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/.