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Looking to get the most out of your day? Do you see the value in being alert, sharp and clear in mind when making business or even personal decisions? Are you struggling to lose weight?
Enjoying a healthy breakfast is key to kick starting your metabolism and burning more calories. It provides energy to accomplish things, a razor sharp focus for any decisions that come your way and studies reveal that it also sharpens memory and concentration. [Read more…]
Have you ever wondered when the best time of day is to exercise or if there is even a “perfect time?”
Healthy entrepreneurs will often exercise first thing in the morning. They are fully aware of how busy their lives are and know that if they don’t make exercise a priority in their lives that it’s likely that something will come between them and their routines at some point during their day. They are also fully aware of how exercise can sharpen the mind and set them up for clarity as well as rev their engines up (kicking their metabolism in) with plenty of energy for their busy day.
But, what about you? What is your perfect time to exercise?
The perfect time for exercise is the “best time for you.” This equation works out differently for everyone because everyone has different preferences.
It’s really that simple so don’t over complicate it. We all live different lives and must make that determination for ourselves. The perfect time to exercise is the time that you will do it consistently and based on many factors including: type of activity you choose to do and the location and time of day you are doing it.
Some people are tighter on time than others and choose to break up their exercise into shorter increments such as 10 minutes at a time while others choose to get their daily workouts in in one session.
Other people are not “morning” people so getting up early in order to get exercise in just doesn’t work for these individuals and in fact, may eventually cause them to give up exercise altogether. Truth is, the time of day can and does influence how you “feel” about exercising because of the body’s circadian rhythm. You are either an early bird or a night owl and only you can determine that by your feelings when exercising.
Although many people believe that people who exercise in the morning tend to do better and stick to it longer, the trick is to find what works for you and stick to it – make it a habit. Don’t try and be like “everyone else” or feel as though you must copy what your best friend is doing just because it works for them.
But do take your sleep into consideration because you don’t want to sabotage your body’s urge to sleep and exercising too late can do that because it raises your heart rate – not conducive to a good night’s sleep. And, without a good night’s sleep you won’t feel up to par the next day and the likelihood of skipping your workout that day looms big so you really don’t gain anything from it.
And, don’t exercise right after eating a meal because your body will use this energy to digest your food rather than sending blood to your muscles. Wait approximately 90 minutes before exercising.
Although more is better, any kind of exercise is better than sitting still and leading a sedentary lifestyle. No matter what time of day you choose is best for you the same amount of calories are going to be burned and your body still receives the benefits whether its morning, noon or early evening.
So, just do it!
Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about. “Super Productivity Secrets” is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. It was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.
There’s one thing that nearly all fit and healthy people have in common…
The ability to improve their productivity.
Although each one of us is allotted the same amount of time daily – 24 hours. It’s how we use that time that counts.
“Lack of time” is generally the most popular excuse when it comes to avoiding exercise. [Read more…]
While it’s true that many areas of your health will be positively impacted when you stick to a regular exercise program, you may not realize the serious implications it presents for brain health as well. Most likely you are focused on burning calories, changing your body composition, building muscle or strengthening your cardiovascular system.
Truth is, exercise is key to reaching portions of your brain and thought processes that you would otherwise never reach. It can literally change brain anatomy and physiology. It prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to each other and stimulates the development of new nerve cells from stem cells located in the hippocampus – an area of the brain related to learning and memory.
Because the human brain evolved under conditions of near constant motion, it would seem that the “optimal environment for processing information would include motion.” Indeed that is exactly what one finds.
Seems regular exercise boosts brain power the same way that physical activity strengthens your muscles. In 30 minutes of exercise we can gain brain matter, have better cognitive skills, improve our memory, increase alertness and learn better.
Regular exercise helps to clear the mind and once the mind is clear and you are able to think clearly, you open the way for great ideas to manifest. You easily solve present issues and let go of old ones that you have no control over during an exercise session and the end result is a clean slate. If you don’t clear your mind slate eventually your internal mess creates “internal stress” and that’s what shortens your lifespan.
One study in Neurology revealed that exercise helps to slow brain shrinkage in those with early Alzheimer’s disease. Adults diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s who were less active physically had 4 times more brain shrinkage than normal older adults.
And studies don’t stop there. Even the youth prove that exercise is mandatory to good brain health. According to research, students with high levels of cardiovascular fitness fare better in subjects like English, Science and Mathematics than those that are less active.
Because brain cells depend very heavily on oxygen (increased oxygen is associated with optimal brain functioning), it turns out your exercise sessions provide more than that “feel-good endorphin boost” – they increase oxygen flow to the brain giving you an oxygen high resulting in mental sharpness.
Proper exercise does not need to be time consuming nor does it have to be tortuous for you to reap the benefits that serve for the long haul. However, as we age, exercise is not negotiable…it is mandatory because if your brain is not functioning optimally, you won’t be living to your full potential.
Besides all the physical benefits that exercise provides, exercise is a drug for your brain.
It boosts brain power, soothes the soul and improves over-all well-being. We’d be wise to spend less time sitting in front of a computer or in a classroom environment studying and more time focused on physical activity.
“Super Productivity Secrets” was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. It is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.
Entrepreneurs are a special breed of people. They realize that in order to get where they want to be, they will have to make sacrifices along the way…it’s all part of the game. In order to experience the success they seek, they will have to give up things that others simply won’t…this is what separates them from the crowd.
Unfortunately many entrepreneurs focus so much on achieving their outer goals that they forget to give their bodies the attention needed. The long hours and hectic pace they keep and the added stress compromises their health but they don’t become aware of it until they find themselves in their 50’s and beyond.
Suddenly they are up against premature aging and poor health. All those long hours, stress filled days and consistent demanding pace has taken its toll and their health is suffering and on a downward spiral. [Read more…]
Losing weight is mental first and requires a strong mindset/inner foundation in order to push through the tough times and succeed.
Let’s face, it, when your body is in a satiated state, food cravings are not all that difficult to deal with. However, when you diet, you are eating less energy than your body ideally wants to and so the first response from your body is to make you feel hunger and why most dieters often complain of feeling hungry.
As soon as those food cravings hit, hunger rears its ugly head, your will-power flies out the window, you can’t think of anything but food and the next thing you know, you’re off and running to the closest vending machine or grabbing the quickest available snack…no matter how damaging it is to your diet.
On the other hand, those who succeed with their dieting efforts are those who can push through this type of hunger despite experiencing these feelings. They are able to stick with their plan.
The only difference between the dieter who “pushes through” and one who “gives in” is mental toughness.
Mental toughness is similar to diligence, however, diligence is more about doing something each and every day (repetition) – forcing yourself to do something because you know it pays off in the end. Mental toughness is much shorter lived. It is about pushing through very tough times now – knowing that you must get through and then things will get better.
Those who are mentally tough persevere…they persist until they reach their goals whether they are dieting goals or goals they want to achieve at the gym.
Those with mental toughness are resilient and flexible. They rebound easily from upsets, mistakes and missed opportunities. They bounce back, change course and get back on track immediately. If they have had an exceptionally hard day at work and experienced set-backs to business, mental toughness is the fuel that puts them firmly back on the path.
Achieving a high level of mental toughness begins with baby steps – not tackling the toughest situation you find yourself in all at once and expecting successful results. Begin by placing your attention and focus on smaller things first. As your mental toughness grows, your confidence will also grow. You’ll be able to continue to push through and it gets easier and easier to repeat this on the harder tasks that come your way.
Research is revealing that mental toughness plays the most important role in achieving health, fitness, business and life goals. It’s a muscle you work-out just like you do your muscles at the gym and just as your muscles at the gym respond and grow bigger and stronger, so too does your mental toughness. The more you use it, the stronger and more available it gets.
Although talent plays an important role in any endeavor, its perseverance, grit and mental toughness that predicts your level of success or lack thereof more than any other trait and your fitness and nutrition plan is the perfect place to start and to develop the admirable trait of “mental toughness.” It will be the catalyst to success in all areas of your life.
Mental toughness takes time to build and develop but once it is built, this healthy trait will serve you well in all areas of your life for years to come.
Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.
“Super Productivity Secrets” is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. It was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity.
Part of being fit and healthy includes the kind of sleep we are able to get each night.
Without a doubt, sleep is critical to success. It effects our executive function – the area of the brain responsible for decision making. Studies show that sleep deprived people suffer memory impairments, vision disturbances, slower reaction times and in more severe cases lack of quality sleep can even create a similar effect that being intoxicated has. It lowers the health of the immune system, raises the risk of cardio vascular disease, increases stress levels and emotional reaction.
On the other hand, quality sleep provides more energy and focus for the day – traits entrepreneurs must own and display. Healthy entrepreneurs have learned that participating in regular fitness helps them to get the kind of quality sleep they need at night in order to perform at maximum capacity with full clarity the next day. Their sleep is deeper and sounder than if they had not exercised, Like a true entrepreneur, they capitalize on that.
Caffeine can easily keep you awake at night and make it hard to fall asleep. Be aware of any products you use throughout the day that may contain caffeine – especially going into afternoon and evening hours.
Eat Early – eating large meals too close to bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep. Eat your bigger meals earlier and enjoy a light snack in the evening. One containing protein and fat is ideal. Try and stay away from the sugar and starch. Simple carbs (sugary snacks) provide a quick burst of energy followed by a sudden crash. This disturbs the quality of sleep.
Exercise Early – Exercise revs up your metabolism causing you to have too much energy making it hard to sleep.
Avoid alcohol before retiring – Although alcohol may initially help you to fall asleep it will actually wake you up in the middle of the night. If you enjoy a glass of wine before dinner try and schedule it so that you have at least 3 hours before you’ll be retiring for the night.
Eliminate the noise and light – the optimal sleep environment is cool, dark and quiet. Avoid charging phones and other technology devices in your bedroom so you can avoid the “glow” they give off. Gadgets force our brains to stay active so if you are trying to relax you are working against yourself. Try reading a book or conversing with your partner to unwind.
Wake up with the sun. Getting sunlight to start your day is the perfect way to rest your circadian rhythm which helps to ensure that you’ll be tired at night.
Sleep deprivation has also been linked to obesity because it makes you hungrier by boosting the stimulation of the hormone ghrelin and reducing the levels of leptin (the satiety inducing hormone). It raises the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Bottom line is sleep has a powerful effect on your well-being and success. Proper fitness and healthy nutrition help to ensure that the sleep you do get is high quality sleep.
Your brain will be refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes its way. You’ll remain calm under pressure and your decisions will be made with clarity and decisiveness.
“Super Productivity Secrets” was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. It is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.
Without a doubt, our lives are busier than ever. Work demands are increasing along with compounded family and personal demands.
Stress levels are at their highest and we are more exhausted than ever.
And, the worst thing of all is – we are less happy and get less done because of our chaotic, over demanding lives.
How often during the day do you hear the words “I am too busy”…or “I don’t have time?” If they don’t come out of your mouth that particular day, you hear someone else speaking them.
Our minds are on overload with information and tasks and we try and get everything done rather than just the most essential things.
We need to learn how to release and let go of the many mind distractions continually confronting us and re-learn the art of “focus.”
We inherently believe that we are super-multi-taskers ready and able to tackle and complete multiple tasks at once – splitting our attention and focus in many different directions. But in reality, research proves we are terrible multi-taskers and splitting our attention only weakens it much like an electric “splitter” does. This type of multi-tasking lowers IQ. You can actually lose up to 40 percent of your productivity by trying to multi-task.
Truth is, minds that are bombarded with several streams of information at once have trouble paying attention, recalling information and switching between tasks compared to those that focus and place their concentration on one thing at a time.
Super-productive does not mean tackling multiple tasks at once…it means tackling one thing at a time and succeeding and then moving onto the next.
Single-tasking is the key to super-productivity. Single-tasking is exactly what it implies – focusing on one task at a time until it is done. Immersing yourself in the task at hand is what makes you productive. Giving it your full focus allows your creative juices to flow.
The equation is simple: shifting your focus from being busy to being productive.
Focus on the essential and eliminate the rest. What this does is to put your concentration firmly in the moment where action takes place. You release your anxieties and anticipations by focusing on what’s in front of you only (the essential). This places you in the “flow.”
Our attention needs to be on the 5% of tasks that improve our lives and make us money not the 95% of stuff that only steals our attention and our energy. The problem lies with the fact that most people don’t have the discipline in place to make these conscious changes.
And, that’s where fitness comes in. Increased self-discipline and the ability to focus on a single task for a long period of time is a natural result of having a fitness program firmly cemented into your life.
Fitness offers way more than making you look and feel healthier. It can also make you a lot more focused.
You’ll gain these mental benefits from regular fitness:
Increased blood flow and growth factors to your brain: improving mental cognition and focus
Creates new brain cells: continually repairing and replacing dead brain cells
Works your “attention” muscle: improves the “brain circuits” that underlie your ability to think and learn.”
Along with the above benefits, you’ll also enjoy enhanced moods, enhanced memory, impulse control and energy levels – all important factors that influence how focused you are.
Exercise increases blood pressure and blood flow everywhere in the body including the brain. More blood means more energy and oxygen making our brains perform better.
Once your focus is on what’s truly important (the essential), your productivity instantly increases. The result is a growing a thriving business to super-star levels.
“Super Productivity Secrets” is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. It was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.
Bones take an active role in our health – they are not hard and lifeless as many believe them to be. They are living, growing tissue made up of 3 different components that keep them flexible and strong.
Collagen: our bones have a flexible framework because they contain the protein collagen.
Calcium-Phosphate minerals: to keep bones strong and hard
Living Bone-cells: like other tissue in your body, bone tissue is constantly being replaced with weakened sections removed and replaced with new tissue. You are constantly producing new bone.
Peak bone mass – the point at which you have the greatest amount of bone your body will ever have usually occurs sometime between the ages of 18-25. How much bone you have at the moment of “peak bone mass” determines to some degree how likely you will be to break a bone or get osteoporosis later in life. In fact, osteoporosis could be labeled a “young person’s disease” because you can trace its roots back before the age of 36 when the seeds of this insidious disease are sown.
Truth is, osteoporosis is not a disease that just strikes little old ladies; it is a silent deadly thief that begins stealing away our bones starting early on in childhood at astonishing rates. Most people are not even aware of the amount of damage occurring in their bodies until the damage is done.
Poor lifestyle habits contribute to weakened bones. Nutrient void diets, excessive use of caffeine or alcohol and of course lack of exercise are all major offenders. Family history plays a role as well as certain diseases related to organs such as the liver or kidneys and others. Even repetitive use of medications can contribute to bone loss but the biggest contributor is a sedentary, inactive lifestyle.
The great news is that osteoporosis is not inevitable or a disease of the elderly, it can be prevented, slowed and even reversed if proper steps are taken now. The younger you start the better.
Studies reveal that the loss of muscle and bone strength are not the result of aging but merely the direct result of our inactive lifestyles. Unless we consciously set out to prevent muscle tissue loss, we lose as much as ½ our strength by the time we reach 65 years of age. The greater the muscle tissue loss the higher the incidence of weak, thinning, brittle bones because muscles are attached to bones. When a muscle is contracted against resistance it pulls on the bone, and this type of mechanical loading makes the bones grow thicker and gain mass to protect itself while under stress thus leading to stronger bone.
Although all forms of exercise have something to offer in regards to contributing to our health, not all of them are suitable and proper when it comes to strengthening bones. Activities such as walking, running, biking or swimming are great recreational activities but do not contribute what’s needed to stress the skeleton properly.
Strength training – some form of resistance training is what grows strong dense bones and strong toned muscles that protect against osteoporosis. Stronger bones and muscles helps improve balanced and coordination resulting in less bone shattering falls.
The equation is simple: Incorporating regular challenging strength training exercise throughout adulthood is key to keeping muscles and bones in peak condition.
We must pay attention to our muscle strength and bone density now if we want to enjoy our independence and stay “wildly active” not “mildly active” in our lives as we get older.
“Super Productivity Secrets” is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. It was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.
If you look up the word “diligence” in the dictionary it is defined as:
“Careful and persistent work or effort.”
“Constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of the body or mind.”
With these definitions in mind, it is not hard to see why diligence is so important in all aspects of your life – health, nutrition, business, finance or fitness. It is one of the primary ingredients to success.
A diligent person is one who “finds the way around obstacles” rather than giving in to defeat. Unfortunately in today’s modern society that expects and wants instant results and “quick-fixes” diligence is becoming a rare trait. If people don’t get want they want “now” they move on to something else without so much as a “fight.” Their attitude and mentality is to “put out the minimum effort yet receive maximum pay.”
Truth is, there is no shortcuts in life…if you want something bad enough it requires work, dedication and determination. You must persevere if you want to achieve.
One who is diligent in their work ethic produces quality work. They are focused in their efforts, persistent and action oriented. They are careful, attentive and productive and without a doubt will achieve the success they are after.
One of the most important benefits you’ll receive as a diligent worker actually applies directly to you. You’ll feel a personal sense of self-satisfaction – the result of doing your best.
The next time you attempt to achieve a certain goal or complete a task, give it your all. Invest all your energy and focus and adopt diligence as your “keyword.” Apply your complete energy and focus to what you have undertaken to achieve and don’t stop until you’ve finished your task fully and completely.
For example: if one of your fitness goals is to build more muscle, know before you begin that you have hours of hard work ahead of you. One or two trips to the gym is not going to suffice. It is not a short-term goal. You’ll need to hit the gym “diligently” for months before you begin to notice the size increase on the body part you have targeted. After you have achieved your goal, you will need to continue your practice of diligence in order to maintain your goals.
The key is to be consciously aware of how much hard work it’s going to take from the moment you begin your quest. Knowing this sub-consciously does not get the job done. It must be a conscious effort…and you must accept that your goals are going to take work and lots of effort. Many people simply underestimate the amount of work that is needed before beginning or they over estimate how much work they are actually putting in.
Become diligent in your work ethic at the gym…and watch how this “attitude” spills over into other areas of your life such as business and financial success.
Diligence in any area of your life doesn’t come easily and takes time to build and develop but once it is built, this healthy attitude will serve you well in all areas of your life for years to come.
“Super Productivity Secrets” is the ultimate lifestyle, fitness and success library. It was written for entrepreneurs ready and willing to operate at full capacity. Discover the missing strategy that has kept you from reaching the level of success you dream about.