Health Topics - Asa Andrew

You Are Able

When I speak to people about their health and lifestyle so many times it seems like there is a sense of hopelessness. For example, if they get diagnosed with diabetes or high blood pressure and they believe they will have to be on a certain protocol for a lifetime. It is time that we realize that we are able. Able to overcome. Able to rise above. Able to reverse the life situation that have found ourselves in. It all begins with …

Knowing that you were made for more. We tend to let the circumstance of our life determine the quality of our life. You are where you are because of your choices, and a little bit of genetics. That’s the great news. So here I want to give you permission. This is to know that you are well able to live the kind of life that you want and deserve. It simply comes down to your choices. If you are overweight, make new choices. If you have high blood pressure, then make new choices. If you have diabetes, then make new choices.

Choices determine lifestyle. Period. There is no form of medicine that can touch the power to choose.

So realize that you are able. You are able to shift your life, create a new course, and live life on your terms. So how do you do it?

1.Believe

I need you to start believing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Andrew (in you again. You have to forget the past. The past is gone. You must focus on today. Today is where all the influence and power is.

2.Look

You must have a vision for where you want to go, who you want to become, the kind of health that you want to have. You must see it.

3.Live

Execution is what separates winners and losers. If you want to win with your health and your life, then you must follow through, do the work, and get it done.

I can tell you that it doesn’t matter how tough life has been, you can always turn it around. There is a purpose for your life. The key is to step up, define it, believe it, see it, and live it.

Improving Joint Health

If you really want to know how to make someone age faster, then take away their mobility. Our ability to move and get around effectively a key to our independence and living life on our terms. One area that challenges this is arthritis and joint pain. When someone gets these aches and pains, it starts to hinder their mobility and ability to thrive. Getting arthritis and joint pain is not just because you are older, it has to do with inflammation within the body.

Our mobility can be compromised in several different ways. The beginning stage to any health challenge starts in the mind and with stress. That is where it begins. You show me someone with Fibromyalgia, arthritis, and chronic pain, and I will show you someone with emotional stress that has been suppressed and not handled effectively. And that is just one example. So what can you do if you have joint pain and can’t move like you used to?

Move anyway.

Yes that is true. Getting the body moving is an absolute essential to overcoming the lack of mobility. Even if you are having some pain, find an activity that will put you in some level of movement. Swimming, for example, is a great way to increase flexibility and get the body moving to increase mobility.

I have to push you on this point. If you are having pain, then look at your life. Body pain is usually a reflection of emotional pain. The two go hand in hand. It might be time to talk with someone. It might be time to ask for help and that’s ok. The key to remember is that time is not your friend when it comes to your health. Here are some basic steps to maintain great mobility.

1. Clean up your emotional life.

2. Clean up your eating. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods.

3. Add some exercise. Get moving every day

4. Watch Your Thoughts. They will determine everything.

And watch how your body can recover and respond. Don’t let life and circumstances take away your mobility and quality of life. You can get it back.

The Heart of The Matter

When it comes to our health we look at multiple areas. We look at body fat, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, basic lab work, etc. But what is health, really? Webster’s defines health as the “absence of disease.” Is that really what it’s all about? Just hoping and waiting that we don’t get sick? I didn’t sign up for that one. That’s too pessimistic for me. Great health is about thriving. Great health is about thriving. It is about living to your potential.

Great health is the heart of the matter for many people. It is for me. The key is to have great health so you can have an amazing life. I get so tired of seeing people I care about not caring about their health. Here is a classic scenario.

A person has a terrible diet. They eat whatever they want in their 20’s and 30’s. Then they hit their 40’s and things start to break down. Then they have a heart attack, a slight scare. They get a stent and get put on four precautionary heart meds for a year. Now they freak out and start eating healthy, almost perfect. They exercise, lose the weight, and then start to feel better. Then they come off the meds. The amazing part of this story is how they get back into their old lifestyle habits. Why? Patterns. People tend to want to be in their own patterns. Also lifestyle habits are exactly that, habits. How do you win?

It comes down to your WHY.

What is your Why? For real. What is your why? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why do you work? Why do you do what you do every day? Why do you choose to eat junk instead of healthy when you have a wife and three kids that depend on you. Why do you sleep in instead of exercising…

Why?

It’s time to make some new decisions. It’s time to beef up your Why. Your Why is not strong enough. Love must be stronger that your learned behavior. The love you have for others. It’s time to own up. It’s time to own up that you are not making the best decisions for your health. And that is OK. Because today can be first day that you really start caring about your own Why. You can start with today. That is what it takes to have great health. To start empowering your health.

Eating broccoli, beans, and berries is not difficult. That is actually the easy part. Having a strong enough Why is the key.

Let me know in the comments below what your Why is.

Take the first step.

Getting The Body That You Want

So we are moving into the holidays and all I hear is how the extra 10-15 pounds is inevitable. With all of the parties, family gatherings, and work events there will be unhealthy options everywhere. Is that really the excuse? Really? I have news for you. It’s not. It’s the same excuse that people use that say, “I will start Monday”. That’s all it is. Its an excuse. And I would tell you that it’s more than an excuse, it’s a habit and a constant way of thinking. For you to have the body and health that you are looking for, the transformation has to happen in your mindset. That is the key. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what your greatest health challenge might be, you can get the body that you want and have amazing health, if you want it…and are willing to drop the excuses. It will take work. It will take discipline. My hope for you is that it won’t take an immense amount of fear from a new diagnosis like diabetes or high blood pressure to snap you into shape. Your mindset and the way you think will determine everything. So let’s look at some of the basic of what you must begin as you shift your mindset to get the body that you desire.

1.Make A Decision
This is the key. You must decide. You must commit. This is not to start Monday. This is everyday. You must want it as bad as the air you breathe. When you are willing to do what it takes, you will achieve it.

2.Eat The Right Foods
Ok there are many areas that are essential for your success. However, your eating habits will determine the bulk of your ultimate success. If man made it, then don’t eat it on a regular basis. It’s really simple. You must know the exact amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates for your body type. Our coaching system called Healthy University will teach you just how to do this.

3.Move Every Day
You have to move. It’s not optional. Even if all of your joints hurt, find a way. Get into a pool. If you are just lazy, then get off your butt and care enough about the body God gave you. If you live too far from a gym, then stop making excuses and go walk outside every day. If it’s snowing uphill both ways, put a jacket on and some boots. Go make it happen. Your body was designed to move a lot. If you stop and sit all day. You will die earlier than you should. No one like to talk about it, but it’s in the research.

4.Don’t Neglect Rest
Sleep is vital for your great health. It’s also vital for the body that you want. Research shows us that we need between 6-8 hours of sleep per night to repair and regenerate. If your sleep is poor, and is interrupted often, it will cause the hormones to drop and keep you from dropping body fat and reaching your potential for empowering your health.

5.Know Your Numbers
Staying on top of your lab work is essential. Checking the regular lab work with your primary care is important yearly. This will make sure that you don’t have any of the typical chronic medical issues that could pop up like diabetes, kidney issues, cholesterol, thyroid, and basic blood conditions. However, it is essential for you to check you labs for specific nutritional imbalances that might be present. Health challenges don’t show up overnight, they happen over a decade usually. The more you stay on top of your numbers, the more you will stay ahead of the game.

To achieve the body that you want comes down to some of the basics, it also comes down to making great decisions every day.

Health does not come from good luck or your genetics, Health is a choice, and you make it every day.

The Power of Gratitude

We focus on the Thanksgiving season as a time to be with family. To get together with those we love and spend time catching up, sharing old memories, and creating new ones. The biggest part of the holiday season as we kick off with Thanksgiving is our sense of being grateful. If you follow much on social media these days, gratitude seems to be a buzz word. When it comes to our health, our mindset will determine more than just about anything else when it comes to how healthy our body is. The reason is simply because when you are thankful, and grateful, then it is impossible to be angry, discouraged, or sad. Research tells us that when we are grateful, that every cell in our body is functioning at a higher level. So what does it take to be grateful? It takes you making a decision to be grateful. So the question really is…

Are you grateful? No I mean really grateful for what you have been given?

Are you grateful for your health? Or are you consumed with how you look or the 5 extra pounds that you need to lose? Really? Be grateful.

Are you grateful for the people in your life? Or are you focused on how they are not meeting your expectations? One day there will be a Thanksgiving without that person…Be grateful.

Are you grateful for the money, job, pension, retirement, home, etc that you have? Or are you watching TV and social media coveting what everyone else has? …Be grateful.

Are you grateful for the years of life that you have been given? Or are you looking at older people wanting to hurry up, or looking at younger people wishing you had your days back? Enjoy where you are and be grateful.
Giving thanks is a personal decision that we all make every single day of our lives. Thankfulness is an attitude and will set you up for having an amazingly healthy life. If you look at any statistic, you will find that those who are grateful, thankful, and mindful of what they have been given, lead the healthiest, most fulfilling lives.

Will that be you?

Make the decision. You choose…

How You Think

Did you ever realize that how you think determines much about how you live? Our thoughts have amazing power. As a matter of fact, if you look at where someone is in life, relationally, financially, and with their health, then you will see the sum total of their thoughts. So as a person thinks in their heart, so they will become. That has been the secret of the ages. When it comes to our health, it is no different, our health is determined by how we think every single day. When you think about making great choices, guess what? You will end up making great choices.

Sow a thought, reap an action

Sow an action, reap a habit

Sow a habit, reap a character

Sow a character, reap a lifestyle

Our thought patterns are really that simple. Why am I telling you this? Because the National Institutes of Health tell us in several research articles that our health is determined by our behavior more than anything else. It is responsible for over 50 percent of how our health will ultimately turn out. My challenge to you is to watch your thoughts. Begin thinking about how you can upgrade your thinking to become better than you were yesterday.

So what is a great way to start?

1. Pay Attention To Your Words

Words will come true. Watch what you say and how you say it. Our words come from our heart. And you want to make sure what is in your heart is full of life, not death.

2. Take 10 In Your Morning Routine

We are a product of our routine. Every morning I take 10 minutes, no matter what. In those 10 minutes I do 3 things. For about 3 minutes I tell God what I am so grateful for. Then another 3 minutes to pray for those that are on my heart. Then the last 3-4 minutes I focus on where I believe God wants me to go, to do, and whom to serve. This would be your goals and your purpose.

3. Read 30 Minutes Daily

Don’t ever miss. This will begin to teach you and shape you. Make sure to spend at least this time on books that will challenge you to grow.

4. Spend Time With People Ahead of You

You will become who you hang around. Make sure you are investing time with people that are where you want to go. Make sure you have something to give them in return.

Focus on these key areas to maximize your ability to produce the right kind of thoughts each and every day. Your thoughts will begin to shape your mind and ultimately your health.

How To Create Amazing Energy

To many, energy is life. When we have lowered energy levels life just becomes a little more difficult. Time with our families, kids, work responsibilities, and relationships tend to be the catalyst in us feeling lowered energy levels. So what can we do? It is just our “age?” Not so fast. There are many factors that can drain our energy levels. If you remove these barriers, many times you can jumpstart your energy to an entirely new level. Let’s look at what we can do.

1.Avoid The Drama
Nothing will pull your energy levels down more than drama in your life. Negative friends, colleagues, and many times family will be the ones that pull you down. Do you best to eliminate the drama. If its not family, then cut it off, it’s just not worth it. If it’s family, then make the time extremely limited. Your energy will skyrocket after that.

2.Avoid the Whites
Ok easy, that’s not a political statement. Yes I’m talking about the white processed foods. White flour, white sugar, and any processed food which has the strong ability to steal your energy. Focus on eating whole foods. If there is a long list of ingredients, it’s probably processed too much.

3.Avoid Sitting Too Much
We have to move. We are designed to move. Exercise may be difficult to get into the habit of, but the lack of exercise is robbing you of valuable energy levels. Set a goal to move at least 15 minutes 6 days per week of continuous exercise for empowering your health.

4.Avoid Sleeping Too Little
We must get great rest. It is vital for so many functions inside the body. Set a goal to get into a deep stage of sleep and maintain a great sleep schedule for 6-8 hours per night. You might just find that you don’t need the morning coffee when you wake up.

5.Avoid Being Dehydrated
We are made of 70% water. Remember that by the time you are thirsty, you have already been dehydrated for close to an hour. We must drink water continually. Yes you will pee a lot. It’s ok. What about the alternative? Aim for half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day and watch your energy levels shoot to the sky.

What Is The Best Diet?

A question that I receive often is “what is the best diet to follow?” There are many diets out there. I really like to think of diets as more of an eating plan. It’s really more of a strategy of how to eat every day. Our lifestyle really determines our choices every day. And your eating habits are exactly that – habits. So when you look at all the FAD diets out there, which one is the best? Let’s take a look at the keys to a successful eating and dietary plan the first point to understand is that for the most part, all diets work. They all have great principles that can help you get into great health and lose weight. Whether its ketogenic, intermittent fasting, high carb, low carb, high protein, low protein, plant-based, etc, there are good principles that can be gleaned from many of them. I teach and have always been an advocate of my developed Anti-Inflammatory Diet. The principles look like this:

1.Eat Equal Macro Portions
The body likes to be in balance. Choose to eat equal amounts of lean quality proteins, low glycemic, high fiber carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Usually in the ratio of 33% with each of the macronutrients.

2.Eat Plant-Based
Eating plant-based has the best research behind the results. From the China Study to Dean Ornish, the research leans heavily for staying away from the Big 2, cancer and heart disease. Keep most of your food choices in the plant and whole food category.

3.Eat More Fat
The verdict is in. I don’t care how you cut it. The low fat, high carb 1980’s was a disaster. I can’t believe we did that for so long. I did it myself. Now diabetes has skyrocketed and other neurodegenerative disease has set in. My personal opinion and now with strong research is that we didn’t have the amount of healthy fats that our bodies need to thrive.

4.Get Enough Protein
Eating enough protein, but not too much is essential. All of our cells are made of protein and we need to get enough. I like fish, eggs, and pea as my primary sources. If you do meat of any kind, really pay attention to the quality of what you are taking in. Grass-fed, hormone, and antibiotic free is the way to go for empowering your health.

5.Eat Multiple Meals
I eat almost 7-8 smaller meals per day. I believe that many people are malnourished and under eat. Take the elderly for example. Many times they begin to “fail” in health as we say in medicine, because they stop eating. Getting enough of the right kind of calories and foods is essential for long term weight loss goals and overall health.

The Top Lifestyle Tips for Healthy Success

When it comes to really living the life that you dream about, it really begins with your health. For many years health was always a secondary consideration. We work hard, take care of our families, and then food became the primary source of entertainment for so many. Obesity has been on the rise and now nearly forty percent of our country is obese, and nearly 70% is overweight! So what do we do? There is a crisis, but is it a genetic crisis? Or is it a crisis of discipline? Or is it a crisis at all. I believe it is a combination…however, I can tell you that after years of study and practice, so much of the quality of our health is in our hands. Let me show you what I mean our lifestyle is the most powerful weapon that we have to use every day for gaining better health. The choices that we make every day can and will determine the kind of health we are going to have. It’s really that simple. Trust me, 16 years of college, 3 doctorates, 2 board –certifications, and almost twenty years of practice later, that’s the bottom line. So what exactly does it take to be healthy? What does it really take to live well? It takes the “want to”. That is why most people don’t get serious about their health until they get diagnosed with something serious like cancer or a heart attack. So my challenge to you is get serious now. Don’t wait for something to happen. You go make it happen.

Don’t be Average

Be Savage

Your health and quality of lifestyle depends on it.

1.Eat Anti-Inflammatory Based Foods
Eating a plant-based diet with essential fatty acids and lean quality proteins will make one of the greatest impacts on your health. Keep it balanced and don’t get extreme in high protein or real low carb. Anti-Inflammatory Foods are the better choices.

2.Get Quality Air
I get asked often. Lung cancer is the number 1 killer in cancers, yet no one is talking about it. Depending where you live, air quality may be good or not so good. Regardless, anything is better than indoor air all day long. Make sure to set aside 30 minutes per day to get outside and just breathe.

3.Drink More Water
Our bodies are made of 70% water. Yet we are so dehydrated its not even funny. Make sure to follow the golden rule of health with half your bodyweight in ounces each day.

4.Get Moving With More Exercise
We sit too much. Don’t we? Driving, working, flying, riding, sleeping, watching TV, the list goes on. We have to move. Get 20-30 minutes per day of exercise regardless of what it is for empowering your health.

5.Control The Stress
The old adage that either you control the day, or the day will control you is so true. When it comes to stress, many times we can’t avoid it. However, we can find new ways to help manage it. Learn how to have breaks and learn what keeps you from being overly stressed. Just make sure stress relief is not alcohol, smoking, junk food, and other destructive behavior.

6.Get Quality Sleep
It’s true. You must get great quality sleep. No matter who tells you it doesn’t matter, is not telling you the truth. Studies prove it, and we know it in the medical literature. I have found that for most people 6-8 hours seems to be the sweet spot. This means good quality sleep and not just laying in bed.

Increasing Your Attention Span

Attention tends to be the challenge of the day. It seems like more and more we are losing our focus to so many other things. So how do we get our brains to work better and focus on what is important? Get rid of your cell phone? Probably not going to happen. Nutrition plays an enormous role in how well our brain can maintain focus on a daily routine. You are what you eat has a brand new meaning when it comes to how well your body and brain can better connect and create better focus patterns. Let’s look at some of the natural ways you can create and maintain better focus and have more attention. To start, you must know that your daily routine will make the difference. You eating patterns, exercise discipline, and thought will make up the greatest portion of your success. Attention and focus are maintained in the frontal part of the brain. Without getting too technical, this is the primary area. Certain stressors can cause this part of the brain to not work as effectively as it potentially could. There are some keys that will make this area function at its greatest capacity.

1.Use Caffeine
What? Yes caffeine is actually a compound that stimulates the frontal lobe of the brain. That is why many of the ADHD medications are heavy stimulants. However just slight amounts of caffeine, such as in green tea, can create the mild effect that will help these areas for empowering your health.

2.Huperzine A
A natural herb that has been used in Europe for supporting better brain function and memory is widely available here as purchased as a supplement.

3.Essential Fatty Acids
The healthy omega 3 fats that you hear so much about play an enormous role in overall brain health and can help you to increase your focus and attention.

4.Keep Proteins at 30% of Calories
In our health coaching systems we teach that 30% is a good number for your proteins. If you are not getting enough protein, then you are not going to be able to support healthy brain function. Many of the anti-inflammatory proteins are listed in our basic program such as chicken, fish, eggs, and certain meats.

5.Sleep
For attention this is vital. Lack of sleep has been shown to cut back on how well we can focus and how well our brain can retain and process information. The typical goal is to get 6-8 hours of solid, uninterrupted, sleep.

You can check out our focus and attention package HERE

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