Your body is a temple

As a teen growing up in the 1970s, one of my favorite shows was The Six Million Dollar Man with actor Lee Majors playing the role of Steve Austin. Steve Austin was the bionic man who had been put back together after crashing a test flight plane. He was, to paraphrase from the show, “better, stronger, and faster” than before. That futuristic depiction, while in the 1970s, seemed farfetched. But fast-forward to present day and there are a whole host of replacement parts that orthopedic surgeons now routinely implant in our bodies. Hip, knee, and shoulder replacements are done in almost every hospital in the United States each day. And then there are cardiovascular advancements. Heart valves can be replaced and blocked arteries can be opened, increasing the longevity of our most important organ, the heart.

All of these advancements, while miraculous, do not change the one undeniable fact: We are only given one body in which to live in on this earth. The most important principle is to take care of the one we are given at birth. While we might replace some body parts, we can’t swap the whole body for a new one.

It’s common in life to take for granted something we receive for free. Our body falls into that category. We've all heard the old proverb that our body is a temple. In ancient times, a temple was the most valuable and used piece of real estate in the city or town. It was a place of honor and reverence. If we are to treat our body as a temple, we need to sustain it with high quality food and nutrients, exercise it, and always take care of it. Unfortunately, many of us treat our bodies like a trash can.

Everything in moderation

We all enjoy foods that aren't good for us. They might be high in sugar or high in fat (or both), but we consume them anyway knowing that we aren't helping our health. I don't feel, however, that complete abstinence from these foods is sustainable. For example, I have a weakness for ice cream. It’s one of those desserts that can get me into trouble. You bring a half gallon of ice cream into the house and I am likely to sit down and eat the whole thing. Should I cut out ice cream completely from my life? We know that plan is destined for failure, right? That’s why I force moderation on myself. I only buy ice cream in pints so that I have no choice but to enjoy a much smaller amount.

A good habit to establish is forced moderation. I firmly believe we can have a few things we truly enjoy eating as long as we enjoy them in small amount.

If we eat a few unhealthy foods in moderation, our bodies are equipped to process the toxins out. If I enjoy a soft drink every once in a while, it’s likely to have minimal damage. But if I drink four diet sodas per day, which are loaded with chemicals and artificial ingredients, over time, my body will feel the effects of me treating it like a trash can.

The unhealthy foods we occasionally indulge in are supposed to be treats, not daily staples. Have a small soda or a small bowl of ice cream once per week, not every day, as a reward for your good work.

The only exceptions I would make to the rule of moderation are smoking and taking drugs. Those two habits have addictive qualities that cause psychological and physical dependence as well long-term health problems. Why take the risk?

Get yourself a primary care doctor

Your primary doctor is the foundation of your health team. A doctor who stays well read in the medical journals, medical advancements, as well as new drugs and treatment options is essential. You and your physician form a team that works together to improve your overall health. A doctor also requires us to do our part by communicating clearly what is ailing us. The doctor prescribes a treatment plan. We must do our part to follow it exactly through the whole process. Having confidence in your doctor through personal experience or from referral and reputation aides in the healing process.

Good doctors also assemble a team of specialists they have confidence in. Every doctor should have a dream team of specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, gastrology, surgery, urology, and gynecology. As you age, these specialists play an ever-increasing role in your health and quality of life. Sometimes unexpected disease strikes, like it has for me. You might also do research on your own to give yourself peace of mind and perhaps seek a second opinion.

I was diagnosed about eight years ago with Meniere’s disease. It’s a chronic disease that causes fluid buildup in my left ear. I have severe hearing loss in that ear. The most significant challenges associated with Meniere’s for me are bouts of vertigo that can cause nausea, dizziness, and in some cases, a visual spinning of the world around me. When that strikes, all I can do is to lie down in a dark, quiet location to try to settle the vertigo down. To think that in my college years, getting the bed spins was a badge of honor after an evening of drinking. I get that same feeling at times without touching a drop of alcohol.

Once diagnosed with Meniere’s, I was on a quest to find a specialist of significant experience and skill in treating patients like me with this disease. I fortunately found one at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. Truly, I would travel to the ends of the earth to find a specialist to help manage my treatment of a disease that I will have for the rest of my life.

Be cognizant of your genetics

Our family history and genetics plays an important role in our overall health. It’s crucial to record and keep track of your family history of disease. There are genetic influences in most health categories, and that's especially true with regard to heart disease and cancer. If your father, mother, or other close relative has elevated cholesterol levels, as my father does, or has had heart disease, again like my father, it’s a marker of risk that you can’t ignore. I can assure you that I have received many benefits from being Norm Zeller’s son. The only thing he has passed down to me that I don’t want is the genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. Even with a proper diet, I am at the high end of the acceptable scale for my cholesterol levels.

It’s critical to know your genetic markers for high blood pressure as well. My wife Joan is on blood pressure medication because hers is high due to genetics. Many people in her family are also on high blood pressure medication. Most people are unaware that they have high blood pressure. Get yours checked regularly.

Bring on the specialists

We all need specialists at times on our team. As we cross the threshold of 50 years old, our visits to specialists become more frequent. We need our eyes checked more frequently by our ophthalmologist. Men need to see the urologist because our plumbing flows less freely (or too freely). And don't forget the gastroenterologist, who will take care of your first colonoscopy screening. I didn't have my first colonoscopy until I was 53 years old. The truth is, the reason I got it then was because my younger brother was diagnosed with colon cancer. Fortunately, they caught it at an early stage, and after surgery and radiation treatments, he has been cancer free for a few years. I am thrilled with his early diagnosis and return to health. I am less than thrilled due to shared genetics. I must get a colonoscopy every five years rather than every ten years from my gastroenterologist.

The power of positive thinking

The influence of optimism, positive thinking, and positive expectations are all linked to better mental health. Each morning when you wake up, remember that you have been granted a new day ahead of you, that you are actually alive, with 86,400 seconds to invest as you choose. That realization can set the tone for mental health and success.

We need to start each day with gratitude and appreciation for what we do have and not lament what we don’t. With a grateful attitude, it's infinitely easier to accomplish your goals and objectives. Get in the habit of listening to positive music, like worship and praise songs, during your morning routine. Music that is upbeat and soul filling will elevate your mood.

Another option is to listen to motivational talks from Zig Ziglar, Earl Nightingale, Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, or anyone else who you feel has a positive and valuable message. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote the book The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952, is a dynamic communicator in print and as a speaker. You might want to listen to him first thing in the morning.

So many good, positive voices of success are available in free or low-cost downloadable podcasts. I cut my teeth in an era when you bought cassette tapes to play in your car. I would wear them out I playing them so much, and I'd have to buy a new set. Today, it’s easy to download positive messages and voices into your phone to improve your attitude and skill. There are no excuses that are reasonable to avoid this habit. As Jim Rohn used to say, “What is easy to do is also easy not to do.”

Affirm, but don’t live in delusion

It’s important to set your mindset to positive. Try doing verbal affirmation statements. Affirmations said aloud can focus, sharpen, and set strong expectations of success for the future. Here are a few examples:

• “I earn $100,000 a year.”
• “I will lose and release 30 pounds from my body in the next 6 months.”
• “I save money so I can have a vibrant, fulfilling retirement.”

But I would caution you about one thing: Don’t affirm the ridiculous.

Affirmations, to be effective, need to be aspirationally real and relevant. For example, don't affirm in front of the mirror that my body is lean, toned, and at my ideal weight when in reality, I am 50 pounds overweight and in horrible condition. The audio of my voice does not remotely match the video of what I can see. You can state affirmations in future tense using “I will” or “I will in 6 months.” The “I am” that is a country mile from the truth is easily rejected by your logical mind that sees the image staring back at you in the mirror.

Health and motivation are connected

As with so many things in life, the better you do, the better you feel. The motivation you create through doing well and feeling well helps you to continue the progress. When it comes to health and fitness, once you get the ball rolling with new habits and begin to see the slightest bit of progress, you'll have increased energy and motivation to keep up the good work. The positive results will begin to snowball, and we feel even better about ourselves.

If you want the science behind this greater feeling of well-being, here it is:

1. Our brain is flooded with dopamine and norepinephrine: These two neurotransmitters energize and stimulate our brain.
2. We also have increased endorphin levels. This is an endurance neurotransmitter.
3. Our serotonin levels increase. This is a make-me-feel-good neurotransmitter.

All these changes in our brain lead to a natural increase in our motivation level. We can even trigger these neurotransmitters through music, a motivational message, or a workout partner. When we are more motivated, we are more likely to follow through on the commitments that we have set for ourselves. We have a higher confidence level that we will achieve what we desire.

Most people have a drop in their motivation level or energy level in the afternoon. Plan for that drop in energy by putting your most important tasks earlier in the day when your energy levels are higher. Then have the right kind of snacks on hand to give yourself a nutritional boost. Avoid high-sugar junk food as your fuel source. The sugar rush you get won't last. Instead, have something natural and healthy, like fruit, nuts, raw veggies, low-fat cheese, or cottage cheese. We need high-quality fuel in the afternoon to keep our focus and motivation high.

Resetting expectations

When a health event strikes, whether it’s a short-term illness or chronic condition like my Meniere’s disease, you want to first address its influence on your life both long term and day to day. You might not be able to gauge things with 100-percent accuracy, but ask yourself these questions:

• Is this going to affect the number of hours I can work?
• Is this going to affect the number of days I can work?
• Will there likely be a difference in my financial picture?
• What financial costs will there be?
• How will this affect my family?
• How will this affect friendships and relationships at work?
• What goals or objectives in the short run do I need to adjust or increase the timeline on?

Once you have collected the information from your physician, explored treatment options, seen a specialist if you needed to, and asked yourself these questions, you can then make adjustments to your timelines for goals and objectives.

The biggest change for me in my Meniere’s disease has been my reduced travel schedule for speaking events. My old travel schedule of speaking in a new city and venue each day that I am the road is off the table. I can no longer take the stress of giving a talk in the morning, being on a flight in the afternoon or evening to another city, and then repeating the cycle the next day and throughout the week.

Ask yourself these questions each week to better focus and create powerful habits:

• What can get accomplished in a week?
• What is the new normal?
• What’s really important in my job that I do?
• What are the most important goals?
• What is most important to the well-being of my relationships?

When you are dealing with health events, it helps you to focus quickly on what is really important. It’s amazing how much we can cut out that is peripheral in our lives, which allows us to reestablish reasonable margins. I call that finding the “white space” in our lives. If you notice on either side of this page, there is white space where you can make notes and draw arrows to key parts of the text. Life has a way, especially during health events, of removing the white space from our lives.

If you are dealing with a chronic condition, journal how you feel each day. Read how you feel in the morning, midday, and at the end of your workday. Also, journal what you eat and how that affects your energy and focus levels. Is your feeling of well-being cycle based on the day of the week or the day of the month?

I know this sounds a little out there, but journaling is very effective. Through the process of journaling and observation, I found that of all days, my severest vertigo episodes were on Mondays. They happened late in the afternoon between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. I can't explain it, and neither can my doctors and specialists, except for stress. Once I understood the pattern, I began the habit of ending my Mondays at 2:30 p.m., which has eliminated the issue.

Creating new steps and measures to success

Frequently, we need to recalibrate our definition of success and what is truly important to our business, career, financial life, and family. Adversity and change are wonderful teachers that most of us would rather avoid. If we are to arrive at our desired goals, we need to ask ourselves these questions that relate to our better use of resources:

• What amount of time am I wasting each day or week?
• What activities am I doing to waste that time?
• What amount of money am I spending unwisely?
• What routine life maintenance items need to be removed?

These types of questions help you refine your daily and weekly resources you use to achieve success. As you evaluate, you might discover, for example, that you watch too many hours of TV. A few hours a week is entertainment; a few hours a night is wasted time.

We all have things that we waste money on. When I was diagnosed with Meniere’s, I reviewed our family budget and found thousands of dollars we wasted monthly. By cutting out the waste, I increased savings, which helped us decrease our time needed to achieve complete financial independence.

I also removed some of the life maintenance tasks that I did too much of as a younger man. I removed hours a week out of my schedule mowing, weeding, and maintaining our yard. With our corrected family budget, I had plenty of money to spare to hire a yard guy. We can easily delegate house cleaning, yard work, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and laundry to someone who would be happy for a job. Doing so frees us up time to both accomplish more and rest more.

Stay focused toward success

As I've said earlier in the book, the act of intense focus always proceeds success. When balancing the health challenges with the achievement of success, it’s easy to treat success as an event, or worse, as a destination. If I could only ______. You fill in the blank: earn more money, feel better, take more time off, save more money, buy that bigger house. When we have the rug pulled out from under us, we become hyper-focused on the destination aspect of success.

Earl Nightingale has the best definition of success I have heard in my life: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or worthy ideal.” The key element in this quote is the word progressive, which refers to the movement toward, not the arrival at, success. When dealing with a health event for you or a family member, you need to focus on answering these questions:

• Are we moving and taking steps toward resolution or control of the health issue?
• Are we still moving or taking steps toward the goals we have set that define our success?

Avoiding the poisons

The excuse of not knowing that cigarettes and other tobacco products are unhealthy went out in the 1950s. Everyone knows the negative effects today. We have ten states where it’s legal to smoke marijuana. Whether you believe the drug is a poison or not, the smoking of it leads to lung problems for certain. There are differing opinions on alcohol and especially red wine. Many heart experts suggest that a glass of red wine per day can be good for your heart. But drinking more than that offers no health benefits and leads to liver issues along with other physical problems, including obesity, as many alcoholic drinks are loaded with calories.

The most common poison we ingest is processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup. The explosion of processed sugar in our foods has added significant weight to our society and increased the rate of diabetes exponentially. It’s literally a problem of epidemic proportions. Whether it’s processed sugar or processed foods, we eat too many processed poisons in the United States.

Choosing the right foods

Our diet in the United States is over-carbohydronated. Now that’s not a real word, but it should be. The bottom line is that we are consuming too many carbohydrates in our diet. Many experts agree that our diets are too high in carbs and don't have enough protein, fruits, and vegetables.

There are a number of excellent resources in the Dummies line of books about eating right. Here are just a few: Nutrition For Dummies, Weight Loss Kit For Dummies, and Controlling Cholesterol For Dummies. Any of these titles will get you on the path of healthy eating.

We all need to eat more clean, rich protein. Some excellent protein sources are fish, especially salmon, which is high in the right kind of omega-3 fatty acids. Poultry is another excellent choice for rich protein with low fat. There are excellent sources of lean protein from game meat such as venison, elk, and bison. Steer beef is higher in fat than other types of red meat, but it’s still is a valid source of protein in moderation. Using nuts to supplement your protein needs is also a good option.

Eating ample helpings of fruits and vegetables is key to your personal daily diet. There is no such thing as eating too many green vegetables. For most of us, it’s a matter of finding some items we like and deciding on a low-fat and flavorful way to prepare them. Green vegetables are the gold standard, so try to eat lettuce, spinach, celery, cucumbers, peppers, kale, collard greens, green beans, peas, or broccoli. There are enough options, so if you are like President George Bush, you can swear off broccoli for the rest of your life and be just fine.

Fueling your most important muscle

Our heart works overtime every day to pump oxygen and nutrients to the cells in our body. It never takes a break. That level of sustained effort demands our full attention to fuel it well. Besides the aforementioned green vegetables, what are some of the foods that are heart healthy?

• Whole grains and especially oatmeal: The higher the quality and the lower the processing of whole grains the better. Oatmeal has been proven, when eaten regularly, to lower your LDL cholesterol (the “bad" cholesterol) and reduce heart disease.
• Berries, and especially blueberries: All berries are rich in antioxidants, which reduce inflammation of the heart and prevent the development of heart disease. And Dr. Oz swears by them. What more could you want?
• Almonds, walnuts, and seeds: There are better things to do with chia seeds than put them on your chia pet. They are rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Adding nuts and seeds can increase protein in your diet, and they make a great snack.
• Olive oil, rather than other oils: Olive oil is rich in monosaturated fatty acids. It’s packed with antioxidants.
• Dark chocolate: Studies have indicated a connection between eating dark chocolate and lower rates of heart disease. Plus, who doesn't love chocolate?

Enjoying your food

Food is made to fuel our bodies, but it should also be enjoyed. We were designed to taste food and enjoy the texture of it. The combining of flavors, coupled with wine or beer, can create a memorable evening of enjoyment. We can use meals to create a sense of well-being, deepen our relationships, and strengthen family connections. Gathering for a great meal lowers our stress levels. All these pathways converge in success. The key is moderation in everything we put in our bodies for fuel and enjoyment of life.

Exercise does not have to be drudgery

I have to admit, getting on the treadmill is not really my cup of tea. Walking on a belt going nowhere is, in my book, boring. If that was my only option, it would be drudgery. In order to be consistent in exercise, you have to find people, equipment, and types of exercise that you look forward to.

There are so many options that are available in the gym or fitness facility or just in the plain outdoors. Even playing golf is a reasonable level of exercise if you walk rather than ride a golf cart. The typical golf course is 6,500 yards. That's just short of 4 miles for 18 holes if you only walked in straight lines from tee to green. Even the best of golfers hit the ball left or right of center. Tiger Woods might be walking closer to 4 miles, but the average golfer like me is going to walk more than 5 miles (and lose a few balls along the way).

You have to decide what exercise type would be enjoyable and even fun. I am best when I mix in some competitive games in my exercise routine. I played the professional racquetball tour for about four years. I cut my teeth on one-on-one competition. I don’t play racquetball anymore because I would certainly not be as good as I once was, so I play squash instead. It’s a better workout aerobically. My heart rate is more sustained because the rallies are longer than in racquetball. My competitive juices still flow, and my heart gets strengthened all at once.

When it comes to exercise, there is no right or wrong, only right or wrong for you. Know what motivates thyself.

Using common sense

Before your motivation gets way ahead of your current physical condition, check with a few experts. Start by going to get a complete physical from your physician. Then discuss what an appropriate exercise program might be for you given your present physical condition and goals.

At least see a personal trainer to have them design an exercise program that encompasses both cardio and resistance training. If you feel the need for an extra push, hire them for a handful of sessions to get your started. They can teach you the right techniques for lifting weights so that you can avoid injury and work your muscles more effectively. You might even enjoy the experience of having a coach and continue working with them.

Common sense in an exercise routine comes from two primary things: We must find a good balance and then listen to our bodies. We need to balance our time so that we can accomplish fitness as well as our other goals in life. We have to find the balance between good, sensible exercise levels and not overdoing things to the point where we injure ourselves, especially when instituting a new routine. Our body tells us when we overextend by being too sore and taking longer than normal to recover. When that happens, give yourself time to rest.

Creating a sustainable program

The key to good health through exercise is not accomplished in a day, a week, or a month. It’s the consistency of activity for a series of months. Once you get that far down the road, you have established new habits and a new lifestyle. Here are a few final tips on exercise:

• It has to be enjoyable or fun. You won’t always feel like grinding it out. There will be days you don’t feel like doing it. Create an environment of fun and variety in your exercise routine.
• Exercise enough times per week. Most people need to see results in their exercise regimen. To achieve progress and results, we have to exercise four times per week. Five is better. Think about it this way: If you went out this afternoon and ran 10 miles, but then you wait another week and run another 10, would you see significant health benefits? Not really. If you took those same 10 miles but ran 2 miles per day for 5 days and then repeated that routine next week, would the health benefits be more? It’s the same 10 miles per week. I think we all know the answer.
• Develop specific exercise habits. You need to create a routine, like doing the activity of your choosing every morning before work. Or you can skip lunches at work and go for a walk or run. Or make appointments with your buddies to meet regularly at the gym. Physical activity has to be a part of your schedule, just like picking up the kids from school or attending your weekly status meeting at work.

Find your rhythm

I discovered my rhythm a number of years ago through monitoring my energy levels and stamina. I hit a wall at about 13 weeks without taking an extended break. I could maintain a high productivity pace for 13 weeks with weekends off. When I hit 13 weeks, my energy, effectiveness, and intensity drop like a rock, and fast. If I was out for 15 or 16 weeks from my last vacation or break, I was a shell of my former productive self. I might be at the office in body, but my mind, energy, and especially intensity were all lacking.

In this discovery, I tracked how many days off I needed to recharge fully. I found out it wasn’t a full week but 5 days. That was enough time off for me to come back rested, recharged, and raring to go.

We all have a rhythm to our energy levels and ideal work patterns. I know you might not be able to take off that amount of time from your job, but you do need to know your personal rhythm of life. You might be able to go at higher intensity for longer and need less downtime than I do. My 13 weeks shouldn't be your benchmark. The most important thing is for you to discover your unique pattern.

Sleep is all it’s cracked up to be

We all require a certain amount of sleep. Our bodies are actually hard at work when we are sleeping. The brain is creating essential chemicals; muscles repair themselves after the stress of exercise. We all have responsibilities and deadlines that sometimes require us to burn the candle at both ends. For example, as I write this chapter, it’s 11:38 p.m., about two hours past my normal bedtime.

We all have different levels of sleep required for our health and well-being. If we deprive ourselves of our proper amount of sleep for a few nights, or even a few weeks, we open ourselves up to sickness. We are more fatigued and prone to mistakes and errors. Our energy level is reduced, and our irritability is increased.

Certainly, you should have a consistent daily rhythm of going to bed and waking up at the same time. The avenue to success and success habits is through consistency of routine.

I am certainly looking forward to tomorrow when I will be back to my normal routine. Goodnight!