Do you power yourself up regularly with the RIGHT kind of energy compounds?
If you’re looking to transition from Snoopy Mode to Energizer Bunny Mode, then consider swapping out ALL of your processed foods (which is just about anything that comes in a Can, Carton, Box, Packet, Bottle or Syringe) with fresh produces such as Fruits, Vegetables, Leafy Greens, Seeds and Nuts. And have ’em raw and organic whenever possible.
Our beautiful Creator showered this little fuzzy planet with energy rich and nutrition-rich foods for us to be happy, healthy, zesty, sexy, fit, strong, youthful (for life) and to be exceptionally good at Bowling. And all we had to do to benefit from all that was to munch on what he had given us, just the way they had been given to us, whilst steering clear of anything that’s poisonous or has teeth.
But the “Human race” under the hypnotic spell of several Cats plotting to take over the Planet, chose to beat the living nutrition out of those “wholesome foods” by milling, grinding, baking, toasting, roasting, stir-frying, shallow frying and deep frying those “good foods” until they turned so bad that they forgot they were ever related to Mama and Papa Nature at one point.
But you and I don’t have to fall prey to that hypnotic spell. And be doomed to spend the rest of our days “living in slow motion” with regular visits to Doctors, Dentists, Therapists, Brain surgeons, Mortuaries, Wig shops, Extra-large cloth stores and Poop clinics.
We don’t have to continue reaching for a doughnut, a cookie, a beer or a cigarette to feel good about ourselves for the next 10 minutes (only to feel terrible for the proceeding 10 hours and to then start “evaporating” 10 years down the line). And we certainly don’t have to inadvertently pass those “icky habits” onto our Children, so that they can start reenacting and reliving the “same old story”, the minute they put on their “big boy/big girl pants”.
The fact of the matter is, you and I’ve got the power (as the great theologians “Snap” once put it) to make that all-important call to the “Dark side” and have our “Stoned trooper memberships” and “Darth Hideous book reading club memberships” cancelled and start anew the next day. And that “one change” can ripple through to ALL areas of your life and shape you into the FANTASTIC, delightful and fashionable human being you were “created” to be.
And the really good news is, it doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” deal, whereby you vow to never make eye contact with a temptation filled triple scoop ice cream ever again (unless your ultimate goal is to win every sprint event Gold Medal at the at the next Olympics). You can still hang out with “a few” of your former “stoned trooper” buddies one day a week, provided you’re committed to dash out the door the second that clock strikes midnight (even if it means having to leave your stiletto boots behind).
If that’s sounds like a fair deal, here’s the 5-step process that will turn you into a lean, mean energizer bunny (with a cute fluffy tail) for life:
1. Drink a glass (a “tall glass”, not a “shot glass”) of water every hour– That might not sound very sexy. But Water is nothing short of a miracle cure for countless medical conditions starting with those nasty everyday coughs, colds, sore throats and bad dance routines to the more life threatening stuff such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and slot machines.
It is also a wellness contributor to just about anything under the Sun except for the “Nightly News” (aka the Nightly “Mews”). That normally takes weeks of “sitcom therapy” to get over.
By the way, the “one glass per hour” quota is just the “baseline requirement”. In reality you may have to drink a lot more to keep all the wheels (inside the brain and everything connected to the brain) turning. You can determine whether or not you’re drinking enough water by monitoring the coloration/discoloration of the “after-flow”. When the body is operating at its optimum level, the “after-flow” will be as clear as the water you drink.
If the after-flow is a darker shade of gray or yellow, you may have some serious “water binging” to do to get yourself back up to that “peak performance state”. If it’s only “slightly yellow”,then an extra glass or a half glass per hour (of water, not anything that “looks like water”) should suffice.
Almost forgot to mention. I also drink 3 full glasses of water first thing in the morning. That’s just after waking up, looking around to make sure I’m still on the same planet. And briefly thanking the Founder/Chairman of the Universe for allowing me to stick around in his Cozy Planet for another day. Then I grab myself a breakfast beer…I mean a clean Banana and Apple smoothie…and wash it down with 3 more glasses of water.
By the way, I sip the water down over the course of about 2-hours. If I chug down all 6 glasses in one go I would probably look like a blowfish.
This strange early-bird water ritual helps: clear away any cobwebs that may have built up overnight (especially around the joint areas), rinse the brain clear of any bad dreams, push down any lazy foods stuck in the digestive tract, neutralize the tummy of any “tummy raising agents” (aka stomach acids), fuel up the body for a labor intense activity (like a workout or TV watching) and make you feel like you just…. drank 6 full glasses of water.
Lastly around 3 hours before going to bed, I switch from drinking water mode to sipping on water mode. There’s nothing more annoying than having to hit pause on a sweet dream and sleepwalking over to the bathroom.
2. Have 2-3 Thick and Fresh Smoothies (made with fresh fruits, veggies, leafy greens, nuts and seeds) every day – There’re a ton of awesome smoothie recipes out there to choose from. But it’s important that you go with the “cleaner options” that are free of ALL kinds of processed foods, chemicals and narcotics. This helps to rule out all possibilities of a “death by a delicious smoothie”, if something goes awry.
If you’re not sure where to start, the following 15 recipes should help get the ball rolling for you: https://www.vitamix.com/15-Energizing-Smoothie-Recipes
Now, even though my recommendations are for a series of “Vitamix smoothies” (since their recipes tend to be “cleaner”), I am more of a Nutri Ninja fan. That’s because I believe the Ninja is powered by “tiny little real Ninjas” that have been hired for the sole purpose of chopping up every hardheaded fruit or vegetable that lands in the Ninja Blender into a delicious smoothie. On the flip side, the Vitamix has been around since the Jurassic era and has been endorsed by many famous Brontosauruses and Ultrasauruses (from way back then). So, it’s really a matter of preference.
But before you get sniffing and sipping with those smoothies, you need to first be aware of the first rule of the “Smoothie club”. And that is “you never talk about the Smoothie club”. Oops! I meant to say: the first rule of the “Smoothies Club” is that you “never treat a Smoothie as a Beverage”. Instead, you treat it as a real meal with a badder personality and a smoother texture (similar to that of a Yogurt). The thick texture (which is achieved by cutting down the amount of liquid used) helps the body “identify” what’s been consumed. This enables the body to break down the food elements and digest them properly. Proper digestion also means fewer “miniature earthquakes” and less damage to the environment.
On the salads front, the ingredients you go with is entirely up to you. But try to make your salads as colorful as you can whilst incorporating some sliced vegetables and greens into the mix. That way you’ll be sure to hit a broader spectrum of nutrients in one fell swoop. And then season the salad with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil. You can also add in some sea salt (that’s 100% pure) and any other natural ingredient that you prefer. But avoid the temptation to top it off with a bottle of mayonnaise or salad dressing. If you don’t feel full after a salad and a glass of water or your tummy starts growling at any point, then try eating a whole Turkey afterwards. Not really, try being a little more generous with the oil instead.
As per how many meals to have per day and when, I personally have around 3 salads and 3 smoothies a day (a total of 6 “mini meals”), roughly 2-3 hours apart. Small meals digest quickly and provide a “steady flow” of energy throughout the day, making you reasonably immune to meltdowns, breakdowns and shakedowns.
Now, in case you’re freaking out about the absence of protein, there’s actually protein in every fruit and vegetable that we eat. It might not be much. But it’s far more than what we “genuinely” need. And for your total peace of mind, it might also be worth mentioning that America’s Strongest Weightlifter (at the time of writing this article), Kendrick Farris, is 100% Vegan. And so is the strongest dinosaur that ever lived: the Ultrasaurus. By the way, the Ultrasaurus didn’t participate in any weight lifting tournaments possibly due to his height (60 feet) and the lack of opposable thumbs. Then there’re the “unofficial kings” of the jungle: The Elephant, The Rhino, The Gorilla and the baddest of em all…Justin Timberlake. Yep, they are all vegans.
“Wholesome foods” (particularly raw foods) make a world of difference to the way our bodies operate and how “alive” we feel throughout the day. Wholesome foods are also not subject to any “traffic congestions” and “red tapes” during the digestive process. That means, the “merchandise” (i.e. the food) is pretty much guaranteed a seamless journey down the “waterslide” (aka the “digestive tract”), provided there’s enough water to keep things moving along.
This is why when raw foodies go to the bathroom to partake in their “morning recycling ritual”, they usually get through the “process” at the blink of an eye, whereas a typical processed foodie would have to howl, growl, yelp and mew profusely, just to reach the halfway mark.
That’s because processed foods and beverages don’t match anything that our Creator has in his secret warehouse up in the clouds. And what the body cannot identify, it cannot digest.
Sure. It’ll “try” to digest whatever it can. And then push the remainder over to the “slow lane” where they’ll remain (without any friends, family, daylight or a good cellphone reception) for days, weeks, months and even years.
“Human friendly foods” (i.e. fresh produce) on the other hand start breaking down and moving along the digestive tract, the second they start their voyage to the final frontier.
Now, walking around with last week’s undigested pancakes might not sound all that bad (for some). But when those “leftovers” start turning our bodies into “fat distilleries”, it becomes a whole other story. That’s because any food that sticks around the digestive tract for too long starts to grow into a living entity (with its very own “Mr. Hyde” personality). And when Mr. Hyde (aka visceral fat) has grown to full size, his first order of business is to send out evites to his best (and extremely evil) buddies: Arthritis, Cancer, Depression, Dementia, Diabetes, Stroke, Obesity, Insomnia, “Reptile” dysfunction and Hiccups.
Fortunately, the gatekeeper that’s responsible for keeping our immune system in check isn’t all that welcoming to strangers (particularly to strangers that are up to no good). And, she’ll do her part to hold down the fortress as best she can and for as long as she can, using every Jedi mind trick she’s ever learnt only through YouTube videos. But ultimately what changes the tides in our favor is the introduction (or the reintroduction) of smoothies or salads into our diets. Smoothies and Salads don’t just change the way our bodies work. They also bring along some Han Solo and Chewy power into the mix to help our immune systems to help keep those “unwanted guests away”.
4. Expand your lungs twice a day – If you’ve ever had the misfortune of being chased by a baby Kangaroo (who mistook you for its Mom or Dad), then you know that the only way to outrun or out-hop it is by making sure that you have enough fuel in the tank (mainly water). And by not “gassing out” the second you reach the middle of the highway.
Whilst the hydration part is self-explanatory, the stamina part normally takes a little doing. But there’s a way to “cheat” through some of the hard work by using an ingenious little gadget called the “Expand a lung”. Think of this as shortcutting the distance you have to run in a marathon in half (with a little bit of hitch hiking power).
The “Expand a lung” can easily and fairly effortlessly double your lung capacity over a period of time. That means, your lungs will be able to take on a whole lot more oxygen with each breath, helping you to go further and last longer (in a whole lot of things). It’s also said to reverse “some” of the damage inflicted on our lungs from cigarettes (as a result of those organs being literally “cooked” from the inside). But you can only use it AFTER you’ve quit smoking.
In a life-threatening situation being able to go the extra mile, can mean the difference between being devoured within minutes of encountering a hungry predator to dying another day (hopefully many decades later).
The “expand-a-lung” is best used twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening) for a total of 60 inhalations and exhalations (i.e. 30 breaths per session). If 60 (breaths) a day sounds like much, try 10 a day and work up to the 60 in increments of 2 or 3 per week. I personally use it for about 30 minutes per day whilst watching a Seminar on Demand. And I don’t count the breaths anymore.
How do you use it? Well, you basically stick it in your mouth, much like you would a rebreather. Then you would tilt your head back a little (to avoid drooling like a baby). And you breathe in through your mouth for the duration of the exercise. But instead of breathing casually, you would breathe with a “little bit of resistance” so that your lungs become stronger with every use. The “breathing resistance” can be adjusted using the gauge next to the nozzle.
You don’t want the “lung workout” to feel as comfortable as blowing bubbles. But you don’t want it to feel like it’s choking you to death either. You want it to be “just right”. And when your lungs more resilient, you’ll be able to go past your competitors with a smile on your face just as they start huffing, puffing and cussing.
By the way, the expand-a-lung doesn’t actually “expand your lungs” in terms of height, width, diameter or circumference. Instead it makes your “lungs stronger”, much like what video games do to our thumbs. It also comes in handy if you ever get to play the part of Darth Vader in a movie or a play.
5. Have a mean scoop of lean greens everyday – As I like to put it “a scoopful of lean greens makes the somberness go down….in the most delightful way.”
This might not turn you into an instant “Popeye”. In fact, if you’re already a “raw foodie” (and have carrot juice running in your veins), then you might not even feel “that much” of a difference right away. But if you’re not a raw foodie, you’ll most likely feel like you just put your “bewitched dancing shoes” on for the first time in a very long time.
On top of all that, it also kills the cravings for many of those “energy draining foods”.
I normally toss a scoop of this into a smoothie shaker, picture a vanilla blueberry cheesecake in my mind and gulp it down in seconds. And it tastes…okay, considering that most “green drinks” make you feel like you’re chewing grass next to a Big Cow.
So, there you have it! 5 energy boosters that if applied daily will make you “brand spanking new” again (regardless of your starting point) in as little as 6 months. You’ll also see a dramatic improvement to your energy and physique within that time.
But real superstar results can take longer, often times 5+ years. Real superheroes don’t just fly in from other planets. Or pop into existence as a result of a “scientific experiment going bad” or even as the result of an “insect bite”. They were the byproduct of years of diligent and consistent effort. If you’ve ever seen the TV series “Arrow” (starring Stephen Amell), you’ll know that Oliver Queen’s transformation took 7 years from being stuck in an island with nothing but strawberries and cream in sight. And from having to fend for himself against all kinds of unfavorable situations…like not having any stores nearby that sell marshmallows.
By the way, these “energy boosters” are intended for people who are already working out on a regular basis (at least 6 times a week). If that’s not you, then you’ll need to also want to add a 30-60-minute workout into your daily regimen.
But don’t invest in some “crazy fitness program”, break half of your bones in a day and give up altogether (like most people do). Instead, start out with a SLOW 10-minute walk around the block. And then increase the duration of those easy (and reasonably cushy) walks by a minute or so each day, until you can comfortably manage a 30-minute walk around the block without falling asleep along the way. And once you hit the 30-minute mark, start increasing the “speed” of those walks gradually, until you can powerwalk or glide through to the finish line, totally blindfolded.
Finally, when you find your legs sneaking out for those powerwalks all by themselves (before you even wake up), give them something a little juicier to work with like “P90X3”, which is what I’m doing right now. By the way, even after you upgrade to a totally badass, entertaining and ridiculously awesome workout like P90X3, be sure to “go at your own pace” at the beginning, even if it takes you 2 hours to get through a 30-minute session. Your body will catch up…eventually.
And that Ladies and Gentleman (and fellow Puppy and Kitten lovers) is the way you fall in love with anyone or anything and make it/them a part of your everyday life. Start slow, grow slow and grow harmoniously (which is basically principle of “Kaizen Fusion”). If you jump on the autobahn and try flooring it (just a day after getting your driver’s license), you’ll probably not get that far (at least not in one piece).
Think of these 5 elements as the 4 wheels and the engine of your car. You would “ideally” want to have all 5 components present the whole time and all working together to get to your destination (unless of course you get around on a unicycle).
