A friend of mine is transforming himself from a life of inactivity and getting less healthy with age to being physically fit and strong. He asked me how I keep my energy levels high so I share my theory on keeping high energy.

DIET – My diet is absolutely critical. Food is fuel and bad food choices means my motor doesn’t run properly if at all. I eat no less than 6 small meals a day, each with a mix of slow carbs (low on the GI/Glycemic Index), whole foods (preferably organic and much of it raw to make digestion easier), fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and sufficient protein (about .5 gms per day per pound of bodyweight, which is plenty unless you are an olympic athlete and need slightly more). I drink lots of water and I avoid refined sugar, white flours, and salt. I also avoid gluten (though I haven’t noticed a huge difference vs. eating gluten). …and of course my diet is 100% vegan.

CONDITIONING – The more I am active, the more my body is used to physical exertion. I do a mix of regular activities including cardio, isometrics, plyometrics, anaerobic, and stretching/yoga. I do light cardio or stretching on rest days, to circulate blood and assist in recovery. I like adrenaline sports like hockey and mountain biking, but I also do zen activities like road cycling or running that are rhythmic and allow me to rest my mind while I am taxing my body.

MINDSET – When many of us think we are tired (particularly desk job types like me), we are actually only mind tired, and not body tired since we haven’t done anything physical to merit physical fatigue. When I feel tired and I haven’t done anything physical, I find that engaging my body will actually wake me up. This is easier to do if you keep moving. If I let my ass hit the couch and start to relax, I know it will be twice as tough to get up and go, so I avoid it as much possible. I rest when I am truly spent and need to recover, otherwise I keep moving.

BODY REST – Rest is critical although this is where I have probably hurt myself over the years by not getting enough. Overtraining is a real danger and can lead to injuries and inferior performance. Furthermore, the micro tears and ligament strains that result from exercise, repair themselves during deep sleep. So sufficient rest and sleep are critical and now more than ever, I make sure to get enough of each.

MIND REST – In younger years I would have argued that there is no way mind and body are connected, but I have come to accept that clearing my mind helps me tap into my inner energy centers and since starting my daily meditation practice several years ago, I have experienced the great physical benefits. Meditating is definitely sacred in my life and a key part of my overall health and energy philosophy.

Image credit: quotepictures.net

In late March I was enjoying a fast paced game of hockey, zigged when I should have zagged, and exploded into the boards at high speed, breaking and separating two ribs, and partially tearing my pectoral muscle on my left side.

Busted Ribs Suck

Over the years, I have had numerous injuries from sports, including broken bones, torn ligaments and countless sprains, but this one was pretty painful because it hurt every time I took a deep breath or moved and made it virtually impossible to sleep at night due to the discomfort. All of a sudden, I couldn’t reach for things, couldnt’t pick up my kids, and couldn’t even get around without feeling like a knife was being wedged in my ribs.

It was a real bummer too, because I had just booked several outdoor trips for the summer, bought a new mountain bike to get back into off road cycling and was training hard for my first Spartan race which was scheduled for early June. All of this was going to have to be put on hold.

“With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life, my brain immediately says, ‘Where is the hidden blessing?’ In starting a business and growing a business, every day is learning how to manage obstacles.” Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx

When I went to the hospital to get checked out, I was told that at my age it would take about six to eight weeks to heal and about a year for there to be no lingering stiffness in my ribs.

Since I could hardly move around in the first week, let alone do my usual sports and exercise routines, I had a lot of time on my hands and I got to thinking about how I have always somehow been able to convert the setbacks in my life into wins. I have had business failures that became profitable learning experiences. I have had painful relationship breakups that opened the door for wonderful people and relationships to enter my life. Car accidents, missed flights lost opportunities…I could go on. Everything seems to work out for the better.

So what was the upside for me in this injury?

As is my habit, immediately after getting hurt I started thinking about how I would turn this to my advantage As it turns out there were several great outcomes.

• I had nagging hamstring and lat muscle strains that would never seem to fully heal, but they healed up completely while I was out of action
• Since I was able to ride my stationary bike, but not do much else, I improved my bike stamina with long rides
• Took the opportunity to really feel my injury and then reminded myself to appreciate how lucky I am when I am able to be fully active

In the end everything healed up pretty quickly. Even though there is no cast for broken ribs or immobilization treatment, there is great blood flow to the rib area which promotes healing and I was rollerblading by about three weeks, back at hockey and running within 5 weeks and am now training hard again (although pushups and chinups are still a bit of a challenge).

There are no such thing as problems….just opportunities.

One of my the things I am happiest about doing in 2011 is set up a fund to help third world entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses. The fund is supported by my company, Peak Sales Recruiting, and the focus is single mother business operators (..seriously, what could be tougher than being a single mom, running a business in a third world country???!). Since starting the fund this year, we have made more than 50 investments in businesses which range from farming and food production, to clothing, retail and services. Our goal is to get to 100 revolving loans by the end of December 2012 and ultimately to grow to 1,000 revolving loans. We are well on our way!

Read more about Helping Heroes here >> Link

A few weeks back, a friend, Rob Lane, dropped into the office and he and I and my business partner, Brent, were chatting about how our work projects have kept us busy and how time has flown since we had last seen each other.

We Are Wired to Climb Mountains

None of us like to think of ourselves as “busy” per se, but anyone who is achievement oriented is conditioned to take on a lot of things or “climb mountains” as Rob put it. If you are good at getting things done, then projects and commitments find their way to you, and if you also have a “can-do” attitude then you’ll say yes by habit when you receive invitations to speak at an event, start a new venture, or lead a charity. We don’t think about not being able to fit it all in, because we believe we can.

Good Intentions

We say yes to things because we want to be seen as contributors, making as big a difference as possible in the world during our short time. In spite of a sense of invincibility, we know we won’t be here a long time in the grand scheme of things so there is always a sense of urgency in our minds.

Competing with Others and Ourselves

Even leisure sports are taken on with a fervor in a “mountain climbing” kind of way. We don’t just want to participate we want to win.

And being surrounded by other like-minded, ambitious people, has it’s own gravitational pull. I know I sometimes find ourselves caught up in the momentum of achievement around me, feeling like I should be doing more and without knowing it, getting caught in a cycle of busy and getting busier.

But what if…

But what if we said no? Rob said someone recently asked him this. What if he said no to some of the things he takes on. What would happen?

As Brent put it, “I have a business and a young family to enjoy, and that’s plenty of mountain to climb. I don’t need to go looking for more challenges.” <<Amen to that, but if you knew Brent, this comment is funny to hear, since he is a guy who is highly motivated by challenges AND who can successfully balance a large number of commitments>>

I don’t suggest making a habit of saying no all the time, but just because we can climb mountains, does it mean we should climb mountains? The real question is whether climbing another mountain adds or takes away from the richness of your life and your happiness. Only you know the answer to this question.

Life is good!

Eliot

Great messages in here about the dangers of materialism and consumerism.

By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and
third by experience, which is the bitterest.

— Confucius

My wife and I were in Montreal this past weekend and decided to eat at a place we’ve both wanted to check out for a while. I don’t normally write about the great places we have eaten, but this place is different and cool on so many levels.

If you haven’t heard of O’Noir you might have trouble imagining the concept of the restaurant. You eat in total darkness. The staff are blind and there is not a spec of light inside the place. Think about that for a second. Pitch black.

If you think that sounds weird, you have no idea. Next time you are at your dinner table close your eyes, find your fork and try and get a piece of food. Now try doing that for a whole meal. That’s what we did.

Upon arriving at O’Noir, an otherwise non-descript restaurant on Rue St. Catherine in Montreal, we congregated with other patrons at the front of the establishment in a bar area waiting to be led to our seats by our server.

When it was our turn to be seated, we put our hands on the shoulders of our (blind) server who opened a door and led us into pitch black. Our server was obviously a pro at moving around the restaurant, while we hesitatingly took baby steps fully expecting to bump into a wall at any moment, even though we were promised there would be nothing we could trip on or walk into.

It was immediately disorienting. We could hear a room full of people that sounded like a busy restaurant. We just couldn’t see them. Or anything.

What it looks like inside the O'Noir restaurant

At our table, our server server stopped and took our hands and places them on a chair and helped us sit. Then she left us alone. Chay and I were stunned. We were laughing our asses off as we realized we were going to eat in the dark, sitting in a room that could be full of soldiers, ballerinas or basketball players. Or not.

There was no music. Just people chatting and giggling. All around us.

I found myself squinting to try and see things, but it was impossible.

Eventually, curiosity got the best of me and I had to reach my arms in every direction to find what was around us. Carefully groping around so as not to knock anything over, I found the edge of our table, a wall and by accident hit someone’s chair in the back and heard them mention they got prodded from someone (me).

To make things even more interesting, English was at least the third language of our server who I think was German. Try ordering a vegan meal…off menu…in the dark…. to someone who doesn’t speak English all too well. Fun fun. I did manage to order a meal without meat or dairy…I think.

While we sat our server would return every few minutes, seeming to be magically present one moment and gone the next, never making any sound as she came and went. For all we know she spent the evening standing behind us.

When the food came, Chay and I were still in disbelief we were going to eat in the dark. After carefully creeping our fingers across the table to find our drinks without knocking them over, we next fumbled for our cutlery and ate by feeling for the edges of the food and clumsily stabbing the bits and pieces we cut. We did our best to keep food from falling in our laps.

Each lift of the fork was an adventure. The menus are vague (by design, I am sure) so you are not really sure what you are eating and I kept on saying “I just ate something I recognize, but I am not sure what it is”. Plus one bite would be massive and the next would be empty because you can’t see what’s on your fork. Hilarious and all good at the same time.

Every now and then you would see a flash of light in your peripheral which may have been someone’s watch, but you are never really sure if it is your mind playing tricks on you. At one point I was certain I could see colors and shapes and I had only had half a drink at this point.

When Chay visited the ladies room, I sat in the dark alone and meditated on the sound around me. Many conversations in French. Laughter. Amazing.

I realized that without your sight, you focus entirely on what you are tasting and hearing, heightening those senses.

I also found that I couldn’t multitask. Normally at dinner I chit chat and shovel back my food with nary a thought about it, but without my sight I could only do one of those things at a time. Chay said it was the slowest she has ever seen me eat a meal. Not a bad thing at all.

When we finally left and were led out into the light, it was like gaining a whole new sense. Everything was bright and new.

The food was great. The experience was unbelievable. We are still talking about it enthusiastically.

If you are ever in Montreal and looking for an exciting twist on dinner, you must check it out >> O’Noir

…And while I am tooting the horn for one amazing restaurant in Montreal, I must mention a couple more incredible vegan restaurants in Montreal.

Crudessence – If you like raw vegan, gluten free, organic food (like me), then you will think this place is heaven. We went to the one on MacKay downtown. The food is unreal. I could eat there every day.

Fushi – Great japanese-fusion place and quite likely the best vegan sushi I have ever had. What the chef brought was a labor of love. Three types of veg sushi rolls with avocado, seaweed, cucumber, sweet potatoes, many more goodies and even strawberries! The chef made me a fried sweet potato tower that was breathtaking. It was like nothing I’d ever had before. I could also eat here every day.

Lola Rosa’s - Cool mex-vegetarian place in the student district in downtown Montreal. I had a great vegan curry and Chay had some awesome nachos. And yes, it’s true, the brownies are to die for- at least that’s what Chay said.

UPDATE May 1, 2012: My wife and I returned to O’Noir, this time with another couple. The food was delectable and we had even more fun that the first time because we were less overwhelmed. Terrific time.

With a few more weeks until year end, now would be a great time to review your progress on your goals for the year if you haven’t already done so recently.

Don’t get discouraged if you feel like you didn’t achieve enough of your goals and don’t give up on your goals thinking there is not enough time left in the year to make a difference. Keep pushing like you can and will get to where you want to get to.

If you are pretty sure you can’t achieve everything you set out to do this year, then simply scan your list of goals and pick your two or three most important goals yet to be reached and pour yourself into them for the rest of the year.

Review your goals, recharge your batteries and recommit to yourself.

Do you beat yourself up over consuming something that you said you wouldn’t eat? I haven’t drank coffee in a couple of years to avoid caffeine and inadvertently just ate a raw bar that had cocoa in it, which means I just got a dose of caffeine. I thought it was a berry bar and wasn’t paying attention (thanks Vega for packaging Mocha bars in a red wrapper! )… Should be a hyper afternoon for me. Anyway, no worries. Having an eating philosophy is not about being perfect. It is about sticking to it and being consistent over the long haul. So if you say you won’t eat meat or dairy or sugar or whatever and you accidentally do. Don’t lose sleep over it. Recommit to your eating philosophy and move on.

Life is good.

Eliot