New Blog is Here!

Please join me for all my blogging at one place now – http://hallfordhealth.wordpress.com/ 

On the new blog I will be posting new exercise and cooking videos often, along with fitness, health and nutrition reviews of the latest research and up to date topics. Plus much more on back pain anatomy and ways to treat your own pain and injuries.

This blog will no longer have new content, so see you over here http://hallfordhealth.wordpress.com/ 

 I hope you enjoy and THANKS for following!

Metaphoric Life Lessons from Surfing

If you look close enough, you can learn from every situation.

These are some of the lessons I have learned from surfing.

SURFING = LIFE

# 1 – if you are not confident, then you will most likely wipe out and crash

# 2 – if you are not assertive, then you will be stuck with the leftovers that the assertive people didnt want, i.e. crappy waves & opportunities

# 3 – confidence leads to assertiveness

# 4 – practice practice practice and you will gain confidence, and therefore will be naturally assertive, and you will be SUCCESSFUL in whatever you choose to do

The Nike Women’s Marathon – October 17, 2010

 

My Nike Women’s Marathon…

 

experience was so AWESOME that I just had to tell you about it. For those who don’t know, I help coach the South Bay Team In Training team this year, and this past Sunday, October 17th, the Nike Women’s full and half marathons took place. They always sell out with at least 20,000 people who run the race and 1000’s of supporters along the sides of the road cheering their heads off in the cool, damp and often drizzling weather. 

 

These supporters are the heart and soul of this race.  Along with the scenery, the course we ran was a tourist’s dream route in seeing everything San Francisco has to offer in buildings, bridges, parks and crazy amazing people everywhere.

The common theme for this race is having a cause. Whether it was raising money and increasing awareness for cancer or having a goal time to achieve, everyone seemed to be focused on finishing no matter what got in their way.

The start at 7am

What people gain from overcoming adversity to finish this race is the ability to endure tough times, doubts and struggles. These attributes are the same ones needed in life to battle through this economy, health struggles and anything else that will require personal growth.

This race reminded me that when great people come together, hope can be actualized. Nike has raised over $150 million for leukemia with just this SF women’s run since it started, and that money goes on to change so many lives for the better. During the race you will see these people along the side lines cheering YOU on. They love you for what you are doing and support the runners who support them. It is like a community you won’t find anywhere else.

This brings me back to the reason I wanted to share my experience with you, the cause. Nooo, not their cause or my cause, YOUR cause. Life is so much richer when we have a cause. Whether its beating cancer, coaching, donating time to charities, finding something that encourages you to be in line with your cause will help keep you going when times are tough. So please, do yourself a huge favor and start looking for what fulfills you beyond your imagination if you aren’t already. It could be simply being a spectator at the next local race and cheering on all the participants.

Here are my top 3 moments of the Nike Women’s Half Marathon;

1. Watching the woman I ran with break down into tears as she crossed the finish line and realized that all of her hard work had paid off and she was finished!

2. The orange slices handed out in the middle of the race as we went up a hill. YUM. It was the aroma that picked everyone up and gave us energy to continue even stronger. BTW, check out my monthly special for free essential orange oil to help pick you up at work!

3. Witnessing how many good people we have here in the Bay Area and all over our country. We have some of the best people on the planet right here in the Bay Area, all willing to donate their time to help others.

Please let me know if you would like help finding your cause (I have a lot of great connections in the Bay Area) or would like to train for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon next year; I would love to help you.

 

 

Before race day at the Moscone Center for the inspiration dinner;

receiving all of the love and genuine “red carpet” treatment.

 

 

Even more motivation to finish the race: Silver Tiffany necklaces which served as the medals handed out by local firemen donned in tuxedos.

 

 

 

Cherokee Wisdom

 

TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.  He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

“One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

“The other is God – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

How to Fight off the Cold-Season

 Okay, so we know that our immune system is the key to fighting off illnesses, but what are the two most important immune factors in fighting colds and flu’s off?

 

1) Keep your INSIDES clean by feeding the blood antioxidants which maintain cellular health and fight the main source of disease, free radicals, at their root, the blood.

 

You can do this by eating your foods that are high in antioxidants, and/or you can use natural products that have them as ingredients.Except for the occasional fresh fruit in season, I like to use a product called NingXia Red for everyday use, mainly because of this;

 

 

1oz. of NingXia Red has the same amount of antioxidant levels as:

34 large onions
100 oranges
814 blueberries
22 medium carrots
10.85 pounds of spinach
55.33 pounds of almonds
59 broccoli florets
73 medium strawberries
93 apples
or 130 tomatoes

 

Uh, yeah… I like to eat a lot, but that would take even me forever to finish 814 blueberries!

As a wide-spectrum antioxidant, NingXia Red does more than protect against a single free radical. It absorbs four of the most prevalent free radicals found in the body. And it’s more effective than any other health drink at absorbing the superoxide free radical-the most abundant free radical in the human body.
NingXia Red is also the only drink available that contains lemon and orange essential oils, which include the powerful antioxidant d-limonene. These oils alone have remarkable health-promoting benefits.

 

Here are the main ingredients in NingXia Red;

Wolfberry -The Miracle Superfood. Supports Multiple Biosystems,
        Ultra-Rich Nutrient Source
Blueberry Contains Ultra High Levels of Antioxidants
Pomegranate Supports Cardiovascular Health
Apricot Revered for Longevity Support
Raspberry Contains Ellagic Acid, a DNA Protectant
Essential Oils Contain the Antioxidant D-Limonene

 

2) Fight disease from the OUTSIDE in so it can’t even get into your body!

 

You do this by washing your hands a lot, staying away from sick people, cleaning things often, etc. On top of that there is another way; kill the bacteria and air-born viruses in the air. 

My favorite way to do this is with Thieves oil.  

Packed with powerful, germ-killing essential oils, Thieves oil products help eliminate airborne bacteria and boost the immune system.

As the bubonic plague decimated Europe in the year 1413, four thieves were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims. When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts. They explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and told of a special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples.

The proprietary Thieves oil blend was created based on research into the concoction used by the thieves of the 15th century. In 1997, studies conducted at Weber State University showed it to have a 99.96% success rate against airborne bacteria.

 

My favorite ways to use Thieves oil are;

1) 1-3 drops in warm rice milk during the cold season or when I feel like I’m coming down with something

2) Diffusing it in the air with a diffuser (if you come to my office you know the smell, it has a clove and cinnamon aroma). I use it everyday, it is great for when people are coughing and sneezing all around you.

3) I clean my floors, walls, etc. with it using their household cleaner product.

 

It works out to about $40 per month if you have your 1 oz per day.

 

I promise you the intention of this info is NOT advertising products for me to sell. If you could get them at Walmart I would still be writing this. Or if I knew of better products I would be writing about them, but these are BY FAR the best natural products I have ever used, and becasue of them I do not need “medicine.” And if it works for me, then I want you to have the same opportunity I have.

 You can look at me as your guinea pig for testing health products and giving you honest feedback. I have been using these products for over 10 years now, but have not marketed them until now because I wanted to test other products and see what is the best, and so far, there is no comparison.

 Please feel free to contact me for information on how to sign up to get any of the Young Living products, or you can buy them here.

Also note, you can get wholesale prices like me by simply signing up for a $40 starter kit that includes over $50 worth of stuff, including peppermint and lavendar oils, plus NingXia Red packets. It is an awesome deal. 

Look for the “Sign Up Here” link in the left hand column of my site.

 Cheers to a Healthy Holiday Season! 

 

 

Inflammatory and Allergy Foods

Here is where your food can truly become medicine. Inflammation builds up in us from our food, chemicals, etc. and turns into free radicals that terrorize each blood cell and make them unable to fight disease and lead to early signs of aging.

While we cannot completely eliminate inflammatory foods from our nutrition plans, we can definitely eliminate and limit some of the unhealthiest, as well as fight them with antioxidant-rich foods.  The worst offenders are foods that are high in saturated and trans fats. Other offenders are foods that are naturally sweet and actually turn into sugar when we eat them.  These foods are;

Rice

White Potatoes

Breads

Alcohol

Food allergies can also cause inflammation.  Some of the culprits include the gluten in wheat products and casein in dairy products.

These 10 allergy foods make up over 90% of all food allergies. Stay away from them for at least a month and then reintroduce them on at time to test for sensitivities.

Milk Eggs Strawberries Tomatoes Peanuts Tree nuts and butters Soy Fish Shellfish Wheat

 Stick and tub margarines are both high in trans and saturated fats. Stick and tub shortening ranks in the same category.

Whole Milk Sour Cream Cream Butter

Cheese Kernel Oil Coconut Coconut Oil

Palm Oil Corn Oil Cottonseed Oil Soy Oil

Peanut Oil Safflower Oil Egg Yolks Cocoa Butter

 

Additionally, caffeine in coffee and tea increases inflammation in your body.

Red Meats are a major cause of inflammation in the body.  Limit these unless they are beneficial for your blood type.

BeefPork

Fried Meats Canned Meats

Bacon Organ Meats

Lamb

You also want to consider that some “nightshade” vegetables can cause inflammation. These include;

Tomatoes Eggplant

Paprika Peppers

Cayenne Potatoes

 

Foods that are Proven to Help Inflammation are antioxidants and omega-3 fats. Here are some of the best as long as you don’t fry or overcook them;

Berries Green leafy veggies (especially kale)

Raw cacao Sea veggies (sea weed) Quinoa

Fish oils Hemp and flax seeds Walnuts

Beans (soy, navy & kidney) Olive/Canola oil Winter squash

Get Your Gratitude right here!

I have no idea where these stats came from, or if they are even true, but they were sent to me as an email and I loved them. Whether the numbers are exactly right or not does not matter. What matters is that we all take care of ourselves and everyone around, because if you are in a place to help others, YOU ARE BLESSED.

If you could fit the entire population of the world into a village consisting of 100 people,

maintaining the proportions of all the people living on Earth, that village would consist of

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Americans (North, Central and South)
8 Africans

There would be:
52 women and 48 men 
30 Caucasians and 70 non-Caucasians
30 Christians and 70 non-Christians
89 heterosexuals and

11 homosexuals

6 people would possess 59% of the wealth and they would all come from the USA

80 would live in poverty 
70 would be illiterate
50 would suffer from hunger and malnutrition
1 would be dying
1 would be being born 
1 would own a computer

1 (yes, only one) would have a university degree

If we looked at the world in this way,

the need for acceptance and understanding would

be obvious.

But, consider again the following :

If you woke up this morning in good health, you have more luck than one million people, who won’t live through the week.

If you have never experienced the horror of war, the solitude

of prison, the pain of torture, were not close to death from

starvation, then you are better off than 500 million people.

If you can go to your place of worship without fear that

Someone will assault or kill you, then you are luckier than

3 billion (that’s right) people.

If you have a full fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are wealthier than 75% of the world’s population.

If you currently have money in the bank, in your wallet and a few coins in your purse, you are one of 8 of the privileged few amongst the 100 people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married,

you’re a rare individual.

 If you can read this,

you’re extremely lucky,

because you don’t comprise one of those 2 billion

people who can’t read.

 AND SO?

Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like nobody has ever hurt you.
Dance like nobody is watching.
Sing like nobody is listening.
Live as if this was paradise on Earth.t or kill you, then you are luckier t

Solving the Aches and Pains of Runners

 The Mysterious Causes of Back, Hip, Knee, Foot and Leg Pain for Runners  

 Do you have aches and pains for no apparent reason from running? You are not alone.  

There is a common theme these days I have noticed that combines BAD posture and the yearning to run races of 3-26 miles!  

Just imagine running or walking over 50,000 steps per week, and that’s for beginners, each little joint abnormality may not be much, but multiply it 50,000 times a week and you’ve got some major problems after months of running, maybe even after weeks.  

This leads to 1) knee pain 2) hip pain 3) low back pain 4) foot pain 5) degeneration of joints and eventually arthritis and much, much more.  

 Fortunately, I have some solutions for you that have worked for tons of my clients.  

 Here is Tip # 1 – Please stay tuned for more tips  

 Sitting position at desk   

 Problem   

Your phone, computer screen, client, etc. force you to turn to one side of your desk more often than not, which cause your upper body to be twisted on top of your hips, and it will stay like this all the time because this posture is the most dominant posture in your life recently. 

When you stand, sit, walk, run, drive and more your body will habitually be turned to that one side (just like at your desk).  

The problem with this is that when you try to run with this posture your hips and legs are pointing one way as your torso points another! This creates a lot of wear and tear and unnecessary pounding in the lower body.  

 Solution    

1) Check your posture to see if you are crooked. Start by standing up with your feet pointed forward and assume your natural posture. Now look down at your hands and hips. Do you see one side more forward than the other? If so this is how you run! Not good.  

2) Whichever side is forward when you looked down is the side that needs to be stretched backwards. Use both of the following stretches below for the side that is forward on you.  

Stretch for Right Side Forward

 

Stretch for Left Side Forward

 

3) Keep your entire body facing whatever you are doing at the desk, i.e. don’t have your legs pointing one way and your body the other way.  

4) Now practice this new-found straight forward when you run!

Top 10 Ways to Flatten your Stomach

**Check out all the photos at the bottom of this post!**

Let’s break these tips into two categories; 1) Foods & 2) Exercise

The Foods   

     1. Eat less, especially foods that make you retain water and keep you bloated. Everyone has different foods that make them bloated, so you may need to do some detective work to figure it out. For me personally it’s wheat, dairy, bread, and most importantly the way I combine foods (see #2).   

     2. Combine your foods properly – http://www.drbass.com/sequential.html In general, you want to eat meat and carbs either in different meals or separately at a meal, i.e. eat all your meat then all your potatoes instead of combining them with each bite. Other foods are also like this and it is because it takes totally different stomach acids/bases to digest them that can be antagonistic.   

             Yes I know this is not as glorious as stuffing one’s mouth with everything on the plate, believe me I LOVE doing that, but try doing this a few times and watch your stomach feel and look better.   

            Also, do not drink more than 4 ounces with each meal and CHEW YOUR FOOD INTO  LIQUIDS.   

     3.   Eat the right foods for your body. Again, everyone is different and therefore needs different combinations of proteins/carbs/fats. This is called metabolic typing –http://www.metabolictyping.com/     

     A simple way of metabolic typing yourself without going through the test is to notice how you feel after meals. Are you sluggish? Low energy? Mucous build up? If you are then you are  not eating  the right foods for your body and therefore you are not getting the right energy, which leads to more eating and sluggish digestion, nutrient absorption, etc.   

     4.  Do cleanses and or juice fasts. Now I am not a doctor and cannot recommend you do this without asking one first, but once you get the green light I highly recommend it. One to three days of  just fruits and veggies will get your stomach flat QUICK. And then you can use that momentum to stay motivated.   

     Now you don’t just go do it without any research, so please read up on it first before you try it. Cleansing and juice fasting can be dangerous if done the wrong way. And it would take way to much space for this top 10 list to talk about. Maybe next time I will post my favorite cleanses….   

     5.  Try a good natural meal replacement once day. I love having a shake for breakfast made with the following; berries and or banana, ice cubes, water, hemp protein (it has tons of good stuff like omega 3’s, all your amino acids, and protein) and a scoop of green vibrance (contains a concentrated formula of 60 green leafy vegetables and enzymes that support health, nutrition, digestion and immunity as well as rejuvenate the whole body) – http://www.vibranthealth.us/ You can get both of these at whole foods or a health food store, or of course online.   

MAKE SURE THE SHAKE DOESN’T MAKE YOU FEEL BLOATED, which can often be from choosing a protein powder that is unnatural or just not agreeable with your system.   

The Exercises   

     6. Exercise regularly so your metabolism stays high. You can do this with simple jogs, hikes or walks of at least 30 minutes 5-7 days per week.   

 Also, USE YOUR STOMACH FOR EVERYTHING! Keep it slightly sucked in as often as you can; driving, cooking, typing, etc., make sure you can do that and keep your breathing relaxed.

     7. Workout the lateral abs (see below)   

     8. Workout the lower abs (see below)   

     9. Workout the obliques (see below)   

     10.  Workout the upper abs (see below)   

 Now the secret is in HOW you do the ab exercises (#’s 7-10). Here is your…   

 

 Secret Ab Flattening Routine   

 

–          Choose two of the ab exercise categories (#’s7-10) each day (no days off you got work to do!).   

–          Perform one of the exercises below from each of the categories you chose that day and do them until exhaustion, back to back, i.e do one exercise until you can’t do it anymore and then do the next, two total exercises.   

–          Then with as little rest as possible go into a set of push-ups until exhaustion.   

–          Then choose another set of exercises from the same categories and do them back to back until exhaustion.   

–          Then follow-up with more push-ups and keep rotating this cycle until you’ve had enough, which depending on your fitness could be 10-30 minutes.   

–          On the next day choose the other two categories and repeat the same format. If you are too sore to do push-ups then do them on your knees or just hold them isometrically.   

By the end of a week you should be pretty balanced between upper, lower, obliques and side. NOTE, your lower abs are usually WAY weaker than the upper due to poor posture so do more lower than upper.

 

Push-ups

– Literally 100’s of variations…these are just a few.

 

 

Lateral Abs

– Side planks, side bends, etc.

 

Lower Abs

– Bicycle kicks, double leg raises (watch out if you have low back pain) – keep the back flat on these

 

Obliques

– Any type of rotation (if you stand then you add the hips into it), crunches with rotation, etc.

 

 

Upper Abs

– Sit-ups, crunches on a ball, etc.

 

 

 

GREED

If life is a GAME then why are so many people competing instead of helping each other??

Since when did the law of reciprocation erode into the law of attraction for me me me?

Be of service and you will be served plenty.

Share with others and you will receive more than you could ever accumulate on your OWN.

By Chris Hallford