Indestructible Human Blog

In the book “Change or Die” by Alan Deutschman, the author examines why change is so difficult for people. When you think about the most challenging events that occur in your life, they are usually associated with the biggest changes either thrust upon you (i.e. you get downsized at work), or that you create yourself (i.e. a health crisis). The obstacle that most of us face is not whether or not we want to change, but how to make substantial, sustainable change happen. Deutschman provides three keys to lasting change based his examination of groups that have successfully made a change, when their peers facing the same challenge, were not able to make a change. These keys are: Relate:  When you connect with a person or group that has successfully navigated the change you are wanting, and they have a pattern of behaviour that you can learn, you can be inspired to make the same change yourself. This could be a coach, a group like alcoholics anonymous, or a mentor that can guide you, ...

Surveys have shown that people who work with personal trainers are more likely to be successful in their fitness goals. In the same way that you would hire a ski instructor to teach you how to ski, or a golf pro to help you with your swing, if you want to maximize your fitness, personal trainers are the go-to experts. Like other allied health professionals, personal trainers provide a service based on their combined education and experience. Because personal trainers are a largely unregulated group, hiring a personal trainer is a “buyer-beware” process where the consumer must know what to ask and expect. Here are ten questions you can ask to help you make the best decision possible: Are you certified? Certification is the minimum specific competency that a trainer must possess. The certification exam should contain a variety of question formats (i.e. not just multiple choice) and must include a live, practical evaluation of their abilities. Do you attend continuing education events ...

The notion of holistic living continues to evolve, expand, and gradually make its way into what we would comparatively consider the traditional North American lifestyle. Holistic living is, of course, the way we used to live because we had to, less than 150 years ago, before electricity and indoor plumbing became widely available. We have suffered as a result of not living holistically because our lack of physical activity combined with poor food choices, exposure to toxins, limited sleep, and added stress has thrown us out of whack from how we were meant to live. While we may not be able to put ourselves completely back in line with our evolutionary adaptations, and it is arguable whether we would want to, we all have an innate sense that holistic living would be beneficial to us in many ways. In that respect, the following are ways you can begin to realign yourself and live more holistically. Be physically active multiple times every day. Participate in activities that improve your ...

The majority of people who exercise are doing so to lose weight or to maintain where they are. If you are trying to lose weight, you might find that even though you are watching what you eat, you still are not losing weight. While there may be some underlying issues that need to be uncovered, the bigger contributor to your resistance to exercise-induced weight loss is likely your meal timing. A difference in meal timing may also explain how two people who eat more or less the same thing and one loses weight while the other does not. To understand how meal timing is critical to weight loss, it is important to understand how the body uses energy for exercise. In an effort to simplify, here are the basic steps: You start exercise and your body looks for fuel to use. If you HAVE NOT eaten in four hours or more, your body will likely do its best to use locally available fuel, and part of that will be your body fat. If you HAVE eaten in the last four hours, your body will likely be able...

It seems that if we attach the word “extreme” to just about anything, it gets more attention and for some reason credibility. It likely has something to do with the point in our development as a society, whereby we have been conditioned to have shorter attention spans and an appetite for the kind of news that “when it bleeds, it leads.” There are a variety of approaches out there, designed to get fitness results faster than ever with less effort. For example, instead of wasting hour upon hour doing mindless repetitive motions, we are now supposed to go all-out to the point of passing out, throwing up, or in the most extreme cases, suffering from kidney failure or death in the case of the most extreme exercise. These same proponents of extremes often recommend a cheat meal or cheat day as it relates to nutrition, and others that recommend, “eat pure, drink dirty”, suggesting that as long as you eat well you can polish off a bottle of wine on your own (which, by the way would be co...

The biting cold of winter is gone and the dog days of summer are upon us. It was not long ago that we were complaining about how the winter was dragging on and we’d do just about anything to bask in the heat of our universe’s nearest star, even if it is 150 million kilometres away. But beware the dual edged sword of our planet’s source of light and heat. You’ve just emerged from the darkness of winter and a few words to the wise are in order to make the most of our short summers, with the least amount of regret.   Before stripping down and running around under the sun like some Neanderthal sun-worshipper, let’s remember why the sun is the most powerful thing in the universe. The sun emits ultraviolet radiation, which if not for our ozone layer, would kill us. Even with the protection of the ozone layer, overexposure to the sun will lead to skin damage, including the potential for cancer. This damage also includes esthetic damage to the skin leading to wrinkles and spots. ...

As we wind down the summer and move into the colder months of the year, we watch as leaves fall and what was once green and lush appears to wither and die.   In contrast to the natural energy of the spring and summer seasons, fall can be challenging as we get less sunlight and the temperatures steadily drop. However, fall is not a time of death as much as a time of restoration. Much like the hours spent sleeping in our 24-hour day; fall and winter are like sleep for the seasons. A time of restoration for the earth, and by extension for us, but don’t be lulled into a sense of excuse for inactivity.   Instead, see the fall as a time of preparation. You want to be ready for the next spring season, so the time to make a shift is now, when you can realign your schedule to support what you want to create. So ask yourself, “Who do you want to be?” This may be easier to answer if you look at certain aspects of your life and ask questions like “what kind of father do you want ...