Happiness is....

Happiness is....

Good health, meaningful work and love.

What everyday actions are you doing to lead you closer to these things?

The Hand We're Dealt

The Following passage was written by renowned strength and conditioning coach Shawn Philips.

Its a true story and has a wonderful message - so I thought I would share it with you.

We were sitting in a sandwich shop in my home town of Golden--my kids, Nathanial and Lilly, my mom and her lifelong friend Susi--when I looked out the window to see a father with his son, about the same age as my boy, taking a rest in the shade.

The father sat down, looking exhausted. Took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes and yawned. His boy was already sitting... in a very elaborate wheel chair.

This father's boy was unable to lift his head, could not control his body or movements. Cerebral Palsy? Maybe... we could guess but it didn't matter.

What I saw was a dad who was dealt a hand he didn't ask for. Who clearly loved his son and was doing what any dad would do. Stepping up. Doing his best and loving his boy.

I thought about all that he missed. All that would never be. What it would feel like to see other kids run and play.

I asked both my kids to look out.. and pointed out that his boy has challenges. Obstacles that we don't have. We are very lucky. We are blessed and lest we ever forget it.

(My son has many life threatening food-allergies but I like to
make sure we call them "Inconveniances for some kids and
families have real problems, like this.)

Then I asked my kids if they thought other kids ever approached this boy or just talked to him. Said, "Hi?" They said, "No." So, I asked them, would you go out and just make contact?

Will you say "Hi!" to him?

They looked scared but willing. "Yes, dad."

They were excited that maybe they could make a difference. We had a bite of our food and turned and they were gone. We walked out front, looked left and right... even around the corner and they were gone. Like the wind.

I am sorry we missed the opportunity not just for the kids to say, "Hi," but for me to say, "Nice work, Dad!" and just to give an acknowledging nod to this strong man.

Next time you think you can't, the weights are to big or you're just not strong enough to take the next step towards the finish line, think of the Strength some mothers and fathers live into every day.

You are asking for, calling forth your Strength. These men and women are being called forth. They didn't ask for but were called upon.

Life isn't fair. True. But it's not about fair it's about playing the next best shot with the lay you've got. It's about taking the next step with clarity and intention. It's about loving the hand your dealt like it's the one you wanted with all your soul.

Now, stand up, and get out there and give it your real FULL STRENGTH...and make sure to acknowledge others who are doing the same.  It's through the whole, the connection, the support of "us" that we all grow Stronger.

Chemical S*#t Storm

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking....If you could please return to your seats and ensure they are in the upright position...your cabin crew is now serving lunch and you're about to fly through a chemical sh#%t storm....."  This should have been the announcement on a recent Qantas flight from Brisbane to Sydney.  Instead 'lunch' was being served by the friendly staff unaware that their seemingly healthy alternative - a ham and mayonnaise sandwich - contained more chemicals than your average backyard swimming pool.

The chemicals (along with their corresponding classification number) contained in lunch were as follows:

Emulsifiers - used in the mayonnaise to prevent it from separating into oil and water and prevent mould from forming.

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (481)

Diacetyltartaric (472e)

Mineral Salts - used as a bread enhancer.

Triphosphates (451)

Pyrophosphates (450)

Polyphosphates (452)

Flavour Enhancers - as the title suggests - chemical substances with flavouring properties.

Monosodium L-glutamate (621) - a salt of glutamate, one of the building blocks that make up animal and vegetable protein.  The jury is still out on whether this well known additive in Chinese take away is harmful or not.  

Antioxidants - substances which prevent food from turning rancid in order to extend their shelf life.   

Sodium Erythorbate (316)

Preservatives - substances which reduce the growth of microbes which, if not prevented, can lead to, dangerous level of toxins in the food. 

Sodium Nitrite (250) - mainly added to processed meats ie ham, bacon, hot dogs etc to preserve the colour of the meat (it keeps it pink rather than grey even after cooking) and to inhibit the lethal botulism bacteria. Sodium nitrate (a type of salt) is a naturally occurring mineral present in all kinds of root vegetables ie carrots and leafy greens.  This is because anything out of the ground draws sodium nitrate out of the soil. When we eat these foods the sodium nitrate is converted to sodium nitrite by our digestive process.

Potassium Sorbate (202) - used to inhibit moulds and yeast in many foods including cheese, wine, yogurt, soft drinks, fruit drinks and baked goods.

The bread, leg ham, mayonnaise and mustard all contained sugar or derivatives of sugar (dextrose, glucose) as well as honey.

The Australian Standards on food additives advocate against high intake of MSG, Sodium Nitrite and Potassium Sorbate, however, I found articles advocating both positive and negative for each additive I researched.  The way I see it, we all have a moral tolerance to what we'll eat and what we won't in order to enjoy a healthy diet...it's up to you to know what that is.  

So did I eat the ham and mayo sandwich?  Of course not.  Did I go without lunch? Wrong again.  I know airline food is chocked full of salt, sugar and saturated fat, so before leaving home I made my own ham and salad sanger and popped it in a chill bag.  

Lunch...without the chemicals....and turbulence. 

My Qantas lunch

Fitness - Aldi Style!

Aldi was doing my head in. It was only two dollars but come hell or high water, I was getting it back. Have you ever noticed the trolley bay at an Aldi supermarket?  It's chock-a-block full - trolleys always at the ready.  Contrast to say, a Coles supermarket, whose trolley bay is always, you guessed it, half empty.  

Aldi has this system whereby you insert a gold coin in the trolley handle 'lock and key' mechanism to break it free from the trolley in front.  The coin stays in the trolley handle bar until you return it to the bay and your money is refunded.  It's an ingenious way of ensuring the supermarket car park is not littered with random trolleys.  Inevitably the trolley is always returned...why? because you want your refund...even if it's only $2 measly bucks! By investing UPFRONT you're sufficiently motivated to carry out your part of the contract by returning the trolley...break the contract and you lose your cash. This is why a Coles' trolley ends up in the local creek - there's no upfront contract, and therefore no motivation to return it - in fact Coles employ staff to collect your trolley and take it back for you!

When it comes to our health we can learn a lot from Aldi's strategy.  Here are some ways to 'upfront' your behaviour to help you follow through on your health improvement promises:

• Upfront gym fees - pay six months in advance - better still, a year.
• Pay upfront for 10 sessions with a personal trainer. 
• Tell people upfront that you're eating healthier and that you've begun exercising - I guarantee you'll think twice about backing out to save face.
• Pay a photographer upfront - after six months of exercising and eating well you'll have a nice 'before/after' photo portfolio.
• Buy your next season's wardrobe a size smaller.
• Enter a fun run, triathlon or ride upfront and then begin training - you'll know on competition day whether you've done enough work.
• Get a training partner - turn up on training day so you don't disappoint them.
• Buy a home gym...you'll think twice about throwing it out.
• Buy a weeks groceries other than every other day.

There's many other ways, but whatever you choose, feel the power of investing upfront and locking in your commitment to be healthier.  I guarantee your payoff will be more than a few bucks.

ALDI trolley bay

Coles trolley bay

My Little Bag of Pills

Recently my wife and I spent a relaxing weekend in Stanthorpe - a popular wine growing destination south west of Brisbane.  We stayed in a beautiful Bed & Breakfast (B&B) on the fringe of a picturesque winery.  

On Sunday morning in the main dining room, we were enjoying the company of a chatty couple in their mid-sixties from Roma (lets call them the 'Romas') who were in town to attending a wedding and a pleasant family from Sydney (let's call them Mum, Dad, Daughter and Son-in-Law).  

Dad and Son-in-Law didn't say much - most of their words being doused by Mum and Daughter. Inevitably, the conversation turned to food - which is pretty easy as the region is renowned for its quality cellar doors and restaurants. 

As breakfast was served we all noticed that Daughter wasn't eating. 

"Aren't you eating?" asked the Romas. 

"No way, I've had too many carbs last night at dinner" replied Daughter.

"What wrong with carbs?" I asked.

"They're evil" she exclaimed. 

"There's carbs and there's carbs" I said. "The goods ones keep you alive"

"Most of them just make me fat" she replied.

At that point Mum added "They do nothing for me either".

If I was keeping score I'd say that's one point for marketing hype and zero points for common sense nutrition!

Now let's pause for a moment and let me share my observations.   

Mum was morbidly obese with a BMI of over 40.  She began tucking into her breakfast of fried eggs, sausages and a hash brown. When she finished she pulled out a clear zip-tie bag containing 20 or so bottles of pills or what she called 'medication'. 

She held the bag up slightly, almost proudly.  I had visions of Pete Sampras holding his Wimbledon cup aloft for the seventh time. She then gave the bag a big once-only shake, as if calling the room to attention.  

She got what she wanted. 

The Romas, my wife and I were all startled by the contents of the bag and I had a raft of questions that immediately sprung to my mind: 

What does all that stuff do? How long does it take to swallow all those pills? How many days, months or years has this daily ritual played out? ..and the biggy....is there an alternative solution to this enduring pill-popping?

Dad became agitated and....well....embarrassed. 

"Why don't you take them in your room?" he asked.

Without even hearing him she gestured towards the glass water bottle in the middle of the table.

"I'll just take these now...it won't take me long" she said.

The way I see it, this little bag of pills was her big bag of excuses....her 'winnings' from a life she lost control of long ago - her trophy of sorts. She didn't have to explain why she was the way she was....she was sick, and she had a 1,0000 little pills to prove it.  Hiding behind her pills was safe, comfortable and justifiable. 

I began to think about what it would take for this woman to turn her health around - free from restrictions, excuses and blame.  I couldn't help but wonder that, sadly, it was the beginning of the end for her.  Aging with obesity will create its own complications including the onset of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.  Not to mention the increasing reliance on others as the ability to move about freely or recover from injuries becomes slow imprisonment. The fact is that it didn't have to be this way.  No one sets out to be overweight or obese no more than anyone sets out to be depressed or lonely.  Equally, no one ends up obese behind their own backs either.  

The good news is that her road to better health is more within reach than what she thinks.  It starts with a large dose of self awareness and self responsibility - the ability to take charge and move from an unhealthy point A to a healthier point B. The next step, is by far the most challenging and in all cases defines why people succeed or fail in making healthy, long-lasting change.  

In my experience those who succeed are able to move from knowing WHAT to do.....to DOING what they know.  It's all about putting KNOWLEDGE into ACTION. This is where the rubber hits the road and where the incremental changes are made. Small changes, day after day is what matters.  

I hope mum is able to regain control of her life and ACT before it's too late.  I can't help but think taking all those pills every day would be far worse than taking her first step towards a healthier life.  

Second Chance Roulette

Dr Tony Rafter is a leading cardiologist in Brisbane, who I had the pleasure in sharing a coffee with this month.  I met with him to find out the latest trends in heart disease at the 'coal-face' - what he experiences in dealing with over a 1,000 patients a year.  While I knew about "someone in Australia dies every 10 minutes of cardio-vascular disease" - what I didn't know was alarming and down-right irresponsible - heart attack survivors are gambling with death - refusing to quit smoking, cut cholesterol or even take preventative medicine.

Each year 5000 die as a result of failing to take control of their health and its costing the Australian health system $1.4 billion. 

A damning new study by the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute (an on line survey of 1047 patients) found two in three heart attack survivors struggled to make lifestyle changes. More than one in 10 continue to smoke, 58 per cent don't eat a healthy diet and just one in three exercise regularly. 

Four out of 10 heart attack patients don't follow their GP's instructions and one in three forget to take their medicine.

Heart attacks are the nation's biggest killer, claiming the lives of more than 10,000 Australians a year and 5,300 of these are repeat events.  

Dr Rafter told me of a 58 yr old patient who went back to drinking and his stressful job and never showed any evidence of dietary change.  Seven years later his second heart attack hit that permanently damaged his heart muscle. He survived but can't work more than 10 hours a week or do many of the things he used to. This episode scared him enough to begin making changes including losing 17kg.

These stories remind me of the saying "most people are willing to change....as long as they can keep on doing exactly what they've always done".  It seems that most of us dig in our heels if we believe the mental and physical payoff of change won't exceed our expectations.  We're pulled back to our bad habits like some strange gravitational force.  Most of us wait until its too late.  An example of natural selection some would say.

The way I see it, change only happens in two ways....either through inspiration or desperation.  It saddens me to think that even after a desperate situation such as a heart attack people aren't willing to make positive change. 

In my experience most inspirational change is preceded by a drastic rise in self responsibility - the realization that if I don't take charge of my health - who will? 

Dr Tony Rafter 

What would you do if faced with change - if your life depended on it? 

Keeping the Crocs at Bay

I have a friend who, only just recently, began smoking again after a two year break. I asked him what made him return back to his 'old friends'? He said that it was a string of crappy events which individually would have sailed past his 'why me' radar, but collectively sent the whole control tower crashing down.  He broke up with his partner, his dad was diagnosed with cancer, his tenants were suing him and business was slow.  

Fair enough I thought.  

I remembered a trip I once took to the Northern Territory.  I saw lots of really big crocs. Amazing creatures.  They lie motionless underwater with their two eyes just breaking the surface.  They wait and wait with precision patience until their next meal is within striking range and then with a breathtaking snap of their powerful jaws....bam! 

Bad habits are never really shed from our lives.....they just wait under our skin surface and when things turn bad - at our weakest moments - they strike. We've all been there.  Eating too much, drinking too much, buying too many shoes.......

All habits have three common elements - a cue, a routine and a reward.  The fact is that our bad habits don't define us and we can alter them and regain control.  Research reveals that in all habits the cue (what 'brings on' the habit ie sight, smell, feel etc) and the reward (feeling as a result of following through the habit) is difficult to change.  They are the constants in this little viscous triangle.  What we do have control over is the routine: the series of actions which when pursued finishes at the reward.

Back to my friend.  As a result of his catastrophic chain of events (cue) his smoking habit was back with gusto and was again part of his life.  He felt embarrassed and beaten.  We spoke about the cue-routine-reward loop and discussed ways in which he could begin to change his routine.

A strategy which worked for him in the past was incorporating activity to warn off the craving.  When cravings were strong he used diversion tactics - called a friend, played the piano, wrote.  The thing which worked best was physical activity - a short brisk walk, step ups....anything which allowed more oxygen to the body and brain.   Next thing he knew the cravings had eased and he'd won the tiny inner battle - until next time (you didn't think it was that easy did you?).  Win enough battles and you'll win the war. Guaranteed. 

Its my belief that you can - with willpower and a plan - change bad habits to good. however, the next step up - addiction - is a serious condition which needs professional intervention.  If you feel that your bad habits are out of control you owe it to yourself to seek treatment.

Incorporate activity into your habit-busting plan
to keep the crocs at bay

So if you are struggling with a bad habit that you just can't seem to shake, incorporate physical activity when the cravings come knocking and you'll be sure to keep the crocs from snapping at your heels.

Clowning Around with Gratitude

To most five year olds in Brisbane they're known as Peebo and Dagwood - the 40 year old identical twins who surprise and delight their young audience with song, comedy and magic during their 30 minute clown show.  They do what they love and love what they do and the proof is always in the magic pudding - the kids love them in droves.  

But away from the colourful wigs, over-sized, turned-up shoes and painted-on smiles they are Peter and David, avid photographers, fitness freaks and......double lung recipients.  

Born eight weeks premature with life-threatening cystic fibrosis, David was first hospitalised at 15 and Peter at 19.  Two-hundred hospital admissions latter, they underwent lifesaving surgery in 2005 to replace their scarred and damaged lungs.  After his transplant Peter suffered major complications that put him in intensive care for four weeks.  He lost 24kgs and at one stage was given 48 hours to live.

Years of recuperation followed with physio treatment and the never ending pill-popping of anti-rejection drugs.  They began clowning as a way of giving back to the hospital which was by now a second home. 

Despite their momentous hardships Peter and David don't know the meaning of a life half-lived.  They don't proclaim gratitude - they live it - in every waking moment. 

During their clowning act you can feel the sparkle in their eyes, hear the wonder in their voice and see the tremble in their hands....every gig is as energetic as their last.  They joke that five years is all you get out of a lung transplant - that was five years ago.....but that's their shtick, seeing the humor in everything.

We have a lot to learn from Peter and David - a lesson in gratitude and appreciating the moment. Yes, life gets busy and crazy and complicated - but sometimes we need to pause and reboot our thinking.

Here's a simple routine I find works. The minute you open your eyes each morning, become aware of your surroundings and take a moment to reflect on:

1. What is good in your life

2. What isn't 

3. What do I have to do to change the 'isn't' to 'good' 

My simple gratitudes are: being without emotional or physical pain, the love of my wife and kids, the roof over my head, a hot shower, teaching my kids to be healthy through example, the ability to meet new people, freedom.....

What are you grateful for?

Try this little routine each day and I guarantee your outer world will match the fabric of your inner world and things will seem a little less rushed and a little less important.  If anything you will breathe easier... through a pair of lungs which are yours.

Peebo and Dagwood

Selfishness V's Self Responsibility

Last week I had the good fortune to visit Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service in Mackay.  It's a wonderful close-knit organisation which rescues over 400 people each year from a variety of dire situations -  car crashes,  sinking yachts, lost bush walkers and whooping cough babies.Their mission is simple - to save lives by providing rapid response with critical medical care.  They can mobilize a helicopter to be on its way in less then six minutes.  These impressive operations don't happen by accident.  Each crew member, doctor and pilot are strong, fit and healthy and I met them all. 


In one corner of the massive helicopter hanger is a gym complete with weights benches, climbing ropes, chin up bars and treadmills.  It was easy to workout why the emergency staff are so fit..they workout!  Being and maintaining fitness is obviously a 'non-negotiable' on their position description. They look after themselves so they can look after others. The fitter they are, the faster, the stronger - the better the care.

How many of us can say the same thing? How many of us ensure our well being is a central theme in our lives. I can hear you say, "Yeah but I don't save lives everyday...." I disagree.  If you're a mother, father, carer or partner - you are in the position of influence.  The welfare of others is dependent on the welfare of you.  

In our house, my wife and I invest in our health everyday by exercising and eating right.  Our kids reap the rewards because they too live healthy. They see us working out rather than vegging out.

The priority to exercise and eat right may be seen as selfish, however, I have a different view.  I call it self responsibility.  We are being self responsible when when we prioritise, each day, doing what we need to do in order to recover and renew our physical, mental and emotional well being.  That means we must choose to make time to exercise, eating healthy meals, rest, recovery and sleep. 

If you are a caretaker by nature, as I am, it is important to remember that we can't give what we don't have - and when you are low on energy and strength it's time to make renewing and re-energising ourselves a top priority and I promise, you will find more to give others who need your help.

A Bell 412 - CQ Rescue's helicopter of choice 

From Sluggish to Flourish - 5 Ways to Improve your Health at Work

Feeling tired and sluggish or finding it hard to make it to 3pm without raiding the office cookie jar?  Does your business suit feel a little too snug?

Many organisations in Australia now offer staff health programs - an encouraging trend – particularly as emerging studies continually support the view that a healthy employee is an engaged employee.  I have long believed that organisations who nurture the health needs of employees not only see better productivity but improved attraction and retention of employees as well.

Here are some simple tips to turn your work day from sluggish to flourish.

1. Walking During Lunch
Doing something as simple as a brisk 30 minute walk during lunch breaks can boost fat loss and provide an extra boost to your metabolism.  A US study found that women who increased their activity level by an additional 3,500 steps a day lost 2.5 kgs during the year.  The study also found that men who added an additional 3,500 steps to their day lost over 4kgs per year. Walking is a suitable physical activity for most people as it is low impact and easy to do. Regular walking, in the long term, will improve your ‘heat/lung’ fitness and reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.   I guarantee it will also do wonders for your concentration, particularly in the afternoons, when your energy level starts to drop.

2. Bring Your Own Lunch
Processed foods contain some of the highest levels of sodium and preservatives than any foods consumed in a healthy diet. If you're regularly buying lunch from restaurants and food courts you are being exposed to high levels of sodium which can total three times the daily recommended amount of sodium from one meal (150mg of sodium is recommended per meal.

Some other benefits of BYO lunch include:
- A guaranteed source of nutrients - you made it,therefore, you know what's in   it
- Less ‘binge’ eating - once its gone, its gone
- Increase in overall body fat loss
- A decrease in the amount of bloating or water retention
- Less money spent on fast food = more money in your hip pocket

3. Stand Up
Stand every 30 minutes for a 10 minute break.  This routine breaks fatigue and promotes blood and nutrients circulation.  A couple of tips to get you moving in the right direction;

1. Rather than send an email. Walk to the other end of the office and talk to the person you are sending the email to.

2. Take the stairs as often as you can throughout the day.

3. Have a walking meeting.

4. Drink Water
Water is essential for the human body. The body cannot store water and must have fresh supplies every day to perform virtually every metabolic process. Most mature adults lose about 2.5–3 litres of water per day even if you're not exercising. Water loss may be more in hot weather and with prolonged exercise. Therefore, it is vital to restore this water loss at work, by drinking at least 1 litre of water per day.  If you work out doors you would need to drink much more than this to replenish water loss.

5. Get The office Involved
Many workplaces have fresh fruit on offer, the staff of CareFlight Queensland cleverly bought a blender for the office and used any leftover fruit to blend into a healthy smoothie.

1.  Enter a work team for a beginner’s triathlon, or a Corporate Rowing or       Dragon Boating Challenge.

2.  One IT organisation got together on a weekend and built a walking track around their office for lunch time use.

The wonderful fundraising team at CareFlight QLD

There you have it – simple yet effective ways to get moving and feel healthier at work. Enjoy!

Australia’s Top Five Unhealthiest Habits

Congratulations Australians take a bow, we are at the top of our game.  Unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.  A report released this week by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals that, as a nation, we are fatter, lazier and unhealthier than ever before.  Our top five habits are as follows:

1.  The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes is increasing.  Diabetes has doubled from 1.5 to 4.1 per cent in the last 20 years with the disease to become the number one health burden in Australia by 2030.  This debilitating metabolic condition is caused by insulin resistance – in other words, the body cannot transport sugar into the body cells because it doesn’t ’recognize’ it – so it stays in the bloodstream in high concentrations.  This can lead to blindness and kidney disease. 

2.  We are doing less exercise.  Over the last decade the number of adults not getting enough exercise rose from 69 to 72 per cent with women less likely to exercise than men. In 2008, 69 per cent of men failed to get 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week.  By contrast, 76 per cent of women didn’t get enough exercise.  Cultural norms are probably restricting exercise opportunities for women at the expense of raising children and general home duties.  The up-side is that women are in a strong position to positively influence the entire family by preparing healthy meals and reinforcing healthy habits in children.

3.  We don’t eat a healthy diet.   An incredible 91 per cent of adults don’t eat at least five serves of vegetables everyday – up from 86 per cent four years earlier.  Forty-nine per cent of the population don’t eat two serves of fruit compared with 46 per cent less than a half a decade previously.  We live in a ‘food swap’ – food is everywhere and ‘everywhen’.  We are lucky enough in Australia to be exposed to fresh, wholesome fruits and vegetables year round so making better food selections is a matter of choice rather than availability.  Vegetables contain vital nutrients for wellbeing – eat them often.

4.  We are getting heavier. In 2008, 61 per cent of Australian adults were overweight or obese compared to 57 per cent in 1995 with men generally fatter than women.  This situation is a worldwide problem with its own name – ‘The Globalization of Illness ‘.  People in developed nations are eating the same, living the same and now we are dying in the same way.  Due to our obesity heart disease and strokes are still Australia’s principle cause of death.  A situation that is largely preventable through regular exercise and proper nutrition.

5.  Our kids are getting heavier.  One in four children are now overweight or obese and for the first time in Australia’s modern history, are now dying from this condition prior to their parents.  This is perhaps the most alarming statistic to emerge over the last 10 years.  The reason? Our children are eating foods high in energy yet moving less than ever before.  But let’s not point the pudgy finger at kids alone – parents have a crucial role to play in providing regular and nutritious food and being active role models.   

So, what to do? Simple.  If you are sitting in front of a computer screen all day (let’s face it, most of us do) get 30 minutes of continual exercise at least 3-5 days per week (and take your kids with you), eat vegetables and fruits every day, limit sugar and saturated fat intake and drink at least a litre of water each day.  Remember, good health happens not by default but by design.