Goal Setting Your Way To Greatness

Read any book on people that live successful lives (as society tends to base its judgements on at least), and you will find many traits in common. The most common theme among them is that they are master goal-setters. Some people even go so far as to set intra-day goals. The two questions to mull over for yourself are; are you where you want to be in life? and if not, are you are a goal – setter? If the answer is no to both of these, then following a few of the steps below may help you get to where you want to go.

In order to set effective goals that you will stick to, and remain motivated for, you need to be specific. If your goal is to lose weight for a wedding, or other event, it is pointless to simply set a goal to ‘lose weight’ When will you know when you have reached your goal? What will be a milestone to know you are on the right track?

The first step in setting a goal is to be clear about what you want to achieve. This is a vital step in setting goals that you will be able to achieve. If you only half want something to happen, then how do you think you will remain motivated down the track? You probably won’t. If you have a clear picture of what you want to achieve, you are already on your way.

 The next part you need to consider is if the goal is actually achievable? If you have a goal to make $20,000,000 per year next year, is that a reasonable goal that you are likely to achieve in that timeframe? It is not unreasonable to have such a goal, but you need to be able to break it down into smaller parts that you can measure. Consider these as milestones. In order to set goals that you can achieve, it is imperative that you write them down. Think of it as similar to making a contract with yourself. Writing it down also reinforces the belief in your subconscious. That way each time you read it, it will help you focus on your vision.

 It is also important to set a time frame when setting goals. If you leave it open ended you are not creating any urgency to try and achieve it. Because you have it open ended, it becomes easier to simply say; “oh, I’ll get onto that someday.” As John Fogerty once wrote someday never comes.

 In order to remain focussed and disciplined towards your goals, you also need to set up milestones and rewards. For example, if you want to lose forty pounds, doing that all in one go is a bit tricky. Wisdom tells us that breaking the goal down into measurable components will help us keep on track. A saying that I once read (unsure of the source) was: If you take a sharp axe to a tree and take one swing at the tree per day, eventually, no matter how big the tree, it will fall down. The same applies with goals. Smaller pieces help to keep you on track.


To recap the steps:

1) Be specific about what you are wanting to achieve, and what the end result looks like
2) Make sure your goal is achievable
3) Write them down
4) Set a timeframe
5) Set milestones and rewards

As an extra kicker, read them as often as you can. This will help implant them into your subconscious mind and reinforce the belief that you will make them happen.

An effective goal may look like the following: By (insert date) I will have (achievement i.e lost twenty pounds etc). This can then be broken down into smaller parts eg. By xxx date I will have lost ten pounds to my goal of losing twenty pounds by xxx date.

I hope this introduction to goal setting helps!

9 Important Health Benefits Of Eggs

Eggies, eggs, chicken missiles, or as an uncle once affectionately referred to them; ‘bum nuts.’ Indeed not the most eloquent use of the English language, but a comical description of one very versatile food group. Eggs are one of the most nutrient-packed foods in the universe. Just imagine that these tiny ovals of goodness can turn a single cell, into a baby chicken. That is pretty amazing to think about.

They are packed with goodness

One single large boiled egg contains:

·         Folate – 5% of the RDA

·         Vitamin A – 6% of the RDA

·         Vitamin B5 – 7% of the RDA

·         Vitamin B12 – 9% of the RDA

·         Phosphorus – 9% of the RDA

·         Vitamin B2 – 15% of the RDA

·         Selenium – 22% of the RDA

(nb: RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance)

On top of that list, eggs also have generous amounts of Vitamin D, E, K, B6, Calcium, and Zinc.

Eggs contain approximately 77 calories, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of healthy fats.

      Eggs have high amounts of cholesterol, but don’t affect blood cholesterol

True to popular belief, eggs are actually high in cholesterol. A single egg contains anywhere  up to 212mg, which is around half of the recommended 300mg daily intake.

One thing to note is that cholesterol in the diet doesn't necessarily raise cholesterol in the blood. The liver produces large amounts of cholesterol every day.  When we eat things such as eggs, the liver produces less cholesterol to counter-balance the intake.

The response to egg consumption differs from person to person, but in general terms eggs won’t raise cholesterol in 70% of people. The remaining 30% are deemed as ‘hyper responders’ and can have mild increases in cholesterol. This is a simplified view of it, but you get the idea.

      Eggs raise HDL levels (the good cholesterol)

High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is often termed the ‘good’ cholesterol. People with higher levels of HDL are less likely to suffer heart diseases, strokes and other health issues. Eating eggs can help to increases HDL in the body.

      Eggs contain choline

What the….is choline? Most people have never heard of choline before. Choline is grouped with the B vitamin family. Choline is used to build cell membranes. It also plays a role in producing signalling molecules in the brain. Eggs contain more than 100mg of this vital nutrient.

      Eggs help stimulate muscle growth

A favourite snack for body-builders and gym-junkies everywhere, eggs contain 6 grams of protein each. Protein is a vital nutrient in repairing muscle fibre after exercise such as weight-lifting.

      Eggs are great for eye health

A consequence associated with ageing is eyesight tends to worsen. One of the ways to counteract this is to take varying nutrients to reverse the effects of ageing. Two of these nutrients are; Lutein, and Zeaxanthin. These are powerful antioxidants that tend to build up in the retina of the eye, and help to reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Our good friends the egg contain high levels of these substances.  Eggs also contain high levels of Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is the most common cause of blindness in the world.

      Lower triglycerides

Sadly, not all eggs are created equal. Naturally it makes sense that the quality of the egg relies heavily on the quality of the food the chicken ate. Hens that are raised on pasture, or fed Omega-3 enriched foods tend to be much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce blood levels of triglycerides – a well-known factor in causing heart disease. In one nutritional study of eggs, it was shown that eating just 3 omega-3 enriched eggs per week reduced triglycerlides by as much as 18%.

     Contrary to popular belief eggs do NOT raise the risk of heart disease

Eggs have had a bad rap in times gone by as being a major risk factor in causing heart disease. It was claimed due to the cholesterol levels in them that they must be bad for the heart. This, as it transpires has been disproven, and in one study alone, with 263,938 participants, there was no association found between egg consumption, and heart disease.

       Eggs are filling

This may seem like throw-away benefit. Due to the high protein levels in eggs, they are incredibly filling. In fact, protein is the most fulfilling macro-nutrient.  As a result of eating something such as eggs which are high in protein, it is likely that you will not feel the need to snack as much throughout the day. This, in turn means you can potentially lower your daily calorie intake, and lose weight as a result.

Here’s a great video of the wonders of eggs. Aren’t they great? Check it out:

12 Things you can do with an Egg from RUSCH MEYER on Vimeo.

Early Birds and Worms

We've all heard the saying: 'The early Bird catches the worm.' Well what does waking early it get you? Other than being grumpy in the morning, and potentially less sleep? Let's probe a little deeper to find out.

In the interests of science and this article I searched high and low for answers to this question. Is it actually good for you to get up early? Is it worth it even? Success leaves clues as they say.

Some of the worlds most successful and notorious business people summon early everyday. The likes of Richard Branson, Tim Cook, Bob Iger, Helena Morrisey to name a few. Although some of the names listed may not be easily recognized at first glance, they all hold high-stress CEO roles in various large companies.

So, how early is early? Well, from what forbes claims with many of these people, the 'wake-up' times ranged from as early as 4:30am. Most of these people would do fairly normal human activities at these times, such as exercising, and reading the morning news papers. Others would start work as soon as they woke up.

As most of us reading this are balking at the thought of summoning at such ungodly hours, there is another side to this argument.

To look at some simple math here; if we assume that most (some) people wake up at roughly 7:00am on work days. If we decide to become proper early risers, and set the dreaded alarm at 5:30am, this gives us an extra 90 minutes per day (again, assuming that we don't adjust our night time schedule too much). If we do this for our work week from Monday to Friday, this gives us an extra 450 minutes per week. If we also assume that we work approximately forty 48 weeks in the year, that now gives us a grand total of 21,600 minutes extra per year. Put another way, it gives us an extra 360 hours per year, or...wait for it...15 extra days per year.

Impressive huh? Or, scary perhaps. That depends how you look at it.

While sleeping, and rest are vitally important (see prior article on rest here), it is also something to consider that an extra 15 days per year can be gained from getting up early.

Perhaps a slight readjustment of your daily schedule is in order?

Coffee - Natures Wonder Food

Coffee Love

Coffee. The elixir of life. Coffee is no-doubt a delightful routine for many of us. In fact it is estimated that approximately 54% of adults over the age of eighteen are daily coffee drinkers. That’s a whole bunch of caffeine there! 

So the question remains, is coffee actually good for you? You might be pleasantly surprised by these facts. It turns out you might not need to feel so guilty about at least one of your daily vices after all.

Here’s a few cold (or hot, we’re not here to judge how you have your coffee or your facts) hard facts about the delectable black drink so many of us can’t survive without.

Coffee can improve your brain function

Ok, so you’re not going to go from a Forest Gump to an Einstein by drinking the occasional mug of latte. Coffee contains a not-so-secret ingredient called caffeine. Caffeine does wonders when it hits the bloodstream by going straight to the brain. Caffeine contains something called adenosine which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. When it hits your brain it essentially aids in blocking some of your neurotransmitters, which in turn increases the levels of hormones such as dopamine (one of the chemicals that help make you happy). Strangely enough, the effects of this release improves various brain functions such as memory, mood, energy levels (yay!), reaction times and cognitive function. Pretty cool huh? 

Coffee can help you burn fat

I know many of you have stopped reading by this point and have gone in search of coffee. For those vigilant enough to stay tuned, here’s another one of coffee’s gifts to us. Caffeine can help boost your metabolism by as much as 11%! A speedy metabolism burns fat stores faster, stronger, and betterer (err, you get the idea). It should be noted though that long-term users/drinkers may have diminished effects on the metabolism.

Improve Nay, drastically improve physical performance

Caffeine you marvellous thing you! It also increases the levels of adrenaline in the blood. Adrenaline is the ‘fight or flight’ hormone that increases your heart rate, and gets you prepared for intense physical activity. Caffeine helps the body break down fat-stores into free fatty acid and makes them available for fuel, which in turn powers the body/engine/turbines. 

There are nutrients in coffee

You’ll hardly believe it, but coffee contains some pretty amazing stuff as well. Riboflavin, Pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin are just some of it’s awesome properties. All of which help form part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Coffee can reduce the likelihood of developing type II diabetes

What? No way! Yes way. There have been numerous studies done in various ways that confirm this statement, but the truth is there have been a total test pool of nearly 460,000 individuals. The aggregate of the various studies showed that drinking just one cup per day can lower the chances of diabetes by 7%. Some tests show this figure to be as high as 67% reduction in chance of developing the disease.

The benefits seem to go on and on. Some of the other healthy side effects of this wonderful liquid include;

• Lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease

• Lowering the risk of Parkinson’s disease

• Has protective effects on the Liver

• Combats the symptoms of depression, and help make you happier

• Lower the chances of developing certain cancers

• Lowers the risk of heart disease, and strokes

• Help you live longer? (awesome!)
  
  

Among all that, coffee has become the largest source of antioxidants in the western diet. For people that eat a fairly standard western diet (think small amounts of fruit and vege, and larger amounts of fried food), coffee contains a huge amount of antioxidants and even more than certain vegetables.

So you can let go of the guilt of drinking coffee daily. You may even decide to ramp up your coffee intake after reading this. It has been written here before, but like many things in life, the health benefits are there when the food group is ingested in moderation. Coffee is obviously wonderful, and not to criticize the liquid bliss, but it shouldn't be used to replace any part of a balanced diet.

Eating Healthy Doesn't Need to be Hard

Eating Healthy

So Fresh!

This has been covered on this blog previously, but it is always good to give ourselves a reminder from time to time. With the low quality, easy to prepare diet available on your average super market shelves these days, it is easy to simply grab a meal completely lacking in any health benefits for your family. Obviously this is somewhat of a general statement, and I have seen many good quality items for sale as well. Unfortunately for us consumers though, the majority of the cheap, easy to cook meals available do not do our bodies justice by any stretch of the imagination.

Every time you reach for that microwavable meal in a plastic box, remember that the alternative to this is not always time consuming to cook. If that isn’t argument enough, then maybe the thought that some of the ingredients in the plastic box you are about to reach for is doing you damage? How about the simple truth that taking an extra few minutes per week to make and plan your meals is better for you all over?

Check out the video below of some of the world’s healthiest foods and see how you can incorporate these into your diet.

I hope you can start making a change in your life, and see the benefits. You will look better, feel better, and have more energy for the things you would rather do.

Nom Nom Nom