Qi Gong in the Morning - Day 5 of Vitality Challenge

Qi Gong in the Morning

According to the ancient Chinese (and probably the modern ones too) Qi gong is best practiced first thing in the morning, ideally between 4-7am. With that in mind I thought today would be a great day to practice “8 Brocade” which is one of the oldest forms of qi gong.

For those of you who have studied qi gong in the past you might have found it to be complicated. Part of the reason is that the very traditional and proud qi gong practitioners were secretive and didn’t want anyone to know about their techniques. After studying many types of internal martial arts I believe that there is only one secret- practice. It doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you do it regularly. Sometimes the payoff is immediate. This morning while I was doing ‘horse stance’ I was entertained by a family of sparrows having a dust bath!


~Think Vitality!~

Rules of the 30 Day Vitality Challenge

Rules of the 30 Day Vitality Challenge

Well, this has been unexpected- there have been several people who have said that they want to join in the 30 Day Vitality Challenge. So, here are the rules that if followed will help you feel better, look better, have more energy, feel more relaxed, and even shed unnecessary body fat.

1. Eliminate all forms of sugar.
Yes, I went there! White sugar, brown sugar, honey, cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, rice sugar, ‘natural fruit source’ sugars, molasses, and aspartame. If you can do just this one thing it will greatly impact your body AND mind!

2. Eliminate empty grains.
Eliminate white bread, pasta, multigrain bread, flour, baked goods, cookies, muffins, and cakes. Ultimately, we should eliminate all grains, end of story. But, if you don’t want to be too aggressive on yourself you can use a small amount of whole grain, sprouted wheat, or high fibre grains.

3. Exercise everyday.
What, every day! Yes, our bodies are designed to move. At the minimum you should walk briskly for 30 minutes. That could be 15 minutes twice a day as well. To do really well on the challenge you should aim to do moderate to high intensity activities everyday for a minimum of 20 minutes. This can be any activity as long as it gets your heart rate up and you work up a real honest sweat.

4. Mindfulness activity.
You need to do a mindful activity everyday. This could be meditation, yoga, qigong, deep breathing, writing a journal, listening to music, looking out a window, visualization, or simply being. Time required: 10 minutes.

5. Sleep well.
You should know your body well enough to be aware of how much sleep you need to feel fully recharged. This can be anywhere from 7-9 hours.

6. Infuse your diet with Nutrient Rich foods
While you should be avoiding junk and processed foods you should aim to consume lots of dark leafy greens, veggies, low glycemic fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats.

So to do the 30 Day Vitality Challenge you have to do one or more of the six elements for 30 days. For some that may take a lot of work and effort but if you can do all 6 elements you will notice a significant difference before and after. Try it and you will see!

~Think Vitality!~

Day 3 of 30 Day Vitality Challenge!

HIIT Me

Day 3

After waking up feeling muscle soreness from a good kendo session last night, doing exercise this morning was a real “character builder!” But, I still completed my good health promoting activity today by doing 20 minutes of HIIT.

I didn’t misspell HIIT, it is actually an abbreviation for the most effective method of burning calories, shedding body fat, revitalizing the immune system, revving up the metabolism for hours, and toning and strengthening the body.

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. In summary, you choose an activity and go hard for a period of time, then go easy, then repeat. You repeat the process for approximately 20 minutes. The intense intervals should be no longer then 60 seconds but if you are new to this start with 30 seconds. Your resting intervals should be no longer then 60 seconds as well. If you are used to doing much longer cardio workouts and that doesn’t seem long enough- just try it! If you make your intense intervals strenuous enough 20 minutes will seem like a very very long time!

Choose exercises that are gentle on the joints such as biking, elliptical, recumbent bike, swimming, power walking, hill walking, skipping, squats, rebounding, even jumping jacks. I would recommend not using running because it is easy to injure yourself during speed work. In fact, I see a lot of patients who are good runners but simply run too hard for their body to support it.

If you need some research to support this type of training check out: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392?dopt=Abstract

This study is based on Tabata training (developed for speed skaters) and is an effective HIIT.
Experiment with different ‘intervals’ to see what works for you!

~Think Vitality!~

Breakfast of.....I don't really know who eats this!

Vitality Challenge day 2

Instructions:

Bring shallow pot of water up to boil, wash and chop asparagus.
Rummage through the pantry to find some canned wild sockeye salmon. Open can.
Steam asparagus until a bright crisp green (not a sad wilted brown).
Empty salmon into a bowl with pepper, salt, free seasoning, dill (if you like it). Mix well. Slice avocado and place on top of salmon.

Enjoy the wide eyed looks you get from people sitting across from you having their low/no nutrient cereal and grain breakfast. Consume and know that you just did something amazing for your brain, joints, skin, and heart.

Enjoy your day!

~Think Vitality!~

30 Day Vitality Challenge!

I have been nervously watching the one year mark approach since the date of my last entry and was determined to not let it pass by without at least saying hello. So, hello!

The truth is I have been busy working on another ‘project’ that you will soon hear more about in the upcoming weeks. It has taken a little bit of learning but I am starting to figure out how to efficiently blend blogs, facebook, google, podcasts, and all things technical with the ancient art of qi gong, acupuncture, diet, and healthy living.

I must say it is a very interesting time in history and more than ever we need to make a conscious effort to get healthy and stay healthy. All of us… myself included!

I’ve always appreciated the idea “Show me, don’t tell me.” There is so much information floating around in magazines, cyberspace and in cubicle conversations but it is all pointless without action. Having said that, I am committing myself to reporting at least one thing a day for 30 days that I myself have done to maintain or improve my health, lower stress, or increase vitality. I am going to call it my 30 Day Vitality Challenge. You should join me! Exercise, cook something amazing and healthy, meditate, do yoga, do qi gong, write in a journal, or dance like there is no one watching!

I have started already by going for a 25 minute run first thing this morning. Keep well, feel free to comment and…
~Think Vitality!~

Healthy BBQ Tips

Mmmm! It is the season! The warm evening sun, the chirping birds, children playing in the park, and your next door neighbour using his gas air blower at dinner time- it is summer!

If you’re like most people you might enjoy lighting the barbeque and cooking some beast over an open flame. While you’re cooking your lamb, free range beef, or salmon I would suggest grilling some veggies while you’re at it.

If you’ve ever tried slicing your zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, or peppers and laying them on the BBQ only to have them slide through the grill you could get frustrated and forget about your daily vegetable requirements.

I would suggest one of these BBQ woks or skillets. Just chop your veggies, throw them in the wok, lightly oil them, season them with fresh herbs, ground pepper/salt and put it on the barbeque over a medium high heat. I prefer having my roasted veggies slightly crunchy rather than an overcooked paste! Enjoy with your daily 10 minute dose of sunshine!

~Think Vitality!~

Summer Sunshine!

Ah yes, the summer is upon in beautiful Victoria! It has been the warmest I’ve seen here for quite some time. Today’s entry is a quick reminder to wear your sunglasses outside and while driving.

They are more than just a fashion statement, and a way to hide the fact that you are watching people! They protect your eyes from UV damage from the sun.

Studies show that unprotected exposure to the sun can lead to cataracts; which is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye. This can lead to obscuring, then loss of vision. Think about cooking an egg white.


So grab some stylish aviators, some speedster Oakleys, or some dollar store specials and enjoy the sun!

~Think Vitality!~