January 2012 Newsletter - Happy New Year!

Best wishes for a Healthy and Happy New Year!  

I’m very excited about the New Year.  I’ll be offering new services (see below for Blood Chemistry Analysis), getting additional training on current services (I’ll be taking the Intermediate Level of Nutrition Response Testing), and more!

As is the custom, I’d like to share my resolution with you (actually there are three as you’ll see as you keep reading!).  My number one New Year’s Resolution is to be positive - focus on the positive in thought and action.  Therefore, my posts, blogs and newsletters will all be positive and educational in nature – providing information to guide you to a healthier lifestyle.  I’ve noticed, and I’m sure you have as well, that we are barraged with negative news from all sources.  Over time it creeps into our thought patterns and actions adding to our stress levels.  We all know that is not good for our health or well being. 

Much of this inspiration has come from reading the recently released The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom by Rod Stryker (http://www.parayoga.com/learn/thefourdesires.html).  Rod is my yoga teacher and the founder of ParaYoga.  This book guides you in discovering what you desire from life and how to get it.  For the past several years I’ve struggled with writing the book I’ve talked much about.  I’ve worked on the periphery of it, but never the core.   

From working with The Four Desires I realized what has prevented me from achieving my goals.  Two things: First is lack of intensity and effort placed towards these goals; second is being distracted by thoughts and fear generated from this aforementioned daily barrage of negativity.  So it is time to turn off the distractions and negativity and turn on the intensity and positivity.  This would be a second resolution – write the book!  To learn what I’ve already done see below.

By the way, here’s an opportunity for someone to jump on – how about a news media that only reported good news and positive stories!

One quick announcement:  I’ll be in suburban Chicago (Lisle) on Saturday January 28 at Prairie Yoga presenting my day long Nutrition Boot Camp workshop.  It’s a great way to spend a day and learn all about how your body works!  For more information click here Nutrition Workshop

New Service Offered – Blood Chemistry Analysis

I’m pleased to announce a new service – blood chemistry analysis.  As part of my Whole Foods Nutrition Certification I was trained to analyze basic blood test results.  I am able to interpret nutritional status and identify areas where supplementation may be helpful.   

Ever wonder why you may feel not quite right, go to the doctor for a blood test, and then be told you are “normal.”  This is because the range the lab is using basically tells you results for people who tested at that particular lab and if you are in range this means you are within the normal curve of 95% of that lab’s population.  This does not mean you are healthy or optimal, just within the 95% confidence interval (remember your Statistics!) and termed “normal”.  By the way, who generally gets their blood tested?  Yes, people who think there is something wrong! 

So, rather than looking at the blood test results in terms of being outside or inside of a pathological range, such as traditional medicine does, I am trained to look at optimal ranges.  If you are not optimal – either excess or deficient – that implies a specific nutritional status that should be addressed.

Help Me Write My Book 

My book, The Dick Diet, is an expansion of my dissertation exploring the connection between nutrition and erectile dysfunction.  While I have all the information related to diet and lifestyle compiled that needs to be communicated in the book I could use a few more real life case studies.  As it is a rather delicate situation it can be difficult to find male volunteer subjects.   

So, here’s how you can help.  If you know anyone between the ages of 30 and 65 with this issue and they are willing to work with me I will offer to them free consulting and if need be nutritional supplements at my cost.  To read more about The Dick Diet you can visit my web site or newly re-organized blog - http://thedickdiet.blogspot.com/

A Book Recommendation – My Third Resolution

On the subject of resolutions – I have found a wonderful book that I encourage all of you to read, particularly those of you who practice yoga.  It is Nicolai Bachman’s The Path of the Yoga Sutras: A Practical Guide to the Core of Yoga.  It could also be subtitled “a practical guide to life” (using the Sutras as a base).  Why this book? Rather than presented sequentially as in the original text Bachman breaks the text into short chapters each containing one key concept.  The explanations and examples are brief and clear.  Each chapter closes with thought provoking, self-study questions.  There are 51 concepts explored – just enough to study one per week – a perfect New Year’s resolution.

My First Five Steps to Realize My Goal

I’ve already taken my first five steps:  1. I’ve changed the radio station my alarm is set to.  Rather than wake up to the news, commentary, or infomercial I don’t want to hear, I’ll now hear mostly humorous talk about nothing with Bob and Brian (local DJs)!  2. I’ve removed myself from many e-mail lists which can be a major distraction.  3. I’ve referred potential business consulting projects to others so that I can focus on my goals.  4. I’ve scheduled time to work specifically on the book.  5. And, I’ve recommitted to and deepened my daily meditation practice.

One Last Thought

I should probably have another resolution: get the links working right the first time!