It is hard to avoid the triggers for our bad food cravings – we all experience stress and boredom and mood swings. But remaining a slave to these bad food cravings is not inevitable. We have found a way to minimize or eliminate the bad food cravings all together. Best of all, we have given up nothing and do not feel as if we are depriving ourselves of anything.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Start The Day Off Right

We’ve all heard the old stories about eating a good breakfast – but what does that really mean? The answer is different for each of us. Some people operate better when they eat some heavy carbs or protein in the morning and others, like Dan and I operate better when we start the morning off with juice and then gradually work our way up to the heavier foods as the day progresses. The important things is that what ever you put in your body in the morning, it should be healthy fuel for your body. A simple rule of thumb is to stick to food that is as close to nature as possible and pay attention to how you feel 20-30 minutes after you eat. If you feel sluggish and tired, that means that you either ate too much or it was the wrong type of food for your body.

You Do Not Have To Give Anything Up

One of the best ways we have found to start the day off right and eliminate bad food cravings later on?  We have a green juice or green smoothie for breakfast every single morning. That’s right. We invested in a juicing machine over a year ago and have been juicing ever since. We gave up nothing, but added healthful green foods through juicing. We did this every single morning and over the period of a few months, we just did not want to eat bad food any more. The best part: we didn’t intentionally plan on giving up our favorite bad food! Somehow, the effect of green juicing has reduced the craving for bad food. We just don’t seem to crave the ice cream and nachos anymore.  

Why Green Foods Reduce the Craving for Bad Foods

How can drinking a green juice or a green smoothie in the morning reduce the craving for bad food? We all know that green foods like spinach and kale are nutritionally dense. Juicing provides a huge amount of nutrients in one small delicious glass. It could be that the nutrients in green foods make us feel nutritionally satisfied. As a result, our bodies no longer constantly crave bad food for purposes of refueling. Starting off the day with a green juice or a green smoothie certainly seems to provide a steady source of energy over a longer period of time. We no longer experience the huge spikes in blood sugar levels followed by the devastating crash. As a result of drinking green foods, we have more energy to exercise and engage in the other projects we love. Drinking green foods helped us break the vicious cycle of desperate craving for bad food naturally and with very little effort.  Over time, the practice of juicing simply became a lifestyle habit that has made a huge positive difference in our lives.

You can click on “Resources” on our website for delicious recipes for green juice and green smoothies.

Try having a green juice or green smoothie every morning for 30 days and see how you feel! Let us know your experience with green foods.

Probably the most important consideration to remember when buying a juicer is that you are going to use your juicer every day or almost every day. Why? Because the enzyme activity in freshly extracted juice decreases very, very quickly. Ideally, it is best to drink your juice within 15 minutes of juicing. That way, you obtain the maximum vitamin, mineral and anti-oxidant properties that juicing can provide. Keeping in mind that you will want to use your juicer every day, here is a brief overview of what you want to look for when buying a juicer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Considerations When Buying A Juicer

The main consideration in buying a juicer is SIMPLE. Get something simple and convenient that you will actually use. The best juicer in the world will do you no good if it sits in the corner gathering dust. You do not want a juicer that is too complicated, cumbersome, or requires time-consuming clean-up. You are looking for ease of assembly, minimal chopping of fruits and vegetables, and easy clean-up. Make sure you buy a juicer that fits into your lifestyle – and fits into your kitchen.  A gargantuan juicer with dozens of parts that need to be scrubbed and oiled daily does not promote ease of use. Pick a juicer that can be disassembled easily and is dishwasher-safe. You will also want a juicer with a large enough mouth to accomodate fruits and vegetables.

Another consideration in choosing a juicer is noise level. Basically, the more powerful the motor, the more noisy a juicer will be.  Unless your goal is to wake up the entire household with your 6 a.m. juicing, choosing a less powerful juicer will probably more than adequately meet your juicing needs and your housemates will thank you for not turning their living space into what sounds like a demolition site.

Of course, price is an important consideration in buying a juicer. Prices of juicers vary widely – from under $100 to over $500 and higher – depending on the available features. To start out, choose a juicer that is affordable for you. And make sure you read the warranty! Warranties can range from a few months to a decade to a lifetime. You are looking for a long-lasting warranty that covers the entire machine.

Below are a few examples of some popluar juicers and their features to help give you an idea of what is on the market today:

Breville Juicer Juice Fountain

The Breville Juice Fountain Professional is the juicer we have used for about a year.  It is simple – easy to use and easy to clean. The juicer is designed to conserve counterspace. It has a large mouth that accomodates larger fruits and vegetables. We paid about $150 for our Breville Juicer Juice Fountain, but you can find one on the internet for $109 plus free shipping.  It has a powerful motor and comes with a one-year warranty.

Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Express

Jack LaLanne is perhaps the world’s most famous body builder. He is is over 95 years old and credits exercise and juicing as the key to his long life.  Jack LaLanne has been selling his juicers for years on television and on the internet. We found a “Buy One Get One Free” offer on his website: buy one Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Express for $89.97 and get the second free with additional shipping and handling. This juicer looks very compact and the motor is less powerful than the Breville juicer. The parts are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. It comes with a 60-day money back guaranty. According to the website, the “whisper quiet” motor comes with a lifetime warranty.

Omega Vert

The Omega Vert has the highest price tag of the three juicers we looked at. At $349, the Omega Vert has an electric induction motor and fewer moving parts than most juicers. In theory, this means the motor is less likely to burn out than other juicers. The Omega Vert has been built the same way for the past several decades, seemingly attesting to its quality design. The Omega Vert has a self-cleaning feature using water that keeps the juicer from becoming clogged. It comes with a 10-year warranty on the blade parts.

A good way to check out a variety of juicers is to view instructional videos on the internet. This way you can compare different juicers side by side.

Again, the one we use is the Breville Juice Fountain Professional. It works fine and cleanup is easy, so we recommend it.

We all know we should eat more fruits and vegetables. But most people have neither the time nor the desire to eat plates and plates of fruits and vegetables everyday! 

Juicing is a simple way to get all the benefits from a variety of fruits and vegetables in one small, delicious glass.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What Is Juicing?

Juicing is extracting the good stuff – the vitamins, minerals, nutrients and water – from plants using a juicing machine.  

The benefits of juicing are almost too numerous to list. Below are just some great reasons to juice:

• Juicing at home is relatively cost-effective. Instead of paying over $4 for a small bottle of juice at a health food store, once you have purchased your juicer, you can juice your own healthful blends for just pennies a serving. 
• Juicing is an excellent way to get the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The USDA currently recommends five cups of fruits and vegetables daily for a 2200 calorie diet (the average man’s diet), and four cups daily for a 1800 calorie diet (the average woman’s diet.) 
• Juicing enables you to obtain the vitamins, minerals and nutrients required for optimal health, vitality and functioning.  Fruits and vegetables have long been known to prevent and cure certain diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, allergies and certain mood disorders. 
• Eating freshly juiced raw fruits and vegetables allows you to digest and absorb a greater amount of beneficial nutrients. The juicing process breaks down cell walls for faster digestion, and  nutrients are not destroyed by heat or other processing. 
• Anti-oxidants contained in fruits and vegetables have an anti-aging effect for younger looking skin, hair and nails. 
• Eating a greater proportion of fruits and vegetables every day helps you lose those love handles and maintain a healthy weight.  
• Juicing is a fun and creative way to do something good for yourself and your family. You can go even greener by planting a garden and picking your favorite fresh and organic fruits and vegetables everyday!

Open Your Own Juice Bar Today

Literally hundreds of different fruit and vegetable juices are possible. In practice, the number and type of juice combinations are only limited by your own preferences. The one rule of thumb: only blend fruits with fruits and vegetables with vegetables. The exception to the rule is that you can blend apples with vegetables. Apples are sweet and taste great with vegetables. (Pushing an apple through the juicer also helps to push through a softer fruit or vegetable that may not have completely cleared the machine.)  You do want to thoroughly wash your hands and all fruits and vegetables prior to juicing. Remove any stems, pits and seeds. Orange rinds are nasty tasting, so remove those, too. Cut larger fruits and vegetables into chunks that your juicer can easily accomodate.   

A delicious tasting, simple base recipe is to juice one medium apple with two medium carrots. You can experiment with just about any fruit or vegetable you like. Green vegetables like kale and spinach can be bitter, so add those sparingly at first until you have acquired the taste. Parsley, garlic and ginger are more exotic flavors you can add when you’re feeling a little more daring. Keep watching our videos for some of our favorite juicing recipes. 

Try this experiment:  try juicing by drinking one glass of fresh juice a day for 30 days, and see how much better you feel! 

Important Note: you should consult with your doctor before embarking on your juicing journey.

My time here at Today is that Day has been nothing less than wonderful, and I am very glad that the blog posts and other content from the site will most likely still remain available even after the new owners get done moving things around. The community that has been built around this site is the most empowering and uplifting group of people that I have ever been exposed to, and I am grateful that via the power of the Internet, I will still be able to interact with many of you.

My own life has changed drastically over the last year, and all of the changes have been for the best! I got married to my wonderful new wife, Shanna, and we live on the east coast of Florida which is a dream come true for both of us. I have rejoined the U.S. Military as an Air National Guard soldier, and I will spend 6 months at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi during 2009 learning all sorts of cool, high-tech stuff. My military affiliation will be financing a full-time college education that will also be in the high-tech arena. In addition, I have finally launched the incredible health & fitness website: Surfside Fitness, which is a project that I have been working on for more than 6 months. The result of that work is a beautiful new site that will be an awesome resource for a great many people.

Surfside Fitness is where I will be spending most of my online time, and with major props once again being given to my incredible designer, Jason Larose, I am looking forward to helping thousands of people to attain high levels of health and fitness via that site. I got it completed just in time for the fresh start that 2009 will bring for all of us!

Surfside Fitness is more than just a website and blog, however. The site comes complete with:

• A full suite of services including Fitness Consulting, Online Fitness Training, Program Evaluation, and lots more
• A fitness blog that will be updated several times each week, and a plan is already in place to ensure not only frequent updates, but very high quality health and fitness content as well
• A free health and fitness community that is simple to use, yet packed with tons of features like personal blogs, video uploads, picture uploads, groups, forums, and more
• Frequently updated videos and featured products that will be more than just a stale rotation of old content. The video and product updates will be coming straight from the cutting edge of the health and fitness arena

Since my primary goal with Today is that Day has always been to empower people to believe that they can take control over their lives and build those lives to be wonderful, I want to leave with a parting message:

Never, ever, EVER GIVE UP!

For my wife and I, 2008 has been one of the hardest years of our lives. We have had every imaginable difficulty, and some difficulties that you probably CAN’T imagine. To say that we had to struggle this year in order to get to where we are now would be a radical understatement.

We made it through the fire by sticking to our guns and staying focused on our goals!

There were no hand outs, no easy streets, no miracle cures, and no safety nets. We have had to fight, kick, scratch, and bite for every ounce of success that we have had, and if we had given up, then none of these wonderful things would have happened in our lives.

We sit poised on the brink of a new year that – although there will still be challenges – we are better armed from every conceivable level to achieve success than we have ever been in the past.

We got to this point by believing in ourselves, believing in each other, and keeping our eyes on the prize.

Stay focused on what you want, never give up reaching for it, and your success is guaranteed.

I’ll look forward to seeing you all out there wherever our paths cross again, and in the meantime, remember to always enjoy your life. If you’re not having fun, what’s the point??

You don’t have to try very hard these days to hear people complaining about the economy, about gas prices, about the housing market, about terrorism, about health care, about schools and teenage angst, blah, blah, blah. There is a never-ending stream of things to complain about, and as long as people continue to complain, those issues will continue to exist.

Imagine what would happen, though, if one by one, people started seeing things in a more positive light, and started to see, talk about, and focus on the positive aspects of the state of the world. There is a positive spin that can be put on anything – IF, and ONLY if – you look at the situation from the right point of view. Naysayers will claim that there is nothing positive about negative circumstances, and as long as they continue to look with eyes like that, they will always find a way to prove themselves right. For everyone else, however, turn your attention to the GOOD that comes out of even the worst circumstances, and you may start to realize that all is not lost – despite what the doomsday people would have us believe.

Global Warming – Global warming is indeed a potentially huge negative circumstance. However, if the phenomenon would never have surfaced, we would have continued to blindly go on polluting the environment and the earth, and no one would have known anything about it until it was too late.

I see global warming as a welcome wake up call that we need to get off our butts and start taking care of the Earth. I also see global warming as a welcome wake up call to people (myself included) who previously didn’t spend enough time appreciating the value and the beauty of nature. When you are in danger of losing something, you suddenly realize how valuable it is.

Terrorism – Did you realize that in the U.S., until the 9/11 incidents with the twin towers in NYC, that terrorism had been relegated to being “yesterday’s news,” and that – with full respect to any previous victims of terrorism – it had all but fallen out of view of anyone but the security agencies charged with protecting the U.S. borders? Terrorism has become such an issue today because people keep focusing on how BAD it is.

Do you know what I see when I think of terrorism? I see a much-needed reminder about how wonderful it is to live in the countries whose governments protect us from those types of threats. I see reminders about how each day should be lived to the fullest. I see examples of extreme religious beliefs that remind me of how fortunate I am to live in a country where I can practice any religion (or lack thereof) that I choose to practice. Am I happy about terrorism? No, of course not. However, I AM happy to be safe and alive, and to be reminded that each day is a gift.

High Gas Prices – Hovering near or above $4.00 per gallon of gasoline in the United States, a lot of people would say that this is a real problem, and a lot more people would agree with them. After all, our entire social and career culture is based on people getting back and forth to work and play areas.

Do you know what I see when I look at the price of gas? I see opportunities for us to explore and develop alternative technologies that we should have been exploring and developing a long time ago. I see people getting more exercise by walking or riding bicycles more often. I see people staying in and becoming part of their communities more, rather than thinking that happiness is always just another car ride away. I see people coming together as metropolitan communities via increased use of public transportation, and an increased awareness of what life is like for people who weren’t driving cars before gas prices sky-rocketed. In short, I see high gas prices as a positive change in the global culture, not the “evil” that many people seem to think it is.

Health Care – It doesn’t take long to find a group of people who are willing to complain about the health care system, the price of medications, and a lack of affordable coverage. Those issues, however, are not in debate. The fact that they exist simply is what it is. How the majority of people LOOK at the health care issues is what will determine the long-term positive or negative state of the health care industry.

When I think of “negative” health care issues, I see an opportunity for people to realize the need to do what they should have been doing all along – taking better care of themselves! From both a mental and a physical standpoint, any given person has a HUGE amount of power over their level of health and fitness. If rising health care costs are what it takes to wake those people up, get them to step away from the table, to take up exercising, and to realize the power that their minds and their attitudes have over their health, then I think that is just glorious.

Schools and Generational Issues – What’s wrong with kids today? They are disrespectful, unmotivated, victim mentality-oriented, overweight, unhealthy, prone to inappropriate sexual acts, and just generally screwed up. We’ll all be lucky if the Earth sees another 20 years with those kids at the helm. And it is no wonder that these kids are so messed up, what with the school budget cuts, and the rampant violence that fills our school system these days.

I wish that my slightly tongue-in-cheek description of the state of today’s youth and educational system was just a joke, but it’s not. However, the problem isn’t with the kids or with the educational system, it is with the parents. I don’t see the teenagers riddled with issues such as those described above, but rather an opportunity for people to WAKE UP and realize that child-rearing starts at home. I see a chance for today’s misguided parents to realize that making babies is about creating a new generation, not about flopping around in the sheets and then figuring out how to pay for and manage the result that comes out 9 months later. I don’t see a problem – I see an opportunity.

I could go on and on with examples just like those listed above, but by now the point should be crystal clear:

You can look at life in the worst possible light, or you can look at life with eyes that see opportunities for advancement and growth.

One of those views leads to a world full of negativity, hatred, and destruction, while the other point of view will create a world that is actually worth living in. Personally, I choose the latter…

Today is Day 1 of the P90X® Extreme Home Fitness Program, and although at face value that would seem to just be about my own health and fitness, it actually goes much deeper than that, and there is a valuable personal growth lesson that can be learned from this story.

The P90X program is 12 DVD exercise videos that encompass what is arguably one of the most intense and effective exercise programs ever created. When looking at the promotional materials for P90X, and the before and after success stories, you can’t help but become excited about the possibilities, and to marvel at the sheer scale of success that you can attain as a result of going through the program. The weight loss, health, and fitness benefits are staggering in their implications, and the whole thing seems larger than life. Then, when UPS finally delivers your fast track to success, you tear open the box, and this is what you see:

Now, my own obvious lack of photographic skills notwithstanding, after the weeks of research that I did on P90X before I bought it, it was such a contrast to see all of the empowerment, strength, weight loss, and personal growth potential contained in such a little black box! Therein lies the personal growth lesson, however:

It’s not the size of your solution that matters, but rather your dedication to doing what it takes that determines your success – or lack thereof.

P90X is intense and extreme, and as I indicated, I did A LOT of research on it before I decided to buy it. There was one thing that came across loud and clear, however, no matter how many blogs posts I read about it, no matter how many interviews I watched or listened to with people who have used it, and no matter how many before and after pictures that I looked at:

You have to DO the work if you want the reward!

No one who successfully got results using P90X did so by:

• Making a half-hearted effort
• Only doing the parts of the program that they enjoyed
• Working out only when they felt like it
• Doing the exercises, but not sticking to the nutrition plan
• Sticking to the nutrition plan, but not doing the exercises

The people who got phenomenal results did so by:

• Having a goal and not losing sight of it
• Doing everything that it took to attain their goal, even if they didn’t want to, no matter how hard it was, and no matter how tired they got
• Sticking to the plan for 90 days straight, rather than jumping ship when they didn’t get a “quick fix”
• Consistently doing the work, 6 or even 7 days each week

Do you see a pattern here that has been discussed many times in the personal growth and development community?

Having a Goal

Doing what it takes to Succeed

Perseverance, even in the face of Adversity

Consistently working at your Plan

There is no quick fix for success, no magic pill, and no one who is going to come and save you. Whether your goal is weight loss, financial success, fulfilling relationships, or just to achieve inner peace, YOU are the only one who can do what it takes to make that happen.

There is no cavalry coming over the hill, no miracle money-making scheme that will solve all of your problems, and no Mr. or Mrs. Right who wants to be with you until you are worthy of being with.

People say that happiness is an inside job, and that is certainly true. However, SUCCESS is an inside job, too. With no knight in shining armor on his way to bail you out of being “stuck” in a life that you don’t want, there is only one person who can truly save the day for you, and that is you.

Please act accordingly.

As for me, I’ve got 90 DAYS OF PAIN in front of me. Is it because I LIKE pain? Hardly. It’s because I am a health and fitness coach, and even though leading by example isn’t always easy, it IS how you become successful, and it is also how you earn the opportunity to work with other people and to empower them to have the same success that you have had.

That sounds like a goal.
That sounds like doing what it takes to succeed.
That sounds like perseverance, even in the face of adversity.
That sounds like consistently working a solid plan.

That sounds like the recipe for success. As I said, please act accordingly.

p.s. – If I’m not back in in 90 days, SEND HELP!

What’s surprising, however, is that even though P90X is one of the most effective weight loss and fitness programs out there, the health and weight loss benefits are only part of what people get from using P90X. In addition, they get something that is not as measurable as weight loss and increased health, but just as important – they get empowerment.

Ever since announcing the Million Dollar Body Challenge, and choosing P90X as one of the fitness programs the participants can use, I have been researching P90X extensively. The amount of data available about the program is nothing less than staggering, and here’s the best part:

It’s all good!

Normally, even a very popular book, video, program, etc., will have a fair amount of people who don’t think that much of it. With P90X, however, the only negative comment that I’ve heard is that it’s really hard! That is, of course, why it’s really effective.

I have read dozens of blog posts and articles, poured over the company literature, seen multiple videos about the product, and even talked to people in person, and no one has had anything bad to say about it.

So, that is all well and good, and if you haven’t already checked out P90X, I definitely recommend that you do. You can see 3 cool videos about it and get signed up for the Million Dollar Body challenge by going right here.

There is more than just health and fitness to be discussed, however – let’s talk about empowerment.

The Discipline to Win

The people who successfully complete the 90-day P90X program do it by, quite frankly (and literally), working their butts off for 90 days straight. P90X is not easy, and like any good fitness program, it includes both a structured exercise program and a structured nutrition plan.

The P90X graduates are all people who took control of their lives for 90 days straight and said, “I am going to do this. I will not back down, and I will not give up. I will stay focused on my goal of making it to day 90, and I will not allow myself to be distracted in any way from reaching my goal.”

Hmmm…that sounds a bit like the recipe for success in any endeavor, doesn’t it? The P90X grads, however, have an edge that most people don’t: They know that the system works.

They know that by staying disciplined and on track, that the results will be there. It isn’t hearsay to them, it isn’t a rumor, it isn’t some vague bit of personal development advice – it is a fact.

They know that by staying their course for 90 days, they can accomplish truly amazing things, remarkable things, measurable and noticeable things. They can accomplish things that not only make other people stand up and take notice, but more importantly, things that have empowered them to succeed in any endeavor in their lives.

Their success with P90X, although wonderful in its own right, is just a stepping stone to success in other areas because they now have confidence, and faith, and they understand the power of positive habits. By the sweat of their own brow, they have seen that they can accomplish something that was neither easy, nor short-lived.

They have learned perseverance and discipline; they know the taste of victory and they know it tastes so sweet because they earned it, they worked for it, and they deserve it.

Does all of this mean that you should run right out and buy P90X just so you can be like them? Unless you are in perfect physical condition already, sure that would be a great idea. However, even if you don’t, at least take the message of this blog post to heart:

Victory is sweet when you earn it, and you aren’t earning it if you are sitting well inside your comfort zone watching the world go by.

Is it all about the chiseled abs, the sculpted shoulders, or the beautiful legs? Nope! However, when you work hard enough to have chiseled abs, sculpted shoulders, or beautiful legs, you suddenly realize that there is nothing that you can’t do.

And that, friends and neighbors, is definitely something worth working for, wouldn’t you say?

WHAT’S NEXT?

Join the Million Dollar Body Challenge
Check out the P90x Extreme Training System®
Sign up for the free Today is that Day Newsletter
Discuss this post at Personal Development Partners
Get reminded of this wisdom with Offline Merchandise

There it is. That’s the solution to the big mystery. Sure, there are plenty of circumstances that get in the way of people getting into shape, but that doesn’t change the fact that there are no hurdles that can’t be leaped if the motivation level is high enough. Think of what happens when someone has a heart attack or a stroke, and you’ll see this concept in full effect. THEN they are suddenly very motivated.

I don’t believe in waiting until I almost die to take action and start living a better life. However, that’s just me, and I realize that some other people need more motivation than that. That being said, I have gone back to my personal training roots and put together a program that uses two of the most powerful motivators ever – money and recognition.

The Million Dollar Body Challenge is a 90-day group coaching initiative where you, dear reader, get to take part in a health coaching program that not only includes plenty of incredible information from a qualified teacher, but that also gives you the chance for as much cash and recognition as you can handle!

There are a ton of great benefits to the program, which kicks off on May 1st, 2008, but here are some of the highlights:

• Cash and prizes worth up to $1,000 awarded every day just for working out
• Up to $10,000 awarded once a month to people who make the most progress
• A $250,000 cash prize given annually to a male and a female who truly excel
• Countless online resources and almost limitless content from fitness trainers and experts
• Free teleconferences every single week
• Email access to me as your coach for the entire 90-day period
• Free copies of Today is that Day fitness products
• Free lifetime Premium memberships at Personal Development Partners where challengers will be able to discuss their progress

And that’s just a quick overview. If you want the real scoop – and if you are truly ready to make some positive changes in your health – then click below to get started! This program will fill up quickly, and I will have to close it to new members at that point.

Sign up now to get access to all of the materials and the support that you need, and start getting yourself on track. Once May 1st hits, we are going to take off like a rocket, and you won’t believe the physical change that the group participants will undergo!