"There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life." - Sister Mary Rose McGeady, children's advocate

"The opportunity for brotherhood presents itself every time you meet a human being." - Jane Wyman, actress

Making Your Ideas Soar

By Michael Masterson

Think about how many good ideas you have had or been a part of in the past, either in casual conversation, in business meetings, or at conferences and trade shows. How many of them did you execute? And how many somehow slipped away?

To keep a good idea going forward, you can’t leave it alone. You need to exert a lot of good force behind it right away, and then you have to keep that force building as time moves on. Getting a jump on the idea as soon as you get it creates the initial force … and getting specific tasks accomplished to propel it forward, even if they aren’t done perfectly, adds to it.

It’s what I call the "Ready. Fire. Aim." approach to making things happen.

Let me give you an example of what I mean …

When I was in college, I spent one summer working for a guy who had a business installing above-ground pools. It took three of us - my boss, me, and another worker - about three hours to install one of those pools, from start to finish. We were putting up about three pools a day, and my boss was charging $300 a pool. The other guy and I were being paid about $50 a day to work 10- to 12-hour shifts.

It didn’t take much more math than I had (very basic - I was an English major) to figure out that my boss was making a lot of money. His expenses (truck, gas, equipment, etc.) couldn’t have been more than $100 a day.

That’s what gave me the idea to go into the pool business on my own the following summer. (This is the business I talked about in ETR #1723 - "Setting Standards: Speed vs. Excellence.") But I knew I didn’t have the get-up-and-go to do it myself, so I pitched the idea to a couple of my friends, Peter and Eric.

Peter had just gotten married and didn’t have the luxury to fool around like his single buddies. He needed to start making good money fast. When he heard me talk about how much my boss made, he realized we could do the same if he could just get something started before Eric and I got bored with the idea and went on to something else.

Peter didn’t waste time trying to learn about pool construction, printing up business cards, or buying tools. He went home, pulled out the Yellow Pages, picked up the phone, and began calling companies that were selling above-ground pools.

The next day, he called to tell me that he had gotten us an "audition" with one of them.

"An audition? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well," he said, "we’ll put up one of their display pools for free. And if they like our work, they’ll begin recommending our installation service to their customers.

"What kind of pools do they sell?" I asked.

"I didn’t ask any questions," he said. "I just told the guy that we could do a great job and so he offered us a chance."

Despite the fact that we knew nothing about the type of pool this company was selling - and that neither Peter nor Eric knew anything at all about pool installation - we agreed to give it a shot.

The next Saturday, at six o’clock in the morning, the three of us were in the company’s display lot, looking at a pool that was much bigger and more complicated than anything I’d ever put up.

"So what do we do first?" Peter asked me, while the owner of the company peered at us through his office window.

"Just act like you know what you are doing," I whispered.

That pool fell down three times before we got it up correctly. It took us 12 hours, but we did a good job and got our first recommendation to one of the company’s customers. We did a good job on that one too (and a lot faster), and started getting regular recommendations. A month later, we had three crews working for us, and we were each making more than $500 a day.

We worked for about 15 weeks non-stop, including weekends, and at the end of the summer I had paid back all my college loans, invested about $15,000 into remodeling my parents’ house, and bought myself a little car.

That was my first experience as an entrepreneur … and it never would have happened were it not for Peter’s willingness to get us into the business before we had done any planning or preparation.

Ready. Fire. Aim.

That’s the same approach Alex Tew, a college-bound 21-year-old, took when he realized his bank account was overdrawn and he needed cash to pay for his school expenses. With only a month to go before classes began, he stayed up one night and brainstormed money-making ideas … until he came up with one that seemed especially exciting.

The concept was relatively simple. He would sell blocks of advertising space on a website for $1 per pixel. His goal was to sell a million pixels.

Tew had a bit of experience designing websites, but he was hardly an expert. And he didn’t have time to learn more about it or fiddle around with a business plan. So he went to work and threw together the best site he could with a very modest investment of $100. He called it MillionDollarHomePage, and had it up and running in two days.

Since he knew the general public wouldn’t buy space on his website until he had some momentum going, he asked his friends and family members to kick things off by buying the first 1,000 pixels. He used the money from those initial sales to write and send out press releases to the local media, which responded very favorably to the quirky story. Before long, it got national attention.

Within two weeks, Tew had sold $40,000 worth of pixels - enough to cover his entire tuition. When the media in 35 other countries picked up the story, demand soared. Within five months, he reached his crazy goal of selling a million pixels.

On January 11 of 2006, he sold the last ad space on his site for $38,000, putting him well over his million-dollar goal. "I’ve spent probably about $40,000 maintaining the site and publicizing it," he told the press, "so there’s been some expense associated with it. Still, it’s a healthy profit at the end of the day."

The "Ready. Fire. Aim." approach is responsible for most of the business success I’ve had. It’s an approach that, for better or worse, has always come naturally to me.

Looking at it from the outside in, it can seem to be impetuous or even foolish. But for me, it feels like something I have to do in order to have any chance of succeeding.

The next time you have a good idea, tell yourself, "Ready. Fire. Aim." And give it your best shot. In my experience, that will get you close enough to your target.
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5 More Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Start Burning Fat

By Jon Herring

Losing weight does not require you to put yourself through months of self-sacrifice. You simply have to (1) do a few things that will increase your body’s metabolic rate and (2) replace high-calorie, low-nutrient foods with those that promote health.

Yesterday, I gave you two ways to maximize your fat-loss efforts. Here are five more:

. Don’t skip breakfast. This is the meal that is most commonly skipped, and many of the people who do it think they are doing themselves a favor by eliminating those calories. Nothing could be further from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that eating a protein-rich, low-glycemic breakfast is essential for healthy weight loss.
. Eat healthy fats. One of the biggest weight-loss myths is that "fat makes you fat." The truth is that healthy fats can help make you thin. These are the fats you find in nuts, fish, fish oil, naturally raised meats, olive oil, and avocados.
. Manage your blood sugar levels. Maintaining stable, low blood sugar levels is one of the best things you can do to prevent your body from storing fat. Do it by avoiding sweets, processed foods, and starchy carbohydrates.
. Drink green tea or water. These are, by far, your two healthiest beverage options, and they both help to maintain a healthy metabolism.
. Alternate between interval exercise and resistance training. By exercising with resistance, you build muscle. Muscle is active tissue, so the greater your muscle mass is, the higher your metabolic rate will be. And by exercising in intervals at high intensity, you not only burn fat and calories during your workout, but for many hours afterward.
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It’s Good to Know: When You’re Sick and Feeling Kinda Down

Henri Matisse took up painting to battle boredom when intestinal problems hospitalized him in the 1890s. And Mathew Brady became the Civil War’s best-known photographer after an illness damaged his eyesight.
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Word to the Wise: Denouement

"Denouement" (day-noo-MAWN) - from the French for "to untie" - is the outcome of a complex sequence of events.

Example (as used by Todd Gitlin in The Twilight of Common Dreams): "Of course, the crusaders were losers in the short run, but Europe’s storytellers have traditionally awarded them the righteous victory and not dwelt on the embarrassing denouement."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1973, 02-23-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"Follow the grain in your own wood." - Howard Thurman (1900-1981), clergyman

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

"Hollywood held this double lure for me, tremendous sums of money for work that required no more effort than a game of pinochle."

- Ben Hecht

How to Sell Movie Ideas to Hollywood

By Paul Lawrence

As I introduced myself to the executive in charge of project development, I could sense that she was getting ready to pass on mine before I even had a chance to tell her what it was about. But when I explained that I had acquired the life rights to the story of one of the principals... suddenly, she was all ears.

In the world of film and television, there is a curious paradox. Everyone in the business is clamoring for a great idea, but it seems nobody wants to hear yours - unless, that is, it's based on a true-life story that catches their interest.

In ETR #1866, I explained that one of the easiest ways to break into Hollywood is by selling an idea based on a true-life story. There was an overwhelming response from readers interested in learning more - so, today, I'm going to give you some of the details.

True-life stories are virtual goldmines in Hollywood. You've probably seen this type of movie many times. The advertising for it will say something like "Based on a true story." And, let's face it, those words pique your interest. I know when I watch extraordinary events on film or television and I know they really happened, I am enthralled.

The almost universal appeal of a true-life story is what Hollywood counts on when they promote those movies. And that can open doors that might otherwise be closed to you.

If you find a good, true story, you can get it turned into a movie - without knowing anyone in the business. But before you start making phone calls, there are some basics about acquiring true-life story rights that you need to understand.

A movie can sometimes be made about a story that's in the public domain (like one based on a major legal case where the facts are a matter of public record) without obtaining anyone's life rights. But even then, there are reasons to do it.

Basically, the purchaser of someone's life rights to their story is obtaining a release that protects him from a lawsuit based on defamation or invasion of privacy. Sometimes the seller might also agree to provide additional information that might not be otherwise available.

Let's say, for example, that you wanted to produce a film about a famous murder trial. Although there may be quite a bit of information in the public record, you could get sued if you produced a film that offended one of the people involved. Additionally, without the cooperation of at least one of the principals to fill in holes that aren't in the public record, it would be much harder to produce an accurate portrayal of the events surrounding the trial.

If, on the other hand, one of the principals signs an agreement authorizing you to produce such a film - and cooperates by providing you with a detailed account of his story - you will have protected yourself against the possibility of his suing you. At the same time, you probably will have improved the quality of the movie.

Now, you may be thinking that you're not in a financial position to acquire life rights that you may not be able to sell. Don't worry - you can "option" those rights. That is, you can pay a smaller amount (as little as one dollar) for the option to buy those rights within a specified period of time. You can then sell your position to an established producer.

How much can you sell it for? According to entertainment attorney Mark Litwak, that varies depending on the appeal of the story. "For a TV network broadcast movie, it might be $50,000 to several hundred thousand dollars. For feature films, it could be two times or more that amount. If the subject is famous, the figure could be considerably higher."

In other words, if you do nothing else but find one viable true-life story each year that you can sell to Hollywood, you could potentially make an annual income of between $50,000 and $500,000.

Here's the basic process:

1. Find a captivating real-life story that might be able to be turned into a good movie. Perhaps something from your own life or from the experience of someone you know. Or maybe a "human-interest" story you read about in the newspaper or see on a TV news program.

2. Acquire the life rights to the story from one or more of the principals.

3. Sell the rights to a producer who will make the project.

Getting a meeting with the producer is going to be the hardest part. But once you get in the door, the fact that you have life rights to the story are almost certain to capture his or her interest.

When I met with the development executive I told you about earlier, all I had to do was mention that I had the life rights of the principal of the story, and she wanted to see more. I provided her with a one-page synopsis of the story, and I am now waiting to see if an offer will be made. Since I'm a screenwriter, if an offer is made, I'm going to try to negotiate a deal to write the screenplay.

But keep in mind that I was only able to get to this point because I had something that was of value: the rights to an interesting, true-life story.

Also keep in mind that you don't need to be a screenwriter to sell a true-life story. All you need is the idea. And since good ideas alone are hard to protect legally, you also need the life rights of a principal in order to maintain control.

With the legal rights in your hands, you have a real chance of selling your hot idea to Hollywood.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence, a screenwriter who produced the feature film "Cruel World," starring Jaime Pressly and Eddie Furlong, recently signed a deal to develop a television program with a major production studio in Hollywood.
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A Big Fat Problem With Testosterone

By Al Sears, MD

For years, I've noticed that men at my clinic who are overweight have lower levels of testosterone. And weight gain often goes hand-in-hand with rising estrogen. Too much estrogen then interferes with testosterone - leading to depression, loss of muscle mass and bone density, feminization of older men, and loss of sexual drive and performance. Now a clinical study is shedding some additional light.

A just-published study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism of about 1,700 men found that weight gain - as little as 30 pounds - caused as much testosterone loss as if the men had aged 10 years.

Men naturally lose testosterone as they age. But these numbers tell us that the drop that comes from weight gain can give a 40-year-old the hormonal profile of a man 10 years his senior. That should be a powerful motivator for you to stay lean.

If you are overweight, you may be able to reverse some of the accompanying "side effects" by boosting your testosterone and getting rid of excess estrogen. You can start right away by making a few changes in your diet.

To lower your estrogen, eat lots of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. If veggies aren't your thing, go to your local nutrition store and pick up a bottle of DIM. (diindole methane), a concentrated plant extract that metabolizes excess estrogen. Start with 100 mg twice a day.

To boost your testosterone, add a zinc supplement to your diet. Zinc maximizes testosterone production, prolongs the life of testosterone in your blood, and increases the sensitivity of testosterone receptors. Most men don't realize it, but over 60 percent of them have zinc deficiencies. Start with 30 mg a day.
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Word to the Wise: Apocryphal

Something that's "apocryphal" (uh-POK-ruh-ful) - from the Greek for "hidden" - is of doubtful authenticity.

Example (as used by Kathleen Jones in A Passionate Sisterhood): "He always told romanticised apocryphal stories of his ancestry, sometimes a bastard grandfather, brought up on the parish, sometimes 'a weaver, half poet and half madman.'"

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1948, 01-25-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

2 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Start Burning Fat

By Jon Herring

This past weekend, I met a man at a dinner party who shared with me the difficulty he is having losing weight. He said that he has not always been overweight, but he gained about 40 pounds in the last several years when his career and lifestyle became more sedentary. He said he was frustrated, because he was "doing everything right" but the fat just wouldn't come off.

Here's what he meant by "doing everything right": He was eating a lot less, he was eating less frequently, and he was eating a "low-fat" diet. In other words, he was sabotaging his efforts to lose weight by slowing down his metabolism.

If you want to maximize your fat-burning potential, you've got to crank up your metabolism. Here are two ways to do it:

. Don't starve yourself. Cutting too many calories is a sure way to slow down your metabolic rate. It will also ensure that you are more likely to lose muscle rather than fat. Instead, focus on eating MORE foods that are protein-rich and nutrient-dense.

. Eat more frequently. By eating five to seven small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day, you will ramp up your metabolism and be less likely to overeat. This will also help to maintain stable blood sugar levels, which also contributes to fat loss.
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It's Fun to Know: About Buying Property on the Moon

A 1967 United Nations treaty outlawed ownership of extraterrestrial property by governments. Several companies, however, citing a lack of language banning ownership by individuals or businesses, claim to own all or portions of the Moon, as well as planets and other bodies in our solar system and beyond. These companies are busy selling the lunar land to fellow Earthlings, while their lawyers defend the practice.

(Source: Space.com)
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1972, 02-22-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step." - Confucius.

"Broadly speaking, the short words are the best and the old words are best of all." - Sir Winston Churchill

"An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea."

- Edward de Bono

The No-Contacts, No-Experience Guide to Hollywood

By Paul Lawrence

The man entered the mammoth building ... just down the block from the offices of several other television networks. The receptionist in the lobby politely asked if she could help him.

The man identified himself and gave the name of the person he wanted to see. She smiled and directed him to the elevator. When he stepped out, he was whisked to the inner sanctum of the enormous facility. He found himself in the office of CH, the network's Director of Alternative Programming.

They exchanged pleasantries before getting down to business. The man then explained his idea and presented CH with a DVD and a copy of his proposal. She said she loved the idea and believed her superiors would feel the same way.

Fast-forward through weeks of negotiations to the man overnighting a signed contract to CH that made him the executive producer of a new (as yet untitled) reality program. That contract had the potential of earning hundreds of thousands of dollars for him ... and he had never produced a television show in his life.

As you've probably guessed, "the man" is me. And this fantastic story really happened to me just a few months ago.

I've been writing screenplays for about 12 years. Now it's not easy to write a great screenplay. It's a complicated and exacting process that takes years to master. But I'm proud to say that, after all the effort I put in, I finally acquired a real Hollywood agent ... and I am a produced screenwriter.

I'm living proof that you don't need show business connections or even natural writing skills to turn your great idea into a television or movie script.

But the best part is, you can break into show business without having to put in that kind of time and effort. You can become a producer.

I'm not talking about the kind of producer who borrows money from relatives and strangers to make a small independent movie. (That is a possible way to break into Hollywood, but it requires risking a lot of someone's capital.)

I'm talking about being the kind of producer who comes up with a great idea and either sells it or partners with an already-established entity in Hollywood that can develop the project. The two most likely ways to do this are to create an idea for a reality television show or to sell an idea based on a true-life story.

Creating an Idea for a Reality TV Show

If you don't have your head buried in the sand, you're probably aware that television is teeming with reality shows. Every major broadcast and cable network is scrambling to produce them. The reason is quite simple. They are enormously profitable. They cost relatively little to make and they generate ratings that equal or surpass those of scripted television programming.

Here are the basics of creating a reality show:

. Come up with an idea for the show. (For example, a bunch of comics compete each week to see which one is the best.)

. Invent a format for the show. (The comics will live together. They will begin by tackling their first comic challenge ... maybe facing down hecklers. Then each one will secretly vote on who they'd like to challenge. The three comics with the most challenges must perform for an audience the following week. The audience will choose the one who will be booted off.)

. Put together something in writing that simply and coherently presents your idea.

. Obtain a list of industry entities that are looking for ideas for reality shows.

. Submit your idea to them.

Rick Green, a former cameraman, did it. Despite having no knowledge of the creative process, he was able to get his foot in the door. He had an idea for a show with a production budget of about $3.5 million that is now in its third season on the air. Rick called it "Treasure Hunter." You may know it as "Collector Inspector."

Selling an Idea Based on a True-Life Story

The public loves true-life stories, so producers know that a premise based on one has built-in marketing appeal.

When you come across a good story, you can greatly increase your bargaining position by acquiring the life rights to one or more of the people involved in it. You don't have to risk any capital to do so.

Let's say you find a great story in the newspaper. By doing a little research, you find contact information for the main person named in the article. You get in touch with that person and explain that you are a television producer. (You don't need to lie. If questioned about what you've done before, be truthful. But explain that you're passionate about his story and you'd just like him to consider what you have to offer.)

I've approached many people over the years this way, and I've never met anyone who was rude or not interested in hearing more.

Tell the person that you want to option his life rights for the story. (An option on someone's life rights is like optioning a house. You pay a small amount - as little as one dollar - to own the right to purchase the life rights within a specified period.)

With the life rights of a principal in a fascinating real-life story, you have a strong bargaining position when you approach producers. So now you put your idea in writing and submit it to producers who are seeking out true-life stories.

Once a producer shows interest, you can negotiate a deal to either sell your rights to him or become part of the development process.

The amount of money you can make from such a deal varies greatly, but a highly controversial story can make a fortune.

Take the recent tragic story of Natascha Kampusch, a freckle-faced 10-year-old who was snatched off a Vienna street in 1998 while walking to school. Confined to a cramped, windowless cell beneath the garage of her captor, Natascha didn't manage to escape until she was an adult.

According to industry experts, the sale of the book and film rights to Natascha's story could reach $2 million.

Every year, dozens of deals are made that make everyone involved very wealthy. All you need to get in on the action in a great idea.

[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a screenwriter who recently produced the feature film "Cruel World," starring Jaime Pressly and Eddie Furlong. And he recently signed a deal to develop a television program with a major production studio in Hollywood.
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Word to the Wise: Temerarious

Someone who is "temerarious" (tem-uh-RARE-ee-us) - from the Latin for "rash" - is recklessly daring.

Example (as used by H.G. Wells in The New Machiavelli): "I have confessed myself a temerarious theologian, and in that passage from boyhood to manhood I ranged widely in my search for some permanently satisfying Truth."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1866, 10-21-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

It’s Fun to Know: About Stewardesses

Stewardesses - an endangered word, these days - has the distinction of being the longest word that can be typed using only the left hand.

(Source: Who Knew? by David Hoffman)
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Word to the Wise: Folderol

"Folderol" (FAHL-duh-rahl) is nonsense - foolish talk or a useless trinket.

Example (as used by Walter Bobbie in the lyrics for Guys and Dolls): "When you meet a mug lately out of the jug / And he’s still lifting platinum folderol / Call it hell, call it heaven / But it’s probable twelve to seven / That the guy’s only doing it for some doll."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1966, 02-15-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"All high blood-pressure medications are suspect."

- Dr. Raymond Woosley

Blood Pressure Meds Are Fat Fertilizer

By Shane Ellison M. Sc.

Not all prescription drugs are bad. Some are really bad, like the drugs used to lower blood pressure. 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. Fortunately, you can beat dangerous blood pressure levels by improving your lifestyle habits and turning to natural medicine.

Like Miracle Grow on plants, drugs such as Toprol-XL, Lopressor (metoprolol), Tenormin (atenolol), and Coreg (carvedilol) serve as fat fertilizer for the human body. A family of receptors - "beta-receptors" - activates your fat metabolism. Like a lock that has been broken, many blood pressure drugs jam beta-receptors and prevent them from responding to your own fat-burning molecules (the keys to the lock). Your body then begins to store fat and use carbohydrates (sugar) as fuel.

Once sugar becomes the primary source of fuel, your body begins screaming for it. Sugar addiction sets in. Fat gain ensues. And Type II diabetes follows. Patients who "follow doctor's orders" and swallow beta-blockers and diuretics are at a 28 percent to 50 percent greater risk of suffering from Type II diabetes - the greatest health challenge of the 21st century. Diabetes can eliminate a whopping 11 to 20 years from your lifespan.

Unfortunately, taking blood pressure medications can lead to many other serious and even deadly side effects. For instance, calcium channel blockers such as Adalat, Procardia (nifedipine), and Norvasc (amlodipine) are not safe alternatives. By blocking calcium from entering the heart, users are at greater risk of dying from heart failure.

While your "numbers" might look good when you take these drugs, your heart is slowly weakening. Cancer is also a possibility. In 1996, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) warned: "Postmenopausal women who took calcium channel blockers had twice the risk of developing breast cancer than other women."

No diet, supplement, or lifestyle can save you from the deadly side effects of blood pressure meds. Fortunately, we don't need them to avoid the dangers of "high" blood pressure.

The Fabricated Illness

High blood pressure - as defined by the drug industry and medical doctors - is not an instant death sentence. The goal of maintaining a blood pressure at or near 140/80 (or, more recently, 115/75) is based on drug company hype, not science. These numbers are designed to sell drugs by converting healthy people into patients.

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 blood pressure rises slightly as we age - probably to accommodate an increased need for oxygen and nutrients. And this increase does not put us at any risk of early death.

If high blood pressure were dangerous, then lowering it with hypertension drugs would increase lifespan. Yet, clinical trials involving hypertension medication show no increased lifespan among users when compared to non-users.

Minimizing sugar and eliminating artificial flavors are two of the best things you can do to maintain a relatively normal blood pressure. Replacing carbohydrate (bread, pasta, desserts, and excess fruit) consumption with healthy fats (such as coconut oil, eggs, grass-fed beef, wild salmon, avocados, seeds, and nuts) will also help control your blood pressure... plus, it can eliminate unsightly belly fat. And, finally, interval training one to three times per week is vital for a healthy cardiovascular system.

Stopping Heart Disease With Artery-Preserving Molecules

Blood pressure can rise to temporary extremes in response to stress, infection, fasting, dehydration, or simply from the anxiety of walking into a doctor's office. Of course, these temporary instances of high blood pressure do not rationalize a lifetime of drug use.

It's prudent to be concerned should you experience chronic high blood pressure - which can be dangerous. This usually occurs when blood vessels become stiff due to hardening of the arteries (heart disease), causing your blood pressure to skyrocket to 200/100. Fortunately, you don't need blood pressure drugs to handle even these worrisome levels.

In situations where high blood pressure might become life threatening, cardiovascular nutrients such as L-arginine, magnesium aspartate, and a 95 percent grape seed extract can be potent natural remedies based on Nobel Prize-winning science. These nutrients increase the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that allows for the dilation and relaxation of arteries. Using them can prevent heart attack and stroke that may result from impeded blood flow or inflammation caused by rising blood pressure.

Blood pressure medications are made to sell, not heal. They cater to fear rather than health. If you understand this, you'll avoid the deadly prescription drug trap and keep yourself safe and healthy.

[Ed. Note: Shane "The People's Chemist" Ellison is an internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition and the author of The People's Chemist Foundational Health Education program. Save 10 percent and learn how to beat heart disease, obesity, and diabetes naturally by clicking here.]
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It's Fun to Know: Marathon Monks of Japan

Marathon runners may think they have endurance, but they can't compete with members of the Tendai Buddhist sect who live on Mount Hiei in Japan. As part of their spiritual training, the so-called "marathon monks" run or walk (in rope sandals) a distance that's sometimes double that of a marathon's 26.2 miles every day for seven years, often getting only four hours of sleep a night. Only 48 monks have completed this optional quest (while still tending to their other duties), which requires them to commit suicide if they fail at any point along the way.

(Source: The Observer)
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Word to the Wise: Remonstrate

To "remonstrate" (rih-MAHN-strate) - from the Latin for "to show again" - is to say or plead in protest, objection, or reproof.

Example (as used by Victor Pelevin in A Werewolf Problem in Central Russia and Other Stories): "If a hailstorm starts, surely instead of remonstrating with it, you try to take shelter."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2130, 08-25-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public."

- Winston Churchill

Setting Standards: Speed vs. Excellence,
Part 2

By Michael Masterson

On Monday, I wrote about the importance of applying standards for both speed and excellence to any job you do. I explained why both are necessary, and why I generally favor speed over excellence in business - especially when you're testing a new idea. (My "Ready. Fire. Aim." approach.)

But when it comes to my books ... well, that's a different story. I struggle with these standards every time I write one, because writing a book is much different from the kind of writing I do for ETR. And writing a non-fiction book is much different from writing a novel.

To finish Automatic Wealth, a non-fiction book of 271 pages, within the nine-month timeframe I was given by my publisher, I had to write 30 pages a month. That meant writing 675 words a day, five days a week.

I can easily complete a 675-word article for ETR - which usually comes right off the top of my head - in about 60 minutes. I just transfer my thoughts and experiences directly to the page. But to achieve the standard of quality I've established for my non-fiction books ("good," but not "great"), I had to sacrifice some speed.

I've established a first-draft standard for myself of writing 500 words in 60 minutes. However, that doesn't include researching, rewriting, and editing. All told, Automatic Wealth represents about 540 hours of work, and increased the time I usually allot to writing from one to three hours a day.

Then, there's my fiction ...

Since I would like my fiction writing to be better than "good," I've set a higher standard of excellence for the novel I'm working on. My standard for speed, though, is about the same as it is for non-fiction: 500 first-draft words a day.

Ernest Hemingway, whose fiction I admire, had that same 500-word-per-day speed standard. But he was willing to spend about four hours a day on getting down good sentences. Currently, I have only two hours a day to devote to fiction writing (usually between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.). And since I've been sticking with my 500-words-a-day objective because I want to get this novel finished, my standard for excellence has suffered.

To meet my excellence standard, I'd have to decrease my daily word-count goal to about 125 words. Because it's my nature to opt for speed, it will be hard for me to slow down. Yet, I know that if I'm ever to write something even remotely great, I'll have to bite the bullet and decelerate.

Gustave Flaubert, the father of the modern novel, began writing Madame Bovary in September of 1851. He didn't finish it until 1856, almost five years later. Progress was so "excruciatingly slow," according to a critic writing in The New York Times Book Review, "that in one six-week period he produced only 25 pages."

Flaubert "fretted that all he had were sentences, 'a series of well-turned paragraphs that don't flow into one another.'" But what he produced, when Madame Bovary was finally finished, was a brand-new way of writing fiction. Flaubert was so influential that virtually every modern writer today - from the war reporter to the thriller writer to the avant-garde fictionist - owes a major debt to him in terms of how narrative fiction is constructed and how sentences are styled.

Speed vs. excellence. Flaubert struggled with these same standards. In his case, excellence won. But we don't usually have the luxury of spending five years on a project.

As I said on Monday, in doing your work and seeking your goals, you need to establish standards for both speed and excellence. You need enough speed to overcome inertia and move your project to completion. You need enough quality to produce results that will be valued. And you have to continuously set and reset the balance between those standards in order to get the results you are aiming for.
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When "Wrinkle-Free" Clothing Is a Bad Thing

By Jon Herring

Manufacturers are now using chemicals found in non-stick Teflon pans (PFCs) to make clothing more durable and wrinkle-free. These are the same chemicals that, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tells us, release cancer-causing compounds when Teflon is heated - and there is some concern that these carcinogens may be absorbed or inhaled directly when the clothing is worn.

If you are sensitive to chemicals, you may want to avoid anything made of polyester, nylon, or acrylic. And anything labeled static-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, permanent-press, no-iron, or stain-proof. Instead, choose clothing made of natural cotton, linen, wool, silk, and hemp.

(Reference: SixWise)
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1726, 05-12-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Discover the Next Hot Market

By Charles Delvalle

When you invest in a "hot" market, you have a better chance of buying into a stock that will make you money. So how can you tell which markets are hot? By viewing the Major Industry Groups candle scans at Stockcharts.com. This tool lets you compare 26 different indexes that cover all the different market sectors, including Natural Gas, Computer Hardware, and Oil Services.

To use it, go to the Stockcharts website and look for Candle Glance Groups on the left-hand side. Once there, you'll see two predefined scans: Major Industry Groups 1 and 2. Click on either of them to instantly view the way various sectors are performing.

Had you been using this tool regularly, you would have discovered, for example, that Oil Services has made one of the strongest rebounds among the 26 sectors after the late-February/early-March correction. Since that means the Oil Services sector is one of the strongest-growing sectors in the market right now, it makes sense for you to look for a company within that sector to invest in. Of course, you need to do some checking to make sure the market forces driving this sector aren't going to disappear overnight.
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A Healthy Meal You Can Prepare in 10 Minutes

By Jon Herring

Yesterday, I suggested that you start buying canned wild Alaskan salmon. Not only is this fish free of harmful pollutants, it is also inexpensive, high in omega-3s, rich in protein... and it tastes great. Plus, it's an excellent substitute for tuna, which can be high in mercury. My fiancee and I eat a couple of cans of salmon just about every week for lunch.

I like to eat it right from the can, but most people prefer it the way Kelley prepares it... like you would make a tuna salad, with diced celery, onions, and mayonnaise. Another one of our favorite canned salmon dishes is salmon cakes... which are a cinch to make.

Here's what you do: Empty one or two cans of wild Alaskan salmon into a bowl. Add one or two eggs and a tablespoon or two of bread crumbs or crumbled crackers. Mix everything together and shape into patties. Saute in butter or coconut oil and serve with a wedge of lemon.

From start to finish, this takes less than 10 minutes. These salmon cakes are healthy, fast, and delicious... and can be served for lunch with a salad or for dinner with a side of vegetables. (Move over, Martha Stewart!)
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It's Good to Know: About Your Social Security Number

Ever wonder what happens to your Social Security number when you've left this earth for a higher plane? According to John Clark, the regional public affairs officer of the Social Security Administration, you and your SS ID will spend eternity together.

Just like your fingerprints and DNA, Clark says that "each [Social Security] number remains as unique as the individual it was first assigned to."

Since the first SSN was issued in 1936, 420 million have been issued. And because there are nine-digits in a Social Security number, that allows for nearly one billion possible combinations - which means it will be a lo-o-o-n-g time before we have to worry about running out.

(Source: Do Penguins Have Knees? by David Feldman)

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2007, 04-04-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?" - Lee Iacocca

"You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." - John Wooden, college basketball coach

The Power of Whole-Body Metabolism

By James B. LaValle

Americans are trying more than ever to win the battle of the bulge. Yet, many people are frustrated when the supposedly simple formula -- eat less and exercise more -- doesn't work for them. What they need is an entirely new approach that I call whole-body metabolism.

The classic definition of metabolism is the rate at which a person burns calories. According to this formula people should be able to find out their metabolic rate, then eat and exercise accordingly for weight loss.

Newer approaches to metabolism are much broader. Recent scientific discoveries reveal that metabolism is the sum total of all the biochemical reactions of the body and everything that influences them, such as environmental exposures, your diet, past and current drug therapy, stress load, exercise, genetics and other factors.

One benefit of a whole-body metabolism approach is that it helps you understand your previous diet failures and takes the guilt away. Many people feel they are just weak and lack will power, when in reality they have true physiological reasons why it's difficult to lose weight. A whole-body metabolism approach offers a science-based way to guide and direct you in diet, lifestyle and the appropriate use of dietary supplements that not only helps to address these complaints but also gets your metabolism back on the path toward health.

The potential influences on metabolism can be grouped into nine key factors:

1. Adrenal/thyroid/pancreas function and their effects on stress hormones.
2. Intestinal/digestive health.
3. Immune function.
4. Neurotransmitter balance.
5. Environmental stressors.
6. Detoxification capacity of the body.
7. Oxidative stress.
8. Genetic expression.
9. Diet and lifestyle.

An imbalance in any one of these areas can negatively influence metabolism. Knowing how to recognize imbalances in these key areas and how to address them is the way to not only optimize metabolic performance, but also improve energy and slow key aging processes, like inflammation and free radical damage, glucose regulation and immune dysfunction.

Here are some examples of why a whole-body approach is needed. More and more studies are validating a low-carb diet as being the most effective for not only weight loss but for controlling insulin resistance.

In a perfect world, we would all be able to eat a low-carb diet to improve insulin sensitivity and lose weight. In reality, many people are unable to sustain a low-carb diet because of other influences. Let me give you some real-world challenges and the action steps you can take to overcome them.

Challenge 1. Chronic stress (adrenal function) often leads to serotonin and dopamine deficits (neurotransmitter imbalance). Serotonin deficits can lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia and carbohydrate cravings. Eating a high-carb meal leads to increased tryptophan absorption and serotonin production; therefore, most people with chronically high stress hormones will have difficulty sustaining a low-carb diet due to intense carbohydrate cravings.

. Perceived problem: It's impossible to eat a low-carbohydrate diet long term.
. Actual problem: My serotonin levels were low due to chronic stress and dropped further with a reduced carb intake.
. Solution: Use supplements to help manage stress response and restore serotonin balance and/or pulse higher carb intake temporarily, then return to low-carb eating once neurotransmitters are balanced.

Challenge 2. Low-carb diets tend to be higher in fat. As long as the fats eaten are healthy fats like those found in olive oil and avocados, we can eat higher fat and still be healthy. However, for this to work, a person must have a well functioning liver and gall bladder as well as good enzyme production from the pancreas. If that is not the case, a higher-fat diet can lead to indigestion.

. Perceived problem: Low-carb diets cause indigestion.
. Actual problem: I have a low-functioning liver and/or pancreas.
. Solution: Liver support and digestive enzyme supplements with appropriate adjustments in diet.

Challenge 3. Low-carb diets and reduced intake of whole grains can cause constipation.

. Perceived problem: I get constipated on low-carb diets.
. Actual problem: I may not have been including enough high-fiber vegetables. Or I may have a magnesium deficiency or inadequate beneficial intestinal organisms.
. Solution: Diet changes and/or supplements (magnesium and probiotics).

In future columns, I will discuss each of the nine key factors in more depth, giving the typical imbalances and steps to take to rebalance them.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]
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Alternative Eating:
The Hoax of “Enriched Wheat Flour”

By Mike Adams

If you're like most people, you probably think "wheat flour" is the same thing as whole-grain wheat flour.

Like most people, you're wrong. And that's just what food manufacturers want.

"Wheat bread" is made of refined, processed wheat that's stripped of its nutrition. It has virtually no resemblance to whole-grain wheat. A "wheat flour" or "enriched wheat flour" ingredient is technically no different than white flour. Manufacturers take whole-grain wheat, strip out 11 vitamins and minerals, then add synthetic chemicals that represent only four vitamins and one mineral.

Here's the nutritional math: Whole-grain wheat - 11 nutrients + 5 nutrients = "Enriched"

Thus, "enriched" wheat products are missing the original, naturally occurring vitamins and minerals found in whole-grain wheat!

With consumers increasingly aware of the detrimental health consequences of consuming processed, milled grains (like white flour), food companies and bread manufacturers have been steadily shifting away from using the term "white flour" and instead using "wheat flour" on their products. It's one of the most common tricks used by food manufacturers trying to jump on the whole-grain bandwagon. They display "made with whole grains!" on the front of the package while, in reality, the whole-grain ingredient may only represent 5 percent of the total finished product. (Companies blend whole grains with refined grains in order to make the product cheaper while still justifying the whole grains claim.)

Sadly, this hoax seems to be working. New research from one popular pastry manufacturer shows that an astonishing 73 percent of mothers mistakenly believe "wheat flour" is the same as whole-grain wheat flour.

Thus, by exploiting this consumer confusion, food manufacturing companies are able to reposition cheap, refined grain products with low nutritional value as "healthy-sounding" foods because they're made with "wheat flour."

For a flour or flour-based product to be truly whole-grain, it must explicitly list "whole-grain wheat flour" as a primary ingredient. Bottom line: Avoid the following ingredients:

. Enriched wheat flour.
. Wheat flour.
. White flour.
. All-purpose flour.
. Bleached flour.
. Cake flour.
. Bread flour.

If you want the best nutrition from a wheat-based ingredient, shop only for whole-grain wheat, not enriched wheat flour or simply "wheat flour." Watch out for tricks and traps set for consumers by food manufacturers, and don't trust what you read on the front of the label -- always check the actual ingredients list to verify what you're getting.

[Ed. Note: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger -- a leading authority on healthy living -- is on a mission: to explore, uncover and share the truth about harmful foods and beverages, prescription drugs, medical practices and the dishonest marketing practices that drive these industries. For his latest findings, click here.]
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Exercise & Fitness:
One Step at a Time

By Norma Reid

"Step by step. I can't think of any other way of accomplishing anything."
-- Michael Jordan

How often do you make excuses for not starting something you know will help you feel better and make life more enjoyable? Sometimes we need to take a giant step to move forward, and at other times it's all about taking small daily actions that will get us where we want to be. Whatever you do is perfectly fine, as long as you are in motion. It's not about what you "should" be doing. It's about starting from where you are and moving forward from there.

When I decided to add regular exercise to my life, my exercise commitment was to walk during two coffee breaks a week. That was big for me -- it was two coffee breaks more exercise than I was getting -- and it was doable. I gradually added in more walks and then started going to the gym. One day my walking buddy said, "Let's start running." I joined a Ladies Learn to Run group. We ran three times a week for eight weeks and at the end ran a 5k race. That was incredible to me!

Next we joined a walk/run clinic that promised in 12 weeks we could run 10k! That seemed impossible to me. But at the end of 12 weeks I did. And something else happened. I went from hating running to actually enjoying it. The next year I ran a half marathon. The next I ran a full marathon. And it all started with making the commitment to walk two coffee breaks.

Too often we overestimate what we can do in a short period, and underestimate what we can do over a longer time. It all begins with putting one foot in front of the other, and taking it one step at a time.

My challenge to you is to start one thing you've been putting off with a first step. Take that first step today! Create a plan of action and commit to taking the steps. It is amazing how far you will get in one year with one step a day!

[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 her website, From Dreams to Reality.]
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Weight Loss:
What’s the Best Eating Plan for You?

By Dr. Jonny Bowden

Arguably the most important question in the field of obesity is this: Why do some people do well on conventional weight loss diets and others do poorly? Why is low-carb a lifesaver for some and unsuccessful for others? "The usual explanation is that it's behavior," said David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D. "People vary in their ability to stick to the diet. But biology may play a role as well."

In a recent study, Ludwig and his research team randomly assigned 73 obese young adults to either a conventional low-fat diet (55 percent carbohydrate, 20 percent fat) or a low-glycemic diet (40 percent carbohydrate, 35 percent fat). Protein and fiber were kept the same in both diets. The low-glycemic group was counseled to eat foods low in sugar and processed carbs, such as white or wheat bread, pasta, bagels and some cereals. Neither group was told to restrict calories.

The researchers also performed a glucose tolerance test on each volunteer. The test measures blood sugar and insulin over a period of hours after a person has consumed a 75-gram dose of oral glucose. Using normal values for comparison, the researchers then divided the volunteers into "high secretors" of insulin and "low secretors."

There were marked differences in how the two groups responded to the diets. For the "low secretor" group, it made no difference what diet they were on. For them, both the low-fat and the low-glycemic diet produced virtually identical weight loss. But for the "high secretors," things turned out much differently. "For high secretors (of insulin), weight loss was five times greater on the low-glycemic diet," said Dr. Ludwig.

While on the conventional low-fat diet the "high secretors" lost a mere five pounds over 18 months-- and then regained half of it! But on the "low-glycemic" diet they lost a total of 13 pounds. "And they kept that weight off for 18 months," Dr. Ludwig said.

Bottom line: if you are a "high secretor" of insulin, you're much better off following a low-sugar (low-glycemic) diet than a conventional low-fat one, at least if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

How do you know whether you're a "high secretor"? Look in the mirror. Where you store your fat is your best cue. "Apples" store their fat around the middle. "Pears" store it in the hips and thighs. Dr. Ludwig summarized: "If you have an apple body-fat distribution, you're much more likely to be a high insulin secretor, and will probably do much better with a diet low in sugar and low in processed carbs."

[Ed. Note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology. Dr. Bowden is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of the award-winning book, Living the Low Carb Life. For more information, click here.]
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Recipes & Nutrition:
Pomegranate Spritzer

By Kelley Lunsford

Cool off with this bubbly beverage. Pomegranates are a rich source of anthocyanins--red-blue nutrients that help to keep the arteries clear and stabilize blood sugar. Because pomegranate juice can be high in sugar and calories, this sparkling spritzer lets you enjoy all of the health benefits of this "super fruit" with a fraction of the calories and sugar.

Serves: 2

Time to Table: 5 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight:

. Anthocyanins

Ingredients:
2 cups sparkling mineral water
2 Tbsp organic pomegranate juice (try Lakewood)
1 Tbsp organic lemon juice
Organic lemon slices (for garnish)

Preparation:
Add sparkling water to a glass. Pour in pomegranate juice. Add lemon juice. Serve with a lemon slice.

Nutritional Information:
35 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 g monounsaturated fats, 0 g polyunsaturated fats, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 0.3 g fiber, 8 g sugars, 0.5 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.]
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 08-24-07] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/

"As for me, except for an occasional heart attack, I feel as young as I ever did."

-Robert Benchley

The Real Cause of the Heart Disease Pandemic

By Shane Ellison, M.Sc.

One minute you are enjoying a stroll in the park, and the next you feel as if an elephant is stepping on you. Clutching your chest and gasping for air, you suffer the eventual outcome of heart disease: a heart attack. This year alone, this silent killer will catch up with over a million Americans. Each and every one of them will die prematurely under that unfortunate scenario.

Worldwide, heart disease will kill more people than any other affliction. The good news is that it can be stopped.

The underlying cause of a heart attack is narrowing of the arteries. The process is known medically as "atherosclerosis." Cardiologists like to describe atherosclerosis as a plumbing problem: Fat and cholesterol-laden gunk gradually builds up within the arteries, they say. If this build-up (plaque) grows thick enough, it eventually plugs an affected "pipe." This keeps nutrients and oxygen-rich blood from reaching their intended tissues. (This is technically known as ischemia.) Blood-starved tissues die. When a part of the cardiac muscle or the brain is affected, a heart attack or stroke occurs.

In 2004, Time magazine told the world that there's just one problem with the hypothesis that fat and cholesterol is the culprit: "Sometimes it's dead wrong." Fact is, more than half the people who suffer from heart attacks have "low cholesterol." "High" cholesterol (300-350 mg/dL) is a natural and healthy part of aging. And the higher their total blood cholesterol is, the longer people live.

But drug companies have convinced people otherwise - while profiting immensely.

If fat and cholesterol were the culprit in heart disease, these ubiquitous substances would clog the entire 100,000 miles of adult veins, arteries, and capillaries. Instead, 90 percent of the time, heart disease is caused by the narrowing of the spaghetti-sized coronary arteries - those that rest over the heart. The rest of the cardiovascular system that nourishes the body remains perfectly healthy, despite being loaded with cholesterol and fat.

This common-sense observation renders the cholesterol and fat theory of heart disease obsolete.

Coronary arteries bear little resemblance to pipes. Instead, they are made up of muscle sandwiched between two "structural" layers. When the artery muscle becomes inflamed, atherosclerosis can set in. This is initiated by damage to the innermost structural layer that faces the bloodstream. And science has made great strides in identifying what causes damage to this layer.

Aside from smoking, the biggest culprit in today's heart attack pandemic is high blood sugar. It leads to a condition known as insulin resistance or early Type II diabetes. Insulin resistance causes blood sugar to float in the blood longer than it should. Muscle no longer vacuums it from the bloodstream. Over time, blood sugar reacts with amino acids that are floating nearby. The product of this reaction is an "advance glycated end" (AGE) product.

AGE products cut and stab deeply into the structural layers of coronary arteries. Medically, this is termed glycation. The "slicing and dicing" of their coronary arteries explains why diabetics have four times the risk of heart attack relative to non-diabetics. Overcome with high blood sugar, they are susceptible to the butchering process of AGE products.

Coronary arteries are most susceptible to AGE products, because they are so close to the mechanical stress of the heartbeat. Arteries not subject to mechanical stress are not as sensitive to the butchering.

Damage caused by AGE products leads to "crosslinking." Once crosslinking occurs, supple, healthy coronary arteries become rigid. This is how the word atherosclerosis was derived. It combines two Greek words, athere (porridge) and sclerosis (hardening). The rigidity is the result of inflammation (caused by plaque) that leads to narrowing.

Fortunately, narrowing of the coronary arteries is not a death sentence. Healthy arteries have the ability to accommodate the inflammation by "relaxing" or dilating. This ensures that blood flow continues without interruption - and that heart disease goes unnoticed.

This protective ability of healthy arteries is dependent on the short-lived molecule known as nitric oxide. Without it, excessive narrowing of arteries can manifest into hypertension, poor circulation, and a decreased tolerance for exercise.

Nutritional approaches that maximize nitric oxide (such as supplementing with l-arginine and grape seed extract) have proven to be a bonanza for heart disease patients who want to curb their annoying symptoms naturally.

Most heart attacks and strokes creep up on victims when inflammation goes haywire. This is typical among Americans, because inflammation-causing sugar has become such a dominant ingredient in their food. The overly aggressive inflammation (which occurs within - not on - arterial walls) causes plaque to rupture. The rupturing triggers the emergence of a blood clot (thrombus). The combination of narrow arteries and a blood clot seals the victim's fate, along with his coronary arteries. He has a heart attack.

Understanding this model of heart disease gives us a wildly effective way to prevent the pandemic killer: Control blood sugar. Here are some good ways to do it:

1. Interval training can lower blood sugar by up to 40 percent. (To put this into perspective, the commonly prescribed drug Metformin lowers blood sugar by a paltry 19 percent, while putting users at risk of obesity ... if they can tolerate the vomiting and diarrhea.)

2. Nutritional supplementation with magnesium (400 mg/day) was found to improve high blood sugar among elderly individuals. Research shows that a magnesium deficiency inhibits insulin from escorting glucose out of the bloodstream into muscles. The end result is insulin resistance and an increased risk of heart attack. Magnesium aspartate has been shown to be the best-absorbed form of magnesium.

3. Tannic acid from the banaba leaf (a medicinal plant that grows in India, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines) mimics the actions of insulin by eliciting glucose transport from the bloodstream into muscle.

The safe and effective blood-sugar-lowering effect of tannic acid has caught the attention of Big Pharma. Many drug companies are working rigorously to create a synthetic knock-off.

4. Increasing fiber intake with a tablespoon of psyllium husk (the crushed seeds of the Plantage ovata plant) prevents dangerous spikes in blood sugar after a meal.

Controlling blood sugar has become the hottest area of medical research. It suggests a single way to not only ameliorate heart disease, but a host of other diseases caused by high blood sugar as well. These include, but are not limited to, diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer's. Instead of dosing patients up with a handful of drugs to treat a handful of diseases, controlling blood sugar naturally is a remedy for all three.

[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison holds a Master's degree in organic chemistry, and has firsthand industry experience with drug research, design, and synthesis. With his ability to sift through scientific literature and weed out fact from fiction, he has empowered thousands to assert their health freedom by saying "no" to prescription drugs.

Shane has written two books, Health Myths Exposed and The Hidden Truth about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs.
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Word to the Wise: Esurient

Esurient" (ih-SUR-ee-unt) - from the Latin for "to eat" - means hungry or greedy.

Example (as used by Michael Coren in the Alberta Report): "These new censors, the [literary] deconstructionists, take the most luscious and delicious apple and show it to a hungry person. They then seal the fruit with plastic wrap and demand that the esurient victim enjoy its flavour."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1858, 10-12-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Give Your Heart What It Needs

By Al Sears, MD

To produce its extraordinary energy output, your heart needs a few key nutrients - and most people aren't getting them. I believe this is the main reason heart disease continues to be the number one killer in America.

Many people have never even heard of these nutrients. What's worse, most doctors will prescribe drugs before even considering them. Today, I will tell you about one of the most important superstars for natural heart health:L-arginine.

A new study, released recently in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, reaffirms something I've known for some time: L-arginine improves the physical fitness of heart-failure patients by boosting their exercise endurance. Athletes and bodybuilders have long known about the ability of this amino acid to build muscle and increase lean muscle mass.

L-arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide plays an important role in the health of the endothelial cells that line your heart and blood vessels, because it helps those cells dilate. Without nitric oxide, your blood vessels narrow. And in the presence of arterial plaque, the vessels become rigid and blood flow is restricted.

Conventional doctors often prescribe aspirin or dangerous statin drugs to counteract this effect. But L-arginine increases the elasticity of your blood vessels, which gives you a much safer alternative. With my patients, I find that 500 mg once a day does the trick.

(Resource: Reuters)
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Word to the Wise: Malversation

"Malversation" (mal-vur-SAY-shun) - from the French for "to misbehave" - is misconduct in public office.

Example (as used by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. in Time magazine): "The Inspector General Act was designed to protect patriotic whistle-blowers who seek to reveal malversation in government."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1805, 08-11-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"Out of the past come the standards for judging the present."

- George P. Baker

Setting Standards: Speed vs. Excellence,
Part 1

By Michael Masterson

After graduating from high school, two friends and I started a business installing aboveground pools. After a shaky start, the business took off. To finish the nine or 10 jobs that we were selling per day, we each headed up a crew of workers. This created an unavoidable and unspoken competition among us - in two arenas:

1. Who could build more pools?

2. Who could build better pools?

Each of us - Peter, Eric, and I - wanted to win both ribbons every day. But because of our differing personalities, ambitions, and work habits, our crews' pace and attention to detail produced different results. By the end of that first summer, our crews had established themselves this way:

. Peter's built the best pools.
. Mine built them fastest.
. And Eric's was somewhere in the middle.

In the nearly 40 years that have elapsed since that summer, I have started or helped start dozens of businesses, big and small. At one time or another during the growth of each of those businesses, I've had to make decisions about product development and marketing that pitted speed against excellence. And every time I've been in that situation, I've thought back to that pool business and what I learned from working with Peter and Eric.

When you create something - a business, a book, a wedding, or a craft project - you have to make countless decisions that involve speed and excellence. By opting for speed, you create action - and action gives you the momentum you need to get your goal accomplished. By opting for excellence, you can create something that is better than what everyone else is creating ... and, in business, that can put you ahead of your competition.

Longtime readers of ETR will not be surprised to hear that, particularly in business, I favor speed over excellence - at least, in the beginning. Ready. Fire. Aim. That's my motto. Figure out - quickly - if the idea is worth testing. (Ready.) Test it. (Fire.) If it works but only marginally, kill it or fix it. (Aim.) Then move on to the next thing.

If you don't get things going quickly and keep them going, you will find that progress on the business you are starting (or the trip you are planning ... or the poem you are writing ... or the garden you are planting) will slow and eventually stall. But if all you care about is speed, your business will eventually face another terminal danger. If the quality of your product and/or service starts out as "okay" and doesn't get better, you will have a very hard time "selling" it to the world. They will recognize (even if you don't) the mediocrity you have created and will look elsewhere for something similar but better.

The pool-building business that Peter, Eric, and I created that year was just as much about excellence as it was about speed. We eventually developed techniques (clever ways of doing routine things) that more than doubled the speed at which we worked - and, thus, our daily profits. We used some of the extra cash and time that we created to buy more equipment and develop more techniques to make our pools better than anyone else's.

If we hadn't been willing to favor speed over excellence in the beginning, we could never have kept up with our workload. If we'd gotten too far behind on our schedule, we would have lost our business. And if we hadn't been dedicated to improving the quality of everything we did - from the way we answered the phone to the way we cleaned up after every job - we wouldn't have developed the reputation that allowed the business to be successful for so many years.

What I'm saying is that our business eventually operated on two sets of standards - one based on speed and one based on excellence. Although Peter tended to be more hands-on and spent more time checking details, his crew still worked fast - fast enough to keep them "in the contest." And although I rushed my crew from one job to another, we never failed to follow all the proper protocols to make sure every pool was well built and free of problems.

As I said, you should apply these same standards to just about anything worthwhile that you create, not just a business. In my next article, I'll explain how I apply speed and excellence to my writing.
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Today's Action Plan

To achieve any goal, you need to establish standards for speed and excellence. You need enough speed to overcome inertia and move your project to completion. And you need enough quality to produce results that will be valued.

Are these the standards that you measure your work against? Does a different set of standards work better for you?
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Energy-Dense vs. Nutrient-Dense Foods

By Jon Herring

Most snack foods pack hundreds of calories into very small portions. Potato chips, carbonated drinks, and candy bars are all examples of "energy-dense" foods. And while they are convenient, they provide excess calories in a small volume of food that will not satiate hunger. That's part of the reason they can lead to weight gain.

Instead of snacking on energy-dense foods, add low-calorie foods that can be eaten in high volume to fuel your fat-loss nutrition plan. These "nutrient-dense" foods include most soups, fiber-rich vegetables, and lean sources of protein.

Researchers at Penn State University tested the ability of nutrient-dense foods to help weight loss. The study followed 200 men and women for a year. All subjects were instructed to follow a calorie-restricted diet. One group had two servings of nutrient-dense soup every day. Another group ate an equivalent number of calories in energy-dense snack foods. While both groups lost weight, the subjects who ate the soup lost twice as much. Why? Because their appetites were satisfied and that made them less inclined to "cheat" on the diet.

It should go without saying ... if you want to lose weight, focus on nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean sources of protein, and calorie-free beverages (like water and green tea). These foods will fill you up, but they won't make you fat.
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Word to the Wise: Conterminous

Things that are "conterminous" (kun-TUR-muh-nus) have the same scope, range of meaning, or duration. The word is derived from the Latin for "boundary."

Example (as used by David Nasaw, writing in The New York Times): "The collapse of the swing phenomenon was conterminous with the emergence of bebop."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1723, 05-08-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

A Sure Way to Avoid Polluted Fish

By Jon Herring

Because it is such a rich source of protein and healthy fats, fish should be one of the most beneficial foods you can eat. Unfortunately, a large percentage of fish these days is contaminated, most notably by mercury.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in the body. Once you consume it, it is difficult to get rid of it. Mercury is especially damaging to young children. Exposure can not only threaten their health but also reduce their intelligence. To make matters worse, a recent report compiled by leading academic experts on mercury pollution suggests that instead of improving, the situation is getting worse.

But there is one fish that you can eat without concern - wild Alaskan salmon.

Most fresh salmon is farmed, not wild. So unless you visit a health food store, you may have a difficult time finding it. Fortunately, canned wild Alaskan salmon is widely available in just about any grocery store. It tastes great and is inexpensive. Just be sure to look for "wild Alaskan" on the can. Farmed salmon is not only deficient in omega-3s, it can contain dangerous amounts of PCBs.

For a list of different varieties of fish and their mercury content, check out the National Resources Defense Council website.
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It’s Fun to Know: About Berries

You might be surprised to know that strawberries aren’t actually berries (in the botanical sense). Instead, they’re "accessory fruits." The red meat of the strawberry is merely a receptacle for the hundreds of tiny seeds on its surface. Those seeds are the actual fruits of the plant.

Blackberries, raspberries, and boysenberries are "aggregate fruits," which means they’re made up of multiple fruits, each holding a seed.

True berries - like blueberries and cranberries - are fruits composed of a single, edible ovary wall. They are pulpy and full of seeds. Other botanical berries include tomatoes, kumquats, avocados, eggplants, and chili peppers.

(Source: Wikipedia)
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2006, 04-03-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Whale Rescued

"In a recent issue The San Francisco Chronicle reported the predicament of a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps. She was weighed down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat and catch air at the water surface. A fisherman spotted her outside the Golden Gate Bridge and radioed for help. A rescue team determined that she was so badly off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. This was a dangerous maneuver. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer. The divers worked for several hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers said she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, nudged them and pushed them gently around to thank them. They said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The diver who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same again."

- from Diane Morgan's Scoopified, Nr. 7 - Autumn 2007, "News You May Have Missed"

The Atkins Diet Is a Good Start

By Al Sears, MD

Four years after his death, Dr. Robert Atkins has been proven right yet again. As Jon Herring explained in his recent article "Low-Carb, High-Carb, Low-Fat... Which Is Best?" results from a Stanford University study show that Atkins dieters lost an average of 10 pounds versus just 3.5 pounds for The Zone dieters. What's more, women on the Atkins diet ended the year with higher HDL (good cholesterol) and lower blood pressure.

In spite of the persecution Atkins faced during his life, he correctly diagnosed the cause of our modern obesity epidemic: Americans are not getting fat because they are consuming too many calories; they are getting fat from eating too many carbs.

But Atkins didn't get everything right. Though he realized that fat doesn't make you fat, he didn't discriminate between "good" fats and "bad" fats. "Bad" fats, like artificial trans-fats, clog your arteries and boost your risk of heart attack. And an excess of omega-6 fats causes inflammation that leads to arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.

"Good" fats, like omega-3s, build up your HDL (good cholesterol) and lower triglycerides (blood fats). And I've seen remarkable results in my heart patients after giving them cod liver oil - one of the most reliable sources of omega-3s.

Cod liver oil also plays an important role in fat loss, which Atkins missed. Cod liver oil improves your body's response to glucose (blood sugar) and heightens your sensitivity to insulin. It's been used for years to treat diabetes... with promising results.

Controlling your blood sugar and lowering your insulin is the key to losing fat and keeping it off. That's why I tell my patients to take five grams of cod liver oil daily.
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2008, 04-05-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"The cost of Liberty is less than the price of Repression." - William E. D. Du Bois

"I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt, as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt." - Thomas Jefferson

Don't Give Those Stale Nuts to the Squirrels!

By Charlie Byrne

If you are like me and you follow ETR's healthy snacking advice by munching on lots of nuts, congratulations. Nuts - especially almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans - are packed with protein (which can help you feel full faster) and healthy fats. Some nuts, like almonds and pistachios, can also help improve your cholesterol. And walnuts, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, score a perfect zero on the glycemic index, which means you can eat a bowlful without worrying about your waistline.

All this is great for me, because I go through a LOT of nuts. The good news is I can get them at a reasonable price by picking up bigger bags at places like Costco and Sam's Club. The bad news is that when you have so many, they can start to go stale.

On a recent trip to Fresno, in the heart of California's central agricultural valley and home to many nut growers, I discovered a possible solution to this problem. A bag of locally grown pistachios that carried the following words of advice: "Keep nuts sealed tightly. In the event nuts seem mushy, just pop them in the toaster oven for a few minutes and they'll come out nicely dry-roasted."
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2023, 04-23-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Don’t Forget Strength Training for Fat Loss

By Craig Ballantyne

For most people, the idea of an exercise-based fat-loss program conjures up thoughts of endless sessions on a treadmill or bike. Aside from the fact that workouts like that are boring, if you’re a regular reader of ETR you know that long-duration "cardio" could be harmful to your health. But you don’t need cardio to lose fat.

Researchers from Purdue University found that a group of 36 healthy men and women (with an average age of 61 - including one who was 80 years old!) were able to lose fat, gain muscle, get stronger, lower LDL cholesterol, and improve blood sugar control with a simple strength workout routine.

The study subjects performed strength training three times a week for 12 weeks while consuming a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. The training consisted of basic exercises that can be performed at any health club, including leg presses, chest presses, and seated rows. Each workout consisted of three sets per exercise and 8 to 12 repetitions per set.

While the average bodyweight of the men and women didn’t change over the 12-week program, they did gain an average of four pounds of lean mass and lost an average of over four pounds of fat. In addition, strength training improved their blood sugar control - helping to protect them against diabetes. (The researchers attribute this benefit in part to the gains in muscle mass.)

If you are new to strength training, ask a personal trainer to design a workout for you to help build muscle and burn fat. You don’t even need fancy machines. A good trainer can provide you with dumbbell exercises to do at home.

[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is a world-renowned Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.]
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It’s Fun to Know: About Lab Accidents

The following products were all the result of accidents or blunders in the lab: Kevlar, superglue, cellophane, gunpowder, photographs, phonographs, Teflon, penicillin, LSD, Viagra, and (of course) The Incredible Hulk.

(Source: Discover Magazine)

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2034, 05-05-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open." - Elmer G. Letterman, business executive

"The truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to somebody else. The only real nobility is in being superior to your former self." - Whitney young (1921-1971), civil rights leader

"As a general rule, the most successful people in life are those who have the best information." - Disraeli

Fish Oil Improves Intelligence and Learning in Children (and Adults!)

By Jon Herring

"Repeated activities create neural pathways between different parts of your brain. The more you practice a certain activity, the stronger that neural pathway becomes. These structural changes are the physical mechanisms of learning," Dr. Sears wrote that in ETR #1989.

This is the foundation for the concept "practice makes perfect." And the good news is that you can enhance the process even further by supplementing your diet with omega-3 fatty acids.

The BBC recently reported on a very small but remarkable study of children who were given fish oil supplements. The children took tests before they started taking the fish oil and again at the end of three months. During the study, researchers found that the children’s reading age increased by a year, their handwriting became more legible and accurate, and they paid more attention in class. And brain scans revealed that their levels of a chemical called N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) drastically increased. (This is the brain chemical linked to the growth of the nerve fibers Dr. Sears was referring to in that ETR article.)

Commenting on the results, the lead researcher said, "In three months you might expect to see a small NAA increase. But we saw as much growth as you would normally see in three years. It was as if these were the brains of children three years older."

Omega-3 fatty acids are absolutely essential for all of us, young and old. But they are especially important for children, whose brains are still developing. To ensure that you (and your children) are getting enough omega-3, consider taking a fish oil supplement in addition to eating fatty fish, grass-fed beef, eggs, walnuts, and flax.
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2003, 03-30-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.