Moments of Clarity

The Greatest Breakthrough in Science since Fermentation?

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It's SCIENCE!

Apparently, some deft scientists have created yeast strains that produce resveratrol in beer, that lovely chemical in red wine that's supposed to be very good for you and extend your life.  Here's a quote from this article from Discovery via MSNBC.com:

BioBeer, as it's called, has three genes spliced into special brewer's yeast that produce resveratrol, the chemical in red wine that is thought to protect against diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and other age-related conditions

This is proof that good things do come to those who wait and that science will ultimately determine the only way to live to 300 is to drink beer, coffee, and smoke cigarettes.....if given enough time and grants.

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When you get busy, do you stop reading?

A couple of weeks back, I ran into Mike Wagner of the White Rabbit Group / Own Your Brand Blog and had a quick conversation.  Mike is one of those listeners who make you jealous. He can get deep into the core of your conversation quickly and relate just about anything your conversation contains to a book he's read. 

We started chatting about value based pricing for services and working with small businesses and Mike recommended "Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play:  The Demise of Dysfunctional Selling and the Advent of Helping Clients Succeed"  I went home and purchased the book on iTunes immediately.

The bigger point here is the Mike reminded me that I'd essentially stopped reading books.  Over the last 3 months, we've been extremely focused and busy at createWOWmedia thank the maker.  My fitness goals took a more prominent role in life recently too.  So my own personal and professional "enrichment" has suffered. 

Balancing all the elements of a successful life takes discipline and I'm convinced...early rising.  Every day I get up at 5AM or earlier I get exponentially more done.  Maybe it just feels that way because by 10AM your hyper-productivity even surprises you!  It's hard not to sacrifice something that's good for you when you get busy and immersed in life's work.

Take the time.  Find a way to carve out segments of the week for activities are essential to your overall well being and success.  Exercise.  Read.  Sleep. Relate.  Embrace.  Play. 

Insulin Resistance - Do you have trouble losing weight?

I have a good friend in Alabama who shared with me that he was really having a difficult time since he:

1. Was eating a very low calorie diet of perhaps 1500 cals per day.
2. Was exercising like a mad dog (really he'd always done that and used to run marathons, etc.)
3. Was gaining weight and could barely maintain 215lbs on a sub-6 foot frame. (some might say pocket sized frame...but I digress :)
4. Had decreased energy and felt exhausted constantly for the last 15 years.

He'd gone from svelte runner to middle aged expanse while busting his butt.  Very depressing.  This situation wore him out by Christmas of 2007.  He was mentally and physically at the breaking point.

He looked inside himself and did some consultation with the big guy upstairs and hit the web hard for some help.  Ultimately, he began diving into the topic of INSULIN RESISTANCE.  He compared the "20 blood test markers for this condition" against his own blood work.  Bam.  20 of 20. 

He's now following a low glycemic index diet (just like a diabetic would) and here are the results in his own words and pictures.  I know MANY people who suffer the "eat right most of the time and workout a lot but can't lose weight" syndrome.  I hope they look toward this example and keep after the answers.  Talk to your doctor and if he/she won't help you understand this...then find a community online. 

I think we discount the affect food has on our entire being.  We aren't meant to take in all of the processed sugars and crap that prepared food has in it. Good luck and comments welcome.  In his own words:

Bottom line, I can't process starches. When I ate a piece of broiled fish on rice, it was not 'good' like I thought, but killing me slowly. I cut out all starches, and as much sugar as possible. No potatoes, rice, pasta, or bread. Seems I was trying to burn 2500 cals a day, taking in 1500, but all the starches went to fat and my body was struggling to find enough fuel from the rest of the food to function. Which meant I was tired, lethargic, and constantly sleepy because my metabolism was trying to shut down.

Since Jan 10th, I've lost 35 lbs. My energy level shot through the roof, and I'm running well enough to do the half-marathon in 8 days.

I share this, because I suffered for 15 years without any answers. I'd have given a lot if someone had given me a clue, pointer, anything to get me in the right direction. Just in case you run across someone you know with a similar problem, I'm sharing with you.

Nice work buddy and good luck in the marathon!

 

 

Does Winter...and the lack of sun drag you down?

New experiment here.  Sometime around late November as it's dark early and colder, I casually notice a drop in energy levels and output.  This is not a "Winter Blues" depression rather a noticeable drop in the "buzz" that I experience daily from my work, family, etc. 

By January, I've usually bottomed out and continue on until those magic Spring days where we bust outside and frolic well into the night.  This happened to me in California as well though not as noticeable...so it's not just a Midwest thing.

I'm chalking it up to lack of sunshine/UV rays.  So, in a bold experiment :) I'm going to hit the tanning booth with some regularity for the next month or two and will report back.  Please no warnings on the damage of UV rays.  I'm aware.  I'm also fully prepared to accept the ridicule of my readership (Tom B.) but I'm viewing this as a medical experiment. 

I'm guessing there are more than a few of you that experience this effect.  More to come.