Uploading Software into our Mental Hardware?
As a former strength and conditioning coach for numerous Olympic and professional athletes and teams, I know that when an athlete pessimistically thinks about their weaknesses, failures, fears, or injuries; is intimidated by their competitors; or has the slightest doubt in their performance-abilities, chances are that athlete will validate what they’re thinking about…and fail. These failures – which I’ve seen more than I care to admit – prevail even when the athlete has a superior win-loss record and physical attributes when compared to their opponents.
Every champion athlete will tell you that when it gets down to the wire, when they’re consumed in the heat of fierce competition and everything’s on-the-line, their chances for success rely on a very predictable performance ratio between physical ability and mental fortitude. In fact, after many months, even years of training, on the day of competition, when it’s all on the line and nothing else counts but winning, the ratio requirements for the mental aspect of performance is claimed to be as high as 90%.
Just because an athlete has inferior physical abilities in comparison to their competitors doesn’t always mean that athlete is sure to lose. We see it all the time, especially now in the fastest growing sport in the world, Mixed Martial Arts. A champion fighter gets into the cage, surging with adrenaline and testosterone, sporting a win-loss record that’s splattered with a string of KOs; or as a champion, they’re fiercely determined to defend their title and win the prize money that will allow them to continue to support their loved ones. But minutes, sometimes even seconds, after the 1st round’s bell rings, the fighter gets clobbered by their underrated (underdog) opponent and is knocked out cold.
One of the greatest sporting examples of the underdog prevailing over a superior opponent was the Ali vs. Foreman Rumble in the Jungle. The majority believed — including the Ali camp, that Foreman was the stronger, tougher, superior opponent. Ali, however, had his own opinion, believing he was the more talented athlete, and he maintained that mindset until the referee counted Foreman out. Ali had an enormous amount of determination. His will to win at all costs, coupled with the pride not to lose; both mental attributes, allowed Ali to prevail when he wasn’t supposed to. Ali was physically victorious because he was mentally superior.
Strong belief in oneself enables a person to superiorize themselves into acquiring a necessary psychological characteristic for success; i.e., Confidence, or that for sure attitude. Confidence is a basic trait needed for success and achievement, and it’s also an essential attitude that must be maintained during times of challenge, struggle and failure –tough times don’t last, but tough people do! Mix in a person who’s fueled with confidence during times of fear and struggle and we discover the equation for courageousness, bravery and heroism.
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Flexing Your Mental Muscles:
The brain is comprised of living tissue just like our biceps. And if our muscles don’t receive proper nourishment, they become instable and weak. Lack of focus, doubt, confusion, frustration, thoughts of fear and failure, and all negativity, can be considered mental junk food that destroys the integrity of the brain and its thinking mind. However, when the brain is given adequate nourishment, it does strengthen. Thoughts being intangible elements of energy facilitate potent influences on brain chemistry in extraordinarily profound ways, and that chemistry travels to and greatly controls every cell and organ in the body. Depending on what and how we think determines the health of the chemistry inside our brains, and bodies; the tools we need to construct positive and successful consequences for ourselves.
The Technique of Exchanging
For those of you who have a copy of Vital Living From the Inside-Out™, you are well aware of the psychological technique I refer to as exchanging. This remarkable Brain-Training™ method can be implemented immediately to help anybody turn negative into positive. It’s simple, but like other self-improvement techniques, it requires discipline . . . Here’s what you do:
When a negative word, thought, belief, or memory enters your mind, it’s your chance to play the exchange game and think of something positive. Just perform the switcheroo to nullify the negative energy and influence that thought has over you. To arm yourself with an arsenal of power weapons in your attack against negativity write out a list of words and phrases on paper that contain positive energy. This directory of self-professed words and phrases will give your subconscious mind quick and convenient accessibility to positive options it can exchange to. Include words like strong, courage, happy, money, dynamic, attractive, charismatic, patient, confident, sensational, competitive, healthy, loving, happy, rich, tolerant, successful, peaceful, and zillions of others that will serve as your updated (personalized) vocabulary.
You can also rely on modern technology for assistance in your brain-training process with another simple technique. All you need is an inexpensive audio recording device to record your own personalized motivational audiotape (PMA); just like the ones you’ve purchased right here at Nightingale-Conant featuring a high-powered motivational speaker — instead, this time, you’re the motivational speaker!
Simply press the record button on your recorder and start talking to yourself. Use the words from your list, or just recite scenarios that you desire to actualize. Assume the roles of your own coach, motivator, disciplinarian, and, above all, best friend. Encourage yourself. Defend yourself. Support yourself. Challenge yourself. Correctly critique yourself. Push yourself to strive more ambitiously toward all your goals and to accept struggle as a conditioning tool the Universe throws at you to become a stronger person. Persuade yourself that you can handle, and defeat, any challenge, and that you are always strengthening all of your (emotional, physical and academic) characteristics. It’s your job to convince yourself that you’re a success that’s consistently, and steadfastly, always in process.
Above all, respect and love yourself. If a friend or loved one ever came to you in need of support for an extreme challenge, I’ll put money on it that you’d respond by acting like a motivational powerhouse. You’d share your best passionately-charged advise, and strive diligently to see them relieved of their trepidations. So why not use this same technique on yourself?
After you record your own PMA, it’s time to rewind and listen. You can listen attentively, focusing on every word and statement that you recorded; or you can attend to other tasks, not really paying (conscious or focused) attention but, nonetheless, allowing your (self-recorded) words to subliminally influence your subconscious mind. Either way, a constant influx of these words, and the energy they provide, will re-program and condition your brain, and you will begin to realize a positive shift in all directions in your life.
The trick to continuously improving with PMAs is to always speak to yourself from a first-person perspective; you are talking to you with an I have or I am meaning, not an I want one. For instance, don’t say “I want to be rich”, instead say, “I am rich”. Speak only in the present-tense as the subconscious believes everything its told, down to the minuteness of details. And make sure you verbalize these words and phrases with passionately-charged feelings, as the tonality in your voice delivers a very special meaning as well.
And since change does happens, you MUST periodically erase and re-record new PMAs when you reach higher levels of accomplishment. Older recordings will become outdated and can hold you back from further progress because they’re littered with passionately-charged advise that was intended for a less mature version of yourself.
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I’ve successfully used PMAs as an extension for my one-on-one motivational work with athletes, businesspeople and everyday folks who need a constant influx of motivation. This technique is useful for improving all aspects of our lives because the consequences we experience are often the direct cause of our choices and decisions of the past. Change the thought, change the thing!
As I always say, your results are not only possible, your results are inevitable™. Stay consistent to your own self-betterment. Become your own ‘head coach’. Expect that you will continue to improve. You are terrific!
I Wish You the VERY Best of Success!
John Abdo
The Secret to Great Abdominals
Video presentation: https://youtu.be/wubQBY6M7vw
Obtaining great abdominals is not only about training the abdominals. The Central Nervous System radiates out from the spinal column, located in the back region of the core/torso areas, which sends bio-electrical impulses necessary to stimulate and contract all of the muscles in and surrounding the midsection. Instead of focusing totally on the frontal abdominals, like so many do with over-emphasis on crunch-like or torso flexion motions, etc., it’s wise to focus on total midsection training, 360º, with first emphasis on the lower-middle back region which is a significant portion of the waistline. Once the lower back region; or posterior portion of the waistline is trained, then the applicant can (should) apply motions that target the sides (obliques) then continue to transition into the lower and upper abdominals.
There are a myriad of motions, routines, devices and systems designed to target the abs. So pick and choose which ones are best for you but always consider the back portion of your midsection even though it’s a long way from the frontal region, and mostly out of sight when looking into a mirror.
Wishing you great success! John Abdo
Let’s Meet Kevin: U.S. Male Man
Ambitious. Big dreams. An all-or-nothing attitude.
(Based on true stories)
Kevin’s parents would tell you that he was a good kid growing up with lots of energy. Some of Kevin’s teachers, however, would describe him as having ADD, while other seniors labeled him ADHD. Being a hyper kid might not have pleased Kevin’s elders, but his little league football coaches were of a different opinion.
You could tell early on that Kevin was a great athlete in the making. He was always energetic, coordinated, competitive, and daring. He took direction well, and was always improving, upping his game.
It has been years since Kevin played little league football but he still works out, and has improved considerably, physically speaking. Kevin’s ambitious competitive drive hasn’t slowed down. He’s stronger than ever and has a terrific physique. Surprisingly, despite all his physical attributes, Kevin’s never satisfied because he’s what many would consider an alpha-male, over-achiever; one of those guys whose always craving for more. More muscles, more strength, more endurance, more masculinity, more girls. Kevin feels he can only impress, and gain respect from his peers, and attract the ladies, if he pushes his body to the absolute limit.
Since Kevin is no longer in school and cannot rely upon the institution’s weight room, he looks for another facility to work out at. As he walks into a thoroughly equipped health club, he’s amazed at the space, quantity of equipment, and number of members. It looks like the ideal place for Kevin to accomplish his goals.
As Kevin is given a tour of the facility, he sees a couple of guys working out near the dumbbell rack. He stares at them incredulously. These are the types of guys Kevin has only seen in those muscle magazines, and now they’re (literally) within arm’s reach. These guys are huge. Bulging deltoids, mountainous pecs, garden hose veins popping out of their biceps and forearms, heavy weights being defied of gravity. Although there are plenty of sexy women in the gym, Kevin is oblivious as his focus is burning on bigger muscles; he has the blinders on.
After his gym tour, Kevin is sitting in the locker room reading the pamphlet that outlines his membership options and in walks the musclemen. Kevin builds up the courage to ask them some (obvious) questions. “How did you guys get so big? How often do you train? What do you eat? What vitamins are you taking?”
To his surprise, the musclemen are eagerly (or is it, egotistically?) responsive, and spend time chatting with Kevin in the locker room. They even go so far as to invite Kevin to ‘spot’ their next training session. Kevin darts out of the locker room to the front desk; he signs up for the yearly membership package.
Step into the Underground:
Not long after Kevin begins training with his new muscle-clad workout pals, he starts to sense something unfamiliar; unusual language and innuendos that don’t add up to the common lingo. Finally, Kevin puts two and two together, and his naivety breaks. He has heard of steroids before but never thought he’d be exposed to them – at least not with guys who were under the influence. The transformation of Kevin begins.
Kevin’s training partners let him in on their shady secret – they’re on the juice, they use the stuff. Steroids! No wonder they look so fantastic, so unnatural. And with all the working out Kevin was doing himself – certainly logging in as many hours and days per week – he wasn’t getting anywhere near the results they have achieved. Kevin had chalked up his physical development to his genes. He had convinced himself that these guys’ parents passed on better DNA to them than Kevin’s parents passed onto him.
After feeling a bit dim-witted over his ignorance, Kevin experienced a huge surge of renewed enthusiasm. He discovered the secret, the missing link. He now knows how to make his hard training efforts even more effective, and pay out bigger dividends. Kevin immediately started using steroids, even though he hadn’t a clue what he was really putting into his body or where these drugs came from or what the risks were. What only mattered was that this was the stuff that did for all the musclemen Kevin had been idolizing most of his life, and Kevin wanted in at any cost.
Within weeks, Kevin’s muscles started growing. He was also lifting much more weight for every exercise and recovered much quicker between workouts. Every time Kevin stepped onto the scale or gazed into a mirror, he was seeing improvements in his muscle size and overall (external) appearance. Kevin was hooked. What a mental boost. The juice was working!
Of course, Kevin and his training partners were not supervised by any doctor; nor were they committed to any scientific protocol. In fact, they knew nothing of (or completely ignored) the science of steroids or exogenous hormonal alterations and, especially, the potential side-effects associated with anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). And if you asked any of these musclemen what precautions they were taking to address the risks they’d smirk and sarcastically say, “Negative side-effects? Ha, Ha! That’s only propaganda by ignorant so-called medical experts. Plus, that would never happen to me.” Yadda, yadda, yadda…
For the entire following year, Kevin kept on growing. His body looked like a Michelangelo-carved marble sculpture. None of his friends or family could believe their eyes, nor could they believe their ears when Kevin would tell them, “It’s all natural.”
Toward the latter end of that year, Kevin competed in a physique competition. And since he knew all of the other competitors were using the stuff too, he felt what he was doing was fair. During an interview with a local newspaper reporter after the competition, Kevin denied all accusations of steroid use – for himself, his competitors, and the entire sport. Kevin was not only a steroid user, he also became a liar.
When dreams turn into nightmares . . .
One evening, after coming home from the gym and looking buffed, Kevin joined up with his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend Donna to have some “alone” time. Crazed by his muscular body, Donna would often initiate sex with Kevin, and each time Kevin was “up” for the occasion, until…
… until it happened. Kevin couldn’t get an erection, somewhat embarrassing for him. Both he and Donna blamed it on over-training. They engaged in a back-n-forth bombardment of blaming Kevin’s demanding workouts as the cause of his faltering penis. Kevin figured he was beating up his body a little too much, and read somewhere that over-training can (temporarily) lower testosterone levels, so he decided to slow it down bit.
But the slowing it down a bit didn’t help. All Kevin did was cut back on the intensity of his workouts, using (a little) less weight on curls, bench presses, and squats, all while avoiding any medical attention and doing nothing to adjust or try to recuperate from his use of steroids.
The next weekend, filled with even more passionate arousal and believing a few days’ rest was all Kevin needed to recharge his faltering libido and ‘on vacation’ penis, Donna pulled her muscleman back into the bedroom. After some kissing and touching – and more than enough foreplay that was normally needed for Kevin to be ready to penetrate Donna – again, he couldn’t get it up for that occasion either. Strike two. Kevin’s big head wanted to have sex but, again, his little head had other issues on its mind.
Not being the most emotionally stable person to begin with, Donna was upset with Kevin’s inability to get an erection; she took it personally. She felt Kevin was either not attracted to her anymore or was sexing somebody else from the gym; and she had plenty of suspicions that ignited a cyclone of accusations. Worries over Kevin’s waning interest, and his lack of sexual responsiveness, swirled around Donna’s mind like a swarm of killer bees.
Kevin’s mind was also steeped in confusion. Confusion about not being able to achieve an erection, about how his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend was feeling in regards to her (muscle) man not being able to get it up for her, and the fact that, just perhaps, those conversations about ‘side-effects’ weren’t propaganda after all. This was the Opening Ceremonies to a steroid user’s Mind Games.
In spite of his very obvious declining symptoms, Kevin continued using steroids. In fact, believing his erectile dysfunction was from a lack of hormones, he actually increased his dosages of steroids, and kept saying to himself, “I’ll never go off this stuff”. Fact is, Kevin couldn’t get off ‘this stuff’, because his mind wouldn’t allow him to. His body, and penis (‘little head’) were physiologically addicted, or dependent, while his brain chemistry, specifically from his artificially stimulated pituitary and hypothalamus glands, had become negatively programmed causing major disturbances to what’s known as the Hypothalamus Pituitary Testicular Axis, or HPTA (sometimes referred to as the HPGA as the word Gonadal replaces Testicular). This disruption is what’s often referred to as ‘negative feedback loop’ or ‘down regulation’. Basically, the glands in the big head are all screwed up cutting off hormonal signals and natural chemical messengers to the little head. It’s maddening. Kevin knew that if he decided to terminate steroid use he would deflate like a balloon that just had a hole poked into it.
As you can imagine; many of you reading this know all too well, Kevin got much worse. Not only did his steroid-induced muscles begin atrophying, his testicles shriveled up as well, so Kevin avoided showering in the health club locker to avoid embarrassment.
Steroid users inevitably encounter varying levels of emotional shock when they lose function of the one part of their bodies they’ve never actually had to be concerned about before – their penises. However, losing the ability to obtain and sustain an erection was just a small part of much deeper conditions festering inside Kevin’s body and brain.
Those in the know are well aware that there’s a highly complex, sophisticated, and sensitive cascade of events that enable penises to become, and remain erect. As briefly stated above, these intricate inner anatomical workings, which are headquartered in the brain; i.e., hypothalamus and pituitary, are also responsible for libido, the manufacturing of the Gonadotropins, sperm, Testosterone and other sex-enhancing hormones, regulating healthy Testosterone-to-Estrogen ratios, controling the production of Sex-Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), producing nerve energy that provides penile sensitivity, stimulate an influx in blood flow which dilates (enlarges) penile tissues creating erection and is essential for keeping blood trapped inside the penis until orgasm has been achieved, to name a few.
An (un)happy ending:
Kevin and Donna split up, and boy-o-boy was that nasty and painful. But in spite of Kevin losing his lover and best friend he wasn’t going to give up on his dream to be as big and strong and sexy as his training buddies. Kevin’s now completely distorted mind was convinced sex wasn’t a necessity in life, voting in favor of having bigger muscles over an erect penis, so he continued pumping AAS drugs into his body.
Kevin’s penis is not the only organ that was giving him problems. Shortly after Donna left, he started to lose his hair, a condition known as male pattern baldness that is caused from a hormonal imbalance, specifically, the radical conversion of Testosterone into Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. Kevin’s testicles used to be shaped like macho-sized kiwis, but they eventually resembled shrunken down raisins. And it didn’t stop there.
Kevin also began to feel pressure in his rectum from an irritated, and inflamed, prostate; a gland also associated with testosterone, sperm and semen production. He regularly found droplets of blood in his urine from renal (kidney) damage. His eyes became jaundice from his battered liver. His testosterone levels had dropped to that of a young girl, while his estrogen had increased to that of an elderly, obese woman. As a result of Kevin’s high levels of estrogen, his nipples grew outward. And although he was obsessively careful about hiding his pecs, especially when changing in the locker room, one day a few fellow gym mates caught a glimpse of Kevin when he took off his baseball cap and T-shirt and whispered, “Kevin’s going bald and has major bitch tits. I knew that guy was juicing!”
Kevin ultimately (and rather quickly) lost a great deal of his muscle mass and definition and was always bloated and soft looking. Michelangelo transformed into the Pillsbury Doughboy. And as a side note, contrary to popular gossip, there is no biological mechanism that converts muscle into fat; these are two separate entities. The fact is, Kevin lost his muscle size and, concurrently was gaining fat. Nonetheless, metabolic mayhem.
As time went on, Kevin’s joints ached constantly, and instead of squeezing out a dozen-plus reps on the leg press machine loaded to over 600 pounds, he had a rough time taking out the garbage. And when he did take out the garage he constantly complained to himself the entire time how rotten he was feeling. Kevin became a mess, isolating himself from the world he once knew as a depressed and broken down man.
How can something that makes you feel (and look) so good be so damaging? That’s the question millions of steroid users, men and women, asks themselves every day who have, or are, experiencing any of the side-effects that Kevin has.
If you’re a steroid user, you might know Kevin quite well. Or, at least, you’ll be able to relate to Kevin in more than one way. I suggest you watch the documentaries entitled, The Last Shot, the Jose Canseco (steroid) story, The Man Whose Arms Exploded, and Bigger, Stronger, Faster. These are all about the world of steroids.
I’m not going to give this article a fancy ending, because I don’t see the steroid epidemic ending anytime soon. So to offer a bit of advise; that so-called propaganda is real, steroids ‘do’ cause side-effects. Play it smart. Know what you’re getting yourself into, seek proper medical attention, and if any side-effects surface make sure you have a plan to safely backstroke out of them immediately. Don’t be a Kevin.
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(Excerpts taken from the book ‘Ultimate Sexual Health & Performance™’; All Rights Reserved, ©, 2012, J, Abdo)
Brain Sensation: Part 4
We swallow a mouthful of food then, eventually, the entire meal is consumed. What follows is an incredibly complex chain of processes the brain and body must conduct to digest, assimilate and eliminate food.
To explain briefly, dozens of enzymes work tirelessly to break up the large chunks of swallowed food into microscopic bits, as large chunks simply cannot permeate the porous intestinal lining. Once they are broken down, or pulverized, these microscopic food particles can now pass through the intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream while, on the flip-side, an entirely different group of enzymes, with equal determination and faculty, re-assemble the microscopic food particles to construct brand new living tissue and repair old withered ones; i.e., muscle, bone, and organ included.
Eventually, food becomes us. We (really) are what we eat!
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Written by John Abdo, ©, All Rights Reserved
Excerpts taken from Brain Sensation & Motivation
Brain Sensation: Part 3
A man sees a woman he’s attracted to. Conversely, a woman sees a man she’s smitten with. Deep inside their brains their hypothalamus glands releases gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GNRH). This (procreative/sexual) hormone is immediately sent to their pituitary glands to release the gonadotrophins. The pituitary responds by sending the gonadotrophins to the gonads; testicles for the man and ovaries for the woman. This is the scientific way of explaining the ‘big head, little head’ connection which makes the sexual response mechanism possible; it’s another one of our procreative genes.
As a result of this hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal * responce, a man’s genital region experiences an influx of blood with a corresponding dilation of penile tissue to create an erection. Conversely, the female genital region also receives a surge in blood supply which triggers heightened sensitivity and enlargement of her clitoris, with corresponding secretions of vaginal fluids and dilation of the vaginal chamber in preparation for intercourse.
Needless to say, this is the beginning of new life; our procreative mechanism in its infancy. The brain really is the largest sex organ in the body.
* Often referred to as the acronyms HPGA or HPTA; ’T’ for testicular
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Written by John Abdo, ©, All Rights Reserved
Excerpts taken from Brain Sensation & Motivation
Brain Sensation: Part 2
You’ve finally had a chance to unwind from the day and are plumped on your sofa watching your favorite television program. As time passes the temperature in the room becomes hotter and hotter, and you begin to feel uncomfortable. As an innate (natural) defense mechanism, your body strives to maintain a comfortable body temperature; also related to homeostasis. Once your brain determines that you’re uncomfortable it commands various systems in your body to find, then push water to the surface of the skin to cool yourself off, creating perspiration. The water (sweat) is taken from within muscle tissues, organs, the bloodstream and even your brain.
According to many studies, muscles, on average, are comprised approximately 70% water, the brain is 80% and blood comes in at 90%; reason why many regard blood as liquid tissue.
This is yet another one of our survival mechanisms Mother Nature has equipped us with to cool us off in hot temperatures. And, in reverse, we’re also equipped to turn up the heat when things become too cold . . .
… You’re still trying to enjoy your favorite show, but now the temperature drops to freezing. Without telling your body to quiver it automatically triggers a homeostatic reaction that provokes your body to shiver and shake while your teeth begin to chatter. All of the shivering and shaking and chattering are the body’s way it can create friction that releases internal heat, much like starting a fire by rubbing two sticks together.
The brain also controls body temperature and hydration levels. So the healthier your brain is the more comfortable and productive your life becomes. And it’s a prudent idea to drink plenty of water and make sure your dwelling has a functional thermostat that compliments the one inside your body!
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Written by John Abdo, ©, All Rights Reserved
Excerpts taken from Brain Sensation & Motivation
Brain Sensation: Part 1
You’re relaxing in your backyard on a warm, sunny summer day. Without warning some punk detonates a firecracker. You explosively levitate off your lounger and think, “Where’s the punk who blew off that darn bomb?”
From the moment you heard the sound of that explosion, instantaneously, your brain sent out a threat alert to various organs in your body. In particular, the adrenal glands are commanded to secrete a powerful hormone called adrenaline, our fight or flight hormone.
Adrenaline is an essential component of man’s genetic code bestowed upon us by Mother Nature. And although it’s quite an antiquated hormone (another caveman gene) it does offers plenty of modern-day uses like enabling us to fight off an impending pick-pocketer or to flee (flight) the neighbors’ angry pit bull.
In the wake of this brain-adrenal reaction adrenaline serves as an only-when-absolutely-necessary super-powered fuel source that alarms the auditory, visual, muscular, circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems (to name a few) to escape and/or endure life-threatening events. As a result of adrenaline, our hearts beat much more rapidly to increase the circulation of energy-rich blood throughout the body. Our breathing (respiration) accelerates to provide our muscles with more oxygen. Our hearing and eyesight acutely hone in on, “Where’s that punk?”
We need adrenaline, and the brain is the only sensory organ that has the authority to command the adrenals to manufacture and secrete this audacious hormone. And since rises in adrenaline often result in concurrent rises in testosterone, playing sports, participating in extreme activities, or just working out, all qualify, to some degree, as adrenaline instigators.
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Written by John Abdo, ©, All Rights Reserved
Excerpts taken from Brain Sensation & Motivation
Sweet Behavior
I’m sure you’ve heard many people say, “I get fat just thinking about food”. As bizarre as that statement sounds there really is a lot of (scientific) truth supporting it. Here’s a simple explanation.
Sugar ingestion of any kind, natural or man-made, releases insulin into the bloodstream. Produced by the pancreas gland, amongst other roles, insulin is a hormone that serves as a shuttling agent responsible for chaperoning glucose (sugar) through the bloodstream and into the cells of the body to provide the cells with energy. The more sugar a person eats the more insulin their body needs to produce placing greater demands onto their pancreas glands. Those who are addicted to sugar, and consume it consistently, condition their pancreas to release insulin more frequently and at greater volumes than normal; this is a classic maladaptive behavior habit.
What’s so ironic, the brain-pancreas system becomes so conditioned to releasing insulin for chronic sugar-holics that these people don’t even need to actually (physically) consume sugar to trigger this effect. Whenever their brain senses sugar a ‘conditioned response’ (neuro-programming) is trained to believe sugar ingestion is surely going to occur. The sensation or anticipation from the thought, smell, sound and even sight of sugar alone is sufficient instigation to trigger insulin production. So if you’re trying to lose excess weight make sure you close your eyes and plug your ears during television commercials advertising all those yummy-for-your-tummy deserts and insatiable dishes at famous pancake restaurants. This might sound pseudo scientific, but it’s as factual as a person who ‘thinks’ (fantasizes) about a sexual experience and concurrently releases a variety of procreative hormones.
Needless to say, excessive sugar consumption and insulin secretion becomes a dangerous habit that destroys cellular integrity and overall body constitution. It’s a process that inhibits useful blood glucose to enter the cells where it’s used as energy. So instead of yielding energy this process actually stores it away; and in places people just struggle to deal with like their love-handles, saddlebags, chins, etc.
Maladaptive behavior directly related to sugar consumption often leads to diabetes and obesity, epidemics that are completely out of control for adults and now youngsters in our high-sugar era of consumption. Additionally, sugar addiction degrades the integrity and vitality of the pituitary gland that, in turn, struggles to produce and release sufficient supplies of growth hormone that are necessary to keep the body charged with a healthy metabolism and to maintain homeostasis.
Insulin flow chart (basic understanding)
• Sugar is sensed by the brain; i.e., thought (memory or future projection), sight, smell or actual consumption.
• The brain reacts by signaling the pancreas to release insulin in preparation to manage energy.
• Insulin enters the bloodstream that then binds to sugar molecules chaperoning them into muscle cells.
• Muscle cell receptors will grant entry to sugar only when that muscle is depleted, or has room for this energy source.
• However, when muscle cells are already saturated with sugar; called glycogen at that point, the sugar is rejected by the muscle receptors returning it into normal circulation. When sugar is denied tissue access it has a higher (and easier) tendency to convert to fat and become stored within the body. (The genetic construction of the body desires to keep and preserve energy, it’s a caveman gene we haven’t yet outgrown.)
• Insulin-induced diabetes is linked to depression, hormonal imbalances and sexual dysfunctions, obesity, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and reduced quality of life.
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Written by John Abdo, ©, All Rights Reserved
Excerpts taken from Brain Sensation & Motivation
Milo of Croton: His Name is Remembered
Hello! My name is John Abdo. I am the author of ‘Wolves of Croton – The Untold Story of Milo.’ My book describes the wrestling prowess, military career, and unusual death of the greatest Olympiad combatant of all-time and the undisputed strongest man who has ever lived, Milo of Croton.
Also known as ‘The man who could carry a bull,’ Milo’s story is supported by numerous historical accounts, tales in Greek mythology and ancient culture, and inspiring stories that are truly motivating, educational, and entertaining.
A truly inspiring book from cover-to-cover…
You can obtain a copy of John Abdo’s book, Wolves of Croton – The Untold Story of Milo at DISCOUNTED PRICES at AMAZON Kindle
Website for John Abdo: https://johnabdo.com
MentorCam: https://mentor.cam/johnabdo
Instagram: @johnabdo1
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAbdoAuthor
All Rights Reserved, ©, John Abdo
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