Issue #2553

• WEALTHY: Why you shouldn’t fix your weaknesses (Paul Lawrence)
• HEALTHY: The best kinds of sugar and fat (Jon Herring)
• WISE: Gandhi on health

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Get out of your front yard and into the traffic (Yanik Silver)
• The problem with Super Bowl ads (Michael Masterson & MaryEllen Tribby)
• It’s Good to Know… about the flat-tire “rule”
• Add “urbane” to your vocabulary

== Highly Recommended ==

The Problem with New Year’s Resolutions

Some people see January coming up and they think of it as a fresh start. And it sure can be.

But here’s what happens…

You make some New Year’s resolutions, fully intending to follow through.

You may take a few steps forward – do some serious work on your goals.

Then real life steps in. And a few late nights at work, a sick child, and a business trip later, you hard work is in the crapper.

And the mountain of everyday tasks – taking out the trash, drawing up marketing reports, folding the laundry, driving the kids to band practice – grows and grows until it crushes your dreams beneath its weight.

Instead of tackling that mountain, one step at a time, you give up.

When January rolls around, the whole vicious cycle repeats.

Now’s your chance to break the cycle…in as little as 5 minutes a day.

Find Your Strength Zone

By Paul Lawrence

I’m going to share with you a success strategy that can do more to help your career than just about anything else. And most people are doing the exact opposite.

What most people do is identify their weaknesses and then put a great deal of work into improving themselves in those areas. But as John C. Maxwell points out in his book Talent Is Never Enough, you will have a much better chance of rapidly advancing in business if you focus on your strengths.

Let’s say cold-calling is not one of your strong points. It would take a great deal of time and effort to become passable at this skill. But if, instead, you take a skill that you are already good at and you put your energy into becoming even better, you’ll quickly become remarkable.

[Ed. Note: Sometimes the simplest strategies - like focusing on your strengths - can have the biggest results when it comes to your success. Get three more simple yet powerful techniques you can use to get everything you want out of life right here.

Paul Lawrence is a produced screenwriter, a successful entrepreneur with over a dozen profitable start-ups, and a business author. Discover more about his success strategies here.]

Comment on this article

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever – Resolution #9: Improve Your Health in 2 Simple Steps

By Jon Herring

Happy New Year’s Eve! I hope you are taking the time to set some goals and make plans for the year ahead.

Considering the turmoil in the economy, I understand if your primary concerns are to protect your wealth, boost your earning power, and increase your financial independence. But if you want to achieve all of that (and certainly if you want to enjoy it), you must also focus on your health.

When your mental and physical health are in top form, your thinking improves… you have more creativity and energy… you are more confident… your relationships get stronger… and your success is an inspiration to those around you.

When your health is at its best, your skin maintains its youthful appearance. You have fewer aches and pains. Your immune system protects you from illness. And your body naturally sheds fat, leaving a leaner, fitter you staring back from the mirror.

So I urge you to make the strongest commitment to regaining or maintaining your health and fitness this year. The great news is that it is not complicated and it doesn’t require toil and sacrifice. In this article, I will share with you two very simple things you can do that will make a PROFOUND impact.

It doesn’t matter whether your goal is to lose weight… heal a condition… reduce pain and inflammation … improve your appearance… have more energy and stamina… live longer… break free of prescription drugs… or just feel well again… the following two steps will help you achieve it!

Step #1 – Eat a Low-Glycemic Diet

The first and most important step you should take is to strictly limit the amount of sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrates in your diet. Carbs that are high on the glycemic index are rapidly converted to glucose in your system. This raises your blood sugar levels and requires a rush of insulin to shuttle the glucose molecules into the muscles where they can be used as fuel.

Here’s why that is a bad thing: Perpetually elevated blood sugar and insulin levels lead to premature aging, wide swings in mood and energy, reduced immunity, and chronic inflammation. Not to mention a much higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more.

Insulin is also the hormone that controls fat storage. If you want to convert your body to a perpetual fat-burning state, you must keep your insulin and blood sugar levels low. For many people, controlling insulin levels by eating a low-glycemic diet can produce nearly effortless weight loss.

High-glycemic foods that you should limit or avoid include starchy carbohydrates – potatoes, flour, rice, pasta, corn, cereal, bread and other grain products (even whole grains), and baked goods. If you can’t live without bread, tortillas, and cereal, look for Ezekiel 4:9 organic sprouted grain products made by Food for Life. They are all low-glycemic and taste great.

You should also strictly limit the amount of sugar in your diet. In one form or another, sugar is in most foods. And it is a primary culprit in our epidemics of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Read the labels and try to avoid anything with more than 10 grams per serving.

And don’t use artificial sweeteners. They can damage your health – and there are better alternatives. If you wish to sweeten foods and drinks or make your own desserts at home, use sweeteners like erythritol and stevia (or agave nectar, in moderation).

With these all-natural ingredients, you can make low-glycemic desserts that are perfectly healthy and taste even better than those made with sugar.

Step #2 – Balance Your Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio

The second highly important step you must take to improve your health and longevity, lose weight, and slow down the aging process is to balance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.

Omega-3s and omega-6s are known as essential fatty acids. They are essential to every cell in your body, and they must be consumed in your diet. Your body cannot manufacture them. However, while omega-6 fats are essential in small amounts, they actually promote disease when consumed in unnaturally large amounts.

Based on our evolutionary history, the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the diet is 1:1. Our ancestors evolved over millions of years eating that way. However, our modern diet has skewed the ratio significantly.

A hundred years ago, the average American ate less than one pound of vegetable oil per year. Today, the average American eats more than 75 pounds of these polyunsaturated omega-6 fats each year. So, instead of the ideal 1:1 ratio, most people consume anywhere from 20 to 50 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids!

This is a prescription for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cataracts, infertility, skin wrinkles, and much more. The twofold solution is very simple:

• First, reduce – as much as possible – the omega-6 fatty acids in your diet.

Strictly limit vegetable and seed oils – corn oil, soy, canola, safflower, and sunflower oils. You should also avoid fried and processed foods. Potato chips, baked goods, salad dressings, margarine, shortening, etc. all contain vegetable oils and high levels of omega-6 fats.

Replace any vegetable oils you currently use with extra virgin olive oil, organic grass-fed butter, and organic unrefined coconut oil.

Conventionally raised meats are also much higher in omega-6 fatty acids than meat from animals raised on their natural diet. Cattle raised on corn, for example, have a much, much higher ratio of omega-6 fatty acids in their meat than cattle raised on a natural diet of grass. Grass-fed beef is generally very rich in beneficial omega-3s. Buy organic, naturally raised meats whenever possible. (U.S. Wellness Meats is a multi-family run business that takes great care of their customers.)

• Second, boost your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in very few foods, which is why most of the population is deficient. This is a shame, because omega-3s are one of the most beneficial nutrients in the human diet. Hundreds of published studies show that optimal omega-3 levels can greatly improve your overall health, optimize your weight, increase your energy, and help you retain mental function as you age. Omega-3s also reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and depression. And they can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, hyperactivity, diabetes, digestive disorders, and a host of other conditions.

While you can get omega-3s from flaxseeds and walnuts, these plant sources contain only the fatty acid ALA. The best omega-3 fats are those found in fish – DHA and EPA. Your brain is highly dependent on DHA. Low DHA levels have been linked to depression, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Wild Alaskan salmon (not farm-raised) is one of the best food sources of these fats. But your best bet is to take a fish oil (not cod liver oil) supplement. I recommend Carlson’s Lemon Flavored. I find it’s easier to take from the bottle, rather than swallowing capsules.

That’s it!

1. Eat a low glycemic diet, and

2. Balance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.

And you will have taken two of the most important steps toward a lean, fit body and a lifetime of health.

Of course, that’s not all there is to it. You should also break a sweat on a regular basis. You should eat a varied, natural diet of whole foods, and avoid chemicals and preservatives. Drink plenty of purified water every day. And allow your body to rest peacefully at night.

It doesn’t matter what your age or prior bad habits… or how overweight and unhealthy you might feel at the moment. You can experience a higher level of fitness and the profound sense of well-being that comes with it – and you can accomplish it this year!

Make 2009 the healthiest and most successful year of your life!

[Ed. Note: Following Health Editor Jon Herring's recommendations isn't difficult - and it can have a profound effect on your life. But don't worry. It doesn't mean eating boring, tasteless food. You can enjoy low-glycemic desserts that are delicious and healthy with the help of Jon's wife, Kelley. A nutrition expert herself, Kelley Herring has created Guilt-Free Desserts - a book full of easy-to-make, mouthwateringly delicious, 100% healthy recipes you can make at home. Order today, and you'll receive the e-book Healthy Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres for free.

And for a source of motivation, fitness advice, weight-loss recommendations, and details about the latest health breakthroughs all year long, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter.]

Comment on this article

Your Special Holiday Gift from Early to Rise

Jon Herring reveals why you should take a few minutes and head outside today – and every day.

[ETRVideos]Apg05m9OvCs[/ETRVideos]

Comment on this video

== Highly Recommended ==

The Internet Has Become a Profit-Happy Playground for Budding Online Entrepreneurs

From an automatic $800 monthly to $187,296 in one day, for a few hours of work – that’s what is possible with this new Internet formula for success.

Now you can discover how to do the same by setting up automatic income streams that flow to you each and every month.  And there’s no limit to how many sources of income you could have.

This program, called Instant Internet Income, is easy, fast, and flat-out WORKS.  Just follow the step-by-step plan for making money online.

One note: It’s guaranteed to do exactly what I say.  Click here to learn more and get started today!

The Loneliest Lemonade Stand

By Yanik Silver

Last summer, my neighbor’s 10-year-old son, Spencer, set up a lemonade stand in front of his house. We live in an area with little car or foot traffic. While it’s great for letting kids play outside – it’s not so good for a budding lemonade tycoon.

After buying two cups of lemonade from Spencer, I had to give the kid some advice. I told him that he should move to the corner, where he would get a lot more traffic… or at least put up signs directing people to his stand.

Did he do it? Nope. He just went on yelling, “Lemonade for sale!”

Find out where the traffic already is and plant yourself there. Then offer something those people want. That’s a secret of success for any business.

At a seminar for people interested in going into the food business, the late Gary Halbert said to attendees, “I’ll let you pick any advantage you want for your business. Name it.” People would say things like “I want the only McDonald’s” or “I want the best food.” After everyone had a turn, he’d say, “The only advantage I want is a hungry crowd.”

When it’s parked in front of a hungry crowd, even a “roach coach” gets business at lunchtime.

The same secret of success holds true for your website. You’ve got to get it in front of a stream of traffic that’s hungry for what you’re selling.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Add your offer to partners’ Thank You pages and Opt-In pages.
• Buy ads on relevant, highly trafficked sites.
• Make deals with other sites that rank highly in the search engines for your keywords and phrases.

If you’re not selling enough of your products – maybe it’s time to move your “lemonade stand” to where the crowd is!

[Ed. Note: As master Internet marketer Yanik Silver (www.MaverickBusinessInsider.com) says, you've got to get your business noticed by the right crowd if you expect to make sales. Discover 12 profit-boosting marketing strategies for getting your product in front of "hungry" traffic right here.]

Comment on this article

Why Super Bowl Ads Don’t Work

By Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby

Would you ever consider forking over millions of dollars for an advertisement that barely mentions your product? Of course not. But otherwise shrewd businesspeople do it all the time. The advertising channel we are talking about is television.

Most television advertising is rubbish. And Super Bowl commercials are the worst kind of rubbish – expensive, self-absorbed, and impotent. They are, for the most part, elaborately produced mini-movies, with action-packed plot lines and famous actors and beautiful scenery. We laugh at them. We cry at them. We hold our breath in anticipation. We do everything we do at the movies. But we don’t run out afterward and buy the advertised products. In many cases, we don’t even know what the products are.

This has been confirmed by recent studies. University of Tampa researchers, working with ad agency Brain on Brand, found that a year after watching Super Bowl commercials, most viewers couldn’t remember what products had been promoted. This held true even for those much-talked-about commercials heralded at the time for their originality. In fact, in one case, many subjects thought an ad for FedEx was actually for UPS.

There’s some great buying and selling that occurs in the television industry, but it’s not the selling that’s supposed to take place: between the advertiser and the viewing public. Instead, it’s the buying and selling that occurs between the ad agency and the advertiser.

Super Bowl XLIII is just a few weeks away. How many commercials do you remember from Super Bowl XLII?

[Ed. Note: The above article was adapted from Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business, published with permission from John Wiley & Sons. Get your copy today.]

Comment on this article

It’s Good to Know: The Flat-Tire “Rule”

You’re headed to the airport when your car gets a flat – and you miss your flight. No way will the airline waive a rebooking fee or the difference in the price of a later flight, right? Especially not in these days of $50 checked baggage and no free peanuts.

But, actually, airlines will sometimes put you on standby for a later flight – for free – if unforeseen circumstances prevent you from making it on time. The emphasis, here, is on the word “sometimes” – and you have to know how to talk to them. These situations are handled by airline reps on a case-by-case basis. And remember that when air traffic is heavy – and flights are already overbooked – they are less likely to fulfill this request. They just won’t have room for you.

• First thing to keep in mind is that you can’t be more than two hours late for your missed flight.

• If you know you’re going to be late, call the airline as soon as possible and explain the situation.

• Don’t mention the “flat-tire rule”! It’s not an official policy, but an unwritten “understanding” at some airlines – and the rep might not know what you’re talking about. Simply explain why you were late and ask politely if you can be rebooked for no fees.

• Have a legitimate excuse for being late. Traffic, hurricane, car accident = good. Side trip to the mall = bad.

(Source: Aviation.com and Airfarewatchdog.com)

Comment on this article

== Highly Recommended ==

Hey, Rat Race Runners… Need a Change?

If your soul has been screaming at you to get out of the never-ending rat race, here’s your chance. After all these years, don’t you deserve to live the good life?  Get started making money for yourself instead of your boss.

Word to the Wise: Urbane

Someone who’s “urbane” (ur-BANE) – from the Latin for “of a city” – is polite, polished, and elegant.

Example (as used by Robert Dallek in Flawed Giant): “The son of a famous father… Harvard-educated, handsome, charming, urbane, a northeastern aristocrat with all the advantages, JFK appeared to be everything LBJ was not.”

[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]

Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008

Similar Articles:

• Are You Risking Cancer With This Fat? – You know by now that there are “good” fats and “bad” fats. And you’ve probably heard that small amou…
• Glaucoma and Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Over three million Americans have glaucoma, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. Although …
• Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever – Resolution #9: Improve Your Health in 2 Simple Steps – Happy New Year’s Eve! I hope you are taking the time to set some goals and make plans for the year a…
• Almonds – for Heart Health and Blood Sugar Control – Whenever you indulge in high-carb meals – as most of us do during the holiday season – here’s a tip …
• Bad Fish, Good Fish – Choosing wild-caught fish over farmed can help you avoid harmful endocrine disruptors called polychl…
• The Other White Meat vs. Fish and Beef – ETR reader Larry F. wrote to us recently with a concern about the health benefits of pork. "You…
• Avoid the Big-Time Corporate Heart Attack – You probably know that Enron CEO Ken Lay’s life was cut short by a heart attack. His doctors knew he…

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 5:10 am and is filed under Daily Issues .