rated in Consumer Reports December 2002.

Tap water should be avoided because it contains chlorine and may contain fluoride, toxic substances that, with ongoing consumption, can have dire consequences for the body. Distilled water should also be avoided because it has the wrong ionization, pH, polarization and oxidation potentials, and can drain your body of necessary minerals. It has been tied to hair loss, which is often associated with certain mineral deficiencies.

Finally, drink water at room temperature if possible, as ice-cold water can harm the delicate lining of your stomach.

Simple Secrets of Tow to be Happy

By Darshan Goswami, M.S., PE Being happy is really a choice we make. The secret of Happiness is simple, very simple – what is it? You decide if you want to be happy!   We all strive for happiness in life. Like many, you probably think achievements such as education, marriage, family and social/financial status make you happy.   However, studies of happiness in several countries have found that these achievements have little to do with your happiness. For millions of people, happiness has remained a rather elusive goal. They’ve tried to buy happiness.   They’ve sought it through materialistic and pleasurable activities such as buying a new SUV or going on vacation. But nothing has seemed to work. For most people these changes, new possessions or temporary pleasures, might work for a while but will eventually become part of your status quo, and their power to deliver happiness will fade.   Researchers now strongly believe that your brains is hard-wired in ways that, at least to some degree, determine just how happy you’re going to be. Some psychologists believe happiness is genetic. Other scientists say they may have located an important area of the brain where happiness is generated. As powerful as these genetic predispositions may be, happiness is still partly within your control, says David Myers, PhD, the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology at Hope College in Holland, Mich. “It’s rather like our cholesterol level — genetically influenced, yet also influenced by our habits and attitudes.” While these ideas are debated, you don’t have to wait to begin discovering happiness within yourself. You see happiness comes from your social relationships, enjoyable work, fulfillment, high self-esteem, a sense that your life has meaning, and joining civic and other groups. Your life is sprinkled with ample opportunities for discovering happiness. Search for the small things that give you a little laugh or a smile. Take time to be with your family and friends. In the long run, these are the treasures that will enhance your happiness, not some grand achievements that only give you a lift for a short while. One way to steer your life toward happiness is simply to count your blessings. Happy people know that they don’t get to be happy all the time. They can appreciate brief moments, little victories, small miracles, and the personal interactions that bring real happiness. Research has proven that happy people live longer, are healthier, are more successful, enjoy more fulfilling relationships, earn more money, and are liked and respected more. What is Happiness and How Do You Achieve It? Happiness seems to be a selfish goal. Happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think. So start each day by thinking of all the things you have to be thankful for. Your future depends very largely on the thoughts you think today. So think positive thoughts of hope, confidence, love and success. You can be happy if you are a productive and useful member of society, share with others and help unselfishly. Most experts agree that there are no shortcuts to happiness. Even the happy people do not experience joy twenty-four hours a day. A happy person can have a bad day but still experience pleasure in the small things in life. If you’re not feeling happy today, fake it. In experiments, people who were manipulated to smile actually felt happier. Don’t postpone happiness until you reach a certain goal, like getting a promotion or pay raise to go on vacation. Studies show that these effects are short-lived. Don’t focus on negative thoughts; balance that by consciously spending a few minutes every day thinking about the good things in your life. Like eating a balanced meal or getting enough rest, practice this everyday and, each day, try to extend the time you spend on positive thoughts. Everybody has their own characteristics that lead them in different directions towards happiness. Perhaps, at best, these discussions are useful to provoke thoughts and reactions, which might help you to focus on what can be done to make your own life consistently happy. Again, there is no rule or special formula that can make a person constantly happy. Instead, happiness comes from developing positive social relationships, enjoyable work, fulfillment, a sense that life has meaning, and joining civic and other social groups. Take time to meditate, or say a prayer, thanking almighty God for all you have. A spiritual dimension is an essential component of happiness. Can Money Buy You Happiness?   A lot of people share a fairly common misconception. They believe that having lots of money can make you happy. Some even say that the more money you have, the happier you can be. Others believe that having money is not spiritually or socially acceptable, and that money is the root cause of all evil.   Are any of these beliefs really true? To answer this question, begin by asking yourself what money means to you, and how do you treat it when you have it? Depending on how it is used, money can create powerful, positive changes in the world. Having money allows us to function more easily in the world, it buys food, clothes, provides comfort in our lives and in the lives of others. However, because attachment to money is based on fear, it always creates insecurity. The desire to have more money, and thereby feel more secure, never ends. Security can never come from money alone. Some of the people who have the most money are also the most insecure. Does this mean you must give up the desire to attain wealth? Not necessarily. In and of itself money is neither good nor bad. It is what we choose to do with money that determines if it will have a positive effect on others, society, the world, and ourselves. So, it cannot be said that money is essential for happiness. But, most people recognize that money is important in the 21st Century because it can give people comfort and freedoms. But, does raising a nation’s income, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), raise the population’s overall level of happiness? Intuitively, you’d think the answer is a definite yes. However, a survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal found otherwise. Other studies also show that, in many countries, “although economic output has risen steeply over the past decades, there has been no rise in life satisfaction and there has been a substantial increase in depression and distrust.” For example, since World War II, GDP per capita in the U.S. has tripled, but life satisfaction (measured by surveys that ask something like, “overall, how satisfied are you with your life?”) has barely changed. Also Japan and Western Europe had a tremendous rise in GDP per capita since 1958, yet measures of national happiness have been flat. One reason may be that a rising economy produces rising aspirations. There are many villages in the world where people do not own shoes but the people are extremely happy and friendly. How to Bring Happiness in Your Life “Don’t worry, be happy.” This sounds like such a simplistic phrase, but there is great power and wisdom in it. This tells us to focus on what we want rather than what we don’t want. When we focus on what we want, our actions take us nearer to our goals in life. One way to guide your life toward happiness is simply to count your blessings. Dr. Myers points to research showing that people who pause each day to reflect on the positive aspects of their lives (for example, their health, friends, family, education, freedom) are more likely to experience positive feelings and happiness. These are the principles I use to be happy. They work for me, and I hope they work for you: 1) Improve your relationships with friends and family – Happiness starts at home. Start by improving your relationship with your parents, brothers, sisters, and children. Smile when you greet them, do things for them, don’t allow them to get angry with you. Maintaining healthy loving relationships and friendships can promote happiness. Remember that love makes you beautiful. 2) Be an optimist – Optimism generates good feelings. 3) Develop a genuine smile and laugh a lot – Act happy – It works. Smile into the mirror for a half hour without stopping. Smiling makes you happy and the more you smile the more happy you become. We all like people who smile. It also makes us more attractive. 4) Pray – Become religious or spiritual – This only works if you believe in God. If you want to be happy then ask God to make you happy. Prayer helps you accomplish things. 5) Be generous and share with others – Give more than you receive because being generous will make you happy. 6) Treat time as a friend – Don’t watch the clock. 7) Exercise your mind – Keep yourself busy with some new project or ideas. Work your body – Exercise regularly. Studies show that aerobic exercise is an antidote for mild depression and anxiety. “Happy minds reside in sound bodies,” says Dr. Myers. 9) Have fun in life – Keep cool under pressure. 10) Pursue achievable goals. 11) Have high confidence in yourself. 12) Respect the disadvantaged. 13) Age gracefully. 14) Give compliments – Take every opportunity to be complimentary. Want to make someone like you? Every time you meet a person smile and give them a compliment. 15) Be honest – With honesty comes openness. People respect honest and open minded people. 16) Keep an open mind – Most people seem to think that they know everything that they need to know. There’s plenty of wisdom to go around. 17) Treat difficulties as challenges –Life’s an adventure and every obstacle in life is one of its challenges. Treat life as a game. What fun would a game be if you could never lose? Conclusion   Being happy is really a choice we make. The secret of Happiness is simple, very simple – what is it? You decide if you want to be happy! Happiness is free. You can feel happiness, this very minute, if you so choose.   If you continue to focus all your energy and attention on what you want, you’ll soon find yourself happy. Realize now that true happiness results from sharing generously of yourself, your mind, emotion and spirit, with all those who come in contact with you.   Be an optimist.   Do kind deeds for others unselfishly. Explore the deeper resources within you by praying to God from your heart. Through sincere prayer and mindful meditation you will attain the highest achievement in life – the discovery of your eternal happiness with God.   We need to set our goals wisely and to develop happy-thought strategies and to surround ourselves with encouraging and positive people. Pursuing truth, wisdom and a virtuous life – or just getting on with the duties and chores of daily life at work and home, often brings happiness as a by-product. My ultimate goal is to bring happiness to all my friends, family and all souls that come in contact with me. How can I possibly accomplish this? Simple…I sincerely hope that after reading this message you will SMILE for me. That will make both you and me happy! What you don’t know about weight loss can hurt you… Low-calorie or low-fat foods may not address your personal issues with weight management at all. In addition to being highly processed and nearly free of any vital nutrients, these types of foods often contain ingredients that may compromise your health when consumed. Find Out More Dr. Mercola’s Comments: Considering the fact that one of the more potent ways to optimize your health — creating more happiness in your life — beats disease naturally, why wouldn’t you want to do whatever you can to manifest positive emotions? Lately I’ve been writing quite a bit about the impact your emotions have on your state of physical health. And the good news is that you can learn to deal with, and process emotional trauma and setbacks naturally, spiritually, and without drugs, by making some changes to your attitude and your daily routine. Happiness will not only protect your body from stressors that can lead to coronary heart disease down the road, but it can even boost your immune system’s ability to fight off the common cold. How Do You Measure Happiness? Happiness is actually a fairly popular topic of scientific evaluation. There are quite a few experts with views on what happiness is, and how you create, or sabotage your own happiness. Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert is one such expert, whose research has found that you can ‘synthesize’ happiness. That you have a subconscious ‘psychological immune system’ that helps you change your views about your world, which leads to being more satisfied with what you have. And being “satisfied,” feeling that you have “enough,” will remove many of your negative energy drains. Are you satisfied with “enough”? Then you’re probably already happier than most. Another take is that by British psychologist, Adrian White with the University of Leicester, who published the first “world map of happiness” in 2007. Based on a compilation of data from more than 100 studies in the field of happiness research, Denmark comes out at the top as the happiest nation out of 178 countries, followed by Switzerland and Austria, with the United States ranking in 23rd place. White, A. (2007). A Global Projection of Subjective Well-being: A Challenge To Positive Psychology?  Psychtalk 56, 17-20. This map rates happiness based on a subjective “state of well-being” (SWB), conceptualized as a sense of satisfaction with your life, both in general and in specific areas such as relationships, health and work.  It is immediately evident that there is an effect of poverty on levels of SWB. However, White’s research found that SWB correlated most strongly with health, closely followed by wealth and access to basic education.  The fact that the U.S. ranked lower than countries like Iceland and Bhutan can perhaps be explained by our tragically flawed healthcare system with its excessive over-medicating, which has led to an epidemic of poor health, effectively reducing your state of well-being and overall happiness. Tying Happiness to Your Personal Mission For most people, it is very difficult to define what truly makes you happy. So I want to reiterate a definition that you can grasp and apply to your life with greater ease. Happiness can be identified as “whatever gets you excited.” Happiness is that which makes you jump out of bed in the morning with eager anticipation to start your day. Once you identify that activity, whatever it is, you can start focusing your mind around that so you can structure you life to do more of it. Personally, my happiness is tied to my mission to catalyze the change of the entire fatally flawed health paradigm. This is what makes me  greatly anticipate every morning, and it is the driving force that allows me to truly enjoy the extensive hours of my “work” weeks. Health + Happiness = Your Best Life Health and happiness are indeed intertwined, and if good health promotes happiness, and vice versa, then you can optimize both by limiting your options to the basics — that which is natural — and realizing there’s no “magic pill” for either. In reality, you only need to focus on a few very basic things to optimize your health, which will spill over into increased feelings of happiness and well being: Address emotional traumas and practice gratitude Get optimal sun exposure Drink pure water Avoid toxins Eat the right fats Eat right for your Nutritional Type Eat raw foods – Avoid sugar and processed foods Control your insulin and leptin Exercise  Sleep properly Begin to see your life as one whole, where you indeed have the power to affect change in each and every area, and remember that positive changes in one field of activity affects all the others, and you’ll be well on your way to creating the life you deserve; one of health, physical and emotional well being, and personal purpose.

Can Chinese Food Cause Cancer?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common ingredient in Chinese food, may cause stomach cancer, according to a study by researchers at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute.

Their analysis of 134 patients found that nearly half of those with stomach, rectal and colon cancer were regular consumers of Chinese food from middle- or low-end restaurants. Most of them also had ulcers, which were also linked to MSG.

In 2004, the World Health Organization declared MSG unsafe for human consumption, but it is still widely used.

Elbows

What Happens to Your Body Withing an Hour of Drinking a Coke

Do you want to be healthy? Drinking soda is bad for your health in so many ways; science can’t even state all the consequences. Here’s what happens in your body when you assault it with a Coke: Within the first 10 minutes, 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don’t vomit as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor. Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat. Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way. After 60 minutes, you’ll start to have a sugar crash. Sources: Nutrition Research Center October 24, 2007

Why Fish Oil is Good for You

Fish oil is known to play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease, and UCLA researchers have discovered why.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil, increases the production of LR11, a protein that destroys a protein that forms the “plaques” associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

LR11 is also found in low levels in Alzheimer’s patients, and since this protein helps prevent the toxic plaques that are thought to harm neurons in your brain, it is believed to be a factor in causing the disease.

The researchers examined both fish oil in the diet and DHA administered directly to neurons grown in a laboratory.

Even low doses of DHA increased LR11 in rat neurons, and dietary fish oil increased LR11 in brains of rats or mice that had been genetically altered to develop Alzheimer’s disease, researchers said.

DHA also had a beneficial impact on human neuronal cells in culture.

The researchers concluded that high levels of DHA lead to abundant LR11, which seems to protect against Alzheimer’s. Conversely, low levels of LR11 lead to the formation of beta amyloid plaques that harm your brain.

What’s left to be determined, according to the researchers, is what dose is most effective. In areas where dietary DHA is high, a small dose may be beneficial, while in the United States, where there’s a deficiency of DHA, a larger dose may be necessary.

Part 2

Lesson 1: Only eat quality vegetables.At the intermediate level, I recommend that all of your vegetables be organic. Organic varieties of vegetables will decrease your exposure to dangerous pesticides. Additionally, they have two to five times more nutrients as compared to non-organic vegetables. Most people agree that they also taste much better. It is important to remember though that nearly any non-organic vegetable is better than no vegetable at all.

Lesson 2: Avoid all grains.

I believe that most people’s health is improved by avoiding all grains. This also includes durham flour and semolina from which most pasta is made. You can obtain most of your fiber from vegetables, which is a far healthier choice. Additional foods to eliminate at this level are:

• Corn: It is best to stop all corn products, including popcorn and corn chips. Corn is not a vegetable but a grain! Corn and corn products are often difficult to digest and can contain mold toxins that can be very toxic for the body. Please avoid all foods with corn listed in the first five ingredients.

• Potatoes: Potatoes will raise insulin levels beyond what would be considered ideal in most people. If you do not have problems with weight, high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, they can be used with a protein meal. Try to never have commercially prepared French-fries. They are an extremely toxic food, as they contain 100 percent trans-fatty acids.

• Wheat: The only grain food that sometimes works is sprouted grain bread. It will not work for most people, however, unless you need to gain weight and aren’t sensitive to wheat.

Lesson 3: Start using Metabolic Typing.

The purpose of the beginner plan is to normalize your metabolic biochemistry, and that involves addressing your specific nutritional needs in a unique and comprehensive way. You’ll correct your imbalances with the small number of regulatory mechanisms that manage the vast number of biochemical reactions taking place in your body. If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend you read the book Metabolic Typing for a detailed explanation of the program.

Metabolic typing is a dynamic process that does far more than simply assign you to a broad, fixed category that roughly approximates your nutritional needs. It is a much more precise and flexible system of a series of simple self-tests that enable you to tailor your diet with accuracy; that is, you’ll know what foods are good for your metabolic type — you won’t have to guess and see!

Since Metabolic Typing is not a static system, the process allows you to adjust your diet if your metabolism shifts. It is important to realize that your metabolic type isn’t carved in stone.

Lesson 4: Apply the Metabolic Typing system by completely removing all sugars and grains from your diet for at least one week.

Most of us are addicted to grains, so this is best done as soon as you are ready to implement the approach. A gradual reduction just won’t work for most people as your insulin levels will continue to increase. This means that your cravings for sugars and grains will be high, and you will not reap the benefits of lowered insulin levels.

It’s important to normalize your insulin levels so you can remove the distorted signals your body has been giving you all these years. Once you are off all grains and sugars for a week, your body may tell you that you need to resume them, but most people benefit from remaining off of them for some time. You will know. Your body will make this very clear. If your energy level is dramatically improved and most of your health complaints are gone or significantly better, then this is a giant clue that you are on the right path. If you are not better, you will want to consider reintroducing small amounts of grains back into your diet.

Lesson 5: Retrain your body’s response to sweets.

If you are overweight, you have likely trained your hormone system to respond very aggressively to sweets. As soon as anything sweet hits your mouth your body will instantly release insulin. This occurs even when it does not need it, such as when you are using low calorie sweeteners. Pavlov proved this principle over 100 years ago.

He began to feed his dogs in association with the ringing of a bell. After a certain time the dogs were shown to salivate profusely in association with the ringing bell even when the actual sight or smell of food was not present. Pavlov regarded this salivation as being a conditioned reflex and designated the process by which the dogs had picked up this reflex classical conditioning.

You have also experienced this conditioning. You’ve developed a link between your taste buds and your brain that will cause your body to produce insulin the moment you eat anything sweet, even if it is not grains or sugar. This will sabotage your efforts to lose weight successfully, as you will keep on having cravings for sugar and grains.

It’s just a matter of re-educating your taste buds. It will be essential to have no sweets for few weeks; once you clean your palate of grains, foods will taste better than ever. You can use this as an opportunity to explore the use of spices and organic foods, as they typically taste much better once you eliminate your body’s response to sugar.

Since you’ve made many of the essential changes for fat consumption in the beginner phase, the intermediate phase instructions are quite simple:

• As I’ve said in the carbohydrate section for this level, never have commercially prepared French-fries. They are one of the most toxic foods you could eat. Most have 100 percent trans fatty acids.

• Eliminate margarines, as they are another source of trans fatty acids.

• You should regularly be consuming fish oil/cod liver oil by now, as it is one of the few and best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that most people are sorely lacking in their diet but are essential to optimal health.

• Olive oil is not only acceptable but highly recommended as it has a fat in it called squalene. This is a potent antioxidant and will protect the fish oil from going rancid (becoming oxidized) once it is in your body.

• Avocados, walnuts, egg yolks, coconut oil and butter are acceptable sources of fats.

Please Note: If you are a “Carbohydrate Metabolic Type,” you will need about 15% of your diet as fat. If you are a “Protein Metabolic Type,” you may need up to 50% of your diet as fat. This is why it will be important to understand what metabolic type you are.

If you have not been metabolically typed via a medical practitioner, I highly recommend you read the book The Metabolic Typing Diet: Customize Your Diet to Your Own Unique Body Chemistry to help you understand your type.

Here is a very general guideline to follow in the meantime, though: the more you enjoy steak and feel good with it, the greater the percentage of fat you will need in your diet. If you feel wonderful as a vegetarian and comfortable with very little meat, then you will likely need much closer to only 15% of fat in your diet.

Lesson 1: Get active bacteria into your diet.

Live active cultures of lactobacillus, acidophilus and bifidus are important. These are the good inhabitants of the gut that help to control the yeast and bad bacteria that are also in your gut. Active cultures are living and therefore are best kept refrigerated. There are literally dozens of different types on the market and many of them simply do not work. I recommend Flora Source in my own office since it is a very effective, highly potent, multi-strain products.

It’s best to take these products ONCE per day after drinking 1 glass of BOTTLED OR FILTERED water, or with some food. This reduces the acidity of the stomach and allows the powder to be more effective.

Lesson 2: You can use supplements to help relieve irregular bowel movements.

Bowel movements aren’t necessarily the most pleasant things to think about, but it’s healthy to have two to three bowel movements a day. Ideally, they should be effortless, odorless and not sink to the bottom of the toilet bowl.

• Flaxseeds: My first choice would be to use freshly ground organic flaxseeds. You can use one to six tablespoons per day. Flax has water-soluble fibers that are similar to psyllium (Metamucil), which are very effective at relieving constipation. Additionally, it is a food and a source of beneficial omega-3 fats.

• Magnesium: This can be helpful to temporarily restore a healthy frequency of bowel movements. Start your dose at one 500 mg tablet or capsule twice a day. Malate is the preferred form, but glycinate and citrate also work quite nicely. You can increase this to four tablets twice a day (two grams) if necessary. You can go up to eight per day in divided doses for severe cases. Diarrhea is the only side effect of magnesium, and you can easily reduce the dose if this occurs.

It’s important not to use magnesium on a long-term basis, as it will cause imbalances in the calcium/magnesium ratio in your body. If the magnesium does not work, you can use Aloe Vera capsules.

Lesson 3: Use vitamin E to maximize the benefits of fish oil and vitamin C to help with stress or the effects of heavy exercise.

You may want to consider taking vitamin E (400 units a day) as this will help protect the omega-3 oils from being oxidized once you consume them. You might want to also consider vitamin C, especially around times of heavy exercise or stress.

If you are consuming one pound of vegetables for every 50 pounds of body weight, you will receive a large variety of antioxidants from the vegetables so it’s not as important to take a vitamin E supplement.

Nalgene Bottles Pulled From Shelves

Worries about the hormone-mimicking chemical bisphenol A (BPA) used in Nalgene plastic water containers have led a major Canadian retailer to remove Nalgene, along with other polycarbonate plastic containers, from store shelves in early December. There is little dispute that the chemical can disrupt the hormonal system, but scientists disagree on whether the low doses found in food and beverage containers can cause harm. The FDA and the plastics industry have argued that BPA-based products do not pose a health risk. However, an expert panel of researchers recently reported that the potential for BPA to affect human health is a concern, and more research is needed. Many Americans currently have higher levels of BPA than those found to cause harm in lab animals. Sources: Yahoo News December 23, 2007

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