Live Better Everyday

Paul Kramer- a Registered Nutritional Consultant.

Paul Kramer, is a Registered Nutritional Consultant who has conducted health seminars around the world. A guest on radio talk shows and featured in several magazine publications, he has been studying the effects of nutrition, exercise and the environment on human health for over twenty years.

As a cardiologist practicing in a busy community hospital, I meet on a daily basis with patients who suffer from cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease accounts for the death of more people than any other disease. Of those deaths, at least half are due specifically to coronary artery disease, that is, clogging of the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle.

As the baby boomer population ages, we will see more and more cardiac disease in the future. Although some patients may suffer from cardiovascular disease due to genetic and pre-determined factors, many patients' conditions are affected by environmental factors.

We live in a rapidly changing environment which can be detrimental to our health. With busy careers and time constraints, many people do not have the time to eat a proper diet or to exercise effectively - poor nutrition and lack of exercise play a significant role in many cases of cardiovascular disease.

In addition, our increasingly polluted environment can have a measurable negative effect on health. A recent study from Harvard Medical School suggested that smog may increase the risk of myocardial infraction (heart attack) by up to 50%. Many people do not realize the indisputable link between the environment we live in and many of the diseases that are most prevalent today.

Many of the risk factors for cardiac disease including hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol levels), obesity and diabetes are strongly linked to poor nutrition. Proper nutritional intake is essential to prevent or control many of these conditions. Unfortunately, with busy lifestyles, many patients' dietary intake is high in fat and avoid of nutrition including essential minerals and vitamins as well as fibre.

As you will see in the following pages, many people find it quite difficult to fulfill their dietary requirements even when eating what they think is a "well-balanced diet" and for many people, nutritional supplements are an effective method of restoring those missing essential nutrients. On a similar note, due to the over processed nature of many of our foods, most patients do not take in enough dietary fibre. Increasing fiber intake can improve cardiac health (by lowering cholesterol levels and controlling blood sugar levels), and may be beneficial in controlling or preventing other diseases such as bowel problems.

In addition to proper nutrition, exercise remains a mainstay of cardiac prevention. Increasing exercise will help to prevent or control heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, depression and obesity to name just a few. I find that very few of my patients perform the recommended 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise, most of days of the week.

Although I see many patients in my practice with advanced cardiac disease, I see many more patients with more minor forms of disease as well as people who are currently free of disease and who want to prevent or delay the onset of problems in the future. They want to ensure that they have made every lifestyle change possible to protect their health. They are looking for a well-rounded approach to improving their nutrition, eliminating their exposure to pollution and increasing their activity level, with a view towards health promotion and prevention of disease.

Accept Hard Work

Bill FitzPatrick - Founder of the "American Success Institute".

Action Principle No.49>> Accept Hard Work, Great accomplishments come from hard work. Luck accompanies hard work. If necessary, be prepared to endure temporary hardship. At times, the work is going to be hard to do and you would prefer doing something easier. Accept this. Put enthusiasm into your work and you will reduce boredom. Commit yourself to hard work and be thankful that you aren't lazy. Laziness makes all work difficult.

From day one, you accept the premise that by following the Action Principles, you will work hard and give much. Don't cheat, or look for the easy way out. Bask in the feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment that few will experience. If you work hard, you will never go hungry. In the end, you will discover that all the hard work was worth it. Work hard and don't wish that your life were any other way. Get accustomed to doing what others can't or won't.

Make the commitment

Ralph Marston - Author of The Daily Motivator.

Make the commitment, How do you transform what you think you can do into what you know you can do? You make the commitment to get it done.

How do you take something that you'd like to have and make it into something you actually do have? You make the commitment to make it happen.

Choose your commitments carefully, based on what's truly important to you, and on what will positively push you beyond your limitations. And then once you make a commitment, treat it as a true commitment, doing whatever is necessary to fully follow through.

Take your commitment seriously. Give them the priority they deserve.

Well-choosen commitments will demand much from you. In meeting those demands, you grow stronger, more capable, highly experienced and resilient.

Commit to just a few things at a time that you know will bring out the best in you. Then work your way through those commitments to higher and higher levels of achievement and fulfillment.

Nick Vujicic - No arms, No legs, No worries!

Do What Others Can't

Bill FitzPatrick - Founder of the "American Success Institute".

Action Principle No.48>> Do What Others Can't, Most people can't give two nights a month to volunteer at a hospice. You can.

Most people can't get up at 6:00 AM and jog two miles. You can.

Most people can't give up their lunch hour to solve a customer's problem. You can.

Most people can't help to clean up other people's messes. You can.

Most people can't help a friend deal with destructive behavior. You can.

Most people can't give five percent of their money to charity. You can.

Your Potential

Ralph Marston - Author of The Daily Motivator.

Your Potential, There is no limit to your potential. For there is no limit to what you can imagine, and whatever you can imagine, you can bring into your life.

Yes, there are very real hurdles to whatever you attempt. And in some way or another, you can get yourself over every one of them.

When you imagine limitations, they become real. Instead, focus your imagination on the positive possibilities, and focus your efforts on making them real.

Think of all the things, once considered to be impossible, that are now common place. Always remember that when there is a good enough reason, there is a way.

In every moment, you are making progress in one direction or another. Choose to use those moments, as they come, and focus your efforts to fulfill the great potential that is yours.

Feel the unique potential that is your life. Give your own special beauty to the world.

Develop Winning Habits

Bill FitzPatrick - Founder of the "American Success Institute".

Action Principle No.47>> Develop Winning Habits, If becoming a success were easy, everyone would do it. It isn't. They don't. You can develop winning habits while identifying and working to eliminate your bad habits. Be patient. Psychological studies have shown that it takes about 30 days to begin to form or begin to rid yourself of a habit.

You can keep your word even though this may not always be easy. You can write and focus on your goals and objectives and your to-do list. You can exercise when you're tired. You can read business materials. You can volunteer. You can give a little extra money to charity. You can give a little extra time to family members, students and customers. You can pick up litter on the jogging path. You can delay gratification. You can do a lot while others are idle.

You won't always want to do these things. You will feel that you are doing more than your share. You are right. Work on your habits. You are tough.

Look for Opportunities to Grow

Dr. Ron Jenson - Author of "Make a Life, Not just a Living".

Look for Opportunities to Grow, It's just not enough to be open and admit your soft spots. You need to actively look for areas to change and to ask for help. If you're not a part of an accountability group, you ought to be. Find a group of friends in your business, neighborhood, church, or synagogue who will help you to be more effective. Find people who will build you up, yet will be honest, loving, and caring enough to confront you as a friend. That's one way to grow, mature, and develop.

I've learned that if I'm serious about looking at the weak areas of my life for opportunities to grow, I help my friends become aware of my soft spots. For instance, I have said to several special male friends whom I trust and honor, "Here are five questions I hope to God no one would ever ask me." These five questions represent the five weaknest areas in my life. Your weak areas could be things such as how you handle your finances, relational fidelity, struggles with integrity, family difficulties, etc. The fifth question is, "Did you lie about any of the above four?"

I tell my trusted friends, "Whenever you see me ask me these questions."

I know this practice might seem absolutely chilling to think about doing. But accountability to a few trusted friends helps a great deal. It's something I also practice with my son. We have found that it not only binds us together but creates a healthy accountability between us.

My contention is that if I'm serious enough about growing, I will try not only to look for opportunities, but create levers that will help me grow. And practicing accountability is one outstanding lever in my life.