Category: Relaxation

September 3, 2018

The Shovel will Fail You in Obesity, Finances & Life

A few years ago, my family and I set out to build a pond.

I have always loved Koi and the serenity of a Koi pond in my own back yard was very enticing. I spent about a year planning my design and the location. I dreamed of a serene evening after a very long, hectic day seeing patients relaxing beside the pond. The sound of trickling water, the occasional splash from fish, the cool breeze passing over the mist from a water-fall would sooth my soul after a busy day in the office.

I envisioned the perfect area. An unused access path, previously worn by the previous owner with truck and trailer traffic, beside my now expanded patio. Twenty feet wide, thirty feet long and four feet deep. . . that seems just perfect.

I pulled out my shovel and set about digging. Eager to begin and filled with the energy of the final product, I set to digging. What could be so hard about digging my own pond? Think of the exercise I will be getting. Thoughts spurred me on.

Minutes later, chest heaving, face glistening with sweat, I stared in dismay at the ground. All I had to show for my wild digging was a small 1/2 inch dent in the dusty Arizona top soil.

Sonoran Clay

Over time, calcium-carbonate, along with other minerals, accumulates and dissolves into the topsoil of the very arid regions of Arizona Sonoran Desert. It forms a two to three-foot layer of soil called “caliche.” Periodic rains carry the calcium as far as three feet down into the soil, then the water rapidly evaporates in the blistering Arizona heat. This often forms two to three feet of soil that is “literally” harder than concrete.

With tremendous zeal, a great deal of sweat and a round of painful blisters, I broke my third shovel on this impenetrable ground. I realized this was much more difficult than I thought. I pulled out the back-hoe attachment for my small farm tractor. After a few hours and few gallons of diesel fuel later, still very little progress occurred.

Multiple weekends and evenings of digging in the Arizona caliche left me with three broken shovels, a ruptured hydrolic line in my tractor, anger that my expensive back-hoe attachment didn’t work, and only a small dent in the ground near my patio. Even the brute force from the tractor would not budge the clay. I wondered if dynamite would be effective? (My wife would have none of this idea).

With my exuberance quashed, I concluded that this would require much more measured exhuming.

Escape From the Prison

We often imagine, with great delight, the removal or destruction of that which enslaves or imprisons us. We dream that just a little sweat, exertion of a few shovel scoops of dirt and the foundation to our prison of obesity, addiction, debt, and depression are exposed. A few extra scoops and we imagine freedom from that prison cell.

If only I had a jack hammer and a bigger, more powerful scoop, I imagine . . . I could make short work of these manacles that bind me.

But, our manacles and prison cells do not so easily give way.

The failings of our sharpened spades and powerful back-hoes form a new, even stronger fetter – the belief that our prison cell is unbreakable, that our challenge is just too great. These failings usually leave a person cured of any further desire to break free. It quashs the dream and solidifying the depression of stagnation.

The in-fecundity of my shovel, no matter the strength and effort put behind it, was not cause to quit. It was life’s lesson that prisons and shackles often only need a simple tool.

Enter the pick-axe. During this process my wife said, “Honey, why don’t you use the pick in the garage?”

“If my shovel and the back-hoe didn’t work, there was no way I was going to break through this clay with a pick axe.” That was absurd, I thought.

Yet when I humbled myself to try, it was simple. The pick-axe was unpretentious. This simple tool allowed for an almost effortless stroke to a small area of weakness in the caliche. A large flake of soil would pop free with each stroke. The process was repeated.

Scale by scale, the dragon’s flank was exposed. Careful work of the pick-axe began to loosen layer after layer, section after section, pellicle after pellicle. Yes, it was slow work. But, each swing was a small victory.

At each little victory, my heart would leap, the dream would become ever clearer.

Working this magic again and again until finally the specter was weakened enough to pull out the shovel. And, further work, allowed for bringing back the powerful back-hoe, in gratifying scoops.

The excavation that I thought would take two months took me fourteen. But, it was gratifying.

I learned a powerful lesson. Wherever life has pinned you, fettered you or barred you in, put down the shovel, and pick up the pick-axe. Second, if you really listen, your spouse may point out the tool you really need. Don’t be afraid to chip away at it a piece at a time.

Finances

Stop waiting for the sharper shovel or the bigger back-hoe to dig yourself out of your harrowing debt, mega mortgage, or your income dwarfing spending. The jackpot or financial windfall won’t come. While others await the jackpot, put down your shovel and shoulder your pick-axe.

Pick one small debt and begin to pick at it by applying just a little extra each month until it is gone.
Cancel your extra cable, sell the motorcycle and payoff the 21% interest credit card.
If you must, pick up a side-hustle for extra to sharpen the pick.

Once you’ve lifted one flake, chip away at the next. Making progress will make it easier to continue. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, just keep at it.

Marriage

You long for resolution of the apathy, progressive resentment and mutual stalemate that permeates your relationship. You look in vain for the bigger shovel that will uncover the treasure that years of apathy have buried. You long to uncover your dreams and needs that have been covered and hardened under the clay of resentment. The shovel and the back-hoe won’t help you here.

Drop the shovel. Shoulder your pick-axe.

Kiss your wife every time you leave, even if it’s just for a ten minutes to run to the convenience store.
Hold her for five seconds longer every time you hug.
Find a gift you can give her once a week, just because.
Put down your phone and look her in the eyes when she talks to you and listen. Really listen and the flakes of hard clay will unveil the beauty of her soul.
Find a way to praise her every day, even if it is through a simple text.

Health

You long to rid yourself of your addiction to sugar, bread, stress, and sleep deprivation. You’ve tried to scoop them out of your life. You even hired a trainer with some muscle to force you to change. You’ve tried in vain to save yourself from yourself.

Trying to use the shovel here is like trying to use the shovel on steel forged walls of your life’s prison fortress. Forget the shovel. Shoulder your pick-axe.

Start with one meal and make some substitutions. My dietary plan can help you with this.
Go to bed an hour earlier. Really, you’ll be surprised that the focus you have will more than compensate for the hour of lost time in the evening.
Add a quality vitamin to your morning routine.
Take ten minutes and do 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups, then take a 10-minute walk.
Simply remove the “white stuff” from your meals. You will be amazed at the results.
Put down your phone for 30 minutes and read that book you’ve been meaning to read, instead of surfing Facebook.

Grand-standing with your back-hoe doesn’t help you. Just swing the pick-axe once or twice. Simple daily picking with the sharp point weakens the hardest of ground and the prison walls in our lives. It takes time, so be patient.

Find the weak point, apply the pick. Day by day, little by little you will be free.

I’ve been there. I’m with you. Keep me posted on your journey.

If you’re looking for a program that teaches you how to do this, check out my membership site.

February 26, 2018

Dr. Nally’s Twenty Two Tough Truth’s

Sunday’s are my day of rest, . . . if a physician ever really rests? I’m sitting out under the stars very late on this Sunday evening, into the wee hours of Monday morning. (It’s our turn for flood irrigation at 2 o’clock in the morning). But, I appreciate these times of solitude. It is on Sunday’s that I’ve been able to work on twenty two life lessons (tough truths) that make life better. I do my best to treat Sundays as a “sacred” or “holy day,” a day of rest from my temporal labor, to contemplate the word of God, to pray & meditate, to participate in public worship and focus on where I am at in my personal spiritual development.

Yes, I know. I’m a physician; and yet, I believe in God.

No, it is not a contradiction. (I can already see my in-box filling up with agnostic castigation.) Friends of mine claim atheism or agnosticism. Yet in the day to day trenches of life, I find there is no real atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. When it comes down to it, we all worship something. We each have the choice of what we worship. Worship being defined as giving adoration, reverence or homage to someone or something.

We have the choice of worshiping the God, a god (however you may define god), spiritualism, truth, ethical principles, nature, football, money, your body, someone else’s body, power, fame, etc. You and I know this on a basic level, we just have to come to grips with what it is we hold on a pedestal, and to which we “pay homage.”

There comes a point, when one deals with life and death on a daily basis, that a person must question the very existence of God, and come to terms with who or what we actually pay homage. I’ve sincerely asked that question . . . I’ll leave that story for another time.

It’s during my Sunday afternoons, that I’ve been able to contemplate and attempt to re-apply the “tough truths” of life that seem to challenge me. So, instead of sharing some bacon with you this evening, I thought I’d share twenty two of the truths that I am working on improving in my life. (Though . . . they’re almost as good as bacon!)

Twenty Two Tough Truth’s that I’ve Learned & Had to Re-Learn in Life:

There is much about life over which we have absolutely no control. You cannot control everything that happens in life, but you can control how you respond. Your response is your greatest power. “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives, and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” (Russel Nelson)
It’s not about the cards you’ve been dealt, it’s about how you play the hand. (Randy Pausch)
W. C. Fields said, “Smile first thing in the morning and get it over with.” My expectations often make me utterly unhappy. Happiness is letting go of what you assume your life is supposed to be like right now, and sincerely appreciating it for everything that it actually is.
In mortality, we will always be incredibly imperfect. If you wait until you’re perfect before you share your stories, ideas, talents and gifts with the world, no one will ever hear from you.
A moment spent worrying is a moment wasted. Worrying will NEVER change the outcome. Do more, worry less. Train your mind to see the lesson in EVERY situation, and then make the very best of it. Liberating ourselves from our fears, automatically gives people the ability to do the same around you.
The best lessons often come from the very hardest days. If you are having a hard day, stand strong, there is a lesson here. Sometimes you have to experience a low point in life to learn a good lesson you couldn’t have learned any other way.
Success easily gets to our heads, and failure easily gets to our hearts. Our true character is usually revealed at our highs and lows. Be humble at the mountain top, steadfast in the valley’s and faithful in between.
We often confuse being busy with being productive. What you pay attention to grows. So, focus on what truly matters and let go of what does not. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” (Jim Rohn)
More money left un-managed just creates more problem. Yes, we need money to live. Earn it. Save it. Invest it. But, avoid spending money you haven’t earned, to buy things you don’t need, to impress folks you don’t even know. Manage your money so it doesn’t end up managing you.
Most of us don’t need more to be happy – we need less. When things aren’t adding up in life, begin subtracting. Life gets much simpler when you clear away the physical and mental clutter that makes it complicated.
Our fancy gadgets (phones, computers, tablets, radios, etc.) often get in our way and dehumanize us. We all need to learn to be more human again. Don’t avoid eye contact. Don’t hide behind the gadgets. Smile often. Ask about people’s stories . . . And, then, listen.
We don’t always get what we give. You will end up sadly disappointed if you expect people will always do for you as you do for them. Not everyone has the same heart you do.
Most arguments we have with one another are pointless. Be selective in your battles. Peace in this moment may be better than being right. You actually don’t need to attend every argument into which you’ve been invited. “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every barking dog.” (Winston Churchill)
I’ve never met a strong and confident person with an easy past. Be grateful for your scars. Be thankful for the emotional muscle and physical strength you gain from standing against the winds of life.
The only way to completely avoid pissing people off is to do nothing of importance.
The true definition of “Hell” is to meet the person you could have become on your last day on earth.
Just because you fell off the ketogenic wagon today, doesn’t give you license to drag it into the woods, set it on fire and use the insurance money to buy Twinkies.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” (Mae West)
Ignoring your passion in life creates anxiety. Ignoring the anxiety, creates panic and hopelessness. Never ignore what moves you. Mold your work around the lifestyle that brings you passion, don’t mold your passion around your career.
The human body tends to move more or less in the direction of your expectations. This is why it is so important to know that the attitudes of confidence and determination you feel and hold are just as much a part of your treatment program as medical science and technology.
The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those, who in times of great moral crises, maintained their neutrality. (paraphrased from Dante Alighieri)
A man would do well to carry a pencil in his pocket, and write down the thoughts of the moment. Those thoughts that come unsought after in the moment are commonly the most valuable, and should be secured by recording them, . . . because they seldom return. (Brigham Young)

Over the years, I’ve carried a leatherbound little notebook with me and I write down thoughts or quotes I hear into that little note book. Among these thoughts and quotes I’ve collected, I’ve found that on Sundays, I can let my mind chew on them.

One of the things that I’ve learned over the years is that observing a weekly “day of rest,” or “holy day,” is that this behavior is one of the most important safeguards to health and wellness. I’ve learned this from my personal experiences during periods when I didn’t observe the “day of rest” and periods where I have closely guarded that “day of rest.” I’ve found that observing the Sabbath has truly become a “delight” as spoken of by the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah.

Science Demonstrates Importance of Day of Rest

What is fascinating, is that science has recently demonstrated how this works. In early 2000, Marcus Raichle from Washington University demonstrated that the human brain demands 20 percent of the body’s energy and uses only 5-10 percent more when solving calculus problems, reading a book (or this blog post, for that matter) or writing a letter. However, they noticed that some areas of the brain became notably less active when concentrating on a mental challenge, but fired synchronously when laying flat in an MRI scanner, allowing their thoughts to wander (1).

This was confirmed by a number of other researchers who noted that there was a coordinated communication between diverse areas of the brain when people were “resting.” This mysterious coordination between different parts of the brain during “daydreaming” has become known as the default mode network (DMN). In the last few years, we’ve learned there are actually five different “resting state networks” that coordinate vision, hearing, movement, attention & memory. However, the DMN is the most researched and appears to be the most important.

Dr. Immordino-Yang reviewed the research on the DMN and found that downtime is an opportunity for the brain to make sense of what it has recently learned. It is during this “day of rest” that the mind coordinates unresolved tensions, conversations we had earlier in the week, re-writing verbal blunders, and practicing standing up to those that intimidate us. Our minds shuffle through the neglected to-do lists and post-it notes on the mental refrigerator of our brain, searching for solutions and answers. It moves back and forth through childhood scenes and futuristic adult hopes and dreams. It is during this time that our brain looks at the moral connotations of our performance with others (3).

Other research demonstrates that the mind solves very tough problems during this period of rest and day-dreaming. You may have experienced something like this when you solve a problem while in the shower. (I hate to admit it, but many of my problems get solved in the shower.) When the mind isn’t actively working or learning something new, it can accumulate, memorize and rehearse recently learned skills, actually transcribing them onto new brain matter (4). Recent research demonstrates that this recording of new memory and skill, called “sharp-wave ripples” actually occurs more often during “rest periods” than during sleep (5).

Meditation and the Day of Rest

Meditation and/or prayer have been shown to strengthen connections between regions of the DMN. Those that observe a day of rest with meditation develop a more intricate wrinkled cortex, the outer layer of the brain that gives us the ability to perform abstract thought and introspection. Meditation appears to increased both the volume and density of the hippocampus, the area of the brain essential for memory storage and the frontal cortex that allows us to control or rein in emotions. Fascinatingly, meditation and observance of a “day of rest” slows the natural “wilting” of the brain regions required for sustained attention that normally withers as we age (6, 7, 8, 9).

How soon does observing a rest day or “keeping the Sabbath” become effective? A number of studies show that noticeable changes occur within a couple of weeks. More importantly, daily meditation has been show to be more effective in the long run than the total hours of meditation over one’s lifetime (10,11).

As a physician and a clinical hypnotherapist, I personally use and recommend daily meditation. If you want a free copy of my self-guided meditation program for relaxation and weight loss, CLICK HERE.

Now, what I want to know, is does bacon intake during the rest day have any effect on the hippocampus, frontal cortex or wrinkle cortex? I guess we’ll have to wait for that research to be completed. In the mean time, check out my membership page to see what we do know about the use of fat and cholesterol does to help attention and energy.

References:

1. Raichle ME, MacLeod AM, Snyder AZ, Powers WJ, Gusnard DA, Shulman GL. “The maturing architecture of the brains default network.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jan 16; 98(2):676-82.

2. Moussa MN, Steen MR, Laurienti PJ, Hayasaka S. “Consistency of Network Modules in Resting-State fMRI Connectome Data” PLOSone. 31 Aug, 2012. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0044428.

3. Immordino-Yang MH, Christodoulou JA, Singh V. “Implications of the Brain’s Default Mode for Human Development and Education.” Perspectives on Psychological Science. 29 Jun, 2012. 7(4): 352-364.

4. Payne, JD. “Learning, Memory, and Sleep in Humans.” Sleep Medicine Clinics. Mar 2011. 6(1):15-30. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1556407X10001220.

5. Perlow LA, Porter JL. “Making Time Off Predictable – and Required.” Harvard Business Review. Oct 2009. https://hbr.org/2009/10/making-time-off-predictable-and-required.

6. Zeidan F, Johnson SK, Diamond BJ, David Z, Goolkasian P. Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: Evidence of brief mental training.” Consciousness and Cognition. Jun 2010. 19(2): 597-605. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810010000681#]

7. Luders E, Kurth R, Mayer EA, Toga AW, Narr KL, Gaser C. “The unique brain anatomy of medication practitioners: alterations in cortical gyrification.” Front Hum Neurosci. 29 Feb, 2012. online. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00034/full

8. Pagnoni G, Cekic M. “Age effects on gray matter volume and attentional performance in Zen meditation.” Neurobiology of Aging. 28(10): 1623-1627. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458007002436

9. Luders E, Toga AW, Lepore N, Gaser C. “The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter.” Neuroimage. 15 Apr 2009. 45(3) 672-678. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184843/

10. Chiesa A, Clati R, Serretti A. “Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neurpsychological findings.” Clinical Psychology Review. 1 Dec 2010. 31: 449-464. http://psy.fgu.edu.tw/web/wlchou/perceptual_psychology/class_pdf/Advanced%20Perceptual/2011/2011week15_HaoChen_paper.pdf

11. Chan D, Woollacott M. “Effects of level of meditation on experience on attentional focus: is the efficiency of executive or orientation networks improved?” J Altern Complement Med. 2007. Jul-Aug. 13(6): 651-657. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17718648.

August 8, 2017

Keto Happy – Do You Live A Life of Happiness?

Founded by the Secret Society of Happy People in 1999, August 8th was officially named the National Day of Happiness. It was a day created to recognize and express happiness. (I personally think it should involve the sharing of bacon, but some may disagree.) Most people, whether they admit it or not, are searching for happiness. (Most people are searching for bacon, too, . . . but that is for another article.) We hope for happiness, we aim for happiness, and we wish happiness upon our family, friends and neighbors at holidays and birthdays. It appears to be a desired condition of the soul.

In medical school, we learn that the body is almost 80% water. One of my professors intelligently quipped, “if you’re unhappy all day, that means you are essentially a cucumber with anxiety.” For many people, happiness is really hard to find. Money is hard to find . . . but, that’s because it gets wasted by people trying to find happiness

What exactly is happiness? It is a transient condition or state of cheerfulness, contentment, satisfaction or pleasure. Many people mistake meaningfulness as happiness. Meaningfulness to one’s life is more enduring. For example, suddenly having a wind-fall of cash may make you happy for the short term. However, what you actually do with that cash over the next few days, months and years is what brings degrees of meaning to your life.

Basics of Happiness

Happiness is based upon your emotional & spiritual vision, and how living your life aligns with the principles you hold most valuable. You can’t control all of the circumstances of your life. Things both good and challenging will happen to you that you never expected. However, you have control of your own happiness. You and I are the architects of it.

In working with a majority of patients who are over 65 years old, I have found that the older we get, the more we look back and realize that external circumstances don’t really matter or determine our happiness. We determine our happiness.

How do we increase our level of happiness? There are 10 Simple Steps to Happiness:

1. Improving Health

As a doctor, I’m a huge advocate of improving your health which plays a dramatic role in happiness. Losing as little as 10 lbs has been shown to improve energy, decrease your risk for major disease, improve sleep, improve sex life, and decrease inflammation. Improvements in any of those areas will reduce stress and anxiety and increase happiness so you can imagine while improvements in ALL of these areas could dramatically change your life.

As an advocate of the ketogenic lifestyle, I’ve found that the majority of my patients are able to lose 5-15 lbs each month for the first three months using this approach. They average 2-5 lbs pf weight reduction each month there-after while following a ketogenic approach over the long term. Understanding that this is one of the long term keys to success in happiness I want to make sure you know that I’ve developed some custom strategies to help with this and will share them with you below. This lifestyle decreases risk for diabetes by 75%, improves mental clarity, and slows the aging process. (Who wouldn’t want those side effects while eating bacon?)

2. Savor Daily Experience

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

First, savor the daily experiences. We live our lives at such a high speed, we often neglect to take time to enjoy the experiences around us. A recent trip in down town Amarillo, Texas, brought me to the front doors of a restaurant that served cream-cheese & sausage stuffed, bacon wrapped, jalapenos (try saying that 5 times fast). I had a bit of time and decided to try them. It was the first time in 3-4 days that I actually had the chance to slow down and savor the place around me, the flavors of the food, and the atmosphere of the restaurant.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno’s & Happiness

Just taking a bit of time to savor these things made this experience a very memorable and happy experience that I probably won’t soon forget.

Take 3-5 minutes today to just think about where you are. Savor the smell of a rose, the color of the sky, the shape of the clouds or the sight of a bird. These sensory images can, and will, leave indelible memories and release dopamine and serotonin naturally in the brain. Savoring the daily experiences of life can be part of the process of meditation we will talk about below.

3. Volunteer

Get involved and volunteer in meaningful activities around your neighborhood, church & community. Research shows that voluntarily giving of time increases happiness in the giver. It also allows one to see, participate with and help those around you who may be less fortunate. Volunteering your time and energy regularly increases your gratitude we will discuss further below.

4. Express Gratitude

Expressing gratitude daily has been shown to dramatically increase your sense of well-being and happiness. Expressing gratitude requires awareness. It requires you to take inventory of everything around you (something you will already be doing if you are savoring your daily experiences). Gratitude can be expressed in a journal, through prayer & meditation, or directly to those around you. However, expressing gratitude requires effort.

In the Judaeo-Christian view, expressing gratitude is actually a method of expressing faith. The 17th chapter of Luke holds a biblical example of this concept. When the leper returned to express his thanks to Jesus Christ for being healed, he wasn’t told “Your gratitude made you whole.” Christ told him, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” He implied that the act of expressing gratitude is a demonstration of faith, a necessary and essential process in human development.

5. Recognition of Personal Value

I’m not talking about your bank statement or personal financial statement. I’m talking about recognizing the value of your soul. The only successful non-medication based program to help people overcome addiction is the 12-Step Program through Alcoholics Anonymous. The essential second step of the twelve is recognition that a power greater than ours is involved in our lives. Whether, you believe in God or a greater universal power, recognition of your value is an essential perspective to gaining happiness. This has been demonstrated thousands of times through the 12-Step Programs.

Often, the feeling we have of our personal worth is based on the love and interest we receive from those around us. Yet, this love is sometimes lacking. The love of men is often imperfect, incomplete, or selfish. What if you looked at yourself with the same benevolence, love, and confidence that God does? Imagine the impact it would have on your life to understand your eternal potential as God understands it. If you could view yourself through His eyes, what influence would that have on your life? Recognition of this principle is essential to making any lasting change.

6. Become Who You Are

The celebrated Greek poet, Pindar, said, “Become who you are.” Isn’t this a paradox? How does one become who they already are?

Many of my and the younger generations grew up to the sounds and images of The Lion King. You probably remember the scene where Simba receives a visit from his father, Mufasa, the deceased king. After his father died, Simba fled from the kingdom because the guilt he felt about his father’s death. He wanted to escape his responsibility as heir to the throne.

His father appears to him and warns him: “You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life.” Then this invitation is repeated several times: “Remember who you are. … Remember who you are.”

Simba, completely shaken by this experience, decides to accept his destiny. He confides in his friend, the shaman monkey, that it “looks like the winds are changing.”

The monkey replies, “Change is good.”

And Simba says: “But it’s not easy. I know what I have to do. But going back means I’ll have to face my past. I’ve been running from it for so long.”

“Where are you going?” the monkey asks him.

“I’m going back!” cries Simba.

(This is also a great movie because of the “bacon references:”)

Admit it. You smiled didn’t you!

7. Meditation

Meditation and prayer have been shown to actually change areas of the brain that relate to stress management and mood regulation. People who meditate regularly over long periods of time have better ability to find and maintain positive states like joy and compassion. Richard Davidson and his colleagues found that meditation increases brain activity in areas related to happiness as well.

8. Relationships

Happiness has been linked to quality relationships as well. Robert Wallinger, psychiatrist at Harvard University, conducted a 75 year multi-generational study on happiness. He found that the quality of the relationships was powerfully connected to happiness. Lonely people were less happy and had poorer health. People with higher-quality relationship or social ties were the happiest.

However, it wasn’t just having a relationship, but having one with a stable and consistently caring person that made the difference. Having lots of acquaintances or being in a relationship with an unreliable or abusive partner did not make people happier. Amazingly, listening (savoring shared experiences) and complimenting (expressing gratitude) improve the quality of relationships. (Sharing your bacon improves relationships as well.)

9. Food

A number of studies have demonstrated that a ketogenic diet increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a key neuro-hormone signaling satiety and pleasure, in the brain. GABA increases sensations of happiness and euphoria. (Yes, this is why eating bacon makes you and I happier. It’s probably why the thought of bacon in the video above made you smile.) Shifting into a ketogenic state at least periodically has the effect of increasing your sense of happiness throughout the day. It is actually the ketone that does this. Whether you get into ketosis through diet alone, or through the use of exogenous ketones, both methods are effective in aiding you in your quest for happiness.

10. Allow Others to Help

I know you are probably familiar with the term it is better to give than receive but did you know there is evidence to support the reverse is true too? That happiness also comes from allowing others to help? Think about it. When you are helping others, especially when they appreciate it, you feel happiness or joy. Others experience those same feelings when they are able to help you. Think of a child that wants to make you a meal. No matter what it looks like when it gets to you, you smile and feel happy at the effort, the child smiles back proud at their success. There is happiness in giving and receiving.

So today’s your chance to receive. As a doctor, I find myself shying away from sharing this information with you directly because I never want anyone to feel like my efforts are about me. I’ve spent years learning and understanding the benefits of a Ketogenic lifestyle and spent additional years researching products that work and my local patients are experiencing tremendous results! A friend told me that not sharing this information with people directly was actually being selfish. (Ouch!) “When you know someone has a problem that you can solve, shouldn’t you share it and let them make their own decisions?”

Although that was painful to hear, it helped me commit to being more direct about how I can help all of you to feel better. If you are ready to change the way you feel and want to live a happier, healthier life, the time is NOW. Put these 10 steps in action and enjoy the benefits of a KetoLifestyle. If you want to know more about what I do, keep reading my blog, join my weekly newsletter and watch me Live Stream every week on Facebook Live & Periscope giving you free tips and tricks to stay healthier. If you know you are ready for a change, and you want to see how I can help, check out the variety of Ketogenic programs I offer to help you find the Happiness inside You! Because we all love gifts and they make us Happy, in honor of #NationalHappinessDay, you should see a pop up here for something special! ] Be sure to click here to go to the Keto Kart and cash in on better health!

However you decide to approach your day today, choose to be happy. It really is up to you.

June 24, 2015

Aquaponics Koi & Duck Pond . . . Amazingly Clear Water – A Ketogenic Gardener's Dream

This aquaponics stuff is amazing! Came home today to crystal clear water. Even with 9 ducks and 11 fish in the pond, the two lightly planted grow beds and the bogs have cleared up the water with amazing speed. The algae has disappeared even in direct sunlight and temperatures in the 112-114 degree range over the last week.

So, in celebration of nature attaining pond water clarity in just two weeks, I added three more beautiful Koi.

It is fascinating how very calming it is to my soul to sit by the pond and watch the ducks & fish. It appears that a nearby hive of bees is using the pond for a water supply as there is always at lease 5-10 little honey bees driking at the water’s edge. I’ve seen dragon flies come by daily. What amazes me is that I’ve now seen more hummingbirds, cardinals and wrens in the last week than I’ve seen all year. My dogs love it and in the 114 degree weather, wading your feet in the water is so very refreshing.

You can see the progress of this pond over the last 9 months here at The Doc & The Horse.

Now to begin planting my leafy green veggies . . .