"It is a great act of love to leave the earth a better place when we leave than which we found her."

We inherit this great planet from our parents and from the generations that came before. Then, in concert with the surrounding culture, our elders teach us how to care for the land and the sea, ourselves and each other. They model ways of being in relationship with every other expression of life on Earth. But whether they act with care or carelessness, compassion or cruelty, generousity or greed, WE have the ability to choose our own individual way of relating with the planet and her inhabitants. From our first breath here to our very last, we will find infinite opportunities to influence our environment for the better. We can decide now to act with intention in order to leave this amazing planet brighter and more beautiful than when we arrived.

If we enjoy environmetal activism, we might feel moved to clean up beaches or to plant trees. But, we need not feel limited in our ability to contribute positively. There are many ways to leave a legacy of LOVE. We might begin by radiating affirmative thoughts and feelings about how magnificent the Earth truly is. We might create and tend a special garden, one that provides an abundance of food and herbs for ourselves and our loved ones. Or we might create a garden of sweet smelling flowers to uplift our hearts. We might even honor the Earth simply by trying to be the best person we can be while we are here. Such goodwill can have a domino effect, inpsiring others to contribute in their own ways as well.

We spend our lifetimes being nourished and enlivened by the rain, sun, soil and wind. Our experience is blessed by other living beings, from plants to insects to birds, animals and humans. We receive so so much; giving back just naturally feels good. We should always be grateful for what we receive from her and have gratitude by paying forward our love for her in return.

When we live our lives with intention of leaving this temporary home a better place for our generations to come, we are perhaps leaving behind the GREATEST gift of all. ❤ 

“Do not look where you fell but where you slipped” ~ Unknown Proverb

 So I have a saying all the time I use when trying to mentor those people who believe that their situations are beyond help and no matter what think or try ... they will fail. I say "Failure is NOT an option, it's a Lifestyle."

 It is so true too and It certainly was in my life. I had "brainwashed" myself through all the years of negative thinking and super low self esteem that I was going to fail, so trying just wasn't even up for discussion. It wasn't even on my radar screen.

 We ALL have times in our life where we are to fail at something. It's inevitable. We are but mere mortals. So when we go through our life trying yet failing, over and over again, we tend to become defeatists in our mentality. We say things to ourselves like " I'll never be able to do this." , "I don't have what it takes." , "I'm just hopeless - I will never follow through.", "I don't have any will power." These are all those little lies we tell ourselves ... those ANTs ( Automatic Negative Thoughts ) and we end up believing them!

 This is the approach of those who fail ... Self criticism leads you into a downward spiral that inevitably ends in failure. I know this more than most and lived that way for longer than I care to admit to most. But I am admitting it to you here, because I want to lead by example and have those of you still suffering from this to learn from my past mistakes. 

 Dwelling on the negative just seems to contribute to it's power and might. The longer you keep telling yourself these things, the deeper they root into your psyche and affect your persona to the point that it actually not only detriments your mind, but your body and spirit as well. We adopt a negative "aura". My body language reflected it as well as is the case with most of us. We walk with hunched shoulders and head down. We don't look people in the eyes for fear of rejection. You can ask my sister Sabrina about me ... I had it all. I had FAILURE tatooed on my forehead !!

 As with typical human behavior, we tend to then surround ourselves with people of the same mindset.   People who negatively reinforce our beliefs. It seems this is where we also tend to adopt negative behaviors and habits while surrounding ourselves with people of the same ilk. I think we do this because we want to feel better about ourselves and having people that do the same things makes us feel more comfortable with our actions and thinking.

 When we fall we tend to fall hard. Literally and figuratively. I did both over and again. But no matter how many times we fall, we can also always find a way to recover. It is in our human genetic code. We are made to be survivors. I would dare to say that almost ALL of us on this Planet hate to be failures.

 I believe though that we can overcome these negative emotions like anger and hatred (usually geared toward ourselves once we are honest about it), by cultivating their "counterforces" (as the Dalai Lama suggests) ... love and compassion. So the first person we need to love is OURSELF, yet easier said than done. 

Your outlook ... your career ... your LIFE will change for the better once you learn to surround yourself with positive people and keep the negative ones away. It is something that Dr. Amen speaks on frequently. And with anything in life ... recovering or improving our health will ultimately give us times of setback. 

I want you to know most importantly that on our journeys we will all occasionally slip up. How you respond to these slip ups determines whether or not you achieve your goals. Even the most motivated and empowered people on this planet tend to have days where they don't take action and follow through ... it happens. 

BELIEVE ME I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE. Hehehe

The difference between the successful ones and others is that they slip but they don't fail. As we are adopting more healthful habits it tends to be a process. Changing our lifestyle takes time and we have to allow time for it to take hold. With anything ... PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, but alas as humans NONE of us are perfect. We will have days where temptation gets the better of us and we slip up.

EX: I believe in being honest with myself and others now. This used to not be the case but it is now. So just the other day I had a very emotional day. Things in my personal life were not going very well for me. Things were building up and I had become overwhelmed with it all. So instead of grabbing a vodka bottle like I used to do, I decided to "punish" myself, or actually maybe it was to "comfort" myself with foods I now would normally always avoid at all costs. I had a large order of xxtra hot Jamaican rubbed chicken wings and garlic parm waffle fries. (I can't even believe I just admitted that to you all, but it part of my process now).

 It was a bad food day and though it usually never happens .. it did. I slipped up. But instead of beating myself up about it, the next day I had a healthy breakfast, went for a walk, drank my water, took my supplements and then went grocery shopping loading up on a TON of veggies and went home and made 12 veggie soup! Adding around seven or eight brain foods to it and feeling great after eating it too !!

I woke up and simply said to myself ... " OK Steve, I slipped, but I WILL NOT FAIL !! "

 When you take this approach, you quickly overcome your slip up and get back on track towards achieving your goals. So I'd like to encourage you today and in the future to change your process in dealing with slip ups.

 Instead of criticizing yourself and beating your self up with those little lies and ANTs, just make the decision that even when you falter and slip, you will get back on track quickly and NOT allow a slip to become a fail.

Peace & Love + Health = HARMONY

Be Well ~ Healthfully Yours,

Coach Steve

 FALL/AUTUMN  Superfoods ~ 
As Summer draws to an end we can now look forward to Fall/Winter foods that are beneficial to us in reaching a better state of health/wellness ... here are a few to keep in mind:

1. APPLES ~ Great fiber (including skin, so get them fresh from local orchards, organic or wash thoroughly) , decreases risk of obesity & cholesterol, helps with bone protection, cancer prevention and diabetes mngt too !! (Combine w/ protein like cheese, almonds or organic peanut butter for awesome healthful snack)

2. KALE ~ The #1 Most Nutritious Cruciferous Dark Green Vegetable on the Planet !! I am totally getting a T-Shirt that says ... "Got Kale?" LOLz I have a huge bag in my freezer right now, which is a great way to keep it by the way. 1 cup contains 36 cal & 0 grams of fat, super dietary aide, 20% fiber, which promotes regular digestion, prevents constipation, lowers blood sugar and curbs overeating. BUT the nutrients, especially the phyto-nutrient value is second to NONE !! One of the most healthful foods around ... it has 192% Vitamin A and is an effective antioxidant, boosts immunity, maintains healthy bones and teeth, prevents urinary stones, and is essential to our reproductive organs. It can be added to soups, stews, dehydrated into chips or even eaten raw too ... The key flavonoids kaempferol and quercitin (not to dismiss the 45 other distinctive flavonoids in kale) have also been shown to specifically fight against the formation of cancerous cells. It is beneficial as Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Cardio Support, Super Cancer Fighter, and with its high sulfur content is a wonderful aide in detoxification of the body too !!

3. RED BELL PEPPERS ~ I ♥ THEM !! One of the BEST brain foods going here! Has more Vit. C than an orange, includes potassium too, amazingly sweet as they are at ripe peakness, eat them raw on salads or as snack, grill them or roast them adding them to homemade hummus or tapenade/chutney.

4. PEARS ~ Like apples are great for fiber w/ skin, contain lots of water for hydration and have Vit. C too. Great raw, poached or freeze for a wonderful add to smoothies.

5. BLUEBERRIES ~ Sept. superstar superfood !! Tops in Anti-oxidants, helps cognitive decline (hence the term by Dr Amen, "Brainberries"), help to lower cholesterol & diabetes as well. Eat them DAILY !! Add to whole grain cereal like steel cut oats, put in Greek yogurt with granola for a superfood parfait, awesome smoothies by freezing them, and also make a great glaze or marinade for meats too !! 

6. GRAPEFRUIT ~ A lot of people don't like the tartness of these beauties BUT their health benefits are beyond measure and are starting to peak beginning now! Helps with losing weight and eating one half contains 75% of your daily Vit. C requirement. My fav is juicing them BUT many people taking certain medications should avoid them because of counteraction ...

7. ROOT VEGGIES ~ Fall means the root vegs are here including Celery/Celery Root, Beets, Fennel, Carrots, Potato, Broccoli Rabe, Squash and more !! 

8. SWEET POTATO ~ Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, fiber, B vitamins, potassium and even iron. A medium sized sweet potato contains more than your daily requirement of vitamin A, nearly a third the vitamin C you need, almost 15 percent of your daily dietary fiber intake and 10 percent of the necessary potassium.

9. CABBAGE ~ The health benefits of cabbage include treatment of constipation, stomach ulcers, headache, excess weight, skin disorders, eczema, jaundice, scurvy, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eye disorders, heart diseases, ageing, and Alzheimer's disease. It too has a higher Vit. C content than oranges and can help with winter issues like cracked lip corners, infections and colds, weakened immune systems and depression. It is very helpful in treating ulcers, certain cancers, healing of wounds and damaged tissues, proper functioning of nervous system and thereby help curing Alzheimer’s disease etc.

10. CRANBERRIES ~ Have the ability to prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Their juice contains an antibacterial agent and certain other compounds, which together reduce the ability of E. coli bacteria to stick to the walls of urinary tract. Cranberries contain quinic acid, which prevents the combination of calcium and phosphate ions to form insoluble stones. Hence, they are also beneficial against the formation of kidney stones. ** A handful of dried cranberries everyday can protect you from breast cancer. Laboratory studies have shown that cranberry stops the growth of human breast cancer cells. It does so by causing the cancer cells to commit suicide and also by stopping their ability to multiply. ** Studies show that the antioxidant content of cranberries is five times that of broccoli. In addition, a comparison with 19 other common fruits proved that the berry has the maximum amount of antioxidant. This is very important in the treatment of cancer and also helps lower the cholesterol level, to some extent.

So there you have it ... TEN TOP FALL SUPERFOODS ... Take the time to at least try each one even if you never have before ... because their healthful benefits could wind up helping you to feeling better, living longer and becoming smarter too !! 
*** PLEASE SHARE IF YOU WISH ***

" A Man's errors are the portals of discovery." ~ James Joyce

We humans, as a race, are inevitably flawed. We are not perfect and we are bound to make mistakes along this journey we call "Life". As Dr Amen told me once ... "Nobody is NORMAL, Steve. Especially us Americans." He was remaking on a statement I made to him saying that all I wanted for my future was for me to be considered normal again. I had let my life become so inexorably "out of whack" that I was put in a mindset that I was somehow inferior to my fellow human beings. I felt this way because of the mistakes I made allowing me to come to that place of desperation, confusion and hopelessness. 

What I have now come to learn is that we cannot brood or stagnate over our past mistakes and failures as this will only fill our minds with regret, fear, anger, grief and depression. What we must do is NOT repeat those errors but learn from them and move on in a more positive direction ... I like to say that FAILURE is not an option, it's a Lifestyle. We become complacent to failure and convince ourselves that we have no way of making the changes necessary to improve our situations. This is completely untrue and we must learn to retrain our minds to stop thinking this way. 

Success always seems to be connected with positive actions ... Successful people will make mistakes too but they keep moving forward and never quit. That old adage holds true "If at first you don't succeed, then try, try again." So in my health recovery journey these lessons also apply on many different levels but can also be applied to anything in life as a rule. If something I was trying wasn't getting me the results I was looking for I just changed what I was doing and tried something else until I saw myself moving forward in a positive direction. BUT I still seem to be struggling with my past and it sometimes feels like a huge anchor tied to me ... holding me down not allowing me to move at the pace I want to be going. As I work on my book I must (for the sake of the reader) relive the past in order to recant the mistakes, so that they cannot only maybe relate to them, but also learn and realize that have the power to reverse, change and eliminate those former misgivings so that the future becomes brighter, happier and improved. 

The past does not equal the future if we decide that overcoming the anxiety, fear and problems we have had and are currently experiencing is not enough of an anchor to keep us down forever. We take the first steps to improving our lives even if they are small ones and continue to pursue the person we really WANT to be !! Struggling with the past is just part of the process is just something we and I must do in order to learn the new steps needed to be successful in the future no matter what we choose to change about ourselves. Depression, anxiety, stress, weight, health, relationships, family ... all these situations have some sort of past issues attached to them. We must decide if we wish to remain shackled and chained to those past issues being constantly weighted down, crushed under the regret of past errors ? OR, we can change and move on in a forward and positive direction. For me it was time to unchain myself FROM myself ... letting go of who I used to be in order to become the person I WANTED to be ~

We all tend to think at some point in our lives that we wished we could go back and erase darker times in the past, forgetting those things we regret doing. But all of life's experiences, BAD and GOOD, makes us who we are as humans. Trying to erase those experiences would be an awesome mistake because they are there to teach us valuable lessons that create strength in character.

As Winston Churchill once said " ALL men make mistakes but only wise men learn from their mistakes."  So as I audit my past life and still at times struggle with the past and things that I did ... I know that so many invaluable lessons have been learned and now being able to pay forward to others those lessons is beyond priceless ... it's phenomenal.

Peace ☮  & Love ❤  + Health ☆ = HARMONY  ☼

Gratitude is nothing more than two words put together .... GREAT and ATTITUDE. These are necessary and essential in order to obtain success in any type of program this one certainly included. It's something I have learned a lot about while on my health recovery journey so far now.

First of all I have gratitude for still having my Life because I probably will never know how close I really came to not being here anymore. I have gratitude for having learned so much about health and nutrition and being able to impart that knowledge unto others makes me extremely fulfilled. I have gratitude for my wonderful job here at Amen Solution and that I had the chance of not only getting to meet the man that wrote "THE" book that invariable changed my whole existence, but his love, friendship and being a wonderful mentor and person as well. 

I have transformed so much in the last couple years not only outwardly, but more importantly, inwardly becoming and striving ever closer to my true self which makes me brim with gratitude on a daily basis. I have learned that in order to feel nourished we must first nourish others with kindness, love and gratitude. Every great accomplishment begins with your attitude ... there are those two words again, so funny how they end up playing such a significant role in order for achieving major success. I think we must also have belief in our own abilities and also the ability to overcome ... whatever struggle, roadblock or obstacle we must encounter along the way. We must BELIEVE that the power resides in all of us to change. So many times we sell ourselves short as humans and lose our trust in being able to reach for a better place and we end up settling for our present status in life ... it never has to be that way. 

Our bodies are made to fight and resist disease, so if we would begin to treat them with a little more respect and care, we would not be as collectively sick as an entire Nation. Our bodies are such an amazing, super intricate creations and along with our brains (being the "central command post that gives all the orders and instructions) we need to fuel it with the right nutrition, vitamins and minerals to work at an optimal level keeping everything in check and running smoothly. When we corrupt it with toxins we end up causing the engine to start breaking down and slowly but surely disease and conditions soon follow. Excessive things like alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, trans fats and the worst to me is sodium ... because the body's first reaction to salt is dehydration. With so many of us not getting the proper amounts of water and with salt/sodium being in so much of our food(s), it begins to cause a real and insidious problem for us. Water is our body's principle component and makes up 60 percent of our body's entire weight. The body depends on water for almost everything it does. It flushes out toxins in the system, it carries nutrients to all of our cells, and it even provides the moisture environments in our ears, nose, tissue and throats.

The lack of water or dehydration is a condition that occurs when the adequate amounts of water are not properly maintained. It causes exhaustion and with fifty percent of our brain function being eyesight, dehydration can put a strain on that as well. It causes lack of energy so while many complain they lack the necessary energy to exercise, they might consider the water intake they have been consuming. Start your day out with a bottle of water and have several more throughout your day. If you are working out have one before and another after. 

But digressing back to gratitude ... be grateful that no matter your present health condition, you still have the power to create a change for the better and use me as a shining example to that very fact. Have gratitude that we live in a great country where we are allowed the ability to choose if we wish to be healthy or not and choose appropriately to ensure better wellness and longevity. You are already here in this community which means you have made the correct choice so have gratitude and faith that if practiced inevitable positive changes loom in your future.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of Life, It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order and confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home and a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings Peace for today and creates a vision for Tomorrow. ~

I now know that my tomorrows are just out there ready for me to experience them and the best is still awaiting me ...

With all of us here in this community, our tomorrows should be looking brighter, healthier, smarter, thinner and happier too !! 

Be Well and Eat Healthfully

It has become abundantly clear to me that Modern Healthcare with all it's technology and modern wonders fails in leaving out that all important ... Human Touch.

For many of us going to the doctor has become an assembly line of tests and procedures and often lost in this examination of the heart, kidneys, lungs and blood chemistry are the deeper needs of the person suffering from the illness. We need to reconsider the importance of the MIND, BODY & SPIRIT connection when it comes to chronic lifestyle disease.

Most doctors still consider this spiritual "mumbo-jumbo" and not based in scientific theory or proofs ... even some of Dr Amen's own colleagues consider his practices to be going outside the range of normal regular psychiatric practices. But in order for us to finally get a real handle on things like Obesity, in all it's forms and chronic lifestyle diseases in all their manifestations, we have to address the reasons that allowed the body to become susceptible to this in the first place. Many times these reasons are NOT scientifically tangible, but are rooter deeper in our emotional caches and psyches.

There most definitely is scientific fact that the mind/brain controls every single aspect of our human bodily functions. So centering our attentions on the brain or control center, seems to me, to be a much more practical approach in having lifetime success in overcoming these problems.

It, the brain, being the most complex yet least unknown about in terms of it's complete functioning and operation should be where we start ... at the core of our balance or homeostasis. Our brains have proven time and time again to harness incredible enormous powers and the ability to allow humans to muster up almost "super-human" like feats and accomplishments. Those of us who have learned to harness this control bear a responsibility to try and enlighten those who continue to suffer endlessly on a daily basis.

So taking care of it; nourishing it properly, calming it naturally, resting it completely and hydrating it needfully should be the basis of our lifetime wellness plans. That is why I believe so strongly in a program like this one. One that is focusing on the very thing that controls the center of our bodily Universe ... the brain, and a program that continues to help us find our core balance ... within.

“[I]f you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now ... 
And when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.” ― Masaru Emoto, The Secret Life of Water 
 
I think we have a ultimate destination in life that we all are seeking ... a place of complete contentment. This usually means a place of desired balance in Mind, Body and Spirit. The problem becomes with our integrated, over populated, totally technology over-ridden society it creates undue and debilitating stresses on every single one of us. This ends upsetting our balances which affects all three phases respectfully. This is where our diseases manifest themselves ... our unbalance.

Soon as we head down our paths to our destinations we encounter these roadblocks ( or path blocks rather ), and have to navigate around them to try and keep moving forward in our desired direction. While here, off the beaten path in the thick underbrush of life, is we tend to get easily turned around and lost ... and it happens way too easily and very many ways as well. Life has a tendency to throw stuff in front of us that catches us off guard and makes us have to try and improvise a way of coping dealing and hopefully appeasing the problem or event hence causing unbalance and stress. The body is so, so sophisticated and way more than our greatest experts can even fathom. How can we assume that we can find ways of manipulating that undeniable super complex system? 

Yet this new world seems to wear us down; tear us down and affect us more and more as the decades roll into history.

We have become LOST ... OFF THE BEATEN PATH. We seem to have lost sight of that ultimate destination of perfect balance or homeostasis and along the way have created ways of coping instead of finding ways to correct. Maybe we all in some manner try and find ways of coping instead of correcting. Lord knows I have had and still have those "off the beaten path" moments too. We become tired, wore down and overburdened trying desperately to get back on track. Just as in physical Science as in biological Science, stress causes cracks or fissures in the body, spirit and mind. This allows a breakdown in the system and vulnerability for disease and virus to perpetuate itself.

In fact I believe that disease is the body TELLING us that we have a major problem and we need to correct it immediately. 

A warning sign signaling us to change our direction. Head back for that path to balance. But actually .... maybe it is out here ... off the beaten path ... where we can find the answers and solutions to get back on the right path again. Out here in the thick underbrush of nature and it's natural surroundings is maybe where we are provided the right things to overcome those roadblocks like stress and disease. Maybe instead of reinventing ways of coping and dealing we rely on the natural order of this Planet and trust in our own body's remarkable capabilities of healing and recovery. Ultimately WE, ourselves and our bodies, are the best indicator of how well we really are ... and we are also our best advocates, ( or should be anyway ), for how we get to that place of improved wellness.

Maybe, just maybe, we cannot create the solutions to correct. Maybe, just maybe, they are already out here waiting for us to find. Whether or not you believe in a higher power of some sort most people cannot deny the equal as complex natural complexity of this Planet and the force of it's natural surrounding. Humans=incredibly complex organisms. Earth=incredibly complex Planet and Eco-System. Maybe we should be working together symbiotically to heal not only ourselves but also our surroundings too.

If we weren't as complex we wouldn't require 42 essential vitamins and minerals to live well ... but we do. If we weren't as complex we could eat basically the same thing over and over and still remain well. There is a reason for the Planet providing so many different varieties of natural nourishment. There is a reason there are so many shapes, colors and types as well. The more complex and diverse our nutrition becomes, the more amounts of vitamins and minerals we intake ... hence the better we become naturally. 

We all have a tendency to become lost. disappointed, hesitant or weak at times ... it's in these times we need to look within ourselves and evaluate the things we are doing to create these conditions. Like I said before ~ WE are our own best advocates or should be. If we look deep enough and plant the seed of honesty and self evaluation, we will find our true selves and also our true potential of what we can be !!  Once planted it will soon blossom with water/nourishment and become a bloom of significant radiance and luster.  A thing of balance and beauty amongst the ordinary landscape ...

Whilst being out here lost in the underbrush of life seeking a way to navigate through it all ... we should be looking all around for signs and solutions. Maybe the solutions are not as complex as we seem to think them to be ... maybe they are out here just lying there waiting for us to try them ...

Out here in the jungle and thick underbrush of life ... Off the Beaten Path.

 You know I always seem to hear people saying "The past is the past, forget it or The future is not ours to see, live in the moment" and I actually probably at one point in my life actually bought into all the crap. But now as I have been on this health recovery journey for a while now, I have come to realize how unbelievably important both reflecting back and projecting forward are to our potential success in life. But equally important are those little moments in the here and right now, in the midst of our journey, that becoming huge building blocks that forge the foundations to becoming the true authentic people we are all truly destined to be ...
      To give an example from my own life just yesterday I had one of those weight loss journey moments that will inevitably become one of those bricks that keep me building and surging towards future success so I lament ... After coming back from a long drive to the coast in Rhode Island I went to take a shower at my friend's house before planning to go out for a wonderful healthy dinner at one of my favorite organic restaurants in town. Now I used live with her when I first moved to New England and she actually has a very big "Roman" style tub with shower that was installed by it's previous owner for the exclusive reason being that he too was an extremely oversized man. Probably never as big as I had been at one time, nearly 650 pounds, but big enough that a normal sized enclosure tub would not have been able to handle his "girth". It is also very deep as well and when I was living there and quite frankly almost anywhere there has been a tub/shower, I have always had to seek the need of holding on to something like the wall or whatever to be able to manage stepping inside safely. I think it's the brain's trained response mechanism telling you that your balance issues require this need in order for you not to fall down which used to happen for me on a regular basis. I had been so big for so long that it was an ingrained habit I had acquired. Somehow this time for whatever reason I just opened the shower curtain and just stepped in, mind you this is not even easy to do for a normal person, without ever even thinking about holding on. It took nearly 30 seconds after standing inside there that my brain kicked in and I realized that this was the first time I had done that in so long, definitely more than a decade or so, that the moment hit me like a ton of bricks. Another AHA weight loss journey moment similar to my first weigh-in where upon stepping on the scales for the first time I saw I had lost 156 pounds in a matter of months !! Tears of joy began to well up in my eyes and I fought hard choking them back but they just flowed as they had done that day in March of 2010. Another huge breakthrough occurring and not even really being cogniscent of it until after the fact. 
     Yet in that moment I immediately had to reflect BACK just a year prior when I had tried to enter that shower for the first time at her house. Where it was so scary of an issue for me that I actually nearly did slip and fall even holding on precariosly. Standing there in that moment comprehending just how far I had actually come in this last year was one of those little but uncomprehensively amazing moments we have along this journey. Then I immediately projected into the future to see where I will be in another years time and seeing myself with skin surgery completed and possible knee surgery done and maybe even being able to run again for the first time since being a teenager?? WOW. Words can't even describe that. They wouldn't even come close. PERIOD.  THESE are those moments that you will never EVER let go of even for a second. THESE are those moments that become those bricks and mortor that keep building that foundation to our future authentic and true selves. THESE are those stepping stones leading us forward, ever forward, changing, evolving, becoming stronger, healthier, smarter, more resilient, more compassionate, more truthful, more faithful, more HOPEFUL of a better and brighter tomorrow. Not just for ourselves but also for this country and it's overall state of Health. Because looking back and learning from our mistakes is the only way we can move forward and correct them the right way. Learn from the past to correct the future. At the same time in this moment right now we  realize that if we start today what an amazing tomorrow we can truly have ... Looking Back and Moving Forward.Be WellPeace ☮  & Love ❤    + Health ☆  = HARMONY ☼

Just a couple years ago all I wanted to do was die ... at nearly 650 pounds my life had no meaning, no reason and no purpose. I had become housebound, bed ridden and suicidal but I could no longer climb the stairs to get the gun that could finish my misery. My health conditions were extreme and debilitating, so much so that with nerve damage in my feet made even walking an incredibly painful experience which affected my balance. I fell often and needed emergency personnel to help me when I did so ... on one such occasion I hurt me knee enough to need medical attendance and with the encouragement of family I admitted myself into the hospital. This began my incredible journey back to health. From the hospital I went to physical rehabilitation and made a deal with myself and God that I would try my utmost to change. I bought a laptop there and began researching all natural ways to reverse my weight and chronic diseases. One thing resonated across the board when reading from expert doctors online like Dr Weil, Dr Fuhrman, Dr Hyman, Dr Oz, Dr Kessler and others to numerous to mention ... Nutrition.  
 
And of course fitness and exercise which I had already begun to practice in rehab and physical therapy. But it was learning about the basics and beyond of nutrients and how vital they are to our wellness that made me know that I had a fighting chance of getting better. After two months in rehab I came home and began relying on organic whole nutrient dense foods and water to nourish my body. Then after being at a peak of about 638, I managed to lose around 156 pounds in just four months !! Again moving and dancing in my recliner plus marching in place with a walker helped to metabolize my body but the whole foods were bridging the gap and helping me to reverse my disease. My diabetes was gone, my high cholesterol too. 
 
Then my sister bought me a book by Dr Daniel Amen called Change Your Brain Change Your Body and life was changed forever. In it he explained that by using the correct brain foods loaded with nutrients and taking the right supplements, you would help the brain to heal itself and then in turn the body would begin to heal too. My addictions, my depression, my stress, my low energy levels all seemed to melt away when using his principles and program. I used meditation and breathing. I used positive thinking to chase away the automatic negative thoughts or ANTs from my mind. I began to actually feel my focus, my memory, my energy, my willpower all increase greatly. I began using a exercise recumbent bike and went from doing a mile to doing 15 miles within a matter of months !! Within nine months or so I had lost 230 pounds and felt like a completely different person. I also began a Facebook page group and put all the tips and articles I was researching on there to help others and inspire them to make a change. 
 
I have been practicing these brain healthy methods now for two and a half years and have lost nearly FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS so far. My chronic diseases are all but disappeared and I feel Smarter, Happier, Thinner and Younger. I am forty three but feel twenty three. I now do thirty miles on that bike and have recently started cross and interval training to finish up the body transformation that has changed my life! I now motivate and inspire others to think about food in a different way and rely on REAL and SAFE food to heal and nourish the mind, body and soul ... Dr Amen's program is a fit for life method. I call it a new nutritional life plan. Once you learn it and practice it, you will live by it for the duration of your existence, becoming completely well in the process and living up to your true potential !! 
 
I recommend this to ANYBODY who wants to be healthy and well for the rest of their lives !! I am willing to defend his program against any diet program out there, because diets DO NOT WORK. Have you ever noticed the word DIE is in DIET ?? Modern healthcare is treating disease with chemicals when it should be considering nutritional healing instead, but there is no big money in that is there ?? SICK SELLS, WELL doesn't. I want EVERYBODY who is sick to be WELL and I have now dedicated the rest of my life to inspiring others to do the very same. I have even started writing a book to tell the 60 million plus obese people in this country that there us a way out of their misery and hopelessness ...IT IS TIME TO TAKE AMERICA's HEALTH BACK .... ONCE AND FOR ALL !!
 
Be Well and Eat Healthy ~ 
Healthfully Yours,
Steve "SirDropaLot" Nicander aka The Health Minister or as Dr Amen calls me ... The Incredible Shrinking Man