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7 Winning Life Hacks To Adopt this Summer

6/29/2022

For most of us, summer time often triggers good memories and brings out the carefree side in us. It’s a great season to re-evaluate what's been working for us, and what isn't. Just like connecting with a friend, set a date to have a "catch up" with yourself of sorts. Go through this list, and pick a couple hacks to focus on in the back half of the year. (2023 will be here before we know it!)

1.) Reset Your Biochemistry.

Imagine being angry about something or someone for the whole day. Notice how those stress hormones (loads of cortisol) make every other decision and encounter stressful and negative. The opposite occurs when you move, love and reflect daily.

It triggers such a positive flush of hormones in the body, that even if you’re dealing with tough events, your body is able to calm your nerves and mind to a more manageable stage.

Nothing is healthier to the body and brain than a good 'ol rush of neurotransmitters in the body on a daily basis. Endorphins, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin are all naturally occurring chemicals in the body that are triggered when you move, love, and reflect. Do more of that.

2.) Pick the right Emotional Home.

We all have an emotional home that we live in. How you fill this home with the emotions you choose is the quality of life you live. Every one of us is conditioned to return to a set of emotions where we spend most of our days, even if they don’t serve us well.

It’s kind of like food. We all have 4-5 food combos that we tend to go to, regardless how unhealthy they may be. Emotions are the same way- we are conditioned to always go back to the comfort emotions.

Being able to identify and reframe them enriches your emotional home. And where you live emotionally is where you live. That’s the ultimate determining factor on the quality of our lives.

3.) Take Ownership.

Our ego often wants to be right, and we try to cover up our mistakes (mistakenly thinking it will make us feel better) by pointing fingers and placing blame on the government, other people and situations. There is something calming about taking ownership for every action you take. It puts you in control to do the right thing.

4.) Protect your Attention.

Time is not our greatest asset. Our ATTENTION is a far more valuable asset that we must protect daily. We can have all the time and money in the world, but if our attention is taken by people and activities that de-energize us all day, then we’re not maximizing what’s available to us for optimum living. Find the right equilibrium of your daily attention by balancing out the situations, people, medias that energize you vs those that take the life out of you–which can often be things out of our control.

5.) Look for the good in everyone.

This is one I’m always working on. It’s a toughie, but here’s a trick I learned from author Richard Carlson who wrote, "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff...and It’s All Small Stuff."  What if everyone you run into on a daily basis were put on this earth to teach you lessons?

What if the obnoxious driver or the disrespectful teenager were there to teach you about patience? What if the homeless person was there to teach you about compassion? This automatically shifts your anger state into a beautiful state–a much healthier way to live and deal with life’s difficulties.

6.) Be a value adder, not an energy vampire.

Every time you walk into a room, you have the choice to come in with a smile and being the first to say hello, or you come in thinking about your life’s problems, ignore everyone and just wait for someone to be nice to you.

Practice proactive kindness and you’ll experience a two way winning streak, you’ll make the person on the receiving end feel good and you’ll feel even better by extending that love.

7.) Feed Your Spirit.

This does not have to be religious based. Being in a state of gratitude is life changing. As cheesy as this sounds, gratitude is one of the most studied emotions in the field of positive psychology. And the research points to profound outcomes.

Another well researched activity is meditation. You don’t have to be a monk to do this, just find a quiet spot and focus on your breathing. Try to find the “gap” which is the area between your thoughts. Initially this will be hard, but start slow. Two minutes will do it. Build up from there.

Everyone focuses on something. Where focus goes, energy flows. Learn to refocus on the things that truly matter to you by aiming to control things that are under your control and learn to let go of those you cannot. As mentioned in the serenity prayer by author Reinhold Niebuhr, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

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9 Tips to Reboot Your Life Software

1/13/2022

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Studio K-Fit opened in January 2013. It’s hard to believe it's been 9 years already. Quite the rollercoaster ride, especially these past couple years. Yet, we are still here and we are very grateful to still be given the opportunity to serve our awesome community.

I thought we could kick off with 9 Tips to help you elevate physically, mentally and emotionally in this new year:

1.) The world is better today than it's ever been in the history of mankind. It may sound like a bold statement, but if you dig through history (simply the past 100 years) you'll notice that to be true as well. Yet so many people don't believe it. Negativity is loud and positivity is quiet. Social media (and other media outlets) have flooded society. The sharing of negative events has been amplified exponentially.

Everyone has a camera and access to the world wide web to share every little detail of life. Bad things have always happened. It's just that today we actually have access to see it and consume it 24/7. This is toxic for our brain, emotional health and overall well being. Media consumption control is a must for us all. You are in control. Consume wisely.

2.) Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe. In the 9 years that we've been in business, I would say that currently we have the most dedicated cohort of members. These people are the go getters that won't let obstacles get in the way of their #1 priority: their health. They also happen to be a friendly and supportive crew. It's much easier to get (and stay) in shape when you're surrounded by the right tribe. The behavior you're trying to adapt is the normal behavior in that tribe, so it's easier to attain results.

3.) Find inner peace daily. You don't need to be on a quiet mountaintop or be on the beach listening to the waves crashing. In fact, it's better to implement micro inner peace moments with your day to day life. Whether you're in the shower, driving or simply waiting in line at the grocery store- shift to a gratitude mentality and take a couple slow, deep breaths. The deep breath exhales stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers a relaxation response in your body.

4.) Build Positive Relationships. “Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher. Life is already filled with those who want to bring you down.” ~Oprah

5.) Master Your Sleep. As more studies come out on the power of a good night's sleep, the more we realize how crucial it is for our health. Cut screen time 2 hours before bed. TV and computer screen (or any intense lighting) greatly impacts your circadian rhythms. This is basically a 24 hour physiological clock that controls your hormonal balance, amongst many things. At nighttime, there is greater melatonin release and that is related to the lack of light.

6.) Tracking keeps you on track. Being conscious and mindful of what you're doing is an easy way to get fit. How many times have we sat in front of the computer for 5+ hours without even noticing it? Or ate one too many bites of that carb rich treat. The moment we become conscious of the amount of movement we do, and how much we are eating, everything changes. Keep a notebook if it helps you (I use the notes app on my phone).

Be honest of how much quality exercise you actually did during the week. Two workouts weekly is only 8 out of the 30 days in one month. Maybe enough for maintenance, but nowhere near the proper amount for significant changes. Any change you want to make in life, start with tracking on a daily basis. It's the best way to stay consistent.

7.) Add the Catalyst.   There's no better way to accelerate weight loss than adding exercise into your daily routine. Beyond the physical benefits, you'll also reap major mental advantages, such as reduction in anxiety, depression and improved cognitive functions as indicated in this study.

If you're not doing a K-Fit Workout, here's a simple 30 min walk/jog interval to kickstart your day:

Walk for 5 min, then jog for 5 minutes
Walk for 4 min, then jog for 4 minutes
Walk for 3 min, then jog for 3 minutes
Walk for 2 min, then jog a little faster for 2 minutes
Walk for 1 min, then run fast for 1 minute
----REPEAT IF NEEDED--

8.) Add Structure. Action Alleviates Anxiety. Having a plan in front of you helps with taking action when needed. Are your workouts scheduled this week?

9.) More Hope Based Vs Fear Based Mentality: We have a 2 million year old brain that always looks for what is wrong. It scans for danger. It will never stop doing it. Today's media makes billions off your survival software, and if we stay in primitive mode, it's a daily battle of our brains versus reality. You have to make a conscious decision to constantly override that survival software and make a decision to say, “Life is too short to suffer.” Ruminating on stressful thoughts will constantly create more suffering in your life.

Upgrade your software by disengaging in those stressful thoughts. The thoughts will come, just don’t feed it. Meditation can do wonders in terms of helping you develop the brain brake system for thoughts that you don’t want to entertain. Just let them pass.

Exercise can inject amazing neurotransmitters and hormones that will literally change the biochemistry in your body, allowing for more positive emotions to flood the brain.

You have what it takes to make 2022 your healthiest year yet. We are here to help! Let’s GO!!

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Interview with Virologist Kate Franz

10/20/2021

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This past week we got a chance to catch up with Kate Franz. Besides being a super cool member of K-Fit, she's one of the top virologists around.

Kate received her bachelor in Microbial biology from University of Cal, Berkeley. She then went to study at Harvard where she graduated with her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Virology.

Today, she works in the Bay area with a team in the forefront of science research.

I know many of us are probably tired of hearing about the virus, and maybe even a little confused/exhausted of all the information from different news source.

That's why when I heard that Kate is an expert Virologist, I got excited, and was curious to hear her take on certain questions I had about the virus. Her answers were very informative and I wanted to share it with you all.

1.) When will we see the Covid 19 virus disappear? Is that even a possibility?

It is possible to eradicate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but most experts think that it is highly unlikely to happen. The scientific journal Nature polled a panel of 118 experts in virology and immunology and 89% responded that they believed the virus would become “endemic,” meaning it would continue to circulate throughout our population. However, we live with other endemic viruses, like seasonal flu, and manage the infections every year by getting vaccinated, good hygiene practices like frequent handwashing, and avoiding others when we have symptoms.

If we did want to eradicate SARS-CoV-2, it would likely require a global campaign to vaccinate >70% of the population. As of October 11th, the New York Times Vaccination Tracker estimates that 48% of the world’s population has received at least 1 dose of a vaccine, so there are still billions of vaccine doses that would need to be administered to reach that global goal.

2.) Why are kids not affected by the virus as severely as adults?

Since the start of the pandemic, ~6 million kids have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (~16.2% of all cases), but luckily, very few have had severe disease or required hospitalization. Scientists are still actively studying SARS-CoV-2 infections in kids and don’t yet have a clear answer for why they have better outcomes. Some scientists think that children may have more recent exposure to other related coronaviruses (like the viruses that cause the common cold) which helps their immune system fight off SARS-CoV-2. Another thought is that kids might just have very strong immune systems. If you spend time with kids, maybe you’ve seen them get a cold that passes in a day or two, but left you sick for a week!

3.) Since vaccinated individuals have the defense "shield" to fight off the Covid virus--causing it not to multiply in the body such as an unvaccinated infected individuals-- is it accurate to suggest that vaccinated individuals are less likely to spread the virus even if they were infected with it?

Because it is rare for vaccinated people to become infected with SARS-CoV-2, as a group, vaccinated people are less likely to spread the virus within their communities, especially if they live in a community with high vaccination rates. However, if you are vaccinated and do become infected, you can spread the virus to others, so it’s important to quarantine and follow your healthcare provider’s advice after a positive COVID-19 test.

That said, studies on earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants (like the Alpha variant, the strain dominant earlier in the pandemic) suggested that an infected vaccinated person was less likely to transmit the virus than an infected unvaccinated person. This is because people infected after vaccination were observed to have less “live” virus in their nose than unvaccinated people. However, this observation hasn’t strictly held up when studying the newer variants like Delta. The studies are still being conducted, but early results suggest that the amount of virus an infected vaccinated person has in their nose might be more similar to that of an unvaccinated person.

This might sound alarmingly, but at the end of the day, regardless of who is transmitting the virus, vaccinated people are less likely to become infected and have much better outcomes (less severe disease, hospitalization, and death) than unvaccinated people.

4.) What's your opinion on exercising with other people that are fully vaccinated?

If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m a huge proponent of vaccination. I think if you have the choice, interacting with vaccinated people (compared to unvaccinated people) significantly reduces your risk of exposure to COVID. However, there is no preventative measure that can reduce your risk to 0%, so it’s important to consider your individual and family’s health risk—and this may require input from your healthcare provider. For some people, this might mean working out outdoors, socially distanced, or masked, in addition to being in a 100% vaccinated environment. Others may need to abstain completely. These decisions are specific to the individual and all valid.

5.) How has the media influenced the way we view this virus? As a virologist, is there something that you wish the media would cover better?

I’ve read excellent coverage about the COVID-19 pandemic from the science journalism teams at The Atlantic and STATnews. However, when I’ve seen news from some other sources or talked to my friends and family about the pandemic, my main observation has been that some media sources present new and breaking information about the pandemic as very firm—often before the scientific community has reached agreement. I think this confuses people about how they should protect themselves during the pandemic. The basics of the pandemic have not changed: the vaccines protect against all strains of SARS-CoV-2 and vaccinations along with masking, good hygiene, and social distancing are effective to stop the spread of the virus.

6.) The flu has many strains. Do you think Covid will end with the Delta strain, or will we see others in the future?

It seems clear now that we will continue to see new variants as long as the virus continues to circulate around the globe. Every time someone is infected, it is possible that a new variant will emerge. When someone is infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus replicates and can mutate. Very rarely, these mutations will give the virus an advantage, for example, the ability to transmit more efficiently. If that mutant begins to spread, it can emerge as a new variant. This is another reason why getting vaccinated (if you are able) isn’t just a smart choice for your individual health, but can also prevent new variants from emerging and prolonging the pandemic.

7.) Why is there such a big concern around breakthrough cases when most people are being turned away from hospitals and being told to recover at home?

“Breakthrough infection” is the rare case when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with SARS-CoV-2. This is expected since none of the vaccines are 100% effective. Fortunately, infected vaccinated people are 25 times less likely to be hospitalized with serious COVID.

I think people are concerned about breakthrough infections because they worry the infections mean that the vaccines are not protecting us or that a new variant is emerging. However, to date, the vaccines are effective and protect against all SARS-CoV-2 variants.

8.) How does this vaccine compare to others you have seen?

At the start of the pandemic, the FDA said they would consider approving vaccines that were demonstrated to be safe and also had at least 50% efficacy (efficacy = how well the vaccine works in a clinical trial). Both mRNA vaccines exceeded all expectations and prevented infection with ~95% efficacy. Even as more infectious variants have emerged, vaccine effectiveness has remained high (effectiveness = how well a vaccine works in the real world), preventing infection, serious disease, hospitalization, and death. Though we don’t have a specific number yet for the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines, for context, a very successful flu vaccine will show 60% real world effectiveness.

9.) How strong is our immune response when vaccinated if we were exposed to the virus?

As everyone who got one of the mRNA vaccines knows, the vaccine is administered in two doses. The first dose exposes your immune system to a piece of the virus which will generate antibodies and T-cells that can neutralize and eliminate a virus infection. With the second dose, your immune system refines its response and importantly, gains speed and memory. After vaccination, if you do become exposed to SARS-CoV-2, your immune system can detect the virus and quickly deploy T-cells and antibodies to neutralize the virus and kill any infected cells.

A vaccine enables your immune system to learn how to detect and defeat a virus before you are exposed, otherwise your immune system is left learning on the job. We know that the vaccinated response is superior to a “naïve” immune system because vaccinated people are 8 times less likely to become infected.

Kate, this was awesome!  Thank you so much for sharing such valuable insight.

Disclosure: Any information Kate shared is her opinion only and not her employer’s. Kate is not a medical doctor or trained in public health and none of the answers constitute medical advice.

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Purify Your Thoughts. Live Better.

9/3/2021

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So much of what we do in life comes from reacting to situations. Yet, if you look at the most successful people in the world, they manage to learn how to control their day. This starts by not reacting to things first thing in the morning, but rather being proactive with the first couple hours of the day.

The fact is you cannot control some things that may happen during the day. Earthquakes may happen, stocks may crash, pandemics may worsen, your friend may cancel on you and your boss may end up unhappy with your work.

No matter what may arise, there are ways to better equip ourselves for the day ahead. One of the best ways is priming correctly at the beginning of the day.

Let’s look at some successful individuals who are doing it right first thing in the morning:

Warren Buffett advocates reading 500 pages per day because that’s how knowledge builds up like compound interest. He’s up at 6:45am to get started on his reading.
Dwayne “the rock” is at the gym by 4am to get an edge on the competition.
Oprah Winfrey usually wakes up around 6am and gets her day going by walking the dogs, followed by chai tea or a cappuccino, exercise, meditation, and breakfast.
Starbucks Exec Howard Schultz gets up at 4:30am to walk his dogs, exercise, and then he makes coffee to get the day going.
Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of Twitter and Square, wakes at 5am to meditate, exercise, and make coffee. This is done before checking in for his work day.

Whether it’s exercising, reading, writing gratitude moments, meditation or simply enjoying your morning cup of joe, the most successful people share something in common- They prime for success. Yes, some have to get up very early to do so, but this behavior allows them to take a little more control of their life. They are not reacting and filling their minds with news, alerts and emails first thing in the morning. Those things are inevitable but are much better handled with a properly primed mindset.

This is not just for famous people by the way. Long time clients at Studio K-Fit have daily rituals they have adapted in order to get a healthy rhythm in their day.

Maybe exercising at 4 am is not your thing, or maybe early mornings just don’t work for you. That's ok. The idea is to establish a routine of at least 10 minutes each day that will get you charged up in the right mindset so you can carry out your goals for the day and also tackle challenges that may come your way.

By conditioning your mindset properly, you can actually change your biochemistry. And by changing your biochemistry on a regular basis, you slowly begin to utilize your potential.

When you maximize your potential, you’re able to develop the best version of yourself. Not someone’s idea of you, or your idea of yourself planted by others. You begin to live life by your own terms and conditions.

Purify your day by adapting activities that charge you up. Something like a K-Fit HIIT workout at Studio K-Fit may just do the trick ;)

Let’s Move!

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Your Most Valuable Asset (Not $ or Time)

8/11/2021

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"When we focus on what we lack, we lose what we have. When we focus on what we have, we gain what we lack." - Author Greg McKeown

Time is not our greatest asset.

Attention is our greatest asset.

You can have all the time in the world, but if your attention is taken by people and things that de-energize you all day long, then you're not maximizing what's available to you for optimum living.

Where your focus goes, energy flows. Find the right equilibrium of your daily attention by balancing out the situations, people, and media that energizes you versus the ones that suck the life out of you.

The ones that drains us can often times be out of our control. This could be your teenager's drama, spouse annoyance, work overload, a significant event in the world, etc. The things that drains us are endless. If we focus and feed those emotions (anger, worry, jealousy, assumptions), we expand our state of suffering...and no amount of $$$ can fix that.

If instead we can shift to focusing on the emotions that drive us forward and helps us create a life of meaning and freedom, then we'll be maximizing our greatest asset available to us.

How To Revamp Energy Levels?

Personally, what energizes me ranges from spending time with my family, workouts, Brazilian music, hiking in nature, the beach, podcasts, books, hanging around positive people, having quiet time (often only available in the wee hours of the morning before anyone is up), being of service/helpful to others, being in a state of gratitude daily.

When I'm off kilter, I know I need to reset and plug in some of those activities back in the routine.
Find what works for you. Take note of the activities and people that energize you. Make sure you're getting a daily dose of energizing boosting events. It's the only way to combat the ever changing and unpredictable world that we live in.

-Coach Kendrick

PS- If you're looking for a place with a positive & energizing group of people, come join one of our amazing workouts at Studio K-Fit. Guaranteed energy boost for the day!

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5 Steps To Success During Covid Times

1/20/2021

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If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that life is full of surprises. And although we love good surprises, we’d rather avoid the bad ones altogether.

As a business owner, I thought we would just have one challenge this past year; the pandemic. Much to our (unwanted) surprise we have been dealing with a lot more.

Being forced by the county to run workouts outside, having to cancel classes due to bad air quality because of California fires, closing studio for nearly another week due to social unrest and the possibility of looters coming to plaza (management had boarded up the entire plaza).

Working out next to dumpster. Dealing with Rain. Cold. Darkness. Cancellations.

Yet, despite all of that we have a community that finds a way. It’s that solution based mindset that keeps us going and I get fired up when I see clients still showing up to their cold rainy sessions.

Tenacity is not just about dealing with the obstacles in the way, but also not letting those obstacles deviate you from your goals. You keep moving forward. That’s what living with purpose and a mission is about.

There are a few things that can help keep us intact mentally and emotionally.

Here are 5 Steps to Success During Covid Times:

1.) Implement a Daily Gratitude Minute.

There’s always something to be grateful for regardless how bad the day is. This changes our perspective ever so slightly and keeps the hope alive.
It’s hard to be angry and grateful at the same time. It’s a positive emotion worth adding to your daily routine.

2.) Get out of your Own Head.
The more intellectual you are, the more you believe your thoughts. And that’s dangerous, because over 30% of our thoughts are stories, assumptions and conclusions that we develop without any basis. Sometimes you just have to let the thoughts pass.
Some of them are like storms. They come and they may rock you a bit, but it always passes.

3.) Focus on Serving Others.

When was the last time you did something nice for someone and felt awful about it? It’s hard to donate money or your time while being mad.

Most often than not, it lights us up. It’s a good feeling. Implement more of those good feelings in your life and watch how enriching your outlook becomes.

4.) Say NO to Toxicity Around You.

Does Social Media lift you up? No? Get rid of it or pause it for a bit to see how you respond to it. Got negative Sallys in your life talking about how “we’ll be dealing with this virus forever, life will never be the same”

Do an audit check of the people around you and the time you are spending on various activities.

Make sure you have plenty of activities that lift you up. It can be as simple as listening to your favorite tunes or working out.

5.) Good Energy Always Wins

Move daily. Whether it’s a walk, a 20 minute YouTube workout or a K-Fit workout (my personal favorite!) give your body a fighting chance.

Team, this year is not easy on anyone. Tension in households is at an all time high. Therapists are booked up. Education via zoom without social interaction is causing anxiety and depression among kids. People are losing their jobs.

You have the ability, capability and responsibility to change your biochemistry on a daily basis to combat these elements coming at you.

...And you should because you will feel so much better.

It will also carry over to the other aspects of your life.

Get your blood pumping, inject some fresh oxygen in the brain. Give your body the daily dose of oxytocin, endorphins, norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Those naturally occurring hormones are triggered after bouts of exercises.

They flood your system with mood enhancing, muscle relaxing, mind igniting happy triggers.

Not to mention that exercise can keep your weight and immunity in check.

It’s a Win-Win-Win!

If you have any questions or need help in setting up a fitness/nutrition/lifestyle gameplan, our coaches are here for you.

Let’s stick together. We’ll get through it.

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Be the Architect of Your Life (3 ways)

9/16/2020

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Whether we are living through a pandemic or just "normal" life, many of us have fallen victim of allowing others to decide the type of lives we should follow.
Most people simply survive in a world others have created for them.

What you consume on a daily basis basically determines the environment you live in.
The foods you eat, the information you consume (listening and watching), the people you are surrounded by and even how you balance your energy level during the day.

Environment design is key in helping us optimally engage with the world.  It also sets us up to better handle challenges that may come our way.

Here are 3 ways to Develop Life Enhancing Habits:

1.) Information Audit.
We are currently living in the information era. The access to information and knowledge has become so abundant that you can literally receive ivy league education from your phone, for free (check out iTunes U). With that also comes information that we don't need. Those that take our focus away from the important things in life. News that we have absolutely no control over, yet causes us to stress out daily.

Be proactive in the way you receive information.
Is your social media full of negative sallys complaining of the world we live in and how we are doomed forever?
Does consuming the news make you aggravated and stressed out?
Do you find yourself joining conversations that leave you drained afterwards?
Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it. Take charge.

2.) Biochemically Enhance.
Following up on the first point, taking action on a daily basis is key.
Biochemistry is the branch of science concerned with the chemical and physicochemical processes and substances that occur within living organisms.
Why is this important? Well, we have a lot more control over temporary changes in our biochemistry than we think.

When you drink alcohol, you temporarily change your biochemistry.
When you get into an argument, you change your biochemistry.

It also changes when you:

Consume a healthy meal
When you have sex
When you exercise
When you share a laugh
When you read

You get the point. And this is happening all day. If we are not careful of maintaining a healthy ratio of activities that produce healthy hormones, we basically lose control of our bodies.
I am sure every one of us have experienced this, especially in 2020!

Add more biochemically enhancing activities in your life. Make sure the ratio makes sense. Add gratitude moments, exercise, music, nutritious foods, and even plenty of sleep.

3.) Exposure to the right cues.

The important thing is altering the spaces you live in to increasing exposure to positive cues and reducing your exposure to negative ones. If healthier eating is one of your goals, then you may want to consider keeping the chips and sweets out of the house.

If you would like to exercise more, then putting in on the calendar and treating it like a very important meeting will help you stay on track.
Also helps to join a group of people that makes exercise a top priority in their life.

You don't have to rely on the world to dictate the life you should be living. Even if it's really stressful right now, we can take small steps toward designing a life of purpose, joy and significance.

Become the architect of your life.

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Resilience From Resistance

4/26/2020

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Most people realize the simple fact that in order to get stronger physically, you have to lift some weights. Over time and if you’re consistent with your workouts, you’ll start to notice the shift in strength.

Weight lifting is simply adding additional resistance to the natural gravitational force that’s already in place on your body. That resistance is what challenges the body to fire up more motor units within the muscles, which in turn increases metabolic demands by the body providing you with more energy.

With the right amount of resistance and enough repetitions over time, we’re able to see positive changes and increase our strength. The weights start feeling lighter and resistance doesn’t feel as hard.

Life is very similar in that sense that when we’re faced with challenges (aka: resistance), we have a choice to solve that challenge or we can simply let the challenges dictate how we live our lives, often times setting us back into a life of victimization and blaming others for what happens to us.

When given the choice, humans are wired to take the path of least resistance. It’s in our DNA. Why climb over the mountain when you could float down the river that goes around the mountain?

Or in more modern times, why go for a walk to the store when I can drive the car while sitting on my comfy leather seat? Pretty soon, you won’t even have to worry about the driving as the car itself will be doing that!

What if struggles, hardships and periods of sadness were placed there for a reason?

What if they were there in order for us to pause, reflect and fuel the soul?

What if they were there to challenge us and strengthen us before we take the next step in our journey?

I believe that throughout our existence, we goes through many phases, which can be thought of as seasons. They work in conjunction to create the flow of life.

Oftentimes, phases of hardship and struggles gifts us with the opportunity to discover inner resources that we may not have been aware that we possessed. It’s not until we face a major challenge in our life, that we find our hidden strengths and resilience.

Think about it? When everything is peachy, there is not much need for resilience.   It’s in life’s most chaotic moments that we find the tools to help us rise up to the occasion. And the experience itself may be a stepping stone to our next phase of life.

Before Abraham Lincoln became president, he had endure some of the biggest setbacks any human can endure.

His mother died at age 9. His sister died at age 19.   Two of his sons died at ages 3 and 12. His fiance died shortly before their wedding. He failed in many businesses. Went bankrupt. He had a nervous breakdown on the brink of suicide and was 6 months bedridden.

He lost state legislation more than once before finally becoming the 16th President of the United States in 1861. From there, he helped change America for the better and left a legacy that will be talked about for generations to come.

Talk about rising in the face of challenges.

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” - Marcus Aurelius, Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor.

Being sad and being disappointment is ok. Even having no direction in life is ok. Take the time to be still and reflect. Try not to feed unhealthy thoughts in your mind, because they are not necessarily facts. Just like you can become a glutton by overfeeding the body, you can also poison the mind by ruminating negative scenarios and situations that are not necessarily true.

What in your life is causing a setback? Have you stopped to reflect or are you constantly trying to solve it?

Resistance and challenges are opportunities in your life. Its an enrichment period that can equip you with the right tools for the next phase of life.   Embrace it and use it to your advantage to create a life of meaning that’s in line with your deepest values.

Committed to your health,
Kendrick

5 Comments

Abundance Mentality.

4/20/2020

1 Comment

When a pandemic hits, and fear takes over, we start to (panic) buy canned foods that we have never eaten (and probably will never eat), we buy enough toilet paper to last us for the year, we fill our gas tanks, we take cash out of the bank and we retrieve to our shelter and wait for things to happen.

The scarcity mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a scarcity mentality have a very difficult time sharing things, sharing power or acknowledging others. They also have a hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people.

Their thinking is, if another person takes a big piece, that leaves less for everyone else. There will never be enough. Hence why we see panic shopping during a pandemic.

People with scarcity minds...

Hoard things
Resent competition
Criticize others
Hold grudges
Talk about people
Compete to stay on top
Won't share knowledge
Won't offer help to others
Suspicious of others
Think small and avoid risks
Fear Change

And then we have the abundance mentality, which flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth, confidence and the desire to serve others. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there for everybody. It results in acknowledging others and cheering for their success.

People with abundance mentality...

Share knowledge
Collaborate with others to stay on top
Strive to grow
Generous with others
Believe in the good of people
Build rapport
Take ownership of change
Carry a hope based mentality
Solution thinkers
Talk about ideas

Here is the beauty of it all. We actually have a choice of which mentality we want to adapt. Clearly, the abundance mindset allows you to live a more tranquil, fulfilled and impactful life.

Here are three ways to shift to a more abundant mentality.

1.) Audit your circle of influence:

Keep the practice of social distancing going by staying away from scarcity minded individuals. Attitude rubs off very easily among the people you hang around. Take this time of social distancing to audit the people in your life and think about those that have an abundance. Maybe you can reach out to them to share how much you appreciate them in your life. Solidify those relationships during this time.

2.) Train your Brain to recognize opportunities:

Even in the midst of this pandemic, there are opportunities that will arise. It doesn't have to be things that will change the world. The simple act of someone playing a violin from the balcony of their apartment in Italy to his neighbor- while everyone is sheltered in place- is an example of an abundant mentality. Look for the good.

3.) Listen to Oprah:

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” -Oprah

I love that quote. Gratitude changes everything. It's impossible to feel anger and gratitude at the same time. It's a powerful positive emotion that alleviates a lot of anxiety. Practice it daily.

Want to know a simple way to experience happiness on a daily basis?

Lately, Angie and I have been writing a lot of gratitude cards. It's pretty amazing how this simple practice of gratitude can change your perspective and inject more happiness into your life.

Your mind is your biggest asset. As you continue to prime a genuine and sincere abundance mindset, you will find that your positive outlook can spill over and influence the people around you.

The Best is Yet to Come!

Kendrick

1 Comment

3 Ways to Fight Viruses

3/9/2020

3 Comments

The fear of the unknown is uncomfortable, and with the increasing threat of the Coronavirus spreading the globe, it’s important to take the appropriate precautions and stay informed with accurate data.

We also have to remember too that times of uncertainty allows for growth in other areas of our life.

Besides the hand washing and taking the appropriate precautions, let's not forget to maximize these three things that are under our control in times of chaos regarding our health:

Utilize the Most Powerful Drug Available to You. You have an abundant drug under the hood that's called your immune system. Whether you know it or not, your immune system can fight off more bugs, viruses and bacterias that any other drug in the market. No side effects either. In order to maximize the potential of your immune system, there are some things you can do to strengthen it so it can fight off even that nasty flu!

1.) Exercise is by far the best way to strengthen your immune system.   Sitting at home in isolation without doing any exercise is possibly the worst thing for your immune system. All it takes is an amazon box that contains the virus (from someone that was exposed to the virus handling it) to arrive and your system may not have a fighting chance. Hundreds of studies have proven the effects of exercise on improving immune response.

Exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before.

Exercise trains the body to better handle stress, allowing for the body to better handle stress hormones which decreases the load on the immune system.

Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu or other illness.

Recently, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine found how just one session of moderate exercise can also act as an anti-inflammatory. One 20 minute workout session produced an anti-inflammatory cellular response. There was a decrease of 5% in the production of cytokines which is a protein that causes inflammation in the body.

2.) Update the Software. I'm not talking about the one in your iPhone, but the software in your brain. So many of us become victims of the negativity all around us. The brain is just as important as the body when it comes to living a less stressful life and maximizing our immune system.

Remember that continuous cortisol induced by stress lowers our immune system’s ability to ward off diseases.

A good first step is shifting to a more proactive mentality. Instead of letting the emails, social media, news dictate your emotions for the day, find those rituals that are going to help establish the right foundation for you to maximize your morning. This will ultimately lead to a much more successful (and productive) day. It will also help you deal with stress much better.

Easy rituals include reading and listening to self development or positive materials first thing in the morning. Meditation, prayer (with a focus on more gratitude than requests) or simply sitting in silence can do wonders as well. These things help the brain put the "brakes on" the upcoming thoughts that may come your way later in the day.

3.) Choose Clean Fuel. Vegetable oil, sugar, saturated fat, phosphoric acid in sodas causes a constant storm in our artery walls which tears the inner linings leading to plaque accumulation. The combination of too much fat and sugar creates havoc in our body. Even if we exercise regularly, our body usually burns only the sugar, but stores the fat for later. Intra-abdominal fat releases molecules called cytokines (yup, the ones mentioned earlier) that sets off inflammation all over the body. Obesity is essentially a state of inflammation.

Reversing that inflammation and stress in our bodies starts with the food we eat. Focus on adding more anti-inflammatory foods to your diet. These include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds. They are filled with antioxidants that fight off free radicals.

These foods also equip the immune system with the essential nutrient dense foods that allow the body to fight off infections and diseases more efficiently. It also supplies our bodies with the nutrients needed to maximize function of our organs including our brains and digestive system.

Careful getting caught up in the hysteria. Take the appropriate measures to protect yourself from getting ill, but also remember to focus on the things that are under your control.

Cleaning up your nutrition, getting your daily exercise and strengthening the mindset will pay you dividends in so many aspects of life, including the mega boost that your immune system will receive.

Make it happen!

Kendrick

3 Comments

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Kendrick Ribeiro, MBA, MS, CSCS

Knowledge is only potential power, until you act on it. My hope is that this blog gives you the inspiration needed to create healthier habits, catapulting you in the direction to develop the best version of yourself.

7 Winning Life Hacks To Adopt this Summer

9 Tips to Reboot Your Life Software

Interview with Virologist Kate Franz

Purify Your Thoughts. Live Better.

Your Most Valuable Asset (Not $ or Time)

5 Steps To Success During Covid Times

Be the Architect of Your Life (3 ways)

Resilience From Resistance

Abundance Mentality.

3 Ways to Fight Viruses

Kendrick Ribeiro, MBA, MS, CSCS

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