Natural Physiques Newsletter Volume I Issue 7 September 10th, 2004

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Table of Contents

1. In this Issue
2. Quotes
3. Editorial
4. What's New
5. Stretching: Get Some Movement
6. Percentages
7. Health News
8. The Courage to Take Action
9. Business Development: Expand Your Horizons
10. Closing Thoughts
11. Subscription Information

1. In this Issue

Welcome to the seventh issue of the monthly Natural Physiques™ Newsletter! As always, I welcome you to contact me with your comments, suggestions, and constructive feedback!

Learn about strength in our quotes this month. What is all the current hype about? The Olympics, of course. So in this month's editorial, that is exactly what I'm not going to talk about! Read recent articles we've published and check out our featured calculator in the "What's New" section. An often over-looked aspect of training is stretching. Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiologist (CHEK) certified trainer David Grisaffi offers Stretching: Get Some Movement. A common question I receive, and a highly controversial topic, is what the breakdown or percentage of various macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat, etc.) in the diet should be. Researcher and author Lyle McDonald covers this in his article about Percentages. Our monthly Health News covers several late-breaking nutrition and supplementation topics. Our new contributing author, Brian Tracy, gives a motivational message about The Courage to Take Action. In Business Development, consultant and software developer Tim Coulter discusses how you can Expand Your Horizons - Sell Your Professional Services Through ClickBank.

2. Quotes

When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid. - Audre Lorde

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. - Lao Tzu

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

3. Editorial

Every year in the small town of Sturgis, South Dakota, bikers from around the nation converge to celebrate what is considered “the” motorcycle rally event. The once peaceful main streets that divide the local towns of Lead, Deadwood, Spearfish, Custer, Sturgis, and other locales suddenly become double-parked rows of gleaming metal and roaring engines. For just a few days, leather and tattoos become more common than Ponderosa pines, blue skies, and white-tailed deer.

My family opted to leave town this year and drove to Denver, Colorado. The first part of the week brought us to the highest point one can drive to in the nation (the peak of Mt. Evans) and into beautiful Estes Park for a two-hour horse ride over the Continental Divide. We visited Boulder, Golden and Idaho Springs, among other small suburbs and towns in what was my first visit to the Rocky Mountains as an adult.

One highlight of the week was our trip to the Six Flags park. My children were excited about the various rides – my daughter ran straight to the carousel and pointed to the ferris wheel while my son was drooling over the twisted masses of screaming metal that were unlike any roller coaster I can recall from my youth. As we stepped into the park, however, something in the distance caught my eye. I could see a large, arched structure with ropes dangling from it, and at the end was a person in a harness being pulled into the sky. I watched with fascination as they slowly rose to what must have been the highest point in the park, hung suspended for a brief moment, and then suddenly plunged to the Earth like a slingshot. They swung through the arch, slowed, then like a pendulum spun the other way. I knew instantly that this was something I had to experience.

My son agreed to go with me. We were both excited, and not sure what to expect. The ride began with us being raised on a platform. The harness was fitted to us and connected us to the ropes dangling from the sky. We were knocked forward and felt like the platform was going to smack our faces, but ended up hanging parallel to the ground a good foot away from having our noses smashed. The platform slowly descended, and then we felt the ropes pull and began our ascent.

The ground slowly moved away and I was caught in the experience of what was happening. I was being pulled, with my son, to a height of 162 feet. My wife and daughter sat on a bench and became small specks in the distance. I felt that familiar tug in the pit of my stomach as the ground continued to recede, and found myself in a strange place with an old acquaintance: fear. Fortunately, unlike many situations in life, we were already committed, so there was no talking me out of this opportunity. When we finally stopped moving and heard a cackling voice scream, “3... 2... 1... FLY!!!” on the intercom, I grasped at the rip chord (I want to say eagerly, but it must have been desperately) and pulled.

The first 50 feet of free fall reminded me of two experiences in my life. The tug of the rope, the pull of the harness, all of these reference points disappeared as we felt weightless and the air began whooshing past our ears. We both screamed, first in shock, then excitement, and our fight/flight mechanisms kicked in as the brain tried to process what was unmistakably the ground rushing towards us. At the bottom, the rope suddenly yanked taut and we began an ascent, swinging forward until we reached that frozen moment in time where we were neither rising nor falling. At this brief moment, I looked down at my daughter, now directly beneath us, and smiled as she blew me a kiss.

The first time I had this sensation was when I left home. Like the moment after I pulled the rip cord, I suddenly lost all of my points of reference. No longer would my meals be provided for me. I had to arrange for a place to sleep, and suddenly it was my responsibility to earn a steady stream of income. I felt the same fear and admit my first several months living alone were definitely in free fall.

The second time I had this sensation was when I left corporate American to become a full time entrepreneur. As an adult with a wife and children, entering free enterprise meant taking on a massive responsibility for not just me, but my family as well. It was another moment in fear and the first few months felt like free fall as I adjusted to the new way of life and found my bearings. The old fight or flight reaction took hold once again, in what motivational speaker Jeffrey Combs refers to as “entrepreneurial seizure.”

In retrospect, however, all of these events had one element in common. These were a few key moments in my life when I chose to get out of my head and into my heart. I listened to that feeling deep in my gut and followed it, rather than trying to think myself out of opportunity. I willed myself to cross the line, to pass the point of no return, and pushed fear to the side. I did not get trapped in the past – worrying about times I had failed before – and I did not lose myself to the future, caught in an endless spiral of “what ifs.”

How much of your life are you not experiencing because you fear that point? Just as our quotes this month are about strength, this story is about stepping into your own power to move past fear to the exhilarating experiences that lay beyond. Live life to its fullest and don't fear new experiences – for example, why not choose right now to live fit and healthy?

Jeremy Likness

4. What's New

Member's Gallery

We're happy to announce a new section of our gallery, dedicated to our newsletter subscribers, forum members, and visitors. Success story Jeremy Belter has submitted the first batch of photos, which you can view in our new member pictures gallery. Submission to this gallery is open to everyone, so send me your pictures today!

Featured Calculator:

Post-workout shakes are a common topic of discussion. The debate rages on whether protein or carbohydrate should be the primary focus, if fats should be included, and which brand is the best. Our Post-workout Shake Calculator explains the philosophy that Jeremy Likness adopted and uses, and will estimate the appropriate amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrate to consume following a workout.

Featured Articles

• Natural Physiques proudly welcomes low-carb chef Robyne Arrow to our team of contributing authors - look for some great articles and recipes from her soon
• Author and speaker Brian Tracy brings us articles about Accessing Your Inner Guidance and The Journey to Happiness in our extensive personal development category
• The Head Judge of the World Natural Sports Organization, Daryl Gazey, writes about Playing the Iron Game and shares an article about Self-Formation by professional natural bodybuilder Linda Fredette
• Supplement expert Will Brink clears the air in his article about The Whey It Is (offered as a PDF download)
• Contributing author Christina Chapan gives us a powerful look at the Obesity Oblivion many children today are subjected to
• Clint Phillips is back with a powerful experiment in Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?
• In an article written for and first published at Natural Physiques, I present The Five Keys to Healthy Eating. I also published what I feel is one of my best articles (it first appeared Tom Venuto's newsletter) - The Pursuit of Greatness. You may also read these excerpts from my e-Book: Vision and Food Labels 101
• Regular contributor Tom Venuto covers a very popular topic when he helps you become Supplement Savvy

Forums at a Glance

We have a very active online community dedicated to sharing information and inspiration with each other. The following is a snapshot of some of the discussions our community engaged in during the month of August.

Oliver from Germany

I am Oliver from Germany and just registered on your board. Yesterday I bought your ebook and have just read the first 100 pages.

I think it is the best fitness book I have read so far. (More...)

A question about creatine

I just read your article on Creatrine and was curious as to when I should start looking at adding creatine to my program. I am stll in a cutting phase with 20lbs to go. Should I wait until I reach my goal weight before I start or will creatine help me to reach my goal weight? (More...)

Journal updates

Our journals continue to be a popular and active section of the forums. View updates from several of our members as they quest for fitness and better health!

DietPower

I just downloaded this and I have to admit it's pretty jazzy...

but when I try to enter a custom food, it almost always says that DietPower found a different calorie total based on my inputs. I'm taking them right off a label. Should I tell it to use the software's computations or the one I log off the label? So far today i went off the label instead of using the softwares math. Anyone else have this come up? (More...)

Too much fiber?

i recently read that too much Fiber can be bad because it prevent absportion of zinc, magnesium and a host of other minerals and nutrients. Most articles on the subject say to keep it under 40-50 grams per day. My problelm is I find it very hard to do that and still get enough calories. I'm bulking and I'm trying to eat clean and get 3500 or so calories a day. But cleaner carbs like oats, sweet potatoes fruit and veggies really add up fast in the fiber department. It's almost like I need to eat dirtier if I want to keep my fiber count under 50 grams. Any ideas on clean carbs that aren't high fiber? (More...)

Healthy supplements

I have just started to get into healthy eating and started at the gym.I would like to start taking a good natural suppliment and have heard that spirillina is very good, has anyone taken it before or have any views on it? (More...)

Multivitamins

i have been using natures way alive iron free tablets vitamins for a while now. how do these stack up to the [...] products? (More...)

Personal development

Hi... I was wondering if anyone has done any of AR's stuff? Do you recommend his Unleash the Power Within seminar, Personal Power 2, or to just get his books? I heard that the UPW seminar is good when you are there, but the motivation quickly disappears after you leave. (More...)

5. Stretching: Get Some Movement (by David Grisaffi)

I've been in fitness arena most of my life. I've watched many fitness enthusiasts go from lifting weights and running on a treadmill out the gym door to go home without even a simple stretching session to cool down. This is a strategy that leads to injury. I've trained hundreds of clients from world champion boxers to grandmothers, all have been educated and encouraged to follow a properly designed stretching program. I can go into the all the physiological details from length-tension relationships to joint articulation, but simply we all need to understand stretching and flexibility is a very important component of our well being.

Because of our sedentary lifestyles we have been engaging in for the last 20 years or so our bodies have changed. We sit on our butts watching TV, working at our desks and lack physical movement. We develop poor posture that leads to a lack of flexibility and increase in muscle and joint injuries. Our ancestors did not have the problem that we have because they worked hard all day everyday! They stayed strong and healthy through constant vigorous work. As we have become less active we begin to lose strength and natural movement.

So you ask what does stretching have to do with all of this? Stretching is the link between active movement and subtle movement. Stretching teaches the muscles to prepare for movement. It also aids in the daily transition from inactivity to vigorous activity without injury. To make my case, picture a computer programmer sitting at his or her desk for 7 to 10 hours a day five days a week. This position breeds poor biomechanical alignment and shortened musculature. So after 7 to 10 hours in a chair looking at a computer he or she gets up and runs to the gym for a 30-minute treadmill workout. You start to see the picture?

What I see here is a person on a crash course to injury and fatigue. The component that can help this computer programmer is not the 30-minute treadmill workout, but a 20-minute flexibility\stretching program followed by 10-15 minute session on the treadmill. Ah, you say I need more cardio!

No, you do not ... Did our ancestors run ten (10) miles a day? No, they did not. They sprinted after food and walked to get around the food! Stretching when done correctly feels good. It calms the bodies' nervous system and then prepares it for work. Stretching should be tailored to your particular musculature, resting tension and flexibility. The object is to reduce muscular tension. By reducing muscular tension in our bodies we promote freer movement.

Again stretching exercises can benefit you in many ways. It reduces muscular tension and makes the body feel more relaxed increases range of motion, develops body awareness, promotes circulation, and helps in coordination of the body. You not need to obtain extreme range of motion stability get the benefits from stretching. Going after extreme range of motion reduces joint stability and often leads to injury. Everyone should participate in a daily stretching program. You do not need to be a top athlete or even in great physical condition to begin a stretching program.

When to stretch is up to you. Your schedule will dictate the proper time in your day to stretch. I will advise you to stretch after you have warmed up your body. Some good times to stretch are in the morning before you start your day, the workplace (I advise this to everyone) or at various other times during day. For safeties sake do not stretch when your muscles are cold. The importance of stretching after a strengthening training has been clearly shown in the Swedish study: in strength training of the legs without subsequent stretching exercises, the range of motion of the major joints of the lower extremities remain restricted for two to three days. However, if the muscles in question were stretched immediately after the strength training, the range of motion remained normal. (moller 1981)

I've read numerous books and articles on stretching/flexibility and all contain vast amounts of information. I have put together some new twists on how to make stretching easy and fun. To get started with exercise programs can be complicated and intimidating but a flexibility program is easy. There is no need for any equipment, special clothing or complicated maneuvers. Simply sit back was uncomfortable close in space to unwind and you ready to begin. Following four stretches are formulated to involve all major muscle groups.

Waiters bow

Muscle Group: hamstrings and low back

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Keep your legs straight and stick your buttocks out until you have an arch in your low back. As you bend forward from the hips, Tightest not let your low back round out. Keep the arch in your back at all times. Then for until you feel comfortable stretch on your hamstrings. The stretch may be felt behind the knee or below the buttocks depending on where you are the tightest. Hold the stretch position for 20-30 seconds. Relax and come to an upright standing position for a second or two then repeat the stretch. This process should be repeated at least three times.

Quadriceps stretch

Muscle group: quadriceps

Stand about six inches behind his dirty chair with feet a little less than shoulder width apart and knees straight but not walk. Gently hold the back of the chair for balance or any other sturdy object with your left and. Banding your right knee, lift your right ankle toward your buttocks out keeping your upper leg inline with your lower body, and grass your right ankle in your right hand. Make sure to maintain good posture and slight band in the supporting leg. You'll feel the stretch in the front of your upper leg (quadriceps muscles). Read normally holds stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, and then repeat the stretch with the opposite leg. Repeat the stretch two more times to each leg.

Upper back and shoulder stretch

Muscle group: wrist flexors, rear deltoids, rhomboids and middle trapezes.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, your knees straight but not locked out, your hands clasped in front of you. Rotate your hands so that your calms are facing the ground in then raise your arms to chest height. Slowly and gently press your calms away from your body you'll feel a good stretch in the upper back and shoulders read normally, the stretch for the allotted 20-30 seconds and then repeat two more times.

Arms and back stretch

Muscle group: pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid and wrist extensors.

This is a very important stretch to help reduce rounded shoulders and forward head posture. Stand with your arms at your sides in your feet about shoulder width apart. Extend both arms behind your back and grasp at your wrist with the opposite hand. You may interlock your fingers if possible. Then slowly rotate your elbows back and gently stretch the chest, arms, and shoulders. Breathe normally; hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat two more times.

Frontal Plane side stretch

Muscle group: Internal/External Oblique, Quadratus lumborum, latissimus Dorsi, Tensor fasciae latae

Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Raise your arms above your head. Grasp your hands together. Gently lean to the right and hold the position for 20-30 seconds and repeat to the other side. Breathe normally and repeat two more times.

These are simple and basic stretches for your enjoyment. Give them a try, either at work, watching TV or at the gym. Just remember you should never feel pain, rather it should feel like a gentle pull. Breathe normally throughout the stretch and hold your stretches for 20 or 30 seconds.

Start out with the basic five stretches above and any of you wish to have a more in-depth look at flexibility and stretching I have made available to you a fantastic educational report on stretching and flexibility. The report contains all the essentials for a successful stretching/flexibility program. The report goes into more detail then this article. The report contains common mistakes, ten guidelines for great stretching, special situations, individual stretching, partner stretching, length/tension relationships and dozens of stretches for all parts of our bodies.

Since 1994, David Grisaffi has been an exercise specialist, strength coach and personal trainer, working with all types of people from professional boxers to housewives who want to get rid of cellulite.

David is certified by the International Sports Sciences Association and also by the prestigious Chek Institute as a Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiologist, Health and Lifestyle Coach and Golf Biomechanics Pro. He is one of only 37 trainers in the United States to hold all of these credentials.

David's e-Book, Flatten Your Abs, contains 42 exercises, six levels of workouts (from beginner to elite athlete), and a focus on not just your abdominals, but your entire core (including your lower back). Click here to find out more about this incredible guide that, according to Tom Venuto, is "one source for info on the subject [core training] definitely worth checking out."

6. Percentages (by Lyle McDonald)

Most commonly, when you see diet plans laid out, the intake of the various macronutrients is presented in terms of percentages of total caloric intake. So you might see a diet which was 60% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 10% fat or some other set of percentages. Or you'll see recommendations that '...athletes only need 15% of their calories from protein.' or 'don't eat morethan 30% of your total calories from fat', that sort of thing.

In this chapter, I just want to run readers through the basic calcluations, to show them how they can be used in various ways. In the next two chapters, I'll talk about problems with the use of percentages.

A quick recap on calories

In a previous chapter I gave you the caloric content of the various macronutrients. To save you needless paging, I'll review them here.

Protein: 4 calories/gram
Carbohydrate: 4 calories/gram
Fat: 9 calories/gram
Alcohol: 7 calories per gram

Calculating percentages

With the above values in hand, and using some basic math, we can do several different operations in terms of diet and food analysis. Let's look at each one in turn. I'll give examples but don't read too much into the numbers. They are only examples.

Setting up diets based on percentages

Probably the most common use of methods is to do actual diet set up, to determine how many grams of each nutrient someone will be consuming. Let's say we have a 170 pound male with a maintenance calorie level of roughly 2700 calories per day and let's say we wanted to put him on a diet that was 60% carbohydrate, 20% protein and 20% fat (again, don't read too much into these values, I'm using them for example only). We want to find out how many grams of each nutrient he will be consuming per day.

Step 1: Calculate total calories of each macronutrient
The first thing we'd do is multiply his total caloric intake (2700 cal/day) by the percentages of each macronutrient as this will tell us how many calories will be coming from each nutrient. To convert percentages, just divide by 100 so 20% becomes 0.20, 60% becomes 0.60, etc. The calculations appear below.

Carbohyrate: 2700 * 0.60 = 1620 calories from carbohydrate
Protein: 2700 * 0.20 = 540 calories from protein
Fat: 2700 * 0.20 = 540 calories from fat

Note: It should be obvious that the percentages need to total 100% (or 1.0).

Step 2: Determine total grams from each macronutrient
Now we simply divide the total calories from each macronutrient by the caloric content of each macronutrient. This tells us how many grams of each food our guy will be eating each day.

Carbohydrate: 1620 calories / 4 cal/gram =405 grams carbohydrate
Protein: 540 cal / 4 cal/gram = 135 grams protein
Fat = 540 calories / 9 cal/gram = 60 grams fat per day

So this particular diet, with 2700 calories and 60% carbs, 20% protein and 20% fat yields a diet of 405 grams of carbohydate, 135 grams of protein and 60 grams of fat per day. For the remainder of the diet setup, you'd divide that up across some number of meals including pre- and post-workout, all that jazz.

Working backwards part 1: Determining diet composition

You can just as easily work the math backwards, to determine what percentage of each nutrient a given diet is. Let's say someone was eating 150 grams of protein, 200 grams of carbohyrdate, and 50 grams of fat and we want to find out how many total calories they are eating and what the percentages of the diet are.

Step 1: Determine caloric intake
First you simply mutiply the total grams of each nutrient by the caloric content of that nutrient. That tells you how many calories they are eating each day.

Protein: 150 grams * 4 cal/gram = 600 calories from protein
Carbs: 200 grams * 4 cal/gram = 800 calories from carbs
Fat: 50 grams * 9 cal/gram = 450 calories from fat

From those values, you can calculate total daily caloric intake by simply adding up the numbers.

Total calories = 600 + 800 + 450 = 1850 calories per day.

Step 2: Determine percentage from each nutrient
Now simply divide the calories from each nutrient by the total number of calories being consumed to determine the percentage each nutrient is providing. Multiply the decimal amount by 100 to get the percentage.

Protein: 600 calories/1850 calories = 0.32 * 100 = 32%
Carbs: 800/1850 = 0.43 * 100 = 43%
Fat: 450/1850 = 0.24 * 100 = 24%.

So our example person is consuming 1850 calories per day with 32% from protein, 43% from carbs and 24% from fat.

Working backwards part 2: determining food or meal composition

You can use the identical math above to determine the composition of a given food (based on the food label) or a given meal.

So say you wanted to determine the macronutrient percentages on a food or a meal that contained 10 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of fat.

Step 1: Determine calories from each nutrient
First you'd simply multiply the total grams of each nutrient by the caloric content of that nutrient.

Protein: 10 grams * 4 cal/gram = 40 calories
Carbohydrate: 20 grams * 4 cal/gram = 80 calories
Fat: 9 grams * 9 cal/gram = 81 cal

Although most food labels list the total caloric content, even if they don't, you can easy figure it out by adding up the totals above. This food/meal would contain 201 calories (40 cal + 80 cal + 81 cal).

Step 2: Determine percentages from each nutrient
Now you simply divide the total calories from each nutrient by the total calories in the food.

Protein: 40 calories/201 calories = 0.2 * 100 = 20% calories from protein
Carbohydrate: 80 calories/201 calories = 0.4 * 100 = 40% calories from carbohydrate
Fat: 81 calories/201 calories = 0.4 * 100 = 40% calories from fat

So this food or meal would contain 201 calories, with 20% protein, 40% carbs and 40% fat. Whether those percentages mean anything is the topic of the next chapter.

A note on food labels

Many people become perplexed when they do the math above on food labels and find that the caloric content listed isn't the same as what they calculate. So you might see a food that was listed as containing 212 calories with 10 grams protein, 20 grams of carbs and 9 grams of fat (which, as above, only yields 201 calories). There are a couple of reasons that this happens.

The first is that determining the caloric content of a given food isn't doesn't give perfect values, there is always a little bit of slop. As well, the 4, 9 and 4 cal/g values are rounded values in the first place. Finally, food labels almost always round off the values for protein, carbs and fat grams (for example, a food containing less than 0.5 g of fat can list it as 0 grams of fat). If the food listed above actually contained 10.5 grams of protein (44 calories), 20.5 grams of carbs (84 calories) and 9.5 grams of fat (85 calories), that would make up for the difference in values.

Ultimately, these types of tiny differences are no big deal. Even under the best circumstances, caloric estimates are only estimates and there's always going to be a little bit of slop either direction. We're not doing clinical nutrition here and, as long as it's not excessive, small discrepancies in calore values are nothing worth worrying about.

Now that you know how to do the calculations from last chapter, I want to talk about some of the problems inherent in setting up diets based on percentages. In the next chapter, I'll talk about what I consider a better method and solution to them.

Reviewing basic physiology

On a day to day basis, your body has certain nutrient requirements, a topic which is discussed in detail elsewhere in this book. As described in those chapters, those nutrient requirements are generally related to how much you weigh (or how much lean body mass you have). There are a few exceptions, places where the requirements for a given nutrient are absolute which I'll mention when necessary.

For example, at any given moment, nearly all of the tissues in your body are utilizating some amount of protein for various processes. Your liver, your kidneys, your muscles, your fat cells, your gut are all using protein for protein synthesis and energy needs. Meaning that the more of those tissues you have, the more protein you need; the less of those tissues you have the less protein that you need.

The same goes for carbohydrate and fat. Your body is using energy at some rate (set by your metabolic rate which is fundamentally related to your body mass but also determined by factors such as hormones, the temperature and other factors) and that means providing energy at some level related to bodyweight. Since carbohydrate and fat are your body's primary energy yielding nutrients, that means that they are required in some amount related to bodyweight. In addition, fat is being used for other structural processes and is going to be required in some amounts relative to bodyweight as well. And although those values may change (based on activity and other factors such as genetics, age, etc.), they are still going to change relative to your bodyweight. Some numerical examples:

The RDA for protein is set at 0.8 g protein/kg body weight (0.36 g/lb) while dieters may need as much as 1.5 g/kg (0.68 g/lb) to avoid excessive protein loss. Endurance athletes need protein at roughly 1.2-1.4 g protein/kg (0.54-0.63 g/lb) and weight trainers may need 1.6-1.8 g protein/kg (0.72-0.81 g/lb). Most bodybuilders use 1 g/lb as a rough estimate and this isn't too far off from the value of 0.8 g/lb.

So someone who weighs 200 lbs and is sedentary needs about 72 grams of protein per day; if they were dieting, they'd need at least 136 g/day; if they are an endurance athlete, they need between 108-126 grams of protein per day; if they are weight training, they may need 144-164 grams of protein per day. Note, at this point, that I've said nothing about percentages.

And while there's no true requirement for carbohydrates (refer back to chapter XXX), studies show that maintaining daily endurance performance may take 5 g carbohydrates/kg (2.2 g/lb); glycogen supercompensation requires amounts on the order of 10 g carbohydrates/kg (4.5 g/lb).

For the most part, fat intakes in relation to bodyweight haven't really been determined, and most research still simplistically talks in terms of percentages. A minimal intake of 3-6 grams of linolenic acid, and 1-2 grams of linoleic acid has been suggested to avoid deficiency syndromes. As discussed elsewhere, whether this represents an optimal amount in terms of health or body recomposition is debatable. Even then, it seems impossible that some fixed amount of either linoleic acid or alpha-linolenic acid would apply to everyone regardless of bodyweight.

But this is all sort of tangential to my point which is that nutrient requirements are related to your bodyweight or lean body mass.

Why is this a problem?

So why is this a problem? When someone puts protein, carb, or fat requirements in terms of percentages only for a diet setup, it doesn't necessarily have any relevance to what that person actually needs. For example, it's not uncommon to see diets for bodybuilders set up with 25-30% protein. Others take a more conservative 15% and use that across the board for athletes or general intake. But what do those percentages actually mean? Obivously nothing unless you also know how many calories that person is eating.

Let's use our 200 lb example individual above and look at his protein intake. Let's split the middle value for weight training and say he actually needs 150 g/day of protein and put him at two different caloric extremes: 1000 cal/day (a starvation diet) vs. 10,000 calories/day (Parillo style). Let's set protein at 30% which most would say is sufficient (or excessive depending on who you're talking to).

1000 cal/day at 30% yields 300 calories from protein, or 75 grams of protein. He'd need 60% protein on 1000 cal/day to get 150 grams of protein per day. 10,000 cal/day at 30% yields 3000 calories from protein, or 750 grams of protein. Although both diets are 30% protein, the first is half of what our guy actually needs (75 g/day vs. 150 g/day); the second diet has 5 times as much protein as he actually needs. Yes, these are extreme examples and deliberately chosen that way. But they point out that the percentage itself has no relevance whatsoever to what our guy's actual requirements are.

Now, the typical counter-response to what I wrote above is that the percentage values are assumed to be based on some fairly average caloric intake. That is, if we were to put our 200 lb guy (150 g/protein required per day) on a more 'average' 2400 cal/day (12 cal/lb) and 30% protein, he will come out with a protein intake of 2400 * 0.3 = 800 cal from protein yielding 200 grams/day or 1 gram per pound. Yes, a little higher than the 150 g/day but not excessively so. And that's fine, percentage based diets are going to be roughly valid within a certain caloric range. The problem is that isn't always how they are applied and that's certainly not how the percentages are typically interpreted.

More problems: interpretation and useage

It's quite common to see statements of "Such and such is a high-fat diet and hence bad." or "High-protein diets are bad", things of that nature. Most commonly, those statements are based on the percentages of a given nutrient in a diet. For example, diets containing 30% or less total calories from fat are generally considered 'low-fat' while, by definition, higher fat intakes are considered high-fat. But this can be terribly misleading as well as misused. Here's an example.

Let's say we have a person who's currently eating 2000 calories of which 150 grams (600 calories) are protein, 176 grams (707 calories) are carbs, and 77 grams (693 calories) of fat. Using the math from the last chapter, this yields a diet that is 30% protein, 35% carbohydrate, and 35% fat. Most would refer to this as a high-fat diet and deem it bad because it contains 35% fat calories. They would probably also call it 'low-carbohydrate' and 'high-protein' based on the percentages.

Ok, so let's say we add 200 grams (800 calories) of carbohydrates (let's use table sugar just because) to the diet without changing anything else. Total calories now go to 2800 and the percentage of calories from fat drops 35% to 25% (protein drops from 30% to 21%, carbs increase from 35% to 53%), even though the total fat intake in grams hasn't changed. By typical naming conventions a 'high-fat' diet has now magically become a 'low-fat' diet and nobody will have a problem with the protein or carbohydrate intake, based on the percentages. Of course, total fat intake in grams didn't change. Neither has protein intake in grams. All we did was skew the percentages by adding 200 grams of table sugar to the diet. And I don't think anybody would argue that adding 200 grams of table sugar to this diet is particularly healthy. Yet many clueless folks would automatically assume or claim that the second diet (25% fat) is healthier than the first (35% fat) because it's a 'low-fat' diet even though both diets contain the same number of grams of fat.

On a related note, many food companies will use this strategy as well. By simply adding table sugar to a food, to increase the caloric content, they can drive the percentage of calories from fat downwards below 30% and call it a low-fat food. You can make vegetable oil (100% fat calories at 14 grams fat/140 calories) a low-fat food if you add enough table sugar to it. Does that make it healthy because it's now 'low-fat'? Obviously not. Or perhaps not so obviously becuase some folks fixate so hard on the percentages that they miss the forest for the trees.

Using the same starting diet from above, say we decide to take all of the carbohydrates out of the same diet. Now it contains 150 grams of protein (600 calories), zero grams of carbs, and 77 grams of fat (693 calories) and 1293 total calories. Now it contains 46% protein and 54% fat. Most would call this a high-protein, high-fat diet and go into an apoplectic fit even though it contains the exact same number of grams of protein and fat as the previous diet. By simply changing the total carb and caloric content, we can skew the percentages. But we haven't changed a damn thing in terms of absolute protein or fat intake.

Or an even more extreme example, let's say we decide to move this guy to nothing but protein (an approach called a protein-sparing modified fast or PSMF). Now he's eating nothing but 150 grams of protein per day. That's a 100% protein diet, which most would call 'high-protein'. First they'd freak out, then they'd tell you that his kidneys are going to fall out of his ass. Except that it contains no more and no less protein than the previously two described diets; once again, by manipulating the total caloric content of the diets we've changed the percentages even if we really haven't changed the gram intake.

On that note, this is a common criticism of 'low-carbohydrate' and/or 'ketogenic diets'. Most will call them high-protein and/or high-fat because the percentage of total calories from protein and fat is very high. But this can be misleading because ketogenic diets are also commonly low in total calories. Studies typically show that total protein and fat intake change very little when people move to ketogenic diets. Rather, total calorie and carbohydrate content come down, and the percentage from fat and protein go up. Nitwit diet critics will look at the high fat percentage and condemn the diet, without looking at the actual gram intake.

Another example: one of the popularly referenced studies by lower-carbohydrate diet advocates refers to a group of athletes given only 40% of total calories from carbohydrates, who are able to maintain performance. This is frequently used (by low-carbohydrate diet proponents) to argue that a diet of 40% carbs is sufficient and/or that 'high-carb' diets are unnecessary. Here's the problem: because of the extremely high total caloric intake in these athletes, 40% of total calories still yielded in excess of 400 grams of carbohydrates per day (a far cry from the 150-200 grams/day you might get on a typical lowered-carb diet). So even though it was 'low-carbohydrate' by percentage standards, it was still high-carbohydrate relative to their bodyweight needs. Even at only 40% total calories, they still got close to the 5 g/kg value listed above needed to sustain glycogen stores. Once again, the percentage had absolutely no relevance to the actual gram intake.

And, finally, here's a rather humorous example from my college days. At some point or another, during a nutrition class, a professor of mine had made the rather common statement that "As long as you don't eat foods with more than 30% total fat calories, you will be fine" something to that effect. It seemed like a logical extension of trying to get total fat intake below 30%: make sure no individual food contains more than 30% fat calories and you should be safe. At some later date, I took him a cookie recipe of mine that contained approximately 20 calories/cookie and 1 gram of fat (the cookies were mostly air, with a little sugar and some chocolate chips). My professor bristled, because these cookies contained nearly 50% of calories from fat (9 calories out of a total 20). Well, yeah, but they still only contained 1 gram of fat/cookie. ONE GRAM. A cookie that was 200 calories and 30% fat (70 calories) would contain 8 grams of fat even though it's below the magical 30% cutoff point. Yet he would have considered the second a better food choice based on just the percentage even though it had 10 times as many calories and 8 grams of fat vs. 1. Go figure.

Making my point

Looking simply at the percentages of a given nutrient contained within a diet or food can lead people down entirely incorrect paths. Whether it's in setting up a diet, on intrepreting a given diet, looking at the percentages alone is a mistake. A 15% protein diet might contain too much protein if calories are absurdly high, and far too little protein if the calories are very low. And a diet which contains 'only' 40% carbohydrate may contain more than enough actual carbohydrates by grams as long as the total caloric intake is high enough. A diet which was considered 'high-fat' by percentage can be made 'low-fat' by simply adding carbohydrates/calories/sugar to the diet but that's not necessarily improving anything.

As I pointed out early in this chapter and elsewhere, daily nutrient requirements are (generally) based on bodyweight, not the percentage of that nutrient in a diet. If someone requires, say, 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, they need 1 gram per pound whether it represents 10%, 50% or 100% of their total calories. If someone needs 5 g/kg of carbs to maintain performance, that's what they need whether it's 40% of their total calories or 60% of their total calories. If they need X grams of fat (X not really having been established at this point except for minimal essential fatty acid requirements), they need X grams no matter the percentage. Are we clear now on the different between percentages and total grams? I certainly hope so.

Lyle McDonald is a prolific writer who has been featured in many major publications. He has a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is considered by many to be the leading authority on low-carb diets. To learn more about his book, The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner,

7. Health News

This section is brought to you by the U.S.-based company that I partner with. Click here to learn more.

Vitamin D may prevent tooth loss

Periodontal disease is a common chronic inflammatory disease and a major risk factor for tooth loss. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrates a link between low blood levels of Vitamin D and the incidence of gum disease. The study group included over 11,000 adults over the age of twenty. Eighty percent of those studied had inadequate vitamin D levels, and the lower their vitamin D serum levels, the greater the risk of tooth loss. Among the men and women aged 50 and older, those with the lowest vitamin D levels had 25 to 27 percent more tooth loss than those in the highest range. The researchers suspect that vitamin D may cut down on the inflammatory response that leads to periodontal disease. Given the high prevalence of periodontal disease and vitamin D deficiency, these findings suggest important oral health implications related to vitamin D intake.

Low zinc levels associated with reduced bone mineral density in men

Low zinc intakes and reduced blood zinc concentrations have been previously reported in women with osteoporosis. A new study published in the September 2004 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the association between dietary zinc and plasma zinc to bone mineral density (BMD) and bone loss in older men.

The current study included 396 men over the age of 45 who were followed for four years. The researchers found that dietary zinc intake and plasma zinc concentrations were lower in men with osteoporosis at the hip and spine than in men without osteoporosis at those locations. BMD at the hip, spine, and distal wrist were significantly lower in men with the lowest plasma zinc levels.

This is the first published study to illustrate that low dietary zinc intake and decreased plasma zinc levels are related to reduced bone mineral density in men.

We're Not Eating Our Fruits And Veggies

A new AC Nielsen poll indicates that at least 85 percent of us are not eating the recommended minimum servings fruits and vegetables a day. The current recommendations include two to four servings of fruit, and three to five servings of vegetables daily (a typical serving size is three-fourths cup of juice, a medium apple or a half-cup of chopped vegetables). Nearly half of those questioned ate just one or two servings of produce per day. Only 12 percent said they eat the suggested five or more servings, and three percent said they eat no produce at all.

Despite public service campaigns such as "5 A Day For Better Health", this survey also suggests that most people don't know how many fruits and veggies they are supposed to eat. Sixty percent thought eating one to four servings was enough for a healthy diet; twenty percent said one or two servings was enough. It is obvious most people are falling seriously short of the five to nine servings of varied produce recommended by nutrition experts and government agencies.

Soy Protein and Diabetes Complications

Soy protein has many potential health benefits. A recent study examined the effects of isolated soy protein on two of the biggest complications associated with type 2 diabetes: kidney disease and heart disease. Kidney disease, a major complication of diabetes, is often first detected when small amounts of protein are found in urine. The study included male type 2 diabetics with diabetes-related kidney disease. The men received pre-measured amounts of either isolated soy protein or casein in the form of a vanilla powder. Those who added the soy protein powder to their diets had a 9.5% reduction in protein found in their urine. No reduction in urinary protein was observed in those receiving the casein. In addition to improving kidney function, the soy protein supplement elevated "good" HDL cholesterol by over 4%. Low HDL cholesterol levels are a risk factor for heart disease. The findings indicate that soy protein may reduce the risk of common diabetes complications such as kidney and heart disease.

Antioxidant deficiencies and increased oxidative stress in Cystic Fibrosis patients

A study published in the August 1 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) to a healthy group of individuals (control) and found that the CF patients had lower levels of several nutrients and higher indicators of oxidative stress.

Fasting blood samples were analyzed for beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, vitamin E, vitamin C, and markers of oxidative stress. Compared to the control group, the CF patients had higher levels of oxidative stress and lower levels of plasma beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The authors suggest that dietary habits early in life should be improved and innovative supplementation strategies should be applied to optimize the antioxidant status of patients with CF.

Antioxidant intake and risk of lung cancer in male smokers

In some observational studies, a high intake of individual antioxidants was related to increased lung cancer risk in male smokers. However, data from many experiments suggest that there are interactions among antioxidant nutrients; therefore, consideration of multiple antioxidants simultaneously may be important in terms of assessing risk. Recently, Yale University researchers evaluated dietary records of participants in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta- Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC), a group of over 27,000 Finnish male smokers aged 50-69 years. Based on food records, intakes of carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C were analyzed. After evaluating the overall intake of antioxidants in this group, the conclusion differs somewhat from the original study. According to this new analysis, the men with higher overall intakes of antioxidants had lower relative risks of lung cancer, regardless of their assigned study group (beta-carotene or placebo). While researchers of the ATBC study concluded that high-dose beta-carotene supplementation may increase lung cancer risk in male smokers, these findings support the hypothesis that a combination of dietary antioxidants reduces lung cancer risk in men who smoke.

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Insulin Resistance

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigated the relationship between vitamin D levels and insulin sensitivity. The researchers administered oral glucose tolerance tests to 126 healthy volunteers who had no obvious symptoms of glucose intolerance. Blood glucose levels declined more slowly in test subjects with low vitamin D levels. These subjects were also more likely than their peers to show signs of metabolic syndrome including obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance. The results from this study suggest that people with low vitamin D levels have a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

The Omega-3 Index and Heart Disease Risk

A recent study published in the July 2004 issue of Preventive Medicine investigated the usefulness of the Omega-3 Index for assessing deficiencies of Omega-3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease risk. Omega-3's are considered "essential" which means they are necessary for human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. Low levels of omega-3 oils are implicated in numerous diseases and considered a significant risk factor for heart disease. The investigators report that the requirements for omega-3 fatty acids, (typically obtained from fish or fish oil supplements) may vary from person to person, and they suggest that deficiencies are possible even in people who routinely consume fish or fish oil. These findings indicate that the Omega-3 Index is a useful tool in assessing risk and can assist healthcare practitioners in determining appropriate omega-3 intakes for reducing cardiovascular disease risk

Vitamin E and Respiratory Tract Infections

Respiratory illnesses, including the common cold, are debilitating and lead to complications and death in the elderly. A study published in the August 18 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association has found vitamin E to be protective against upper respiratory infections.

Four hundred fifty-one individuals aged 65 and older at 33 long-term care facilities completed a course of 200 IU of vitamin E per day or a placebo from April 1998 to August 2001. In addition, all of the subjects received a multivitamin that provided 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance for essential vitamins and minerals. The incidence of lower respiratory infections, such as acute bronchitis and pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infections, including cold, influenza, sore throat, middle ear infection and sinusitis, was documented over the course of the trial.

The subjects who received vitamin E acquired fewer respiratory tract infections than those who did not receive the vitamin. Participants who received the vitamin experienced a 20 percent decreased risk of acquiring the common cold, which accounted for 84 percent of the upper respiratory infections reported. In addition, those taking vitamin E had fewer colds per person. Although vitamin E showed no significant effect on lower respiratory tract infections, the protective effect of vitamin E supplementation on upper respiratory tract infections observed in this group merits further investigation and suggests important implications for the well-being of the elderly.

A Note on Pharmaceutical Grade Supplementation

It seems every day a news headline flashes by and demonstrates how powerful antioxidants are for general health. Unfortunately, most people are not well-educated regarding the benefits of multivitamins and therefore "settle" for far less than what their body deserves. Research is typically performed in a quality environment where the ingredients tested are high potency: when the research reports a specific amount, you can be certain that is well within the range of what was indicated. Are supplements that you take off a supermarket shelf subject to the same standard of quality? The answer is NO! The supplement industry is only loosely regulated, and many manufacturers choose to avoid quality control processes. Some use their own, proprietary techniques that are not verified by third parties. Often when they embrace what is known as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), they adhere to the "food" standard, which is far less demanding than the "pharmaceutical" standard. You can read more about these standards by visiting Current Good Manufacturing Practices and USP.org.

There is a great guide to multivitamins called the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Lyle MacWilliams, B.Sc., M.Sc., FP. Lyle is a former Canadian Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly for British Columbia. His book not only introduces the importance of antioxidants, but has several chapters explaining how they impact health. It covers the research behind vitamins and minerals. Most importantly, Lyle pulled together a panel of leading nutritionists (all doctors) to find the recommended levels for optimal health. This was called the "Blended Standard" and over 1000 multivitamins were compared against the standard. Only 500 made the cut, and of these, only 5 ranked in the 90th percentile or higher! Lyle published the scores for these top 500 in his book.

If your vitamin scored in the top 10%, that is fantastic! Congratulations for taking steps to protect your health - the monthly investment in a pharmaceutical-grade multivitamin is, in my opinion, a true health insurance policy. If your multivitamin is not superior quality, or if you are not currently taking a multivitamin, then I encourage you to read this to appreciate the value of the multivitamins that I sell (it took me four years to find a company with this level of quality and integrity), and then contact me or call toll-free 1-888-472-2829 to place your order and get started right away! Your health is precious, and I would not ask you to invest in something so important without offering the opportunity risk-free. Our products adhere to pharmaceutical-grade GMP, come with a potency guarantee that what is on the label is in the bottle, and are backed by a 100% 30-day money-back guarantee.

8. The Courage to Take Action (by Brian Tracy)

Perhaps the greatest challenge that you will ever face in life is the conquest of fear and the development of the habit of courage. Winston Churchill once wrote, “Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it, all others depend.” Fear is, and always has been, the greatest enemy of mankind. When Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” he was saying that the emotion of fear, rather than the reality of what we fear, is what causes us anxiety, stress, and unhappiness. When you develop the habit of courage and unshakable self-confidence, a whole new world of possibilities opens up for you. Just think—what would you dare to dream, or be, or do, if you weren’t afraid of anything in the whole world?

Fortunately, the habit of courage can be learned just as any other success skill is learned. To do so, we need to go to work systematically to diminish and eradicate our fears, while simultaneously building up the kind of courage that will enable us to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life unafraid.

Syndicated columnist Ann Landers wrote these words: “If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.’” This is the kind of attitude that leads to victory.

The starting point in overcoming fear and developing courage is, first of all, to look at the factors that predispose us toward being afraid.

As we know, the root source of fear is childhood conditioning that caused us to experience two types of fear: the fear of failure, which causes us to think, “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t”; and the fear of rejection, which causes us to think, “I have to, I have to, I have to.”

Based on these fears, we become preoccupied with the idea of losing our money, or our time, or our emotional investment in a relationship. We become hypersensitive to the opinions and possible criticisms of others, sometimes to the point where we are afraid to do anything that anyone else might disapprove of. Our fears tend to paralyze us, holding us back from taking constructive action in the direction of our dreams and goals. We hesitate, we become indecisive and we procrastinate; we make excuses and find reasons not to move ahead. And finally, we feel frustrated, caught in the double bind of, “I have to, but I can’t,” or, “I can’t, but I have to.”

Fear is also caused by ignorance. When we have limited information, we tend to be tense and insecure about the outcome of our actions. Ignorance causes us to fear change, to fear the unknown and to avoid trying anything new or different. But the reverse is also true. The very act of gathering more and more information about a particular subject causes us to have more courage and confidence in that area. There are parts of your life where you have no fear at all because you feel knowledgeable and completely capable of handling whatever happens.

Another factor that causes fears is illness or fatigue. When we are tired or unwell, or when we are not physically fit, we are more predisposed to fear and doubt than when we are feeling healthy and happy and terrific about ourselves.

Once we’ve recognized the factors that can cause fear, the second step in overcoming fear is to sit down and take the time to objectively identify, define and analyze your own personal fears. At the top of a clean sheet of paper, write the question, “What am I afraid of?”

Now, before you begin, I need to make an important point: All intelligent people are afraid of something. It is normal and natural to be concerned about your physical, emotional and financial survival. The courageous person is not a person who is unafraid. As Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear¾not absence of fear.”

It is not whether or not you are afraid. We are all afraid. The question is, how do you deal with the fear? The courageous person is simply one who goes forward in spite of the fear. And here’s something else I’ve learned: when you confront your fears and move toward what you are afraid of, your fears diminish and your self-esteem and self-confidence increase.

However, when you avoid the thing you fear, your fears grow until they begin to control every aspect of your life. And as your fears increase, your self-esteem, your self-confidence and your self-respect diminish accordingly.

Begin filling out your list of fears by writing down everything, major and minor, over which you experience any anxiety. The most common fears, of course, are the fear of failure and the fear of rejection.

Some people, compelled by the fear of failure, invest an enormous amount of energy justifying or covering up their mistakes. And some people, compelled by the fear of rejection, are so obsessed with how they appear to others that they seem to have no ability to take independent action at all. Until they are absolutely certain that someone else will approve, they refrain from doing anything. Once you have made a list of every fear that you think may be affecting your thinking and your behavior, organize the items in order of importance. Which fear do you feel has the greatest impact on your thinking, or holds you back more than any other? Which fear would be number two? What would be your third fear? And so on. With regard to your predominant fear, write the answers to these three questions:

1. How does this fear hold me back in life? 2. How does this fear help me, or how has it helped me in the past? 3. What would be my pay-off for eliminating this fear?

Some years ago, I went through this exercise and concluded that my biggest fear was the fear of poverty. I was afraid of not having enough money, being broke, perhaps even being destitute. I knew that this fear had originated during my childhood because my parents, who grew up during the Depression, had continually worried about money. My fear was reinforced when I was broke at various times during my 20s. I could objectively assess the origins of this fear, but it still had a strong hold on me. Even when I had sufficient money for all my needs, this fear was always there.

My answer to the question, “How does this fear hold me back?” was that it caused me to be anxious about taking risks with money. It caused me to play it safe with regard to employment. And it caused me to choose security over opportunity.

My answer to the second question, “How does this fear help me?” was that, in order to escape the fear of poverty, I had a tendency to work much longer and harder. I was more ambitious and determined. I took much more time to inform myself on the various ways that money could be invested. The fear of poverty was, in effect, driving me toward financial independence.

When I answered the third question, “What would be my pay-off for overcoming this fear?” I immediately saw that I would be willing to take more risks, I would be more aggressive in pursuing my financial goals, I could and would start my own business, and I would not be so tense and concerned about spending too much or having too little. I would no longer be so concerned about the price of everything. By objectively analyzing my biggest fear in this way, I was able to begin the process of eliminating it.

You can begin the process of developing courage and eliminating fear by engaging in actions consistent with the behaviors of courage and self-confidence. Anything that you practice over and over eventually becomes a new habit. So let’s focus on some of the areas where you can practice to develop the habit of courage.

The first and perhaps most important kind of courage is the courage to begin, to launch, to step out in faith. This is the courage to try something new or different, to move out of your comfort zone, with no guarantee of success. John Ronstadt, a professor at Babson College who taught entrepreneurship for 12 years, conducted a study of those who took his class and later became successful. He could only find one quality that they had in common: their willingness to actually start their own business in the marketplace. He calls this the “Corridor Principle.” He said that as these individuals moved forward, as though proceeding down a corridor, doors opened to them that they would not have seen if they had not been in forward motion. It turned out that the graduates of his entrepreneurship course who had done nothing with what they had learned were still waiting for things to be just right before they began. They were unwilling to launch themselves down the corridor of uncertainty until they could somehow be assured that they would be successful¾something which never happened.

The future belongs to the risk takers, not the security seekers. Life is perverse in the sense that, the more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire. One way to get the courage to begin, from which everything else flows, is to plan and prepare thoroughly in advance. Set clear goals and objectives, then gather information. Read and research in your chosen field. Write out detailed plans of action, and then take the first step.

The second kind of courage is the courage to endure, to persist, to stay at it once you have begun. Persistence is a form of courageous patience, and it is one of the rarest types of courage. Courageous patience is having the ability to stand firm after you have taken action and before you get any feedback or results from your actions. When you plan your work and work your plan through patient persistence, even in the face of disappointment and unexpected setbacks, you will build and develop the quality of courage within you.

Whenever you feel fear or anxiety, and you need to bolster your courage to endure, switch your attention to your goals. Create a mental picture of the person that you would like to be, performing the way you would like to perform. There is nothing wrong with thoughts of fear as long as you temper them with thoughts of courage and self-reliance. Whatever you dwell upon, grows . . . so be careful.

The last type of courage is the courage to conquer worry—a form of negative goal-setting. It is dwelling upon, talking about, and vividly imagining exactly what you don’t want to happen. If you worry long enough and hard enough about something, you are going to attract it into your life. The great tragedy is that even if the situation you are worrying about does not materialize, your health and your emotions will suffer just the same. And the fact is that most of things that people worry about never happen.

The only real antitode to worry is purposeful action toward a predetermined goal or solution. Since the conscious mind can only hold one thought at a time, when you get busy doing something to resolve your problem, you will not have the time or the mental capacity to worry. And before you know it, your worrysome situation will have been resolved.

The mastery of fear and the development of courage are essential prerequisites for a happy, successful life. With a commitment to acquire the habit of courage, you will eventually reach the point where your fears no longer play a major role in your decision-making. You will set big, challenging, exciting goals, and you will have the confidence of knowing that you can attain them. You will be able to face every situation with calmness and self-assurance. And the key is courage.

Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs. Copyright © 2001 Brian Tracy International. All Rights Reserved. Webmasters: Add This Article To Your Site.

9. Business Development: Expand Your Horizons (by Tim Coulter)

Sell Your Professional Services Through ClickBank

ClickBank allows its merchants to sell many different types of digital products, but with the proviso that they must be deliverable entirely over the internet within 24 hours of purchase.

Most merchants focus on downloadable products (especially ebooks and software applications), although ClickBank can equally be used to sell digital content delivered by email or via membership websites and other online communities. But there is one category not usually associated with ClickBank - services.

In theory, the need to deliver within ClickBank's stipulated 24-hour timeframe excludes the sale of services. It is almost impossible to absolutely guarantee delivery of a service within a specific timeframe, as fulfillment invariably involves activity on the part of the merchant and may be affected by workload and other variable factors. With some services, implementation naturally takes place over an extended period (often scheduled to suit the buyer), making it even more difficult to comply.

Fortunately, ClickBank's interpretation of the 24-hour rule is somewhat liberal. A number of successful ClickBank merchants operate service-based businesses where fulfillment takes a month or more to complete. In these cases, delivery is deemed to have taken place when the merchant makes first contact with the buyer. This flexibility allows the sale of a very broad range of digital services:

• Writing services (ghostwriting, resume writing, translation, proof reading, editing etc)
• Artistic services (web design, graphic design, custom art, book cover art etc)
• Professional services (consulting, project planning, legal, accountancy etc)
• Technical services (website optimization, software development, etc)
• Marketing services (copywriting, search engine optimization, etc)
• Personal services (personal coaching, wedding planning, relationship counseling etc)
• Critique services (website critique, book critique, sales copy critique etc)

Despite the flexibility to sell various types of digital merchandise, every ClickBank sale involves a specific pre-defined offering at a fixed price. Before a sale takes place, a ClickBank buyer wants to know exactly what she is buying and how much she is going to pay for it.

So, you cannot use ClickBank to sell your services by the hour, nor can you currently establish recurring billing relationships with your clients. Whatever you sell, you need to package it so that it can be described very specifically and offered at a fixed price. For example, as an attorney, you could not use ClickBank to sell legal services using the traditional hourly-based or results-based pricing models. But ClickBank is ideally suited to selling a fixed-price legal service, such as writing a will or creating a simple, standardized contract document.

One of the most practical ways of selling services via ClickBank is to offer a customized version of an "off-the-shelf" product. For example, a web designer may offer a custom design service, whereby the buyer selects a web template and receives a limited (and specifically defined) amount of custom modifications included in the purchase price. This packaging model enables innovative merchants to penetrate markets traditionally dominated by expensive professionals, broadening their own scope by offering better value-for-money to the buyer.

So, use your imagination and create some new and enticing digital services that you can sell through your ClickBank account!

Tim Coulter is a consultant and software developer who helps netpreneurs to harness marketing technologies. He is also the author of ClickBank - The Definitive Guide, the ultimate ClickBank tutorial and reference manual.

http://www.clickbankrevealed.com/

10. Closing Thoughts

We are now coming to the close of the third quarter of the year. We are seventy-five percent of the way to 2005. Are you 75% of the way to your goals? If not, why not? Are you prepared to do what it takes to succeed? In three months, many people will celebrate the New Year by writing down their New Year resolutions. Some of you are already deciding what you will commit to in the coming year. The real question to ask yourself, however, is where those resolutions for 2004 are. Do you still have them? How often do you read them? How realistic were they, and how honest have you been with yourself? It's not too late to earn back your own self-trust and accomplish those goals you promised to yourself. Three months is approximately thirteen weeks, ninety days, 2,160 hours, 129,600 minutes, or 7,776,000 seconds. How will you create value with that time? Remember, those who are successful - whether it is at living the good life, building their own business or charitable organization, or achieving a fit and healthy physique - all have the same time that you do. It is a question of what you choose to do with that time. I encourage you to take a major step towards reinforcing your self-image and improving your self-esteem by being honest with yourself, and honoring those promises you chose to keep at the beginning of the year. God Bless!

Jeremy Likness

P.S. You deserve to achieve your goals! Fill out a request for a quote to receive a Become Your Best coaching package with a minimum of two hours phone consultation by next Friday (September 17th, 2004) and I will offer you the rate of $75 / hour, include my e-Book at no extra cost, and take another 20% from the entire package price! What do you have to lose? It is free to apply and there is no obligation for receiving your quotes.

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