Mental programming

Swine Flu Free in Three Easy Steps!

I hate to say I told you so – especially about something like this – but in one of my posts last April (scroll down to see it – some browsers may put it on page 2) I stated that I believed the swine flu then wasn’t going to be a pandemic, but it might resurface as one later. I also mentioned that I would have some suspicions if that happened.

Well, it’s back, and I believe this one will be a media-manufactured pandemic, but not a real one, so I now I feel compelled to talk about the suspicions I have.

Before I get into that however, I want to talk about how you can avoid it. There are many things you can do (besides the common sense things like regular exercise, proper hygiene and not making out with sick people), but I want to focus here on just a few that you might not know about.

The three things I would like to highlight are 1) strengthening your immune system with proper nutrition, 2) taking a vitamin D3 supplement, and 3)

X Gym Dominates Once Again

So it turns out that stair climbs, triathlons, running races, and obstacle courses aren’t the only contests we dominate as the X Gym. I guess it should be no surprise to report that the X Gym just cleaned house in another fitness competition. Today, August 8th, The X Gym took a “special forces” team of four to the Navy Seal Fitness Challenge at the Bellevue club. This contest required swimming, pushups, pullups, situps, and running, so you had to have endurance, strength and cardio to do well. This makes it a very unique competition, because only people who possess a well-rounded fitness can rank or win.

It is primarily a recruiting tool for the Navy Seals, to help them find folks fit enough to be candidates, but Greg (X Gym member pictured right) heard about it first, and suggested that we try it out. Since we only had about a month and a half to train, it was no surprise that

Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones, But Words Can Make You Lean!

It might sound crazy, but changing your vocabulary can actually make you burn more fat. It can also make you stronger and build up your body. This is due to specific effects that words have on your physiology.

Most men can think of 3-5 positive or negative emotions in 10 seconds. Most women can think of 4-7 positive or negative emotions in the same amount of time. Try it yourself. In 10 seconds, think of as many positive emotions as you can, and then in another 10 seconds think of as many negative emotions as you can. Write them down, and you will be looking at your most common experiences in a typical day.

Expanding your emotional vocabulary will expand your experiences, and it can even help you get leaner. Every time you

Burn Fat With Your Brain

Did you know that your brain burns 15-25% of your daily calories? Even though your brain makes up only about 3% of your weight, it accounts for a very big part of your metabolic rate! Most people think of muscles as their only calorie burner, and while they are the main engine for that, the huge amount of energy the brain requires is hardly ever discussed.

The reason this is important is because a healthy brain uses more energy and therefore contributes more to your metabolic rate. Keeping your brain healthy is pretty easy too if you know how. Some of the ways are: