Total Health Breakthroughs

6 Ways You Can Reverse the Aging Process

By Al Sears, M.D.

You know that as you get older, you’re going to physically change for the worse. I’m convinced that if you effectively address these physical “age markers,” your health span will soar and you’ll look and feel younger.

I’ve measured how physical capacities change with age. Then, I’ve tracked each change against efforts to reverse them. I’d like you to focus on six important physical age changes that you can reverse.

1. Loss of lean tissue mass. Your muscles and internal organs are lean tissues. As we age, most of us lose both muscle and internal organ weight and replace the lean tissue with fat. People who age well, who seem to be far younger than their years, retain their lean tissue mass. Indeed, the Evergreen Project found that the more lean tissue you have the longer your life, the fewer your illnesses and the better your mental functioning.

Lean tissues protect you from many age-related ailments:

• Reduces risk of bone fractures by supporting bones.
• Improves sexual health by stimulating sex hormone production.
• Reverses hormonal age by boosting human growth hormone.
• Helps you keep trim by boosting your metabolic rate.
• Gives you more energy by increasing glycogen stores.
• Decreases risk of infection by strengthening your immune system.

Lean tissue loss begins at age 30, with an average of three pounds lost per decade. Yet the loss is preventable and completely reversible. I’ve seen patients of all ages regain 100 percent of their youthful lean mass.

To build muscle mass, you must engage your big muscles. The quadriceps on the front of your thigh, the hamstrings on the back of your leg and the gluteus of the buttocks are your three biggest. Provide stiff resistance through a broad range of motion for these three muscles. This can include weight training with squats or leg presses, bodyweight exercises, bicycling, stair-steppers or elliptical machines.

2. Shrinking lungs. As years pass, your lung volume shrinks. By the time you’re 60, you’ve lost up to 40 percent of your lung volume. Here’s how you can measure yours: Ask your doctor to give you a pulmonary function test to check your lung capacity. I find it very valuable to monitor the benefits of exercise at reversing the loss of lung volume that afflicts so many elders.

3. Diminishing heart capacity. Most people don’t realize that they’re losing heart capacity until it’s too late – when they’re in the emergency room after a heart attack. Yet you can get a gauge of your heart capacity by measuring your recovery heart rate.

Begin by walking comfortably for two minutes. Then measure your heart rate by locating your pulse on your wrist and counting the number of beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by four to get the beats per minute. This is your normal-activity heart rate. Now do a round of jumping jacks. Then, after two minutes measure your heart rate again.

Next, check your heart rate until it returns to your normal-activity rate. The amount of time from peak activity back to your normal-activity heart rate is your recovery time. The fitter you are, the faster your heart rate will recover back to normal.

If you don’t practice short-burst cardio, your heart and lungs have probably lost capacity. Here’s what to do. Use short bursts of cardio to get your heart rate to a target range for your age. Start at 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. (Your maximum heart is 220 minus your age.) In a few weeks work up to 80 percent of your maximal heart rate.

4. Increasing body fat. If you don’t act to prevent it, fat slowly but relentlessly replaces lean tissue as you age. But again, this shift is not inevitable.

Start by measuring your body fat. Get it measured at the gym or use a set of calipers. My youthful body fat goal is 8 to 16 percent for men and 12 to 24 percent for women.

Fat loss starts with adequate protein. This signals your body that, “the hunting is good.” What do you need to store extra body fat for if you will eat well again tomorrow? To put your body in fat-burning mode, over-consume protein, and minimize everything else. This is one piece of advice where I get a lot of resistance. If you can have some faith and try it, you’ll see too how much easier it makes losing fat and achieving a more youthful body.

Finally, short bursts of exercise burn fat best. Short bursts use energy from carbohydrates stored in muscle rather than from fat. Carbs burn energy at a much higher rate. You then burn off your fat during the recovery period as you replenish the carbs.

5. Thinning bones

6. Loss of functional strength. You can use the same routine to build bone density and functional strength. As it turns out, your bones respond to stressors put on them by increasing their density. And, if you are effectively stressing your bones, you will also be building functional strength.

Most adults lose 1 percent of bone mass annually. As you lose bone minerals, your bones become lighter, more porous, weaker and at greater risk for fracture. Unfortunately, a bone must lose a quarter of its weight before a standard X-ray can see the problem. Instead, get a bone mineral density test (BMD). The best BMDs test the bones of your lower spine and hip. These areas are at higher risk for fracture as you age.

If your BMD detects trouble, you can increase bone density and strength with weight-bearing exercise such as walking, bicycling, swimming or weight training. Focus on increasing intensity in all of these exercises.

Taking calcium will have little effect on this loss of bone with age. But you can help reverse the process with the only vitamin that’s also a hormone, vitamin D. Take 400 IU of vitamin D daily or one tablespoon of cod liver oil (the best native vitamin D source).

Get started on your own physical anti-aging program today. Begin nice and easy. You’ll have to build up to some of the exercises. If you feel any pain, dizziness or shortness of breath, slow down. Just get started and try them. The age-defying results will surprise you.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness and heart health.]
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Exercise & Fitness:
The Best Exercise to Burn Fat? It’s Not What You Think

By Jon Benson

If you’re trying to burn fat, I have some very interesting news for you. A recent study finds that weight training is far superior for burning body fat and elevating metabolic rate post-exercise than any other exercise.

This is rather eye-opening for the "cardio bunny" crowd -- those folks who swear by endless hours of spin classes or elliptical workouts to burn fat.

A body mass study conducted by The Human Performance Laboratory at The University of Wisconsin demonstrated that weight training of a specific variety and rep scheme elevated metabolic rates (measured though VO2 max) for 39 hours. In comparison, the average 40-minute cardio session elevated the metabolism for only a few hours post-exercise.

The ideal way to do this is not with machines, Pilates, or baby dumbbells, but with free weights. Exercises should be targeted in the eight- to 12-repetition range for maximum effect. True elevation of metabolic rate did not occur if weights were too heavy, involving exercises that were done for less than six repetitions, or too light, involving exercises requiring more than 12 repetitions to complete.

Like a good investment, a brief but targeted weight training routine conducted just two or three times per week can produce rewards that are both short-term and exponentially powerful. When combined with a fat-burning nutrition plan and stress-reducing exercise (such as yoga, walking or Pilates), the rewards are greater still.

[Ed. Note: Jon Benson is a lifecoach and nutrition counselor who specializes in helping individuals discover a life-altering mind/body connection. His work in the field of post-40 fitness and mental empowerment has helped countless thousands rediscover their youthful body and positive outlook.]
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Recipes and Nutrition:
Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Almonds & Feta Cheese

By Kelley Lunsford

Summer is a great time for fresh produce. This crisp organic salad (perfect for a light afternoon lunch with friends) is loaded with folate and also provides lutein and zeaxanthin –two nutrients that guard vision and help protect against certain cancers. So keep cool and stay healthy at the same time!

Serves: 4

Time to Table: 10 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight:

. Anthocyanins, lutein, zeaxanthin
. Excellent source of folate
. Good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and copper

Ingredients:

. 8 cups fresh organic spinach
. 2 ounces organic, plain feta cheese
. 2 cups fresh organic blueberries
. 1/4 cup slivered organic almonds

Preparation:

Arrange spinach on four plates. Top each plate with 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 Tbsp. slivered almonds and half an ounce of feta cheese. Dress with our Blueberry Vinaigrette or try Drew`s All Natural Raspberry Dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

131 calories, 7 g total fat, 2.4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 204 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 8 g sugars, 6 g protein

[Ed. Note: Kelley Lunsford is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet, a multimedia company that educates on how foods promote health and protect against disease. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet's Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill, including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility. For more information Click here to visit her website.]
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Mind/Body/Soul:
Feeling Fit and Fabulous Is Not Just About the Physical

By Norma Reid

Summer is a wonderful time of year, a time when we naturally are drawn outdoors to enjoy the beauty of this incredible planet, to smell the flowers and witness the incredible growth and abundance of Mother Nature. It is a time when most of us naturally have more energy and feel more positive, when we get out and play more often, which is good for the body, mind and soul.

And for some of us, it’s that dreaded time of year: bathing suit season. We realize that we may not have paid attention to what we ate or how much exercise we did over the winter. For some of us a barrage of negative self-talk showers us.

It did me. For years I had this continuous cycle. I’d gain a few pounds, join a gym or exercise program, work out regularly and eat healthier. I’d feel great. I’d tell myself I would continue eating properly and exercising for life. Then I’d gradually go back to my old habits, stop exercising and eat whatever I wanted. I’d gain weight, start feeling sluggish and get disgusted with myself. So I’d join another gym and go through the whole cycle again and again, each time gaining a few extra pounds. I got to the point where I didn’t think I would ever be anything but fat.

Then I realized that getting into great shape meant getting into great shape mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. As the writer Rumer Godden said, "There is an Indian belief that everyone is in a house of four rooms: A physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not complete."

My challenge to you this week is to take inventory of how you care for yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. Is there a room or two that needs some attention?

Take five minutes tomorrow morning to meditate in your bedroom. Don’t grab for the cell phone next time it rings. Tell your spouse you love him out of the blue. Go for a walk on the beach on Sunday morning.

Happy summer!

[Ed. Note: Norma Reid is a Success Coach and Trainer. Living a fabulous life is not just about the physical, it's also the mental, emotional and spiritual. If you are ready to realize your magnificence and live the life of your dreams check Norma’s website, by clicking here].
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Healthy Healing:
Are Your Blood Pressure Meds Killing You?

By Shane Ellison

Did you know that rising blood pressure is a normal process of aging and does not require drug intervention, even when it reaches 140/80?

Medical literature shows that as we age blood pressure rises slightly to accommodate an increased demand of oxygen and nutrients. And this rise does not put us at any risk of early death. It is completely natural for the first number (systolic) to be 100 plus our age.

But this is not what Big Pharma wants you to believe.

Among the top 10 drugs prescribed in the U.S., blood pressure (hypertension) medications ensnare millions into the prescription drug trap. That trap kills 200,000 and injures close to 2.2 million Americans every year.

Beta-blocker drugs and diuretics such as Toprol-XL™, Lopressor™ (metoprolol), Tenormin™ (atenolol) and Coreg™ (carvedilol) serve as fat fertilizer to the human body. As a result, patients who take these drugs are at a 28 percent to 50 percent greater risk of suffering from type II diabetes – the greatest health challenge of the 21st century.

Calcium channel blockers such as Adalat, Procardia™ (nifedipine) and Norvasc™ (amlodipine) are not safe alternatives. By blocking calcium from entering the heart, users are put at greater risk of dying from heart failure.

Cancer is also a possibility. In 1996, the National Institutes of Health warned that, “Postmenopausal women who took calcium channel blockers had twice the risk of developing breast cancer than other women.”

So what can you do about it naturally?

First, forget about the salt myth to lower blood pressure. Eliminating sugar and artificial flavors is among the best things you can do to obtain a relatively normal blood pressure.

Replacing carbohydrates (bread, pasta, excess fruit) with healthy fats such as coconut oil, grass-fed beef, wild salmon, avocados, seeds and nuts will also help.

And finally, interval training one to three times per week is vital for a healthy cardiovascular system.

Using cardiovascular nutrients such as L-arginine, magnesium aspartate and a 95 percent grape seed extract can be a potent natural remedy. Based on Nobel Prize-winning science, these artery-preserving molecules increase the production of nitric oxide, which helps dilate and relax arteries.

Blood pressure medications are made to sell, not heal. Once you understand this, you can avoid the deadly prescription drug trap.

[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison is known as "The People's Chemist." He holds a Master’s degree in organic chemistry and has first-hand industry experience with drug research, design and synthesis. He is the author of Health Myths Exposed and The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs. Get his FREE Life-Saving Health Briefs by clicking here.]
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Alternative Eating:
Mangosteen: The Science Behind the Hype

Ray Sahelian, M.D.

There has been a lot of talk and aggressive marketing lately with mangosteen juice and mangosteen supplements. One website claims, "Mangosteen testimonials abound with people using our product to cure themselves of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, depression, ulcers, cancer, psoriasis...." And the list goes on. What’s the science behind the hype?

Mangosteen is a fruit grown in Thailand and Myanmar. The flesh is sweet and creamy, with a touch of peach flavor. The rind (the mangosteen pericarp) and flesh contain substances called xanthones, mainly garcinol and mangostin.

Laboratory studies are slowly revealing interesting properties of mangosteen fruit. Xanthones exhibit antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and antitumor activity. Laboratory testing thus far indicates that extracts of mangosteen have activity against several cancer cell lines, including breast, liver and leukemia. Xanthones also appear to have antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties.

Mangosteen is sold mostly as dried powder in capsules, usually consisting of 500 mg. Mangosteen is also sold as juice, most often combined with other juices. There are dozens of companies that sell mangosteen juice, and each of them will mix it with a different blend of fruits and have a different concentration of xanthones.

Human trials are not available regarding mangosteen juice or mangosteen supplements, so we still have a lot to learn. Until then, I can't see any harm in drinking an ounce or two of mangosteen juice a day or taking a mangosteen supplement a few times a week or month.

[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D. is a practicing physician and best-selling author. He is a leading authority on natural supplements and nutrition. For the latest research on organic ways to improve your health and well-being, click here to learn more.]
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 07-27-07] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com

Drug-Free Post-Workout Pain Relief

By Al Sears, MD

Back when I was in college, caffeine was by far the most-used performance-enhancing drug. The locker room buzz claimed that it not only made exertion feel easier but also helped ease the aches and pains athletes get after competition. All these years later, a new study indicates that the guys were on to something not yet known by doctors.

Researchers from the University of Georgia recently discovered that caffeine in a dose equivalent to two cups of coffee can cut post-gym muscle pain. Their findings - published in The Journal of Pain - showed that caffeine lowered pain by as much as 48 percent. Caffeine actually proved more effective than the common pain relievers naproxen (Aleve), aspirin, and ibuprofen (Advil).

I’m not telling you to down cup after cup of coffee after a workout. Always use caffeine in moderation. Too much can produce side effects like jitteriness or even heart palpitations. And keep in mind that the University of Georgia study also found that those who drank coffee regularly didn’t get as much pain relief as those who rarely had caffeinated drinks.

If you don’t tolerate caffeine well, here’s an alternative for you - without side effects or the risk of addiction: ribose. Taken before working out, this simple sugar reduces or prevents exercise-induced muscle cramping and soreness.

I recommend a dose of two to five grams of ribose. Just dissolve the pleasant-tasting powder in water. It has worked wonders for both my patients and me. You can find it at your local nutrition store. Of course, check with your doctor before starting any new health regimen.
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Overwhelming Proof That Natural Medicine Works

By Jon Herring, Guest editor, Total Health Breakthroughs

In spite of the fact that many pharmaceutical drugs are just synthetic versions of healing compounds that are found in nature, there is a pervasive myth (no doubt fostered by the drug companies) that drugs have been proven to work, while natural remedies have not. Dr. Michael T. Murray, N.D., a professor of natural medicine and the author of more than 20 books, has compiled more than 50,000 scientific articles that prove the opposite is true. In his words:

"One of the great myths about natural medicines is that they are not scientific. The fact of the matter is that for most common illnesses there is greater support in the medical literature for a natural approach than there is for drugs or surgery."

So to maintain or improve your health, do what the pharmaceutical companies do when they develop a new drug: Look to nature. Not only will you find therapies that work, they will be safer and less expensive than their synthetic alternatives.
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 07-13-07] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com

"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." - Woody Allen

"In almost every marriage there is a selfish and an unselfish partner. A pattern is set up and soon becomes inflexible, of one person always making the demands and one person always giving way." - Iris Murdoch

"In health there is freedom. Health is the first of all liberties." - Henri Frederic Amiel

"I find that a great part of the information I have was acquired by looking up something and finding something else on the way." - Franklin P. Adams

"People mix up entrepreneurship with risk-taking… An entrepreneur is a risk-minimizer, an opportunity seeker."

Peter Farrell

Do You Have What It Takes?

By Michael Masterson

Many ETR readers are entrepreneurial wannabes - stuck in jobs they hate and dreaming of having their own exciting businesses. According to best-selling business author Seth Godin, entrepreneurial wannabes come in a number of varieties:

. "The middle manager who believes he can go out and make it on his own
. "The career-changer who is going to open a pet store because she loves dogs
. "The restaurant chef who is going to open up his own restaurant
. "The accountant leaving a big firm to start his own tax service
. "The technology maven with a great idea
. "The retiree who wants to buy a small store"

Most of these wannabes never achieve their dream. Rather than take the steps needed to start a successful business, they devote all their spare time to learning about entrepreneurship and preparing for the big day that never comes.

I think about PG, one of the dozens of wannabes I know. When we recently talked about this sensitive subject - why she has never taken action to start her business, even though she is well-prepared to do so - she said, "I worry that I don’t have what it takes."

When I asked her what she meant by that, she drew a blank. "I don’t know," she said. "Like if I have the right personality. Or if I have the right kind of mind for it. Or the right kind of emotional intelligence. That sort of thing."

That got me thinking: Is there such a thing as having "what it takes" when it comes to starting your own business?

In Seth Godin’s book If You’re Clueless About Starting Your Own Business, he says it’s a myth that there is one entrepreneurial "type."

"Bill Gates is an entrepreneur, but so is the single mom who runs a typing service out of her home. While the media has glamorized the macho, take-no-prisoners approach to growing businesses into billion-dollar companies, the fact is that most jobs are created by the tiny ‘mom and pop’ start-ups that are everywhere."

But Godin does believe that successful entrepreneurs share certain traits. And he provides a 25-question quiz to determine how many of those traits you have. The most important, he says, are:

. A positive, committed attitude so you can stick with it through the "change, insecurity, and indecision" that buffet every new business
. A natural love of challenge so you will have the energy and enthusiasm to handle the demands you will inevitably face
. The ability to manage a lot of stress and work at a high energy level
. The willingness to take responsibility
. A preference for being in charge rather than following orders
. A sense of excitement and urgency about growth and change
. The ability to sell yourself and your business

All of those characteristics seemed sensible to me, so I took the test. Considering how many profitable dollars the dozens of businesses I’ve started are raking in, I expected to score 100. But, in fact, I scored 79.

According to Godin, my 79 means that it’s very risky for someone like me to start a business. "You possess some entrepreneurial traits," he says, "but probably not to the degree necessary to buck the daunting odds. If your score on the last 15 questions was 15 or below (which it was), your risk is even greater. Keep working for someone else."

Interesting, don’t you think?

A colleague of mine - the guy who recommended Godin’s book to me - scored very highly on the test. And he is, indeed, a "natural" entrepreneur. However, he has not been able to build businesses that last. He starts one and, because he is smart and aggressive, it works well for a time. Then something happens and it falls apart.

While I admire his many talents, I can see that being a natural entrepreneur - the personality that Godin’s test is looking for - is in many ways his biggest barrier to success.

The natural entrepreneur is good at coming up with ideas, but not so good at following up on them. "I’m an idea person," such entrepreneurs will tell you. "I’m not good with details."

In saying that, these people are suggesting that the ability to come up with ideas is more important than the skill of implementing them. But as Robert Ringer says in Action!, no idea has any value until it is carried out. The secret of success in business is the ability to combine innovation and implementation.

If, like my friend PG, you have been putting off the decision to strike out on your own because you don’t know if you have "what it takes," consider the case I am making here: If having what it takes means having the classic entrepreneurial personality, you may be better off with the personality you have.

Embrace the fact that you like security and regularity and order, because later on, when you do get your business going, you will be able to use that to build a stable business for yourself and your employees.

"Okay," you say. "But how do I get out of this cycle I’m in? This cycle of dreaming and reading and planning my business but never actually jumping into it?"

Here is a quick outline of what you should do:

. Accept the fact that you are not a "natural" entrepreneur. Be happy about that, because your fear of taking risks and your instinctive desire for stability will work in your favor.
. Get someone to act as your mentor - a successful business owner who is willing to encourage you to take the steps you have to take.
. Don’t even think about quitting your job until your business is proven and profitable. That’s not your nature. Instead, plan a strategy that makes sense for the "chicken entrepreneur" that you are. That strategy should include the following:

1. Make a final decision about which business you want to start. Recognize uncertainty as a way to avoid action. Don’t fret that you might pick the "wrong" business. Just pick something.
2. Get a full- or part-time job in the industry you want to be in, in the marketing department if possible. Learn everything you can about how that business sells its products.
3. Once you understand how the marketing works, see if you can start an Internet-based version of your business. If your business doesn’t have an Internet application, come up with another way to test the waters - maybe by selling your products at flea markets or offering your services through related businesses.
4. Read Ready… Fire… Aim, my next book on entrepreneurship. That will give you the details of exactly what you need to do to take your business from inception to $100 million and beyond.

Most important, take action. A lot of things related to starting your own business may scare you (which is perfectly fine), but you won’t accomplish anything if you don’t move forward. Even if your first step is a small one - like setting up a simple website or scheduling an informational interview with a bigwig in your field - do something to get your new venture off the ground.
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High Blood Pressure? Up Your Omega-3s

By Jon Herring

Yesterday, I highlighted a study which showed that even very modest weight loss can provide a substantial benefit to those with high blood pressure. But shedding a few pounds isn’t the only way to get your blood pressure under control. Diet is also important - and I’m not just talking about cutting out salt. In numerous studies, omega-3 fatty acids have been clearly shown to improve hypertension.

In a study published early this month, researchers carefully examined the diet and blood pressure of more than 4,000 men and women, ages 40 to 59. The subjects were from Japan, China, Britain, and the United States. After adjusting for age, gender, weight, salt intake, exercise, and other variables that can influence blood pressure, the researchers discovered that, on average, those who consumed the most omega-3s had lower blood pressure.

When it comes to lowering your blood pressure, every little bit counts. Dr. Hirotsugu Ueshima, one of the researchers on this study, said, "If you can reduce blood pressure a few millimeters from eating less salt, losing a few pounds, avoiding heavy drinking, eating more vegetables, whole grains, and fruits (for their fiber, minerals, vegetable protein, and other nutrients), and getting more omega-3 fatty acids, then you’ve made a big difference."

The best and most convenient sources of omega-3s are fish oil, naturally raised grass-fed beef, wild salmon, and sardines.
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It’s Good to Know: Traveling on a Budget

Do you have thirst for travel but can’t afford a hotel room? Several online organizations - like Couch Surfing International, The Hospitality Club, and Free-Stay - link travelers with a network of people who offer free accommodations around the world. Membership is usually required, and precautionary measures (like requiring passport numbers and full names and allowing members to post comments about other members online) have been implemented to help ensure safety.

The idea is that by staying with a local you get a more authentic and rewarding experience than the typical tourist. In return for a free place to stay, you are asked to help out with chores or other tasks.

(Source: CouchSufing.com, HospitalityClub.org, Free-stay.com)
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Word to the Wise: Piebald

Something that’s "piebald" (PIE-bald) is (1) composed of incongruous parts or (2) mottled with patches of black and white or other colors.

Example (as used by Jan Dalley in Diana Mosley): "She remembered the piebald hair of a convicted woman, with brown roots growing through the crude bleach."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2081, 06-29-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Can CLA Really Help You Lose Weight?

Yesterday, I wrote about the health benefits associated with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). One of them, research suggests, is that this fatty acid can help reduce body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. In fact, some marketers are calling CLA "the fat that makes you thin."

But there's a catch.

Researchers studied the effects of CLA on mice that were fed a high-fat diet. What they found was that a reduction in stored body fat AND an increase in lean muscle mass resulted only when the CLA was combined with exercise.

So it appears that CLA can help you become lean … but you'll still need to get off your butt and do some exercise.

(Resource: Journal of Nutrition)

- Jon Herring
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Notes From Michael Masterson's Journal: Depressing Thoughts on the Way People Think

For many years, Bill Bonner and I have had a running conversation about a mutual interest: why people think the thoughts they do.

We have talked about what he calls "group think" - the preference most people seem to have to think those thoughts that others deem good or acceptable. Rather than take the trouble to figure out things on their own or put themselves in danger of having nothing at all to say about a popular topic, they adopt a big idea that they've seen bandied about by so-called experts. Depending on their emotional preferences and cultural situation, they might buy into the group thinking of liberals or libertarians, Republicans or Democrats. But do they have their own individual opinions on a popular subject? Perish the thought!

Lately, Bill and I have been talking about another disappointing phenomenon in the world of thinking: the tendency of people to adopt beliefs and ideas that suit their particular circumstances. This is not unrelated to "group think," but it may be even more depressing.

Here is what he said about this in a recent issue of Daily Reckoning:

"At the heel of our new thoughts is the idea that thinking itself is little better than a conceit. We believe what we need to believe when we need to believe it. When circumstances change, we believe something completely different - even though we considered both thoughts eternal.

"A man marries one woman. 'She is the girl of my dreams,' he thinks to himself. 'I am hers forever.' Years later, he finds a new girl of his dreams. People with no money of their own believe in the graduated income tax. 'From each according to his means,' they say. People with more money believe in 'flat rate.' 'It is fairer,' they say. People with a great deal of money barely care what the tax rate is; money has reached a point of such low marginal utility they become indifferent. Besides, money really is a burden; the rich man has to take up expensive hobbies from which a poor man is spared. These handicaps (see It's Good to Know, below) help him get rid of his old money, as well as reducing his ability to compete for new money."
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Today's Action Plan

Take stock of your own thinking today. Are your opinions really your opinions? Or were they born out of a need to embrace "acceptable" thoughts … or to justify your current circumstances? ______________________________
It's Good to Know: About Handicaps

As Bill Bonner pointed out in the Daily Reckoning article quoted above, the idea of "handicap" comes from sports, where stronger players spot weaker players a few points in order to make the game more competitive. But you see this in nature too, where male animals have physical handicaps to enable them to prove that they are stronger (and therefore better candidates for mating). That is why male birds have such bright plumage (which makes them obvious targets for predators) ... and why stags have such huge antlers (which make it difficult for them to maneuver).

Humans give themselves similar handicaps, Bill notes. When, for example, a successful lawyer buys a beach pad and a sports car, he is signaling that he is strong enough to carry the financial load.
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1502, 08-25-05], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Why Are the Bad Foods the Cheapest?

By Jon Herring

For most of history, the size of a man’s belly gave people a good idea of the size of his wallet, with the rich having plenty to eat and the poor going hungry. The belly/wallet correlation still exists, but in reverse. Net worth continues to be a reliable predictor of obesity, but now it’s the poor who are most likely to be overweight.

With this in mind, obesity researcher Adam Drewnowski went to the supermarket with a hypothetical dollar and a goal to purchase as many calories as possible with it. He found that his dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or 875 calories of soda, but only 250 calories of carrots.
Why are whole, simple foods so much more expensive than food that is processed and packaged? As Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, puts it in a comparison of Twinkies and carrots, "How can the supermarket sell synthetic cream-filled pseudocakes for less than a bunch of roots?"

The answer, unfortunately, is that our food prices are skewed because the U.S. government heavily subsidizes the corn, soybean, rice, and wheat crops that most processed foods are based on, while doing almost nothing to support the farmers who grow fresh produce.

The result is that the least-healthy calories in the grocery store are the cheapest by a mile. And while one branch of our government is helping to inflate the national waistline, another branch, the Department of Health, is gearing up to battle the "epidemic" of obesity.
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It’s Good to Know: Norway’s Automated Customs System

Thanks to recently installed automated tellers, passengers entering Norway through the country’s busiest airports can now declare their taxable goods and pay the duty automatically with a bank card instead of waiting in line for a customs officer. Norwegian officials say this new system will allow them to focus personnel on serious smuggling.

(Source: Reuters)
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Word to the Wise: Expedient

An "expedient" (ik-SPEE-dee-unt) - from the Latin for "to make ready" - is something contrived or used to meet an urgent need.

Example (as used by Theodore Roosevelt in a 1918 article for The Atlantic): "If, when assailed by the ostrich, the man stands erect, he is in great danger. But by the simple expedient of lying down, he escapes all danger. In such case, the bird may step on him, or sit on him; his clothes will be rumpled and his feelings injured; but he will suffer no bodily harm. I know various men… who have had this experience."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2067, 06-13-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

How to Get Rich With Farm Subsidies

By Jon Herring

For years, a fake letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has been circulating online. It's not only good for a laugh, it underscores the insane reality of U.S. farm subsidies. Here's one version of the letter:

Dear Sir:

My friend, Wayne Peterson, over at Wichita Falls, received a check the other day for $1,000 from the government for not raising hogs. So, I want to go into the "not raising hogs" business myself next year.

I want to be sure that I approach this endeavor in keeping with all government policies. What I want to know is, what is the best type of farm not to raise hogs on, and what is the best breed of hogs not to raise?

My friend Wayne is very excited about the future of his business. He had been raising hogs for 20 years and the most he ever made was $420 in 1978, until this year, when he got your check for $1,000 for not raising hogs.

If I can get $1,000 for not raising 50 hogs, will I get $2,000 for not raising 100 hogs? I plan to operate on a small scale at first, holding myself down to not raising about 4,000 hogs, which will give me $80,000 income the first year.

Now, another thing: These hogs I will not raise will not eat 100,000 bushels of corn. I understand that you also pay farmers for not raising corn and wheat. Will I qualify for payments for not raising wheat and corn not to feed the 4,000 hogs I am not going to raise?

I want to get started not feeding as soon as possible, as this seems to be a good time of the year to not raise hogs and grain and I don't want to miss the best of the season. I am also considering the "not milking cows" business, so please send me any information on that too.

In view of these circumstances, I understand that the government will consider me totally unemployed, so I plan to file for unemployment and food stamps as well.

Be assured that you will have my vote in the coming elections.

Patriotically yours,
Otis Deal

As absurd as this letter is, what is more absurd is that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has actually followed a policy of paying farmers "not" to farm. They have also used federal funds - taxpayer money - to subsidize crops that benefit food manufacturers but make the population fat and sick. Tomorrow, I'll show you what has happened, and the effect it has had on our health. ______________________________

Frequent-Flyer Miles: These Days, It's Use Them or Lose Them

By Jennifer Stevens

No use sitting on your frequent-flyer miles any longer. Do so, and you're likely to lose them.

Airlines have been quietly - one after another - changing their frequent-flyer policies, shortening the length of time you can keep your accumulated miles.

It used to be that you could horde them for years with no penalty. But nowadays, many airlines demand you show "activity" of some sort (either by redeeming miles or accumulating more) within a certain number of months, usually 18. If you don't... they'll zero out your account.

This recently happened to me when I lost 150,000 US Airways miles I'd more-or-less forgotten about. It was a loss I could have easily avoided - and I needn't have taken a US Airways flight to do it.

I could have kept my account active, for instance, by using a small number of those miles to purchase a magazine subscription or some Starbucks coffee. I'd have been down a few miles, sure, but I'd have retained the majority. Or I might have kept my account active by accumulating a few additional miles shopping online at a US Airways partner store - like Target, Gap, or Staples. I'd have simply needed to make my purchase through the US Airways site.

Take 10 minutes this week to assess the status of your own frequent-flyer miles. In all likelihood, you're at risk of losing them if you don't take some action soon. United Airlines announced their "stay active" policy this past January, and American Airlines followed suit just last week.

To cash in your miles for products instead of flights, visit: points.com. It's free to register, and you'll be presented with all sorts of places where your miles are as good as greenbacks.

To earn miles when you make purchases from a wide range of retailers, visit each airline's frequent-flyer website and find the link for their partner offers.

[Ed. Note: Jennifer Stevens, author of AWAI's Ultimate Travel Writer's Program, gets paid to travel.]
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It's Fun to Know: Your Chances of Winning Big

Georgia truck driver Ed Nabors is taking home about $80 million after winning the Mega Millions lottery this past March. That could be you, right? Maybe. But your chance of winning the next big Mega Millions jackpot is about one in 175,711,536.

(Source: The New York Times)
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Word to the Wise: Flagitious

"Flagitious" (fluh-JISH-us) - from the Latin for "a shameful or disgraceful act" - means grossly wicked, scandalous, or corrupt.

Example (as used by Robin Greer in a review of Jim Carrey's performance in How the Grinch Stole Christmas): "The Grinch, a nefarious, flagitious, sly, nasty, troublesome, bad-tempered, intolerant, and foul-smelling character who, for reasons never fully explained, lives in a cave above the town."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2066, 06-12-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Pegging Down a Company's Profit

By Andrew Gordon

Top portfolio managers like Peter Lynch place a good deal of stock in the PEG (price-to-earnings-to-growth) ratio, which is supposed to tell you how fully valued a company's share price is.

Their reliance on this ratio is misplaced, however.

The PEG compares the company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio with its earnings-per-share (EPS). It tells you what investors are willing to pay for every dollar of earnings the company brings in. The EPS tells you how much of the company's profit is being budgeted to each share of outstanding stock and is thus a benchmark of company profitability.

A PEG higher than 3 is probably a sign that you should look elsewhere. A PEG below 1 could be telling you that the company is undervalued. You may be looking at a real gem ... OR NOT. Instead, you may be looking at a company that had a one-time event that spiked income (like the sale of an asset or a tax break) or a one-time event that dropped income (like the closing of a plant). Either way, net income can be very misleading.

I prefer looking at cash flow (CF). It mainly consists of cash generated from operations. There are no write-offs or phantom income in cash flow. If CF is more than 10 percent of what investors are willing to pay for the stock, you're looking at a company flush with money. Period.

You can punch up the PEG ratio on most stock screeners such as Yahoo! Finance. The price-to-cash-flow (P/CF) ratio is usually a no-show, but Reuters' finance section includes it. And it's worth paying attention to. This is the ratio that will give you a better insight into whether a company is a clunker or a potential big winner.
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Reader Feedback: "Maybe this is a health tip you can pass along."

By Jon Herring

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner. And for millions of people, that means itchy, red eyes, a stuffy nose, sneezing, and a sore throat. My father has suffered from hay fever (an allergy to plant pollen) for years, so I know that it can be maddening ... even debilitating. If you have pollen allergies, here's an idea from an ETR reader that might help ...

After reading my health brief in Message #1689, DA wrote:

"I'm writing in response to your article on the topic of allergies (hay fever, in particular). Several years ago, my office-mate suggested I use locally produced honey in tea for several days to inoculate myself against hay fever. [Locally produced honey is more likely to contain the specific pollen allergens that you are exposed to.] In short, I tried it and - after suffering through a few days of intense hay fever - the last 7 years have been hay fever free. It worked for me. Maybe this is a health-tip you can pass along."

Though I'm not aware of studies, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that DA's treatment works for some people. And in contrast to antihistamines and nasal sprays that only address symptoms, this natural remedy addresses the cause - your own immune response. Use raw (unheated and unfiltered) honey that is produced within 50 miles of where you live - and maybe this will be your last season of hay fever. If not, you'll still have a delicious, nutritious jar of honey.
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1697, 04-07-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

High Blood Pressure? A Little Weight-Loss Goes a Long Way

By Jon Herring

Hypertension - or high blood pressure - is just one side effect of being overweight. But if you get discouraged thinking of how many pounds you’ll have to drop to make a difference, take heart. Losing just a little weight can provide substantial and long-lasting benefits for people who have high blood pressure.

In a study of 102 people with severe hypertension, researchers discovered that those who lost an average of just seven pounds reduced their need for medication for more than two years. Lead researcher Daniel W. Jones, M.D., said, "The patients maintained their weight loss for only six to 12 months, but the benefits were sustained for as long as 30 months."

It is remarkable that such a modest improvement in weight can have such a major impact on the health of those with high blood pressure. This finding should give encouragement to anyone with hypertension and excess weight.

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about an easy way to improve your blood pressure through diet.
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The Dangerous Myth of the Dream Job

By Timothy Ferriss

It is popular to fantasize about "dream jobs," read about them, and envy those who have escaped the daily grind to revel in career nirvana. But how do those who have found The Promised Land really feel? Beyond the sound bites they offer to magazines lies a very different truth.

Converting passions into "work" can be the fastest way to kill those passions. Surfing two hours on a Saturday to decompress from a hard week might be heaven, but waking up at 6 a.m. every morning to do it 40 hours per week teaching difficult clients how to surf is a very different animal. Mixing business and pleasure can be a psychologically toxic cocktail.

If you depend on your dream job for daily bread or your children’s college tuition, we hit a nasty conundrum: An activity that used to give you pleasure and get your mind out of the office now reminds you of the evils of the 9-to-5 business world. What do you then do to give yourself a break?

. Don’t expect too much.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t be interested in our work. We should be. I am saying that we shouldn’t expect too much of it. The more unrelated demands we make of a single vehicle, the less likely that vehicle - whether work or marriage or painting - is to get us where we want to go.

By analogy, I would argue that fun sports are seldom the best path to fitness. Why? They are examples of recreation - and while there is a component of physical exertion, they are not the most time-efficient vehicles. Planned resistance training would be an example of pure exercise. Most people aren’t in ideal shape because they attempt to mix recreation and exercise and, consequently, get both mediocre enjoyment and mediocre results.

. Aim to separate instead of integrate.

I am a strong advocate of work-life separation as opposed to work-life balance. The concept of work-life "balance" is a dangerous one, because "balance" is often mistaken to mean blending, where work and personal tasks are alternated in the same environments or where one activity is expected to provide both work and life. The Blackberry is checked while you wait for dinner in a restaurant, the laptop is cracked while your spouse waits for you in bed, and the passion you loved so dearly for 10 years is now expected to pay the mortgage. This keeps your mind in the office 24/7 and destroys the few activities you cherished for the pure joy of experiencing them. This produces - at best - a state of constant low-grade overwhelm, even if actual workload is low.

Are there examples of people who chase passions and make it work? Sure. That said, don’t judge a book by its cover. I’ve interviewed close to a dozen millionaire passion-as-work entrepreneurs who smile for the cameras and then tell me about the existential crisis they face every Monday morning: They have no escape from the office.

The ideal job? The one that takes the least time.

For most of the planet, I would assert that the ideal dream job is the one that takes the least time. Be productive instead of busy, and recognize that life is full of special relationships and activities that need to be protected from one another. Focus on artful separation instead of integration, and you might just feel - as I did - as though an enormous burden has been lifted.

Expect a lot out of life, but don’t expect too much from your job. It’s just one tool. Make it a specific one.
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It’s Fun to Know: The Belize Barrier Reef

Second in size only to the better-known Great Barrier Reef of Australia, the 185-mile-long series of coral reefs known as the Belize Barrier Reef lies off the Central American coast in the Caribbean Sea. It is Belize’s most popular tourist destination and a mecca for scuba divers. The reef has more than 100 different types of coral, 500 species of fish, and hundreds of different invertebrates.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2080, 06-28-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

The Benefits of Conjugated Linoleic Acid

In 1978, researcher Michael Pariza serendipitously discovered a substance in beef that inhibits the formation and proliferation of cancer cells. That substance - CLA - was isolated 10 years later. We now know that it is a beneficial fatty acid found in grass-fed meat and dairy products (and virtually absent in conventionally raised animals).

How beneficial? Take a look at the results of a number of recent animal studies mentioned by Dr. Tilak Dhiman of Utah State University in an address before the American Grassfed Association:

. 11 out of 11 found CLA decreases cancer

. 2 out of 2 found a decrease in heart disease

. 6 out of 6 found increased immunity

. 3 out of 3 found a decrease in adult diabetes

. 4 out of 5 found a decrease in body fat

CLA has become popular as a fat-loss supplement. But here's the kicker. According to Dhiman, natural CLA is 600% more effective than what is sold in supplement form. So if you want to add CLA to your diet, the best source is the meat and dairy products from ruminants (see Word to the Wise, below) raised on their natural diet.

- Jon Herring
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The Best Way to Dramatically Increase Your Income

The best way to dramatically increase your income in your current job is to find out how your company makes money and move yourself into a profit-producing position. That's what Michael Masterson often says, and that's what I just read in the Vancouver Globe and Mail.

20 years ago, Johanne Brossard was a teller at a Montreal bank. Today, she's President and CEO of the Canadian division of Dutch financial giant ING Direct. How did she do it? "You have to run an operation before you are going to get into the CEO suite," the article says. "Overseeing a business that earns money for an employer is the key to heading a unit."

Another highly successful Canadian woman, Beth Horowitz, now CEO of Amex Bank, adds, "Women can rise quickly in a firm if they take on higher risk jobs, such as starting a new business line and succeeding at the challenge. Don't get complacent and wish that opportunity would knock on your door. Luck is simply where preparation meets opportunity."

- Charlie Byrne
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Fantastic!

"Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger" is on the shelves. I'm going to read it. You might want to read it too.

I don't know how you feel about Arnold - maybe you think he's a buffoon. I have a very positive image of him. It's one that I've developed gradually and almost grudgingly over 40 years of watching him. Yes, 40 years.

I first read about him when I was in my teens. I was impressed by the size and physicality of this young kid from Europe - the son of a policeman who, after winning some local bodybuilding competitions in Austria, bought a cheap ticket to the States to claim his dream.

His dream was this:

1. First to become the most successful bodybuilder in history.

2. Next, to become rich in business.

3. Then, to become the most successful movie star in the world.

4. And after that? Who knows?

He actually said that. Forty years ago. When he could barely speak English and was living with his friend Franco Colombo in a $50 a month fleabag motel.

Schwarzeneggar was called the Austrian Oak back then - and most of the newspaper articles written about him mocked him gently. Even then, the media tagged him for his immoderate ambitions and his seemingly absurd sense of destiny - given his obvious limitations.

But what did he do? Everything he said he'd do.

I thought he was crazy back then too. But I liked him as a bodybuilder. If you want to understand the sport of bodybuilding (and/or you like good documentaries), rent or buy a copy of "Pumping Iron". In his epic battle to win the Mr. Olympia title against the monster-sized Lou Ferrigno (who later gained fame as TV's Incredible Hulk), Arnold showed his confidence. But he also showed his smarts and his charm. These are the qualities, I am told by a New York Times review of "Fantastic," that won over the book's author, Laurence Leamer.

"Leamer clearly admires the man of action he portrays," said the reviewer, "going so far as to admit that studying him has 'made me a more disciplined, focused, and optimistic person.'"

That's a good reason for you to read it.

And here's another reason: Despite all the nay-saying about Schwarzenegger's work as governor of California, he just signed into law a $117.5 billion state budget for the 2005-6 fiscal year that (1) avoids borrowing and (2) does not raise taxes. That was an objective Schwarzenegger had set that virtually everyone said would be impossible to achieve.

That's fantahstic, Ahnold! Can't wait to read the book.

- Michael Masterson
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Today's Action Plan

Talk about setting lofty goals for yourself - and achieving them! At the age of 28, Arnold Schwarzenegger dreamed what appeared to be the impossible dream - and is now living it. He believed in himself ... knew what he wanted ... and went after it full-force.

What about you? Do you know what you want? If you're not entirely sure of where you're headed, you'll never get there.
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Word to the Wise: Ruminant

To "ruminate" (ROO-muh-nate) is to reflect deeply on a subject. It also means to chew a cud - which is something that mammals in the suborder Ruminantia do. (You can see the connection between the two meanings of the word.) Ruminants include cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and giraffes.

Example (as used by Jon today): "If you want to add CLA to your diet, the best source is the meat and dairy products from ruminants raised on their natural diet."
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1501, 08-24-05], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

“Ultimately the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself.”
Elie Wiesel

HOW TO SPEED UP THE LEARNING PROCESS AND ACHIEVE PERFECTION

Here’s a great way to become perfect at just about anything: When you practice, don’t ever do it wrong. If you practice perfectly, you will become perfect.

I want to propose this to you as an ETR Big Secret.

Here’s the background of the Jazz Master’s Secret: I was talking to TH, a colleague who plays a very good blues guitar. He told me that about 20 years ago he attended a small seminar given by legendary jazz guitarist Howard Roberts. Roberts told TH the secret of his virtuosity: “Never practice a mistake.”

According to Roberts, most musicians, in their eagerness to play complex pieces, move too fast. What he had always done – and the secret to his success – was to practice only what he could do perfectly.

His theory was that any learning – and guitar learning in particular – is the biological process of creating neural networks in the brain. Every perfect repetition beats a good path – one that you can travel on later. Every incorrect repetition beats a parallel but incorrect path – one that you can easily slide onto if you aren’t careful.

The more you practice the right moves, the deeper the memory path. The trick is to make the correct paths as deep as possible and the incorrect paths shallow or nonexistent.

The faster you eventually perform a task, the more likely it is that you will make a mistake, unless, that is, you have cut only one path for it – a perfect one. Likewise, when you are performing a task under stress or in association with other tasks, it is easy to bungle it unless you have no neurological way to screw it up.

The trouble with most guitar students, Roberts said, is that they rush themselves. They are fixated on completing a movement rather than on performing it well. They figure the sooner they can simulate the completed movement, the better they are doing. But the truth is quite different.

I make the same mistake with Jiu Jitsu. When I learn a new move, I want to master it quickly. Instead of taking each part slowly and surely, I rush myself. The result? I learn an imperfect movement.

BW, a great Jiu Jitsu player, has been telling me to slow down for as long as he has known me. Now I understand why.

How To Practice Everything Perfectly

Most things worth learning are complex. That’s why we learn them in pieces. Whether it’s guitar playing, dancing, or public speaking, the ultimate performance is a complex combination of many simpler tasks.

Thus, to make the performance perfect you need to perfect each of the simpler tasks. Most learning systems are based on this understanding.

To do a task perfectly – even a simple task – usually means slowing down. You should slow down as much as you need to in order to make the movement perfect.

Don’t worry about your progress. Doing a repetition at half speed does not make the learning process twice as long. It makes it faster, because you are creating just one neural pathway – and none to cause you to deviate from your course.

The fundamental rule is this: Do it right every time you try and you will learn faster and perform better. It may be possible that the secret to virtuosity itself is not some mysterious preexisting natural capacity for a particular skill, but a natural inclination to practice it correctly.

Isn’t that what imaging is all about? Isn’t imaging just a visual way to improve the quality of the repetition?

ETR readers know the secret of accomplishing any goal: 1000 hours to achieve competence and 5000 hours to achieve mastery. I’ve talked about how you can shorten that time by being coached well. Now I see that being coached well means having someone who can show you the “perfect” way. By learning perfect form and practicing it perfectly, the time it will take you to master a task –any task – should be considerably shorter.

I’m convinced. From now on I’m going to slow down and get it right. When I put aside, say, fifteen minutes to practice something, I’m not going to try to do as many repetitions as possible in sixty minutes, but to do as many perfect repetitions as I possibly can.

MMF
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #179, 09-25-00], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

“My chief want in life is someone who shall make me do what I can.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mentors and Protégés

By Michael Masterson

Most of my achievements are the result of partnerships. Top on the list - of course - are my three spectacular children, products of a partnership with my spouse. My first $100-million-plus business was the result of a partnership in which I was the apprentice and my partner the master. A current business venture is the product of an equal partnership at one level and a mentor/protégé relationship at another. My other multi-million-dollar business ventures are all partnerships, as are most of my real-estate deals. Even ETR is a partnership with several people.

Today, I’d like to talk specifically about the partnership between a mentor and a protégé, mainly because this type of partnership has had a profound effect on my life.

First, let's talk about the relationship from the point of view of the protégé.

Hook Up With a Master

When learning how to excel in a new career, a quality learning program can take you a long way toward acquiring the financially valuable skill of your choice. But you can accelerate your progress by spending several months or a year working at the foot of a master.

Rembrandt did it. He learned from Pieter Lastman, one of the greatest artists of the 17th century. And Michelangelo studied under Donatello, the greatest sculptor of his time.

As a marketer, I had a mentor too - a true master. I wouldn't be where I am today without JSN's mentorship. When he looked at me, he saw potential. And he took the time and money to help me learn how to become a businessman and learn this very valuable skill. Because of our close working relationship, I was able to go from an income of $75,000 to one of more than $250,000 in 18 months. That's the difference a mentor/protégé relationship can make.

My experience with JSN not only made me wealthy, it taught me many things - among them, the value of a knowledgeable advisor.

As your career or business develops, you’ll face problems and opportunities you haven’t met before. In such cases, it helps to have the advice of someone who’s been there before. You might consider hiring a consultant - but my experience is that a consultant’s primary job is to sell you, not teach you.

The very best athletes, entertainers, and business leaders all have someone in their corner that they can go to for advice, leadership, and teaching. Sadly, the average person has no coach or, even worse, allows himself to be influenced by those who have never achieved a high level of success.

If you don’t already have one, make it a goal to find a mentor who will help fine-tune your game, hold you accountable, and who is not afraid to criticize when necessary.

Once you’ve found your mentor, you’ll be well on your way to success. Then it will be your turn to share your wisdom with someone who has superstar potential.

So let's talk about that part of the relationship now.

The Best Investment I Ever Made

I was once asked, "What's the best investment you ever made?"

My answer? Undeniably, it was the time and money I put into about a dozen human beings.

I'm not trying to flatter anyone. But if I were to calculate the actual money in (including my valuable time) and money out, over the long run, there is no question. I've made my biggest money by investing in people.

The great thing about investing in great people is that the return compounds. You see, great people - well-taught and motivated - hire, train, and motivate other good people. And that enlarges a business in a geometric fashion.

Great people will not only make you rich, they will simplify your life. In the early years of your relationship, you'll need to spend a significant amount of time on them. But then, they will become independent and operate on your behalf without needing much (if anything) from you. And even when they strike out on their own, they will always be happy to help you out in the future.

I am sure that more than 75% of the wealth I have acquired was created by people I believed in and mentored. Put differently: If I had spent my career trying only to make myself rich instead of helping to develop the careers of others, I'd be a much poorer person today.
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How to Double Your Wealth-Building Power by Finding and Grooming a Protégé

Ask any honest businessman what accounts for his success and you’ll hear names dropping. Any career you choose requires the assistance and guidance of superlative people.

In the world of wealth, the importance of excellent help is sometimes beclouded. Everyone knows about Warren Buffett, but few have heard of Benjamin Graham. Bill Gates is synonymous with Microsoft, yet Paul Allen was - by most inside accounts - equally responsible for its success.
Every successful businessman I know relies on one or several supporting performers. Those who rely only on themselves may have brilliant moments, but they seldom succeed in the long run.

It will be no different for you. The better your support group, the further and faster you will go.

So how do you get great people to work for you? How do you find a superstar protégé capable of doing what you do ... when you don’t want to do it anymore?

Step One: Demand the Best.

In order to get great people to work for you, it is necessary to reject anyone who is less than great.

As I said, a superstar will make everything easier. He’ll learn your secrets faster than you can explain them. He’ll take on any challenge. He’ll figure out solutions before he tells you problems. And, most importantly, he will share (or exceed) your enthusiasm and vision.

Right now, I am lucky enough to be working with three superstars. Each single-handedly runs a business with revenues that, combined, exceed $30 million. In addition to these, my partners and I are grooming about six more. When (and if) they are fully fledged, I could (theoretically) kick back and cut coupons.

Step Two: Search and Cull.

Getting a great person behind you is a simple three-step process.

. Find someone as good as or better than you.
. Cut him in on your future.
. Teach him everything you know.

Superstars, like good spouses, are few and far between. The good ones are previously engaged. Those who are available are usually defective.

So when you meet someone who seems great, don’t let him pass you by.

Step Three: Keep Him Motivated.

Money is not the biggest motivator for most people, but it can't be ignored either. Pay your superstars at least 10% more than market, but don't overpay them in the false belief that doing so will keep them loyal.

Without being foolhardy, give them authority. Achievement-oriented people enjoy freedom, power, prestige, and a good challenge. Give them enough rope to hang themselves but not so much that they can hang you too.

Mix the positive and the negative. Praise your good people, yes. And praise them publicly (and sincerely) when it's appropriate. But don't be afraid to criticize them, too. Superstars don't need to be coddled, manipulated, or managed. They need a challenge - and they should accept criticism so long as the criticism is fair.

Most importantly, give your best people good work to do and a lot of it. The ultimate reward for a superstar is the pleasure he gets from doing a good job. Make his work interesting, complex, and difficult - and he will stick with it.

I believe that the fundamental principle governing this kind of relationship is this: If you care about your superstars and want them to succeed, they will stick with you. If you see them simply as human energy to fuel your own engine, they will eventually leave you.

Remember that along with their many other positive qualities, superstars are smart. They will be able to figure you out. They will understand that in the long run they are better off working with someone who wants them to succeed than with someone who wants them to help build his own career.
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Today's Action Plan

The time to start developing your mentor/protégé relationships is now - no matter where you are on the ladder of success.

1. If you're in the protégé position: Look around your industry for successful businesspeople who retired two to five years ago. (During their first two years of retirement, they are still enjoying their extended vacation and haven’t yet realized the tedium of playing golf all day. After five years, they may be a little too out of touch.) List five such individuals and then write each one a nice letter telling him you’ve heard about how good he is and want his advice.

Don’t offer to compensate him. Simply ask for a short interview. Take him to lunch and ask questions. If your personalities click, you'll have a permanent mentor.

Don’t abuse the relationship. Remember that, in most cases, the compensation retired executives are looking for is psychological, not financial. Continue to let your mentor know how helpful he has been. Make small but meaningful gestures of gratitude.

If and when you have your mentor working for you more than an hour or two a month, it will be time to think about cutting him in. Most people in his situation would be happy to take a percentage. Don’t overcompensate, but be fair.

2. If you're in the mentor position: You should have superstars helping you out in every facet of your career: strategic planning, marketing, product development, and so on. When your future is at stake, there is no room for mediocrity.

Identify the key functions you need to meet your goals. Then identify who you are now using (or thinking of using) for each of those roles. Ask yourself honestly, “Is he/she really great?”

If not, resolve to replace him/her.

You can get the process moving today by making up a cut list. It should contain no more than a dozen names - the most important names in your career. After the list is done, indicate next to each name whether you consider him/her to be adequate, quite good, or excellent.

Do this carefully and truthfully. And then think about how much better things could be if you replaced all the “okay” people with great ones.
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How to Enjoy Youth, Health, and Vitality for Many Decades to Come

Most of what we consider to be the “normal” aspects of aging are not normal at all. How well you age is determined primarily by your lifestyle and diet ... not the number of years you’ve been alive. Here are five things you should be doing to match your health span to your lifespan:

1. Eat a moderate amount of calories that provide a high level of nutrition. Over a thousand studies have shown that caloric restriction dramatically increases longevity. But you don’t have to starve yourself. Simply replace foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients.

2. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Some people over 100 smoke and drink. Some have high cholesterol, some low. Some exercise, some are inactive. But there is one common denominator - all long-lived people have relatively low insulin levels.

3. Balance your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Maintaining the right omega-6/omega-3 ratio is not only necessary for a healthy heart and brain, it also helps keep your skin supple and youthful.

4. Exercise. Exercise helps you stay lean, strong, and healthy - and there is a direct correlation between muscle mass and immunity. So don’t forget your strength training.

5. Get plenty of sunlight. Optimal vitamin D levels are associated with a reduction in the risk of every degenerative disease. Vitamin D also helps you maintain strong, healthy bones well into your later years.

- Jon Herring
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Word to the Wise: The Peculiarities of English Spelling

We have 40 sounds in English and 200 ways of spelling them. There are 14 ways to render the sound “sh” (“shoe,” “passion,” “ambitious,” “ocean,” “Champagne,” to list a few) - and 12 ways to spell the long “o” sound (“go,” “beau,” “stow,” sew,” “doe,” “though,” “escargot,” and so on).

Spelling in English is so problematic that authorities themselves often blunder. The first printing of the second edition of Webster's New World Dictionary misspelled “millennium,” while the first edition of the American Heritage Dictionary had “vichysoisse” instead of “vichyssoise.”

(Source: The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson. Highly recommended. It's full of great stuff about the English language and how it became what it is today.)

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1559, 10-31-05], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Make Your Goals Specific

Whatever your dreams or aspirations, you've got to transform your general desires into specific objectives if you're going to have any chance to make them happen. In "The Success Principles", author Jack Canfield shows how to do it:

. Instead of "I want a new oceanfront house," say "I'll own a 4,000 sq. ft. house in Malibu by April 30, 2007."

. Instead of "I'm desperate to lose some weight," say "I'll weigh 185 lbs. by 5 p.m. Jan. 1, 2006."

. Instead of "I need to treat my employees better," say "I will acknowledge at least six employees for their contributions to the department by 5 p.m. this Friday."

That's the way to turn vague ideas into real achievements.

- Charlie Byrne
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1477, 07-27-05], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Green Tea May Protect Women From Cancer

By Jon Herring

Not only is green tea a great source of powerful antioxidants, new research suggests it is one of your strongest allies in the fight against cancer.

According to the International Journal of Cancer, Chinese researchers - led by Dr. Ann W. Hsing - found that women who drank at least one cup per day for at least six months lowered their risk of bile stones by 27 percent, gallbladder cancer by 44 percent, and bile duct cancer by 35 percent. In her report, Dr. Hsing explained that green tea contains certain chemicals that may prevent cells from growing abnormally (which is how cancer cells form).

For best results, brew green tea yourself and avoid store-bought brands, which may contain added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. If you don't care for the taste (which some people characterize as bitter), you can take green tea extract in supplement form.
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Word to the Wise: Velleity

"Velleity" (veh-LEE-uh-tee) is the lowest degree of desire; a slight wish or inclination. The word is derived from the Latin for "to will, to be willing, to wish."

Example (as used by Thomas Savage in The Sheep Queen) : "The ease of her words, the control of them, was meant to convey to Compton that her wish to know of her real parents was hardly more than a velleity, a thought that would come to one while watering a plant or peeling an orange."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1796, 08-01-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Boost Your Brainpower With Green Tea

By Jon Herring

Green tea is one of the oldest - and healthiest - beverages in the world. A recent study of more than 1,000 people in Japan showed that the more green tea the subjects drank the lower their odds were of having cognitive impairment.

In addition to boosting your brainpower, green tea is brimming with nutrients that have been shown to fight viruses, slow aging, and protect against cancer and heart disease. Its most powerful antioxidant, EGCG, has been shown to be significantly more potent than vitamin C, vitamin E, and resveratrol (the healthy compound found in red wine).

While most people drink it hot, green tea is also a refreshing summer treat. Try it over ice with a wedge of lemon.
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You Need More Than a Big Income

By Michael Masterson

It's amazing how many young people (and lots of older people) equate making mucho dinero with being rich. But you need more than a big income.

A good example: the cable show Entourage . In Entourage , the main character is a fictionalized version of Mark Walberg after he became famous as a Hollywood actor. Mark's character and his friends spend all their time and money buying toys and chasing girls, while their accountant sits in his office and screams at them.

The entourage is hell bent on spending every cent of the multimillion-dollar income their buddy is earning. And that makes them feel rich. The truth is, they are just as broke as they were when they were living in Brooklyn . The only difference is that they are spending more.

To be rich, you need lots of money in the bank. A big income can give you a great lifestyle, but if you are spending it as fast as you are making it (like the entourage), when you stop working or a financial emergency arises, you'll very quickly find out how un-rich you really are.

If you want to become wealthy - in terms of having lots of money put away for a rainy day ... or money to spend after you stop working for it - you are going to have to learn how to save and invest a significant portion of your income.

But here's the good news for those of you who are just starting on a career. The best time for you to start saving money is now. If you get yourself into the habit of doing so, you'll be rich before you know it.

(Ed. Note: This is an excerpt from Michael Masterson's new book Automatic Wealth for Grads... and Anyone Else Just Starting Out. For Michael's step-by-step advice on building wealth through saving and investing ... get the book!)
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Word to the Wise: Bombinate

To "bombinate" (BOM-buh-nate) is to buzz or hum.

Example (as used by Cheryl Glenn and Robert J. Connors in New St. Martins Guide to Teaching Writing) : "Sometimes the computer bombinates into the night, stops for a bit of rest, then resumes its hum at the early hours of the morning."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1719, 05-03-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Eat More Omega-3 Fats for a Healthier You

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

It is very likely that you are deficient in omega-3 fats. This is one of the most important nutritional deficiencies in this country, far more important than any vitamin or mineral deficiency.

Omega-3 fats are essential for your body. Hundreds of published studies show that optimal omega-3 levels can greatly improve your overall health, increase your energy, and help you retain mental function as you age. Omega-3s also reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, depression, and Alzheimer's disease - and they can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, digestive disorders, and a host of other diseases.

Deficiencies in this important nutrient have also been tied to many conditions, including:

. weight gain

. violence and other behavior disorders

. memory problems

. dyslexia and learning difficulty

. eczema

. allergies

The Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio

Along with omega-3, another essential fatty acid, omega-6, is also very important for your health. The difference is that while the diets of most Americans are lacking in omega-3, they are overloaded with omega-6.

One hundred years ago, the average American ate less than one pound of vegetable oils per year. Today, the average American eats more than 75 pounds of these polyunsaturated (omega-6) fats each year. While omega-6 fats are essential for life, when consumed in unnatural amounts they actually promote disease. It's similar to water. While you need it to stay alive, if you drink gallons of water in a short time it will kill you.

The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is 1:1. Our ancestors evolved over millennia on this ratio. Today, though, our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 averages from 20:1 to 50:1!

The reason for this highly skewed (see Word to the Wise, below) ratio? The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower, and sunflower oils. All of these oils are overabundant in the typical American diet. (If you don't believe me, pick up just about any processed food and look at the label. One of these oils will be in the list of ingredients.)

Meanwhile, omega-3 is primarily found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and fish - items that are far less prevalent in most people's diets. Combine an overload of omega-6 with hardly any omega-3, and you get the dangerous 20:1 or 50:1 ratio that we see today.

How to Increase Your Omega-3 Fats for Optimal Health

By far, the best type of omega-3 fats are those found in fish. That's because the omega-3 in fish is high in two fatty acids that are crucial to human health: DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases.

Your brain is also highly dependent on DHA. Low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. Inadequate intake of omega-3 fats in pregnant women has also been linked to premature birth, low birth weight, and to lower IQ and hyperactivity in children.

While you can get omega-3 from plant sources like flaxseeds, it exists in plants as the fatty acid ALA. Your body must convert the ALA into DHA and EPA - but the conversion rate is actually very small. You would have to eat large amounts of plant sources of omega-3 to get even close to the amounts of DHA and EPA that you can get with fish.

Most fish, though - even farm-raised fish - are polluted with mercury, PCBs, and other toxins. Sadly, these toxins make eating the fish more of a detriment than a benefit to your health. It would be better for you to supplement daily with a high-quality brand of fish oil or cod liver oil. (What's the difference? Cod liver oil contains vitamin D; fish oil does not.) These oils are purified and therefore do not pose the health risks of polluted fish.

Once you increase your omega-3 by taking a high-quality fish oil or cod liver oil, it's essential that you cut back on your omega-6 intake. This means limiting the amount of vegetable oils in your diet, not only in their pure form but also in the many, many processed foods (potato chips, baked goods, salad dressings, margarine, shortening, etc.) that contain them. Acceptable healthy oils include high-quality extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and organic butter ... or, better yet, grass-fed organic butter.

Only then will your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio begin to balance out and approach the healthy 1:1 ratio of our ancestors.

To sum things up, you can easily start down the road to better health by following this two-step plan:

1. Most Americans, young and old, are highly deficient in omega-3. One of the best things you can do for yourself and your children is to routinely consume fish oil in warm months and cod liver oil in cool months (to get the added vitamin D when your sun exposure is low). My favorite high-quality brand is Carlson's, available in most health food stores or through my website www.mercola.com.

2. You should cut out or reduce the oils and foods high in omega-6 fats from your diet, as most Americans get far too many of them. This includes corn, sunflower, soy, canola and safflower oil, margarine, vegetable oil, and shortening.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder/director of The Optimal Wellness Center. His website, www.mercola.com, is the most popular natural health website in the world, with 495,000 subscribers to his free health e-newsletter and 10 million page views per month.]
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Word to the Wise: Skew

Something that is "skewed" (SKYOOD) is distorted. The word is derived from the Middle English "skewen" ("to escape, run sideways").

Example (as used by Dr. Mercola today): "Today, our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 averages from 20:1 to 50:1! The reason for this highly skewed ratio? [Polyunsaturated] oils are overabundant in the typical American diet."

Michael Masterson
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1526, 09-22-05], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.