Blog post #100 has come, so today I wanted to flash back to the very first post back on December 2, 2016. It sucks, and it's embarrassing, so enjoy:
"It's a Lifestyle"Over the course of the past year, most people who I meet want to know about everything I do to look and feel the way I do. More recently, I have been encouraged by my mentor and celebrity trainer Steve Jordan to share my knowledge and start blogging.
At school, I have been asked countless times by my peers what my “diet” is like on a daily basis, what I do to “workout”, and how I have become so strong mentally to never slip up. The reality is that I do not “diet” and I do not “workout”.
Rather, I nourish myself and I train. I live. I maximize my potential. This is a lifestyle and I am super excited to spread my positive energy and knowledge with all of you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and like us on Facebook!
A review of the first 100 posts:
I can't believe I've been doing this for a whole year and a half. When I first started writing, I viewed it as a burden, and I evidently wasn't any good (my second post was even worse). Now I LOVE writing, and (I think) I've gotten much better (and more candid, real, vulnerable). The central message around my blog has changed several times from post 1 to post 100–we started out with formal, science-based, long articles, then shifted mostly to "motivational and inspirational" short posts, now the past few months have been mostly philosophy and success habits.
What to expect from 101-200:
Well, I'd like to teach people how to start their own blogs at some point in the next 100, so look out for that (if you are interested in this, then express it please). In any case, we'll reach post 200 by the end of 2018, for sure. So, please enjoy, or not.What I'm most excited about are the new contributors I've added to my team, the first of whom you will be introduced to in tomorrow's post (he's been a trainer at the White House, trained Jordan Belfort, Spiderman, and even Arianna Huffington!). These contributors will compensate for my weaknesses (writing about health, fitness, nutrition, and business) in an effort to sustain a more well-rounded blog.Post #2 ↓
The Mind-Body Relationship: A Dancing Act
If you want to maximize your health, realize that the mind-body relationship is real and potent. A very basic example that some may have noticed before is the difference in the amount and odor of sweat when you are stressed versus when you are not stressed. This is no coincidence. According to Pilar Gerasimo on experiencelife.com, the emotions we experience on a daily basis trigger the release of information-containing molecules known as peptides that link up with receptors throughout the body to deliver messages that directly impact our physiology, which is the way a bodily part functions. The power we hold over our physical bodies is simply astounding. We all have the power to heal through positive thinking. Research has shown that breast cancer survivors who practice mindfulness meditation maintain the length of their telomeres – the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes – while they shorten in survivors who do not meditate. It is also widely known that cancer patients with positive outlooks have higher chances of survival than those who take on a defeatist attitude. If you want to heal, you can, you just have to believe it.
Notable physiological changes have been noted in people with depression. It is known that it can weaken your immune system as well as cause various aches and pains. More severe, depression causes blood vessels to constrict, which, in turn, leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, if you’re suffering from depression, you may be wondering, “what can I do?”. The solution is simple: MOVE. Go for a run, go to the gym, use physiology to your advantage to create the positive energy and emotions to dig yourself out of the hole. Movement is medicine for the body and the soul. The mind-body relationship works both ways; Not only can our emotions impact our physiology, but our physiology can impact our emotions. The script can be flipped. It is known that exercising is one of the best treatments for depression. Don’t feel like exercising? Even doing something as simple as smiling inspires feelings of happiness. Make a conscious effort to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. Additionally, the way you move during the course of a day impacts how you feel. Our motions are a guide to our emotions. As Tony Robbins, one of the nation’s leading psychologists, suggests in his book Awaken the Giant Within, we should “create patterns of movement that create confidence, a sense of strength, flexibility, a sense of personal power, and fun.” Ask yourself, “in order to feel this way, how would I walk, talk, and breathe?”
The mind-body relationship and the biochemistry involved is a crazy dancing act. The door swings both ways in terms of emotions and physiology. We all have the power to take control of our lives. We can control how we feel at all times by taking advantage of our own physiology, or, vice versa; we can control our physiology through our emotions. Realize also that you are the source of your emotions and can control them at any time. So don’t worry, be happy, and harness this great power we have been given.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and like us on Facebook!
Onward and upward,
Jordan Paris, NASM CPT
