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Newsletter

July-August, 2008
June, 2008
April, 2008
January, 2008 (Perfect for a New years newsletter)
October - November, 2007 (note the "Holiday Giving" promotion section. You can do the same)

July-August, 2008

Feature Article - Tai Chi Decreases Falls

Another reason to keep practicing. Prevention! Maintaining great balance not only adds to your grace and coordination, it can save you a lot of grief. It can even save your life!

Below is a link to this study, but the bottom line is that just "one hour of tai chi a week for 16 weeks modestly decreases the rate of falls in community-dwelling elderly patients". Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17661956?dopt=Abstract

When we are young, a fall can be of little consequence. But a fall in the elderly can be a death sentence. Up to one in 4 seniors who breaks a hip from a fall is dead within a year.

Why? Balance is a complex issue that not only uses our eyes and parts of our brains, but also a myriad of receptors in our hips and feet. This complex system is supposed to keep us upright, but if not used a lot - it worsens over years and decades. As we age, we don't realize that our balance has deteriorated and when we need it, it can fail us.

There is only one answer. The ONLY way to improve balance is to use it. Every day. Easy Tai Chi and 4 Minute Fitness are easy to learn and to practice. If you know one or both of these techniques, I encourage you to make a commitment to just a few minutes of daily practice. Both techniques will improve your balance as well as add so much more to your life. In fact - they might just save your life.

And remember - the slower you step into each movement, the more you will challenge and improve your balance. So step as slowly as you can while still staying safe.

And to make your balance even better - read our Practitioners' Corner section (next) for ways to use Easy Tai Chi to further improve your balance.

Practitioners' Corner

Ahhhh.... summer. Time to walk barefoot in the sand, enjoy the grass between your toes. Time to have your feet contact the earth. Or something like that.

Even if you are not a bare foot kind of person, I recommend finding a safe grassy or sandy area to practice your Easy Tai Chi. Losing the shoes during practice is another way for you to increase your balance (if you have are no medical reasons to prevent barefoot practice). By practicing barefoot, you will likely find your balance isn't as good.

No problem - this lack of balance will force the smaller muscles of your feet to begin working to stabilize your body. This will fine tune your balance mechanisms, creating a longer term overall improvement in balance. As well, you will increase foot flexibility and increase the strength of those smaller muscles in your feet.

If you are ready to add more Easy Tai Chi movement to your life, try Easy Tai Chi CORE. These delightful movements can be done alone or as an add on to the Infinite Nine (your existing movements). www.EasyTaiChiCORE.com


Life Quotes

From one of our members. "My daughter saw a book called Wisdom of Kittens and just had to have it. She is only 7 but has good taste in books. Three quotes from the book really spoke to me."
 
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow'."
    Mary Anne Radmache
 
"Don't be afraid to expand yourself, to step out of your comfort zone. That's where the joy and adventure lie."
    Herbie Hancock
 
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."
    Albert Einstein


Question period
    From one of our students in South Africa. The Internet has certainly created global connection possibilities.

Q. Regarding the 4 Minute Fitness session, is there a preferred number of times that one should do each exercise? (I see on the DVD follow along part you do Ex 1 & 5, six times each and Ex. 2-4, three time each L&R). Are these the preferred numbers for each exercise? This is a bit of a silly question but I am curious about it.

A. Not a silly question at all. I usually try to provide relatively equal time to each movement, but will increase the repetitions of a particular exercise if I feel I need it at that moment. (My need at the time may be mental, like a need to feel more relaxed or grateful, or physical, like a need to stretch a particular area).

Try to be relatively consistent throughout the series, but do as many or as few as you like. Basically - make it work for you and your needs. And within reason - the more the better.

June, 2008

Feature Article - Eating, dying and Cuba

Please forgive me, but sometimes I just need to rant.

Sometimes I see things that make me downright mad. And sad. In my opinion, the whole North American food scenario is tragic, and the resulting health consequences and personal tragedies are totally avoidable. Since Christmas, I have spent a lot of time in the US. During my travels, I saw a great number of overweight people (obesity rates in the US are over 30%) eating a huge amount of stuff they thought was food.

TV and advertisements sell an amazing array of fat, sugar and salt - all of which tastes great, almost none of which is actually food. In that most of it doesn't nourish, it is in fact just crap. Garbage. And in many if not most cases - large amounts of this stuff is poisonous to our bodies.

People are coerced into eating this stuff and they get fat. And they get sick. Then they buy a dizzying array of books, some of which are good,  but many offer downright stupid information about ways to lose weight. The diet industry thrives, offering thousands of variations on a theme. And, in spite of the presence of dozens of diet books and magazines in each household, people keep getting fatter. One thing we have all discovered - the mere act of owning a diet book does not in itself create weight loss :-).

The medical business thrives as a result. Diabetes, heart disease, strokes, liver problems, cholesterol clogging our arteries - all leading to a vast consumption of pills and billions of dollars of pharmaceutical company profits. And a medical system that can't keep up, all the while generating huge profits.

Making people fat is big business. Treating those fat people is also a huge business. And so is burying them.

While I recognize that there are a few medical and genetic exceptions, for most of us the answer is simple.

Cuba - a sad situation with a lesson for us all

In 2008, the Canadian Medical Association released this information. Politics aside, the fact is that the US embargo on Cuba and the collapse of the Soviet Union lead to many hardships for the average Cuban. As a result, the energy intake per capita decreased by 1000 kcal/day to 1863 kcal/day. And the proportion of physically active adults increased from 30% to 67% (fuel shortages increased the number of people who walked or used their bicycles). These changes affected the whole population and were sustained for 5 years.

People lost weight. And they were forced to exercise. The silver lining (and a lesson for all of us)? In subsequent years, rates of death decreased markedly from 1997 - 2002: by 51% for diabetes, 35% for coronary artery disease, 20% for stroke and 18% for all cause mortality.

The obesity rate in Cuba was relatively low to begin with and dropped even further as a result of these lifestyle changes. The experts in the article concluded that countries like Canada and the United States (where obesity is rampant) would notice even more benefit from weight loss and exercise.

For details - www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/178/8/1032

The Answer?

One of the conclusions of the above article:
"Interventions should include making fruits and vegetables more readily available and less expensive, reducing the availability and increasing the prices of high energy foods, and promoting walking and bicycling as means of transportation."

While we are unlikely to face an embargo, we can learn from the Cuban experience. To start with, we must begin eating real food. The stuff that isn't advertised and glorified on TV's, magazines and buses. And we must eat less of the crap.

And then we must move. Yes - move. Exercise. Sweat.

Yes - as a wellness teacher, part of my business offers ways to lose weight. The difference? My approach is cheap, easy, gimmick free and effective. Weight loss from the perspective of a veterinarian. And I offer on going free support and ideas.

If you need help, I lay it all out on an audio CD. Many ideas and lifestyle strategies. Easy Weight Loss for Busy People not only deals with effective and practical ways to lose weight, it also offers ways to supply our bodies with vital, life enhancing nutrients.

Note: If you are currently overweight - so be it. It is as it is, so don't punish yourself. Heavy people can choose to become physically fit. And your weight will reduce if you begin eating real food. Go for it. Always check with your health care provider with any specific questions or conditions. People who are morbidly obese will find this CD helpful, but should also seek medical or dietary support.

IMPORTANT
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". Set easy and doable goals. Get guidance if needed. Make a commitment to do SOMETHING everyday.

Move - aerobic
(A quote from Georgia State University). "The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines aerobic exercise as "any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature." It is a type of exercise that overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest. The important idea behind aerobic exercise today, is to get up and get moving!! There are more activities than ever to choose from, whether it is a new activity or an old one. Find something you enjoy doing that keeps your heart rate elevated for a continuous time period and get moving to a healthier life."

Walk, run, climb stairs, cycle, garden, swim, dance, skate, jump rope, ski.

Move - build muscles
Resistance training, weight lifting. Do push ups, pull ups, squats, climb stairs, circuit training, sit ups. Find a gym and use it. Or perhaps hire a personal trainer.

Move - mind body (burns calories, increase flexibility, circulation, improves balance, focus and concentration.And more.).
www.4MinuteFitness.com
www.EasyTaiChi.com

Weight Loss
www.Best-Weight.com

A little more food for thought - articles that have crossed my desk this week

Hot Dogs

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans typically consume 7,000,000,000 hot dogs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That's 818 every second. (20 billion per year). Many/most hot dogs are low quality scrap meat ("mystery meat"...) and high in fat, sodium and nitrates. 7 billion hot dogs this summer will make more people sick and fat. To increase your odds of staying healthy, I would suggest eating hot dogs only on an occasional basis. And choose the newer low fat versions. And... whole grain wheat buns are way better for you than those useless white puffy buns.

Sugary juices and drinks. For many - a sure path to diabetes

From infancy to adulthood, many of us get a whopping 1/3 of our daily calories from sugary drinks and juices. The worst part of this - parents often feed these drinks to their children thinking they will improve health. Instead, they lead to obesity and early type two diabetes, and tooth decay.

To begin, serve only sugar free whole fruit and vegetable juices. And less of them. Water is a perfect replacement. To enhance the flavor of water, try adding some lemon juice, a few drops of stevia (a natural sweetener) and some ice cubes.

April, 2008

Feature Article - Use the best of all worlds

Choices, choices, choices. In the world of health care, we face an increasing number of options, from the conservative to the ludicrous. And worse - more often than not the various practitioners are convinced that their approach is right, everyone else is wrong.

What is a person to do? Here is a suggestion or two. I always do my utmost to take the best from alternative and traditional allopathic medicine, PLUS I do what I can to support my mind and body. First I always ask - do I trust this practitioner? Then - does the approach make sense? And finally - what else can I do to make a difference?

18 months ago, I had hip pain and sciatica. While massage therapy and chiropractic adjustments relieved the pain temporarily, they did not solve the problem. X rays revealed that I needed hip resurfacing. I had an excellent surgeon, and now follow up my surgery with a high quality diet, chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy and stretching. Best of both worlds... to speed healing and maximize hip mobility.

1. If you get a serious diagnosis from your doctor - get a second opinion. Nobody is perfect, and a second viewpoint may be helpful.

A few years ago, I had a persistent bowel problem and bizarre blood results after a Caribbean Cruise. Four specialists and their tests and biopsies offered the following serious diagnosis, accompanied by a series of dangerous treatments - Irritable bowel syndrome, Hypereosinophilic disease, reactions to a drug I was taking, and cancer. My veterinary training continued to suggest that I had a parasite. I persisted, and guess what? I had a serious case of .... pinworms. Two pills, and I was all better.

2. Look at alternative approaches. Some can be very helpful as an adjunct to your treatment. Some treatments may work as a stand alone treatment. There are many skilled practitioners that may offer innovative and exciting solutions.

3. Educate yourself - learn as much as possible about your condition. The Internet is a magnificent source for medical information. But remember - it is also a source of junk and self serving information, so always be cautious.

4. Look after yourself. Take responsibility for you. Eat well, feed you body high quality foods to assist the healing process. Practice your
4 Minute Fitness and Easy Tai Chi to keep your body supple and your mind relaxed.

www.4MinuteFitness.com
www.EasyTaiChi.com
www.Best-Weight.com


Two products for you to consider - one traditional and one alternative

These are products have been life changing for me and others, so I want you to know about them. I receive no compensation for mentioning them. They may or may not be appropriate for you - always check with your health care provider.

1. Livostin Nasal Spray. For most of my life, I have had significant seasonal allergies. Alternative approaches helped to some degree, but I discovered a nasal spray that has worked miracles for my allergies (with almost no side effects!). If you have seasonal allergies, ask your doctor about levocabastine nasal spray (trade name is Livostin). Prescription needed.

2. Canker Covers. I often deal with cankers (mouth sores). CoQ10 supplementation has helped. But now I use these neat little covers to significantly speed healing and reduce pain. They can be divided for smaller sores. www.cankercover.com


Life Quote

"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness"
    James Thurber


Teacher's corner  - Mix and Match
- an alternative pattern for 4 Minute Fitness from Certified Teacher Bob Darlington
 
Bob has had a lot of success by doing each of the 4 Minute Fitness moves just once (or once on each side for the moves that go to both sides), then moving to the next, rather than 6 times. The usual pattern is 111111, 222222, 333333, 444444,555555.

His suggestion is this pattern: 1, 2(left)2(right), 3(left)3(right), 4(left)4(right), 5. Then repeat this pattern a few times. His students have found that this feels more flowing - like a short tai chi form.

I encourage experimentation. The key to success with 4 Minute Fitness is to do it everyday, in one pattern or the other. Thanks Bob!


Teacher's corner - Talk softly
- a peaceful idea from Certified Teacher Elite Ken Bloom

Ken offered a solution for quieting the mind during meditation. Talk softly to yourself. Describe and visualize your Easy Tai Chi movements. See yourself performing them, flowing gracefully and breathing properly. According to Ken - "This helps to activate both sides of the brain and filters out the other thoughts. I must say that we have had great results, both with the meditation and the actual movements."

This technique can also speed the process of going to sleep!
 

January, 2008

Hi folks,

I hope you had a warm and family time over the last couple of weeks. I want to take a moment to wish you a prosperous New Year. Not just financial prosperity, but a New year that finds you in excellent health, surrounded by loving and caring people, with the time to do exactly what you want. A New Year that is exciting; one that leads you closer to your business and personal goals.

Of course - our relationship is all around Easy Tai Chi and 4 Minute Fitness. The vast majority of the people on this mailing list have one or more of our products. So - here is a little New Years reminder.

For those who are practicing regularly

I know many of you are practicing daily, moving toward your personal wellness targets. And some of you are moving toward developing a small or large Easy Tai Chi business that will allow you to help others move toward increased mental and physical wellness. I congratulate you for you persistence and commitment! And I encourage you to take that same commitment into 2008.

My suggestion to you is this - do not stay static in your practice. Keep it interesting and keep learning. For example - the principles in Easy Tai Chi CORE can be used to improve your current practice while adding more moves, the Heal Your Mind, Heal Your Body Seminar DVD will improve your 4 Minute Fitness understanding and dramatically increase results. Or attend a seminar for one-on-one instruction.

And keep maximizing movements (if you are physically able to do so) to further increase flexibility and strength. And breathe as deeply as possible to further nourish your body.

For those who have quit or practice on occasion

I also know that many of you have stopped your routine practice. More often than not, "life" has gotten in the way. Events have pulled you away from your practice. Or perhaps your "little voice" has convinced you that there are many more important things to do before your Easy Tai Chi or 4 Minute Fitness (you can do it "later"..., and later never comes).

May I suggest that these mind body wellness exercises can be life enhancing, work enhancing, relationship enhancing, and for some - even life saving. By gently moving your body, you become more vibrant. Flexibility and strength increase, circulation improves and balance is often dramatically improved.

Breathing deeply produces a state of relaxation (reducing mental stress), feeds and nourishes your 60 trillion cells (reducing physical stress) and enhances immune function (thereby preventing problems).

And the stillness and peacefulness created from your Easy Tai Chi practice is centering, increasing focus and presence. 4 Minute Fitness takes a different approach to mind wellness by helping change thoughts from negative to positive, thereby dramatically lowering the levels of dangerous stress hormones and increasing the neurochemicals that make you feel oh so well.

New Years Suggestion - do it first

Practice your favorite mind body wellness exercises FIRST. Before breakfast, before work, before checking your email. Make your mind and body wellness an absolute priority! Then carry on with your day, using your exercises as needed throughout the day.

Happy New Year.

www.4MinuteFitness.com
www.EasyTaiChi.com


Supercharge your Day

I get most of my daily requirement of  TEN fruit and vegetables in just one drink - first thing in the morning. While this smoothie may not appeal to everyone, I'd suggest you look at the nutrient content of your current breakfast, and ask yourself if it provides you with the best fuel to begin your day. Remember - each and every one of your 60 trillion cells do 2000 - 5000 things per second. They need nutrition!

A breakfast of sugary flakes or high saturated fats will likely reduce the quality of your day (and life). A nutritious smoothie might just give your day a kick start.

We have a powerful Vita Mix blender, so don't need juices as a base. I prefer whole fruit and vegetables to juices, but you can modify as needed based on your desires or blender capacity. If you want less fruit, you can use low fat milk, Rice Dream, or soy (or nut) beverages as the main liquid ingredient. I also suggest using organic produce whenever possible. Be creative, have fun and adjust as desired.

Keith's SUPER SMOOTHIE

One or two oranges - peeled
One apple or fresh pineapple, or both
Frozen fruit - raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
Half banana
Prunes (soft) - 2 or 3
Carrot - 1/2 - 1
Green leafy veges - chard, spinach
Ice cubes - 8
Protein powder
Non sweetened yoghurt
Green Powder (dehydrated fruits and vegetables)
Super Blue Green Algae powder
Good quality oil - with a high percentage of Omega 3
Whole flax seeds
Whole sesame seeds
Nuts
Oat bran (to reduce cholesterol)
We also add our daily vitamins and some minerals
        Vitamin C
        Vitamin D
        Vitamin E
        Calcium and/or magnesium
Plus whatever other supplements or whole foods you take daily
You can also add any laxative you might be taking (ie: bran, psyllium, Benefiber)

Blend and drink! This will add some life to 2008! And amazingly, it tastes great! (Serves 2-3).

Note: This is my personal recipe. It is not intended to treat any diseases process and may need to be modified to fit individual dietary requirements. It may not be suitable for everyone, so check with your health care provider if necessary.   

 

October - November, 2008

Feature Article - Lifeless or vibrant?

What do orchestra conductors and tai chi practitioners have in common? Consider the following... I recently went to the Vancouver Symphony, and
watched the conductor (Bramwell Tovey) with great interest. At a minimum, conductors simply wave a stick to keep the musicians on time, and
remind various instruments when to begin or stop playing. In its essence, it can be simple and lifeless.

Same with tai chi. Practitioners can simply move arms and legs, getting the job done, but with no "life" in their movement. But Mr. Tovey was different. He brought me to tears. Within the simple movements, he offered passion, drama, spirit and energy. He drew those same qualities from the musicians by involving his whole being. His body danced, his facial expressions were joyous, agonized, excited. He sung with the orchestra. He cried with them. He celebrated the music with grace and flow and passion.

Tai chi practitioners can do the same. They can dance within the movements. They can express so much within the simple structure of the moves.
But most don't.

While most of these skills must be taught in person, I can offer a word that you can incorporate in your practice at home. "Soft". As you practice,
think of softness. Feel totally and completely relaxed. Feel as if you are flowing from one move to the other. (I explain some of this in one of the
lessons in Easy Tai Chi CORE.)

They key is to hold the basic structure within the softness, thereby maintaining the feeling of power within the moves.

Once you know the basic movements, it is important to experiment and explore within the moves. Play with it, become creative and see
what happens. Dance, but do not lose the fundamentals that create the benefits.

Holiday Giving - a GREAT idea!
Give a gift of life! Unique, entertaining AND fat free!

I need your help. My whole life is dedicated to helping people move, breathe deeply and think positive thoughts.

If you would like to help me in further achieving these goals (and I need lots of help...), then here are some great prices to reduce your over all
holiday giving costs. 4 Minute Fitness is perfect for anyone, anytime.

A few ideas:
- insert the DVD's into holiday cards
- slide a DVD into a stocking
- add the DVD's to a Christmas basket
- use them as special dinner gifts
- send them as a thank you to family, friends,
     employees, co-workers
- give a gift of smiles and life to anyone you love

Save 10% on any order. When you get to the shopping cart, simply add the word "gift" to
the "Company ID code" box and hit "Recalculate" to see your new total. (Wholesale order excluded)

More savings

Save 10 - 20% by ordering 2 - 5
www.easytaichi.com/order.htm

Life Quote

"You are not lazy. You just have impotent goals - rise to the occasion."

"Success is not an accident."
        Quotes from a Tony Robbins calendar



Question Period

Q: I have been recently diagnosed with MS. Will Easy Tai Chi help my balance?

A: Studies indicated that tai chi practice can improve balance in just a few weeks. Most people lose their balance skills simply because they
don't challenge their balance on a daily basis, so a little tai chi refreshes the balance pathways.

People with MS or other brain diseases often have actual damage to those balance pathways, so they must grow or create new pathways. This
process takes longer, but with a little patience, many people report significant improvements. Put another way - you have nothing to lose (as
long as you stay safe) and everything to gain.

Food for Thought

Apples. They grow most anywhere, store easily, come prewrapped and travel well. They are sweet, but not sweet enough to be dangerous and are
digested relatively slowly (easier on the pancreas). Why not replace that sugary snack with an apple - you may keep a few doctors away!