Energeia

10/10/2017

The Koi Fish Metaphor
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates
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Did you know that Koi Fish determine how big they get based on the size of the pond that they live in? The bigger their world, the bigger they grow.

Human beings are no different, only the size of our world is perceived through our very advanced brains. The walls of our pond are really just a collection mindsets, perceptions, & beliefs about the world.

There was a time when we could only perceive the world being flat – it’s what our eyes told us – until advances in astronomy expanded our ability to perceive. Now the world is round.

Another kind of perception is self-perception - beliefs about who you think you are. If you see yourself as un-athletic than you are likely to avoid people, books, & activities that would help you be athletic. You then create a Koi Fish pond that doesn’t allow you to grow into becoming an athletic fish.

You might even keep this belief about yourself alive by referencing a list of past experiences of being awkward and clumsy. This keeps you safe and comfortable; after all, who enjoys feeling awkward and clumsy?

The words you use to describe yourself and what you believe to be possible or capable of, play a powerful role in the human mind. As the saying goes, “Whether you think you can or cannot, you are right.”

A game you might want to play – a game of deep inner discovery – is to write down what you are afraid of, what scares you, & what makes you uncomfortable. Your list = the walls of your Koi Fish pond. When you lean into these walls – actually do what you do not want to do - you will discover whether your walls are made of concrete or more like the water particles of a rainbow.

“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to Truth.”
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PS. Who says a horror movie or haunted house are the only way to enjoy the thrill of feeling alive inside your body :)

11/22/2016

Think your doctor can help you prevent disease? Think again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxhQquRvZ1w

Get the book here: http://amzn.to/2eDRoyP Get any FREE audiobook of your choice here: http://audibletrial.com/fightmediocrity If you want a suggestion for th...

06/23/2016

In the world of nutrition, most people want to know what the ideal way to eat is. Often, what is expected from this inquiry are the following:

(1) What is the ideal number of meals to eat per day?

(2) What is the ideal distribution of macros (Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats)?

(3) Which foods are “good” and which are “bad?"

By and large, most nutrition professionals take this underlying belief in an ideal way as true, resulting in taking sides with a particular diet and set of rules that provide answers to the questions above.

For example, the Paleo diet defines certain foods and even whole food groups as “bad” such as grains, legumes, & dairy. While Paleo-moderates will allow for some leeway in these food groups, there is still a strong sentiment behind these foods being “less than ideal.”

Other diets, like the Vegan varieties, postulate that eating meat and animal products are to be avoided in favor of legumes, grains, & other plants. We see here too, a strong story that creates the world-view that certain foods are intrinsically bad and to be avoided whenever possible.

Assuming there is a best, most ideal way to eat is problematic for 2 reasons.

First, we lose sight of the myriad variety of eating styles and nutritional approaches that exist in the world. Whether these are ignored or positioned as the enemy of sound nutrition, professionals often pick a side (read: diet) because it has either worked well for them or because they only choose to look at the science that supports their initially-believed position. In other words, they first believe diet x is good and then look for the science/evidence to support their position. In both cases, there is a cognitive bias at play that ultimately does clients a big disservice.

Secondly, when we start our nutritional work focused on dietary rules and recommendations we inevitably perpetuate the false belief that there is in fact one ideal way and that said way has a clearly defined set of rules. This isn’t to deny that there aren’t nutritional principles or rules - there are, in fact - but simply, that these principles have a large scope for how they can get applied from individual to individual.

In closing, it is more useful to think of nutrition as having ideal ways (plural) and with that comes an invitation to explore and experiment as opposed to follow and restrict.

This simple re-frame can make all the difference in whether nutrition ends up being ineffective & unpleasant or sustainably effective & pleasurable.

06/14/2016

When it comes to living a fit lifestyle, often times people just focus on the time they spend eating and working out. However, a powerful way to improve your fitness often lies outside these hours. This article illustrates a few practical strategies you can take during these hours which, as it turns out, also makes you more productive. Enjoy:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2016/06/07/why-the-8-hour-workday-doesnt-work/

The eight-hour workday is an outdated and ineffective approach to work. Let go of this relic and try a new, more productive approach.

02/18/2016

A thorough examination of how fat loss actually happens and what "metabolism" should be understood as within the context of losing weight:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/metabolic-damage

There’s a lot of discussion in the fitness industry about whether crash dieting can cause metabolic damage. In this article, we’ll take on this interesting topic and separate fact from fiction. We’ll also teach you exactly why crash diets might be linked to struggling to maintain your weight in the…

02/18/2016

Let go of unproductive beliefs like "healthy food is boring" or "men don't cook." A valuable recipe resource, especially for men.
http://fitmencook.com/no-cheats-needed2/

No Cheats Needed available on Kindle or Paperback > http://amzn.to/1sToDui No Cheats Needed is impactful, yet easy to follow for anyone desiring to ge

02/18/2016

Upgrade your understanding of why you eat when you eat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ogsmh_czeY

(NOTE: This new upload has improved audio; the initial upload had 245 views) BRIAN WANSINK Brian Wansink (Ph.D. Stanford University) is the John Dyson Profes...

02/18/2016

Re-thinking what "hunger" is and where it originates:
https://aeon.co/essays/hunger-is-psychological-and-dieting-only-makes-it-worse?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits

Hunger isn’t in your stomach or your blood-sugar levels. It’s in your mind – and that’s where we need to shape up