This is an interesting article in the Daily Mail today. The research confirms what we've said for ages, that too many people are prescribed these drugs unnecessarily. If you've got a problem with excess stomach acid causing heartburn, one of the best ways to deal with it is to split open an acidophilus capsule, sprinkle the powder on your tongue and let your saliva take it down into your stomach.
This helps coat the lining of the oesaphagus, support digestion and your immune system. We've had innumerable people who, with diet changes, have been able to stop taking PPIs. Key diet changes are cut out sugar, dairy, hydrogenated fats. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and eat little and often. Don't multi-task while eating, to give your body chance to fully switch on digestion and absorb your food. See the article on alkalising your diet in our April 2010 newsletter.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
42 Practical Ways To Improve Yourself
42 Practical Ways To Improve Yourself by Celestine - maybe try one a day for the next 6 weeks!
Are you someone who likes to grow?
Do you constantly seek to improve yourself and become better?
If you do, then we have something in common. I'm very passionate about personal growth. It was just 4 years ago when I discovered my passion for growing and helping others grow.
At that time, I was 22 and in my final year of university. As I thought about the meaning of life, I realized there was nothing more meaningful than to pursue a life of development and betterment. It is through improving ourselves that we get the most out of life.
After 1.5 years of actively pursuing growth and helping others to grow through my personal development blog, I realize there is never an end to the journey of self improvement. The more I grow, the more I realize there is so much out there I don't know, so much that I have to learn.
For sure, there is always something about ourselves we can improve on. The human potential is limitless, so it's impossible to reach a point of no growth. Whenever we think we are good, we can be even better.
As a passionate advocate of growth, I'm continuously looking for ways to self-improve. I've compiled 42 of my best tips which might be helpful in your personal growth journey. Some of them are simple steps which you can engage in immediately. Some are bigger steps which take conscious effort to act on. Here they are:
1. Read a book every day. Books are concentrated sources of wisdom. The more books you read, the more wisdom you expose yourself to. What are some books you can start reading to enrich yourself?
Some books I've read and found useful are Think and Grow Rich, Who Moved My Cheese, 7 Habits, The Science of Getting Rich and Living the 80/20 Way. I've heard positive reviews for The Tipping Point, Outliers and The Difference Maker, so I'll be checking them out soon.
2. Learn a new language. As a Singaporean Chinese, my main languages are English, Mandarin and Hokkien (a Chinese dialect). Out of interest, I took up language courses in the past few years such as Japanese and Bahasa Indonesian. I realized learning a language is a whole new skill altogether and the process of acquainting with a new language and culture is a totally a mind-opening experience.
3. Pick up a new hobby. Beyond just your usual favorite hobbies, is there something new you can pick up? Any new sport you can learn? Examples are fencing, golf, rock climbing, football, canoeing, or ice skating.
Your new hobby can also be a recreational hobby. For example, pottery, Italian cooking, dancing, wine appreciation, web design, etc. Learning something new requires you to stretch yourself in different aspects, whether physically, mentally or emotionally.
4. Take up a new course. Is there any new course you can join? Courses are a great way to gain new knowledge and skills. It doesn't have to be a long-term course - seminars or workshops serve their purpose too. I've been to a few workshops and they have helped me gain new insights which I had not considered before.
5. Create an inspirational room. Your environment sets the mood and tone for you. If you are living in an inspirational environment, you are going to be inspired every day.
In the past, I didn't like my room at all because I thought it was messy and dull. A few years ago, I decided this was the end of it - I started on a "Mega Room Revamp" project and overhauled my room. The end result? A room I totally relish being in and one that inspires me to be at my peak every day.
6. Overcome your fears. All of us have fears. Fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, fear of risk... All our fears keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing. Recognize that your fears reflect areas where you can grow.
I always think of fears as the compass for growth. If I have a fear about something, it represents something I've yet to address, and addressing it helps me to grow.
7. Level up your skills. If you have played video games before, especially RPGs, you'll know the concept of leveling up - gaining experience so you can be better and stronger. As a blogger, I'm constantly leveling up my writing skills. As a speaker, I'm constantly leveling up my public engagement abilities.
What skills can you level up?
8. Wake up early. Waking up early (say 5-6 am) has been acknowledged by many (Anthony Robbins, Robin Sharma, and other self-help gurus) to improve your productivity and your quality of life. I feel it's because when you wake up early, your mindset is already set to continue the momentum and proactively live out the day.
Seth recently wrote a waking up early series which you should check out to help cultivate this habit.
9. Have a weekly exercise routine. A better you starts with being in better physical shape. I personally make it a point to jog at least 3 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time. You may want to mix it up with jogging, gym lessons and swimming for variation.
10. Start your life handbook. A life handbook is an idea I started 3 years ago. Basically, it's a book which contains the essentials on how you can live your life to the fullest, such as your purpose, your values and goals. Sort of like your manual for your life. I started my life handbook in 2007 and it's been a crucial enabler in my progress.
11. Write a letter to your future self. What do you see yourself as 5 years from now? Will you be the same? Different? What kind of person will you be?
Write a letter to your future self - 1 year from now will be a good start - and seal it. Make a date in your calendar to open it 1 year from now. Then start working to become the person you want to open that letter.
12. Get out of your comfort zone. Real growth comes with hard work and sweat. Being too comfortable doesn't help us grow - it makes us stagnate.
What is your comfort zone? Do you stay in most of the time? Do you keep to your own space when out with other people?
Shake your routine up. Do something different. By exposing yourself to a new context, you're literally growing as you learn to act in new circumstances.
13. Put someone up to a challenge. Competition is one of the best ways to grow. Set a challenge (weight loss, exercise, financial challenge, etc) and compete with an interested friend to see who achieves the target first. Through the process, both of you will gain more than if you were to set off on the target alone.
14. Identify your blind spots. Scientifically, blind spots refer to areas our eyes are not capable of seeing. In personal development terms, blind spots are things about ourselves we are unaware of. Discovering our blind spots will help us discover our areas of improvement.
One exercise I use to discover my blind spots is to identify all the things/events/people that trigger me in a day - trigger meaning making me feel annoyed/weird/affected. These represent my blind spots. It's always fun to do the exercise because I discover new things about myself, even if I may already think I know my own blind spots -- but then they wouldn't be blind spots would they?
After that, I work on steps to address them.
15. Ask for feedback. As much as we try to improve, we will always have blind spots. Asking for feedback gives us an additional perspective. Some people to approach will be friends, family, colleagues, boss, or even acquaintances, since they will have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively.
16. Stay focused with to-do lists. I start my day with a list of tasks I want to complete and this helps make me stay focused. In comparison, the days when I don't do this end up being extremely unproductive.
For example, part of my to-do list for today is to write a guest post at LifeHack.Org, and this is why I'm writing this now! Since my work requires me to use my computer all the time, I use Free Sticky Notes to manage my to-do lists. It's really simple to use and it's a freeware, so I recommend you check it out.
17. Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). I'm a big fan of setting BHAGs. BHAGs stretch you beyond your normal capacity since they are big and audacious - you wouldn't think of attempting them normally. What are BHAGs you can embark on, which you'll feel absolutely on top of the world once you complete them? Set them and start working on them.
18. Acknowledge your flaws. Everyone has flaws. What's most important is to understand them, acknowledge them, and address them. What do you think are your flaws? What are the flaws you can work on now? How do you want to address them?
19. Get into action. The best way to learn and improve is to take action. What is something you have been meaning to do? How can you take action on it immediately? Waiting doesn't get anything done. Taking action gives you immediate results to learn from.
20. Learn from people who inspire you. Think about people you admire. People who inspire you. These people reflect certain qualities you want to have for yourself too. What are the qualities in them you want to have for yourself? How can you acquire these qualities?
21. Quit a bad habit. Are there any bad habits you can lose? Oversleeping? Not exercising? Being late? Slouching? Nail biting? Smoking? Here's some help on how you can quit a bad habit.
That's the first 21 out of the way. Take a deep breath and get ready to dive in for 21 more!
22. Cultivate a new habit. Some good new habits to cultivate include reading books (#1), waking up early (#8), exercising (#9), reading a new personal development article a day (#40) and meditating. Is there any other new habit you can cultivate to improve yourself?
23. Avoid negative people. As Jim Rohn says, "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with". Wherever we go, there are bound to be negative people. Don't spend too much of your time around them if you feel they drag you down.
24. Learn to deal with difficult people. There are times when there are difficult people you can't avoid, such as at your workplace, or when the person is part of your inner circle of contacts. Learn how to deal with them. These people management skills will go a long way in working with people in the future.
25. Learn from your friends. Everyone has amazing qualities in them. It's up to us how we want to tap into them. With all the friends who surround you, they are going to have things you can learn from.
Try thinking of a good friend right now. Think about just one quality they have which you want to adopt. How can you learn from them and adopt this skill for yourself? Speak to them if you need to - for sure, they will be more than happy to help!
26. Start a journal. Journaling is a great way to gain better self-awareness. It's a self-reflection process. As you write, clarify your thought process and read what you wrote from a third person's perspective, you gain more insights about yourself.
Your journal can be private or an online blog. I use my personal development blog as a personal journal too and I've learned a lot about myself through the past year of blogging.
27. Start a blog about personal development. To help others grow, you need to first be talking the talk. There are expectations of you, both from yourself and from others, which you have to uphold.
I run The Personal Excellence Blog, where I share my personal journey and insights on how to live a better life. Readers look toward my articles to improve themselves, which enforces to me that I need to keep improving, for myself and for the people I'm reaching out to.
28. Get a mentor or coach. There's no faster way to improve than to have someone work with you on your goals. Many of my clients approach me to coach them in their goals and they achieve significantly more results than if they had worked alone.
29. Reduce the time you spend on chat programs. I realized having chat programs open at default result in a lot of wasted time. This time can be much better spent on other activities. The days when I don't get on chat, I get a lot more done. I usually disable the auto start-up option in the chat programs and launch them when I do want to chat and really have the time for it.
30. Learn chess (or any strategy game). I found chess is a terrific game to learn strategy and hone your brainpower. Not only do you have fun, you also get to exercise your analytical skills. You can also learn strategy from other board games or computer games, such as Othello, Chinese Chess, WarCraft, and so on.
31. Stop watching TV. I've not been watching TV for pretty much 4 years and it's been a very liberating experience. I realized most of the programs and advertisements on mainstream TV are usually of a lower consciousness and not very empowering.
In return, the time I've freed up from not watching TV is now constructively used for other purposes, such as connecting with close friends, doing work I enjoy, exercising, etc.
32. Start a 30-day challenge. Set a goal and give yourself 30 days to achieve this. Your goal can be to stick with a new habit or try something you've always wanted to do. 30 days is just enough time to strategize, plan, get into action, review and nail the goal.
33. Meditate. Meditation helps to calm you and help you become more conscious. I also realized that during the nights when I meditate (before I sleep), I need lesser sleep. The clutter clearing process is very liberating.
34. Join Toastmasters (Learn public speaking). Interestingly, public speaking is the #1 fear in the world, with #2 being death. After I started public speaking as a personal development speaker/trainer, I've learned a lot about how to communicate better, present myself and engage people.
Toastmasters is an international organization that trains people in public speaking. Check out the Toastmaster clubs nearest to you.
35. Befriend top people in their fields. These people have achieved their results because they have the right attitudes, skill sets and know-how. How better to learn than from the people who have been there and done that? Gain new insights from them on how you can improve and achieve similar results for yourself.
36. Let go of the past. Is there any grievance or unhappiness from the past which you have been holding on? If so, it's time to let it go. Holding on prevents you from moving forward and becoming a better person. Break away from the past, forgive yourself, and move on.
Just recently, I finally moved on from a past heartbreak of 5 years ago. The effect was liberating and very empowering, and I have never been happier.
37. Start a business venture. Is there anything you have an interest in? Why not turn it into a venture and make money while learning at the same time?
Starting a new venture requires you to learn business management skills, develop business acumen and have a competitive edge. The process of starting and developing my personal development business has equipped me with many skills, such as self-discipline, leadership, organization and management.
38. Show kindness to people around you. You can never be too kind to someone. In fact, most of us don't show enough kindness to people around us. Being kind helps us to cultivate other qualities such as compassion, patience, and love.
As you get back to your day after reading this article, start exuding more kindness to the people around you, and see how they react. Not only that, notice how you feel as you behave kindly to others. Chances are, you will feel even better than you usually do.
39. Reach out to the people who hate you. If you ever stand for something, you are going to get haters. It's easy to hate the people who hate us. It's much more challenging to love them back. Being able to forgive, let go and show love to these people requires magnanimity and an open heart.
Is there anyone who dislikes or hates you in your life? If so, reach out to them. Show them love. Seek a resolution and get closure on past grievances. Even if they refuse to reciprocate, love them all the same. It's much more liberating than to hate them back.
40. Take a break. Have you been working too hard? Self-improvement is also about recognizing the need to take a break in order to be able to walk the longer mile ahead. You can't be driving a car if it has no petrol.
Take some time off for yourself every week. Relax, rejuvenate and charge yourself up for what's ahead.
41. Read at least 1 personal development article a day. Some of my readers make it a point to read at least one personal development article every day, which I think is a great habit. There are many terrific personal development blogs out there worth reading.
42. Commit to your personal growth. I can be writing list articles with 10 ways, 25 ways, 42 ways or even 1,000 ways to improve yourself, but if you've no intention to commit to your personal growth, it doesn't matter what I write. Nothing is going to get through.
We are each responsible for our own personal growth - not anyone else. Not your mom, your dad, your friend, me or anyone else. Make the decision to commit to your personal growth and embrace a life-long journey of growth and change.
Kick things off by picking a few of the steps above and working on them. The results may not be immediate, but I promise you that as long as you keep to it, you'll start seeing positive changes in yourself and your life.
By Celestine.
I'm Celestine and I write at The Personal Excellence Blog, where I give my best advice on achieving personal excellence. If you like this article, you might enjoy reader favorites like 101 Things To Do Before You Die and Are You Sleepwalking Your Life Away?. Get my RSS feed directly and add me on Twitter @celestinechua.
Are you someone who likes to grow?
Do you constantly seek to improve yourself and become better?
If you do, then we have something in common. I'm very passionate about personal growth. It was just 4 years ago when I discovered my passion for growing and helping others grow.
At that time, I was 22 and in my final year of university. As I thought about the meaning of life, I realized there was nothing more meaningful than to pursue a life of development and betterment. It is through improving ourselves that we get the most out of life.
After 1.5 years of actively pursuing growth and helping others to grow through my personal development blog, I realize there is never an end to the journey of self improvement. The more I grow, the more I realize there is so much out there I don't know, so much that I have to learn.
For sure, there is always something about ourselves we can improve on. The human potential is limitless, so it's impossible to reach a point of no growth. Whenever we think we are good, we can be even better.
As a passionate advocate of growth, I'm continuously looking for ways to self-improve. I've compiled 42 of my best tips which might be helpful in your personal growth journey. Some of them are simple steps which you can engage in immediately. Some are bigger steps which take conscious effort to act on. Here they are:
1. Read a book every day. Books are concentrated sources of wisdom. The more books you read, the more wisdom you expose yourself to. What are some books you can start reading to enrich yourself?
Some books I've read and found useful are Think and Grow Rich, Who Moved My Cheese, 7 Habits, The Science of Getting Rich and Living the 80/20 Way. I've heard positive reviews for The Tipping Point, Outliers and The Difference Maker, so I'll be checking them out soon.
2. Learn a new language. As a Singaporean Chinese, my main languages are English, Mandarin and Hokkien (a Chinese dialect). Out of interest, I took up language courses in the past few years such as Japanese and Bahasa Indonesian. I realized learning a language is a whole new skill altogether and the process of acquainting with a new language and culture is a totally a mind-opening experience.
3. Pick up a new hobby. Beyond just your usual favorite hobbies, is there something new you can pick up? Any new sport you can learn? Examples are fencing, golf, rock climbing, football, canoeing, or ice skating.
Your new hobby can also be a recreational hobby. For example, pottery, Italian cooking, dancing, wine appreciation, web design, etc. Learning something new requires you to stretch yourself in different aspects, whether physically, mentally or emotionally.
4. Take up a new course. Is there any new course you can join? Courses are a great way to gain new knowledge and skills. It doesn't have to be a long-term course - seminars or workshops serve their purpose too. I've been to a few workshops and they have helped me gain new insights which I had not considered before.
5. Create an inspirational room. Your environment sets the mood and tone for you. If you are living in an inspirational environment, you are going to be inspired every day.
In the past, I didn't like my room at all because I thought it was messy and dull. A few years ago, I decided this was the end of it - I started on a "Mega Room Revamp" project and overhauled my room. The end result? A room I totally relish being in and one that inspires me to be at my peak every day.
6. Overcome your fears. All of us have fears. Fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, fear of risk... All our fears keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing. Recognize that your fears reflect areas where you can grow.
I always think of fears as the compass for growth. If I have a fear about something, it represents something I've yet to address, and addressing it helps me to grow.
7. Level up your skills. If you have played video games before, especially RPGs, you'll know the concept of leveling up - gaining experience so you can be better and stronger. As a blogger, I'm constantly leveling up my writing skills. As a speaker, I'm constantly leveling up my public engagement abilities.
What skills can you level up?
8. Wake up early. Waking up early (say 5-6 am) has been acknowledged by many (Anthony Robbins, Robin Sharma, and other self-help gurus) to improve your productivity and your quality of life. I feel it's because when you wake up early, your mindset is already set to continue the momentum and proactively live out the day.
Seth recently wrote a waking up early series which you should check out to help cultivate this habit.
9. Have a weekly exercise routine. A better you starts with being in better physical shape. I personally make it a point to jog at least 3 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time. You may want to mix it up with jogging, gym lessons and swimming for variation.
10. Start your life handbook. A life handbook is an idea I started 3 years ago. Basically, it's a book which contains the essentials on how you can live your life to the fullest, such as your purpose, your values and goals. Sort of like your manual for your life. I started my life handbook in 2007 and it's been a crucial enabler in my progress.
11. Write a letter to your future self. What do you see yourself as 5 years from now? Will you be the same? Different? What kind of person will you be?
Write a letter to your future self - 1 year from now will be a good start - and seal it. Make a date in your calendar to open it 1 year from now. Then start working to become the person you want to open that letter.
12. Get out of your comfort zone. Real growth comes with hard work and sweat. Being too comfortable doesn't help us grow - it makes us stagnate.
What is your comfort zone? Do you stay in most of the time? Do you keep to your own space when out with other people?
Shake your routine up. Do something different. By exposing yourself to a new context, you're literally growing as you learn to act in new circumstances.
13. Put someone up to a challenge. Competition is one of the best ways to grow. Set a challenge (weight loss, exercise, financial challenge, etc) and compete with an interested friend to see who achieves the target first. Through the process, both of you will gain more than if you were to set off on the target alone.
14. Identify your blind spots. Scientifically, blind spots refer to areas our eyes are not capable of seeing. In personal development terms, blind spots are things about ourselves we are unaware of. Discovering our blind spots will help us discover our areas of improvement.
One exercise I use to discover my blind spots is to identify all the things/events/people that trigger me in a day - trigger meaning making me feel annoyed/weird/affected. These represent my blind spots. It's always fun to do the exercise because I discover new things about myself, even if I may already think I know my own blind spots -- but then they wouldn't be blind spots would they?
After that, I work on steps to address them.
15. Ask for feedback. As much as we try to improve, we will always have blind spots. Asking for feedback gives us an additional perspective. Some people to approach will be friends, family, colleagues, boss, or even acquaintances, since they will have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively.
16. Stay focused with to-do lists. I start my day with a list of tasks I want to complete and this helps make me stay focused. In comparison, the days when I don't do this end up being extremely unproductive.
For example, part of my to-do list for today is to write a guest post at LifeHack.Org, and this is why I'm writing this now! Since my work requires me to use my computer all the time, I use Free Sticky Notes to manage my to-do lists. It's really simple to use and it's a freeware, so I recommend you check it out.
17. Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). I'm a big fan of setting BHAGs. BHAGs stretch you beyond your normal capacity since they are big and audacious - you wouldn't think of attempting them normally. What are BHAGs you can embark on, which you'll feel absolutely on top of the world once you complete them? Set them and start working on them.
18. Acknowledge your flaws. Everyone has flaws. What's most important is to understand them, acknowledge them, and address them. What do you think are your flaws? What are the flaws you can work on now? How do you want to address them?
19. Get into action. The best way to learn and improve is to take action. What is something you have been meaning to do? How can you take action on it immediately? Waiting doesn't get anything done. Taking action gives you immediate results to learn from.
20. Learn from people who inspire you. Think about people you admire. People who inspire you. These people reflect certain qualities you want to have for yourself too. What are the qualities in them you want to have for yourself? How can you acquire these qualities?
21. Quit a bad habit. Are there any bad habits you can lose? Oversleeping? Not exercising? Being late? Slouching? Nail biting? Smoking? Here's some help on how you can quit a bad habit.
That's the first 21 out of the way. Take a deep breath and get ready to dive in for 21 more!
22. Cultivate a new habit. Some good new habits to cultivate include reading books (#1), waking up early (#8), exercising (#9), reading a new personal development article a day (#40) and meditating. Is there any other new habit you can cultivate to improve yourself?
23. Avoid negative people. As Jim Rohn says, "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with". Wherever we go, there are bound to be negative people. Don't spend too much of your time around them if you feel they drag you down.
24. Learn to deal with difficult people. There are times when there are difficult people you can't avoid, such as at your workplace, or when the person is part of your inner circle of contacts. Learn how to deal with them. These people management skills will go a long way in working with people in the future.
25. Learn from your friends. Everyone has amazing qualities in them. It's up to us how we want to tap into them. With all the friends who surround you, they are going to have things you can learn from.
Try thinking of a good friend right now. Think about just one quality they have which you want to adopt. How can you learn from them and adopt this skill for yourself? Speak to them if you need to - for sure, they will be more than happy to help!
26. Start a journal. Journaling is a great way to gain better self-awareness. It's a self-reflection process. As you write, clarify your thought process and read what you wrote from a third person's perspective, you gain more insights about yourself.
Your journal can be private or an online blog. I use my personal development blog as a personal journal too and I've learned a lot about myself through the past year of blogging.
27. Start a blog about personal development. To help others grow, you need to first be talking the talk. There are expectations of you, both from yourself and from others, which you have to uphold.
I run The Personal Excellence Blog, where I share my personal journey and insights on how to live a better life. Readers look toward my articles to improve themselves, which enforces to me that I need to keep improving, for myself and for the people I'm reaching out to.
28. Get a mentor or coach. There's no faster way to improve than to have someone work with you on your goals. Many of my clients approach me to coach them in their goals and they achieve significantly more results than if they had worked alone.
29. Reduce the time you spend on chat programs. I realized having chat programs open at default result in a lot of wasted time. This time can be much better spent on other activities. The days when I don't get on chat, I get a lot more done. I usually disable the auto start-up option in the chat programs and launch them when I do want to chat and really have the time for it.
30. Learn chess (or any strategy game). I found chess is a terrific game to learn strategy and hone your brainpower. Not only do you have fun, you also get to exercise your analytical skills. You can also learn strategy from other board games or computer games, such as Othello, Chinese Chess, WarCraft, and so on.
31. Stop watching TV. I've not been watching TV for pretty much 4 years and it's been a very liberating experience. I realized most of the programs and advertisements on mainstream TV are usually of a lower consciousness and not very empowering.
In return, the time I've freed up from not watching TV is now constructively used for other purposes, such as connecting with close friends, doing work I enjoy, exercising, etc.
32. Start a 30-day challenge. Set a goal and give yourself 30 days to achieve this. Your goal can be to stick with a new habit or try something you've always wanted to do. 30 days is just enough time to strategize, plan, get into action, review and nail the goal.
33. Meditate. Meditation helps to calm you and help you become more conscious. I also realized that during the nights when I meditate (before I sleep), I need lesser sleep. The clutter clearing process is very liberating.
34. Join Toastmasters (Learn public speaking). Interestingly, public speaking is the #1 fear in the world, with #2 being death. After I started public speaking as a personal development speaker/trainer, I've learned a lot about how to communicate better, present myself and engage people.
Toastmasters is an international organization that trains people in public speaking. Check out the Toastmaster clubs nearest to you.
35. Befriend top people in their fields. These people have achieved their results because they have the right attitudes, skill sets and know-how. How better to learn than from the people who have been there and done that? Gain new insights from them on how you can improve and achieve similar results for yourself.
36. Let go of the past. Is there any grievance or unhappiness from the past which you have been holding on? If so, it's time to let it go. Holding on prevents you from moving forward and becoming a better person. Break away from the past, forgive yourself, and move on.
Just recently, I finally moved on from a past heartbreak of 5 years ago. The effect was liberating and very empowering, and I have never been happier.
37. Start a business venture. Is there anything you have an interest in? Why not turn it into a venture and make money while learning at the same time?
Starting a new venture requires you to learn business management skills, develop business acumen and have a competitive edge. The process of starting and developing my personal development business has equipped me with many skills, such as self-discipline, leadership, organization and management.
38. Show kindness to people around you. You can never be too kind to someone. In fact, most of us don't show enough kindness to people around us. Being kind helps us to cultivate other qualities such as compassion, patience, and love.
As you get back to your day after reading this article, start exuding more kindness to the people around you, and see how they react. Not only that, notice how you feel as you behave kindly to others. Chances are, you will feel even better than you usually do.
39. Reach out to the people who hate you. If you ever stand for something, you are going to get haters. It's easy to hate the people who hate us. It's much more challenging to love them back. Being able to forgive, let go and show love to these people requires magnanimity and an open heart.
Is there anyone who dislikes or hates you in your life? If so, reach out to them. Show them love. Seek a resolution and get closure on past grievances. Even if they refuse to reciprocate, love them all the same. It's much more liberating than to hate them back.
40. Take a break. Have you been working too hard? Self-improvement is also about recognizing the need to take a break in order to be able to walk the longer mile ahead. You can't be driving a car if it has no petrol.
Take some time off for yourself every week. Relax, rejuvenate and charge yourself up for what's ahead.
41. Read at least 1 personal development article a day. Some of my readers make it a point to read at least one personal development article every day, which I think is a great habit. There are many terrific personal development blogs out there worth reading.
42. Commit to your personal growth. I can be writing list articles with 10 ways, 25 ways, 42 ways or even 1,000 ways to improve yourself, but if you've no intention to commit to your personal growth, it doesn't matter what I write. Nothing is going to get through.
We are each responsible for our own personal growth - not anyone else. Not your mom, your dad, your friend, me or anyone else. Make the decision to commit to your personal growth and embrace a life-long journey of growth and change.
Kick things off by picking a few of the steps above and working on them. The results may not be immediate, but I promise you that as long as you keep to it, you'll start seeing positive changes in yourself and your life.
By Celestine.
I'm Celestine and I write at The Personal Excellence Blog, where I give my best advice on achieving personal excellence. If you like this article, you might enjoy reader favorites like 101 Things To Do Before You Die and Are You Sleepwalking Your Life Away?. Get my RSS feed directly and add me on Twitter @celestinechua.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Is luck really about being in the right place at the right time?
Love this emailed article I got from Bradley Thompson:
Be In The Right Place At The Right Time
Ever wonder how some people seem to have all the luck?
Whether or not you believe in luck, there's something to be said for being in the right place at the right time. For example, say we were walking together and saw a sign offering $5,000USD to any responder who could write a 250-word article on a topic revealed at the start of a 20-minute time window.
We're both decent writers and the price is right so we follow up on the sign. Within minutes, we're each sitting before a computer. The monitors blink on, the countdown starts, and our assigned topic is displayed. "Write about the development of cold-hardy peach varietals." I stare at my monitor, deflated. I type a few lines about liking peaches but that's it. Today wasn't my lucky day.
Your story is different, though. You know the guy who developed the premier cold-hardy strain of peach tree. You know enough about the topic to produce a satisfactory article in the given time and walk away with a check for $5,000USD. It's your lucky day!
But it wasn't really luck, was it? We were both in the same place at the same time with the right skills to make the most of the situation. You just happened to have that extra bit of information that allowed you to succeed while I lost out. Why does that happen? How was it that you had the right information at the right place and at the right time? Why were you lucky?
Your good luck, as well as the luck enjoyed by most successful people, can be attributed to the combined force of three simple elements:
1. Proximity
"You cannot catch a fish without being near the water."
The people you think of as lucky often put a lot of effort into being near as many pertinent opportunities as possible. In my example, we both had a shot at getting lucky because we weren't just two idiots reading a random sign. We were skilled writers looking at a writing opportunity. We were both close to the opportunity. Not just in skill or location but in timing as well.
Most of life is less random than my example. You can put yourself in the right place at the right time more often by identifying an area in which you have the necessary skills and knowledge to capitalize on sudden opportunities.
Questions:
• What are you doing to make timing right for you?
• What area have you put yourself in a position to "get lucky" in?
• Is there a skill you can improve for knowledge you can gain that will allow you to better capitalize on opportunities you discover?
2. Practice
"The fish not caught on the first try is larger when finally caught."
Ask any professional athlete about a shining moment in their athletic experience and they'll tell you that "luck" came only after long hours of practice. Wide receivers practice catching the ball thousands of times for every touchdown catch they make. Web developers create hundreds of applications before bringing the perfect one to market. And you? You read (possibly) millions of words before arriving at this article. In every case, the practice that precedes the instance of "luck" is just as important as the crowning moment itself.
Questions:
• Have you given up on practice only to wonder why you're not improving in your field and experiencing the same luck as others?
• What steps can you take today in order to hone your senses and polish your skills so the next opportunity can be turned into a lucky moment?
3. Persistence
"If you do not fish often, the fish have little chance to bite."
One sad truth of existence is that most people give up long before they should. Being in the right place at the right time involves being in a lot of places at a lot of times that might seem inconvenient or even painful. You've heard that luck favors the well-prepared but what about luck favoring the tenacious?
Every successful (you might say "lucky") person I know has come very close to giving up many times. They've looked failure directly in the eyes and said, "not yet." Sure, they've closed businesses, lost clients, and left relationships. But they never stopped trying. They never gave up.
Questions:
• Do you have a tendency to give up on things too early?
• Think of the last project you gave up on. What might have happened had you stuck with it?
• Are you currently giving your everything to the project or relationship at hand?
Ever wonder why some people seem to have all the luck? By paying close attention to your proximity to opportunities and following through with practice and persistence, you may soon become one of the people we look at and wonder how you got to be in the right place at the right time.
Just luck, right?
By Seth Simonds.
Be In The Right Place At The Right Time
Ever wonder how some people seem to have all the luck?
Whether or not you believe in luck, there's something to be said for being in the right place at the right time. For example, say we were walking together and saw a sign offering $5,000USD to any responder who could write a 250-word article on a topic revealed at the start of a 20-minute time window.
We're both decent writers and the price is right so we follow up on the sign. Within minutes, we're each sitting before a computer. The monitors blink on, the countdown starts, and our assigned topic is displayed. "Write about the development of cold-hardy peach varietals." I stare at my monitor, deflated. I type a few lines about liking peaches but that's it. Today wasn't my lucky day.
Your story is different, though. You know the guy who developed the premier cold-hardy strain of peach tree. You know enough about the topic to produce a satisfactory article in the given time and walk away with a check for $5,000USD. It's your lucky day!
But it wasn't really luck, was it? We were both in the same place at the same time with the right skills to make the most of the situation. You just happened to have that extra bit of information that allowed you to succeed while I lost out. Why does that happen? How was it that you had the right information at the right place and at the right time? Why were you lucky?
Your good luck, as well as the luck enjoyed by most successful people, can be attributed to the combined force of three simple elements:
1. Proximity
"You cannot catch a fish without being near the water."
The people you think of as lucky often put a lot of effort into being near as many pertinent opportunities as possible. In my example, we both had a shot at getting lucky because we weren't just two idiots reading a random sign. We were skilled writers looking at a writing opportunity. We were both close to the opportunity. Not just in skill or location but in timing as well.
Most of life is less random than my example. You can put yourself in the right place at the right time more often by identifying an area in which you have the necessary skills and knowledge to capitalize on sudden opportunities.
Questions:
• What are you doing to make timing right for you?
• What area have you put yourself in a position to "get lucky" in?
• Is there a skill you can improve for knowledge you can gain that will allow you to better capitalize on opportunities you discover?
2. Practice
"The fish not caught on the first try is larger when finally caught."
Ask any professional athlete about a shining moment in their athletic experience and they'll tell you that "luck" came only after long hours of practice. Wide receivers practice catching the ball thousands of times for every touchdown catch they make. Web developers create hundreds of applications before bringing the perfect one to market. And you? You read (possibly) millions of words before arriving at this article. In every case, the practice that precedes the instance of "luck" is just as important as the crowning moment itself.
Questions:
• Have you given up on practice only to wonder why you're not improving in your field and experiencing the same luck as others?
• What steps can you take today in order to hone your senses and polish your skills so the next opportunity can be turned into a lucky moment?
3. Persistence
"If you do not fish often, the fish have little chance to bite."
One sad truth of existence is that most people give up long before they should. Being in the right place at the right time involves being in a lot of places at a lot of times that might seem inconvenient or even painful. You've heard that luck favors the well-prepared but what about luck favoring the tenacious?
Every successful (you might say "lucky") person I know has come very close to giving up many times. They've looked failure directly in the eyes and said, "not yet." Sure, they've closed businesses, lost clients, and left relationships. But they never stopped trying. They never gave up.
Questions:
• Do you have a tendency to give up on things too early?
• Think of the last project you gave up on. What might have happened had you stuck with it?
• Are you currently giving your everything to the project or relationship at hand?
Ever wonder why some people seem to have all the luck? By paying close attention to your proximity to opportunities and following through with practice and persistence, you may soon become one of the people we look at and wonder how you got to be in the right place at the right time.
Just luck, right?
By Seth Simonds.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Are over the counter drugs for prostate problems really a good idea?
A £5 million marketing campaign, the brainchild of a pharmaceutical company trying to sell their drug, means that instead of having to visit a GP, who may decide that symptoms warrant further investigation for conditions such as prostate cancer, someone suffering from symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia will be able to visit a pharmacy. This reclassification means that Britain is the first country in the world to allow Tamsulosin to be sold over-the-counter.
Tamsulosin, the active ingredient in Flomax MR, has been used successfully for many years as a first-line treatment to alleviate the symptoms of a very common condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia, which affects around one in four men over the age of 40, and occurs when an enlarged prostate presses on the bladder, obstructing urine flow.
The drug works by relaxing the muscles in the bladder and around the prostate so that the urine can flow more freely.
This reclassification of Tamsulosin is just one in a string of drugs which were formerly only available with a doctor’s prescription. Simvastatin, Naproxen, Sumatriptan, Tranexamic acid and Colefac can now be bought at your pharmacy but is this really such a good idea and is there an alternative to Tamsulosin?
If you are worried about the health of your prostate then your doctor should be the first point of call in order to eliminate any serious underlying problem.
However, having said that there is a lot you can do to help yourself.
Cut milk out of your diet. The strongest dietary risk factor for prostate cancer is dairy consumption. Switzerland, for example, has the highest dairy intake and the highest number of deaths from prostate cancer. This is almost certainly due to a hormone in milk called Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF).
Prostate tissue has receptors for IGF-I and IGF-II. Research shows clearly that men with high levels of circulating IGF-I are at greater risk of suffering from prostate cancer than those with lower levels. Research also shows that circulating levels of IGF-I in the blood correlate with high dairy consumption. A pint of milk a day, or the equivalent in other dairy products, quadruples risk. Switch to soya milk or rice milk.
Switch to organically reared meat, poultry and fish which do not contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. Increase vegetarian sources of protein in your diet using beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Fish, especially if organic or wild, and omega-3 rich eggs, are probably the best of these foods.
Increase omega-3 fats – fish oils may be protective against prostate cancer and reduce the risk by a third.
Eat more fruit and vegetables, the higher your consumption, the lower your risk. Particularly beneficial are tomatoes, rich in lycopene, and kale, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
Eat shellfish and pumpkin seeds for their zinc content and brazil nuts for the antioxidant selenium.
Drink plenty of water, at least 1 and a half litres a day. Reduce or preferably eliminate caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee.
The herb Saw Palmetto and the mineral Zinc both help to inhibit the action of the enzyme that causes the prostate to grow and help normal hormone activity.
Alkalising the diet also seems to have a beneficial effect. (See the last issue of the My Health Network newsletter.)
Friday, 26 March 2010
Do mammograms really save lives?
Well not according to findings from a ten-year study, which involved 110,000 women, published online in the British Medical Journal by experts questioning the benefits of organised screening programmes. Their research found one in three breast cancers detected by screening may actually be harmless.
Even worse, women are subjected to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and mastectomies for cancers which they may have died WITH but not OF. We've been telling women this for at least 8 years, that subjecting delicate breast tissue to 15 times the normal amount of carcinogenic x rays is not a good idea. The type of cancer detected is usually a Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), benign, until it is "activated" by biopsy, surgery etc.
Up to a third of breast cancer cases could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers claim. Experts believe more than 14,000 women a year would probably not develop the disease if they had adopted healthier behaviour from an early age.
Modern lifestyles which feature regular drinking, lack of exercise and increased obesity are fuelling the rise of the disease, the European Breast Cancer Conference heard yesterday.
Which all confirms what we believe to be true. Prevention is better than cure. A healthy diet, keeping your body free from toxins such as sugar, hydrogenated fats, acid foods, junk foods, excess alcohol will do you far more good than undergoing regular mammograms.
Sadly, the medical profession are doing their best to detect a cancer which most women dread, but research has now shown, this is not the way to do it.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Heart disease: Are drugs really the best treatment?
Heart disease is already the leading cause of death in the USA and the UK, and forecasters reckon it will soon be the major killer in every developed country around the world.
Despite this epidemic caused by modern living, doctors continue to respond in the only way that they know - by reaching for the prescription pad.
A new study reveals there are far more effective ways of treating heart disease, and they don't involve a drug. Researchers from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina have discovered that aerobic exercise or stress management training reduce the risks of a fatal attack far better than standard medical care alone.
The research team took a group of 134 patients with stable ischemic heart disease (IHD), and monitored their progress on standard medical care, standard care plus aerobic exercise of 35 minutes duration three times a week for 16 weeks, or standard care plus weekly stress management training for 16 weeks.
Patients who were enrolled either in the exercise or stress management programmes saw their risk profile drop dramatically compared with those who received just standard care, and they displayed less emotional distress and were far less depressed.
We can’t emphasise enough the negative effects of stress on your general health. Learning to manage stress either through counseling or using our Stress Solutions programme will pay dividends in terms of improved health and wellbeing. Regular exercise benefits your heart, helps produce serotonin, burns up stress hormones and builds stronger bones. The key with exercise is to do what you enjoy and get a balance between cardio vascular and strength training. Our Zest for Life programme teaches you how to create your optimum state of health through good diet and lifestyle.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Seeking "effortless" success? Here's one strategy...
I like this email from Chris Cade and wanted to share it with you:-
"The formula is simple – do more of what is working, do less of what isn't, and try on new behaviors to see if they produce better results." – Jack Canfield
Jack is one of those people who has been living what he teaches for decades, and the quote above is the inspiration for my message to you today.
And while most people I know are familiar with him – from "The Secret" and the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series – most people don't know that Jack actually holds a Guiness World Record for having the most books – seven! – simultaneously on the New York Times Best-Seller list. I think that's kind of cool. :)
One of the biggest secrets to Jack's success is that he's figured out some highly effective strategies for making success "effortless." When I say effortless, I don't mean that he doesn't work, it's just that Jack has figured out how to make his work seem like play, and he's also found what reduces his resistance to taking consistent effective action towards success.
And one of those strategies I'm going to share with you today is to find what already works in your life and AMPLIFY those working parts. This is extremely effective for a few reasons:
First...
When we do what works, we're in the zone of our STRENGTH. As a result, we create a snowball effect where we continue doing more and more of what works, and so the snowball becomes bigger and full of SUCCESS (the working parts) - thus requiring less "effort" to keep that ball rolling down our success hill of life.
Another way to look at this is just think about hand writing. It's probably easiest for you to write with your dominant hand, and it's probably difficult writing with the other one. Just think about how much effort it would take to learn how to write with your weaker hand? A LOT.
Now consider how many things in your life you may be trying to "force" into a certain way, instead of just looking at what is the most effective and doing more of that? There's probably lots of areas of your life where you've adopted ineffective habits that create resistance rather than "effortlessness."
Now that you know what to look for in your life, keep an eye out for times when you may be unconsciously doing this. :)
Secondly...
We only have so much "space" in our lives for things. Whether it's how much food we can fit in our belly, how much time we have in a day, or how effective we can be at a particular task. No matter how much we improve or expand, as humans, we have physical limitations on what can fit into our lives.
Therefore, when we do what WORKS in our life, we have less space in our lives for the things that don't work. Here's a quick example to illustrate how you can apply it in your life to eat healthier...
Usually, the least effective way to eat healthier that is to remove unhealthy foods from your diet. That's because this activates a scarcity mindset and makes you feel like something is being -taken- from you. Part of you will cling, restrict, and resist.
Instead, try out a few new healthy foods to find one that you like. Then COMMIT to eating that new and likeable food more regularly. Maybe it's a salad or a handful of goji berries... whatever it is, eat it more often (whether that's once a week or once a day). Your body will like it, and over time you will find that you have less room in your belly for the foods that aren't healthy. You'll also be in an ABUNDANCE mindset by reminding yourself that you are bringing MORE healthy goodness into your life. :)
This same principle applies to everything in our life, and especially our habits. If there's an undesireable habit you want to stop, then introduce new healthier habits into your life that will "crowd out" the bad habits, and at the same time, create that "snowball effect" to keep you moving closer to your desired life, with less and less effort.
Sure, at first it may take a little bit of extra effort to get things going at first. ALL changes of habit require effort on our parts, and especially when we're working with habits that have been with us for years or even decades. Still, the initial effort is well worth it – because over time, you will inscribe more and more of this "effortless" success in your life.
Your Partner In Transformation,
Chris Cade
Inscribe Your Life™
"The formula is simple – do more of what is working, do less of what isn't, and try on new behaviors to see if they produce better results." – Jack Canfield
Jack is one of those people who has been living what he teaches for decades, and the quote above is the inspiration for my message to you today.
And while most people I know are familiar with him – from "The Secret" and the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series – most people don't know that Jack actually holds a Guiness World Record for having the most books – seven! – simultaneously on the New York Times Best-Seller list. I think that's kind of cool. :)
One of the biggest secrets to Jack's success is that he's figured out some highly effective strategies for making success "effortless." When I say effortless, I don't mean that he doesn't work, it's just that Jack has figured out how to make his work seem like play, and he's also found what reduces his resistance to taking consistent effective action towards success.
And one of those strategies I'm going to share with you today is to find what already works in your life and AMPLIFY those working parts. This is extremely effective for a few reasons:
First...
When we do what works, we're in the zone of our STRENGTH. As a result, we create a snowball effect where we continue doing more and more of what works, and so the snowball becomes bigger and full of SUCCESS (the working parts) - thus requiring less "effort" to keep that ball rolling down our success hill of life.
Another way to look at this is just think about hand writing. It's probably easiest for you to write with your dominant hand, and it's probably difficult writing with the other one. Just think about how much effort it would take to learn how to write with your weaker hand? A LOT.
Now consider how many things in your life you may be trying to "force" into a certain way, instead of just looking at what is the most effective and doing more of that? There's probably lots of areas of your life where you've adopted ineffective habits that create resistance rather than "effortlessness."
Now that you know what to look for in your life, keep an eye out for times when you may be unconsciously doing this. :)
Secondly...
We only have so much "space" in our lives for things. Whether it's how much food we can fit in our belly, how much time we have in a day, or how effective we can be at a particular task. No matter how much we improve or expand, as humans, we have physical limitations on what can fit into our lives.
Therefore, when we do what WORKS in our life, we have less space in our lives for the things that don't work. Here's a quick example to illustrate how you can apply it in your life to eat healthier...
Usually, the least effective way to eat healthier that is to remove unhealthy foods from your diet. That's because this activates a scarcity mindset and makes you feel like something is being -taken- from you. Part of you will cling, restrict, and resist.
Instead, try out a few new healthy foods to find one that you like. Then COMMIT to eating that new and likeable food more regularly. Maybe it's a salad or a handful of goji berries... whatever it is, eat it more often (whether that's once a week or once a day). Your body will like it, and over time you will find that you have less room in your belly for the foods that aren't healthy. You'll also be in an ABUNDANCE mindset by reminding yourself that you are bringing MORE healthy goodness into your life. :)
This same principle applies to everything in our life, and especially our habits. If there's an undesireable habit you want to stop, then introduce new healthier habits into your life that will "crowd out" the bad habits, and at the same time, create that "snowball effect" to keep you moving closer to your desired life, with less and less effort.
Sure, at first it may take a little bit of extra effort to get things going at first. ALL changes of habit require effort on our parts, and especially when we're working with habits that have been with us for years or even decades. Still, the initial effort is well worth it – because over time, you will inscribe more and more of this "effortless" success in your life.
Your Partner In Transformation,
Chris Cade
Inscribe Your Life™
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Don't sabotage yourself with your thoughts.
I learned that you create what you vividly imagine and attach a strong emotion to. What a great reminder to be aware of how we can self-sabotage.
You can view the video here.
You can view the video here.
Friday, 15 January 2010
What's the difference between try and triumph?
Answer - a little umph! I heard this yesterday on the Chris Evans BBC2 radio show and I loved it, it became my mantra for the day. Don't just try to do something, give it a little oomph and make it happen.
Often when I'm giving some advice to a client they'll say "I'll try and do it" or "I'll give it a try". Whenever someone says they will "try" something, I know it's not going to happen because they are not committed to it. So I'll say to them something like "try and pick up that pen for me please". Of course, they pick up the pen and I tell them "no, you picked it up, I only want you to try and pick it up."
This usually causes a bit of confusion, until they get it. You can either "try" or you can "do". So today I'm adding a good dash of umph to my tri -ing and enjoying lots of triumph. You might want to try, no sorry, do it too!
Often when I'm giving some advice to a client they'll say "I'll try and do it" or "I'll give it a try". Whenever someone says they will "try" something, I know it's not going to happen because they are not committed to it. So I'll say to them something like "try and pick up that pen for me please". Of course, they pick up the pen and I tell them "no, you picked it up, I only want you to try and pick it up."
This usually causes a bit of confusion, until they get it. You can either "try" or you can "do". So today I'm adding a good dash of umph to my tri -ing and enjoying lots of triumph. You might want to try, no sorry, do it too!
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Great detox tips from Patrick Holford
Have you overdone it this festive season?
If you’ve been over indulging or just want to get in better shape this New Year, then give your liver and digestive tract a clean up with a one-week detox and you'll soon be feeling clear headed, energetic and fresh again.
Detox Do’s and Don’ts
For an instant upgrade in how you feel and look, there are four habits to break and four habits to make. So, let’s start with the hard part.
To give your system a break, you need to avoid:
1. Wheat. All wheat contains gluten and this irritates the gut. So, give your insides a week’s break.
2. Milk. It’s the most common food allergen and most people produce antibodies to it. In other words, it causes your immune system to react. It’s also mucus forming. Give your system a week off milk and all dairy products.
3. Caffeine. This might be the hardest part if you’re addicted. But that’s the point. Caffeine is an addictive toxin that makes your liver work hard to detoxify it. If you can bear it, cut out caffeine for one week. If not, then two cups of green tea a day is the thin edge of the wedge.
4. Alcohol. Of course, this is your liver’s worst enemy. Take a break for a week.
The habits you need to make during the week are:
1. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. After all, your body is 66% wat e r and this alone will help you detoxify.
2. Eat superfoods to spring-clean your system including fresh apricot s, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, papayas, peaches, mangoes, melons, r ed grapes and all types of berries. Vegetables that are especially good for detoxification include artichokes, peppers, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, kale, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, tomato, watercress, and bean and seed sprouts.
3. Load up on anti-aging antioxidants. They are the key players in detoxifying your body. If you boost your intake, from both food and supplements, you’ll definitely notice the difference.
4. Take liver-detoxifying supplements. From MSM to milk thistle, there’s a combination of seven top detoxifiers to give your liver’s detox capacity an upgrade. Look for a supplement than contains: N-Acetyl Cysteine, Milk Thistle Extract, Cruciferous Vegetable Compounds, MSM, Ellagic Acid, Dandelion Extract and Alpha Lipoic Acid.
Once you start making these changes, you’ll soon notice a difference in how you feel and look. You should start feeling more energised and motivated, and your skin and eyes should appear clearer.
In addition to these dietary changes, make sure your daily supplement programme includes a good, all-around antioxidant complex and a liver-support complex – visit Totally Nourish to purchase supplements online and take advantage of 100% Health Member discounts.
For further information and some delicious recipes, plus my 9 day detox plan, read The Holford 9-Day Liver Detox on special offer (20% discount) until end January 2010.
If you’ve been over indulging or just want to get in better shape this New Year, then give your liver and digestive tract a clean up with a one-week detox and you'll soon be feeling clear headed, energetic and fresh again.
Detox Do’s and Don’ts
For an instant upgrade in how you feel and look, there are four habits to break and four habits to make. So, let’s start with the hard part.
To give your system a break, you need to avoid:
1. Wheat. All wheat contains gluten and this irritates the gut. So, give your insides a week’s break.
2. Milk. It’s the most common food allergen and most people produce antibodies to it. In other words, it causes your immune system to react. It’s also mucus forming. Give your system a week off milk and all dairy products.
3. Caffeine. This might be the hardest part if you’re addicted. But that’s the point. Caffeine is an addictive toxin that makes your liver work hard to detoxify it. If you can bear it, cut out caffeine for one week. If not, then two cups of green tea a day is the thin edge of the wedge.
4. Alcohol. Of course, this is your liver’s worst enemy. Take a break for a week.
The habits you need to make during the week are:
1. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. After all, your body is 66% wat e r and this alone will help you detoxify.
2. Eat superfoods to spring-clean your system including fresh apricot s, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, papayas, peaches, mangoes, melons, r ed grapes and all types of berries. Vegetables that are especially good for detoxification include artichokes, peppers, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, kale, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, tomato, watercress, and bean and seed sprouts.
3. Load up on anti-aging antioxidants. They are the key players in detoxifying your body. If you boost your intake, from both food and supplements, you’ll definitely notice the difference.
4. Take liver-detoxifying supplements. From MSM to milk thistle, there’s a combination of seven top detoxifiers to give your liver’s detox capacity an upgrade. Look for a supplement than contains: N-Acetyl Cysteine, Milk Thistle Extract, Cruciferous Vegetable Compounds, MSM, Ellagic Acid, Dandelion Extract and Alpha Lipoic Acid.
Once you start making these changes, you’ll soon notice a difference in how you feel and look. You should start feeling more energised and motivated, and your skin and eyes should appear clearer.
In addition to these dietary changes, make sure your daily supplement programme includes a good, all-around antioxidant complex and a liver-support complex – visit Totally Nourish to purchase supplements online and take advantage of 100% Health Member discounts.
For further information and some delicious recipes, plus my 9 day detox plan, read The Holford 9-Day Liver Detox on special offer (20% discount) until end January 2010.
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