As the summer months quickly approach, we begin to reminisce on the fun memories of summers past. The increased opportunities for moments in the sunshine can be exciting for some, but overwhelming for others.
In this article I will be covering, “The 12 Master Principles of a Vital Life” as listed in the “Unleash The Power Within” manual by Tony Robbins. As many of you are aware, Tony Robbins gets the best experts in the field to collaborate with him on many of his projects, seminars and businesses. So although this is from a Tony Robbins book, it is his compilation of information from the best experts in the different fields of health and well-being. Please check with your healthcare professional before starting any diet or exercise program.
Eight of the 12 principles are titled “The 8 Gifts” and four of the 12 principles are called “The 4 Poisons” (Tony Robbins’s wording). We will start with “The 8 Gifts” first.
The 8 Gifts
1. The Power of Vital Breathing & Lymphasizing
“Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. There is no single more powerful – or more simple – daily practice to further your health and well-being than breathwork.” – Andrew Weil, MD
Power Breathing is done by following a simple ratio of inhalation-holding-exhalation of the breath. The ratio recommended is 1:4:2 or 2:8:4 or 3:12:6 or 4:16:8. Find a ratio that is comfortable for you and do this 10 times (10 breaths of inhalation-holding-exhalation) upon first waking up and then 2 more times throughout the day. Proper breathing also helps to move the lymph fluid around the body which is a important component to vital health!
2. The Power of Living Water and Live Foods
Different doctors recommend different levels of pure water intake. Many agree that drinking half you body weight in ounces of pure water daily is optimal. So that would mean that a person who weighs 150 lbs would ideally drink 75 ounces of pure water per day. It is recommended that 70% of your diet should consist of live, water-rich foods. This is recommended for optimal health and cleaning of your body. The typical American diet consists of only 15% water-rich foods.
3. The Power of Healthy Fats and Oils
Every cell in your body requires healthy fat – your brain is 60% fat!
Fats and oils to avoid – margarine, processed butter, processed cheese, vegetable oils, shortening, fried foods, seed oils.
Life-Sustaining Fats – High quality omega-3 supplements, nuts and seeds such as flaxseed, chia seed, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, olive oil, avocado fruit and avocado oil, fish oils.
Many fat-free products are not very healthy - it is important to read labels for sugar, chemicals, starches, artificial flavorings and preservatives.
4. The Power of Alkalinity – Go Green
Virus, bacteria and cancer cells cannot flourish in a body system that is alkaline! You can alter the alkalinity of your body system (blood, lymph, water in your body, water in your cells) by what you eat.
Alkaline-Forming Foods – all green vegetables, many types of fruit such as lemon, lime, melon, mango, papaya, fig, many types of non-green vegetables and beans such as cauliflower, navy beans, soy beans, and the nuts listed in number 3 above.
Acid-Forming Foods – almost all animal products including dairy and cheese, almost all white food including all bread and pastry, sugar, coffee and alcohol.
Are most of the foods you eat acid-forming or alkaline-forming foods?
5. The Power of Movement And Aerobic Energy
Everyone knows the benefit of movement and exercise! It is one of the most highly researched components of health and has been documented time and time again that movement and exercise is critical in order to have all systems of the body working optimally. And movement and exercise may be for better fitness – the physical ability to perform athletic activities. Whatever is your goal, consult with your healthcare professional and start today!
6. The Power of Maximum Nourishment: Five Healthy Tips
Drink water before or after eating – not during your meal. Drinking liquids during your meal dilutes the digestive acids in your stomach which can lead to improper digestion.
Properly combine your foods – eat fruits 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal
Practice mindful eating – eat in a relaxed state. Taste, chew and savor your food.
Eat a comfortable amounts of food – poor portion control is a major cause of gaining weight. Never eat to a “stuffed” state. Tune in and listen to your body and stop eating when comfortably full, even if there is food left on your plate. As a very rough guide – many doctors and nutritionists say that what you can hold in the palm of both hands is enough food for one meal.
Eat organic – eat foods that are free of GMOs, pesticides, fungicides, antibiotics and growth hormones.
7. The Power of Structural Alignment and Maximum Strength
This is certainly directly related to number 5 above - movement and aerobic exercise. Our bodies were designed for movement. If we have pain when we move, we should see a healthcare professional so we can decrease or eliminate the pain so movement is enjoyable once again. Sitting for long periods of time is hard on the body, particularly the back. Get up and move around frequently and comfortably stretch. Yoga is also a mild and gentle way to strengthen your core muscles while helping to increase flexibility.
8. A Directed Mind and Heart
Be Aware – constantly stand guard at the door of your mind. Focus your thought on what you want, not on what you do not want. Do not worry about what may possibly happen in the future. Remember that worry is in the imagination, it is sort of like praying for what you don’t want to happen.
Cultivate and flood yourself with positive emotions about what you want. The way to create anything is by using directed thought with positive emotions attached to that thought. This is why goal setting and writing down your goals is so powerful!
When stress does happen – it is inevitable that stresses will regularly happen. Many people fear these future stressful situations. However, there are some very specific things you can do to lessen the fear and also decrease the time of the stressful situation. The ways that help in stressful situations is very unique for each individual - but conscious breathing almost universally helps all who practice it at stressful times. It is very valuable to have ways you know will help you in those situations, it may be taking a walk or jog, talking to a trusted friend/partner, spending time in nature, spending time with pets, etc..
The 4 Poisons We Should Avoid
Poison 1 – Eliminate or Dramatically Reduce The Poison of Processed Fats
Processed fats, hydrogenated fats or trans-fatty acids are human made fats – made by adding hydrogen to a liquid vegetable oil and then adding pressure to make a stiffer fat like the fat found in Crisco. Much research has clearly proven that these types of fats raise cholesterol which increases the risk of heart attack. Plus they affect proper circulation, proper elimination and increase toxicity in the body.
Seed oils, sometimes referred to “tropical oils” such as sunflower oil, palm seed oil, cottonseed oil have recently been proven to cause inflammation in the body. Many doctors are pointing to inflammation as the primary cause of many degenerative diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer’s disease. The importance of looking up and researching for yourself, the effects of seed oils in the body cannot be stressed enough. Sadly, almost all fast food is made with seed oils.
Poison 2 - Eliminate or Dramatically Reduce The Poison of Animal Flesh
Processed meats have been listed as a class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Yikes! Animal products are acid-forming foods.
Healthful Suggestions:
Reduce your consumption of red meat.
Combine your meat portion with lots of water rich foods.
Choose meat from clean sources – such as free range, grass fed, kosher, antibiotic and hormone free and organic.
Seafood – avoid farm raised fish. Fish lower on the food chain (like maceral and sardines) typically have lower levels of mercury.
Poison 3 - Eliminate or Dramatically Reduce The Poison of Dairy Products
Dairy products are acid-forming foods.
Dairy products can cause or worsen acne and other skin issues as well as cause bloating and gas in many people.
Dairy intolerance is one of the most common food sensitivities and can lead to weight gain, Insulin resistance and osteoporosis (due to its acidity).
Healthful Suggestions:
Eat more plant based foods or switch to a plant based diet.
Swap cow’s milk for coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk.
Ensure that you are consuming enough of vitamin D and K so you can absorb and assimilate calcium.
Poison 4 - Eliminate or Dramatically Reduce The Poison of Acid-forming Products
Healthful Suggestions:
Remove or dramatically reduce coffee and caffeine from your diet.
Remove or dramatically reduce processed sugar from your diet.
Remove or dramatically reduce processed, fast food and white foods from your diet.
Remove or dramatically reduce alcohol from your diet.
Stop smoking. The smoke from cigarettes have many toxic chemicals and is very acid-forming in the body.
There you have Tony Robbin’s “12 Master Principles of A Vital Life!” As always, please consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet or exercise program. I hope this information helps you to live a more healthy life
