What the Health?!SEANDON.COM

What the Health?! Mid-weigh check-in.

2012-02-14T12:17:00.001-05:00

It's Tues, Feb 14th - Happy Valentines Day. I'm 45 days into my 90 day personal challenge to lose 30 lbs in 90 days. Last week I celebrated losing 22 total lbs. Today I have a confession to make. Find out why I'm pissed at myself...

Need some PEP - or just a laugh?

2012-02-12T23:45:00.005-05:00

GRO healthy, happy and successful by redefining your corporate culture and workplace wellness with the exciting Peak Employee Performance (PEP) program.

For more information, visit: http://www.grassrootsreformorganization.com/Wellness_Programs.html#PEP and http://www.dmebenefitness.com/programs.html

What the Health Have I Done - Week 5

2012-02-08T08:44:00.003-05:00

It's Wednesday, Feb 8th - 39 days into my goal of losing 30 pounds in 90 days.I initially weighed-in at 214.4 pounds on Jan 1st. I'm feeling better and younger each and every day! I'm wearing clothes that I couldn't fit into just a month ago - it's like a scored a whole new wardrobe!

Find out why I'm celebrating today...

Don't Sacrifice, Substitute!

2012-02-04T10:42:00.000-05:00

My girlfriend and I have been enjoying the remarkable benefits of a 100% raw food diet over the last 5 weeks in our pursuit of weight loss and health goals. We easily and gladly accomplished our first goal of going 30 days on 100% raw fruits and veggies. We were very pleased with the results and decided to continue on that trend, but we have really been craving pizza lately.

One slice of cheesy, gooey, greasy pizza on a gluten-rich crust would easily undo all of the painstaking detoxification that we have accomplished in the last 5 weeks. Bummer, right? Wrong!

Luckily, our vegan friend told us about a local pizza shop called “Red Brick Pizza” in Port Orange at the Pavilion. Red Brick offers up several alternatives for health conscious people. At your request, they will gladly substitute a dairy-free (Daiya) cheese. They have a gluten-free crust option as well. I was also impressed that they use heart-healthy olive oil in all of their other crusts too. Red Brick Pizza is proving that truly healthy options can (and should) be included on all restaurant menus. If a pizza parlor can do it – why not all other dining establishments too?!

Our mouths watered as we waited for our “Veggie Gourmet Works” pizza to come out of the wood-fired oven. The thought of the mushrooms, red onions, red bell peppers, black olives, artichokes, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs in something other than a salad tempted our taste buds beyond belief! The gluten-free pizza option only comes in a smaller crust size, but the small pizza turned out to be BIG on flavor! In fact, we enjoyed it so much – we ordered another (two)!

Having not had the pleasure of dining out for over a month, we ate slow, people watched and took in the whole dining experience, savoring each delicious bite in a whole new mindset.

We left Red Brick very satisfied with our dining experience, but we realized that, although priced fairly, this pizza substantially lacked a couple of things – the bloated, belly-bomb sensation usually associated with pizza consumption – as well as the GUILT! We felt energized and light the rest of the night – and pretty good about the fact that we were able to “splurge” by substitution and not derail ourselves from our goals.

Thanks Lou – and RBP crew for a delicious (and healthy) dining experience! By the way, your crew definitely delivered service with a smile too. We'll be seeing you again soon.

What the Health Have I Done?! One month check-in

2012-01-31T10:33:00.003-05:00

It's been an interesting month on my quest to lose 30 pounds in 90 days. I've been diligent in exercising daily and eating only raw fruits and veggies the entire month. I've also completed a water fast, colon cleanse, liver/gall bladder flush, and kidney cleanse. I feel like a million bucks!
Lets see how much I weigh...

Reasons or Results

2012-01-25T18:34:00.002-05:00

One powerful three word phrase speaks volumes about humanity - reasons or results.

We either get the results we want in life, or we have a list of reasons why we don’t. The word reasons could easily be replaced by the word excuses also.

Frustration is often the underlying cause for the reasons or excuses that keep us from the results we desire. If you are following my “What the Health Have I Done?!” weight loss challenge journal, you know that my weight was back up two pounds last week from the previous week – that was in spite of eating a strict raw food diet and diligent walking and exercise. I could have easily gotten frustrated and fallen off of the wagon last week like many people might do. Instead, I ignored any frustration that may have entered into my mind and I persisted with more effort and diligence. The result – over 5 pounds of weight lost at weigh-in this week.

The reasons really don’t matter much when you achieve the results you desire – do they? But when you quit or don’t achieve your goals, those reasons become your story, your defense mechanism and your comfort zone.

A life coach can help you unlearn the preconditioning and programming that you experience subconsciously on a daily basis. Once this interference is gone, you’ll find it exponentially easier to attain positive results.

Do you want your life story to be filled with reasons – or results?

What the Health Have I Done?! Week 3 Check-in

2012-01-24T10:01:00.000-05:00

Hey, I'm Sean Donovan and I set a goal - lose 30 pounds in 90 days.

Today is Tuesday, January 24th and this is my 3 week check-in. I've eaten nothing but raw food so far this month as well as completing a water fast, juice fast, colon and intestinal cleanse, liver/gallbladder detox and flush and I'm in the midst of a kidney cleanse too. A lot of dedication and persistance has gone into the process. The payoff is...

I feel great! My skin is oh-so-soft, my mental clarity is sharp, my energy level is through the roof and I can see visible changes in my waistline.

Watch the video to find out how my weight loss is progressing...

What the Health Have I Done?! Week 2 Check-In

2012-01-17T10:51:00.003-05:00

Two weeks into my goal to lose 30 pounds in 90 days - I've already completed a 4 1/2 day water fast, a two day colon/intestinal cleanse, a two day liver/gallbladder detox and have eaten only raw food and fresh juice since I broke fast. I've been walking between 2.5 and 4 miles EVERY DAY as well as at-home exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, planks and other cardio and isometric exercises. I feel great and can already notice changes in my measurements and physique. I lost 12.6 pounds my first week - find out how much weight I lost the second week...

What the Health Have I Been Eating?!

2012-01-14T11:47:00.001-05:00

After coming off of a 5 day water fast last week and losing almost 13 pounds as a result, I wanted to keep the trend going by eating only nutrient dense, living raw foods for the entire month of January. So here are just a few examples of the delicious foods that I've been grubbing on for the last week. Words can hardly describe the sensational benefits and feeling that you experience on a raw food diet, so maybe these pictures will illustrate just how delicious healthy eating can be. Did I mention that eating this way is also very cost effective as well?

Lots of fresh juices - especially "Appleade"

Lots of my favorite fruit - Avocados!

Homemade Hummus - spiced to our liking

Cucumbers for dipping instead of chips

Kale Khips instead of Potato Chips

Kale Salad - absolutely awesome!

"Almost raw" Quinoa Kissir

Closeup of the Quinoa Kisir

Lots of salads - and fresh peppers!

15 ingredient salad

Sprouting Garbanzo Beans for Hummus

Baby Clover Sprouts germinating

Green Peas Sprouting

Green Pea Sprouts - ready to eat!

Sweeper Salad Components

Sweeper Salad - Just add Bragg's Aminos or Fresh OJ, mix and eat

Veggie Plate with Olive Oil drizzle

Lots of Citrus Fruits

Lots of fresh fruits like this Mango

What the Health Have I Done?! Week 1 Recap

2012-01-09T15:28:00.002-05:00

I completed a 117 hour (4 ½ day) water fast to push the reset button on my metabolism and trigger the detox process. It was challenging, but was worth it.

Some of my hardships during the fast included:

- A horrible metallic taste in my mouth that I couldn’t get rid of

- No sustained energy during physical exertion (I moved some furniture for a friend)

- Growling stomach for the first 36 hours

- Body ‘funk’ and odor

- Mild euphoria (also on my benefit list)

- Resisting the temptation to go out with friends on the weekend

Some of my benefits during and as a result of the fast included:

- Increased alertness, clarity, focus and creativity

- Less lethargic – energy throughout the day (except during heavy physical exertion)

- Waking up earlier in the morning

- Saving lots of $ on food

- Mild euphoria

- Losing a total of 12.6 pounds in less than 5 days!

I broke my fast on Saturday and began an intestinal detox regimen that included my special “sweeper salad,” some herbal detox powder, and some enzymes and probiotics. I also incorporated some raw foods such as avocado, cucumber, kale, peppers, onion, citrus fruits, asparagus, and home-made hummus into my diet in very small quantities at a time. I also included fresh fruit and veggie juices from oranges, grapefruits, melons, cucumbers, carrots, celery, beets and apples to name a few.

Eating again after almost 5 days with no food was awesome. It’s amazing how much more flavorful and delicious food and juice tastes when you haven’t eaten in a while. Is it my clean palate or the renewed appreciation for food that contributes to this heightened enjoyment? I say it’s both.

During the entire period I have been consistently relentless about incorporating regular physical activity into my daily routine. Although I’m still in good enough shape to run several miles, I decided to pretend I wasn’t and simply start out with a walking routine. I walked for a minimum of one hour per day – that was enough time for me to walk about 2 ½ to 3 miles per day. Heavy physical exertion is not possible or recommended on a zero calorie water fast, so I passed on the gym and did some very basic anywhere, anytime “couch-potato” exercises at home. I also stretched every day for a minimum of two 20 minute sessions.

Aside from accomplishing over 33% of my 3 month weight loss goal in just a week, I feel great and I know that I am off on the right foot to reaching my goal in a healthy and empowered manner.

What the Health Have I Done?! Break-fast

2012-01-07T12:18:00.002-05:00

Have you ever thought about how the word 'breakfast' came into existence and why the first meal of the day assumed that name?

Well, quite simply when you eat your first meal in the morning you are "breaking the fast" (or absence of eating) that your body has endured while you slept.

Today's break-fast was extra special to me as I broke a 117 hour water fasting period.

Find out how much weight I lost in 4 1/2 days of eating absolutely no food - only water and a very small amount of watered-down, fresh squeezed organic grapefruit juice. Was it worth enduring four days of hunger?

Four Days of Fasting

2012-01-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

No video today – I’ve been talking all day long and I prefer to just type. As I write this, I’ve been exactly 100 hours or 4 days, 4 hours without a morsel of food. The only things that have crossed my lips have been about 20 – 24 liters of Fiji Water and about 72 oz of fresh squeezed organic grapefruit juice – cut with 50% water.

Needless to say, I’m pretty hungry. In fact, a joke I often say to my girlfriend comes to mind -“I’m so hungry I could eat McDonald’s.” Yep, that’s a joke – and my sense of humor gets even more ridiculous the longer I go without food.

Today (Friday January 6^th) was incredible. I had three very important meetings that required over 4 ½ hours of non-stop speaking and high-level thought on my part. My business day didn’t end until almost 7pm – exceptionally late for a Friday. I will modestly admit that I performed “better than what I would consider my best.” Maybe I’m delusional as a result of virtually zero caloric intake for four days – or maybe it is the zero calorie intake that lit up my brain activity, concentrated my focus and amplified my motivation.

I call it survival mode. I believe that our ancestors possessed it and were closely connected to it. It’s nature’s self-preservation mode. If the human race didn’t possess the ability to go long periods of time without food, none of us would be here today. Think about it – how was life just a couple hundred years ago before there was transportation to ship food to stores at which we could conveniently buy it? Go back farther a couple of thousand years ago – long before modern farming practices and storage and preservation methods were discovered. What would a late frost or a drought or a flood do to the food supply? How about an ice age – or parasites – or wild animals? There are numerous ways that food supplies could have been devastated over large areas and long periods of time.

It must be a God-given gift since the Bible references fasting for as long as “forty days and forty nights” in multiple instances. I see water fasting as a kind of “Baptism”- it washes away internal sins as it detoxifies your body.

I’ve done many water fasts – some as short as a day, others as long as a week. I’ve even done juice fasts for over 2 weeks. In retrospect, I can honestly say that I’ve done some of my most creative writing and thinking during periods of fasting. I also get unusual waves of clarity and energy during the fast – quite an anomaly considering the assumed lack of energy due to calorie deprivation. As I tap into new areas of gray matter, my intuition tells me that this anomaly is no coincidence.

Here’s my logic. If I had lived 10,000 years ago, life would have obviously been much different. Long before a short walk to the fridge or a phone call for pizza delivery existed, I would have had to have gotten off my butt and found food. This probably would have entailed a hunt or some foraging – maybe even some tree climbing. If food was scarce and competition was fierce, this would have been challenging. If I didn’t eat for a day or so and got more tired, lethargic and lazy, I would have quickly perished. I picture myself sitting under an orange tree with the fruit just out of reach and myself too weak and too tired to even shake the fruit loose, let alone climb the tree. There I would have died – and then become a meal for the vultures and the coyotes. Thank God it’s 2012!

My point is that the hungrier we get, the sharper our senses become – to help us survive and locate food. We have to be more alert, smarter, faster and stronger than our prey. I’m also referring to fruit too. Have you ever tried to climb a palm tree or crack open a coconut – I have – and believe me, it’s not an easy task!

In our modern society, things are much different. If we want to eat, all we have to do (in almost all cases) is pay for it. Paying for it is not always easy – especially in a tough economy. Therefore, our money-earning senses must become sharper. Have you ever heard the term “hungry for work”? There were actually two companies in my hometown that capitalized on this concept – “Starving Students Moving Co.” and “The Hungry Roofer.” They were both successful. I think the message implies that when someone is truly hungry, they are desperate, yet driven and determined enough to do exceptional work for the reward of – eating and surviving!

My fast is self imposed. It’s yet another test of my willpower. It’s a challenge – and I’m a sucker for a good challenge. It’s the ‘fastest’ route to accomplishing my goal of losing 30 pounds in 90 days. When I started fasting on Monday, January 2^nd, my goal was to make it until dinnertime on Friday before “breaking fast”. I chose not to eat tonight and opted to ‘breakfast’ in the morning. I look forward to two days of “sweeper salad” – by then my eight avocados will be ripe enough to eat. I will be in pure bliss when I take my first bite of one. Can’t wait!

For those of you considering attempting to water fast, I will warn you that it’s not for the weak. There are right and wrong ways to start and end a fast. If you do it wrong, the result could be the equivalent of shaking up a hornets’ nest inside your body. If you have medical conditions or are on medication, always consult your doctor. If you’re up for the personal challenge and journey – consult me.

Have a healthy, happy, hungry day.

The Great Grapefruit Juice-Off

2012-01-05T14:03:00.000-05:00

Two of my friends, Josh Curtis and Tyler LeCompte, are both fortunate enough to have grapefruit trees in their yard – and they were both generous enough to give me some of their crop. Both guys are very proud of their fruit – the question is who’s is better? As a fruit and juice connoisseur, I’m happy to put them both to the test.

My palate is perfectly clean as I’ve been fasting and have consumed only water and grapefruit juice for the last 72 hours. So I’m perfectly primed for a taste-test.

I chose 2 equal sized grapefruits from each crop.

Curtis (left) LeCompte (right)

First, I wanted to rate the appearance both exterior and interior. The LeCompte fruit is yellow and softer, the Curtis fruit is pinker and firmer. When I sliced them open, it was clear that the Curtis fruit is a much deeper, ruby red variety while LeCompte’s has a paler pink meat. Winner – Curtis.

LeCompte (left) Curtis (right)

I measured the juice content and clearly the LeCompte fruit is juicier as it produced 16oz of juice from 2 fruits and the Curtis pair produced only 12oz. Winner – LeCompte.

LeCompte - 16oz Curtis - 12oz

So which one tastes better? Taste is such a subjective measurement, but here is my analysis. The LeCompte juice is sweeter and smoother while the Curtis juice is tangier and bolder. I happen to like both flavors very much and since they are both extremely healthy and delicious, I have to call a draw on the taste test. Winner – Tie.

LeCompte (left) Curtis (right)

The true winner of the great grapefruit juice-off is ME since I get to enjoy delicious fruit juice from two great friends. Thanks guys.

My top 12 least favorite things about being 30 pounds heavier are…

2012-01-04T23:32:00.002-05:00

12. "Wedgies" seem more prevalent.

11. No longer being able to wear some of my favorite clothes (refer back to #12).

10. Losing flexibility in my hips, glutes, hamstrings and back and experiencing regular back aches as a result.

9. Being able to “pinch an inch” on my abs, belly and back of my arms.

8. Increased cravings for less healthy foods (especially anything chocolate and peanut butter).

7. Not wanting to go to the beach or take my shirt off in public.

6. Increased, unpleasant body odors – from gas to breath to perspiration.

5. Consciously sucking in my gut when I’m giving a lecture or talking to someone.

4. Decreased energy and stamina – from waking up on time to performing physical activity.

3. Increased illness frequency – from allergies to cold, flu and stomach aches – I rarely got sick longer than 24 hours at a time – until I started gaining weight.

2. My number two fear is ultimately developing “moobs” – or ‘man boobs’.

1. My number one fear is ultimately having a “dickiedoo” – which is a belly that hangs out farther than my… ______well, you fill in the blank!

These 12 things will act as additional motivation to help me accomplish my "What the Health Have I Done?!" goal of losing 30 pounds in 90 days.

Keep in touch to find out just how health-enhancing weight loss can be!

What the Health Have I Done? 2

2012-01-03T18:32:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I’ve already taken the first most important step in the transformation process. I’ve set an intention and a goal – lose 30 pounds in 90 days by March 31^st.

I have also done the very important second step too – I’ve vocalized my intention and goal on video and then released it to the world. I’m now accountable to anyone who may question my progress or see me after March 31^st.

I pride myself on always doing what I say I’m going to do – I follow through and I HATE to fail!

Had I kept my intention and goal secret, it may have been easy for me to cheat on myself or postpone my progress to my goal. Now I have forced myself into accountability.

Maybe you aren’t comfortable sharing your physique or goals with the world – that’s ok. Find an accountability partner that you would trust with your life (because this is YOUR LIFE we’re talking about here – right?). Tell your partner your intention, goal and plan of action. This accountability partner should be someone who cares about you, knows how to motivate you, and keep you on track. This person should be someone you would never want to disappoint.

If you don’t have anyone in your life who is up for the task, I recommend hiring a personal trainer or professional life coach. The financial investment in professional help will be added incentive and accountability.

Oh yeah, one more important point that I already covered in my previous video – I set a visualization for my goal. Remember those pictures of me in great shape – those will be my visual reminders, motivation, inspiration and resistance to temptation as I strive to look my best again.

If you feel you’ve never ‘looked your best’ or you desire ‘better than your best’ – then go online and find a photo of your favorite athlete or celebrity – save it to your computer desktop background or cell phone wallpaper. That should do the trick for now!

What the Health Have I Done?!

2012-01-02T12:05:00.035-05:00

I did something crazy over the last 6 months - I intentionally gained 30 pounds. Now why would anyone in their right mind do that? Honestly, I did it to prove a few points. I’ve been 184 pounds for the last 20 years – that’s an ideal weight for a guy who is 6’4”.

Here I am after a 1.5 mile ocean swim last summer

I’ve always worked out hard and eaten healthy to maintain this weight and muscle; however, I’ve repeatedly heard from people how “lucky” I am to never gain weight, to have a great physique and no history of health problems. Even members of my family have accused me of “getting all of the good genes."

Eating a 15 ingredient salad on a kayak trip

In the last 6 months, I have departed from my normal routine to prove that I am indeed human. I also wanted to prove that when you do what the average person does, you get average results.

A shot of wheatgrass juice on St. Patty's Day 2011

There are some things that I will never compromise – like my strict vegetarian diet. I have been 100% vegetarian for over 17 years now and will maintain that until the last meal I eat. However, over the last 6 months I transitioned from a vegan diet consisting of mostly raw fruits, veggies, sprouts and fresh juice to what I call a pizza and potato chip vegetarian diet. I still ate lots of fruits and veggies, but I added in pizza, pastas, pies, bread, chips and dips and, oh yes, BEER – that’s vegetarian right?

I wanted to get closer to the Standard American Diet or “SAD”, but I still wasn’t willing to compromise my health by drinking soda, eating candy, fast food or meat.

Exercise has been an integral part of my life since I was a child, so I wasn’t willing to give that up completely either. Although 60% of America doesn’t exercise at all, I wanted to replicate what is a more typical American workout plan – sporadic and short. Instead of devoting 10% of my day (or 2 ½ hours) to walking, running, swimming, biking, yoga, pilates, and weight training daily, I decided to just do things when I felt like it – or when I had time.

Yoga on the beach

With this new “average lifestyle” I was able to consistently gain 5 pounds per month for the last 6 months. Awesome – huh? Oh yeah, I almost forgot – jeans and board shorts I’ve worn comfortably for over ten years are busting at the seams since my waist has gone from 31 ½ inches to 34 ½ inches in the same period of time.

Enough is enough. I’m not ready to go shopping for a new wardrobe yet. I’m also not happy about how I feel in my new body. I’ve developed regular back aches, pains in my hip joints and I’ve been sick more in the last 6 months than in the previous 6 years! Coincidence? I think not.

So now that I’ve demonstrated how easy it is for a 37 year old vegetarian who still works out occasionally and has good ‘genes’ to gain 30 pounds in a short period of time - I now plan to demonstrate how to right the ship and undo my sins for the last 6 months.

1.1.12 - My 6-pack turned into a pony keg!

Here I am today – I’m putting this out there for the world to see. Sean Donovan weighs 214 pounds. That’s well over 20 pounds more than I’ve EVER weighed in my life!

Hello New Year - Bye Bye Belly!

I plan to lose 30 pounds in half the time it took me to gain it. That’s right – starting January 1, I’m going to throw my arsenal of tactics back on my physique and be back at my ideal weight of 184 pounds by March 31.

Keep in touch and follow me to see just how easy and healthy weight loss can be.

Word of the Year

2012-01-01T14:15:00.004-05:00

Recently I was challenged by my friend and fellow motivational speaker Alin Jacobs to implement a new annual ritual called “word of the year.” The concept is to select a single word or even coin a new word that will be your mantra, motivation, inspiration, and the defining characteristic of the upcoming New Year. This challenge has made a remarkable impact on my thinking over the last several weeks since Alin bestowed his wisdom and challenge upon me.

After much deliberation and contemplation, I first decided to re-visit 2011 in hopes that the past year would help me define next year. In retrospect, I decided that my word of the year for 2011 must have been “development.”

This year has allowed me to develop wonderful relationships both personally and professionally that will fuel my success in 2012. I kicked off 2011 by completely redeveloping my website SeanDon.com - which was an arduous and time consuming task, but proved to be well worth the effort. Once the website was launched, I then shifted my focus to developing a new marketing strategy and identity for workplace wellness programs – thus, the Grassroots Reform Organization (GRO) was developed. With GRO, I was able to seek out and develop new partnerships with other “healthy businesses.” Almost magically, I was connected with an organization that funds employee enrichment programs – enabling me to develop new programs for businesses who previously could not afford them. As always, I strive to develop and improve as a speaker, author, life coach and health advocate; therefore, I put a tremendous amount of effort into the development of exciting new content, programs and writings. I was even able to be instrumental in helping my top corporate client, DME Benefitness, redefine their corporate culture and workplace wellness by developing a new website, blog, newsletter and employee enrichment programs. Every day I strive to develop health and happiness for myself and those around me. Thanks to my development in 2011, I am now poised to create new corporate culture and revolutionize workplace wellness for many companies in 2012.

My personal zeitgeist for 2011 was great, but enough about the past. It’s now crystal clear to me that my word of the year for 2012 will be “wellthy.” No, that’s not a typo.

Wellthy (adjective) - synergistically benefitting from the combination of health, wealth, happiness, and wellness.

A wellthy individual realizes that their greatest wealth is in their health and that their success and overall wellness can be measured by the size of the smile on their face.

Personally, I’ve invested thousands of hours of time and immeasurable thought and energy into becoming wellthy. I believe that H.E.A.L.T.H. stands for Helping Everyone Always Leads To Happiness; therefore, I created a business that truly helps others attain health, happiness and success. The focus of my efforts, programs, writings and speeches are all aimed at developing wellthy people and businesses. By helping others and leading by example, I’m certain that I will become abundantly “wellthy” in 2012.

My first wellthy action is to pass on Alin Jacob’s wisdom - and challenge you to define your 2012 with your own personal “word of the year.” Before you make futile New Year’s resolutions that will be forgotten by February or set unrealistic goals that you will never pursue this year, put some serious thought into defining your purpose in life. This introspective thought exercise will magically reveal your word of the year and empower you to make a difference in the world – starting with a Happy New YOU!

Motivational Message

2011-12-19T22:44:00.002-05:00

Spend Wisely - Shop Healthy

2011-12-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

“So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health” ~A.J. Reb Materi

Why do most of us spend our money to enhance our lives in every way possible – from jewelry, to clothes, electronics, makeup, shoes, cars, bigger houses, worthless material possessions, etc… but when it comes to our health, we neglect the one thing that everything else depends on.

Sure, new golf clubs or an ipad2 would be nice, but…

This holiday season why not support the health of those on your shopping list while also supporting local, small businesses? Give those you love a healthy gift – such as a gift certificate from a local health food store like Living Waters. Make this holiday season stress-free and relaxing with yoga sessions at Hot House Yoga. Organic produce delivery from Front Porch Pickings can be a healthy weekly or monthly reminder of how much you care. For your relatives or friends who are full of sh*t – a colonic from Logical Therapy and Wellness makes a perfectly logical gift! When you’re happy, you’re usually healthy - deliver a monthly smile with ‘flowers for a year’ from The Flower Market. A health food supplement like Chews4Health will create the priceless gift of energy and vitality.

Whether young or old, short or tall, everyone could use a little more "Health and Happiness" in their lives.

Merry Christmas and have a healthy, Happy New You!

Ho, Ho, Holy Sh*t - Christmas is Almost Here!

2011-12-06T11:48:00.002-05:00

Are you one of the many that haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet? Has procrastination or lack of time left you stressfully counting the days until Christmas? Do you hate shopping or crowded malls and stores? Are you looking for the perfect universal gift that would benefit everyone on your shopping list? Is it your mission to support local, small businesses this holiday season? If so, you’re in luck – here’s the perfect solution for your gift giving pleasure this year.

Give the gift of "Health and Happiness"!

Local Daytona Beach author Sean Donovan’s book "Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body" is the perfect solution for spreading holiday cheer to all who are dear for the rest of the year.

This easy, interesting, and educational book is a life-changing gift that is sure to enhance the life of anyone who reads it – now and for many healthy, happy years to come.

The title really says it all, but Sean says a lot more about life in his common sense, content-rich, change-inducing creation. It is truly a must-read for anyone who is alive and wants to stay that way!

An easy, meaningful gift solution for under $20 is really rare to find.

“Health and Happiness” is available in hardback, paperback, e-book and newly revised personalized paperback version. All versions are fantastic and can be bought easily and quickly online – they even ship direct right to the recipient – so you can keep your sleigh and reindeer in the garage!

Reduce your holiday stress, finish your shopping HERE and kick back, relax and have a healthy, happy holiday season.

“Ho, Ho, Healthy New You”

The Perfect Gift

2011-12-01T15:26:00.002-05:00

If you’re like most people, then you probably have several individuals on your Christmas shopping list who are extremely difficult to shop for. Either they have everything they need, or they are extremely picky, or their tastes vary dramatically from yours (I cringe every time my mother buys me clothes). Of course there are always those ungrateful present recipients who will invariably return or re-gift whatever you get them. It’s time for change.

Why not give a gift that is personalized, practical, and potentially life-changing? How about giving something that everyone has in common and always needs more of? Wouldn’t it be nice to find an all-encompassing gift that really demonstrated how much you cared about someone? What if you could support two local businesses with your purchase? And wouldn’t it be a nice bonus for your budget if it could be bought online for only $20 and shipped direct?

Give the gift of "Health and Happiness" this holiday season to everyone you care about. Even those who you aren’t that fond of may become more appreciative and pleasant after receiving this awesome gift!

"Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body" is a life-changing book written by Sean Donovan. Although the title is self explanatory, there are many underlying themes revealed that contribute directly to everyone’s well-being. Written for people who don’t normally read and those who have limited time, "Health and Happiness" is a quick, easy read that is packed full of common sense advice and enjoyable analogies and stories.

Whether your friend, family member, neighbor, co-worker or employee needs to shed a few pounds from the holiday season, put a smile on their face, prevent disease, slow down aging, prioritize their life, set goals, manage their time, or improve their overall lifestyle – this book has something for everyone who is alive. Rich in tangible takeaways that are easily implemented, economic, and highly effective, "Health and Happiness" is sure to ignite a burning desire for positive change in anyone who reads it.

The best part is… this unique paperback book is now available in personalize print version. When you click HERE to order, you will be prompted during the purchase process to enter the first name of the person for whom you are purchasing the book (make sure you capitalize the first letter in their name). Next you will see a proof of the book cover. On the proof, you will notice that instead of the title reading “Health and Happiness: an owner’s manual for the mind and body”, it will now read “Health and Happiness: Joe’s (or whoever’s) manual for the mind and body.” It gets better…

When your gift arrives and the recipient opens up the cover, they will first see a personalized signature page addressed directly to them. Then as they begin reading, they will notice that the book addresses them by name throughout the text. This personalized print version is a meaningful and powerful tool designed especially to elicit… well, "Health and Happiness" for everyone.

Simply click HERE and buy one as a stocking stuffer for everyone on your list too!

Have a healthy, happy holiday season however you decide to celebrate it!

"Meet" Vegetarianism

2011-10-29T12:36:00.000-04:00

This month I celebrate 17 years as a vegetarian. My mother laughs at me now, because when I was a child, she remembers cooking delicious meals and casseroles only to watch me pick out all of the spinach, broccoli, celery, and anything else green. I would have a pile of ‘green stuff’ on the side of my plate that I would refuse to eat for the first twenty years of my life. Now, my whole refrigerator is filled with everything green. What made me give up my Standard American Diet (SAD) of predominantly red meat and potatoes? Several things – and am I glad that they did!

It was partly my mother’s influence, but it wasn’t her cooking that prompted my change. My mother and both of her parents developed colon cancer during a short period of time. In fact, my grandmother lived the last decade or so of her life with no colon at all. Talk about a reason to change my ways – I didn’t ever want to have to endure what she went through. A colostomy bag is not for me. My mother and grandfather were luckier as they only lost very small portions of their colons. When my mom beat colon cancer only to have cancer return in the form of lymphoma a couple of years later – and then beat that too, I knew I had some strong “fighting genes” in my gene pool, but I also realized I have some genetic predispositions to contend with as well. Thankfully, I discovered that although our genes load the metaphorical gun, it’s our lifestyle that pulls the trigger.

I was also influenced by a good friend of mine who was raised by vegan parents. He had never consumed meat or dairy his entire life. He was also a phenomenal athlete who was a star on his collegiate cross-country track team. He made running marathons look easy and he never seemed to lack energy, stamina or strength. I was so intrigued by his physical ability and absence of past medical problems that I quickly accepted his challenge to “go raw” for 21 days and only eat fruits and veggies. I was already in pretty good shape and had yet to suffer any health problems, but nonetheless my transformation was remarkable. The increased energy alone was enough to make me never crave animal products again.

It’s undeniable that humans were designed to be vegetarians. The physiological proof starts with the alkaline saliva in our mouths. Also in regards to our mouths, the shape of our teeth (flat molars for grinding) and the movement of our jaw (up and down and side to side also for grinding) indicate that of a vegetarian. Compare our mouths to that of a carnivorous dog and you will find acidic saliva, sharp incisors and pointed molars designed for ripping and tearing flesh as well as a jaw that only moves up and down (no need to grind the meat side to side). The next clue is the dexterity of our magnificent hands - complete with opposable thumbs for grasping and picking fruits and veggies – as opposed to a carnivore like a bear that has massive claws for holding live prey and tearing its flesh from the bones. Human digestive tracts are very long and curvaceous so they can extract all of the nutrients from the living fruits and veggies -while true carnivores (such as lions) have very short and relatively straight digestive tracts to expel the rotting flesh and it’s toxic digestion by-products from their bowels as quickly and easily as possible.

If that physiological evidence isn’t enough to convince you that vegetarianism should be the way of humanity, then try this test. Put a pile of berries and a rabbit in a playpen with a four year old child and observe what happens. Then try the same experiment with a four year old lion cub in a cage. My guess is that the child will eat the berries and pet the rabbit. And in the lion cub’s cage there will be a bloody mess and a pile of untouched berries. Instincts don’t lie. And by the way, anyone who thinks that humans are at the top of the food chain is dead wrong. I invite them to spend the night in the wilderness full of lions, bears, mosquitoes and snakes – or take a swim in shark infested waters. In reality, decomposers such as bacteria and fungi are the ones on top of the food chain.

If most people in modern society had to raise, kill, clean, prep and cook their own meat, there would be a whole lot more vegetarians. Thank God for our modern food production industry – right? Wrong! If slaughterhouses and meat packing plants had windows or an open-door policy, my guess is that everyone would be a vegetarian!

Animal cruelty is a travesty and is prevalent in almost every aspect of the carnivorous side of the food industry, but I’ve found that most people simply don’t care – they don’t want to think about it – they just want their meat neatly packaged or prepared and cooked for them. They don’t even want to know what went into the process. If they only knew or thought about what went into the “meat process” and how it goes straight into their bodies, then they would realize that “we are what we eat” – right?

Maybe the chronic diseases suffered by many people in today’s modern society are simply nature’s revenge for the cruelty that mankind’s carnivorous population is exacting on the rest of the animal kingdom. For scientific proof that animal consumption is linked to chronic disease, I would be happy to direct you to Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s book "The China Study".

Recently I was having dinner with a colleague who seemed quite perplexed when they discovered I was a vegetarian. Their immediate reaction was “Oh, you don’t eat meat? What do you eat?” My simple response was “Plants and living foods”. Simple and to the point – when you eat a plant based diet of fruits and veggies, you are eating living foods and thus ingesting life into your body. When you eat meat, it is dead and so you are ingesting death into your body. Plus, the higher up the food chain we eat, the farther we move away from the natural source energy of the sun, the mineral nutrients of the soil and water, and the purity and oxygen from the air.

Look, I’m here to tell you that if I can make the “cold-turkey” conversion from the typical male American meat-and-potatoes diet to vegetarianism, anyone can do it. Having made the transition and having lived on ‘both sides of the food chain’ – I can honestly say without a doubt or reservation that vegetarianism is an exponentially far superior lifestyle to that of an American carnivore. Forget all the macho B.S. - you don’t need meat or dairy to get protein – I work out harder and longer than most of my meat eating friends and never lack energy, stamina or strength. In addition, I’ve never had a tooth cavity or a broken bone – and that means a lot considering my active lifestyle!

Think about it – better yet, try a vegetarian, raw food diet and experience the awesome benefits for yourself. You’ll be happy you did.

For more on my vegetarian lifestyle read my book: "Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body"

Written by Sean Donovan - Founder of Grassroots Reform Organization (GRO), author, speaker, life coach, health advocate

I Once Cried the Blues

2011-10-13T12:37:00.000-04:00

You may have heard the saying “I once cried the blues because I had no shoes – then on the street, I met a man with no feet.” This simple saying has great implications as to the appreciation we should all have for the simple treasures that we DO have in our lives. For me, this saying brings with it a memory and a true story of greater meaning.

It was a hectic weekday and I was in the midst of a typical workday in my former career as a Realtor/Contractor. It was already 2pm and I had not had time to enjoy a moment of rest – let alone a lunch break. I recall thinking “where’d the day go?” as I contemplated how I was possibly going to finish all of the tasks on my ‘to-do’ list for the day. I also came to the realization that I wouldn’t have time to sneak in an afternoon run and would have to wait until the evening to do a quick gym workout. I had a dozen or so people in my employ working on multiple projects and contracts. Their productivity fueled the success of the company which required my constant attention and focus. My phone was blowing up as usual with one situation after another that demanded my attention and energy. I was texting a client to let them know I would be late to a meeting due to a previous meeting that ran over because that client was late. My day was reeling out of control.

Then suddenly I had the realization that I had no idea how I had just driven the last couple of miles or so. I pulled up to a three-way intersection - and as I heeded the stop sign in front of me, I wondered if I had done the same through the last few (dozen) intersections. Wow – I realized that I was absolutely in no state of mind to be driving. I might as well have been drunk. My mind was way too convoluted to focus on any one particular thing – especially something as important as driving. I put the phone down and returned my focus to the steering wheel and the intersection in front of me. My only option was to make a left on Cary Street - the one-way street at which the road I was on dead-ended into. Before I checked to see if there were any cars coming to my right, I experienced a life-changing sight on the other side of the street.

There is a homeless man who lives in Richmond, VA. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see a homeless person on a city street in Richmond; however, this individual is different. He is an African-American male probably in his fifties with long dreadlocked hair. He has no legs from the knees down and lives in a wheelchair along with all of his possessions. I’d seen him many times before, but today’s encounter was different. In the instant in which I looked across the street, he looked up from folding some clothes in his lap and made eye contact with me – and then smiled – from ear to ear.

The previous waking hours of that day had flown by in a chaotic whirlwind, but that few seconds of eye contact and smile from the legless homeless man lasted from that moment years ago until now – and will continue to stay fresh in my mind for many more years to come. In an instant, that man changed my mindset and my course of action that day – and for thousands of days to come.

I put on my blinker, checked for oncoming traffic, made my left turn and glanced over my right shoulder one more time to give a smile back to him. I then made another left, circled the block and headed home instead of to my next meeting and jobsite. When I got home, I sent one group text to my other appointments and cancelled the rest of my meetings that day. I then sent a text to my project managers and foremen and told them I would be unavailable the rest of the day and to conduct business accordingly. I then turned off my phone. I changed into my favorite pair of shorts and t-shirt and then strapped on my running shoes.

I ran for miles down Monument Avenue that beautiful early fall day. I easily exceeded my usual 3.5 mile route without even breaking a sweat, so I kept going. When I finally got back home, I estimated I had run 8 to 10 miles at an extraordinary pace, but was hardly out of breath. I then treated myself to an afternoon dip in my back yard hot tub. As I soaked in the hot, bubbly water, I reached down and massaged my legs. I wiggled my toes and flexed my feet. A great sense of appreciation filled my entire body as I thanked the Universe for my legs and my ability to run, walk, wear shoes and all of the simple treasures that come with a healthy, normal body.

You see, my rationale is that the homeless man saved my legs – and possibly my life. Had I not seen him for that moment and had he not caught my attention with his smile, I may not have changed my course that day. In my haste and stressful state I may have run a stop sign and hurt or killed someone – or myself. I could have easily been the legless one.

As I sat relaxing in the hot tub, I reflected on my experience and lesson that day. I resolved to never let stress or other peoples’ demands and agendas dominate my life. By turning my attention and focus to myself, I have lived a happier, healthier, more successful life and now have more energy, vitality, love and experiences to share with the rest of the world.

For months and months, I looked for the homeless man so that I could stop and thank him for the experience he gave me. I have since moved to Florida, but the memory of that man and my life-changing moment has stuck with me. It is amazing how much one moment and one complete stranger can impact your life. Now, I strive to return the favor by positively impacting the lives of many other people.

Experience a life-changing moment by attending one of my "Attitude and Gratitude" events."

A Stressful Marathon

2011-10-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

It’s no secret or surprise that in today’s society most of us encounter a profound amount of stress on a daily basis. Sources range from: our wallets to Wall Street, our businesses, careers, families, relationships, physique, age, responsibility, and bills – all of which cause a multitude of stress within our lives.

Prolonged stress in any form is a great detriment to our health both mentally and physically and I believe stress to be the underlying cause of almost all disease. Stress creates chemical imbalances in our body that can wreak havoc on every aspect of our health and wellbeing. Stress is also a great contributor to heart disease which is the #1 killer in our country today – claiming the lives of about 3000 Americans daily.

I was asked after one of my “Have a Heart” events “if stress elevates the pulse, then why isn’t it good for the cardiovascular system – after all, that’s what exercise does and that’s good for you, right?”

I explained to her that unless hampered by a physical handicap or limitation, most of us have enough ‘reserve in the tank’ to be able to get out of bed in the morning or flee the house in the event of a fire. Our ‘fight or flight’ mechanism kicks in and floods us with adrenaline, our heart springs to action and elevates its rate and our breathing changes to bring in more oxygen and eliminate more toxins. Conversely, most of us lack the athletic ability to run a marathon – and if we tried to do so without proper training, we would most likely drop dead or suffer injury before the finish line. With practice and training, we can gradually build up our level of tolerance to added physical stress and have the strength and ‘reserve in the tank’ to accomplish anything.

However, stress is often encountered or induced too rapidly to have time to build up immunity. One rapid change in your employment or relationship status and you could be instantly sent reeling into a state of ‘stressure’. Now your pulse is racing at an elevated rate for hours, days or even weeks – continuously running a marathon of stress without any warning, training or preparedness. To add insult to injury, the body is now continuously releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into the body, which leads to toxicity and acidity in the body. This toxic environment can become a breeding ground for cancer and other disease.

Almost immediately we begin to feel the effects of the stress on our level of energy, concentration, focus, and attitudes. These negative emotions have an adverse effect on our level of productivity, profitability, self confidence, and pride - which inhibit us from performing at our best at the very times when we need to be at our best. The worst part is that the very thing we are probably stressing over is far less detrimental than the harm the stress is doing to our body.

The good news is that the effects of stress can be naturally counteracted easily, effectively and economically. The only catch is, you must be willing to think differently and act accordingly. Are you ready to defeat stress and create success? If so, come to my "Stress Less" event - Tuesday, October 11th from 5:30 to 7:00 - MG on the Halifax - 231 Riverside Dr, Holly Hill, FL. Register online.

Stress Less

2011-10-05T22:11:00.001-04:00

Stress is the greatest detriment to the mind and body. Stress can be directly linked to cancer, heart disease, depression, anxiety and a whole host of other mental and physical ailments. In our modern society, it is almost impossible to escape stress – in fact; most of us encounter it on a daily basis.

What causes stress in your life?

Statistical evidence suggests that when our country enters into an economic recession, health problems increase. I think this is due to two factors. First, the mental stress caused by financial problems translates into chemical imbalances and physical stresses that can wreak havoc on the mind and body. And second, people are forced to make sacrifices due to lack of money and usually one of the top sacrifices is the quality of food which they purchase. The dollar menu at a fast food restaurant becomes the best option instead of healthy, fresh organic foods. The lack of anti-oxidant intake from no longer consuming healthy foods further contributes to the "stress effect" as the body lacks defenses. Trying to save money by eating cheap food will usually result in greater expense later in medical bills or reduced income from time lost at work due to illness.

Stressful times are the very times when we need to be most diligent in our efforts to maintain health and combat the effects of stress. If we let stress take control of our bodies, we will lose our health and cause a much higher level of stress. Exercising, eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of mineral rich water, smiling, stretching, yoga, meditation, walking, talking to loved ones and restful sleep are some ways to fight stress.

How do you cope with stress?

Often, many people turn to alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceuticals or other drugs to ease their stress - only to add to the chemical imbalances in their bodies caused by the very stress they are trying to cope with. Not that there is ever a good time to drink, smoke or do drugs, but it would certainly NOT be during stressful times.

My best advice - put your stresses into perspective relative to your life as a whole. Usually you will discover that whatever you are stressing about is far less detrimental to your health, happiness and success than the actual effects of the internal stresses you are creating by stressing. Make sense?

For more info...

The Fire-Walk

2011-08-16T14:31:00.004-04:00

Sometimes in life we have to be willing to do things that we don’t necessarily want to do. Often we have to walk down paths that are not always paved in gold, but sometimes the roughest paths lead to the best destinations. One such destination occurred for me over ten years ago at a Tony Robbins Unlimited Power Workshop.

I’ve always considered myself an adventurous “daredevil” and I had been geared up for years to do a fire-walk. I had visited the South Pacific and seen natives perform the ritual in ceremony, but I did not have the opportunity to join them. A few years later at age 25 I finally was afforded the opportunity to cross the goal off of my ‘bucket list’.

Fire-walking for the first time with Tony Robbins just made the experience that much more profound. So I had no fear when it came to pulling off my shoes, rolling up my pants and walking through 40 feet of hot, burning, flaming coals. The most powerful moment for me, however, was watching the transformation that took place in the woman who sat next to me during the entire event.

Debbie and I connected as we sat down side by side on the first day before the event even began. She expressed to me that she was going through a mid-life crisis of epic proportion. Her husband had suddenly divorced her with no warning, she was laid off from her job for no reason – and to top it off, she had a dying mother that she had to provide care for. “Could it get any worse?” she asked. To which I replied “Imagine having to cope with all of that, but from the comfort of a wheelchair which you are relegated to for the rest of your life because you lost your legs in an accident.” She nodded in approval as she glanced down at her feet in appreciation. “Have you been here (to a Tony Robbins event) before? It seems like you have” she questioned.

I hadn’t been to an event before, but I was a huge fan of Tony as I had read all of his books and shared his mindset. Debbie expressed her doubts about “motivational speaker types” and commented that she was only there because her friends had paid for her ticket and urged her to go. She came only out of guilt that her friends had spent a lot of money for her to come. She was so despondent that she had already made up her mind that she wasn’t going to benefit or see any change no matter what Tony said. Boy was she wrong.

The three day workshop started on a Friday afternoon. Tony came out and pumped up the crowd and spoke about the power of the mind and its ability to adapt and change. Then all 2500 of the attendees took a break and walked outside into the parking lot where there was a huge pile of firewood accompanied by two fire trucks. Tony got on a platform next to the pile of wood and talked about fire and how hot the wood burned and how hot the resulting coals would be. He talked about fire-walking rituals and how they were a rite of passage for boys to become men in some cultures. Debbie was quick to announce to me that she was not going to do the fire-walk. Coincidentally, Tony went on to say that it was okay not to do it if you weren’t ready. He then explained what percentage of people would get burned and out of those people who got burned how many would be burned bad enough to require medical attention.

Interestingly enough, according to him, most people got burned after they had exited the coals and broken their state of mind. The coals were so hot that they would often fuse to the feet during the walk. A quick shot of water at the finish line would knock the coals off and insure that you weren’t burned when you ‘broke state’. As the crew lit the bonfire, we returned to the auditorium for more of Tony’s training.

The master motivator demonstrated how to change your thoughts and how your thoughts controlled your physiology. He explained how the body is capable of doing amazing things when the mind believes it can. He cited examples of people lifting cars to save trapped loved ones after accidents. He taught us to enter a “state” and in this state the mind could alter perception. For instance, he demonstrated that repeating a simple mantra like “cool moss” could make the feet think that they were walking on cool moss rather than hot fire. I couldn’t wait to test the theory and I was determined to not let Debbie’s constant and incessant negativity and refusal to do the fire-walk hinder my experience in the least.

Finally, the time had come – the pinnacle of the workshop was about to happen on the first night. We all took our shoes off, rolled up our pants and then filed out of the auditorium and back into the parking lot. What had been an enormous pile of wood only a couple of hours prior had been reduced to a flaming pile of cinders. Debbie walked out behind me, but reconfirmed that she was not going to do the walk – in fact, she had not removed her shoes in the auditorium.

Adjacent to the bonfire, there were about a dozen lanes roped off in the parking lot that were laden with tightly packed flaming coals. The group divided and we lined up single file in front of our designated lane. At Tony’s direction, we began to enter our “state” and repeat our mantra. Debbie was about to exit the line and go wait in the “coward section” for observation only. I grabbed her by the arm and said “If you get burned, the wounds will heal quickly in comparison to the pain of a lifetime of ‘What if… I had done it’.” She remained in line behind me and said “Ok, let me watch you go first”. Then, in a surprise move, she took off her shoes and tossed them to the side.

I entered my state and found my clarity, focus and power. I wasn’t nervous in the slightest - aside from the adrenaline produced from my pure excitement. I remained focused as Tony’s affiliate coaches walked up and down the lines making sure that each participant was mentally focused and ready for the feat. A few people were pulled from the line and put into a ‘focus group’ to get them into state before they were allowed to do the fire-walk. Surprisingly, Debbie was not pulled.

I forgot about her and set my focus on the fire in front of me. I wanted to take in the moment to the max, for I knew this would be a powerful event in my life. One after another, the participants in line in front of me walked through the coals – some fast, some slow, but all made it to the finish and were greeted with a shot of water on the feet to keep them from getting burned as they broke mental state to celebrate.

My turn was next and I was focused and ready to go, but before I took my first step, the line coach stopped me. He told me to stay in state for a moment. What was wrong? I was sure I was ready. But apparently I was so ready that the fire was not hot enough for me. They had stopped my line to bring over a wheel-barrel full of fresh coals. I watched (in state) as the workers raked fresh burning embers onto the path in front of me. “Bring it on” I thought to myself. When the raking was done, my coach called me to his attention, looked into my eyes to determine my readiness and then gave me the nod.

And I was off. One foot in front of the other I walked slowly and methodically through the hot, burning coals as flames lapped up in front of me. I repeated my mental mantra “wet sand… wet sand… wet sand…” as I walked fearlessly through the fire. It was a short, slow walk that would create a long, profound memory. I felt the warmth beneath me, but I held my mental state until I felt the water hit my feet. The water signified that it was time to celebrate and I high-fived the other participants who had already finished. Before I could turn around to check on Debbie, I felt someone’s arms wrap around my waist as if to tackle me. It was Debbie and she was rejoicing at the completion of her fire-walk. I believe her excitement trumped everyone else’s (including mine) combined. She remained at the finish line and danced and hi-fived everyone who finished – whooping and hollering with excitement each time someone crossed the line. One forty foot fire-walk changed the course of that woman’s life.

We all celebrated as Tony took the podium and congratulated everyone on their accomplishment before we returned to the auditorium to wrap up the session for the evening. As we walked back across the parking lot, I noticed that the ambulance and EMS workers had a few customers, but none seemed seriously injured. A few ice packs and bandages were issued and that seemed to be the extent of it. Debbie was now like a kid on Christmas morning – continuously replaying her experience and her gratitude to me for helping motivate her to do it.

Back in the auditorium, a few announcements were made and the itinerary and agenda for the next day were revealed. Debbie was exuberant with excitement and couldn’t wait for the next day. I was betting that she wouldn’t sleep a wink that night. She transformed from doubting to doing, coward to courageous, powerless to empowered right before my eyes that night. She thanked me repeatedly for giving her the extra encouragement to overcome her fears. Debbie remained on the edge of her seat, soaking in every word that Tony said for the duration of the workshop. My own sense of accomplishment was belittled by the pride I felt from helping her accomplish something that she never imagined possible. That was my greatest takeaway. I knew that one day I would follow my passion and ultimately help people transform themselves as Tony Robbins did.

As I put my socks and shoes back on, I noticed that the tiny hairs on my toes had not even been singed from the heat. How was this possible? On multiple past occasions, I had burned every hair off of my fingers, hand and arm just from lighting a kerosene heater or gas grill. How had the searing heat from the coals not burned my toe hairs less than an inch above the flames? I didn’t question the inexplicable; rather I embraced the power of my mind to overcome that which seems impossible.

Eleven years later I was walking my dog outside on a very hot summer day in Florida. We navigated our usual course as we followed the sidewalk to the wooden boardwalk/bridge that led to the community pool. I had taken the same walk with my dog hundreds of times, but today I did it barefooted in the noon sun and heat of the day. I immediately felt the heat on my feet as we transitioned from the coolness of the white sidewalk to the wooden planks, but I kept walking. Exactly half way down the bridge my feet felt like they were going to spontaneously combust from the immense heat. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had 2 options – jump the railing and land in a sand-spur infested patch of undergrowth 8 feet below – or take off running. I chose to run in spite of the searing pain in my feet. I made it to the end of the bridge quickly, although it seemed like an eternity.

I instantly found the first spot of shade and stepped into it. I looked down at my feet and expected to see smoke rising from my soles. I hobbled over to a picnic table under a canopy and sat in the shade for a while as my feet cooled off and my dog “did his business”. The incident caused my Tony Robbins fire-walk experience to be recalled from my memory banks. I wondered if I still possessed the ability to enter ‘state’.

I closed my eyes and recalled Tony’s words and the entire experience as if it were yesterday. I began to utter the phrase “wet sand… wet sand… wet sand…” to myself over and over again. Magically, my feet no longer burned. I glanced over and spotted my dog who seemed perplexed at my actions and demeanor. I breathed deep and continued to repeat my mantra as I stood up to walk back home. As I approached the wooden bridge, I breathed deeper and stated with authority “wet sand”!

I then stepped from the cool concrete to the hot wood, but this time I felt no heat. I walked the distance of the bridge slowly and methodically while repeating my mantra “wet sand… wet sand…” until I reached the other side. The distance of the bridge was much farther than the distance I had walked through the coals ten years ago - and although the wooden bridge was visibly not on fire; nonetheless, it had nearly set my feet ablaze only ten minutes prior. This time I walked the entire distance with absolutely no pain or sensation of heat. It was an amazing feat that reconfirmed the power of my mind and mental ‘state’.

Here’s the tangible takeaway that I want to share with you: anything is possible if you truly believe you can achieve it. One of Tony Robbins’ most popular quotes is borrowed from Napoleon Hill: “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” The power of the mind/body connection is profound!

Your Level or Mine?

2011-07-26T13:14:00.001-04:00

I have discovered one limiting factor that keeps people from engaging with a life coach or health advocate like me is the misconception and fear that I am going to beat them over the head and tell them that everything they are doing is wrong. Sorry to disappoint, but that notion is simply wrong.

First, allow me to explain that an effective life coach meets you where you are - your current level of thinking and state of being. Then through strategic questioning and discussion, a life coach is able to help you identify your own challenges and their underlying causes. Some of these challenges may be obvious to you and others may be right in front of your face, yet unrecognizable due to your pre-programming or belief system. While working with a life coach many simple shifts and small changes are revealed that can make profound changes in your present and future life. The greatest successes of a life coaching program are when you have your own “Ah-ha!” moments. When YOU create the change you want to see in your life and your world – the results are much more profound.

On the health advocate side, I would never insult the intelligence of my clients by telling them that smoking is bad for their health. Anyone smart enough to pick up the phone and call me already knows that. And I know from experience that until someone is truly ready to quit smoking, it is a futile effort for me to engage in such a battle with them. The route I choose to take is to introduce positive practices to counteract the negative effects of a bad habit. What I’ve found is that the good feelings from the positives quickly begin to outweigh the interest in the negatives, thus leading to voluntary cessation of the bad habit. My philosophy is that if you are going to do something bad, then do several REALLY good things to counteract it. Simple breathing exercises, hydration, nutrition and movement can help counteract the negative effects of the 10¹⁶amount of free radicals inhaled in one cigarette.

Vegetarianism – Often we ridicule, deny or question that which we do not understand. I’ve found that people are extremely defensive when it comes to their eating habits. The first comment I often hear when people discover that I’m a vegetarian is “I can’t do that…” First of all, there is no place for the word ‘can’t’ in anyone’s language. Secondly, what people don’t know is that I spent the first 21 years of my life as a staunch “meat-and-potatoes” guy who refused to eat anything green! It took some drastic signs (both positive and negative) to shift my mindset and make me commit to a lifetime of vegetarianism. I’m here to tell you that if I CAN do it, you CAN too! But once again, I refuse to enter into a ‘battle’ with a client who is not ready to make the change.

If eating meat is where you’re at and you’re not ready to change, then I implore you to focus on the quality of meat you consume. Is it healthy? Is it organic? Is it free range? Is it free from toxins, drugs, steroids and un-natural feed? If you followed it from the plate back to the farm would you feel good about the process? The first objection and limitation for many is simply the price of buying organic, healthy foods. Do you know why organic costs more? Because it’s worth it!!! Quality costs more – plain and simple. Focus on quality and not quantity - for it’s the quantity that also gets many of us in trouble! When you eat healthy foods, they contain more nutrients per serving unit – therefore, you don’t have to eat (or buy) as much, thus equaling out the price! It’s an interesting concept – try it on for ‘size’ (no pun intended)!

Another misconception about life coaches is that they are counselors who want to re-hash the past and delve into the source of previous problems. While history and experience are often the best educators and predictors of the future, it is not usually productive to live in the past. We are all products of our past, but the future will be a product of what we do right now. A good life coach will help you understand where you are right now and where you want to be in the future - and then help you pave the road to success, your goals and your dreams.

If you want a better life, then understand you may have to make changes – some may be simple shifts, other may be massive mindset adjustments. I cite Einstein’s definition of insanity: “To continue doing the same things the same way, but expect different results.” I say, don’t be insane – make change! I’m here to help you.

What the Health?! Why is America so friggin FAT?!

2011-07-10T14:46:00.001-04:00

Q: Why is America so friggin FAT?

A: That’s a BIG observation, and statistically 64% of Americans are overweight. Here’s why:

We have become a “fast food” nation of people who crave convenience. Our technologies and systems cater to laziness. From the drive-thru meal to the TV, remote controls, conveyor belt assisted movement in airports, microwaves, computers, cars… the list goes on. We hardly have to think or even move on our own anymore.

The food production industry cares more about the $ than your health. Bigger, faster, cheaper is how they turn profits - and their profitable products turn people into unhealthy, nutrient deprived, energy drained, diseased, semblances of what “life” and vitality should be. Processed, preserved, fast, cheap, enriched, fortified, “low fat”, no carbs, boxed, canned, frozen crap = our health crisis. Nature and natural = life and health.
Trust – we trust the FDA and government regulatory agencies to protect us. Wearing a seat belt protects your safety while driving, but it doesn’t give you license to drive drunk or fall asleep behind the wheel. We need to wake up and take personal responsibility for our health. You can control what goes into your mouth and body. Don’t ever rely on a label or government approval. Do you believe lobbyists have power over politicians? If so, refer back to the previous bullet point.

Hormones, steroids, antibiotics, fertilizers, and other un-natural ingredients that go into our fruits, veggies and animals to make them grow bigger and faster – guess what? – They have the same affect on the people who eat those products – surprising? Common sense calls for organic everything!
No sweat – modern living in the USA revolves around comfort. Air condition in our homes, cars, offices and public places provide perfect ambient temperature – and thus, no perspiration. Lack of exercise and movement further eliminates sweat from our lives. Dehydration and the intake of “water substitutes” such as coffee, soda, energy drinks, and other toxic “sugar water” beverages insure that no toxins escape our bodies through the pores of our skin. Inflammation results, blockages occur and the fat and toxins build up.
Brainwashing. This one really pisses me off. TV and media have done a great job changing our perception about what is “healthy” through creative advertising. Pharmaceuticals, “lite” beers, diet sodas and many more commercials do a great job of depicting bikini-clad models, athletes and other people who are “healthy” and happy in appearance. Really? Why don’t they depict the sick, fat, diseased and side-effect ridden 64% of Americans who are REALLY consuming their products? Get a clue people – if it’s on TV or in an ad, the company is out to make $ first and foremost. How often do you see a commercial or ad that simply promotes tomatoes, apples, water from a mountain stream, fresh air or sunshine? Business is business, I know. But YOUR health is YOUR primary business! Ignore the ads and pay attention to how you spend your $. We have a voice in the marketplace. Maybe one day the ads will change based on consumer demand (or the death of all of their customers).

Perception. “It can’t happen to me. I won’t get fat, or have a heart attack, or a cancer diagnosis. And if I do, there will be a drug, magic bullet, or surgery to fix me.” I implore you to Google our nation’s pathetic health stats. If the food industry, medical professions, diets, etc… were working, wouldn’t our health stats be improving, not declining? If stats are not enough to convince you, go park your car outside of a WalMart, McDonalds, 7-11, or other place where at least 64% of America shops – sit there for an hour or so and observe what’s going on in our country – then resolve to do something about it – first and foremost – PERSONALLY.

Health Reform in the USA starts with US – We the People - and the choices and decisions we make on a daily basis. Choose to GRO in the right direction!

What the Health?! Part 1

2011-07-07T03:05:00.003-04:00

An interview with myself - based on many previous questions I’ve been asked.

Q: What does a ‘health advocate’ or a life coach really do anyway?

A: Quite simply, as a life coach and health advocate, I help people live better lives. I believe that everyone should be happy and healthy and it is my mission and passion to help them discover happiness or improve their current state of health. I believe that the greatest source of happiness should be from a healthy mind and body. A health advocate promotes healthy lifestyles and educates people on what a healthy lifestyle REALLY is. A life coach empowers and motivates people to take control of their health, vitality, energy, concentration, focus, stress level, time, priorities and other areas in their life through the daily choices and decisions they make. If you don’t think health is a source of happiness, try losing it! A life coach helps people understand where they are now, but focuses them on the future and the achievement of their goals. Grassroots reform is my method of helping people "GRO".

Q: A lot of the information you give is not new and is not rocket science – in fact, I remember my grandmother telling me the same things when I was a kid. Also, there is a great deal of information out on the internet for free. So why should someone hire you to tell them what they can get for free?

A: All good points. Here are a few more to add to your list: We all know that eating broccoli and drinking water is good for us, but most of us don't. The sunshine and fresh air are free, yet many of us never get outside to enjoy it. Most of us have a perfectly good pair of legs that work well, yet we never walk or exercise and use them to their full capability. I bought and paid for a one year gym membership as a gift for a friend of mine who was constantly complaining about being out of shape – only to learn that she did not grace the doorstep of the gym even once – because she felt “too out of shape to go to the gym.” I learned that what is “free” often lacks value. I also learned that most people need a higher level of accountability than what they (or even their loved ones) can summon for themselves. In working with people of all shapes, sizes, ages and types – I’ve learned to meet people on their current level and then develop a plan for them that works within their own parameters while continually expanding their limits and belief systems by implementing positive, measurable change and constant improvement. I’ve also tried to meet people on their current financial levels too by offering some simple, free advice on my blog to get them started. My book Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body is packed full of great advice and ranges in price from $11.95 to $20 depending on the version, format and binding they choose. I try to make my events, seminars and workshops affordable and beneficial for everyone too. For those who need extra attention or one-on-one interaction, I have developed coaching programs that can be delivered face to face, by phone or by email. The goal is to have something for everyone in my program. What some may consider common-sense, obvious advice, others may find to be profound, life-changing enlightenment. Some of my information may be universal and some of it may be very specific for the particular person I'm working with. The impact of my delivery and the follow-up and accountability is what really makes my coaching effective and information most valuable.

To be continued...

Stay n' Play Giveaway

2011-06-28T14:37:00.006-04:00

WOW – “Stay n’ Play Giveaway” at MG on the Halifax

Register online for SeanDon’s entire 8-part Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series prior to 5pm on Sunday, July 10^th and you will be registered to win a 4 day, 3 night “Stay n’ Play” at the best kept secret in Daytona – the magnificent MG on the Halifax!
Experience healthy, happy living with a picturesque view of the Halifax River, Daytona Beachfront or a scenic sunset from your private balcony. The luxurious “Stay n’ Play” suites at MG on the Halifax are fully furnished and ‘dressed to impress’.

You'ill feel as if you’ve been swept away to paradise – without leaving your own community.

Drawing will be held at the last “WOW” series event on Tuesday, August 23^rd. You must be a Volusia or Flagler County resident to qualify. Odds of winning are approximately only 1 in 45 because space is limited.

Advance purchase of $150 Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series is required to qualify.

Visit the calendar of events page on www.SeanDon.com to secure your spot now. Direct all questions to Lea@SeanDon.com

Special bonus from SeanDon: The first ten people who register online will also get a free, unique, PERSONALIZED copy of Sean’s book “Health and Happiness: YOUR owner’s manual for the mind and body”.

Let us “WOW you NOW” – and all summer long!

WOW Me Now

2011-06-27T20:05:00.002-04:00

"WOW Me Now" Campaign

Frantic, frustrated, stressed or depressed?

Dealing with unemployment or financial challenges?

Enduring divorce or loss of a loved one?

Feeling sick, tired or even suffering a health crisis?

Do you want to make changes to become healthier, happier and more successful?

Is this person you or do know someone else who would like to GRO?

Sean Donovan—Local author, speaker, life coach, health advocate and founder of Grassroots Reform Organization (GRO) is offering his Words of Wisdom “WOW” series events to individuals looking to bring more heath, happiness and success into their lives.

These informative and entertaining “WOW” sessions help people live better lives.

Support your own success or someone else’s by submitting a compelling letter of up to 500 words as to why you or that person deserves to be “WOW’d”.

Five people will GRO with one free Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series event of their choice at MG on the Halifax.

The person with the most compelling letter will GRO with SeanDon’s entire eight part Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series at MG on the Halifax (Valued at $150).

Criteria

· Individuals must be a resident of Volusia or Flagler counties.

· Individuals must be at least 18 years of age or older.

Instructions

· Individuals may submit letters on behalf of themselves or other individuals

· Please do not exceed 500 words in your letter

· All entries must be submitted by midnight Friday, July 1, 2011

· Email entries to Lea@Seandon.com

GRO Small, GRO Local Campaign

2011-06-26T16:43:00.000-04:00

Which local business would you miss the most if it were gone tomorrow?

Which local business does the most for your health?

Which local business contributes the most to the health of the community?

Which local business do you just love to interact with?

Which local business would you just love to see GRO?

Sean Donovan—Local author, speaker, life coach, health advocate and founder of Grassroots Reform Organization (GRO) is offering his Words of Wisdom “WOW” series events to local businesses to promote a healthy business environment and help small, local businesses GRO.

Experience life-changing enlightenment at a Words of Wisdom - “WOW” series event. Topics include: Healthy Happy Hour, Health = Wealth, Weight a Minute, Have a Heart, Stress Less, Attitude & Gratitude, Willpower Will Empower, Go Green & Make Green. These informative and entertaining “WOW” sessions help businesses turn health and positivity into wealth and productivity.

Support the success of your favorite local business by submitting a compelling letter of up to 500 words as to why that business deserves to be “WOW’d”.

Five lucky, local businesses will GRO with a free Words of Wisdom “WOW” series event of their choice for their employees.

The one healthiest local business will GRO with SeanDon’s entire eight part Words of Wisdom “WOW” series for their employees and families.

Criteria

· Business must be locally owned and located in Volusia or Flagler counties

· Business must have less than ten full-time employees

Instructions

· Letters can be submitted by business owners, employees, or customers

· Please do not exceed 500 words in your letter

· Please identify the business location and contact information in your letter

· All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. August 15th, 2011

· Email entries to Lea@Seandon.com

“WOW” events will be presented during the months of September and October 2011.

For more information contact: Lea@SeanDon.com

(386)316-4183

Help Stop a Mass Murderer...

2011-06-09T00:56:00.000-04:00

There is a killer on the loose in our country that is claiming the lives of about 3000 Americans daily. It's a chilling thought, but imagine 9-11 happening every day, 365 days a year. 90,000 Americans are dying each month (enough to fill up a football stadium). This is a stealthy killer - one that has no face, no race, no religion, no nationality - this killer is an equal opportunity murderer who does not discriminate. Victims often never see the killer coming until it's too late. This killer is above the law and cannot be arrested or prosecuted - for his defense could be "victim assisted suicide". The killer... is heart disease.

It is our mission to help you implement a personal "health watch" security system to take a bite out of this killer's crime. Our best defense is education and prevention - and our best surveillance device is the...

Digital Pulsewave Analysis (DPA) Scan

The DPA uses infrared light sent to the fingertip and obtains pulse wave information with the light absorbing characteristics of Hemoglobin (the HbO2 of arterial blood).

Our belief is that the use of the DPA can help caregivers reduce cardiovascular disease in their client populations through early detection and prevention, and ultimately assist to decrease the associated financial costs placed on the health care industry. Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer for both men & women in the United States with an estimated economic cost of over $300 billion. This test will save lives and drastically reduce the financial impact of heart disease.

The device is FDA 510 (K) approved and Health Canada approved
It is non-invasive meaning there is no blood and no pain
The DPA takes a snapshot of your cardiovascular system
The printout has information on:

Heart rate
Artery flexibility and elasticity (detects hardening of the arteries)
Left Ventricle Ejection Level
Hydration levels
Peripheral Circulatory Disturbance (blockages in blood vessels)
Overall cardiovascular health

The DPA provides vital information on cardio-pulmonary health and determines the biological age of arteries in less than 3 minutes. This test uses a finger probe to observe the changes in pressure, blood flow, velocity and profile throughout the whole pulse wave.

The results of this test give people the opportunity to make lifestyle changes and reverse their condition early on before the onset of long-term damage or fatality.

When and where can you get tested? Email sean@seandon.com for upcoming dates and times.

A proactive offense is the best defense. Let's change the meaning of "cardiac arrest" and stop this deadly killer.

Know your Bio Score

2011-05-22T13:06:00.001-04:00

The Bio-Photonic Scanner

As Seen on the Dr. Oz Show

What is the Scanner?

It's a revolutionary tool developed by NuSkin/Pharmanex to measure the antioxidant levels in your body and rate your body's ability to defend from disease and resist aging.

What does the Scanner do?
Place the palm of your hand in front of the Scanner's safe, low-energy blue light, and you will obtain an immediate reading of the carotenoid tissue antioxidant levels in your skin - your Skin Carotenoid Score ranges from 0-100,000. The higher your score, the higher your antioxidant levels and the higher your resistance to disease and aging.

Why should I be scanned?
By measuring the stable level of carotenoid antioxidants in your skin and generating your Skin Carotenoid Score, the Scanner provides a more accurate and reliable biomarker of your overall antioxidant health status than other methods of measuring antioxidants. Getting your Skin Carotenoid Score makes you aware of the antioxidant levels in your body-and gives you the push you need to improve your overall antioxidant health.

When and Where can I get scanned?

The Grassroots Reform Organization "GRO" will be scanning at the following upcoming event:

"Effective Nutrition" - Tuesday, June 7th 6:30 to 8pm at the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce 165 W. Granada Blvd, Ormond Beach, FL - the cost is $20 for scan and educational discussion on nutrition and anti-oxidant protection. RSVP and Pre-Pay online at the SeanDon.com event page

Awards:

Nu Skin Enterprises was awarded a 2005 American Business Award at the annual American Business Awards ceremony in New York City on June 6, 2005. Nu Skin Enterprises won the award in the Most Innovative Company category for the Pharmanex® Bio-Photonic Scanner. The award was given in recognition of the Scanner for the Most Innovative Company among contenders with more than 2,500 employees, competing against other finalists like Oracle Corporation and PACCAR Inc. Last year's winner in the same category was United Parcel Service (UPS). Nu Skin Enterprises was recognized among other top companies that included AT&T, Procter & Gamble, Sprint, and Intuit and was the only direct selling company to receive a 2005 American Business Award.

Press Release - "Health and Happiness: YOUR owner's manual for the mind and body"

2011-05-09T10:03:00.000-04:00

Hot off the press – the revised, personalized edition of Sean Donovan’s book “Health and Happiness: YOUR owner’s manual for the mind and body” is now available for your life-enhancing, reading pleasure. This newly revised edition combines Sean’s “words of wisdom” with an exciting new personalized printing technology from Daytona Beach based publisher DME.

Written for people who don’t normally read books, this book uses interesting analogies and common sense (yet often forgotten) advice along with a personalized touch to create maximum health and happiness in your life. The unique printing process uses information given during the ordering process to merge your name throughout the text and produce a book unique only to you. The personalized technology even incorporates your name into the book’s title on the cover! Sean and DME create a unique reader experience that even well-read literary enthusiasts have yet to experience.

Regardless of your age, race, religion, sex, political affiliation or national origin - we should all have one common denominator – our health. We only get one shot at life and when our health is gone, nothing else matters. The human mind and body comprise the most sophisticated 'machine' on earth. Our bodies are far more sensitive and complex than any automobile, DVD player or other man-made item; but unlike those products, we don't come with an instruction manual at birth. This Health and Happiness guide offers great technologies to help the average person make better decisions regarding their mind and body.

Health reform in the USA starts with “US” - and the daily choices we make - choosing to read this book is the first step in the right direction. Visit http://www.grassrootsreform.net/ to get your copy today.

Building Blocks

2011-05-07T22:48:00.000-04:00

A Chapter excerpt from "Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body" - now available in new, unique, custom personalized print.

I like analogies because they allow us to think things through logically when they are approached from a different view point. That is why I am going to compare eating food to building a house.

Imagine you are a building contractor and I have just hired you to build a house. Better yet, let’s say the house is already built and it just needs maintenance and renovation. There are no complicated plans to read or foundations to dig. The hard part is done… Everything is already built. The house just has some squeaks and creaks and a few leaks. Much like your body could have some strains, sprains, bruises, cancers, arthritis or poor vision. Let’s say you have to repair a leaking roof. What materials would you need? It depends on the type of roof, but overall you may need some flashing, caulk, shingles, tar paper, coatings etc… Now let’s imagine that the only material available to you is concrete. Besides being extremely heavy, concrete is also porous and absorbs water – making it a poor choice for a roofing material. You could keep pouring concrete on the roof until the weight collapses the structure – or find a new material to properly fix the problem.

Your body is much more complex than any building on earth and needs a wide variety of materials to keep it operating properly. The problem is that most of us are not operating properly, but don’t realize it until damage has been done. If your body needs roofing materials (salad) and all you give it to work with is concrete (fast food), then repairs and maintenance cannot be carried out. Your body just stockpiles the concrete (maybe around the waist or hips). Not only does your body not get what it needs, but it gets an excess of what it doesn’t need. When materials are obviously stockpiling in the body and other problems still persist, take it as your body warning you that you need to put something else in it!

My second analogy is a termite infested wall (or cancer ridden cells that must be repaired). The wall is made out of wood and is badly deteriorated. We need new wood and nails to rebuild it. Let’s compare the new wood to fresh, raw fruits and vegetables and the nails to fresh spring water. Then let’s burn the new wood (much like what cooking does to the nutrients in fruits and veggies) and then rust the nails (much like carbonating the water and adding sugar). How strong will our new wall be when made of burnt wood and rusted nails? How many nutrients are we cooking out of our food? How polluted, carbonated, colored and artificially flavored is your water?

Your kidneys and liver are like an air filter in you homes’ heating and A/C system. If you don’t regularly change the filter, it becomes clogged and the system has to work harder to force air through the dirt, thus increasing your electric bill. If the filter becomes too clogged, it may not let any air pass and may burn up the motor and system. You can’t naturally change your body parts, but you can keep them clean and hydrated and assist them in the detoxification process with sweat, activity and stretching. Think about this: your body is your permanent home that you live in every day of your life - 24/7. Keep it clean and well maintained and it will provide you many years of comfortable, trouble free living.

Let’s be clear on something – food doesn’t heal the body or cure disease. The body heals the body and defeats disease. Eating the right foods and eliminating the wrong foods gives the body the necessary ingredients to carry out its inherent functions. Give your body the materials it needs and it can rebuild itself and keep itself well maintained. Keep it cleansed and detoxified and it will operate more efficiently and stress-free for years to come.

Jamie Oliver talks about his food revolution on The Daily Show

2011-04-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

The Daily Show - Jamie Oliver
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Ease into Activity

2011-04-15T16:03:00.002-04:00

Now that spring is upon us and the weather has turned pleasant and favorable for a more active lifestyle, there are some precautions that you should take heed of in order to protect your health and longevity.

Many of us lead rather dormant lifestyles during the winter months. The cold weather and shorter days naturally tend to lull us into a lazier, less active lifestyle.

Then the first beautiful day of spring or the opening of baseball season motivates us to get off the couch and go out and do some much needed yard work or pitch a little baseball with the kids. The catch is, however, that we are not accustomed to the strenuous activity and many of us spend the next few post-activity days or weeks suffering from aches, pains, strains, sprains, torn muscles, slipped disks – or worse, a heart attack.

To further complicate matters, we often put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get the job done in one afternoon or weekend. Slow down - the life you save may be your own! Pushing your body too much too fast could land you in a funeral home, hospital or on the bed recovering for weeks or months.

Slow and steady may not always win the race, but it may insure that you live longer and perform stronger for many races to come in the future. (Turtles usually live very long lives)!

Here are some tips to insure that you stay healthy and happy:

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Water is the key to life - and dehydration is a leading cause of high blood pressure, muscle aches, cramps, headaches and a whole host of other ailments. It is estimated that 90% of Americans are dehydrated daily. Coffee, soda, Gatorade, energy drinks, etc… are NOT substitutes for water – in fact, many of these “drinks” further dehydrate us. I recommend pure, alkaline, mineral rich water such as FIJI Water (click to find out why).

2. Stretch. Our muscles and deep tissue can become oxygen and nutrient deprived due to inactivity. This deprivation combined with the decreased ability to detoxify and remove lactic acid can lead to a lot of aches, pains and more serious problems. Stretching can loosen these atrophied muscles up and get the juices flowing to prepare you for work.

3. Get a massage: Massages and therapeutic Bodywork isn’t just a luxury that rich housewives enjoy after their facials and spa treatments. Bodywork is a MUST in your pursuit for health, happiness and pain-free living. Deep tissue massage can rapidly detoxify the body and get nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood flowing to muscles, organs and tissues that are starved of life and attention. Massage can revitalize your body and make you impervious to injury and disease.

4. Hot/Cold therapy: Visit a sauna or a hot yoga studio (I highly recommend hot yoga) and expose yourself to some heat in a controlled environment. When the heat becomes too great, take a break or a cold shower and then re-visit the heat again. This will build up your tolerance and prepare you for the changing weather outdoors and high levels of internally generated heat from activity. This will also get your juices flowing and help your body detoxify – thus reducing your chances of dropping dead in the yard from heart attack or heat stroke.

5. Interval training: Start out with some gradual physical training. Do one minute of strenuous activity followed by one minute of rest. Check your resting pulse before the activity, check your active pulse immediately following the activity, check your pulse again after one minute of rest. Your pulse should return to its initial resting rate within one minute of stopping the activity. If your pulse is not returning to its resting rate, it means your heart is “gasping” for breath – which could be a great indication of cardio-pulmonary problems. Try implementing an arginine (amino acid) supplement into your diet to naturally improve cardio health.

6. Gradually increase activity: If your pulse returns to its resting rate within a minute, then start to gradually increase the activity periods, but still rest for a minute in between activity. Example: Two minutes of strenuous activity, one minute of rest – increasing the activity by one minute or so every day until you are ultimately working for 10 minutes, resting for one.

7. Get a check-up: See your physician for regular physical check-ups even when you are feeling fine. Find a good physician who will devote the time to listen to you and truly care about your health and lifestyle. Interview doctors until you find the right one (your life may depend on it). Visit the right doctor regularly – not just when you are sick. Keep him up to date about all changes (for the better or worse) in your life and all medications you are taking.

8. Chiropractic Adjustments: Your body runs on electricity. The brain communicates with the organs and every cell in the body through electrical signals sent through the spinal cord and nervous system. If your spine is out of alignment causing pressure on nerves and disks, then the body cannot function properly – leaving you susceptible to disease and injury. Chiropractic adjustments are easy, painless, affordable and essential in your quest for health and pain-free activity. Finding the right chiropractor will be an integral part of maintaining optimum health and peak performance.

9. Smile: The act of smiling greatly reduces stress. Stress is the number one underlying cause of all disease. If you have to do something (like cut the grass) – you might as well make it enjoyable – so smile while you are doing it! If you can’t muster up a smile for such activity, then hire someone else (or a lawn company) to do it for you. If you think the $45 for the service is too much to spend – weigh the lawn maintenance cost in comparison to $45,000.00 heart surgery – followed by weeks of missed work. Maybe you can smile as you enjoy a different activity such as playing with your kids on the professionally cut lawn - knowing that you avoided a health crisis. Care for your body and use your time wisely and you will be living on Easy Street!

10. For many more tips, read “Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body" Click to read an excerpt or click to hear an introduction

The Grass is Always Greener...

2011-04-13T15:53:00.000-04:00

Some say: "the grass is always greener on the other side." I say: "the grass is always greener where you water it." What I mean by this is that if you focus on “watering” your own “grass” – i.e.: taking care of your health, your family, your business, etc… Your own “grass” will flourish from the attention. And since you will be devoting all of your time to your own “grass”, you won’t have time to envy anyone else’s. Plus, you will be so proud of your own efforts and happy with your own results that jealousy and envy will be forgotten emotions. You will soon find yourself with such abundance in your life that you will be able to share your fortunes and the fruits of your labor with others too. Plant seeds of love in your life – and water them often. You will reap what you sow!

Anti-Aging and Skin Health

2011-04-09T22:42:00.000-04:00

Skin is the largest organ in the body and grows from the inside out. Your skin is a great indication of your internal health - if it looks toxic or aged, chances are that your other internal organs are in the same condition. Turning back the hands of time requires health on a cellular level. The fountain of youth flows from within and originates with what we put into our bodies. Feed your cells the right nutrition and they will remain ageless and healthy for many years. A great anti-aging supplement is Alpha Lipoic Acid.

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally-occurring compound that is synthesized in small amounts by plants, animals and humans. Scientists first discovered the importance of ALA in 1953, and it was recognized as an antioxidant in 1988. It has recently been the subject of a tremendous amount of research around the world, including the University of California Berkeley, The Linus Pauling Institute and The Mayo Clinic. ALA is highly recommended in the New York Times’ Bestselling book, The Perricone Prescription by Nicholas V. Perricone, M.D.

The body requires ALA to produce energy and also plays a crucial role in the mitochondria, our cellular energy-producing structures. Foods contain only tiny amounts of it so supplementation may be beneficial. ALA is very unique compared to other forms of antioxidants because of its versatility—it helps deactivate a wide array of cell-damaging free radicals in many bodily systems. But many scientists consider the most important benefit of ALA to be its protection of the body’s mitochondria and DNA. As we age, mitochondrial function is impaired, and this may be an important contributor to some of the adverse effects of aging. ALA also works closely with vitamin C and E and some other antioxidants, "recycling" them to make them much more effective.

Where can you get Alpha Lipoic Acid? Try Chews4Health - it is my favorite delicious and nutritious natural supplement.

Fast Food - Tomatoes

2011-04-04T17:35:00.000-04:00

You say tomato – I say – who cares how it’s pronounced! It’s fast food that is delicious and nutritious. Tomatoes are the heart's best friend – in fact, they look like a heart – they are red inside and out, they have blood-like juice and 4 chambers inside. They are packed full of Lycopene and Carotenoids - which have been linked to the prevention of heart disease as well as DNA protection from cancers such as: breast, lung, pancreatic, and colorectal. This “fast” food comes in different shapes and sizes (cherry, grape, roma, and beefsteak to name a few) – all of which can be eaten raw and “fast”. I’m health advocate SeanDon and I endorse this fast food for a healthy heart.

Guidance system fails on bombs...

2011-03-27T14:37:00.000-04:00

How can we possibly embark on yet another war against Libya? While we drop bombs on Libya under the guise of ‘humanitarian efforts’ to stop a dictator from slaughtering his own people, hundreds of thousands of innocent people are in the midst of chaos and ultimate disaster as they cling to hope and life in Japan. We should be concentrating all of our efforts on true humanitarian efforts like dropping food and water in Japan, not bombs in Libya! Not to mention the fact that we still have areas in our own country that haven’t been fully restored from natural disasters like hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill.

Gadhafi is killing his own civilians under the guise that they are ‘rebels’. Egypt just went through a revolution without our involvement and so have many other countries. Why do we continuously feel it necessary to become the police to the entire world? In this case - is it because gas prices are escalating – or are gas prices escalating because of the conflict? Either way – if we had our own issues in check in this country, then MAYBE, just maybe we could mettle in others’ business. We need to concentrate our battles against enemies domestically before fighting any wars abroad.

Let’s start with heart disease – 3000 American citizens die daily in the good ol’ USA due to heart disease – most of which is totally preventable. Wanna make a difference domestically? Drop bombs (metaphorically) on McDonalds, Starbucks, fast food restaurants, convenience stores and other culprits who are poisoning our society and killing our civilians under the guise that they are actually serving us “food” (I use the term lightly). Yeah, there will be many casualties in the ‘bombing raid’ on fast food (mostly financial to big business), but other casualties will be faster and less painful than the deaths people will die from living addicted to the crap that these companies call food.

I implore Americans to start a wave of grass-roots reform today. Let’s fight for what’s really important in life – LIFE – and the ingredients essential for life. Oil is not a necessity to live – there are alternatives. What happens in Libya doesn’t have to be our business right now. When we focus on what we can control, situations previously out of our control will fall into place. If we all collaborate and focus our efforts in a positive direction, the world will become a positive place! That’s what grass roots reform is all about.

Does Deodorant Cause Cancer?

2011-03-10T00:48:00.000-05:00

For years there has been a notion often heard through the grapevine that deodorant causes cancer, but is it true? Let’s explore the idea logically from a common sense point of view.

First, we were not born wearing deodorant, nor was it created naturally in nature like an apple; therefore, it is not natural. Anything not purely natural could be a suspect in the cause of cancer and other diseases.

Second, the lymphatic system is the body’s septic system and is responsible for removing toxicity and waste from the body. The lymph system is about 94% water and also holds the greatest concentration of white blood cells (the soldiers that defend our body). One of the greatest concentrations of lymph nodes in the body is in the armpit. Approximately 8% of our bodies’ overall detoxification occurs through sweat. 8% doesn’t sound like a lot, but how would you feel about cutting off 8% of your arms or legs – or losing 8% of your brain? Anyway, we block the release of toxic sweat by coating our armpits with deodorant and anti-perspirant. By the way – anyone who would disagree on the argument that we don’t detox very much through sweat – has obviously never done a hot yoga class!

Next, deodorant contains many un-natural chemicals and man-made ingredients. Aluminum is one such ingredient. Aluminum, when absorbed into the body, could potentially be linked to autism, Alzheimer’s disease and even cancer. Some may argue that these substances aren’t absorbed into the body – others may contest that the small doses of these substances are approved by the FDA (funeral directors’ association) and are okay for our use. Right – so explain to me how the FDA approved birth control “patch” works – as well as nicotine strips applied to the skin and absorbed into the body. As for the small dosage – think about this – most people who wear deodorant do so out of habit – EVERY day of their life – which adds up to a whole lot of quantity.

Think about this – the next closest soft tissue to the armpits is the breasts. Not only are the breasts susceptible, but the lymph system eventually connects to every cell in the body through fluid transfer. What if one day it was discovered that deodorant plus a few other common-place modern practices and products were actually the leading and only causes of cancer?! Don’t expect deodorant/anti-perspirant to be pulled from the shelves any time soon – it’s a billion dollar industry.

What do you THINK? Use your common sense – and your shopping dollars wisely. What we buy determines what companies produce and stores sell. My message to doctors, pharmacies, scientists, awareness and fundraiser groups “For the Cure” – stop looking for a cure and focus on the causes. Often times they are right under our noses (or armpits).

If you want to support your health and a great company who truly cares about you and your health – shop the WholeFood Farmacy online – and invest in some all natural Hi-Roller Deodorant. I’ve been protecting my health by using it for over 7 years. I suggest you do too.

Holy Shiitake - Why would a health advocate promote fast food?

2011-02-27T20:02:00.000-05:00

The mushroom is a “fast” food that is a great source of Lentinan - which studies suggest activates tumor-fighting T cells in our bodies. Mushrooms also contain lean protein, and they are rich in calcium, iron, potassium, copper and selenium (which is very good for bones, teeth, nails, and hair). Mushrooms are the best choice for vegetarians to obtain selenium and the mushroom is also the only veggie that contains an edible form of vitamin D (a natural antidepressant). A mushroom is shaped like a shield or umbrella and, ironically, it shields our bodies from bacteria, cancer, aging and other illness. What an interesting fast food.

Healthy Bytes - Pumping Gas

2011-02-24T18:04:00.000-05:00

When pumping gas, stand upwind from not only your gas pump, but all of them - so you don’t breathe harmful vapors. To determine wind direction - look at the flags, trees or use the good 'ol lick the finger and hold it up to the wind trick to determine wind direction. Important note: remain in sight of the pump to prevent spills and overflow. In addition, try to fill up your car at night or when it's cool outside - this minimizes vapors as well as making gas more dense (so you get slightly more for your money)!

Breathing gas vapors has been linked to cancer in laboratory rats (who are accustomed to breathing sewer gas and other nastiness) - so imagine what those vapors can do to a much more sophisticated human body.

Our lungs are a direct pathway into our blood and every cell in our bodies. What we breathe absolutely affects our health!

Mission Nutrition was more like Missin’ Nutrition

2011-02-21T22:59:00.000-05:00

I was delighted to discover that an event called “Mission Nutrition” was taking place at the Orlando Science Center last weekend. Since I’m an author, life coach and health advocate, my girlfriend and I decided to visit the event in hopes of learning something new and meeting some other health conscious people.

Having never been to the science center, I had no idea what to expect, but I was instantly impressed with the ease of parking and the realistic cypress swamp complete with turtles and alligators that welcomed guests into the lobby. Furthermore, we were delighted that admission was only $10 per couple rather than the usual $17 per adult thanks to sponsorship from WalMart. Many families took advantage of the deal and attended this event which we quickly discovered was geared primarily towards children.

The science center was buzzing with activity and boasted a plethora of interactive scientific displays illustrating different phenomena. For the “mission nutrition” event, there were additional displays of the human body, biology trivia, literature and displays expressing the importance of a good diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle. However, the most surprising display was on the fourth floor. The title of the theme for the fourth floor was “eating right!”, but ironically the only food vendor on this floor was serving none other than hot dogs, potato chips and Coke products. That’s right – they were serving the absolute worst food choices for “nutrition” at a “mission nutrition” event on the floor where the specific theme was “eating right!”

I was so awestruck by this oxymoron that I felt compelled to walk directly to the front of the long line of children and their parents who were waiting to partake in the “food” and ask the vendor point blank why he was serving such unhealthy fare at a healthy event. He looked at me with disdain, shook his head and literally laughed at me – as if I was the one in the wrong!

I was so bothered by this callous display and disregard for the entire meaning of “mission nutrition” that we immediately left the event, but not before vocalizing our opinion to two museum staff members. The staff members, who shall remain nameless, were kind enough to listen to my complaint and then share their own interesting commentary on the debacle.

“Clearly we didn’t think things through thoroughly before selecting vendors for the event” was the initial response to my question of why the museum would allow such food to be served at a health event. The same employee later recanted and defended the situation by stating “well, it really boils down to what is going to sell at an event.”

Well, his statement sums up my sentiments entirely on the American attitude about health and nutrition. Most of us are more concerned about what is cheap, convenient and “tastes good” rather than what is truly good, healthy and “convenient” for our bodies. Moreover, we often ignore our bodies and our health entirely – throwing caution and prevention to the wind – until we have a problem. Then we seek out cures and quick fixes and complain about the rising cost of health care. This sick cycle must cease.

The other museum employee defended the vendor’s selection by stating that “it’s up to people to use their own judgment and common sense.” I agree; however, if you are going to host an educational event which boasts “mission nutrition” and targets children – then for goodness sake – live up to the title of the event and at least give them some healthy options! I equate your vendor’s food selection at the event to serving alcohol at an Alcoholics’ Anonymous meeting!

I implore such reputable entities as the Orlando Science Center to make better choices when educating the public about nutrition. Put the almighty dollar aside for once and think about what is truly good for the public and not what is good for sales. In my professional opinion, you really missed the boat on this event and the event was truly “missin’ nutrition”.

Healthy Bytes - Allergies

2011-02-17T18:31:00.000-05:00

That tell-tale yellow pollen is a sure sign that spring is on the way and renewal of plant life and beautiful flowers and tasty fruits and veggies won’t be far behind. However, pollen means allergies for many people. Here are some tips that will help minimize your sniffling, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes.

o Eliminate all dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, etc…). Dairy products contain histamines which cause our immune system to flare up and kick mucus production into high gear.

(Image Borrowed from NotMilk.com)

o Invest in a Neti pot – the use of Neti pots is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that has been effectively clearing peoples’ sinuses for centuries. A Neti pot is inexpensive and can be found at any health food store or pharmacy. The Neti pot flushes the sinus cavity with an isotonic saline solution and water which removes allergens and pathogens from the sinuses and nasal passages.

o Eat a tablespoon a day of organic, locally farmed honey. The local honey will help build up your tolerance for local pollen and allergens.

o Drink lots of pure, mineral-rich water. Hydration will help your body flush out toxic intruders.

o Don’t touch your face with your hands! You touch the car door and viola – you’ve got pollen on your fingers – next thing you know you’re putting on yellow makeup in the rearview mirror along with your eyeliner!

o Visit a sauna or steam room daily. The hot air and steam not only help open up sinuses and nasal passages, but also help your body’s white blood cells and macrophages multiply quicker, thus strengthening your immune system.

o Skip the drugs – they often create side effects worse than the actual symptoms you are taking them for!

Healthy Bytes - Driving

2011-02-17T01:46:00.002-05:00

When driving in traffic, stay several car lengths behind the car in front of you and stop at least 2 car lengths behind to avoid sucking up exhaust fumes into the cabin of your car. Also roll up the windows and put the heat or a/c on recirculate (I usually advocate fresh air and driving with the window cracked, but recirculated air is better than polluted exhaust air). Clean, oxygen-rich air is critical for good health. Do everything in your power to breathe the best air possible and eliminate as many toxins as you can. Your lungs are a direct pathway into the blood and ultimately every cell in your body.

I hope this "Healthy Byte" will bring you health and happiness. For more healthy lifestyle tips check out Sean Donovan's Life Coaching, Words of Wisdom "WOW" Series, or "Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body".