The CURE to Lactose INTOLERANCE??!! Try this TODAY!! {I Got Dairy Back)

Tim had to give up all dairy for over a year when he became lactose intolerant! But now he consumes dairy EVERY SINGLE DAY! How is this possible you might ask? Tim reveals that a possible solution is to drink RAW, UNPASTEURIZED Milk. When milk and other dairy products are pasteurized, important live bacteria and enzymes are destroyed leaving a once alive, but now dead food source. This not only makes dairy harder to digest, but also makes it even harder for your gut bacteria to absorb the nutrients from dairy and other foods. Your gut bacteria are what break down foods to absorb nutrients. If your gut bacteria are unhealthy then important nutrients will be flushed out of your body without being absorbed. This can lead to chronic nutrient deficiencies overtime which will cascade into other health problems! This may or may not work for you! But if you love dairy and the benefits of dairy like increased calcium consumption and added healthy protein and fats then it's worth a shot! DISCLAIMER: There is the possibility of unpasteurized dairy products being contaminated if not well sourced and can potentially make you sick. So consume with caution and make sure you find a trustworthy source! #Lactoseintolerance #Cured #dairy #nutrition #diet #Healthydiet #Healthyeating #milk #cheese #butter

This GYM Weight Is CRUCIAL! Are You Using IT?!!

Tim reveals the most crucial weight in the entire gym! Are you USING IT? If not then you are costing yourself muscle gains and fat loss! There is a crucial piece of equipment in the gym that can make or break your muscle building gains! Is it a kettlebell? Dumbbell? Barbell? Bands? A 1.5-2.5 weight is one of the most crucial weights in the gym. Why? Progressive overload. You will get stuck in a plateau if you can't incrementally increase your weight overtime. As you become more advanced gains will come slower and the need for small weight adjustments is CRUCIAL! Unless you are on steroids the small increases are vital to allowing you to progressively overload! Building lean muscle is key to fat loss. The more muscle your body is carrying the higher your caloric needs will be and your metabolism will increase. This means more calories can be consumed before your body stores excess calories as fat. #Fatloss #weightloss #musclegain #gymweights #gym #healthyeating #eatreal #gains #weightlifitng #barbell

The Most IMPORTANT Time to EXERCISE! {Rewards?}

Tim talks about the most IMPORTANT time to EXERCISE and the potential rewards! How would you like to be able too "Never MISS A WORKOUT?" Ever! Tim has a new book in the works which is the ULTIMATE TOOL to rewire your brain. You will be so motivated to EXERCISE that It will be so easy to do it consistently. The key is understanding all the rewards that are generated when you exercise. Tim has researched this topic throughly and he believes the research is absolutely insane in regards to all the rewards you will receive from working out consistently!

Can You Eat BREAD to Lose FAT and SHRED? {8 Breads To Choose}

How to improve your SLEEP! ZZZZZZZ

How are you?

If you are like a lot people and find yourself constantly telling others how tired you are when someone asks you the typical, "How are you?" greeting, then this blog is for you! Or if you are tired of looking into the mirror and seeing two dreaded dark circles around those beautiful eyes of yours

then read on!

Gym Life

I work at a kickboxing gym in the morning and like most gyms we open EARLY! I am not a morning person in all honesty, but too have my evenings free is well worth it! As you can guess, sleep is crucial to my success. And as someone who has been hospitalized in the past with mental health issues, sleep is even more crucial. 

When I first switched to morning shifts I was a complete wreck. I literally felt like I was living outside my body some days. I was getting extremely fatigued and my mental health was declining. My sugar binges were getting out of control as a side effect. Less sleep equals more hunger* which was leading to more sleepless nights. I would get so stressed out the night before a shift that I wouldn't sleep well, waking up every hour or so wondering if my alarm was broken and if I would be late. Does this sound familiar? 

Unfortunately, in today's society this is all too common. In fact, not getting enough sleep is  considered a badge of honor. People actually brag about all that they are accomplishing on only four hours of sleep a night. Woof! This needs to change people!  It's not something to be proud of! 

Take a look at some of the problems that lack of sleep causes...

Increased risk of car accidents	Increased accidents at work	Reduced ability to perform tasks
Reduced ability to learn or remember	Reduced productivity at work	Reduced creativity at work or in other activities
Reduced athletic performance	Increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease	Increased risk of depression
Increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease	Decreased immune function	Slowed reaction time
Reduced regulation of emotions and emotional perception	Poor grades in school	Increased susceptibility to stomach ulcers
Exacerbates current chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and cancer	Cutting one hour of sleep a night increases the expression of genes associated with inflammation, immune excitability, diabetes, cancer risk and stress19	Contributes to premature aging by interfering with growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep

This graphic was taken from an article by Dr. Mercola who is a health mentor to me even though he doesn't know I exist. I've been following him for years and I consider his material to be outstanding in it's detail and accuracy. His vision for seeking truth has 100 % changed my life! Sign up for his email send outs! 

https://blogs.mercola.com/sites/vitalvotes/default.aspx

The list is actually quite a bit longer than that graphic! But those are just a few.

Now lets look at 3 keys to SLEEP SUCCESS!

The 3 Keys

Enjoying consistent, successful sleep lies in 3 key areas: Routine, Melatonin 

production and letting go of control. 

Keys 1+2: Routine and Melatonin Production

The first two keys go hand in hand since your nighttime routine can either aid or inhibit your melatonin production. First I will break down my routine and then I'll throw in a couple of extras for you to try! 

Step 1: I put on my BLUE LIGHT blocking glasses

Have you ever noticed how quickly and easily it is to fall asleep when you are out camping? You can't stay awake it's so hard!

Why is this you might ask? Three words, NO BLUE LIGHT.  

Blue light is a spectrum of light that comes from the sun, TV, computers, cell phones, lamps, alarm clocks, hell even my laptop charging cord emits blue light. It's everywhere in our modern electronic society and unfortunately too often at the wrong time. Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime, therefore stopping your brain from producing Melatonin. A key brain chemical that is necessary for quality sleep. Most Americans end their day with Netflix or scrolling through Facebook while lying in bed. This is a recipe for disaster! Especially without blue light blocking glasses or a device that allows you to turn of blue light. (Check your phone, laptop, TV settings for the option to turn off blue light) 

It will take you that much longer after your Netflix, Facebook time is complete to fall asleep and will generally lead to poor quality sleep overall. Not to mention the dreaded torture of laying in bed thinking, and thinking, and thinking for what feels like hours!

 https://www.amazon.com/Uvex-Blocking-Computer-SCT-Orange-S1933X/dp/B000USRG90
Link to buy glasses from Amazon! $10 bucks

Step 2: I Drink a 8 ounce glass of water with Magnesium and Lemon

Water is always good before bed since most of us don't get enough during the day anyway and we are about to go 8 hours without any. However, if you are a big water drinker then don't overdue it since it might cause you to wake up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night. Or you might have stressful dreams about needing to go the bathroom! I would recommend drinking water at the beginning of your routine so by the time you are ready to jump into to bed you can get a quick pee in. 

Magnesium is an essential electrolyte that most of us don't get enough of either. It naturally lowers your heart rate which is great for those that struggle with anxiety. It helps two folds:

First it lessens physical anxiety symptoms, which will help improve your mental state. Secondly, the effect of heart rate lowering will also lower your body's temperature. If your body temperature is to high than it can prevent you from sleeping and studies show that between 60-68 degrees is the temperature you want to set your thermometer at for optimal sleep. 

The lemon is mainly to make my drink tasty since it can be a little strange with just the magnesium and water. However, as we all well know lemon is a great source of vitamin C and can help balance your body's PH (your body operates optimally with a certain amount of acidity) so it's a great addition. 

Step 3. Brush my teeth

Pretty self explanatory. I actually make my own toothpaste out of coconut oil and essential oils to avoid consuming fluoride (it's a poison) that is in many name brand toothpastes. 

I try and keep the light off when I brush or dim the lights so that I am not taking in too much BLUE LIGHT. The glasses don't block everything. 

Step 4: Make my bed

Don't you hate that feeling when you try and pull your covers up higher and then your feet are exposed? Then you spend the next few minutes playing twister trying to get it all set up right. Yeah lets avoid that. 

Step 5: Read my kindle

Yes reading! Believe me it helps. And it has to do with Key # 3; Letting go of control (keep read below)

Kindle's do emit some blue light, so I either keep my BLUE LIGHT blocking glasses on or I turn the overall brightness way down. After a few minutes of reading I can't stay awake! I set my kindle down and I am usually asleep within a few minutes! WHOO! Success!

Also, I want to mention BLUE LIGHT isn't inherently bad, the sun emits blue light and you absolutely need it during the day! But past a certain time it becomes harmful to your sleep!

Other Options for your Routine

• Take a warm shower at night an hour before getting in your bed

-This will abruptly drop your body temperature when you get out putting you in the right temperature range for quality sleep.

• Listen to an audiobook or podcast while lying in bed

-I find that podcasts are a little bit too stimulating for me personally and it actually keeps me awake, but for some it's great.

• Drink hot herbal tea

-I add this in occasionally especially during wintertime since I'm already cold enough at night to be in the right temperature range. During the summer sometimes it makes me feel too hot. Chamomile/Peppermint herbal (no caffeine) work well. 

• Meditation

-Guided meditation podcasts works great, Google "Kaiser Meditation Podcasts" for some awesome free ones I use all the time! Or you can do self meditation breathing exercises. 

• Stretching

-Personally I find stretching increases my body temperature too much to be in the optimal range, but as I'm literally writing this I just realized I could start with stretching earlier in my routine! Duh me!

Letting Go of Control

Can you guess what thoughts keeps most people up at night lying in their beds?  

People worrying about when and if they will fall asleep, or the ramifications if they can't fall asleep.

The truth is you don't have any control of when you fall asleep. You can control all the variables above to put your body in the best possible position to fall asleep, but ultimately your body decides. This can be scary for some, but also freeing for many. What's the point of worrying? Worrying creates what's called a "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy"  We don't fall asleep because we are worrying about it. In essence worrying is us trying to control something. It's a subtle form for fear. It's the same reason economy's have recessions. If enough people believe a recession is happening then a recession will happen. Not because there was an actual recession happening, but because enough people "Believed one did" aka Self-Fulfilling, or group-fulfilling in this case. Our sleep is the same. We don't have control, but if we "believe" we do then we will worry about not succeeding, because we humans, fail at things. No matter what though we can count on our bodies forcing us to sleep at some point. We can enjoy and trust that our bodies will make us sleep. It's going to happen, it's inevitable. It's survival for our bodies, so it will do what it needs to do, regardless of how you feel. We don't ever have to worry, because we are not in control. And that is a good thing! 

By deciding to read, listen to an audiobook or meditate you are making an active choice. You are choosing to believe that you are not in control and it's not worth your time attempting to worry yourself into sleeping.  Once your mind is clear of worry then you'll find yourself nodding off and you can't keep yourself awake!  

Hope you enjoyed this blog, please subscribe or comment below or contact me so I can add you to the email list!

Here are some articles about sleep from Dr. Mercola if you want to learn more!

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/09/08/sleep-deprivation-brain-health.aspx

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/27/sleep-deprivation-risks.aspx

*https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/12/14/chronic-sleep-deprivation.aspx

Quick note:

-If you are an employee reading this make sure you advocate for yourself to work consistent morning shift times. Make your bosses read this if need be! Or if you do graveyard shifts then make sure you are extremely well compensated because long term it's very harmful and only do for short spurts at a time. 

-If you are a boss please prioritize not only your own sleep but that of your employees. Happy employees lead to happy customers and not the other way around. Keep morning shift times consistent and don't pressure employees to work the graveyard shift all year round. Please and thank you!

Are you SERIOUS about losing weight? Do this ONE thing before you start anything else!

I work as a fitness instructor... so you know what I hear every single day?

"I want to lose weight"

Yep, basically everybody. Even skinny people want to lose weight. We've been taught and rightfully so, that too much weight(body fat) is bad for us and it's true. Your risk for injury and disease dramatically increases beyond 30% body fat (not weight).

(Remember weight is not bad, but it's your body fat percentage that matters. That's another blog for another day!)

So you want to lose weight(body fat) huh?

I'm sure everyone has already told you how right? Diet, exercise, watch your calories, go keto, go paleo, do HIT workouts, yoga, fast. I'm sure you've heard it all, same old same old. Easier said than done right?

How about the stories you've heard of someone going on a diet, losing a ton of weight and then gaining it all back? These stories are all too common.

What if I told you that you could be sabotaging any chance you have of making those actions listed above successful? What if I told you that something has to happen first before you can actually make those other things happen?

Before I tell you the first step you need to take, I'm going to ask you... how SERIOUS are you? Because what I am going to ask you to do is going to be really hard.

But.. if you are SERIOUS enough this will be your first step towards finally losing the body fat that you have been telling people you want to lose for years! A new, healthier you!

Close your eyes right now and take a minute to picture what your life would be like if you were finally at the body fat % you have always wanted. What would your daily life look like? Would you run a marathon? Would be able to get back to a sport you used to play? How about simply experiencing less physical pain? How about not being so sick all the time?  How about being able to play with your kids and grandkids? Man that would be pretty awesome huh? You ready to get there?

You ready? You serious?

Ok,

Get a trash can, a big one. Go into your kitchen.

Throw out any foods that have more than 5 ingredients. Yep, I mean it. All of them. It's that simple. I'll explain why, just trust me.

Now, your mind is going to try and come up with a bunch of reasons why you shouldn't do this and they are lies!

You might think.. oh gee I can't waste all that money!
-------How about all the money in future medical bills that you will spend for health issues related to obesity?
You might think, Oh no! What will I eat, What if I starve?
-------There are plenty of foods and recipes for real, natural food. Have you checked Pinterest lately?

Remember our minds seek comfort! And change is well... uncomfortable, at first that is.

However, in the long run you will experience all sorts of beautiful comforts that come from a healthy body and mind! I promise! It's absolutely worth it!

How are you feeling? Are you still SERIOUS about losing body fat?

This is the first step towards the vision you reflected on a moment ago. If you really want this, then trust me, without this step your amazing efforts at exercising regularly and dieting will likely be sabotaged before they even start.

Studies show again and again how CONVENIENCE is a major factor of why we eat what we eat. If it's there and in your home, you are most likely going to eat it. No amount of willpower will save you, at least not for long. We are all at the mercy of convenience. ESPECIALLY, the way food is designed nowadays which I will go into in another blog.

Today's food is purposely designed to hack your brain so you will continue to eat well after you need too. Again, stay tuned for another blog on this topic.

Combine that with the CONVENIENCE of sugary sweets, junk food and processed foods at your fingertips and you have a recipe for certain obesity!

There was a study done on office workers where testers placed a jolly rancher on the desk of the study subjects for one group. For another group they put the jolly rancher in the corner of the room on a desk. Over the course of the year the group that had jolly ranchers placed on their desk consumed 30% more jolly ranchers. Yep, we are talking a 15 foot difference in CONVENIENCE and 30% more consumption. Crazy!

Convenience, convenience, convenience. Bottom line, if a certain food is less convenient, you won't eat it as much and sometimes by significant amounts.

Imagine if your favorite ice cream was at a grocery store five miles away... Would you still go buy it sometimes, of course! We can't deprive ourselves of every pleasure! But would you buy it every single night, I doubt it! It's just not CONVENIENT enough.

So please don't let all your hard work go to waste, Don't sabotage yourself! Make your home a beautiful place with little to no temptations.

Remember, contrary to what your brain might be thinking in order to preserve your present comfort, your life isn't over. There is still plenty to eat and plenty of quick recipes if you are busy. Heck, you may even learn to be the good cook you've always wanted to be! But you're going to be fine, better than fine. And hey If you want a treat sometimes then go drive to Baskin Robbins and get it!  But, if you are serious about losing body fat then keep that stuff out of your home, period!

The truth hurts, but I have rarely every been in the home of an obese person and not noticed their food environment is full of junk food, sweets and processed foods. Especially foods with 5+ ingredients! The correlation is easy to spot and take notice for yourself next time you go over to friend's home and test my hypothesis for yourself.

Please know that I'm not writing this to judge you, I'm writing this to help you gain freedom from obesity and all the pain and suffering that goes along with it. But if you truly want it then you must  take it seriously!

So please, do everything possible to reduce the CONVENIENCE of unhealthy foods and overtime you will experience long lasting weight loss that you won't just gain back!

FIRED!

Backstory

In the summer of 2013 LIFE WAS GOOD! I was working a great paying job in my DREAM field. 

For those that know me, can you guess the field?

If you guessed ticket salesman for my favorite sports team of all time, The Sacramento Kings, you guessed right! 

I was killing it in the sales department, which is a love hate relationship, but killing it none the less. I sold $80,000 worth of tickets in three months, BAM! So here I am thinking... "my life is all planned out, I move up within the King's organization, maybe one day become a GM or even part own the team." Case Closed! Life Complete! Well, as they say... people make plans and God laughs. 

At the end of my third month I was FIRED! yep, to this day the only job I've ever been fired from. It's a long story for another day, but the point is it set my life in a dark new direction, a dark tunnel if you will, that only within the last year or two have I begun to see that light finally shine through. 

Had to have a sunburn on picture day SMH!

Depression

What followed my termination was a venture into the dark depths of depression. Many know of what I speak. Again another story for another day. After about a year I began to come out of it and I moved out with some friends.

Anxiety and Panic

After a few months of bliss in my new living situation I encountered my first panic attack. Yikes, that story is a crazy one. What followed was the worst three years of my life. My faith in God was shaken to it's core with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Depression and consequently, Addiction. I would not wish what I experienced on my worst enemy. Yep, not even Hitler.

A New Beginning

These dark years stirred something inside my very soul and brought me to a stark reality. "There is no greater motivator than absolute necessity" This became my life slogan. In order to survive this new reality things had to change. Many, many things had to change. It started with my Diet. I began to dig and dig for information on what to eat in order to keep anxiety at bay. Exercise became one of my best friends so I studied it and practiced it. My mental health became paramount and I began to ask myself, what do I need to focus my mind on in order to think in a healthy way? What internal beliefs are so flawed and inaccurate that cause me to feel so awful? My faith in God was another life pillar that had to change. My faith could no longer be solely based on my feelings, but what was factual and true. I had to learn for myself, who God really is.

Now

My mental health is something I still struggle with on a day-to-day basis along with a nasty sugar addiction that I am currently trying to break. However, looking back, I am light years ahead of where I was just a couple years ago. Now, I'm excited about what the future holds and how much information and skill there is still to learn in order to grow and become even stronger mentally and physically. It's become an obsession for me to constantly fine tune new habits of eating, exercising, meditation and prayer based off what the best research/science is saying. I have a journal that I keep with me at all times that lists my most important daily habits and routines that keep me running in tip top shape! 

I started this blog in order to share my life experiences with all you awesome folks that make my life so enjoyable and worth living. I only hope that God blesses this blog and that the information, stories, laughs, and research can benefit y'all in some way to help make your lives better! That is my hope and prayer! 

Plus since I have recently stopped using social media, I need something to fill my time. ;)

Blog topics will cover a wide range including diet, mental health, exercise, money tips, relationship skills, holistic health practices, sports and the bible along with stories from my self-experiments. Hope you Enjoy, make sure to subscribe!