Laser Provision
It's been said, "Those who do have health, have many wishes. Those who do
not have health, have but one wish." Although that's not exactly true, per my
series on
Life-Giving Needs, the point is well taken. Nothing contributes more to a
sense of distress than poor health. The key, then is to stress proof your
wellness -- a topic I have returned to repeatedly since starting LifeTrek
Coaching in 1998. Indeed, my own lack of wellness at that point was part of what
led me into coaching. Today, I review my formula for Optimal Wellness.
In This Issue
1. Provision: Stress Proof Your Wellness Go There
2. On The Web: The End of Overeating Go There
3. Readers' Forum: Selected Reader Replies Go There
4. Bulletin Board Highlights: Get LifeTrek Mobile Go There
5. Book Recommendation: The End of Overeating by David Kessler Go There
6. Subscribe / Unsubscribe Instructions Go There
1. Provision #623: Stress Proof Your Wellness by Bob Tschannen-Moran
I am enjoying Dr. David Kessler's recent book, The End of
Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. He makes the
same point I have made on many occasions: fat, sugar, and salt make for a lethal
combination. Not only does it do a number on our health and wellness, it also does a
number on our willpower. Remember the old commercial that included the line,
"Bet you can't eat just one!" Well, guess what? They were right.
The food companies know a good thing when they see them. By combining fats,
sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the
brains reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to
eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when were full. The only answer,
then, is to plan and structure our eating to avoid that lethal combination. And
the best way to do that, in my experience, is to educate yourself about the
things that make for health and wellness. Such information can lead to action.
As you may remember from my long series on the topic, optimal wellness requires
us to pay attention to three factors: what goes in (nutrition), what goes out
(fitness), and what goes around (goodness). For a long time, I conducted my own
experiments in these arenas without clear, scientific guidance. It seemed I
could always find an authority who would contradict another authority on the
matter. All that changed for me in the summer of 2004 when I heard a lecture
given by Dr. S. Boyd Eaton at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York
State.
Titled, "Stone Agers in the Fast
Lane: Health Promotion in the 50th Millennium," the lecture articulated a
principle for understanding optimal wellness that won me over immediately and
has since become an avid part of my reading, research, and regimen.
The principle Dr. Eaton articulated was simply this: by
learning about the diet and lifestyle of our original ancestors, we can learn
about the diet and lifestyle that best suits human beings today and in the
future.
Why would our original diet and lifestyle be so prescriptive? Because we ate and
lived that way for most of our existence as a species. Only recently, in evolutionary terms,
have we made dramatic changes to our diets and lifestyles (through the
agricultural, industrial, and now informational revolutions). Although those
revolutions have generated some wonderful things, including civilization as we
know it today, they have also generated chronic disease and stress in
unprecedented proportions. People were not designed to eat those fat, sugar, and
salt combinations, to sit around all day in front of electronic screens, and to
live in ticky-tacky houses in relative isolation from each other.
That's why Dr. Eaton and many others now argue
persuasively that the original diet and lifestyle, from the Paleolithic period,
is worth emulating (in so far as that is possible) for those seeking to optimize
their own health and well-being.
So I have moved in that direction over time and I have been sharing with you my
experience with that through the pages of LifeTrek Provisions. Here's a quick
recap of what I have learned:
-
Evolutionary Nutrition. Prior to 10,000 years ago, no human being on the
planet was eating grains, dairy products, or beans. These products of
agriculture had not been invented yet. Prior to 100 years ago, no human
being on the planet was eating foods that had been grown and fertilized with
the byproducts of fossil fuels. The power to fix nitrogen, by combining
nitrogen and hydrogen gases under immense heat and pressure in the presence
of a catalyst, had not been invented yet. As a result, the human population
was smaller and far less developed.
But it was also healthier from the standpoint of chronic disease and stress.
Many people are surprised to learn that; I know I was. I assumed that the
lives of our original ancestors, to quote Thomas Hobbes in 1651, were
"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Nothing, it turns out, could be
further from the truth. Without wanting to exaggerate or ignore the very
real challenges of their existence, it is safe to say that our original
ancestors lived relatively long, enjoyable, and active lives in supportive
communities. Their diet, as hunters and gatherers, included primarily wild
game, birds, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Those are the foods,
grown organically, along with plenty of clean water, that still make for
optimal nutrition today.
-
Evolutionary Fitness. Prior to 10,000 years ago, no human being on the
planet lived in permanent shelters, let alone in urban areas, with foods
delivered practically to their doors. Civilization, as we know it, had not
been invented yet. Prior to 200 years ago, no human being on the planet was
moving around with the help of fossil fuels. The internal combustion engine had
not been invented yet. As a result, the human population was parochial and
far less mobile.
But it was also far more active and fit. It takes a lot of work to hunt and
gather food without gunpowder and metal. It also takes a lot of planning and
ingenuity. All that contributed not only to the development of big brains
but also to fit bodies. The two go hand in hand. The more we use our brains
and bodies, the better we feel and live. Inactivity and lack of
exercise contradict human nature and undermine human health.
In this area, too, I had a big surprise. I figured that
hunters and gatherers had more activity and exercise than modern office
workers. I did not realize, however, that they also had more rest and
relaxation. No one worked straight through from 9 to 5, let alone from 5 to
9. They rather developed healthy rhythms between exertion and recovery, both
day to day and season to season. Much was dependent upon weather and light.
Day to day, our original ancestors took naps and slept far more often
than we do today. They built their fitness on a solid foundation of self-care
that we would do well to emulate.
-
Evolutionary Goodness. And it wasn't all about self-care; they were also
far more attentive to and supportive of each other's needs than we are
today. There's really no other way to survive in the wild. For a
description, I turn to Dr. Eaton in his 1988 book, The
Paleolithic Prescription:
Our original ancestors "were much like us -- experiencing most of the same
hopes, doubts, desires, pleasures, challenges, disappointments, and
conflicts. But they experienced them together. Social isolation, with its
now established threat to mental and physical health, was unknown to them.
Stresses were numerous, but they arose out of the realities of life, not
from clock watching, traffic jams, or class consciousness."
"Their lives were spent working, playing, eating, sleeping, entertaining,
and worshipping -- with a close-knit group of people who, as much as they
might complain, cared for one another. When tensions arose that couldn't be
resolved, they were free to move off and join other friends and relatives in
a different band for varying lengths of time. Their children grew up in that
same context of closeness, nurturance, and love."
In other words, benevolence! Only in supportive communities and environments
could people survive and thrive. Banishment meant certain death. Mutual aid
meant life. "This was the way of life," Eaton concludes, "that characterized
every generation of human beings on our planet for most of the course of
human evolution." It's in our genes and in our bones to care and to make
life more wonderful for others.
So that's the pattern that makes for optimal wellness. It's also
the pattern that protects us against the ravages of stress. It's hard to
overstate how stressful it is on our health and wellness to eat poorly, to
exercise minimally, and to rest hardly at all. To say that we don't have time to
take good care of ourselves is to put ourselves on a fast track to the morgue.
That may make headlines when we are a celebrity, but something tells me that's
not the kind of attention Michael Jackson was hoping for.
Want to learn more? All my Provisions and Pathways related to optimal wellness
can be found at
www.CelebrateWellness.com. I invite you to check them out or to give us a
call for coaching.
Coaching Inquiries: What actions could you take that would make your life more
wonderful? How could you move closer in your manner of living to the wisdom
gleaned from evolutionary wellness? What changes would you like to make in your diet
and lifestyle? How could your communities and support networks conspire to make
it so? Who could you talk with this week, about the possibilities?
To reply to this Provision, use our
Feedback Form. To
talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization,
Email Us
or use our
Contact Form
to arrange a complimentary conversation. To learn more about LifeTrek Coaching programs,
Click Here.
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2. On The Web: The End of
Overeating by Bob Tschannen-Moran
What brought my attention to Dr. Kessler's book, The End of Overeating,
was a book review in the New York Times titled "How
the Food Makers Captured Our Brains" by Tara Parker-Pope. If you don't have
time to read the book, I encourage you to read the article. Here's a few
snippets for those who don't even have time to do that:
In "The End of Overeating," Dr. Kessler finds some
similarities between the tobacco industry and the food industry, which has
combined and created foods in a way that taps into our brain circuitry and
stimulates our desire for more.
Dr. Kessler isnt convinced that food makers fully understand the
neuroscience of the forces they have unleashed, but food companies certainly
understand human behavior, taste preferences and desire. In fact, he offers
descriptions of how restaurants and food makers manipulate ingredients to
reach the aptly named "bliss point." Foods that contain too little or too
much sugar, fat or salt are either bland or overwhelming. But food
scientists work hard to reach the precise point at which we derive the
greatest pleasure from fat, sugar and salt.
Foods rich in sugar and fat are relatively recent arrivals on the food
landscape, Dr. Kessler noted. But today, foods are more than just a
combination of ingredients. They are highly complex creations, loaded up
with layer upon layer of stimulating tastes that result in a multisensory
experience for the brain. Food companies "design food for irresistibility,"
Dr. Kessler noted. "Its been part of their business plans."
One of his main messages is that overeating is not due to an absence of
willpower, but a biological challenge made more difficult by the
overstimulating food environment that surrounds us. "Conditioned hypereating"
is a chronic problem that is made worse by dieting and needs to be managed
rather than cured, he said. And while lapses are inevitable, Dr. Kessler
outlines several strategies that address the behavioral, cognitive and
nutritional factors that fuel overeating.
You'll have to read the book to get Kessler's prescription, but
it's not a quick fix and not for the faint of heart. It takes a strong desire to
be well and then a clear plan for getting the necessary nutrition and exercise
our bodies need. The LifeTrek
Optimal Wellness
Prototype is one way to do that, and I encourage you to give it a try.
Coaching Inquiries: How many processed foods do you eat? How many raw and whole
food do you eat? How could you structure your routines and your environments to
eat better? Who do you know who might be interest in joining you on the
question? Why not give them a call, right now?
If you would like to learn more about
our Coaching Programs and to arrange for a complementary
coaching session, Click Here
or
Email
Us.
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3. Readers' Forum
Editor's Note: The LifeTrek Readers'
Forum contains selections from the comments and materials sent in each week by the readers
of LifeTrek Provisions. They do not necessarily reflect the perspective of LifeTrek Coaching
International. To submit your comment
Email Bob
or use our online Feedback Form.
========================================================
Your last Provision on "Stress
Proofing Your Routines" was a great provision. Thank you! I will put this on
my things to change agenda for this week.
========================================================
The first line of your last Provision hit me right between the eyes.
Tell me your routines and I will tell you your future. Since I read that line I
have paid much more attention to my routines. Thanks!
========================================================
Your provision about healthy routines reminded me of a chapter in
coach Cheryl Richardson's new book, The Art of Extreme Self Care. A healthy
routine has a power all its own. A healthy body, mind, and spirit can accomplish
so much more, too.
========================================================
I want to thank you for your Provisions. They are like a free,
weekly coaching session. I always look forward to them and always leave feeling
nourished. I found it interesting how similar my routines are to yours. Over the
last few years I have been doing a lot of work on my "walking the walk" in
preparation for Wellcoach training. Your weekly provisions have played an
important role in helping me clarify my vision. Although my choices vary from
yours, I have developed stress-proofing routines in my life and also feel
uplifted by them. I have significant sources of stress in my life that could
send me down the wrong path. Instead, my routines provide me a deep sense of
inner calm and path to mindful living.
========================================================
There seems to be a lot of sugar in your smoothing recipe. Even
though it is natural sugars, I'm a diabetic and this would not work for me.
Sugar causes inflammation in the body and that's a bad thing. (Ed. Note: Agreed,
when it comes to the health impacts of sugar. The sugar in my smoothie recipe is
easily reduced; just eliminate the molasses and reduce the quantity of fruit.
Otherwise, there are no sugars.) Top
========================================================
4. Bulletin Board
-- Get
LifeTrek Mobile. After almost 9 years, our mobile content provider,
AvantGo, is going out of business. What started out as a real
innovation, when handheld devices had limited or no Internet
connectivity, could not survive the onslaught of web-enabled mobile
devices. That does not mean, however, that you cannot keep reading
LifeTrek Provisions on your mobile device. Just
go to www.LifeTrekMobile.com
and you will be viewing a site specifically designed for mobile browsers.
Enjoy the read! We hope you take us with you on the go.
-- Wellcoaches
Training Program. Three LifeTrek staff members are actively involved in a
coach training program called Wellcoaches.
Although designed to teach coaching to health and fitness professionals, it is
an excellent, affordable, 13-week program that all coaches and aspiring coaches
could benefit from. Our training curriculum has recently become available
through
Amazon. Register for the July program before June 1st to receive a $95
early-bird discount (payment plans are available).
Register
Now.
--
CelebrateWellness.com. For more than ten years LifeTrek staff members
have written Provisions and Pathways regarding health, wellness, and optimal
well-being. Indeed, we love to coach people around meeting these existential
needs! Our writings are archived at
CelebrateWellness.com. We
hope you will visit soon and often!
-- CelebrateEmpathy.com.
To learn more about the process of honest expression and empathic reception,
visit out latest Celebrate! website, CelebrateEmpathy.com.
The site features resources and training opportunities in Nonviolent
Communication (NVC).
-- CelebrateSchools.com. Building on the school leadership work of
LifeTrek Vice-President, Megan Tschannen-Moran, Associate Professor of
Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership at the College of William and Mary,
LifeTrek offers a dynamic process for school improvement utilizing Appreciative
Inquiry, training, and professional coaching. To learn and to contact us for a
possible consultation, visit CelebrateSchools.com.
-- CelebrateCongregations.com. If you are involved with a church or
congregation in need of transformation and renewal, Appreciative Inquiry and
professional coaching provides a powerful combination for making things
different. To learn more and to contact us for a possible consultation, visit
CelebrateCongregations.com.
-- LifeTrek Coaching Programs.
LifeTrek offers a full range of individual and group coaching programs. In addition to
what you read every week in Provisions concerning your personal and professional
development, did you know that LifeTrek also does a wide range of organizational
development work and leadership coaching? The various aspects of our program are
clearly described at our Website,
Click. Visit our site
today to learn how LifeTrek can assist you or your organization.
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5. Bookstore
Click
You can
purchase all of the books mentioned in LifeTrek Provisions as well as a whole
lot more from
Amazon.com.
These great books will move you forward in your own life trek. Here are links to
a few recently mentioned books (some of which are available on the
Amazon Kindle, an electronic book reader):
-- The End of Overeating by David Kessler
Amazon
-- Stress Management for Dummies by Allen Elkin
Amazon
-- Stress Free For Good by Frederic Luskin
Amazon
-- Getting Things Done by David Allen
Amazon
-- The Power of Focusing by Ann Cornell
Amazon
-- Bio-Spirituality: Focusing As A Way To Grow by Campbell & McMahon
Amazon
-- The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson
Amazon
-- The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook
Amazon
-- Breathing CD by Andrew Weil
Amazon
-- Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Amazon
-- Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Amazon
-- Positively Brilliant Self-Mastery by Peter Reding
Web
Old Provisions never die; they just keep on providing inspiration for life.
You can purchase some of your favorite Provisions' series, for a nominal fee,
bundled and formatted either for Palm Pilot document readers or as Adobe Acrobat
PDF files. Here are the titles currently available with a link to purchase:
-- Listening e-Book and Audio Series. Bob Tschannen-Moran's series of
Provisions on Listening has been turned into a 41-page e-Book together with an
audio series that he recorded along with Margaret Moore from the Wellcoaches
Corporation. In addition to learning the "10 Keys to Better Listening," this
e-Book and Audio Series will enable you to appreciate the humor and insight of
Bob's perspective and voice. If you're not ready to start work with a LifeTrek
coach, this series on Listening is the next best thing. Working through the 10
Keys, and listening to the audio recording, will assist you to reap the personal
and professional benefits of better listening. Order your copy today for $10
U.S.
Click.
We also have a variety of other resources for as little as $1.50. Check out these titles:
-- Mastering Your Money: Road to Financial Independence,
PDF or
Palm DOC
-- Ten Strategies for Success: Culled from America's Greatest Sports Coaches,
PDF or
Palm DOC
-- Get Motivated For Life: How To Give Your Best Every Day,
PDF or
Palm DOC
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May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran, President
LifeTrek Coaching International
121 Will Scarlet Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
Email:
Coach@LifeTrekCoaching.com
Phone: (757) 345-3452
Fax: (772) 382-3258
Web: www.LifeTrekCoaching.com
Mobile: www.LifeTrekMobile.com
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