Moativational Medicine�

Have you ever heard of real life stories such as these:

• A guy who doesn't smoke, doesn't drink alcohol and is a vegetarian and exercises regularly, suddenly dies of a heart attack at age 40?
• People who seemingly live a "bad habit" lifestyle and is supposed to be at high risk does not get cancer, where else another person who has a healthy lifestyle and a much lower risk of cancer ends up getting it?
• People who have nagging ailments that have been going on for years, and despite all the drugs / treatments and medication can't seem to cure it?
• Why some people can recover from cancer while others are not able to.
  

There are many other puzzling scenarios like the ones above, and over this last weekend, i attended a 2 day seminar on Moativational Medicine� (still pronounced as Motivational, in case you were wondering) which helped to answer the questions above. Now before i go on, i am sure the one question on all your minds is, what the heck is Moativational Medicine.

Moativational Medicine� which was created by Richard Moat, PhD, which demonstrates the direct link between our emotions and our physical ailments. Doctors and respected members of the medical community are confirming that our physical health is directly linked to our thoughts and emotions. They admit to not having all the answers and are embracing complementary and allied approaches to getting people back on the road to wellness.

Below is an excerpt from http://www.moativationalmedicine.com/ website which gives a clearer picture on what Moativational Medicine� is all about.

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The fundamental principle which underpins Moativational Medicine� is that, of all the factors that can influence our state of physical health - diet, lifestyle, environment, thoughts, feelings and genetics - it is the realms of thoughts and feelings, the psycho-emotional aspect of our being, which is the most influential.

This also appears to be the least understood aspect, although over the last twenty years it's emergence as the most widely researched area of medicine - formally known as psycho-neuro-immunology, or PNI - suggests it is likely to prove both significant and revealing as we search for answers to questions such as 'What has caused my illness?' and 'How do I get better and stay well?

Since medicine was first recorded, the psycho-emotional make-up of an individual seems to have been a necessarily observed factor in assessing the cause of an illness. Study any number of health and healing philosophies and practises from around the world and you will find plenty of evidence to support this as being a critical area.

Over time, Western medicine seems to have lost sight of this aspect, preferring instead to create a pill for every ill rather than understand, explore and treat what might be at the root of those ills. Today the term stress is widely and loosely used to conveniently bundle together any number of possible causes, leaving much room and desire for specific answers and solutions.

When we look deeply and honestly at the major causes of stress today, it is wise to observe that it is the thoughts and feelings we generate in response to life's events that hold the key. Our beliefs, values, feelings and behaviours are all inter-twined to create an unconscious way of being and relating in the world, a combination which suffers from the distraction of suggesting that events, people or circumstances are the cause.

This distraction has been so successful that we exist in a time when more people have more unwanted physical conditions - and for longer - than at any other time in history. Moativational Medicine� is the result of exploring the lesser-trodden paths for answers, re-discovering and re-presenting in an easy-to-understand-and-apply manner what has always been true.

Moativational Medicine� explains and demonstrates as simply as possible the role our thoughts and emotions play in the on-set and maintenance of the illnesses, ailments, symptoms and dis-eases that can befall any one of us at any time.

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Through the 2 day seminar, i learned some of the techniques that Richard Moat uses in his treatment for ailments. No pills or injections, its a technique of discovering what emotions you have been holding on to and how do you dissolve these dis-empowering and damaging emotions once and for all. By dissolving these emotions from your system, you are able to almost immediately clear the physical ailment that you are suffering from. Over the years, Richard has successfully treated over 2,700 people. Now its important to note that Moativational Medicine� does NOT deny that factors such as diet, lifestyle and habits do play a role in ailments. No one is denying that. But its also equally important to note that a bigger part of ailments is actually caused by emotions and not just external factors.

Below are some of the people that have been successfully cure by Richard:

Kevin Patton was in hospital on life support with terminal leukaemia. Doctors said that he had 5 days to live. A experiencing a "dose" of Moativational Medicine�, 2 weeks later kevin walked unaided out of the hospital.

Andy Whitfield, star of Spartacus: Blood & Sand was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma and his oncologist could not offer an explanation as to why he had contracted the disease. After one session with Richard, he was able to discover the cause and set about reversing the condition.

The list of testimonials go on and on, but i guess you get the picture. This stuff REALLY works and its highly effective. So if you are only concerned with being physically healthy and think that it is the end all to staying healthy, think again. Emotional well being plays a huge role in your health and heck even how long you live. So its extremely important to take care of that as well.

So what are your thoughts on this? As usual, look forward to hearing your comments.

PS: As promised to some of my other blogger friends, i recently purchased a rare memorabilia and i am extremely proud of it. Many of you who are close to me will know that i am avid fan of the movie Troy and an avid fan of swords. Being in Malaysia where everything is banned, i really thought there was no way i could ever get my hands on this. But i did. Check it out, it is the Achilles's sword from the movie - ok i admit, its not a 100% replica but pretty damn close. Its made from 100& stainless steel (not plastic) and is full length and size.


So for all you movie buffs out there who like collecting replicas and collectibles from your movies, check out this site

http://www.toyrebels.com/

and get in touch with them. These guys specialize in rare movie / comic / TV collectibles that are extremely hard to find in Malaysia. Don't forget to mention my name so you can get some discounts on your purchase. This site sells everything from costumes to figurines to swords to whatever else you can think of so you can have a slice of Hollywood in your home. My next purchase is probably going to be the 300 sword, Highlander sword or.... i dunno. Check it out. You know you want it. Also look forward to hearing your comments on this.

Updates & Poll Results

Last Sunday, i ran my first ever public fitness talk and it was indeed a HUGE blast. We had over 60 people attending and i hope i managed to impart some useful tips to all who attended. A big thanks goes out to everyone who took time from their Sunday Afternoon to come for the talk. I also hope that this was an eye opener to many that staying fit and healthy is not that hard to do and anyone can do it.

Also, i want to take this opportunity to thank a few people who contributed a lot and made the whole event a great success.

1) Arfian of Corporate Athletes - He was a huge help with running the body fat % tests after the talk. Thanks again bro, i owe you a huge makan.
2) Veron - Who was my MC for the day and also helped to handle the PC and run the videos. Thanks again.
3) Syukran of Simple Wellness who let us use his wonderful facility in PJ and also helped a lot in the marketing.
4) Most importantly, wifey for helping me run lots of logistics, collecting payment and also helping with the body fat % scans. Without her tremendous help and support, this talk would surely have fallen flat.

Thanks again guys. I owe all of you one. So when is the next talk? Uhmmm.... i dunno, with the success of this one, i am itchy to run another soon. Well we will keep all of you posted on the next one. You want to see some pictures of the talk? ARGGHH!!!! unfortunately i was so busy running here and there, brought my camera, but completely forgot to snap pictures. Next time will be better... i promise.

Anyway, this weeks post i wanted to cover poll results of our recent poll. We had a total of 38 votes, and the number 1 winner is "Losing Weight on a Malaysian Diet" which had a whopping 21 votes. Honestly, my personal vote went for "Eat Crap & Lose Weight" coz i thought it was catchy, but unfortunately, that only got about 4 votes, of which, 1 was mine. The other titles also didn't do very well all fetching only about 2 to 4 votes each.

If you haven't already guessed, the reason i ran the poll this time is, i am seriously considering writing a book on weight loss, and the concept i had was, how to eat crap / junk and lose weight. Wouldn't that be something? Lots of people find it hard to stay true to a diet, so i wanted to share some tips on that. I did cover some of this in my talk last Sunday so for those who attended, you now know some secrets on how to indulge and lose weight. Seeing that "Losing Weight on a Malaysian Diet" is the number one pick, maybe i need to reconsider the topic. Maybe i should run a public talk titled "Losing Weight on a Malaysian Diet" and see how the response is before deciding. Hmmm.... i dunno. Lots of plans, not enough time. Anyway, thanks once again for all your votes, it gives me something tangible to work with. Do share which title caught your attention the most and why as this will give me a lot of useful feedback for my book project.

Before i sign off, just one last small announcement to make. Hope all of you will take the time to check out www.active.com.my which is an online fitness e-zine / portal / website which features loads of information about staying healthy. This project is being run by my good friend Arfian from Corporate Athletes. So do check it out when you have the time and i have also included a link to his page on the right hand column.

OK... that's about it for now, lots of updates and i am definitely looking forward to hearing your comments.

When Temptation Lurks: Tips on Eating Healthy in Any Situation

This week, we have a guest post from our friends from "An Apple A Day" blog which is an overseas blog featuring simple tips on how to stay healthy. I was contacted by one of their team members who was impressed with Fitness Malaysia's blog (ahem ahem) and asked if they could write a guest feature. I said sure thing, and so they were kind enough to email me a blog post. How kind of them? Thanks again Tara for organizing all this.

Anyway, enough ramblings from me, here is this weeks post from our friends at "An Apple A Day". Please do check out their blog as well as it is fun, simple and extremely informative. You can click here to check it out.

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When Temptation Lurks: Tips on Eating Healthy in Any Situation

Edward Stern is a guest blogger for An Apple a Day and a writer on earning your nursing degree for the Guide to Health Education.

When you cook for yourself at home and follow your own schedule, it is much easier to stick to a diet and eat healthy. Where many dieters trip up is outside the house. Parties, festivities, and road trips present all kinds of food temptation: snacks, desserts, chili cheese dogs, and other high-calorie food can sabotage healthy eating habits.

However, you don't need to be a hermit to keep eating healthy. There are compromises you can make to indulge a little during special occasions but also keep on track with your dieting goals. Oftentimes, the most successful dieters are the ones who know how to make these compromises. Read on for tips on eating healthy in some common situations that have the potential to wreak havoc on a diet.

Game Day

• When tailgating or huddling around the big screen with close friends, chips and dip are a staple of any pre-game spread. Having a couple handfuls of chips won't hurt a diet, but drowning them in dip will. Avoid nacho cheese and other processed dips, especially any containing ranch or sour cream. Instead, enjoy pico de gallo and other more natural salsas, and add a little homemade guacamole (store-bought brands tends to have a lot of added sugars.)
• Go easy on the beer�alcohol is full of empty calories that do nothing but expand your waistline and shrink your head. Nurse one or two light beers if you're going to drink, and leave it at that.
• If you're going to the game, don't eat the junk sold at the concession stands. Hot dogs are chock full of fat and calories and won't fill you up, and much of what else is sold is heavily processed. Eat beforehand at a tailgate and try chicken sausage, which tastes great and has a quarter of the fat of a bratwurst. It'll keep you thin and your wallet fat.

At a Party

• When you�re attending parties with appetizers, eat slowly. It's very tempting to overindulge in the cocktail weenies and other gourmet snacks offered by wolfing them down, but that leads to overeating and the intake of too many calories and too much fat. Pace yourself, eat one thing at a time, and you'll be amazed at how full you get off so little.
• If a buffet is offered, load up on healthy options like fruits, vegetables, rice, and pasta dishes. These healthy and high-carb foods are filling and will give you energy to be your most social. Just watch out for any pasta salads�creamy dressings are high in fat so eat sparingly.
• If dessert is offered, you don't need to deprive yourself. Try just a little bit of everything, and really watch your portions. Many diets are wrecked by cravings and binge eating, so if you treat yourself with a slice of cake occasionally, you'll stay on track. If you're being really good, scrape off the frosting�it's pure sugar and empty calories.

On the Road

• Road trips are notorious diet-wreckers for the constant snacking many partake in. Forget the Cheetos and Hostess desserts. Instead, buy fruit or trail mix. Nuts are a great source of protein and fiber which fills you up. If you have to have chips, try baked brands or the new Pop Chips�both use significantly less oil.
• It's inevitable that at some point you'll make a trip through the drive-thru. Order diet soda (or better, just water) and a grilled chicken sandwich and/or salad which many fast food chains now carry (sorry, no bacon or ranch sauce, and if you're being really good, no mayonnaise or cheese). Fries are very unhealthy, but if you have to have them, get only a small order.
• It's tempting to want to eat out every night, but restaurants are a drain on your funds and your dietary ambitions�the temptation on the menu is often too great. Make a couple trips to the grocery store along the way to your destination where you can stock up on sandwich fixings and fruit. Many grocery chains have food to go, such as hot soup and pre-made sandwiches, and these are a good way to go.

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There you go guys. Simple and useful tips for all situations. As usual, look forward to hearing your comments.

PS: Don't forget to keep yourself free for our talk "7 Habits of Healthy & Fit People" this coming Sunday (16 January 2011) at 2:30pm. Tickets are selling fast, so do email me if you want to book your seat before its too late.

Diet Vs Exercise

Welcome to 2011 everyone. Hope you are all geared up for a fantastic year and most importantly, i hope you achieve the goals you have set for yourself this year.

Before we jump into this weeks post, just got one small announcement to make.

To kick off 2011 with a bang, Fitness Malaysia is organizing its first ever public health and fitness talk titled:

7 Habits of Healthy & Fit People

What is it that healthy & fit people do differently that allows them to look good all the time.

Come for this 2 hour power packed seminar and learn the secrets that healthy and fit people have been using to:-

� Live a longer healthier life

� Lose weight quickly & look their best

� Never starve themselves and still stay slim and healthy

� Enjoy Life to the fullest

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011

Time: 2:30pm to 4:30pm

Venue: DVI Studio, B05-02, Dataran 3 Two, Jalan 19/1, PJ

Ticket Prices:

RM 25 per person (normal Price RM 55)

1 FREE ticket for group buy of 5 tickets

RM 35 per person for walk ins on talk day

Seats are extremely limited, so book your tickets today to avoid disappointment. I usually charge RM 55 a person for this talk and have run it many times for many special groups. But i am giving a special discount as this is a public program which is open to all.

To book your seats, email me at rajanrj@hotmail.com

As an added bonus, all attendees will be entitled to a FREE body fat % test so that you can learn what your current health & fitness level is. Also, this will be a great opportunity for everyone to network and meet other fitness enthusiasts.

Do pass the word around to your friends and lets kick off 2011 with the right Habits.

OK, now that that piece of business is out of the way, lets get down to this weeks post. Over the holidays, i went to numerous friends houses for dinner parties and the conversation of losing weight naturally came up. Of course, with new years eve just around the corner (at that time), everyone was making resolutions to lose weight and live a healthier life. From my conversations, it suddenly dawned upon me that most people would prefer to starve themselves than to eat normally and exercise. Whenever i recommended doing some simple exercises, almost everyone told me that exercise is not their thing, no time to exercise, yadda dadda daadaa and the list goes on and on. But if you were to tell me to stop eating this and that, i would much prefer to do it and i think that is easier to manage.

So after hearing all this, i have a theory. Malaysians in general are not keen on exercising to lose weight, but would much rather starve themselves or drink shakes in replacement of meals to lose weight. Hmmm... no wonder there are so many diet programs out there which are a hit.

So today, i went for lunch with some friends and decided to put my observation / theory to the test. I asked a few friends. I have a way for you to lose 5kg in 1 month. But there are 2 options.

Option A: I will give you a specific food guide for every meal, and you must eat exactly like i tell you to for a full 1 month.

Option B: You can continue eating like you are eating right now, but you have to work out 3 to 4 times a week with a specific exercise routine.

Guess what the answer was... no surprise here. Everyone chose Option A. So i asked everyone why Option A and the response i got were

• It's a no brainer... just do as you are told and voila you see results.
• Little effort on my part.
• I don't have time to exercise these days.

Honestly, i am quite surprised with this, because i always thought that watching your diet strictly is far more challenging than exercise... at least for me it is. I will definitely be addressing this topic in my talk on January 16. But for most people, they would much rather watch their diet to lose weight compared to exercise.

So what do you guys think? Heard the same responses as i have? Which option would you choose? There is no right or wrong option, its just a matter of your preference i guess. So, as usual, look forward to hearing your comments.