The "BEST BREATHING EXERCISES" Health, Fitness & Personal Power Blog

Happy Thanksgiving

Just a brief message to wish you a very Happy
Thanksgiving.

We're in the final stages of preparation at the
Van Ness residence. My parents and brothers will
be rolling in later this morning. So I feel like
right now is the calm before the storm, so to
speak.

Not to worry though. We are well stocked with
wine and beer, and the traditional victuals will
be served in abundance!

I'd like to pass on a message one of my friends
sent me. He referenced the poet WH Auden who,
he said, captured the spirit of Thanksgiving
when he wrote that, when you pray, it's best to
get the "begging" part over with quickly and
get on to the gratitude part.

He also wrote, "Let all your thinks be thanks".

Right on, WH!

Thank you for reading, and for all your support
this past year. I'll be thinking of you with
gratitude.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, eat lots
of your favorite Turkey Day dishes, and some
rest and rejuvenation in the company of family
and friends. 

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

Breathing As Placebo

The word, placebo, means "I will please".

It's known as "fake" medicine, or an inert
substance that is given to a patient in place of
real medicine.

Most trials of new drugs test the drug against a
placebo. They typically find that the placebo works
at least 60% as well as the real drug they are
testing.

In other words, two out of every three patients
who are given the placebo, but think they are
getting the real drug, actually get the benefits
of the real drug.

In some testing, the percentage is even higher.

I was reminded of the power of the placebo effect
by the latest news in the ongoing saga of doping
and sports.

Supposedly, the next wave of problems will be the
use of placebos, or fake druggs, by athletes, who
will think they are getting the real thing.

Turns out, even athletes who don't get the real
thing often think they are, and often achieve
the physical gains and enhanced athletic results
of people who are really on the "juice".

So, should athletes who think they are cheating -
but are not - be penalized, if caught?

Interesting question.

This goes to show the amazing power and resources
that reside in our own bodies.

Each of us has healing and recuperative powers,
just waiting to be unlocked and used.

In other words, you can create your own placebo.

Breathing has been used for relief from pain -
both physical and emotional - for thousands of
years.

Yes, you can literally "breathe into" trouble spots,
the stiff spots, the hurting places inside...and
feel them opening up and releasing.

Breathing has also been used as preparation to
important activities or events for thousands
of years.

You can breathe as a means to enhance your 
performance, no matter what the project or
activity you are about to commence.

From the athlete attempting to set a new personal
best...to the author trying to write her best book
yet...to the executive about to give an important
presentation...taking the time to prepare is critical
to proper mindset and good performance.

Sitting or standing quietly, and breathing deeply
and gently, calm your mind and help you concentrate
and focus on what is ahead of you.

Start your day with some deep breathing and
energy exercises - like the ones I teach you
in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise
Course, Volume II -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html
- and you will enjoy higher levels of energy and
enthusiam, feel more limber, and be more
focused and productive throughout the day.

Before sitting down to work on a challenging
project, take a few moments to breathe and
focus.

When you do this, you stir your own internal
sources of ideas and inspiration.

The work will go much more smoothly, with
a higher level of quality, than if you
jump in and start with no preparation.

Same thing goes for your physical training.

Try some deep breathing and gentle movements
prior to exercise. While you are warming up,
think about your session. What exercises
are you going to do. What kind of tempo do
you want to maintain. What do you want to
get done.

Not only does this type of preparation enhance
your physical stamina, so you can train at
a higher level - AND enjoy your session even
more. It also enhances the mind-body connection,
and infuses a higher level of energy and
purpose into your training.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you are looking for a positive addition
to your daily health habits and exercise routine,
you should check out the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume II. The exercises
are accessible to all, regardless of your present
condition. And they are self-reinforcing - they
"grow" with you as your condition and health
improve. For more information, or to get your
own copy of the program manual and DVD, visit
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html .

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

One Bird At A Time

There's one habit I can think of that is
probably the most insidious enemy, and has
the most impact on how disciplined
a person you can become.

In fact, some would say this is the opposite
of self-discipline.

It's procrastination.

You know, the ol' putting off what you can do
today until tomorrow...or maybe later.

Or avoiding a decision you need to make. Or
a conversation you really should have.

Just about everyone procrastinates on some
things, at least some of the time.

But some of us seem to have a procrastination
gene or something.

I know whereof I speak, because I am a terrible
procrastinator, at least some of the time.

I used to pride myself on my ability to
pull all nighters in school, to study for exams
and write papers.

In fact, I felt like I did my best work in
these last-minute bursts of concentration
and creativity.

I usually came out OK, even more than OK.

So I never learned the dire lesson about
procrastination: that sometimes, when you
procrastinate, things don't turn out OK.

Like my friend who procrastinated in setting
an appointment to see her doctor. She finally
made the appointment, and found out she had
cervical cancer. Cancer so far advanced, there
was nothing that could be done.

Most of the time, a propensity to procrastinate
does not result in such dire consequences. It
affects your life in little ways.

But those little items that don't get done -
or don't get done well - can add up.

And I've experienced that sinking, pit of
the stomach feeling when I know I failed
to follow through, or did a poor job, because
I put off something. 

I've also experienced that terrible sensation
of knowing I lacked the discipline to do
the right things, and get them done.

You've probably had that same feeling too,
at one time or another. One of the areas
it comes up most frequently, for most
people, is in the area of exercise.

There's always a good reason or excuse to
put off starting an exercise program, or
to avoid your daily fitness routine.

Schedule conflicts, something comes up at
the last minute. Or perhaps you don't
feel like you have enough energy.

Pretty soon, you're not exercising at all.
And it's so hard to get that discipline,
that habit, back once you let it go.

Here's probably the best advice I have ever
heard about overcoming the procrastination
habit.

I read it in a book about writing. Of
course, writers are known to be notorious
procrastinators. The thought of facing
a blank page, and having to come up with
something interesting, useful or entertaining,
can be quite daunting.

Well, this particular author said she
learned a lesson in how to approach writing,
and avoid procrastination, when she was
a kid.

She tells the story about how one time,
her brother had this huge report on birds
due at school the following day. And he
had blown off the report until the final
weekend before it was due.

So, there was her brother, sitting at
the kitchen table, surrounded by all
sorts of books on birds. He had his
head in his hands. He was overwhelmed
by the huge task ahead of him.

Their father (who was also an author) came
over, pulled up a chair and sat, and put
his arm around his son.

"One bird at a time, buddy", he told him.
"Just take it one bird at a time."

What a great way to approach projects. What
a great way to approach life.

Yes, keep the big picture - the picture of
the entire project you need to complete, or
the picture of your precious goals and
dreams for your life, in your head (and
even in your heart).

But don't let the hugeness of the project,
task or undertaking completely overwhelm
you.

Take the first item you need to complete,
and begin to work on it. Then move on to
the next one.

Take it one bird at a time. You'll discover 
this approach is immensely helpful any time
you find yourself procrastinating.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Stop procrastinating and develop the
discipline of getting up a few minutes
earlier and greeting the day with deep
breathing and movement. I highly recommend
it! Because you'll feel good while you're
doing it...and you'll do good for the rest
of the day. Learn more about the powerful
series of exercises I  teach you in the
Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course,
Volume II, at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

The First Simple Step To Developing Positive Habits

In your last tip, I talked about the importance of
discipline, and how each discipline in your life
affects the other.

It's true, isn't it. Seems like whenever you get
lazy or careless in one area of your life, it
eventually cascades through to every area.

One bad discipline or habit - like eating
poorly, not exercising regularly, or not
getting enough sleep - almost certainly leads
to other bad habits.

It's as if, subconsciously, you realize you
have dropped your standards for yourself. So
you let standards in multiple areas deteriorate.

Not a good place to be.

I mean, if you're truly doing the best you can,
then you can give yourself a break.

But most of us know, at least in our hearts,
when we are not giving it our all. When we
are slacking, when we are doing "just enough
to get by".

One reason it's so easy to be undisciplined
about things is that we rarely experience
the consequences today. The repercussions
are far off in the future.

But sooner or later - unless we are
extraordinarily lucky, our bad habits come
back to bite us in the you know what.

On the other hand, even seemingly minor and
insignificant positive habits and disciplines
can make a huge difference in your future.

As the saying goes, "Discipline is measured
in ounces; lack of discipline is measured
in tons".

Well, all this talk of discipline and good
habits is well and good Karen. But how do
I get myself motivated to do the things I
know are positive and constructive.

Like I said yesterday, all disciplines affect
the others.

So, instead of biting off more than you
can chew, start with a specific area that
you would like to work on.

For example, one of the things I am almost
religious about is doing my breathing and
energy exercises first thing in the morning.

As I mentioned yesterday, I have the positive
discipline of waking up early in the morning,
so I can do my breathing and energy exercises
first thing, as well as get some reading or
work done...before the rest of the household
gets moving.

These quiet, solitary moments are so important
to me. The exercises I do - such as the
exercises in the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume II -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html -
energize me, wake up my body and mind, and
help me focus on the day ahead.

I find I'm in a better mood and more productive
all day long, because I started the day on
my terms.   

This is a very simple thing to do. And actually
not all that hard, even though I am more of
a night owl.

But this one simple thing makes a tremendously
positive difference in my life.

And when I get lazy and don't wake up and
take advantage of my early morning
routine...well, seems like sooner or later I
get off track, feel less motivated and
become less productive.

So, I encourage you to pick a simple but
fundamental aspect of your life, and begin
to cultivate a positive discipline or habit
around it.

It could be the discipline of consistently
doing your breathing exercises, or exercising.

It could be organizing your day so you get
the most challenging tasks done when you
are fresh or at your best.

It could be as simple as taking some time
each day to relax, reflect and ground yourself.

Theres one habit I can think of that is
probably the most insidious enemy, and
can have the most impact on how disciplined
a person you can become.

I'll talk more about it - and tell you about
the best advice in I have probably ever heard
in this area - in your next tip.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. The discipline of getting up a few
minutes earlier and greeting the day with
deep breathing and movement is an easy one
to develop. Because it feels good while
you're doing it...and it helps you do
good for the rest of the day. Learn more
about the powerful series of exercises I
teach you in the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume II, at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

This Often Gets A Bad Name

This often gets a bad name. People will go to
great effort to avoid it. It's considered no
fun, the party pooper of life.

What the heck am I talking about.

I'm talking about discipline.

More specifically, about self-discipline.

Sel-discipline gets a bad wrap. Most people
think of discipline as the hard part of life.
It's the stuff we don't feel like doing. It's
having to do things we don't want to do. It's
lacking in spontaneity, freedom and fun.

Yeah, I guess so. I mean, if self-discipline
seemed fun and attractive, you could probably
eliminate 95 percent of the motivational,
self-help and business books sitting on
the shelves in bookstores and libraries.

I won't discuss the virtues of self-discipline
today.I'll save that for another tip. I
think you're probably aware of what it can
do for you...even if you hate to admit it.

What I wanted to talk with you about today
is something I've discovered in my journeys.
Something I've experienced with amazing
consistency in all areas of my life.

And it's this: All disciplines affect each
other.

Each discipline that you develop, or have
developed and follow consistently, affects
your other disciplines.

And your disciplines drive your habits. And
your habit drive the actions you take and
the thoughts you think - even the emotions
you feel.

If one of your disciplines is a negative one,
it doesn't just affect that specific area
of your life. It affects all of the areas
of your life.

If you are doing well in your work, but you
are leading an undisciplined personal life,
sooner or later it will show up in your work.

If your personal life is going well,but your
work habits and discplines are going haywire,
pretty soon your home life won't be so great
either.

I've told the story before about my favorite
roommate from college, Deb, and how she and
I were not morning people. We had a hard time
getting up in time to make our first class
in the morning.

So Deb used to set the alarm clock for 15
minutes earlier than we had to wake up.
And she set it on the window sill, across
the room. So when it went off, she would
have to get up and walk all the way across
the room to turn it off.

We thought this was a surefire way to
get us up and at 'em. Unfortunately, Deb
had the remarkable ability to sleep walk
across the room, hit "cruise control"
on the alarm clock, and coast back into
bed.

And I had the remarkable ability to ignore
the alarm clock completely.

At first, we thought this was pretty funny.
So what if we missed some of our classes.
We'd make it up.

After awhile,though, we found out differently.

For example, since I could so easily justify
missing some classes, I found it easy to
start blowing off some of the work.

Which meant I had to pull all-nighters prior
to exams, or to get my papers completed on
time. As a result, the quality of my work
sometimes suffered.

I also found myself slacking in other areas.
I wasn't following the off-season training
plan my basketball coach had given me. So
I was getting out of shape.

Well, you get the picture.

Of course, once I began to get up in time -
with only a couple of bangs on the alarm clock -
things quickly began to fall into place.

This same thing still happens to me today.

I have the discipline of waking up early
in the morning, so I can do my breathing
and energy exercises first thing, as well
as get some reading or work done...before
the rest of the household gets moving.

These quiet, solitary moments are so important
to me. The exercises I do - such as the
exercises in the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume II -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html -
energize me, wake up my body and mind, and
help me focus on the day ahead.

I find I'm in a better mood and more productive
all day long, because I started the day on
my terms. 

On the other hand, when I turn off the alarm
clock, or wait until the little one wakes
me up...I lose that precious hour of power.

And somehow, the rest of the day just
doesn't seem to go as smoothly. And I
don't seem to get as much done.

This is one seemingly minor - but important -
example of how one discipline can affect
all others.

One simple habit - like doing your exercises
first thing in the morning...or tackling the
toughest project early in the day, when you
are fresh...or making sure to spend some
daily quality time with your kids...these
simple things can make all the difference
in your world.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. The discipline of getting up a few
minutes earlier and greeting the day with
deep breathing and movement is an easy one
to develop. Because it feels good while
you're doing it...and it helps you do
good for the rest of the day. Learn more
about the powerful series of exercises I
teach you in the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume II, at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

A Couple Tricks To Obliterate Blubber

In your previous tip, I discussed how our bodies
are programmed to work against us anytime we try
to lose a significant amount of weight.

The genetic hardwiring that enabled the human
species to survive and thrive for tens of thousands
of years, has met its match in the modern western
diet.

Seems our bodies simply aren't suited to the
overly refined and processed, high-sugar, high-starch
diets that are prevalent in most developed and
developing countries.

Even the wonderful creation we each own - or
perhaps rent from our Creator - can not change
quickly enough to adapt to what we typically
put in our mouths these days.

So, what do you do if you need or want to lose
some weight - or, more specifically, lose fat?

Well, here are a couple of "tricks" that help
you counter your body's natural response to weight
loss.

The first is to increase the amount of quality
protein in your diet.

Getting enough protein helps you avoid losing
lean tissue, such as that valuable and vital
muscle that maintains your metabolism.

Protein also fills you up, and requires more
energy to digest. So it stays with you longer,
and you are less likely to get cravings between
meals.

Trick number two is even simpler: get more sleep.

Getting too little sleep can boost your appetite
by lowering leptin levels and raising ghrelin
levels.

Leptin, a hormone released by fat cells, signals
the brain to stop eating. Ghrelin, a hormone
that is made in the stomach, pushes you to eat
more.

Basically, when you get less sleep than you need,
your body interprets this as one of those famine
or highly stressful periods, and your hormones
go haywire.

Your brain interprets the drop in leptin as a
sign that you're starving, so it also decreases
your metabolic rate.

Insufficient sleep wreaks havoc on your body's
ability to balance insulin and glucose. This, by
the way, also makes it much more difficult to lose
weight.

For more of these "tricks" - meaning simple but
powerful things you can do each day to promote
fat burning, muscle gain, and enhanced energy
levels, get the "Fire Up Your Metabolism" Program.

Visit http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html
for more details.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. The "Fire Up Your Metabolism" Program includes
a targeted, fat-burning workout along with cutting
edge nutritional recommendations, and some simple
but effective strategies you can follow each day,
to help you burn off the fat, reduce your midsection,
and feel more energetic than ever. Get started today!
Order your copy at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html.

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight?

Why is it so hard to lose - and keep off - the
weight?

And what can you do to ensure weight loss that
will stick - that will last a lifetime?

Our own bodies work against us. They are
genetically programmed to store fat
whenever possible, in case of times of
famine or lack of food.

This served humankind well 20,000 years ago.
In modern times, it is literally killing us.

Once you put on extra fat, your body tends to
defend it. When you lose somepounds, your body
goes into overdrive through a number of biological
and psychological mechanisms - all geared towards
putting the weight back on.

If you have ever lost even as little as 5 to 10
pounds, you have probably had the experience of
being hungry, even ravenous at times. You may
also notice that your preference for high fat and
high sugar foods goes up.

This is your body trying to get you to consume
more calories.

The other problem with weight loss - especially
if you try one of the many fad diets in which you
dramatically cut calories - is that you may lose
weight for awhile.

Unfortunately, the weight you are losing is just
as likely to be muscle mass as fat. The reduction
in calories, coupled with the loss of lean tissue,
causes your metabolism to actually decrease.

Your body basically perceives this as famine or
lack of food conditions. So it conserves energy by
reducing your metabolism.

Burning fewer calories means there is more energy
to support your heart, brain and other vital
organs.

There is also an enzymatic reaction to calorie
restriction and the loss of muscle mass. This makes
your body more prone to conserve fat, so over time
you lose less of it, even with increased calorie
restriction.

What's worse, when you go back to more normal
eating and caloric levels, your body is now primed
to put on even more fat than before.  And it will
prefer to burn glucose (carbs) for energy over fat.

So it becomes even tougher to lose the fat the
second time, third time, fourth....etc.

Over years and years of research and study, the one
factor that has consistently trumped all of these
problems is: consistency.

Adherence to a rational nutrition and exercise
plan - like the one you will find in the "Fire Up
Your Metabolism" Program -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html -
trumps everything else, and is proven to be superior
to the short-term, fad diet approach.

If you go on a diet that severely restricts
calories, or restricts the types of foods you
can eat, you may do OK for awhile. And you
may actually lose a lot of weight.

Problem is, anytime you are "dieting", you are
not engaged in a lifestyle change.

So, as soon as the diet is "over" (or often
before it should be over - before you have lost
the weight you needed to), you go back to the
eating and activity habits that got you into
this mess in the first place.

On the other hand, a more moderate approach
to nutrition, coupled with a targeted exercise
program, can help you make the changes that
you as a person need to make...plus burn off fat,
pack on metabolically active muscle, have more
energy, and have more mental clarity.

These results increase the likelihood that you
will never go back to your "old ways". 

You truly will never have to diet again.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. The "Fire Up Your Metabolism" Program
includes a targeted, fat-burning workout along
with cutting edge nutritional recommendations,
to help you burn off the fat, reduce your
midsection, and feel more energetic than ever.
Get started today! Order your own copy at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html.

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

Are You A Fast Eater?

Are you a fast eater?

Do you blitz through meals like a chainsaw through
soft wood?

When you're at work, do you usually eat a quick lunch
at your desk? Or even worse, eat breakfast or lunch
in the car, on the way to work or to appointments?

Well, as a reformed fast eater, I can tell you
there's a better way. And slowing down your eating
could make a big difference in your weight, your
health...even your enjoyment of life.

First, let me explain what's happening when you
eat fast.

Typically you're eating on the run or at your desk
because you are very busy and trying to fit the meal
in. So you're under time pressure. Not the most
conducive environment for eating.

Eating fast puts tremendous stress on your body.
When you gulp down your food, without really tasting
or enjoying it, you mess with your digestive system.

More importantly, you're stressing yourself to the
point that your body actually begins to release stress
hormones, such as cortisol.

This does three things.

First, it slows down the digestive process. Second,
it slows down your metabolism. Third, it increases the
amount of insulin in your bloodstream - causing your
body to deposit more fat from the calories you are
taking in.

What a triple whammy on your body! Add in the
indigestion you are likely to experience as you rush
to that next meeting....it's definitely a recipe for
weight gain and stomach problems.

If you're eating in such a way as to decrease your
metabolism and promote fat storage, then you're likely
to a gain weight.

Excess weight can exacerbate other health conditions.
And it makes it harder to get in gear and exercise to
control or reduce your weight.

Eating quickly also causes major digestive problems.
In fact, it's estimated that eating too fast is a
major cause of acid reflux disease, or GERD.

A little factoid here: did you know that digestive
aids and stomach relief medicines are the number one
type of product sold over the counter in the U.S.?
They sell more of these than they do painkillers.

What does that tell you about the stress that we are
under - or more correctly, often put ourselves under.

Acid refluz is an indication of inflammation in your
body. Remember, inflammation is systemic: where there's
smoke, there's fire.

Inflammation in one part of your body can lead to
inflammation elsewhere, such as heart problems,
arthritis...even Alzheimers.

If you are interested in losing weight, or improving
your enjoyment and quality of life, do like the French
do: slow down.

Set aside the time to actually sit and enjoy your
meals. Even if you can't do this for every meal, try
to take more time more frequently. See how many meals
per week you can eat in a more relaxed manner.

And free yourself from the chains of your desk.

Yes, oh corporate hard charger, you CAN go out to lunch
once in awhile. Or take your sandwich and drink outside
to a park bench and soak up some sun while you are
dining.

Here's one more very important thing you can do,
even when you don't have a lot of time for your
meal.

As you begin to eat, take 5 to 10 deep breaths. And
try to take some deep breaths while, and immediately
after, you eat.

This will naturally and quickly relax you, allowing
you to enjoy your meal.

It will limit or eliminate the release of stress
hormones. And it will literally increase your
metabolism, so your body will more efficiently
process and use those calories.

You'll burn more of what you are eating as energy.
Your body will have less reason to deposit those
calories as fat.

Trade fast eating for deep breathing....and see
how much better you feel as you go through your
day.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. In the "Fire Up Your Metabolism" Program,
you'll discover how to use deep breathing to help
you heat up your metabolism and burn off unwanted
fat, bloat and pounds. And I share with you a number
of strategies and tips you can easily use each day,
to help you keep your metabolism and energy levels
humming along.

For more information, or to get your own copy,
head on over to
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

No More Food Fights

I was in the bookstore the other day,just browsing.

I like to rummage through the diet and fitness
section, just to see what new stuff has come out.

It's fun to check out the latest permutations,
catchy names, and unsupported claims of all the
new diets that come out.

At this point, I think that most of the major
diet "methods" have been played upon and
gussied up with slight modifications and a
catchy new name or face to promote it.

The two major approaches that have been the
most prevalent in recent years have been the
low fat approach and the low carb approach.

Low fat diets are steadily being pushed out
- despite the medical community's irrational
attachment to them - and people are beginning
to realize that some fats are vital for
proper health and immune system function.

Low carb diets are still pretty popular. The
problem with them is that they are so
restrictive. People lose weight on them,
but they tend not to keep it off over the
long term

Guess why. Because your body and brain
need carbs too.

The amount of carbs you actually need is
unique to you. And the types of carbs you
eat - quality versus junk - is important too.

Of course, the food fights continue. The
so-called diet gurus and experts latch onto
their preferred method...become known for
that method...and can't change or modify
for fear of being ridiculed.

And heaven forbid anyone acknowledge that
there are good elements you can leverage
from just about any diet.

But here's the deal on any diet that involves
restrictions, drastic reductions, "unauthorized"
foods, and so forth:

Ultimately, your body and mind rebel against
severe restriction of any major class of
foods or nutrients, whether it's fat,
protein or carbohydrate.

I've lived this myself in the past, when I've
tried the latest diet.

I finally realized that the dieting process,
the yo-yoing, and the psychic destruction of
feeling like a failure or a quitter, were
not worth the few pounds I was able to lose.

So I voted for sanity. I adopted a more
balanced approach to eating. An approach
where I can pretty much eat what I want, as
long as I follow a few simple principles.

And I've found that, over the long term,
this approach has served me well. I never
feel like I am dieting, because I never
put a certain food or type of food off-limits.
So I never feel deprived and I don't binge,
thinking I can't have this food again.

Guilt departs. Energy levels elevate. A
healthy relationship with food manifests.

It's a good thing.

I'm not saying that dieting is bad. I'm
saying that you should not think of your
diet from the standpoint of deprivation.

Rather, think of your diet - or what I
like to call your nutrition program -
as a way of building yourself up, promoting
higher energy levels and enhancing your
overall health.

Make food something you can enjoy again,
without guilt...combine with regular
exercise or other physical activity...and
you will crack the code to your own
weight loss and weight maintenance
challenge.

In the "Fire Up Your Metabolism" Program,
I share with you the balanced approach
to your diet that can really make the
difference for you.

Plus I give you other tips and strategies
that are easy to follow and automatically
enhance your metabolism - all day long.

Is it foolproof. Well, let me say that,
when I myself follow my own advice, I
achieve and maintain the ideal weight
for me.

When I ignore my own advice, and begin
making stupid choices, I gain weight
and feel miserable.

The choice is yours, of course. But I
encourage you to find out more about
this saner, easier and more enjoyable
approach to achieving (or regaining) the
physique you want.

For more information, go to
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html .

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. In the "Fire Up Your Metabolism" Program,
you'll also discover how to use deep breathing
to heat up your metabolism and burn off unwanted
fat, bloat and pounds. And I share with you a
number of strategies and tips you can easily use
each day, to help you keep your metabolism and
energy levels humming along. Order your copy today at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

How To Combat This Secret Killer

Seems like high cholesterol has become an epidemic
in this country.

You yourself may have a bad cholesterol profile,
and not even be aware of it. It usually does
not show up as a specific set of symptoms. Just
sort of sneaks up on you.

I first became concerned and interested in this
subject when my younger brother was diagnosed
with high cholesterol last year. He was suprised,
but not totally shocked.

I was shocked, mostly because of his age. I
thought he was too young to be worrying about
his cholesterol.

GUess what: I was wrong. Bad cholesterol profiles
can occur at any age - whether due to genetics,
or poor habits, or a combination of the two.

Anyways, I decided to study more about it and find
out how I could help my bro improve his cholesterol
without having to go on statins - the drug of
choice for the conventional medical community.
The drug that has unfortunate side effects -
side effects they gloss over in all those TV
commercials and ads.

I just found out today that my neighbor down the
street was told her cholesterol is too high. It's
hard to believe, because she seemingly does
everything right.

She eats well, she takes a walk just about every
day. Yet her cholesterol profile stinks, and if
she doesn't get it in order, she will have to
go on meds to try to bring it down.

So don't skip the cholesterol check when you
visit your doctor for your annual checkup.

Most people think cholesterol is bad. But it's
not. It plays an important role in the body.

It’s the precursor of the body’s steroid hormones
and is similar in structure to vitamin D, to
cortisone, and to the sex hormones we need for
reproduction.

However, at high levels cholesterol can cause
damage to the lining of the arteries, which can
lead to high blood pressure, blockages and heart
attacks.

The pharmaceutical and conventional medical industries
have convinced us that the only way to lower
cholesterol is with statin drugs. And they’ve done
a good job. Statins are the world’s number one
selling prescription drug.

Here's the problem with this approach:

Billions of dollars worth of statins are prescribed
each year to help lower cholesterol, with the
goal of preventing heart disease and stroke.

At the same time, heart disease continues to be
the number one killer in the developed world.
And statins have not been proved to actually
prevent heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.

Here's another surprise: some studies have shown
that having a higher cholesterol level actually
protects against stroke.

Confusing, yes.

While statin drugs may be the best choice for
some people with cholesterol, the truth is that
making the proper lifestyle choices can be just
as effective for most people…and without all the
side effects.

Finding out the truth about lowering cholesterol
became very important to me because of my brother.

So I researched and wrote a special report, called
"High Cholesterol: How To Fight It Naturally".
You can get a copy at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/cholesterol_fix.html .

This special report gives you the scoop on statins,
and tells you exactly what areas to focus on to
achieve a remarkable improvement in your 
cholesterol profile, including: stress transformation;
the right way to exercise (and unfortunately, this is
not what most people think or are told by their
doctors); and nutrition and supplementation.

If you are willing to make some basic, simple changes
to how you eat and your levels of activity, you can
take control of your cholesterol -like my brother
did - and avoid having to go on statins, or at least
reduce or eliminate them over time.

These steps could also protect you against
high blood pressure...or improve your blood
pressure if it's already high.

And you can avoid the ultimate health risks, such
as heart disease, that are associated with high
cholesterol. "High Cholesterol: How To Fight It
Naturally" shows you how.

For more information on this special report, or
to order your own copy, go to
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/cholesterol_fix.html.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**