I'm flying back from New York city as I write this after an amazing ten days in the Big Apple. What an inspiring place...Love it.
Last week I flew over to attend Tony Robbins 'Unleash the Power Within' seminar last weekend. It was a long trip to make for a seminar but it didn't disappoint.
Tony's the best in the world when it comes to figuring out how to unlock peoples true potential. I've studied his stuff since I was in my early teens and really what I love about his books and programs is the simplicity of his advise. There's a phrase I think rings true now more than ever before:
“Complexity is the enemy of execution”.
In the age we live in people seem dead set on always adding more information, and making things more complex than they need to be. In the areas of health and wellness people read and study so much about training and nutrition, that the complexity leaves them paralyzed and confused
I've always tried to mimic Tony's approach of delivering information in a way thats easy to understand and implementable immediately. The 'basics' of anything are never particularly sexy or cool but they are what get results. With that in mind (and having consumed too much good food in NYC these past ten days! ) I wanted to share some of the basic practices I'll be implementing this week to get myself back on track.
You can dismiss these and say “Well that's obvious, I already know that....” but the reality is unless you are doing these things on a consistent basis you don't really 'know' them and there's no good looking for fancy exercises and supplements to add to your routine. The following make up your foundation, and much like with a house if you haven't taken care of the foundation, you're in trouble
1. Deep breathing. This is so often overlooked in the areas of health, wellness and fat loss. Without question oxygen is the most important component of good health and vitality. Improper breathing patterns are rife and can lead to all sorts of issue. I like box breathing as an exercise. Here you'll take a deep breath in through the nose looking to breath deep in to the belly. The breath should last around four seconds in followed by a four second hold. After this breath our for four seconds followed by a four second hold. Ten minutes of this box breathing can have a dramatic impact on reducing stress levels and improving sleep. For added benefit close your eyes for the 4 minutes and for each breath think of something you are grateful to have in your life.
2. Hydration. Over 70 per cent of your body is made up of water but again we often neglect the area of hydration instead choosing to look for magic pills and potions to help us drop body fat. Remember a dehydrated body will never drop body fat so it's massively important that we look to consume around a litre of water per 30kg bodyweight. That means a 60kg lady should be consuming a minimum of two litres of water a day. (This one tip alone will help you drop body fat in a matter of weeks. Not sexy, but effective! )
3. Alkalize. Processed foods, alcohol, drugs and medicines, stress and the environment often leave our bodies in an acidic state and an acidic body will do everything in it's power to hold on to body fat. Alkalize the body and you'll drop fat quick. Sounds simple....It is! Increase your uptake of green vegetables, in particular watercress, broccoli, spinach and kale. Getting a handful of greens with at least two of your meals per day will have a tremendous impact on your health. Pair this with the 10 minutes of deep breathing mentioned above and you'll have put your body in a much more alkaline state. (For those who find it hard to the greens in a wheatgrass supplement can provide great benefits ).
4. Don't fear fat. Fat was villainized for years but we now know that fat doesn't make you fat. Sugar does.....Fat also helps regulate your hormones (hugely important ) and keeps you full. You should be shooting for 2-3 tablespoons of healthy fats per meal- think seeds, nuts, nut butters, avocados, oils etc.
5. Palmful of protein. Most people don't eat anywhere near enough protein. Add at least a portion the size and depth of the palm of your hand to three meals a day. Fish, seafood, poultry, meats and eggs are all good sources here. Sometimes we think about all the foods we 'can't' eat..Instead think of getting your palmful of protein, two tablespoons of fats and fistful of greens with each meal and your most likely going to feel satisfied!
6. Move! Train, lift, exercise, whatever you want to call it! Seems an obvious one but we need to move for 30 minutes minimum 4-5 times a week. The best training plan in the world is the one you actually follow...In other words you could be handed the most well thought out training and nutrition plan ever written, but if you don't stay consistent with it you won't see any results. By all means try to get a great plan that'll get you great results but if you can't get your hands on that plan straight away just start moving today! “ Don't wait — the time will never be just right”. I've often gotten caught in this trap of falling between different routines and plans so now my rule of thumb is that I perform some kind of physical activity 4-5 times a week for MINIMUM 30 minutes. That might be weights, gymnastics, a short run. Keep it fun and keep it varied.
That six steps, so simple....so basic....but so effective. If you are on top of all six of these the foundation is strong! If not, I'd challenge you to try stay consistent with these six concepts for 21 days and see how much better you look, feel and move.
By the way I'm not preaching here as after my ten days of fat too much pizza and hot dogs in the Big Apple I need the foundational principles more than anyone! Thanks for reading!
Keep moving forward,
Pat Divilly
Pat Divilly is a gym owner, best selling author and youth mental health ambassador from Barna. Log on to PatDivillyFitness.com to get a free 90 page cookbook for improved health and Pat's weekly newsletter with mindset and motivation tips.
