OFFIT OfficeFitness for the 9-5 Grind By Thomas McSweeny Dedication

I dedicate this book to you guys and gals at work, past and present, who thought you were too busy to sort your fitness out. I said it then and i'll say it again: you're not. I also dedicate this book to all the nay-sayers, complainers and party-poopers I've come across. It's time to listen up! Your excuses have fled. May this book help all of you to get healthier and fitter. Onwards! Tom

Table of Contents

Introduction Beginning Getting Started Please Wake Up Eat Consciously The Menu Storing Fruits and Vegetables Salt Take a deep breath, smile and roll up your sleeves Intention Organization Recipes Sample Meals Stress Free Eating Staying Warm and Cooling Off with Food Intermittent and Regular Fasting Hydration Upgrading Cookware Food Guidance Sweeteners Grains Fats and Oils Animal and Dairy Products Caffeine Chocolate Supplements

Healthy Habits Oral Health Sleep Sunlight If you get ill Training What Were Aiming For Getting Started Motivation Workout Ideas Sample Workouts The Movements Nasal Breathing Factors to Keep in Mind when Exercising Building a Daily Routine

Embrace Health: Into a New Life with a Stronger Will

Notes Ditch These: Things to Totally Avoid Eat These: Sample Recipes to Enjoy

Introduction
Im a law student working within a solicitors office. I spend an average of 14 hours a day sitting at a computer. I understand the pain of grinding the 9-5 routine pretty well. And like many of you Ive witnessed myself go soft and my health go sour since I started spending so much time indoors. I traded sunlight for pastries, coffee and cake. By the time I came home I had no energy or desire to exercise or cook myself a proper dinner. Takeaways became a regular choice and ready meals my best friend. I got weak and fed up with the whole situation. With the little free time I had left every night I decided to start asking friends, browsing online and getting my hands on as much information I could that would help me improve physically and mentally. The real problem though, as any office fellow knows, is not so much what to do but rather how to apply it within our busy schedules. How we can implement all those necessary changes with so little time and energy available. And let's not forget those die hard, long lasting habits and addictions we're going to have to overcome along the way. This book is the result of my relentless pursuit of a solution. Its not professional advice, legal or medical, but for your entertainment while turning your life around. What you find within these pages will help you get back on track. Ive simplified everything down to a minimum and made things really easy to understand and apply. The whole I-feel-like-crap to I-feel-good transition is broken down into sections so you can get started one thing at a time. There are no fancy terms, fillers or long-ass chapters to bore you to death. After all, you dont have all day to read this!

Beginning
For most of us living a healthy life is about being able to move with ease and grace while enjoying good food and pleasant indulgences without a worry. But see, life has a habit of getting in the way of healthy living, especially when were stuck at a desk all day with cakes, biscuits and coffee tempting us every few hours. There is an alternative though. The approach that follows will allow you to do the important things in your life while being confident that your health and fitness goals are being met through smart eating, exercise and lifestyle choices. Yes, despite continuing to sit down at work for 8-14 hours a day. Planned, brief and intense workouts will maximize the time you have to exercise. Youll add muscle and burn fat working out from start to finish in less than 30 minutes. Thats less than a lunch break or the time it takes to cook a delicious meal.

The exercise is backed up by eating meat, fruit, nuts and vegetables which will give you proper nutrition, a huge amount of choice and the ability to eat as much as you want. So if you fancy two steaks for dinner go for it. By dropping foods that contain additives and addictive substances youll be springing out of bed ready to go to work without the need for a coffee, tea or energy drink. Youll have the energy and time to devote to other things in your life. A month or two down the line youll be getting more out of every day than ever before and wondering what all the fuss was about.

Getting Started
We can be, if we so desire, shining examples of health, strength and joyful living. All it takes is clear guidance and the self discipline to change ourselves for the better. I believe the most important aspect of any positive change in life is making it permanent. Having a plan makes that more likely. This guide lays the foundations for that plan in simple terms. The guide is split into the following sections: Section One Please Wake Up Section Two Eat Consciously Section Three - Food Guidance Section Four Healthy Habits Section Five Training Section Six Building A Daily Routine Section Seven Embrace Health: Into a New Life with a Stronger Will Notes: Ditch These: Things to Totally Avoid Eat These: Sample Recipes to Enjoy Begin by giving the book one quick read. Then with your specific goals in mind go through each section in detail and gradually apply the changes outlined there until you get where you want to be.

Please Wake Up
Firstly please wake up. Yes, get that blindfold off your eyes. Physically were at an all time low in our history. Compared to our early days as primates, cavemen, huntergatherers and farmers were rubbish. Collectively we are growing weaker, we are getting sicker and we are getting dumber. Its more than obvious that as time has gone by things have gotten worse. Billions of dollars spent on medicine, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, marketing diets, magic products

etcetera have all gone down the drain. In any case, take a look around your workplace, the street, your house or your neighborhood. Chances are the majority of the people you see are not doing very well in terms of health (you arent either else you wouldnt be reading this book). The specific purpose of this book is to simply get you back on track. And while I sincerely applaud you for having the courage to turn your life around it will be in vain if you continue to follow the conventionalisms and official version of health. Its like being part of a herd running towards a cliff and not slowing down as you begin to hear the screaming of those ahead of you who are falling down. You cant just ignore whats happening. You must try something different in order to get different results.

Eat Consciously
What you eat goes 70% of the way towards keeping you healthy. Exercise takes the other 30%. Giving yourself foods suited to your bodys needs is therefore extremely important. Changing from your previous lifestyle to a much healthier one can be done simply in a couple of ways: A) The cold turkey approach: Dump all the crap you used to eat and go all out with natural foods straight away. B) The gradual approach: Consistently make small changes at a slower pace until you have everything covered. Going cold turkey simply involves throwing everything out that is not a natural food. See the summary below and if it isnt in there get rid of it! Then go shopping and stock up on plenty of natural foods. Fill your pantry and enjoy eating as much as you want. Make sure to buy enough so you dont go hungry. Running out of natural food and being left hungry is the fastest way to make you crave for crap once more. And it is certainly not a position you want to leave yourself in, especially at work when cakes and biscuits are doing the rounds at snack time and a fast food lunch is on the cards. If you live with others (loved ones, flat/house mates, whoever else, it makes no difference) and they are not keen to adopt your new lifestyle I can guarantee they will do their best to tempt you with crap and sabotage your efforts. By starting the process of transformation you prove to all that youre taking responsibility for your life. Youre having the courage to change your life around while they might not. As unfortunate as it is this will likely anger and annoy them, externally or internally, and in return they will subtly seek to put an end to your quest. For its much easier to kick the ladder while someone else is climbing it than it is to climb it yourself. Coworkers, family, friends and especially those you love are the ones youve got to keep an eye on. Going cold turkey is a bit tougher in the beginning but youll notice the positive effects of eating naturally really quick and draw motivation from those. Be prepared for strong cravings while your body first adapts. But get into the habit of eating satisfying meals on a regular basis and youll have nothing left to fear. Taking things slowly involves progressively upgrading the different foods you eat until youve discarded everything that is not natural. This is a less challenging approach to follow because changing over time is much easier and youll be much less prone to bouncing back or giving up entirely. Adapting to your new lifestyle will be easier, cravings will be less but great results will take a bit longer. Both approaches result in a lifestyle where food consists of meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts while animal products like cheese and eggs play a supporting role. The word diet is filled with baggage and negativity. Ultimately, youre not supposed

to diet, youre supposed to eat normally: natures normal not cultures normal, period. Well leave dieting to wannabes and the general crowd.

The Menu
Natural produce: the best and brightest for better nutrition. Eat meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and fresh animal and dairy products (eggs, cheese, milk). And those should be pretty much all you consume regularly. That doesnt sound like it includes a lot. But its everything edible that grows on the planet and then some. Add some extra nutrient dense foods like raw chocolate and coconut oil and youll be well on your way to great health. Eating this way will give you an ample supply of nutrients from a wide variety of fresh sources allowing you to drink the odd pint or glass of wine without any worry. Meat, Fowl and Fish Organically raised and pasture fed meats (beef, lamb, goat, pork, ox, rabbit etc), fowl (chicken, duck, goose, turkey, pheasant and anything else with wings) and organs (liver, kidney, brain, heart). While organically raised animals might not be available make sure the meat is free range. Grains cause problems in animals so go with pasture/grass fed when you can. Broths can be made from the bones. Fresh and wild, deep sea fish, fresh water fish and shellfish from clean waters. Though not ideal frozen and canned fish/shellfish stored in water or olive oil make for an acceptable substitute to fresh sources. You should avoid highly processed meats containing additives and preservatives (bacon, ready-to-eat meats etc). Fish stored with additives or anything other than water or olive oil is a bad choice and, just as with meat, processed fish and seafood are a redundant option. Its unfortunate that commercial grade fish are now laden with toxics such as mercury and pesticides which have leaked into the sea. Vegetables and Fruit Seasonal, locally grown organic fresh fruit and vegetables are the very best you can get. Otherwise go with whatever is closest to that and wash the fruit/vegetables thoroughly before eating to remove any spray on preservatives or wax. Frozen fruit and vegetables come third on the list with commercially grown varieties taking fourth place. Completely avoid canned, irradiated and sugared fruits and vegetables though. Low sugar, high antioxidant fruits are the best to go for. These tend to be small berries like blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries. Colourful vegetables contain a high antioxidant count while root vegetables (sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions) and dark green vegetables (spinach, broccolis and sprouts) have a high mineral content.

Fats and Oils Pure/Virgin/Cold-pressed Coconut oil, olive oil, raw butter, ghee, schmaltz, suet and dripping work really well. Avocado oil is another one worth trying. In all cases consider how easy it is to extract the oil from its source: getting oil from an olive is easy, getting oil from a tiny, dry seed requires heavy processing which indicates it probably shouldnt be eaten. Eggs - Free-range organic eggs take the top spot. Free range eggs come in second while you can flat out avoid battery farmed eggs. Remember: The egg is only as good as the chicken which laid it. Consider these questions: Does the chicken move freely? Does it eat real chicken food (chiefly worms, insects and small herbs) etc? Locked up, grain-fed, antibiotic-injected chicken are not healthy and nor are the eggs they lay. Nuts Pecans, walnuts, pistachios, macadamias, Brazils and almonds make for a great crunchy addition to a plate. They are best soaked overnight in slightly salted water and then slow dried in the oven for 6-12 hours before consumption. Dairy If youre going to include dairy then it has to be high quality and raw anything less than that will produce negative results. Raw milk from pasture fed animals, kefir/yoghurt with live bacteria made from raw milk and raw (unpasteurised) cream, butter and cheese. Avoid all non-raw dairy/dairy products. That means anything with pasteurised, homogenised, Ultra High Temperature (UHT), low fat or powdered written on it. Herbs and Spices -Should ideally be fresh, organic and seasonal. Essentially: If you can catch it, collect it and eat it raw, and it was alive and growing 10,000 years ago, eat it. And Remember: Organic no longer means organic make sure it is not used as a marketing tool to make the food/product sound better! It must be Certified Organic to adhere to what we think of when using the word organic i.e. does not contain any added chemicals.

Storing Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables last longer when stored outside where its (normally) cooler than being left inside. I keep mine in the porch in a hemp bag with a towel draped over the top. The towel captures any moisture keeping the vegetables dry. If you live somewhere warm then the fridge is the obvious choice. Just be sure to dry your fruits and vegetables thoroughly first. This helps them stay fresh for longer.

Salt
Some of the best tasting and nutritionally beneficial salt is unrefined sea salt which has come from evaporated water. Quality sea salt is sodium chloride with at least 6% trace minerals and without any additives. These minerals are what round out the flavour and give a touch of sweetness. Pure sodium chloride or ionized sodium chloride taste sharp and very bitter. By chemically treating the salt to purify it and exposing it to extreme temperatures manufacturers make it harder to absorb (you dont get pure substances fit for consumption in nature). Ionized salt, where lost iodine has been artificially grafted back onto the sodium chloride compound, has to have more chemicals added to stabilize the iodine. Strictly avoid it and all salts containing added fluoride too. They do you no good. When buying salt be sure to read the label to check for additives and the place of origin. Salt normally comes from one of two places a living sea, or a dead one. Mined salt will come from the salt beds of a dead ocean. Millions of years of rain fall will have percolated through the salt deposits leaching out the iodine and most of the trace minerals over time, meaning it is not as nutritious as salt evaporated from a living sea. Also look for a description of the processing involved. Ideally it will be chemical free, using only enough heat to evaporate the water. Once youve found one its normally cheaper to buy in bulk and definitely worth the taste and benefits.

Take a deep breath, smile and roll up your sleeves

Lets not kid ourselves. Trying to change our way of eating isnt necessarily easy. But having a clear intention to do so and being organised makes it a whole lot easier.

Intention
You must want to be healthy. Deeply intend and resolve with all your will to nourish yourself from this point onwards. Summon the desire for your goals: how you will be super healthy and fit etc. Really let those fill your mind: the colours, the sounds, the smells, the touch and the taste of your victory. Although it is a personal experience, sharing the journey with others doing the same will only help to keep up the encouragement. If co-workers and the like want to eat sugary cakes every snack time then so be it. Don't preach to them and dont let them preach to you. You're results will have the whole office asking genuine questions about why you look so vibrant soon enough.

Organization
The kitchen is where food happens. Start by recycling damaged, useless and unused equipment. Now open your fridge and cupboards. See how all the damaging foodstuffs, everything that isn't fresh and living, stand in the way of your goals. Throw them all out with gusto! Banish these things from your home! They are poison to your efforts! Dispose of out-of-date, unhealthy and artificial ingredients, anything that does not contribute to your new health quest. A deep clean afterwards makes the place feel fresh, exciting and filled with potential. In shared kitchens you can encourage others but out of politeness stick to your own section. Your own resulting healthy demeanour will do the rest. Time is the next issue. Allow yourself time to prepare and eat a decent meal, rushing just leads to sub-par results and dissatisfaction. By eating full meals you obtain nourishment and leave no room for health leaching foods like sweets, snack bars and sugary deserts. Taking the time and putting in the effort for a meal really makes the difference. If that means getting up earlier so you can get a descent breakfast then get up earlier. If it means cooking tomorrows lunch tonight then great, cook it tonight. Thatll give you more time in bed tomorrow morning. I often just put some meat and vegetables in the oven and then go for a run or do some exercise at home until theyre ready. Or whack an omelette in the pan for breakfast and go take a shower while it cooks. Time also holds true for shopping. Its handy to write a list before you go out, including the ingredients for specific meals and useful stock-ups (root vegetables for

example, which can be used in a huge variety of dishes). As you get used to buying ingredients rather than products though you can enjoy the process of looking for different tastes and combinations freestyle.

Recipes
There are no set meals. Volumes can be written about how to combine different natural foods for great tastes. Youre free to eat them how you want. Personal experimentation is ultimately the best way forward and in time youll learn to feel what you body is asking for. Ideally you want to get to a stage where from some raw ingredients you can make a satisfying meal. Start out by going broad. Buy a load of different ingredients to keep you stocked up and aim for variety over quantity. Generally its tasty to serve seasonal ingredients together. Apple and pork works because both are harvested at the same time of year. The same goes for beef and root vegetables. As for how much and when to eat start with a light breakfast, a light lunch and then as much as you want for dinner. If you fancy two steaks then go for it! On no account are you to snack however. Drink water if you're hungry before meals. After awhile youll feel no desire to snack or eat a thing between meals anyway. Below are a few example meals to get you started and recipes for each can be found towards the back of the book. Experiment and dont feel these are set in stone. More recipe ideas can be found at http://www.get-offit.com/recipes.

Sample Meals:
Breakfast
Omelette with ham, cheese and red onion Boiled eggs, blueberries, pecan nuts and celery Pork chops roasted with apple and red onion

Lunch
Minced beef with tomatoes, red onions, peppers and chillies Salmon with avocado, red onions and tomatoes Salad of unpasteurised cheese, celery, grapes and carrots

Dinner
Grilled steak with large salad of spinach, tomatoes, celery, spring onions, walnuts and grated carrots Stir fried chicken with ginger, water chestnuts, spring onions, bamboo shoots, peppers and pineapple Lamb roasted with root vegetables

Stress Free Eating

Stress has a debilitating effect on your digestive system. Events playing on your mind, worry and immediate physical distractions (reading, talking on the phone, driving, watching television) all count when considering culinary stress. Consuming food speedily also has a negative impact on the absorption and assimilation of food. The foremost rule when it comes to eating is to always sit down. Never stand, walk or drive. The next thing to do is eliminate all distractions. Lay the table and enjoy the meal for what it is, on your own on in the company of others. Make sitting down with a plate and cutlery part of the process. Eating is satisfying physically, mentally and emotionally. If you are distracted you will eliminate much of the mental and emotional satisfaction since your mind is engaged in other things. Dont eat while watching TV or the computer screen. If you want a good laugh, record either yourself or someone else doing it and you will rapidly notice what a sloppy and sad event it is. Next, remember to eat slowly. Your glands release saliva which then initiates the digestive process even before food enters your mouth. So for digestion to occur optimally you dont want to surprise your stomach by flooding it with food before its ready. Eat slowly and chew your food completely before swallowing. It also helps if the food is mixed with plenty of saliva so try to have a glass of water 30 minutes before the meal to keep hydrated. But you dont want to dilute the digestive juices once the food is in your stomach so avoid drinking during and for 30 minutes after the meal. Eating too fast without chewing properly will put more stress on the stomach and take more energy, aside from the fact that some of the food will go undigested and be excreted intact. To combat this put your fork down or take your hands off your food in between every bite. This drill will force you to focus on chewing and swallowing the food already in your mouth completely before you initiate the next bite. Remember food consumption is not supposed to be an unbroken chain from plate to stomach in the manner of a conveyor belt. It is a joyous and nourishing activity which deserves our attention. Finally, its great eating loads when youre hungry but beware overconsumption and gluttony. Once your stomach is full it takes roughly 20 minutes for your brain to receive the message. If you are eating too fast you will continue to ingest food long after youre truly full. To combat this, aside from the above advice, consider serving

the food on a smaller plate. Measure out a reasonable quantity and put it on a smaller plate than normal. You, and anyone you try this out on, will feel full on the lesser portion (or the same portion on a smaller plate to stop them from having seconds). And thats it. Take it slow, make it pleasurable and savour every bite.

Staying Warm and Cooling Off with Food

Early Persian, Indian and Chinese literature all make reference to how foods were ranked according to their ability to influence body temperature. In the winter warming up with a good meal really makes the difference between getting up feeling active and wanting to climb back into bed. Below are a few tips on how to select the right food for the season: Growth time Fast growing foods (normally found in spring/summer) are not as physically dense as those which grow slowly (generally found in autumn/winter) and as such tend to cool the system when eaten. They feel light. Examples would be bean sprouts and cucumbers as cooling foods, and carrots and parsnips as warming ones. Colour Just as with room colour when it comes to home decor, colours play a role in how a food feels. Blues, greens, and purple coloured foods tend to be more cooling than bright and fiery reds and oranges.This applies to foods of the same type; a red pepper will give a warmer sensation than a green one. Region Foods from tropical and sub-tropical regions tend to be more cooling than temperate/cool-zone foods. Strawberries are more warming than pineapples. Coconut is refreshing while cherries give a sense of warm satisfaction. Water content Dry foods warm more than juicy or liquid ones. Cheese is more satisfying on a winters day than a glass of milk, while a juicy grape is better suited than a raisin when the sun is beating down. Seasonal - Notice how foods grow in accordance with the seasons. Dense, warm coloured vegetables grow in the winter while fast growing juicy fruits appear in the hotter months. If you eat mainly whats available in your area during the seasons you will feel more balanced. Doing a bit of research, shopping at a Farmers Market, or buying from the What's In Season Aisle of the supermarket will help you know what's available locally at that time of year. Preparation - Cooking gives heat to the dish and starts to breakdown the foods structure. Adding more fat only enhances the warming factor. Eating something raw or only slightly cooked on the other hand will give a greater cooling effect. Temperature - Put a glass of water in the fridge for five minutes on a hot summers day and itll make a big difference to how refreshed you feel. Do that on a cold day in the winter and its likely to send a chill through your system. A cup of hot soup on a hot day will make you sweat but when the temperatures biting cold itll warm you to

your bones. Our climates differ extensively across the world. Play around with different recipes and ingredients to see what works best in your location.

Intermittent and Regular Fasting

If you eat regularly then once in awhile its good to skip a meal to give your body a chance to reset and regulate itself. This is called intermittent fasting. It involves skipping one, two or three meals in a 24 hour period once or twice a week. It can be a random meal (e.g. skipping dinner because you got home late rather than ordering takeaway food) a planned one (e.g. deciding to skip breakfast and lunch every Friday and make it up with a big steak for dinner) or a whole bunch (e.g. fasting the whole of Sunday) once or twice a week. To implement begin by skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner here and there. At first you may get hungry as your body is probably used to getting fed three times a day. However after a while your hunger will regulate and your cravings will disappear. A different approach and one which I really like is to skip breakfast everyday and then eat everything youre going to eat that day within a certain timeframe e.g. 8 hours. So you basically just eat a good sized lunch and a big dinner. Then exercise when you get home before dinner to really work up an appetite before eating as much as you fancy. This is normally quite a bit and thats just fine. For me, eating three steaks is not uncommon. Burning fat and gaining muscle is something that occurs naturally when following fasting and it has been shown to give incredible health benefits. These range from improved insulin sensitivity, a stronger immune system, increased Growth Hormone secretion, improved aging, better digestion, increased energy, fat loss and muscle retention. Fasting becomes very easy very quickly. But listen to your body. Some people can implement regular fasting cold turkey while others prefer to start irregularly (like once a fortnight) and then build it into their routine. The best thing to do is experiment. Remember though, this is fasting on a very short term basis. Its fine to be hungry but if you went a week without food your body would definitely slow down your metabolism. By keeping the time spent without food short were encouraging the body to accelerate into getting food again by keeping muscle and burning fat.

Hydration
Water plays a vital role in our bodies. Through the activities of daily living and with the office air conditioning and heating systems drying out the air we lose a lot of that

water. To maintain optimum health this has got to be replaced. Get Drinking Thirst does not develop until body fluids are below levels required for optimal functioning which means if youre thirsty your cells are dehydrated. A dry mouth is the last outward symptom of dehydration. Other symptoms can include headaches, decreased coordination, fatigue, dry skin, decreased urine flow and dry mucous in the mouth and nose. We have evolved to drink plain natural water. So forget substituting other drinks, only water will do when considering hydrating figures. To determine how much water you need each day, divide your body weight in pounds in half. The answer is the approximate number of water ounces you should drink daily. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces, which is about 2.2 litres or 7 cups of water a day. No Really, Get Drinking! Drink half a pint of water when you get up and another when you go to bed. Morning is when you have the highest concentration of toxins and are most likely to be dehydrated so filling up before bed helps flush these out. You should always drink water prior to eating to support the digestive process. The stomach depends on water to help digest food and a lack of water makes it harder for nutrients to be broken down and used as energy. A glass an hour before eating will suffice. Keep a glass of water on your desk at all times. Once youve drunk it all go fill the glass up again right away. By always having some water on hand youll encourage yourself to drink more without having to consciously think about it. Adding a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to every 4-5 glasses of water will help to maintain your sodium/water ratio. If youre over in a hot climate remember to drink more. It sounds obvious but its easy to forget. The last thing we want is you looking like a dried fruit! Use a Filter There is a great strain on the water suppliers to remove all chemicals, hormones and compounds from the water before it gets back to you. In some areas the water needs boiling first before it can be drunk. In some areas it cant be drunk straight from the tap. Therefore wherever you live its a good idea to get a water filter. Added to that there is the fact that if you dont filter the water you drink you become the filter. A really good filter removes chemicals, pesticides, hormones, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, bacteria, and viruses. But any filter is better than no filter so get some sort right away. A carbon filter is a decent minimum requirement to look for. Youll make back your initial investment in money and health. If you live in or near the countryside you can also attempt to find a local spring or run off from any hills and mountains as a supply.

The best source of information about the water quality in your area is your local water supplier. These are usually required to issue an annual water quality report detailing the local levels of compounds found, the processes by which they remove them and the levels of chemicals left in your water. You can contact your supplier to get a copy of this posted to you or view it online. If your tap water is found to contain fluoride or chlorine definitely buy a filter which will remove these right away. Fluoride accumulates in bones making them more susceptible to fracture. It also increases the uptake of aluminium into the brain (a very bad thing) and inhibits antibodies forming in the blood which compromises the immune system. Chlorine indiscriminately kills bacteria which is no good for your internal ecology as your stomach is full of useful varieties. When youre out and about bottled waters biggest advantage is convenience. However, the water has been sat in the bottle absorbing the plastic for a LONG time. It tastes funny/odd when left in the sun because of this. So its recommended that you take your own water with you in a stainless steel container. And remember you can always ask for free tap water in a restaurant in place of buying bottled. If the tap water is drinkable then its preferable to bottled as whatevers in it is usually easier for your body to flush out than plastic.

Upgrading Cookware
Your kitchen is your workshop. What your tools are made of is extremely important. Without a shadow of a doubt some materials are better than others. Some degrade and leach crap into your food. Others dont. Invest in the best and your cookware will last a lifetime. Once its done thats it. There is no need to think about the subject again. Theres a good reason why glass and ceramic beakers are used in the chemistry lab where its critical that containers dont taint the reaction: glass and ceramic are inert and non-reactive. Used in the kitchen they bring out all the flavours of foods. There is no loss of flavour which makes the overall taste full and complete. What more can a chef ask for! Glass - Glass pots and casserole dishes make ideal containers for all types of food; dry, wet, neutral or acidic. They are extremely easy to clean and are dishwasher safe. Earthenware and Ceramic Aside from being inert these containers channel the heat through the whole dish which enables a full range of flavours to emerge. They are normally used for lengthy simmering (soups, stocks) though they really come into their own with one pot dishes like roasted meat and vegetables. Beware of antique ceramic or earthenware pots though which may contain lead. Wood Wooden spoons are non-reactive. They are robust, do not melt and are poor conductors which makes them great for stirring and mixing. Bamboo steamers and paddles, chopsticks and crockery are just some of the other wooden items that can be

brought. Paper - Best used on baking trays and to wrap foods for storage, paper provides an un-reactive substitute to plastic film or bags. Waxed or butchers paper provides the best results for wrapping as it keeps in the moisture, while baking paper prevents sticking. Enamel This consists of a fused glass surface with, normally, a metallic internal structure. With proper care fine enamel pots can last a lifetime. Inexpensive enamel cookware however has such a thin glass layer that it chips all too easily. Once chipped, discard enamel kitchenware because enamel fragments will find their way into your food.

Food Guidance
Sweeteners
Sweeteners play a huge role in the western world and those biscuits at break time are sure to contain a good selection of the worst. So we need to be aware of the better alternatives to use instead. Naturally mineral-rich, minimally refined honey and syrups will allow us to enjoy the sweet taste while nourishing our body at the same time. Use them in place of white/brown/etc sugar when cooking or making drinks as refined sugar and those artificial sweeteners are just plain bad for you (see below). Raw Honey Natures prime natural sweetener should look rough and thick. It may even contain bits of pollen or honeycomb. As a food source it is very nutritious containing a whole array of vitamins. It should be raw, unheated and local for added freshness. Dont consume loads at once and definitely dont give it to infants. In recipes honey can be used as a cure for meats or as a light brush on oven bakes. Added to the run-offs from roasts it can make really tasty gravy. Be aware though that the nutrients and enzymes in your honey will be destroyed when heated above 37C / 98F making it a dead food so its best to apply it to dishes or dressings after they have been cooked. Maple/Birch Syrup Two natural sweeteners made from sap and accompanied by other nutrients from the tree. As with honey they should be used sparingly. While maple syrup comes from north-eastern United States and Canada, birch syrup is largely produced in Scandinavia and Alaska. Unless you live in those areas, pure quality syrup may be difficult to find amongst the heated, mixed, and defective brands organic and specialised food outlets would be the best places to look. Beware of maple syrup flavoured hoaxes though. One is the real thing and the other is just a lab-made mix of unhealthy chemicals and lots of sugar that miserably attempts to copy the flavour of the real thing. Refined Sugar (Pure Sucrose) Pure sugar draws nutrients from your body rather than adding them. The health dangers of ingesting refined sugar on a habitual basis are undeniable. Regardless of the dosages it's a one way road that leads to unhappy results. Left in the mouth as a sticky residue sugar gives a fast supply of food to bacteria which then eat away at the tooth surface. And when theres none left the tooth structure too.

The body uses calcium to dispose of sugar. Because junk foods that contain sugar dont come with any you have to use calcium from your teeth and bones instead. The result is decalcification and that isnt a good thing. Continuous consumption of pure sucrose leads inevitably to diabetes as it messes up your blood sugar and insulin levels. Insulins important because it plays a role in the storage of nutrients and minerals as well as functioning as an anabolic hormone - a muscle builder. Muscle mass keeps us young. Low muscle mass enhances the effects of ageing and you definitely dont want that. Refined sugar also depresses the immune system. Lots of sugar in the blood prevents Vitamin C being absorbed by the cells meaning they are less capable of fighting off disease. In short ditch refined sugar and all its kind and your health will improve significantly. On the chance you end up eating something sugary though bear in mind that a large dose of it all at once will do considerably more damage to yourself and leave a greater imprint on your genes than a couple of smaller doses. Avoid the numerous sugar cane products that attempt to convey a healthy image to trick you into buying them too. These are virtually as devoid of nutrients as white (pure) sugar and offer nothing useful to your body: Brown Sugar, Demerara, Evaporated Cane Juice, Muscovado sugar, Milled sugar, Raw sugar and Unrefined Cane Juice. A great many of these cane products are refined to pure sucrose and then painted with a little molasses to lightly colour and flavour the sugar. Blackstrap molasses do contain some trace minerals but not in high enough levels to be of any real benefit after the damage from the sucrose. Be aware too that natural, whole and unrefined are open terms without legal protection which means they can be used deceitfully in marketing to give a healthy image. Always check a packages description. If it has sugar in the ingredients list its best not to eat it. Artificial Sweeteners Worse than sugar itself these are often found in products that say sugar-free or low on calories. They are fed through deceit to people who are genuinely looking to avoid consuming sugar. Unfortunately these so called alternatives are much, much worse. From the very beginning they were proven to be highly toxic and dangerous. It is only through intense lobbying and corruption that these proven poisons remain approved for human consumption. They act as neurotoxins (destroying brain cells), carcinogenics (increasing your chance of getting cancer) and affect insulin secretion (increasing your chance of getting diabetes). That carries over to symptoms such as migraines, muscular pain, chronic fatigue, and inflammation. They are normally labeled as an E Number on packaging. Common ones include: Sorbitol (E420), Mannitol (E421), Glycerol (E422), Acesulfame-K/ Acesulfame Potassium (k) (Sunette, Sweet One) (E950), Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Canderel) (E951), Cyclamate (E952), Isomalt (E953), Saccharin (SweetN Low, SugarTwin) (E954), Sucralose (Splenda, Altern) (E955), Alitame (E956), Thaumatin (E957), Neohesperidine dihydrochalcone (E959), Aspartame-acesulfame salt (E962),

Neotame (E961), Maltitol (E965), Lactitol (E966), Xylitol (E967), Erythritol (E968) Totally avoid them.

Grains
Humans cannot fully digest grains. It is only in the last 10,000 years that grains have been used as a main source of food. Not enough time has passed for us to have properly adapted to eating them. Grains break down slowly in the digestive tract and the body has to work overtime to transform them into simple, usable, sugars. Unfortunately these sugars then tend to hit the body hard and get burnt up far faster than our body can cope with, paving the way for diabetes. The proteins found in grains, like gluten, add additional strain as they themselves resist digestion. This is not a favourable thing in terms of energy exchange as you spend a lot of time and energy breaking them down for little in return. People living mainly on grains have been found to have a pancreas at least double the size of those who eat no grains. This is due to the extra digestive juices which must be produced in order to break down the complex molecules. The pancreas takes a second hit once the complex carbohydrates are finally broken down to sugar. On top of that, if they go undigested, parts of the grains rot in your stomach and lead to bloating around the waist. Grains contain nutrient and enzyme inhibitors. These substances block and inhibit both nutrient absorption and the breaking down of the food by enzymes. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of calcium, copper, phosphorous, iron and zinc, while enzyme inhibitors stop digestion of the bran. This means you cant eat grains raw without spending more energy and nutrients than you get back. These inhibitors can only be partially removed through sprouting or soaking the grains first. By eating grains at all your digestion and absorption of nutrients will progressively deteriorate. Grains have no significant taste of their own. Oats, spaghetti, pasta, rice you always add something to these because they taste so bland and unappetizing on their own. This is, somewhat tellingly, in stark contrast to everything else we eat. Grains are not great for us and you should ditch them all. Youll feel lighter and more energetic as a result. The most pressing thing to do is to eliminate the really refined white flours (normally wheat) and white rice. These are the most degraded forms of grains. Then move onto cutting out the rest.

Fats and Oils

There are two main categories of fats and oils discussed here: those that come from

animal sources and those that come from plants. Both have gained a bad reputation in the last fifty years or so after relentless lobbying and campaigning by the medical establishment. Before this happened everybody was eating fat no matter where you looked: Animal fat, skin and organs all over the world Olive oils in the Mediterranean Coconut oils in the Pacific Lard, tallow or butter where animal husbandry or dairy farms are to be found

Downplaying fats is a shame because they add flavour to dishes and theyre one of the most nutritionally dense, health supporting and flavour enhancing food types available. Consume on a weekly basis: wild (not farmed) fish or game and the flesh, organs (particularly liver), raw milk and eggs of free range, grass-fed animals in order to acquire enough fatty acids. Organs tend to be exceptionally cheap from butchers as the demand for them is low. This applies to the highest quality sources too. Fish oils are the superior omega-3 fatty acid sources. They strengthen both the immune and circulatory systems, help lubricate the joints and provide nutrients critical for healthy brain function. The quality manufacturers sell these oils in opaque bottles or capsules to protect them from light degradation but if you can buy fresh fish thats even better. If youre eating a variety of quality foods then youre sure to be getting an ample mix of quality fats. As toxins migrate to the fats in animals, organic sources provide all the benefits without the toxic bill. A local butcher or farm is your best chance of finding someone who knows the conditions the animals are brought up in. When it comes to plant derived oils, quality manufacturers cold press in the absence of light and oxygen. The oil is bottled in an opaque glass bottle or a tin can to protect it from light. Coconut oil This has been consumed in tropical places for thousands of years and it gets used as a source of energy by the body without getting stored as fat. Its one of the few significant plant sources of lauric acid, found in human milk, which enhances brain function and the immune system. Coconut oil is proven to be antiviral (it attacks and kills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, hepatitis C and the flu), antibacterial (it kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhoea, food poisoning and pneumonia) and antifungal (it kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause Candida, ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash) while giving off a light nutty flavour and aroma. It supports thyroid function and increases your metabolism, aiding in the digestion of fat soluble minerals, vitamins and amino acids. You can cook with it (its the most heat resistant oil so it retains its nutrients even through cooking) or consume it by the teaspoon. It is arguably the most beneficial oil in the world.

Olive Oil As the regulations regarding the classification of this oil vary across the world it is sufficient to say that the highest quality comes from those which are cold pressed, come from the first pressing of olives (extra virgin olive oil as opposed to just olive oil) and are grown organically. The higher the quality the more antioxidants the oil will contain. Heat treated oils have been destroyed to a greater extent and so are to be avoided as the resulting dead material leads to clogged arteries. Get organic where possible and look for extra virgin or virgin. Try to avoid the generic olive oil. Olive oil isnt too good for cooking as its not highly heat resistant so its best used as a dressing over salads and meats. Butter Butter made from unpasteurized milk/cream is a good source of Vitamin A, contains trace minerals and has antimicrobial, antifungal and antitumor properties. It consists of fat, water and a little protein. Butter makes for a useful addition to meals where its broad nutrient content aids in the assimilation of other nutrients. Flavour wise, the higher the fat content the better the butter. Unsalted butter requires fresher cream to make and so is of higher quality than the salted varieties. Additionally butter made from fermented cream, known as cultured butter, tastes more buttery and is easier to digest as bacteria convert milk sugars into lactic acid. Many European-style butters are cultured. When purchasing look for packets that state the use of cultured cream, low-speed churning and high (up to 85%) butterfat levels. Note: be on the look out for a source of raw milk/cream with which to make your own. Ghee/Clarified Butter Ghee is butter with everything removed save for the fat. It has a long shelf life and can be used to enhance both sweet and savoury foods. It contains butyric acid, a fatty acid with antiviral and anti-cancer properties, and the high fat content aids nutrient uptake. Ghee made using a centrifugal separator is preferable to heat extraction. Clarified butter is similar to ghee though not all the water and solids are removed, giving it less of a buttery taste and a shorter life. Because toxic chemicals concentrate in the fats of animal products try to use organic varieties wherever you can. Schmaltz/Suet/Dripping This consists of the saturated fat from animals, straight off the bone or as a runoff from cooking. If coming from organic, free range, and pasture fed sources then it makes a great addition to roasted and one-pot meals. Toxins accumulate in the fats so dont use those made from commercially farmed animals. Hydrogenated Fats/Trans-fats/Vegetable and Seed Oils Avoid margarine, shortening products, any oil that can only be produced by modern technology and any oil lacking a historical precedent as a fat supply. That means saying no to canola, corn, grape seed, cotton, peanut and soy oils.

They are mostly dead matter with dangerous toxic properties. Cooking with Fats/Oils Food cooked with fats tastes warmer and more delicious. Overheating will damage the fat and lead to an unsavoury taste. As fats aid in digestion it is important to understand some of the different cooking methods and how they affect the fats we eat. Frying - First warm the pan and then add the fat. When it is aromatic, add food. Listen for a quiet chattering sound. If the pan starts to sputter the fat is too hot. With oils if they ripple or smoke they have become oxidized and useless. Remove the pan from the heat, allow it to cool, wipe out all traces of the damaged fat and start over. Baking - Bake only with animal fats like butter or coconut oil as they are heat stable. Most of the oils will denature when cooked at high temperatures. Marinating - After marinating and to avoid damaging the oil by cooking, in place of an oil-based marinade consider marinating with the acidic citrus juices (lemon or orange), salt and other herbs.

Animal and Dairy Products

Eat them fresh
Herbivores in the wild wander around eating grasses and bugs. They do not farm and grow commercial crops with which to feed themselves. Meat that comes from animals fed grains and other sources of commercial 'food' / animal 'feed' is devoid of nutrients and loaded with toxins which means their meat will not only fail to nourish you it will also weaken and poison your body. The meat we eat should come from free range, pasture grazing animals. Dairy producing animals were domesticated in areas where there were not many sources of protein, originally in areas of eastern and northern Europe, Arabia and Africa. This kept the owners healthy by providing needed vitamins while there was a lack of other protein sources. The dairy consumed was always raw and always came from free range grass grazing animals. They didn't need to take anything away from or add anything to the milk because milk straight from the animal carries within itself the necessary enzymes for you to digest it. And it still does today. Raw cheese (made from unpastuerised milk) can be bought or made. Yoghurts and butter can be cultivated from a raw milk base. If you can't find a raw milk supplier or raw dairy is illegal around by you then ditch dairy altogether. Many of the problems associated with dairy allergies are caused by a lack of the enzymes, amino acids, vitamins and minerals naturally present within the milk itself.

These help you digest it. But they are killed and destroyed when the milk is pasteurized leaving you with a dead drink. Homogenisation forces fat particles through tiny strainers to make them small enough to remain suspended in the liquid rather than rise to the top. However homogenised fats are much more likely to go rancid and oxidize and have been linked to causing incomplete protein digestion in the small intestine. This processing not only renders the fat in the milk useless for your system by becoming a mere waste but also contributes to producing an allergic reaction given your body's rejection of useless matter entering the system time and time again. You must understand that despite the efforts of some farmers in looking after their herds once the milk has been pasteurised and/or homogenised it's no good to us. Not to mention that a lot of commercial milk comes from sick, grain-fed, manureplastered, dying cows kept alive by means of antibiotic overdose. The milk is acidic, harbors bacteria and thus can only be consumed once pasteurized and heavily treated anyway. Fresh milk from free-range, grass-fed cows raised in clean conditions is the standard of quality to drink. The milk is loaded with nutrients from the grasses the cows eat and it can safely be consumed raw. There is a world of difference between the two.

Caffeine
Time to say goodbye
Office folk know a lot about caffeine. I'm sure reading this now you know how much you and/or your coworkers rely on it. I used to drink a pint of tea before heading out in the morning. But then I learnt some more about our friend caffeine and decided to end the relationship. I advise you do the same. Caffeine is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) and naturally occurs as a compound in the leaves and fruits of certain plants. Coffee, tea, energy and soft drinks all contain caffeine. Acting on the CNS caffeine improves coordination and causes you to become more alert, focused and less drowsy. By raising the breathing and heart rate it leads to an increase in physical ability and a rise in body temperature over a short period. This all sounds pretty good. However, like many other drugs it is possible to build up a tolerance to caffeine meaning greater amounts are needed in order to achieve the same effect. I'm sure you've noticed this before as the coffee strength creeps up. Over time your body may become dependent on caffeine in order to function normally. This is commonly experienced with the first cup of tea/coffee when you get that kick and suddenly feel centered, calm and ready for the day. As an addictive substance caffeine has no place in a healthy lifestyle. Healthy people

are not addicted to anything. A reliance on caffeine to get you started in the day highlights a fundamental issue in one's lifestyle: poor nutrition, a lack of exercise and unfulfilling sleep which in turn leads to low energy levels. When one fixes those the need for caffeine disappears. The most comfortable way in which to phase out caffeine dependence is to cut down consumption gradually, allowing your nervous system time to adapt to functioning without the drug. Start by having half a cup each time. Then miss a cup. Then work down to having one cup. And sooner than you would have thought you'll be caffeine free. Stopping abruptly gets the end result much faster but is likely to cause withdrawal symptoms for a few days. Withdrawal symptoms can include tiredness, irritability and a persistent headache. Once it's done it's done though. Drinking plenty of water will help.

Chocolate
A topic close to many people's heart
Commercial chocolate takes crap ingredients to the next level by creating something entirely unnatural. When the percentage of natural ingredients gets outweighed by refined substances and additives you have a problem. Quality cocoa solids are long gone and have been replaced by mere cheap, toxic vegetable fats and refined sugars or soya milk and sweeteners. White chocolate is the epitome of anti-chocolate. We've been fooled into buying dead, poisonous foods devoid of nutrients. However, there are champions afoot setting out to restore what is right and good about the cocoa bean and the wonders we can gain from eating it. A growing resistance in favour of rich flavours, tastes and nutritional content. One where the cocoa bean is respected and enjoyed in full. It's the raw chocolate movement. And such products of delight can be obtained from sellers such as: Living Food of St Ives The Raw Chocolate Company RAWR The Raw Chocolate Shop Detox Your World Red23

Supplements
Pointless pills and phony powders
The whole purpose of supplementing is to actually get nutrients into our body when the foods we eat don't give us enough. The simple approach is to just eat higher quality food and ditch the pills, tablets and powders. As 99% of commercially sold vitamin, protein, mineral, nutrient etc supplements are crap choosing to just eat better in the first place guarantees results without sending your money down the drain. I often get asked where I get the money to buy better quality food. My golden answer is always the same: from the money I don't spend on take-outs, ready meals, alcohol, medicine or doctor's appointments. Seriously, invest a little in your health you will see great returns in terms of health and meal satisfaction and also a sharp decline in medical bills and days spent feeling sick. Below is a list of highly nutritious foods to put on the menu: Liver - Great for gaining lean muscle mass. Celery - Gives a great testosterone boost. A few stalks daily will do the trick. Eggs - Full of nutrients needed for growing. They contain protein, vitamins, minerals and fat soluble nutrients. The less cooked the yolk is the better. The ideal way of preparing eggs is to do them 'sunny side up' so the yolk stays raw while the white is cooked. Berries - High in antioxidants. Low in sugars. Fish oil - Contains essential omegas and Vitamin A. Great if you don't eat a lot of fish. Coconut oil - One of the healthiest oils in the world. Cook with it and eat raw straight off the spoon. Sea Salt - Salt in this form contains the trace elements from the sea. The colour will be light grey. Use with meat and vegetables. Use more after you've been working out. Fresh stock/broths - Take the bones from the animal you ate earlier and boil them up for 12 hours. Use the nutritious liquid as a base for soups, stews and broths. The exception is Vitamin D. Buy this in D3 form. The reasons are explained in the section 'Sunlight' below.

Healthy Habits
Oral Health
Healthy gums, teeth and a beneficial oral environment all contribute to how the rest of the body works and provide an indicator of how things are going. A direct link has been found between oral health and heart disease. You can tell the intestinal health of a person by looking at his/her tongue. Slave traders paid particular attention to the teeth of their slaves as healthy teeth indicated strong bones and good overall health. As such this is not a topic to be ignored. Our bodies have the ability to maintain perfect conditions in the mouth. However a number of factors affect this: the foods we consume; the levels of Vitamin C in our body; bits of food remaining in the mouth; the quality of our saliva and our hydration levels. Having used toothpaste all our lives this ability will have either atrophied, been overshadowed by the use of toothpaste (and other synthetic cleaning solutions) or have stopped altogether. Restarting it is what we're aiming to do. Vitamin C forms the basis of this path. Vitamin C acts as an invisible toothbrush, outperforming toothpaste and fighting off the bacteria that would dissolve your teeth. If you look at traditional tribal peoples they don't use toothpaste or mouthwash yet their teeth are in better condition than most 'civilized' men and women. What they have is a lot of Vitamin C, Calcium and Vitamin D. High sugar foods affect your pH and thus which bacteria grow in your mouth. The sugar loving, acid producing bacteria being the most corrosive while also leaching the calcium responsible for the structural integrity/strength of your teeth. Debris remaining in the mouth provides a veritable source of food for micro-organisms and if left over time starts to calcify, forming hard white solids between the teeth. Its removal is paramount. This can be done swilling with water (spitting it out afterwards), by lightly brushing the teeth with water and/or with floss and tooth picks. To surmise the actual practices: Drink plenty of pure water. 1.5 2 Litres a day. Stop using all synthetic mouth cleaning products. Increase daily Vitamin C intake to 5g a day through food. Wash your mouth with water after all food intake, spitting it out afterwards. Most especially after eating highly acidic foods such as lemons and limes as well as sugary foods to avoid the erosion of the enamel layer. At the end of the day, as part of your bedtime routine, start by picking and then flossing the teeth. Follow this with a light brush using water/sodium bicarbonate (bicarbonate of soda). Finally, swill some sodium bicarbonate around your

mouth. This will produce a great deal of saliva and leave things in a good state before sleeping. I've found all this to really make a positive difference, keeping my teeth clean and my mouth fresh. 'Natural' toothpaste is the next best option after the above and any toothpaste using sodium bicarbonate as a base is probably pretty good too. Don't use ANY toothpaste with fluoride in it. Fluoride is an industrial, poisonous waste product that damages your teeth. It's one of the most reactive substances found in nature and reacts with the enamel of your teeth degrading it until it's gone. A note on fillings: I'd also like to mention that one should refuse amalgam fillings even if the dentist says they're okay (most don't nowadays but I think some still use them in countries where the dentistry lobbies are strong). They tend to contain mercury and other trace metals. And you definitely do not want mercury in your mouth. It's a neurotoxin that can permanently impair memory, learning centers and behaviour. Go for the porcelain alternatives.

Sleep
Proper sleep is the cornerstone of our daily life. A good night's sleep can determine the difference between waking up and getting things done or staying in bed feeling the day go to waste. Too little sleep can make you insulin resistant. It can be the factor that can make you keep weight on or not gain muscle. A bad night's sleep will also ruin your day. A good sleep helps you wake up with a good attitude which leads to a good day. As such it's important to take into consideration the best conditions for a full, healthy sleep. When - We're wired to sleep when it's dark. So try not to stay up too long after that (short winter days granted). Length - Aim for a solid 7 hours. More if you're doing heavy strength training and looking to gain mass. Supplement with a short 20 minute nap in the afternoon if you're training heavy or just fancy one too. I love lying outside on the grass taking a nap in the sun during my lunch break. Light - Light - Night in the wild is dark. Period. The same should hold for your room. If you live in a city then some blackout curtains are an especially good investment as street lights keep the area lit up 24-7. If your room is light or dimly lit then your eyes dont get a break from stimulation and are not given a chance to fully relax. You wont feel as refreshed come the morning because any light tricks the body into believing it is day so the regenerative mechanisms are not fully triggered. If you live right out in the country then youre in a much better position. Not only will it be dark at night without having to use curtains but the suns light can wake your body up slowly, without you going straight from dark to bright artificial illumination.

Surface - Sleeping on a hard surface will keep your spine in its natural position. A hard mattress is a good investment. Make sure any pillows you have are the right size too because ones too small or too large will strain your neck. Smaller pillows are less problematic than big pillows. Ventilation - Having air circulate at night will keep the room cool and stop it from getting stuffy. Open a window or keep a fan on. If you have them, opening both the top and bottom of sash windows creates a really good circulation of air. Fresh air provides better breathing which gives more oxygenation which results in a better rest. Clothing - When we sleep we expel toxins through sweat. Wearing some loose clothes like pyjamas ensures this is soaked up keeping the sheets clean. If it's too hot then pyjamas and a lighter quilt is better for you than going naked with a very thick quilt. If you do sleep naked or with little clothing you'll end up sleeping in your own sweat night after night, which isn't particularly pleasant after a while. Changing the sheets regularly is therefore a good idea. It's also not a bad idea to change them after having vigorous sex or sweating out a fever. Noise - The quieter the better. Don't fall asleep listening to anything. Cutting out the external sounds will help quiet your mind and make for a better rest. If you have external noise you can't get rid of such as street cars/trucks or annoying neighbours go for soothing, relaxing music devoid of lyrics or the human voice. Natural sounds such as rain or waves seem to work the best. Electromagnetic Radiation/Wireless Devices - Turn off all electrical appliances at the plug. Switch off the modem/router. Turn off your mobile phone. The signals these items emit interact with and excite the cells in the body and in high doses can cause cancer. Turning them off when they are not needed saves your body the trouble of having to deal with them and helps you sleep a whole lot better. Blue Light - Avoid blue/white light (e.g. light from a computer screen or the sun) before bed. Programs like f.lux (http://stereopsis.com/flux) reduce blue light output from your computer and replace it with red light. This allows you to work at the computer late at night without leaving your mind buzzing afterwards. If you stick to using blue/white light before bed your brain will taka a long time to 'slow down' which will delay any decent sleep for a couple of hours. Waking Up - As the sun rises and the light levels increase our body starts to warm things up in preparation for the day. Waking up is as gradual as falling asleep. However, we all know it doesn't happen like that so much nowadays. It's not great to go from fully asleep to awake immediately we all hate alarm clocks because the whole sleeping/regenerative process is interrupted which leads to bad moods, anger and crankiness as well as feelings of exhaustion throughout the morning. As nice as it might be, we're not like flicking a light switch where we're suddenly all systems go. We need time to 'turn on'. So, while we do obviously have to get up by a certain time in order to get ready for work (and that can mean getting up in the pitch black during winter) one thing you can do is to set the alarm 10 minutes before you need to get up. This'll give you 10 minutes in bed to think about the day ahead and let your body wake up too.

Routine - Having a nightly routine will help you relax before getting into bed. Your body soon starts to adapt and once you finally hit the sack it's ready to turn off without any fuss. Finish the night with a relaxing activity that's not overly taxing on the brain. For example meditating or reading a novel followed by a full body stretch before retiring. It will only take a few minutes all told and greatly improve your sleep. You could follow this with a classic relaxation technique: tense all muscles one at a time from the toes working up to the head. Repeat. Then tense all your muscles at once. Relax and let thought and awareness of your body go and drift off into a deep, comfortable sleep. Building a wake-up routine has an equal advantage you train yourself to get up and go, getting stuck into the day's activities without any internal fight or struggle to get out of bed once you're awake.

Sunlight
Sunlight is important to us because we are able to synthesis Vitamin D via our skin from it. Vitamin D is vital to our health. The pigment in your skin is an indicator of how much sunlight your ancestors were exposed to. The darker your skin the stronger your 'cover' and thus the more sunlight you need in order to activate Vitamin D production. This is why so many people with darker skin living in places far from the equator like Britain and Russia are Vitamin D deficient. Most of us though, regardless of skin pigment, spend far too little time outside under natural light in order to obtain enough Vitamin D anyway. Workplaces have few windows and are lit with artificial lights which, while keeping us awake, don't contain all the frequencies available from the sun. Vitamin D - A Pro-Hormone Vitamins are organic substances that can't be produced by the body but are required for function. A hormone on the other hand is a substance produced by specific organs and carried through the bloodstream to affect various organ systems. The Vitamin D produced in your skin is technically not a vitamin, but a pro-hormone; it provides the raw material from which a hormone is produced. We evolved to produce the prohormone Vitamin D from the sun. The hormone it produces is an essential nutrient; the body cannot operate fully without it. The effects of Vitamin D include: Producing hormones e.g. growth hormone, calcium regulation and absorption (which can't happen without Vitamin D), helping to regulate apoptosis (programmed cell death), energy regulation, neurotransmitter production, reduction of inflammation, encouraging brain development, insulin production stimulation, strengthening the immune system by increasing the white blood cell count and oxygen content in cells. It also helps prevent inflammatory bowel disease and inhibits the blood pressure hormone rennin. All in all Vitamin D is VERY important. So get out and enjoy the natural light as much as you can. Taking lunch out of the office on a sunny day is a perfect example. Expose naked skin to the sun, ditch the sunscreen, the sun glasses (we spent millions of years successfully evolving without these) and have fun.

Also, because we're working inside, take a Vitamin D supplement in the form of Vitamin D3 to make sure you get a descent dose of at least 10,000 IU a day (an hour spent topless in full sunlight will produce 10,000 IU). Vitamin D supplement: Healthy Origins

If you get ill

We all know getting ill sucks. Living a healthy life pretty much stops you from ever getting ill or rundown. However, it can happen so here are some pointers to bear in mind: Vitamin C is all important for maintaining the body's defenses. So, take extra vitamin C! Lemons and cherries are a favourite. Mix fresh lemons with warm water and a bit of honey to make a refreshing drink. Increase your intake of Vitamin A. It helps mucous membranes resist microbiological attack. A big dose (200,000 IU) can normally kill most intruders within a couple of days. Increase your Vitamin D intake: get out in the sun more and/or down a few more 10,000IU capsules. Eat less. This frees your body to focus on healing rather than using loads of energy digesting. Most animals don't eat when they're sick. It works very well for humans too. Skip a meal or just eat a bit less. Keep workouts light and get the heart pumping a bit. Raise the heart rate, exert yourself reasonably and then finish up. Don't push yourself to exhaustion. Don't stop completely either though. Stopping altogether and falling into a 'too sick to move' attitude will only lead the body to fall into a slump. Keep moving. And if there is sunlight get out in it and breathe some fresh air too! Walk in nature. Woods are full of beneficial compounds released by plants which help relax the body. Wrap up warm and go enjoy the sights and smells. But keep it fairly short. Sleep! Don't stay in bed all day feeling sorry for yourself. Instead get up and just take a couple of naps throughout the day. Power napping will leave you feeling refreshed and a lot better. Completely avoid refined sugars as well as off the shelf 'medicines' that contain them as they inhibit the immune system.

Training
What We're Aiming For
A body able to confidently carry out multiple activities with ease and grace is the baseline physique we're after. This section of the book will help guide you towards getting that. Later on you may want to do something particular like row a 30km race or squats 1000lbs. But for now stick with being a generalist. The most direct and effective method for gaining general fitness is intense training routines involving simple compound movements which use lots of muscles. This maximizes results without taxing time while burning fat and growing lean muscle. Examples movements include pushing and pulling with your body, walking, running and sprinting, climbing and swimming. Notice how athletes in competitive games such as football, basketball, hockey, boxing, sprinting and tennis all mimic this kind of action. They are all "burst, rest" / "fight or flight" types of activities involving arm, leg and core movement. Their bodies are built for speed and power and used in full over short periods of time. We're going to do the same. Because starting today is better than starting tomorrow or after you've joined a gym or brought your own weight set etcetera this book focuses on training using you as the source of resistance. And don't think that is a compromise. It's the strain you place on your muscles that changes them and whether that strain comes from weights, machines or you isn't that important. Training with your bodyweight just gives you no excuse not to workout because all you need is you. The central idea is to progressively increase the difficulty of the moves you do. As an example you might start off only being able to do pushups on your knees. Then over the course of some weeks you work up to doing full pushups. Then you might take it further and over the next few months progress to doing one arm pushups, which is an impressive feat. After that you might fancy making it even more challenging by doing the moves while wearing a weight vest. And the list goes on. As each move becomes easier you get stronger.

Getting Started
There is no rush. If you've not done any strenuous physical activity for awhile then start by going for a brisk weighted walk a few times a week (see below). Do that for a month then begin working in some more challenging routines like some of the basic ones given here. It may be that you just want to lose a bit of weight rather than reshape your body entirely but either way thorough planning pays greatly. By taking

things steadily you can set a goal and work on achieving it without getting frustrated by overexerting yourself or floundering without direction. Afterwards you can move onto achieving something else with a success already under your belt. Starting slow is the way of the game. If you can't run a mile don't start by trying to run five miles. Work up to running 100m, then 200m then 300m until you've built that up to the mile. Then work up from that to the five mile mark. We start with small goals so as to avoid failing, losing motivation and ultimately throwing in the towel. Giving up quickly because you're asking too much of yourself gets you nowhere. Minor victories add up fast so make haste, slowly!

Motivation
One of the fastest ways to get motivated is to watch others. Have a search on the net for athletes, sportsmen and practitioners who do the things you want to be good at or have a body you like. Then watch some videos of them training. If the sight of heavy lifting makes you want to go exercise then go watch some power lifters, Olympic lifters and strongmen go at the weights/heavy objects. If running is your thing then go watch some classic races. The content isn't important, getting you pumped up and inspired is. There are hundreds of motivational compilations on the internet too, bringing together inspiring quotes, images and videos of people achieving great things to get your heart pumping in anticipation. When the time comes to work out then music can be of great help too. Faster tracks which get your heart racing, fill you with excitement and make you feel energetic are the ones to go for.

Workout Ideas
Working out can seem like a challenge. And so it should, albeit a fun one. But in fact finding the time in the first place can seem like an even bigger challenge to overcome. You may come home from work and after cooking the kids' dinner and putting them to bed find you just want to sit down and relax in front of the TV. Or you might exercise starting Monday for a few days then take a couple of days off to rest only to find that this weekend you're going away and you won't get a chance for the rest of the week. Structure is the key. As most of us tend to be at work for five straight days a week (Monday to Friday) it makes a lot of sense to plan workouts on workdays. This keeps the diary straightforward and the weekends free. Varying the intensity and movements is important. There's no point exhausting yourself for five days only to be useless at the weekend. Or cramping your legs at the start of the week meaning you can't run later on. Mixing up what you do keeps the body fresh. With a variety of movements you stop yourself from over training any one part or overspecializing. Plus you're much better off during life, you're much more

useful to others, and you'll probably have a lot more fun if you can do a lot of different things. When it comes down to exercising you'll get more out of a workout by having a plan. Make sure you know what you're doing before you start. A clear set of goals gives you something to aim for and stops you floundering mid-way through as excuses to stop or rest rear their ugly head. And excuses are the bane, arch nemesis and sworn enemy of productive exercise. Putting all that together you could follow a general plan like this: On Mondays workout. On Wednesdays do a more intense workout. On Fridays finish the working week with a really intense workout. At the Weekends kick back and enjoy a well earned break for all your hard work. Here are some example workouts to get you started...

Sample Workouts
Low Intensity: Workout 1 Complete 5 sets of 10 pushups + 10 squats + 10 pullups + 10 lunges Workout 2 Swim fast and steady for 30 minutes. Workout 3 Run fast and steady for 30 minutes. Medium Intensity: Workout 1 Run for 30 minutes sprinting 100m every five minutes. Workout 2 Complete 10 pushups + 10 squats. Repeat ten times (that's ten sets). No rest between sets. Workout 3 Swim a pyramid of lengths. Swim one length then rest 30s. Swim two lengths then rest 30s. Work up to five lengths. Then work your way back down the pyramid resting 30s after each set. High Intensity: Workout 1 Swim 100m as fast as you can then rest 30 seconds. Do that five times. Give yourself a few minutes rest then do the whole thing again. Do this as many times as you can within 30 minutes. Workout 2 Sprint 100m, do 10 pushups then 10 jumping jacks. Repeat 8 times as fast as you can. Workout 3 Complete 10 pushups + 10 lunges + 10 pull-ups + 10 squats. Do that ten times. You could also place a toll at home. Every time you go up the stairs do ten squats. On the way down do ten press ups. Before serving breakfast and dinner go for a fast ten

minute run. Throughout the day this will soon add up keeping you active between workouts. In order to save space only a small selection of workouts has been given in this text. More can be found, with explanations of exercises and progressions, over at http://www.get-offit.com/exercise.

The Movements
Weighted Walking This is one of the most effective ways of beginning physical exercise, burning fat and improving endurance. It's also extremely simple: Fill a backpack with 5-10kg Go for a fast walk for 30 minutes Ideally this would be over some hills or in a green space (park, countryside, wood). Start with 5kg and work up to carrying 10kg either in a rucksack or weight vest (decent brands include the Xvest and Fitstream) and make sure to drink plenty of water beforehand and afterwards. Importantly do not eat anything before doing this. Having an empty stomach will force your body to burn fat. To quickly burn off excess fat do this every day if you can (30 minutes is just skipping a TV program). For even better results take a short, 30 min weighted walk twice a day: one in the morning before breakfast and one in the evening before dinner. Doing this will soon see you buying new clothes as fat just melts off you. Sprints Sprints are awesome and worth doing at least once a week. They'll help you develop some real speed and power and the best thing about them is that they can be done anywhere and in a number of ways: You can do them during a walk or run. After going along enough to warm up sprint 20 - 200m. Do not stop walking/running afterwards though. When suitably recovered sprint again. Then repeat. This training is very good for improving your endurance, recovery and power. Go for a walk amongst some hills. Sprint each hill as you come to it, walking down the other side. Work up to including more hills over a longer walk. Find a path up a hill about 100m in length. Sprint that and then walk back. Repeat up to ten times. However, not everyone is ready to do sprints when just starting out. Joints may be unstable and weak or maybe your body is simply carrying too much weight. If you can't sprint yet spend a good month or two with the weighted walking. This'll bring down the weight, strengthen the joints and heart and get your body ready. It may be that at first a sprint is fairly slow but as long as you're going as fast as you can you're

doing it right. Running Running is a very efficient way of getting fit. It's easy, cheap and flexible. You can do it pretty much anywhere, only need a pair of shoes and can whack up the intensity to suit. You burn fat, build up your legs and back and strengthen your joints. For our purposes it's best done on an empty stomach at a fast pace. That is, you shouldn't be able to hold a conversation but you're not sprinting flat out. It is very important to point out the difference between running and jogging. All the time I hear people saying 'I run' when in fact they jog at a very slow pace. Make no mistake, running is not jogging. Running is moving rapidly from one place to another while jogging is moving at a slow steady pace from one place to the other. Running makes you stronger. Jogging wears you down and will lead to injuries. Two out of every three so called 'runners' in the world (actually joggers) suffer from ankle or knee injuries because of the brutal way in which their feet impact the ground thousands of times per session. Or worse yet suffer heart attacks and the like because the slow, long, steady pace is unnatural and your heart is not built for it. Runs are best kept short in duration. The heart is not a machine built to pump at a steady pace for long periods of time. It likes variation in rhythm. You'll get more out of three fast 30 minute runs over the course of a week than one run of an hour and a half. After running you should feel refreshed and full of energy. Five miles in 30 minutes is a good pace to work towards (2.7km/10 minutes) and any further in the same time is even better. There is little to be gained in terms of health by running for longer periods of time. Focus on running faster and further within the 30 minute window. With regards to form you should stay upright, leaning forwards slightly while keeping the shoulders relaxed. Pump your arms as you run keeping enough tension in them to grip something in your hands without becoming rigid. Strike the ground with the ball of your foot, like you were running up stairs, transferring the weight to the heel before springing off for the next step. The legs should be bent at all times. This may feel a bit weird at first but it's how you'd run if you were barefoot and goes a long way to preventing injuries and wear on the knees and shins. Aim to go running at least once a week. You could go in the morning before any breakfast (go to bed earlier so you can get up early) or after a day at work before dinner. If you're keen I've found a steady run (no sprints) before bed really helps me to relax and let go of any worries after a hard day. You could also run to the supermarket with a backpack and then run or walk back with the food on your back. Footwear is really important too. A poor choice in what you wear can lead to bad form and injury. Despite the grand efforts made in marketing various brand trainers etc the simplest shoes end up being the best one. Therefore it is strongly recommended that you run in a flat shoe with a thin sole. In the summer you could even run barefoot in the local park, woods or streets. Below is a small selection of suppliers of such shoes:

Vivobarefoot Mystras Running Vibram FiveFingers Just as with sprints, not everyone is ready to go running when just starting out. If this is the case start off with a couple of months worth of weighted walking then build up to running 30 minutes. Swimming Swimming works well as a form of exercise. It asks pretty much every muscle to perform, especially the upper body, while going easy on the joints. This means you'll definitely get fitter and have an almost zero chance of picking up any injuries doing so. Because we want to strengthen the joints as well as everything else though swimming should be seen as a compliment to running/sprinting and not a total substitute. Like every other workout swimming sessions should be kept at the 30 minute mark. And just like everything else can be made more challenging as needed. Some days you might just swim for 30 minutes up and down the pool while on others you'll want to race yourself to cover distance as quickly as you can. Regarding the different strokes stick with front crawl and breast stroke. They're simple to learn and result in a good workout. And trust me, if you're not used to swimming then 30 minutes of it will work you hard. I stayed with a friend over in Norway last year. I could easily out run her over any distance. But I'd not been swimming for well over a year and when we went swimming in the lakes wow did she take off and leave my ass behind. By the time we'd finished I felt like a drowned rat while she just stood there laughing. Different swimming workouts: Swim for a total of 30 minutes at a steady pace aiming to increase the number of lengths you do each time. Swim 100m as fast as you can then rest 30s. Repeat. Aim to increase how many times you can do this within 30 minutes. Swim one length. Rest 30s. Swim two lengths. Rest 30s. Then go for three lengths, rest, four lengths, rest, then five lengths. Then work your way back down, resting in between the sets of lengths.

Nasal Breathing
A simple way to increase athletic performance is to breathe through your nose (both inhale and exhale) rather than your mouth. At first it may seem a little weird, or hard, but given time it yields great results. The first thing to bear in mind is that nasal breathing is natural. Breathing through your mouth is a learned stress response. Just observe an infant: if its nose becomes

obstructed it begins to cry. The crying forces air into the lungs to avoid suffocation but once the emergency is over the infant returns to breathing through its nose. Our nose is also kitted out with some great equipment for optimal respiration during rest and exercise: Nasal concha (also called turbinates) make up the inner nose and swirl air into a refined stream that is suitable for oxygen exchange. The entire passageway of the nose is lined with a protective mucus membrane that keeps it moist and wards off infection and small hair-like cilia that act to clean and filter the incoming air removing dirt and debris before it enters your lungs. The air is warmed, cooled, or moistened depending on the conditions by our nasal passage. This prevents shocking the lungs and makes for better oxygen absorption. Air is mixed with nitrous oxide on its way to the lungs which destroys viruses and malignant cells, helps regulate blood flow, helps release oxygen to the blood cells and inhibits inflammation in the blood vessels. On the other hand breathing through the mouth bypasses all this equipment allowing cold, dry, unfiltered air to enter directly into the lungs. There's also the nervous system response to consider. As breathing through the mouth is an emergency stress response it triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol which are both temporarily boosting but, with repeated release, degenerative hormones. The better we can train our body to cope with stress (such as exercise) without responding to it as an emergency the more capable we'll be and the greater our athletic performance. Heart rate plays a part too. Breathing through the nose makes for a slower breath rate than breathing through the mouth. This leads to a lower heart rate, at any intensity, and so allows you to perform better for longer. While initially it may seem hard to constantly breathe through your nose as the diaphragm strengthens it becomes a lot easier. When running it can help to get into a rhythm e.g. inhale, take four steps, exhale, and take 4 steps, repeat.

Factors to Keep in Mind when Exercising

Hydration It is important to be hydrated when you commence exercising. Thirty minutes to an hour before start taking on half a litre of water to provide your body with the extra fluid to expel as sweat. When you sweat you also expel salt. As salt is required to store water add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to every 4-5 glasses of water you drink to help keep you hydrated. During intense exercise the kidneys cannot excrete excess water. Any extra water

moves into the cells, including brain cells. For that reason don't down a litre of water straight after exercising. If you're going for a really heavy session, at a high intensity, make sure to take on at least a half litre of water over the hour beforehand and the hour after. Indoors or Outdoors Exercising outdoors provides a more natural setting for your workout. A park or green public space makes for a great open area in which to play, test, and challenge yourself. The weather is another aspect that can spice up the situation, wind and rain being my personal favourite. Don't be afraid to get out in 'unfavourable' weather - it's what you make of it. Staying indoors kills more people than sun, wind and rain all together. Many of us grew up enjoying wind and rain, splashing through puddles and dancing about joyfully. Don't let age stop you enjoying those again! Warmth and Clothing The less clothing the better, but don't get cold. Wear layers! Injuries can occur when your muscles and joints are cold and stiff. Goose bumps are a sign not enough blood is reaching your skin. Warm up properly before you start, going through joint rotations and light movements like running on the spot. Wear loose fitting natural fibre clothes which allow your skin to breathe, your joints to move and any sweat to be soaked up by something skin friendly. When running in or sprinting under the sun you can wear a little less I find a t-shirt is enough in anything above 8 Celsius - as you will get very hot running around and having to take off and store clothes is a real distraction. Always take a rucksack with you if you decide to go with a jacket. It beats carrying it every time. Recovery Recovering after a workout is important. It's a good idea to take a cool shower afterwards as this will promote blood flow right around the body and slightly contract all the muscles. Once you're done and dry, slightly warmer too, your muscles will naturally relax in response to the warmer temperature producing a really pleasant feeling. After that a decent meal and good night's sleep are in order.

Building a Daily Routine

We are habitual beings. Our bodies get used to a routine and regulate accordingly. A smart morning and evening routine allow you to get more done within a short space of time. To construct a successful one start by listing all the things you want to do. Then look at the time frame. If you run out of time get up earlier and sleep later. An example for the morning and evening might go as follows. Morning - Time 1 hours. Wake up and inspire oneself for the day. Prepare food for later: breakfast, lunch. Go for 30 minutes weighted walking while breakfast cooks. Shower and dress. Eat breakfast. Head to work.

Evening - Time 1 hour. Give teeth a thorough clean with picks, floss and brush. Comb hair and dress for bed. Stretch. Meditate, go through daily affirmations, and congratulate yourself for the day's achievements: the great food you prepared, the workout you did earlier and how you spent another day living well. Fall soundly asleep. The point of building a routine is to get into the habit of going through the motions and linking important actions together. By separating them from the rest of the day you create windows of isolated productivity. Once the morning is over you're free to attend to business knowing everything that has to be done has been done. Come the late evening you don't have to think about what to do. The routine dictates and the day ends well. Aside from this, sticking to a routine will keep you disciplined. Do you really want to go and see that trashy movie or would working out and meditating be more fulfilling. Keep the activities, especially towards the evening, rewarding and beneficial. Start small; having too many things to remember at first will only lead to failure. Once you have those key things down add some more and enjoy the momentum of repeated success.

Embrace Health: Into a New Life with a Stronger Will

You strengthen your willpower with every successful episode you have
The meaningful actions you take are largely determined by your ability to overcome your own obstacles and see things through to the end. To do this you need a strong desire to achieve your goals and the willpower to realise them. A productive routine will see you flying pretty quickly. Ensuring our environment and the people around us are favourable towards our success allows us to savour life all the more. Face them head on with energetic enthusiasm for living better and achieving your goals. The best way to begin your new lifestyle is to get up early and go for a 30min walk carrying a rucksack with some weight in it whatever the weather. I like 10kg but use less to begin with if that's a bit heavy. Do this 3 times a week. Then 5 times. Your metabolism and hormone levels will soar burning fat and giving you a great foundation from which to work from. It'll also build discipline and determination. After a few weeks doing this add in three workouts a week. When eating be thankful to each ingredient as you consume it. It was alive and is now contributing to making your life better. Meal times are a recurring opportunity to cultivate respect and gratitude so we might as well make use of them. Write down positive, present and method oriented statements. Spend some time (10 minutes is more than enough) saying each one of these in your mind. Entertain no other thoughts while you do this. I do mine on the bus to work or if it's a task specific statement then before starting that task. Do these over the coming weeks and you will notice results. Examples include: I will eat really healthily today. I will give my all in this workout. This meal tastes delicious and life enhancing. Just don't use words like 'want' e.g. I want to lose weight. You already know you want it. Or be future-goal oriented e.g. 'I will eat a healthy dinner', at breakfast. Make them relevant to the present. If you feel resistance towards taking an action right now, e.g. "I can't be bothered to work out today, I'll do it tomorrow" then register the resistance and take action anyway! When you've completed the task at hand you'll have won yet another battle against internal saboteurs. Always reward yourself for success. Literally give yourself a pat on the back. It affirms the action and feels damn good. Say to yourself 'Well done'. For in doing something you've gone through all the distractions and achieved a result. Finally remember there is no right way and no wrong way. Only the way you take. So do yourself a favour and make it a better one. You've made it through a good portion

of my experience and knowledge condensed down for you guys and gals. Hopefully you'll be joining me in leading the way against the stereotypical soft, saggy image the office worker has accrued. Onwards!

Notes
Ditch These: Things to Totally Avoid
Soy Historically soy was only consumed by a few cultures in small quantities after sprouting e.g. as miso, natto and tempeh. Today it is more an industrial waste product. Problems for our health arise from the fact that soy contains phytates, enzyme inhibitors and haemagglutin. The latter is particularly bad as it causes red blood cells to clump together, inhibits oxygen up-take and cell growth. The results of all this badness include thyroid disorders, kidney stones, weakened immune systems and food allergies. The worse is yet to come though as soy contains high levels of phytoestrogens. These are a form of estrogen found in plants which mimic the effects of human estrogen in our body creating hormone imbalances for both sexes. Avoid all processed forms of soy: soy milk, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy anything. Protein Supplements and Weight Loss Shakes These supplements are generally expensive and entirely unnecessary despite how you may think you need them. Processing renders the product nutritionally void and all those artificial vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which have been added back in don't get absorbed as well as they might. Eat real food. It'll give you everything you need and your body will naturally burn the fat and keep the muscle. Irradiated Foods Also known as cold pasteurisation irradiation involves sending waves of radiation at your food. It destroys the nutrient content of the food, disrupts the composition of the food and changes how it tastes, smells and feels. Avoid irradiated foods, completely (unless you fancy being sick and needing special treatment from your mother or spouse). Microwaved Foods There is no getting around the fact that food 'cooked' in a microwave is bad for us. And it is bad in a whole range of ways. It disrupts our immune system, increases the chance of cells going cancerous and causes tissue damage. The nutrient content of the food is reduced and altered messing with your hormone production and cell communication. It's really bad for you. Period. Avoid microwaved foods like the plague.

Eat These: Sample Recipes to Enjoy

All these recipes can be scaled up for those who are feeling extra hungry. With the meat dishes it may give an indication of this e.g. one pork chop is fine for most people but after a heavy training session you may fancy two. You are the best judge of portion size and if you fancy extra of a particular ingredient...go for it! Omelette with ham, cheese and red onion Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 large red onion (more nutritious than white ones), 100g unpasteurised cheese and 100g of ham off the bone (no preservatives) Equipment: Pan + mixing bowl + knife + fork + cheese grater (optional) Method: In the mixing bowl crack the eggs and combine with the grated cheese. Beat them together for a few minutes. Pour the mixture into the pan. The stove (gas or electric) should be on low for a moderate temperature. Allow to cook. While the top layer of the mixture is still in liquid form add the chopped onions and ham. When the top is semi solid/solid (depending how you like your omelette) serve. Boiled eggs, blueberries, pecan nuts and celery Ingredients: 4 eggs, 200-400g of blueberries, 200g of pecan nuts, 4 stalks of celery Equipment: Saucepan + knife Method: Wash the blueberries and celery. Chop the celery. Serve the blueberries, celery and pecan nuts. After you've eaten those, boil a saucepan of water. Keep it boiling and add the eggs. Remove after 4 minutes. Serve. Pork chops/pork belly roasted with apple and red onions Ingredients: 1-2 pork chops/200-400g of pork belly, 2 apples, 2 red onions, approx. 10g cooking fat (2 tablespoons), salt (to serve). Equipment: Roasting dish + knife Method: Wash the apples. Chop the onions and apples. Place in the pan with the cooking fat. Lay the pork on top. Leave in the oven for 30-40 minutes at gas mark 7 / 425F / 218C. Serve with a bit of salt. Minced beef with tomatoes, red onions, peppers and chillies Ingredients: 200-400g of minced beef (20% fat), 4 tomatoes, 2 onions, 2 peppers, 2 fresh chillies and approx. 10g cooking fat (2 tablespoons). Equipment: Saucepan + knife Method: Wash the tomatoes, peppers and chillies. Chop the tomatoes, onions, peppers and chillies. Melt the fat in the saucepan and then add all ingredients. Leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve. Salmon with avocado, onion and tomatoes Ingredients: 200-400g of smoked salmon, 1 large avocado, 1 red onion, 3 tomatoes, virgin olive oil (to serve) Equipment: Knife + spoon Method: Wash the tomatoes. Chop the onion and tomatoes. Slice the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh with the spoon. Serve with the salmon. Drizzle with olive oil. Salad of unpasteurised cheese, celery and carrots Ingredients: 200g unpasteurised cheese, 4 stalks of celery and 2 large carrots

Equipment: Knife Method: Wash the celery and carrots. Slice the cheese. Chop the celery and carrot. Serve. Grilled steak with large salad of spinach, tomatoes, celery, spring onions, walnuts and grated carrots Ingredients: 1 steak, handful of spinach, 3 tomatoes, 2 sticks of celery, 4 spring onions, handful of walnuts, 2 large carrots and approx. 10g cooking fat (2 tablespoons). Use garlic and salt to taste. Equipment: Pan/Grill + knife Method: Wash and chop the spinach, tomatoes, celery, spring onions and grate the carrots. Fry the steak with garlic or grill to taste. Serve with the salt. Stir fried chicken with root ginger, water chestnuts, spring onions, bamboo shoots, peppers and pineapple Ingredients: 200g of chicken, 10g ginger 40g water chestnuts, 4 spring onions, 40g bamboo shoots, 1-2 peppers, -1/2 a pineapple and coconut oil. Equipment: Wok + knife Method: Wash all the vegetables. Dice the chicken and chop the vegetables. Warm the coconut oil in the wok and then add all the ingredients. Fry fairly hot until the chicken is done. When it is, serve. Lamb roasted with root vegetables Ingredients: 1 lamb shank, 1 parsnip, 1 carrot, 1 beetroot, 1 onion, 1 sweet potato, approx. 10g cooking fat (2 tablespoons) Equipment: Roasting dish + Knife Method: Wash and chop the vegetables. Place all the vegetables in a roasting dish and add the cooking fat. Lay the lamb on top. Place the roasting dish in an oven preheated at gas mark 6/400F/204C. Cook for 60 minutes then serve.