You may be more familiar with the opposite saying: Nothing breeds success like success.
Humans are suckers when it comes to success and failure. We mostly allow the past to dictate our future. As if we can drive by looking in the rear-view mirror.
As a general rule, we hate failure more than we love success.
We go to great lengths to avoid that sinking feeling of being “not good enough”. Strangely, the rest of humanity does not care about our failures as much as we do. Even if you fart loudly during a wedding ceremony, people may forget about it (eventually). But you’re not likely to forgive yourself EVER. Especially not if you’re the pastor.
On the other hand, when we succeed at something, we somehow become cocksure about the outcome of our next venture. That irrational confidence motivates us to overcome hurdles we would otherwise not have attempted. Success breeds success, simply by making us cocky.
Maybe our fear of failure, and our lack of success, is one of the biggest reasons why many people hate New Year’s resolutions. But face it: our resolutions are often couched in language setting us up for failure.
“I will not eat any sweets this year.”
So, if you eat one sweet, you fail. And if you don’t eat any sweets for 366 days (this is a leap year, after all), only then have you succeeded.
Guess what’s going to happen? One sweet vs 366 days?
Here’s another spin on the same resolution: “This year, for every sweet I eat, I am going to donate R100 to the FIRE bursary fund to enable others to afford a 40-day journey and supplements.”
How’s that for a win-win? Either you eat fewer sweets, or your favourite cause is going to smile.
We are standing at the doorway to a new beginning, a fresh start, even if most of us feel anything but fresh.
Instead of making just ONE resolution this year, how about making one EVERY MONTH?
Below is a list of options you might find useful to radically improve your health this year. Choose any 12 from this list, write them down in the order you want to attempt them and stick them to your fridge (or toilet) door. On the first day of every month, add one new step to your programme.
If you fail one day, try again the next day. Persistence makes practice makes perfect.
Small steps add up to big journeys. Don’t despise the small gains. Just be patient and consistent.
The following are just ideas to get your creative juices flowing. They’re not mandates. These are not cure-alls, but health tips.
Make a commitment NOW to change just ONE LITTLE THING every month to improve your health (and that of those you love).
Maintain a Vitamin D blood level of 80 ng/ml (200 nmol/L)
Vitamin D3 is an extremely important vitamin/hormone in your body. It has potent anti-ageing properties. It also helps with all sorts of inflammatory conditions, whether caused by microbes or autoimmunity. Repeated studies prove the cancer-preventative and anticancer properties of Vitamin D. It also helps with a wide range of mental challenges., diabetes, osteoporosis, joint issues, heart conditions, etc.
A normal Vitamin D blood level is crucial to reverse insulin resistance. The problem with pathology labs is that they regard normal at a level way below what is needed to achieve our aim.
Your aim: 80 ng/ml (200 nmol/L).
Take one scoop of FIRE Power twice a day – around 2,500 IU per scoop. This is usually enough to maintain your Vit D level. However, if not, also take one Mega D3 capsule (40,000 IU) once a week.
Eat fish / seafood at least once a week
Fish holds many health benefits, including mental and heart health. With a global shortage of fish oil supplements (you need around 2000 mg/d), eating fish is the preferred way to get your omega-3 oils. Prawns also contain Omega 3, as well as Karoo sheep.
Eat two eggs every day
Eggs are a source of complete protein, meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids. “Essential” means that the body can’t synthesise these amino acids on its own, which is why we need to include them in our diet. Eggs are also one of the best sources of brain-boosting choline. One egg provides ~150 mg. Eating 2 eggs per day covers half of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI).
Eat a portion of plain yogurt every day
The microbes in yogurt play a very important role in gut health. Yogurt also has prebiotic properties, meaning it feeds the right kinds of microbes in the gut. Long term studies show that daily yogurt consumption has no downsides. On the other hand, it dramatically reduces the incidence of allergies. Consider making your own yogurt – check our recipe in Food on FIRE.
Eat a bigger breakfast
Eating a big breakfast can reduce your hunger cravings later in the day and give you extra energy when you need it. (Note – if you doing OMAD, breakfast is your best choice of meal).
Take a tablespoon of macadamia nut oil every day
Of all the commercially available nut oils, macadamia nut oil contains the highest percentage of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. It also tastes tons better than olive oil, and is much cheaper.
Drink more water
Make a plan to drink at least 2½ liter of fluids every day. One way could be to get a flask, filling it with water in the morning and making sure it is empty by evening. More water helps the kidneys flush out more waste products every day. It also decreases appetite, which helps with food cravings between meals. Add a dash of lemon or mint to make it taste better. You can also add a pinch of pink table salt (sodium chloride) or a pinch of potassium chloride to the water- you need 5ml (1 teaspoon) of both these salts a day in your food/water, remember?
Drink Magnesium daily
Modern people do not get nearly enough magnesium in their diet. The ancient source of magnesium was the village well, which nowadays has been replaced by purified (?) tap water. Magnesium is essential to more than 300 reactions in the body, many of them related to energy. Taking the right magnesium supplement is a quick way of increasing energy levels and overall health. Our MgO delivers more elemental magnesium in an easily absorbed format than any other magnesium sold in the shops.
How much magnesium do you need? Take your lean body mass (height in cm minus 100) and multiply that with 10. That is roughly the amount of magnesium in mg you need.
2 scoops of FIRE Power will get your there. If not, add another MgO capsule or two per day.
Do a little exercise directly after waking up every morning
Yip, we used the “exercise” word. And, yip, “exercise” is a double four-letter word. But a little exercise in the morning (even just walking in place for 5 minutes) will increase your metabolic rate, which will help you lose fat weight.
Climb one flight of stairs every day
Studies show that people who climb as little as one flight of stairs daily, live longer, healthier lives than those who don’t. If you live in a block of flats, choose the stairs instead of the lift as often as possible.
Walk for 20 minutes every day (preferably with someone)
A daily walk drops the stress levels and helps you sleep better.
Spend 20 minutes in sunshine every day
Maybe not something you’d like to try in winter, but at least do it while it’s warmer weather. The rays of the sun have all sorts of health benefits, not just the production of Vitamin D.
Take 3 deep breaths once an hour
Deep breaths get rid of excess carbon dioxide and up the oxygen levels to the brain.
Switch your alcohol of choice to red wine
Red wine is the only alcohol repeatedly shown to have health benefits if consumed regularly over the long term. If you struggle with a fatty liver, consider stopping the consumption of alcohol for 3 months.
Switch from sugar and other sweeteners to xylitol
Eliminate or reduce the sugar in your daily diet. If you need something sweet, use either xylitol. Xylitol may be poisonous to dogs, but it is 100% safe for human use. Studies show that it has many health benefits, including anticancer properties.
Other sweeteners are not good news. Almost every month, more bad news is published about what sweeteners do to the body. Xylitol is the only sweetener that seems to be safe for human use over the long term, but use it in moderation.
Stop / reduce smoking
If you don’t want to stop smoking altogether, reduce your cigarette habit by fixing your smoke times every day. It is often easier to reduce cigarettes instead of stopping cold turkey. Avoid having cigarettes on you, leave them in a place where you have to take some trouble to get them if you want to smoke.
Stop eating “food” that comes in a wrapper
“Food” in a wrapper is something produced in a factory out of real food that has been disintegrated and then reassembled. Study after study shows that processed food is a major contributor to poor health. Eat real food instead. Stick to the Green List.
Don’t eat / snack after 15.00
If you wish to lose weight, doing OMAD or having a 16-18 hour fasting window every day is a simple way to lose weight without trying too hard. It may take some time to see the scale budge, but once it starts moving, it moves steadily in the right direction.
Go to bed at the same time every night
It may take some getting used to, but eventually you will fall asleep quicker. This is the easiest way to get that magical 7 hours of sleep every night.
Turn off wifi at 21.00 every night
Wifi radiation is linked to sleeplessness. Switch off all wifi devices by 21.00. Don’t have your phone next to your bedside.
No screen-time after 21.00
The blue light of mobile and modern television screens interferes with melatonin production, meaning our sleep is not so deep and restful.
Limit social media time
Social media should be called antisocial media, since every minute spent connecting with imaginary friends is a minute spent away from dealing with real life and real people. As a communication tool, social media has its uses, but set strict boundaries or it will swallow your time, leaving you feeling rushed and stressed.
There is an inverse correlation between time spent on social media and mood. The more time is spent on social media, the worse the mood gets, and the more depressed people become.
Set aside a few minutes every day for prayer and gratitude
Listing all the things you can be grateful for early in the morning makes a difference to your health. It may take a few weeks, but try it.
That’s just for starters. Each of the above tips is backed by science. Modify them to suit your situation, but take action TODAY. Get someone to join you, so you can keep each other accountable. Imagine how much better life could be if you weren’t constantly battling ill health.
Taking charge of your habits and choices is more important than getting the right supplements.