Full Strength LIFE

I Was Busted with Crib Notes During Interview [Embarassing]

It was while standing in line for our first grade photos when, for reasons I have never known, the little girl in front of me whom will call Rhonda (because that's her name) windmilled her old-fashioned steel lunch pail up, over and around, slamming it smack down between my eyes. I was caught completely off guard—blind-sided right between the eyes. 

When the bleeding stopped, the teachers cleaned me up as best they could and the photographer snapped my class photo. I can still feel the pain when I see that photo of this little blond haired boy in a blue button up, with a red bleeding bump on his forehead. 

But all these years later it's not the pain of the lunch pail but that I still feel but the embarrassment. Sure, from an adult view I can argue that logically there's nothing to be embarrassed about but at the tender age of six... well, you know how far that logic would get you.

I share that story to help you recall your own experiences with embarrassing life moments. We all have had them and we will continue to—on some level.

And the Beat Goes On... The New Faces (& Bodies) of Fitness

A couple weeks back I gave a Key-Note talk at a Global Fitness and Transformation event in Tampa hosted by former Body-for-Life Champion Joel Marion. 

Now, I don't do a lot of speaking but I more and more I am inviting the opportunity, even when I can come up with a hundred reasons not to travel.

With this particular came the opportunity to share a new presentation--one that I'd been working on and that I believed to be a true "game changer" in health & fitness (more on this later)--and the chance to meet a number of fellow fitness "guru's" that I've only known from the web.

Of course, it didn't hurt that I was to be the Key-Note speaker, which was a privilege and an honor.

Entering the 3-day event with an beginner's mind, I'd hoped to not just share but also to receive some inspiration and wisdom.

What I walked away with was more than I could have imagined. I met some amazing people, both speakers and guests, and found myself energized, elevated--more resolute inside and assured in the world as a whole.

As you might guess, a good number of the presenters were friends of mine, like one and only Jon Benson, who I'd not seen in too long--although we talk regularly--and who, BTW, looked great!

I also got to see my good friend and fellow Colorado based Transformational Leader, Tom Terwilliger speak. He was every bit the energized power-house and leader I had heard, and expected him to be.

Tom truly owned the show.

Then of course there was a host of what I'll call the "new guard," or the youth movement in Fitness Transformation.

Omega-3 linked to Younger Biological Age: Study

High blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids may slow cellular ageing in people with coronary heart disease, suggests a new study.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) looked at the length of telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells replicate and age.

The ageing and lifespan of normal, healthy cells are linked to the so-called telomerase shortening mechanism, which limits cells to a fixed number of divisions. During cell replication, the telomeres function by ensuring the cell's chromosomes do not fuse with each other or rearrange, which can lead to cancer. Elizabeth Blackburn, a telomere pioneer at the University of California San Francisco, likened telomeres to the ends of shoelaces, without which the lace would unravel.

[little hard to follow but makes sense if you read slowly]

With each replication the telomeres shorten, and when the telomeres are totally consumed, the cells are destroyed (apoptosis).

[main point is these buggers are indicators of the rate cells age]

Previous studies have also reported that telomeres are highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Some experts have noted that telomere length may be a marker of biological ageing.

“Among patients with stable coronary artery disease, there was an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years,” wrote the researchers.

[Ta-da! Need I say more? That's big stuff. It means = Eat Fish!]

“These findings raise the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cellular aging in patients with coronary heart disease,” they added.

The Tokyo Joes' FREE Food & Fitness Fast Start : LAST DAY!

ATTN: Denver Metro Area Residents

        Today is : Jan 29th << Last DAY! >>

Welcome to The 20-day Tokyo Joe's Great Food + Great Fitness FREE giveaway.

We're doubling up today!

Today it'll be FREE Book + FREE Meal at 2 locations for the first three people to ask! (locations below)

Here's The Deal 

My favorite restaurant for quick, delicious, nutritious eats; Tokyo Joes is helping me "Share the Strength."

We're giving away a limited number of autographed copies of my book, Strength for LIFE, each day for lunch.

With each FREE book you also get a FREE LUNCH!

No kidding. How awesome is that?

All you do is stop in to the right location on the right day (See today's location below), be one of the first and you win.

That's a great way to fuel your body and mind today and kick start your fitness for 2010, fast. If you only get One thing from Strength for LIFE, the 12-Day Reboot for your body and mind will get you going strong, fast!

Today's FREE Book for Lunch GiveAway Location is:

1/29  2-Locations for this LAST DAY!!!

  #1 : Highlands Ranch (Broadway & Highlands Rnch Pkwy)

   #2 : Illiff & Parker Road

                (see map here) 

Get there before noon to get your Book & Meal on Us! Follow along:

Twitter.com/Shawn_Phillips

Twitter.com/TokyoJoes

AM Cardio on an Emptry Stomach: True or False [FAQ]

I received a question today from one of my Inner Circle members, Steve. He asked about the rational--whether he should be doing cardio on an empty stomach in the AM or not?

Here's Steve's Question:

Is there a way to ask Shawn a brief question? I want to know if he would recommend eating a snack prior to morning workouts. In ABSolution, he recommended an empty stomach.

Is this still his philosophy?

Thanks for all your help and Happy New Year!

Steve...

My answer in audio follows:

The short version for text answer is...

Yes! I still believe it to be an advantage for fat-burning. It's admittedly over-hyped, like most similar advantages but it does help burn a greater percentage of calories from fat.

I think Tom Venuto has done a masterful job of supporting my argument here.

The one thing, as you'll hear in the audio FAQ, I suggest (and practice) eating something before a morning strength workout and going into cardio on "E"mpty.

Without the 150-200 calorie snack before a Strength workout you'll lose strength and intensity and your workout will suffer too much.

Hope this helps!

Beyond "Have to" Exercise, To Fitness Freedom

“Have to” vs. “Want to Fitness”

As I write this, I’m watching Shaun “The Flying Tomato” White flip and fly high through the air out of the half pipe on his snowboard. Watching him is amazing. It’s truly art in motion.

Absorbed in the moment, it occurs to me that this sort of expression—this talent and skill—can not be the result of “have to” approach. There’s no one big enough or mean enough in the world to make someone “have to” fly head over heals, 720 degrees around.

This is truly an expression of some other energy, some greater desire. Even if it we’re a “have to” for yourself you’d not achieve this level. It’s impossible.

“Have to,” also known as "obligation," is one of the four levels of motivation, on the path to Mastery, that I detail in my book, Strength for Life. This is the level from which most people first engage in fitness and transformation.

The good news it’s the motive that gets you going but it’s not the motivation that can keep you going. It wears out quickly and wears you out too.

"Have to" results in more “have to”'s and next soon you “have to” hire a lion trainer to get your ass out of bed.

The sort of amazing human expression that Shawn White show arises from a higher place, a “want to” energy. I “want to” fly, is fueled by feedback, reward both intrinsic and extrinsic (from the outside). 

"Want to" is an expression of self, an energy you can not contain. And the more you express, the more you revel in “want to” the more quickly you move to the ultimate freedom, “Mastery.”

Mastery is the instantaneous expression of excellence. It’s where you cease “doing” and start “being” the thing, be it snowboarding or strength training. It’s the ultimate freedom for you no longer rely on carrot and cattle prods to get you moving.

"Want to" get out of the “have to?”

Find the thing you most want, animate the energy that gets you moving—no right or wrong. At one time it may have been getting the girl or guy. Perhaps it’s a “want to” win a contest, a “want to” compete, “want to” impress, “want to” achieve.

One tip, shallow as it may be, usually the transformation best happens in a public domain for that which is done in secret, is well, secret. And that means it’s usually things we “want to” keep that way.

Find something you “want to” brag about.

Beyond Health: Strength

In Chapter ONE of my latest book, Strength for Life, I present a compelling argument for a new standard for Health--a replacement for the "good enough" disease of Health.

I'm not down on health but getting real about what it absolutely, positively actually is to most people.

Far be it from me to tell you how to live. It's not my style nor desire to preach the virtues of any Lifestyle to you or anyone but rather you make the call... let it be your decision where you want to find your "HAPPY PLACE."

Just let it be an informed decision.

Here's the difference between Health and Strength in summary:

 

The Risk of Healthy Living... See, I told you so.

I belong to the international group called, EO, which conveniently stands for Entrepreneurs Organization. You may have heard of it in it's previous life as Y-EO, when we were all Young enough to carry that title. Fortunately for me, and many of my peers, they figured out that entrepreneurism is not something one out grows with age.

As a part of this cool, rather elite, group of entrepreneurs around the globe, I get invited to some great events, most live... some virtual.

Well, today I received an invite to a health summit of sort. "Okay. Cool... Health." I'm thinking when I open up the invite. 

Here's what it says, verbatim:

On 21 April 2009 at 1:00 p.m. EDT, EO members have an exclusive opportunity to learn from Susan Locke, M.D., the medical director for the Healthnetwork Foundation. Susan will facilitate a Webinar on the importance of health screening for prevention and early detection of disease.

Dr. Locke will outline ways to modify your lifestyle to decrease your risk of developing cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. She will also discuss the importance of scheduled diagnostic tests as a means to detect subtle health issues before they become severe health issues. 

Well, gee... That all sounds nice, right?

I think it's wise to detect a disease early and I'm big on prevention. But what caught my attention was just how "disease centric" the entire thing is. It is precisely the way modern, western medicine has arisen and the way we've all been taught to think, in terms of managing or avoiding disease.

It's as if disease is a big steel pole and we're all on a rope spinning around it. It's only a matter of time before that rope gets short and we go "bonk."

This is precisely the focus of Chapter One in Strength for Life, the dangerous dance with health, which most people define precisely the way Webster's does, "the absence of disease."

As a result we have a life centered around and driven by illness vs. health and as a result health becomes--literally--the absence of illness rather than the presence of vibrancy, of life, of energy, of joy.

And don't think this is simple semantics--it's a lot more than that. I'm talking to you about the way we really work, the stuff that is really driving you towards or away from... you can not be compelled towards a vision of health when it's defined in your psyche as "not being sick."

That's a "running from" not a "running towards" goal.

I encourage you, as I do everyone I meet, to reassess what health means to you. Define what it feels like, looks like and how amazing you want to live. Be intentional about it. And

The vision and word I point to is, "Strength."Not simply a physical capacity...

Strength is an abundance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy--the capacity to make a contribution in this life and world. It's inclusive of health and so much more...

Here's to your Life @ Full Strength! 

Study Shows Nutrients in Full Strength May Protect Men Against Prostate Cancer

MEN: Do Read This!

"Selenium and vitamin E may offer protection against prostate cancer by changing the expression of certain genes in prostates linked to tumors, says a new study from Texas." 

In the recent publication of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, scientists from the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center in Houston report that men with prostate cancer showed an altered gene expression and being given vitamin-E and selenium—a gene expression similar to that in men with no prostate cancer.

Over 500,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year, and with this cancer directly causing over 200,000 deaths, preventive measures are critical.

While it’s not pleasant to think about cancer, especially your own, the unsettling facts are that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. I imagine that’s in part due to the fact that it’s harder to diagnose after your lifetime.

The optimism over the role that Selenium and Vitamin E may play in prostate cancer prevention are not new to this most recent study. There have been previous studies that showed a positive connection. These were put in question when another study failed to show conclusive connection.

This new data from Texas adds to the debate and appears to indicate that, at a gene expression level at least, vitamin E and selenium do offer protection against prostate cancer.

The Full Strength Boost of Selenium & Vitamin

When I created the premium nutrition shake, Full Strength, rather than just tossing in vitamins as label dressing—the common practice—I integrated a custom-tailored array of vital nutrients for a man’s optimal health. In addition to boosting antioxidants and mental focus factors, I beefed up the essential nutrients that support healthy testosterone levels, including zinc and selenium.

Selenium, like Vitamin-E, also functions as an antioxidant. When combined, vitamin-E and selenium, have been linked to anti-aging properties because it appears to inhibit physical and mental deterioration while supporting the metabolism by stimulating healthy thyroid functioning.

Selenium is also been shown to have promise in combating other forms of cancer. One study, for example, showed that people given 200 mcg of selenium for 7 years had a 50% decrease in cancer rate, and the men had a 65% drop in prostate cancer. For this reason, there's strong evidence to believe it may be anti-carcinogenic or, at the very least, instigate some additional research in this area.

Conclusion

The conclusion from this study, for me, is that I’m glad I have my Full Strength every day. For it assures I’m covered. For other men on the Full Strength Lifestyle, they can take comfort as well.

For all men, based on these studies, getting regular, effective intake of both selenium and vitamin-e looks to be a wise thing to do. You may choose to do this through supplements but personally, while there a lot of things I like supplements for, I prefer my vitamins and minerals come through food, be that off the vine or integrated nutrition like Full Strength.

You can find more on Vitamin-e and selenium by following each link, including list of the foods highest in each nutrient.

Here’s to your Strength… for Life.

Strength with a BIG-"S"...

Today Americans decide who will lead US out of this dark time and bring our country back to full Strength.

If you've been tuned in, you most likely noticed that Strength has been a favorite theme throughout this election, for both candidates, and for good reason: Strength is what we must have to transform.

And when I say Strength I mean Strength  with a BIG "S". Strength that includes the physical and transcends it, that is strength of, body, mind, and spirit.

That's the sort of true Strength that has the power to changes lives—and the world.

As you may have noticed, I talk a lot about Strength too. Why? Because it's our way out--up, over and through this mess we're in physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

We've settled for "good enough" for long enough--now it is time to aim higher, to aim for the abundance, awareness and responsibility that is Strength.

Here's a short video clip where I talk more about the meaning of Strength. Check it out:

See the Story of Strength on FullStrength.TV.